Magistrate for "Ourselves"

 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”.

 II Chronicles

Christianity teaches that God made all mankind from one source (Acts 17). And He granted to each people the lands of their habitation. Therefore, every human, regardless of his or her individual condition, shares in the common dignity of mankind. They matter. And every government has a duty to govern its people justly and to consider the impact of policy on their most vulnerable citizens. It is part of the plan of redemption. I believe this doctrine should inform how we think about our responsibility to our fellow Americans and how we treat foreign governments and peoples.

While we profess many enlightened ideas, lately we have failed to consider the moral cause of the poor, the wanton risks of war, racism and the failure our public safety policy. But I believe that for Christian Americans, the common dignity of mankind should be a compelling argument to re-examine the tired, old left versus right orthodoxies in welfare policy, foreign policy, immigration, race and criminal justice.

The poor on welfare are not all “lazy,” nor are “the rich” taking advantage of all of them. People of color are no more racism as a white man who just does not get it how people of color have been left out of the system from 1619 until 1965, “look at the history “ and listen to my fellow brothers sometimes. We just want to be validated and move on. Real life is often a series of unfortunate events. It has always been this way. In our arrogance, we often judge these realities harshly. However, to dwell on our failings is to forget the purpose of this discussion: Real people need real help. Welfare must be rethought – if for no other reason than the current system is insolvent. Inflation is the wrong answer because it robs the poor, reducing the value of their meager savings. That is morally repugnant. Nor can we simply eliminate all race problems it is so part of our country, economy and cannot be dropped overnight for the bottom line. This is a real problem, and it requires a real solution. 

We imprison our citizens for many crimes, but we do not reform them. With the war on drugs, we do not really distinguish between harming oneself and harming another. We do not provide prisons where the convicts can safely be reformed. Our criminal punishment system is corrupt. Prisons are recruiting offices for gangs, and terrorists. Prisoners are surrounded by vice, drugs, and are under the threat of assault by other inmates.

I often wonder what would happen if each young/old American voter who supported Barack Obama, or the Evangelicals who supported George Bush consider the anger and resentment that is being felt by their continued view points that have to always be right, because of past harm or fear; do we really distinguish between harming oneself and harming another in such a dehumanizing manor. All the American people get for their money is the reintroduction into society of persons who have been traumatized by this being separate but equal notion, educated on how to be better criminals or being blameless in their minds because my forefathers did it not me. Often this cycle is often released back into our communities and “the Band plays on” until another Trayvon Martin, same sex, Abortion, immigration, Rodney King pass the "Kool Aid".

 We must stop the system from preying on the most vulnerable (Americans (ourselves). It is wrong. And there is a responsibility to address it by changing our individual mind set and assumes our own responsibilities.
These issues will continue until the American people are tired of being badly led and renew their responsibility to ensure that the government is accountable and see all people as Americans not African Americans, White Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans or others but just Americans

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Resilient “God's Role”

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet . . . O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!"  Psalm 8:3-6; 9



Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

Have you ever asked, "When does a leader's confidence become arrogance? What does humility look like in a leader's life?" Psalm 8 answers those questions. It shows leaders how to balance their identity with their self-esteem. Consider how David perceives his identity and maintains both confidence and humility:



1.    David sees his own weakness and humanity. David realizes that in the sweep of the galaxy, man accounts for only a very small part.


2.    
 David sees his God-given position and privileges. David knows that God has made humankind a little lower than Himself.



3.     David sees a balance by giving all the glory to God. David closes the psalm the way he began. He magnifies the Lord and gives Him the credit for the good that has come from his life and leadership.

Knowing that the Lord will never let go of us unless we refuse to walk in his ways, allows us to let go of everyone else and everything else! It allows us to detach from the enslaving dependencies that abandonment fears set up in our hearts and lives. Awareness of the Lords constant love frees us to continue to love the people and even things, we have emotionally detached from but to love them now in such a way that they are free from us and we from them. We might only have one umbilical cord when we are born, but once that is cut we go on to grow other ones, cords attached to all sorts of people and things. These cords, invisible to the naked eye, limit where we can go and prevent us from entering into and onto the path of life. We grow them so that we will always be attached to someone or something, believing they will keep us from ever being abandoned or alone. In fact, the opposite is true. 

They prevent us from being free to love in a freeing way.

Other gods: The psalmist recognized that just because people believe in God it does not prevent them from believing in other gods, even gods of their own making. He saw the religious people of his day, especially the religious officials, giving lip service to God but actually worshipping other things like money, sex, power, and prestige. Oh, they did not bow down ostensibly, at least, in most cases. Yet, their behavior made it clear that they were attached, nailed to, much lesser gods,¨ much more demanding gods, multiplying sorrows¨ that the one and only true God. These other gods today we would call them addictions, ¨ obsessions, ¨ compulsion force obedience to them. Once we are in their clutches there is no deciding¨ to walk in their ways of death and slavery or not. Our free will is weakened so much that we, in effect, have no choice but to comply with the demands of these demanding gods or should we say "demons¨  At first, these gods deliver every time-drink that drink and you all get high, shoot that needle and you all get ecstatic, have that all about me thing and you all get pleasure, eat that cake and you all calm down. Once they capture the human heart then they demand more of the substance before delivering the goods and eventually stop delivering- true abandonment! Amen.

The Scriptures teach that God intends for you to enjoy life! You don’t have to let life’s challenges overwhelm you. God wants to help you face life with confidence and enthusiasm! He wants you to be encouraged and He wants you to experience a happy life!  if you want to encourage yourself in God you need to act like God would act. Express kindness toward others. Love them in spite of their failures. Don’t take your anger and frustration out on them.

David would face more challenges in life after this incident. But the key to staying encouraged in life is to walk with God and live according to God’s instructions. When you deviate from that you will lose your joy.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Just "The Evolution of Mindfulness"

Throughout the history of the Church, the Holy Spirit has blown fresh breezes of renewal and reform. For instance, there were many attempts to seek purity and renewal through monasticism and through various efforts to reform the whole church. Some of these attempts gained a measure of success, but others failed miserably. Why, finally, did efforts at reform become Reformation with a capital “R”? Why did a certain monk and university professor and priest named Martin Luther blow breezes of reform that become a whirl wind, when previous efforts could barely move a single leaf on the tree of Christendom? That is why the reformation of the 16^th century was based on Jesus Christ alone as the rightful head of his Church and the Center of Christianity and must always be acknowledged, worshiped and followed as such; any ongoing Reformation of the church in my obedience must be focused on Christ alone as Savior and Lord.

“Others have attacked the pop’s morals,” said Martin Luther, “I have attacked his doctrine.” It is not difficult to find examples of misbehavior in the life of the church throughout its history, from the Book of Acts to past articles in the newspapers. Because we humans are sinners, it is obvious that moral vigilance is constantly needed. But the reformation of the sixteenth century was aimed at a deeper level, at the central doctrine of the faith. Doctrine is deeper than behavior? Yes, when doctrine is understood as describing our relationship with God. Crucial though human behavior is, God comes first, and doctrine tells about God and his will and actions. At the center of the reformation is the doctrine of Justification by faith. Any other factor is only secondary compared to this because justification by faith has to do with Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and everything else is subservient to him!

Doctrine is not dry. That’s why when Luther discovered in the scriptures that we are made right with God only through the loving forgiveness of God at the cross; it was a “born-again experience” for him. Luther was a professor of Biblical Theology at the time. Here’s how the professor put it, in his own words: “Night and day I pondered the Bible, especially Romans 1:16-17, until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is theta righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith…Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning” and even after reading that,” I sometimes would ask myself Why, I may not know till I die then in eternity you can explain it to me.”

Events happened rapidly a few years later. In 1517, Luther posted “95 Theses” on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, protesting the abuse of papal authority and the selling of indulgences (designed to release time of punishment in “Purgatory,” as the Church now taught) Luther’s theses were based on scripture’s revelation of the role of Christ in making sinners right with God by grace through faith. After various hearings and debates, he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in December 1520. Luther did not want to found a new church. But one was soon to begin, especially after Luther risked his life in taking a bold stand at the Diet (convocation) at Worms, Germany, in 1521, when he refused to take back what he had written. Many doctrinal implications resulted from Luther’s central scriptural discovery. Although originally intended as a teaching movement within the Catholic Church, eventually the “Protestant” wing of Christianity took on an identity of its own, with the following at the center of its theology: justification by grace alone (God’s love, not our goodness) through faith alone (not works), with Scripture alone (not popes or councils) as supreme authority, exalting Christ alone as Lord and Savior. Instead of a hierarchy of priests dispensing merit through a complex system of seven sacraments, only the two sacraments actually commanded by Christ (Baptism and Communion) were retained as free gifts of God’s grace (although confession came close to this status). Also, the “priesthood of all believers” means that all Christians (not just clergy) are priests in the sense of helping one’s neighbor to receive God’s grace in Christ, and bringing God’s forgiving word to the world. In addition, the daily vocations of all Church members really matter to God not just those of priests, monks, and other “religious types.”

Church and state were not often totally separated as the Reformation spread. Luther taught that there are “two kingdoms,” which means that God works in both civil rule and Church and Christians are to do so also. Influential princes aided his Reformation immensely. John Calvin, who became the theological father of Presbyterianism and the “Reformed” churches, felt that the Church should dominate the state; for a time Calvin himself was ruler of Geneva, Switzerland. In England, King Henry the 8^th, whom the pope wouldn’t allow to divorce, married a new wife anyway, and when excommunicated, founded the Church of England. By the mid 16^th century, the evangelicals (Lutherans) had spread the Gospel to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. After armed conflict, the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 allowed both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism to exist in the Holy Roman Empire. Whether a region was to be Catholic or Protestant was usually based on the decision of the local ruler. Only in the “left wing” of the Reformation was there significant protest against governmental involvement. By whatever means, a sweeping Reformation had taken place in amazingly short time.

Doctrine is crucial. Martin Luther once said he would gladly be a Catholic and would even “kiss the pop’s toe “ if the pope would accept and teach “justification by faith alone.” Is the Roman Catholic Church today ready to do this, and, if so, would we, like Luther be ready for reunion? For some people to say “I’m a Protestant” really means, “I’m not a Catholic” (and proud of it!). On the other hand, some pastors and theologians wanted the word “catholic” to appear in the name of the church that eventually became many “ Lutheran Churches”. Some suggested that we are “The Evangelical Catholic Church.” I ask, what are the differences between “Catholicism” and “Protestantism” today? Is there any sense in which we could be called “catholic”? When the Church most needed reform, God provided the means of reform. May the Holy Spirit continue to do so!

God Bless You and This Ministry!

The Power of A Promise

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Matthew 28:18

The ability to empower others is one of the keys to personal and professional success. I think, "No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in life, church if you cannot work through others."

When you become empowered, you certainly work with and through people, but you also do much more. Simply defined, empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It's seeing others' potential, then sharing yourself-your influence, position, power, and opportunities-with others with the purpose of investing in the lives of others so that they can function at their best.

The act of empowering others changes lives, and one of the greatest things about it is that it's a win-win for you and the people you empower. If you empower others by giving them your authority, it has the same effect as sharing information. You haven't lost anything. You've increased the ability of others without decreasing yourself.

Recently I was challenged for being too ‘traditional’ and trusting of the past. I must admit that I do like the old songs, though I like new songs too. I do respect the legacy that our Lutheran forefathers have given us from the last century, but I am conscious that we are adding our own legacy to that today as well. I affirm the uniqueness within the Church and I uphold our distinctiveness and God because I believe it raised culture- up for a purpose...

The truth is however my holy discernment, “I see what is happening; your flesh is being crucified” The spirit is waking you up to move toward your life (Christ) – the only thing I REALLY want, which to me recaptures from a past that is the living, energetic, electrifying, FREE, Holy Spirit-filled kind of worship!!!

2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”

Is there freedom in this place of worship each morning? Are we free to worship God as the Spirit directs us? Or does our finely choreographed script bind us! Are we bound by our man-made rules and expectations as to how worship should be? Are some of us even bound by our very own tradition? Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom...

Just as electricity permeates every cell, just as electricity powers every function in our bodies – so the Holy Spirit permeates every Christian and empowers the Church – the body of Christ to function.

So...What else do we know about this Holy Spirit? What else can we ask of Him or claim from him - for ourselves as individuals and for us as the Church?

The Holy Spirit is a holy fire – He is the fire in the burning bush from which Moses was called. He’s the pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness. He is the tongue of fire that rested on the heads of the believers on the day of Pentecost. He is the fire that burns in our own souls when we’re convicted of sin and wrong. He is the fire and empowers us to witness to others about the greatness of our God. He is the power that enables us to say, “Jesus is Lord”

The Holy Spirit is a creative, life-giving force. He was the force that moved upon the face of the deep at the dawn of creation. He was the force that made man a living soul. Romans 8:11 tell us that it was the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and it is the Spirit who gave birth to the church.

The Holy Spirit is a mighty rushing wind; - The wind that blew over the Red sea, partings it’s waters so the Israelites

It is interesting to note that when the Holy Spirit came upon Christ, the one who is pure and holy, the Spirit descended in the form of a gentle dove.

When the Spirit fell upon sinful human beings, however - he came as a blazing fire – To burn up every trace of sin, to let the light of Glory in, the revolution NOW begin – Send the Fire today!

It is the fire of the Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sin. It is the fire that brings to light the darkness. And it is the fire that burns out our impurities and leads us to a life of holiness.

I recently read, “after Christ “baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire” we must continue to pray for more fire so that the altar continues to blaze for the glory of God. There is only one baptism, but a continual filling. The more he fills us; the more he breaks us; the more he sets his fire upon us; the more we become like him.

An altar without fire is a temple without God. The fireless altar signifies a ruined temple. We must allow the fire to continue its work in us. We must preach with fire, pray with fire, and worship with fire. For fifty days after Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father there were no conversions. Then during Pentecost, which is the Jewish feast of harvest, the fire came and 3,000 people were transformed into believers. That is the power of the Holy Spirit fire.”

The Holy Spirit has an incredible purpose in the life of every believer. He reveals Christ to us - and through us to others. He gives us power. He teaches us to pray - and He prays for us. He brings to our attention the scriptures and their meaning-at just the right time of need. He is the Master of the house, which is our body. He baptizes us. He enables us to be faithful and to serve boldly. To testify to the work that God has done in our lives. He fills us with the fullness of God and He anoints us for service.

Is it any wonder our Founder would write-Tis fire we want, for fire we plead. Send the fire. The fire will meet our every need...We want another Pentecost, Send the fire today!!!

Is that your prayer at this time- that God would send His fire into your heart and life?

To fill you with passion and compassion for him and those around you?

Is the fire burning brightly on the altar of your heart, or has the fire gone out? Do you need to ask for an   fresh move, a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit today- I know I do, every day? Move Holy Spirit, Move in My Life let it be beyond morality, duties, rules, guilt and virtues yet leading us out of that beyond. Let us not just look at the source but beyond from which goodness as a mirror a source of God’s world view, “that is love”.

 God Bless You and This Ministry!

My Father Knows Best

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees
of the field shall yield their fruit . . . I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people." Leviticus 26: 3, 4, 12

Have you noticed that rules, regulations, and laws bring out the human tendency to ask, "But why?"

Many of our problems arise from ignoring God's Word when we don't think His instructions make sense. Moses tells us that the rules and regulations God gave to His people not only kept them clean - make that holy - before Him, but they also protected them from discomfort, sickness, and untimely death.

In some ways, the law can be seen as God solving a problem before it ever occurs. Moses reminds us that God always knows what is best he never lies - for us and for our relationship with Him. The purpose of the law is to reveal sin so that people will see their need for the savior.

We want to include people in our family whether or not they are “useful” in the traditional sense of ministry. Jesus hung out with the lame, the blind, and the broken, not because of what they might do for Him as a religious leader, but because of what He could offer to them.

We want to involve people in a God-sized vision and mission in the world. And everyone is valuable to that mission, regardless of their appearance or apparent skill set.

We want to empower people to grow spiritually as they get involved in ministry. We as Christians should not set out to interpret scripture by ourselves. Our own reason, experiences interests and opinions are distorted by the nature of sin, which to me clouds and confuse us about meaning and the use of God's word. The holy spirit must open scripture for us through faith which is the basis of our unity.

In the business world, we’re concerned with production, but in the church world, we’re concerned less with how much gets done and much more with how people are growing. Life together in the church requires unity, because people cannot dwell together long without unity.
We want to release people, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide them as they attempt big things for a big God. That means granting them the freedom to be themselves, to take risks, and to fail. It even means releasing them to another church in the Kingdom when God calls them elsewhere, and investing all we can into them while they’re under our care.

Do what is right dispensing Grace to the sick, poor and unwanted as we are what we are in this world but not of it ,"set loose in it Reconciled". Be a dispenser of Grace , not a moral exterminator!

God Bless You and this Ministry!

Perpetual Weeping

"One Heart Beat"
And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
Genesis 11:6 

My eyes you see are the deep depths of  my Soul

Yearning to always achieve my Goals

Thus my free time will be spent

On what I fear most things of the flesh 
basin my life:

On wisdom, power, riches, social service, religion and pleasure

To realize in the end I am bankrupt and my story is one for God

Does my existence here have any meaning at all?

Yes, I see what is happening a love story

Where God pursues us ending with a happy forever marriage

In heaven, forgiven, adopted, empowered and loved

It is a sad fact of history that the more churches prosper and become successful in a worldly sense (numbers, dollars prestige, etc.) the heavier can be the temptation to become too much like the world, to lower standards, and to water down the Word of God. Even before the time of Constantine and the imperial legitimizing of Christianity, this was beginning to happen in many places. It seems that the easier it became to become a Christian, the easier it became for Christians to act in ways unbecoming a Christian and sometimes even to obscure the Gospel. I will try to look at two ways in which the Holy Spirit led the Church to respond in the Middle Ages: monasticism and pre-Reformation reforms.

Monasticism, which is usually thought of as special communal living for spiritual purposes, originally was a more solitary pursuit. The first monks were individuals who spent time in the deserts of Egypt and Syria. One of the very first was a man named Antony (c.256-356), from Egypt. He became a hermit, living alone, with frequent fasting, Bible reading, prayer, meditation and worship. Perhaps the most famous of these hermits was a man named Simon Stylites, who spent thirty years atop a pillar in the desert east of Antioch in Syria. It’s ironic: known for being a hermit, he nonetheless must have had many devoted followers who fed and supported him! Also, it is reported that many people became followers of Christ after coming in contact with him!

Communal monasticism, where monks or later women too, lived cloistered but communal existences, is by far the more common type, still existing in many places today. This kind of monasticism was begun about 320 by a man named Pachomius, who set up a community along the Nile River in Egypt. Is it a mere coincidence that the monastic movement began at about the same time that the church was beginning its takeover of the Roman Empire and, in the process, perhaps becoming more “secure”? Much more likely it was the work of the Holy Spirit, calling the church to purity and renewal. In any event, monasticism soon spread to Western Christianity and became a major influence throughout the middle Ages, especially through the work of Benedict and his famous Rule for Monasticism. Monasteries were communities emphasizing worship and individual spiritual pursuits, along with service to others. Various orders of monks varied immensely in the shape and quality of their lives, but most stressed a three fold vow, often permanent, after an extensive period of initiation: poverty, obedience and chastity.

Motivations for monasticism were quite varied, and it is difficult to generalize about them. Why do some people join communities with radical lifestyles today? Psychologists can suggest many possible reasons. But powerful spiritual forces were also at work. In the middle ages, as we have seen, there was a tendency for the church to become secular in many ways, and God called some people to demonstrate a more radical Christian obedience. Perhaps the fact that more people had joined the church as infants made more attractive the notion of a radical free decision for Christ. Ancient philosophies often promoted an ascetic lifestyle. But perhaps most basic to monasticism’s appeal was the promise of a simpler life that left much time for worship, prayer, meditation, Christian fellowship, etc.

No institution is perfect, and there were failings in the monastic movement. As with any significant spiritual endeavor, it is always possible for pride, legalism, and holier than thou attitudes to creep in. Monasticism as an institution could perhaps be accused of fostering a double standard in the Church. Many followed the “idea” of poverty, in contrast to all other church members, who might be considered “worldly” by comparison. On the other hand, some monks became too prosperous and comfortable. Also, was the stress on obedience to authority too heavy? Perhaps that is an unfair charge, because the abbot was required to consult with the older monks on most issues affecting common life, and it was also mandatory for him to get the opinion of all of the brothers on major issues. Another possible weakness of monasticism was its temptation to become a retreat from, or turning away from, this world and its needs and responsibilities.

On the other hand, the accomplishments of monasticism were impressive. Not always a retreat from the world, it often turned to the world with highly significant ministries, evangelism; schools the fostering of literature, art and history and in general, preserving culture during the so-called Dark Ages. These pursuits challenged the increasing secularization of the church. Although not aiming to be worldly at all, monasticism had some profoundly positive effects on the world. Many reform movements before the Reformation also sought an upgrading of purity and renewal in Christian faith and life.

God Bless You and This Ministry

Some Times I Cry

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

Sometimes lately when I'm alone I cry because I'm on my own. The tears I cry are bitter and warm they flow with life but take no form. I cry because my heart is torn no this no that with vision for love. A place, a race, that is difficult,welcome the gift to two carry on. If I had an ear to confide in , I would cry among my treasured friends but who do you know that stops that long ah, I know God! Sometimes I forget when the world moves fast and I think I would rather let it pass. You know to stop and see what makes you cry reminds why he died for our sins. It's painful and sad and sometimes I cry, "no one on this Earth even cares".

Have you ever been part of a team that didn't seem to make any progress? Maybe the group had plenty of talent, resources, and opportunities, and team members got along, but the group just never went anywhere. There's a strong possibility that the situation was caused by lack of vision.
Great vision precedes great achievement. Every team needs a compelling vision to give it direction. A team without vision is at worst, purposeless. At best, it is subject to the personal-and sometimes selfish-agendas of various teammates.
Author Ezra Earl Jones points out: "Leaders do not have to be the greatest visionaries themselves. The vision may come from anyone. The leaders do have to state the vision, however. Leaders also have to keep the vision before the people and remind them of the progress that is being made to achieve the vision. Otherwise, the people might assume that they are failing and give up."
If you lead your team, then you are responsible for identifying a worthy and compelling vision and articulating it to your team members.

God’s desire is to supply His people with every necessity. Even when it seems impossible. Even if our personal situation is parched as a barren desert, it will be supplied with water. As Isaiah 35:7 says, “The parched ground shall become a pool.” Isaiah uses such graphic terms to paint a picture of what God’s workmanship will mean in the lives of His repentant obedient people. It will mean more that physical provision. It means spiritual refreshing, growth and fruitfulness. When God causes the impossible with His creative power, it will be clear that He blesses His people. Then those who truly behold these wondrous events will understand and learn the lesson that He alone is the God who is active and able. He is a God who delivers His people.

The Lord has sufficient power, and is not confined to the order of nature, which He can easily change, whenever He thinks fit. For He says that he will make life-giving waters to flow on the tops of mountains, and fountains in valleys, and pools in deserts.
Listen to this poem and take hope that He is working in your difficult needy circumstances.

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It’s then I need to remember
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it’s in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan’s loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I’m feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valleys I grow!

Let’s apply these words to God’s working within us. God gives us a promise from His word which He transforms into His vision for us as we meditate upon it. Generally there is gap between the promise and its reality. When we begin to long for the fulfillment of that promise, we are not yet ready for it. Instead of the promise being immediately fulfilled in us, we need to entered into a valley of humiliation and preparation. It is during this time that Satan comes to us with his temptations, and we are inclined to think that there is no point in even trying to continue.

Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don’t lose heart in the process.[If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it. God’s saving work in His people is His testimony to the world that He is real and able. His wondrous blessings are kept for the poor in spirit, who long for Divine enlightening, pardon, empowerment, and holiness. God will pour forth His refreshing power into their barren souls and make them fruitful by the grace of His Spirit, that all who behold and consider it may know of His reality.

God Bless You and This Ministry!