Sunday, October 24, 2010

Lift


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High Places, Holy Ground
The heart I thought I'd lost I've found
Precious flight, powerful wings
How can I help but fly....

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-E.A.A. "Hindsfeet"  10/24/10




Thursday, October 7, 2010

fettered faith


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Overripe fruit
hanging heavy with longing

for His harvest hand...
for His touch...
for His voice...

that still turns water into wine

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"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
-John 2:10

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Crucible

"And in the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthani?"
-Mark 15:34

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He Understands

With the same bewilderment and despair He cried out as we have,

My God!  Why have You forsaken me?

He knows how it feels to be met with silence in that moment
He knows how it feels to have that last shred of faith slip through your fingers
To be out of lifelines and left alone

He Knows

He knew we'd need a God who "Gets It"
He knew we'd need a God who could reach us,
in the deepest valley
in the lowest pit
even at the doorway of death

So he made sure His reach would stretch that far

He's been there and beyond, He's done that and more
His reach does stretch that far

You are not out of His reach

You are not alone

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"Now my soul is in agony, but what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour!'?  No, it was for this purpose that I came to this hour."
-John 12:27

Friday, October 1, 2010

Dinnertime

"Come!  All you who are thirsty!  Come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."
-Isaiah 55:1-2

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Which credentials carry the most weight on our religious resumes?  Which assets do we prize on the pages of our portfolios?  What do we bring to the table when called on to feed a hungry and thirsty world?

Are the impoverished souls surrounding us forced to settle for silver and gold, or can we, like Peter, say to them, "I have what you really need, and what I have I give you..."

What did Peter have?

He had Jesus.

Are we serving up superfluous sundries or something of substance?  Christ or cubic zirconias?

For too long we've offered tokens, trinkets, and trifles to a world starving for the Savior.  For too long we ourselves have been content to nibble around the edges of Who God is, to fill up the gaps of our faith with garnishes...

...But Immanuel is inviting us to feast on His fullness, to know Him as Peter knew Him, to know the breadth and length and depth and height of Him, so that we can, in turn, invite others to the table, so that we have solid food with which to "feed His sheep".

So come to the table

Pull up a chair

Make yourself comfortable

***It's Dinnertime***

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"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who boasts boast in this: that he understands and knows Me."

-Jeremiah 9:23-24