A Testimony to my pastor.....

This is a copy of a recent email I sent to my pastor.  It was entitled: A testimony about lack. I thought you might like to read it also.

     I have been a little worried about my financial situation the last few months... income has been down and I don't want to be in debt. When I was praying, reminding God of my financial needs this month, the Lord allowed me to look in on the scene of His feeding the multitudes.  This is how I literally saw it.

     Thousands of men, women, children, healthy and sick, rich and poor were camped out for the day on the grass of a large hillside. It was getting late in the day.  They had already eaten their lunches and snacks much earlier, not wanting to miss anything that might happen there with Jesus, the Healer, the prophet-teacher, the miracle worker in their midst. 

     The disciples noted the subtle restlessness of the children who were tired and hungry, the undercurrent of concern among the parents, and even the unspoken questions of the more sophisticated about how long was He, this Jesus, going to go on.  They came to Jesus, turned Him aside and asked Him about this.  Should they try to go buy food?  Did they have enough money for such a large crowd?  Or would He dismiss them now, allow them to go home or to nearby inns? 

     I could see the wry little smile on Jesus' face as He turned around and said, "Well, why don't you go and see what you can gather up from those who had brought food," motioning them to, "go on now".  Then He continued on with His divine lessons, walking among them, laying a

hand on fussy children, stopping to touch a lonely widow, to pray for an aching back.  He seemed utterly unconcerned about the disciples' assessment of the gathering.  He had more, much more, to say, and the hearts were open and ready to feast on the real Bread of Life. 

     When one of the disciples came back with nothing in the basket he had borrowed, and another with only a half-eaten loaf of bread and a dried fish, Jesus smiled again and motioned them to sit down and wait for the others.  Then He went on to finish His parable.  Soon the others drifted back and compared their "catch".  Only a few more loaves of various shapes and kinds of bread and a couple more shriveled up fish. What were they going to do?  What would Jesus say? 

     Well, He didn't say anything.   He just grinned from ear to ear.   He actually picked up some of the bread and smelly fish and raised His arms up and gleefully kissed each piece.  Then He quietly began laughing to Himself as He gave the traditional blessing, replacing the food in the various baskets and continuing to thank The Father for these generous, sacrificial gifts...given with trusting hearts.  THEN, He said, "Take the baskets back out among the people and give them all they want." And all the time, He was chuckling quietly as He watched the blank faces of His helpers, who slowly backed away with their baskets, their eyes transfixed on His grinning face. Then suddenly one tripped on a nearby leg...falling backwards,  his basket flying through the air.  Bread, loaves and loaves of it, sailing  and then landed in the laps of those behind him! The joy of Lord began to break out on all sides. 

     And,  course, everyone ate their fill, with plenty of leftovers for those not fortunate enough to have been there to see it for themselves.  And joy filled the place, babies went to sleep, children quieted and watched this Miracle Worker as He seemed to reach out His arms to hug them all at once.  And the sun sank below the horizon  on a peaceful crowd as they packed up and went away for the night.

 

     I know this is a paraphrase, but it was the way I saw it.  Then Jesus seemed to be telling me that I must not be like the disciples as they looked at the huge need, and the minute supply.  He seemed to be saying that I must keep my eyes on His face...on the joy He felt, the glee that He experiences when we just trust Him. 

     Of course, I could go on and on with my assessment of what He meant.  But I think that's for each one of us to do as we  see that picture of His joy in responding to our trust, as we get our eyes off the needs....as we just keep looking at Him.  

     I hope this picture stays in your head and moves to your heart as quickly as it did mine.

 Blessings,

Judy Lokits

 

 

 

Deep Calls Unto Deep

     I finally submitted Deep Calls Unto Deep - How to respond to the Passionate Love of God to the publisher this week.  It is about the Song of Songs in the Bible, a book that intrigues most Christians with it's love story and evocative language, but leaves them with the question, "Why is this book in the Bible?"
     I believe most teachers avoid teaching on The Song because they really don't know quite what to do with it, afraid of offending some in their congregations, or dulling down the language and meaning so much that it becomes a misunderstood story. The truth is that the Song of Songs is the picture of the greatest love story there has ever been.  It is the love story of God and His people.
     This week I read an article in our local Ahwatukee Foothills News insert for seniors written by  Rabbi Dean Shapiro, spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Tempe,AZ, entitled the Gift of Torah. The title intrigued me and I was thrilled to read this passage.  "The Torah is the symbol of the love shared between God and the Jewish people.  Because Shavuot marks the night that symbol was given, the Kabbalists taught that it is our marriage night as well. We study into the night to achieve a mystical union with God. Just as Ruth bound herself to Naomi and her tribe, so do we bind ourselves, over and over again, to our God and our Torah".
     The rabbis and ancient Jewish leaders have understood this love story for centuries. That is why it is in The Old Testament of our Bible today. Continuing the revelation in The New Testament, Jesus is quickly recognized as the Bridegroom who has come for His bride.

     Being a person who learns best pictorially, I have to see it first.  I am a born romantic and need to get involved with the story. For me, the history of a place or event makes so much more sense when I can insert myself into that situation. 
     For example, learning about a place like Ephesus cannot compare to walking down a 2100 years old Roman boulevard with parts of marble pillars lining the street, a colossal Roman building around the corner, and coming upon an ancient marketplace now covered over with grass and weeds.  I can almost hear the sounds of people shopping, children playing, and soldiers clomping down the street while people scatter to get out of their path. I listen for Paul, the apostle, standing somewhere is this large city center, gathering a crowd as he preaches the Good News. I read a part of his book to the Ephesians as I stand here.  I now am in that crowd.

     That's how I see the Song of Songs.  A collection of conversations that give us a picture of a growing, responding, hesitant love is painted on the pages of this book.  A young woman learning to love the love of her life.  But that's only part of the story.  The other part of it is the royal lover, who gently teaches her of his love for her and what their marriage-covenant will produce. 
     Without the vibrant and sometimes erotic descriptions, I cannot really grasp the scene.  Jesus uses this same teaching technique over and over...speaking in parables, using the vernacular and local life experiences of his characters to teach an eternal lesson. He paints a picture for us...places us in the scene.  I guess it's my artistic nature that responds so passionately to these scenes.  I RELATE.  I CAN FEEL THE EMOTION.  I RESPOND WITH EMOTION.  I OWN IT!

     That's why I wrote this Bible Study.  I didn't want to interpret every one of the word descriptions

and dull down their impact. Yes, as in Jesus' parables, there are deep lessons in these word pictures. The words are a poetic vehicle, not meant to be sexual, but to arouse our passionate love, to fire up our heart to produce powerful fruit. I want to have my emotions aroused.  I want to feel God's love for me.  I want to respond to that love emotionally, as well as spiritually.  I want to love Him with a passion so great that I will do anything for Him...even give Him my whole life.  Then maybe my life will accomplish something really special and important...for the Kingdom of God.

Urgent...Tomorrow is National Day of Prayer

     I know you are busy.....so am I.
          I know you pray.....so do I.
                I know you care.....so do I.
But do we care enough to take at least 30 minutes tomorrow, May 7, 2015, to pray for our country?

If you want to go on line and join others, www.PresidentialPrayerTeam.org/ndp, is one choice.
      You can also google National Day of Prayer and join many other organizations.

If your church is holding a service, please sacrifice the time to attend.

If those are not good options for you, join me.  I plan to spend an hour from 1pm to 2pm MST.

If you don't know what to pray for, turn on the news tonight, read the paper, or go online to the    headlines.  Everywhere we look, there are things we need to place before the Lord.
      
He is the only solution....the only resolution  (the words from a worship song I know).
Start with the Lord's Prayer, and let the Holy Spirit quide you to amplify each of it's sentences.
Or start with Psalm 40, and read through several of them, and add the issues that come to your mind to those of David.

The important thing is that we pray
      with a humble and repentant heart
             with faith and a believing mind
                     with sincerity and pure motives
                           with thanks giving.....knowing He has heard and PROMISES to answer.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ( Phillipians 4: 6-7)

Chaos

     Do you sometimes feel that our country, yes, and the world are in chaos?  Well this is one of those days for me!
     Today the supreme court is deciding whether the centuries old definition of marriage should be changed to accommodate same sex marriage.  What's wrong here? I've had wonderful gay friends, but I never expected to have a major cultural tradition, let alone my personal Christian belief, demolished.....why?
     Today, I'm watching the riots in Baltimore.  Masses of police, National Guard units, and other law enforcement have come in to quell the lawless thugs who have destroyed their community in the guise of a protest against unjust treatment  by the police that resulted in a prisoner found dead in their custody.  There's no doubt the protest has real merit, but these thugs looted, set community services and improvements on fire, then cut the fire hoses in defiance as the outmanned police stood by trying to at least prevent harm to people.
      Just as you can, I can list a multitude of other major hits to my Christian world view.  That's most likely how people felt in 30 A.D. when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, especially when they saw a great crowd following this Holy Man being led to His crucifixion crushing all their hopes for a Messiah that would set things right.
      One thing is different, though.  We hold that Hope in our hands, our hearts, our very lives.  Why, because this Man, Jesus Christ, gave us the key to peace.   PRAYER in the Name of Jesus!
    
     As so many Christians have, I am lately compelled to my knees, on almost a daily basis, to pray for The Church, my country, and the world in crisis.  I'm praying for:
       The Church......The Church, the Body of Christ, is the holder of the LIGHT (Matthew 5:13 - 16).
However, what is the state of  The Church in America?  If you are hearing what the Holy Spirit is telling me, we need to pray for her.  Pray that she will be delivered from the things of this world (both material and spiritual) that are like rotten apples in a redeemed soul.     
     The Church......the hundreds of modern-day martyrs who are suffering from the extremist Islamic  terrorists all over the world, their families, their local churches who are under attack.
     America....that God will have mercy on us and give us, as His Church here, another chance to be a light in the world.  We can repent for our past apathy, pray for change, and get informed so that we can vote for godly and men and women who are culturally sensitive to the Judeo-Christian ethics as they are raised up and run for office.
      The African American community in this country.....that these communities where poverty and crime are rampant, leading to hopelessness, might be healed by a sovereign move of God.  There has to be local leaders from local churches that will teach the Christian values of traditional families who take responsibility for their children.  There must be encouragers from those Blacks who have been successful who will work with the young men and women who want a chance to succeed.  These and so many other elements, needing wisdom and enablement, must be prayed for by their fellow Americans who believe there is power in the Name of Jesus.

     There is so much more I could sermonize on in this serious entry today, but you are not ignorant of these things, I'm sure.  All I can do is join with you as you, too, pray... as you, too, commit to give up some time from your personal plans and pray each day.  Yes, I still have a quiet time most days for personal devotions, but the Holy Spirit has pressed me to take some additional time during my evening relaxation in front of the TV set watching a favorite series.  Thank God for DVR's so that I can record and go back to the show I missed....a gift of grace from my Beloved.
     There's one thing I know for sure.  Jesus, Himself, promises that these prayers will be heard and that they will be answered....because they bear His Name....the Name which causes the demons in Hell to shudder because He has already defeated them.  This Name is the stamp of Guarantee!

Giftings

     I've been thinking of gifts lately...not new jewelry, or a new jacket, or even a gift card. For instance, at my watercolor class, Saturday, I gave two students the same subject to paint... a beautiful hot pink hibiscus blossom.  I gave them step-by-step instructions and watched their progress.  It was not long before I realized that each would create a totally different painting.  However, each painting was beautiful...the kind that makes a teacher speak out, "Oh, I'm so proud of you both. These are each so gorgeous!" 
     Both students have a lot of artistic talent,  but both have very different personalities.  One is very careful, disciplined, and conscientious.  The other student is much more a free spirit.  And these characteristics were so obvious in their paintings.  The instructions and subject were the same, but the painter was true to who she is.
     Later, when I settled down after dinner, I tuned into a PBS Masterpiece Classic, Mark Morris Dance Group. It was not a traditional ballet. The costumes' woodsy color scheme was soft and muted and very pleasing to the eye, fitting the choreographer's conception of  the story of mankind.     
     The 30 or so dancers sometimes moved together and in unison, sometimes in groups, large and small, mirroring another group, and sometime a lone dancer told a story for a few moments.  The choreography was so ingenious and captivating that even though I wasn't sure about the story, I loved watching the movement of the incredibly talented dancers.
     And, if you're still with me, I want to share with you the revelation about gifts that I received as I watched ....spiritual gifts, that is. 
     First of all, our Creator designed us all to be unique and beautiful in His eyes. You need only to look around you to verify that.  However, we learn in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit also has gifts...spiritual gifts... for us as believers. And that's where my two artistic events on Saturday come in. 
      They showed me how, just as a good instructor or director or choreographer leads and guides the many talents of his artists or dancers to portray the vision of the composer or creator, the  Lord takes us each, equips us with unique giftings that will express His eternal plans. He allows our individual gifts  and talents  to express themselves through the uniqueness of who we are. The Holy Spirit is the director, carefully guiding us to fulfill the Master's plans.
     And that is what means so much to me.  I can be His bride....unique in who I am and in my gifts, and still, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am His Bride...the corporate Body of Christ.  The dancers all have the same music, the same picture to present to the audience, but each must carefully follow the director in order to complete accurately the vision of the composer/choreographer.
      Whether our gift is teaching, serving, healing, hospitality, administration, leadership, or any one of a number of others, we must yield to the guidance of the Lord and His Spirit to learn how to use these gifts.  He wants to use them through our personality, our abilities, and our unique personage, making us each His "special one".  However, at the same time, He fits our uniqueness into the totality of His plan for His Creation... His eternal ballet.
     It will be a wonder to behold when we get to heaven and see the whole picture.  I can't wait!

New Beginnings

        Yesterday was Easter and what a glorious Arizona day if was!. After church, I joined my son and his family in the car as we drove to a friend's for a scrumptious Easter dinner in their beautiful back patio.  But the highlight for me was my son's question in the car.  "Mom, do you want to hear Handel's Hallelujah Chorus?'  I said, "Sure!"  And his wife fiddled around with her Iphone and he punched in some things on the car's fancy dashboard, and then at almost full volume, the glorious strains of the classic masterpiece of praise for the Resurrection filled our journey.  My daughter-in-law's mother opened her window a few inches so that the music could be heard by all who were walking or bicycling nearby.  We were all singing as the last strains caused us to want to stand and wildly applaud.....which of course doesn't work real well in a car.
      I was transported to the heavenlies as I sang along and, as it finally ended, I asked my son if he remembered that I always played that on Easter morning when he was growing up. He said, "Not really."  However, I knew his spirit remembered, prompting him to play this incredible piece for us on this Easter day.
       How often we don't know how vital our efforts to build a foundation of spiritual truths into our family are. It may be years from now, but each stone we place is not forgotten by the Lord.  And regardless of the immediate response, I believe He sets them with the mortor of His Spirit into those for whom they were intended. Those stones are permanent and living with the Life of the Holy Spirit. I, like you, am still waiting for dear ones to hear the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit as He draws them into the Truth of the Gospel and the Life and the Way.  Easter is a wonderful time to remember the faithfulness of God.
       So, I am taking this season of New Beginnings to be more consistent in my postings.  The Holy Spirit has been nudging me, also.  For my followers, I apologize for the gap in postings.  No really great excuse, just busy-ness with three watercolor classes I teach, double knee replacement, and other priorities that cause me to be lax in staying up on all the new ways to involve myself in social media.  But if you'll give me a second chance, I promise to be consistent.  I believe our Jesus has some things to say through this humble writer.