Feasting at His Table

IMAGE SOURCE CREDITS

 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,

Revelations 19:17

put more weight over the cotton slacks to erase the crease.  Wets the wash cloth and rubs it over the stubborn areas.  Then press some more until it stood.  This is one thing of all household chores I am not so inclined to.  Yet press on I did.  I want to make it as neat as I can, thinking of the morrow which was the first day of work for Mike.  He must look his best to face the new boss and the new workaday world.  He's long been missed in this group of citizens, the regular earning middle class.

Over a long period of time, I prayed for this spring.  A time where God lays down His sacrifices for the invited to partake.  It was between me and my God.  Hubby's energy and appetite for a regular job was lost for quite some time.  He considered himself retired.  But I know deep inside me that he longs to provide.  It is his delight.  God designed it.

I toiled on for the many seasons like watching the flip of each calendar page, ushering in new moons by new moons.  Scrimped to meet the tight string of necessary sustenance.  Moonlighted and volunteered to welcome well needed resources to the dead of  some nights.  And I continued my plea.

Over this while, obedience to God was foremost.  One needs to be intentional not to brandish this deficiency at the face of the deficient one.  So God had to provide strength and patience all the days of the toil years.  In fact He overfilled me with humility akin to the design of Eve.  I must be a willing, capable and able helper as well as a suitable one.

Oh no, never perfect.  I grumble inside.  But I have to pray for the sun to slow down while it boils down the drain.  Don't let me see the orange sky, the silhouettes, and soft shadows.... while the furnace is still ablaze.  For good measures, God gives.  Take note, with zipped lips at that and a smile.  Allelluia!!  "NOT ABOUT ME, LORD BUT ALL ABOUT YOU!" (Max Lucado)

Where is the feast, my Lord?  I want to be invited. I hope this migrant to the prepared table would find it, knowing that thirst and fatigue would soon sit in, cut the flight and may miss what was there to take.

Then I began to share my desires to a trusted friend, who prayed with me.  We prayed for each other.  We put our needs before Him together.

Until one lunch break, I got a vision.  It was my quiet time.  The office is off-lights.  Others were napping while I was in our pantry, sitting still to hear His voice.  He told me to submit Mike's resume to this firm.  I broke down in tears.  I felt insuficient.  I know I have a prayer warrior on my side and I crumbled further into pieces.  She speaks of tearing down walls like Jericho's walls.  And indeed, some walls fell down.

I did submit that resume before Mike even knew of it.  So no matter what will come, one thing is for sure it is God's.  It was meant to be for a taxi driver position but God had another plan.  The owner wanted him as a supervisor.  His plans are the best always.  There it was beneath my nose while I was knocking at another door farther away.

We are on tiptoe here, this is new ground. A new feeder has materialized-new mercy upon the hands wide open to feed from.  And I am a happy guest at this table.  

It was not I who was at the right time at the right place, God put the time and the place in my path and to complete the grace, He made daylight my sight.

The gathering at the great supper is meant to be the feast of Jesus Christ's victory against His enemies, our enemies.  Or it could be interpreted as our partaking of His Flesh & Blood for redemption. 

I just want to post about partaking at His regular table, His daily mercies, His sustenance, provisions and protection..... and count my blessings.

I wish we could be hovering directly over some feasts of God's, and be invited to come over and be ready.  Yet not every feast can be attended.  They are intended as God intends them. 

Would this be the meaning of how the early birds catches the healthy worms?  Being at the right time and the right place?

As for the great supper of God, every believer will be gathered there..... as "He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, He will anoint our heads with oil, our cup will overflow." Psalm 23:5 (paraphrased).


Happy to count blessings with Jen.

~ The sun slowing down while the furnace was hot inside

~ Invitation to the Feast (where grace flows rivers)

~That still voice (being heard when the din dies down)

~For doors that are open even when we are facing the wrong one (more often close)

~For renewed strength and fresh hope (what a difference they make)

~For transformation into a little bit of the Ruby woman (even just a grit size of it)

~For the smiles when words aren't necessary

~For people who suddenly come into my life and impact me forever

~For humility, patience, stability of character

~For the definite acceptance of youngest in a sought at job

~For a new grandson coming this September month.

~For a full piggy bank ready to give away for church fund raising


~For people safe and nothing destroyed in an earthquake of  09.01.12

~People rising back from the floods

~For a dear friend's recovery

~For the prayer companions and warriors

~just adding this song on the list (which is a song dedication by my dear Sister Lidia), so fitting to the post, MY THANKS TO YOU, MY SISTER IN CHRIST. (09.06.12)

CARRIED TO THE TABLE

~and counting

   

Let God {Five Minute Friday: Change}

I have heard, and I know you had too, so many times this cliche spoken:  "The only constant in this world is change."

The way that Octavia E. Butler puts it is amazing.

“All that you touch
You Change.

All that you Change
Changes you.

The only lasting truth
is Change.

God
is Change.”
― Octavia E. Butler

Even though most people resist changes, it is inevitable.

Being mostly a limb-sitter, or a comfort zone dweller, I do resist for a time, but when I know that it is only way God's plan works for me, I'd setter for His ways.  But not without resistance though.

The the benefits sinks in slowly and it lasts.

The change that affects everything is when one lets God freely and willingly.

And when we do, how we look at things, at people, at situations, will be seen and acted out of love.

It it like seeing through the eyes of our savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The world needs this for peace and prosperity.  

Change coming from the inside affects beautifully the outside.  So I let God.  You too, let God!

IMAGE FROM DESKTOP NEXUS

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Posting in community with:
Lisa-Jo Baker's

and with

BEAUTY OUT OF DUST

I love this community, writing candidly for 5 minutes without editing, without over thinking.  Check out what everyone is writing about CHANGE today.  And you may join the community too.  See what you can write in just 300 seconds.  I am sure it would be a glimpse from your true self.

LOLITA

Now here's the simple list of rules for a fun 5 Minute Friday Posting:

 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Note:  Ms. Lisa-Jo & friends, I would like to ask for permission to correct a misspelled word.  But I promise that I only found it out after I hit publish.  The world "setter"  should be read "settle."  Thank you.

WHEN MY SOUL WAS LONGING

IMAGE SOURCE

t has been twenty six years now since I first stepped into this Church.  Its set-up was so new and so strange to me.  I think it was the bare simplicity of the layout which has struck me as unusual, being used to the church I was born into.

I was a single mom who came in for the first time with my 9 year old boy.  My son was in third grade while I went back to college to finish my curtailed BS Accountancy.  We were renting a room for ourselves while other occupants rented bed spaces.  We preferred to have our own small room rather than share a big room with others.  One of the tenants was a teacher in a private Chinese school nearby.  

There was something about her serene countenance that attracted me.  By this time, I was in a Bible correspondence course, which sends through mail, my lessons and I would return the questionnaire I have filled out back to them.  The realization of the difference between religion and relationship with Jesus was slowly creeping in my heart.

It was timely that I was in the same residence with this teacher.  I will never forget that Saturday night we were doing laundry together.  While hanging out our washings, I began a conversation with her and then I told her that I would like to visit the church where she goes.  She was so happy to take me the next day.

My second impression of the church was the happy faces of the people, wanting to enfold me and the different kind of worship.  Joy leaped in my heart as I realized the beauty of worshipping in a bare sanctuary with only a bare cross at the center of an elevated platform occupied mostly by a set of drums and a keyboard.  I was brought into  the knowledge that it is not the grandness of the sanctuary that made worship ring out to heaven, but it was the richness of hearts joined together in utmost praise.

It was the first day of my twenty six years in this church and counting.  To join a multitude of worshipers in the Body of Christ was the best choice I ever made.  Or was it Jesus' choice?  Here I began to learn and live out what I was studying in correspondence.   

I am happily joined together in the body.  I learned the true meaning of being in relationship with my Maker and how it is to be saved.

To the teacher whose life shone out for the glory of God, I give my thanks.  Nenita, I will never forget the day that I wanted to join you in your church because I saw something different in you.  It answered all my questions then and fulfilled my search to belong.

A CHURCH IN JOY'S HOME

And lastly, one thing is for sure.  To be in the Body, or in any group, you have to JOIN first.  It is a conscious choice and should be put to action.  Come and join us believers of Christ.  Happy to welcome you!

 1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I am joining  Lisa-Jo Baker, for the first time, with her 5 Minute Friday Community, writing about the word prompt JOIN.
This is a community who writes candidly, baring soul for 5 minutes and welcomes everyone to share a bit of her or his life journey with the Savior.

And with Ms. Kelly Martin @ Kelly's Stories.

with Shelly Miller @ Redemption's Beauty. 


also with
 Nikki at SimplyStriving.

 

S~T~R~E~T~C~H

“Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

― Oswald Chambers

PHOTO SOURCE

Why do felines stretch?

I found a very good answer to this question here:

 "Cats are hunters of opportunity and so anytime they wake up from sleeping, they stretch so they are immediately ready to hunt. If you watch slow motion film of large cats running, you will see that they don't just kick their legs forward to run, they also flex their backs a lot and so they run with their legs but they also run with their backs. You gotta stretch it all if you want it all to work on a moment's notice."

For a time during my short indisposition due to mild stroke, I was coached to regain flexibility through therapy.  It was easier to do with the help of a PT practitioner within the confines of a hospital rehabilitation center.  You get energetic push and you oblige.
 
I regained back my steps in just a week and was fully walking on my own in less than two weeks.

There is also a good advice for us to stretch just enough everyday to make our bodies attuned and  retain flexibility.  Most animals do there stretching preludes to bolt into action as soon as a hunt is at hand or for flight when there is a predator.  Why don't humans  copy this instinct so that one is always ready for anything?  I am a sore member in this club too.

Anyway, back to my stretching.

After a while, I was slackening, not doing my necessary flexibility regimen.  And then I noticed that I could no longer button up or zip up without the pain of reaching too far back.  This jolted me to go back to stretching little by little until the pain went away and I could dress without assistance.


What about character stretch?

Yes, this is an area that God supervises so diligently.  Until He gets the response and see the purpose he designs for us, He goes on to stretch us.  Just like what Mr. Oswald Chambers quoted and pinned right on target above.

S~T~R~E~T~C~H!

Just enough so.  And after the character muscle toning, it becomes easier for us to flex along the area.

Then God goes again to S~T~R~E~T~C~H us on another rung up.  Time to level up, Lord!

But mostly, just like how I became complacent with my exercises,  it is always easy to fall back and Jesus needs to rescue us over and over again.

This reminds me of Peter walking on water with Jesus.  It was alright for a while but the things of earth sharpened again blurring His sight upon Jesus.  He sank and Jesus had to rescue him.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

While contemplating in this thought, there is clarity in the image I am seeing.  My little faith (mustard seed sized) is stretched just enough (according to my capability).  It is God stretching (99.9%) out to me and for me, to fill in for my own feeble investment.   I know that I can't produce the fruits with my own work but by His spirit.

Thank you God that we are being stretched by a God who is after our welfare and who loves us so much that we get just enough every time and benefit by it.  And I am so grateful, Father, that you are always in the lookout especially in times that we need to be rescued.  We trust in you, God.  Amen.

I wonder how much stretching does God have to make to launch me to flight?






I am linking this post to Pam's of Writing Applies of Gold.  She wrote about Stretch in response to the word prompt in community with Lisa-Jo Baker's 5Minute Friday.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE!
AND A BLESSED SUNDAY!

KNEEL BEFORE THE ALTAR

In reverence?

This image was shared by a friend at FB.  It caught my fancy and every time I pass by this image, I am reminded to kneel before the altar.

Isn’t it a good reminder to say grace before partaking from the table?

Although this goat has been pushed to the limit of its leash, that it has to kneel down to nibble at the priced green diet, one doesn’t have to be kneeling or bowing down while eating.


I once heard of a question, thrown as a joke or whatever, asking why people bow down and close their eyes before they eat.  I hope he knows that we were not worshiping our food but the giver.  How much would it show if people have to go down on their knees while eating?  Except of course, if it is a Korean or Japanese meal time.

For times that we enter the Altar or the Holy Place, we should be on our knees or bowed low in humility.  One blogger says that when she enters her prayer sanctuary, she takes off her sandals.

For me, we can go all about how we would like to express our awe in our Holy God.  We are free.  But one thing surely needs to be in order, the issue of our heart.

Places can be designated as a Holy Place, a Prayer Sanctuary, a, Prayer Room, a Holy Ground and you may preserve its sanctity.  "Hallowed be the ground where God is found."

IMAGE SOURCE

 It is a good thing and being able to point at its sacredness to the other members of the family, will make them respect it too, and they may tread quietly even reverently,  while passing along the place, when you are in there.  I once stumbled upon a blog, but I forget where it is now, where she wrote about the little prefab backyard shed her husband gifted her for her alone time- where she could pray, have her quiet time, write her journals and read.   It looks like the picture in the right.  How awesome it would be if one has such a place consecrated for prayer.

When one lives in a one-room house, where there is no nook to designate as a private prayer room, one learns to withdraw deep inside to hear the still small voice.   A walk to the nearest hill is a sure difficult task to traverse.  Perhaps not to the agile but so for the older ones like me.  Thus, it is necessary to develop that quiet inside your heart,  to be able to commune with your Holy Father.

Lastly, seeking God in quiet walks, for petitions and intercessions, or even in the ordinary order of the day like eating and going to bed, or going out of the house, one needs to say grace,  acknowledge the God of Provision and Protection.


Preceding all transactions with our Heavenly Father must be a heart prepared, humble and worshipful.


Last week I was reading from a friend’s blog , CROWN OF BEAUTY, where she shared that:

“We are learning as we go deeper into intercession that it is not wise to engage in spiritual warfare without adequate worship.

 Our warfare must proceed from worship.”

So entering the Altar before our Holy God, we need to be clothed in humility, bowed low to our knees, reverent and worthy.  This is more of a heart issue than a place issue.

Science says that we have to wash our hands before we eat.  But when you hear the Psalmist say it this way:

 Psalm 26:6   "I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD,"

 ...... the washing of hands in innocence should mean the right heart or the right attitude.  We are on Holy Ground, what should our attitude be and what should be the state of our heart?

CONSECRATE OUR HEART.

I would like to link this post with Patsy at HeARTworks with her Ezekiel with Dreadlocks! 

It is so timely with this post, finding Ezekiel lying flat on his face, in reverence before the presence of the Lord.

He must be in such a Holy Place before God.

"As the appearance of a 

rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day,

so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.

Such was the appearance

of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

And when I saw it, 

I fell on my face...."

Ezekiel 1:28

CLICK HERE

A HAPPY NEW WEEK TO EVERYONE!