tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90683196258003653162024-03-13T18:05:43.011-07:00Catherine's God BlogHe who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying...Revelation 3:8Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-83880603865042350472013-01-25T02:16:00.002-08:002013-01-25T02:48:05.243-08:00My Spirit is moving..Watch and see - and know.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I waited on the Lord in silence this morning after praying in tongues for a while. After a few minutes of being still, I saw a landscape of low rolling hills that were beautiful mottled shades of red. There seemed to be no life except for some low growing vegetation. It looked like the arctic tundra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then I heard a verse of scripture that has been in my head and on my heart for several days: </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Habbakuk 2:14:</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I asked the Lord if these two things were connected (the image and the scripture) and then I saw the tundra again; but this time there was a wind blowing and stirring the vegetation. Then I heard:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Daughter, this terrain seems desolate and empty, but there IS life here. I will pour out my Spirit upon this landscape and as it blows wherever it will, life will spring up all about."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I have not forsaken My church. Even though it seems empty and devoid of Life, I will raise it up again at the right time."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Let not the people despair. Like the exhortation to remain watchful in the parable of the servants whose master had gone away for a long time, I exhort My people who are called by My Name to remain watchful and alert, ready and waiting for My return. Do not become complacent; do not let hope fade, for I am coming."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Continue to work, to serve, to share, to pray, to rejoice, even though your eyes cannot see the preparations that are now taking place. Take heart, for I am working! You must be ready. You must remain watchful so that when the moment comes you can take your rightful place and assume your role in what is coming."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"See. My Spirit is moving. It is blowing across the land stirring up life. Watch and see - and know."</span></div>
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Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-65242495396773949312012-10-01T16:48:00.000-07:002012-10-02T01:19:06.163-07:00Hell and Compassion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A recent Facebook post about hell posted by a Canadian radio talk show host who is very open about his faltering Christian faith prompted me to write down my thoughts on God and hell. I wanted to respond to his post but hesitated. I've tried to argue his points in the past, along with many others who have more theological training than I do, but lately it seems he is beyond apologetics. It is up to the Holy Spirit to change his mind now, and that is my prayer for him and for all those who have believed the lie that the God of the Bible is a mean and exacting judge.</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmpFTI5Ka3WEpx2mOE0Xy07HSC_Iub5uVg2vtFqKNhgGfdBlVW4VYXv0P-9jn5IXi1yAK95ctAL4MCfdsA4q8IHddrhiTrwNvhOKIhao9PhwbXkXfoMZ-dXTUAUOYGMFsiXl5WkSJKjt/s1600/259845_10150226314512355_70630972354_7375206_1159549_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmpFTI5Ka3WEpx2mOE0Xy07HSC_Iub5uVg2vtFqKNhgGfdBlVW4VYXv0P-9jn5IXi1yAK95ctAL4MCfdsA4q8IHddrhiTrwNvhOKIhao9PhwbXkXfoMZ-dXTUAUOYGMFsiXl5WkSJKjt/s320/259845_10150226314512355_70630972354_7375206_1159549_n.jpg" width="241" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The God I worship is not an arbitrary, indifferent judge. I don't believe that God "consigns" us to hell. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us plainly that He doesn't want a single person to perish. And John 3:17 says that He sent His son into the world to save us - not to condemn us. I know from my own experience that we don’t just get one chance to repent and turn from sin. God is continually trying to draw us into a redemptive loving relationship with Himself all throughout our lives, even when we feel far from Him or want nothing to do with Him; even when we are completely immersed in our “sin”.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieUzMEyMcFOEkRL3Jma9dS7G_Z8g0Lmemd5L9Wz1QPVklOSHF5hcEmzfYJncrgzyOV1AncBkmoLfU4vRmto-Bhk6fKxQHFHvs9c5hKsNXZPGPQV5n6ekCucpb2CfpNySq_XS6Do38FL-n/s1600/6a00d8341c7a9f53ef01543401fb64970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We've all heard testimonies about dying unbelieving people who've remained alive against all odds until the day they finally repent and give their lives to God; and then, soon after, they die in peace and without the fear of being cast into hell. That happened to the father of a friend of mine just a couple of months ago. God is merciful to the very end and continues to seek us out, just like the black sheep in the painting, and to call us to repentance – which simply means turning around, and moving toward Him – until we take our final breath. And who knows, maybe His mercy extends beyond death?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've known several people who nearly died and saw terrifying visions of hell. One was a woman I met while ministering in the BC lower mainland prisons. She was an addict, a prostitute, and a thief, who accidentally overdosed when a skid row pharmacist gave her a dose of undiluted methadone. She told me she knew that God had allowed her to see hell because He wanted to give her another chance to live her life differently. He didn't want to send her to hell. He brought her back from the brink of hell and restored her to life so that she could have another umpteenth chance to turn to Him and be saved. This vision changed her life forever and caused her to seek and experience God's love and mercy. She was very gifted prophetically, and uncannily wise, but sadly, her struggles with addiction soon overtook her new-found faith only a few months after she was released from prison. I don’t know where she is today but I still think of her and pray for her often.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Revelation 20:10 says that hell was designed for the devil and his demons, not for mankind. In some translations, the word "hell" is used throughout the Bible in the place of "death" or "hades" which both mean something quite different. (See http://www.ukapologetics.net/hades.html if you want to read more.) I think that while Jesus did teach and warn people about hell, the Church - as an institution - over the centuries, has distorted His teachings and used the threat of hell to manipulate and control people through fear. Perhaps some translators were influenced by this church policy as well?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many people who, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, consider themselves safe and secure in their salvation because they are upstanding members of the Church may have a rude surprise awaiting them when they face the Lord on their judgement day. Those who self-righteously point the finger of damnation at sinners, have misrepresented God as a harsh and mean judge, ready to strike down anyone who steps out of line and cast them into hell as punishment for their sins. But which of us has ever lived up to the standard of conduct written for us by God in the Ten Commandments? Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I think those who pronounce damnation over others because of their perceived sin will get the rudest shock of all when they are face to face with the Lord and are called to account for their words and actions and for how they represented Him while on this earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" </i>(Matthew 7:21-2)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jesus said to a mob of men who wanted to stone an adulterous woman to death (because that’s what the law said they were to do), <i>"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7) </i>This should be our attitude when we confront sin in the people around us. Jesus had compassion on the woman.<i> "At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."</i> (John 8:9-11)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jesus came to represent the Father. When His disciples asked Him to show them the Father, He said, <i>"Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father!"</i> (John 24:9) And, according to Hebrews 1:3,<i> "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature."</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><i style="font-size: 14px;"> </i>If we want to know the true nature of God, we need look no further than the gospel accounts of Jesus ministry and nature.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieUzMEyMcFOEkRL3Jma9dS7G_Z8g0Lmemd5L9Wz1QPVklOSHF5hcEmzfYJncrgzyOV1AncBkmoLfU4vRmto-Bhk6fKxQHFHvs9c5hKsNXZPGPQV5n6ekCucpb2CfpNySq_XS6Do38FL-n/s1600/6a00d8341c7a9f53ef01543401fb64970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieUzMEyMcFOEkRL3Jma9dS7G_Z8g0Lmemd5L9Wz1QPVklOSHF5hcEmzfYJncrgzyOV1AncBkmoLfU4vRmto-Bhk6fKxQHFHvs9c5hKsNXZPGPQV5n6ekCucpb2CfpNySq_XS6Do38FL-n/s400/6a00d8341c7a9f53ef01543401fb64970c-800wi.jpg" width="195" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have known, personally, the mercy and compassion of the Lord. Twelve years ago, He saw me in my sin (and believe me, it was considerable), but - just like the woman caught in adultery - He loved me so much He didn’t leave me there. He called me out of my life of sin and futility, and He healed me and set me free from fear, and pain, and dysfunction. He gave me peace, and a new life, one with meaning and purpose. This is the God I know! He could have condemned me for the wrongs I had done and consigned me to hell, but instead He showered His love on me. He wanted so much more for me than I believed at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God IS love. Believe it! It’s true! And He is merciful towards sinners. And this sinner is grateful to have known and experienced His love and His kindness in my life. I wish everyone could know how good and kind and tender He is. It’s as easy as opening the door of your heart and inviting Him to come in.</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.”</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (Revelation 3:20)</span></div>
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Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-23672958873973953252012-03-31T14:59:00.008-07:002016-04-11T14:06:30.755-07:00Revelation and The Light of the Gospel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the seventies there was a revival called The Jesus Movement that touched many people in North America and even in the small coastal BC town where I lived then, bumper stickers proclaiming, "I found it!" or "Born again!" or something to that effect, were prevalent. I remember laughing in derision at drivers who displayed these proclamations on their cars. I thought they were sadly deluded - and even stupid; that their happy-clappy faith was nothing but a crutch, an escape from the crushing and stark realities of life - which I believed then were the inescapable truth.<br />
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I appreciate the irony that I can now count myself among the happy-clappy crowd, even though at that time in my life I probably would rather have died than become one of them. God's mercy and love are so great they are truly unfathomable. He waited patiently, more than twenty years, for me to become humble and broken enough to bow my will to His - and I will be eternally grateful that He did. My life truly began that day in August 2000, when I finally made a decision to turn my will and my life over to His care and let Him be Lord of the rest of my life.<br />
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I was reading 2 Corinthians 4 this morning. As I read verses 3-6, I could see that the same "veil" that Paul describes in this ancient letter to the first century church at Corinth covers the spiritual eyes of unbelievers today. That veil was what kept me blind and unable to see the truth for most of my life.<br />
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In verse 5 Saint Paul tells us what the stumbling block is that prevents unbelievers from receiving the Light of the Gospel. Just as I did, "the world" sees Christian believers as stupid, arrogant and bigoted because we proclaim that our way is the only way to God, that there is no other true spiritual path. But, as Paul explains, <i>"what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as (their) servants."</i> Yes, we believe that we are priviliged, that we possess knowledge that the rest of the world doesn't know, because God has <i>"shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God..." </i>but having received this knowledge <b>cannot</b> produce arrogance in us. It brings only humility and gratitude because....<i>"we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."</i> (Verse 7)<br />
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We are fragile, imperfect vessels; we have done nothing to earn this privilege; we are no different and no better than anyone else. And God uses "jars of clay" so that it will be obvious that the "surpassing power," and the glory, belongs to Him and not to us. That is the reason for our happy-clappy demeanor - we are continually giving thanks and praising God for the wondrous work He has done in our lives. Our gratitude cannot be contained, and it overflows, causing us to gush and to want to proclaim God's goodness to the world.<br />
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We know that have not gained this knowledge because of our own intelligence or wisdom - it can come only through revelation: <i>"For God..has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,"</i> and it is available to <b>every person</b> who will humble her/himself and seek God - and who beholds the face of Jesus. In that face is love everlasting, love without end, love without condition, love beyond anything you have ever known: pure love that fills every void and heals every hurt.<br />
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So, if we seem giddy and foolish, it is because we know that we have this treasure in jars of clay; we know that we are undeserving and unworthy - and yet we have been given the greatest treasure of all, <i>"the knowledge of the glory of God,"</i> and the love of His Son, Jesus! <br />
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In my Bible (ESV), Jeremiah 29 is called "The Letter to the Exiles", and through it God would speak these words to you, <i>"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. I'll make sure you won't be disappointed..."</i> (Verses 11-14 from The Message)<br />
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So, join us and behold His face. He's watching you - yes you! - with love and anticipation; waiting for you to turn to Him. And I can say in all truth and sincerity - and from my own personal experience - that you will never, ever, regret it. But, just as a word of warning, if you take my advice you just might that you too have become a life-time member of the happy-clappy faith club!<br />
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<i>To read 2 Corinthians 4 in The Message go to:</i> http://www.biblestudytools.com/my-bible/#/left:passage/msg/2-corinthians/4/<br />
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Opening photo courtesy of my son, Jeremy Sean Williams, photographer:<br />
https://jeremyseanwilliams.wordpress.com</div>
Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-751219405885100352011-11-26T12:50:00.000-08:002011-11-26T12:50:14.196-08:00God of WondersWe welcomed Pastor George Ewald and his wife Karen at the Powell River Healing Rooms last night. They, along with Sharon, their youth pastor, ministered to a small crowd of people - as many as we could fit - sharing testimonies of the power and love of God and the miracles and changed lives they have seen as a result of the revival at their home church, Port Hardy Christian Fellowship. They also imparted gifts to us through words of knowledge and the laying on of hands, and once again, I was blessed beyond measure and amazed at the goodness of God.<br />
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These are people who have submitted their lives completely to God and who continue to surrender their wills and their ideas about what revival should look like and how they need to minister. They are ordinary people who carry a powerful anointing for breakthrough, and their faith in God is so joyful it is contagious. They are like little children in their expectancy, and isn't that just what Jesus taught, that<i> "to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."</i> (Matthew 19:14)<br />
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The Port Hardy team are ministering at a local church tonight and I look forward to more of what God has in store for me, and for our community. <br />
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<i>"Prepare the way of the Lord!"</i>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-68692779258583173132011-09-28T01:31:00.000-07:002018-08-10T11:40:19.089-07:00The Gateway for God's Glory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Monday as I was worshipping and praying in the sanctuary of my church God showed me something I feel I need to share with others who are hungry and seeking after God.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgDz1g2uwuADMBU1dNgluMQti7lJ9eO9B2neZWXwqxKa7_4P2UUeyMmeARSvrstjI82pTVwNXXUUspRBs3bNaZhrpfvQngvWAuug0Xv5m7ApPEBFv28RFvo3F5OhyphenhyphencZDpYD6WaJkZb5uY/s1600/falling_into_a_black_hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgDz1g2uwuADMBU1dNgluMQti7lJ9eO9B2neZWXwqxKa7_4P2UUeyMmeARSvrstjI82pTVwNXXUUspRBs3bNaZhrpfvQngvWAuug0Xv5m7ApPEBFv28RFvo3F5OhyphenhyphencZDpYD6WaJkZb5uY/s400/falling_into_a_black_hole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I saw something celestial and active, like a portal or a black hole. It was huge and it seemed as though it was far out in deep space. I saw ribbons of light pouring, or being sucked down, into a bowl shaped structure with a flat bottom. The ribbons of light were like streams of molten gold that were drawn into the bowl from outer space. They poured down along its walls and across its bottom flowing into a hole in the middle of the bottom which acted like a drain, and became one concentrated stream of light which was then pulled down through space to the earth. It was so magnificent: the flowing golden ribbons, the colours, the contrast of dark and light, the beautiful shape of the magnificent portal, and the steady movement of the flow of molten light.<br />
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I asked the Lord why He was showing me this amazing thing, and He said He was trying to show me how my hunger, my desire for Him, brought His glory - the streams of light - down from the heavenly realms into the church sanctuary.<br />
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That our longing for more of Him is a force which draws, or pulls His glory down onto our earthly plane. As we continue to hunger after Him and long for His Presence and His glory, we draw down the power of heaven to earth, and our lives and our churches are transformed by the power and the glory of God.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6HK-jNpKShmNaurclYAzMVZq0mR7ZoGCXueD_iU6Un_srK3UcuVeApJAE7BOjjdG1Tdz-cj35SkEvZvwC_IFPf-oVXBoa24WpMjMIinmNDqHn-B7CRowK796UByKxK1cyju1U4BnjRk5/s1600/6a00d83452b9c469e200e54f6de3578833-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6HK-jNpKShmNaurclYAzMVZq0mR7ZoGCXueD_iU6Un_srK3UcuVeApJAE7BOjjdG1Tdz-cj35SkEvZvwC_IFPf-oVXBoa24WpMjMIinmNDqHn-B7CRowK796UByKxK1cyju1U4BnjRk5/s200/6a00d83452b9c469e200e54f6de3578833-800wi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I wish I could draw or find an image that would do justice to the heavenly vision that I saw, but these at least give some idea. My prayer and my hope in sharing this is that as you seek after God, you too will receive a revelation of His glory. That your hunger to know Him more will draw the glory of heaven down to earth into your life and church and community.<br />
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<i>And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.</i> 2 Corinthians 3:18</div>
Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-2120050436798339952011-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:002011-08-31T14:58:06.313-07:00For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh6I1p9zaWS6h9WPnsJM5j3KLN6AGYGj500ozmd04cRk-J3O1J_eRDicHEK3CCsfxzvfXzHKmOmuWOkRYj9m3zE9MYkxGGi2UM8noZyciaJOOcrZNfGU8C3lYRBoCVCZOXI8wYtRfGM54/s1600/Transfiguration2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh6I1p9zaWS6h9WPnsJM5j3KLN6AGYGj500ozmd04cRk-J3O1J_eRDicHEK3CCsfxzvfXzHKmOmuWOkRYj9m3zE9MYkxGGi2UM8noZyciaJOOcrZNfGU8C3lYRBoCVCZOXI8wYtRfGM54/s400/Transfiguration2.jpg" /></a></div>I have been spending Monday mornings alone in the sanctuary of my church - Kelly Creek Community Church - in obedience to a "call" or assignment God gave me at the beginning of the summer. This time apart is my weekly offering to the Lord, and as I continue this practice, my experience and knowledge of Him is going deeper and deeper; this past Monday it went so deep that what I experienced is truly beyond words. I'm still experiencing it. It is a new "understanding" - although I don't fully understand - of the omnipresence of God, of the Holy Spirit, and of what it means to be "in Christ". <br />
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In Acts 17, as Paul was addressing the Athenians who had gathered in the Areopagus, he explained that the "unknown God" they had dedicated a popular shrine to was actually not remote, but very near (vs. 27). "In Him we live and move and have our being," (vs 28). I've always thought I understood the meaning of the apostle's words, but after what I experienced on Monday and continue to experience today, I know that I understand very little. I continually ask God to open the eyes of my heart and my understanding - my spiritual eyes - so that I can comprehend what it is that He is trying to show me, and what my experience means. <br />
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It is very human to want to understand. It's a comfortable place, a more secure place, to live with understanding, than it is to live in the mystery. So, realizing this, and although there is a deep longing and an unsettled-ness in my soul as a result of my recent experience of God, I am content to live with and to live in the mystery until such time as God makes my understanding complete.<br />
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Today as I sat in His presence, experiencing His closeness and His love, I began to weep with a sorrowful longing for my family, especially my sons and my closest sister, to be able to know the love and the closeness of God as I do. When you know Him intimately and sense Him so close to you - even though the understanding is lacking - all your worldly cares melt away. Nothing else matters.<br />
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I read Psalm 16 today and it speaks to my experience so beautifully. Perhaps David experienced God's presence and love as I have? <i>"...in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."</i><br />
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So, what was this experience I had on Monday? <br />
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As is my practice, I worshiped the Lord with music and using my flags; I prayed for Mike (our pastor) and the church and for a few individuals; I bowed down at the "altar" and prayed in my prayer language; and then I sat quietly and asked my Father in Heaven to speak to me. Usually He leads me to a passage of scripture or speaks words to me about a situation that then lead me into scripture, but not this time.<br />
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Instead of hearing words I became aware of a palpable presence, God's manifest presence in the church with me. I could feel it pressing on my skin. I could "see" it in my mind's eye. It was invisible "matter", it had substance and dimension and it filled up every inch of "empty space" between me and the walls and floors and furnishings of the sanctuary. There was no empty space, it was ALL filled with Him.<br />
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I wrote, "He bumps up against me - although of course He is in me and I am in Him. I realize that, although I don't always feel His presence, or "see" it, He is ALWAYS here - or there. He fills up everything. There is no "empty" space."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnduVAEdjF7u8-u0brqAkoG53-UcfajmEMl3hyphenhyphenqLy94jfQHPRjGw6MqV9-C4KzqkjlDyByypeFyMdAh3O9Lq-meAhTKVs7xBOHm-v0RuDh5S6mpBCOHWy-CZ5bbfrUHbt1d19zvywzn4MZ/s1600/00000000000000018479.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="252" width="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnduVAEdjF7u8-u0brqAkoG53-UcfajmEMl3hyphenhyphenqLy94jfQHPRjGw6MqV9-C4KzqkjlDyByypeFyMdAh3O9Lq-meAhTKVs7xBOHm-v0RuDh5S6mpBCOHWy-CZ5bbfrUHbt1d19zvywzn4MZ/s400/00000000000000018479.png" /></a></div>As I sought to understand the meaning of this experience, I turned to my Bible. Colossians 1:17 says that <i>"in Him all things hold together."</i> In The Message that verse reads:<i>"He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment."</i> This is a better explanation - at least it helps me a little. Then I asked God to help me my understanding, asking,"Is this for me, or for KCCC (our church)?" and He responded with these words:<br />
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<i>"'Show me Your glory.' That's what you asked of Me. It is all around you. Open your eyes and see."</i><br />
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I reply, "It is like a sea, Father! As though we live in an ocean of Your presence and your glory! It surrounds us; we breathe it in! We take our life from it! It is available to all! The Kingdom of God is here! It surrounds us. Wherever I go I walk in it, - and in You!"<br />
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As I typed those words the words of Psalm 139 came to my mind:<br />
<i><br />
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. <br />
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. <br />
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? <br />
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! <br />
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, <br />
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.</i> <br />
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Thank You, Father! You love me! Oh how You love me!<br />
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I've been remembering my first experience of His glory. It was nine or ten years ago as I was my baptism in the church was approaching. I asked God to help me to prepare myself for this rite. I wanted to be spiritually, emotionally and even physically ready. But instead of giving me something to "do" to get ready, God began showering me with His presence and His love in such a powerful way that I could barely stand up under it. I wept and wept for days on end. It was so intense I could barely stand it, but it was so ecstatically beautiful that I couldn't bring myself to ask Him to stop. <br />
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He prepared me for the ritual of baptism by convincing me beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was with me and that He loved me. I wonder if perhaps He is preparing me for something that is to come?<br />
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<i>"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. <br />
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." </i><br />
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Lord, who am I that I should be so highly favoured as to know You in this way?<br />
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PS: To learn the amazing properties and shape of Laminin, the protein which holds all of our bodies' cells together, watch this video. It is fascinating! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4<br />
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Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-7017882381278824792011-06-24T14:20:00.000-07:002011-06-24T17:19:41.035-07:00Free Indeed!<i>So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.</i> John 8:36<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGm3dN78E288Vgb3BkDVeODp074BLC3kF2kGJ9bAzZ3mY0jkBj8fkMNMxEeezPFJX4kr4yPJjTOds4VTNkUuEFNojI6fDnF2jmEUI5b1H5_p7R8QRVHeJUH86MhCKpxFAlCYSkK_9QYA9/s1600/25757_106716132699833_100000843415032_56557_169062_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGm3dN78E288Vgb3BkDVeODp074BLC3kF2kGJ9bAzZ3mY0jkBj8fkMNMxEeezPFJX4kr4yPJjTOds4VTNkUuEFNojI6fDnF2jmEUI5b1H5_p7R8QRVHeJUH86MhCKpxFAlCYSkK_9QYA9/s320/25757_106716132699833_100000843415032_56557_169062_n.jpg" /></a></div>Jesus was talking about sin when he made this statement. What it means to me today is freedom from death and disease. He has healed me! He has rescued me from a death sentence that was pronounced over me last fall when I received a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma. The doctors told me there is no cure, that all they could do was give me more time if I followed their treatment regime. <br />
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That is why I have not posted for so many months. Many things have happened and God has shown up in so many amazing ways, but the journey seemed very personal, and the more people I invited into it, the more confusion and doubt I experienced in my faith walk. It wasn't anyone's fault, it was just that I was desperately seeking direction and wasn't able to hear clearly from my Father because of the fears and doubts I had. I was hoping someone else could tell me what to do, but no one could.<br />
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But right from the very beginning of this journey, God gave me encouragement. He spoke promises to me that I clung to - sometimes only with a grain of faith as small as a mustard seed - promises that He has upheld. I plan to share my journey of faith here in the coming weeks. There are so many tender mercies, so many amazing moments, so many big and small ways that God has demonstrated His compassion, His patience, His love, His power and His faithfulness in my life. And today I received the results of a recent CT scan: there is no sign of malignancy in my body!!!! Thank You, Jesus!!!! It amazes me that He did it all for me, that He set me free! Who am I that God should care about my life, about my feelings, about my needs and desires? <br />
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Oh, people! His word is true! His nature is good! The Bible says that God is love, and we see his love expressed through the Incarnation, Immanuel: God With Us, the Only Begotten Son of the Father - Jesus Christ.<br />
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If you are not walking with God, if you want to know His amazing grace and love too, come to Jesus. He is the way to God. In John 14:6 Jesus said, <i>"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."</i><br />
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If you are hurting and confused, if you find life hard to bear, come to Jesus. This is His invitation to you: <i>"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."</i> (Matthew 11:28-30 from The Message)<br />
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If you are sick in your body, you can be made well. Have faith in The Healer. <i>And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." </i> Mark 5:20-29;34<br />
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I can testify to the truth of all of these statements; I have experienced this supernatural reality - and so much more! And I promise that you will NEVER regret making the decision to come to Jesus and invite Him into your heart and your life. I did one day almost eleven years ago and I was changed forever in an instant and set free from a crippling addiction. I can't promise it will always be an easy road, in fact the Jesus walk can be quite challenging, but He knows what you need to flourish in this life, He knows where your heart and your body need healing. He came and died on the Cross and then rose to life again in order to overcome the powers of darkness, sin and death - in order to set you free. He longs to give you comfort and rest. He is good. He is gentle. He IS love. I pray that you will come to Jesus. You can trust in Him. He is waiting for you.<br />
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Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in</i>...Revelation 3:20<br />
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Here is a simple prayer that will help you open the door to Him:<br />
<i>Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for dying for me on the cross. I’m sorry for the things in my life that have been wrong. I now turn away from everything that I know is wrong and I now receive your gift of forgiveness. I put my trust in what you did on the cross for me. Please come and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me the strength to lead the kind of life that deep down I’m longing to lead. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen</i><br />
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<a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PANiveIKVX0&feature=related"></a>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-68035843693498485592010-08-06T12:55:00.000-07:002010-08-06T12:55:29.451-07:00All Grace Abounding - Part 2It's been a life long habit to condemn myself for things I didn't do and even to apologize when someone points out my (perceived) shortcomings. It's only later that I realize, "Hey, wait a minute! I didn't do it! I had nothing to apologize for."<br />
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After writing my last post it slowly dawned on me that the reasons I am in debt have more to do with necessity than with frivolity. I'm making payments on a decent car I bought a couple of years ago to get me safely from Vancouver to the Fraser Valley and back a couple of days a week while I was ministering to women in the federal and provincial jails. The second year I had the car I had to spend $4,000 in car repairs. Then I made two trips to Ontario, six months apart, to be with my mother who was sick and who passed away during my second trip. And over the past few months I've often used my credit cards to buy groceries as my income dropped to less than half what it used to be. (Thankfully I started a job this weekend which will boost my income.)<br />
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Along the way I made a few frivolous purchases, music from iTunes and the occasional dinner out at a restaurant for my family members, but most of my debt load is not a result of frivolity. When I wrestle with whether or not I need an iPhone or some other electronic gadget that I feel I can't live without, I take it to God. And when I do, He cuts through the deception and shows me the truth. And, occasionally, after I've surrendered the desire - or the need - to Him, He gives me what I want. I had an iTouch given to me a few months ago by a friend who upgraded to an iPhone. I was so surprised! But it reminded me that God not only gives us what we need, but sometimes he even gives us what we want.<br />
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The dilemma in all of this for me is still the same: trust in God. If God is faithful to provide for my needs then why was the money not there when the need presented itself. If I'd waited on Him to provide for my airplane ticket home, would I have got there in time to spend time with my mom before she passed? I know, the answer is yes because I believe God wanted that for me, and also for my mom. I was the only person who could share the message of His love through the Cross of Christ with her.<br />
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More verses from the book of James come to mind. James 4:2 says, <i>"You do not have, because you do not ask."</i> I did ask, but maybe I didn't wait long enough. But probably, I didn't trust God to provide, or to get me there in time. And so I panicked and took matters into my own hands, charging ahead instead of waiting for Him to provide. Previous to the verse I quoted in my last post about being double minded, Paul writes, <i>"But let him ask in faith,</i><i> with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."</i> <br />
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It's not that God withholds His blessings and provision out of spite or retribution - He loves to give good gifts to His children. It's just that we need to pray for what we need and want and then release that need or want into His hands. As long as we keep hanging onto it and trying to take care of our own needs, He will let us try, just as a gentle, loving Father would.<br />
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A very wise friend and dear brother in Christ who passed away several years ago once told me of an image the Lord had given Him to help him to let go and let God. God showed my friend a father and son on a beach trying to fly a kite. The little boy was independent and maybe a little stubborn too, and when his kite's string became entangled, he tried to fix it himself while holding onto the kite at the same time. The father came alongside the boy, ready to take the tangled mess of string from him and make it smooth and functional again, but the boy continued to struggle with it on his own until the string became hopelessly entangled. When he finally gave up and let go, reluctantly putting the knotted mass in the hands of his father, a miracle occurred. The string was restored to order and the boy was able to use it once again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEZmKMGdtkQ51ORTvvZCQUDNJyARxRb6TRtD8MLVaq9AqzP7_MJ91noat5ZpCuVrLnCG6Ywl5oGsBW3ndMRcOks0nKXfv46AVWyBomHTyyIZVK5ssoaleyVZg0Zh3LilYJdxxYF2v7Cod/s1600/kite_flying_in_dunes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEZmKMGdtkQ51ORTvvZCQUDNJyARxRb6TRtD8MLVaq9AqzP7_MJ91noat5ZpCuVrLnCG6Ywl5oGsBW3ndMRcOks0nKXfv46AVWyBomHTyyIZVK5ssoaleyVZg0Zh3LilYJdxxYF2v7Cod/s400/kite_flying_in_dunes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I miss my wise friend. He had such a gentle way of pointing me back to God. But my Father in Heaven is gentle and wise too, and He is waiting for me to give Him my tangled ball of string so that I can fly my kite freely and without any hassles.<br />
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<i>God, You are my loving Father, and I release to You now all of the balls of string that I have been picking at and worrying about in the past few years. Please take them from me. I trust that You will restore them and return them to me transformed by Your miracle working power. Make me free to be and to do all that You would have me be and do. Help me to remember that it pleases You to give me the Kingdom. I ask it all in Jesus' Name.</i>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-56488271830054920622010-07-28T14:54:00.000-07:002010-07-30T20:32:51.727-07:00All Grace Abounding<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGFcGvCWzg8Oq7u54YAt8H3-jf-U7uzehfH9GlbWwZ2Wa3JFMzRl7bS5gfL-TzrI6_j8ie_CWoBWfx9X_z5eOkVNIx_irRnaW1RZl1frgmjdTgYUbdKysFckmTexivt3FVOeLlf9x7Its/s1600/_DSC3818.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="21" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGFcGvCWzg8Oq7u54YAt8H3-jf-U7uzehfH9GlbWwZ2Wa3JFMzRl7bS5gfL-TzrI6_j8ie_CWoBWfx9X_z5eOkVNIx_irRnaW1RZl1frgmjdTgYUbdKysFckmTexivt3FVOeLlf9x7Its/s400/_DSC3818.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let me be a shadow in Your light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The lesson I always seem to be learning is to trust in God to provide for all of my needs. It's difficult in this day and age to wait for His provision; we have instant cash available to us night and day, at home or abroad. Even if our bank account is showing zeroes or a negative balance, which mine is at the moment, we can still rely on our credit cards or overdrafts to enable us to purchase what it is we think we need at any given moment.<br />
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I'm learning, at my ripe age, that if the cash isn't there, then the item I think I need is not actually something God is providing for me. It's wanting what God has not ordained for me that has landed me in a huge pile of stinking debt. It's time to bring my finances under God's rule.<br />
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A few weeks ago I sought God about this area of my life and asked Him to show me why my life was still unmanageable in the area of finances. Why am I constantly accumulating debt? I've been responsible about making large payments every month - when I can afford to - but my account balances are still continually climbing. God responded to my question with one word, and that word was quite a shock, "Double-minded." The shock of it was - it's true!<br />
<br />
I trust God to provide for me, and yet I still want to occupy the driver's seat in this area of my life because I'm afraid of never having enough. I want to pay down my debt and be free of it, but then I find some worship music online that I've got to have, or I decide that I can't live without the latest technological gadget that's arrived on the scene and I battle long and hard with whether or not I should buy it. I want to live simply, and yet I continue to accumulate "things" that complicate my life and clutter it both physically and mentally, stealing away my time and my peace.<br />
<br />
After I got over the initial shock, I repented before God for the sin of double-mindedness. Then I asked Him to help me to get on track and pay down my debts. I asked Him for the grace to be single-minded about this and it has helped. I've been tempted to buy some things that I haven't had the money for, but when I remember that if the cash isn't there it's not God's plan for me to have that thing, then I am able to let it go without feeling like I'm missing out. I have to continually ask for wisdom and grace in these matters.<br />
<br />
What I know without a doubt, even from my own personal experience, is that God's plans for me are so much greater than anything I could ever dream up for myself. When I single-mindedly focus on discerning His will and obeying it, my life is so amazing! I have all that I need in the moment and I am led on adventures that I never imagined were possible.<br />
<br />
As I sought God in my quiet time this morning and prayed again for His help and His grace concerning my finances, He gave me this verse of scripture which I want to commit to memory, meditate upon and proclaim aloud to myself:<br />
<br />
<i>And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.</i> 2 Corinthians 9:8<br />
<br />
Thank You, Father, that I can trust You to take care of all of my needs. I put my life, and my needs, into Your hands today, trusting that you are able, and willing, to make all grace abound to me.<br />
<br />
Abundant grace! Who could ask for anything more! <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo courtesy of my son, Jeremy Williams</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> <a href="http://jeremywilliams.ca/" linkindex="22">jeremywilliams.ca</a></i></span></div>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-47915818171506434352010-06-24T20:18:00.000-07:002010-07-28T15:10:59.315-07:00Beholding the Glory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1GjhreH-1FhITIam8oCVIvojYIwHjd7ULRNq89BiTMhx4Wv7qhe4BKsxFchiSC_RmzfiAEYNvhS0flGnfMtGQSSVdOhK3xWLrcxvCWEMrsZmyJvLS4d29Xg79LAua8F-KrgUgyGnwCmn/s1600/transfiguration1.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="19" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1GjhreH-1FhITIam8oCVIvojYIwHjd7ULRNq89BiTMhx4Wv7qhe4BKsxFchiSC_RmzfiAEYNvhS0flGnfMtGQSSVdOhK3xWLrcxvCWEMrsZmyJvLS4d29Xg79LAua8F-KrgUgyGnwCmn/s400/transfiguration1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's a funny thing about knowing Jesus, that the longer you know Him, the greater the longing to know more about Him becomes. It's a desperate, but exquisitely beautiful, hunger that drives you to try to get closer and closer; to search out the things of God in His Word; and to constantly seek His presence and strain to hear His voice. But there are some followers of Christ who have let their love for Jesus grow cold. They've lost the hunger and forgotten the joy and passion of "first love." Or maybe they never knew it, but when a person's love of Christ is "lukewarm," a spirit of religion can slowly begin to take root. The joy and passion of knowing Jesus, and the freedom available in Him, are slowly replaced by a hardhearted, self-righteous, bean-counting mentality that keeps a close watch on what others are doing and not doing, and feels justified to openly criticize. It's people like this who've earned the Christian church in North America the label "hypocrite". <br />
<br />
God does not take this issue of love growing cold lightly. The first and greatest commandment, according to Jesus is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and throughout the Bible God calls His people to return to their first love. He doesn't like it when the things of the world distract us from loving Him with all we've got.<br />
<br />
In Revelation 2, Jesus asks John to deliver a message to the Christians in Ephesus. Although by all appearances the Ephesian church seems to be doing everything right, Jesus says, "<span class="woj"><i>But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." </i>He goes on to give the Ephesian church an ultimatum, either turn back to what you once were or lose your place in the Kingdom of Heaven. He knows that a people who have lost their first love for Him will not represent Him or serve Him as He desires they should.</span><br />
<br />
I've been in the midst of churches who've lost their first love for one reason or another. One such church enjoyed an amazing time of revival that made it a place of healing and power; it impacted nations as many received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and were anointed to preach and minister. But even so, their love grew cold because they became complacent, believing that, because of the great move of God among them thirty years ago, they knew all there was to know about Him and didn't need to seek Him anymore. The hunger to go deeper, the longing to draw closer, slowly faded and was replaced by arrogance and pride and gossip and strife took hold of the people. The Holy Spirit was all but removed from this church for a time, but thankfully, they have turned and there is life among them again.<br />
<br />
So what is the secret to staying in that place of first love? It's not easy to remain there, especially when those who've become jaded by familiarity and complacency scoff, and scorn, and even try to trip you up. You start to doubt and to wonder if maybe you really are foolish, or crazy. It takes focus, it takes work, and it takes help and encouragement to "abide" in Jesus' love. But I believe the "secret" lies in this simple but profound verse:<br />
<br />
<i>And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.</i> (2 Corinthians 3:18)<br />
<br />
It's when we behold His glory that we fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus. It's when we are beholding His glory that we experience the awe and wonder we felt when we first met Him and were born again. It's while we are beholding His glory that we remember who He is, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One who is above everything on earth and in heaven and under heaven, the Alpha and the Omega, the One through whom and for whom all things were made - the exact representation of the Father. And as we behold His glory with unveiled face - not running away or holding anything back - we are changed. As we continue to behold His glory we are slowly transformed into the SAME image, becoming more and more like Him. We do not fall back to our old comfortable ways or become complacent with what we have and what we have achieved. No, we continue moving closer to His holiness and majesty, always being made more like Him from one degree of glory to another.<br />
<br />
I want to be awakened to Christ's glory every single day, to pursue precious glimpses of His glory in every waking moment. One experience of His glory just isn't enough for me. There are times when I need His grace to do this, times when sorrow or complacency and jadedness begin to set in. But as I continue to seek Him and to behold His glory - even in the very world around me - I find I can abide in that place of first love. And I find that the hunger and thirst for more of Him continues to grow stronger every day. It's this hunger and thirst - placed in me by God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit - that drive me to go deeper, to seek further, to keep longing to know more of Him and to be more like Him.<br />
<br />
I read the latest newsletter from Threshold Ministries while taking a break from writing this post and was reminded that as a member of Threshold I am exhorted to: <br />
<br />
<i>Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11) </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>Lord, I pray for those who think they know you but have lost their first love. They've forgotten what it means to be loved by You. They've lost the joy and the passion of knowing You. May they behold Your glory and be renewed. May they fall in love with you all over again. And, Lord, it's only by Your grace that we can abide in Your love. I ask that You would give me my daily portion of grace and revelation so that I can remain in Your love, beholding Your glory forever!</i>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-59632672762095063832010-06-21T15:41:00.000-07:002010-06-21T15:41:40.727-07:00Waves of mercy, waves of grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QR8JPDD0FxH4yErb3s7flAnStxLVbFAi7GhaGB7vJoPCeDVx3l6rLZYSzhGs7fv5q3QGqRcIWeb-ycdg43SFmM9ma6wHgmKZRkr0bmNFPeE4gMyoPp1fThFiap4pT6bom4WOJASbmU9v/s1600/n656065861_455385_5734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QR8JPDD0FxH4yErb3s7flAnStxLVbFAi7GhaGB7vJoPCeDVx3l6rLZYSzhGs7fv5q3QGqRcIWeb-ycdg43SFmM9ma6wHgmKZRkr0bmNFPeE4gMyoPp1fThFiap4pT6bom4WOJASbmU9v/s400/n656065861_455385_5734.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Standing on the ocean shore this morning staring out to sea, I watched the waves lapping the shore as I talked to my Father. Each time I pray while I'm at the beach, I feel led to pray for God's mercy and grace, and His provision, to flow to me across time and space in waves, just as the waves of the sea continually flow towards me from some distant place which I cannot see.<br />
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I experienced God's power like a wave once, during a worship and prayer gathering at a Vineyard fellowship in the Maritimes. I was standing at the very back of the building and I sensed the surge of power coming towards me as the wave flowed from the front of the building all the way to the back. As it engulfed me I was almost knocked off my feet as the energy surged through me and swirled around me, traveling swiftly past me. I wish I could say that I knew what it was for or what it meant, but I don't. All I know is that I was dumbstruck with awe as I experienced yet another way in which the Spirit and the power of God moves.<br />
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So as I stood at the shore this morning praying, the tide, which was going out when I first arrived, began to turn and the waves began to lap up closer and closer to my feet. "It's coming...it's coming..." I prophesied with the reach of every wave, and then suddenly the lapping water began to flood the sand around my feet. "It's here!" I declared, as it began to move beyond me.<br />
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A move of God is coming. We are only beginning to experience it as it travels steadily towards us from across time and space. It is just starting to lap at our feet, and already people are rejoicing and seeing visions and being super-charged by the power of God, as they meet Jesus, the Christ, and as His Spirit begins to move on their hearts, and transform their lives and anoint them with fire. But this is just a foretaste of what is to come! There is MORE!<br />
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We must prepare ourselves to walk in the fullness of the power that is to come. We must make ourselves ready to be used of God when His waves of mercy and grace flood the land around us and surround us and sweep us off our feet. Are we ready for this surge of power? Are we willing to lay everything down to serve His Kingdom purposes on earth? To be caught up in His train and carried along with Him as He sweeps through our land? It's time to decide.<i> </i><br />
<i></i><br />
<br />
<i>A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;<br />
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.</i><br />
<i>Every valley shall be lifted up,<br />
and every mountain and hill be made low;<br />
the uneven ground shall become level,<br />
and the rough places a plain.</i><br />
<i>And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,<br />
and all flesh shall see it together,<br />
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."</i><br />
(Isaiah 40:3-5) <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>...for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. </i>(Isaiah 11:9)<br />
<br />
Let it be so, Lord!Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-12744280318739395902010-06-17T22:47:00.000-07:002010-06-21T12:20:10.349-07:00Rabbi, let me recover my sight!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpZGaf9GSZCCoSd2cdzE3Jjuaz0RRZPuHuj6npH3p-4c4eZYD4hsW569EApgUWCScXj5Y5AHP-Rb9g9okodXgvyx_tp7MlEUJonrT_c5Mb2GkmfUCSjFL7MDOQ3G1BAXccxnbgwJ8RZoL/s1600/Carl_Bloch_The_Healing_of_the_Blind_Bartimaeus_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpZGaf9GSZCCoSd2cdzE3Jjuaz0RRZPuHuj6npH3p-4c4eZYD4hsW569EApgUWCScXj5Y5AHP-Rb9g9okodXgvyx_tp7MlEUJonrT_c5Mb2GkmfUCSjFL7MDOQ3G1BAXccxnbgwJ8RZoL/s320/Carl_Bloch_The_Healing_of_the_Blind_Bartimaeus_400.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>I was reading the story of Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10 the other day. It's a very familiar story about Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, who rightly addresses Jesus as he cries out to Him for help: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." It's evident by his address, and by his request, that He knew who Jesus truly was.<br />
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Because of Batimaeus' lowly status in the Jewish society of his day, the crowd tried to hush him. They deemed his need not important enough to trouble the Rabbi for, but Jesus heard his cries and told the crowd to call him. And then, as Bartimaeus stands before Jesus, He asks him, <i>"What do you want me to do for you?" </i>and Bartimaeus replies, <i>"Rabbi, let me recover my sight!" </i>(vs. 51)<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
In Chapter 10, Mark recounts several stories of people who think they see Jesus and know who He is, but who do not truly see. The first is a rich young man who is doing all he can to enter the Kingdom of God - according to the letter of the law. He's obeyed all of the commandments of God, and he comes and kneels at Jesus feet and asks, "<i>Rabbi, what must I do to inherit eternal life."</i> (vs. 17)<i> And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, <span class="woj">"You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." </span></i><span class="woj">(vs. 21) </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">The young man leaves, crestfallen and filled with sorrow, <i>for he had great possessions (vs. 22), </i>and in his culture, his wealth represented God's blessing on his life. The rich young man recognized Jesus as a rabbi, a good teacher, and he may even have believed that Jesus was the Messiah, since he knelt in front of Him when he presented his question. But it seems likely that he was looking for more of a philosophical answer to his question, something that would "tickle his ears" and warm his soul. Or perhaps the young man was looking for a pat on the back from Jesus for his strict adherence to the law. Any other rabbi would have been very proud of the rich young man, but Jesus was no ordinary, worldly rabbi. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">Then there is the story of Jesus' disciples, two brothers, who also thought they knew who Jesus was. They knew that He would be enthroned in heaven and they asked Jesus to give them the places of honour on either side of His throne. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">Although all of these young men had a level of understanding of who Jesus was, each one is actually blind to the truth which only Blind Bartimaeus is able to see. Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God. They all knew this, and yet they still did not truly see. Somehow what they knew about Jesus got in the way of their really knowing the truth. It's called "familiarity". And it was familiarity that prevented Jesus from being able to perform miracles in his hometown of Nazareth. The people among whom he'd grown up thought that they knew who He was and were unable to believe anything apart from what they already knew about Him. Probably there are many folks who profess to follow Christ who've attained a similar level of understanding of who Jesus is and assume that they already know all there is to know about Him. They have become "familiar" with Jesus. But there's so much more! The more we truly know about Him, the more we realize how much there still is for us to learn!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">Jesus explained many times throughout the gospels that the Son of God did not come to be served but to serve. He does not call people to follow Him so that they can be exalted and given honour and wealth and respect. On the contrary, He calls His followers to take up their crosses and follow Him. To suffer humiliation and poverty and persecution and hatred, as He did! He calls us to let go of the security and status of wealth and possessions and trust only in God to provide for our needs. He calls us to lay down our need for honour and title and recognition among our contemporaries, and to humble ourselves and become servants to both God and men.</span><br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<span class="woj">The character of Bartimaeus is one of abject poverty and desperation. Bartimaeus is not proud. He has no wealth, no possessions, and has not even a hope of being given honour and respect among his peers. He stands before Jesus with nothing but his need and his faith. I was in the same place ten years ago, and when I realized my need for Jesus and cried out to Him, He responded in such a powerful way, extravagantly pouring out His manifest love out upon me, that I was forever changed. He healed me and raised me up and gave me sight. Suddenly I saw the world through different eyes and I was so grateful and filled with love for Him that I would do anything and give everything I had or ever would have to serve Him. </span><br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<span class="woj">Over the past ten years of being "taught" by the church and by religious educational institutions, the keenness of my "new born" sight has began to dull. It's become clouded, and the cares of the world and the desire (need) to accumulate wealth and possessions has brought about a slow decay. But as I study this text my heart cries out, "NO! This is not what I want!" I don't want some watered down version of the gospel of Christ that allows me to remain complacent in my comfort zone looking out at the pain and suffering in the world around me from a "high" place. I know that when I get entrenched in comfort and in security that comes from money and things, I lose my boldness and my effectiveness as an ambassador of Jesus Christ and I no longer care about the circumstances and lives of other people. I don't want to become "familiar" with Jesus, believing that I already know all there is to know about Him because the more I seek to know Him, the more I realize just how magnificent and vast and glorious He is and it only makes me long to know Him more!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">When Jesus first came into my life I knew Him as the Son of God, the Light of the World. I knew that I had met a "cosmic" being, one for whom nothing was impossible. If He could get hold of me in spite of my stubbornness, He truly was capable of performing miracles - and He did. He brought me into the knowledge of the love of the Father, and knowing His love filled me up so full that I needed nothing else. Because His love for me changed me life and set me free, I wanted everyone who was hurting to know His love too. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">Because of my love for Him I was so tuned in to the Father's heart that He would show me the ones He wanted to shower with His love. He would allow me to see into their hearts and show me the pain and the darkness in their lives, and that would give me a burning desire for them to know His love. He would tell me where to go and what to do and who to bless and what to say - and I would do it. If I was afraid, I would still do it! And lives were touched with the love of God because of my obedience and my boldness. He gave me the ability to see the spirit realm, to see angels as well as demons, and because of that sight, and my obedience to Him, a few people were released from harassment and bondage. It is for this reason we are commanded to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength - because when we do that we receive His heart for the lost and broken ones and He anoints us to heal and comfort and minister to them.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<span class="woj">It's a tragedy that in North America, so many of us who call ourselves Christians do not really see Jesus and know who He truly is. Unless we have come before Him, filthy and dejected, poor and begging for mercy, nakedly admitting our need to Him, we have not truly encountered Him; we have not experienced His compassion, His healing love or His transforming resurrection power that changes us and circumstances in an instant. Humility and desperation are the keys that unlock the door to revelation and grace and free us from our worldly or religious mindsets so that we can see and know Jesus as He truly is. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj">Although Bartimaeus' clothes were filthy, his heart was pure. He came to Jesus with no agenda, with no pride, and with no ulterior motive. His desperate cry was for mercy, and His one desire was to recover his sight. That is my prayer today.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj"> </span><br />
<span class="woj">Lord, I long to return to that same passionate first love I had for You. I want to live and breathe and have my being in You; to obey Your every word like I used to. I release to You everything that hinders me from being pure of heart and fully surrendered to Your will. Even what little prestige and wealth and possessions I have, I give them all up for You. Forgive me for relying on the material things of this world for my security. Grant me the humility and wisdom of dear Bartimaeus; I come before you as he did, a dirty, tired old beggar. And just as he did, I cry out to You, <i>"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "Rabbi, let me recover my sight!"</i> I want to see you as you truly are! </span><br />
<br />
<span class="woj"><i> </i></span><i>Jesus said to him, <span class="woj">"Go your way; your faith has made you well."</span> And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. </i>(Mark 10:52)<i><span class="woj"> </span></i>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-37055408417105893112010-04-29T03:35:00.000-07:002010-04-29T03:44:05.222-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1897020767" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" /></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><i>This is a response I wrote to a Facebook post written by someone I love. He was angry that a caring but misguided Christian friend told him that unless he and his family believe in Christ they are all going to hell. The response is addressed to him and to those who posted comments that supported him and denigrated the good news and those who preach it.</i></span></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Love-Letter-Special-DVD/dp/1897020767?ie=UTF8&tag=cathsgod-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" linkindex="22" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Father's Love Letter - Special Edition - DVD and CD" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1897020767&tag=cathsgod-20" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;">I hope you all will read this even though it is a different point of view and written by a believer. I used to feel exactly like you do whenever someone brought up Jesus or quoted the Bible to me. It made me very angry. I felt they had no right.<br />
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I'm sorry someone mis-represented Christ - and Christ followers - to you. Jesus never condemned<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">people - except the uber-religious ones called "the Pharisees and scribes". They were the Jewish leaders and teachers of religion and they were misrepresenting God to the people, making him out to be a nitpicking angry God, and that made Jesus very angry.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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The Bible says that God doesn't want anyone to go to hell. He's not some divine ogre in the sky just waiting for us to make a wrong move. He loves us all no matter whether we believe in Jesus or not and whether we're good or not and he wants us to be with him. Remember The Father's Love Letter (<a href="http://www.fathersloveletter.com/" linkindex="23" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "32b71", event);" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.fatherslovelett<wbr></wbr>er.com/</a>)? Every word is from the Bible, it is truly God's love letter to us. But as much as he loves us, we all have a choice to make, and it has to do with whether or not we are going to follow God and believe in the one he sent.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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I know it's hard to understand this, and I would have been very sceptical myself in the past, but I have met Jesus Christ. He is real, and he is alive, and I have come to know the LOVE of God through him. My life changed dramatically the moment I met Jesus. Fear is gone, and so is shame, and in their place I have freedom. That doesn't mean that I am perfect and never do anything wrong, or that I am never afraid, but I used to live in misery and hopelessness and fear all the time before I met him. Fear of dying, fear of making a mistake, fear of not having any money, and on and on. Knowing Jesus has given me hope, and joy, and peace, and a purpose, and I long every day for everyone I love to know the hope and the love and the joy and the freedom that I have found in him. Jesus called it "abundant life" or "life to the fullest". That's what he came for and that's what he offers every person who puts their faith in him. He came to set us free so that we could know God's love. And to know and feel the love of the God who created the universe is such an amazing thing! I feel safe in the world now no matter where I am because he is with me and he guides me and protects me. It's not religion, it's a relationship, and it's real. I wasn't scared into believing in Jesus, and I wasn't brainwashed into believing either; he met me where I was in my misery and fear and he healed me and set me free. And in that moment I felt the love of God pouring into me. It was a powerful experience that I will never forget. And because of it, I cannot deny him or allow him to be misrepresented.<br />
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I'm glad that you talk to Jesus. He hears you and he cares about the things that trouble you and that you care about - and he loves you. Keep talking to him. You don't have to go to church to know him. He will meet you right where you are. I know this because that's what happened to me. And because of that my love for him goes beyond duty or fear or dogma. My heart is full of gratitude for all that he's done for me and all that he continues to do. Seek him and you will find him.<br />
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I know that what I have shared may anger the folks who've posted here - if they got this far - but it's my experience. God is real. He loves me and he loves you too – and believe it or not he loves Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo too. And yes if they were to confess and ask God’s forgiveness and truly believe in Jesus they would receive his salvation. And that's good news for all of us since none of us is entirely good. The Bible says that God forgives everyone who asks for his forgiveness. I'm thankful that I am forgiven. Of course God wants us to be good, but being good doesn't necessarily qualify us for heaven.</span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS8PtzssP5cDzsppqk2f6TKt0W4M5nAB35HA6vmwP2m_xZDzV9CZ-GzntCGQtZXdSsdLjDwYIsgxrhPykVLu_3z-1OGRFap8ye9ryiNo6Px0iUW_aAIp-RTzxdhYLRUKLFWgUojzJQLSb/s1600/red+jesus.bmp" imageanchor="1" linkindex="24" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS8PtzssP5cDzsppqk2f6TKt0W4M5nAB35HA6vmwP2m_xZDzV9CZ-GzntCGQtZXdSsdLjDwYIsgxrhPykVLu_3z-1OGRFap8ye9ryiNo6Px0iUW_aAIp-RTzxdhYLRUKLFWgUojzJQLSb/s320/red+jesus.bmp" />0</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />
This is what Jesus said on this subject: "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed. By believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness."</span></span></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-79978621420534033982010-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:002010-04-23T00:34:59.946-07:00For such a time as this...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SFaDegO7_Z_Bh6wrLCv6ahtHRtZEHu8hhQLVDuNy-qXHmHZXG4iwDXCwBjI-vpYxWgV_7ytonWnT5o6lqmBOl40bcYh2_6bRm_iE37LDKhrHMIPtNkXpQximFJ3b_QpS1qZMbntu7Fd5/s1600/powell-river-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="19" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SFaDegO7_Z_Bh6wrLCv6ahtHRtZEHu8hhQLVDuNy-qXHmHZXG4iwDXCwBjI-vpYxWgV_7ytonWnT5o6lqmBOl40bcYh2_6bRm_iE37LDKhrHMIPtNkXpQximFJ3b_QpS1qZMbntu7Fd5/s400/powell-river-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Three weeks have passed since I came to Powell River. It's like paradise here, so many beaches and seascapes and mountain vistas, and so much wildlife to see - eagles, loons, kingfishers, hummingbirds, seals, starfish, etc. I've met some amazing people here with whom I've of one heart and mind - in the unity of the Holy Spirit. They run and minister at the Powell River Healing Rooms, and they have a heart for the people of the community.<br />
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I had tea last week with Hazel who, along with her husband Bill, heads up the Healing Rooms ministry here and she asked me what the vision is that God has given me for Powell River. It turns out that she and Bill have an almost identical vision! They're just waiting for God to show them it's time to move on it. I was with them last night, and some other folks on the team as well, and Hazel said something that impacted me. She said it's one thing to have a vision and it's entirely another thing to actually do something about it.<br />
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I'm incredibly grateful that God has led me straight to a group of believers who are on fire for Jesus and passionate about reaching people with His love. I never imagined that it would happen so quickly, but He obviously has sent me here, as Hazel said, "for such a time as this." <br />
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Lord, I pray that you would help me to remain sensitive to the leading of your Holy Spirit, and that you would also give me the courage to act and to obey when you say, "Go." Please break my heart for the things that break your heart and let me see people as you see them. Use me as your representative to everyone I meet in this community. Move me to do what you want done, to say what you want to say, without hesitation or second guessing. Let me be your humble servant, your handmaiden - not just in words, but in deeds as well - just as Esther was, "for such a time as this."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1h-926Zq7IkhOGjKx5ZgsYLN3jLRaf_xEURNgjCY0lMIfwtxq1tNcpNK6MoC_yeA4Fj7HrWl2n3yj9D9C4VIE4BY4-vE_DtdAPcatdKMbrCSjjwzXc3PTz419TsofKeMI_x8Ih7ux4Xb/s1600/IMG_2439.jpg" imageanchor="1" linkindex="20" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1h-926Zq7IkhOGjKx5ZgsYLN3jLRaf_xEURNgjCY0lMIfwtxq1tNcpNK6MoC_yeA4Fj7HrWl2n3yj9D9C4VIE4BY4-vE_DtdAPcatdKMbrCSjjwzXc3PTz419TsofKeMI_x8Ih7ux4Xb/s400/IMG_2439.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> God's paintbrush! Sunset over Willingdon Beach, Powell River. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">It really was that red! I was with my son when he took this photo.</span></i></div>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-25960552880595641542010-03-23T14:52:00.000-07:002010-03-23T14:57:57.349-07:00Your mission, should you choose it...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXeKEcGipz7_cj2sUU1bQAuZGE1UrxswFAb-N5q2wJbrNdPnInYavN9UpjiAFwPsVFFhXAl6U3jlIUMIB_LiH1NoMA_9hvWMDQzOdANcdV7HWTe1H_yKljXLEzIJW4r6NIpMNiU6aSUuD/s1600-h/n656065861_1082293_8412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXeKEcGipz7_cj2sUU1bQAuZGE1UrxswFAb-N5q2wJbrNdPnInYavN9UpjiAFwPsVFFhXAl6U3jlIUMIB_LiH1NoMA_9hvWMDQzOdANcdV7HWTe1H_yKljXLEzIJW4r6NIpMNiU6aSUuD/s400/n656065861_1082293_8412.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In a few days I'm moving to a new community and starting a new phase of my journey with God. I'm heading to Powell River which is on the north end of the Sunshine Coast. It's a beautiful place, a real feast for the eyes, but the thing I like most is the quiet! I have a son and grandson living there so it will be nice to be close to them, but I also feel as though I'm being sent. I will be "tent making" - earning a living by working at a secular job that I believe is my next assignment from God - while praying, getting to know people and seeking God for direction. I'm excited! Your prayers would be gratefully appreciated.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Photo by my son, Jeremy Williams)</i></div>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-7445272590650677212010-01-12T17:06:00.000-08:002010-04-22T23:51:30.912-07:00God's Unfathomable Love<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Tenderness-Jesus-Brennan-Manning/dp/0800793390?ie=UTF8&tag=cathsgod-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" linkindex="19" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, The" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0800793390&tag=cathsgod-20" width="130" /></a>Lately everything I've been reading and listening to is on the topic of the extravagant love of God. "The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus" by Brennan Manning - a book that has impacted me more than any other I've read so far - is one example. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favour. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Tenderness-Jesus-Brennan-Manning/dp/0800793390?ie=UTF8&tag=cathsgod-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" linkindex="20" target="_blank">Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, The</a><br />
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A <a href="http://baxterkruger.blogspot.com/2009/08/you-are-child-father-always-wanted-part_12.html" linkindex="21">sermon</a> by Baxter Kruger on Ephesians 1 is another example. It's a powerful and profound teaching that set my heart ablaze!<br />
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And then, yesterday, in the maximum security unit of a federal penitentiary for women I heard a powerful testimony that caused me to weep with joy Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Theand awe. I lead a weekly Bible study there and had a new woman join me this week. She was the only one on her unit that wanted to participate, and so it gave us an opportunity to get to know one another better. This woman had taken a life, and the day after her arrest and imprisonment, <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0800793390" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0800793390" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=031612558X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />she knew that she was facing a long incarceration and that she didn't have the strength to endure it. So she prayed and asked God to come into her life and help her - and He did!<br />
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God did not turn her away or ignore her because of her sin. When she called out to Him, He lovingly came alongside her. And since that day she has been reading the Bible and worshipping Him and praying on a daily basis. She's had no evangelizing and no teaching except for a do-it-yourself Bible study she did in the holding jail she was at before. All on her own - and with the help of the Holy Spirit - she has grown in the Lord. She's like a beautiful flower that has been hidden from view until now; she's been transformed by the renewing of her mind! And she is my most advanced pupil because she's read through the Bible several times and been tutored by the Holy Spirit in the ways of God. She loves Him and trusts Him, and she told me that she has joy and peace in the midst of her circumstances - even when it comes to the care of her four children.<br />
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How amazing is that? How amazing is God's love?! What a powerful testimony to the mercy and grace of our loving Father in heaven. I was brought to tears as she shared her story with me and she told me that I was the first person who was able to understand what has happened to her. I am humbled by the privilege of being the first person to ever hear her testimony. <br />
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Thank You, Lord, for your amazing grace! Please bless my sister in Christ abundantly as she faithfully clings to You.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0800793390" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=cathsgod-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=031612558X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-4779346922490473152009-11-24T11:53:00.001-08:002009-12-10T22:26:28.955-08:00He leads me beside the still waters...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNv6TypIM98so91bvWc5sPaIzeaWEuQdsJKxJvcOh2dqh6QCCXDH4OzhfFWHU6yaIGSlSUUA9VVju1edPMCS4lS5pI9TR5YQWrw-iAo6EXczW_jrTEPosV4apwRN6Jdh5aZ7Xz9z-n-ys/s1600/_DSC2120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNv6TypIM98so91bvWc5sPaIzeaWEuQdsJKxJvcOh2dqh6QCCXDH4OzhfFWHU6yaIGSlSUUA9VVju1edPMCS4lS5pI9TR5YQWrw-iAo6EXczW_jrTEPosV4apwRN6Jdh5aZ7Xz9z-n-ys/s400/_DSC2120.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407768966239001762" /></a><br />We had a stormy week on the west coast with high winds and high tides wreaking havoc in many places. There was major flooding in some communities on Vancouver Island - prompting the government to impose a state of emergency in at least one community - and there were lots of power outages as trees were blown down. Logs littered the beaches in many areas as log booms were broken up strewn every which way by the waves. <br /><br />While visiting my son (the photographer who took the photo above) and grandson on the northern Sunshine Coast last weekend, I spent the nights in a warm cozy bed in the loft in my son's beachfront cabin. The ceiling was just a few feet above me and it curved around the bed like a cocoon. It was awesome to listen to the sounds of the surf as great waves were hurled against the shore, and of the wind as it whipped through the trees and pushed against the walls of the cabin. One night I lay there trying to imagine what it must be like for the birds and the squirrels who live in the trees that were being tossed and shaken by the winds just a few feet from my bed. I felt so grateful that I could rest safe and warm and secure in my bed inside the loft - so secure that I was able to peacefully drift off to sleep while the tempest raged all around me. <br /><br />I realized that this was a perfect illustration of what it means to be "in Christ". Though storms rage and terror reigns (H1N1 is the current scare) and the forces of death and destruction wreak havoc in the world all around us, in Christ we are safe and protected; cocooned in a peace that allows us to lay down our heads and sleep - secure in the knowledge that we live and move and have our being in the One through whom all things were created. We can rest in the Saviour, the Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who has all authority in heaven and here on earth. This realization gave me great comfort and it has continued to help me to enter into the rest of God whenever the tempest that rages around me threatens to overwhelm me. He is my fortress, my God in whom I trust.<br /><br />Thank You Lord for Your love, Your peace, and Your protection. Help me to remain in Your love always.Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-65782232895808554392009-09-03T13:33:00.001-07:002009-09-03T13:50:44.438-07:00I'D LEAVE 99...(An article I wrote for my church's newsletter on the theme of homecoming.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZTl9PfQycTvjz2Qf-MadASdTrEz0ho8zBOKDagiI8EwCo1jjzeUpODZSCJXzqHX8HRu1ys8mX7L08v2wCFGIPY4uthihoFxG7IlQ4E3ZntyOpMJYVvqWihu7-ah9LpTax2jQJ_7MrIvG/s1600-h/jesus-nazareth-305.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZTl9PfQycTvjz2Qf-MadASdTrEz0ho8zBOKDagiI8EwCo1jjzeUpODZSCJXzqHX8HRu1ys8mX7L08v2wCFGIPY4uthihoFxG7IlQ4E3ZntyOpMJYVvqWihu7-ah9LpTax2jQJ_7MrIvG/s320/jesus-nazareth-305.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377343943835983746" /></a>When I think of homecoming what comes to mind is sitting in my pastor's office for the first time nine years ago. I had begun to attend his church a few months before but usually slipped out before the service was over to avoid having to talk to anyone, so we'd never really spoken. At the time I was still filled with fear and shame; I felt that if people knew what my life was like they would not want me sitting on the pew with them. But on this day, the pastor had made a beeline for me before the service ended, asking if I would like to meet with him in his office. He'd probably noticed me weeping in the pew during the service as I did every time I attended a service. I didn't offer him much to go on that day. I wasn't ready to share the details, just that I was in recovery and had come back to church because I was working Step Two <em>(Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity)</em> in my program. I had attended church as a little girl and had loved Jesus and longed to know God like Joan of Arc and Saint Bernadette did, but I lost my faith and turned away from God when my father left our family for a woman he worked with - in spite of my fervent prayers. So as I was "coming to believe" I decided to go back to church since that was where I had known God as a child. As we sat in his office, my pastor began to prayerfully leaf through the used Study Bible he had offered to give me to take home. Then he stopped and began to read the passage from John 4 about the woman at the well in Samaria. He had no idea that what he was reading was a powerful word of knowledge for me. It was more than that, actually, I was stunned because the story of that woman was the story of my life. I didn't get the part about "living water" etc., at the time it was over my head spiritually, but as he continued to read I felt God saying to my heart, "Finally, you've come home!" In that moment I knew that I was where I was supposed to be, although it would be a while before I invited Jesus to come into my life. August 30 is the anniversary of the day that I was born again. I'm so grateful for God's infinite patience and loving compassion towards me. Like the Good Shepherd, Jesus came and rescued this lost lamb and carried me home. And I will forever love and serve Him.<br /><br /></p><p><em>He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.</em> 2 Peter 3:9b</p>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-80370367248217340352009-09-03T12:57:00.001-07:002009-09-03T13:03:53.963-07:00WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART<span xmlns=''><p><em>You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.</em> (Jeremiah 29:13)<br /><br /></p><p><em>Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God.</em> (2 Peter 1:3 MSG)<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p>In the Old Testament times, the people of God needed the services of a priest to go to God on their behalf, and to hear from God for them as well. The first priest was Moses. When God invited the Israelites to come up the mountain to meet Him, they were too afraid; they were sure they would die. So they sent Moses instead. During the times of the tabernacle and the temple there was a room called The Holy of Holies where God's presence dwelled. It was hidden and protected by a thick curtain, and anyone who entered into that room was in danger of losing their lives; the manifest holiness of God would strike them dead because sin cannot stand in the presence of God's holiness. That's why on only one day each year, the high priest of Israel would enter the Holy of Holies to go before God and atone for the sins of all the people. Before he dared to enter, however, he would carefully perform several cleansing rituals and perform many different sacrifices and offerings in order to cleanse himself of his own sin. Then he had to perform more of the same for the sins of the people. If there was even a residue "uncleanness" left in him or on him, he would most surely die when he entered the Holy of Holies. That's why the other priests would tie a rope to his ankle, that way they could pull him out without risking their own lives to go in and retrieve his body.<br /><br /></p><p>Now, because of Jesus' death on the Cross, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and confesses Him as Lord and Saviour can enter into the presence of God. That's because Jesus was the "once and for all" sacrifice for the sins of everyone in the world. By His death on the Cross He has made us all clean, His blood has washed away all of our sin – if we believe in Him – and we can now enter into the Holy of Holies without fear. That's why the great veil that curtained off the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two the moment Jesus died. His death opened a way to the Father for everyone who believes.<br /><br /></p><p>Now we no longer need a priest to be our go-between, we can draw close to God and have a personal and intimate relationship with Him ourselves. While we still need leaders and mentors in our lives to teach and guide us, we cannot rely on someone else to bring us closer to God or to do the work of cultivating our relationship with God for us. We must take responsibility and take the time to do whatever it takes to draw closer to Him. If we take even just one baby step towards Him, God will make ten giant strides towards us. We may struggle, not knowing how to draw close, but if we ask for His help God will show us the way. If we don't know how to pray, we can ask Jesus just as the disciples did, and He will teach us. Everything we need to have an intimate and personal relationship with God is within our grasp, in fact, God is just waiting to give it, if we would only ask.<br /><br /></p><p>The ways that we approach God are: reading our Bibles; prayer (including listening for Him to speak); praising and worshipping Him by reciting a psalm or singing a hymn or a praise song; and sitting in silence expectantly waiting for Him. As we do these things with hearts that long to draw close to Him, He promises He will draw close to us. <br /><br /></p><p>The Message puts it beautifully:<br /></p><p><em>So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet</em>. (James 4:7-10)<br /><br /></p><p>God is waiting for you to seek Him. There is so much He longs to give you and to show you! You will never regret turning your will and your life over to His care.<br /></p><br /><br /><p>PRAYER<br /></p><p>Thank You, Jesus, that You died on the Cross so that I can enter into the Holy of Holies and experience the manifest presence of God. And thank You that because of You I have all I need to live a life that is pleasing to God. Lord, I want to know You more. Please open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Teach me how to seek You, how to pray to You and how to listen and hear Your voice as You speak to me. I commit my life to You now, in Jesus' Name.</p></span>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-4627265801023290292009-07-19T23:57:00.000-07:002019-01-27T15:36:56.851-08:00HIS LOVE NEVER WEARIES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are moments throughout each day when our minds get carried away with the busy-ness and the circumstances of our lives and our thoughts are not on God. But no matter how often we forget Him, He never forgets or neglects us. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GKY0sO0slcZToTtdYLdo4KDSJESui4RjAipxKtFVmX_q9hxazKJksEQ3UyBGH2X_kjATHFwDxSqQCCns6TXFS2Lt4QWzOHQXXNtHrpLkTwlndFt3myj7MqkvKStdwu3byumRtZvQj8pw/s1600-h/agapetop.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360435569623559234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GKY0sO0slcZToTtdYLdo4KDSJESui4RjAipxKtFVmX_q9hxazKJksEQ3UyBGH2X_kjATHFwDxSqQCCns6TXFS2Lt4QWzOHQXXNtHrpLkTwlndFt3myj7MqkvKStdwu3byumRtZvQj8pw/s320/agapetop.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 268px;" /></a><br />
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<em>How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.</em>Psalm 139:17-18<br />
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<em>Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary…</em>Isaiah 40:28<br />
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We cannot weary God’s love. The Bible tells us that God’s love endures forever, that it is changeless and infinite, and that nothing can separate us from His love – nothing! Although there are times when we may grieve His heart, His love never is never failing. Our Father in Heaven longs for us to turn to Him and know His love. His hands are full of blessings that He would so love to pour out on us. <br />
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We talk so often with others throughout the day, but we forget that God is longing to hear our voice. He has so much to tell us, if we would only listen. God is not a remote impervious power. He is a Person with feelings, and He desires intimacy with us. He made us in His own image, and so our own need and desire for intimacy and relationship is a characteristic we inherited from Him! <br />
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So often we trust only in those things we can see, but we should not allow the worldly mind set of “I’ll believe it when I see it” keep us from the heart knowledge of who God truly is - a Person who desires to be known by us. If we would only seek Him with all our hearts, and love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, we would discover that He is as tangible to us as Jesus was to Thomas the day He appeared and said, “"Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.”<br />
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Jesus did not grow weary of Thomas and his doubts. Instead He invited Him to discover the truth, that He was truly alive! Jesus said to Thomas, “Do not disbelieve, but believe." And during those times when God seems distant and aloof and our faith in His love begins to flag, God does not chastise us or abandon us. Instead He invites us to a deeper intimacy with Him. He longs for us to “taste and see” just how good and faithful He is. There are no limits to how much He loves us. The question is, will we open our hearts to Him and allow Him to show us?<br />
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I'm thankful that I have had several experiences of knowing God's love in a real and tangible way. One of them came during a time of great temptation for me. Jesus told me that He could hold me just the way I wanted to be held on a day when I almost sacrificed purity for affection and intimacy. I argued with Him because I had barriers of unbelief and skepticism that prevented me from just running into His arms. True to Himself and His character, Jesus was patient with me and invited me to give it a try, just as He did with Thomas. I will never forget what happened when I allowed Him to hold me as He said He would. It was one of the most intimate and excruciatingly beautiful moments I have had with anyone in all my life. Taste and see; the Lord IS good!<br />
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<em>Lord, thank You for the reminders throughout Scripture that You love us with a passionate and everlasting love. Help us to remember that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from Your love. And if we have any barriers in our lives or in our hearts that keep us from knowing the fullness of Your love and experiencing Your blessings, would You gently show us what they are so that we can offer them up to You and be free from everything that would hinder us from running into Your open arms. Help us to remember to show our love for you throughout each day, and teach us how we can bless your heart.</em></div>
Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-13340897648591712112009-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:002009-05-28T16:43:11.653-07:00Changing the blog's nameI've been reluctant to post items about my ministry with Partners in Hope and at the Fraser Valley Institution because the stories I want to tell involve real people whose anonymity is at stake. This ethical dilemna has caused me to neglect posting to my blog on a regular basis, and so I have decided to change its focus from what God is doing in the lives of other people to one that is more focused on what God, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is teaching or showing me. If I keep it personal then the only person whose anonymity is at stake is myself. <br /><br />God is doing amazing things around us every day, and I hope that He will remind and inspire me to share more of what I see Him doing around me in this forum. <br /><br />May He bless you abundantly today.Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-62064285785654532242009-05-19T11:23:00.000-07:002009-05-19T11:37:40.508-07:00Hope for the Hopeless<em>This is an article I wrote recently for the St. Simon's Newsletter on the subject of the "Power of the Holy Spirit"</em> <br /><br />THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK<br /><br />I see the power of God at work through the Holy Spirit as I allow Him to place me strategically where He wants me to be. Recently while I was at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women (ACCW) with a group of W2 volunteers, I found myself with time left over before we were to leave. My self-focussed wish was to head out to my car and rest and listen to praise music while I waited for the other volunteers to finish; it had been a long day. Instead, I decided to offer myself and my time to God for His purposes and began to walk around the grounds praying and asking God to show me if there was someone He wanted me to reach out to. It often happens that women who are broken and searching will feel drawn to one or more of us and ask how they can arrange to have a W2 visitor too. These are almost always “divine appointments”! <br /><br />So as I circled the prison grounds and prayed, a woman who was standing alone in a gazebo far from the main activity of the prison called out and asked me what we were doing there at ACCW. I stopped and told her that we visit women every other week and talk and listen and sometimes pray with them. She told me she wanted to sign up for a visitor so I explained how; then I told her that I had some time left if she wanted to have a visit right now. We sat down on the benches in the gazebo and she told me a little about herself. She told me that she was struggling with being back in jail this time and was dreading her sentencing hearing, which was coming up in a couple of days. She was afraid that she was going to be given a long sentence because of the charge that she was facing. <br /><br />She told me that she felt ready, finally, to get clean and sober and live her life differently; she wants to be involved in her children’s lives again. I told her that God cared about her and about her relationship with her children, and that most of the women I meet at ACCW see their incarceration as God’s rescue from themselves and from their addictions. I suggested that perhaps God had rescued her too and had a plan to save her and help her to change her life around. She agreed; she told me that she had decided to sign up for some of the programs that are offered at ACCW like Emotions Management and addiction related courses. I shared a little bit about what God has done in my life and asked if I could pray for her. We spent time together in prayer for all of the things that were on her heart, and all that the Holy Spirit gave me to pray for her. She wept. I believe that God heard the cry of that woman’s broken heart that night, and that by the power and the leading of the Holy Spirit, He sent me to respond – only because I made myself available - so that He could minister His love to her. <br /><br />I expect to hear the story of how He moved in answer to our prayers the next time I see her. It happens all the time; I’ve heard many women share with breathless excitement how God responded to our prayers during my last visit – He is good and He wants to demonstrate His love and His care to them. I pray that this desperate woman who’s found herself at the end of her own strength will apply to have a W2 visitor – maybe me - who can help to shine the light of hope and of God’s love into her life. I know that God will provide for her needs if she looks to Him. What an awesome privilege it is to be a small part of this God-given ministry of reconciliation through the work of M2W2. <br /><br />In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. <br />2 Corinthians 5:19-20<br /><br /><br /><em>For more information about the ministry of M2W2 click on the link to the right or go to</em> http://www.m2w2.com/Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-16045005015323023512009-04-06T22:17:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:26:25.395-07:00The Hope and the Promise of Easter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbop3-GwAwufXUuT7KfL0C-38YZ_nmdxAOUxUBAcq538X980Ew-XLTnoc2LUJEnHzRdN3uvVwBS-CDxmn3YIL5IIJEp4fbDVR_2BEPY3X6YtXAfDETuRoX0XLqwOYU0rm6-toaFgGljNTP/s1600-h/trees+rays.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbop3-GwAwufXUuT7KfL0C-38YZ_nmdxAOUxUBAcq538X980Ew-XLTnoc2LUJEnHzRdN3uvVwBS-CDxmn3YIL5IIJEp4fbDVR_2BEPY3X6YtXAfDETuRoX0XLqwOYU0rm6-toaFgGljNTP/s320/trees+rays.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321814871114161490" /></a>Easter has a personal meaning for me that goes beyond its significance as a Holy Season of the church. Nine years ago on Palm Sunday I crossed the threshold of St. John’s Anglican Church in Duncan seeking to “come to believe” in that power greater than myself that could restore me to sanity and free me from the hold that addiction had on my life. I had known and loved the Lord as a child but that day my spirit was bankrupt and my heart was broken and despairing. I had no other hope, everything I had tried failed to bring healing or change.<br /><br />I had hoped to slip into the church service unnoticed that morning, and to leave that way too, but the joyful Palm Sunday celebration was in full swing. I had a palm frond slapped into my hands and was instructed to go outside again and “process” into the church with the others, waving the palm frond and proclaiming, “Hosannah in the highest!” Amazingly, I did not drop the palm frond and run! Instead, like the rest of the people gathered, I waited out in the spring sunshine and then processed into the church as I was told. <br /><br />I didn’t fully understand the religious significance of the procession at that time, but looking back I can see that this was actually a prophetic act for me. I didn’t know it that day, but I was returning home! I had begun the journey to the Cross; the journey from darkness into light; from despair to hope; from sin to righteousness; from death to life; and from shame to glory. Jesus’ mighty victory over the grave set me free from sin and death forever four months later when I invited Him into my heart and my life, and now I too am victorious over the grave. Jesus was willing to die for me! He loves me that much! <em>“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.”</em>(Psalm 139:6) I am humbled and filled with awe and wonder every time I think of it and I can’t think of it without weeping tears of gratitude. Thank You, Jesus! <br /><br />I recently heard a beautiful, heart rending song called “The Day Before You,” by a young man named Matthew West. The words speak so simply and beautifully of the change that happened in my life nine years ago. I close with a couple of lines from the chorus: <em>I can't wait, to wake up tomorrow, and find out this promise is true, I will never have to go back to, the day before you.</em><br /><br />PS: The stunning picture was shot by my son, Jeremy - a very gifted photographer. Can you see the Cross?Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-49541941139397293832009-01-31T23:24:00.000-08:002009-01-31T23:39:47.798-08:00RenewalAn article for the St. Simon's NV Renewal Mission Newsletter<br /><br /><strong><em>Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. </em></strong>Romans 12:2 ESV<br /><br />Because I became a Christian quite late in life I understand the transformation that happens “by the renewal of your mind”. Along my seeker’s journey I investigated many spiritual paths and philosophies, and accumulated many thoughts and beliefs that were not in line with God’s will for my life. In the early days of my walk with Christ I was not willing to lay down some of these beliefs, even when they were questioned by my spiritual elders. They made sense to me. However, as the life Christ grew within me - and especially after being baptized in the Holy Spirit - my thoughts and beliefs began to come more into alignment the Word of God. Not because of any argument or debate with members of my church, but because I was continually surrendering my life to God and being counselled by the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Seeking the renewal of the mind is crucial for every Christian whether we’ve grown up in the church or not. As sadly evidenced in the Anglican/Episcopal Church in North America, believers can be influenced and even led astray by ideas and beliefs that are not in line with God’s Word. Renewal is the work of the Holy Spirit who wants to continually come in and fill us up with the life of Christ, renewing our minds and giving us God’s perspective on life. Renewal enables us to discern the “good and acceptable and perfect” will of God so that we cannot be easily led astray by worldly ideas and ungodly philosophies. When we are truly aligned with God’s will and our thoughts line up with His Word, we no longer live in a way that conforms to the world. Our lives and relationships demonstrate that we are different, and the transformation is apparent to those around us. We become more concerned about the needs and lives of others and we become “fishers of men,” concerned with catching human fish for the Kingdom of God because we have and know God’s heart and God’s thoughts toward people. As the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9, it is God’s desire that none should perish, but that all people should turn to Him.<br /><br />I pray that St. Simon’s Renewal Mission 2009 will be a time of seeking the renewal of the mind that God, through the Holy Spirit, wants to bring. I pray that our hearts will be set ablaze with the love and the compassion of God’s own heart and that we would passionately seek opportunities to bring others into His presence so they may know His love. May we be transformed as individuals, and as a church, and may our hearts and attitudes become the same as Christ’s.<br /><br /><em>(I will happily forward the brochure for the upcoming Renewal Mission March 20-22, 2009 at St. Simon's Church NV and Harvest City Church to anyone who is interested. Just send me an email to request it.)</em>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068319625800365316.post-50002431418651848372008-11-25T10:48:00.000-08:002008-11-25T11:58:14.497-08:00The Hope of GloryYesterday was a "jail" day. I spent the afternoon at Fraser Valley Institution doing my weekly Bible study in the maximum security unit and then had a meeting with the chaplain and the inmates on the chaplaincy committee. We're planning to show the movie The Nativity one evening next month for all of the women incarcerated there.<br /><br />In the evening I went to the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women for my bi-weekly visits with several of the inmates through M2W2 (see link for more info). As always it was a blessing and always God showed up. I met with three women, one I've been visiting for six months now, and two that I have only visited once before. Each visit was amazing and each woman was amazing too; every one of them is a follower of Christ. Some people find it difficult to believe that anyone who knows Christ could end up serving jail time, but most of the women I've met in the penitentiaries have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They may not be walking with Him, but they know Him. Part of my "assignment" is to point them back to God and encourage them to pray and read their Bibles every day. During each visit I pray with them and God is always faithful to answer our prayers and to demonstrate His love and His care in amazing ways that let them know that He truly is there for them.<br /><br />I've seen big changes in L since I first met her six months ago. At that time her thinking was still "stinking"; she was still caught up in the insanity and denial of addiction and she did not possess much wisdom for making healthy decisions pertaining to her future. However, as she's turned her life over to God more and more, her mind is being renewed. Last night she told me that she prayed and surrendered her life and all of her circumstances to God. Yay! And very soon she will be going to trial and may be released into the care of the kind and loving staff at Teen Challenge. Praise God!<br /><br />D is another story. She's going to be released very soon as well. Her release will probably be conditional - she will have to go into treatment for drug addiction. That's good and proper, but she wants to be able to live at home and do her treatment through a day program. That would probably set her up to fail since she will be returning home to a partner who is a drug dealer. That's what I mean by the insanity and denial of addiction. D hasn't got enough clean time and hasn't strengthened her relationship with God enough to have had a change of heart and mind. She wants to stay clean and sober, but her desire is not strong enough to resist the temptations that are going to be all around her if she tries to do her treatment while living at home. I pray that God will guide her to the right treatment facility - she was talking about a very good Christian one - where she can recover in safety and protection, away from the influence of the drug culture.<br /><br />Then there's A. She's a ray of light - Christ's light - but doesn't know it yet, although there is hope in her heart. She's been about as far down and as far out as you can go in addiction. The ravages of street life still show in her face and on her body, but there is also a beauty and an intelligence that shines through. During her last relapse, God gave her several visions of hell that were so real. She says it is horrible beyond anything we could ever imagine. These visions have helped her; she wants to walk with God and I believe that He has a wonderful plan to use her for His Kingdom purposes. She has gifts and abilities that He can use to rescue others from the brink of hell, and her brightness and intelligence will help her to learn quickly all that He wants to teach her. <br /><br />It amazes me how God uses broken down "worthless" people (like me) to work out His plan of salvation. And I'm so thankful that He sends me to encourage women who find themselves cast out, and thrown on the garbage heap of society. There is a "poverty of spirit" present in these women that causes them to be open to God, and that allows God's power to come to bear in their circumstances: "Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven". <br /><br />Thankfully, God looks beyond what we see with our eyes and values those who seem to have no use or no worth according to our wordly standards. A verse from When It's All Been Said and Done, a song that Robin Mark recorded, comes to my mind as I write this and I'll close with its lyrics. But first I ask you to please pray for these three women and for all the other valuable souls who find themselves in prison today. God loves each one of them and has a plan for each of their lives. May they come to know His love in all the fullness of its power to heal and transform lives. Thank you.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sZYeBQofmED-pDF_46NWUhQxINWrq1qjgVJ_zYQ2Qv3vnA2jwb3TkGg_y5tLcO-dWxSDH1aRpu4hbI95OxVXEArjCuE4EEqmQ3Dyn9jTrMw5shscyIfqf_Axzg1za7mm6iau6uvp5CbC/s1600-h/16.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sZYeBQofmED-pDF_46NWUhQxINWrq1qjgVJ_zYQ2Qv3vnA2jwb3TkGg_y5tLcO-dWxSDH1aRpu4hbI95OxVXEArjCuE4EEqmQ3Dyn9jTrMw5shscyIfqf_Axzg1za7mm6iau6uvp5CbC/s400/16.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272686110243347618" /></a><em>Lord, Your mercy is so great<br />That You look beyond our weakness<br />And find purest gold in miry clay<br />turning sinners into saints</em>Catherine Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711997067867629042noreply@blogger.com0