Blinded

Last Sunday, while visiting a church where Come Rest Ministries was ministering, I sat at the book table in the foyer.  The light was shining into where I sat, filling it with light.


As I sat there, I looked into the sanctuary area where the service had begun.  The darkness of the room was such that it was hard to imagine how people could see where they were going, or what was happening around them.

When it was time for the sermon to begin, I opened the glass door of the sanctuary and went in to find a seat.  I wanted to clearly hear what the Lord had for the people to hear.  As I looked around, I found I could see all within the room just fine.  I sat down and thought about how dark it had appeared before I had entered.  Now the room seemed very normal.  I could see everything just fine.  Looking out the door, towards the outside, the world seemed a washed with light.

I then realized that those in the world were use to the spiritual darkness which they constantly lived in.  To them, the darkness wasn’t dark at all.  To look out of this darkness and into the spiritual light could actually be  painful and blinding.  The light did not aid in their sight but actually hindered it.  If something lived in the spiritual light, they could not discern what it truly looked like.  To them, it appeared like a featureless and plain.  Details would be lost to them because of the light.

I pray that I live in the light, and the darkness hides the details of sin from me.  I don’t need to see what is happening within the darkness of the world.  I want to see Jesus.  I want to see His righteousness.  I want to reach those who live in darkness and help them to come into the light and see what the world of spiritual light is really like.

Photo Credit: Blinded by the Light by C. J. Sorg

Technorati Tags: blindness, darkness, light, spiritual, Revival, truth

What do You Expect of Me?

Today, I was sitting on our couch praying.  I was bringing to the Lord things which concerned me such as family, ministries and my own life before him.  As I prayed I heard that still small voice speak to me.  “What do you expect of me?”

That question stopped me cold.  What did I expect of God?  What did I expect God to do as He listened to me ask for protection of my Peace Corp Volunteer daughter in The Gambia?  Did He decide to send a warrior angel to stand guard at her door because I asked Him to protect her?  Perhaps He planned to martyr her until I prayed.  Maybe He listened but decided to deny my request.

I prayed for strength and wisdom for myself to follow Him.  I want to serve him and not to sin.  Does that mean He will not allow temptations to come upon me? Does it mean God will send even greater temptations upon me, so I can grow stronger?

I prayed for Dick and Kim Speight of Come Rest Ministries that God’s presence would come upon them and bathe them in power.  That God provide for them financially, and that He blesses them as they work for Him.  When I think of how to bless them, does God see better ways to bless them?  Ways which may seem like trials to us?

What do I expect of God?  I sat there pondering how to answer Him.  Finally, I closed my eyes and confessed to Him what I truly wanted of Him.  I nodded as I said to Him.  “I expect you to be God.  You will listen to my request, and perhaps they will move your heart to fulfill my request, but I expect you to accomplish your will in all things.  Your Love will lead you into all righteousness, and I will worship you.  Oh my God, be God.”

Technorati Tags: prayer, God, answers,

A Man of Great Faith

Hebrews 11 is called The Faith Chapter.  It listed people in the Bible, who displayed great faith in their lives.  I agree with that list but are there others as well?  I can think of people whose name should be right there with these giants of faith.

Luke 23: 39-43 tells about the thief who hung on the cross with Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”Now don’t just read on past this statement.  Think about how much faith this took.  Here is a man who has been placed on a cross to die.  He knows that he will not see another sunrise.  This dead man turns to Jesus, who is another person that will be dead before the day is out. This is one condemned man talking to another condemned man about a future beyond that day.

Not only is he talking to Jesus about a future, but he is talking about Jesus as if he is a king.  The thief just watched Jesus’s earthly possessions being divided up between the Roman guards and his robe gambled off to one of them.  Jesus is hanging naked because he owns nothing now except the crown of thorns on his head.  His followers are all scattered.  He is the butt of everyone’s joke.  The thief on the other side of Jesus sneers.  “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

The thief looks past the bloody, naked body of Jesus to his fellow thief.  He has heard about Jesus.  He knows what his teaching is and how blameless he is.  Anger stirs within him and a sense of injustice pours forth.  “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”  Looking to the beaten face of Jesus, he says,  “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Even the men who had followed Jesus for the last three years did not have the faith of this man.  He knew that not only was there a future for Jesus, but that his future was as a King.  He reached out to Jesus, his king, and asked to be remembered.  Jesus honored this man’s faith.

Lord, give me such faith as to believe you for the impossible.   You are the God of the impossible.

Photo Credit: Via Crucis 2010-5 by jj.figueroa


Technorati Tags: Crucifixion, faith, revival, sin, thief, Jesus,