Psalm 45 Whose are You?

Psalm 45:10-11

Listen O’ Daughter (The Church)

Consider and give ear:

Forget your people and your father’s house.

The King (Jesus) is enthralled by your beauty:

Honor Him

For He is your Lord.

Whose are you?

From where do you get your name?

“Forget your people and your father’s house.”

There is no doubt that our families are a blessing-

A gift from God Himself-

So that we can feel His Love through them-

So that we can live out His Love to them-

But…………………..

Jesus…… He is our Lord

He is the One who has brought us to Life-

He is the One who will give me a new name (Rev. 2:17)

I am His.

All Praise, Honor and Glory be to You my King

Amen

It's Not Always Easy

Psalm 43 excerpts

 You are God my stronghold.
   Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning…………..
  

 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

The Psalmist felt rejected by God-

He felt forsaken-

Yet he fights on-

To take hold of Hope-

Hope that is based in Truth!

Feelings…………

I have been there.

But can I tell you all here and now friends-

Truth trumps feelings.

Truth

Father will never leave us- Deut. 31:8

Jesus has overcome the world- John 16:33

I can do all things through Christ- Phil. 4;13

Father has given us a Spirit of Power- 2 Timothy 1:7

I love that the Psalmist spirit speaks truth to his soul.

Let the Spirit of God speak Truth to your spirit-

Let your own spirit speak Truth to your soul.

It’s not always easy 

Father

Saturate us with the Truth-

The Truth of Your Great Love for us-

Even Today.

Amen 

Flexible Intentionality

"Get out of here" the angry merchant screamed at the panhandler.

It was a disturbing sight-
This man in a wheelchair steadily rolling away-
Away from the onslaught of vile verbal abuse-
Harsh, heartless, hurtful words-
It was ugly.

I wish I could say I did something-
I wish I could say I stopped-
I wish I could write I at least offered-
Offered the man in the wheelchair some small bit of encouragement-
Maybe even a handout.

I kept walking.
That distubs me now more than anything else.

I make my living helping people.
Beyond that-
I have lead service projects from time to time into the inner city-
I have taken the homeless to lunch on occasion-
So what happened this time?
Why the ignoring of this man-
This fellow human being in need?

Well there is the age old cowardice that rises up-
Stepping in could have led to a confrontation with the shopkeeper-
Did I have what it was going to take-
What it was going to take make things work out.
Was I adequate to the task?
Could I risk this whole thing blowing up in my face?

Then there is this unplanned for "inconvenience"-
The disruption of my plans-
My plans for a nice stroll through downtown Memphis.
Plain and simple apathy piled high on fear.
I suppose many things are in play-
But there is one thing that may have changed everything-
One thing that may have led to the right thing-
I am talking about something Father has impressed on me for 2012.
It is something I like to call.........

Flexible Intentionality

I wonder.......
I wonder if I can I begin to live-
Live in such a way that I am ready for anything?

Can I make my plans for a nice stroll on Beale Street-
Yet still not be surprised-
Even disturbed or caught unawares
By anything God allows my way?
Can I walk out the door each and every day-
With all my plans in place-
Yet with flexibility that always allows for.........
The unexpected.

I think if I had been told ahead of time-
Charles this is what is going to happen-
This is the place where you are to play your part today-
Your part for My Kingdom-
I would do much better.
I want to do the right thing-
I want to live a life full of love-
Love for people........
And for our Father who brought these brothers and sisters of mine-
Into existence.
I want the Life of Jesus to pour out through me.

These are my intentions-

Father move in me to be flexible-

Flexible enough to carry out these intentions every moment-

Ready even as I move through the lesser intentions of my day-

Like intentions of a nice stroll down Beale Street.

Amen

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do,

in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus-

Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

People are not Problems

I love time with friends-I love how Jesus uses people-
Even unlikely people-
Sometimes even friends..........
To expose me-
Even to take a little more ground for Himself-
Ground for Himself in my heart.

I don't know where it comes from-
Maybe it's a male thing-
Maybe it's just an orientation I have developed over time-
An orientation to life-
The view that life is a series of problems-
Navigate the problems well.........
Siss-boom-bah......
There you have it-
Success!

A great orientation..........
Sometimes.

"People are not problems"
My friend cut me off in mid sentence-
As I was describing a struggle with someone I love.

"Why do you need to fix them?" she asked

There is a wide gap between fixing and Loving........
But sometimes it can look like a fine line.

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another,
God lives in us, and His Love is made complete in us.

Father be at work in me-

Be at work in me to Love the people you bring my way.

Give me Your Heart for each one-

Give me wisdom to know my part to play-

My part to play in being the expression of Your Life to each one.

Amen



Grace

My friend Andy sat across from me beaming with excitement-
"You won't believe what happened to me this weekend"
He said, as he seemed to grin from ear to ear.
He went on to describe taking a Trophy Buck while hunting with his son.

Now as a deer hunter myself-
There was just a bit of envy-
As he showed a picture of this 11 point trophy of a life time.

The envy quickly turned to resentment as I heard him say-

"Really I'm not a deer hunter at all"
"This is the first time I have been deer hunting in years"
"A friend just took me out, and put my son and I on a stand"
"Oh, did I tell you I prayed before we went?"
The prayer was-
"Lord, surprise us"

I felt the surge of resentment grow stronger.

God you know how hard I have worked to get a trophy like that-
You know, if anyone deserves that trophy- it's me-
And yet You give such a thing to someone who just walks out into the woods-
No work- No scouting- No sitting for hours in the cold-
You just gave it to him.

Why not me?
What's wrong with me?

And then I hear my Father say-

Luke 15:31

 "My son" the Father said,

"You are always with me and everything I have is yours"

Truth- The Lord gives as He sees fit.

Truth- The Father has given me good gifts-

No check that- The Father has given me perfect gifts-

Exactly what I needed to bring my heart towards Himself-

Oh, sin and the enemy bring pain from time to time-

But in His Love and Grace towards me-

Father takes even this pain and offers healing and wholeness.

Father,

Thank You for my Brother's Blessing.

Thank You for my own Blessings.

Open my eyes to always See and

Trust Your Grace in my Life.

Amen



Just One Thing

"I just need to pick up this one thing"
Dawn said as she closed the car door and headed off into the Publix.
Immediately the banter began as her husband Tony said 2-
Then daughter Sarah chimed in,
"Are you counting the Coke-
I put the Coke in my count and I say 3".
Tony chuckles back, "No, the Coke is a given-
So I guess with that I will have to say 3 as well".

It seems there is a running wager-
Everytime my Sister-in-Law goes into a store-
For just one thing-
How many "things" she will eventually emerge with.
My wife Julie is the same-

Could it be a Woman thing?

I feel like maybe I am treading on precarious ground here-
So I best move on!

Actually, I am the same-
Not so much in shopping, but in thinking-
I start off on one idea, but before long........

My friends call it chasing rabbits-

I call it the leading of the Holy Spirit!

Anyway-
I suppose we all are subject to distraction-
And is there really ever "Just One Thing"?

Luke 10:40-42 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

She came to Jesus and asked,

 “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?

Tell her to help me!”

    “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered,

“You are worried and upset about many things,

but few things are needed—or indeed Only One.

 Mary has chosen what is better,

And it will not be taken away from her.” 

Ah, the one thing that really matters-

The Only Thing-

The Only Thing that will not be taken away.

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit-

I pray that as we go through this day that all the lesser things,

The things that woo and distract-

That they all would fade into nothingness-

As we set our hearts toward uniting with Your Great Heart-

Even in these lesser things.

Matthew 6:33

Amen 

Light brings Truth and Truth brings Life

There was a thick fog all around us-
As we stumbled through the black of night.

The flashlight shining in the darkness only seemed to make things worse as it highlighted the shifting mists in the night. Then there was the swaying Spanish Moss whose every movement with the breeze conjured up age old fears of some dark and evil creature lurking........
Waiting to ravage us.......
As we made our way through the cold stagnant waters of some ancient swamp.

We finally arrived at our destination-
An island of sorts-
At least some dry ground.

I watched in ever increasing terror as my friend left me there-
Slowly moving away with his light........
Into the all consunsuming black of night.
"I'll be back in a few hours", he said-
As he left me there-
Alone.........
Shivering from a combination of cold and fear-
Feeling as lost as a boy can feel.

I was 12 years old-
It was the first and last time
I have ever been Duck Hunting.

But what about now?

What is out there?

What is waiting for us-
As we make our way through the uncertainties of this life?

What kinds of monsters make the hair stand up on the back of your neck?

Do you ever feel left alone........
Like some little boy.........
In a dark, bleak swamp?

As I sat with my back to a tree on that cold wintery morning, looking out into the blackness and shivering, it was not long before I noticed something- I could begin to make out some shapes- Those are trees aren't they?

And that slight rise in the distance........

Yes, there it was-
The horizon.

Glancinging up, there was a break in the fog-

Incredible!

There were a billion stars shining through on this clear winter's night.

My heart rose a bit as I began to get glimpses...........

of Hope.....

of Truth.........

Being revealed by the coming light.

The Truth of the beauty I was surrounded by.

Still fear lingered.........

Until after a little longer-
I began to notice the horizon brightening a bit-

Could it be.......

Was that the edge of the sun-
I was seeing begin to climb in the distance?

Yes!

And what about this place-

I think I have been here before-

I remember.....
Yes my friend had brought me here before.

I have seen this- maybe I am not lost after all!

John 1: 4-5 In Him was Life,
and that Life was the light of all Mankind.
The Light shines in the darkness
 and the darkness has not overcome it.

What about you?
Is there ever something in you-

Something that feels lost-

Maybe even a little afraid?

And yet as Jesus brings Light........

As He brings Life itself.............

As we begin to be able to see-

As we begin to realize the Truth of His Life in us..........

Hope bursts forth like the sun on the horizon.

Welcome to Today-

Welcome to the Truth-
That darkness will always yield to Light-

Welcome to Life in Him.

Father God, Life Giver Jesus, Wonderful Holy Spirit-

Thank You for the Dawn-

Thank You for bringing Light and Truth and Life to put away the darkness.

Thank You for Today.

Amen

Link to "Your Love Never Fails" below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_2qG22SPwU&feature=related