The voice
For us
Evidence of God
For all to hear
Some think it thundered
Others say an angel spoke
Am I missing it
Dismissing it
Because it’s not what I want
Am I confused
Disoriented
Distracted
Because I haven’t been listening
Caught up in my life
My ideas
Of who and what
I want
My Messiah
Savior
To be
© 2013 Julie Clark
Pieces of God
Treasures
Hidden in all the earth
Until we see them
And wonder how we had
Missed the evidence
Of their existence
Am I one?
With His DNA
Hidden like a diamond
To be discovered
In my heart?
© 2012 Julie Clark
Here is what we do with shame
We wrap ourselves up in it
Like a blanket
Hiding our brokenness
Because
Somehow, somewhere, sometime
We believed we were meant
To be perfect
Yes, we were
But, we are not
Not a single one of us
We are all in this together
Yet
If we walk towards
The light
And little by little
Throw off the dark blanket
Bringing each broken place
Into the light
Then something new and beautiful
Begins to happen
We are changed –transformed
A becoming perfect begins
Not all at once
But one step at a time
Because
That light is love
And that love burns like fire
We will not die but live
And be made whole
And we will see God
© 2011 Julie Clark
God is
God loves
God is working through the chaos
Look back
Look beyond
Hasn’t he always been?
His reign continues
His door is open
His invitation remains
The fire has been burning
Since our first parents
Grasped what was not theirs
It burned then
It continues to burn now
Until the day
All that can be burned will be gone
And what will be
Will be glorious and pure
© 2011 Julie Clark
Call me Treasure
Call me Pearl
Sought and found
You the merchant
You the farmer
All sold
All given
Until I was yours forever.
Only now
Can I love
Because I am loved
By the first lover
Can I give
Can I live
Breathed on
With fresh life
Responding daily
To my name
Treasure and Pearl
© 2009 Julie Clark
Heartbeat of God
Ever reaching for His children
Justice and Peace
He longs to bring with
Connection to His streams of Life
His life breathes life into what is dead or dying
Reviving, weaving, creating purpose
For each new day.
© 2010 Julie Clark
What counts? What is important? What is God looking for from me? How do I get there?
Paul is clearly concerned for the Galatians. He is astonished, perplexed. After he had spent time teaching them the Good News that faith in Jesus the Messiah was what was required, they were turning back to Jewish Laws and rituals.
5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
6:15 “Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything: what counts is a new creation.”
Circumcision represents keeping the Jewish law. Circumcision was the Old Covenant Marker. It showed who God’s people were. The males were circumcised.
What is the New Covenant marker? (God made a New Covenant with us in Jesus)
Ephesians 1:13: “And you also were included in Christ, when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of his glory.”
Keeping the law, or a set of rules or regulations is not what counts. It’s a new life of faith (which comes from believing in Jesus) expressing itself through love that counts. This new life is the Spirit’s work in us.
How do we get to this new life? Does it just happen? Do we need to do something? Yes! We work together with him. He does the hard part of transforming our lives. We cooperate with him and this is how.
Here is where seeds and fruit come in.
What are these? Seed packets!
What happens when I plant these in my garden and the conditions are good? Good soil, water, sun, etc…. They grow!
If I plant a tomato seed will I get a thistle?
Seeds: 6:8: “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
What are we sowing?
What are the choices we make?
What do we say yes to? What do we say no to?
These are seeds. Our choices are these seeds.
Fruit: 5:19-23: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such thins there is no law.”
These fruit grow out of the seeds we plant. Good fruit or bad fruit depending on what seed is sown!
This fruit produces life or death in us. It produces life or death in our relationships.
Listen to some words of Jesus about fruit:
Matt. 7:16: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?”
John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
People marked by the Spirit of God are bearing good fruit! Our lives tell who we are! Our words??? Do they match our lives? Our lives count. They show God’s glory.
In order to get fruit of love, joy, peace…… we make choices everyday to sow seeds that will grow these fruit into our lives.
We choose to forgive, rather than hold a grudge: peace and love grow.
We choose to help our stressed neighbor: kindness grows.
We choose to not react to the driver who cuts us off: patience and self-control grows.
We choose sit on the beach and enjoy a sunset: peace grows.
We choose to comfort a crying child: gentleness grows
It’s not easy but we start developing new habits and new habits grow and become a new life and that is what counts.
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