Loyalty

When God created Adam, a body was prepared for him that would suit the Son of God Himself.

Psalm 139 :14 God made us fearfully with the capacity to suffer horrific pain; and He made us wonderfully  with the capacity to enjoy exhilarating pleasure. We have the capacity to love and enjoy God at levels no other creation, including the angels has been given.

The Cross gives significance to the pain of the world. Without the Cross, all the anguish of the human race would be considered senseless suffering.
In the silhouette of Calvary's twilight,, I see  a God hanging there who is not removed or insulated from my suffering. This is not a God who is impervious to my pain. Rather I see a God who has intentionally inserted Himself into my world of pain, drinking more deeply from the cup of suffering than any other human being ever has.

Consequently, no one can look at God and say 'You don't understand' To the contrary, He empathizes with our suffering from first hand experience. He who suffered in the body cares for all who suffer in their bodies, since He Himself is in the body also. 

 The statement from this book brings to mind my friend Mike Sands who is suffering with ALS To think of Jesus with ALS...makes me think of Mike Sands, and all his family who suffer with their dad, husband, son.)  http://alswithcourage.blogspot.ca/  (nancy)

 When I can't make sense of my journey , I go back to the Cross.  When I can't process my pain levels, I go back to the Cross. When my wound seems incurable, I go back to the Cross. When I can't see my way forward, I go back to the Cross. When it feels like He's withholding from me, I go back to the Cross , because sometimes the accuser hit's me with this ancient accusation.

When I look at the Cross, I see a God with nails in His Hands, a nail in His feet, a crown of thorns on His Brow , and stripes on His Back. As He hangs there with arms spread wide, He says to me, ' I give you My mind, I give you My soul, I give you My heart, I give you My Body, I give you My Strength, I give you My all. I give you my last breath, I give you my last drop of blood.

I declare to you that  God withholds nothing from me. He has given me His all. His extravagance has empowered me, in turn to withhold nothing from Him. He had given me His everything and I now give Him my everything. I am His and He is mine.

It is because of the cross that I know He loves me......

Amen...me too Bob...thanks for the reminder, these words strongly imprint this truth deeper into my heart.

You Make Me Brave

Lord, You ALWAYS love first. Thank You. Tonight I really, really, need that from You. I take that first terrifying step out of the boat, and come to you across the stormy sea.....straight into Your arms of loving acceptance and joyful welcome.

The blast of sea spray assaults my face and washes my salty tears into the deep. Eyes locked , You hold my gaze, strengthening my every step. So I come. You  make me brave !

How God Feels About the Cross

I came across a book I have had for a number of years and just never took the time to read. It's called Power of the Blood, Approaching God with Confidence written by Bob Sorge. I have been feeling an urging within my heart to share some of these thoughts that are impacting me so much at this moment.

Things that I have never even thought about when it comes to the Cross and the Blood of Jesus and more importantly,about how did GOD 'feel' about watching what His Beloved Son said yes to, when He agreed to become 'the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world.' For some strange, or perhaps not so strange reason, I feel the need to  ponder and ask for deeper insight.

When you come to the Cross, You're getting God at His Highest Passion.  

If you want to know what God feels most strongly about, talk to Him about His highest joys and deepest sorrows. I am persuaded there is nothing God feels more strongly about than the Cross of His Son.( Is. 53:3) While God knows many sorrows there was one that eclipsed all others. Never has anything torn and lacerated the infinite depths of God's heart as deeply and severely as the crucifiction of His Beloved Son.

 And....He'll never forget .

Look at His Cross . All you see is blood. Blood on His scalp . Blood on His face.
Blood on His neck. Blood on His shoulders. Blood on His arms. Blood on His hands. Blood on His back. Blood on His chest.  Blood on His legs. Blood on His feet.
Blood on His Cross. Blood on the ground. It was a spectacle of Blood.

And then came waves of divine wrath as the deeply offended God unleashed upon His Spotless One the punishment for our sins. As the Son endured the barrage of fiery indignation, creation itself turned dark at noonday because of the terror.

None of us knows just how astronomical the pain of God was during those interminable hours of what  Thomas Dubay calls 'Consummate splendor in monstrous horror'. Because of the pain He and His Son endured God has deeper conviction and stronger opinions about Calvary and what it accomplished.

Come to  the Cross and you find a God who is inflexible regarding alternatives, dire in consequences for those who reject it, lavishly extravagant towards those who receive it, and immediately responsive to those who reach for it. Because when you come to the Cross , you're getting God at His highest passion.

Jesus abandonment left God undone. Calvary shook heaven to the core. God was undone. Jesus' fixation on His Father during His suffering moved God's heart to it's very foundations 

You know how valuable you are to God by looking at what He was willing to pay to redeem you. 

 

My Dear Friend Agnes

Agnes Lydia Doerksen   This picture is how I will always remember my friend Agnes.

The smile on her face was always a greeting whether on Sunday morning at church, or Wednesday morning ladies prayer . It was at Ladies Prayer group that I first met Agnes. At first I was impressed because she was the mother of Brian. Brian Doerksen I had known of for many years since his music is known round the world and I was touched by the Spirit of God he carried.

 Agnes was a lady of prayer. I grew in knowing her a little more each week. Becoming aware of the beauty of this gentle soul filled with such strength and wisdom was a blessing to encounter. As I got to know her heart my admiration and love enlarged .

 I observed her perseverance as she stood before the Lord with the burdens of prayer for others God had placed on her heart .

One time, I was in a particular bad 'space' wondering at my own place in His plan, if He even had one for me....Agnes face came into my mind . I saw the Jewel she was in His eyes, and that vision of who she was became imprinted on my heart. He also mentioned many other names that day, but this is about Agnes.

 There was just something so special about her, something that leaves me reaching for words that moves my heart and I imagine always will.

One day during a prayer time on a Sunday morning, Agnes had gone forward for prayer , and before she headed back to her seat , I intercepted her and asked her to pray for me. I asked if she would please give me her 'blessing' a 'mother's blessing', something I had never experienced in my own life. She embraced me and blessed me....she said..'You have waited for this all of your life, haven't you ?' Absolutely ! Right on ! Tears flowed as she held me and prayed.

Something else we had in common was our joy over the little Hummingbirds that visit our homes, and she gave me some very good advice and insight. Now as these little ones continue to visit our feeders here, I will treasure the experience all the more.

Yesterday, Saturday, was her Memorial Service and it was amazing to hear about so much of her life. I have only known Agnes for three short years, but this lady was truly the Proverbs 31 Lady and so much more.

 Needless to say I wept most of the time .

The reality that she is gone  or should I say 'relocated' hit me big time . The picture at the top of this post was up front just above where we were sitting. Every time I looked at her, smiling at me, it seemed so real....that beautiful smile and the twinkle in her eyes....smiling, smiling , smiling....while tears and sorrow flowed from my heart to Jesus . Tears of sorrow and loss , yes, but tears of thanksgiving for the honor of having known this one of His obedient ones . Sometimes at Ladies prayer she would point her finger my way,and say...'well, you know' .

Years ago Agnes was famous for her Roses, Doerksen Roses. When I would give her a hug I would always smell the fragrance of roses....the fragrance of the Lord she carried, and it was delicious !

Now Agnes is free of the confines of this earthly realm...absent from the body, present with the Lord...Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

I wonder what her first face to face encounter with her Jesus was like...I imagine she is dancing with joy at finally seeing His beauty, I wonder if she touched His Glorious Face in Love and worship ...so many things to wonder about.

One thing I am sure of , there is much smiling going on, lots and lots of smiling, and endless whispers of devotion mixed with shouts of joy ....so I will let my imagination keep on thinking happy thoughts , even though sometimes through tears for a while especially when I look at this picture, the way I knew her here on this small planet.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of knowing your Agnes, give her a great big hug and kiss for me please.