Oh, What Great A Plow.....

Oh, what glory, the painful tool He uses. 

Oh, that we might be prepared for His coming into our hearts.  The tracks have been laid, but we resist.  We fight back tears, avoiding the question on our souls, continue to fool ourselves and count on religion in place of what He is attempting to do.  The furrows, so deep and etched.  His word was so clear to us, "In this world, you will have trouble".  As if trouble is always a bad thing.  We know His love is so deep, so rich that we could never accept it until the soil of our heart was made ready.  This takes time.  And as the psalmist states in Psalm 91:16  "With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation".  What a glorious Savior that keeps believers alive long enough to show them His salvation.  Oh, what Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, that will hound me from heaven, if I am His. 

How is it that there are 4 soils to plow through?  What agony to imagine if we are not the fertile soil.  But, this kind of agony brings us to our knees.  It now takes John 3:16 to the limit.  The blanket statement that many of us were taught, that all men are saved because Christ died on the cross is challenged.  Oh, glory that it is challenged.  If we only would read the text all around John 3:16, we shutter to see the red letters of Christ state in John 3:3 (much wiser to lean on)--"Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, NO ONE can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  And Jesus our Lord states this 4 times in 5 verses. 

You see Jesus was visited by a curious religious person.  What a great thing, to be curious for Christ.   The heart of Nicodemus was being made ready.  The soil was ripe.  The matter had not been settled in Nicodemus' heart.  Nicodemus sought in the night time a Savior.  Jesus was there to answer the questions and challenge this priestly man.

Our Lord is so gracious to wait for us.  He sees us examine all of the other claims and understands.  He sees us try to ride into heaven on our parent's faith, our creeds and doctrines, our church membership, denomination and affiliation.  He sees us hinging everything on a sacrament, altar call or baptism for salvation.  He knows us well. 

As Oswald Chambers states "No man on earth has any right to be a highroad; every man has the chance of allowing the plow to run through his life."  And if this post brings you upset, I will continue with Chamber's words which I totally have experienced myself--The words of our Lord, "Think not that I came to cast peace on the earth:  I came not to cast peace, but a sword," are a description of what happens when the Gospel is preached--upset, conviction, concern and confusion. (O. Chambers).

The parable of the soils is found in 3 of the 4 Gospels.  The Holy Spirit was so kind when He penned the writers of the Bible to include clear explanations of some of the parables.  The disciples at times were very humble to tell Him that they did not understand.  Oh, that we would be that humble to tell Him, "I do not understand".   He is such a great Savior that if we sit at His feet with humility, He will teach us anything. 

Psalm 78:2, written by Asaph states, "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old".  Jesus quotes this in Matthew 13:35.  Jesus also quotes Isaiah 6:9 in regards to His further words in Matthew 13:14-15, "In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah; You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn and I would convert them". 

If you are reading this blog post and you are disturbed, would you please let the Gospel today finally take hold of you and crumble you to pieces?  There is no salvation apart from Christ Jesus.  He is the blood sacrifice for your sin.  You have to throw your sin upon Him to be saved.  There is no "getting to God" without Jesus Christ for the atonement of your sin.  You cannot stand in the presence of God if you are not made pure by His blood.  There is no other way.  Could you imagine that there is a veil that is keeping you from worshiping Him in spirit and truth?  (John 4:24). 

You are not alone.  All that are born of God once were veiled.  He is waiting for you, my friend.  Put all claims aside and today, settle the matter.  The soil could be made rich and ready today for Him to finally enter in.  What if today was the first day you experience eternity?  I can tell you, there is no feeling like it in the world.   Let that Glorious plow make its final way.  Yes, it will be painful.  But, yes it will be worth it when you stand before Him someday and He states, "This one is mine". 

The Atonement of Christ-Miktam

The Atonement of Jesus Christ:



So what does a picture of Moses in the Nile River have to do with Jesus?  So much!  I want to connect you to some stories in the Old Testament with our precious savior, Jesus.

Atonement in Hebrew is "miktam".  This word means to "cover" or "cover with protection".

My devotion time this morning included Psalm 16.  This Psalm was written by David at time that Saul was persecuting him.  It is labeled "Miktam of David". You see, David is praying for covering and protection from God.  We need to pray for this as well.  Ps 16:1  "Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge."

Let's start with Genesis 6:14 and Noah's Ark--"So make yourself an ark of cypress wood: Make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out."

Now let's move into the story of Moses:  In Exodus 2:1-3 "Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and she coated it with tar and pitch.   Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile."  Please notice that "she coated it with tar and pitch".

Now let's move along to Exodus 12:6-7 to the Passover--"......take care of them (lamb) until the 14th day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.  Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs."

In all three of these stories (true stories), the writer Moses is specifically guided by the Holy Spirit to include the details of each account for our benefit.

The Bible is weaved perfectly within and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament to include details, accounts, numerology and parables to link all to Jesus Christ and to prove to us that Jesus always was, always was to be and will be forevermore.

This Atonement now is Jesus for us and our sin.  HIS blood is the perfect protection for us.  The Passover is such a reflection of what was to come.  You also see that in this story, they had to spend time with this lamb, make it a family pet.  But then they had to sacrifice this innocent and beloved animal for their protection.  Just as Jesus to us is intimately connected to us, He had to do this for us and for final victory at the cross.  It always was to come---His illegal trials, persecution from religious leaders, denial by his disciples and ultimately His hanging on a cross.

But the best news ever is that the blood that was shed during His flogging and dripping from His wounds, down from the tree included a Plan of ultimate, perfect protection for His flock.  We who are born from above are promised atonement for our sin and those to yet be born again will also be atoned for.

This Covering is something I want to share with you.  I want you to look at these stories and see the miracle in reading scripture, especially the Old Testament. Do not be afraid.  Read the Old Testament, and see the supernatural throughout it.  It is valid, important and points all of us to Jesus Christ.

The Lord speaks through Scripture.  He is telling you today to see the "covering" He provided Noah for the ark.  He provided Moses' parents Jochebed and Amram covering for his basket.  He provided the faithful Israelites a Way--- to cover their door posts and frames of their homes to be protected from the death angel.  Now I am pleading with you to get under this atonement that Jesus has provided for those who call Him Lord and Savior.  Not in just words, but in heart felt change to submit to Him in this life and be free.  Free from sin and free from eternal separation from Him.  He is the Way.  Thank you, Lord for your Miktam. I praise you this day that You gave me!  Amen!

God Can Work Through A Beatles Song

Yes, God can work through a Beatles song.  The song "Blackbird" is near and dear to me.

Let me tell you that anyone that wants to pressure you into an box and make you explain your testimony in a few moments, needs to slow down a bit.  Many of us claimed Jesus as savior long ago, in unconventional churches and in unconventional ways.  We didn't have altar calls and cards to sign or even personal commitments to Christ.  Our Lord works on our hearts the way He wishes and when He wishes.


It is such a glorious thing to be free in Jesus.  Once you feel shackles falling from your ankles (and it keeps on going until you are with Him), you look back and your testimony is so rich and deep.  The Holy Spirit loves to bring to your mind all of your life--some good, some bad and some ugly.  But the Comforter shows you that all the way back He was teaching you and bringing you to the point of being enabled to handle His glory.  No one can handle that Glory until He prepares you to.

How about sitting in Las Vegas at The Beatles Love Show, Cirque du Soleil and hearing "Blackbird" and start weeping for unknown reasons?

I was sitting all alone, as I took a cab to see this show.  Back in the day, I traveled to Las Vegas a few times, as I thought I would escape in some ways into a weekend with the gals and enjoy myself.  Yes, God worked in those days of my past.  He loves us so.  And He draws us to Himself.  I now thank Him for following my all over the place, some places I am not very proud to share,  to teach and help me to see the meaningless of life as most know it.  Glamour, money, cocktails, Friday nights and being "seen"---These things are so much more clear to me now, but you have to wade through the world to see the pearls of wisdom, the pearls of peace, the pearls of the Joy Of The Lord, which cannot be found in work, people, shallow talk or situational happiness.  These only provide shadows of what the Lord has in store for those who love Him.

Listen to the words of this song.  As I sat in this large audience, the song talked to me: "Take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise".  "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see, all your life you were only waiting for this moment to be free............."

You see, I was this lady who felt I had a big black spot on me.  I felt dirty and discarded. My self esteem had never been lower than it was just a couple of years prior to that.  I was starting to crawl out of a hole.   I had made some mistakes, but also bad things can happen to people.  Things that we never imagine could happen to us.  That can happen to you.  It changes your opinion about others who are divorced, addicted or stay in abusive relationships.  God allows you to be sifted so that you will love His creation: People.

Now, I am out of that pit and have been for years.  It is glorious.  I hear this song and it does not make me sad.  It sings to me!  I am free due to the Blood of Jesus.  I am healed.

My broken wings are mended.

My sunken eyes are bright and hopeful.

I still have to fly in the light of the cold, dark night.  We live here.  We are waiting for His return or to meet Him in death.  He is with us in the light of the cold, dark night.  What a gift, His love and mercy--He brings us to repentance so that we can receive that mercy.

Let this song speak to you of letting Him heal you from your sin.  He sings over your head.

Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you, the mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you.  In His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing".  Even singing "Blackbird".

The Real Jesus is Meant To Disturb You

This blog is based on Matthew 2:3: "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and all of Jerusalem with him."


Quite an interesting text, isn't it?  Don't many of us have memories of times we encountered Christ and could feel that squeeze, pressure or downright expression of anger? I am hopeful you are at the point of salvation, and can look back at that and understand what I am stating.  If you are still reading this and haven't clicked out of here, but can agree that you are still continuing to have "Jesus Flare-ups" which are ticking you off, please keep reading.  He is working on you.

There is quite a misconception that Jesus is the Jesus that our culture has led us to see Him as.  He is not a beatnik hippie who accepts all and everything.  He is not passive, moldable or a buddy type.  I have heard people state things like "The Jesus I love is the one who I could sit and have a beer with".  Really.  He is perfectly Holy and Pure.  Jesus is God.  He is a consuming fire.  He has provided a time of grace to those who will turn from their sin.  This door of opportunity closes either when you take your last breath or when He returns:  Whichever comes first. 

The Jesus of the New Testament is quite a strong character.  Be patient-- I am laying a foundation of information for you as we move forward in this blog towards the entire reason for the blog:  Why does Jesus disturb you? 

I can recall the summer of 1986.  We were on our senior class trip.  I was living a rebellious life of sin, being brought up in a Lutheran home.  I attended church every Sunday with my family and most every Wednesday during the school year to attend Luther's Catechism Class, along with chili suppers and ice cream socials.  I had somehow decided that the commandment to Honor Your Father and Mother did not apply to me, so I had taken liberty to drink alcohol and sleep with my steady boyfriend.  I thought I knew it all and thought a lie that somehow this was not sin because "everyone is doing it" and I could do what I wanted.  I was either severely backslidden or never saved.  It doesn't matter now, as I know now my Savior personally and have had a wonderful conversion (ongoing) experience.  Here is my story: 

We were vacationing at The Lake Of The Ozarks.  As I recall there was a street preacher and I just couldn't handle it.  I recall verbally stating out loud, and maybe loud enough for the speaker to hear, that "We already know this, so why don't you just quit yelling at people?  Why are you even doing this?" " I'm Lutheran and I already got it".  Now I know that my reaction signaled that either I was a champion Pharisee or a never converted pagan.  Keep reading.  Please, as the Shepard is calling.......

What is your response when you encounter a Gideon Bible Representative, a Gospel tract distributer, a customer who talks to you about being born again, see a person with a flashy Jesus t-shirt or worse yet, try to go to church and get ticked off every time that you come up with comments to defend yourself such as "The church is full of hypocrites", "They don't know what I am going through" or "The church just wants my money".  Actually what you are fighting against is that you don't want to stop sinning.  Jesus Christ is reaching out to you through these means to make you react.  Either you react in humble crumbing, or you keep fighting or kicking against "the goads" or "pricks"?  (read Acts 26:14 please)

Let me inform you in love of what is happening to you.  Praise God that you are not so cold and hard hearted that you are without response.  Something in you is firing up, and it is unsettling.  The Holy Spirit of God is working on you to make a decision.  This may go on for many years, or may stop someday and then you will be without option to turn to Him who offers salvation.  If it is the Lord's will, you will finally collapse under this pressure and give your life to Him.  That is a doctrinal issue that we won't cover here.  All I will say is that either way, what is happening to you is not an accident and it is for eternal reasons. 

Will you please consider what my entry states here tonight and stop and believe in the supernatural work of the Lord Jesus Christ?  You can't hide from Him.  You can run and anesthetize, but from one lady who once yelled at a street preacher I can let you in on a little secret........He now took my life, shook it up beautifully for HIS purposes and this once obnoxious 18 year old is now a lay preacher, teacher and evangelist.  All without pay and all with complete joy, forgiveness of my sins and an increasing peace and rapturous love for my Creator.  He is real to me in ways I can't explain, I have answered prayers, He has shared the "Yoke of Life" (Matthew 11:30) with me, assisting with complete alcohol abstinence, sexual purity and gave me a great big handful of Christian women to be in my life.  Yes, I have lost some people in my life due to Jesus.   I call it all joy, my friend (Matthew 5:11).  I am here for them when and if they finally submit and bend their knee.  

The time is now if you have not yet responded to this uncomfortable presentation of Jesus that keeps finding you.

Preacher Lady--This is what God can do to a wretch............

......"You have never been this way before......"

Joshua 3:4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.

How do we deal with all of these new in-roads?  As believers, we can't see any farther than the small lamp placed at our feet, but our flesh wants promises while still on this earth.  We want health prosperity, wealth prosperity and spiritual prosperity.  We want it now and pick and choose the Scriptures to speak to us instead of reading the Book as a whole.  We believe (even if we deny) the prosperity message and sometimes listen without discernment to those who want us to feel guilty or less than spiritual if we are not 100% well.  The general prosperity message out there today offers false hope and short lived relief to those who are desperate or those who have accumulated wealth and wish to justify their "blessing" without giving it away as fast as they make it.  Have I done this as well?  Yes, I have sinned in this area.  But, now I have walked down a health care crisis "path" that I never saw coming and never imagined would change me for the better.

My mom had to put up with me asking 10,000 questions.  I wanted answers.  I wanted answers about eternity, homosexuality, slavery, abortion and human cruelty to name a few.   She finally one day (when I could handle it), stated, "Missy, there are no promises in this life".  Even though she didn't have the skill set to complete all of these sentences with our eternal promises from our Lord and Savior, Jesus and what heaven has for those who call on the name of the Lord, she did try to help me to begin to understand that you will not ever completely understand.
That is where new roads are plowed.  You don't see them coming.  It is painful and frightening and we seem unprepared.

I found myself in late May of 2014 with a mass in my left abdomen.  It seemed harmless in many ways.  Just an ovary that needed to possibly come out.  But it grew and gnawed on my abdomen.  I felt pregnant, but only on one side.  It hurt to sit and to lay on my left side.  I had other symptoms, too personal to mention.  We set up the surgery after being told it had to come out.  There was no option but surgery.  What we then experienced turned out to be a few medical errors (I am forgiving of this) and a personal hell that I had not visited before.

I had not considered suicide as a means out of a medical crisis before. I had in the past considered it during deep depression due to divorce.  But now I am wrestling with post operative nausea, pain and loss of concentration so severe that I could not even focus on a picture hanging on the wall.  This went on for days.  Water was nauseating.  I managed to try to drink some hot tea and eat the corners off of a couple of saltines.

I ended up in the hospital a second time after the initial surgery.  I was having urine back up into my left kidney causing incredible pressure/pain, sweats, fever and nausea.  I moaned and cried at times.  Honestly, as hard as it is to type this, I wanted to go be with Jesus.  I saw no way out.  I gave up hope on the physicians, as they were saying things like "You are just constipated".  They ignored a low grade fever for 8 days and pretty dramatic weight loss in me that was pretty hard to miss.  My lab work showed that my body had begun starvation mode.  I had another medical procedure done to stent open my ureter. I had "water on the kidney" (hydronephrosis) and a ballooned ureter (hydroureter).  There were no promises that this would work.  It was only a temporary fix if there was truly scarring or postoperative damage done.  We are still battling this issue.

I am not bashing the medical field.  I myself have worked in the medical field since I was 17.  Don't miss my point.  God is in control and Romans 8:28 states "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. "


I found through this trial many blessings and revelations.  Here I will list to God's glory:
1)  I have new compassion for those who consider suicide due to medical pain and suffering.
2)  I have new compassion for those who suffer with chronic medical issues that there seems to be no hope for.
3)  I will be more careful as I listen and counsel those who are suffering due to medical issues.
4)  I had to lean on Jesus more than I ever had to in the past when I was too sick to pray or read the Bible.
5)  I found myself accepting laying on of hands and people praying for me more than I had ever felt comfortable before.
6)  I have never prayed so hard for my own healing, as I am still praying for this with some ongoing medical issues.
7)  I wept in repentant tears in the bathtub one day to Jesus Christ that I was so sorry that in the past I had looked for attention from others relating to my health issues instead of taking the attention off of my problems/health issues and focusing more on others problems.
8) I let the tears flow freely of my pain and sorrow, just as Jesus did.  I did this without shame.  I cried in the operating room, doctor's office, most rooms of my house, in the car and in the arms of others.  I still cry almost daily.  It feels good in my joy of the Lord to cry my sorrow.
9) I counted on my spouse more than I have ever done and found a total loss of control that was good for me to experience.   I am to trust.  I am fortunate to have not had to face this alone without a spouse.  I may not have mentally or physically survived.
10) Lord willing, I am ready to serve Him with renewed strength.  Isaiah 40:31 states, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
11) I never game up on God.  I knew He loved me through this illness and surgery.  I cried out a few times, "God, I know you are teaching me through this".  I cry now as I type this to you.  Please consider it in your own crisis.
12) I am more than ever ready for His return and/or to take me home.  Yet, there is so much work to do.  As the apostle Paul states, Philippians 1:21-23  "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.  Yet what shall I choose?  I do not know.  I am torn between the two; I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."

May the Lord Jesus not take my words lightly, may He bless this blog entry.  May I be obedient to Him, the one who owns my soul, saved me from the pit of life and the pit of burning hell.  He did it only by a miracle, His Holy Spirit enlightened me to His salvation.  And....then I responded to it.  

Free Yourself From The Chains Around Your Neck.......

Come join me in the best, most reliable and current self help book that is on the shelves today: THE BIBLE!

Listen to Isaiah 52:1-2  "Awake, awake O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.  Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city.  The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.  Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.  Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion."  

Are you a Christian, living in the past? Are you not understanding that the Bible and all it teaches is to be looked at as present tense, ongoing and breathing?  

What does one of my most beloved preachers say about this?  Oswald Chambers states "As long as we whine at circumstances we shall experience the extraordinary trick of providence which keeps us in those circumstances until we learn our lesson."

That is hard truth and uncomfortable to face.  

We know from Matthew 11:28-29 that Jesus states, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

We need to understand what a yoke is.  It is a wooden beam that is attached to two animals so that they can work together.  Sometimes it is paired between a weaker animal, so that the stronger animal can pull more of the workload.  This is done in union.  

Isn't it interesting how Jesus gives us direction?  We need to take action according to His words above.  We are to "take the yoke", we are to "come to Him".  

If you claim to be a passive person, this is not a place to be found passive.  

Let the chains around your neck become a welcoming yoke from Jesus.  

Are you simply making bad choices, excusing your sin or being lazy in your walk with the Lord?  

He is teaching so much in the Bible.  Are you teachable?  I can say that the Lord Jesus Christ is so patient, but He paid quite a price for you to just live with your "crosses to bear".  

Many of us stay in our chains because of familiarity and comfort.  As Dr. Phil said (back when I used to watch him many years ago) "There must be a payoff".  I would state that a payday like that is miserable compared to the Lord's yoke which is easy and His burden is light.  

The point of this blog today is to make a point to examine how you might be keeping chains around your neck, as Isaiah states.  The Lord has provided a way out.  We all may have our fleshly struggles, but it does not mean that we need to submit to them.  

Are your washed in the blood of the Lamb?  If so, that Holy Spirit lives in you and cannot accept continual sinful ways, even if they are as "innocent" as self pity or low self esteem.  There is power in that Blood.  I won't be a prosperity preacher to you, but I will state that these are some basics that prosperity of the heart is awarded.  

May you find yourself in a new place in your heart today, better than yesterday and ready for growth tomorrow.