Pressure Washing

I spent most of the morning pressure washing our patio. Mildew settles on it when it stays damp and in the shade. It looked pretty nasty. We had noticed it getting worse and worse but had not made it a priority to clean it. Since the weather had cooled off some this morning, we decided it would be a good day to tackle this project.

As I worked diligently to clean it, I noticed how the mildew had settled in all the tiny cracks and crevices. It wasn't a matter of just quickly moving the sprayer back and forth. I had to hold the sprayer close to the concrete and move it slowly back and forth. If you have ever used a pressure washer, you know that it does exactly what the name of it is - it dispenses tremendous pressure so that it will dislodge the slime and the grunge. If you move it quickly, you miss some of the grunge. So you have go slow.

The Lord reminded me as I was cleaning that our lives are like this too. Stuff settles in our mind and heart that can cause us to look, think and act grungy. It is not a pretty picture. He doesn't like what he sees so He has to do some "pressure washing". He convicts our spirit of those things in our life that are dark and slimy. It might be a slow process and it might hurt, but He wants to dislodge our mind and heart of those things that are keeping us from being all that we can be for Him.

This reminded me of a sweet praise song that we use to sing:
"Create in me a clean heart, Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God
And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
Take not they Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me."

A Condition of the Heart

It was four weeks ago yesterday that my Daddy went to be with the Lord. I know he is safe now and healed and I know that he is dancing with my Mama. One of the treasures that I was able to have was growing up listening to my daddy play the piano. I'm not sure that he ever took lessons for very long but was blessed with the gift of being able to play by ear. I took piano lessons and enjoy playing but never ever able to put that little extra touch to the music like my daddy.

I now have my Daddy's piano. It is a beautiful piece of furniture and has a beautiful tone. This morning I sat down to play and got out one of my older hymnals. I enjoyed just flipping from page to page and playing some of the hymns. 

I am not what you call an "accomplished musician" by any stretch of the imagination and I do not sing very well but I love to play and I love to sing praises to my precious heavenly Father. I know over the years there has been lots of changes in Christian music. I still love the "oldie goldies" from my Cokesbury Hymnal and I love the new "Praise" music that we listen to on the radio.

As I typed the word "Praise" music, my thoughts were that the Christian music we sing to our heavenly Father from our heart praising him for who He is, what He has done and what He is going to do is pleasing unto to Him. It is not a matter of how old or new the music is as long as my heart is in tune with His Spirit.

So this morning as I prepare to assemble with a group of people who proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and God as our Abba Father, I pray for my heart to be attuned to His heart.

Each One Reach One

As I am following the reading schedule for the book of John we have for the next several weeks at the Adel Assembly of God, I keep going back to John 1. I am reminded how fresh His word is each day even if I were to read the same scripture every day.

Here are my stand out verses for today:

John 1:33 "I would not have known him, EXCEPT that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me . . ."

John 1:41 "The FIRST thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah' (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus."

John 1:45 "Philip FOUND Nathanael and told him . . ."

Jesus shared with John, John shared with Andrew, Andrew shared with his brother Simon (Peter) and BROUGHT him to Jesus, Andrew FOUND Nathanael and shared with him . . .

Look at Andrew's priorities once he heard what John the Baptist shared with him. He was a man convicted, convinced and committed. WOW! He is not one that I generally focus on when I have read this scripture. 

He was a man of action and a man on a mission. Got me to thinking: Who have I shared Jesus with lately and more importantly who have I brought to Jesus lately? How about you?

Who Are You?

Have you ever really thought about that - "Who are You"? As I read John 1:22 "Finally they said, "Who are you? . . ." I paused and reflected on how I would answer that question?

I can give all kinds of facts about me: where and when I was born, where I have lived, places I have been, schools I have attended, jobs I have had . . .

But in my soul, in my most inner being, in my heart - who am I? I guess some have battles within themselves as to who they are. Others are still searching. But I have a peace about who I am and whose I am.

I am a child of the one true King! There is not a doubt in my mind or in my heart who I am. This song by Matthew West says it best:

"Hello, my name is child of the one true King.

I've been save, I've been changed, I have been set free.

"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing. . . ."

How about you?

Who are you? Or I guess a better question is ~ WHOSE are you?

Put On Jesus

Romans 13:14 "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desire of the flesh."

What does Jesus on you look like today?

Is He kind? Is He loving? Is He compassionate? Is He thoughtful? Does He have a smile on His face and joy in His heart?

Put on Jesus today and see if it doesn't make a difference in your life and all those that you see.

NOT GUILTY

For me Romans 8 is probably one of the most powerful chapters in Paul's writings. After writing so much about our sinful nature, he begins with a WOWSER statement. Romans 8: 1-2 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

VERDICT: I am judged NOT guilty, I am set free.

The key to this verdict is a life in Jesus with the leading of the Holy Spirit - which is another discussion all unto its self. So I will save that for later as I meditate on my NOT GUILTY verdict because of my hope in Jesus.

Masters and Slaves

Masters and Slaves: these words readily bring up negative connotations for me.

When I think of Masters, I think of someone or something controlling everything about me: what I can and cannot do which results in me becoming a Slave.

Paul writes in Romans Chapters 5 and 6 that the sin of Adam made all mankind sinners and separated us from God but through Jesus we were restored to RIGHTEOUSNESS with God. We were ruined by sin and rescued by Christ. AMAZING! 

Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under GRACE."

Two key words here ~  RIGHTEOUSNESS and GRACE:
RIGHTEOUSNESS: a right relationship with God
GRACE: unconditional love of God

That is pretty AMAZING -- HIS GRACE!

After I posted this earlier, the Lord reminded me of an old song that says this perfectly:
"Once like a bird in prison I dwelt, no freedom from my sorrow I felt. Then Jesus came and listened to me and glory to God He set me free ~ He set me free, yes, He set me free. He broke the bonds of prison for me. I'm glory bound my Jesus to see for glory to God ~ He set me free."

Let It Go

Do I have much in my purse but not much in my person? Today's summer reading plan at the Adel Assembly of God is Mark 10. Jesus speaks to the rich young man and the young man asks 'What must I do to inherit eternal life?',  Jesus basically tells him to 'Go, sell everything you have and give . . . '

Two words jumped out at me SELL and GIVE! There is more to life than riches and I understand that but whoa - the flesh hangs on doesn't it? I asked myself some questions: What barriers are keeping me from turning my WHOLE life over to God and serving? You see, it's not just about money. What things or activities keep me from serving?

If Jesus asked me or you to give up our house? our car? our job? our  hobbies? . . . you fill in the blank . . . to serve Him, what would our reaction be?

There is more to life than financial riches.

Standing In The Gap

As a part of our Summer reading plan at the Adel Assembly of God we are reading Mark 1-5. My heart was quickened when I read in Mark 2:5 "When Jesus saw their faith, . . . " Here we have a group of friends who have taken one of their friends who is paralyzed to Jesus to be healed.

How amazing is that! Their friend could not get to Jesus and they interceded for him and took him to Jesus. They were standing in the gap for their friend. They were interceding for him. We know from reading the scripture that the first thing Jesus did was to forgive this man for his sins which seems a little strange if you are the friends. It was not the sins of their friend that brought them to Jesus to heal but the body of their dear friend. Jesus recognized the sin which holds us back from receiving all that he has for us. The bonus was that this man received the physical healing too.

Often we are so focused on the physical that we neglect the spiritual. BUT Jesus didn't.