Receiving #1

The man at the pulpit senses a presence that is familiar to him during his times alone in his secret place. As he looks over the congregation, he feels that this moment can not be brushed aside, much less ignored.. “Everyone, hold out your hands”, he says “and just receive”..

This portrays a moment in our life to where we need to be the partakers of this wonderful gift, “to freely receive”, which has been the desire of our Heavenly Father from the beginning of time.

I was awestruck this week at a lesson that was being taught from Matt. Chapter 10 where Jesus is speaking to his 12 disciples and gives them power over all the unclean spirits. He then says to them in verse 8, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” This was an astounding statement if you really look at in the way it is presented. Jesus is saying to them, “I am freely giving to you the anointing that I have, now go and walk in it, and freely give it away.
Have we postured ourselves in a manner that has allowed us to receive from our Lord? Ok, let me step out on a limb here for a moment…… Are we seeing a massive amount of people leave our presence or leave our churches just as sick and in as much bondage as when they came??? Because if we are, “and we do”, is it possible that there is something missing? Are we entering homes or hospitals with bed ridden individuals, and leaving them still in the same manner that they were in when we arrived?? Is it possible then, that what is missing is our “refusal” to receive? Whether the refusal is intentional or not, is it just simply a lack of unbelief on our part that God would give us something like this for free?

-Larry K. Dammerman-

Journey

For the last week I have not been able to sit down and write a new blog... Not because I didn't want to, but because I have been on this journey of feelings and emotions,, etc. etc..... What I have come to realize is, that although those journeys in our lives have many ups and downs,, we do not go on them alone.. Sometimes it really feels like we are alone,, but we really aren't.....

Last week I was in a continuous state of asking God "WHY".... Why am I feeling this way, why do I feel like you are not with me on this,, why, why ,why,,,, and every time I started to experience my loneliest moment,,, He would speak to me somehow,,,,, either through a sermon, a song, a prayer from a friend through an email, or,, through the mouth of a little sweet 14 yr. old girl reading a scripture.

So, I knew enough, to "refuse" to allow myself to get offended at God for waiting too long to speak to me,,, in which I could only measure by my "own impatience",, because I also realized that what He really wanted,,, was for me to "trust" Him, and "seek" Him.

It is so easy for us in those times to look sideways and not up,,, looking for answers in places we shouldn't,, especially our own intellect,, and I believe this is where we can experience some very quiet times,, just "talking" to ourselves,, leaving out what is most important,"God".

I did not expect to write anything today that would be profound,, I just wanted to express to you the desire that is in God's heart to have fellowship with you... When you are sitting alone, nobody around, and the world seems to be crashing all around you,,, what will you do?? Will you seek the heart of God,, or will you seek other things?????



-Larry Dammerman-

Repentance

The Hebrew Word Picture of "Repentance" is a stirring example of the depth of the ancient language. The word Shoov, (repentance) means to Burn The House Down, And Change The Kingdom.

This is interesting considering the message that broke the 400 years of silence in Matt4:17, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

We can not say that we have truly repented if we still have walls, and rooms to go back to. A true turning away, or changing of heart, as some modern definitions paint the word, can not happen if we are secretly longing for "the old house."

Just some thoughts.

-Christina Dammerman-

"Basin" Theology

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Jn 13:1

When the pressure’s mounting and the troubles are coming, you will either do what Pontius Pilate did and wash your hands of Jesus Christ and Christianity and wash your hands of what you thought was true, “biblically”, and like Pilate you will say, “Bring me the Basin”, and you will wash your hands and say, “ I’m not going to deal with this stuff any longer”!! Or you can simply do as what Jesus did, when He took the basin and He washed feet.

"Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. – Jesus- Jn 13:12-15

Even though His world, ( In a sense) was coming down, and even though He was going through times of intensity that we will never fully understand in this world, He did not wash His hands from those disciples, from those deniers, from those betrayers, but rather he loved them, and He washed their feet.

What are "we" going to do when things just aren’t working out? When things are really falling apart? You will find yourself at that moment facing “Basin Theology”, either washing your hands, or washing someone’s feet. You will either be a Pontius Pilate or you will be following the example of Jesus Christ. Have we offended anyone? Or is someone offended at us and we did nothing intentionally to cause that offense, but it is there? Maybe we are offended at a friend, a brother or sister, or Leadership in the Body of Christ. The decision that we make today may affect us for the rest of our lives, even as simple as it may seem, it will surely have consequences.

-Larry Dammerman-