"Let Me Love You Well"

"Let Me love you well."

Love endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13.4
Enduring it all, Jesus said yes with Love.

Jesus, what have you done? What have you done?
I think this question asks, "what were you thinking?" I don't believe that we think as human beings, we are worth this invaluable effort that Jesus made.

Luke 23.37, "If you are King of the Jews, save Yourself."
What have you done? Why are You on that cross?
Do we honestly think that at the end of it all, Jesus couldn't save himself to endure the cross? I will confess that I question why Jesus didn't save himself. I knew He could pull himself off the cross, call out to an angel to rescue him(Ps 91.11, Matt 4.6), even remove himself without them seeing.

Jesus, what have you done?
Jesus didn't need to be on that cross because He committed a sin. Oh no. He was on there for us. Exercising meekness, He took their beatings, mockery, slander, for He saw the bigger picture of eternity. "I don't need to come down and save myself. I am doing this for you."

As we are in class this week, we are studying the crucifixion, the heart of the cross,and the beauty of salvation. We talked about Mary, Lazarus' sister, the one whom poured her life's wages out on One man's body. ...in pouring this fragrant oil on my body, she did it for my burial." Matt 26.13
Can you imagine? It is said that she was one of the few that got (understood) what Jesus was saying when He talked about "not being with them in a little while". Mary understood that Jesus' time had come and did this act that is to be remembered forever(Matthew 26.13)!
What an extravagant gift! It wasn't about the value that mary gave, but about her understanding the love that Jesus was about to display.

Can you imagine... as he has been flogged He thinks, "love... Mary got it Father. Let them see Our love." A whip, "Love." plucking of the beard, "Love". needles embedded in His head, " Love... it doesn't matter! I love them! Father I will do anything to get them to be with me where I am! It doesn't matter. Let them see!"

"He showed the greatest amount of restraint and revealed His true colors. He loves at all times." As quoted by my professor, Allen Hood.

I could go on with this theme, but the is was a detour as well as a base for what is really on my heart. I think it is cool how we are, as a NT church, able to start at the end (the book of Revelation) and work our way backwards to the OT with Jesus as our tour guide.

Strengthened with Might

...That he would grant you,
according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthen with might through
His Spirit in the inner man..."
Ephesians 3.16

This is a good scripture to pray. I prayed on the mic for the first time in the Justice Prayer Room in front of almost two hundred people. So weird. But it was good. I'm sure I messed up somewhere, but most likely that is the enemy keeping me down so I will lack confidence in myself, (Liar).

Some scripture to back it up. It's so good.
Psalms 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life..."
Because of Jesus and His victory over death, we have salvation, hope, and strength within us. Moses also refers that God, The Lord of Hosts, is his strength and salvation (exodus 15.2)

Psalm 46.1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble."
"When trouble comes, Jesus, help us.Let us see within you the refuge that you offer and strength that you want us to walk in."

Isaiah 40.29: "... to those who have no might, He increases strength."

These are just references that crossed each other. That doesn't even go with the the book of Judges and how the Lord strengthened Gideon, the whole book of Exodus or even in the New Testament.

The Lord wants us to know we have access to this strength. He wants us to talk to him about it and he definitely wants to give it to us. I prayed for the young adults and those in the internships. That they would be equipped to face the circumstances that will they will be faced with when they leave IHOP. When they are in situations that provoke compromise of their salvation, Savior, and calling. We have the Creator of the Universe freely giving us strength to endure the trials that come at us.

Jesus even prayed for Peter as Satan had asked to sift him like wheat!

"Simon, Simon, listen! The Adversary demanded to have you for himself, to sift you like wheat! But I prayed for you, Simon, that your trust might not fail.
And you, once you have turned back in repentance, strengthen your brothers!"
Luke 22:31 -32(CJB)

Jesus was like, "Satan asked for you... and I said No, it's not going down like you think, buddy."
Strengthen your brothers. Jesus is giving Peter prophecy of what is to come. Jesus is also praying for us! How encouraging is that? He prays for us. I love it. That means He is real. That means He cares about us. That means He doesn't see us as small and insignificant or that we are a burden. He takes delight in us and is wanting us to succeed.

He is good. I am able to face every thing that comes to me, at me, for me, against me and now hold it up next to my zealous, tender Savior and ask him to help me and guide me. This is good news! so good. Give me a few days and we will see what trial I face next. I hope my first response is to look to the Lord as my source and reference point and to move from there.

The Voice

"What's up?" It sounds cooler than it looks. PN, pastor, has instilled that phrase in my language and now every time I see him, or others, I say it. It's awesome.

Sometimes when I haven't spent quality time with the Lord, I don't feel like spending any time because I know it isn't going to be good due to the continual lack of QT. This AM I decided to read John. It's one of my favorites.

John was sent ahead of the One who was before him. That's a crazy statement. But John knew what he was doing. John was the voice crying out, "prepare the way of the Lord..." quoting Isaiah 40. John was in the desert. There is nothing in the desert, but people were coming and listening to him as he proclaimed the Messiah was coming. He wasn't in Jerusalem inside the Temple, but however many miles out, in the middle of nothing, wearing practically nothing, eating essentially nothing. But he knew. The Lord had revealed to John what was to take place.

When you read what John was quoting in Isaiah 40, it's amazing.

Make straight in the desert a highway for God. every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked place shall be made straight and rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed... What shall I cry out? All flesh is grass. And all it's loveliness is the a flower of the field. The grass withers, and flower fades because the Lord blows upon it... but the Word of God stands forever..."

The Lord seems to be calling us out in the midst of the extreme times.
As I prepare to move to Kansas City, MO, it may seem like the desert because there are no great lakes nor oceans, nothing exciting or worth calling people to come to. But that's just it. There is nothing else but the Lord calling us to the desert and crying out. I will be preparing the way along with 500+ others with the same heart. God is good and I have nothing apart from him. How will I share this with the world? It's a challenge and I am not perfect, but I will try since He has asked me to.

Lord, the One who is before me, raise up your people to prepare the way; let us cry out as you have asked, and assist you with your plans. I have no good apart from you. You are my sustainer. Guide your people as we are in the wilderness. In Jesus name.