Deep Calls unto Deep

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A sense of Worth...

A lot of people, perhaps an entire generation deal with a sense of worth....What is their purpose, what is their value, what is their worth? I see it most times in teens and twenty somethings...that time of life where we are trying to find ourselves in so many areas, going from child to adult, and being accepted as such, separating from the pack and as an individual being found valuable by others. It can be such treacherous waters....

Regardless of the self-help books that fill whole sections of stores and libraries, despite counselors and seminars, people still question their value, wrestling with feelings of inadequacy.

When my son was in middle school, he won a NYS contest where he had to come up with a poster that displayed the aspects of mathematics and art as a cohesive theme. That's no easy task...and Yet it speaks volumes to our worth because, GOD is the Creator of Worth and Art!

Poster he came up with (with a little help) was a background of stars, with the planets rotating around the sun, and overlapping that was the finger of God touching the finger of Adam from the famous painting by Leonardo DaVinci. From that focal point a light burst broke into words like, logic, composition, structure, creation, form, function, beauty, value and so on...

It was the basic principle of Creation. God creating that which is pleasing to Him, by Him and for Him. Now if we would come to understand that He truly is our Creator, not just of our life...but of every aspect of our composition, our personality, our strengths, our gifting, our talents, our ability, our intelligence....perhaps, we wouldn't struggle with that sense of worth....we wouldn't compare ourselves to others, but look to Him for the answer to who we are and what He desires of us...and in that we would find our sense of worth and value...and be satisfied with it....




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Have we done the things He's said? Or has our growth been stunted?

Hebrews 5:11-14 Today reading this got me thinking and praying....God help me and forgive me....
Growing in Christ...What does that mean and look like? What is wrong with just milk as the diet? What's wrong with just the pure, good, sweet, loving and easy to digest milk?

Heb 5:11-14 "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

NOTHING wrong with Milk, as long as we are a new born babe. In fact as a new born babe that's all we can digest, all we can take in. OUr system isn't developed enough, isn't strong enough to breakdown and digest anything more....

But as we Grow, solids, things that are not as sweet, sometimes bitter or sour and tough, like vegetables and meat are slowly added until, milk is mostly done away with. How many times I wanted to stop trying to give my kids something new because they would gag, spit it out, make faces or cry about it....

Yet if I only gave them what they wanted, only spoon fed them myself, never taught them how to use the utensils on their own - I would be guilty of spoiling them at best, at worse criminally neglecting them....

How many times have I reacted that way to God's words...I'm so grateful, He never gave in to my tantrums for sweets!

A little while ago in the news there was the story of parents that only fed their children milk and the young children were seriously malnourished and undersize. Their growth was stunted.

I learned a long time ago, as a bible teacher, that new born believers can only handle the tender sweet milk...and that's great. They grow plump and robust with energy and vigor. But that growth has a ceiling. Eventually they need to hear some of the deeper, harder, more penetrating aspects of truth. Things that sometimes can be distasteful, causing them to gag over it even cry with disdain... but faithfully and lovingly they need to be fed.

I know my kids as they were growing up always preferred cake, cookies or cotton candy....sugar, sugar, sugar. But if I gave in to their demands, instead of doing what I knew was required of me as the parent, I would be creating, sickly, overweight, diabetic kids, seriously endangering their lives and growth potential.

I think as leaders we are called to be Coaches in the lives of other Christians, Coaches that encourage and boost esteem through serious training, counseling and challenging of erroneous mindsets. Fortifying and strengthening believers with solid, sometimes uncomfortable but truthful teachings that defy our sinful natures. Broadening and establishing others with truth that undergirds and drives roots deep so that the growth potential is anchored and enormous in an individual.

Beware of the Carnival, with all of it's attractions, music, lights, Cotton Candy, Ice Cream and popcorn...

It could be in a church where everything is made to entertain, keep you comfortable and at ease, seemingly satisfying your need for a God fix but not charging or challenging you to live differently, to repent and change your life style. It could be in a liturgical setting where everything is just as it always has been, practices, form and rituals, that speak of godly things, but in such a manner that they have become a background, white noise in your spiritual hearing, where you go to fulfill some sense of religious obligation. Or what of a congregation that is always seeking 'the power' of God to defy everything, and cast down everything, and have victory over everything on demand, which may be nothing more than a power high in itself.

How about living a transformed life that doesn't wait for others to feed us. How about putting into practice the very things we are told to do, and not just being hearers. How about loving our children and spouses first and foremost, willing to die for them, expend our self for their benefit, before we run off to save the world far away? What about being a diligent servant at work, in school, at home, not always pointing the finger at someone else to take responsibility but take it ourselves. What about putting away our course jesting, and filthy hearts, and foul habits that we would be completely ashamed of if Jesus were standing right next to us, but don't seem to think we are called to change when we are away from the church setting?

Several Years ago there was a Don Francisco Song called "The Steeple Song"

I don't care how many buses you own, or the size of your sanctuary,
it doesn't matter how steep your steeple is,
if it's sittin' on a cemetery
I don't care if you pave your parking lot, or put pads upon your pews,
What good is a picture perfect stage,
if you're missin' all the cues

I don't care if your pastor's super powered,
and your program's always new
What you need is love and truth & Men are gonna come to you,
It doesn't matter that you know the bible, if it's all just in your head,
the thing I need to ask you is,
have you done the things I've said

CHORUS
Do you love your wife?
For her and for your children, are you laying down your life
What about the others ?
Are you living as a servant to your sisters and your brothers,
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone
Do the widow and the orphan cry a-lone------------

I don't care if you pray for miracles,
I don't care if you speak with tongues,
I don't care that you said you love me, in every song you've sung,
It doesn't matter that your sacrifice of praise,
is loud enough to raise the dead,
the thing I need to ask you is,
have you done the things I've said



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How Exciting it was....

It was so exciting to share a new song this past Sunday with a local congregation. I've been writing several songs recently and my two favorite out of them all is 'The Earth Shakes' and 'Bow Your Knee, Come Adore'...

I debuted 'The Earth Shakes' during the offering so that the people could hear it as the baskets were being passed around. As the song progressed and built in dynamic the congregation on their own became fully engaged, rising to their feet clapping and singing along with the chorus...

I was thrilled.

At the end of Service the Pastor asked for the song to be played again and everyone was quick to join in and participate. How Exciting it was....

Comments and compliments flooded after service as well as by emails and Facebook.

I like the song very much myself (as I guess I should) because of the impact of Christ's Death and Resurrection as it directly affects my own personal life.

Interestingly the Roman Government along with the Religious System of the day tried desperately to hinder anyone from coming close to the scene...They set a Roman Seal on the Tomb itself, and a group of well armed guards to stand watch preventing everyone and anyone from coming close to and trying desperately to contain and conceal What God might do!

How Absolutely Thrilling it is to know that No Governmental World Power or Decree, Anywhere, Ever, Can stop God from Doing what HE Wants to do. No Religious Elite, Form or System can Stop God or Hinder His Purposes. Nothing written in stone could stop HIM if He wanted to change the order of things...Nothing would Thwart HIS Plans for Redemption, For Restoration, For Resurrection of the dead and dying!

The Guards could NOT Keep Him in the Grave, instead they were CAST DOWN. The Governmental Seal had NO authority to stop God, It Was broken as the Earth Shook Violently. Anything that might have been considered written in stone was defied by God!

A NEW ORDER was set - Jesus was ALIVE, by His Own Power, and that SAME POWER that Raised Him up from the Grave is available to each believer in Him!

We no longer need to be held as captives to the ravages of sin and death. It no longer has to reign in our lives. Any claim the enemy of our soul had, has been countered and conquered! OVERWHELMINGLY! By Christ's Resurrection we are assured that we can walk daily in His Victory.

This is truly exciting! We can be fully equipped in our everyday life right now...walking in the power of His resurrection to vanquish sin and its destruction in our lives today, not merely waiting for the day we die. Because of Jesus Resurrection, Because the Earth was violently shaken, the rocks were broken, the seal was shattered and the guards cast down, we can live defying those things which in times past may have held us captive to a sinful life!

His Resurrection Speaks to us today! For Today! Defying the elementary principles that would declare that we can't change, defying the governmental, worldly systems that say we shouldn't change, Defying the religious formulated patterns that try desperately to contain and conceal His true Power, hindering His Movements and not wanting us to change because of their own conviction, corruptions and desperate powerplays....

JESUS has come to set ALL CAPTIVES FREE!!!!!
Chorus:
The Earth Shakes, Rocks Break, Seals Broken, A Conquered Grave
Hearts Cry, Set Free, Rejoicing in His Victory....... The EArth Shakes!

Check out the website www.GraciousVine.com or www.JoannaFruhauf.com