Many questions, one answer

What will we give
Where will we go
Whose voice do we hear,
and follow

Will the pain thought
prevent us from going
Perceived pain
Experienced pain

Whose word is it
that we listen
that we respond

Is it options of the world
we live in and appear
to thrive under that
keeps us here

Have we forgotten
where Jesus
commanded us to go
Have we missed
the reason
Have we failed
Is body and soul
given way

What will we give --
our possessions
our very lives

Where will we go --
nowhere....
to our neighbor down the street,
across town, in the Appalachian mountains,
the unreachables, untouchables
in Third-World countries

Whose voice do we hear
and follow --

Is it worldly desires, worldly thinking,
worldly pleasures, worldly dreams,
worldly ideals, worldly values,
worldly ambitions, worldly acclaim,
worldly reason

Is it fear of the vast unknown

Is it Jesus, Son of God, the Holy Spirit?

(c) September 24, 2011

"Too long we have been waiting for one another to begin! The time for waiting is past! ... Should such men as we fear? Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, ... and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ."                              - C.T. Studd, 1860-1931

(taken from "C.T. Studd: Cricketer and Pioneer" by Norman Grubb, reprinted in "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream" by David Platt)

Jesus is The Way

It is not the Christian religion we follow,
but Jesus Christ Himself.

It is not the way to God
but the way of God
that is our salvation.

It is called Grace
It is called Love
and it brings Hope.

(c) July 28, 2011 

To see a need and ...

To see a need
to strive to fill it
The Lord's will be done

What -- When -- Where?

To the least of these
is I says the Lord.

To see a need
but fail to act
you believe you say
you trust you say
but why
oh why
is foot not taken
the task not given
not begun
not carried out
not fulfilled.

To see a need
God has called you to
but rules
and regulations
requirements
of the world
all detriments
toward accomplishing
His will, His purpose
for you.

He tells us
in His word
to go forth
not in fear
and trepidation
but in faith
looking to Him
only to Him

Seeking answers
to our many questions
without questioning
His answers.

He knows the way
He created the way
He is the way.

He sees the needs of mankind
He sees my needs
and yours too
And all is fulfilled
And we are witnesses ...
but do we understand,
do we comprehend?

He has given us
eyes to see,
ears to hear,
a mind to discern
a heart to share
a love to give.

To see a need
to strive to fill it
to pray, meditate
and petition
believing without questioning
proceeding without faltering,
without stumbling,
not wondering if you are doing it right.

For what does it matter?
Who are you serving?
The Risen Lord
or the family next door?!

To see a need
to strive to fill it.
Just Go.
Just Do.
And the Lord be with you.

(c) August 1, 2011

Give me strength

Give me strength
for this day
Bring me peace
Bring me rest
Cover me, enclose me
within Your hand

I ask so much
and You continually give

You said our lives would be
filled with turmoil
and pain
and it is
but still you give
and give
and I will find comfort
only You can provide.

Only You can heal
Only You.

Bring me out of the dismay
Bring me peace
Help me to trust
Be my support
for my pain,
my personal physical anguish
and my emotional and mental trauma
Bring me relief

Show me how to proceed
Give me strength
Be with me
Be with Jimmy
Show us the way
We are one.
One in the spirit
One in You.

Thank you Lord Jesus
Bring me strength
and peace for this day
I pray.
Only in You
am I.

(c) August 3, 2011 

In Him, am I

Who

are you?

Who am I?

Have we forgotten

from where we came

from what we came

who brought us,

brings us still

face to face

with our sin

reminds us

we are far from

the perfectness

of the

Lord Jesus

yet He Loves Us

continually

never ceasing

There is an ever increasing

reason for condemnation

yet

He doesn't

condemn us

The Holy Spirit

the same

in Christ

in me

We,

"Those of us who are

in Christ Jesus,

who do not walk

according to the flesh,

but according to the Spirit,

there is therefore

now

no condemnation." (Romans 8:1)

We have been set free

Jesus has proclaimed us

Not Guilty

Who are we?

We,

You are a man in Christ

I am a woman in Christ

The enemy

cannot touch me

or you

I must remember

You must remember

know who you are

Stay focused on

The One

to whom you belong

Who said it was easy

Easy is looking down

being swallowed up

by fear of the unknown

Hard is seeking out God

at every turn

Hard is soaring

like an eagle

wings outstretched

when fear and anxiety

take precedence

Easy is burying

our heads in the sand

or under the bed blankets.

So fearful,

we forget

the Lord above

can do anything

and everything.

We must trust.

Must trust.

We are in Christ

Christ is in us

Struggles do not

disappear

Struggles remain

Sin remains

yet God

does not condemn us.

We are His

Only in Him

am I

Only in Him

are you

Abide in Him

Listen

to His Word

to the sounds of nature

Watch

the glorious splendor

of a sunrise

and a sunset

Remember

He is with us

always

He is but a breath away,

a step away

a hand reaching out

toward you.

His gaze is upon us

we must meet His gaze

and remain constant

Do not look away

He will bring us through

it all.

He is our guardian,

our protector,

our healer.

He is

the Great I Am

and in Him

am I.

(c) August 3-4, 2011

To be there for another

To get out of the doom and gloom
everyday
not just one day
Yesterday came
All day
Today is here
All different

Reach out to another
Why haven’t you written
I’d like to hear from you
I hear

But me too

Wherever You desire us to go
I will go
Send me
Sometimes where you are
is stagnant
Need to move on
get going
Not just physically
but
mentally
emotionally
Must get past the hurts
Hurts come at every turn
and angle …
from siblings, parents,
personal sphere of friends,
even our church family …
who would think?!
The image of Christ
bears no resemblance in us
it seems.
Although we try,
our image of Him
is perceived
far differently
than the image
portrayed in His word.
Sometimes we are just like
the Jewish Pharisees,
seeing ourselves above another

Who is better
None of us can truthfully lay claim
to such reasoning
Jesus is who we follow
If we aren’t following Him,
we cannot be one with Him.
We must therefore
be one with ourselves,
which only leads to
selfishness and
self-centeredness.

We have a new life.
We buried our old life
with Christ
and is reborn
in His image -
not His physical image.
The image of
Who He Is.
We are to be like Him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says,
“We must learn to look less
at what people do or don’t do
and more at what they suffer.”

To be there for another
You be there for me
I for another.
Jesus shows us
the way -
fellowship of love.

To be there for another
to show mercy ….
with cheerfulness.

To be there,
however it may be
God must give us the will
to do so,
to be so.

To get past the pain
past the “what if”
past the “how”
even past the moodiness
Just go
and do.

We cannot say
it doesn’t depend on me
to reach out to another
It is up to the church
But the church
is made up of many me’s
and many you’s.

The church –
the Body of Christ
and Jesus is its head,
not the pope,
not anyone other than Jesus.

There are not multiple foundations.
The church’s one foundation …
Jesus Christ.

There are not multiple platforms
in which we can follow and arrive
at the same place.

There is only one – JESUS!

No Allah

No Buddha

No Rabbi

No Pope

Only one Truth --
Jesus is the Son of God

Only one Savior --
Jesus is the way to salvation.

Jesus is available to all.
Believe in Him, accept Him
as your personal savior,
and eternity will be spent with Him
in the glories of heaven.

Only one basic problem with Humanity – SIN

All of us are sinners.

Some of us have been
forgiven.

Sin – what we feel
in our heart
is demonstrated
in our life.

Only one solution for Sin –
JESUS!

He died for us.
He went to the cross,
burdened with the sins
of ALL of MANKIND,
past, present, future.

He became the sacrifice
fulfilling Old Testament
laws and requirements
of animal sacrifices
for human sin.

A new life,
a new covenant,
buried in death
with Christ
Born again, alive,
renewed.

Be there with Him
for others
Our lives are not about us
But about our Lord
His will
Not ours
His steps for me
Not my steps for me

He took it all
my pain, my burdens
ALL upon himself
He took my SIN away

Who am I
to forget all that He has done
continues to do
and think only of me ….
poor me.

I need to be there
for you and you
through Christ
For with Christ
blessings will be.

Remember.

“for in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28a)

(c) August 15, 2011 

How important is it?

How important is it?
Living as the world lives
or living as God tells us
Knowing one from the other

Having what we need
Knowing what we need
Thinking, wishing
What one has is not realistic thinking
that is what another needs or doesn't need

Each is different
Each person
Each family

Follow the Lord
Follow Him alone
Listen to His words, His widsom
Only He knows
He sees all.
He knows our needs and our desires.

Some will attempt to meet
their needs and desires
by themselves.

Some will succeed.
Some will not.

Some will rely on Scripture, on the Lord
...follow His lead.

The Lord made us.
We are His.

Some have much
Some have little
Some make do
Some falter

Some complain
worry

where does it get you?
what have you accomplished
with worry and anxiety?

Listen, obey, do ...
The Lord will guide you.
He will show you the way

In every aspect of Life,
God is present.

Reach out
grab hold
He is there.

YOU must believe
YOU must seek
YOU must reach out and hold on

Where are you in your walk with the Lord?

Are you walking with Him at all
or
are you walking on your own?

(c) July 28, 2007 

My Anna

My friend
a special one
I've adopted
as my mommy

A relationship
started
nourished
bloomed

She walks
with the Lord
She cares
for the sick
and disabled
She talks
of her childhood
of her years
married to Ray

Of present pain
of past hurts
of a future time
with her Lord

She is my friend
my very special friend
my adopted mommy

Anna

(c) July 12, 2007 

Suicide

People give in
give up
Quit
There are some
who do that
Why?
What have they achieved?!
nothing.

Tired of fighting
of repeated attempts
of trying

Give in
give up
Don't do that.
We were given life
You, me
Everyone of us.
It is not for us
to take it away

Only God.

We must persevere
Persist
Endure
... to make life worth living.

(c) July 7, 2007

Death

Death comes
like a thief
in the night
silently
tiptoeing
ever so quietly

We hardly know
it has come

Except
in the aftermath

Our loved ones
family, friends
gone.

Only our memories
will keep them
alive
within us.

(c) July 4, 2007 

Struggles

Struggles
Always
Never ending
No matter who we are
What we hope to accomplish
God's will
or our own


Struggles
Small or big
All important
to us
individually

Life's challenges
where we work
the place
the type
the accomplishments
the process
the ending
the beginning again
where we live
how we live
the friends we have
the people beyond ... that we meet
at work
our neighbors
at church
at businesses we frequent
Everywhere.
the foods we choose to eat
the words we read
the choices

Struggles
never ending
morning to night
over and over
and over again

Aging
not just in years
But our bodies
wear down, wear out
We can get
new knees, new hips
new legs, new arms,
new teeth, new eyes
new heart, new kidney,
new, new, new
Only a replacement.

Struggles

God waits
He is ever present
He will carry our burdens ... IF we ask
He will show us the way ... IF we seek
He will fill us, renew us again and again ...
IF we accept, IF we believe, IF we obey

Struggles can be overcome.

Our God, my God is an awesome God. He is with me always.
But,
unless I actively seek Him,
obey Him,
follow Him,

He waits ...

(c) July 3, 2007

And ...

 And what now?
What to do.
What to think.
Does anyone think, does anyone care?
Where are we?
Where are we going, heading, anywhere?
What is the end?
Where, when, why.
So many questions.
Do you know ...
Do I know.
Who knows?
Who cares?


God.

(c) June 18, 2007

His Grace, His Glory

His Grace
His mercy and love
bestowed unto
His people

His gift
Salvation

His
to offer
His
to give

Ours
to accept
Ours
to share
Ours
to proclaim
His Glory
to all nations.

(c) September 9, 2011

Whole and Complete

Jesus says,
"Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy-laden.
Come to Me and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

You who are pompous, full of pride and rich
with more and more possessions
You have no time for Me.
Your reward you have already received.
You are damned.
There is no peace where you are ...
only torment and eternal separation.
(Luke 16: 19-31)

Alas, come to Me
And I will give you rest
Come, do not tardy

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." 
(Matthew 11:29-30)

(c) September 4, 2011

The way .... is

The Battle
- what we fight for
The Renunciation
- what we give up

is nothing by itself

Faith in God
and
Obedience to God
is the way
for all.

(c) September 3, 2011

Go Forth and Follow Me

On Sept. 3, I posted an entry entitled "Go, and" on my Journeys blog. The post was the result of a two-week mini study on Jesus' commandments of "Go." I say Go, Do, and if you stop and think about it, in all of these, it is still Go, Do. Go, and do preach, go and do sell, Go and do give, you get the picture.

To read the original post, go here: http://windowtochristianministries-journeys.blogspot.com/2011/09/go-and.html

Go, preach
Go, sell
Go, give
Go, come follow Me
Go, show mercy
Go, tell
Go, forgive
Go, keep My commandments
Go, meet
Go, pray
Go, watch and beware
Go, make disciples
Go, baptize
Go, teach
Go home
Go in peace
Go, be healed
Go, find
Go, go
Go more
Go and do not sin
Go, obey
Go, believe
Go, be
Go forth and Follow Me

(c) September 4, 2011

Jesus is the vine

Jesus is the vine
I am but one of His branches
I can do
I can be
anything and all
but if not to Jesus
for Jesus
that I give my all
All achieved
is to nothing
to no avail.

My eternal bliss
has died on the vine
I am alone
and my aloneness
brings no joy
only dismal thought
and torment
as I face bitterness,
defeat,
death in the deep.

Jesus is the vine
I am but one of His branches
I draw my lifeblood from Him
who died for my soul
who rose from the dead
who reigns on high
who lives within me.

Jesus is the vine
I am but one of His branches.

For me to bear fruit
I must succumb to His pruning
I must abide in Him

for Jesus is the vine
My Lord and Savior
and I am but one of His branches
A child of The King

(c) September 4, 2011

Hope Eternal

I have it

Yes. I have it.
I know.

God showed me the way
Through others
My heart was open
Ready to receive

Walking, running, skipping
joyously, excitedly
Through the Scriptures
Wondering what the Lord
would say
To me

Something new
every time.
How to live

Trust and obey
His will
Not mine

(c)June 3, 2007

We can live!

The Lord - He is God,

The mighty King
The Prince of Peace
The Holy One
The Only One

We are but dust - like that found in corners
or underneath beds

Our life span is limited
Tomorrow may or may not come
We are destined to die

But through the grace of the Lord's son Jesus
We can live!

(c) February 19, 2007