Happy and Blessed New Year of 2008

Our Mission Field and place for

many acts of service

to God our Father and those

we live among.

Our Greetings and wishes for

the New Year to follow.

The Old Year is almost gone... But a spanking New Year ahead.

Happy New Year's Eve!



This picture taken in Missouri of an old gate hanging open and the plot of ground in disarray kinda reminds me of the past year.

A lot of things left undone, some mistakes but many happy memories and gracious gifts from God in the Spiritual realm with all needs perfectly met.

The picture depicts the fact that someone used to live there but nature has healed the land with beautiful flowers and foliage. How like our lives; God graciously forgives our sins of omission, and commission and fills our 'space' with His matchless love and gives us a yearning for the coming year with a clean slate... to do His will and fulfill His plan for our lives.

It's interesting that he doesn't erase our memories of the past but leaves them for us to be reminded of our insufficiencies and human faults. "It's Just Like His Great Love", as the song goes, to help the memories of our failures cause us to lean on Him more and to seek His will for our every thought and action.


This is a picture of the sunrise from our apartment and is the promise of a new day.

May it also be a reminder of the New Year which will dawn tomorrow if the Lord so wills.

All fresh and new with so many opportunities for service to our King. May we be ready to 'listen' to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit within us.


It may mean we have to leave our Comfort Zone and go out there in the cold world where we do not feel cozy and warm but didn't we just celebrate our Lord's birth and entrance into this cold and harsh world? Didn't He willingly leave His Comfort Zone?

We have a mission and we do not have to accomplish it alone. What a great God we serve. Jesus promised that although He was leaving this world when he went back to the Father, He said, "Lo I am with you always." Matthew 28:20b. NIV.

With that thought in mind... 'Leaving our comfort zone', let's look at some Scripture for help in whatever we face tomorrow.

Isaiah 51:7 "Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts:

Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults." and vs. 15. "For I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar- the Lord Almighty is his name.", 16. I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'you are my people."

Then in Matthew 9:37,38 Jesus Words.. "The harvest is plentiful but workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

We are not necessarily called to Africa or China.. but to the Lost period. It may be over seas but what about our own back yard? If we look around us the lost are everywhere we turn. For John and I it is right where we live.

Forget the longing to go back to Africa or some other needy field.. since we've 'been there, done that' -- for now it's The Vintage. (The picture of our Apartment building at the top of this column.) Right where we live. Opportunities left and right. At the beginning of this New Year 2008 I challenge those of you who are reading this, as well as, myself as I write...

Let's get out of our comfort zone

and let our 'light shine' in the darkness around us.

"It's never too late

Let's do it 'n 2008"

May God richly bless you in the New Year with a strengthened

heart and new resolve.

"Glory to God in the Highest"

GREETINGS TO ONE AND ALL.

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG FOR THIS

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON.

This is the Season... to rejoice in the Lord for His Birth and all it means to us. There is a song out there called "HE LEFT IT ALL" BY THE WHISNANTS Wonderful words.. some of which are:

"He didn’t bring an army to help him on His way
He didn’t bring an angel to praise Him night and day;
He didn’t bring one piece of gold to buy some food to eat-
Instead He turned and laid it all at his Father’s feet.
He left it all at His Father’s feet, all to rescue me.
He left it all to die on Calvary."

We are studying the "Attributes of God", in the Bible Study I teach at 'The Vintage' (where we live.) What a blessing! To once again concentrate on Our Wonderful, Powerful and Loving Father and Savior- Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I would recommend everyone revisit these thoughts about our KING.

The attributes of god
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.” Psalms 145:17

“The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalms 19:1

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.” II Samuel 7:22

These things are hard to understand with our finite minds. God is INFINITE- which means according to the dictionary:

“1. lacking limits or bounds; extending beyond measure or comprehension; without beginning or end; endless;

2. very great; vast; immense; The Infinite (Being) God.”

AWESOME!

More about this topic in January. Be sure to click on the link to my other blog.. "Life with Liz"

Organic Carrots, Confession, Streams of Living Water

When Organic carrots are unavailable for 'juicing', there is another alternative. By using a 'bath' of water with salt and vinegar it becomes a purifier of carrots or any other vegetable.



But what does this have to do with "Carrots, Confession or Streams of Living Water"?



It came to my attention in the wee hours of the morning that carrots I bathe in the salt and vinegar water can be likened to my need for cleansing and forgiveness. It is through Jesus that "streams of living water will flow from within me if I believe in Jesus." John 7:38



John also said in I John 1:9 that "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."



For in Romans 3:23 it says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."



John says, those streams of living waters is the Holy Spirit. So if I have sinned, I need to confess that sin and then soak (as it were) in the Word and let those blessed waters of the Holy Spirit wash through me to purify my heart so as to be 'organic' and usable to God.



What a merciful and gracious Heavenly Father to make a way for us to be pure and 'usable'. Praise to His Holy Name. We know that it is by the Blood of Jesus we have redemption for which we can call Him "Abba Father", but how blessed we are to have the renewing of our Christian Life in the Holy Spirit.



Until next time.. this is Liz, A child of The King.

"The Eyes of the Lord..."

"The Heaven's declare the Glory of God." Ps. 19:1
Photo; Taken by Liz in Florida.


While reading the Scripture today in preparation for my Bible Study for tomorrow.. (We are studying Paul's Epistles and finish Galatians tomorrow.) At any rate the following verse jumped out at me as I followed a link to next weeks lesson in Ephesians 1.

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

What a beautiful thought and challenge! He really wants to bless and guide us. To realize that as our Heavenly Father, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, wants to supply our every need and that, more often than not, he gives us the desires of our hearts, should thrill us and cause us to draw closer to him. To understand that he wants more for us than we can ever imagine. He wants to give us life more abundant. John 10:10 His ways are past finding out but he understands us completely having formed us in our mother's womb. Why then do we 'go our own way?' Try to solve our own problems? Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."


I've been pondering the commandment that Jesus gave to the Pharisees when they asked him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " In Philippians we read in the second chapter that as Christians 'our attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ.' In verse 8 of same chapter it says 'he humbled himself and became obedient to death.' And in 2:12c it says: 'continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling," It is truly a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God." Hebrews 10:31



Where did the idea come from that when it comes to doing God's will or obeying his Word we can have our own opinions about it?

Where does it say that in Scripture?

David said "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:9-11.

Sin is sin. We read where God does not tolerate it. We might think we have so much love for others that we can overlook their sin. BUT God does not. I hear you say, but God is love and tells us to love one another. True! but we must not be misled to believe that those persons who are living in sin have no responsibility to God, especially if they know God.

"Be not deceived God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." Galatians 5:6,7

People know us by the friends we keep.

Proverbs 3:5-7 tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." May God help - us in this world today- with all the permissiveness going on.

May the Lord keep our families close to Him and help them to discern truth and error. Satan is so cunning and we are so vulnerable. Solomon wrote in Proverbs.. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Prov. 4:23

May God bless your hearts and help us all to realize, truly realize what Jesus said in John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." To give up our own opinions and embrace the Word of God, seeking Him first is the only way to find peace and His blessing on and in our lives. Praise be to our most Holy God and Savior. May we be ready to meet him in Eternity.

Time out..

Whee.. It's been a busy and difficult week, what with an ER visit on Sunday July 22 for possible Gall Bladder problems. That usually means a dismissal from the doctor with a suggestion to watch my diet. Well, after a Cat Scan (the Hospital provided their own cat, it saved 'Frodo' a trip!) stones were detected and an appointment was set up to see the Surgeon. Friday, 7/27 I was admitted to the hospital and the 'op' performed late afternoon. It wasn't bad enough to be there but due to a Surgeon error had to go through a Blood Sugar attack, as well, because Glucose was added to the Saline solution in my drip causing me to lose consciousness several times. Not to worry, God helped me to determine the problem and all was corrected. They released me to come home Sunday 29th. My wonderful husband has taken good care of me; Johnny, Kristal and boys have lifted my spirits as well as many friends with cards, flowers and love.

A bright spot in all of this 'down-time' was the opportunity to read some beautiful Spiritual material.. books: "The King's Holy Beauty"and "The Lamb's Heart" by Greg Violi; "Patience" (The importance of Patience in the Life of a Christian) by Iris Godfrey; and other heart searching material from the Macalla New School in Jensen Beach, FL and of course, the Scripture has been a comfort and blessing.

So long for now.. more later. God bless you with new understanding each day as you dwell in the WORD, and apply it to LIFE, remembering that we are to "..GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." IIPeter 3:18