Those eyes don’t lie….Your soul is seen through them there eyes….breath……let the truth out that so desperately wants to be free..who’s a free..free indeed…

Walking dead …..are you blind to the reflection that shows in your mirror of life….fooling who…you….me..them……they…us…

Who give a care…..those eyes watching you……moving sluggish to the rhythm of life…….the drum beat of Your feet as they trample through the streets…..your breathing .. sounding like the wind that chaffs in winter…the heart beat is in slow motion and rhythm…as the blood tries to run up the hill of protection….

Yes..yes…who cares ….who knows….who wants…..Yes…. Thump …thump..beats the drum of death…..while you are tramped in this shell..the worms eating you alive….your emotions…..your feelings…your masks…..your fakeness..
Touching you…..feeling the numbness of a cold., cold, heart……Smiling with a posture that is prepared for timing….Hello….do you see me???? I’m here alive and well..see the Smile.see the tears in the rim of my eyes…..the overflow…wait…I can’t cry….

Somebody help me…..I’m buried alive by life…..past hurts…..abuse of my gender not expected..words of coldness…volume but only  silence…..love but no passion….a duty……my job subscription…speech with no feelings..

Somebody help me…..love…..no more…not one….many…..I never will love just one…..can’t stand to hear…feel the rain as it pours down on me….

Somebody please tell me…help me. Get out of this grave ….that I’ve dugged for myself….you..come and go with me…this one……that one…many as I can caused I won’t feel hurt again…

Manuel
2015

Those eyes don’t lie….Your soul is seen through them there eyes….breath……let the truth out that so desperately wants to be free..who’s a free..free indeed…

Walking dead …..are you blind to the reflection that shows in your mirror of life….fooling who…you….me..them……they…us…

Who give a care…..those eyes watching you……moving sluggish to the rhythm of life…….the drum beat of Your feet as they trample through the streets…..your breathing .. sounding like the wind that chaffs in winter…the heart beat is in slow motion and rhythm…as the blood trys to run up the hill of protection….

Yes..yes…who cares ….who knows….who wants…..Yes…. Thump …thump..beats the drum of death…..while you are tramped in this shell..the worms eating you alive….your emotions…..your feelings…your masks…..your fakeness..
Touching you…..feeling the numbness of a cold., cold, heart……Smiling with a posture that is prepared for timing….Hello….do you see me???? I’m here alive and well..see the Smile.see the tears in the rim of my eyes…..the overflow…wait…I can’t cry….

Somebody help me…..I’m buried alive by life…..past hurts…..abuse of my gender not expected..wotds of coldness…volume but no silence…..love but no passion….a duty……my job subscription…speech with no feelings..

Somebody help me…..love…..no more…not one….many…..I never will love just one…..can’t stand to hear…feel the rain as it pours down on me….

Somebody please tell me…help me. Get out of this grave ….that I’ve dugged for myself….you..come and go with me…this one……that one…many as I can caused I won’t feel hurt again…

Manuel
2015

LUKE 19
DAY 19
Who this Zacchaeus was. He was a tax collector.  That means that he was the head tax collector. He was a traitor to his nation because he was aligned with Rome. People hated him because he defrauded them out of their money. As a result of his position and his greed, he was rich, powerful, connected, feared and despised.
While Zacchaeus had wealth, position and power, he knew there was something missing in his life. His financial, political and social connections left him empty and needy. Somewhere along the way, Zacchaeus heard about a man named Jesus. Maybe he heard the reports from the men who worked for him as they came in from collecting taxes around the community. Perhaps he heard the stories firsthand as he fleeced the people out of their cash. Regardless of what it was, something was tugging at his heartstrings. He was not satisfied with anything he had; he came to the place where nothing but seeing Jesus would satisfy the deep longings of his soul.
Many of us have been at this same place. When we were lost, God brought us to the place where nothing in our lives was enough anymore. He brought us to the place where we knew that something was missing. He brought us to the place where we could not longer drown our need in alcohol, lose it Im the fog of drugs or bury it in the shallow grave of tough talk and false bravery. God, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, brought us to the place where we knew we needed Him. So, we came to Him and He saved us by His grace.
I am speaking  to saved people today. I am talking to people who have already looked away by faith and have come to know Jesus in a personal way. I am speaking to the redeemed. Even after we are saved, there is a desire to see Him. There is a desire to know Him. There is a desire to grow in our relationship with  Jesus . As you read His Word and walk with Him, there will be an ever-deepening desire to know Him better.
I think we can all identify with Paul’s desire. No matter how deep the saint of God grows in the things of God there always seems to be a desire for more. There is a desire to know Him better, to understand His Word better, and to grow closer to Him; there is a desire within the child of God to know Him in His fullness! No matter how close you get, how much you learn, or how much you grow in the Lord, there is always a desire for more. The child of God is never satisfied with where he or she is in their walk with God! When you get satisfied, you will grow cold and you will get slack. As long as there is a hunger and a desire for Him in the heart of the saint of God, there will be growth, closeness and blessing!
  When the desire to see Jesus was birthed in the heart of Zacchaeus, he made his way to the roadway he knew Jesus would travel as He passed through Jericho. He stationed himself beside that road because he wanted to see the Lord. But, Zacchaeus was hindered in his efforts to see the Lord Jesus. There were some obstacles that stood in his way and prevented him from achieving his goals. Notice these difficulties with me today.
When you develop a desire to see the Lord, you need to understand that your request will not go unopposed. Satan will place whatever obstacles he can in your path to keep you from seeing Jesus. Sometimes, he will use people. There are times when he will use a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or some other person to hinder you in your desire to see the Lord. He will place them in your path and they will criticize you, or your efforts. They may attack those who would try to help you grow in the Lord. They will stand in your way and do all they can to prevent you from seeing Him.
Sometimes, he will use the flaws in our own natures to hinder us from seeing Jesus. We all have character flaws and sin that we are constantly seeking to overcome. If he can, Satan will use our own shortcomings to keep us from seeing Jesus.
When you get to the place where you see Him for yourself, it will be a very personal thing for you. You will not have to rely on the testimony of others; you will have your own story to tell! When you see Him, He will speak to you and you will hear His voice. If you ever see Him one time, you will want to see Him again! I remember some of the times God has showed up in my life and let me catch a glimpse of Him. Those times have been a blessing, but they have just made me hungry for more. I was in a service last night and I watched some people getting a glimpse of Him. I silently prayed that He would let me see Him too. I got a blessing, but I didn’t get what they were getting last night, but I will! I have seen Him before and I want to see Him again!
If you know the Lord, there are some places along the way that He has prepared for you. There are some places of meeting that He has designed just for you. There will be some divine encounters where He will allow you to see Him and experience His grace and power. There will be some moments of divine interruption when He will just show up and show out in your soul. He may cause you to dance like He did David. He may cause you to humble yourself before Him like He did Job. He may give you a shout, or He may just squeeze your heart and let the juice run out of your eyes. But, there will be some times when He will let you see Him! When He does, it is life changing. It is profound. It is wonderful. Enjoy those times for all they are worth, for they will sustain you though many a hard day when He doesn’t show up in the same way. I know that He is always there, but He doesn’t always manifest His presence. When He does, live it up and praise Him in the day of His visitation!

Isaiah 55:1-3
Few people ever reach contentment.In fact, one poet put it this way.

As a rule, man’s a fool
When it’s hot, he wants  it cool.
And when it’s cool, he wants it hot,
Always wanting what is not.

Isn’t this the truth?  We live in a world filled with discontented people. Everywhere you look, people are striving to get more stuff.  They are laboring to have more things. Not many people are completely content and satisfied with their place in life.

I think that the answer lies in the fact that people are looking for true contentment in places, people and things that can never provide contentment to them.

~A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in the stream. The next day she met another traveler who was  hungry,and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the women’s give to him. She did so without hesitation.  The traveler left rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security’s a lifetime.
But,a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise women. He said,”I been thinking,  I know how valuable this stone is but I give it back in hope that you can give me something even more precious.Give me  what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.

The women didn’t need riches to give her joy.She had joy in her heart. ~

A Bowl of Soup

There was a gentleman that seemingly to   complain about a bowl of soup. 

My mind went back to a time when I had water soup. Made a brouth from water and salt to taste. Sometimes we have go through a time of famine to realize how we are blessed in the time of abundance.

Soup is a mixture of left overs. These ingredients together makes the best taste but it’s funny how you can’t taste one single ingredients by itself?  Is this why homeless people are serve soup? Soup goes a long way.

When soup is serve ;” Things  are used fthat are falliing apart  while other things are coming together.”  Be Blessed!.  !Lady J

Wow! God only created one of me.So You wants to know who my  designer is.
He can designs anything…..
You need a reference …
.look in the blueprint in the book called Genesis…
Where is He located ?..
Look Him up in the heavenly pages, He lives on the Right side of His Father on Heaven Street. You have  to be careful when you go inside the store.
You have to pull your old shoes ,
Put on these golden slippers..
Pull your old clothes off
Put on this long white  robe..
Wait.
All of this?
Yes…theirs more..
Put a crown on your head measures just for You.

Day 6
Luke 6
Why do you call me Lord, but do not obey me?”

He is talking to his followers. What kind of faith and trust is this?
You call me Lord, you call me master, and yet you will not do the things I tell you?  We like being called Christians as long as it does not inconvenient us. He says that this person “dug down deep” and laid the foundation on rock.

If we are going to have a strong foundation we need to dig down deep. What does that mean?

To dig down deep is to get beyond surface-level Christianity.

Not just church attendance, but service in and to the church
Not just faith, but deeds that reflect our faith
Not just reading the bible, but discovering it’s truths
Not just fellowship, but strong heart-level relationships
Not lip service, but TRUE obedience to Christ as Lord. Dig deep to make sure our foundation will last.

Verse 48 let us know that  “Like a man… who laid the foundation on the rock.

Jesus in 1 Corinthains 10:4 tells us that “and the rock was Christ.”
Peter in Matthew 16:18 states that“you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church
Who will build the church? Christ
Romans 9:23
“See I lay a stone in Zion, that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And the one who puts his trust in HIM will never be put to shame.

Jesus is the rock upon which God builds his church. He is the ONLY solid foundation upon which we should build.

When things are good, it doesn’t seem so important to build on the rock. We see houses that are like a laid on a slab foundation.

What’s wrong with that? What happens when times are not going good??

With no foundation in a marriage, we have divorce.
With no foundation in our relationship to Christ, we have backsliding
With no foundation in our church, we lack faith and vision.
With no foundation under a house, we have a mess!

So a solid foundation is crucial in all aspects of life!

“When a flood came, the torrent struck that house, but could not shake it because it was well built. In verse 49 he shows us what happens when we claim to know him, but do not have that deep and solid foundation.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

In contrast is the person who listens but doesn’t obey.

Two houses. May have looked the same on the outside!
The difference is in the foundation.

Without a solid foundation, when hard times come, when things don’t go right, when we face struggles at home, on the job, at school…
we will not have the strength to endure!

So how do make sure that our foundation is on the rock?

Self examination!!

We need to take an honest look at our faith, our beliefs and our trust in the rock.
We need to apply the teachings of Jesus in our lives. Not enough to say Lord.

What does a church which is built on a solid foundation look like?

We will be:
– mature
– spiritually sensitive
– doctrinally sound
– committed to Christ
– bearing fruit
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure!
If we try to live the Christian life on a foundation other than that of Christ Jesus, we will not remain steadfast and committed to true Christian living. We will fail to bring God the glory.
We need to reevaluate our beliefs and level of obedience to God’s commands so that we are not deceived by the devil. He wants us to think that everything is fine.
Each of us know in our heart of hearts if everything is really fine
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples
then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

I want to encourage you all to pray for one another and for our church, that during the next several weeks God would reveal any cracks in our foundation so that we can work on getting them strengthened.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Amen

Day 7
Luke 7
Are There Any Questions?

I’m saved today!  I praise God that I am.  But, even as I say that, I realize that I had nothing to do with my salvation.  I am saved because Jesus came to me.  I am saved because He did what I could not do for myself.  I am saved because one day Jesus came into my heart and saved my soul.  I am saved by grace.  I am saved perfectly, completely and eternally and I did not have one thing to do with it; not did I contribute one thing to it.  I am saved because He came to me!
As I read this Gospel, I see this same truth lived out time and again.  There is passage after passage showing Jesus as He goes to people trapped in desperate situations.  Whether it is a sinful woman at Jacob’s well; a blind man at the Temple; a poor beggar in Jericho; or a rich man in a tree; we are given the privilege of watching as Jesus moves in power for people who are trapped in hopeless and helpless situations.
I want to look into one of those wonderful times today.  I want to look in on a pitiful little scene in a tiny hamlet called Nain.  I want to watch Jesus do the impossible and the incredible one more time.  Please join me in this passage…I want to show you what Jesus can and will do when He comes into your impossible situation. I want to show you what He can do for every soul that will trust Him by faith.  
We are told that the victim is a young man and  he was “the only son of his mother”.  And we are told that he is dead!  A great crowd of mourners are making their way through the gates of the city, to a little cemetery, where he is to be buried.
  Here is a young man whose life had been filled with great potential.  He might have had hopes of marriage and of fathering children, but now he is dead.  There may have been plans of going into business to support himself and his widowed mother, but now he is dead.  Those eyes which had been bright with the gleam of youth are now dulled by death.  That mind that had hoped and dreamed was now stilled by the cold embrace of death.  That voice that had laughed and cried has been silenced forever.  Death has come and it has brought with it all the cruelness and heartache it possesses.
I think that there is more here than just the physical death of a mother’s only son.  I think this boy, in his physical death, is a picture of what spiritual death is all about.  .You see, there is something far worse than physical death!
  This young man was there physically, but he could not hear the cries of his mother.  He was there, but the mourning and the grieving did not affect him.  He was headed to a cemetery and they were going to place his body in the cold earth, but he neither knew it nor cared about it.  He was dead and the things of earth; the things associated with life had no affect on him whatsoever.  He was there, but he was oblivious to life; and he was beyond the touch of those who loved him still.  His was a hopeless situation!
  You will notice the wording of the text: “there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.”  Here is a woman who has already felt the icy hand of death as it took her husband from her life.  The only things remaining from her marriage are a few memories and the only son that she and her husband brought into the world.  Now, her precious son has been taken away by death as well.
But, there is more here than just the death of a beloved son.  This poor woman has no one left to care for her in her old age.  In that day there was no welfare or assistance available to widows like her.  It was up to a woman’s children, especially her sons, to see that she was cared for in her declining years.  But, she has no one left!  She is all alone, helpless and caught in a desperate condition.  She has nothing to look forward to except poverty and despair.  She is at the mercy of others people’s kindness.  She has nowhere to go and nowhere to turn. She finds herself trapped in a helpless condition.
.  I am trying my best to get you to see the truth today!  If you have never been saved; if you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior; then you are in the same condition as that boy: you are dead in your sins right now!  If you have never trusted Jesus for salvation, you are in the same shape as that poor woman.  You are trapped in a set of circumstances that you are powerless to change.  You have nothing to look forward to but a life of bondage to sin and the whims of the world, the flesh and the devil.  Then, after you die, you have hope of nothing but an eternity in Hell!  My friend that is a desperate place to be!  But, it was that place in which I found myself at one point in my life! It was a time of utter desperation when Jesus came to me!

Do you remember the day Jesus came to you?

Day 8
Luke 8
A Certain Women Minister to Jesus
Our passage today mentions a dedicated group of women that followed the ministry of the Lord Jesus. These women offered Him financial support and absolute devotion. In fact, one of these women, Mary Magdalene, seemed to have followed Him everywhere. She was with Him during His ministry. She also wept at His feet as He died at Calvary. She followed His body to the tomb and sat outside His tomb after He was buried. She was also among the first to return to the tomb following the Sabbath. And, she was the first one to whom He appeared when He arose from the dead.
     While others forsook the Lord, she remained faithful to Him! When others ran away, she stayed! What was it that produced this kind of devotion in Mary’s life? I think the Bible has the answer to that question! Today, I want to look at this woman’s life. I want to find out what happened to her to make her love Jesus so. I want to see if I can get a little of what she had! I believe there is a word from God here for every person in this room. Let’s look into the Word of God as we think about  her life has something to say to all of us about humble, consecrated devotion to God.
We are told that Mary was possess by seven devils. The number seven may refer to seven actual demons, or since the number seven was associated with “completion”, it may mean that she was totally possessed and under the control of the demonic spirits that inhabited her. Either way, Mary’s life would have been a living Hell! She would have been drawn into vile sin and she would have been driven insane by the demons that controlled her. It has even been suggested that Mary was a prostitute, though no biblical evidence exists to support that notion. What a horrible life!
In that lost state, controlled as she was by the demons within her, she had no hope of salvation. She would have been cut-off from the Temple. She would have been cut-off from all help from decent society. She had nothing to look forward to but a life of sin and insanity, followed by an eternity in Hell. She was living a hopeless life!
We are not told of the circumstances surrounding Mary’s conversion. Regardless, there was no reason whatsoever for Jesus to reach out to a woman like this. Surely there were reputable, decent women who needed the Lord. But, the fact that Jesus would reach into this woman’s darkness and bring her into His marvelous light can be attributed to nothing but His amazing grace! Jesus, however, was not content to let that happen and He extended love, mercy and grace to Mary and saved her soul.
When Jesus reached out to this woman and delivered her, she experienced the power of God. She instantly delivered from that which had her bound and when was set free! That is the power Jesus possesses! When He comes into a life, He makes instant and profound changes. 
Jesus took the pain and turmoil that plagued her away forever and quieted the storm within her heart!  He’s still doing just that! Oh how well I remember the confusion and disquiet that marked my own heart before I met Him. And, I remember the day that He stepped up on the bow of my life and quieted the storm in my heart. That is what He does for those who Come to Him be faith. To put it simply, He changes absolutely everything! Has He done that for you? Is there still confusion and doubt within you instead of peace and assurance? Are you following Him with all your heart? If you are, don’t give up! Get before Him and thank Him for what He’s done for you and seek Him for His help for the rest of the journey.

Faith Hopewell

Day 9
Luke 9

I enjoyed taking Shady Grove on a fishing trip on Sunday morning. We found out how Jesus tells the experts the secret of fishing when He tellls them to “Fish on the other side of the boat.” I shared with my church family how I caught a catfish one day and was so proud , Only one fish and I held him so tight that he stung me. I got home and  cleaned the fish and put him in the hot Mrs Tucker Lard  and ate the whole fish by myself.I was so proud of that one fish . I called out to my Mama and Daddy that I had caught something after all day and at the edge of dark I caught a fish…Yes!!!

Sometimes, we still don’t have any luck! We need Jesus as our fish finder! For when the disciples pulled their nets in and cast them out on the other side of the boat, their nets were so full of fish; they had to call out for help to drag them in. Their fish catch filled both boats-Simon and Andrew’s boat and James and John’s boat- so full, the boats began to sink.
Look what Peter does. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said… “Lord, I am a sinful man. “ Jesus first call to us is a call to believe in Him as our Savior. But Jesus’ call does not end with belief. Jesus call is also a call to commitment!“Now that you have made me your Savior, make me the Lord of your life.” Jesus’ response to Peter “From now on you will catch men, Peter.” The Scripture says the men pulled their boats up on shore AND LEFT EVERYTHING and followed Jesus.

Jesus called the disciples to fellowship, belief and discipleship. Jesus was also calling them to new territory. He was inviting them to leave the comfort zone of the familiar waters of the Sea of Galilee to go to places they had never been before. Jesus was calling them to new jobs, new tasks. He was beckoning them to do things they had never done before. Now I am sure the disciples were uneasy that day when the seemingly madman, demon-possessed, came out of the tombs, all bloody from cutting himself with stones, screaming blood-curried screams. That is, until Jesus sent the demons into a herd of pigs. I am sure the disciples felt uncomfortable beside the bedside of a young dead girl and her mourning parents. They were in new territory. I wonder if they watched with wonder as Jesus fed the hungry multitude or attended to the sick and afflicted. I wonder if they ever felt like saying as they watched Jesus “I will never be able to help or serve folks like that, Jesus. I have never done this kind of thing before. Remember, I am just a fisherman.

Jesus’ calling to the disciples was also a call to spiritual understanding. The disciples spent three years with Jesus, hearing Him teach about God. He told them of His purpose in coming to earth. He told them about His death and Resurrection, even though they did not understand at the time. They spent three years under Jesus’ teaching and training. Even after the Resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on the earth, giving further instructions to the disciples

Jesus and the disciples were walking along the road. Jesus made the same calling he made to the disciples to two other men that day. “Follow Me”, he called. But these two men’s response was not the same as the fishermen and tax collector. They responded “I will follow you, Jesus, but first….” Apparently, these two men were believers in Jesus. But they were not willing to make the sacrifice necessary to follow Jesus. Sadly, that is our response far too often. “Jesus, I will accept you as Savior—Jesus, I will spend more time in fellowship with you— I will become more dedicated and serve you more, Lord–but FIRST…”

Jesus never calls us to a task He will not empower us to do. Where He Lead Me I Will  Follow