FIRST THE BAD NEWS

"You have no life in you."
...says Jesus in John 6:53


No Life. None. Zero. Zilch.

What does it take to get it
through my thick skull.

I do NOT have what it takes.

I can NOT do it alone.

I am NOT sufficient on my own.

There is no amount of GOOD
I can do - none. What good
there is to be done, HAS
to be done through Him.

Must be God-initiated.
God-powered.
God-sourced.

Otherwise, what I do is but

Hay and stubble,
Straw and cuttings.
Dried up and shriveled up
Weeds and shrubs.

Ready for one thing...













... fire

Makes very good, hot fire
that's all.

Oh - to be so fully dependent
on God, that all I do originates
from Him, and not me.

Oh settle the matter, saint
Settle it soon...

"... Without Me,
ye can do NOTHING..."
John 15:5b




.

THEN THE GOOD NEWS

"I am the resurrection,
and the Life: he that
believeth in me,

though he were dead,

yet shall he live."

Jesus, in John 11:25















Jesus demonstrates His Deity by resurrecting the dead...
Only God can do that.
Only LIFE can produce life from death.
______________________________

The way I see it,
things are rather
topsy turvy...

Life on this earth daily
dishes out death...
It's all around us.

But then,
Ah, but then...
AFTER death...
comes LIFE,
Eternal Life.


"And this is the testimony;
that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son.
He who has the Son has life;
he who does not have the Son of God
does not have life.
These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life... "
1 John 5:11-13

From this, I gather that
there is no life outside of Christ...
it is in Christ that Life is found.
Those who have chosen to believe in Jesus
Christ as their Savior and Lord...
now have Him as their Life.

Then this becomes the plan,
that we should daily,
continually give up our earthy death-life
that we might exchange it for the heaven-Life...
here and now.
His Life for mine...

And then this LIFE we have in Him
will produce what HE has ordained
from before the foundation of the world.
Works of the flesh (fire-works) will diminish,
And in their place...
A work suited and tailor-made for us,
producing an abundance of fruit.












Life springs forth from death,
but only, only, in Christ!


"For God so loved the world (you)
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever (you) believes in Him,
should not perish,
but have everlasting Life."

John 3:16

No Me Left Behind!

This graphic is an incredible view of what that
momentous event may look like, and though the
sound of the trumpet can't be heard, and the
chaos of all manner of transportation being
instantaneously left unattended does not show,
you do get the idea.

The bright light is probably nowhere near as bright
as it will actually be, but this artist's depiction of
the Great Rapture is the closest I've seen to what
I imagine it will be like.

Because I do consider these days to be the "last days"
and I so love my parents and siblings - then it behooves
me to address this to them.

To explain what is expected of an individual who has
been "left behind"... view this site...

Left Behind Letters

There are other letters there explaining different
aspects of what the days after the rapture hold for
all who have been left behind. Get informed, and
if you wish to avoid being left behind, view this
site...

Avoid Being Left Behind!

Until I can produce my own version of these
suggestions and warnings... I hope this will cover
the need one may experience after this incredible
event takes place.

By the Way... the Great Rapture is described in
1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4, verses 16-18 as
follows:

"16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."


Truthbyter

Are You WITH Me?

I love acronyms.

My simple mind latches
onto them, to remind me
of some most needful
thing.

This time the acronym is:










W.I.T.H.

W = What
I = Is
T = The Truth
H = Here


This is how I latch on...

Am I working WITH God
or against God?

Am I working WITH Him
in my circumstance,
or against Him - as in
being uncooperative?

If I find I have lost
that sense of God's peace,
I ask myself...

ok, What Is the Truth Here
about the circumstance I am in?











Right here, right now...

how is God asking me to respond?

Will I be WITH Him in this,
or against Him?

Believing what God has to say
about any given situation,
and acting on that Truth,
is what will set me free
to be and do what is right.

I want to be WITH Him...
in all my circumstances...

and in order to do that,
I simply ask myself...

What Is The Truth Here?



" Then said Jesus to those Jews which
believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:31-32

What AM I doing?

I need to grasp
something,
really
really
bad.

Like,
the sooner
the better.


What I do now...






















Counts for Eternity.


______________________


This brings
eternal significance
to the smallest act.

Every little thing

I do, I must do well.


"For whatever you do,
do... heartily..."

Col 3:23

Why TWO???

"Here dies another day
During which I have had eyes, ears, hands
And the great world around me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am I allowed two?"

- G.K. Chesterton






















God keeps the days coming
because God thinks each day
is worth something.
Each and every new day
brings with it Mercy.
And Grace.

Do I realize the gift this is?

















"...teach me to number my days
that I may apply my heart
unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Penitent Magdalene

Magdalene.
The Local Prostitute.

You know, they say
every time you
give yourself away,
you give a part of your

self

away ... you fragmentize.

A little bit more of you... gone...

Soon you begin to wonder
if there's any of you left.

And if there is,
what does that you
even look like anymore?

Each time,
a fragmentation.

Humpty Dumpty.
played on the wall.
Thought it was a ball.
But Humpty Dumpty.
took such a great fall.










All the king's horses
and all the king's men.
Could not put
humpty together again.

What does it take
to put a broken egg
back together again?

Nothing.
You can't do it.

What does it take
to put a broken life
back together again?

Nothing.
It can't be done.
What's shattered is shattered.

New life was what humpty needed.
Nothing else would do.

Brand new life.

That's what Magdalene got.
The King of kings came along,
with a few of His men,
and He gave her new life.

And now, she has it all together...
In Him.

Brand new life.



Click here to see what
that Brand New Life
looks like...

The Son Rules

Thank you Father, that no matter
how thick the clouds...
no matter how dark underneath...
the Son is still with me...
closer than a brother...
closer than a breath...


"...be content with such things as
ye have: for he hath said,
I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee." Heb 13:5

THANKSGIVING IN MARCH

To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven...

And the time for giving thanks,
in my book,
is all the time.
All the time.



Thank you, Lord God, for family.
Mom, Dad, Brothers, Sister.
For timely reunions.
For honest sharing.
For loving bonds.
For gentle reminders,
to love each other...
through thick and thin,
and through all the years,
that come and go.


















Help me, God, to bless them all I can
while we're still on this little planet...
eternity is so close...

DAD!

What does that bring to mind for you?

There are all kinds of fathers out there.
Fatherhood, as it was created to be,
should bring to mind
pleasant and wonderful things.














Daddy, my hero.
Daddy, my protector,
my helper and my provider.

Followed by...
Dad, my counselor,
my best friend,
my mentor.



















This is what a Dad can be.


But what images are conjured up
for you at the sound of
"Heavenly Father"?

It seems incredible to me
that the Creator of the universe
chose a father/child relationship
when He thought of you and me...


It baffles me.


If memories are too painful...
if "Dad" for you means awful things...

The Heavenly Father has something
to say about that...
Here it is...


(King David writes...)

8.When You said, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

9. Hide not thy face far from me...
...Thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me,
O God of my salvation.

10. When my father and
my mother forsake me,

then the Lord will take me up.

Psalm 27:8-10


That's no small promise.
It's huge.
God can REDEEM
everything and anything.
It's His THING.

So... go ahead,
visit here
to understand what it means
to have God as your Father...


...Your Very Own

Heavenly

Dad.

MOM!

Mom loved us.
Oh, did she love us.

No, she's not gone...
but when I look back...
on years gone by,
that's what I think of.

Love.























And when I think of her today.

Love

still applies.


You would say so too,
if you knew her.

Thanks mom,
for your love.
for your sacrifices.
for your care.

Edna says...

"Remember WHO you are!"












- Edna, from The Incredibles




I just have to admit I love Edna...
she's my favorite character in the movie.
She's a no fuss no muss gal... though consumed
with herself, she comes out with great lines.

I love the scene where she pounds on
Elastigirl with a magazine... that she
would come to her senses and
remember who she was... ELASTIGIRL!
And that she ought to go get her man,
and quit whining and whimping!

What is God asking me to do, that I just
would rather whine and whimp about?
I need to find out and get with it...
He's just waiting to empower me...


"Casting down imaginations, and every
high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:5

As a reminder, visit here
to discover "who you really are"
as a Christian.

Hindsight?

"I never look back, Darrrling,

it distracts from the NOW!"


Edna - from "The Incredibles"













How well can I run
looking back?

How well can I walk
looking back?

How well can I see the way
looking back?

If I want to look back,
I must stop.
If I want to look back,
I cannot move forward.

There are times
when looking back
is necessary,
but I must not
stay too long,

the prize is... ... ... ... ... up ahead!



Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14

Criminal Mediocrity

“Your danger and mine is not
that we become criminals,
but rather that we become
respectable, decent, commonplace,
mediocre Christians.



















The 21st century temptations that really
sap our spiritual power are the television,
banana cream pie, the easy chair and the
credit card.” -Ray Ortlund


God help me! Perhaps today
we could include
the Computer Screen...
one of my own great
potential time munchers.

Oh the discipline, the hard and fast determination
to remain on course... what can be the rescue!

Vision.
Having a vision.
I mean, a vision straight from God as to what it is
I should be setting my heart and time on. And
then....

Going for it.

Infallible? Yes!.

Ask me if I believe the Bible is infallible...
and I will answer a resounding...

...Yes!

Without reservation!

I'm talking about those versions
of the Bible translated from the
original texts.











There are publishers who take
such classics as The Pilgrim's
Progress, or Uncle Tom's Cabin,
or Les Miserables,
and they simplify the text to
make it easier to understand
(some call it dumbing down).

You would then have a paraphrase -
or an abridged version of the Classic.

Those "abridged" translations of the Bible
are not what I'm referring to.
I'm referring to the Bible that was translated
with the author's original intent in mind -
and mind you - that is not hard to determine.

Not only because we have plenty of documents
supporting the original texts, but because
I know my God is not a limited God...

If He was capable of creating this world...
surely He was capable of leaving His Word.

Am I being childlike...
naive-like?

Yes, I am.

And I love it.











Ask the Spirit of God
to open His Words to you, for
Without Him, His Word is
incomprehensible.

Go.

Ask.

Read.

Feed.

It was written
with you
in Mind.

Start with the Book of John.
And believe...


"Open Thou mine eyes, that I might
behold wondrous things out of thy law."
Psalm 119:18

(Psalm 119 is written entirely
on the subject and glory of
God's Word. Check it out!)

Is Mommy's Slip Showing?

"Moms, don’t be surprised
when the seeds you have planted
by the way you respond to your husband,
to men in general, and to your pastor's
leadership take root in your children."
Nancy Leigh De Moss


If I buck authority,
so will the children.

If with airs, I "correct" authority,
so will the children.

If I choose being right,
(and think God in-capable
of making things right)
so will the children.









They don't miss a thing...


They have their own
bent on sin, I know...
but how much of it
do I demonstrate?

Slips like this are
too destructive
to leave unattended.

I'm taking a good long
look at what comes out
of my mouth. I'm learning
to pay attention and
to pull up the slip
before it shows...

So help me, Father.

Rejoice in Truth

Truth can hurt,
Truth can delight,
Truth can bring despair,

But Truth from the One
who loves you wholeheartedly,
will set you free.

And with His truth,
you can't go wrong.

So, Go for it.
Ask for it.
Seek it out.

What have you got to lose?



"Love rejoices in Truth"
1 Cor. 13:6

Oh God... I Need...

"Yet prayer is nothing but desiring God
to give us the greatest and best things
we can have and that can make us happy."
Jeremy Taylor













So why do I have such a hard time praying?

For me, it's probably a control issue.
I want control of my life, thank you.

Then I wonder why things are still a mess.
Or remain unchanged, or dry, or pointless.

Get on with it, Jocelyne,
prayer is the smartest
use of your time.

Spend it!
Use it up!
Splurge!
Happily!

Peace It Is

It was recommended at a fellow blogger's site...
that we choose a word for this year, and just
be creative with it. Examine it, see it, feel it,
own it, grow into it, spread it around, lift it up,
decorate with it, write it down on wood...
you get the idea.

Well - I picked my word.

Peace.


I chose peace because I am the insecure type.
That's me.
Caring too much about what other people think.
Worrying too much about appearances.
Thinking too much about how I come across.
Fussing about other peoples feelings.
Like it's my business... or my job to fix things.
Wow.
I'm tired just thinking about it.

So - peace it is.


















(Photo taken by Joseph Sade, in Brown City, Mi.)


First and foremost,
I already have
Peace with God.

By the grace of God,
it's signed, sealed
and delivered.

Then there's Peace within.
Not easily attainable.
Peace of heart.
Peace of mind.
Peace of God.

And that is why I chose peace.
To let it Rule my heart and mind
as I relinquish control of each
moment of my life
and lay it into His loving,
merciful,
nail-pierced
Hands.



" And let the peace of God rule in your hearts..."
Col 3:15

There is a Reason

I had a conversation with a man the other day.
He would not acknowledge that there was a God.
He would say... "What kind of God
would create a world like this!
All the pain and misery?"

He had a point.
We do wonder about evil.
It surfaces every day.
In my heart, in your heart,
on the street, in the workplace, on the homefront.
Behind closed doors, and right there on the screen.

But how quickly some,
from the well of their own
confused hearts,
ascribe evil to God.

We forget what He did
that should quell any such notions.

Leaving the halls of heaven,
and taking a giant step for mankind,
He stepped right into our world...

He preached against,
confronted,
and exposed evil.

He preached how to avoid it and
the how to be delivered from it.

He touched and healed
and loved all who
came to him in order
to drive home His message.












And He forgave.
Over and over again.

Then He walked in deeper,
over His head,
allowing evil
to take Him and beat Him...
grab Him by the arms
and hang Him on a cross,
naked,
and finally... allowed evil
to swallow Him up.

All-Good allowed Evil to crucify It.

And because God does not want automatons
(read automorons...)
He would not be satisfied with...
"you will love me because I say so..."

(Love must be willfully chosen to mean anything.)

So... He gives us a scenario
within which we can decide...

Will I or
Won't I?

I imagine Him teaching us,
right here, right now,
the consequences of evil
and how it spoils everything.














Somehow, for some reason,
we all need to learn this,
all the way down to the pain
in our hearts
and the tears in our eyes.

I will not judge the Almighty,
and how He chooses to teach.
Fathers do many wonderful and
unbelievable things that
children do not have the capability
to understand, until later...

And that's where I am.

Standing on His wisdom and His Word.
Standing on His Life and on His Death.
And on the almighty resurrection
of a God no man or devil can kill.

He Knows What He's Doing.
I can trust a God that loves me to death.