Dear friends,
Thank you for your involvement in our CedarWood Blessings outreach. The last two years have brought with them many new developments in this department. The 2013-2014 school year allowed us to provide BackPack Kits to children in several schools in the Edmond’s School District thus enabling these children to focus on their education rather than their hunger.
This past week, Karen and I travelled to Seattle to meet with our CedarWood and Joel's Army outreaches. We had the honor and the privilege of participating in our CedarWood International activities. Thursday, August 14, we assisted in the assembly of 200 kits for our BackPack Kids program. It was truly an amazing experience. Everything is organized beautifully and I was touched by the excitement of the volunteers as they formed an assembly line and helped pack our BPK kits. There is an unspeakable joy in knowing that you are a part of feeding children in need and this permeated the gym as we worked.
As we embark upon this next school year, we ask that you pray for God’s favor on CedarWood Blessings. It is only by the grace of God that we enter the school district the way that we do. You have all been incredibly supportive thus far and we sincerely thank you for both your prayers and your gifts. We look forward to working with the community during the upcoming the 2014-2015 school year.
I would like to take this opportunity to offer a special “thank you” to Ken & Kathy Rickey and our liaison, LeAnn Brisbois, for their commitment in getting CW BackPack Kits into the Edmonds School District! After working with them this week, I gained an even greater appreciation for all that they do on the ground. I also want to thank all of the local merchants and community-based organizations who have contributed supplies to the CW BackPack Kids program; GateKeepers has been an amazing support as has Grocery Outlet, Ralph Meyers, and Dollar Tree and of course, you! I would be remiss if I did not give a special thank you to the Girl Scout & Brownie Troops that raised a “Wall of Food” for our BackPack Kids!
During our time in Seattle, Karen and I also had an opportunity to participate in the CedarWood Pantry Event held each Monday from 1-2:30pm at Bethel Chapel. The quality and quantity of food was like a farmer’s market. It was fresh, and beautiful. I took several pictures and put them up on our Facebook page and even had one family join us as a result of that post! We have donations from several local stores; Whole Foods, Safeway, and Trader Joe’s to name just a few. In addition to that, several of our staff and volunteers grow produce and collect fresh eggs from their chickens, just for our Pantry events further revealing their hearts when it comes to caring for those in need. This is more than a job, it’s a passion to meet the needs of others and the families that attended could feel this as well. As they left with their bags of fresh produce, grains, eggs, meats & cheese, they were all deeply touched and the look on their faces will stay with us for a long while.
This week was physically draining and emotionally exhilarating. Participating in the activities of CedarWood is one of the most rewarding things a person can do. If you are in the area and would like to join us, contact the office and we will tell you how.
If you want to help support our CedarWood projects, following are some pressing needs we have:
Formula and diapers - we did receive some this past week and they were so appreciated by the mothers of young children.
Gas cards in small increments ($5-$10) - some of the families who attend are in such need that they do not have the funds to cover gas to and from the pantry.
Almost half of our staff is assigned to work in our CedarWood department. We are thankful that most of the food and clothing is donated, so we ask that you pray with us for the
funds to cover the salaries of those involved.
Refrigerated truck - our staff uses their personal vehicles to pick up the donated food. At times, two or three vehicles are needed for a pick up from a single location. A designated truck would make our use of resources far more efficient.
A Designated Building – we are so thankful to Pastor Matt & Su Lambert and the board at Bethel Chapel for allowing us to use their facility over the last two years. We are using every nook and cranny of their church for storage and the set-up of our events is quite tedious, a designated building would help reduce the workload of our people and make it possible for us to be open longer hours and more often when the need arises.
Again, I want to thank those of you who support the work of CedarWood as a volunteer, finances or both. We could not do this without you!
Blessings & love,
Ricci
Click here if you would like to contribute to our Cedarwood Blessings
Following is the final installment in Nita's teaching, "The Knowledge of the Holy One" I pray it will encourage you in your walk and development in the Lord!
The Knowledge of the Holy One
Part D
By
Nita Johnson
From our Seattle Services
About twenty years ago, I was going through a very hard time in coming to grips with the inner me. I was in so much anguish over it. Oh, was I struggling with great pain. I was awake until late in the morning hours. Then the Lord spoke to me saying, “Nita, your problem is your soul.” I said, “Oh God, that feels very unconquerable.” He said, “But I want to show you what My Son did for you to help you on this journey.” He began to quote this whole passage. Then He came to this place:
Philippians 2:6 Amp. Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained.
These are just words to us until we see the extraordinary life of the fullness of what makes Him God. I was taken to heaven, and I saw the glories of heaven—such things of which a mind could never conceive or perceive. I saw the Lord Jesus Christ sitting on His glorious throne with a rainbow over Him. I saw the glory shining from Him in such a magnanimous way that it was blinding. I saw His majesty, holiness, truth, beauty, grace and glory. It was all so breathtaking. I saw what makes Him God, the eternal life.
Suddenly, the Lord leaned over to the Father. They look very much alike, except that the Father looks older, and His hair is white as snow. The Son leaned over to the Father, and He said, “I will go.” Immediately, the Son was gone. I also found myself back on earth. I saw Him hanging on the cross, carrying the weight of our sin.
Philippians 2:7-8 Amp. But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
You do not understand what that passage means until you have seen it. We are so careful to make sure no one strips us of our rightful dignity. We are very protective of that. What is the servant thing that He is talking about? Is it acting like a servant in your home, such as, “Oh, let me take your plate. Was your dinner good?” No. He is talking about servanthood manifesting in obedience to truth. He became a slave to the Father’s rights.
When truth owns you, and you become truth, then you are ruling and reigning in the majesty of Christ. There is a humility required. There is a love that must be made manifest in your heart and in your soul. Love will never do anything deliberately to offend another. There must be an overcoming love. This is something you can do. The challenge is joyously given to you because when you prevail, you will have Christ.
Salvation is a free gift, but, my dear friends, after that there is a price for everything in the Kingdom. The price you have to pay is the price of whatever will keep you from Jesus. You say, “Lord, what is it You want?” He says, “Everything.” Are you willing to give that? You say, “Well, what is everything?” Everything means that you must be willing to give up whatever will keep you as an individual from going deep in God. My “everything” is going to be different from your “everything.” God knows the deep, inner parts of the heart. He knows with what He has to deal. Some things He can just remove like that, wiping the cloth over the heart. For other things He has to get the hammer and chisel. He chisels, hammers, and chisels some more. We scream and yell every part of the way. “Oh Lord, that hurts my heart. Oh Lord, why are You doing this to me? Please stop. Make them stop. Oh Lord.” He just keeps saying, “I thought you wanted Me?” He knows the deep rudiments that need the extra work. He gives much grace to those who will humble themselves and obey.
Philippians 2:9-10 Amp. Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Most especially, our knee should bow because we say we want Him. We want to bow to that Name and all of its rightful demands. As He seeks to shake us, remake us, refine and redefine, every knee must bow.
Philippians 2:11 Amp. And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Whose Lord is He? He must become yours. That means that you never say no to Him. When He says to do something, you obey. If you fail, you get up and do it again. But you do not play with Him. You must understand that what you are going after is the fear of God which gives the knowledge of the Holy One. You do not want to be Christians eating of old, regurgitated food, but you want the knowledge of Christ filling your soul. Desire this more than anything. Want it so badly that you will let Him have His way on anything and everything.
He will give the grace. I am not saying it will be easy. He will never take your will, but He requires it to make you one with Him. That means that you have to be willing to give your will every day, again and again, in every way. Paul said, “I die daily.” You must also! If circumstances come into your lives that shake up your dynasty, get on your face until God breaks that thing in you, and you can finally be free of the sovereignty of your soul. You want your will so broken that when the whisper of the Lord passes over your heart, you are lifted up in the wings of His Spirit, and you move. When He has you there He will do many wonderful and awesome things for you. He will give you what He will not give others because you have proven yourself worthy. It is not easy, but it is doable. All you have to do is to die. Isn’t that exciting? Do you want to die? I don't, but I want Him so I am willing.
[Prayer]
Father, You are glory and majesty. You are my Lord and my God. I do not know who I am deep down inside, Lord, and I am so thankful for that. You reveal as I am able to bear. Nevertheless, I am so thankful that You never quit revealing. Together, we can take these mountains of self out of the heart and leave a dignified place for You to sit. You are worthy of all glory and beauty. You are worthy of sacrifice, honor and obedience. You are worthy of the brokenness and holiness You require in me. If You want to take something from one of us that You do not require of another, we say, “You are worthy.” You are worthy that we may know and walk in Your love, know and be filled with Your glorious holiness, and be clothed in Your righteousness.
I am seeing a vision of jewels in the form of a stake. They represent the light of a sanctified life. The hammer is in the Lord's hands. The stake made a hole which exudes the fragrance of these incredible stones. You will help us, Lord. You will nail us to the cross because love demands it. But everyone who will submit himself to the workmanship of the Holy Spirit and let Him do what He needs to, to extract the poison from the soul, will be filled with the fragrance of these heavenly jewels. Those will become great gifts to the body of Christ. How You love Your own ones, Lord. How You love us. You call us up to higher places to rule and reign with You. You call us to learn how to leap over mountains and how to climb the high precipices of God. Thank you, Lord. You teach us and You give us grace, wisdom, knowledge of Your ways, and mercy. You are not a hard taskmaster. You are good and only goodness, through and through.
Lord, You know every heart reading this. I am asking You to let the hot coal from off the altar fall upon those whose hearts are true, who are willing to go where they must go to know You. The people of Israel were all around the bottom of the mountain, but Moses went up and was transformed into Your image. Oh, he feared the fire too, but love compelled, drew and strengthened, until he overcame his fears. Give us the heart of Moses, Lord. Those of you who really want this workmanship of God, I would like you to tell the Lord that you want it. I have warned you that it is not the easiest road.
Lord, let Your fire fall. Let Your anointing release us into all things in You. Come upon those who are of a worthy heart, Lord, and begin the work now. Let the fire come upon their souls, Lord. Devour that which is unworthy. Strengthen them. Give them hearts of joy to run the race. Lord, we are nothing without You, but in You we can do all things. Let the fire burn and consume, Lord. Let it give strength, grace, and passion. Holy are You, Lord.
In His Amazing Love,
Nita Johnson
