The Gift . . .

Hi, all! Ever receive a gift--but not one you asked for, wanted, or even liked? Anyone who knows me knows I don't like pink. So you could give me the grandest pink gift in the world, I wouldn't like it. This got me to thinking about Cain & Able (Genesis 4). God rejected Cain's offering because it was not what He wanted. But Cain didn't care about God. He just wanted to show off what he could do. So instead of repenting and going back to God to restore their relationship, Cain let pride rule in his heart; and he killed his brother whose gift was accepted by God. You see, it was all about Cain; and that is never the basis of a true relationship. I guess that's why the story of 'The Gift of the Magi' is such a sad one for me. Instead of communicating and having a true relationship with each other, they go about sacrificing the very thing that the other held dear. And they both suffered tragically--trying to do for each other--rather than being happy, getting to know each other's heart. Maybe that's why Jesus accepted Mary's gift of worship and rejected Martha's busy-ness (Luke 10). We like to think God wants something from us, rather than to surrender and give Him--just us.(Hebrews 10:5)
Over and over, the Bible tells us the Lord wants the gift our hearts--and nothing else will do. He wants us to know Him and to make room for Him deep down where we live--in our hearts and minds. So many Scriptures speak to this--Luke 10:27; Hebrews 8:10; I John 5:20; I Peter 3:15; and Romans 12:1--are just a few.  In fact, the totality of the Bible is God's love reaching out to bring us back into a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ His Son. A relationship with Jesus Christ gives Him first place in our hearts--our time (getting to know Him through His Word); our thoughts (constant prayer & meditation); our choices (running everything by Him); and our feelings (loving Him & feeling His love). The Lord does not want an arms-length transaction with us. He wants in! And why not? Only He paid the price for us. Only He is trustworthy and true. Only He will not hurt or injure us (even if others have injured us in the past). So let's give the Lord Jesus the only gift He wants and deserves in this and every Season. The one that will make Him pleased--the entirety of our hearts! Merry Christmas!! :jb

Only One Love (by Jeanetta Britt/Poems From the Fast/www.jbrittbooks.com)

God is love
With love so great
Our whole heart
For His habitation it takes.

Squeezing in squatters
Whether family, friends, or bothers
Crowds out His love
And our poor hearts ache.

The residence of God
Is a complete and happy heart
Able to give love
Without keeping receipts.

With our whole heart as His own
He opens the riches of His throne
And lavishes love
Upon everyone we meet.

And when this life ends
God says, 'Well done, Friend,
Your heart belonged to Me
And I am pleased.'

It's Just...Sex!

'It's just sex!' seems to be the rallying cry of our culture. We hear it all the time, and for that reason, sex has become an act--who can do it faster, harder, longer, better--rather than the precious gift of 'oneness' between two human beings.  And I have been as guilty as the next person of this kind of thinking. But I'm learning through the Scriptures that this point of view limits the fullness of joy that God intended when He instituted marriage.
"There is one body...one Spirit...one hope...one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God...according to...Christ." [Ephesians 4:4-8] So as believers, our 'personal oneness' is with God through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. So as much as we may desire it, it's not possible for us to be one with another human being on that level--our personalities are too different; our upbringing, our expectations--our genes. We can only be 'one body and one Spirit' with God through Christ. And that's a good thing, because it makes each of us complete and whole in Him, lacking nothing. [Colossians 2:10] (And that's probably why trying to find wholeness in others makes us so utterly miserable.)
But God is a Spirit. We cannot see Him or touch Him in the flesh. And He knows we need human touch. So in His infinite wisdom, kindness and grace, He instituted marriage so we can be 'one flesh' with another human being--male and female--two parts of the same puzzle--able to join together and be one. "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh." (Matthew 19:4-6)
So, 'No', it's not ... just sex. Sex is the awesome, God-given opportunity to be connected in the flesh with one other human being, who, like you, is connected to God in every other measure. No wonder so many people are so unfulfilled when sex becomes an act, rather than a fabulously intimate relationship between two people who are connected in every other way to God. This is intended to be the sugar in the coffee; the icing on the cake; the cat's meow! WOW!! Isn't it amazing what we miss when we do things our own way? Blessings! :jb

Re-Gifting the Spirit??

The Lord woke me up this morning with these words: 'Do not operate out of how you've been treated; operate out of the love of Jesus for you.' And with this scripture in mind: 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7. (I always wondered why 'power' came first.)
You know, sometimes as wives, we think it is our role to turn ourselves over to our husbands. The world would have us think that that's what 'submission' means. But God gives to each of his children the Spirit . . . of power, of love and of a sound mind. It is a gift to each of us who believe in Jesus Christ, and we cannot re-gift our power to another; not even our husbands. If our husband is a child of God, he doesn't need it (he's got his own). And if he's not, he can't receive it from us (for the gift of the Spirit is given by God alone, and not by us).
On the contrary, we are intended to walk alongside our husbands with the Spirit that God has given us--in tact. For if we try to give ourselves over to our husbands (give our power away), fear will creep in. And fear will cause us to operate out of how we're being treated, rather than operating out of the Spirit of love we've been given by Jesus Christ. And fear will erode our sound mind. [1 Peter 3:5]
Our precious gift from God is a packaged deal--'power, love and a sound mind'. If in our zeal to achieve the worldly standard of 'soulmate', we try to turn ourselves over--our power over--to our husbands, we will lose sight of the love of Jesus. And in the process, we will lose our sound mind. We cannot attempt to re-gift the Spirit of God to another without destroying our own souls.
Blessings! :jb

Let the Fragrance Fill the Room!

Sometimes (when I'm going through), the Lord ministers to me in the 'midnight watches'. I don't know what it is about 3 o'clock in the morning! (But my friend, Carolyn, says, 'Don't fight it; just wake up and praise Him!') Now, I'm no musician, but the words came to me this morning in a song with a calypso beat. They reminded me of the sister who busted in on the Pharisees dinner party and broke open her alabaster box to lavish her expensive perfume upon Jesus. Everybody in the room got blessed by the sweet aroma, but her worship, her praise was directed to Jesus, her Lord and Saviour. She was excited that Jesus had forgiven her all her sins (which were many) and had set her free to live in the 'newness of life'. She was thankful and grateful, and she didn't care who knew it. (Luke 7)
As we seek to minister to others, if it is to be sweet and effective, it must come out of our heart of worship and praise to Jesus, too. Otherwise, it will erode into religious piety, duty and drudgery. No one will be blessed, and we will be miserable. Here're the words. Add your own calypso beat and dance before the Lord . . . and the whole room will be blessed! :jb

Lord, I love You
I trust You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

I hope in You
Have faith in You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

Lord, I worship You
I praise You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

I rely on You
My desire is You
Let the fragrance fill the room.

Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!
Let the fragrance fill the room!

Where Is My Joy??

I was praying and asking the Lord this very question the other day.  And I was led to this scripture, I Corinthians 7:23: "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." And in a flash I knew where my joy had gone.  In my misdirected zeal, I'd been serving men and not Jesus! Don't get me wrong, certainly people are the beneficiaries of our service to Jesus--The One who bought us with a price. BUT (big 'but') our service is not directed to people, it is directed to Jesus.  Such a subtle nuance (at least for me) that I had missed it, or let it slip somewhere along the line. However, the moment we shift the focus of our service back to our Heavenly Father, it is in that moment we get our joy back!
Why? Because Jesus . . . loves us (John 3:16) . . . accepts us (Ephesians 1:6) . . . does not condemn us (Romans 8:1) . . . forgives us (I John 1:9) . . . is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). In short, He is our all-in-all. So when our service is directed to Jesus, we have the joy of knowing He is pleased. People, on the other hand, are never pleased, and besides, you can never please them all! They do not have the power (nor often the desire) to validate or affirm us. Our service belongs to Jesus, and He will bless whom He will with it.  I guess that's why the Psalmist so wisely declared, "Serve the Lord with gladness!" (Psalm 100:2a) :jb

Picked . . .

Hey, all! The other day a group of us decided we were going to do some major chillin' at our friend's gorgeous, fully-enclosed (no gnats, no bugs, no critters) pool. We were gonna have a sistah-hood day of epic proportions: a few hours at poolside with snacks and libations of choice; a cool dip in the gentle waters; lots of laughter; capped off with an early dinner (since we all had some miles to travel) . . . nothing but fun!  But wouldn't you know, everybody had their cellphone close at hand.  And after about the third, sassily-unique ringtone from various devices, I realized what my Mother meant ('cause, of course, I didn't get it at the time--duh!). My wise Mom would say to me over and over in her sweet tone, 'Dear, be where you are'. What she was trying to tell me was to 'stay in the moment'. Not to be some place with your mind some place else; that the people you're with, the moment you're in is the most important time of your life. It got me to thinking why is it we never seem to be able to 'log off' or 'download' in our modern society? Why is it none of us seem to be able to get any quality rest, or our peace won't stay? At best, I guess it's 'cause we want to 'stay connected'; but at worst, it's 'cause we think we're important and who we are and what we're doing is somehow vital to world peace! :) Someone once said, 'If you want to know how important you are, just stick your hand in a bucket of water and pull it out.' I had this placemat once that read (. . . and I bought it 'cause I seriously needed the reminder), 'The sun will set without thy assistance.' In other words, we're not running nothing (yes, double negative), and our importance doesn't even make a ripple in the great scheme of things. Die . . . and see what happens. ;) God is in control. He rules and reigns, and not us! (Revelation 19:6)
So you say, 'Are we then . . . not important (drats, and double drats!)? No, by no means, we are v-e-r-y important. For God picked us, out of all the choices He could have made in His universe; He picked us, at this moment and in this time, to give Him praise!! (Ephesians 1:6)

I Got Picked (:jeanetta britt/Reunion/www.jbrittbooks.com)

I was wandering through
A dense forest so deep
Travelers moving with me
Tangentially.

The rains that came
Beat hard upon me
I lost my way
Ultimately.

From out of nowhere
Someone came
Led me to safety
From the falling rain.

Arms wrapped around me
My body shielded with his
Wiped away my doubts
Soothed away my fears.

I followed sprightly
Like a forest nymph
As he led me to cover
Under his sprawling tent.

I danced in step
With my rescuer's feet
Singing in tune
With the raindrop beat . . .

I got
Picked . . . Picked . . . Picked

Unlike other travelers
Rebellious and strange
Who refused the one
Sent to lead them
From the rain.

Or chose not to dance
With the one
Who brought them out
And re-entered the forest
On their own account.

I observed from a hill
High above
Travelers rejecting
Pure, sweet love.

The Word of the Lord
Sent out the same way
Some won't, some will
But refuse to stay. 

Some never choose
The tent of His joy
Others get in step
And dance forevermore.

A melody of blessing
A sweet refrain
Awaits those who come in
Out of the rain . . .

I got
Picked . . . Picked . . . Picked

God Has a Sense of Humor . . .

Hey, y'all! Ain't life grand? When my children were young, my Mother started doing a very odd thing. She would send me boxes of pots and pans; and even, fine china, crystal and silver. What? I was very utilitarian in my youth, and as a single mom, I couldn't figure out what was up with her. Me and my young'uns were into 'the paper plate thang' in order to get through the mounds of homework, and soccer practices, and basketball games, and . . . .  So I pushed the boxes of unwanted goodies from my dear ole Mom in the back of some deserted closet and went on with my real life. Needless to say, the pots and pans have gone the way of the dodo bird, but now I do somewhat cherish the china. (I don't use it much, but I try to pull it out at least once a year and clean it up and make some occasion special.)
Yesterday, I had to smile when I found myself in the clearance aisle buying, not one great deal on a nice, heavy saute pan, but two! My thought was, 'Maybe my daughter could use one' (...and Lord knows she could). And it occurred to me that our Great God must be smiling from his heavenly perch as He watches us go through this comic circle of life. (You can do that when you already know the outcome--2 Timothy 2:19)  Because I promise you, I was the same age as my daughter is now when my Mom started sending me stuff I didn't think I wanted or needed. And I am quite sure, I'll get the very same reaction from my daughter. :) :)
Isn't it funny how each of us, in each succeeding generation, thinks the course of our lives is so-ooo unique, so-ooo incredibly different? But when we boil it all down to a nectar, there're really only two ways this journey can end. We can either accept Jesus Christ and have eternal life, or we can go our own way and be lost forever. That's why I believe Jesus could die for all the sins of all the people in all the world 'once for all' (Hebrews 10:10). Because, 'there's no new thing under the sun'. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) We all make it to Planet Earth the same way; we're all subject to the same vices and devices; and we all fall for 'em, in one way or another. (Romans 3:23) So we, each of us, need someone to pay for the sum total of the sins of our 'unique' journey. And each of us have been given the same pin number--faith. (Romans 12:3) We can either let Jesus pay for our sins (which He is so-ooo willing to do 'cause He loves us and He is able), or we have to trust ourselves to do it (and fail 'cause the tangle of our sins has rendered us unable to pay).  It's as simple (. . . and complex and wonderful) as that! (John 3:16)

God Has a Sense of Humor
(by :jeanetta britt/Flittin' and Flyin'/www.jbrittbooks.com)

God has a sense of humor
I see it every day
He gives some folk the gift of gab
But they have nothing to say.

He gives some of us verse
And we're too afraid to share it
But a poem can only come alive
When someone is there to hear it.

To some He gives the lyrics
And to others He gives the beat
It takes two to make the music
And the melody complete.

God knows our tendency
To blow up with pride
So He won't even let us save ourselves
We need Jesus to be our guide.

Jesus died once and for all
Our souls to regain
And He alone can give us new life
For human nature will never change.

And to each believer He gives gifts
And places us in His church
So we can help each other
Keep this world from going berserk.

But if I don't accept your gift
And you don't accept mine
Instead of doing our Saviour's will
We'll be wasting our time.

And when we try to go it alone
We'll be limited to what we can do
Until we finally get the punch line
You need me . . . and I need you.

But if we keep on going solo
Out here on these streets
The joke will be on us
Isolation brings defeat.

God fixed it this way
He's grinning from ear to ear
For we'll need Him . . . and each other
While we're living down here! :)

Ye are the temple . . .

Hey there, Saints & Lights! I know many of us have shed some bitter tears over the state of the modern-day church as we hear or experience 'wickedness in high places', a lack of love, or a perverting of the Gospel message by some in pursuit of riches and fame. And while this is certainly a cause for prayer and much prayer, I'm beginning to learn that it is not a cause for despair. Insincerity in the church-house was going on in Paul's time (2 Corinthians 2:17), and I dare say it may be going on until the end of time. So it doesn't appear that it's something the Lord wants us to stress over. That's why He lets believers in on the real deal--He's not building a church-house, but a spiritual house upon the rock of our faith. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5) So He cautions us in 2 Corinthians 6:14a, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers . . . ."
Now, we've heard this verse spouted as it relates to marriage, and surely, it has valuable implications there. But, interestingly enough, this verse follows a lengthy appeal that Paul was making, calling for steadfastness among believers in the Corinthian church. He follows it up in verse 16b by saying, ". . . for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now, this is Good News! This says that each believer is the temple of the living God, not the church-house as we know it; not the collection of folk that gather on Sunday morning, or Wednesday evening, or whenever. Each believer, not the building or the group, is the temple. We don't have to wait for 'the church to get right' to rejoice. We, each of us who believe, can rejoice and be exceedingly glad, now; because I am, you are, the temple of the living God! The church-house, the church organization, may go up and down the scale, but our salvation, our joy, our rejoicing, our praise is from and to the Lord--alone!
Unfortunately, everybody at the church-house is not a temple (not a believer), and we are admonished not to be yoked together with them. Walk among them, yes; even Jesus did the same. But be yoked with unbelievers, no. Our Lord said, "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Matthew 12:50)  And what is the will of the Father? For an answer, Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:29)  In other words, the will of God the Father is that we believe on God the Son. And those who do not are unbelievers, even if they do good things. (Matthew 7:23) But Jesus made it clear, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)
Jesus gives his disciples a heart of love that wants to reach out and bring everybody in. And that's great! But He doesn't want us to be burdened down by being 'yoked' to people who don't believe. So He let's us off the hook, by saying, "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject." (Titus 3:10) And, again, Jesus told his disciples there does come a time when we must 'shake the dust off our feet'. (Matthew 10:14) Even when it is very difficult for us to do so for compassion sake, there comes a time when we must do so, for obedience sake, for peace sake.  We can walk among them, pray for them, have associations with them, but we cannot be 'yoked together' with them--those who don't believe what we believe. It is so obvious, yet sometimes so easily overlooked:  Life and death, light and darkness cannot agree--or come together as one.

The Spirit is willing but . . .

Whew! I finished the Book of Mark this morning and what an adventure! In Chapter 14:35-38, when Jesus came upon his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, sleeping--after He'd agonized in prayer before the Father until ". . . His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44)--He made a very incredible statement to them. "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The Spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38). And like me, I'm sure you've oftentimes heard this preached as a rebuke to the disciples, who had the nerve to fall asleep at such a critical time. Didn't they love the Lord? Didn't they care?
Well, having read it today, a profound sense of peace overwhelmed me. For it was not so much that Jesus was rebuking his disciples (then and now) as it was He was relating to us. Keep in mind, He, too, just moments before, did not want to die the cruel, brutal death of the cross. In that garden, Jesus realized, like his disciples, He wanted to live and not die. That even though His Spirit desired to follow the will of the Father, His flesh, too, was weak.  And Jesus, seeing His sleeping disciples, had compassion upon them.  Capturing the depth of His love and understanding for us, Hebrews says it best, "For we have not an high priest [Jesus] which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) And then the writer throws back the veil and says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). Our Saviour has been there, done that, and He understands!
Jesus understood His disciples did love Him and did care for Him, but they did not have the power of the Holy Spirit to help them express it. Poor Peter would find this out soon after he declared he'd follow Jesus, even to the end. He meant well, but he did not yet have the power to do it. (Mark 14:29-30)  Jesus, on the other hand, revealed to us the power of the Holy Spirit over the flesh when He spoke these words of submission to the Father; words that each of His Spirit-filled followers will embrace, as well, ". . . nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:36b)  When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter and all of the disciples were empowered to believe and live out their faith, too. (Acts 2) That same Holy Spirit is at work in each of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. Bless His Holy Name!! (Philippians 2:13)

Linda . . . this one's for you!!

IT’S NO WONDER

tttt
by :jeanetta britt/Reunion/www.jbrittbooks.com)

So much hell
Pumped into children
These days
It’s a wonder
They don’t explode
From the airwaves.

Vile music, mean lyrics

Plugged into their brains
It’s no wonder
They’re 'bout to
Go insane.

Kicked in the teeth

By family and friends
Who never
Really committed
To care for them.

Babies having babies

It’s a hard phenomenon
No wisdom to be gained
No help to rely on.

Very little interest

In going to church
Faith of Our Fathers
Has been
Besmirched.

The sense of real family

That they deserve
They find in
Violent gangs
Never before heard of.

It’s no wonder

They can be
So aggressive
Who’s been there for them
To make the facts impressive.

About love, and grace

And true compassion
About history, and sacrifice
Heritage and blessing.

About discipline
And punishment
Mixed with love
Not meant to kill
But intended to build up.

We should be ashamed

For what we’ve
Put them through
In the name of letting them
Do what they want to.

Too busy to give them

Very much else
Pumping money
Into their fists
Rather than time
And ourselves.

Providing education

Focused on testing
Rather than teaching
And equipping
To face life’s lessons.

To make

Informed decisions
Possess a gainful skill
Adequate provision
On which they can live.

It’s not too late

To get the wonder back
Put hope
In our children’s eyes
If we decide to act.

It starts on our knees

Prayers sent up above
It’s a wise
Investment
To bring back
Love.

The children of today

Will be the future rage . . .

They’ll be taking care

Of us

In our old age! :-)

Why I Write . . .

When We Write (by :jeanetta britt/Lottie/www.jbrittbooks.com)

 

 

We're entrusted with the brushes

When we write

Brushes from God's color box

Red, yellow, black and white.

 

We can paint the world we see

Or the vision of what could be

As for me and my artistry

I must choose the latter.

 

Why do you write, or sing, or paint, or work, or live? It's so freeing, so energizing to be clear about our purpose. It gives focus for each new day and a satisfying sense of accomplishment at the end of it. And even if we miss the mark--which we often do--we know where we are going, and we can start fresh tomorrow on the way. Blessings! :jb

 

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God [Jesus]." I John 5:13



All In . . .

Greetings all! Got up early this morning, feeling kinda half-and-half, but I pressed on . . . in the Name of the Lord :) After I fertilized my rose bushes and saw how they perked up, it reminded me that I could probably do with a little 'deep' feeding of my own. So, I picked up on my study of the Book of Mark (one of the Gospels I rarely read). And it dawned on me how so many things in nature are a physical manifestation of a deeper spiritual truth. Just like my poor roses responded to physical food, our poor souls are in desperate need of spiritual food, as well. (. . . hmm, maybe that's why Jesus taught us by parables; 'cause if we can't see it, us humans don't get it.) But I digress . . .
When I got to Mark 10:50, the tears stopped me in my tracks. I saw something I'd never seen before. This, as you know, is the story of blind Bartimaeus who sat beside the highway begging; that is until he heard that Jesus was passing by. Then, he stopped his begging and began to cry out for Jesus to have mercy on him. The people then were like the people now, and they tried to shut him up. But Bartimaeus cried out all the more, until Jesus heard him and called for him to come. And then verse 50 says, "And he (blind, begging, spitefully-treated Bartimaeus), casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." Wow! Do you see it? In spite of his long-standing condition, Bartimaeus believed that Jesus could change his life, so much so, that he cast away his comfort zone, his 'paci', his yesterday's covering and came to Jesus just as he was . . . all in. It was Jesus or nothing! He forsook his old life in hope of the new life in Jesus.
This, of course, reminded me of Abraham when God commnded him to sacrifice his only, beloved son, the promised son of his old age, Isaac. If you read the account, you'll see he didn't hesitate; he took all the necessary implements--the wood, the fire, the knife; and he told his servants to stay behind. And, then, he made a curious statement--his confession of faith in the God that had commanded him to do such a thing. "And Abraham said unto his young men, 'Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again unto you.'" (Genesis 22:5) Double-Wow!! Abraham so trusted God that he believed that he and his son would come back down off that mountain . . . together. He believed God for a miracle! He was . . . all in! And guess what, it was when Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice his son, that God did provide for him a ram in the bush!
A few pages over in Mark, Jesus made His disciples (us included) an awesome promise. Jesus said, "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Blind Bartimaeus believed. He was . . . all in. And he received his sight 'immediately' when Jesus said to him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole."
Our faith will make us whole, too, when we put it in Jesus Christ . . . alone. And we'll see our prayers answered when we are . . . all in!

Pray to Pray (by :jeanetta britt/Third Ear/www.jbrittbooks.com)

Do you get off your knees
In Jesus' name
And strike out in faith
Your desires to claim?

Or do you pray to pray
Over and over again
Not mixing it with faith
Trusting the Master's plan?

The Gentile woman
Didn't quit her plea
Until crumbs from God's table
She believed to see.

Blind Bartimaeus
To Jesus called aloud
For his blessing from the Lord
He struggled through the crowd.

That certain, weary woman
With the issue of blood
Jesus' hem she touched
And healing faith did flood.

Jesus told the lame man,
'Your bed, take up and walk,'
But he'd still be crippled
If he thought it was just talk.

Jesus said, 'Ask,
And it shall be given
In His name,
Seek and ye shall find.

Knock, and the door
Shall be open unto you.'
When you pray
Do you think He is lying?

Prayer takes faith
Without action, it's dead
Praying is believing
What the Lord haith said!

In Jesus' Name . . .

Greetings, Believers! I'm convinced that . . . you, me, we . . . have got to accept the fact that everybody doesn't love Jesus . . . and still love them anyhow . . . in Jesus' Name. As much as we may find it unthinkable that anybody wouldn't love Jesus for all the love He's shown to us--His willingness to go to the cross and shed His blood to pay the price for the sins of the whole world; His keeping His word (...and who does that these days?) and being raised from the grave with all power in His hands, just to save our souls; And even now, being seated at the right hand of God the Father making intercession for us to keep us saved by His cleansing blood. [Matthew 28:18; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:12-14; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 5:13] Even with all the love He's given each of us, some people will not believe, and will not love Jesus. It's a hard truth for me, because I am so thankful to have been forgiven of all my sins, which are many! And as Jesus has shown me so much compassionate love, I'm constrained by His love to pray right along with Him that all will be saved and none lost on that day. [John 17; 2 Peter 3:9] For no matter how this contradiction may make us feel, we are charged to keep our Master's will in the matter . . . and love them anyhow. . . in His Name! [John 13:34] After all, we can't call it. We don't know the times, or who will and who won't. Who knows? Our prayers and our love, in His Name, may reach a lost sinner's heart and light the way home to the saving grace of Jesus. When I'm learning, I write. :)  How do you express your convictions??
Some Will & Some Won't (by :jeanetta britt/Poems from the Fast/www.jbrittbooks.com)
As we go about our days
Following our Saviour's lead
Our love is oft rejected
As we seek to meet the need.

When Jesus walked the earth
He extended His hand to all
Yet the Pharisees and Sadducees
Resisted every call.

The cries of, 'Crucify Him!'
Swelled from the selfsame host
Who'd sung, 'Hosanna! Praise Him!'
Just a few days before.

Yet, eleven of the twelve
Remained faithful still
Despite their fear and failure
Their hope it could not kill.

Today, it is no different
When the Lord sends out the call
Some gladly enter in
And others erect a wall.

When sinners believe you not
Be dejected, don't
For our Master's life has taught us
Some will . . . and some won't.

'Living Right'

Since I've been back to my native Alabama, after a 30-year stint in Dallas (which I enjoyed, by the way), I've been hearing the phrase, 'live right' bantered around a lot. What I hear in churches and in loose conversation goes something like this: 'If you live right, you can make it to God's heaven.' Hmmm, the Holy Spirit says in me, Hmmm. And He made me want to look deeper into what is being said, what is meant, and what is The Truth, according to God's Word. Well, this is what the Bible has to say about the subject of 'living right to get to God's heaven.'
It starts with John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but shall have everlating life.' That's a good start if you ask me. Then it moves on to Romans 4:3: '. . . Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness'. Then there's the kicker in Romans 10:9: 'If thou shalt confess with thou mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' That sealed it for me, but the Spirit moved me on to Revelation 7:14 (a book I usually try to stay out of, but this picture of God's heaven was just too good to miss):  '. . . These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' Only the blood of Jesus has taken away, paid the price for, all of the sins of the whole world--forever--past, present and future. And we are called upon to 'believe' God for ourselves in the matter, as Abraham did, if we are to be saved, be righteous, and be fit for God's heaven.
So contrary to common lingo, 'living right' has less to do with us 'doing' the right thing as it does with us 'belieiving' the right thing.  The Bible says when (and only when) we accept Jesus Christ, by faith, as our Lord and Saviour are we 'in Christ' and thus, fit, ready, able to go to God's heaven. For God the Son is the only Righteous One accepted by God the Father (Matthew 3:17). And when we accept Jesus Christ, by faith, the Old Testament prophesy is fullfilled in us for He becomes--The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)!
And then a wonderful thing happens, as we see in Romans 5:5: '. . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.' When we experience and accept the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Holy Spirit is given to us, and then Jesus is able to love others through us. And, lo, and behold, through the Spirit of Christ, we become able to 'live right', e.g. love one another as Christ loves us (John 13:34-35). And Jesus helps us in the process of growth all along the way. This is the miracle of faith righteousness! This is 'living right', indeed! 
Much love, :jeanetta

babes...mature...seasoned...

I am reminded of when my children were young and my son first began to play soccer. At firt, I'd run up and down the sidelines like a maniac trying to get the kids to stay focused and kick the ball (they were 5 or 6 yrs old). After a few sessions of waiting in the stands while they practiced, it occurred to me that in their little minds I was just a ride home. So I decided to spend my time in the nearby weight room, exercising myself, rather than simply watching them exercise. I found out, in the process, that they grew in their own way, and I got stronger along the way. I discovered that it is the nature of children to only care about themselves and their needs, while adults have learned to care about the needs of others.
I bring this up because that scene revisited me the other day when dealing with babes in Christ. I had begun 'running up and down the sidelines' with them, trying to encourage them to grow stronger in the Lord. While in the process, I was growing weaker myself. And it occurred to me, babes only care about getting their own needs met, and the mature care about meeting the needs of others. So there must be at least one more category, huh?--the seasoned. 'The seasoned' are the wise ones that know the difference . . . so they don't get sucked dry by the babes. Insight! I think I'll just go back into the weight room with my Lord, so I'll have the strength to deal with the babes (while the Lord, in His own way and own time, makes them stronger, too)! :jb
p.s. by the way, my son is a bio-medical engineer today :)