The Healing Song-TeHillah

     This song I wrote this morning, when The Lord Our God woke me up and brought me outside. At first I thought it was just for my healing, but I know people who go through different challenges than I do.
      My friend Kaley is 5 years old and is Type 1 Diabetes. She was given the phrase "I am healed from the top of my head to the sole of my feet", perhaps when she heard another say it; but she claimed it for herself. I have several friends who suffer from either Type 1 or Typ2 Diabetes. Friends of mine have gone, are going or will go through some form of chemo after being diagnosed with various cancers. Some friends received their perfect healing when they saw Jesus as they lay dying. Some of my friend have OA, Fm, Alopecia, CRPS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Autism. Sometimes an illness can be undiagnosed for years before the knowledge to recognize it and begin to cure it is given to us.
     Some of us hike up hills and cross valleys; some hike mountains and dive off cliffs. Some paddle rapids and some doggie-paddle, just barely keeping their heads above water. Some paths are narrower in places, some paths are footbeaten, where others have walked before. As the man at Solomon's Porch said, in John 5:1-18 "Every time the angel troubles the water, someone gets there before I do." But The Healer was speaking with this man. And The Healer healed him. His path intersected with Jesus' path; his life was changed forever. God is God and though He Himself does not change, He is One Who changes everything. Come. Come near the water and meet The Healer.

THE HEALING SONG

TeHillah



I am healed          in Jesus' Name

I am healed         from my pain

From the top of my head

to the sole of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name.

In my mind         in my heart

God is working         on every part

I can see         I can run

I am here         in Jesus' Name.

From the top of my head

to the sole of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name.

I am healed         in Jesus' Name

I am healed         from my pain

No more needles        no more pricks

No more diabetes          I'm not sick

From the top of my head

to the sole of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name!

In my mind         in my heart

God is working         on every part

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name!

All my praise          For His glory

Sings my heart         a brand new song

I can fly         I can dance

So fast I spin          with open hands

In my heart there lives a Man

His Name is Jesus. Jesus Christ.

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name--

In Jesus' Name is all power!

In Jesus' Name is all time

A thousand years is but a day

And from the grave I've been raised

I am healed in Jesus' Name

I am healed from my pain

No more sorrow          no more tears

 Nor more pleading nights          no fears

All my loved ones, my enemies, too

 Have been healed, Through and through

Inside out, no more upside down

A new heart          A new life

They see Jesus        in a New Light.

I am healed         in Jesus' Name!

I am healed          from my pain

From the top of my head

to the soles of my feet

I am healed! I am healed!

In Jesus' Name!

All my praise         for His glory

Sings my heart         a brand new song

I can fly        I can dance

So fast I twirl         with open hands

In my heart         there lives a Man-

His Name is Jesus, Jesus Christ.

Lord and Savior of my life!

He called my name          like none before

And I saw myself           laid on the floor

A tinkling bell          began to ring

And with surprise         I heard me sing:

All Hail The King

The King of Kings

Hail King Jesus

Of You I sing

Though You slay me,

I am Yours

You choose to heal me

O My Lord

For this I sing:

You are my Praise!

I am healed, I am healed

In Jesus' Name!

From the top of my head

to the sole of my feet

I am healed         I am healed

In Jesus Name

IAM HAS HEALED ME IN HIS NAME!



Wrapped

This ballad of worship and love for The Lord Our God came to me in the wee hours of the morning today, somewhere between 2 and 3:30 AM, after which my body melted into my bed and I could not have moved unless the earth had moved me first.

WRAPPED

1) I have joy in my journey

I have strength because of You

I have peace passing understanding

Cause I have Jesus here with me

-chorus-

I never saw the rain

Never heard the storm

Till I saw The Son

When I felt the warmth

Never saw the clouds

Congregate above

Till I found myself

Wrapped in arms of love

2) There's so much to see

When our eyes are opened

To The Holy Spirit

Who aligns our hearts with God.

-chorus-

I never saw the rain

Never heard the storm

Till I saw The Son

When I felt the warmth

Never saw the clouds

Congregate above

Till I found myself

Wrapped in arms of love

3) Through the power of You, Spirit,

I have come to understand

That a life without You in it,

Is a life of much demand.

-chorus-

I never saw the rain

Never heard the storm

Till I saw The Son

When my face was warm

Neve saw the clouds

Congregate above

Till I found my self

Wrapped in arms of love

1st Bridge

Having seen The Light

I can see the dark

Having gained the courage

I can build the ark

For my family

To enter in and rest

From the fire of wrath

That is sure to come

When our Lord has taken

All His family home.

-2nd chorus-

I never heard the rain

Never saw the storm

Never saw the clouds

Congregate my harm

Heard the warning cries

Saw the church arise

 

Out of the dark She came

To set the captives free

To bind the brokenhearted

Cause the blind to see

To open up the prison doors

And let The Light shine in

To preach good tidings to the meek

To declare The Lord's return

To appoint Zion's mourners

In the City of their God

Giving gifts which Christ had giv'n her

For just such this cause:

Beauty instead of ashes

Joyous Oil instead of grief

To take away their heavy hearts

And replace them with clothes of praise

She gives Her Lord and Savior

Glory by Her actions

Glory by Her Love

Glory by Her boldness and

He is glorified above

and She sings

I am wrapped in arms of glory

I'm a Church whose God is great!

I'm the one He came to rescue

From the mire and the grave

I'm the one He calls to gently

In the garden where I pray

I'm the one He holds close to Him

When He wipes my tears away

I'm the one He bends an ear to

When I whisper words of Love

I'm a Church whose Cornerstone

Is Chiefest of all

He's the One that was rejected

Giving self for us all!

Wrapped in His Love

I am wrapped in His Love

Sweet Holy Spirit

You have wrapped me in His Love

Sweet Holy Spirit

You have wrapped me in

His

      Love



Emeralds

I LOVE studying GOD's Names and what they mean. Don't you? Who does not want to get closer to the one they love and learn everything they can about that person? "Draw near to GOD and He will draw near to you. ..." James 4:8.  "But where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to find Him." Hebrews 11:6.

JEHOVAH'S NAMES In the Bible there are 72 Names of GOD beginning with the word JEHOVAH. I knew of at least five by heart, but had no idea there were so many. I am sure that you and I both will increase in knowledge of the WORD of GOD. " Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6.

The following links direct you to songs of worship and praise on youtube by various artists. I tried to choose songs that truly expressed the meaning of the Name of GOD by which it is linked. I hope you enjoy listening to these while you study with me, as I have.

Names of GOD = A song of praise of the Names of GOD

EL SHADDAI = THE ALL SUFFICIENT GOD

YESHUA ADONAI (Spanish/Espanol song) = JESUS THE LORD

ELOHIM =GOD

YESHUA = While Yeshua does indeed mean Jesus, Savior, a little deeper study reveals that GOD is not only Savior of all, He is a personal Savior, too. EL YESHUATENU : The GOD of our salvation (Psalm 68:19). EL YESHUATI : The GOD of my salvation (Isaiah 12:2). Searching online for a Biblical definition of Yeshua, God directed my hands to this site: The Hebrew Names of God. Here, you and I will learn not only the definition, but how to pronounce the names.

ADONAI = THE LORD (There are many songs with the title Adonai because there is much love expressed for our LORD by many Christians. But of all of them, the song by Avalon will forever be my favorite.)

ADONAI LI = THE LORD IS FOR ME

YHWH = THE LORD JEHOVAH

LION OF JUDAH First mentioned in Hosea 5:14 "For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him." And again in Revelation 5:5 "And one of the elders saith unto me, 'Weep not: behold THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDA, THE ROOT OF DAVID, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."

Though I have enjoyed being able to use my Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, it has become too heavy and the font has shrunk (smile). Searching the web with the help of the Holy Spirit is better than searching without Him: Concordances.org is one of my favorite Bible Study helps.

In addition to having my Bible open in front of me, my concordance open to the right of me, I now have 3 additional windows open, besides this one, in front of me. To my left is my book-stack (no shelves yet) which holds my Bible Dictionary, a couple more Bibles and a few study books. Behind me is my husband's desk and files, where he studies. Where does my help come from? "My help comes from THE LORD, Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2. On all sides, I am encompassed by the WORD OF GOD. And I don't want to leave. But leave I must; it is time for me to get up and move around a little bit before my muscles atrophy and I cannot move at all. At least my love for my GOD won't atrophy; my heart, my mind, my soul, my will still bend to His will, His desire.

Thank you GOD for drawing me into a deeper place of worship. I love You so much. How green the emerald rainbow is around Your throne.

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~8. Hands of Worship

Psalm 63:4
Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

    While the word "hands" appears in the KJV Bible 438 times, only 13 of those refer to worshiping God. Of those 13 times, one verse has floods worshiping (Psalm 98:8), one verse has 'the deep' worshiping (Habakkuk 3:10) and one verse has trees worshiping (Isaiah 55:12). The other ten verses which reference worship to God using the hands are either personal (I, my) or other (they, your, men, all people).
     The word "hand" appears in the KJV Bible 1,296 times: 1,144x in the OT and 152x in the NT.
None of the times in which the word "hand" appears in the NT use it in reference to worship of God. When the word "hand" is used in the NT, it describes an action or location. For example, "at hand" means close by or near to; as in, "The kingdom of God is 'at hand'. This phrase, 'the kingdom of God is at hand' is used in the NT   x. The kingdom of God is a method: it is salvation through Jesus Christ and it is preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We must repent and believe (Mark 1:15); repent of our sins and sinful ways and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the only begotten Son of God.

    While the use of the word "hands" is personalized, the word "hand" is descriptive. So, let's think about that for a minute or two. Look at your hands. First the back. And then the front. What did you see? The back of my hands are worn. In the light I can see the creases and wrinkles on my fingers. When I flex my fingers, the joints hurt and some of them crack. The middle finger on my right hand is more inflamed than the others; I broke it many years ago and it never healed quite right; it also tilts. My knuckles are swollen. 

     I turn my hands over and am thankful that my wrists still work even through the pain, which at this moment extends from the left pinky down the hand and up the arm to my shoulder. It is not age and decay that creeps through my body: I suffer with severe Fibromyalgia, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system. My body has also succumbed to osteoarthritis. Yippee-ki-yay. 

     But my heart and my soul and my spirit are stronger than ever. With my hands I will praise Him.  My fingers are only at rest when my eyes are closed in sleep, I hope. So the fingers on my hands are in constant motion: typing, writing in my journals/notebooks, washing and drying dishes,  turning pages in my Bible and other books, folding laundry, fastening buttons, closing zippers, changing from one outfit to another, bathing, washing my hair, getting a drink, eating meals, flexing and stretching. Of course with that last, flexing and stretching, I get to hear them crack, too.

     With my hands I will worship God. My heart is filled with the Love of God and overflows into the rest of my body. Perhaps it is this that causes my body to vibrate at all hours of the day and night. We do know that the spiritual affects the physical and the mental. As rain not only washes away, but also regenerates, I am being cleansed and renewed by the Holy Spirit of God on every level of my life. Even my body is aware of the transforming power of God, not just my spirit and my mind.

     When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, my sins were forgiven and my soul became His. Instantly, I belonged to God and Jesus forever. Through that act of faith, my soul received salvation. However, my body and my must needs also be completely surrendered to Him. Jesus gave all of Himself for me. Therefore, the only logical thing is to give all of myself for Him. With God it is all or nothing. The Book of Revelation says that He will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth. In other words, a partial reconciliation is no reconciliation; a half-hearted relationship makes Him vomit. I do not want to be vomit.

     With my hands I will praise Him. But my heart must be in it, too. It is not enough to just be able to sing along with everyone. God is not impressed that you know all the words to your favorite songs. God is not satisfied with you knowing all the books of the Bible in order. Nor is He content with our ability to memorize Scripture; then forget it. The Word of God needs to be read, heard, obeyed and applied to our daily lives. Saturday and Sunday are not the only days of worship that are to be observed. Living for Jesus must be done everyday. We can't be Christians one day of the week and sinners the other six days. That is being lukewarm and half-hearted. That is vomit.

    I will lift up my hands in Thy Name. When the enemy is at our backs, and says, "Stick'em up!", lifting our hands is an act of surrender. But we are not surrendering to the enemy, we are surrendering to God. With our hands we raise His standard, Jehovah-Nissi, meaning: God, my banner. The standard is lifted up at the forefront of the troops, who are prepared to go into battle. We are the footsoldiers of God.

And with our hands we will praise Him.

    

    

     

     

   
   

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~7.Feet of Worship

Habakkuk 3:19
The LORD GOD is my Strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
     I have no strength of mine own; therefore I need the LORD my GOD to be my Strength. It is His Strength that makes my feet like hinds' feet, sturdy and able. It is He who makes it possible for me to walk on mountains. On mountainsides, which are steep, cracked and rocky. On mountaintops, which sometimes peak and sometimes plateau. It is His Strength that keeps me going to reach my destination.

   

Psalm 27:5
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.
     Mountainsides have caves, waterfalls and secret places. Mountaintops have snow-covered caps and sun-warmed mesas. With my hinds' feet I leap across crevices, for faith is my bridge. I dance on mountaintops in the presence of my LORD, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made by He Who is my Strength. 

Psalm 18:29, 31-33, 36
For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my GOD have I leaped over a wall.
For Who is GOD save the LORD? or who is a rock save our GOD? It is GOD that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
     Running and leaping and praising GOD. We know that running and leaping require feet. Now we learn that our feet are used to praise GOD. We run through a troop because "no weapon formed against us shall prosper". We leap over walls; walls are built to prevent access to. Regardless of the height of the wall, it is fear that built it. Fear is our enemy and by our faith in the GOD Who is our Strength, we have overcome fear.
     GOD is our Strength and He girds us: binds us, wraps Himself around us like a belt or sash, with His Strength. He makes my way perfect because He is perfect. He makes my feet strong and sturdy. It is His Strength that carries me to my destination, my high places. My mountaintops.
 

Psalm 18: 46 
The LORD lives; and blessed be my Rock; and let the GOD of my salvation be exalted.
     I will dance like David danced: with exceeding great joy to be in the presence of GOD. My feet dance on my mountaintops, the high places which GOD has prepared for me. The LORD GOD lives. He is my Rock and my Salvation. I will praise Him with my feet.

I Samuel 2:9
He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (part of Hannah's prayer)
Proverbs 4:26, 27
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
     And because my feet are instruments of praise, I must take great care to protect my feet. I must choose my steps carefully and direct them away from places of temptation, places that would cause my feet to stumble and fall. I must walk gently and not in anger and judgment. But walk in compassion and love.

Hebrews 12:11-14
Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD.
     To be chastened is to be pruned. GOD prunes, or removes, the unfruitful things in my life. And I praise Him for it. Though discipline is painful at the time it is rendered, the result brings a change of heart and a peace of mind that was not present beforehand. Chaos and confusion leave; righteousness and a sound mind remain.
      I raise my hands and bow my knees, knees which once were feeble and unable to bend or stand straight. I choose my steps wisely, watching out for curves and sharp turns. Anticipating with joy every step I take, knowing that my journey brings me closer to my GOD. Watching out for potholes, pits (Psalm 119:85), that would take me down. Sinkholes that grab at my feet (Psalm 119:110)and would drag me under.  My feet are to follow peace and holiness; for my desire is GOD's heart: that all men would be saved.

Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Thy GOD reigns!
     My feet are prepared now. Prepared to publish, or proclaim, peace. The Prince of Peace is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of GOD. He is the Good Tidings of Good. He is Salvation to all men. With my feet fully shod, protected and prepared to stand and withstand, I walk upon my high places. With my feet I will praise Him. For my feet are beautiful; beautiful because I preach and proclaim the Good News: Jesus died for you, Jesus conquered death and walked out of the grave for you, Jesus ascended into heaven and will return for you. Ready or not, Jesus is coming.

The LORD my GOD directs my paths, 

the paths that my feet take,

the paths wherein I choose to walk.

PSALM 119

Psalm 119:1 

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psalm 119:3

They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.

Psalm 119:32 

I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Psalm 119:45

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts.

Psalm 119:35

Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Psalm 119:59

I thought on my ways, and turned my heart unto Thy Testimonies.

Psalm 119:101

I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy Word.

Psalm 119:105

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.

Psalm 119:133 

Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~6.Heart of Worship

Matthew 15:7, 8 7. You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8. "This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me."
Matthew 15:18-20 18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20. These are the things that defile a man: but to eat with dirty hands defiles not a man.
Galatians 5:14, 15 
14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.
Psalm 51:8-10 & 14-17  
8.Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. 9. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a right spirit within me. ... 14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O GOD, Thou GOD of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. 15. O LORD, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise. 16. For Thou desires not sacrifice; You delight not in burnt offerings. 17. The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O GOD Thou will not despise.
Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O GOD, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

     Naked I was born, and naked I will return, but in-between those journeys is life. We all have one. Some are long and some are short. We are all accountable to God for how we live the life we have been given. We are accountable for the words that come out of our mouth. We are accountable for the places our feet take us; for the things we do with our hands; for the images we allow our eyes to see. We are accountable to God for what lives in our hearts. 
     We need to stop making mountains out of molehills and start making molehills out of mountains.Unforgiveness, holding a grudge, carrying vengeance cause our hearts to harden. Each negative emotion in our hearts is one more stone we use to build our mountain.
     But when we forgive every unkind act, ever mean action, every wicked way done to us and against us, our mountains begin to fall. Every act of forgiveness is an act of love. When love begins to grow in our hearts, all of our emotions surface at once. And the rocks come tumbling down, causing the avalanche effect in our heart; stones fall, hearts break. The salty waterfall pours out and flows down our cheeks, washing the shame from our cheeks and the guile from our lips. 
     We all know, however, that forgiveness isn't easy. It isn't easy to say, "I'm sorry" and mean it. It is not easy to say, "I forgive you" and mean it, either. Nor do the words, "Please forgive me" come out of our mouths easily. We need humble hearts to accomplish true forgiveness. Choosing to forgive instead of choosing to aggravate and retaliate is costly. But choosing not to forgive will cost us even more.
     When Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, some of those sins were mine. And He chose to forgive me, instead of condemn me. Both Christ's life and His death are our examples to live by now. As He lived then, we strive against Satan now, to live here. Jesus forgave everyone then and forgives everyone now. Jesus saw the need. We need Jesus in us to be able to do the things through us that He did when He was here.
     We need the Holy Spirit. It is He Who draws us to Jesus by the Word of God. It is the Holy Spirit Who reveals God to us and plants Jesus in us. Because somebody was praying for us. The first Somebody Who prayed for us: Jesus. For when He prayed in the garden before His death, He prayed for us, as related to us in the Book of John, chapter 17.

     
     We need to repent of our sins. We need to tell God what we have done and that we don't want to live our wicked lives any longer. No more unkind acts or mean words. No more seeking each other's downfall. No more glorying in another's sins being revealed. No more do we want to build mountains out of molehills: we want to forgive and love like Jesus. 
     No more do we want lies on our tongue, hate in our heart nor spite crossing our lips. No more do we want to deliberately hurt someone. No more do we want to set up our idols; we want to worship God and God alone. No more do we want to just go to church: Lord, teach us to BE Your church. No more tearing each other down, but, Lord, help us to build each other up.
     We want to be high on Jesus and drunk in the Holy Spirit. So, Lord, remove the desire to live a wicked and evil life from our heart. Help us, Holy Spirit. Replace the evilness in our heart with the desires to bless God; to live a righteous and holy life. 
     Thank You, God, for forgiving a wretch like me. Thank You for saving my soul from eternal damnation and drawing me close to You. Thank You, Lord, for sending the Holy Spirit to us.
     Holy Spirit, daily baptize me that I might walk in power in Jesus' Name. Power to overcome temptation and turn away from sin. Power to forgive all peoples. Power to love like Jesus loves. Power to teach the Gospel; to explain and clarify the Word of God, that it might be understood more clearly. Power too preach the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ; to proclaim the Good News: Jesus died for you and I because of His great love for us. And that He has fought the devil and won. That He has conquered death and walked out of the grave.
     Thank You, God, for breaking my heart and turning my mountains into molehills. To God be the glory! And none other. Amen.






    

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~5.Eyes of Faith

Eyes of Faith

1 Corinthians 13:12
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."


     Right now we see Jesus with our hearts: through the eyes of faith. As I am able to see you face to face now and hear your voice in my ears, someday I will see Jesus face to face and hear His voice in my ears. Until then, I will view Him with the eyes of my heart, my spiritual heart. For to worship Christ I must worship Him in spirit and in truth, as the Bible tells me so: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
     The eye of the body is connected to the brain. The eye of faith is connected to the heart. The information bouncing back and forth between the eye and the brain at even speeds I cannot wrap my mind around is manifold. But this much information would not be possible without light first entering the eye. If the eye is impaired, the brain cannot comprehend the light, and so remains in darkness.
     These statements remain true even when speaking of the eye of faith which is connected to the heart. The dark cannot comprehend the light because the eye of faith is impaired. How does the eye of faith heal that the light may shine in the dark and send the darkness fleeing?
     First, we have to know what Faith is. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is substance, it is matter. Faith is the foundation upon which hope is built. Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Faith is necessary to pleasing God. Those who think they are making God happy but lack the faith required to do so are sorely mistaken. They stumble in the dark and cause others to wobble and fall.

     And the second thing we need is Belief, as stated in the second part of Hebrews 11:6. We Must Believe in God: His existence, His Word, His Son. John 3:16-19 "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."  

    We must Believe that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. For only God can defeat the devil and win. My part in the battle of salvation through Jesus Christ is to stand and fight. Fight for the souls of my family and friends. My part is to have enough faith to believe that God will move mountains on their behalf. First I must believe, then I must pray for my family and my friends to believe. I must pray not only for their salvation, but for their growth: growth in their relationship with Christ, growth in their walk with God, growth in their hunger and thirst for more of the Word of God to take root in them and prosper their souls.
     Diligence. Perseverance. Endurance. From beginning to end. Start to finish. Basic Math:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for

                          +

he that comes to God must Believe that He is

                          +

He rewards them that Diligently seek Him

        Evidence of things not seen

     Diligently seek Him means to keep on praying while reading His Word. Keep on studying. While reading the Bible all the way through is commendable and shows an ability to persevere, it is not enough to just read the surface of the Word. God encourages us to dig deeper. Not in regards to digging holes out of which we cannot climb, but digging up buried treasure and sharing it with everyone we know. When a garden is being built, a person must first prepare the ground. You cannot just fling seed hither and yon and hope it grows. 

A proper garden must first have the soil tilled. Tilling is cultivating the ground, digging up the surface and bringing to the surface the fertile soil beneath. While the verbs used to further describe the word TILL are Dig, Cultivate and farm, even these can have clearer meaning to help us understand: prepare, pierce, subdue; to name a few. 

     God prepares our hearts to receive His Son. Men and women preach the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We walk the walk and talk the talk.The life we live is not ours. We have surrendered our lives to God and to His service. Our words should be words of love and life, not words of hate and death.

     Walking in darkness is dangerous. There are people who prefer to walk in the dark (John 1:5 & 3:19) and there are people who wish only for the light to shine. But at this time, while we are on this earth and until Jesus returns, the light shines in the darkness. The love of God tenders our hearts with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The light of Christ pierces the dark hearts of men and reveals the evil, the darkness within. The love of God is planted as a seed in our waiting hearts. The light of Christ shines on the seed of faith and causes it to grow and blossom within us.
     Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It is our faith in the transforming power of God which allows us to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is our faith in God's Word that brings us to our knees and causes our hearts to break from the weight of our guilt and shame. It is our faith in the promises of God that turn our hearts to a repentant state, bringing the fertile soil to the surface while sending the superficial surface underground.
     The eyes of faith are healed; the blind heart can see.  John 3:21 "But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

     

Little Pieces of Clay-Making a Christian-4.Surrendering the Body

Surrendering the Body

Romans 12:1 "I beseech (beg) you therefore, brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ) to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (logical) service."
Continue reading through the end of the chapter.
Exodus 20:1-17 Relates to us the commandments which God gave Moses. While many see this as a list of Do's and Don'ts, even in the church sector, this is the law of love which is fulfilled in Christ. We are the body of Christ and this law of love should be evident in us.
Colossians 3:1-25 Instructing the Christian how to surrender their body to a life of love.

    The Old Testament is the old covenant. Animal sacrifices are no longer needed to atone for one's sins. Cutting yourself is not necessary to release your internal pain. Chopping off a person's hands for stealing; cutting off a person's foot for trespassing and removing a person's eye for lusting are under the law. The law has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Like the purple mantle placed on His shoulders to mock him, the sins of the world were placed on His back through the whipping He got from the soldiers. His body took the punishment for our sins. His blood, which spilled upon the ground, at the foot of the cross, paid the debt for our unrighteousness.
     The New Testament is the new covenant. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the only begotten Son of God. He surrendered His will to His Father's will in the mount of Olives when He prayed. Matthew 26:26-44 After telling His disciples to pray that they would not give into temptation while He was away from them, He went into the garden and prayed: not one, but twice: V.39 "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will." and V.42 "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done." Mark 14:26 "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what You will."  Luke 22:42 "Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will but Thine, be done."
   The new covenant is through Jesus Christ. While all other covenants foreshadowed this event, they are now past, for Jesus Christ lived for us, died for us and rose from the grave for us. He became the sacrificial lamb that was required at Passover. He is the firstborn of His Father. His blood is on our hands. It is only when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the only begotten Son of God, that He is the Messiah; then is our salvation through Him applied to the thresh-hold of our homes, of our lives.
     He is our example of surrendering not only our will (our desire, our 'want to'), but our lives. And our life is lived in our body. We only get one. And it is how we choose to live here that determines not only our destination after death, but our reward. Colossians 3:24, 25 "Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons." Regardless of your status in life, we all will receive a reward, whether for good or bad choices.
     The key word in Colossians 3:1 is 'IF'. IF you are risen in Christ...." Here Paul is speaking to the Christians in Colossus. But we know that the Word of God goes on forever and so the Word is applicable to us also. Are you risen in Christ? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sins and surrendered your mind, your emotions and your will to Him? If you have made these decisions,  he is speaking to you. And he is speaking to me. And because I know that the Word of God is to be applied to me personally, I can read it like this (and so can you):
Colossians 3
v1. Because I am risen in Christ, I seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.
v2. I set my affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v3. For I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God.
v4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
v5. I submit my body to clean living. I choose not to engage in fornication; not to participate in unclean (corrupt, dishonorable, inhealthful) actions; irrational or unrestrained affections; not to give in to sexual desires or lusts; and not to covet anyone or anything, as such would be idolatry. 
v6. By choosing to live an unclean life, a life of disobedience to God, His wrath would be my reward.
v7. Once I walked that life, and lived in unrighteousness.
v8. But now I also put off of me verbal abuse and ignorance: anger (being or getting: mad, annoyed, furious, exasperated, indignant, violent); malice (meanness, vindictiveness, bitterness, hostility, spite, venom), blasphemy (abuse, cussing, cursing, swearing, profanity); filthy communication (obscenities, offensive, repulsive, impure, sleazy).
v9. We do not lie to each other; for we have put off the old person that we were before we knew Christ;
v10. And have put on the new person we are in Christ, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created us.
v11. We are no longer defined by our ethnicity, our circumcision (baptism, initiation, rite of passage, status changes), our geography (where we live) or class (free or slave); for Christ is all, and in all.
v12. I put on therefore, as the elect of God, Who is holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (in the Bible it is the bowels that contain the emotions of a person, not the heart), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
v13. Forbearing one another (exhibit self-control), and forgiving one another, if I have a quarrel with anyone: even as Christ forgave me, so I forgive you.
v14. And above all these things, I put on charity (advocacy, benevolence, encouragement, guidance), which is the bond of perfectness.
v15. We, you and I, let the peace of God rule in our hearts, for we are called to be one body, and be thankful.
v16. I am to let the Word of Christ live in me richly in all wisdom; teaching (demonstrating, nurturing, training) and admonishing (exhorting, forewarning, reprimanding) each other in psalms (poetry in all its forms which praises God) and hymns (sing the praises of God) and spiritual (devotional) songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
v17. And, whatever we do in word or deed (action), we do all of it in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by Him.
v18. As the wife, we submit ourselves to our own husband, as it is fit in the Lord.
v19. As the husband, you love your wife, and are not bitter against them;
v20. As the children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
v21. As the father, do not provoke your children to anger, for they will be discouraged (intimidated, confused, depressed, distressed, troubled, scared).
v22. As the servant, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, how we see you behave; but with singleness of heart, fearing God:
v23. And whatsoever I do, I do with all my heart, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
v24. Knowing that of the Lord I shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for I serve the Lord Christ.
v25. But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons.


     My body is Christ's body. And as such, by His example when He prayed, I surrender my body a living sacrifice. For it is the only logical thing that I can do for Him. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. The "I" in me dies daily, when I disciple my mind and my heart and my emotions to surrender to His will.


See also, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; Romans 13:9-14; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-7 and 13:11. Philippians 2:1-16 and full circle back again to the Book of Colossians, which is where we started. But don't stop there; the whole New Testament enriches our souls with God's Word on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.


Surrender  Dictionary and Surrender  Thesaurus. 


Song:
I surrender my vessel to You, to You
As an offering, I lay it down, it's Yours;
As You gave to this world,  Your only Son,
I surrender my vessel to You.

I surrender my family to You, to You,
As an offering I lay them down, they're Yours;
As You gave to this world Your only Son,
I surrender my family to You.




     

Diving into Surrender

Oh to be found in the favor of God,
Living the life He desires;
Surrendering daily  into His grace,
Enjoying the sweetest of times.


     While searching for photos or pic to align with this post, I stumbled across a NASA Science page on the colors of the ocean, with the help of the Holy Spirit. He is, after all, my Guide. See, I always thought that the deeper the ocean, the darker the green. I knew that some oceans were blue near the top, but I had believed that all oceans are eventually green after that. But the deeper you get into the ocean, not only is there less color, there is less light.
     Turquoise Plankton in the water reflect the light of the sun.
    Azure How many plankton living in the water decides what color the water is.
  Green Black Light Absorbed and light reflected.
Blue-Green Spiral  Type of plankton reveals color of water. In this photo, two types caused the blue-green effect. The spiral is because they are alive and in motion. Pretty cool, huh? This is my favorite.
     There is an emerald rainbow around the base of the throne of God. Revelation 4:5 "And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Ezekiel 1:28 "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
     In the previous verse, John 4:23, Jesus stated not only that the true worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth, but that this is the worshipper God is seeking, or looking for. Am I that true worshipper yet? Are you that true worshipper God is seeking? What does it take to be a true worshipper of God?
     The true worshipper walks in the Spirit, not in the world. In other words, he walks the walk. Romans 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.". 
     The true worshipper not only walks in the Spirit, but lives in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
     The true worshipper rejoices in Jesus, and trusts Him. Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
    The true worshipper has a circumcised heart and lifestyle. Colossians 2:6-23 and Colossians 3, but just let me whet your appetite with the first few verses in it. You can continue in your own Bible, okay? Colossians 2:6-11 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. (7)Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8)Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (9)For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10)And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 
     These scriptures are speaking to the Christian, the person who repents of their sins and accepts the forgiveness of God for such. So, we see here that the true worshipper to whom Christ is referring to in John 4:23, 23 is a Christian not just in name, but in heart and mind and spirit, which make up the soul of a person. In John 3:3 Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again. What follows in John 3:4-21 is Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.
     As we have already covered what it means to be Christian, we will continue from here to verse 7 in Colossians 2. This verse tells us that the Christian is also not a newbie, or newly born again Christian, but one whose faith is visible to others, a Christian who is always thankful for everything in their lives. But it is hard to be thankful for every little thing, isn't it? Unless you determine to be thankful; having that "Gratitude Attitude". Verse 8 warns us to be careful, and not believe those who would turn us away from the truth of God's Word according to their logic and flattery. Verse 9 reveals to us without reservation that Jesus Christ is the fullness of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
      Verse 10 reminds us that we are complete in Him. Which is what He prayed for in the garden of Gethsemane, later on in this book: John 17:21 "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." Finish reading this chapter through verse 26, it's really awesome how every Word of God comes together when the Holy Spirit is active in your Bible studies.
     Verse 11 tells the Christian that God circumcises the heart, not the body. Ezekiel 11:19, 20 "And I will give them a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh. That they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep my judgments, and do them."
     The true worshipper is strong in the Lord, strong in the Spirit, strong in the Word. Their heart is focused on the things of God, not on the things of this world. The true worshipper reads their Bible for to profit the soul, not to seek monetary gain. The true worshipper surrenders not only their heart to God, but their whole life. And having surrendered one's heart and given one's life to worship and thankfulness, the next goal is to see the glory of God face to face. It is not just this side of heaven we are to worship God in, but the other side of heaven, also.
     Where are the true worshippers?


     
     
   

Little Pieces of Clay-Making a Christian-My Body is Christ's Body

3. My body is Christ's Body - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

     Just as God created our bodies for a purpose, each part of our bodies have a specific function. I type with my fingers, not my elbows. The heart pumps blood throughout the entire body. The liver acts as a filter, deciding which is useful and which is waste. The pancreas creates insulin and glucagon and the blood cells distribute these throughout the body except for your brain. While we associate our noses with the sense of smell, that is only a small part of its job. The nose's primary purpose is to help us breathe.

     While the ear is associated with the sense of hearing, its other function is to help us maintain our balance and remain upright when in motion. Eyes are the organs of sight; the cornea is the lens through which we see images, while the pupil controls the quantity of light entering the body.

    The body contains more than 640 muscles and each one is controlled by nerves.  Each muscle is made up of millions of tiny protein filaments working together. In order to move at all the muscles need the nervous system to function properly. Acetylcholine is the chemical required to transfer information from one nerve cell to another. 

     And while all of this is quite interesting, it is just another reminder that not only do we not know how our own bodies work, we also have little knowledge of how the body of Christ is supposed to work. What we do know though, is that when we study the different structures and layouts of how the body works individually, we are able to see more clearly how the body works as a whole. 

     The body contains 3.5 liters of blood. The heart weighs 3 pounds. The pancreas weighs about 2.5 pounds. There are 206 bones in a skeletal structure, between 600 to 850 muscles, 100 trillion cells and about 45 miles of nerves run through our bodies. And just by sharing all this with you, I am reminded again just how amazing our God is. Our bodies are not created by accident, but on purpose. And with purpose.

     Just as our bodies, which are God's handiwork, are created to function for specific purposes and work together, so the body of Christ is created through the Holy Spirit of God to function properly. Each of us has a purpose within Christ's body. And we need each other in order to work properly. Some teach, some preach; some sing, some write; some evangelize, some heal; some build churches, some prophesy. All are called to minister in some capacity . None are greater, none are lesser. 

     I sing while I clean toilets. Because my heart is right with God, God is glorified by my services: both in song and in service. One speaks in a tongues (a heavenly language given to a person after being baptized in the Holy Spirit) and one interprets the tongue spoken. Our talk of being the body of Christ is backed up by our walk with Christ. The evidence of our salvation and unity of spirit is visible to all who see us. We are recognized by total strangers as being Christians. Even if we say nothing at all.

     Have you ever been accosted by someone you do not know in a parking lot? I have. A woman walked right up to me and said, "You're a Christian aren't you?". Flabbergaste, I'm like, "Yeah. How did you know?" And she said, "You shine. I could see right away that you were different." 

     I shine. My body is Christ's Body. It is His light which shines through me that all the world may be drawn to Him. It is His love which moves through me, giving me strength to love the unlovable in the same way in which He loves me: unconditionally.