Category Archives: Heavenly Minded

“I Just Gotta Eat!”

Leave a reply

boy eating

Ah, the simplistic honesty of children. Years ago, when our oldest son was three, we had asked him to pray over the evening meal. He bowed his head and exhaled deeply. Then, with great intensity, he said these exact words: “Dear God, I JUST GOTTA EAT!”

Those words have echoed through my thoughts many times over the years. Seldom in regards to physical food, though. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Yet I find that there are times in my life, like now, when it seems the more spiritual food I eat, the hungrier I get.

To be honest, there have been times when I was spiritually hungry because I skipped a few meals. But this isn’t one of those times. I hope that everyone senses what I do. I truly believe we are on the brink of a very special move of God. Our world is in distress and times are getting darker, but the beautiful, sweet presence of God is moving over the face of the earth to bring comfort and joy to all who will receive it.

I also sense a fresh awakening of God’s people. It seems that so many have been drowsy for too long. Content to live on fast food, spiritually speaking, we have become sluggish and unhealthy. All the while, God has offered us a well-balanced banquet and bids us to come eat.

Partaking of spiritual food parallels the physical. The more spiritual manna we partake of, the healthier and stronger we become. In turn, we find ourselves becoming more energetic and active again. Rather than being couch potatoes, we find ourselves being about the Father’s business all the more. And this increased level of activity, creates more hunger in our hearts.

Obviously, I’m not the only one who is getting hungrier. All across this nation, people are crying out to God for more- more of His presence, more of His power. And God is faithfully answering because He never turns away the hungry.

It is truly my heart’s desire that everyone- those who know God and those who do not, will begin to feel such hunger pains that we more fervently seek our heavenly Father and cry out to Him, “Dear God, I JUST GOTTA EAT.”

Too Heavenly Minded?

Leave a reply

stairway

Through the years I have heard a few preachers say that we can be “too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” Modern translation: Radicals need not apply. When I read my bible, however, I find numerous accounts of “radical” servants of the Most High who turned their worlds upside down with their passion for God and His kingdom.

The first sermons of Jesus recorded in scripture were about the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, everything He taught, every miracle He performed, every body He healed, even His death on the cross, were all about the kingdom of Heaven. Who amongst us would ever think Him to be so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly good? And we are supposed to be imitators of Jesus Christ aren’t we?

No, I don’t think it possible to be too heavenly minded. In regard to God’s instructions, scripture commands that you impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)
In other words, all the time!

Furthermore, blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. (Psalms 1:2)

Why is he blessed? When a man meditates on God’s word, he acts on God’s word. It is the heavenly minded who does this world the most good –that which lasts for eternity. The more “radical” believers are, the more likely they are to turn this world upside down for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

So then, can a believer be too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? Again, I don’t think so. I doubt that is what we should be asking anyway. Perhaps we should be asking the opposite:

Can a person be too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good?

–just a little food for thought.

Backside of Nowhere

Leave a reply

reaching hand

Just as I stopped at the traffic light, the Cathedral Quartet sang the following words: “On the back side of a place called nowhere, forgotten by humanity…” How appropriate, I thought with a chuckle, because that’s pretty much how it feels to be stopped at a red light in this city.

As I waited and waited ……..and waited, for the light to turn green, I joyfully sang along with the guys. I’m just glad they were on tape and couldn’t hear me. Truth is, I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I do love to sing right along with any southern gospel music.

The words to the song were meaningful to me. “When they talked about potential, they did not refer to me…” Yes that was the story of my life before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Messiah. But everything changed “When He reached His hand to where I was….”

Can anyone relate? Have you, dear reader, despite your faith, ever felt that you were on the back side of nowhere, forgotten by humanity? I know you already know this, but today I just want to remind you that Jesus promised He would never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).  He will reach his hands down to where you are, whether you are stuck at a red light – or stuck in one of life’s ruts.

That should make you want to sing with the Cathedrals and me, “So now you know the reason I lift my hands so willingly…..”

And we would all be in good company, for King David, when he was stuck in the wilderness, did just that, while singing the following Psalm:

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands  thy name. (63:4)

When I Sit in Darkness

Leave a reply

sun

Have you ever been driving beneath a blackened sky, then suddenly came to a place where the sun pierced through the clouds so brightly that you could see little else? When I experienced this a few days ago, I was utterly filled with sheer delight. True, driving in that circumstance was a bit more challenging, but my thoughts were immediately turned to Jesus Christ, my soon-coming King!

I know that some of you can relate, and have also felt the exhilaration of watching an incredible brightness obliterate the darkness. Like me, you probably remembered, and  rejoiced at the very sure promise that soon, “… as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:27). Indeed, His coming will be much brighter than anything we could ever imagine. The most glaring sunshine piercing the darkest sky could only pale in comparison.

This is all the more comforting, considering how very dark the world has become –dark with violent crime, terrorism and war, and every manner of evil. We are daily bombarded with reminders of how the darkness is quickly engulfing our world; yet we can patiently endure all if we faithfully hold fast to the words of the prophet, Micah:

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. (7:7-8)

Amen.

Shofar So Good!

Leave a reply

shofar

Have you ever heard the sound of a shofar? There is just something deeply stirring about the deep trumpet-like sound that erupts from this (ram’s) horn, signaling either a solemn or joyous occasion.

This week, folks around the globe celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, starting with a shofar blast. Tabernacles is a time of great rejoicing because it is one of God’s appointed times and according to Scripture, it is the true time of the Savior’s birth.

As I listened to the sound of the shofar this week, I couldn’t help but think of a time, many years ago, when the sound of a shofar greatly excited my daughter, who was only three or four years old at the time. As we travelled down the road, I popped a new music CD into the player. Unbeknownst to me, the very first thing to play was the very long blast of a shofar.

“THE RAPTURE!” she squealed with delight.

Even at that tender young age, my precious knew that in the near future, a heavenly shofar will sound when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns at the last trump, or shofar (I Corinthians 15:52).

Of course, no one knows the day or the hour that our LORD will return, but we know He will; and that, I believe, very soon! When he does, saint and sinner alike will hear the shofar blast and every eye will see Him coming in the clouds (Revelation 1:7).

Whether that shofar blast will be solemn, or joyous, will depend on the faith of the hearer. I pray, dear reader, you are ready for His return, and like my young daughter, waiting with great expectancy for that glorious day when He catches us away to be with Him.

If not, it is never too late to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you have any questions, or would like someone to pray for you, I would be honored; just drop me a note.

Matthew 24:44 – Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Beautiful Prayer of an Aged Woman

1 Reply

praying nun

Have you ever taken a few moments to examine your own life and said, “Lord, the older I get the more (fill in the blank) I become, and I don’t like it one bit!” Well, I sure have. And I must not be the only one. A few years ago I came upon a beautiful prayer written by a seventeenth-century nun whose identity is unknown. I find the prayer to be so inspiring I wanted to share it with you. If it touches your heart in any way, we can both praise God for the heartfelt words of an anonymous nun.

Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am growing older and will some day be old. Keep me from getting talkative, particularly from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but you know, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind from the recital of endless details- give me wings to come to the point.

I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains. Seal my lips on my own aches and pains -they are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. Help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint- some of them are so hard to live with- but a sour old woman is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

*This Prayer of an Aging Woman was taken from Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes. Morgan, Robert J.Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee. 2000

Time to Book It

Leave a reply

books

When is the last time you heard someone say that it was time to “book it”? For those of you who aren’t familiar with this phrase, it means that the person speaking it needs to leave; usually in a hurry. Perhaps we don’t hear this phrase very much anymore because our fast-paced society has become so hurried that ‘booking it’ is pretty much implied.

I still like to ‘book it’ every chance I get, but not in the same way. When I tell my family that I am going to “book it,” they know that I’m headed to the library to load-up on books.

My love of reading started when I was very young, and thankfully, my children have inherited that same bookworm gene. In fact, there are many evenings when the only sound in our home is the sound of turning pages. I must admit, as a parent this brings me great joy.

I know of another parent who surely feels the same way; our Heavenly Father. I believe it pleases Him greatly when His children shut-out all the distractions of this world and immerse themselves in His Word; like the Bereans, for example, “…. in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [which the apostles taught] were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Personally, I long to be a Berean. After all, 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs us all: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Although, truth be told, I’m not always as disciplined as I should be, and sometimes let the demands of life keep me from studying the Bible as much as I would like.

Can anyone relate? I know how overwhelming life can sometimes be, and how very hectic. Perhaps, though, (and I’m preaching to myself), those are the best times to pull out our Bibles and ‘book it’ like a Berean.

It’s True, I’m an Alien

1 Reply

pass through

I remember well, gazing into the heavens when I was a teenager, asking no one in particular, “Why did you leave me here?” At that time, I didn’t even know if there really was a God or not, so I wasn’t necessarily addressing Him. Besides, for all I knew, ‘God’ could very well have been one of those outer-space aliens that my parents assured me were very real. Nonetheless, there were two things I was certain of. First, I lived in a very hostile world. Second, I didn’t feel I belonged there. Deep inside, I felt that my home was somewhere far, far away; and I longed to return there.

Imagine my surprise when, several years later, I learned the truth –I am indeed an alien, and this world is not really my home. No, I don’t believe in little green men from mars; that’s not the kind of alien I am. The dictionary defines an alien, amongst other things, as a resident belonging to another country, or a person who has been estranged or excluded. (Peter calls his fellow believers aliens and strangers –2:11).

As a follower of Jesus Christ, a child of the Most High, I am an alien on both counts. John spoke of this when he wrote, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world… therefore the world hateth you (John 15:18,19).”

Nevertheless, there are two things I am certain of. First this world is a hostile place. And second, this world is not our home; we are merely passing through, touching as many lives as possible while we’re here.

Dear reader, you know as well as I, that we will face much pain and heartache in this world, as we interact with those who despise us. In light of eternity, however, it really doesn’t matter; for our citizenship is in heaven ( Philippians 3:20) and one day soon we will be reunited with our King.

It’s true, I’m an alien.  I truly  hope you are as well.

Paradise Dreaming

Leave a reply

hammock

Here it is, the end of January, and I have fresh-washed laundry hanging outside to dry. While the clothes dance in a warmish breeze, I daydream of lounging with my beloved on a Hawaiian island; our hammock swaying lazily in the tropical sun. Oh, how I long to hear my husband speak the same words to me that Jesus spoke to the repentant thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” speaking of some exotic hideaway, of course.

Even if we could manage such a vacation, however, we wouldn’t really be interested in any of the popular tourist packages; both of us have always been the type to wander off the beaten path and enjoy the solitude and raw beauty of nature. Sometimes, getting to those places takes a little work, but it is always worth it!

Speaking of the road less travelled, I am thankful that the LORD is walking with me on my life’s journey. You will recall His instruction to enter through the narrow gate…. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to [eternal] life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13,14). Had it not been for the LORD’s infinite mercy, I would never have found the narrow road, let alone been able to navigate it.

As you probbly know, dear reader, traversing the narrow path is not always easy. In fact, the path often seems insurmountable with its many obstacles and dangers. But praise be to the LORD, He has promised: To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God Revelation 2:7).

This is the paradise I dream about most. How about you, have you been dreaming of Paradise? Perhaps you will be able, in the near future,  to slip off for a relaxing getaway at some tropical island, perhaps not. But know this for certain, there awaits a reward for those who follow Jesus; and it is far more splendid than any exotic paradise this world has to offer. I leave you now to dream about this for a few moments:

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (I Corinthians 2:9).