Provision

     It is so intriguing that the very things we gather in preparation for a storm are the essential necessities of our spiritual lives, as well as our natural lives. We scramble to purchase candles, batteries, water and food to preserve our natural lives in the midst of disaster, when our spiritual lives may be lacking these life-giving staples everyday. God has provided to us these spiritual substances through the provision of His Son and His Spirit. The word provision literally means, “to see ahead as to what will be needed.” Just as in the preparation for a natural disaster one cannot wait until the items are needed to go about attaining them. We would be hard-pressed to attempt to navigate the gales of a hurricane to find provision after the storm has struck. God knows what our needs are and His desire is that you take stock and stock up on the spiritual provision that He has afforded us. Let us see what the scripture reveals about these truths.
     A candle will afford us light when lit on a darkened night. Its flickering flame pales in comparison to the True light of Jesus Christ as John 8:12 proclaims, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” By faith in Jesus and resultant salvation we are given this light to eternally illuminate our paths.
     Stocking up on batteries that run our flashlights, radios, and various other pieces of equipment will ensure that we are able to navigate, obtain information and keep our families safe in times of dire threat. Romans 15:13 speaks of the ultimate power source,“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, we are able to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and build a place of refuge for others as well. The word Paraclete is derived from the same root as the familiar word “parallel.” It means “One Who comes alongside.” The Holy Spirit indwells and infuses us to prevail over the enemy.
     We  endeavor to buy gallons of drinking water and fill our bathtubs for hygienic water use in preparation for the possibility of our electricity failing in a storm. Water is the essence of life. The human body is comprised of 60-70% water. John 4:10 tells us,“Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'” Water is a necessity, may we drink of Him daily.
     By the empty bread aisles apparent in most grocery stores before an imminent storm, it is obvious that bread is a diet staple. We will never come to Jesus and find He is empty of this food of life. In John 6:35 Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The tending of a vital relationship with God will ensure our provision in this life and in eternity.

I pray that you stock up on God's provisions, we never know when the next storm may occur.

Patti

Now Is The Time 11/1/09

It was the week before last, when we laid him to rest

With pretty words and flowers on his grave

The preacher spoke of Jesus, and how He longs to see us

Then he prayed that we all were saved

And as we were leaving

I kept hearing. . .

Today is the day

Now is the time

Salvation is near

Seek and you'll find

Jesus, He's the light of the world

Our only hope is. . .

Jesus

The last time we met I remember he said. . .

With a smile and sunlight in his eyes

"I'll see you soon,"  but he never knew

This was our last goodbye

And as he was leaving

I kept hearing. . .

Today is the day

Now is the time

Salvation is near

Seek and you'll find. . .

Jesus

He's the light of the world

Our only hope

Is Jesus. . .

Jesus is coming. . . you can't keep running

For each of us there is a final day.

PPH original song lyrics 11/01/09

Storm Warning

“Blow away all of me. . . leave nothing but Your Grace.” PPH “Nothing But Your Grace”

The East Coast of America has suffered unprecedented earthquake, hurricane and tornado events in the last week. Sadly, in Hurricane Irene it has been reported at this time, that at least ten people have lost their lives in the storm.  *UPDATE  As of Monday, August 29, 2011, it is reported that twenty-one people have died as a result of Hurricane Irene.  My heart and prayers sincerely go out to the families of those who have died. May God comfort and keep them.  Lord, please keep safe those who are still in the storm's path.  I pray that the realization of eternity is sparked in the hearts of men. We have advanced warning of storm systems with satellite and radar technology; likewise, we have been given advanced warning of the plight of those who reject Jesus. Not unlike the lulling sleep that we can fall into when the storms do not strike as predicted, the long-anticipated culmination of history, marked by the rapture of the church, has drugged some into disregarding the storm warning the Bible gives us. I Thessalonians 5:2 gives us this information, “. . .for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” We do have advanced warning; although, we must be diligently prepared and ready at all times. Just as in the days of Noah, people are disregarding God's commands and living in spiritual anarchy. Truthfully, when the door of the ark was shut, the only souls left breathing were Noah and his family. The scoffers who taunted Noah were lost adrift on the seas. The scripture speaks of turbulent spiritual and natural upheavals before the end, this is referred to as the Tribulation.

The natural disasters and economic uncertainty that the world has been experiencing in recent years is only the beginning of woes. God is offering you an escape route; and, Jesus has already paid the price for your admission and forged the way through eternity for you. Please consider His sacrifice, it was made for you. I pray that you come into the peace that He offers. His peace is not one of a clear sky and calm seas, but one of calmness of the spirit that passes understanding in the storm. No matter what chaos may ensue in the future, He will keep those who trust in Him in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). This is not to say that we will never be concerned about circumstances, but He covers us with His peace in a supernatural way. I pray that have His peace and presence in your life, for the storms of this world are only going to get worse.

Patti

Amazing Evidence

The historicity of the Old Testament can be gauged by the accuracy of textual transmission, confirmation of hard evidence by archaeology, and documentary evidence through archaeology.

An amazing evidence of the accuracy of textual transmission is found in the discovery of scripture in the caves of Qumran. Copies of the book of Isaiah, 1,000 years older than the extant Masoretic scrolls from A.D. 916 were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. These Qumran copies proved to be 95% the same as the newer copies. The 5% difference was only in obvious pen slips and spelling variations that did not affect the message whatsoever (McDowell, TNE, 78).

Archaeology has never disproved the Bible; on the contrary, many times it has revealed the Bible to be accurate despite contemporary belief. The fire and brimstone described as the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah is archaeologically evident in the geographical area of those infamous cities. It is believed that bitumen, ignited by bituminous pitch by the burning of an oil basin beneath the Dead Sea, hurled down upon those cities. Layers of sedimentary rock have been permanently molded together as a verifiable archaeological testament to the event (McDowell, TNE, 94, 95).

The Bible is accurate and absolutely contains verifiable evidence of its truth.

McDowell, Josh. The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Nashville: Thomas Nelson

Publishers, 1999

Over And Over Again 05/30/09

Matthew 18:21,22  "Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?  Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"

The beauty of Your Grace

Lord, it's shining from Your face

Oh and I can't look away

I'm standing in this place

And over and over

I call Your name

And over and over

You answer again

You will forgive me

Over and over again

It's the beauty of Your Grace

You ask that I stand in Your place

And forgive them

Over and over again

And over and over

I call Your name

And over and over

You answer again

You ask me to forgive them

Over and over again

Over and over

Over and over

Over and over. . . again.

Original song lyrics by:  Patricia Paige Harrison  05/30/09  Key of C  Matthew 18:21,22

Whom Shall I Fear? 4/27/06

Lord, You are my light and salvation

     Whom shall I fear?

Lord, You are the strength of my life

     Whom shall I fear?

You shall hide me

     In Your secret place

I will sing, I will sing, I will sing

     Your praises

I will laugh, I will dance, I will shout

     Your praises

Offer sacrifice of my joy to You

     Lord, I will wait for You.

Original song lyrics Patricia Paige Harrison 4/27/06  Key of G  From Psalm 27

From The Inside Out

II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

The tinkling sound of carousel music wafts on a sweet breeze scented of cotton candy and caramel apples. The fun and excitement of a carnival is a temporary escape from everyday life. One entertaining attraction is having your photograph taken behind a carnival poster. For an instant of time captured for posterity, you can appear to be the trapeze girl or the strongman. While this is great fun, and sure to elicit some giggles from family and friends, it also illustrates a truth about the persona that we incorporate from the world and show to others. If we accept the images that the world attempts to sell us without evaluating them against the Word of God, it is like poking our heads through a cookie cutter poster and calling it our self. These glossy snapshots are an illusion; and subsequently, they are deadly if we accept them as our reality. Media and advertising are driven by a corporate money making machine whose goal is to line their own pockets. We are continually fed images of youth, beauty, power and luxury by it. We are convinced that these things are ours to have if we only owned a certain type of car, used a particular product or buy into whatever it is that they are selling. Basing our lives on these corrupted images of truth is a definite way to end up lost and empty; and honestly, it is idolatry if we put these things before God.

God counters the world's lie with the pure Word of truth. He desires that you derive your self worth, lifestyle and goals from His reality; not that of the world. When we lay our lives at His feet we are changed, “. . .from glory to glory,” as II Corinthians 3:18 tells us. He changes us from the inside out into His own glorious image. The illusionary candy-coating of the world will eventually fade and crack, leaving all who trust in it bereft. God created you with a plan and purpose in mind for your life, allow Him to paint this reality for you, He is the grand Master.

Lord, in Jesus' name I pray that you make us aware of the falsities of the world that we may be accepting as truth. Please help us to lay down the things in our lives that are not pleasing to You. Thank You, Father for Your grace and mercy. Without it, we indeed would be bereft. I love You and praise You and thank You again for Your presence in my life. You are everything I need. Amen.

Patti

Exceedingly Great Reward

Genesis 15:1-6

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
 And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Interestingly, Abram's experience personifies God's redemptive plan for mankind in a much deeper way than it is generally expounded.  Abram was a resident of Ur of the Chaldees, a decidedly pagan culture. Abram became the first Hebrew at his faith in God.  So the first Hebrew was a redeemed pagan! This is exactly what God has been asking of mankind since the Garden. Today God is calling people out of the world with the same request, “Have faith and live.” Imagine Abram's excitement and amazement as he stood in awe staring at the starry expanse of sky as he received his promise from God. Through many trials and missteps, Abram come Abraham experienced God's grace and promise because he continued to believe. Even when God asked him to sacrifice his long-awaited son of promise, Abraham was willing to be obedient even unto death, even as Christ was. “All The Men of the Bible” succinctly speaks of this situation, “What God wanted was Abraham's heart, not Isaac's life” (Lockyer, 1958, 29).

God wants your whole heart today. Whatever it may be that is impeding His having all of it is not worth holding on to. There is promise in obedience. Faith must be a dynamic action in our lives. James 2:26 expresses this truth, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” God begins His promise to Abram with the grand truth that, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Friendship with God is the result of obedience.

Lord, I pray that we remember the promises that You have spoken to our hearts, and that our faith is strengthened. Lord, please enable us to hold on to the mustard seed of faith that is able to move mountains. I pray for the fortitude to be able to move forward in the face of adversity. Thank You God for Your Word. Thank You for Your Son and the Spiritual life that You impart to us at our belief in Him. How wonderful it is to know that Your brought forth Abram from a pagan culture to build Your people. Thank You that You are still doing this today. Lord please help us to lay down any idol that is preventing us from giving ourselves to You totally. I pray for healing and peace for Israel and the coming of Your Kingdom here and now; as well as, in the future. In Jesus' name. I love You and praise You. Amen.

Patti

Darkest Before the Dawn

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (KJV).

Sometimes in our lives it seems that we have no recourse in a decision. The gauntlet has been thrown down and all that we are capable of is being swept downstream by events that are out of our control. This is the place that our faith is put to the test. As difficult as it may be to praise God in the darkest of moments, as mature Christians we must. This is not to say that God will give up on us if we are unable.  His mercy and grace abound toward us and He understands the harshness of this world. When we look disaster in the face and say, “My God is greater than you,” the power of faith is released.

Many truths of Christianity are counter-intuitive to our sensibilities. I Corinthians 15:36 explains, “. . .that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die” (KJV). In sacrificing the grain of wheat, a plant that yields many more seeds is produced, and with it hope for the future. God will not leave us stranded in the place that He has led us to. We may not be able to see the path that He has for us; but, what He asks is for our faith to travel it with Him.

If you are in this place today, lift up your head. Your faithfulness and long-suffering have not gone unnoticed by your Father. A life devoted to God is not a random series of events, He is leading you to a destination that you could not have arrived at alone.  Rejoice in the knowledge that He is faithful and kind and that He loves you more than you can imagine.  Even the darkest night is broken at dawn by the glorious rays of the sun. Be comforted by this fact, set your face as flint and go forward in what you know God has spoken to you. In Jesus' name I pray that today is the end of an era of despair and the dawn of the life that God has ordained for you. Amen.

Patti

"Rumors of God" Whitehead and Tyson

The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and I have not been paid for them. Booksneeze.com has given me a complimentary copy of this title for review.

This extraordinary book, written by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson and published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, is a beautifully crafted treatise on the reality of the life that God offers to the inhabitants of this fallen world. Honestly, I had my critical claws sharpened and ready to pounce, but then the authors “had me at hello” when they quoted C.S. Lewis' work Mere Christianity. The title is drawn from this quote, “And that is precisely what Christianity is about. The world is a great sculptor's shop. We are the statues and there is a rumor going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life” (Whitehead, Tyson 2011, 5). With the cacophony of conflicting voices in the world today; and more precisely within Christianity, it is refreshing to hear that the rumors that we have heard of God's love are true. In the dank and empty darkness of Postmodernism, Jesus still shines as the light of the world. Christianity's purpose is to reflect that light to the lost.

Forgiveness is the cornerstone of Christianity and our relationship with God. The authors address this issue in Chapter Six, which is entitled Giving Up Your Freedom , “This is not something we can conjure up out of the willpower of sheer human kindness. It is only possible when God imparts his grace to us, the same grace that caused Jesus to suffer for our evil and sin” (Whitehead, Tyson 2011, 87).

I would be remiss if I did not mention my disagreement with one story within “Rumors of God.” Catherine began a ministry to women who worked in strip clubs. She would apply their makeup before they “performed.” Some of these women were saved in the process, but this begs the question of “any means to an end” in ministry. The authors acknowledge this question in the “Reading Group Guide” for Chapter One at the end of the book.

“Rumors of God” is a well-written and heartfelt book that deals with hard questions and God's answers to them. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper relationship with God. C.S. Lewis sums up the trend of humanity, “We are. . . like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (Whitehead, Tyson 2011, 19). May we hear and believe the true rumors of God.

Rev. Patricia Paige Harrison

The Lies That Blind 11/23/09

I want to run, but I can't walk

I need to pray, but I can't talk

I want to touch, but I can't feel

I need to know that this is real

I need You, I want You, I love You

More than ever

Jesus, I love You

I try to breathe, I have no air

Want to connect, there's no one there

I'm so blind, that I can't see

All these lies are blinding me

These lies, these lies, these lies are

Blinding me, there blinding me

These lies, these lies, these lies

I just need another way

Wake into a brand new day

Broken promises can't stay

I just need to break away

From. . .

These lies, these lies, these lies

I want You, I need You, I love You

More than ever. . .

original song lyrics PPH 11/23/09

You Can't Get There From Here

“You can’t get there from here,” so goes the old joke as the bewildered traveler asks directions from the “helpful” but misinformed local. How many times in our lives have we thought this absurd statement to be true? Sometimes where we are now, and where we desire to be seem worlds apart. What goal in your life seems like an impossibility?

My husband and I took my daughter and her friend to a water park for her 10th birthday. I laid down the rules from the outset; the general mommy fare, stay together, stay with us, don’t run, etc. . . . As soon as we arrived they jumped on the biggest ride there which landed on the other side of the park. Incidentally, this ride was the only way to get to the other side, wonderful engineering! It was called the Stealth, the ride was the shape of a Stealth plane wing, it careens you up and down its triangular shape by your own momentum, until you slide off of the bottom and into a pool. Now, I am she who went to Disney World and only rode the teacups, and felt a little queasy when I did. I hesitantly climbed the wooden staircase to the summit of the ride. As I waited my turn, I had visions of a 10 and 8 year-old doing everything I asked them not to. As a tan, zinc-nosed teenaged boy began to shove my raft off the edge, my anxious face reflected in his sunglasses, I asked, “What are the chances of me flying off of this thing?” “Noooooone,” his reply was drawn out in the empty air and summer sun as I whizzed down the enormous wing. Evidently my body mass was enough to prolong the ride, I swung up and down, in ever smaller arcs until I finally slid off of the end. Slightly rumpled, I got on the Lazy River which floats around the perimeter of the park. I languished in the sun, floating slowly until I found the girls, who incidentally, were fine and thought I had lost my mind. One moment I was careening into oblivion and the next I was lazily floating to my destination. God moves us along the paths of our lives, sometimes at lightning speed and sometimes painstakingly slowly. The express route may be tragic, a death, illness or other great loss. It may be a promotion, sudden fortune or other windfall. The slow pace of everyday life may seem stifling or comforting. Regardless, God has a path and a plan for your life. He will be there with you every step of the way. If anyone ever tells you that you can’t get there from here, know that with God all things are possible! He loves you! I pray for your salvation and relationship with Him.

Patti

Consider The Ravens. . .

Life is a series of snapshots.  Moments that exist and slip away as quickly as they emerge.  A young couple holding an infant and kissing, an old man sitting in a lawn chair, my daughter and granddaughter walking away hand in hand, the anguished look on a homeless man's face, these vibrant images quickly fade into sepia tones.  These are the moments of our lives, memories in the making.  Our days speed by at such a pace that we rarely take time for reflection.  The time and energy that it takes to create our lives doesn't leave much time to genuinely understand and respond to them.  In Luke12:24-26 Jesus gives us the remedy, "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"  Instead of rushing through our lives in order to gain more of the things that we don't really need, how different would our lives be if we trusted God for what He has promised us?  How differently might we respond to life if we would quiet our spirits and listen to God's Spirit? 

Lord, I pray that You help us to see life from Your perspective.  Lord, if there is someone who needs a smile, a touch or a meal from us please show us who we may show Your love to.  Thank you Father for the love that You shed abroad in our hearts.  Thank You for Your Son and His sacrifice.  In Jesus name, I pray for Your love and peace in our lives. Amen

Patti              

Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1:1 fixes the authorship and date of this book, “ The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah.” The name Zephaniah means, “The Lord has hidden.” His ancestry is traced back four generations to Judah's King Hezekiah, who witnessed the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 720 BC. This book was written in approximately 630 BC, one hundred years after the siege by Assyria. The Assyrians were a fierce warring people who would decimate captured lands by polluting the fields and destroying everything in their path. They would seek to destroy societies by intermixing with the conquered peoples to dilute their religion and social identity. Judah became polluted with pagan worship, rituals, and magical arts of diviners who practiced the astral religion of Ashurism.

Today Christianity is being invaded by secularism. Like the fields that the Assyrian armies would pollute with salt and seed with weeds, it is growing among us and killing our society. It is not radical to set your mind on living the way that God has asked us to live. As we accept secular society's mores we are being assimilated into it. Romans 12:2 instructs us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” In Exodus 19:5 God says, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine”(KJV). By definition in order to be peculiar, we must be different from the ocean of worldliness around us.

The theme of this book is the wrath of a loving God, this truth is illustrated in Zephaniah 2:1-3, “Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation,before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger” (NIV).

Lord, in Jesus name, I pray that you show each of the pollution of secularism that has permeated our lives. Lord, please give us the Grace to repent and be cleansed of it. Father, it is so easy to fall into practices that are not pleasing to you without even realizing it. Thank You for Your mercy and compassion. Please make us peculiar to You and an ensign to the world of Your love and desire for its redemption. Thank You that You love each of us regardless of our sin, although You desire for us to lay it down and come to You as a child. Lord please heal us, heal our land, heal our hearts. We need You. Lord, I love you. Amen.

Patti

Promise

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."  Genesis 9:13 KJV

I saw the most amazing phenomina yesterday as I splashed in the waves of the Atlantic in the late afternoon.  As the tide began to ebb and the waves crashed, I noticed a rainbow in the sea spray for a split second.  The interplay of light and water reveals a dynamic aspect that God has built into nature, as the spectrum of light is revealed. The astounding Spiritual beauty of the rainbow is that your own proximity to the prismatic effect of the water droplets dictate whether or not you are able to observe it.  Rainbows are visible when viewed at an angle of 42 degrees from the direction opposite of the sun.  God made all of nature a promise after the Flood.  He promised the He would never again destroy the earth with water.  Instead, He has sent His Son, Who is the light of the world, to suffer and die for our salvation.  Your proximity to Him will reveal the promise of God in your life.  God has made it possible for us to see His promise today.  I pray that you accept His invitation.

Patti

Clothesline Praises

"I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me."

Psalm 13:6 NIV

Lord, In Jesus' name I want to praise You for the simple things of life.  Thank You for sunshine and fresh sheets, thank You for butterflies and lightning bugs.  Thank You for the joyful smile of a child and a gentle breeze that refreshes us.  Thank You for the life that You have given us in You.  Thank You for the breath and Life of Your Spirit.  Lord I know that in You, ". . . we live and move and have our being. . . " Acts 17:26 NIV  Thank you for the opportunity to share in Your Kingdom and offer others the open door of salvation.  Lord please bless us so that we may be able to bless others.  Please send the aid that Somalia so desparately needs.  Lord, I pray for the family and friends of the service people lost in Afghanistan.  I pray for the people of  Joplin, Japan, Haiti, China, New Zealand and across the globe in the aftermath of the disasters they have endured.  God, we need Your Spirit, we need You.  Lord, I pray for the peace of Israel and the restoration of the land that You promised to Abraham so long ago.  I pray for the Jewish people, that Your will be done in and through them.  I pray for the family of Leiby Kletsky, please cover their anguished hearts.  Lord I pray for the world economic system, but I know that all blessings come from You and that You will provide for Your children regardless of the state of the economy.  Lord, please bring us all to the place in Yourself that You desire each of us to dwell in.  I love and trust You, I know Your Word is True and eternal.  Lord, please set Your angels around us and watch over each of us as we go about our day.  I love You and need You every moment.  Praise You. Amen.

Patti 

 

Faithful Love 12/26/09

From the edges of creation
To the farthest expanse of time

You have written Your love in the heavens

And on this heart of mine

Creator of the lights of heaven
Creator of the lives of men
Out of Your heart
Awakes the seed
The mystery of life
The depth of my need

Faithful Love
You are the Faithful Love

The brightness of the firmament
The beautiful earthshine
A reflection of Your Glory
Your Gracious heart Divine

Creator of the lights of heaven
Creator of the lives of men
Out of Your heart
Awakes the seed
The mystery of life
The depth of my need

Faithful Love

You are the Faithful Love

Nothing But Your Grace 6/12/09

I find myself in

                       this place

My sin so great

                        I cover my face

How could You love me?

                                        I'm broken and disgraced. . .

Oh God I need You

                              I pray for Your Grace

You answer me

                            In the wind

Your hand is

                            In the waves

Blow away all of me

                              Leave nothing but Your Grace. . . 

My pride, my sin, my arrogance. . .

                               Leave noting but Your Grace. . .

original song lyrics Patricia Paige Harrison 

Friend or Foe?

            As David returned after the slaughter of the Philistines, “. . . the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.  So the women sang and danced, and said: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’” (I Sam. 18:6).  Proverbs 14:20 teaches, “A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”  King Saul’s seemingly bi-polar personality of narcissism and inferiority was not submitted to God and it drove his negative behavior toward David.  I Samuel 18:29 relates, “And Saul was still more afraid of David.  So Saul became David’s enemy continually.”  Saul had at his disposal a great warrior and leader in David and instead of valuing him for his abilities, he hated him out of envy.

            Paul was a master of apprenticeship; he lovingly sowed into the lives of his students and counted their victories as his own toward God.  Within Paul’s announcement of Timothy, his son in Christ, Paul writes to the Corinthian Church, “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”  Paul understood well the law of duplication in the people that God entrusted to his care.  The name Timothy or Timotheus, means “honored of God, worshipping of God or valued of God” this gifted young evangelist was loved immensely by Paul (Lockyer, ATMOTB, Page 329).  Paul strengthened the body of believers by discipling and trusting young Timothy to function in the position God called him to.  Leaders must hold lightly the things of God; as, all things are His and are given for the health of the church and not for personal gain. 

Lockyer, Herbert.  All the Men of the Bible.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing House, 1958.

I Never Knew 05/26/09

It's been all this time

Through all these years

With all this loss

And all my tears

I will lay them down

Mistakes from my past

Run straight to You

Into Your arms at last

Thank God I found You

Because I never knew

Heaven surrounds You

With this love so true

And in the end

When all fades away

You will remain

To hear me say

Thank God I found You. . .

original song lyric Patricia Paige Harrison 05/26/09

Sinking Sand

 

The Solid Rock

My Hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand. . .

Edward Mote c. 1834 Public Domain

Building our lives upon anything other than the Grace and truth of Christ ensures frustration and failure now and destruction eventually. Have you ever stood at the edge of the ocean where the waves just reach, and the white frothy edge of the surf pours over your feet? The sensation of shifting and disorientation that you feel under your feet when the water draws back out illustrates the folly of building our lives on the shifting reality of the world. Several years ago I had a dream of a lovely two-story Victorian home that was built on the edge of the beach with its back to the ocean. Inside the happy well-lit home I could see a family sitting around their dining table, all with their backs to the sea. I remember thinking in the dream, “They won't even see the storm coming.” Matthew 7:25,26, tells us,“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” What is everyday reality of building our lives on Christ alone? It begins with the salvation relationship that we are offered through the Blood of Jesus Christ. He has already done that work for us. Our job is to accept it humbly and begin to know Him through the reading of His Word. In this, as well as, prayer and fellowship with other Christians we learn of Him. God is love, that is what He desires us to know of Him and to relate to others. Love died for you on the cross, He did not do that out of hatred. The solid rock of Christ is the truth that Jesus paid the price for our sins that we are altogether incapable of paying for. This is the place that Grace exists, this is the place where hearts are changed and lives are made new. Cry out to Him from your heart, He promises He will hear and answer.

Lord, I pray that you teach each of us what it means to build our lives on Your truth. I pray that every area in our lives that is not in accordance with You is shown to us and that you allow us the Grace to repent and live in Your will. Thank you for the opportunity to be Your child. Thank you for Your Son and the eternal life that His death affords us. In Jesus' name. Amen

Patti

A Most Fearful Darkness

The reliability of the New Testament Text is supported by history and archaeology. The number of surviving texts and fragments of texts are very large, the dating process of the materials and writing style is comprehensive, and secular extra-Biblical commentary is well-documented.

There are 5,656 partial and complete manuscript portions of the Greek New Testament that were hand-copied from the Second to Fifteenth centuries. All inclusive from this time period, there exist 24,970 manuscripts. Says John Warwick Montgomery, “To be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament” (McDowell, TNE, 35).

In dating manuscripts, several areas are scrutinized to determine the age of the writing. The materials used such as the texture and color of the parchment and the color of the ink are considered. The letter size and form, and the ornamentation of the text is studied. The punctuation and text divisions are also assessed. These factors facilitate scholarly dating of the texts.

Many extra-Biblical writings address Scripture, one striking example is that of Thallus, writing in A.D. 52 and cited by Julius Africanus in A.D. 221, regarding the events of Christ's crucifixion, “On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness, and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down.” Some detractors theorized that the darkness that fell at that time was merely a solar eclispe. Intriguingly, an eclipse cannot occur at the time of the full moon, due to planetary alignment. The crucifixion took place at the time of the Paschal full moon; therefore, any theory of a natural eclipse is overthrown by this astronomical fact.

The scripture is factual; and therefore, is able to withstand scrutiny.

McDowell, Josh. The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Nashville:Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999.

The Wellspring

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.” Psalm 51:15

Our praise and worship of God is an expression of the gratitude and love that we have for Him. It is an acknowledgment of Who He is and what He has done for us. In expressing our love in humble submission, important spiritual dynamics are released.

Firstly, in humble praise and worship our spirits are positioned to receive freely from God. Praise and worship prepares our hearts to hear and receive the Word of God. It is vitally important to our spiritual well-being to be engaged in Spiritual worship. Acts 17:28 expresses the wellspring of our praise,“For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring” (AMP).

Secondly, God's very heart is blessed by our praise and worship of Him. It pleases Him to see His children moving in His Spirit and expressing love and thankfulness to Him. The Psalmist David declares in Psalm 103:1 of the Amplifies Bible, “BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!” It blesses our Father when His children relate to Him in the correct way. John 4:23 tells us, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers” (AMP).

Thirdly, when we praise and worship corporately a spirit of liberty is set free among the congregation. Our own Spiritual relationship with God is released as an atmosphere of worship and others are affected by it. Psalm 68:26 directs us to do so, “Bless, give thanks, and gratefully praise God in full congregations, even the Lord, O you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel.” The circle of praise and worship is completed as we are internally changed, God is blessed and our praises go forth to the congregation. What a beautiful portrait of the expression of our relationship with our Father.

Father, thank you for the opportunity to return to You and bless Your heart in praise and worship. You are awesome and glorious. I long for the day that I meet You face to face. Lord, please lead me and do You will in my life as I navigate this fallen world. I love You and I thank You for Your Word and the chance You have given every one of us to dwell in Your presence now and forever. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Patti