The Planting Season

Spring is in the air and everyone looks forward to a fresh start and maybe a new row of tomatoes. A garden variety of social events and self improvement seminars are in store along with the usual suspects of concerts and conventions of all kinds. Christians often talk about revival and associate it with a week of heavy preaching, a visiting evangelist and a big name gospel band. In some cases its nothing more than a fancy fund raising gimmick that if its pulled off well will be forgotten the following Monday. I’m sure that isn’t the intention of every planning committee but if forgetting our past sin was as easy as this I wouldn’t be posting this. I believe satan loves revival too. He would love to renew and enlarge your memory of an old habit, inclination or other such thing pertaining to our weak nature. What remains of some old sin, long forgiven by God could be the potential yeast for a brand new transgression. Our own righteousness and good works may also be placed into that novel category. To reuse some old dead thing would suit satan just fine if for nothing else than to discourage you and keep you impotent in the things of God. Death is the devils business and production is at an all time high especially in these days of spiritual and economic bankruptcy. Since death is all he has to work with it is no wonder that he would like to rejuvenate an old temptation in order to possibly fashion a gentler and kinder death for the believer. He knows he can’t have your soul but he does want to diminish any gifts or potential productivity in Christ. To keep you busy with doubt and worry is the key hook in this selling point. He’ll assure us that all these items are still in stock and available for overnight delivery; if you are in the market that is. He’ll have you out hoeing in a freshly planted row of vain imagination in no time. Since historical iniquities lay dormant in our mind long after we are saved it would be a resurrection born in hell to get you to dwell on it anew. Don’t buy it! It’s nothing more than an old 60’s eight track player because sound thinking wise and in terms of usefulness it is obsolete already. Let us pray that those rotting carcasses would stay in their grave and that you would leave your shovel in the garage. Since digging up the past has run its course you might want to leave the sins of others alone too in case you thought you still had a bone to pick with someone. It may be planting season everywhere else but let us bury the past and be assured of a bountiful crop failure.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4: 26-28

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Col 1: 10- 11

Lock the cemetery gate and give that key to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and go out there and enjoy a new season of growing up in Him.
T. LaVigne

This Old Heart

This Old Heart has taken a beating. It has been broken, then repaired, then broken again and again. This engine of flesh has urged along the flow of a history of poor choices, many blessings and an accumulation of good intentions. The current condition remains in the hands of Him who tends to all the machinery of similar function. The life is in the blood and the blood does its best work when the freeway like arteries, state routes & avenues are clear of the traffic of sin. The driveway that is just under the skin is where it all begins on any given day and each one should give attention to where he is in Christ before going on that next adventure. We ask Jesus to take the wheel and do the driving in our life and then pray like a backseat driver. You’re going too fast, turn left at the light, speed up or stop and let me out. I’ve been a taxi driver for over 20 years and I don’t appreciate that attitude so I’ve learned to adjust my trust. Then there’s that guy in front of me. He’s not fitting into my agenda and is always doing something I don’t approve of. These days, as the Lord has dealt kindly with me on this issue, I find myself in a forgiving tone but not often enough. Now instead of using words that might imply that his parents weren’t married when they had him, I breathe a simple prayer. Lord, bless that jerk in front of me and the one behind him. It seems to help the blood of the moment flow better. The scripture says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (1) Another GPS/direction related item can be found in a proverb. Something God hates is a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (2) a daily itinerary and a set of car keys if you will. David prayed; Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my anxious thoughts. (3) In the end it was his desire to be lead in the path everlasting. We are left to wonder how much illness is related to the ensuing traffic jam in an unforgiving heart. I’ve been in LA traffic. I spent a week there one night and can only say that if the blood was to stop flowing at any point in the road, well the outcome is obvious. I often mutter; what’s the holdup? I should ask, what is the heart of the matter?
Somewhere in this comparison between the heart and what makes the road function I have been all over the grid I know. I drive a shuttle bus at Detroit Metro and as I said I’ve been on the street for many years. I have much road related imagery that I could use here. Much could be said about choosing a direction at this time and if you pay attention to what’s in the windshield you are less bothered by what’s in the rearview mirror. The eyes, they say, are the windows of the heart and I should mention that streaks and bug splatter doesn’t help our spiritual visibility. One should tend to this simple chore before going anywhere. First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. (4)
So you may be concerned where I’m going with all of this or you may get a witness in your heart to the things I’ve mentioned. If any of it helps with your business travel, I was glad to be of service. An old Amish saying is that even an old rotting sign post along an unfamiliar road can be a blessing to someone who doesn’t know where they are. I know this old heart has been on the wrong road on many an occasion but the Lord is faithful in the end to get me where I need to be in Him. I’ll be looking to see you there.

Happy trails in Christ, Timothy LaVigne

1. Jeremiah 17:9 / 2. Proverbs 6:18 / 3. Psalm 139:23-24 / 4. Matthew 7:5f

Is This What The Lord Would Say?

Does the Lord talk like this today or is this just vain speculation of another wanna-be prophet with a vivid imagination? Let the Lord sort it out in due time .. then afterward .. let Him be the judge.

“My people are so “rooted and grounded” in the things of this world that were there a secret rapture, they would not rise above the ceiling due to being so entangled in various clinging vines, worldly distractions and a multitude of opinions. Erroneous application of scripture along with faulty stewardship has turned assumption into a temporary financial boost but mostly by employing unscrupulous self serving means and pseudo spiritual methods.
If righteousness exalts a nation, why is your nation being brought down? Shepherds speak lies to the ignorant, seeking only ungodly gain and vain glory. They travel in packs to devour the sheep. Instead of rightly dividing the law and the prophets, they multiply the sins of my people by pouring out much speech containing empty words of their own choosing. Why do my people, in these days of high technology have such a low interest in bible related topics and even less tolerance for even a basic academic understanding of history in general, history that is about to be repeated with great tribulation?
They will not study my words for themselves and apply them to their life but lust after clueless theology. If they had built their theological house on sand, it would have been a mild improvement but because they have built on a fault line of false teaching. they will not survive the shaking that is about to happen.

T.LaVigne
Received in Adrian, MI 2-15-2009

The thoughts expressed here are not the views held by the owners or managers of the Denominational Churches in America or any of the franchises, subsidiaries or branch offices and in no way reflect the current trends and theology being presented almost every Sunday.

Origin of a Lively Stone

I was in Vancouver, WA back in 2006 and went to a small Pentecostal church. As events unfolded and the pastor was speaking on one occasion I was somewhere else. It was my custom to carry a note book along with my bible into every meeting and kept a pencil handy to record any impending epiphany. Questions ensued and the Lord caused me to keep track of prophecies, visions and spontaneous interpretations. I will say that in the early days of understanding the gospel I would indulge in the moment and would prophecy with standard notions, empty speech and verses that came to mind. It would often become a cliché festival among the “prophets” in the service and confusion often resulted. It took a while but I soon learned that the spirit of the prophetically inclined is subject to the person who thinks he’s called to speak on behalf of the Lord. I also learned that the Lord has spoken through the written word and needs no improvement by a clever Charismatic. On one of these occasions later in my exhortation, edification and comfort years I was privileged to be used of God. I wrote the “word” I received that day and asked to speak just prior to the benediction. Such a spontaneous request was not on the menu. Allow me to pass this along to you now as the Lord is the same yesterday, today and even now. As for me I could be gone in a heartbeat.
“As in the moving of a mighty rushing flow, it will not be the large rocks that will be dislodged ( slightly, maybe ) but the small and the light. The smooth stones and pebbles will be moved from their old place to a new place which in and of itself may be permanent or temporary. So remain still and small and light before the Lord. No matter what kind of shape you are in, you will be moved. And to him that overcomes,the Lord will write a new name on a white stone as in Revelation 2:17" 2-23-2006 I didn’t use the standard, “thus sayeth the Lord” routine for effect so please judge this by Paul’s prescription. In time as I pondered the words I had jogged down I asked the Lord for additional insight. I’m not a geologist and can prove very little of what I came to assume but I will list what I came to understand. 1. Flooding causes major change in the environment. Erosion breaks loose new stones that join the flow. Interpretation: The Lord will introduce the otherwise uninitiated into the stream in due time by a flash event or an upheaval in the comfort zone. 2. Stones with rough or sharp edges will begin a smoothing process. Being transformed is inevitable. Interpretation: Obvious. 3. Even a mountain that is removed and cast into the sea can be displaced little by little. The washing of the water by the Word causes time to do wonders with stubborn issues. 4. The white stone in Revelation 2:17 may have been made pure and smooth via hard knocks against other stones. Without stretching an interpretation beyond reason let me add that a stone like that would be more than a token of honor. 5. When a little stone gets stuck it will still be worn smooth due to the rushing power of the flow and will be moved again. Saul was small in his own eyes at first but became an obstacle in the stream later. Eventually, as we lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us we will be moved by His Spirit, at His leisure and in His time.
I will leave you to search the scripture from here. We have all had enough of placebo prophecies.. I went to see Kim Clement and was cured in a moment as I left the ”worship service.” It was a miracle. I was not infected again by the mega church virus and I was healed on the spot from chasing after signs and wonders.

Postscript: It was Bill Cooper who said; read everything, believe nothing
except what you can prove by honest research and thorough investigation.

Blessings, T.LaVigne

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The Art of Being Attentive

Several years ago I read a book entitled the Art of Being. I don’t recall the author and I can’t say that I recommend it but I found it in the bargain bin. I quickly concluded that it in part it had to do with being in the right place at the right time. After reading the book I came up with an observation as follows. I’ve learned to call it an observation while among certain believers so at to not let imagination get the best of an obvious lesson. I wonder how long Jeremiah sat at the potter’s house watching the potter before the pieces came together. Chapter 18:2 says that there, observing, the Lord would cause Jeremiah to hear His words. I was quiet before the Lord the day I wrote these things in my journal.
When I began my journey with Christ I was given a sheet of paper at the start of the class and given the task of writing my life story. I wasted some time as I looked out the window in wonder. While others got busy with their assignment I looked into the school yard with playtime on my mind. I drooled and scribbled on my work folding it, smudging it and got it wet in a lunchroom staining incident. It became dog eared, crumpled erased and quite undone. Are you sensing my ADD testimony evolving? When it came time to turn it in a creative streak began to appear as I came up with some of my best excuses. When asked to read it to the class I was embarrassed and asked to be excused. Show and Tell didn’t go well that day and now I must reckon with God Almighty. As I stand before Him on that awesome day I will hide my homework behind my back and say that the devil, being the dog he is, ate it. I was assuming I’d do well on the finals as I recalled cheating on several tests before and relied on crib notes in the past. I failed on most all the domestic and social issues and even my understanding of geography is all over the grid. I know I’m not where I should be in the Lord, but I’m not where I was. On the oral portion of the exam I suppose I’ll have some brief statements like; I know in whom I have believed and forgive me Lord I’m a sinner. My personal non-favorite response would be; I wasn’t paying that close attention and I’m just plain guilty!
The art of being spontaneous in a moment like that will produce an honest exhibition and a blue ribbon is not necessarily in the outcome. The wood, hay and stubble of this may be all that remains for some of us in a similar scenario. To make it through those final exams and go to graduate into eternity is the goal of any disciple who studies to show himself approved unto God. To rightly divide the word a student must give his undivided attention to getting right with and staying current with God. Any comparison to any person living or dead is strictly likely so let’s not fool our selves. Because of the cross we are handed the diploma in the end and then only if we endure to the end. I was always watching the clock in school and now at last it is late and the bell is about to ring.

Be blessed. Class dismissed. Timothy LaVigne
ltmstudios.blogspot.com 3-16-2010

Blessed Obscurity

A little flower grows on a mountain side
On the lone frontier and way up high
No one knows how it survives
How it grows then withers and dies

You don't see that flower on that far hill
It will never sit on your window sill
That flower will stay up there until
It turn's to seed. That is God's will*

*In a distant place, unseen, unknown
Among the rocks I found a home

With no reputation, no name or size
Not to be admired by human eyes
It was born alone and alone it dies
As God broods over His obscure prize*

The wind it came and the wind it went
Back to the place from where it was sent
My stem didn't break though severely bent
And I remain alive in the storm content

Some grow together in fields like wheat
Dressed up like people on a crowded street
As we were sown, we will all be reaped
In the great bouquet at the judgement seat*