OH THE DEPTHS OF HIS RISIDING

ENDLESS INNER SPACE
WHERE ORBIT WORLDS OF RESOLUTE-NESS.

SELF CENTERED OR EVER EXPANDING ATONEMENT?
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD__THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
WHERE CHRIST DWELLS WITH SPIRIT WORD

HIS WORK AND WILL TO PURPOSE BRING
HIS LIGHT TO REALMS WHERE FOUNTAINS SPRING
A FOUNT OF BLESSING TO ALL MEN
TO WASH AWAY THE POWER OF SIN
RECONCILED__AND NOW REDEEMED
FROM ALL THAT WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED

ALL NOBLE THINGS THOUGH GREAT OR SMALL
STOOD NOT THE TEST OF ADAM'S FALL
NO MATTER WHAT__NO MATTER WHEN
ONLY ONE WORK WILL CLEANSE FROM SIN

TO FREE US FROM LIFE'S ENDLESS STRIFE
TO DWELL IN PEACE__TILL I DO KNOW
HIS VOICE AND FACE UNVEILED TO SHOW
THAT FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY OWN HEART
HE WORKED TO BRING ME TO THIS START
TO WALK, THOUGH IN A NARROW WAY
UNTIL THE RAPTURE OF HIS DAY

UNTIL THE RAYS OF MORNING LIGHT
MEET THOSE WHOSE VISION IS THEIR SIGHT
THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
A WORK OF GRACE__AND THUS SO FAR
I DWELL IN HOPE MOST SANCTIFIED
BY ONE WHO IS MY CONSTANT GUIDE
I WILL NOT GIVE MY HEART TO FEAR
BUT FULLY LEAN ON CHRIST SO DEAR.

A ROSE IS A ROSE__WITH NO NOSE

I CRAWLED INTO BED LATE LAST NIGHT. IT WAS COLD, AND SO WERE MY FEET. THEY TOOK FOREVER TO GET WARM, IT KEPT ME AWAKE.
THEN I HEARD THIS THOUGHT IN MY HEAD.
"A ROSE IS A ROSE, WITH NO NOSE."
I KNOW, I KNOW. I THOUGHT I WAS LOOSING IT TOO. BUT AS I SURRENDERED MY OWN LOGIC AND UNDERSTANDING, THESE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS CAME.
1. A ROSE HAS NO NOSE...UNAWARE THAT IT SMELLS OF THE SWEETEST PERFUME.
2. A ROSE HAS NO EYES... IT DOES NOT SEE THAT IT THRILLS THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER WITH IT'S BEAUTY.
3. A ROSE HAS NO MOUTH...SO IT FILLS OURS WITH PRAISE TO THE CREATOR OF IT.
4. A ROSE HAS NO EARS...TO HEAR WHEN WE SPEAK OF IT'S BEAUTY OR IT'S FRAGRANCE. IT IS NOT PUFFED UP__IT JUST IS
A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE.
IT'S ONE PURPOSE IS TO GLORIFY THE CREATOR AND TO BRING PLEASURE TO HIS HEART AND OURS.
A PLANTING OF THE LORD.
LORD__MAKE ME YOUR PLANTING__CONTENT TO BLOOM WHERE I AM. FRAGRANT WITH PRAYER__MY EYES FIXED ON YOU__MY MOUTH FILLED WITH PRAISE.
LET ALL WHO SEE ME__SEE THE REFLECTION OF YOUR IMAGE, THE BEAUTY OF YOUR GRACE.

GARDENS IN THAT LAND

by Joy Lackey

My heart is full of glorious praise

for such a gift as these

that smell of heavens sweet perfume

each one to bless and please

Sprinkled through with Babies Breath

perhaps to just remind

that in the vase when all is done

not one will boast it's kind

For each in radiant splendor

the daisy and the rose...

the tulips and the lilies,

a sweet enchanting pose.

My heart is always gladdened,

when I take them in hand...

I always think of Heaven

and gardens in that land.

I think of walks with Jesus

of gentle words he'll say...

My Beloved Rose of Sharon

whose fragrance fills my day

A STONE IN THE HEART

THIS MORNING AS I WAS TAKING MY MORNING WALK...THE LORD, IN HIS USUAL WAY, HAS TO GET THROUGH TO ME BY COMPARING SOMETHING IN THE NATURAL TO THE SPIRITUAL.

I HAD A SMALL PEBBLE IN MY SHOE THAT WAS MAKING IT VERY PAINFUL TO WALK. I STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES TO TAP MY FOOT, TRYING TO SHAKE IT DOWN OUT OF THE WAY, UNTIL I COULD GET HOME AND DISPOSE OF IT.

BECAUSE I WAS WALKING THE DOG, AND THERE WASN'T ANYWHERE THAT I COULD STOP AND REMOVE MY SHOE, (AT LEAST THAT WAS MY EXCUSE) I CONTINUED ON TRYING TO IGNORE THE OBVIOUS IRRITATION.

I'VE BEEN ASKING THE LORD TO GIVE ME HIS INTERCEDING HEART...WHEN YOU ARE NEARLY SHUT AWAY WITH HIM...AND NOT OUT IN THE WORLD, YOU FEEL YOU ARE NOT IN TOUCH WITH IT'S PAIN AS YOU COULD BE...AND GOD FORGIVE ME...YOU GET INSENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.

THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT WAS KEEPING ME FROM RECEIVING AN ANSWER TO THIS PRAYER...

THIS IS THE PICTURE THAT HOLY SPIRIT REVEALED IN MY MIND CONCERNING THIS...

"JOY...LISTEN! YOU PREPARED FOR THIS WALK, BY PUTTING ON YOUR SHOES...YOU DID NOT LOOK INSIDE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD HINDER YOUR WALK. THE SMALLEST STONE CAN HINDER YOUR WALK WITH ME. LOOK INSIDE! LOOK INSIDE!

YES, I SAID THAT YOU COULD COME BOLDLY BEFORE MY THRONE...IN THIS I WILL COMMAND YOU TO REMOVE YOUR SHOES, FOR YOU WILL WALK ON HOLY GROUND...EVEN SO...TO WALK WITH ME, TO INTERCEDE WITH ME...YOU MUST LOOK FOR AND REMOVE THE STONES THAT MAY BE HIDING IN YOUR HEART.

YOU HAVE IGNORED THE STONE IN YOUR HEART, THINKING TO REMOVE IT LATER...

REMOVE IT NOW!....REMOVE IT NOW....STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND REMOVE IT NOW!

THEN COME AND FEEL THE PAIN OF A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART...THAT WHICH IS MY OWN HEART THAT INTERCEDES IN YOUR BEHALF...AND THAT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD...

WAITING

Lord, for so long I have waited...gone through the days and nights, waiting. I wake thinking of You...walk through my days with you...my heart like the young girl I once was...still in love with You...I still desire to please You in every way... There were times, and even most recently, that I wearied with waiting...for now the beauty of my youth is gone, and I have nearly lost hope....like Sara who laughed in her tent...shall I bare any good thing for thee?.... But my Beloved, you dwell in the eternities, and who am I to dictate the time that you come and sanctify this life to Your own...So I will wait forever, if I need to...for you are my one desire, my only desire...and I too shall cry out, "Oh that I might know you and the power of Your Resurrection!".... Rouse me Lord out of my weariness, my apathy, and come to me...be my restoration...dress me in the garments of praise and faith, joy and the radiance of Your Light, Your Spirit Word....I delight in You my Lord...How beautiful You are to me....

DYING TO SELF

...when you are forgotten,neglected, or deliberately ignored and you don't sting and hurt with the insult, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ

...when people speak evil of your good, cross your desires, disregard your advice, ridicule your opinions and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence

...when you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance, and when you stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensitivity, and you endure it as Jesus endured

...when you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any clothing, any interruption by the will of God

...when you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good words, or to have people take notice of what you say, or to itch after commendations, it is when you can truly love to be unknown

...when you receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.

Are you a dead person?

In these last days, the Spirit would bring us to the cross, that we might utter with Paul, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."

- Author unknown