Month: April 2014

Come – Registration Open -Click link below for registration and more information.

June 4, 2014 – 9 am – 4 pm – Pastor Carol Ball & Rev. Iris Godfrey teaching. 

http://psalm19ministries.org/stella-maris-retreat.html

 I took this photo a few minutes ago in my yard. It is the tulips beginning to show their flags and letting everyone know they exist. They produce “according to their kind,” and let everyone know in early Spring that they are alive and well. May your Resurrection week-end be one of great joy and celebration! I have written more than normal, but this is burning in me. I am working deeply in it. I want to truly grasp it and live its truth. Join me.

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself on the earth’; and it was so.” Genesis 1:11

This verse in Genesis 1 let’s us know how it all continues; “the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself on the earth”…. This applies to every living thing as a carefully reading of Genesis 1 will reveal. This is the principle. Everything then produces according to its kind and according to its seed in itself.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our like-ness; …So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, ….” Genesis 1:26a & 27-28a

I know there is more to the verse, but for our understanding this will be sufficient for now. So we (every human being) have been created with our God’s DNA. Yes, we sinned, but we did not erase the blueprint of our existence. It remains forever. That is the “why” of the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus; living, dying and arising!

To explain, the author of the book of Hebrew’s states in 2:14-18:

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage…For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

He was made exactly like us. There is no qualifying explanation in the passage. It just is. As He hung on the cross, we are told, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 So as He hung there in deep agony, all sin (its individual expression and result as well as its conceptual expression and result) was laid on Him. He bore it completely, literally opened His arms and took it to death. The principle of death takes all flesh, eventually, but in spirit we as believers never die. Now even the principle of death is received and taken to death.

In 3 days, (however one wishes to calculate it) He arose. Now we have the “becoming like His brethren complete. You see, the Bible says, “For the love of Christ complex us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-40 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when were were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,…” (Ephesians 2:4-6)

So we were crucified with (in) Him and raise with (in) Him! So all this is not about a Christ that is far away from us and different than us. But instead it is about what was done in fellowship with us. Our lives now become the expression of His life through the uniqueness of each one of us. That uniqueness is treasured and empowered with the “life-expression” of His nature.

In all our celebrations, may the rejoicing be for “us” and “our” as we celebrate our fellowship In Him, not just with Him. This death, burial and resurrection was not just for us it was with us. His one-ness with us complete, now we can begin to understand that we are created “according to His kind.” May we begin to grab hold of His love and His desire to embrace us and enjoy life – in all its fullness as we begin to learn to identify with and in Him.

All Scripture references are NKJV.

Attention All:

I am at Elim Fellowship's Leadership Conference this week at Lima, NY. You are welcome to join us for the sessions on-line.

Just go to http://elimfellowship.org and hit the Events tab on the menu. Our meetings resume tonight at 7 pm EST, tomorrow at 9 am, 11 am, & 7 pm. Those of you who enjoy Sylvia Evans will want join us at 11 am tomorrow.

The Conference is going very well! It is a good one. Join us if you can!

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I'm always wrong!

…and that's the right place to be because…

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, . . . .”

Every day we awaken – we have another day to live in His righteousness and to allow His righteousness to determine everything for us. When we refuse to take any part of an attitude of mind that declares that we have done it right, then we being to understand and live in the reality of being provided for and loved. This is humility and joy begins to become our heart's expression. Any form of “self-help” pales in comparison with my Lord's provision and love for me.

As I choose to trust Him and spend quality time with Him in His Word, then my thinking is renewed into my innocence in Him and I receive all He is for all my insufficiencies. This is the truth of the gospel. **”I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it's the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.'”

Romans 3:21-24; Romans 1:16-17 NKJB

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“My Beloved spoke, and said to me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!'”      Song of Solomon 2:10-13 NKJB

This miniature iris’ let me know that Spring has come! Although nothing else in my garden is ready to bloom, this says it all. The tulips are pushing up flags – many, many of them, and the other early spring flowers are beginning to state their life – yet not in bloom – till later.

Our northeastern world is beginning to awaken from a very long winter’s nap and bids us  enjoy the sun’s rays in a walk around the garden, even though it is still to wet and cold to work the ground much. I so love our seasons. This winter has been longer than most and we have all looked forward  to feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces. I believe that is the cry of our Lord Jesus’s heart – that we would long for the heat of His presence in our hearts and on our lives. He loves us ever so much and is the giver of such good, good gifts. This very tiny iris’ (approximately 3″ high and 11/2″ across) is telling of His creative genius in a garden not yet ready to hear. Soon, the entire garden will be awash with wonderful tulips, bearded iris’, a very green and growing lawn and shade during part of the day. But not yet.

All of us are called to be and display the creative genius of our Lord as we go about our business in a cold time. A cold time of just trying to stay warm and not being able to enjoy the sun (Son) in His brilliance. Yet we choose to be that glory where-ever He should choose.
I love the beginnings of Spring – it speaks much to my heart. I just wanted to share a bit of it with you today. May we hear and respond to the voice of our Lord – even in the deepest of winter – whatever type of winter it might be and on whatever dimension of life it occurs. May we say “yes, Lord” and rise.