TooManyFlowers

On the flip side of my previous post “My Struggle”

There are some home truths that keep ringing in my ears………

As much as I was changed, impacted, taught and directed by my experiences in Manila, I cannot live in that experience and set up camp there. It would be an injustice and travesty to the present.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Living in the past is a dangerous place to be

Yesterday’s victories

Yesterday’s failures

Yesterday’s powerful experience

Yesterday’s destructive memories

Yesterday is NOT now……it is TODAY that matters, not yesterday

Am I making a difference today?

Am I touching people today?

Have I impacted a person for their better today?

Have I changed personally today?

Have I done anything to improve my future today?

Have I taken steps to reach out today?

Have I loved people today?

Have I been more like Jesus today?

It is not yesterday that is important, yes Baseco has changed me, has focused me, has renewed me, has developed me………

But if I LIVE  in that YESTERDAY experience I have failed TODAY.

Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day’s work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your widest ambition.

Sir William Osler, to his students
British (Canadian-born) physician (1849 – 1919)

God help me be effective in the here and now!

God help me not make excuses!

God help me be content where you have me!

Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisel

y improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
US poet (1807 – 1882)

To my dear friends who have followed my trip to the Philippines, on Saturday night Baseco was ravaged by fire in an area called Gasangan, this may be a familiar because I had Birthing Classes there, I knew many mothers, babies and children, John 14:12 had a Church, shelter, precious leaders, church members, pedicab drivers there too, now the pedicabs are burnt ruins, the area once packed with people and houses is a burning flattened smouldering mess. At the height of the fire there looked like 20-40 foot flames!

The reports are sketchy but we believe that 800 families have lost their homes and lives were lost……what a tradgedy!

Another disaster and setback for these struggling people, please pray, pray for individual mothers and their children now homeless…….their homes were humble and simple usually made from Bamboo, coconut wood, plastic and some tin…….but they were “home” to the family…………

The housing materials were simple however made a flammable fire trap also, open fires and candles are a constant risk………dry hot weather was another factor. I am  devastated that we are not there to help and comfort…….

To my faithful followers, please pray especially for these precious mothers just like you and I who live, have a family, cook clean and strive to better their families, those who once had a little “something” now have nothing…..God help them!

PS I have just heard that the fire stopped 3 houses from the church, thank you God!!

I wanted to share some sermons that God laid on my heart when I was in Baseco………..that way I can remember them and record them, not that they are really profound or deep, they are really one older mum sharing and speaking to other women and like….but they may hit a cord in some one else…..God is like that

My heart often cries out for people who feel UNEQUIPPED or IMMATURE or UNSKILLED as Christians. In the world we often find that age, sex, health, education or even personality type work against us achieving goals and aspirations….but in The Kingdom things are very different………..God does not look at these kind of externals in fact He prefers not to, in some way confounding the senses of man, and using the unusable despite their abilities or lack of.

There is one example in scripture that JUMPED out and caught my attention whilst I was away it was found in 1 Chron 18:14

1 Chronicles 18:14-17 (New King James Version)

David’s Administration

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. 15 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Shavsha[a]was the scribe; 17 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers at the king’s side.

The great King David was establishing his anointed rule and reign over his people, he had a team of men he appointed to help him administer judgement and justice…they included trusted friends and advisers from his years of struggles and hiding from Saul people who had showed commitment and loyalty and most importantly love to him. These men included Joab, Jehosophat and Abimalech just to name a few………….names we have read about as they battled by David’s side.

BUT

There is an addition to these men, in verse 17 it clearly says that……DAVID’S SONS WERE CHIEF MINISTERS AT THE SIDE OF DAVID…………

The Son’s of David were elevated above the mighty men from David’s past, the men who earnt David’s trust over the years and served him faithfully. These sons became CHIEF MINISTERS, meaning simply they were the 2IC (Second in Charge) they had the highest positions in the Kingdom under David, they had authority, power and position

We can also see from this scripture that David made ALL of his sons ministers, there was no evidence that he hand picked one or overlooked another but ALL of his sons were chief ministers at the kings side.

We also see another profound picture here, his sons had access to David at all times, THEY WERE AT THE KINGS SIDE………they were granted a privilege that perhaps the other leaders did not have, they were always at the King’s side, interacting and sharing his daily issues and routine.

SO WHAT DID THESE MEN DO TO EARN THEIR POSITION AT DAVID’S SIDE?

There is no doubt that some (if not all) of these men/sons were warriors and soldiers with David in his long battle with Saul,

No doubt that they were being trained and groomed in some ways, as son’s of David

But none of them made “names” for themselves, however in contrast Joab the mighty warrior made quite a name for himself with many mighty feats and deeds.

So what qualified these young men to serve as Chief Ministers at the hand and side of King David?

Their qualification was simply this

THAT THEY WERE SONS OF THE KING!

Interestingly enough there was NO mention of the son’s

* AGE
* ABILITY
* SKILLS
* SPIRITUAL EXPERTISE
* LEADERSHIP ABILITY
* PHYSICAL ABILITY
* PERSONALITY TYPE

They earnt their position and place from their RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KING, they were his sons!

This is the key to leadership and usefulness in the Kingdom

We too minister at our Father’s side like the son’s of David, we rule a Kingdom and have authority over this world…….we are His Chief Ministers, but the key to this awesome elevation of our status is that we are son’s and daughters of the King………..but the interesting thing is that God is our FATHER/KING without each facet we would not be SONS/JOINT RULER……..each facet must “marry” to have authority and power……….Leaders such as Joab had authority and power but lacked the intimacy with the king, he was not granted to “minister at the King’s side” maybe, just maybe, he would not have made such stupid mistakes later if he was intimate with David and knew his heart!!!

This intimacy with the Father (or any parental model) is obvious when you think of your own relationship with your parents…..if you have had a healthy relationship with your parents you would have had full access to the things that belong to the parents, I do not know what happens in your family but when I go to my Mum and Dad’s house I just walk in…..I may not even knock (hey they gave me the key!!) I just walk in and go to the pantry and help myself to food, I do not even think about it!! I just do it coz I know that they are my parents and they would not deprive me if I needed it! I have open access to them and what is theirs, I have intimacy with them, if they are sick/sad or mad they tell me, we are family, that is how it is!! Also if they asked me to do something for them if it was in my power I would do it, I would listen to them if they had something to say, or advise………I would do anything to make them happy……isn’t that how family is supposed to work???????

The picture of David gives us great hope, we are given full position and authority just like his sons as we enter into his SONSHIP, it is ours through our BIRTHRIGHT, we are heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus the Son of God (Romans 8:17). This gives us access to the KING, God Almighty…….but not as a hired hand or servant…..as a SON!!!

Interestingly enough God makes NO mention of our

* AGE
* ABILITY
* SKILLS
* SPIRITUAL EXPERTISE
* LEADERSHIP ABILITY
* PHYSICAL ABILITY
* PERSONALITY TYPE

He gives us everything including intimacy with Him and power to be who we are meant to be on the earth!

In fact I reckon that without the intimacy (without that Father/Son daughter relationship) we really have no real and lasting power or authority…………

Just some thoughts, let God be Dad and out of that relationship real power and authority will stem, life changing, impacting, soul saving power!

Bless you Cath