Treasure of our heart.

Mary, a young teenage bride, pregnant and in a precarious situation had a treasure in her heart. Today, if people were asked about the treasures in their hearts, the answers would range from human relationships to material things. Maybe someone may mention a sports team or knowledge. But this wise girl kept the things of God, the supernatural occurrences surrounding her baby-boy, in her heart.

Few keep anything in their hearts anymore. Almost anything and everything is "shared" , plastered on social media for the world to see: From what you had for breakfast to the driver in front of you causing road rage. It's all hung out there like laundry over the narrow streets of old Europe's cities. Who keeps anything inside?

Therapists encourage people to let it out. They are focusing on negative emotions for the most part. Deep thinkers, meditaters, ponderers is an odd thing these days. It may be, because we are too buzzy and noisy. Mostly from our own choices and this culture.

"Come away" I hear the Lord calling "and rest. Find some place to think, to ponder, to treasure"

Forgive, forgive and forgive

I broke a bowl last night.
I opened the refrigerator and out came a bowl with some cranberry sauce in it. It fell on the floor and shattered.
This surprised me a bit since I've dropped this particular bowl many times in the past but this time it broke in a thousand pieces. I picked up the larger pieces and put it in a cardboard cereal box and in a paperbag. Then took great pains in sweeping all the little chips up, so that our dog would not walk in it or someone in bear feet wouldn't get cut.
Our youngest son, who was close by, handed me my flip-flops and went and got the broom from his room without being asked.
As I was sweeping I felt a burning on one of my feet and noticed a black spot. Thinking it was a mosquito, I swat at it. It was blood from a tiny cut. There were several tiny cuts on both lower legs.
This morning I opened the refrigerator and saw some large shards I missed and some tiny chips.
I am not sure that I got it all out.

As I was cleaning it this morning, a thought came: "This is like forgiveness"
When the initial event takes place, one tries to properly dispose of it: Forgive right away. Isn't that what the Bible say.
There may even be someone close by who love you enough to try to help you get over it.
You think you are okay and it's all taken care of, dealt with. But then you notice tiny wounds in your soul that needs some attention.
After taking care of these you think that it is done. Finish and "klaar".
Some time pass and one day you find, just in the course of your life, that the issue is not finished.
Now you realize that maybe there could be some lingering danger, some little residue, that may hurt you or someone near you in the future.

"Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Heretic, Demonic, Possessed:  Are THEY?

In the Church - the Greater Global Church - we run around with our labels and categorize our brothers and sisters. Looking from a human perspective we make all sorts of judgements or rather; condemnations. We major on the minors. We bite and devour one another. "Love covers a multitude of sin"  scripture says, but we strive to be right rather than to love. We ignore what Jesus said.

For those who feels the need to judge, condemn and reject people for whom Jesus paid His life and who may love Him and serve Him; here are a few points to consider:

It Is God's Church. He is well able. to manage it.

We resemble Absalom in his anger over the rape of his sister. We judge our Father apathetic and incompetent, taking matters in our own hands or mouths. We decide that someone is a heretic or demon possessed with no solid evidence. In the first century church when Paul went to preach to the gentiles, there was a matter concerning circumcision and obeying the law of Moses. They came together in Jerusalem and talked things through.  They did not call one another names and dis-fellowship one another.

We may not know all the facts.

This may come as a shock to some, but really, we may truly not have all the facts. Our understanding of a situation depends largely upon the information we have or do not have. When the leaders. of a congregations makes decisions concerning everyone, it is often with knowledge gained through counseling or confidential conversation. There are always some person, mis-informed, who questions the decisions.

Only God has all knowledge and understanding. He is the only righteous judge. We have to have our words and actions submitted to His Holy Spirit. The crazy camel-haired, desert-dwelling, homeless man, may be in truth a prophet of God.

God deals with His own without our permission.

Consider these men whom God used mightily:
Moses was a murderer, yet God never mentioned it. Abram lied about his wife and cowardly sacrificed her to save his own skin. David had five or six wives, one stolen from another man, an  his household was out of order. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived could not resist a pretty woman and his wives eventually led him into idolatry. Hosea was commanded by God to marry a prostitute. Nehemiah, Peter a d Paul had problems with their tempers. Jeremiah and Solomon both suffered with bouts of depression. And the list goes on and on. Recent church history tells many tales of flawed men and women used mightily by God. The fact is that our opinion matters little.

We should and can pray for those whom we see straying from the clear Biblical path. We can call attention to their actions, teachings or doctrine, but we ought to have some fear at making condemning judgements on the people of God. We must have discernment for our own sake. But when we divide the Church of Jesus Christ into "us" and "them", we are in error. We are one. Both Daniel and Nehemiah included themselves in the repentant intercession for Israel although they were personally and individually innocent.

Maybe, just maybe....

Maybe what seems like heresy is just a blossoming prophet trying to get it right. Remember the goof-ups of our own youth and zeal, when wisdom was lacking.
Maybe the uneasiness we feel is due to our own issues, secret sins, fear of losing position or control, competitive attitude, inadequacy or feelings of inferiority.
Maybe this person was sent by God not for you to set straight, but so that you may be polished by them. These rough edges will not be made smooth by a sweet gentle cloth.
Maybe the situation and people are an answer to prayer. We often ask God or make promises to Him without actually knowing what we are talking about. Peter stated that he will never deny Jesus but before the sun was up the next day, he had to eat his words. We ask for patience, God gives us tribulations. We promise full surrender, God send horrible people who tempt us to take matters in our own hands. We declare our undying love and devotion to God and He brings us the most annoying and arrogant people to love.

Let love cover a multitude of sins. It is almost impossible to truly pray and intercede for someone while running a smear campaign against them. If we can't bring ourselves to pray then at least  stop adding to the negative flow of words and be quiet.

Focus on serving God and let Him deal with His own household.