and the answer is:

Wow. You are all pretty smart. It's oil and water in my pot on the stove right before I add the spaghetti! :) (Way to go Brian!)

Any Guesses?

Good Friday, Easter, and agreeing with the Judgements

If you have been hanging around me at all lately you have probably heard me say "We have to agree with His judgements". It's been a constant in my heart and mind for weeks.

Yesterday in one of the prayer meetings at Hope City, I was struck by the fact that Easter weekend was upon us. (Happy Easter by the way!) I was also struck by the fact that Jesus came to reconcile us to God.



In 1st and 2nd Kings the Israelites again and again turned to the idols of the land. The very idols that the Lord judged those nations for, and used Israel to bring that judgement, yet they truly and without hesitation, embraced the idols, the rituals, and the immorality of the nations around them. Israel from the days of their father Abraham was chosen and designed to be set apart SO THAT the world know HE is God. The judgement that came on Israel throughout the Biblical narration, was because they CONSCIENCELY walked away and followed and WORSHIPED the idols that THEY made with their own hands!

After reading all that, processing that God himself judges righteously, and recognizing that Jesus is the only way to be redeemed from our own arrogance. I was humbled and silenced.
THEN, (and Yes I am pulling this all together) I was watching the TV news as Shauntey Henderson (a local woman recently arrested for murder and suspicion in 40 other shootings) was almost laughing at the cameras as she was led away in chains and I said "what arrogance!" and I was stopped in my tracks as I realized that I too have been that arrogant with my own sins. And I had to go and stay low in my own heart as I remembered that His judgements are righteous of all sin and that my ONLY hope is Jesus.

Easter is a good reminder that His grace and His love are far and above the judgements that are coming. I will stand and agree, because His ways ARE true and righteous, but I want to live in the shadow of His love and forgiveness.

This post may appear random or radical, depending on your views. I'm not out to start an arguement, I just wanted share what is on my heart and mind today...Good Friday.

UPDATE!

I've been laying pretty low as of late (hence the LACK of blog entries) and yet have at the same time been really busy. There have certainly been a lot of visitors... the Guse gang was here, followed by Christina, Jacquie, Kristi and Steph, then a girl named Kanya, and a lady named Liz. (the last two are people who are here checking out IHOP). In the midst of all the visitors, I have a new room mate as well. She's great and it's been fun having another 35 ish person around.

I have also been back into a deep reading of the Word. I stopped reading 10 chapters a day quite a while back and have been focusing on one book per month. I am now back to reading a certain number of chapters a day, and I am learning so much. It's a schedule that is layed out in the ONE THING website and it consists of five chapters in 5 different books a day. It has been refreshing life to my heart and soul!

I just finished the account of building the tent of meeting in Exodus. The detail that the Lord put into this PORTABLE tabernacle is intense. Did you know that the gold weighed a ton in total, that the silver was 7000 lbs and that bronze was 5000 lbs. And that didn't include the fabric and coverings! I don't know about you, but that hardly sounds portable to me. But the amazing thing is that it was designed to be taken down and put up easily with a very specific order and plan. The holy of holies being the center point that the rest is built around.

The other amazing piece of that was that ALL the material to build it, came from the Israelites. Where did they get it? From the plunder of the Egyptians! God not only freed his people but he gave them the wealth of the land and they in turn gave it back to God to build the tent of meeting. I love that.

Anyway, that is just some of what fills my brain as of late. Hope City is going well. Our Monday night meetings are full on Harp and Bowl (worship and intercession together) and average about 40 people. It's so great to be in a community of people who love the poor and love to pray! We also are meeting Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and rarely is there a day when we haven't walked away KNOWING that the Lord met us there. It truly is a privilege to do what I do!