My Father's Orchard

In my Fathers Orchard are many trees. These trees bear the goodness of the soil from whence He dwells. These trees are all heavily laden with a fruit that will nourish the hungered soul, fill the empty heart and strengthen the tired mind.

No barrier separates these trees from any who wish to be filled by their fruit. No need to travel to distant lands or venture into dangerous terrain, prayer is its gateway and one only need enter on bended knee.

In the center of my Fathers Orchard stands the most beautiful Tree of all and from this Tree the fruit of everlasting life is given to all who are willing to receive. Of all of my Father’s trees this One alone has a name, He is Jesus! And with Jesus we are blessed with the greatest gift ever given, Salvation.

From Him one can eat of the fruit of gladness, feast on the fruit of liberty, take a bite from the fruit of victory and so be fed by His Love until all apatite is satisfied.

I visit that Tree every day. The fruit is always ripe, always plentiful and always low enough on the branch that I have no trouble reaching it. There is no greater taste then that of Jesus’ love. It fills us with a warmth that cannot be quenched by the cold hard path of life.

So when you grow weary of your travels and adventures of life’s lonely road, you need only to enter my Father’s orchard and find comfort in its shade and rest for your soul.

THE EYES OF CHRIST

I read something today that caused me to pause. Until reading this I have been struggling with what it is that keeps me from certain breakthroughs in my life. And as I closed my eyes to meditate on it, God gave me this revelation through a vision.

There is a man standing in an empty room before a two-way mirror and he is evaluating himself on all of his achievements and failures as he looks into the eyes his own reflection. But it is failure that is the stronger influence of his assessment of himself, so he looks into the mirror with a furrowed brow and with worried eyes as he takes inventory of his life. Failure wins out because of the pain of its sting and because it is relentless in its need to be brought out to center stage for all to see and never be forgotten.

Then his gaze goes deeper than just the surface of the mirror and his own reflection, it seems as though he can see something inside the mirror just on the other side of his eyes, and the site of it deepens the furrows and intensifies his worry. For on the other side of the two-way mirror there is a group of people which are looking back at him and doing the same thing to him that he does to himself. They are judging him by his shortcomings and are blinded to his natural talents and promised future. He can see it in their eyes.

You see when using a two-way mirror there needs to be darkness on the opposite side of the reflective side in order for it to work properly. If there is light then you will be able to see through the mirror and it becomes nothing more than a foggy window. However, in my vision there is bright light not darkness on the opposite side, and because of this the man is able to see the accusation in the eyes of all those studying him, affirming his own fears of never being able to achieve his goals or dreams because of his past and present failures. They do this because to see his faults more clearly than his potential lessens the sting of their own failures.

In all of us, our glaring neon faults drown out the light of the goodness that shines brightly behind the defects in our character, past and present. I believe that it takes a trained and anointed eye to focus on what lies behind the surface of who we are and nurture and develop the gifts that were created in all of us at the time the foundation of the world was laid down by God, (Ephesians 1:4). For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight in love.

In my vision the light on the opposite side of the mirror tells me that these people who are judging him are not the unsaved or unbeliever, but they are fellow Christians! (1 Thessalonians 5:5) You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Tragically the goodness and talents in us all rarely are allowed to outshine the veil of condemnation imposed on us by the enemy’s lies and half-truths. Sadly, we ourselves can also be oblivious to this tactic he uses to bring condemnation to people, Christian and Non-Christian alike. For many of us as we look into the mirror and take inventory of ourselves fall victim to our programming that was imposed on us sometimes from a very young age and it influences us in our assessment of ourselves. This negative image may even come from all the way back to our age of understanding, when we first learned the meaning of the word “No”. How many times have we been told we will never change or achieve greatness? How many times have we looked at ourselves and agreed with those vicious lies? How many times have we been told or have told ourselves, “You can’t, or I can’t, or I’ll never be able to, or you’ve failed before you’ll fail again?” It is time we learn to allow our greatness in Christ outshine our past and present failures and shortcomings.

I mentioned that those people on the other side of the mirror couldn’t help but judge him because it lessened the sting of their own failures. This is a survival mechanism in us all that tries to keep us at the front of the meal-line. We believe that if we can position ourselves correctly then our chance for failure lessens and the chance of survival increases. So we make others to look weak as we ourselves give the illusion of looking stronger. It is a human trait that we all must learn to overcome if we are to take on the character of Christ. (Mark 10:45) Jesus said that He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Imagine what it was that He saw in the 12 as He called them to follow Him as His Apostles. If you know anything of these men then you know He saw way past what was on the surface for what was there was rough, untried and in some cases downright wicked. For instance Peter was a train wreck, (or in his day I guess it would be called a caravan collision, ha) always letting his mouth get him in trouble. And Matthew, well simply put, he was a traitor to his people and a thief! No, He looked upon them as they would be when they were martyred for His Gospel. And He did so daily for 3 years never wavering in His knowledge of who they would become and how gloriously they would finish their race. But you may say, “Of course He was able to do that because in Him was no fault or failure. He had no reason to fear the sting of it, so He does not fall into the same category as we do.” But the contrary is true.

Herein lays the Truth we must all grasp if we are to overcome our human nature and be able to look with the Eyes of Christ. Jesus, though being fully God was also fully man, and Christ knew as a man He carried the potential for unrighteous judgment just as we do but He was able to overcome because the Truth was in Him. (John 1:1-5) ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He (meaning Jesus) was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

We were created by Christ and for Christ!! And He sees us just as He saw the first 12! If we can gaze into the mirror and look at our image with the Eyes of Christ and see in ourselves what He sees in us and are affirmed in this by the Truth of the Word of God then we need no longer fear failures sting!!! And when we stand on the opposite side of the mirror, (and believe me we will), as others gaze into it and are able to see us gazing back what will it be that they see in our eyes as we look upon them with the Eyes of Christ? Will it be accusation or judgment? No! What they will see is acceptance and hope because in us will be Gods Truth made manifest through our testimony and faith! It is this Truth that conquers failures sting in us all and takes us from glory to glory! (2 Corinthians 3:18) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

And this is where the fault lies; because we are prone to fall into this trap isn’t because we are wicked or evil, but rather because we are human and susceptible to human weaknesses. So is this our excuse to continue in our failed state? We are only human and cannot help ourselves after all. Certainly not! We must hold tight to this Truth and never let it slip through our grasp. For failure will come again, good character will grow weary and bad character will try to rear its ugly head. So we must hold fast to God’s Word and remember where our failed state took us that we would never need tread that path again! (Psalm 119:11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

It is our enemy’s cowardly nature that drives him to strike at our weaknesses and avoid our strengths. His ruthlessness is like a drop of water, it travels the path of least resistance. Our strength in Christ strikes fear in him and this power which every Christian posses resists his attacks, so the fear of his own failed attempt to rule heaven and his condemnation and coming end because of it drives him to look for the weaknesses in us and an easier and quicker victory. His time is running out and his hatred of humanity drives him on. Because we know this of him and now hold the Truth which conquers failure, we are able to plan our own defenses and strategies of attack. The devils most effective tactic, his knowledge of us and his insatiable desire to destroy us through our weakness, has become our great strength! It has made him predictable. History’s famous Chinese General Sun Tzu teaches us this principle of warfare in his book The Art of War; “The best way to defeat your enemy is to know your enemy.”

We are not evil, we are weakened by our lack of knowledge and anointing. But this is no longer the case for you is it? Take away from this the Truth that is in God’s Living Word and go away from here with the Eyes of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This means you.

5 Mile Marker

I am about to hit what I like to call a "5 mile marker" you know 5 10 15 20 25....... Well I'm soon to be 45 years old. Wow! I still remember my childhood so well. Maybe if I wasn't able to then 45 wouldn't look so bad. I wouldn't be comparing it to 10, 12 or 21. I used to be so full of energy at those ages; always outside and always venturing off somewhere. By the time I was ten I already had been on most of the rooftops in my neighborhood, had climbed every tree in the park, and I mean every tree no kidding. I knew the river like my backyard for at least 3 miles in either direction from Apricot Lane where my brother, Chipper and I hunted rabbits, dove and quail. I could shoot a shotgun, ride a motorcycle and whistle louder than all my friends, thanks to my brother George. I was a real adventurer. Nothing ever changed until I fell from a roof while building homes in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and ended up back in California.

I was too young to have had such a tragic thing happen to me, I was only 22 years old. but by then I had lived in at least 6 different states with no family for more than a thousand miles, had spent over 5 years in the Army and had driven tanks, fired live missiles and completed more than one marathon. I had repelled out of helicopters, off mountains and over the edge of buildings. I had found my way in the wilderness and the dark with nothing but a map and a compass in search of my next meal, I had been in a full bar-room brawl with Army on one side and Marines on the other, I had my first love and lost her and have been an alcoholic and have recovered after taking the beating of my life by three bouncers. All before I was 23. I was excited about what was to come next. But that sudden stop at the foot of the foundation of a three story house changed everything.

Since then I have done only one thing to boast of. Oh don’t get me wrong, I have done plenty still, but this one thing made it all seem like only the introduction to a good book. That one thing is; I had found Jesus and had fallen in love with Him. My adventures today may seem pretty mellow to most people who hear of them, but I know that through me Christ has done some pretty amazing things. I take no credit for any of it; most times I didn’t even know what was going on. Pastor Bill Johnson from Bethel Church in Redding says it like this; (and I paraphrase) -- The heart can still believe in what the mind has not yet grasped. – Most of my work today follows this principle. I just try to obey God and stay out of His way as he uses me as His instrument.

If I was to encourage you to try some of the things I have done I would tell you to go ahead and learn to ride a motorcycle, if you don’t know how to learn to whistle real loud and if you are willing, start a marathon, who knows you just may finish it. I would tell you that firing a live TOW missile is way cool as is driving a tank, repelling out of choppers is an awesome rush and climbing to the top of the tallest tree in your neighborhood park makes you feel like there is nothing you cannot do when you’re only 8 years old.

But there is one thing that I would tell you about and with the passion of one who has been to the edge of death and has been snatched back and given an abundance of life that not any or not all combined could compare; I would beg you to try. If you would do this only once then you would never, ever, ever be the same again. Allow Jesus in. Experience His love if only for a moment, rest in His embrace and listen to His heart as it beats to the rhythm of your name and your life. He Loves You!!! He Desires You!!! He Is Calling You By Name!!!

I don't know how much more time He will give me here on this earth but I thank Him for what He has already given me, the rest is just gravy.