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July 6, 2015

6/29/2015

Rivers make Channels
Channels Do Not make Rivers

How does a channel become a river? The answer? Only as water flows over and through it over time, does the flat/dry land become a channel through which water flows. As the water continues to flow - the channel becomes deeper and deeper, and wider and wider.

If the river is blocked / or dammed up, the water will begin to overflow its banks - and the channel takes on another identity - it is no longer a channel, but is now a holding tank or reservoir.

With this loss of identity the channel loses its purpose for existence and dies. So what happens to the flow of water?

The water will seek out another way to form a channel through which it can again flow..

Spiritually, we humans, following in the pattern of self promotion inherited from Adam, think it is us that creates the river. But we are wrong - dead wrong. Once we begin to ‘control’ the flow, the flow will begin to lessen and eventually stop - resulting in our loss of identity - and eventual death.

The flow of the river will only continue if it continues to flow through a channel. - through ME. The channel does not control the flow of the water - it is merely that - a channel through which - the water flows.

“Lord, you are the river, I am the channel. Continue to flow through me.
May I never believe that it is I that is the river.”

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com

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June 22nd, 2015

6/22/2015

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Life as a River

How's your Alignment?

This past week I ended up in the Chiropractors office. Why? At my advanced age, the discs don't always absorb as they should or once did. The muscles don't always perform to my 'young minds' instructions. and in general I end up looking like the 'guy' to the left - totally OUT OF ALIGNMENT.

So how did this happen - again? In spite of my mothers voice still ringing in my head - 'stop slouching and stand up straight', I still slouch and do not stand up straight. In spite of my best intentions to exercise and keep my muscles 'toned', I say to myself - "I 'will do more exercising tomorrow" - and you know how that one goes. After my hip replacement almost four years ago, and the resultant great relief from pain - I have been so happy with the relief, that I have neglected the Doctor's admonition to "Do your exercises every-day". Okay, are you getting the idea here.

My lower back hurts - My hips hurt - My knees hurt - My neck hurts -My feet hurt - And my head hurts just thinking about everything that hurts. So that is how and why when I simply turned around to flush the toilet, that old too familiar stab of pain in the lower back SHOUTED AGAIN!

So it is off to the Chiro's office to get RE-ALIGNED.

Now this is a blog posting about Life as a River. It is to be an encouragement to us all to 'keep on' in the journey to be an obedient disciple of Christ's. So what does my alignment have to do with anything? Well, most of you already know the answer to that, don't you?

Just as my physical body can get out of alignment, so can my spiritual journey. It just means that through the daily activities of life, I begin to 'spiritually slouch' when I know better. It means that I don't 'spiritually exercise' as much or as I intend. It means that my best intentions require more than best intentions. Just because I am free from 'pain' - trials or the circumstances of life does not mean that I am continuing to grow. It in fact probably means that I have actually stopped growing - depending on myself rather than Him.

And then, without warning I wake up one day and feel dry, or empty. I don't experience the joy I once did. I don't see the hand of God at work in fresh exciting ways as I have in other times. I may or may not hurt, but I just don't feel as I once did. It may seem that I don't have the tolerance for the unexpected as I remember. I find myself impatient more often. It is not that I have abandoned Him, but that my slouching - slumping - sleeping and self directed ways have strained my relationship - As a result I no longer live with the freshness, power and peace I once did. I have gotten totally OUT OF ALIGNMENT.

So it is off to Him I go to get RE-ALIGNED

My Chiropractor knows how to get me realigned. He knows where to push - twist - pop and stretch. But how much more does my heavenly 'Chiro' know how to realign my life with His.

So I go to Him, and place my life in His Hands - to spiritually push - twist - pop and stretch where He chooses. Just as I cannot realign myself physically by not slouching anymore, or exercising more etc., neither can I spiritually realign myself through increased self motivation or behavior. The primary behavior is surrender and obedience. I place myself completely into His hands by dying daily to self, and allowing Him to reign at the center of my life - obeying His every command in every area of my life.

"Lord, here I am on the table - surrendering myself - repenting of my self sufficiency and ready to obey you in EVERYTHING that you ask of me. I trust you to realign my life to yours - Amen."

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com

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June 20th, 2015

6/20/2015

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Life as a River
What is the level of your
River or your Reservoir?

Several years ago here in Georgia we were in the middle of an extended draught. There were daily postings of the most recent reading of the level of local lakes and reservoirs. Of course they were all below their ‘required’ level, and in most cases were going down each day.

While reflecting on that experience, my mind shifted to a book I have been reading called More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. The author, Jeff Shinabarger, says this:

“At the risk of oversimplifying, let’s define some terms. More than enough is excess. Less than enough is suffering. Most of us either have a positive or a negative balance. More or less. I believe the most difficult and yet important question for our generation is to determine what is enough in each and every aspect of our lives. We should keep a figurative balance sheet for everything that consumes our money, time, energy, concentration, and other things. Then you can ask yourself, what is my balance today? Are you in the red, or are you in the black?”

Let’s face it - the majority of us (particularly in the US) have enough and are in “the black”. However, whether that daily report shows in the black or the red, we face a choice: “What will I do?” I believe that our choice will gradually over time determine if we are more a Reservoir or a River.

Like the daily postings of the level of the Georgia lakes and reservoirs, as our level of ‘living in the black’ continues to rise, we relax and ‘thank God for His blessings’, but make sure that we keep a ‘healthy’ balance ‘just in case of a draught’.

Honestly, I don’t think I am as aware of it rising as much as I am when it is ‘going down’. And the danger is that the more it goes down, the more I tend to become fearful, and to rely on my own ‘solutions’ to stop the trend- rather than relying on God my provider.

So now I am faced with a conundrum (one of my favorite words to say). WHAT DO I DO?

A few questions to ask myself.

“Who controls the rise and fall?”
“Who owns the time, energy, money and things?”
“Does it matter what I do?”
“Does God really care?”
“How much is enough?”
“Do I really trust God?”
“Is there really always enough?”

Next week - A few MORE thoughts.

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236
404.784.4618

BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com

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June 11th, 2015

6/11/2015

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Life as a River
Thoughts on Ownership - Stewardship & Giving

One of the common distinctives of Christian Stewardship is the principle that God owns everything. While you would be hard-pressed to find anyone among professing Christian Stewards who would disagree, it has been my observation that in the real world of day to day living – this principle isn’t quite as clear or strong.

There are three points I want to make. These do not come from me, but from three who have added to my understanding of Stewardship – Ownership & Giving.

1. A River 'roots' from their heart all sense of possessing

“The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the Kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing... Though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.".

Rev. A.W. Tozer In Pursuit of God. From Chapter 2, “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing.”

2. A River is a channel through whom flow the gifts of God

"To the extent that we are channels of these ‘gifts’ (from God), we can’t just do with them as we please. They come to us with an ultimate name and address other than our own.... If I block the flow of God’s gifts, I haven’t just failed the giving of God; I’ve failed the intended recipients.”

Dr. Miraslov Volf Free of Charge: Giving & Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace.

3. A River is more than a trustee or servant, they are a joint heir – the obedient child of the Father

“If God is God, then man can actually never own anything.... The creator God is also our Father. There are two Stewardship implications of this truth. (1) In the light of God’s fatherhood, the relation to God upon which stewardship rests is far more than trusteeship or vocational service. We are sons and heirs, not merely trustees and servants. Ownership is not the relationship between master and slave. It is the deeper personal relation whereby a father calls his children his own. (2) Our giving is patterned after God Himself. ‘God so loved the world that he gave’. To give and keep on giving is the essential nature of God who is love. Christian giving can therefore never be an occasional performance or a special ceremony. It is the normal, steady, and increasing outflow of life in God.”

T.A. Kantonen A Theology of Christian Stewardship – Chapter 3

Everything comes from God – and God alone. To merely make a logical choice to ‘think and act differently’ will not change anything. The change can only come as I daily die, and place Him on the throne of my heart...as I surrender ownership.

“Lord, today I affirm anew that all I have and am comes from you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for showing me the way. Forgive me for thinking that I own anything, and let all of the time, talents and treasures that come from you flow to others as I act in obedience to your will”.

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com

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June 03rd, 2015

6/3/2015

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Being a River
takes more than
a Logical Choice

In the last blog, we quoted C.S. Lewis, a portion of the quote being, "We are far too easily pleased". I received the following from my uncle Duane Maxey. It is very thought provoking. I include it here, in the hopes that it will trigger something in you as it did in me.

Mark - Here is a “captivating illustration.

You quoted C. S. Lewis as writing, "We are far too easily pleased."   However, there is more involved in being pleased. In the illustration below, Grillus was pleased because his appetite had been changed. When one has an appetite for filth - To him - its "odor is sweeter than amber, and its filth tastes better than the nectar of the gods."

In Greek mythology it is, perhaps, that the story is told of Grillus, a man who had been turned into a hog. Eulysses wanted to change him back into a man, but Grillus would have none of that.

When asked if he took no account of the finer things such as poetry, music, and eloquence, Grillus let it be known that he would rather "oink" than be eloquent. Referring to the filthy pig-sty in which he who had once been a man was now wallowing, Eulysses asked Grillus: "How can you endure this nastiness and stench?"

"It all depends on the taste," oinked Grillus, "The odor is sweeter than amber to me, and the filth than the nectar of the gods!"

Put the delightful foods of a French Chef in front of a Hog, and the slop of his Hog Pen, and he will head straight for the slop!

Being generous, or being whatever Christ would have us be, takes more than a logical choice!  Hogs are easily pleased with slop because it appeals to them more than that which pleases a normal human being.  Even so, the Natural Man needs a radical change in his nature before he will opt for the things he should!

Uncle Duane

Isn't it true? Will-power, or as Duane suggests "a logical choice' is never enough to make us a River and not a Reservoir. It really does take a radical change of our heart, and that can ONLY be accomplished by Christ himself.

RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236

BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com

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Mark Leavell

Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, and Grandfather. Mark is the husband of Marybeth, the father of two sons , Alan (wife Lenore) and John (wife Jen) and 5 Grandchildren. (Brianna, Keegan, Callie, Elijah and Gabriel.) He resides in Jonesboro, Georgia.

July 6, 2015

Rivers make ChannelsChannels Do Not make Rivers

June 22nd, 2015

Life as a RiverHow's your Alignment?

June 20th, 2015

Life as a RiverWhat is the level of your River or your Reservoir?

June 11th, 2015

Life as a RiverThoughts on Ownership - Stewardship & Giving

﻿1. A River 'roots' from their heart all sense of possessing

2. A River is a channel through whom flow the gifts of God

3. A River is more than a trustee or servant, they are a joint heir – the obedient child of the Father

June 03rd, 2015

Being a River takes more than a Logical Choice

Mark Leavell

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Rivers make Channels
Channels Do Not make Rivers

Life as a River

How's your Alignment?

Life as a River
What is the level of your
River or your Reservoir?

Life as a River
Thoughts on Ownership - Stewardship & Giving

1. A River 'roots' from their heart all sense of possessing

Being a River
takes more than
a Logical Choice