Since today is Fathers Day I thought I would share this.
My son Doug was a youth pastor for 14 years and has a daughter that just left home for College. He has shared this Definition of a real man with the young women in his life. I thought I would pass it on, it is very simple, 4 little points:
1. Must have his own relationship with Jesus
2. Must have his own transportation
3. Must have his own nest
4. Must have more money than month
That's a real man
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Be a Bridge
“Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1
In 1889 I found myself sitting outside the Medford Gospel Mission watching the people going in and out, my heart aching and asking the Lord, “What can I do?” After all, I was raised in the church, in a Christian home by two parents that loved and served God with all their hearts. I was never abused, never went hungry, and always had a warm meal and a clean bed. I have a husband who loves God and loves me, two grown children serving God with their wives, plus grandchildren that love Jesus. I found myself pondering, ”What brought me to the door of a homeless shelter?”
Driving home after a morning service , I heard myself saying without thought. “If I don’t get somewhere where I Can lead people to Jesus I am going to dry up and die. The fact of the matter was I had already dried up and died. Died to all my old preconceived idea’s of what a personal relationship with Jesus was. I thought the more I did the more spiritual I was. My experience with serving the Lord was one of performing. But I had just come through a season of doing nothing. Oh not by choice, but from the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through my life and fanning a flame, blowing out all the wood hay and stubble and finding I had nothing left. As a young girl I saw two of my friends who were not welcome in the Church , lose their lives 6 months apart one to drug and one to suicide and it put a deep resolve in me to see people come to Jesus. I know I had won more people to Jesus in my life time than most but here I Was a 50 years old striped and barren aching to bear fruit for the Kingdom in the form of new babies. This desire compelled me, it grove me, I was in spiritual pain from the reality of the lost and dieing. As I was driving into town from our country home one day, the spirit of the Lord spoke to me saying “if you want to see people saved you will need to be where they are.” That meant moving to Medford Oregon form the Applegate Valley. I thought oh no this is a trick. Twenty five years earlier I had told my husband as we sat in our home in Santa Fe Spring California “ I will move to Oregon with you if you promise me we will never live in Medford. But at that moment the Lord change my heart. He has a way of sneaking up on me at unexpected times. This was one of those times.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out there curtains of there dwellings: Do not spare: Lengthen you cords and strengthen our stakes, 3. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendents will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.”
Isaiah 54: 2-3
The biggest surprise to myself and others in this journey called my life is that someone who’s life style and life choices were so different than the people of the streets, would end up living and ministering among then. But some where along the way of being broken and striped. I found my vision moving outside the walls of the Church. Those that had the greatest need were not making their way through the doors. The need to see people come to Jesus began to compel me. As I read the Word my heart was stirred by words like called, sent, go, and the voice of the Lord saying “I am taking your ministry out of the Church and into the streets“. I had no idea how that would or could happen. What did I know about the streets.
Not long after we had been ministering at the Mission, I began to realize how wide the gap between the Church and the streets really was, and began inquiring of the Lord, “how do we bridge that gap”. One way was to be effective. If we who had come to the streets by way of the Church (not by way of the streets) could be effective in the ministry to those who’s shoes we had not walked in, then we could begin to see those desolate places inhabited. If the homeless, the drug addict, the alcoholic, the prisoners could receive and be healed and experience the message of redemption and freedom and be disciple by someone who had not walked in their shoes, it would dispel one of the biggest lies the enemy has use to separated and divide the Church from the streets and the street from the Church. We have bought into the philosophy of the world that tells us we need to separate into our little groups ,the alcoholic’s all together, the drug addicts together. We find the foundation of our fellowship being weaknesses of our flesh and identifying ourselves with our past life. Therefore we believe we can not fellowship with those who are not of like background. The foundation for our fellowship is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So when I am ask how can you relate to those you minister to and they to you. I have simply come to understand that our common bond and place of fellowship is at the foot of the cross. We all were separated from Christ by sin, It doesn’t matter what sin. Sin is sin. What does matter, is that we were all lost and now are found and saved by the same grace and going to the same heaven, where there will be no separation. According to the last of Eph.4 and the first of Eph. 5 we are all called to forgive the way we have been forgiven and to be imitators of Christ as we love the way we have been love, no matter where we came from the call is the same and we all get their the same way. Let us be a bridge form the Church to the Streets and for the Streets to the Church, in Jesus name, amen
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:1
In 1889 I found myself sitting outside the Medford Gospel Mission watching the people going in and out, my heart aching and asking the Lord, “What can I do?” After all, I was raised in the church, in a Christian home by two parents that loved and served God with all their hearts. I was never abused, never went hungry, and always had a warm meal and a clean bed. I have a husband who loves God and loves me, two grown children serving God with their wives, plus grandchildren that love Jesus. I found myself pondering, ”What brought me to the door of a homeless shelter?”
Driving home after a morning service , I heard myself saying without thought. “If I don’t get somewhere where I Can lead people to Jesus I am going to dry up and die. The fact of the matter was I had already dried up and died. Died to all my old preconceived idea’s of what a personal relationship with Jesus was. I thought the more I did the more spiritual I was. My experience with serving the Lord was one of performing. But I had just come through a season of doing nothing. Oh not by choice, but from the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through my life and fanning a flame, blowing out all the wood hay and stubble and finding I had nothing left. As a young girl I saw two of my friends who were not welcome in the Church , lose their lives 6 months apart one to drug and one to suicide and it put a deep resolve in me to see people come to Jesus. I know I had won more people to Jesus in my life time than most but here I Was a 50 years old striped and barren aching to bear fruit for the Kingdom in the form of new babies. This desire compelled me, it grove me, I was in spiritual pain from the reality of the lost and dieing. As I was driving into town from our country home one day, the spirit of the Lord spoke to me saying “if you want to see people saved you will need to be where they are.” That meant moving to Medford Oregon form the Applegate Valley. I thought oh no this is a trick. Twenty five years earlier I had told my husband as we sat in our home in Santa Fe Spring California “ I will move to Oregon with you if you promise me we will never live in Medford. But at that moment the Lord change my heart. He has a way of sneaking up on me at unexpected times. This was one of those times.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out there curtains of there dwellings: Do not spare: Lengthen you cords and strengthen our stakes, 3. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendents will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.”
Isaiah 54: 2-3
The biggest surprise to myself and others in this journey called my life is that someone who’s life style and life choices were so different than the people of the streets, would end up living and ministering among then. But some where along the way of being broken and striped. I found my vision moving outside the walls of the Church. Those that had the greatest need were not making their way through the doors. The need to see people come to Jesus began to compel me. As I read the Word my heart was stirred by words like called, sent, go, and the voice of the Lord saying “I am taking your ministry out of the Church and into the streets“. I had no idea how that would or could happen. What did I know about the streets.
Not long after we had been ministering at the Mission, I began to realize how wide the gap between the Church and the streets really was, and began inquiring of the Lord, “how do we bridge that gap”. One way was to be effective. If we who had come to the streets by way of the Church (not by way of the streets) could be effective in the ministry to those who’s shoes we had not walked in, then we could begin to see those desolate places inhabited. If the homeless, the drug addict, the alcoholic, the prisoners could receive and be healed and experience the message of redemption and freedom and be disciple by someone who had not walked in their shoes, it would dispel one of the biggest lies the enemy has use to separated and divide the Church from the streets and the street from the Church. We have bought into the philosophy of the world that tells us we need to separate into our little groups ,the alcoholic’s all together, the drug addicts together. We find the foundation of our fellowship being weaknesses of our flesh and identifying ourselves with our past life. Therefore we believe we can not fellowship with those who are not of like background. The foundation for our fellowship is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So when I am ask how can you relate to those you minister to and they to you. I have simply come to understand that our common bond and place of fellowship is at the foot of the cross. We all were separated from Christ by sin, It doesn’t matter what sin. Sin is sin. What does matter, is that we were all lost and now are found and saved by the same grace and going to the same heaven, where there will be no separation. According to the last of Eph.4 and the first of Eph. 5 we are all called to forgive the way we have been forgiven and to be imitators of Christ as we love the way we have been love, no matter where we came from the call is the same and we all get their the same way. Let us be a bridge form the Church to the Streets and for the Streets to the Church, in Jesus name, amen
Friday, June 17, 2011
Cast into the deepest sea.
As I begin this journey I find myself asking why? You see although my life calling requires me to be involved daily in the live of many people and the fact that I am not a writer but most of all I am a very private person. A fact many may not know about me.Them you add to the fact I have always thought blogs were a bit self indulgent and am always amazed that anyone wants to hear what I have to say anyway. I ask myself why? The only reason I have is that their are some that just won't leave me alone concerning a blog. So I guess I am opening my mouth to shut theirs up. Well here goes.
My husband Daryl and I are celebrating our 48 anniversary by spending 5 days on the beach in our motor home.
We are about 50 yards from the water and as we hear the wave crashing and the sun is shining I am always reminded of the majesty and magnificence of our Lord. It amazes me that He tells us our sins are cast into the deepest sea. He also tells us in another portion of scripture that they will never be remember against us anymore. I am blessed that I get to share that everyday with others and see them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ocean is so vast and endless, I feel so small when I look at his creation. I makes me think about how big God really is but yet the hairs on my head are number. He is vast but he is personal. A trip to the coast always brings me peace and rest and a renewing of my spirit as I sit on the shore and read his Word. There seems to be a clarity for me her like no other place. He meets me in a way that speaks deeply to me.
I am feeling blessed today as I have my wonderful husband or 48 years and we have our wonderful savior that has seen us through the mountain tops and the valleys and has seen fit to bring us to this time in our live when we can minister side by side as we work in his harvest field.
Blessing to all on this wonderful day that God has made, rejoice and be glad in it.
Janet Marie
My husband Daryl and I are celebrating our 48 anniversary by spending 5 days on the beach in our motor home.
We are about 50 yards from the water and as we hear the wave crashing and the sun is shining I am always reminded of the majesty and magnificence of our Lord. It amazes me that He tells us our sins are cast into the deepest sea. He also tells us in another portion of scripture that they will never be remember against us anymore. I am blessed that I get to share that everyday with others and see them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ocean is so vast and endless, I feel so small when I look at his creation. I makes me think about how big God really is but yet the hairs on my head are number. He is vast but he is personal. A trip to the coast always brings me peace and rest and a renewing of my spirit as I sit on the shore and read his Word. There seems to be a clarity for me her like no other place. He meets me in a way that speaks deeply to me.
I am feeling blessed today as I have my wonderful husband or 48 years and we have our wonderful savior that has seen us through the mountain tops and the valleys and has seen fit to bring us to this time in our live when we can minister side by side as we work in his harvest field.
Blessing to all on this wonderful day that God has made, rejoice and be glad in it.
Janet Marie
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