Warning!

“He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” Psalm 147:18

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Warning: This blog may start smoking!

The A-Z Blogging Challenge starts tomorrow. I’ll try my best to post daily (except Sundays) for every letter in the alphabet. Yes, the fire extinguisher is charged and ready, just in case my fingers start burning.  Since this is my first attempt at such a challenge, I’d appreciate some cheering from the sidelines. Definitely check back on Saturday, since I have a very special theme picked out for the letter ‘B‘. I will try my best not to disappoint anyone, especially God.

 

Let us use worldly things as wise pilgrims do their staves and other necessaries convenient for their journey. So long as they help us forward in our way, let us make use of them, and accordingly esteem them. But if they become troublesome hindrances and cumbersome burdens, let us leave them behind us, or cast them away. ~George Downame

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Thank you so much for visiting. Your support is highly cherished!

PS: All blog activity still posts to Facebook and Twitter automatically either directly from wordpress or linked/shared from the individual posts. I’ll get back to Fb and tweeting after Easter.

The Greatest Gift

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” 1 Corinthians 15:21

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The Greatest Gift

But first a brief explanation…

At times a thought, question, confusion, heartache, revelation, prayer, conviction, or inexplicable itch gives birth to a poetic expression. I begin by throwing out words like pieces of a puzzle and then spend hours or days sorting and arranging all or some of them until a picture emerges.

At times it’s a quite a tempest urging me to look for the One who can calm it. At other times it’s a tranquil meadow forcing me to find the Light that reveals the hidden daggers. But sometimes it’s just a gift, and I am sorely surprised.

Homophones was such a gift. I had a few homophones and a few stray words, a rather small puzzle. Actually, writing this piece was more like cleaning a dirty window, an almost mindless task. The scene that emerged was a true gift. It became an even greater gift when readers like you stopped by to let me know that you could see it too.

Another special gift lay in my email inbox on the morning of my birthday. Not only did a reader see what I saw, he cleaned the windowpane even further revealing a wider meadow, a deeper sea, a higher heaven, a purer scene! He saw Christ in every word and line! Yes, I know, we saw Christ too—from the first lie to God’s grace—but take a look at it now and see if you can’t find the greatest gift emerge. To God be all the glory!

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From the lure of a lie
to the ear within
is the hole of a sigh
and the whole of sin.

From the red of a fire
to the blue of blame
is the tail of a liar
and a tale of shame.

From the rise of a smile
to the deepest sea
is the wait of a while
and the weight of me.

From the pit of a cry
to a soaring dove
is a piece of clear sky
and the peace of His love.

Rick and Petra Hefner

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Thank you for your visit. God bless!

 

Photo by Risager Flickr

The Sower

“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed…’” Matthew 13:3

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Ye sons of earth prepare the plough,
Break up your fallow ground!
The Sower is gone forth to sow,
And scatter blessings round.

The seed that finds a stony soil
Shoots forth a hasty blade;
But ill repays the sower’s toil,
Soon withered, scorched, and dead.

The thorny ground is sure to balk
All hopes of harvest there;
We find a tall and sickly stalk,
But not the fruitful ear.

The beaten path and highway side
Receive the trust in vain;
The watchful birds the spoil divide,
And pick up all the grain.

But where the Lord of grace and power
Has blessed the happy field,
How plenteous is the golden store
The deep wrought furrows yield!

Father of mercies, we have need
Of Thy preparing grace;
Let the same hand that gives me seed
Provide a fruitful place!

Will­iam Cow­per 1731-1800, Ol­ney Hymns

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7

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Thank you for reading!

 

Photo by diggerdanno

All Mixed Up Yet Not Always Clear

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

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• The Word ‘Because’ has left me deep in thought and pondering. Place the word “because” after an effect, and the cause does not always come into focus. XYZ happened because…. Plug in the death of a loved one, a tsunami, a hurricane, an earthquake,— and here I find Job 38:3 reminding us not to answer what only God can answer! We do know that God controls everything that happens. True! We do know that God can work all things for good. True! But do we know for sure whether God caused it or whether He merely allowed it? Here is where it gets uncomfortable—very uncomfortable! Should we even try to answer that question? I don’t think we should. God is still good and just, regardless! Now, place “because”  before the effect and see what happens. Because XYZ happened…. Suddenly a whole new slew of effects begin to unfold. If these outcomes effect a growing reliance in God and faith in His goodness, then they become increasingly encouraging and beautiful even amidst much pain and suffering!

• O Blessed Hurricane! that drives the soul to God and God alone!

• When all my goods lie in the dust, I know My Treasure Lies Above!

• But what about the Death of the Righteous? Why, Lord? Why?

• A Trial of Faith, a Trial of God. His infinite wisdom has appointed it all!

• Iron shoes for rough roads are not for those whose path lies amid the flowers and soft meadows.

• Compared to all the rough roads around me, my path seems strewn with flowers. O, I don’t want to stain my deepest gratitude with unworthy fears, yet I can’t help asking myself why—why should it be better with me than with others? Lord please, grow in me a Gracious Heart!

• And just why is Love Patient and Kind? Rightly answer this and see if you don’t feel a new song rising within your heart.

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Come, people of the Risen King,
Who delight to bring Him praise;
Come all and tune your hearts to sing
To the Morning Star of grace.
From the shifting shadows of the earth
We will lift our eyes to Him,
Where steady arms of mercy reach
To gather children in.

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Come People of the Risen King
Stuart Townend

 

Come, people of the Risen King,
Who delight to bring Him praise;
Come all and tune your hearts to sing
To the Morning Star of grace.
From the shifting shadows of the earth
We will lift our eyes to Him,
Where steady arms of mercy reach
To gather children in.

REFRAIN
Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,
And those weeping through the night;
Come, those who tell of battles won,
And those struggling in the fight.
For His perfect love will never change,
And His mercies never cease,
But follow us through all our days
With the certain hope of peace.

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, young and old from every land -
Men and women of the faith;
Come, those with full or empty hands -
Find the riches of His grace.
Over all the world, His people sing -
Shore to shore we hear them call
The Truth that cries through every age:
“Our God is all in all”!

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

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“I have learned that God’s silence to my questions is not a door slammed in my face. I may not have the answers—but I do have him.”-Dave Dravecky

HT: All Thyngs

 

Thank you for reading!

 

Photo by sugarexpletive Flickr

Shifting Land and Sinking Sand

“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? Job 38:2, 8-11

…

 

The earth did shift!
Did God lift His hand?

All hope in man is shifting land, is sinking sand.

His proud waves
stayed not their place
but rolled farther
that they may speak

of His power
of His might
of His mercy, Yes!

They speak even now of His compassion!

How calm the sea
of hearts that fear
His passions raging.

How shaken the faith
of men who design
tremor-proof castles.

Some idols did shift!
Did God lift His gifts?

All trust in luxuries is shifting land, is sinking sand.

Man’s fondest gems
did not calm His axe
but lost their value
that they may speak

of His blessings
of His provision
of His judgment, Yes!

They speak even now of His patience!

How calm the mind
of hearts that seek
God’s true wisdom.

How turbid the thoughts
of men who drink
their own conceit.

Some pride did shift!
Did God lift His head?

All trust in rank is shifting land, is sinking sand.

Man’s surest sways
did not trump His will
but were silenced
that they may speak

of His worth
of His beauty
of His holiness, Yes!

They speak even now of His promise.

How sure the life
of hearts that break
beneath His cross.

How swift the days
of men who worship
ease and comfort.

Some status did shift!
Did God lift His voice?

All trust in works is shifting land, is sinking sand.

Man’s highest aspirations
did not change His truth
but were shattered
that they may speak

of His sovereignty
of His faithfulness
of His Son, Yes!

They speak even now of the Savior!

How dead the death
of hearts that trust
in Christ for life.

How real the graves
of men who build
their own good heavens.

Some treasures did shift!
Did God lift His eyes?

All hope in wealth is shifting land, is sinking sand.

Man’s novel dominions
did not thwart His gaze
but were uprooted
that they may speak

of His majesty
of His kingdom
of His justice, Yes!

They speak even now of His return!

How great the joy
of hearts that sing
God almighty reigns!

How dark the day
of men who’ll scream
Mountains, fall on us!

– Petra O. Hefner

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“All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.” Isaiah 34:4

“But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4

“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.” Revelation 3:3

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Thank you for reading!

The Two Great Facts

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

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[Paul] stands almost alone in a city, famous all over the world, even in the estimate of the heathen, for luxury, immorality, and idolatry. Such was the place, and such was the man! A more remarkable position it is hard to conceive.

And what did this solitary Jew tell the Corinthians?

What did he say about the great Head and Founder of the new faith which he wanted them to receive in place of their ancient religion? Did he begin by cautiously telling them how Christ lived, and taught, and worked miracles, and spake “as no man ever spake”? Did he tell them that He had been rich as Solomon, victorious as Joshua, or learned as Moses? Nothing of the kind! The very first fact he proclaimed about Christ was that He died, and died the most ignominious death- the death of a malefactor, the death of the cross.

And why did St. Paul lay so much stress upon Christ’s death rather than His life? Because, he tells the Corinthians, “He died for our sins.” A deep and wonderful truth that, a truth which lay at the very foundation of the whole religion which the Apostle came to preach! For that death of Christ was not the involuntary death of a martyr, or a mere example of self-sacrifice. It was the voluntary death of a Divine Substitute for the guilty children of Adam, by which He made atonement for ” the sin of the world.”

The other great fact about Christ which St. Paul placed in the front part of his teaching was His resurrection from the dead. He boldly told the Corinthians that the same Jesus who died, and was buried, came forth alive from the grave on the third day after His death, and was seen, touched, handled, and talked to, in the body, by many competent witnesses.

In short, the Apostle taught that the greatest of miracles had been wrought, and that with such a Founder of the new faith which he came to proclaim, first dying for our sins, and then rising again for our justification, nothing was impossible, and nothing wanting for the salvation of man’s soul.

Such were the two great truths to which St. Paul assigned the first place,– Christ’s vicarious death for our sins,– Christ’s rising again from the grave. No doubt it was a sore trial of faith and courage to a learned and highly-educated man like St. Paul to take up such a line. Flesh and blood might well shrink from it. But by the grace of God he did not flinch. He says, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Nor did the case of Corinth stand alone. Wherever the great Apostle of the Gentiles went, he preached the same doctrine, and put it in the forefront of his preaching. He addressed very different hearers, and people of very different minds. But he always used the same spiritual medicine. That medicine was the story of the cross and the resurrection.

And what did it all? Not, as some dare to say, the mere publication of a higher code of duty, a sort of improved Platonic philosophy, without root or motive. No! it was the simple story of the cross of Calvary, and the empty sepulchre in the garden, the marvellous death of One “numbered with transgressors,” and the astounding miracle of His resurrection (Isa. 53:12).

Let us learn, for another thing, what the foundation of our own personal religion must be, if we really want inward, spiritual comfort. That the early Christians possessed such comfort is as plain as the sun at noonday. We read repeatedly in the New Testament of their joy, and peace, and hope, and patience, and cheerfulness, and contentment. We read in ecclesiastical history of their courage and firmness under the fiercest persecution, of their uncomplaining endurance of sufferings, and their triumphant deaths. And what was the mainspring of their peculiar characters?

There can only be one reply. These men had a firm gasp of the two great facts which St. Paul proclaimed ” first” and foremost to the Corinthians, the death and resurrection of their great Head, Jesus Christ the Lord. Let us never be ashamed of walking in their steps.

If you want to see peace in life, and hope in death, and consolation felt in sorrow, you will never find such things except among those who rest on the two great facts of our text, and can say, “I live by faith in the Son of God,” who died for my sins, and was raised again for my justification (Gal. 2:20).

— Excerpted from J.C. Ryle’s “Foundation Truths”
The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times

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Thank you for reading!

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Photo by: aJ GAZMEN ツ GucciBeaR

 

Her Pen

“There is a time for everything…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

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This little poem is in response to Nahno McLein’s first blogfest 60×60 challenge. His original challenge was to write 60 words in 60 seconds, which I tried but only managed to type 49 words. I’m really glad that he changed the contest to 60 words containing art in any form.

Here’s my little minute and a half poem.

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Her pen

drips ink form the art
of her heart as it spills
its questions into a book
she’s reading hoping

to gain a closer look
at the One who gives all
because He was and is
and is to come always

from the vast canvas
of His wisdom revealing
the passion of His cross–
true justice bleeding grace.
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That was fun. Thanks for reading!

Photo by brianconnolly, Flickr

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• The Cross Of Christ: Do We Really Understand It?

All Mixed Up and Ready to Share

“Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true).” Ephesians 5:8-9

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• Only A God Who Judges can bring us hope and justice (and good fruit)!

• Why am I not surprised that THIS was in a Christian bookstore? I still don’t understand commercialized Christianity, but I can smell some bad fruit here.

• And just how are we to deal with the Fruits, Flakes, Fakes and Nuts in our lives?

• Have we checked our own fruit lately? Signs You’re Growing in Grace: A Very Helpful List.

• What if there’s no fruit, bad fruit, or not enough fruit? Could it ever be too bad or too late for us? Could Esau Repent?

• And don’t forget the vine! When Reminders Are More Effective Than Rebukes.

• How about some big sweet fruits? Patience and Forgiveness.

• What do you mean, forgiveness is not a good fruit? Go repent!!

But wait… there’s more!

• Should I ever have lots of extra time on my hands and/or an extra serving of patience, I’ll try this….

 

Speaking of patience, I had to kill that funky song!

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Grace & Peace

“Wow!” said the acorn to the great oak tree, “You were once a nut like me!”

 

Thanks for reading!

Find

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

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Open the book of life
and find the cord
that binds you
to a promise.

See the start of life
and find one good
and perfect love
in a garden.

Seek the food of wisdom
and find her truth
fill the mouths
of the simple.

Feel the law of justice
and find the weight
of constant failure
and sin within.

Heed the psalms of old
and find the hope
that sings about
a perfect Savior.

Note the voice of heaven
and find the dove
alight on One
who has come.

Hear the shouts of man
and find our madness–
our prideful wish
to crucify God!

Behold the power of love
and find us weeping
one perfect lamb
beat and slain.

Taste the bread of heaven
and find pure wine–
His blood spilled
once for all.

Devour the words of life
and find the Savior’s
grace and mercy,
all sin forgiven.

Live the book of holiness
and praise the Son
God and Spirit,
three in one.

Petra O. Hefner

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Thank you for reading!

Photo by 19melissa68 – Flickr

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