HE DID IT ANYWAY

He was of God

He was God.

All that divinity.

All that perfection.

All that holiness.

But why?

Why the suffering?

He knew why. He knew what for.

He knew His purpose. He understood.

But, it didn't ease the suffering. The agony.

It didn't ease the burden or lighten the load.

It didn't remove the pain or the burden of guilt and shame.

Yet, He did it anyway.

He endured. On a tree.

While He endured, He encouraged. He provided. He blessed.

No ridicule or scorn. No reviling. No anger. No wrath.

Just suffering.

He endured the cross until the end.

Because He loves us. He loves us so much that NOTHING ELSE MATTERED. 

NOTHING.

Unto death. Into life.

Endless amazing love.

Endless amazing grace. 

The ultimate in sacrifice.

DO WE LOVE HIM AS HE LOVES US?

So much so that nothing else matters. NOTHING.

Physical death. Obedience. Sacrifice. For Him. For us.

Because He matters most. His ways. His desires. His purposes.

We have been called to a holy calling with divine purpose. With no fear.

'Why?' we ask. 

We share His calling. With no fear. Because of His perfect love.

Here. To suffer. Now.

According to His purpose.

He layed down His life. All of it. We have been called to do the same. Every day.

To know what He knows. To love as He loves.

May we not ask 'Why?' Only 'How?'

Glory be to our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

May we live to magnify Him. May our lives glorify Him.

As we press forward to receive the prize.

For VICTORY!

For LOVE! 

For HIS GLORY!

Thy Kingdom come quickly.....!

A GLORIOUS CALLING

 We are all called to something higher. We are all called to something higher, Someone higher, more important, with more power than this world has to offer. We are called to be in a constant, close, connected relationship with our Creator. And, we are called to become like Him.

Most certainly, a high calling. It explains the yearning, the longing that we all experience to reach beyond the everyday, the mundane, the routine. He created us before the foundation, the creation of the world. He put this desire deep inside our hearts. To use our gifts and talents. To discover exactly who He made us to be.


Yet we look elsewhere to satisfy that longing. And, truly, the only One who can satisfy is Christ, the Son of the living God.

We are made in His image. We are to abide in Him. We are to become like Him.

Dare I say, we are to become the suffering servant?! In truth, it is the only way we will satisfy that longing within.  We need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Really. No, really.

Not for faint of heart. Not for the self seeking or the proud in heart. Yet when we are weak then He is strong. Glory belongs to Him alone.

Strength in weakness, in suffering, in dependence. A novel concept.

Yet, our loving God would have it no other way. Lives lived in love must sacrifice, must suffer in this world. We all want to love and be loved. Sometimes love hurts. Sometimes love suffers long. True, sacrificial love always heals.

Though I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, I do love to be the light bearer of Truth. TRUTH: His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than ours. Don't believe the lie that this life should be easy and without suffering. If you do, you will find constant disappointment and heartache.

Let's take a look at our Savior. Jesus, the Christ, was born into a meager life. He became a carpenter. Nothing fancy. He grew in grace and knowledge of His heavenly Father so that He could be about His Father's business.  Not His own. He was taught in the temple in His younger years. He waited. He sat patient listening to scripture and being guided by the Holy Spirit. He led a simple life. He waited for His Father's timing in being called to walk worthy and share His calling with others as He had been instructed.  He sat, watched, waited. He waited for His Father's purpose for Him, in His Father's perfect timing, to be used for His Father's glory.  Not in His own timing, not for His own purposes, and not for His own glory. Sacrifice.

Jesus walked when called by His Father to preach the word of Truth in LOVE. Though all power was to be given to Him by the Father, He walked and preached with humility and love.

When His time had come, Christ stood firm in the will of God trusting in the plan and purposes of His heavenly Father. He stood against the lies of the Evil One who tried to persuade Him not to fulfill His God-given destiny.  He drew the sword of Truth in defense knowing His steadfastness would glorify His Father and draw many sons to glory.

He sat waiting patiently resting on the promises of God. He walked following the Spirit preaching to many, enduring ridicule, and all the while look to the future His Father had promised. He stood firm in the Truth based upon the plan and promises of God.

He sacrificed self in mind, in spirit and finally in body. He died once,  for all. No fanfare, no trumpets, no press releases, no praise. Yet, He inherited the kingdom from and for the glory of His Father.

We are called to such a calling. It looks different for each one of us but end result is the same. To be made in His image, to be transformed, redeemed, a witness for Truth and bear the eternal weight of glory. To sacrifice. It is a high calling. It is a glorious calling. It is a not-of-this-world calling. We must live it today.

Embrace it. Live it. Tough love. Only the best things in life come from tough love: grace, mercy, forgiveness,  justice, peace, life ever after. The BEST things in life are NOT free.  They require giving love, suffering and sacrifice. They result in freedom, healing, and reward. Loving when life is not easy. The sacrifice is great but the rewards are greater still. The giving brings more blessing than the getting.

May we believe in and live out our eternal vision in the here-and-now and give  ALL glory and honor and praise to our Father in the spectacular heavens and His Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and our King!

THE ONLY SOURCE

In our family, we're not much for watching television but do like to have a movie night once a week.  Usually family friendly stuff.  My youngest was at a sleepover last time so we decided to watch Source Code. (Honestly, I'd never heard of it but my husband requested it from Netflix.)

Interesting movie, engaging plot line. I won't be a spoiler but will share some detail as to what I find intriguing.

The main character is being sent back in time to figure out who set off a bomb on a commuter train killing hundreds. He has to go back again and again and again searching for more clues until he figures it out. The poor guy is confused, exhausted, frustrated and alone. Eventually, our hero solves the mystery, and, in turn, gets to make things right and inherits his freedom and a new future.

Right now, I feel very much like him. Uncertain, tired, frustrated (and a bit angry) and alone.

I'm in a fog. I'm in a holding pattern. I'm often just going through the motions. Though I know I am not alone as the Lord promises me that He is always with me, He is being very quiet, very subtle in guiding me through each day. He is keeping me waiting. Waiting upon Him, trusting Him, developing my faith and trust in light of the uncertainty of the future.

Days come and go. Some days are hard. Sleep is restless. The heart is heavy with hurt some days.

I know He is doing a work. The Light is there. Yet I still struggle even in the knowing. The days have turned into months. Years really. It is a slow process. I'm not getting any younger and most of it doesn't get any easier.

The journey is two-fold: 1) pulling out bad roots, ingrained habits that run long and deep and 2) making me rely solely upon Him and His will for me--no strongholds, no crutches, no dependencies-- so that He can lead me to a more meaningful purpose, one to which I've truly been called.

He tells me to remember that, for me, ALL is grace.

For us, ALL is grace.

We only get one shot at this life. Unlike my movie hero, I can't go back in time to change history or to make things right. I can't undo the wrongs that I've done or that have been done to me no matter how much I'd like to do it. But all is grace......

We must continually look to the only source. In His grace, it is not a race. Not a race against time to erase all the wrongs and make them right. No works to earn freedom and a new future. In Him, I am forgiven. In Him, I am redeemed. In Him, I'm given a future and a hope. In Him, we can 'pay it forward' rather than looking to the past.

He keeps no record of wrongs. He blots out our transgressions. He carries our shame.

He transforms me, if I yield to Him, and helps to relieve my burdens, give me rest, learn His ways. He helps me to forgive those who burdened me and love them anyway. Even those I might never see  again in this life.

All is grace. He makes me better going forward rather than going back in time. All is grace. Every breath I breathe. Every morning when I awaken. Every step I take. Every choice I make. He wants me to see, understand and embrace that grace. He supplies grace in every moment. I, too, need to give grace in every moment.

And, to give thanks. To give thanks during the pruning and plucking no matter how much it hurts. For me, giving thanks in difficulty has always been the hardest part.  "This is my will for you" He reminds me.

All is grace. His will is grace. His love is grace. He is grace. He is the only source that will get us through the toughest times, the deepest waters, the hardest hurts. Not only get us through but bring us through in glory. I don't deserve anything but, nonetheless, He gives me everything I could ever need. Undeserved, unmerited favor in the eyes of the Creator of the Universe....

Love. Light. Freedom. Future. GRACE.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom.  

As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like Him with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit. 

2 Cor 3:17-18

ALL is grace. Our Lord is the source. He is the only One Who can make all things right and just.

Therefore, if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and—look!—all things have become new! 

2 Cor 5:17

Praising Him for the good, the bad and the ugly, knowing He works ALL things together for good according to His PERFECT will.....!
 

Now if the ministry of death that was inscribed in letters of stone came with such glory that the people of Israel could not gaze on Moses’ face (because the glory was fading away from it), will not the Spirit’s ministry have even more glory? 

2 Cor 3:7-8

 

The Beautiful Sacrifice of Prayer & Fasting

Another absolute favorite story of mine from His Word comes from 2 Chronicles 20.  It is a story of angst, danger, desperation and deliverance. It is a story of prayer, power, community,  and perseverance. It is love story sacrifice and deliverance.

A summary of the story goes something like this:
 
King Jehoshaphat of Judah was told that his enemies were coming to make war. Jehoshaphat was terrified and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.

Jehoshaphat stood before the people.  He prayed before the people giving the Lord all the praise honor and glory. He also took claim to God’s promise of protection for his people. He said, ‘We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’ In humility, Jehoshaphat prayed, “ We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

Then the Spirit came upon Jahaziel, a man in the crowd.  He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. 

 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness to face their enemies. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm.

(And, here is the best part!) After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:  “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” (Can you imagine singers leading you into battle?!)

 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other.So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

 King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder.  It took the people three entire days to gather the plunder! It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.  When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them.  Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Valley of Blessing

I love this moment in history because it memorializes the beauty of relationship with God Almighty.  The king loved his people and his people loved him. The king loved God and God loved him. The people loved and worshiped God. There was beauty in the sacrifice of prayer and fasting and coming before God with surrendered hearts.

Jehoshaphat had a sense of urgency in approaching the Lord; rather than trying to solve the problem himself, Jehoshaphat went straight to the Creator of the Universe. He approached the throne with humility before God and his people, relying on God alone. The king seized God’s power in collective fasting and prayer demonstrating his trust, reliance and dependance on Him alone. His prayers and demonstration through fasting with his people were answered, he gets an added bonus of peace on every side during his reign, and God gets the glory!

The sacrifice of prayer and fasting, with a yielded heart, can move mountains. It is a beautiful way to demonstrate our love and trust in the Living God. It is one the most powerful tools of spiritual warfare yet one of the least used.

May we grasp the power of prayer and fasting, may we seize the opportunity to gather together in coming before Him to offer this sacrifice in submission, worship, trust, and dependence. And, may we utilize this tool in our toolbox of faith often just as we put on our armor to face each day!

THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS Part I

Not long ago, our pastor gave a sermon on a particular topic of which I now cannot remember...  Not highly unusual for me these days (which is why I take notes)! Nevertheless, one thing that he mentioned during the course of his talk was 'the beauty of holiness.' THE beauty of holiness.  I instantly had a mental picture of hundreds of men in priestly garments standing in the temple of God in Jerusalem singing praises and making offerings to our Great God!

It really did strike a cord with me causing me to wonder what exactly is this beauty, this holiness, and how is it is manifested in our lives today...?  As I started to dig into His Word to find out more, I began to understand just how deep and how important it is to understand the mystery of this beauty.  His definition of beauty, as with most things, is not our definition of beauty. It is a true reflection of His beauty and holiness.

I'll just touch the surface of this beauty in today's post and continue on as His Spirit leads....

The first scripture I came to:

"Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!" 1 Chron. 16:29

1) Give to the Lord the GLORY DUE His name.  What does that look like?!

We are to give Him the glory due His name. To give glory to Him in all things, whether we are in good times or in bad. Whether we are suffering or celebrating. He gets the glory ALL OF THE TIME as "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28.) It is not always easy. We must remember that He reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! (Psalm 97:1) Even when we don't feel like it!


2) Bring an OFFERING, and COME BEFORE Him. What does that look like?!

Here is the dictionary definition of offering:  

1. something offered in worship or devotion, as to a deity; an obligation or sacrifice.

2. a contribution given to or through the church for a particular purpose, as at a religious service.

3. anything offered as a gift.
 

Okay, so I wasn't far off with the offering part! A sacrifice, a gift. Something we give Him, for Him, that He desires with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Our service, our time, our money, our desires, our plans, our resources, our lives. Something that doesn't come easy to us to give and feels contrary to the desires of our flesh. Something that is, yes, difficult for us to give and should, in fact, make us feel a bit uncomfortable. It is not about us but solely about Him.

His beauty. His holiness. Your beauty. Your holiness. It is the way He sees you now through the looking glass of righteousness and sanctification through our Savior, Lord and King Jesus the Christ. He wants us to look in the mirror and see Him rather than ourselves. He wants us to manifest this beauty and holiness in our lives today so that others can see Him in you. So that you can lead others to Him!  

It is a slow process of surrender and conversion of the heart, mind and spirit. With each step taken, the road becomes a little easier. Remember that bag of carrots? To be continued...

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

 

To Focus on Things Eternal

Where do you focus your heart, your eyes, your time, your resources, your energy.....?

Come now, ye that say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain”;  whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  Instead ye ought to say, “If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

I've been asking myself these hard questions over the past few years.  Motivational questions, soul searching, introspective, life altering questions.  Why am I here really, what is His purpose for me in this life, where am I storing up my treasures and what are those treasures?  Where is my true center of gravity, the things that keeps me anchored to what is true, what is pure, what is everlasting? What do my treasures, my offerings of this earthly existence mean to the One who matters most?! What am I doing in this moment, in this day, in this life that reaches far beyond today? How do I, how can I truly make a difference?

These questions and the answers to them defy gravity, go beyond the scope of time and reach to places we do not comprehend. They are questions that have answers found in eternity and nowhere else. Nowhere else that is of any significance anyway. Far reaching, time expanding, and focusing on the eternal.

In living this existence, we must simultaneously embrace the future and our own eternal purpose. Our hearts must be searching for these answers, this purpose every day.  We must live out eternity as we walk along side Him now knowing we haven't begun to understand what He has in store and let Him lead.  Our hearts must embrace this truth with a yearning that is only satisfied with fulling His will. Nothing else will do. 

A sweet friend recently posed the question: What does eternity look like in your heart?  In living today for the bright hope of eternity's tomorrow, my eternity looks something like this:  

• An infinite longing to be there, live it, breathe it, see and embrace Him even as I walk day-to-day through this fleshly journey, to bask in His light 24/7, where love and justice reign supreme. 
• A aching passion to live this life for Him, with Him, through Him, with Him living in me, with nothing ordinary in seeing through His eyes a divine purpose in all things. 
• An unending thirst to dedicate my life, my time, my resources to His service and for His glory, not just some of it but all of it, to spread His goodness and His name rather than my own, to step out of my comfort zone to follow His call knowing and trusting, to help others, to be His hands and feet, and fulfill His perfect will rather than my own fleshy desires. 
• A overwhelming desire for others to know Him, seek Him, with hearts and lives dedicated to His glory and for others to see Him in me, my life a reflection of Him. 
• A soothing comfort and unexplainable peace in knowing there is something so much better, Someone so much bigger, knowing that this is not the end and that there is something more beyond this life that is unexplainable in mere human terms, infinitely perfect, everlasting and beautiful.....

 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:17-18

For we know that if our earthly house, this tabernacle, were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor 5:1

  

Some hard questions to ask. Their answers make a difference now and for all eternity. For you, for others. Are you living your eternity here, now....?