Archive for March, 2007

Going to Church?

Friday, March 30th, 2007

Ever go to someone’s house just to sit in the hallway? You hang up your coat. You kick off your shoes to get comfortable. Then you sit in the chair by the door. Sadly, everyone else is sitting in the living room with the host.

Doesn’t make much sense does it. Yet, that is what I have been doing at church. I am speaking of the spiritual house not the physical structure. You can be in the building but not “in” God’s house.

When I first started coming to Crossfire I was sitting in the “hallway”. A little over a year ago I was standing in the doorway to the “living room”. All the while the Spirit kept inviting me to enter in deeper. Recently I have taken a step into the living room. I have little chats with the host and He with me. Someday I hope to sit down with everyone else and simply listen to the host as He pours out a spiritual drink from the cup of life.

I started coming to Crossfire like an abused dog lying down and keeping its distance. Now I wag my tail on occasion as the master pets me. Better things are ahead.

🙂

A Vision of Revival

Wednesday, March 28th, 2007

The eye of God observes all.
The field beneath his eye is black.
The people of God walk on top of the field.
Where they trod the blood of Christ is applied.
The blood cleanses.
And the field turns white.

recently given to me during an evening service

Dahmer and Saul, and Bundy too.

Thursday, March 22nd, 2007

Jeffrey Dahmer? He made a full and complete confession of his crimes. Rev Ratcliff had a conversation with Dahmer and accepted the fact that he had repented. The goodnews came to Dahmer and he accepted its truth. It was only right for Ratcliff to then baptise Dahmer.

There was another guy as well; he specifically targeted Christians. He would abduct them. Keep them confined. Tortured many of them. Some he even put to death. He travelled to another location to grab other Christians and bring them back so he could torture and kill them. He was a very dispicable man. He was hated and feared by many.

His name? Saul of Tarsus. a.k.a. Paul. And what’s worse… some guy named Ananias baptised this guy. I guess there really is no real justice.

Thank God for that.

Grace and Mercy!

Now as a side note, when I was working at Mohawk Raceways as a security guard I had a lot of time on my hands. I read the story about Ted Bundy. I prayed for Ted, that he would find Jesus and accept forgiveness for his sins. Several months later James Dobson interviewed Bundy. I was glad to hear that Bundy accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Actually I shed a few tears of joy. A little more than three years later I read stories of Jeffrey Dahmer. I prayed for him as well. Fortunately he too accepted Jesus as Lord.

If Jesus can save them. If he could save Paul. Then he can save such a sinner as I. Therein lies the comfort of my soul.

Praying Scripture

Sunday, March 18th, 2007

When I am unloving because of self pity; when I am weak because I am carnal; when I am dysfunctional because I am depressed; it is during those times I am fearful that I am not making it. Then God brings this scripture to mind.

2 Tim 1.7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I quote those words. I sing those words. I pray those words. God has given me those words as a reminder and a promise; power, love and a sound mind as I walk in his Spirit. It is my hope.

Unions and the Clergy

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

The relationship of unions/managements is adversarial. It is the nature of the beast.

Unions had there times in the past. Yet a union only benefits a limited number of people in society. Then, the small people not unionised fall behind in the general scheme of things. It creates the have worker class and the have not worker class.

Then there is the raising of the minimun wage. Those at the bottom get immediate relief while those a buck or two higher per hour lose what benefit they have when the prices of goods rise accordingly.

If we go back in history it is the church that is the great equalizer. It is the church where fairness first appears. It is within the church that true justice and freedom come forth. It is when Christian people see evil and pass laws to benefit all that true goodness comes to the lowly and to the exalted.

When a church has to have its pastors unionize to get fair treatment then the church has become a partner with the world and has lost its spiritual connection with their creator.

There are many churches where pastors are abused. Many churches where the flock is abused. The answer is not unionization but repentance and love for each other.

The only thing a union could do for the church is to open a pandora’s box in the midst of the church. It would be far more reaching than wages and benefits for some… it would become a festering sore on the body of Christ.

A New Blog Program

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

I have just downloaded and installed wordpress blog tool onto my server. All blogs everywhere will be moved here so that I may work from a central location. Have patience as I learn to use this system. Thank You.

About Confession and Prayer

Monday, March 12th, 2007

Occasionally over the last couple of months I have been taking some time while alone at night to look at my day and talk it over with God. The first things that get mentioned are sins. Confess them, ask forgiveness, then ask for strength, insight and guidance to better manage those areas.

Then I go for the next smaller sized thing in my life that I should talk about. Then smaller still. In other words… I get the camel out of the soup before I tackle the gnats. Then I can enjoy my soup while sharing in his presence.

😉

In the Stillness After the Storm

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

In the stillness after the storm.

There have been times, in the past, when so many things would be going wrong. No matter how hard I tried things kept pilling up. I was like a small boat being blown about wildly by the tempest that was my life. Attempts at prayer, like working a rudder to at least go in the right direction, were futile. I was bowed and beaten. I looked to heaven and screamed. My thoughts were placed on my tongue and I vented my rage toward God. Minute by minute strecthing into hours. Tears flowed as my spirit emptied and my soul twisted in the wind. Finally, too tired to continue, I lay broken on the floor. No more tears, no more thoughts…

In the quiet time that followed the Lord met me. As a mother gently strokes her little child when ill and calmy, gently, whispers compassion and love… so the Spirit did with me. Slowly I responded to His care. That flicker of hope, once extinguished, came back to life. He actually was there when I was in turmoil but I only heard him when I was silent. He did not judge me for my many words. He simply loved me back to life… in the stillness after the storm.

:confused: :crazy: 😥 🙂