Declaration of the River of God

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

 

“The river of God sets our feet a‑dancing

The river of God fills our hearts with cheer

The river of God fills our mouths with laughter

And we rejoice for the river is here” (Andy Parks)

 

We declare:

Because the River of God flows through me, and the Tree of Life indwells me, I am to bring peace, healing and life into every aspect of my life.

Because I walk in His grace, I am to extend that grace to others. 

I am to rejoice and be happy and not be afraid to testify of God’s goodness toward me. 

I am to grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

By the grace of God, the river of God will flow from my innermost being.

 Moving from Knowing into Accepting

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

According to the dictionary “to know is “to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.”

What do I know?

• I know that the universe moves in an orderly fashion.  I observe it each morning as darkness gives way to light.

• I know that God exists.  Though I have inquired, I can find no other explanation for the wonders of life that surround me.

• I know that Jesus loves me “for the Bible tells me so.”

In knowing, we can still walk in doubt, unbelief and fear.  Knowing can sometimes be superficial.  Simply knowing often does not bring peace to the disquietude of the soul.  To still the tumult, we must move from merely knowing into fully accepting.  Accepting brings the transformation that comes from the renewing of our minds.

• When I accept, in the inner most part of my being, that the universe moves in an orderly fashion, I no longer fear the comet that might take it out of existence.  I do not succumb to the terrors of alarmists.  I find peace in accepting “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

• When I accept that God is Who He says He is, I no longer search for explanations for the unexplainable.  I rest in His word, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,'' says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9.

• When I accept that Jesus loves me unconditionally, eternally and tenderly, rejection, fear, unforgiveness, anxiety, despair and anguish flee.  I then embrace His promise as Paul did, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

It is not enough just to know that we have been invited into His kingdom.  We must accept the invitation.

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light'' (Matthew 11:28-30.

 

Rise Up, Decently and in Order

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Micah 6:1: “Hear now what the Lord says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.”

The Lord is calling His people to rise up and speak truth into the councils of the worldly. However, believers must do more than simply speak against sin and oppression; we must coherently speak for truth, and we must speak for that truth decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40).

In order to plead our case, we must have a case.  It is time for Christians to offer solutions, to make solid, grounded suggestions in writing to influence public policies and to articulate exactly why we stand where we stand.  Every problem that exists is an opportunity to offer a godly solution. We must be proactive in offering solutions.

Our solutions must be presented decently and in order.  Decently and in order means that we must speak and write as the Holy Spirit directs.  (Luke 12:11-12:) "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.''

The Holy Spirit will not lead us to speak out of fear and anger.  He will not suggest that we resort to vitriol, bigotry and name-calling. While the context of Psalm 45:1 is a song of praise to the King, the example is universal. “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”

We must have a good theme, a message that God wants people to hear and to understand.  Our theme must be well composed. A ready writer is one who has carefully chosen vocabulary and constructed sentences that will fully articulate the theme.

The biblical book of Romans is often considered one of the greatest legal briefs ever written.   Paul wasn’t just sitting at his desk spewing wrath.  He was listening intently to what the Holy Spirit wanted him to write. 

We must also present our solutions in an orderly manner.  Whether it is a board meeting, an open forum or friends meeting for coffee, we must understand protocol. We must follow the necessary procedure for placement on the agenda.  Then we must follow that agenda.  If we are given only 3 minutes to speak, we must organize our thoughts so that we present our arguments articulately within the allotted time frame.   Frankly, that takes thought and rehearsal.

We, like Esther, were born for such a time as this.  Like Esther, as well, we must prepare to meet those issues God has called us to confront.  Remember we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.  Paul wrote, “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us”  (2 Corinthians 5: 20).

In our zeal, may we truly represent our King and His Kingdom. When we do that, Isaiah 60:1-3 will unfold in our lives:  “Arise, shine; For your light has come! and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles (unbelievers) shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

1 Corinthians 14: 40.  Let all things be done decently and in order. 

 Blessing for the New Year

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 5:2-12 (NKJV)

And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Blessing for the new year:

May you know the difference between humility and humiliation.  Humility brings the riches of the Kingdom into our lives.  Humiliation brings only shame.  May you be willing to mourn, to pour out your broken heart before the Lord.  Then the Comforter will calm your spirit and pour the balm of Gilead on your woundedness.  May you tread upon the earth gently for then it is yours.  May you stand always for that which is right in the eyes of God.  Then your destiny will be fulfilled.  May you continually pour out mercy upon others so that the Lord can continually pour out mercy upon you.  May you desire purity so that you can see and understand the things of God.  May you walk in His peace and share that peace with those around you.  May you be comforted in the knowledge that though others persecute you, you can still rejoice because He has overcome the world.  May you live your life in such a way that if others falsely accuse and vilify you, no one will believe them.  May this year be one full of rejoicing and gladness because of your trust in the true and living God.  Please note that the rejoicing comes first and then the gladness.  Rejoice until you are overflowing with gladness because the joy of the Lord is your strength.  

Declare that in spite of your circumstances and because of your relationship with your Savior, this year will be one filled with the fruit of the spirit being manifested in your life. Determine that during this year you will grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).