AHHH God’s love. A topic that is fresh on my heart.

Guest post by Elisha.

There was this woman in my life that was someone I just couldn’t seem to get away from. She drove me crazy. She was one of those people that when she was around my true colors rose up. Sure on the outside I kept a pretty face, but on the inside I was the biggest hypocrite as I wished with all my might she would just go away. Everytime she was around she would say things to cut me, to make me feel bad, or just to be mean. It was irritating.

All the while I knew all the right answers…I knew I was to forgive her, I knew I was to love her and I knew that there was probably some underlying hurt in her life that caused her to say these things. And as much as I prayed and vowed that I had forgiven her and that I would kill her with kindness, everytime I saw her I still wanted to ring her neck.

One day when the topic of the home group that we hold in my home came up she stated that she was going to start coming. GREAAAAT!! Just what I needed.(Please note the sarcasm). So she had been coming for a few weeks and the ministry always seemed to be directed at her and that drove me more crazy as she would sit there with a blank stare and say she was fine and she was already doing everything she needed to.

The pharisee in me sat there despising her. The unforgiveness and bitterness in my heart was rampant and I knew then that I could not ever love this person. I could pretend and even say all the right things, but in my heart there was no love. So, yesterday came and we decided to meet and get on our faces to seek the Lord. As I lay there on my living room floor I heard the Lord asking why I cared so much what others thought of me when I know the King of Kings. Why I longed for others approval when I was the bride of Christ.

Then He showed me this woman I despise who was next to me at the time and asked if I was willing to love her. I confessed that I couldn’t.  He said to humble myself and consider her better than me. Immediately I knew I had to drop my pride and be obedient. As I submitted to the idea that I was the least and the worst, God cleansed my heart from
the unforgiveness and bitterness. No formula, just a change of heart.

Then, my spiritual authority said out of the blue…”I think we should pray over (Sally).” I knew I could lay my hands on her to pray because of what God had just done in my heart. As we prayed I just asked for Him to show me His love for her. I knew if I could see it, then I would be able to love her.

As she sat there she began weeping and crying out to God for all the times she fealt alone. She said, “For the time I was alone in my closet, for the time they beat me, for the time the called me worthless, and for the time my parents killed themselves.”

Immediately a flood of sorrow rushed through my body. So much I could barely stand it. I kept my hand on her and wept with her. God showed me this was just a taste of the sorrow He fealt through all these things that she went through and that He never left her. We wept and wept and wept.

Then she turned to me and we embraced and on top of all the sorrow a new emotion came…..LOVE. An overwhelming love for her that physically  my body could not contain. I began shaking and could barely speak to tell her how much God loved her. We sat embraced for awhile as this love took over my entire being. Love so great I couldn’t even look her in the eyes becuase it was so overwhelming.

Again, God revealed that this was just a taste of how much He loved her. When the emotion died down enough to be able to come together again as a group there was something new in me. God had given me love for her.

I looked at her with new eyes. She honestly looked different and I swear her voice was different. We were new women. Released from the grasp of the enemy who loves division and strife. I could not love her with any ounce of the religiousity that is in me, but God’s love is more than enough and so much better.

Elisha

Surf to: http://www.freshc.org for a Fresh Connection…

They will know we are Christians by our love

Guest Post by Elisha: So refreshing. Just yesterday the Lord placed a song on my heart we all learned a long time ago,”They Will Know we Are Christians By Our Love.” I sang it over and over again for an hour. God said that the world is looking for something different because they know the world is failing them.

So I asked God, “Why not Christianity? Why aren’t they running to you Oh Lord? Why do they look for you in every false doctrine and religion?” And He said,”Because you look too much like the world. You lack power because you lack faith. Your unbelief binds you to the law. And you need an increase of love.” So I’m praying….fill me Lord with your love, forgive my unbelief, and give me Your heart.

They will know we are Christians by our love by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love.

archie: Don’t miss the comments…

Do you believe in the power prayer?

EPIC is a gathering of people with a like mind to share in the things of our faith.  One of our EPIC family members needs God to bring healing to her body.  We gathered round and prayed that God will miraculously heal her.  God is the great physician.  It seems reasonable He would take notice and make a difference.

Surf to: http://www.freshc.org for a Fresh Connection…

Thru Linda’s Eyes

GUEST POST by Jeffery Chandler: 

This past weekend my family and I had the pleasure of having Barbara and Brie’s friend, Linda, stay with us for four nights. Linda is a 23 year old African from the small Kenyan village of Lemuru and is now in the U.S. indefinitely. Barbara and Brie first met Linda during their 2006 mission trip to Kenya and they became fast friends. Thanks to the internet they’ve been able to stay connected. Barbara got to visit Linda again during her June 2008 trip as well. Linda’s been in Texas for about six weeks living with her sponsor family in a small town north of Fort Worth. This was her first trip to the big city of San Antonio and we were bound and determined to show her some south Texas hospitality, meaning overwhelm her with love, food, activities, and attention.

 

Many of the things we were able to do with her were “firsts” for Linda. She got her first taste of San Antonio Tex-Mex food (she may have had some so-called Mexican food in Fort Worth but this is the real deal in my humble opinion of course); her first ride on a boat (the Riverwalk barge cruise); and her getting her first pair of short pants! We all wondered what her dad and mom, back in Lemuru, would say to that? Linda’s sponsor family in north Texas had orientated her well on many things American prior to her visit to south Texas but we were truly blessed to take her orientation to a whole other level.

 

Maybe the funniest moments with Linda started with our taking her to the top of the Hemis-fair tower in downtown San Antonio on Saturday morning. She was amazed to be, in her words, “on top of the world”. She was scared to death too of course, and the high winds that day didn’t help at all. At the bottom of the tower she got to experience her first IMAX/4D movie, “Skies over Texas”. This was a funny time as she (and us too) screamed at the special effects, especially when the rattlesnake tail crosses over your feet and legs and it feels so real.

 

On Monday morning we took Linda to Sea World (another first) and probably the most amazing thing I witnessed was Linda’s reaction to getting to touch a real, live dolphin at the feeding pool. We saw the sheer amazement in her face and the joy she experienced by being able to be so up close and personal with one of God’s most awesome creatures. Seeing that joy on her face was a WOW moment for me as well and pretty much brought tears to my eyes.

 

While at Sea World Linda got her first roller coaster rides and those were very memorable (and hilarious) moments for sure. During her first coaster ride, on the Steel Eel, we saw sheer terror on Linda’s face (and we have it captured on film, thanks to Sea World’s coaster camera) as we descended that first drop. At the end of the ride she could hardly walk and there were tears in her eyes. I believe they were tears of joy at the freedom she felt in being able to be here in the USA and riding her first coaster. Brie said that Linda screamed the entire ride (of course I couldn’t hear her screams because I too was screaming).

 

After that we ramped up the excitement another notch and took her to her second coaster ride, this time on The Great White. That ride proved to be even more terrifying for poor Linda. The Great White is one of those coasters where you sit in a harness with your feet dangling (there’s no floor) while the ride takes you upside down a couple of times, and sideways at high speeds. Needless to say, when the ride stopped Linda couldn’t move – she was frozen in terror. We had to tell her that she needed to get off so that those people waiting could get on and if she didn’t move the attendants would make her ride it again (at that thought she got up). Again she cried but with a smile. We literally had to help her walk down the ramp to exit. The Great White had turned her world upside down, literally (and my world too, I was one extremely dizzy 56 year old dude afterwards).

 

You might be asking, just how did Linda get the courage to ride these exciting and scary rides? In addition to Barbara and Brie’s urging of her, Linda has a sense of adventure as evidenced by her willingness to leave her tiny village and travel thru places like Eldoret and Nairobi in Kenya, on to London, and ultimately to Texas. Even though she traveled with American friends she was alone in her ethnicity and culture. She truly believes that God has a purpose for her here in the states, and we know that to be true. So even though she may have been absolutely terrified on the Steel Eel and The Great White coasters (so was I) she carried on like a real trooper in her bravery.

 

I cannot fathom what Linda thinks of our culture, our foods, our fast paced lifestyles, and, relatively speaking, our big homes. Her comments about our foods usually include, “very spicy”. When she talks about our lifestyles she says, “everyone is in such a hurry”. And she is just amazed at the sizes of our homes. It must be simply mind-boggling to be in Linda’s shoes and to see the U.S. culture thru her eyes. Hopefully it’s a mind-boggling thing in a good way. I can still hear Linda say over and over in her Queen’s English accent, “I can’t believe I’m really here in San Antonio with you, it’s really happening”.

 

Linda tried to teach Barbara, Brie, and me some of her tribal dances. I can honestly say that Barbara and Brie got it. It was hopeless for me. Whenever I tried to match their steps and rhythm Linda would break out laughing and it was over for me. That was the gist of my tribal dancing. Oh well. I suppose it proves that old saying that one cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

 

I can only imagine the things that Linda is sharing with her family and friends via the internet. We pray for Linda’s safe passage into this culture and we pray for God’s plans for her to come to fruition. I’m happy to have a new friend.

Have you ever done anything really stupid?

Guest post by: Marianne

First there was Y2K.  I stocked up, waiting for the end of the world.  God told me not to worry, but I did not listen.  Then nothing happened, and I forgot about all the stuff in my storage shed.  About 5 years later, I went in and had to throw a lot of stuff out.

Then, I got an email back in October saying there was going to be another disaster,  so guess what i did.  I stocked up again, but this time it was my car that got stuffed.  I was waiting to get bombed by Russians or someone,  and I knew that when the tribulation started,  Jesus told his disciples to head for the hills.   So, I was going to do that too.  No clue where I was exactly going,  or how long I would be there.

Well, we have not been bombed yet.  My car is full of stuff. While most people go to their pantry to get a new item to open and use, I go to my car.

It is only a Toyota Corolla!

here is my inventory overview:

Fruit loops
Sugar – 10 bags
laundry detergent
eye liner
deodorant
canned meat
bar soap
shampoo
coffee supplies
mashed potatoes
toilet paper
pancake syrup
canned fruit
canned vegetables
apple sauce
oodles of noodles
baby powder
apple juice
drinking water
cat food
aluminum foil
underwear
sleep aid – I guess I have to sleep through the bombs
canned chinese
first aid stuff
tuna
chicken noodle soup
honey bunch cheerios
rice
paper towels.
toothpaste
tooth brushes

Well,  aren’t I silly?  It is a little strange.  I had to give a ride to some friends, and I had to move all the piles of food over, to give them a place to sit.  It is well organized, and a lot of it is boxed up.   My son wanted apple sauce to go with his pork chops, but I could not remember where the apple sauce was in the car, until I checked a while ago.  In box # 3!!!

Jesus told us to be prepared for his coming.  I bet he was not thinking of me when he said this.   

Did I go to some crazy extreme?    Yes…….

But would I go to such a crazy extreme to prepare for Him to come as well?

definitely!   

While the neighbors think I am nuts,  I am all too excited about the Lords’ return.  He told us to be ready.  He told us to have our lamps lit, and full of oil.  Well, I am ready.  You should see the back of my car!  I have oil lamp back there too! ( being Funny here)

Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven is like  little children.  They just believe what they are told, and they get all excited about things,  and go to the extreme with childlike faith and enthusiasm.   That is how He wants us to be also.

We may not have to stuff our cars, but we should be very excited in our preparations for His return.    We should be on fire for Him, and not cold or lukewarm.

Quality Carpenter Needed

Guest post by: Marianne

Zechariah describes a prophetic vision of 4 horns and 4 carpenters. Each one would overcome the other in competition. Who is the last one we are waiting for, to complete the prophecy?

Zec 1:18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

Zec 1:19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What [be] these? And he answered me, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

Zec 1:20 And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

Zec 1:21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up [their] horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

In this prophecy, the horns represented the powers that would scatter Judah and Israel, and the carpenters would represent the next empire that would come, and defeat that power.

Horns are powers that scatter and destroy.

Carpenters are builders.

So each power would begin as a horn, and then fall under the next power, or horn.

The incoming power would be the carpenter that would cast out the previous horn.

So each incoming horn acts as a carpenter, a builder.

Throughout history, scholars have watched this prophecy be fulfilled, with one successive event after another. The pattern looked like this until 313 CE:

4 carpenters		Darius- Medo-Persians	Greece – Alexander the Great	Rome	?
4 horns	Babylon	Babylon	Darius- Medo-Persians	Greece – Alexander the Great	Rome

 

Then, it got a little crazy after that. Here is the whole history:

Foreign Empires that ruled in Israel
587 BCE	Babylonian	B
538-333 BCE	Persian	P
333-63 BCE	Greek ( Hellenistic)	G
63 BCE-313 CE	Roman	R
313-636	Byzantine	G
636-1099	Arab (Syrian)	B/P
1099-1291	Crusaders	R
1291-1516	Mamluk (Turk)	B/P
1516-1918	Ottoman (Turk)	B/P
1917-1948	British	R

For the past 1000 years, there appears to be a competition between the Babylonian/ Persian horn and the Roman horn.

Was Zechariah wrong, or just incomplete? The answer is neither.

Apparently, he was generalizing about the 4 powers that would struggle over the land of Israel, until God stopped the conflicts with the last carpenter.

If one visits Jerusalem, one will see the Greek, Roman, and Persian/Babylonian (Islamic) all influence there.

But the clue is in verse 21, about the last carpenter:

…..but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up [their] horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

Until there is a final casting out of all gentile horns who scatter Israel, the prophecy is not fulfilled yet.

Who would be the last carpenter to cast out all horns?

He cannot be a gentile. He must be Jewish.

It obviously cannot be one of the horns, because the last carpenter cannot be a destroyer, just a builder, and he would have re-gather Israel, not scatter it once again.

The empires mentioned above so far, are not qualified, since they have all scattered Israel.

So, Who is qualified to re-gather Israel into the land forever?

Who is qualified to conquer, cast out all scattering gentile horns, and then build something that will last forever?

Only the Lord God builds the ruined places:

Eze 36:36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places, and] plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

Who will heaven use for this building and restoration?

Who is the Lord God’s carpenter that we are all familiar with?

Does it not tell us in scripture who will be this last builder?

Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?

 

Only Jesus can fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah and Amos. Only Jesus will be able to remove all horns of human power, and destruction, and scattering.

Only Jesus can bring unity to a hurting land, and suffering world.

Jesus is the last carpenter.

God has a way of speaking to us, if we only listen. I was driving home, and passed a small sign, posted to a tree. It said “Quality Carpenter Needed.” It immediately struck me, that there was only one carpenter I needed in my life.

This is where this post came from.

Listen, and he will speak to you.

Listen, and He will direct you.

Listen, and he will show you the way.

Trust him. He will remove the horns over your life, gather you back to Himself, and rebuild you.