Forget Me Nots 222

When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 
“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:19

"Be careful that you do not forget about the Lord...do this in remembrance of me..."
These words are ringing in my spirit today.
How quick our natural fleshly desires can lead us away…
"all us of like sheep, have gone astray" Isaiah wrote, but our real lives are hidden in Him, He is the Constant.
Fishermen use lures that are shining and glittery,
and likewise our gaze can be averted by shiny and glittery junk.
Creation shouts with the glory of God,
all intended to be reminders of the Uncreated Creator Lover of our Souls.
Everything begins and ends with Him.
Today beloved don't just remember Him-
praise Him, worship Him, adore Him, love Him with all that you are.
He alone is worthy!

Sight (Blessings and Curses)

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes.
Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Mark 8:22-25

This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the Lord...
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
Jeremiah 17:5, 7

In the above passage in the book of Mark, the Lord Jesus restores sight to a blind man.
This person had never encountered Jesus before, but when he did, his life was changed in a moment, his eyes opened, and he saw everything clearly.

There are many who are "blind" and "deaf" today.
They go through the routine of daily life but they are in darkness.
They have heard about Jesus, some even attending church, but they have never had that life changing face-to-face encounter with Him, never met Him.
Jesus responded to the request to come give sight to this man, and in the same way we can call on Him today, and he will move at the sound of the voices of those who believe and trust in Him.
But cursed is the one who trusts in man; there is no counselor, no therapist, no doctor that can give us what we long for in our soul's cry: the abundant life that comes from trusting and believing in the Lord alone.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.
In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles,
by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:1, 2

Five Hundred 225

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon

This post is number 500, my five hundredth since I was given this assignment to start writing by my Father.
This personal lesson has been all about perserverance and endurance.
It is hard for me to believe that I have come this far, and if at the beginning, October 2010, if He would've told me I'd still be at it, I would've questioned that statement.
Vince Lombardi said, "Once a person gets used to quitting it becomes a habit."
The farther I go into this journey pursuing the task I have been given the more that is revealed to me, mostly about myself-my own heart, and also about the heart of the Lord.
It has always been too easy, too convenient, for me to just "throw in the towel" when things get tough, or I am in an uncomfortable place.
On a recent day that I felt weak and tired- incapable of going forward with this blog, I asked my Dad, "why should I continue? It takes time, energy, and what's the point?"
Immediately I heard the response in my spirit from Him: "Hugh, I know your heart, every detail, strength and weakness, and I desire to show you what you are capable of as you move forward in obedience to me! Why do you think I directed you to do this? I assigned you to this task to show you that you can persevere, finishing what you started, with divine direction and help."
The Lord knows us intimately, and sees what is possible, even when we doubt ourselves and our abilities, when we only see ashes... He sees the completed work and the fullness of His plans for each of us.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23, 24

He began a good work in us and He is faithful to finish it.

Realignment

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

The Children of Israel had been in the desert for nearly 40 years, those who had doubted the Lord had died off, while those who believed and trusted the Lord survived and thrived, and now finally was the fulfillment: it was time to enter the Promised Land.
Joshua was faithful to do what God had spoken to him, but here I catch a glimpse of hesitation...not doubting God, but perhaps battling fear, fatigue, the whispers of naysayers that were gnawing at his confidence.
Here I see in my spirit the Lord of the Armies of Israel (Adonai Tva'ot), meeting and facing Joshua, the Lord Almighty looks into his eyes, places His hands on Joshua's shoulders and pronounces this verse over him:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Likewise, I receive and believe this word over my life.
He has commanded me to be strong and courageous, jettisoning fear and discouragement.
He will be with me, wherever I go, wherever I am.
He promised.

Forward

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13, 14

This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

I cannot change yesterday, the events of the day are behind me, but in front of me lies my destiny, a day that the Word tells me to rejoice in, even in moments of trials, when the Lord is stretching me, refining me, all for my ultimate good. I will trust Him; I am a middle aged lovesick-for-Jesus man, and throughout my decades He has never forsaken me or left me begging for bread.
Trials are to be considered opportunities for joy, as I persevere, strain forward, eyes of faith fixed on Him.
He is my defense and I shall not be moved, and I will not ever quit, until that finish line is crossed.

Staying In Tune

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1, 2

Recently, we were blessed with a tremendous gift: a 40 year old Kimball upright piano.
The previous owner of the piano had been ill with a progressively debillitating disease, and consequently the piano had not been played or tuned in more than fourteen years.
As I tinkled on the keys it really didn't sound too bad,
nonetheless my wife made arrangements for a piano tuner to come and tune the piano.
When the tuner, a young man of about 20 or so, arrived and set up his tuning machine.
He started measuring the tone of each key of the piano against the standard of the tuning machine,
so even my untrained ear could hear how off-key, flat, the sound of the piano had become. After the piano had been tuned perfectly, this young man sat down and played a magnificent piece, and then he gave me a piece of advice about piano tuning and ongoing maintenance-inaverdently and supernaturally about life in the Lord: because the piano had sat for so long out of tune, some of the keys had naturally developed a memory that was off-key, and they would gravitate towards that familiar place. It would have to be retuned relatively frequently over the next couple years, until the piano had developed a new, in-tune memory.

To be honest, it is my fleshly nature to be cynical and negative, and I struggle with losing my joy when things become difficult. Unless I constantly strive to measure my self; my heart, my thoughts, my joy, the measure of my love, against the Standard of Jesus my Messiah and Savior, and imitate Him, and choose to stay in-tune, I will return to my "off-key" soul memory where I spent so many years, where the sounds I make are not those of "joyful noise" and praise, which He is always worthy of-amen!
Today, let us remember to measure ourselves frequently, imitating Jesus as our Standard,
persevering and enduring with joy, keeping our eyes fixed on the One we desire to emulate.

For Us 226

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? 
If God is for us, who can be against us? 
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–
how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
Romans 8:31, 32

Are you feeling oppressed, weary, had about all you can take today?
This word is for you, for all who call on the name of the Lord.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
The majestic, Uncreated, Father God is for us,
and although we may have troubles and difficulties in this life,
we are not forgotten, our troubles are seen and known,
He is our deliverer and redeemer.
We can take God at His word, and He is not a man that He should lie.
No weapon formed against us will prosper, He has overcome the world.
So today, I will remember: God is for us, no one, no thing can be against us.
Testimonies are being written, the same God who helped David slay Goliath,
shut the mouths of lions and protected Daniel,
turned back the sun as Joshua battled, and so much more,
has us hidden in His strong tower, under the pinions of His wings.
Beloved! GOD IS FOR US.

Moving The Cheese/ Another Paradigm Shift

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:15-17

The last couple days the Holy Spirit has been working on me, turning me inside out yet again, and so I wanted to throw out there a few rhetorical questions about relating to others that He has been asking me:
When we say, "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?", how does that impact how and who you interact with?

Does someone drinking wine a stumbling block to you, offend you?
How then do you feel about Jesus' first miracle where at the wedding in Cana He turned enough water into wine to fill 4,000 glasses?

What is your perception, your definition of holiness, and how do you perceive yourself?
Are you "too holy", too "different" to associate with different groups of people, whatever those exclusionary qualifiers are? Conversely, is your self esteem so low that you feel that you have nothing to offer, that no one wants to associate with you, or get to know you?
Are there unspoken qualifiers that keep you from others? Are they too young, too old, wrong neighborhood, watch the "wrong" movies or TV programs, those who still curse, over educated, under educated, smell bad, different political parties or views, or anything else a reason might be found that keeps us from relationships with many others?

If we are truly called to be imitators of Jesus, how can we act like Jesus, without interacting with others-all kinds of others, not just those who are just like us- like Jesus did? What does it mean to fellowship?
When Jesus said,"Greater love than this has no man but to lay down his life for his friends"... This means even unto death, but doesn't it also mean the actions of life and the relationships we establish, who we impact and who impacts us, in this life?
He went to the lost, the broken, the downtrodden, the forgotten, the different.
He did not forget.
In Heaven there are many mansions, but only one neighborhood-regardless of economics, race, tenure, denomination, nationality, or anything else.
Jesus draws us, considers us all the same in one most crucial regard: we all are in desperate need of a savior, the price is the same for each of us.
We are to love- God first and foremost, and then, those around us, each one and every one, who comprise our neighbors, brothers, sisters, friends.

Purposes of Fruitfulness

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22, 23

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled."
Matthew 5:6

I recently have been reflecting on the things that Paul refers to as "fruit", and how it is meant to be handled.
Why do the Holy Scriptures call these things fruit?
Fruit can be both food and drink, satisfying hunger and thirst, but not just for us...the ones where fruit is produced. If we keep it piled up for ourselves and do not use it to nourish and feed others who hunger and thirst it will rot, and accomplish nothing.
We are to give...everything that we have and are is to be invested in the Kingdom.
What is the Kingdom of God, and who populates it?
Our brothers, sisters, neighbors, whom we are called to love.
Just a simple word here today...
Take the fruit that is in your baskets and spread it around, there is more hunger and thirst around us than we may realize.

Simplicity/Like A Child

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matthew 18:1-6

Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:13, 14

But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Luke 18:16, 17

Recently I watched a video interview of Heidi Baker in Mozambique. She was asked why she asked the children to pray for the sick, blind, deaf, and lame- and why so many received healing.
Her answer was simple: the children had believed in Jesus, taken Him at His word, they hadn't been ruined by the world, they did not doubt, their faith was pure, and their lives unspoiled by sin.
So are Jesus' instructions to us: Come to me like a child, simply and unencumbered.
No "buts", no irrelevant questions, no excuses...put another harsher way in Luke 18:17:
"Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
So there it is- no degrees, no earned entry, nothing except the faith of a child.

Chasing

"What does the worker gain from his toil?
I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:9-11

This sense of eternity, a certain mortality is in my heart.
The sense that I must work, while there is daylight, resonates with me.
I recall some of the things my mother reflected on during the last days of her life. She was sick and knew that time was short, and she asked me questions, wanting affirmation of her life, and I remember her saying, "Where did the years go? I was just a young woman, with my life in front of me..." there were many "I wishes", and " I did the best I could's..."

We are to be good stewards of what God gives us, which is everything, especially our time. Eternity ...is set in our hearts by our Maker, our heavenly Father. He gives each of us our own talents to invest for Him...so short is this life, even what we consider a "long" life, that we turn around, blink, once, twice, and that's all folks! we are not to spend it, waste it, chasing worthless and meaningless things and activities that will rust and decay, or not remembered a day, a week, a year from now.
The Word describes this earthly life as a "vapor", and then we stand before a holy God who will want an account for what He gave us to invest for Him: our talents and our very lives.
So how while you spend, rather invest, whatever the balance of this life remains for you?
Consider it soberly yes, but joyfully, let your light shine, let your life reflect Jesus...it's not about us...it's all about Him.

24/7 or 1/1 (No Part Time Positions Available)

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained."
Philippians 3:12-16

Being a Christian is a full time endeavor.
We may compartmentalize other areas of our lives: our vocations, our past times, etc., but the Lord wants every bit of us, our hearts first and foremost, and He wants our full time affection, love, and attention, 24/7.
He wants us cativated, surrendered totally to Him and Him alone, our only King/Bridegroom/Master, there is only room for One in our hearts, one Master, one Lover, on King.
Our real identities are found only in the Lord, the Uncreated Holy Alpha and Omega.
He wants us totally filled with the knowledge of who He is, totally filled By the Holy Spirit and controlled by our love for Him...so jealous and furious is His love for us, and He desires, requires the same love from us, His Bride, his Children.
This Christian life, meaning an all-consuming relationship with God the Father first and foremost-is a full time occupation-call it a preoccupation, an obsession even...
This preoccupation answers and solves ten thousand other lesser issues of flawed humanity.
We are not called to be 45, 60, and 90 minute one-day-a-week Christians, attending a man-scheduled service of 4 songs, a pleasant message, announcements, gotta-get-in-and-out for the next more of the same, sandwiched between breakfast and brunch, throwing crumbs at a holy and magnificent God who spared nothing, even His own Son, for us!
He wants all of us, our whole heart, all the time, and nothing less.
Whether you are affirming this in your heart or this is stirring or perhaps agitating or breaking your heart, whether He is calling you-or calling you back, make Him and keep Him your 24/7 Magnificent burning obsession.
It's what we all have been created for.

Reminders

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
Ephesians 3:20

In myself I find weakness, dysfunction, inability.
Apart from Christ in me, the hope of glory, there is no good thing, but I know, I'm reminded that with Christ...all things are possible!
He drapes a royal robe of unmerited favor around stooped shoulders, exchanges a spirit of heaviness for a yoke that is easy and light, He moves at the sound of cries of desperation, lifting downcast faces and spirits.
He is able, ready, and willing to do more than all I could think of asking and imagining, so today...today I'm asking, seeking, knocking, and I will keep at it, thanking Him, right up until He returns or calls me home.

Victorious 227

Where shall our identities, our confidence, our contentment (or lack thereof) be found?
Immobilized by pain, sin, shame, dashed hopes, and broken dreams? Should we sit amid the rubble of broken plans and shattered lives, dwelling on "should'ves, could'ves, would'ves?
Do you consider yourself a victim?

"I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:12, 13

Our identities are found in our lineage, who we belong to.
We have all received the spirit of adoption by our heavenly Father,
we are the King's children, co-heirs to the New Jesusalem,
and all that is contained there.
Everyone who has been born-again has a future that exceeds anything we can begin to even imagine.
We are victors, overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimonies.
Troubles? Yes, but they are all light and momentary when kept in proper perspective.
With Jesus, in Jesus, everything else pales in comparison to His Glory,
His majesty, and the revelation that comes when we realize that we are always on His mind,
our names engraved-tattooed-on the palms of His nail scarred hands, so special are each of us to the Lord of all creation.
Give Him all your praise and thanks today.
Victorious.!

Listening

Purim is the celebration of the deliverance of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from near certain destruction at the hand of the Jews arch-enemy, Haman (the king's chief advisor) when the nation was ruled by Ahasuerus(aka Artaxerxes). The aspect of Purim that escapes many is that it could've been avoided if only the first king of Israel, Saul, had only been totally obedient to the Lord's instructions, long before . *
You see, hundreds of years before this threat had developed in Persia, God told Saul to wage war against the Amelekites and totally destroy everything and everyone, but Saul was disobedient, keeping Agag, their king, alive, (for a short time, Samuel took care of that!) and apparently others, because Haman was a descendant of these sworn enemies of the Jews:

Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’"
But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:3, 9, 22

"After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes."
Esther 3:1, 6

Deliverance for His people came because of the obedience of Mordechai, the intended original target of Haman's wrath, and Esther, divinely positioned for that exact time.

But there is another part to this story that we need to take to heart about hearing and obeying Godly direction. His Word is hidden in our hearts, administrated by the Holy Spirit, and if we listen to His still small voice, and not to our own fleshly way of thinking, we can avert the consequences of disobedience, which sometimes manifest disastrously many years later.
Beloved, listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him.
Blessed is the person who puts their trust wholeheartedly in the Lord.

118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
In my anguish I cried to the Lord,
and he answered by setting me free.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord's right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord's right hand is lifted high;
the Lord's right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
O Lord, save us;
O Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1-29

Two-Way Streets

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Mark 12:31-33

What is life without relationship?
There is no such thing as a one-way relationship. By very definition, the term relationship denotes a back and forth, giving and taking, loving and being loved.
It can be said that we get back what we give, which is why Jesus said, "It is better to give than to receive." - it's what we invest into establishing and maintaining anything that really matters..
It takes effort and investment, we all have commitments and demands on our time and energy, but all things in life that are valuable, especially building relationships require effort...they just don't happen. We deal with constraints- there is only a certain number of hours in each day, days in each week.
We are vessels of sorts, which I envision in the supernatural as a sort of teapot, with a spout and a lid. Both the lid and the spout have to be kept open though to operate properly.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled..." there are forces, emotions, that can slam the lid shut and choke off the spout - selfishness and the spirit of offense, are two of these forces.
I have a heightened sense of awareness in these interesting times we are living in;
of my talents-and my deficencies. This is a season for introspection for me, a time to take a good look in the mirror, and I can't say that I am altogether satisfied with how I've invested into relationships that should matter.
If Jesus asked me the questions, "Who is your neighbor?" and "what does "loving your neighbor actually look like?", how would I answer him?
If it's not I who live, but Christ in me, then I need to let Him establish and manage my relationships.

Real Men Do Weep

Jesus wept.
John 11:35

Since Jesus had all power and authority from His Father, and could heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead, have you ever wondered why then he wept here?

Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus had traveled quickly to get to his dear friend, and some that had made that trip with Him blamed Him, including even Lazarus' sisters, who wanted to know why it took so long to arrive, their expectations so high, feeling that Jesus could have saved Lazarus, saved them from their grief, saved them from doubting the ability of the Messiah to heal their gravely ill brother, that came as a result.
Jesus is one hundred percent God, and one percent man, and as a man who loved his friends greatly, the pain and loss, even knowing that Lazarus would soon be brought back, brought him grief also, and so he wept right along with the others.
Death can be compared to night, when the tears come, but our Bible tells us that joy comes in the morning-as a new day, life renewed and resurrected, and come it did, as Jesus called Lazarus by name, crushing death, despair, and doubt.
What joy must've come as the group looked on incredulously as a risen and restored Lazarus answered the call of the Creator, and what conviction must've come over the hearts of the doubters! One thing I am certain of: never again did Mary and Martha, ever doubt the Lord, never could they leave His presence, recognizing Him for all that He is and deserves.

Hiccups

Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.”So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
1 Kings 18:40-46

Fresh from an amazing day in the Lord-the conquest of 450 false prophets, being instrumental in the breaking of a major drought in Israel, and running on foot in the power of the Spirit of the Lord, beating Ahab's chariot, he now gets some very scary and threatening news: Jezebel is fuming mad and she wants him dead. Elijah does what most anyone would do. He ran away and hid down in Beersheva:

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
1 Kings 19:1-8

Elijah had a hiccup... He was moving in power and strength as he believed, obeyed and trusted God. But Elijah was just a man, yes,a prophet of the Lord , but flesh and blood nonetheless, so when Jezebel's messenger showed up with that threatening message, fear and doubt came in, and his knee-jerk reaction was to get as far away, as fast as he could. The Lord sent an angel to him, bringing refreshment and nourishment, enabling him to travel forty days and nights to Horeb- to place where Moses saw and heard the Lord in the burning bush, and where waters gushed from the rock to hydrate a million and a half plus people. Horeb is a place of revelation, restoration, and revival, and Elijah had to travel 40 days and nights to get there.

I have encountered similar experiences in my own life. I have struggled as I continue to write this little blog, God is teaching me a lesson in obedience, and re-enforcing perseverance in me. I have been attacked, been unsubscribed, which is hurtful to my pride, which in the end has to be crucified anyways so I can move forward doing what my Master wants-not what I want.
I would've given in to discouragement and stopped writing already, because I have no idea who reads these, if anyone at all. In the end, if the Word is planted in one person and grows 20,30, 100 fold it is worth it all.
My obedience has been better than sacrifice.
So we move from mountain top to valleys, but then, back to mountain tops, with plenty of travel and process between. I have found that regardless of the reports, God requires I must have purity of faith, because without faith it is impossible to please my Creator/Master/God who is able to move the heavens and the earth, a Bridegroom who inclines His ear to us, and who will move at the sound of our voices.

Created for Holiness 295

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:20-22

The driver pulls up to the fuel pump with his brand new Ferrari.
He opens the fuel door and the label inside declares: PREMIUM HIGH TEST FUEL ONLY
Surely this driver, who has spent a great deal of money on this special vehicle,
who prizes it greatly, will heed this instruction, putting the best and highest purity fuel available in.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

We are vessels created for holy purposes, in God's image; the price that was paid for us was the highest price, Jesus our Messiah taking our sin, shame, punishment, and pain on Himself, for His and the Father's great love for us.
The seal we bear, as did vessels created for holy purposes in the temple of the Lord:
HOLY TO THE LORD.
Let us guard ourselves, our bodies, minds, spirits, and souls that we have stewardship over, zealously and vigilantly. Strive to filter out polluted and corrupted influences, do not allow them to enter your ears, eyes, or heart.
You are a holy and chosen vessel.