Passing Through The Valley of Dry Bones!

28 Jul 2013 1 Comment

by Rod & Rose in Rose Tags: , , , , , , , ,


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THE WORD: “This vision message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.”  (Habakkuk 2:3 – The Message)

I’ve been going through a dry spell…through a parched, desolate desert, metaphorically speaking. My movement forward at times seemingly futile. Yet something within me….a divinely apportioned angst…is my barometer that reminds me it is necessary to continue on my journey. And so I trek through the valley of dry bones…listening to the lifeless rattling sound they make as I walk amongst them.  (Ezekiel 37:1-2)

One thing I’ve learned, as I reflect back on my journey thus far, is that it’s right smack dab in the middle of my valleys where, time after time, my heart has been re-awakened! It has always been in the midst of a dry desert storm that I come to a vivid realization of my desperate need for Papa God, not only as my Savior, but also as my LORD! It is there…as He walks alongside me…that He whispers in my ear, hold on to My promises!

It is there…right smack in the middle of the valley…that He quickens His Spirit within me, and breathes life back into my dry bones! It is there that the brilliance of His majesty is demonstrated and my heart resounds with uncontainable gladness! It is there that I rejoice and praise my Papa God with such clarity of heart, mind and soul! Yes…it is in the midst of the valley that my bones come alive…the tendons and the strength once again rise up and dance in adulation!  (Ezekiel 37:5-14)

The dry spell is broken and the vision awaits me! It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, I will wait because it’s on its way. It will come right on time! His timing is perfect.  For now I will do what my Lord requires of me. I will continue to prophesy over the valley…I will sing the psalms of ascent and continue to take the steps that are necessary to reach the destination appointed just for me.

I will pray with confidence the prayer to succeed as a servant of my Holy KING!

If you find yourself in the middle of a valley, look up! Lift your eyes to the heavens! See the glory of His face and allow Him to lift you up under His wing! Take refuge in His strength! He is the Alpha and Omega, Creator of all things! He delights in you and has placed a perfect angst inside your heart that cannot be extinguished!

So pilgrim…pray the prayer of Nehemiah with me: Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

May our Papa God embrace you on your journey…today and always!

In His strong love ~ rose

Works by Salvation

24 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by Rod & Rose in Authentic Life by Rod Tags: , , ,


SCAREDIn our effort to avoid the appearance of “salvation by works,” we sometime dilute the truth of the gospel. Yes, we are saved by grace, and by grace alone. Salvation is a gift…unearnable, unattainable in our own strength. That’s what makes it the “gift of salvation.” We get that, right!

But nowhere in Scripture do I read that Jesus died so that we can live comfortable-cushy lives. And He did not save us so that we can go on living our lives the way we’ve always lived our lives…doing what we FEEL like doing; disregarding what we know to be true…as if we do not know the truth.

Jesus died so that we, too, can die. We are invited to “die to ourselves”…to our whims and our selfishness and our stubbornness…so that we can be made ALIVE in Christ. And the life we experience in Him sets us free – and empowers us – to become “faithful and obedient servants”.

Although we are not saved BY our works, we are saved TO work. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ~Ephesians 2.10

May we step up and be faithful and obedient servants…full of joy and compassion…and shine brightly in dim places.

http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Libido-Craving-Passionate-Life/dp/1414124449/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369344189&sr=1-1&keywords=holy+libido

FOR SALE: 1994 Dodge Viper R/T 10

11 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by Rod & Rose in Rod Tags: , , , , , , ,


Viper (2)For Sale: 1994 Dodge Viper R/T 10. Original Owner. Red with grey leather interior; A/C; 2nd generation wheels; also includes original wheels and tires; 7,300 miles. Kept in carpeted garage with no natural light. Ready to break out into the light with a new owner!

My first car was a 1962 Impala SS with a 327 c.i. 4 barrel – red with a white convertible top. I sold her for $300 in 1969. Today she’s probably worth something in the range of $25,000 to $30,000. Looking back, I wish I would have kept her.

So when I hit my mid-life crisis (make that my mid-life “Chrysler”) shortly after I turned 40, I decided the Viper would be a great car to buy and keep…a good car to have in the garage. It’s been fun to drive and own, but it’s time to let ‘er go. (She really is for sale.)

Possibly I will regret selling the Viper, like I regret selling the Impala. Time will tell. But there’s a certain kind of pain in every choice we make – letting go of one thing to take hold of something else.

(NOTE: No, you may not “take her for a spin:)” That is, not until you have bought her. That’s the way it worked for me when she sat on the showroom floor behind the chains that were meant to protect her from groping hands.)Viper (2)

Jesus Speaks to the American Church

10 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by Rod & Rose in Guest Post Tags: , , , , , ,


Marvelous Marv Gerbig(The following is a GUEST BLOG POST written by our friend Marv Gerbig in Illinois, senior pastor at Wyoming 1st Church of the Nazarene in Wyoming, Illinois. Marv wrote this in response to my challenge posted on Facebook to identify “Seven Survival Tactics for Thriving Churches.” Thank you Marv for sharing…)

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ~Revelation 2:2, 11

This is what I commend you for:

You have excelled in education. You have studied and gone very deep into my Word. Your system of education in the Church is unparalleled in all of Church history. Anyone who desires to go deep into the Word of God can fill their desire in your churches. You educate believers.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:

You have taken your educational system in the churches and made it a stumbling block for the sheep of my fold. Especially when it comes to Sunday School, you have made learning the Word of God difficult. You have taken too much authority from me, Jesus, as the Teacher. Have you forgotten what I said? “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah” (Matthew 23:8-10). Too many of my people feel as if they need the church to tell them what the scriptures mean. You have created a dependent church and have made people think they cannot learn from me directly.

This is what I commend you for:

Your leaders have been highly educated and somewhat trained.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:

You have created a professional office of ministry that only those who are of a certain learning ability can achieve. While you may think this is a way to qualify those called into ministry, you have created a system that is not duplicable. If the leaders of the church were to be taken out, your churches would cease to exist. How do you read Acts? My church, from the beginning, was not dependent on professional leaders. If a leader was taken out, the church could not be stopped!!

This is what I commend you for:

You have taken into account how I created believers to understand my Word as they age. Your ministry by age group is truly amazing as far as it goes.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:

Yet, you have segregated the generations from each other. No longer do my people congregate together as families, but rather on Sunday morning we look like the age-segregated secular world I am saving you from. Separating families from the time they enter into your churches until the time they leave is not my command. If my servant Paul were to see your world today, could he tell the difference between an elementary school and your church?

Creating age barriers is not my heart. Take a look at all the churches in America that are filled with seniors and no young people in the service. That is the fruit of generational segregation. Repent.

Your desire to build the church is admirable. You have many ways of attracting people and attempting to lead them to me. Yet, did I not say that I will build the church on your faith (Matthew 16)? Why have you tried to do my job? Did I not command you to “go and make disciples”? Why then do you try to get people “saved” when I told you to disciple them? I am Lord! I am the Savior! You are my friends and servants and your mission is to teach obedience in everything I have taught you. Yet, I see no obedience training anywhere in your churches. You have educated believers, but not many true disciples that understand how to be disciple makers.

My heart grieves as I see the American Church look more and more like the Gnostics. Prepare for the last days. Again, look at the Great Commission as I gave it to you in Matthew 28, and GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, for I am the Lord your God—and I expect obedience from you.

(Rod’s Comment: And so, dear brothers and sisters, please feel free to chime in with your own thoughts! May we listen continually to the still small voice of our Lord. And may we glorify him in all we do!)