Matthew 10 - 14
And whoever will not receive you, nor heard your words,
when you depart from that house or city, shake the dust from your feet
Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
A true child of God must always turn to His Word and listen for His voice - NO OTHER and TRUST. When the Lord opens a door and requires you move from your comfort zone and end up a stranger in a strange place that is when you learn to pray night and day for the courage and strength to endure whatever lies ahead.
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"Okay Lord" Megan prayed silently "HELP - I am facing a big upheaval here, couldn't I just take the short cut home to be with You" But there was no answer.
Megan was used to flitting from one place to another. Her gypsy gene soon got bored with familiar surroundings. She pondered the many times she had packed her belongings to move home, sometimes a step up the property ladder, latterly down, or with a new job. Now stuck firmly in a rut and using age as her latest excuse, it would have been easier to stay put in familiar surroundings.
Megan's constant companion, a small intelligent furry bundle of affection anticipating her every emotion anxiously observed as the contents of their shared home disappeared into large cardboard boxes. Why the Lord had opened a door in that particular place? she had no idea. Very strange. But often she was lost to understand exactly His purpose, but knew she had to accept His will.
Everything went according to plan but she then found herself in silence. No phone, no computer and interference on radio stations due to poor reception. She was hardly a "spring chicken" and the move left her exhausted, she needed to rest and recover and deal with the technicalities later.
Megan always thanked the Lord for a sense of humour which seemed to bring any issues sharply into focus but now she was dangerously close to the Slough of Despond.* Walking through the village one morning her gift momentarily returned as she considered this place had much in common with the village in a well known Disney classic a "little town, full of little people, waking up to say bon jour"
On the street most people smiled and said "good morning" to the stranger in town. The shop keepers offered a warm welcome but there the comparison ended as a rather jaded senior wandered round the wrong corner trying to find her way back to her new abode which still felt very strange.
On the street most people smiled and said "good morning" to the stranger in town. The shop keepers offered a warm welcome but there the comparison ended as a rather jaded senior wandered round the wrong corner trying to find her way back to her new abode which still felt very strange.
When everything seemed to go wrong "heavens above" was her frequent frustrated cry. She was rapidly turning into a certain Victor Meldrew and yes - she certainly had one foot in the grave. The pity pit opened its yawning mouth ready to swallow her. She wanted to run, feeling an incredible restlessness. Had she got it wrong yet again, always the expert at reading sign posts, prone to gallop off in the wrong direction. Her daughter encouraged. "Mum, this is just a stepping stone, the Lord works in mysterious ways" Megan had to agree.
It was in her darkest hour that the Lord opened her eyes to the beauty of a small National Trust Wildlife Reserve nearby. It was now early spring and the trees were budding. The winter winds had been cruel but whatever the weather her quadruped needed daily exercise. It was a case of wrap up and get out there.
A stream swelled with the heavy rains rushed down the valley and through the wood refreshing the small lakes that lay in its path. The birds sang, the sun shone through the branches of the ancient woodland, for a brief moment heaven invaded earth and she gave thanks to her God for this place, a refuge for quiet reflection.
She had little contact with the outside world on arrival. Her computer simply refused to work, a technical glitch which would remain unsolved for months. She had long discarded any need for a television and its corrupting influence.
Perhaps the answer to her prayer for help took longer than expected. After all patience was not one of her virtues, it was sadly lacking, but she kept pestering her Lord. Could he open another door, take her home at last, either way, she felt like a wild rabbit trapped in a snare.
When you persist (Luke 18) the Lord moves. Megan can't remember exactly when this happened but suddenly her battle was over and she was filled with His incredible peace. She had to trust, wait on the Lord and leave everything in His hands.
There is nothing amazing about Megan's story. She is just one of His sheep blessed to have received the gift of faith, saved by the blood of Christ, trusting in His Word longing for His return.
Megan has a passion for the lost sheep and her Lord's teaching. Perhaps you might say she became a sheep watcher.
The good sheep raises her lambs, feeds and protects them and then has to let them go.
Then there are the sheep who abandon their young. If they are lucky the farmer will hand feed them, if they wander away they can starve.
And sadly the trapped sheep.
Megan remembered the large pregnant ewe she found trapped in a shallow ditch, the more the sheep struggled the tighter the brambles wrapped around her neck and body. Safely tethering her dogs at a distance she took off her plastic mac and wrapped the sleeve around one hand using the body of the mac as best she could to protect the other hand. The brambles didn't want to let go of their victim.
It was hard work and the struggling ewe made matters worse. The thorns penetrated the thin plastic mac and by the time she had tugged at the last bramble the ewe pulled free and ran across the field to find the flock.
Later that night she prayed for the captives struggling with addiction, victims of people trafficking,
those imprisoned for their witness, ordinary men and women suffering at the hands of greedy employers struggling to feed their families. Those who through no fault of their own were suffering diseases inflicted by pollution others with self inflicted wounds. The list was endless. A suffering mass of humanity that needs to respond to the shepherd's call.
John 10 - 9
I AM THE DOOR. IF ANYONE ENTERS BY ME, HE WILL BE SAVED, AND WILL GO IN AND OUT AND FIND PASTURE.
Megan has a passion for the lost sheep and her Lord's teaching. Perhaps you might say she became a sheep watcher.
The good sheep raises her lambs, feeds and protects them and then has to let them go.
Then there are the sheep who abandon their young. If they are lucky the farmer will hand feed them, if they wander away they can starve.
And sadly the trapped sheep.
Megan remembered the large pregnant ewe she found trapped in a shallow ditch, the more the sheep struggled the tighter the brambles wrapped around her neck and body. Safely tethering her dogs at a distance she took off her plastic mac and wrapped the sleeve around one hand using the body of the mac as best she could to protect the other hand. The brambles didn't want to let go of their victim.
It was hard work and the struggling ewe made matters worse. The thorns penetrated the thin plastic mac and by the time she had tugged at the last bramble the ewe pulled free and ran across the field to find the flock.
Later that night she prayed for the captives struggling with addiction, victims of people trafficking,
those imprisoned for their witness, ordinary men and women suffering at the hands of greedy employers struggling to feed their families. Those who through no fault of their own were suffering diseases inflicted by pollution others with self inflicted wounds. The list was endless. A suffering mass of humanity that needs to respond to the shepherd's call.
John 10 - 9
I AM THE DOOR. IF ANYONE ENTERS BY ME, HE WILL BE SAVED, AND WILL GO IN AND OUT AND FIND PASTURE.
When you speak His Truth you offend.
When you stand on His Truth often you lose the love of family and friends who happily dance to the music of this world. You are considered opinionated and merely tolerated at social events.
BUT FOR A GENUINE CHRISTIAN THERE IS NO COMPROMISE.
Eternity in a right place is their goal.
Eternity in a right place is their goal.
Those who ridicule and scoff are in a very dangerous place. They refuse to see the warning signs so vividly prophesied in historical hebrew scripture their heads firmly buried in the sand of blissful ignorance. They have all they will ever need and more so why worry about a sick and dying world in the control of a greedy few.
The God of the Old Testament never suggested to any of His people that killing your enemies was justified. In the ten commandments He said "thou shalt not slay" (correct translation). Genesis 4 - 10 And He said "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.
The son of God instructed His followers in Matthew 5 - 43 - You have heard that it was said "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you "love your enemies and bless those who curse you. Megan knew with absolute certainty that her God is mighty and He could wipe every living creature off the planet should He so desire.
The son of God instructed His followers in Matthew 5 - 43 - You have heard that it was said "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you "love your enemies and bless those who curse you. Megan knew with absolute certainty that her God is mighty and He could wipe every living creature off the planet should He so desire.
Until we learn to live in peace with our neighbour and take serious responsibility as guardians of the earth the future looks bleak and judgement will surely come.
Matthew 13.30
Yeshua (Jesus) spoke this parable.
Let them both grow together until the harvest,
and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers,
"First gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them,
but gather the wheat into my barn."
Sadly not many people take the time to study prophecy, much less the fact that Jesus spoke in parables and hyperboles. (Exaggerated examples to stress the urgency) but put simply this means His children and the sons/daughters of the Evil One live together in human society until the end.
Yeshua (Jesus) spoke this parable.
Let them both grow together until the harvest,
and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers,
"First gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them,
but gather the wheat into my barn."
Sadly not many people take the time to study prophecy, much less the fact that Jesus spoke in parables and hyperboles. (Exaggerated examples to stress the urgency) but put simply this means His children and the sons/daughters of the Evil One live together in human society until the end.
Hopefully Megan and her brothers and sisters in Christ will see His Kingdom come.
Megan's Prayer
Thank you Lord for each blessing,
every moment this child moves closer to her eternal destiny.
Thank you Lord for a glimpse of eternity,
how truly blessed am I.
A gift more precious than any this world can offer
that brings with it Your peace in a world rapidly falling apart.
Thank you Abba (Father) for forgiving my human weaknesses,
picking me up every time I stumble,
often a result of my struggle through the quagmire of this life.
Your cleansing healing touch renews my spirit each day,
truly unworthy my heart fills with joy.
Use me in the days that remain,
then in Your gracious mercy guide this little boat safely to harbour.
SHEMA KOLENU
(Hear my prayer)
* Pilgrims Progress - John Bunyan.
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