“So while the religious establishment plotted Jesus’ downfall, God’s plan to bring all humanity back to him was gathering speed. Heaven’s gates began to open, ready to receive all who would come in through Jesus Christ the Son.” [pg. 158] Joanna's words trigger dynamic pictures in my mind. Images that leave you needing more words to describe how much they impact you, just like the passage below. Imagine John's surprise when you read his attempts to describe what he saw. John wrote, "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Revelation 4.1 ‘Come up here?’ What would you say to that? ‘Come up where?’ ‘To see what?’ How could you imagine what was coming? Heaven’s gates were prepared in all their splendor to open ~ and to remain open. The gates of Heaven welcome those who believe. More than a miracle. More than a wild dream. A profound, amazing reality. From the time of the garden God had one goal ~ to bring His children back home, much like the need for gathering that we feel around the holidays. At birthdays and holidays my goal is to bring all my children, and their children, home to our house ~ the place where they grew up, the place I loved, nurtured and held them. But now, at least for that one short day, we can have them all together again. To make new memories. To experience them as adults of such quality and beauty. To plant our memory with our future generations. “...God’s plan [was] to bring all humanity back to him…” as those gates were then, they are now ~ open wide. Waiting for each loved one to finally walk through. There is no time when our doors are shut to our children, and Scripture tells us there is no time when the doors of heaven are closed. And those doors, each one a single, giant pearl, exemplify the love and glory waiting just beyond. It all stands in regal display, as it did for John, trumpeting the life waiting ahead for us. For us! Open wide. Never, ever to close. Will all your children join you there at that last, and forever, family gathering? Will each one walk through? If not, you can join God in that work. Pray for them. Everyday. ~ Andi
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If you're like most of us you do not like taking tests. So, did you take the Quiz on Page 139? How did it go? Was it good, or did you come out of that experience feeling like this little one? The entire purpose of the quiz was to give us more understanding about our Christian growth. You know, are we tying up the Holy Spirit, limiting his ability to help us because some areas are unpleasant to deal with? Or, does he have free rein to effect change? Well, I will say my quiz result could have been better. There is obviously areas in my life where I have ignored, or ham-strung His work because I scored in the "Keep At It" zone. Yup. I have work to do, and freedom and cooperation to develop. How was your result? Were you encouraged? I hope so because that's where we all should land when it comes to the Holy Spirit's enlightenment into our life. We know He never comes in anger. He never yells. He never condemns, so we can encourage that work, not restrict it. He only lifts up. Acts 7:55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He only guides. Acts 8:29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” He only teaches. John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. So when you think about this Quiz, don't see it as a measuring stick for deficits, but think of it as a way of seeing where you can more freely join in the work the Holy Spirit is doing in your life. (knowing that, maybe you want to take the Quiz again?) (: ~ Andi A Mary Heart... by Joanna Weaver Week 9:Lessons from Lazarus Blog 9: I Don't Know Pages 117 - 1364/13/2017 “‘The hardest problem I have to handle as a Christian,’ pastor and author Ray C. Stedman once said, ‘is what to do when God does not do what I have been taught to expect him to do; when God gets out of line and does not act the way I think he ought. What do I do about that?’” [pg. 121] I love talking with little ones about God. Their view of him is so pure. For example, ‘the earth is beautiful because God made it that way for us…’ Or, ‘the sun shines after rain so we can see how the grass sparkles…’ Or, ‘the trees give us shade in the summer with their big leaves so we don’t get too hot. That’s why they don’t have leaves in winter ~ so the rain can reach all the stuff underneath….’ You know, the beautifully simple and understandable reasons why things are the way they are. Yet, it is harder to understand why things are the way they are when they are not sparkly, or they are too hot ~ or even when things wither and die because they did not receive the nourishment they need. It’s easy to forget after living a long number of years that I am, in fact, only a child. God is my Father, I am a child. Matthew 18:2-4 "He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Christ is talking about the quality of dependence upon the Omnipotent One. When did I grow up so big that I could trust my understanding over God's? When you ask a little one, ‘why do bad things happen?’ they will likely shrug and say, “I don’t know.” They don’t need to know because they’re the child, and He is God, and they understand that. ~ Andi “Then it dawned on me--I saw her secret. ‘She found a rhythm,’ I whispered to myself. ‘She established her center, then let everything move around that.’” [Pg 100] I remember the hula-hoop. How much fun was that? Eh… It was frustrating for an awkward, skinny kid. Keeping that circle moving around my waist was tough. I didn’t have any waist OR hips ~ so the hoop was constantly sliding down until I was literally trying to keep it circling around my knees. Imagine that skinny little girl struggling with that unruly hoop that was constantly sliding down and just one rotation away from hitting the ground, proving to her once again, she could not do it! Is that how you feel trying to keep your busy schedules circling around you in an orderly manner? Is that how it feels as your best efforts to stay in control still finds things slipping away, heading in directions that aren't good? Are your hoops just one orbit away from whorling out of control ~ proving once again ~ you've failed? Here are some awesome verses to help you hold it together and sort it out as you keep those hoops flying around you in perfect symmetry knowing that you ARE WORTHY and that you don't have to worry about even one hoop falling because Someone loves you and He has got your back. Psalm 3.3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. ~ Andi |
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