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The Gathering of the Saints

United we stand,

a family we are,

blessed beneath the Son

of an awesome God.

We are a family of faith—

inspired and rooted,

with souls gifted,

with eyes lifted—

an integrated mix of present

and past.

We come within God's grace,

driving dusty miles,

flying cloudy skies,

drawn back to the sights

and sounds of the old home place.

We savor that music blaring,

those elders staring,

everyone eating

with summer flare

and relaxing

with country ease;

that sunlight bathing,

kids racing

across the green-grass family lot;

that moonlight chasing

adults gazing

beyond the family plot.

We sip and sup,

we sing and pray,

swinging our heels,

lounging in the front yard,

having a celebration,

a gathering

of generations,

a congregation

of family

and friends;

a gathering of the saints—

all of us,

perfect

in

our imperfections,

but

justified

and

made holy and righteous

through Jesus,

in the eyes of God, the Father,

because He sees us,

not as what we were, then,

or as what we are, now,

but

as He, at the beginning,

imagined,

planned,

intended,

and created us to be—

His Beloved—

His children—

His sons and daughters—

His Family—

All of us,

seen through HIS eyes,

as

Righteous,

Holy,

Perfect,

And

Clean—

In the color of LOVE—RED—

Under the Blood of Jesus—

His only begotten Son—

So, to HIM, the Greatest,

Most Loving,

Most Giving,

Most Forgiving,

Most Creative,

Most Encouraging,

Most Engaging,

Father Ever—

We’re simply, irresistible—

And we’re set up

For success,

Not failure;

For triumph,

Not tragedy;

For victory,

Not defeat.

God knows us,

Better than anyone else,

And He sees us,

AFTER the CROSS

Of CHRIST—

So, to HIM:

We’re not broken

but beautiful—

We’re not common

but uncommon—

We’re not ordinary

but extraordinary—

and this is who we are,

if we’re part of His Family

part of His Kingdom—

HIS—

and His alone—

sons and daughters,

fearfully and wonderfully made,

all of us—

the redeemed,

the saved,

the remnant,

the chosen,

the reconciled—

everybody forgiven—

everybody

Jesus paid for in full,

who put their faith,

hope,

love,

and

trust

in Him—

those who invited Jesus

into their hearts,

into their homes,

into their lives;

those who received

God’s gift of love,

God’s gift of grace,

God’s gift of mercy,

and God’s promise

of eternal life

in His Presence—

everybody reformed—

completely changed—

restored,

transformed,

and reborn,

a new creation in Jesus Christ—

living LOUD

for Jesus,

for God—

being Spirit-filled

and

Spirit-led;

living the crucified life,

the surrendered life,

putting God first, every time,

in everything;

and walking like Jesus did—

every second,

every minute,

every hour,

every day—

in reverence

and obedience;

in prayer

and fasting;

in fellowship

and communion;

in love and joy,

in peace and hope,

in thanksgiving and trust;

in gratitude and compassion;

in goodness and gentleness;

in faithfulness and patience.

In expectation

And jubilation,

We watch,

We wait,

drawing closer to God—

singing and praying,

humming and swaying,

giving thanks unto the Lord,

for His grace, His mercy,

His compassion, His love—

Every good gift that comes

From the Lord—

and

we sing and shout,

we clap and dance,

offering Him the sacrifice of praise,

not just thanking Him

for everything He’s already done

but praising Him

for everything else—

including, what’s to come—

the greater works—

the revival,

the outpouring

of God’s Holy Spirit,

the baptism of love,

the baptism of fire—

the manifested Presence

and Glory of God,

like a wildfire spreading,

from north to south,

from east to west,

from sea to sea,

from nation to nation,

until everybody’s caught up in the Spirit,

receiving the blessings

and the benefits

of being in the Kingdom

and the Family of the Almighty,

Living God.

We’re a family of faith—

The Family of God—

Gathered together,

In peace, in unity, in love,

sitting on the grass-green ground,

leaning into the Lord,

stirring up the spirit,

swaying back and forth,

in hand-made

rocking chairs,

singing,

praying,

humming,

praising,

worshipping,

in spirit and truth—

like we were having church—

coming together for the Lord’s Supper—Holy Communion—

and remembering Jesus

and thanking Him for His sacrifice

and His love—

not just on one day

but every day—

on Saturday,

on Sunday,

on Monday,

on Tuesday,

on Wednesday,

on Thursday,

on Friday—

every second,

every minute,

every hour—

every day.

We’re a family—

Different

But

United—

Some,

From the country,

Some,

From the city,

Some

From the North,

Some

From the South,

Some,

From the East,

Some,

From the West,

But we all love Jesus,

We all love God.

United,

we stand,

A family,

we are,

Blessed beneath the Son

of an awesome God.

We come in the name of Jesus,

In the grace of God,

In the power of the Holy Spirit,

Singing and praying

Sipping and supping,

Stirring up the gifts

of the Holy Spirit;

sharing the Good News,

the Gospel of the Kingdom of God—

not with persuasive words

of human wisdom

but in demonstration

of the Spirit

and

of power,

that the faith

of others

should not be

in the wisdom of men

but in the power of God.

We’re a family of faith,

Giving thanks every day;

and

rejoicing in the Lord every day;

as we celebrate life, love,

family, friends;

every blessing,

and every benefit,

while

sipping on lemonade,

crunching on ice cubes,

licking the vanilla sweetness

out of Big Mama’s home-made

ice cream;

grabbing the last slice

of Grandmama’s

delicious

but sinfully decadent

chocolate meringue pie;

and thinking ahead,

already packing everybody

and everything

UP—

in the truck,

in the car,

in the bus,

in the van,

for the cross-country,

road trip,

back home;

filling up every paper plate, bowl,

pan, and carry-out dish,

covered in plastic

and foil;

with leftovers,

all of it boasting the best

of everybody’s blue-ribbon,

Sunday Dinner,

carefully chosen

for taste,

flavor and season,

sometimes by request,

often by demand—

Soul Food,

Comfort Food,

Holiday Food,

the best in the South, the North,

the East, the West—

with family recipes

written in pencil,

then inked in pen,

by warm hands

once firm,

smooth,

and warm

then, rough hands,

wrinkled, 

calloused,

unsteady,

with new recipes added—

copied

and pasted,

or printed,

then tested

and tasted,

time and time again,

collected

and catalogued,

cooked

and savored,

praised

and favored,

then passed on,

inside the Family Cookbook,

again and again,

from generation

to generation,

just like the Family History,

found in the Family Bible,

from generation

to generation

through every branch

of the Family Tree;

only the Cookbook,

inspired and penned

equally by the rich

and the poor,

the young

and the old,

the man

and the woman,

the common cook

and the celebrated chef,

includes a melting pot

of recipes,

from different races,

different places,

different nations—

sometimes shared,

sometimes borrowed,

but often,

GIVEN

AWAY

in comfort,

in sorrow,

in celebration,

in greeting,

in gratitude,

in fellowship,

in worship,

in service,

in blessing,

in obedience,

in abundance,

in compassion,

in love.

The is our family—

The Family of God—

We have faith;

We have food;

We have fellowship;

We have fun—

All of us unified,

working together,

praying together,

singing together,

laughing together,

worshipping together;

eating together;

sitting together;

rejoicing together;

resting together—

All of us—

Different

But

Equal—

Fearfully and wonderfully made—

God’s Original Creations,

His Royal Masterpieces—

One of a Kind—

Extraordinary,

Uncommon,

Peculiar,

UNIQUE—

Created

in HIS Image—GOD’s—

according to HIS likeness—

bearing the Fruit of HIS Spirit:

love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

goodness,

gentleness,

kindness,

faithfulness,

and self-control.

We’re a family—

HIS Family—GOD’s—

DIFFERENT

but

UNITED—

All of us,

Sons and daughters

Through Jesus,

All of us,

Brothers and sisters

In Christ;

All of us,

diverse—

from different races,

nations,

and places—

But we’re Family,

Just the same;

Sons and daughters,

Brothers and sisters,

All of us,

Kingdom Kids—

DIFFERENT

But NOT

DIVIDED—

All of us,

walking in faith,

not fear—

surrendering

our lives—

everything—

to Jesus—God—

because through HIM—GOD—

Everything we need is already supplied

And

anything above that is a blessing,

If not a blessing for us,

then

a blessing meant for somebody else.

So, yes,

we’re many members,

In this family,

In this BODY

of Jesus Christ,

and we’re different,

as members

in a big family

tend to be,

But

God is with us,

God is for us,

And God is in us,

And we worship Him—

Him alone—

In spirit

And

In truth,

So,

no matter who we are,

what we look like,

or

where we come from,

we’re family, just the same,

and we’re united—

all for One

and One for all,

in Jesus Christ,

through the Holy Spirit—

walking together,

talking together,

and

working together,

in faith,

in peace,

in power,

in authority,

in alignment,

in agreement—

in Heart,

in Word,

in Blood,

in Love,

as one family,

all of us,

diverse

but

never

divided,

all of us,

COMPLETELY HIS—GOD’s.

Like many members,

In one body—

THE BODY OF CHRIST—

We’re connected,

bound together,

all of us

ROYAL—

Kingdom

Kids,

Dual citizens

of Heaven

and earth,

brothers

and

sisters,

joint-heirs

with

JESUS,

through what HE DID,

the PRICE HE PAID;

All of us

Sons and daughters

ADOPTED;

All of us

GRAFTED

Into God’s Family Tree—

through HIM: JESUS, the Savior,

the Redeemer,

the Branch,

The True Vine—

and all of us

are grounded in the Word of God,

rooted in Jesus Christ,

planted by HIM: the HOLY SPIRIT.

So, this is it:

the Good News: the Gospel, in a nutshell:

For God so loved the world

That He gave His only begotten Son,

That whoever believes in Him

Should not perish

But have everlasting life.

We’re saved by grace

through faith,

in HIM: JESUS.

Not through anything we’ve done,

But through everything HE DID—

This is the love of God;

This is the gift of God,

So we can’t boast

Or take credit

for any of it,

For we are God’s workmanship,

Created in Christ Jesus

For good works,

Which God prepared

Beforehand

That we should walk in them.

And we are sealed by HIM:

the HOLY SPIRIT,

until the day of redemption;

so we’re living in the world,

but we’re not of the world;

Because

HOME for us is not one place,

In the natural—

not one physical address

in a city,

in a state,

in a country,

in a nation,

on a map,

on earth;

HOME is One Person:

JESUS—GOD—

The Lord of lords

And

the King of kings—

and

His Kingdom

is everlasting,

eternal, invisible,

and supernatural.

So, family for us isn’t just the one we’re born into on earth,

In the natural realm;

It’s the one brought into being

And made possible through Jesus,

In Heaven,

in the spiritual realm,

from the Heart of God,

in the Love of God,

through the Grace of God,

found in our faith in God,

when we surrender everything,

confessing our sins,

repenting,

and turning

completely

from that direction,

that lifestyle,

that darkness,

that path;

inviting JESUS

to be the Lord

and Savior of all—

living in us

and working through us—

then, we

as children

adopted,

become part of the family—God’s Family—

receiving the blessings of God, the Father,

and the benefits of being in His Family, in His Kingdom—

salvation, redemption, healing, deliverance,

protection, provision, prosperity, and peace—

through the Grace of God,

found in the FINISHED WORK of JESUS—

His DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION,

and ASCENSION.

Having surrendered heart, soul, mind,

and strength to God,

we yield to the Holy Spirit of God—

so He can lead us, guide us, instruct us, correct us, change us,

transform us, equip us, empower us,

and plant us,

where we were called,

created,

and commissioned to be—

at the right place,

at the right time,

where we can exceed,

excel,

and bloom,

where we can fulfill our purpose

in God’s plan;

where we can complete

our assignment on earth;

where we can cross the finish line,

as a victor,

having fought the good fight,

having kept the faith,

having finished strong;

and

where we can reach

the last chapter

in our Book of Destiny,

having persevered,

having overcome,

having triumphed,

having pleased JESUS—

GOD—

and hearing HIM, the Righteous Judge,

say,

“Well done, My good

and faithful servant.

You were faithful

over a few things;

I will make you ruler

over many things.

Enter

into the joy

of your lord.”

Until then—

we walk in faith,

not in fear,

trusting

that the Lord is with us,

wherever we GO,

wherever we ARE—

guarding us, protecting us, shielding us,

defending us, fighting for us,

delivering us

from every evil work

and preserving us

for His heavenly kingdom;

Until then—

We live FOR the Lord,

UNTO the Lord,

And FROM the Lord,

like we’re SOULED-OUT,

like we’re WELL-SPENT,

like we’re SURRENDERED—

like we’re God’s Property—

heart, soul, mind, body, and strength—

because God the Father,

loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him should not perish

but have everlasting life.

That’s how much

He loved us;

That’s how much

He wanted us—

That’s how much

He cared—

That’s how much

He wanted us

to be His—

sons

and

daughters

in His Forever Family—

enough to go all-in—

give anything,

pay everything—

for us—

So, Jesus—the Son of God—

was the DOWNPAYMENT,

offered UPFRONT,

in the GREAT EXCHANGE

for US—the houses, temples and tents—

given in trust

to Adam—

the son

God

imagined

in heaven,

Created

in spirit,

formed on earth,

and

called into being—

the

son of man—

in the image

of God,

according

to His likeness,

made to rule

and reign,

to triumph

and succeed,

to manage

and multiply,

all the while,

reproducing—

replicating—

and

representing—

not

more

like himself—

in his image

and his likeness—

but more,

in the image

of his Creator,

according to

the likeness

of his heavenly Father—

GOD—

who,

in the beginning,

created the heavens

and the earth,

making something

From nothing,

Framing the world

with His words,

making the natural

from the supernatural—

The visible

From the invisible.

He made everything,

And He saw that it was good.

But God wanted something more—

than a kingdom—

He wanted Family.

He wanted Fellowship,

Relationship,

Community,

Intimacy,

Unity.

He wanted children—

sons and daughters—

in His image,

according to His likeness,

just like Him,

in spirit,

in nature,

including

free will—

the right to choose—

whether to be with Him

or not—

So, God created man

in His own likeness;

In the image of God,

He created him;

Male and female—

He created them,

Man and woman—

Adam and Eve

And

He put them in the garden of Eden—

a place he had already

prepared for them—

a place of protection,

provision, and peace—

where,

as children,

they had benefits

and blessings;

they had access

to God,

and they could walk with Him,

and talk to Him,

any time,

every day;

and they had the legal right

to rule and reign

on earth

with

power,

authority,

and dominion—

enlarging

and expanding

God’s territory,

influence,

and

impact

by bringing

the supernatural,

to the natural,

the invisible

to the visible,

the reality

of the kingdom of heaven

to earth.

Then a serpent—satan—

slid into the GARDEN,

in deception,

in pride,

trying to strike God,

trying to hurt God,

trying to sabotage

His plans,

through His Family;

through His children,

so satan tempted

the woman, Eve,

and the man, Adam—

and the woman

and the man,

through

deception

and

disobedience

fell

from righteousness to rebellion,

from family to foe—

from son to orphan—

from ruler to slave,

from spiritual to natural,

from perfect to sinful,

from life to death—

UNTIL HE CAME—

JESUS--

YESHUA--

The Son of God,

The Son of Man—

The Messiah—

The Christ—

The Anointed One—

Our Lord,

Our Savior,

Our Redeemer,

Our Healer,

Our Counselor,

Our Protector,

Our Provider,

Our Mediator,

Our High Priest,

Our Hope of Glory,

Our Way,

Our Truth,

Our Life,

Our Prince of Peace

Our King of kings—

Now, through HIM—

JESUS—

We are saved,

We are redeemed,

We are delivered,

We are healed,

We are cleansed,

We are forgiven,

We are reconciled,

We are adopted,

We are changed,

We are restored,

We are transformed,

And we are translated,

from

the natural

To the supernatural,

from death to resurrection,

from resurrection to eternal life—

the Gathering of the Saints—

the Marriage of the Lamb—

the Wedding Feast—

GOD’s FAMILY REUNION—

through JESUS CHRIST.

God, the Landowner,

the Architect and the Builder

Had already thought about,

planned and designed us,

Had already framed us

and built us,

according to

His Grand Design

And

Jesus PAID FOR US;

He purchased us IN FULL;

and the Holy Spirit is the seal,

until the day of our redemption,

because GOD is with us,

and GOD is for us,

and GOD is in us.

So, whether we live,

We live unto the Lord,

And whether we die,

We die unto the Lord,

So, whether we live or die,

We are the Lord’s.

We come together—

the Body of Christ—

UNITED—

to encourage,

pray,

edify,

comfort,

train,

impart,

disciple,

equip,

empower,

and

send

to do

the work

of the Lord,

for the glory

and honor

of God.

So, we listen to the elders—the preachers,

prophets, teachers, pastors, apostles, and saints—

speaking about Life, Love, Faith,

Hope, and Grace;

wielding the Sword of the Spirit,

the infallible Word of God--

walking us from Genesis to Revelation,

showing us the heart of the Father,

the sacrifice of His Son,

the power of His Holy Spirit;

pointing out in BIG letters—black and red,

the fingerprint of God,

the imprint of Jesus,

the comfort, conviction,

and seal of the Holy Spirit—

running us through the Field of Faith,

in every book, on every page;

touching the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians,

revealing the Armor of God in Ephesians;

and highlighting the Hall of Heroes in Hebrews;

drawing us from the wilderness of Sin

and the valley of deepest darkness,

to the high-Way of Hope,

the Bright and Morning Star,

the Light of the world—

the Compass,

the Gauge,

the Map,

the Standard,

God’s G.P.S.—

HIS “Global Positioning System”—

The Risen Son,

who gives us the way of escape,

delivering us from our destruction,

our bad choices, our wrong turns,

our miscalculations, our detours

and leading us to the straight path of righteousness,

to the road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,

like the goodness, the grace, and the glory of God, forever with us,

the cloud that guides us by day

and the pillar of fire that guides us by night—

to the Land of Peace

and the Place of Promise,

where fear will never conquer us,

for He—GOD—already has!

God is our Maker,

our Creator,

our Builder,

our Father,

our King,

our Great Designer—

the Master Architect,

and He knows us—

by name, by heart.

He knows how much we can handle—

How much pressure,

How much heat,

How much grief,

How much struggle,

How much pain,

How much loss,

How much heartache,

How much testing,

How much responsibility,

How much power,

How much weight

we can bear,

and He knows the plans He has for us,

plans to prosper us

and not to harm us,

plans to give us hope

and a future—

and our names are written in RED—

Inked in the Blood of JESUS—

in the Lamb’s Book of Life—

even inscribed in the palm of

our heavenly Father’s hand,

He leads us, like Ezekiel,

from the valley of dry bones;

like Elijah,

from wells without water;

like Saul,

from the road of destruction,

into HIS place of peace,

HIS place of promise,

HIS place of provision,

and

HIS place of protection,

where dry bones live;

to streams of living water—

a fountain of water springing up to eternal life,

as we become new creations in Christ,

translated from earth to heaven,

from trials and temptations in the wilderness

to triumph and victory in the promised land

and power and authority in the Kingdom of God.

We have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive,

and our lives are well-spent, as we sit at the feet of the elders—

Grandmama, Granddaddy, Mama, Daddy, Uncles, Aunts,

Brothers and Sisters in Christ—

Hearing the Word,

Loving the Word,

Living the Word,

Falling in love with Jesus,

Falling in love with “ABBA”—Father, Daddy—GOD—

Singing,

Praying,

Dancing,

Clapping,

Shouting,

Giving,

Surrendering Everything—

In gratitude,

In thanksgiving—

Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth,

Generation after generation,

as old-time soldiers, souled-out saints, and generals of the faith,

give us lessons in HIS story,

reaching out to us,

time after time,

generation

after generation,

the Hands

and the Feet

of Jesus,

of God,

on earth—

like living Bibles,

sharing the Good News—

the Gospel of the Kingdom—

and leaving us—

the next generation,

an inheritance,

a legacy,

a treasure,

a reward,

a blessing,

a gift—

one of eternal value.

They tell us this:

That we are like eagles:

We rise, we soar;

We stumble, we fall,

But we get back up;

We endure,

We persevere,

We overcome,

And we prevailed,

For we are blessed,

Beneath the Son of God—

Bound by blood

In name,

In spirit,

In soul,

In heart.

As they tick through time,

flipping with the words of their mouths,

with their tongues like the pens of ready writers,

through the scrolls of men, under the inspiration of God,

through the spirit-and-life-filled words of eternity--

where in the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God;

where He was in the beginning with God,

and all things were made through Him,

and without Him, nothing was made;

and in Him was life, and the life was the light of men—

and as they—the elders—journey through the inked-in-pages of time—past, present, and future,

from Genesis to Revelation—

from eternity to life—

where we were created in the image of God,

according to HIS likeness,

as sons and daughters,

blessed

and highly favored,

with the Presence of God,

the Provision of God,

the Peace of God,

the Protection of God,

the Purpose of God,

and the Spirit of God;

in alignment

with the will and the way of God;

to the fall of mankind,

into sin,

through Adam;

They also show us the love of God, the grace of God, the presence of God, the peace of God, the provision of God, the commission of God, the purpose of God, the passion of God, the Spirit of God, and the power of God—

The Alpha and The Omega, the Beginning and the End—

what was, what is, and what will be—

according to HIM—GOD—the Great I AM—

through HIM—JESUS—The Author and Finisher of our Faith,

under the supervision and guidance of HIM—the HOLY SPIRIT—

so that our faith should not be in the wisdom of humans

but in the power of GOD.

They take us from the Sermon on the Mount—the Beatitudes—

to the Parables, the Good News—

the Kingdom of God preached,

The Power of God demonstrated—

To the palm trees spread out for Jesus

in His Triumphant Entry;

to the Garden of Gethsemane,

to the Passion of Christ

to the Cross at Calvary—

the Light of the World,

the Rock of Salvation,

the Road of Redemption,

the Door of Deliverance,

the Hope of Glory,

the Resurrection,

the Highway to Heaven,

The Way, the Truth, the Life—

Equally the Son of God

And the Son of Man—

The WORD MADE FLESH—

The MANIFESTED Presence of GOD:

Immanuel, “God is with Us,”

Yeshua—JESUS, “The Lord is Salvation”

The Christ—the MESSIAH, “The Anointed One”

The Redeemer,

The Savior,

The Healer,

The Deliverer,

The Protector,

The Provider,

The Counselor,

The Advocate,

The Mediator,

The Root,

The Branch,

The Bridegroom,

The Chief Cornerstone,

The Lamb of God,

The Bread of Life,

The Living Water,

The True Vine,

The Good Shepherd,

The Light of the World,

The Prince of Peace,

The Great Warrior,

The Lion of Judah,

The Living God,

The Risen Son,

JESUS,

The Lord of Lords,

The King of kings,

The Righteous Judge,

The Alpha and the Omega—

The Beginning and the End—

The Great I AM—

The Holy One—

The Righteous One—

The Just One—

The Loving One—

The Almighty One—

The Majestic One—

The Matchless One—

The Jealous One—

The Creative One—

The Consuming One—

The Wise One—

The Perfect One—

The Eternal One—

The Victorious One—

The Conquering One—

The Sovereign One—

Always Good--

Always Just--

Always Love--

Always

The

GREAT

I AM

Always 

GOD.

16 April 2020