"The Harvest" Part 1

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. Matthew 9:36-38
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"The Lord has been speaking to me a lot about the harvest and this morning as I woke with this song, "God's Great Dance Floor" by Chris Tomlin on my heart and in my head I felt led to be reminded and to remind you as well, that, "The Harvest," it matters to the Lord!

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:11-14

"The Harvest," it matters to the Lord of the Harvest. It matters to Jesus! It matters that we, redeem the time, or rather each and every opportunity  to share about the, love of Christ. The love that caused Him to leave heaven and to come to earth as the Son of Man; to save us and to save those we come in contact with each day.

So, like I said the Lord has been showing me a lot lately about "The Harvest." and the first thing He emphasized is what happens in heaven when we say, "Yes."  to the price that Jesus paid to redeem us.

This interview with Chris Tomlin says it way better than I could. He talks about the joy of our Heavenly Father as we, who have gone astray are brought back from being lost.

The Father rejoices!

Lord, I pray that we would be willing laborers in your kingdom. Holy Spirit help us to have eyes of compassion the way that Jesus did. Help us to see the multitudes that are perishing with hearts that care about each and every one.  Father, help us to do your will here on earth as it is in heaven, because Father it is your will that not one of these little ones should perish.

Bragging Rights

Gabriel stood near the Lord. Today, the sons of God were coming to present themselves before Him. Angels moved to and fro, from one assignment, one mission, to the next. All around the Lord's throne, there were angels flying, singing and proclaiming, "Holy. Holy. Holy."

Gabriel stood at attention, glancing all around. Something was wrong. There was a unholy presence in the presence of God.

Satan.

He was here. In the Lord's presence! How dare that fiend!

Of course, Gabriel saw that the Lord wasn't at all surprised. Slowly Satan slithered towards God, but the Lord was the first to speak. "From where have you come?"

"I've been here and there on the earth. Walking among your people." The former archangel said, his words dripping with disdain for the people God loves, his place among the earth, and for God Himself. So much hate.

"Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one else like him on the earth. He is upright, blameless, fears me, and turns away from sin."

Gabriel tensed as Satan growled, but he did not make a move as his time had not yet come. "Job fears you for no reason. You've been good to him. Too good. You've placed that hedge of protection around him, blessed the work of his hands, and provided everything he's ever needed just like that." Satan snapped for emphasis. "But stretch out your hand, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." Satan said this gleefully, and looked at the Lord expectantly. Waiting. Always waiting to destroy.

"Behold, all that he has is in your hands. Only against him do not stretch our your hand."

Despite getting what he wanted, Satan snarled. The evil one left the presence of the Lord, looking even more angry. Gabriel chuckled. The Lord had the utmost confidence in Job. Satan wouldn't be winning this one either.

Based on Job 1:6-12

"And the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?'" Job 1:8

This is one of those few occasions where we get a glimpse into the throne room of God, and we get to see the "Why?" behind Job being tested so severely.

Satan comes, and God just starts bragging on Job. "My servant Job is blameless, upright, fears Me, and turns away from you. There is no one like him on the earth." That is high praise from our Creator! But Satan has a plan. He wants to break Job, and he knows that because he's been such a servant of God, that God has blessed him, and protected him. What would happen if that was taken away....

Satan says this to God, and God's response, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand, Only against him do not stretch out you hand." Job 1:12

What???

God was so confident in Job, that He let Satan do all that stuff to Job. I just can't help thinking, does God feel the same way about us? If Satan was to go to God, would God be able to brag about us? "There is no one else like her on the earth; She is unwavering in her faith to me," or, "He constantly chooses Me. He loves me like no other, and turns away from sin." Can God say those things about us? What about if the devil decides to hit us with his best shot? Would we remain faithful to God? Would God be confident of that?

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." Luke 16:10

Job was faithful for many, many days. When the greatest trials of his life came, he had already laid a foundation of faithfulness. Start laying a foundation of faithfulness in your own life. Stop being worried about the money-God will provide. Stop fretting about every little thing-God can handle it. Stop choosing sin, worry, fear, doubt, and all that other junk, and start choosing God.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Above all else, trust in God with your whole heart. There may be days when it feels like your world is crashing down around you. There may be times when you feel like a weight has been tied around your ankle and you're drowning. There may be seasons when everything feels like it's going wrong. You may feel like your friends and family are judging you, blaming you. You may feel alone.

Those are the moments you grab a hold of God, and DON'T LET GO! If you hang on, God will guide you. Best of all, God can say that you remained faithful, even brag about you. Be a servant God has confidence in at all times.


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"Heavens Hometown Boy"

And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own home." And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:53-58
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As I read these words this morning I again wondered at them. It says that their first reaction and the first thing they said was ...they were astonished and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?" Why? Why were they astonished? In Luke 2:46-47 it tells us of a time when He was a child and it uses the same word to describe their response to Him and His wisdom. ...Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the midst of the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Astonished? Why were they so focused on His family and who and where He came from. Why was He not given a place of Honour instead? Today when the local hometown boy becomes a celebrity, his hometown will often lay claim to him. They put up big signs that say, "So and so was born here!" or "He might get a parade, or the keys to the city." The word honour comes from 1 (as a negative particle) and 5092 meaning value and means; (neg.)unhonored or a (pos.) dishonored. They were so focused on the fact that He was the carpenter's son, that His mother's name was Mary, and they knew His brothers and sisters that they couldn't see the answer to their question was right there in front of them. They didn't have eyes to see beyond the natural to see, know or understand that the kingdom of heaven was available to them.

Sometimes we too are like that! They asked, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?" Were else but heaven! Jesus as the Son of Man and our perfect example received wisdom and power to say and do the works of His Father from His Father. Read it! It says that ...Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:13-17

A lot of people stop here like that was the end of  this event but it wasn't. The next verse in 4:1 it says...Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus, as our example, was baptized and immersed not only in water by John, but in the Holy Spirit by His heavenly Father, and He went forth from there being led and empowered by the Spirit.

They were astonished at His wisdom and His mighty acts because they refused to see beyond what they knew in the natural. Yes, He was the son of the carpenter. Yes, His mother's name was Mary. Yes, they knew His brothers by name. Yes, His sisters lived among them, and yes, because that is all they could acknowledge they missed out on knowing the most important thing they could have known about Him   That He was the Anointed One, the Christ sent to work the will of Heaven on earth!

When I look at the young people God has placed in my care to raise up in the way they should go ...I am never astonished. I am not astonished that Kenny is out there as a missionary, or that when Kandi came home from her time serving at a school in Africa was clothed in grace. I am not astonished that Daniel is a worship leader in his church in Michigan, or that Sam will be speaking the word to nations. I am not astonished that Teal and Chris are in ministry with our young kids, or that Bekah is to serve in worship. I am not astonished that Joy can write in such a way that it brings the people and the words of the Bible to life, or that Sean is going out as a missionary to China. I am not astonished that Christine will be an awesome teacher and will touch young lives. I am not astonished when any of the young people in my life do great things in God because I don't look at them with eyes that see their natural circumstances, their weaknesses, or their failings. I look at them with eyes that see His example and Heavens anointing at work in their lives!

I am not astonished because the mission statement of my life, my calling is Isaiah 8:18 ...Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and wonders in Israel...

Oh, and just a thought ...Jesus, Heaven's hometown boy, gets His celebration! He gets the keys to the kingdom, a thrown at the right hand of God, and the cries of heaven singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lamb!  

A Honey Cupcake and Upset Stomach

"Go and take the open scroll from the angel who is standing on the land and sea."

John nodded at the voice coming from Heaven. It was the same majestic, booming voice he had heard previously.

Looking around, he realized he was standing on a sandy beach. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange, red, and pink. The colors gave the sea a blood red tint, and the red waves lapped gently to the shore. The tan sands stretched to the left and right for miles, as far as he could see. John realized he was very close to the angel on the land and sea. The angel was larger then life. He seemed to tower over him by two feet at least. The angels feet were firmly planted. Left foot on the dry dirt, and his right foot was not in the water, but resting on top of the water.

John stopped in front of the angel. After squaring his shoulder and standing up straight, he said, "Give me the little scroll."

"Take the scroll and eat it." John's nose wrinkled a little at the thought of eating the scroll, but the angel continued on with his command. "It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, John took the scroll, and put the whole thing in his mouth. He chewed it all up, paper, ink, and God's message.

His eyes flew open. It did taste like honey! It was rather good, actually. John finished his treat, and swallowed the honey goodness.

Almost immediately, the sweetness faded, and his stomach started cramping in pain. He doubled over, and clutched his stomach. It reminded him of the night he ate five helpings of lamb and lentils as a youth.

Then the angel spoke again, and John awkwardly looked up at the angel. He probably resembled a cripple. "You must again prophesy about many people, nations, languages, and kings."

John knew that these things must come to pass, and that it would end in the Lord's glorious day. But the death and destruction was starting to wear on him.

The pain lessened and eventually faded away. He rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb. Can I do this? He could hear the wave still, and the sound comforted him, revived him. John knew without a shadow of a doubt, that God would see him threw. If the Lord gave him a message, then he would deliver it. Always.

Based on Revelations 10:8-11

I found these three parallels:

"And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.' So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, 'Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.' Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. Ezekiel 3:1-3

"Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me...your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name. O Lord, God of hosts." Jeremiah 15, verses 10 and 16

"Then the voice that I had heard from Heaven spoke to me again, saying, 'Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.' So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, 'Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.' And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, 'You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.'" Revelations 10:8-11

Do you ever have a problem eating sweet food? God blessed me with being one of the few who can eat sweet stuff like Pacman, cupcake after cupcake. Nothing has ever been too sweet for me. However, I have heard people like my mom and Marie say, "Do you want this? It's just too sweet for me. It makes me sick to my stomach." And at a youth overnight-er we recently saw one kid who gorged on cupcakes and spray cheese because it was so good! Then the poor kid got a stomach ache, and...well I will spare you further details. Point is, the idea of sweet taste with a following stomach ache isn't a new idea to us.

What do we normally do when something is too sweet, and we know it will make us sick later? In my mom's case, we give it away. You may throw it out. But how often do you eat it, and when you do, don't you regret it?

Why did God make a point of telling us three different times with three different men that while His words are sweet, it resulted in "an upset stomach?"

"For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14

Being a prophet is a difficult job. Being someone who will say whatever God wants, whenever He wants, however He wants is not something to be taken lightly. Being a follower of Jesus is no cake walk.

Please understand, it is worth everything and more. However many are called, but few are chosen. Few will actually commit. Few really understand what it means, and how it will impact, change, tear them down, and refine them like gold. Few are prepared to take the sweet gifts of God WITH the upset stomach, the difficult days, hard work, and the enemy beat down.

God wants you to know, that stuff will be hard. You may get a message like John, when he was given the scroll to eat, that he had more to prophesy. However, are you willing to take the scroll and speak?

Then thing about an upset stomach is that no matter how bad, it eventually goes away. Eventually, we will all be caught up in the clouds with our Lord and Savior. Eventually, there will be no more stomach aches. But until that day, when we are caught up in God's embrace, will we follow our calls?

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.' Isaiah 6:8

Before you go today, I just want to say a word to all the mothers out there.

Thank You!!!!

To all the different kinds of moms out there, thank you so much for being who you are, and doing what you do. Every single one of you. Birth, adopted, foster, in-law, and honorary. God gave you a call   a difficult one at that! You take us as sweet, adorable babies, deal with our terrible twos, our impossible pre-teen years, challenging teen years, and all the crazy ones after! You say what you need to say, do what you need to do, and never stop giving. You are like these prophets I wrote about. You are heroes of faith. God bless you all today, and Happy Mother's Day!

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"What A Declaration"

Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:17-19
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"Yet will I rejoice in the Lord!" What a declaration! No matter what is happening-no blossoms-no fruit-no food-no shelter-no matter what is happening in the natural-Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation!

No matter - Rejoice in the Lord! Joy in the God of your salvation!

In Acts 16:23-26 we get to see where they did more than declare it, they did it! And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's chains were loosed.

Talk about having your feet be made like deer's feet and being made to walk in high places. From their attitude of praise and rejoicing they were not only loosed from their chains and the inner prison by an earthquake, but they were able to share Jesus with all.

And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. Acts 16:30-34

For Paul and Silas it wasn't just a declaration! They were beaten with rods, thrown into the inner prison, put in stocks and yet...they rejoiced in the Lord. They sang praises and looked to the God of their salvation. They turned their hearts to the God of their salvation not the situation they found themselves in. They didn't sit there wallowing in the injustice of what had happened. Instead they looked to Him with praises on their lips and a song of praise in their hearts. The result- new rejoicers in the God of our salvation were born into the kingdom.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. What a declaration! These words must take a place in our walk. We too must be a people who rejoicing in the Lord. We too must be a people, who despite our good day or our bad day take joy in the God of our salvation! We must pursue Him with our praise, our worship and make the cry of our heart and the declaration of our mouth, "No matter what-I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation!
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The Centurion's Journey

"Sirs, this voyage is going to result in injury and much loss. Not only of cargo and the ship itself, but also of our lives."

I looked in the direction of the voice. A man-a prisoner, by the looks of him-stood confidently waiting to be heard. I raised my eyebrow at him, my question clear, How do you know this?

"God told me." 

I don't even try to stop my snort. I wave at a nearby soldier to take the man away, and turn my attention back to the captain and the ship's owner. 

                                                                     

The growl of my stomach is so intense, that I honestly believe I rocked the boat. Shortly after leaving port, we were hit with a massive storm. The waves tossed us like a child's toy. At one point we had secured the ship on a nearby island, but the risk of running aground on the sea floor was too great. So we cut the anchor, and lowered the sail for the raging tempest to continue playing with our lives. Not long after that we tossed the cargo, including most of the food.

The man who tried to warn me at the beginning of the journey comes to stand by me. The man, Paul as I've learned, looks at me expectantly. Beside me a soldier retches overboard. Here comes the I-told-you-so speech.

Paul clears his throat. "Men, you should have listened to me. Then you would not have incurred this injury and loss. However, I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you," I lift my head hopefully. "Only the ship will be lost." Great. Just great. "For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship. He said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told."

Well, the last part didn't sound so bad.

"But we will run aground on some island." Paul finishes.

                                                                        

"Wake up." 

I moan as someone shakes me. I had escaped from the deck, hoping to get some rest down below. If you wedge yourself under the bottom bunk on the floor, you don't rock around as much with the violent waves, and you can almost get some sleep.

Almost.

Paul is hovering over me. "Some of the sailors are lowering the escape boats under the pretense of laying out the anchors. They are scared. However, if these men don't remain in the ship, you cannot be saved."

I want to shove him away and go back to sleep. I close my eyes again. What if I don't listen to him? What will happen. Can I really risk that? If I had listened to him to begin with, we wouldn't be lost at sea, with hardly any food, and we wouldn't have lost money when we threw the cargo overboard.

I groan, and climb out of my little cave. Trudging to the main deck, I start barking out commands. "Get those men away from the side!" My soldiers rush to do my bidding. The wind is whipping threw the sails, making my words sound garbled. The soldiers grab the five men who were planning on escaping, and drag them back. They struggle, but are so weak from hunger, that my men are able to restrain their desperate attempts. "Cut the ropes!" Everyone stares at me. My order has basically sentenced us to a watery grave. I would tell them to haul the boats back up, but I can't risk anyone else trying to take matters into their own hands. 

I make eye contact with Paul. He nods. 

"Cut the ropes." I say again, hoping with every fiber of my being that I haven't made a terrible mistake.

                                                                    

It was happening.

After eating our meal-I tried not to think of it as our final meal-we had waited until day before devising a plan based on Paul's words. We could see a bay with a beach in the distance. After some struggle against the wind, the ship was finally aimed in the right direction. The plan was to run the ship aground.

It all went down hill from there.

The ropes to the anchors were cut, and they were thrown overboard. Sails were set, and rudders were loosed. Then we hit a reef, completely immobilizing the ship. And sinking it.

Now we would all have to jump overboard and swim for it. The ship's deck was chaotic, and I was trying to organize, and help pull off loose boards for those who couldn't swim.

A group of soldiers ran up to me. One angry, snide man started talking. "Sir, we have suffered much loss. The loss of the cargo alone is could ruin us. We can't afford to let the prisoners escape."

"They aren't going to escape. We are being shipwrecked-" I start, but another soldier cuts me off.

"We can't run the risk that any of the prisoners will swim away and escape." The second man pauses before continuing, but I immediately notice the waver to his voice. "We think we should kill the prisoners, so an escaped convict isn't added to our crimes."

I stare at them dumbfounded. I'd understand ridding ourselves of some of the evil men who killed for sport, but it's still unlikely I'd authorize murder. However, that's not what they are asking. They want to kill everyone-including Paul.

Paul got us this far. I can't let that happen.

"No. It's out of the question."

"But Sir!"

"I said no."

Then turned to go, but I could hear the first, angry man mumble, "Then you may endure Caesar's wrath." I knew that this was no mistake, but those men wouldn't wait long before starting a massacre. I had to make sure Paul got off this ship immediately.

It was time to get these people in the water.

Based on Acts 27

I wanted to look at the centurion's choices on this journey, how they affected others, himself, and even Paul. He had a roll to play, and was a deciding factor in getting everyone aboard that ship to land safe and sound.

"But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said." Acts 27:11

"Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, 'Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail form Crete and incurred  this injury and loss.'" Acts 27:21

Paul had heard from God, and the centurion just ignored that message, too busy focusing on the important people around him. Do we respond like the centurion did at first? We should all take a close look at our spiritual walks. Are we more focused on all the important, respectable, older people, and not even bothering to listen to the message God is trying to get across to us from the little prisoner? Just like the centurion, we could avoid a lot of loss, if we listen.

"Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, 'Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.' Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go." Acts 27:31-32

The centurion made a major choice here. It was probably the turning point for him. After seeing that Paul had heard from God, he didn't want to make the same mistake again. He cut away his other options of escape, his fallback. He could no longer trust in himself, and in what he could do, but rather that God would be faithful to do what He'd promised.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Do we trust in the word God has given us? Or do we rely on our own strength, our personal lifeboats to fix every situation? God will not leave you hanging, but you have to cut the ropes, and trust Him completely. His decision to cut the ropes may have seemed foolish to everyone else, but in reality, it saved  their lives.

"The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land." Acts 27:42-43

Here our friend is determined to save Paul's life. I imagine that there were some gnarly prisoners on board that ship, and he was willing to risk their escape, and the possibility of some pretty gristly follow-up consequences. He affected Paul's life. His protection made it possible for Paul to get to Rome, and stand before Caesar.

Do our actions defend God, or prohibit Him? We don't ever want to look down, and realize we've been standing in God's way. The centurion could have given the order for the prisoners to all be killed. Thankfully this man recognized Paul for who he was, and made sure Paul got out of there alive. His dedication to Paul, enabled Paul's own journey to Caesar.

We help others on their walks, missions, and journeys. However, we can also be a hindrance to those people. It all depends on Who we are really serving: ourselves or God? Thinking about me, myself, and I, or helping one of our own.

"It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel." Philippians 1:7

The centurion made some very critical choices on this journey, choices that you and I make all the time, too. Everyday, after we get up, maybe have some coffee, we have the choice to ignore God's message to us, and live with the consequences. We can realize that right here, right now is a turning point, and start choosing God. We can partake of grace. We can partake in the sharing of the Gospel. In every big and small decision of our journey, we can choose God, and cut the rope to our lifeboat. We can be a help to those around us, or make the situation even worse.

The centurion messed up, but he also saw that, and started choosing God's way. If this centurion can do it, in the face of death, mutiny, being shipwrecked, hunger, and a raging storm, then should we, God's own people, let anything stop us from doing the same thing?

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct." 1 Peter 1:14-15


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"I Choose The Awl"

Many years ago when I was a new Christian I came across these verses in Exodus 21:1-6 and Deuteronomy 15:12-18. Both have similar statements and instructions. "But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free.' then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever. Exodus 21;5-6 and "And if it happens that he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, 'then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your maidservants you shall do likewise.' Deuteronomy 15:16-17. 

I remember, they amazed me because of the awl through the ear thing. At the time, I didn't know what an awl was and had to look it up. I saw the picture and I was a little horrified at the idea of having an awl put through my ear. It would have to hurt!

I remember asking my dad if he had one and he said, "Yes." He went rummaging through his tools and brought three back to show to me. The first one was a short fat handled one with a very sharp point and a narrow needle like spike. The second had a longer handle and the sharp point but the spike part was much thicker and the third one was another small round handle, a very sharp point but it had a long skinny spike to it. He asked why and I explained that I had found these verse in the Bible that talked about a servant who would choose to stay a servant instead of going free and that if he made that choice they would put him against a doorpost, take an awl and pierce through his ear with it as a sign that he chose to be a bond servant.

Holding that awl in my hand, knowing that it was used because the man or woman was making a choice to stay a servant rather than to go free had a huge impact on my baby Christian heart. Free in these verses means; exempt (from bondage, tax or care) and it comes from a root word that means to spread loose, fig to manumit. (had to look up - it means - The act of liberating a slave from bondage and giving him freedom. Emancipation) Can you imagine refusing to "spread loose," and to be exempt from being subject to the whims and wishes of your master and instead, because you love them you choose to stay a servant to them all of your days. Instead, because of love, you choose to be marked with an awl as a bond servant to them.

I remember that this idea of becoming a bond servant, despite the awl thing, stirred and inspired my baby christian zeal and passion to declare to Him that I wanted nothing less! That I desired to serve Him all my days!

Every so often I return to these verses to remember. To remember the vow of my heart's cry, and to remember what the doorpost and the awl stand for in my life; my choice to serve my Lord and King, forever!

I'm not sure if my baby Christian heart really understood the depth of, or rather the level of commitment that that hearts cry might entail, but here now today, 34 years later, I do, and it is still my heart to be a bond servant for the Lord Jesus Christ!

I know exactly what the Psalmist meant when he wrote: For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God then dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of Hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84:10-12 

If it meant going out from His presence I would choose the awl and give Him my all!