Who in the world ...?

The world changed
when
Adam and Eve
no longer
followed God

when
Adam and Eve
listened
to the voice of a serpent

when
Adam and Eve
reasoned
God did not know All

when
Adam and Eve
sinned.

As the world changed
the people
followed
their own desires and interests

the people
listened
to their peers

the people
reasoned
they could find a way out of the chaos

the people's
choice
was to sin.

The world changes still
good and bad
ugly and sweet
poor and rich
life and death

Who owns the world

Who causes its problems

Who will destroy it

Who?!

Who are you
You, who live in the world
Are you of the world
Do you too follow
the voice
of error

Or have you
heard
the still small voice
of God
amid your pain
and sorrow

Have you turned away
from the world
and what it represents

Have you turned to
the One Way
the Only Way
to
redemption
salvation
completeness

Have you turned to
God
through His Son,
Jesus Christ?

Cathy Orrick Luders 

6.29.2011

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:16-19 NKJV)

Jesus is the door

“I am the door.”

Jesus is the door. He is The way. 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His live for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NKJV)

“I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers (-- false Messiahs, false teachers, false prophets -- ) but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:7-8)

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

The good shepherd must lead all his sheep … so they will know the right way to go and be protected from danger and injury. All, yes all divisions of Christianity will come together, be united, as one -- converted Jew and Gentile alike, in one spiritual body -- the flock and The One True Shepherd, The Good Shepherd,  The Door leading in and out.

 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

The voice of The Good Shepherd is and will continue to be that which unites. The word of God … He calls …. Do we hear? Do we obey? Do we follow?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says the unity of the church will consist not in organizations, not in dogmas, not in liturgies, not in pious hearts, but in the word of God, in the voice of Jesus Christ, the good shepherd of his sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” (John 10:14)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”  (John 10:27-29)

“I and My Father are one” (John 10:30), Jesus tells the Jews.

“But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.” (John 10:26)

“The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.

“But you do not believe. …”

The Jews surround Him and say to Him, “How long do You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24)

Jesus tells them, He tells us, it is plain as day is from night. “I told you, and you do not believe.” (John 10:25)

Their ears, eyes, hearts, and ours as well, covered. Did not / do not hear or see or understand. Did not / do not remember God’s commandments. Did not / do not remember His blessings, His promises … future victories, future judgments. They reject; they live their life based on selfishness, personal bias. They go so far, and then stop. This is not true. They refute the Bible. They refute God’s word. They claim Jesus is guilty of blasphemy when it is THEM and US, the Jew and Gentile unbeliever, who fall prey to what is condemned of another.

 ^“Who has believed our message?
      To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
      like a root in dry ground.
   There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
      nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—
      a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
   We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
      He was despised, and we did not care.
 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
      it was our sorrows^[a] that weighed him down.
   And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
      a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion,
      crushed for our sins.
   He was beaten so we could be whole.
      He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
      We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
   Yet the Lord laid on him
      the sins of us all.
 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
      yet he never said a word.
   He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
      And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
      he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned,
      he was led away.^[b]
   No one cared that he died without descendants,
      that his life was cut short in midstream.^[c]
   But he was struck down
      for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong
      and had never deceived anyone.
   But he was buried like a criminal;
      he was put in a rich man’s grave.
 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
      and cause him grief.
   Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
      he will have many descendants.
   He will enjoy a long life,
      and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
      he will be satisfied.
   And because of his experience,
      my righteous servant will make it possible
   for many to be counted righteous,
      for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
      because he exposed himself to death.
   He was counted among the rebels.
      He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.” (Isaiah 53 NLT) 


Jesus is the door. We who are His sheep, His followers, have entered the way of His door, not any other, and have been given eternal life. We hear His voice. We listen with our whole being, soul and heart, to Our Master’s voice. We hear, we obey, we follow. We are One in the spirit with the Lord of Lords. We cannot  be snatched away from Him who is the good shepherd fore He protects us from the evil one. We know Jesus and His Father are one. We are believers

Room for Jesus

There was no room
No place
Not for His mother Mary
Nor His stepdad Joseph
Not for Himself
The Christ Child
Infant Holy

There was no room
No place
Foxes had holes
Birds had nests
But for the Son of Man
There was no place
to dwell and rest

He had the whole world
and has it still
For He, God Almighty
formed it from nothing
Our Creator is He

But there is no room
No place

The Call extended
to you and you and you
to become like Christ
There is no room
No place
No home on earth
to call his own

We, His followers
To Go Forth
to be His witnesses
to everyone
and everywhere --
within our community
our city or state
or another more distant
with cultures beyond our own

To Seek
the poor,
the sorrowful,
the weak,
the hungry,
the thirsty,
the lame,
the blind,
the disillusioned and misguided
to show all
the way
to Him, Our Eternal Savior.

There is no room
There is no place
Except within our hearts
It is our choice
to invite Him, The Holy Spirit
into our hearts
a place to abide
to dwell and rest
a place to call home
a place of life

There was no room
There was no place

But there can be ...

When you accept God's call
When you give your heart to Him

Won't you give Him room
a place
to be Lord of your life?

Cathy Orrick Luders
6.13.2011

"...and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7 NKJ)

"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

God's blessings can be found in any situation

Blessings
come.
Sometimes
a situation
develops
and we don't see
the good
in it
Only the bad
But God's blessings
can be found
in whatever situation.
Good
Bad
Ugly

When our being
is kept eyed on
The Holy One
When our questions
start with
How Lord
rather than
Oh what will "I" do
He helps us,
guides us,
shows us
the way past
the chaos.

Oh what a blessing
indeed
to call upon
The Lord
to bear
under the load
of a given day
with His strength
His power
His love.

Keep us always mindful
Lord
of You
and Your majestic greatness
Remind us
daily
to stay focused
on You
Not
to falter and fall away
Never
to neglect
our loving obedience
to you,
Our Lord and Savior.

Cathy Orrick Luders
6.10.2011

"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power." (Ephesians 6:10 NKJ)

"Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." (Romans 12:11-12 NRSV)

We are chosen ... to be His

"Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son." - Ephesians 1:4-6 NLT

Chosen
chosen before time
by the Lord God above
chosen to be
a child of the King
you and me
and him and her
adopted into His Kingdom
through the
shed blood of His Son
Jesus!
Chosen
and settled for eternity
adopted into His family.

His family --
may
or may not
be
your spouse
your children
your brother or sister
your cousin
your nephew or niece
your uncle or aunt.
His family --
all ... everyone
who professes
the Lord Jesus
as their Savior
who is
obedient
to the call extended
and follows
and still obedient,
abiding in Him,
He abiding in us.

Chosen
selected personally
by the Lord God
to be a vessel
of His love
first choice
second choice
There are no favorites
in God's Kingdom
There is, however,
the best choice
for this time
this moment
The present.

Chosen
to serve
the Lord God Almighty
to serve with gladness
of heart
remembering
it was His Choice
to send His Son
His Choice
to die to you
His choice.

Why should your choice
and mine be any less?

Cathy Orrick Luders
6.8.2011 

Peony blooming

Our James Pillow peony is now in bloom ...as of June 7, with temperatures in the 90s, there are at least 60 buds and 24 blooms

Is God's army ready for battle?

“Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones; and those who have knowledge than those who have strength; for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:5-6)

“Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; for their minds desire violence, and their lips talk of mischief. Whoever plans to do evil will be called a mischief-maker. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to all.” (Proverbs 24:1, 8-9)

“If you faint in the day of adversity (trouble), your strength being small; does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?” (Proverbs 24:10, 12)

God sees all, knows all. It is in His strength, His power, His wisdom that we are enabled to overcome evil. Wisdom and knowledge will take us farther than any strength we alone possess. Wisdom, His wisdom, guides us. In wisdom we can discern right from wrong. We can defeat the enemy.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” (Romans 13:14)

“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice; but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.  Do not be ashamed … join (with me) in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 1:7-9)

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; share in suffering like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer.” (2 Timothy 2:1, 3-4)

“If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

If we endure, we will also reign with him;

 If we deny him, he will also deny us; 

If we are faithless, he (STILL, YET) remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

“Remind them, … warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good  … do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.  Avoid profane chatter. … God’s firm foundation stands – The Lord knows those who are his. Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness. (2 Timothy 2:14-16, 19)

We can be ordinary or we can be special. We can continue in former ways and neglect, reject God’s call on our hearts or we can reject the world’s tug and pursue God’s righteousness, faith, love and peace.

“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. ” (2 Timothy 2:22-24)

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.  All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient; equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:12-13, 16)

Beware of those who oppose but don’t give in to them.

“Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching, for the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, … they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

God’s battle … and ours, for He abides in us who abide in Him. .. We put on the Lord Jesus, His armor, to do battle in the world.

“Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.” 

(Romans 12:11-12 NLT)

“The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness … Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:12-14 NLT)

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  Put on the whole armor of God … Take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand, to resist the evilness, and thereby, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13)

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:14-18 NLT)

And may God grant you peace.

(All Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible except where noted.) 

To live as the Lord directs

To live, really live, as the Lord directs, not as the world suggests and even it seems commands, means
to give up our lives, our thoughts, our desires and dreams, our positions. To renounce all we have, all we hope to have, all we plan, all we do, and lay it at the feet of Jesus, at the foot of the cross, in His hands.

To live, really live, as the Lord directs, means first we must be obedient. Obedient to His call -- "Come."

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."
(Isaiah 43:1 NRSV, New Revised Standard version)

It is in our obedience to the Lord that our faith grows ... But easy it is not. God tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you." (II Corinthians 12:9) My grace, My love. God's grace is God's love. His love is nothing like that between husband and wife. But more, much more.

He is with us ... Always, forever.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isaiah 43:2-3)

We are precious to Him. He created us. We are His children. Precious ... and honored ... and loved. God yearns for His spirit to live within us. He wants more than anything for us to "know" and take hold of
His love.

His instructions, His teachings, His commandments are written in His Word for the benefit of His children.


"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8)


"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10)

His children. He created all.


"whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:7)

From all nations, all nationalities, every religion, known and unknown.

"Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather together, and let the people assemble ... Before me no god was formed, 
nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord."  (Isaiah 43:8-11)

To live, really live, as the Lord directs, we would be content with God's truth, God's love, God's commandments, God's promises. Truth is God and God is love. Truth without love is a falsehood, a lie. All perceptions, all knowledge, all so-called truth is meaningless, worthless, useless, if there is not love.

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a  clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (I Corinthians 13:1-3)

He tells us His grace is sufficient, for His power is made perfect in weakness. All of His children are weak, the world over, we have no power, unless we are united with The One, The Only One, The True One, The Holy One, The Eternal One. If we would only look upward and grasp hold of Christ's hand extended to us ...

Related post: Stay focused on Jesus, 11.21.2009