Our destiny is to be so intimately united with God that, as the mystics say, we not only see God’s face but also see with God’s face.
— Peter Kreeft, The God Who Loves You
And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem;
Zechariah 14:8
Standing in the water, it feels cold to my hot and tired feet. Shoes off I let the moving stream flow over them. The summer sun beating down on my neck. It's a extremely hot day. Kentucky is hot this time of year anyways, but with no cloud in sight for shade, it seems worse.
I move up the stream a piece to a shaded spot. Sitting on the rock on the bank, I admire this lovely area. The reason I had come to this place to begin with was to find a certain point along the stream. "Not sure what to look for or how to find it," was my only thought while wiping the sweat from my eyes. "Alright, God you know what I came here looking...," and before I could finish that prayer on my breath, there it was. My eyes beheld the site. The site where a location had been hewned out by many feet. The ground concaved in where believers from the past had stood. They had stood waiting to get baptized in that one special place in the stream. Rushing over to it, I stood. Touching the water, I let it roll along my fingertips. The sensation of living waters overwhelmed me.
Before me laid the place where my grandmother's church had baptized new believers. The church building has long since been torn down. The believers gone on to be with our Lord. But these living waters still moved on. The mark of their presence and belief shown here upon the Earth. Waiting for someone to be lead here again.
They weren't baptized in a baptistery or some other way inside. They went to the stream. The bible belt people knew the spiritual significance of the running waters. The waters were alive. If the water sat still, it would become stagnant and nasty. But as long as it ran over the rocks it was pure. The water carrying every bit of trash that fell in it far away.
We should be like the living waters. Never standing still with Christ, but moving toward Him lest we become stagnant and nasty. Like the rocks purified the water, the rocky troubles of life refine and purify our faith. Our sin like that trash in the water is carried down stream and dumped into the river. The river rushes faster into the sea. In the case of our sin, it is distributed into God's sea of forgetfulness. Never to be remembered anymore.
Rising up to stand, my knees popped a little. A sign I guess of the times. No longer as young as I was, but not old either. Just wear and tear of a body abused from working. I waded out into the waters up to my waist. Stepping into that sunk in place in the ground as the water preceded by, I closed my eyes. For a moment, I stood among God's people in heaven. The living waters came up in fountains for everyone to drink from. I could only get a sense of what they were doing. Mine wasn't the time to take that drink with them, not yet. My job still lies ahead of me. Getting out of the water I opened my eyes and proceeded on my way. Looking back I whispered on the breeze that had just now picked up,"I'll be back to drink that water with y'all. I promise." So my job of soul searching continues on in my heart...
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
Revelation 7:17
by
Lance Gargus
Books:Christianity,Bible,Jesus,Angels,Soul,God,Holy Spirit,Doves,Love,Children,Heaven,
and a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 11:6
The soul is healed by being with children.
Author: English Proverb
It has been said, “In the Holy Land they put a bell on one sheep and when it moves all the rest of the flock moves with him”. My young 7 year old daughter has become my bell sheep in a way. Her child like innocence has revealed God to me more than anything. Her believe is so simple and not obscured by everything else. It is straight forward and honest. She has no hidden agenda or bias in any form. She loves God and loves everyone openly. Feeling that everyone, no matter how bad, needs love. She believes anyone can change.
She wrote on a piece of paper, like she always does and secretly hands it to me. Pretending like it's a secret message only she and I know about. I open the latest one. Looking at it, it read,"I love you." Well, you know that does any father's heart good to read that. Of course, she informed me that there was more. I just needed to look again. There was her tender little words, which she informed me was a song she sings, saying,"I'm a little girl. I'm a little girl. I'm a little girl. Everyone loves me. Yes, they do." She informed me that this was true cause she loved everyone. I wondered about how this could be true to her. "Cause God loves me and we're suppose to love everybody," she was making me aware of. Words of wisdom from someone so young. The difference is she believes these words with no doubt in her mind. Our unbelief is our problem.
She has heeded to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Her ears are open to His bid to come follow the Shepard. My stubborn ears are closed at times. I don't hear the sound of the Shepard. I go wandering off like a dumb sheep toward a cliff. Never even realizing the Shepherd's warning. All of a sudden I hear the sound of a bell. The sound of the bell my Dad may have been talking to me about in a way on his deathbed. He said listen for the sound of God's bell. He said my daughter was special. And she is. I never would have thought she would be the one wearing the bell. Given by God I believe and placed there around her neck by my dad. My eyes couldn't see at the time nor my mind comprehend his words then. That she at times with her little bell would lead me back to the Shepherd's voice.
Lord, take me back to the place I once knew as a small child, when Your eyes were constantly watched over me. Lift my soul up, and carry me at the times when I become weary. Lay me down, and let me rest in Your care. Allow me to fall into the bed of faith You have prepared for me.
Amen.
by
Lance Gargus
Books:Christianity,Bible,Jesus,Angels,Soul,God,Holy Spirit,Doves,Love,Children,Heaven,
The measure of a Christian is not in the height of his grasp but in the depth of his love. -- Clarence Jordan
"You are a Christian, would you pray for my children?" she inquired. Turning around I was shocked to see her standing there. "Who am I?" I thought.
As I carry my son into the church house, I look at my wife beside me. She reaches for my hand to hold it. Holding my hand I realize the significance of this. Reaching out she connects with us both. Realizing what our love with God's help had created together.
I looked at her small hand in mine. Grasping it contently we walked in together. Sitting down on the pew, I looked at her hand in mine. My son snuggled up on my shoulder. If God hadn't made her for me,why does her hand fit so perfectly into mine? This thought runs through my mind. I take it in and dwell on it. Letting it soak in as I rub her hand. I look at our hands and she smiles as if to say,"My heart has been waiting for these days, my love."
Squeezing my hand to let me know,"Hey, you, I am here for you." My soul hopes, even until my death, to be holding her hand at the end of my days.
So much is said unspoken through holding hands. Such as my strength is your strength and together we will over come each others weaknesses. The two clasped hands seem to murge together as one. Stronger than the one hand by itself.
With hands held tight we form a chain linking families from the past and present together. Uniting two seperate families into one. God said for husband and wife to become one flesh, that is true.
There is times though, I feel like more than our physical hands hold each other. It seems that our very souls touch and hold each others hands even when we are apart. Words escape me sometimes, but how she makes me feel does not.
Her fingers are so long and skinny like mine. They are even shaped like mine. Making a perfect grasp around each individual finger.
How wonderful to be able to hold my best friend's hand. Walking with me and sometimes guiding me in the dark times of my life. Supporting me one day when I'm to old to make it by myself. At other times holding my hand, urging me to follow her when she wants to show me her love alone. Sometimes gripping my hand as tight as she can when she's scared and doesn't want to be alone. I grip back to reassure silently that we stand together. For when I fall she falls, when she stands I stand, but we do it together as one.
The best use of her hand is to hold it in the moonlight and dance together until dawn.
Holding hands is God's kind and loving way to allow us to express our love to each other. the day will come when she lets go of my hand and gives it to God at my death. Thank you, God, for the day when you give my hand back to her. Grasping it once again as we embrace never to be seperated again.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
Song of Solomon 2:6
"Love is not about finding the right person, but creating a right relationship. It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build till the end."Source Unknown
by
Lance Gargus
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:6-9
Nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future - Goethe
Jesus,
Thanks for revealing to me that contentment is not a destination but a journey.
Rather than becoming discontented and searching for a better situation,
I pray I will focus on what you have given me.
May I see my cup as running over with your blessing.
Seeing that he who has God and many other things, has no more than he who has God only.
Being content as I was as a child in my father's arms.
Amen.
By
Lance Gargus
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luke 6:28
Great grief prays with great earnestness. Prayer is not a collection of balanced phrases; it is the pouring out of the soul. What is love if it be not fiery? What are prayers if the heart be not ablaze? They are the battles of the soul. In them men wrestle with principalities and powers... "The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul."
Samuel Chadwick
Heavenly Father,
help me deal lovingly with that tough person in my job
but guard me from the hurt that he can also cause.
Amen.
by
Lance Gargus
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. --John Harrigan
This neat little trick could open up the door to witness to someone. Open your Bible up to the middle. Fold the pages without bending them. Only one on the left and one on the right. Curl both around and insert the ends back into the Bible. Notice that it makes a heart shape. Oh, the Great Love of God.
The Greatest Love... holds the world together.
... shows God and is not self-centered.
... displays the Greatest Power as a burning fire.
... exhibits the suffering Christ endured.
... governs all that God does.
... extends love to your neighbor, even the unlovable ones.
... reveals God's gift of patience, kindness, and humility as a hymn.
... binds all other loves together with His divine love.
... rebukes jealousy, boastfulness, arrogance, rudeness, and resentfulness.
... proves the cross of Calvary was given as a ransom for freedom.
... declares the worth of man by God making him in his own image.
... imparts faith that can face anything.
... discloses love of family, church, and others.
... uncovers the mysteries of life in words that are indescribable.
by Lance Gargus
We all fall down in life. Life has a tendency to knock the breath out of us. Do we just lie there? In Proverbs 24:16 it says :"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."
One time we could understand. Two times we start to wonder. But seven times? God is not like a man. His mercy is unfathomable. He forgives more times than we can count. What do we do when we fall down? A just man gets right back up. He gets right back in line. He picks himself up. Starts walking back down that road. Back again to the mercy seat of God. Hitting our knees bowed before Him, we say,"Father forgive me. I've failed you again."
We all have messed up in life and had to get punished by our parents. They always seem to know about my mess up. And I always deserved punishment for it. "This hurts me more than it does you." I never understood that until I had children. There was that underlying Love behind that punishment.
Through it all, no matter how many times I messed up or how bad I was, they loved me. Never turning their backs on me. They would always give me another chance. Even when I had noone to call, they were just one phone call away. Waiting on me to call if I needed them. I was their child and nothing on Earth would change that.
God is like that with us. A understanding Father who knows our hearts before we speak it. Some people never had parents to love them. The relationship was torn or severed for some reason. They didn't have someone to run to. But I tell you, they do now.
A father of many chances. He's waiting on you. He patiently waits on all of us. Give the hurt to him. Let him pick you up.
My parents picked me up when I fell down. They fixed my toys when they were broken. When I got older, they helped fix my broken heart. You may not have experienced this growing up. But you have a Heavenly Father that is the great fixer, when it comes to matters of the heart.
You say, ‘you have no idea how many times I’ve messed up,’ it doesn’t matter – I’m introducing you to A God of Many Chances!
He cleans us up and dusts us off. We get back up everytime with His help. Thank you, God, that no matter how many times I fall. I get back up with your help. Then you will pick me up and carry me to your mercy seat.
Lord, I pray for You to help anyone who reads this today. Their lives may have been shattered by mistakes! People may have walked out of their lives and devastated them. This day we come before You for our friends who feel they failed too many times and can't turn to you. May the power of the Holy Spirit make Your presence known. May your comforter, the Holy Spirit, let them feel Your intense love! May they raise their head up. And see Jesus extended hand being given to them. Let them rise up and feel the merciful love You give.
In Your Precious and Holy Name, AMEN!
by Lance Gargus
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