WE ARE BLESSED

Our fellowship Maranatha Koinonia has been on a several month quest to clearly understand the mystery written in the Book of Revelation.  When my husband decided he was going to teach from this book I secretly thought, that’s not a good idea.   To my surprise not only was it a good idea it was a Spirit birthed idea. Together we meet week after week to search the scriptures from beginning to end, uncovering one treasure at a time; each of us unearthing gems from the WORD of God.

The apostle John wrote in Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near”. The WORD of God is true we are being blessed not in the “western” church way of thinking.  We are being blessed because this book has caused us to examine ourselves down to the core. We are blessed because we are learning how to pinpoint the traps that lay ahead. We are blessed because we are aware that the current world system is crumbling and our Lord is coming to RIGHT EVERY WRONG. We are blessed because we are learning to have a THRONE ROOM perspective. We are blessed because our eyes are starting to see through the lens of an eastern worldview. We are blessed because as a body we are walking in the Apostle Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians 4: 14-15:

that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

As we comb through the scriptures we have realized this book is not as difficult to understand as we had been told. It’s not a book of dread but one of great hope.

Above all we have realized Jesus has given this book to show us the things that must take place. Why? So that we God’s people endure to the end.

Let us say:

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" He who hears, let him say, "Come!" He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Rev 22:17)

PEOPLE OF THE TRACKS

In my prior blog  “A tribute to Linda…Life Matters” I shared the true story of two lives that by the worlds standard seemed insignificant and quite ordinary. Shortly after, I received an email from Linda telling me how she and Al enjoyed hearing their story.  What I didn’t know about Linda is that she literally sacrificed her entire life, family and health for the “People of the Tracks”.  This “unknown” woman has lived her life doing extraordinary work in the ordinary of life.   

Do you remember the movie Civil Action starring John Travolta? It was a true story about a water contamination legal case in Woburn, Massachusetts. This is the exact town where Linda has been ministering to the homeless who lived by the train tracks all year round. 

Linda asked me if I could share the story of Captain Tom. He was another one of her homeless friends who always wore a captains hat, which is why he was known in the community as Captain Tom.  

Captain Tom like Al was another tormented soul that sailed the greater part of his life with a liquor bottle in this hand.  He might have started his journey differently than the others at the tracks but he eventually ended up at the same destination. It is told that Captain Tom was a “functioning” alcoholic able to work and be drunk at the same time.  He was familiar with the people of the tracks and lived a life of denial thinking he would never end up at that address.  As time passed his addiction consumed his entire life and he like the others had to dock his boat at the port of the train tracks.

For many years Linda witnessed to Captain Tom never missing an opportunity to tell him about the love of Jesus.  Week after week Linda invited him to church and finally one Sunday he hesitantly came along. The Lord touched Captain Tom and a seed of belief was planted in his heart.  He didn’t change he continued his life of addiction and approximately 15 years after that seed was planted Linda witnessed the fruit of her labor.  

Captain Tom ended up in a wheelchair when one day Linda saw him wheeling himself into the liquor store.  To his surprise Linda went after him and said, “Tom come to church with me the Lord does not want you drinking”.  

Eventually Captain Tom was so sick he lived his remaining years in elderly housing and Linda would visit him frequently. She would tell him how much the Lord loved him and she never quit inviting him to church. Until one day Captain Tom said if you cut my finger nails I will go to church with you. Of course, Linda was happy to fulfill his request.

Sunday came and as he sat in church he wept the entire service. The Pastor turned to him and said,” Sir, are you saved”? He looked at Linda and said, “What is he talking about?” Linda, said “Tom have you accepted Jesus as your Savior”?  That Sunday, Captain Tom received Jesus as his Lord adding his name to the Book of Life like many of the other “people of the track”.

A couple of weeks later Captain Tom was admitted to the hospital and Linda spent hours praying with him and assuring him he had nothing to fear.  As he laid in that hospital bed ready to cross into eternity he tightly held Linda’s hand as she told him about the beautiful journey he was going to embark. That night Linda received a call that Captain Toms soul had sailed across the horizon to be reunited with the many other "people of the track” that came to receive Jesus.

 I pray these stories have deepened your view of the value of a human soul as they have mine. For we serve a merciful God.

  Let’s us remember the words of King David in Psalm 136:

Who remembered us in our lowly state,
     For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies,
    For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh,
   For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
    For His mercy endures forever.

TO THE CHURCH AT MARANATHA, FRANKLIN TN

Have you ever read a book where it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth chapter that the story really began? It's the portion of the book that starts to grip you and you don’t want to put it down. There is such beauty contained within the chapter that you read it several times over to assure your heart, mind and every fiber of your being has grasped the gems within its pages. 

Our church Maranatha has taken the endeavor to understand the book of Revelation from a multifaceted perspective. We have learned world history and how it is interwoven with this end time message. We have learned the Greek meaning to significant words in order to understand the context in which Jesus was speaking to the churches. The journey has been nothing but spectacular.

As we reached Revelation chapters 4 and 5 it’s as if the LORD has spoken to us and said “Come up here”, the throne room reality suddenly is becoming our reality. We as a fellowship just like John  have fallen at His feet as dead.  There is this overwhelming sense for many of us as we gaze into the Throne room that nothing else matters, that our desires, our hurts, our impossibilities melt like wax at the Fathers greatness. There is no earthly language that can express the grandeur of our Heavenly Father and what He has done in and through His Son Jesus Christ.  I know of several who have come to me and said my mind cannot comprehend it all; but all I can do is weep. What is happening? I would say the Throne room has caused us to stop and examine ourselves and our response is that of Job:

I have heard of YOU by the hearing ear, but now my eyes see YOU.  Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:6

The beauty of repentance knitted with pray is now telling the story of what God has done and will do with us at Maranatha. Yes, HE is calling us back to our first love. There is no other response than to join the living creatures, the 24 elders and sing the new song saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kings and priests to serve our God,and they will reign on the earth. Rev 5:9-10

Thank you Maranatha Fellowship for your endurance and love for the WORD of the LORD.

In Him,
Jeannette