Lent: Day Forty-two ~ A Christian Revival

God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, “I love you.” ~ Billy Graham

I don’t know if 2014 is supposed to be the year of a revival but as a Christian I can feel something stirring around the world where more and more people are coming to Christ, they're waking up and noticing Him. Movies are being made and it feels as if God is making His move. Recently, one particular movie, God is Not Dead, is having a positive affect on the Christian community.

I noticed the churning earlier in the year with the Duck Dynasty controversy where a man spoke the truth of his faith in Jesus and was condemned. A multimillion dollar franchise was on the line but he didn’t care, he was not going to be swayed by the media to take back his statements he had made which offended people NOT of any denomination, just the politically correct people of America.

Then we see satan fighting back with a movie called Noah where the story’s only real biblical truth of the bible is Noah built an arc and a few other facts tossed in for good measure; much of the tale is fabricated by the writer who ironically is atheist who doesn’t call God, God he calls Him the creator.

In God is not Dead, we have a young man attending college and is met with a professor of philosophy who asks the kids to do an assignment. They have to basically say that God is not alive. One kid says, "No I’m a Christian, God is alive." He almost refuses to do the assignment and the professor got an earful by the young man when he declared in his words that God is NOT Dead and gave astonishing proof! He met the professor head on with God as the Creator and Christ the redeeming Savior.

I have not seen the movie myself but many at my church went to see the movie this weekend and came out with positive reviews of what an excellent movie it was. Will it beat Noah in the dollar amounts taken in at the box office? I doubt it. But will the message be loud and clear that God is not dead? A resounding YES!

It seems this is the year for a revival! A revival that God is ALIVE! I hear more and more frequently people coming to Christ. Our Pastor does missions in some parts of China and he said yes God is alive in China and more and more are coming to Christ. This isn’t just a local revival; I’m talking global revival!

In nations that don’t accept Christ or the banning of bibles takes place, everywhere there is a lone house sitting unknowingly holding Christians gathering together to read the one Bible someone did get a chance to smuggle in.

Did you know that Easter and Christmas the Churches of all denominations, fill to capacity and some even have to add extra seating? Why? Is it because it’s the ONE time a year people go to hear the word that is being spoken about so often that they too want to taste what’s being served up?

I never understood how some people could attend church once or twice a year and feel filled with the fullness of God and see that as their respect to Christ. The last time I checked Jesus DIED for you and me and that is all you can do for Him is give Him one or two days a year?  I know, I know, you read, you believe AND go to Church twice a year. That’s all well and good but as a revival year? If you’re claiming to be a Christian, you might want to rethink the debt you owe to Christ.

This week is Holy Week, the week that Jesus rode through the streets as believers laid palms at His feet and praised His name and sang Hosanna, Hosanna, loud enough for all to hear. Then by the end of the week they sent Him to the cross and watched as He died a bloody death.

I have heard many people ask, “If Jesus was God’s Son, why did He send Him to His death? Why didn’t He save Him?” You know, over two thousand years ago, there were men at Jesus’ feet asking the same thing. Let me enlighten you! He died to save US! To redeem us in God’s eyes. He saved us from our enemy SIN. And y’know, when someone dies for you, in my eyes you OWE Him a little more than a passing fancy. You owe Him your LIFE! Some people see it that way, while others could care less. I understand, somewhat.

You still don’t believe in Him? Well you’re going to see a revival; a fleeing TO Him in the coming year and you’re going to wind up either with Him singing out Hosanna, or against Him waving your hand for Him to move on as He passes by. Guess what, He gives you THAT choice too!

So while my words might sound a bit hokey to some, there are others right this minute asking Jesus to come into their lives and save them, by the thousands!!! THEY don’t thinks it’s hokey, they can FEEL the uprising taking place and they seek salvation to live eternally. Those that have an ear, let him hear.

May the grace and the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!

2 Peter 1:2-8 (KJV) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why am I so devoted?

1 Cor. 10: 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Why am I so devoted?

You know, I’ve had people ask me, “Why are you so devoted to God? What has He ever given you?”

“I mean really, you need to ask that?  First of all He has given me life, among other things.”

“You really believe that?”

“Yes, yes I do. Don’t you?”

And thus begins a discussion on God.

Last week my face swelled up like a balloon. My whole right side was disproportionate with my left side making me look quite gruesome and grotesque, not to mention the pain that rode along with the swelling.

It wasn’t an allergic reaction to something I ate. It felt like an abscess or some sort of sinus infection. I had a nightmare where I had went into church and everyone was laughing at me whispering behind my back, “She looks like the elephant man.”

We hadn’t been to church in two or three weeks because Steven’s boss keeps scheduling him on Sunday, after he’s asked for Sunday’s off, so I was feeling depleted. I continually sing praises throughout the day, read my bible and keep in touch with God but my worship on Sunday really keeps me rooted in my love of God and keeps my eyes focused on Him.

This Sunday however Steven had the day off so we would be allowed to attend service! I was elated; my face was swelled like a balloon so it kind of scared me to think I’d go into church to be looked at. Not that they EVER would look at me and laugh and judge, (I don’t attend THAT kind of church.)  But Friday’s pain did have me concerned.

I told Steven that this was satans way of trying to keep me out of church this Sunday and that I’d be going if I had to CRAWL! Steven replied, “If it works out that way.”

“Oh, it’ll work out! I have FAITH! GOD wants me there!” Yes, the battle between God and satan happens daily in lives. Who wins is up to you.

I woke Sunday at 5 am like always, had my coffee, slowly sipping because the pain was too much to bear. I was debating going to church, bracing the temps, and fear of shivering because it would hurt.

I was on my knees crying in pain, “God, I can’t make it today. I’m in so much pain.”

Quite suddenly a response of, “What pain?”

“What pain? WHAT pain,” and before I could finish crying out what pain one more time, I felt NO PAIN! What? NO pain, you ask? YES, no pain. I went on to finish getting dressed and we made it to Church. God wanted me there so again, HE won! All praise and Glory to God!

THIS is why I’m so devoted to God. Any time I have ever cried out and times when I didn’t cry out, He always hears and has a response. Now granted a lot of folks, like I was saying yesterday, have faith, pray and believe and that is all well and good, but devoted? Is your life devoted to God?

When you don’t have money to pay the bills or buy food do you worry, do you run around looking for ways to get the funds, or do you place total trust in God? I’ve heard this many times too, “God’s not going to put food on your plate.” Well guess what, He WILL put food on your plate, He will see to it the funds are there, He'll use people to see the food is there, but mark my word, He DOES move mountains to see you well taken care of.

No, He won’t pay your cable bill, He doesn’t see to it you have the luxuries that you so often over indulge in, but yes, food, water, a warm home? YES! He’s also placed the means for a new car in my life, albeit an old used car, but nonetheless a car, only because He saw in advance the total wrecking of our second vehicle, and transportation is a means to food on our table via Steven working.

So YES, He DOES put food on my plate. He covers me in a blanket of protection. He sees my falls before I get there and is the soft pillow I land on before injury. If something doesn’t work out that *I* want, it’s because it is not what HE wanted for me, and sometimes (no, all the time) we have to be alright with that.

Once you accept that in your life, you become devoted to God. Your focus is on what glorifies Him and not what the media (satan) can place in front of you to distract you. Our distractions pull us away from God and thus the state of the world today.

Why am I so devoted to God? Because God, in all His Glory, is devoted to ME!

Phil. 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

The Valley

Job 21: 33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

The Valley

*  *  *

I’m living in a valley

an emptiness in my soul.

A wicked web of deceit

through trust that you stole.

Lies are the breadcrumbs

I’m expected to gobble down.

The valley has an echo;

the hills they wear a frown.

Deep in the valley

too few have come to see.

It’s where I walk hand-in-hand

with my Savior beside me.

Alone I walk the valley

I shall never fear

for it is God who whispers

right in my very ear.

I’m told of all the beauty

that will come to be.

Left behind is the valley

as Heaven welcomes me.

Isa. 7: 19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

Isa. 22: 5 For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. [7] And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

Submitting to...

...to God

Ha! Now that I’ve got you in here, you’re committing to read the entire post, right?

I’ve written a few posts about submitting your work but have I mentioned submitting to the Lord? Allow me to bore you or enlighten you, won’t you?

When I first began writing or should I say, taking my writing seriously, I felt that it was only by the grace of God I made it to where I was in my writing journey. Keep in mind that Submitting to God is not the same as serving. I’ve always served One God and only one God, and no one had to tell me or ask me to serve, I just did/do it.

Submitting to God is placing your trust in Him to carry you, even your writing. I’m not one to babble on and on about nothing, I like to relay a certain positive message in my writing where you walk away thinking and feeling like you’re that much more informed by what you read.

I was kind of honored when on Facebook an author asked, “Who is your favorite female blogger,” and among many replies there was MY name, Joni Zipp! I’m hoping a frenzy of folk Googled my name, found my blog and also found the inspiration they were looking for! I have submitted to God, so only He can get the credit for where my journey goes. And I pray that that is what you see in me when visiting my blog. God shining through every post!

Here’s another example of the fruits of submitting to God:

Many years ago there was a man named Miles that I met who had no other interests but the net, surfing the net, stuff and junk and me. Many months (almost a year) of being intrigued, we met, in person.

The man wasn’t interested in much except surfing the net, working, and gaming. Even I, in all my beauty couldn’t entice him away. One day (I’m sparing you the lengthy portion of the tale) he submitted to God. His whole life changed and as we sit here today, he is a published author.

Many of you can take an educated guess as to who he is, I’m just telling you, sharing with you, that he is a changed man. Does he still surf the net, game, and work? Yes, all of the above, except there is one difference, since he’s placed God front and center, he now has a purpose, loves writing, loves serving the Lord, and loves me! (Well I think he’s always loved me, but under God’s Light, there’s a different ambience surrounding us.)

He submitted to God and I had the pleasure of watching the metamorphosis take place. Yes, he physically and spiritually went through a life-altering change. From being blind to the miracle of seeing again, from being an ungodly person to a person who proclaimed the Lord as his Savior! Does he still sin? Well of course! Romans 3:23 says: “All have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God.” We change and strive NOT to sin but nonetheless we are ALL sinners.

So when I say, ‘Submit to God’ I’m not telling you as if I’m preaching, rather I’m offering you a suggestion in a way to change a negative atmosphere in your writing journey (or life for that matter) into a positive flow of blessings in your life AND your writing.

See, that wasn’t so bad now was it? If your reading this sentence then you made it through the entire post without running away! Thank you and God bless!

Poetry Sunday ~ Have We Forgotten

Luke 7:16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.


Have we forgotten?

*** 

Everyone seems to celebrate Easter
sitting at home on their keister;
gobbling down all the ham
forgotten is the Holy Lamb.

Glory to the Risen King
songs of praise to Him should ring.
For all the love and sacrifice
the blood for us should suffice.

Long forgotten is the Word
messages are never heard
We toy, we change all He taught
to fit our needs, like food for thought.

We justify all our deeds
by planting all unworthy seeds.
Are we to plant in desert soil
or boldly sow with weekly toil.

Minimize our earthly duty,
we give ourselves over to beauty.
Lame creatures, contentedly being,
shame on us for never seeing.

For me it is all praise and glory,
in my soul dwells Jesus’ story.
My soul remains entwined to His
I’m shown the truth of all Easter is.

Poetry Sunday ~ The Rainbows Touch

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

***

The Rainbows Touch
***

The sun drips rainbows from the sky,
a canopy of color blooms down.
Skyward my eyes squint to behold,
the hue of God to which I’m bound.

Rest those eyes, my precious child
For you are not alone.
Color the sky in rainbow pearls
where angels before have flown.

Whisked away to the palette
where brush and paint collide
In His hand I’m gently cradled
the arc of the bow I reside.

Flecks of color come alive
they dance in a splendid show.
His voice now sings a melody
of which I’ve come to know.

Beads if shivers rush my spine
but warmth of light abounds.
Spinning in a cosmic glow
awashed in harps and sounds.

In Gods eyes we unite
the harmony I seek so much
I’ve found it in the loving care
and warmth of the Rainbow’s Touch!

Out with the Old...

Pss. 33: 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
***

Wow, can you believe another year has gone by? I just looked at the calendar and it is the 15 th of December already. The new year will be beginning in a little more than two weeks and have I gotten anything done this year that I had set out to do? No.

I have never been one to make plans. It always seems that you make them, something comes up and the plans that you had planned on for weeks or days falls apart and then you need to shift gears and make new plans.

I have been writing my blog almost religiously. I like to keep my posts current and active. I like to teach new things or share with you, so THAT plan worked out well. And as we wind down the year, I must wonder if everyone is ready for this holiday? Are you eager to begin the new year and shuffle this one behind you and scoot it nicely under the bed? I sure am!

I know one of the major things that worked out this year was growth in my faith. I had always assumed I was nicely content with my faith, but one should never get  too content with ones faith. Whether you’re Christian, Buddhist, Catholic, or Muslim, there is always room to grow and journey with your God.

You can say, “No, I’ve learned all that I can.” But I have to disagree, with every single day of your learning/living, there is always something new where you scratch your head and say, “Well, I didn’t know that.” Ever have one of those days? Well geez, in my case every day is like that.

The new year started off on a high note but by July, it all started having a domino effect and tumbled downward day after day. What-with doctor visits and preparing my son for his first day of school, taking beau to Omaha on a few occasions, hopes rising and falling, then God putting a halt to all the toppling of the outcomes by saying, “Wait, did you run all this by ME first?”

Since it is Him who has complete control, we all stopped and said, “What will you have us do Father?” And that is when beau decided to wait on the Lord, Adam decided to pray for his enemy, and I, I continued writing like a news reporter gleaning all the days/weeks news.

So as you head into the new year, look behind at the old one and ask yourself, “Have I learned anything this year that I never knew before?” I bet nine out of ten of you will all shake your head in agreement and give a resounding, “Yes!”

Move forward into the new year with joyful anticipation knowing there is something new waiting for you next year! You don’t have to make plans, just know in your heart that it is waiting for you around the corner!

Poetry Sunday ~ Oh Heavenly Father

Pss.33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have
trusted in his holy name.
***

Oh Heavenly Father
(c) Joni Zipp

My burdens heavy
I walk alone,
I can only do
what I am shown.

Oh heavenly Father carry me
help me Lord to understand thee.

Though my life
has me blind
I always seek
but never find.

Oh heavenly Father set me free
from the pain of reality.

I do not question
this wonderful task
I can not hide
behind a mask.

Oh heavenly Father now I see
You have a special plan for me.

All rights reserved: copyright © Joni  Zipp

Family...your worst enemy?

Eph 3: 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

[15] Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

***

Family....your worst enemy

I know that statement is harsh but in my experience, it is the truth. Sure your family is great, all smiles when you’re close to them, a 'normal' family with open arms, opinions, prodding and assistance. But move hundreds of miles away and see just how much your family really cares.

I think from my writing you can glean I was a messed up kid. I have four brothers and a sister and our intricate weaving of closeness ran about as layered as an Igloo’s ice block.  We were close while we could do something for one another. We were there for one another when we had to be, but there was something missing in my childhood that eludes me to this day; genuine heartfelt LOVE!

As you read in my two previous posts, there were decisions trying to be made for me, there was a lot of discouragement and there was hope dashed whenever it could be dashed, by circumstances and family that is.

I got an email the other day from a long lost family member. We had been close at one time in our lives, but ever since I left home and gave up on that whole ‘family’ business and started looking out for me, I talk to no one but my mother (daily), and my sister and niece on occasion.

Not that I haven’t tried to reach out. I called, but the calls got far and few in between until they ended completely. My family is the type, they don’t call you, unless you call them. How’s that for love? One year, my ex had given my brother three hundred dollars to mail to my son. It never made it here. Bro said he felt bad and would send it from his own pocket but, that too never made it here.

So why should I have gotten excited by an email that said, “How are you?” Because people, I hold out hope that someone from that clan really does love me. I was wrong. I wrote back in excitement, shared my joys, sorrows and triumphs and my son attending school. And the response? An ice block. “My family is great, my life is great, everything is great,” reported the email. Not one ounce of, “Sorry to hear you’re going through all of that,” nothing. A compassion-less heart, frigid.

What does any of this have to do with writing? Let me tell you. I was encouraged by the Grace of God. I went on with the Lord’s blessing. I continued through all hardships and struggles to stand firm in my belief. The writing community is my family now. They love, appreciate and encourage me, every step of the way. Just like a family should!

I now know what genuine heartfelt love is! Even if the people reside all over the world, I know to them, I am somebody. To them, I am family.

The writing community is a FAMILY. We don’t just ‘write’, we LOVE!