Merry Christmas Thoughts

Dear Brothers & Sisters:

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus! I hope this Christmas season
is all that you had hoped for. The fact that we can still call it
Christmas...Many of us have watched the battles over trees and advent
scenes and heard it all. Only yesterday I read that a growing number of
people in Vermont were not celebrating Christmas. Many were Muslims and
Wiccans, but many were "Christians" who saw no reason. As I read the
articles, I realized that prayer alone was not going to change the
culture. Yesterday morning as we gathered some related the "negative
response" to saying "Merry Christmas." AS I thought about it, the Lord
guided me to verse 4 in the passage below.

And if you want to skip the rest-feel free to travel to our card to
you! ( http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/card.asp?ID=03d58f20-srt You can
also go to DaySpring.com and enter your retrieval number (03d58f20-srt)
in the space provided on the left-hand side of the page.)

1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where
Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus
was one of those reclining at the table with Him.
3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and
anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the
house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray
Him, said,
5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to
poor people?"
6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but
because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer
what was put into it.

Hmmm. Verse 4. A message for me. And then I saw the Lord preparing to
do surgery on the blackened areas of my heart. It was my thoughts of
betrayal that He had paid for. MY thoughts and thinking that He gave up
his God position to become flesh for me. So may diss Judas, but "Judas"
dwells in each of us to some extent. And for that I am thankful to
Jesus for the life He gave.

The year has been a wild ride. Many changes. World happenings and
regional happenings. In Vermont, only yesterday my friend Aaron, drove
up on his motorcycle while the game in Denver still had snow coming
down. This is a change from our normal weather here, but my oil tank is
loving it!

Today, our family gathers here to celebrate the birth of the Lord. Our
children and grandchildren will come and eat and hangout. The last week
I have been in the store almost constantly and have watched people
trying to adjust to the idea of Christmas with no snow, and all the
other stresses that come with the territory of shopping. The glazed
looks alone indicated the stresses that people were carrying. Tina and
I went to 3 Christmas parties this week. I can tell you that the most
fun one was the one that was held at our home. (Some pics-
http://pocafministries.org/christmas2006 ) While we had fun and were
out of control we felt love for one another.

As I read the passages above, I see that there are many messages that
can be brought out of it, but I think the thing that I want to share
for a moment is the love for one another that Jesus was trying to
convey was necessary. With love we reach greater heights in Him. With
love our service is pure and without agenda. With love we touch the
multitudes. Many who meet with us here on Tuesdays and Sundays have
been seeing the changes in themselves, one another and the people they
come in contact with. The practice of extravagant grace causes love to
rise to the top. I received one of my greatest gift this holiday season
from a man who I have been helping. A 1900 Bible in amazing shape. I am
not sure "what the next step is" as we continue on in the practice of
love, but it seems like things are changing. "Love covers a multitude
of sins" says John, so that is good enough for me. If a man like John
who is carried in on a "stretcher" and talks about love in the last
years of his life, sin can apparently be covered by love. As to whether
this "cancels" it out or not is not the issue, but the fact that it is
hidden from my eyes, seems to be the idea.

My Wiccan friends celebrate solstice. My JW friends celebrate nothing
except family days. I celebrate Christmas. I overlook their ideas and
leanings with the idea that my God s the great God ad has the ability
to change them. My job is to love them without reservation. And to
reconcile them to Him. To introduce them to Him. And that is my job and
my plan. I do not stand on my merit, but on His. In Ephesians it says
this...
Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of
God given to me by the effectual working of his power.

I became who I am not because of me, but because of Him and the gift of
His son. Ministry is not our gift to Him, but His ministry to us. And
so it is with God in my heart that I do not betray Him.

A few weeks ago, I received a word from a prophet named Phil Zaldatte.
It said 3 key things. One was that the area I was in, I was being
released from. And moving into a new area. That area being a visiting
places and people I had worked with in the past and bringing
reconciliation to the region. The third part had to do with a business
anointing and bringing new ventures into play and people partnering
with me. This lines up with previous words from Dennis Cramer, Tim
Trafford and many others within the past few months.

My heart is for reconciliation and the region. The last few years have
changed me. Many challenges overcome and opportunities met. And so in
January Tina and I make ourselves available to the region nd to the
world. We have had many things to overcome and to work through. We
believe we are leaving Springfield in capable hands as we help young
men and women carry on the work here. Beginning in January we are
dedicating ourselves to 1 weekend out from here as we make the
transition. The gathering will continue for this season in the bank
building we have been meeting in on Sundays. Our Tuesdays for the next
few months will meet here. Who knows how that will change. Whether we
are in churches or in shopping malls as we travel, is irrelevant. One
of our businesses is providing for our ministry travel. We will be
taking young men and women with us when we go. It is our time to take
the "spikenard" and pour it out upon the one who gave us life.

It is our desire that you have a wonderful celebration. It is easy to
act more like the culture sometimes than it is to act like Him, but we
wanted to take these few minutes and let you know of our love for you
and yours and our prayers that have hung in the air like incense before
the father on your behalf. We love you and bless you!

Blessings,
lee

http://www.pocafministries.org
http://pcfministries.blogspot.com/
http://compelthem.blogspot.com/
Lee & Tina Johndrow
www.vermontel.com/~servant/ministryopportunity
www.countryartifacts.com

Being Forged in Fire

Dear Brothers & Sisters:

Many of you know that one of the recent undertakings of ours has been a
store front in the Springfield area. This "business" has turned into
full time ministry. People donate. Things are given away. And a lot of
people are coming in that need ministry and the love of the
Lord(Hopefully the same thing.). (You can see pics at
countryartifacts.com)

Last week a man called me. He explained that his father had passed away
here in Springfield and would I be interested in purchasing the
contents of the home. I said I would be interested. I met with him and
his wife at the home on Tuesday. He explained that they were both
disabled(His caused by coughing so hard 40 years ago that he broke
three rib and moved his spine into crushing contact with his spinal
cord.) and so I began to talk about God in a non-threatening way. As we
walked around the home I began to see pictures of the past. Finally, I
could not take it. I asked him, "does the word orphan mean anything."
He looked shocked as he and his wife's eyes connected. He said " I was
adopted." I began to speak what the Lord showed me over his life and
hers and for a half hour they wept and sobbed, as I hugged both of
them. Neither had been in a church. his adopted mom had his brother and
became depressed following the birth. They gave her 19 sessions of
electroshock there[ay and turned her into an 8 year old mentally where
she stayed til the day she die. His father died while he was recovering
from surgery and his brother never told him. The funeral happened while
he was in bed. I began to command the bitterness and junk to be
removed. Did they get saved? No...not yet. His wife just looked at me
and said I have never seen anything like that. The man had never cried
and he had never been held. As I left the house later on my body
shuddered at the power of the Lord. I know I "spoke" the words of the
prophetic, but it was Him who touched their hearts.

This has become a regular thing here in Springfield and in the store.
It seems like everywhere I go the Lord wants to " do" something. to
someone.

And I tell you this, because I believe the Lord is looking to you and I
to do something big. If I never spoke in another church, the world
would be my parish. Somehow, I see that what we have been doing is
gaining favor and momentum and I know He is doing this elsewhere.
Personally, I have come to the place where for the right arrangement, I
would let the store go to someone, so that we could start another
place. Why? Because I believe the Lord wants to return to the highways
and the byways. In the last few weeks I have encountered 3
co-habitating couples and in each one the woman has cancer. I think
this is a setup.

Our meetings are getting very warm and friendly and laughter prevails
over tears. Things are happening.

The other day I saw the picture of an anvil and felt the Lord saying, "
be forged." I sense there is a solidifying of the things that had not
come together and "tool" being readied for it's final purposes. I think
of going to a local museum and watching the blacksmith forge tools.
Brilliant, heated pieces being formed, hardened by the quenching in
cold water, shaped by the clanging of the hammer. Out of the fires
blown upon by bellows comes tools ready for work and for battle. I
think we are fast approaching a shaking.

When I was a child I formed a band called Cataclysmic Zoe. The
definition for cataclysmic-cataclysmal: severely destructive;
"cataclysmic nuclear war"; "a cataclysmic earthquake" Zoe meant life.
It almost seems like an oxymoron, but hey, I was young, but as I sat
here at the keyboard, I remembered this band. Our music was Iron
Butterfly and Cream. My ears hurt just remembering that band. I sense
this is the life of one who takes on the kingdom of darkness bringing
destruction to it by bringing life. In that we will do great things
because it is the great one who indwells.

This morning I awoke at 5:30 and as I rolled over the room began to
spin. I began to feel very ill(Oh no-the taco pizza of yesterday-it
must be the lettuce!). And for 2 hours I fought against waves of
nauseousness, dizziness, etc. But as I went for a walk to clear my head
I realized that we can win and will if we let Him.

If we would just go and do we would see Him show up. I am going back to
minister to that couple next week. I am believing God is going to
remove the Harris rods in her vertebrae and heal this man. I want to
once again be that cataclysmic zoe that does not bow to another. I have
battled fear and anxiety the last few months. I have come to a place
where all I have is Him. And all I can do is more for what He asks. I
want to be that forged instrument and come out of the heat and the
noise into the cooling of the waters. To fully understand all that He
died for. To totally understand the heart beats of the Father.

Blessings,
lee

http://www.pocafministries.org
http://pcfministries.blogspot.com/
http://compelthem.blogspot.com/
Lee & Tina Johndrow
www.vermontel.com/~servant/ministryopportunity
www.countryartifacts.com

Behind Door #3

Dear Brothers & Sisters:

The other day I bought a bible. The date on this bible is 1856. The
inscription by the owner is 1859. It is a "pulpit" bible, meaning it is
about 14x16" by about 5" thick. This is truly the epitome of the weight
of the word! As I looked through the many plates that are included and
viewed the verses, I realized the "history" this bible has. How many
people's lives were possibly changed by this particular book. The
covers are wood with a white stone in most of the corners. There is
something to draw your attention to God. I can not explain. It has even
opened a conversation with a Mormon amongst the many discussions
already. But, unless you desire to have your eyes opened or are
seeking, to anyone else this probably no more than a really cool old
book.

Yesterday I replaced my cell phone. It took almost an hour. Why?
Because while many consider me to have an edge on technology when it
comes to hands on, I am better with the stuff I grew up with. (I most
likely could rebuild a 1965 Mustang and never refer to a manual. Yet
as I read the "book" and I do mean book on this new phone, I gave up.
What is all this? My only reason for the phone change at all was to
significantly reduce my bill by upgrading to a new plan and the phone
provides better reception than my older model.

New. Old. The battle for my my mind is always teetering on what is new.
To be honest there are very few things out there that show up in the
ads that I say "I have to have that." (Though the new Mustangs are
pretty sweet.). And in my store there is a lot of old stuff and I am
glad that we can say "goodbye" to some of those things. (There is a 50"
TV in there that weighs less than my 25" at home.) Hollywood and
Manhattan are working overtime to make sure I have the latest razor and
my kids the latest toys. The part of me that likes familiar battles to
keep what I have.

And that old bible? It has the same words that my "new" King James
does. And the amazing thing is that the words are just as relevant
today as the day they were penned or appeared in that particular bible
in 1856. And while it would be kind of cool to keep this bible I will
probably sell it. But the words...they are etched and carved into my
heart. The relevance of God is forever. When we come to the end of our
rope and face the truth, that we have tried all the ways we know how to
be successful and still encounter our sin or have walked around the
mountain one more time, we have the opportunity to embrace the grace of
God and allow Him to change us.

Every day people come in the store and they either do not like the old
stuff or they "ooh" and "aah" about it. But with the word of God, it s
not whether we like it or not, but whether we allow ourselves to be
changed by it. To be in a position of receiving His grace. Some of my
friends would consider me to a grace grower, meaning I "do" things that
cause them to cry out for grace or they might kill me. On the other
hand I often find myself in the position of needing more grace, having
come to the end of my rope and realizing the knot is probably not going
to hold either. We come to the place of appreciating the value of the
word of God, it's correction and then dying to the law so that grace
might come.

Each of us, you and I have the opportunity to embrace the values of
history and apply them to our present so that we might have a tomorrow
worth living. If you have come to the end of the rope in your life,
here is an opportunity, not to get out of it, but to embrace it and cry
out for His grace to invade your life. With His grace we can overcome
the things that have stacked up against us. It is today we have a
choice. We can choose to do it the way we have always done, and get the
same old results. We can choose to add something new to our lives in
the hope that newer is better. Or we come to door three, which will
call for us to confront the issue of our life, let it die, allow grace
to flood us.

My prayer is that each of us today might open door three.

Blessings,
lee

http://www.pocafministries.org
http://pcfministries.blogspot.com/
http://compelthem.blogspot.com/
Lee & Tina Johndrow
www.vermontel.com/~servant/ministryopportunity
www.countryartifacts.com