Power Of A Moment

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“The essence of ‘nowness’ runs like fire along the fuse of  time….at this very moment, your timeline is on fire—racing down the seconds, minutes, and hours toward its inevitable conclusion.” (Stu Weber).

I read that line from the book Infinite Impact in a very crowded cafeteria as my kids, along with several others from their high school, were preparing to try out for the All-State band yesterday afternoon.

The chatter of hundreds of kids, as well as the sound of many instruments being played immediately faded and I just  stared at those words.

Wow.

Our ladies Bible study is currently studying Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore and last week, we looked at James 4:14, which says, “You are really but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears (into thin air).” (Amplified).

Yet, those sobering words did not hit me with the same force that the image of a lit fuse of dynamite did.

That is fast!

And that is how fast my life (and yours!) is rushing by.

Because I always have at least two books going at the same time, I am also reading The End by Mark Hitchcock, which is a very thoughtful, balanced, and biblically sound look at Bible prophecy and the end of days. (I highly recommend it). While the Bible explicitly forbids date-setting for Christ’s Second Coming, we are to be aware of the signs of the times…and on God’s prophetic calendar, it is very late indeed.

All of this has been reminding me of how brief my time on earth truly is and how much I want my one short life to count for Christ’s glory.

That is only goal in life that truly matters.

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17, italics added).

I want to be much more conscious of that lit fuse that is racing toward one of two conclusions: my death or the Rapture  (which I truly believe could come at any second). Either way, I will come face to Face with Jesus Himself.

Just as the thought of a lit fuse of dynamite promotes a sense of urgency, I want to have that same urgency in my heart every single day.

Jesus is waiting for me at the finishing line, be that today or fifty years from now.

I have His joyous Spirit living inside my heart. He is guiding me through this life, one step at a time. He is working out His plan. He picks me up when I fall. He answers my prayers. He reveals Himself to me in His Word every single day. He holds the span of my life, my very breath in His hands. He is praying for me. He is preparing my place in Heaven. He longs for the day when we are face to face.

What more do I need?

The image of that lit fuse has put a new fire in my heart, new steel in my soul.

Whatever I am facing, I can do it in His strength, knowing that He is holding onto me and there are a great cloud of witnesses cheering me on as I run the race that Jesus has marked out for me. (Hebrews 12:1).

More than anything, I want to hear my Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21).

As Beth Moore has said in her famous southern twang: “It ain’t all that long.” 

Every day is one day closer to Home.

He made us for Himself
So that we should travel with Him
And see Him  at the end in His unveiled beauty
In the abiding city
Where there is light and happiness and endless home.
—Bede Jarrett

Imagine if there was a Man who…

*loves you with a deeply passionate love
*will always be faithful to you
*loves you enough to always tell you the truth
*is the wealthiest man in the world
*is the most handsome, beautiful man you have ever seen
*knows your deepest, darkest secret…and loves you anyway
*sings love songs to you every day
*paints magnificent works of art…just for you
*rejoices over your very existence
*promises to do only good to you all the days of your life
*highly honors, respects, and esteems you
*thinks about you every second of every day
*offers to fight all of your battles for you…and win them ALL
*declares that you are the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, that your beauty takes his breath away
*is royalty…and wants to make you his princess
*will be with you always
*can make you whole and complete
*can saturate your heart with peace and still the storm raging within you
*knows exactly what things thrill and delight you…and then gives them to you
*is filled with contagious, overflowing joy
*wrote you a beautiful love letter that describes both him and his great love for you
*loved you so much that he would rather die than live without you…

I have good news.

There IS such a Man.

His Name is Jesus.

Photo credit: Akiane

This is eternal life: to know, perceive, recognize, become acquainted with and understand You, the only true and real God and likewise to know Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, whom You have sent. —John 17:3

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The past couple of days, I have been privy to all manner of the heartaches and concerns of others. I certainly do have a few of my own as well.

After praying for these dear ones, I opened my Bible this morning and read these words of Jesus spoken to Peter from The Message translation: “Peter, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through this time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.” (Luke 22:31-32).

If you are going through a rough time as you read this, let those words settle into your troubled heart.

Are you ready to give in? Do you feel like any moment now you are going to give out?

Know that just as Jesus prayed for Peter, so He is praying for you in this very moment.

Pause for just a moment and insert your name into that very prayer: “_____________, I’ve prayed for you in particular, that you not give in or give out. When you have come through this time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.” 

I also want you to pay close attention to the important word “when” in this verse. Jesus is telling Peter ( and you) two things here:

1) You will not be in this season of trial forever (though it might feel like it)
2) You will come through this

And when you do, you will have a message of HOPE to share with someone who is coming up the trail behind you, weary and discouraged. You can joyfully tell them that with Jesus, there is ALWAYS  a fresh start! Just as you have seen and experienced His faithfulness to you, you can hold out that same  assurance to your fellow brother or sister, assuring them that because Jesus lives and loves, blazing hope and joy is theirs in abundance!

Your words will ring with authority because you have been there! You have fought the battle. You have clung to His Word like a drowning person clings to a life raft. You have chosen to believe His eternal Word in the face of temporary circumstances when it looked like the darkness was winning (that is always an illusion. Darkness and death never have the final say. The Cross says so). You have been determined to walk in the Light of His love and His promised and certain Presence, refusing to let the darkness overtake your soul. And even in those times when you have faltered and may have fallen, you have gotten back on your feet to fight another day.

You have a Jesus story. You have journeyed with Him and know Him in ways you never dreamed were possible.

Open your mouth today and tell your story! Nobody can do that for you!

There is literally an ocean of need out there…right outside of your door.  People in this dark and dying world need to hear your story of  the hope and peace and joy and light that only Jesus beings.

Tell it!

And before you walk out that door into what are certain to be divine appointments of those who desperately need to know that there is a Savior who live and loves, take the following to heart. These are the things that Jesus Himself is praying into your sweet life this very moment from John 17 (Amplified version):

*that His joy may be made full and complete in you (v. 13)

*that you may experience His delight (v. 13)

*that His gladness will fill your heart (v. 13)

*that you will be protected from the enemy (v.15)

*that you would be sanctified, purified, consecrated, and holy by the Word of Truth (v. 17)

*for unity with Him and other believers (v. 21)

*that you would know His anticipation of you being with Him face to face, so that you may see Him in all of His extravagant and dazzlingly beautiful glory (v. 24)

*that His very love will be felt in your hearts. (v. 26).

Hold on, Dear One.

Your Deliverer is on His way. He is praying for you. He is working it all out in ways that will astound you. He is drawing you closer to His heart.

And when He comes…go and tell.

My husband and I took a quick road trip to Pittsburgh last week.

We were making excellent time as we traveled along Interstate 91 in Vermont. The sun was shining in the sky and there was barely any traffic. I was driving and may have been going slightly over the speed limit.  But I was making excellent time.

Until…

We came to the top of a hill and noticed the strangest sight.

There was one police car in each lane, lights flashing, preventing any cars from going around them. We had no choice but to brake and slow to their pace, which was around 3 mph.

No explanation. No sign ahead that might give a clue as to what was happening.  No road work.

Cars began to line up behind us and soon they stretched as far as the eye could see.  I thought the man behind us was going to have a stroke. He was yelling and gesturing, straining his head out the window to try to see the cause for the delay. The fact that he could see nothing was only adding to his frustration.

Still, we crawled along.

I must admit it was maddening. We had a 13 hour drive ahead of us and I was anxious to get back to a normal pace.

After a few minutes, we approached an exit. It was a familiar one to us, so we discussed taking it, having no idea how much longer this bumper-to-bumper traffic was going to last. However, it would have added a lot of time to an already monstrously long drive, so we decided to take our chances and stay on the highway.

Several other drivers fled for the exit as soon as they could (including the man behind us, who was still gesturing and yelling as he exited). I watched as he and the other drivers deserted the highway and wondered if we were making a huge mistake.

However, just less than two minutes later, we rounded the next hill and saw that our delay would soon be over.

Officials were moving downed power lines off of the highway.

It all became clear.

The officers had been protecting us. They possessed knowledge that we did not and acted accordingly.

As they pulled over and allowed us to resume the normal speed limit, I thought about the spiritual lesson that I had just learned.

How often have I been  going along in life, pleased with my progress, anticipating my destination…only to reach a roadblock that seemed to come out of nowhere?

Confusion reigns. I question Jesus, asking for answers and explanations. None are forthcoming. There seems to be no reason at all for the delay. I was making such excellent progress!!!!

I have a choice to make.

I can submit to His authority, resting in the fact that He is all-knowing, all-loving, and always has my best interest at heart. I can adjust my pace to His and trust His heart when I  do not understand His actions.

Or I can wail and rant and rave, looking for the nearest exit and take matters into my own hands, traveling along a path I wasn’t meant to wander.

If you are in a season of life where you have encountered a mystifying roadblock, trust the heart of Jesus. He sees the danger ahead. He is protecting you. He is working it all out. He understands your frustration and desires a continual dialogue with you throughout the delay.  Share your thoughts and feeling with Him. Cast your worries and concerns onto His broad shoulders, which are big enough to bear the whole world. He can take it. Stay in His Word so you can hear His Voice reassuring and comforting you, as well as  providing much-needed  guidance and light for your path.

One day, the roadblock will be removed. No season lasts forever.

In the meantime, allow your heart to rest in His perfect love.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the One who will keep you on track. —(Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message)

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When I began my walk at the high school track this morning, I noticed that a white feather was right in front of me.

I watched as the wind carried it along. It touched the ground occasionally but then floated back up into the air.

I realized that that is how my heart feels these days.

Not because there are no trials in my life, but because I have rediscovered the rich treasure of the gospel. This is in large part due to Tullian Tchividjian’s book Jesus + Nothing = Everything.  Tullian was our pastor when we lived in south Florida and I have never met a more gospel-intoxicated man. He truly understands God’s grace and takes great joy in sharing that precious gift with others.

This book was birthed out of a devastating season in Tullian’s life and as he sought God as never before, he realized in a fresh and life-altering way that “the gospel is way more radical, offensive, liberating, shocking, and counterintuitive than any of us realize…like Aslan in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, the gospel is good but not safe.” (p.11). 

In so many ways, we accept that the Gospel saves us and we thank Jesus for doing what we could never do for ourselves: bring us into a loving relationship with a holy God by taking our sin upon Himself.

However, the problem begins when we now feel that it is up to us and our puny efforts to take it from there. That is when legalism and bondage enter the picture, causing all kinds of stress, comparison, self-loathing, and feelings of failure. As Tullian explains, “To define ourselves by what we must do, what we must accomplish, and who we must become—that’s the epitome of slavery. When we believe, deep down, that God’s blessing depends on how well we’re behaving, we wither and groan under the heavy burden of self-reliance…when life is all about us—what we can do, how we perform—our world becomes small and smothering; we shrink. To have everything riding on ourselves leads to despair, not deliverance.” (p. 54)

It is all so unnecessary.

We really can live free.

The truth is, we were never meant to go beyond the gospel. For the rest of our lives and on into eternity, we are destined to go deeper into its wonders, majesty, and breathtaking beauty.

Understanding the height and depth and breadth of what Jesus did for us on the cross is the only thing that will set our burdened hearts forever free.

We desperately need a change of focus.

It is NOT about what we do.

It is ALL about Jesus and what He has already done.

We do not add anything to His finished work on the cross.

When we truly grasp this, we are “strangely liberated by fresh realization of our own smallness.” (p. 64).

I never realized what a heavy load I was carrying, always striving to be good enough, to earn the grace that is freely given, to feel as if a godly life was at least partially up to me to get it right. No wonder I felt like I was running on a treadmill: faster and faster but with nothing to show for it except stagnation.

It is priceless to know without a shadow of a doubt  that “because of Christ’s finished work, Christians already  possess the approval, the love, the security, the freedom, the meaning, the cleansing, the forgiveness, the righteousness, and the rescue we intensely long for, and in fact, look for in a thousand things smaller than Jesus every day—things transient, things incapable of delivering the goods. The gospel is the only thing big enough to satisfy our deepest, eternal longings—both now and forever. ” (p. 77).

Every single thing I need, I already have in Christ.

For the Christian, there is no such thing as lack.

There is only what we perceive as lack.

Christ fills all. (Ephesians 1:23). How can we honestly think that we are missing anything?

This truth has so liberated me!

I no longer have to strive, to grasp, to cling, to be frustrated by what I don’t have but think I need. When He says no to something that I would like, I rest in the knowledge that He is enough.

I accept it and move on with my day, knowing that He is in full control and He has already given me everything I need.

“God is always good and I am always loved.” (Ann Voskamp).

And all is joy.

“The banner under which Christians live reads, “It is finished.” So relax and rejoice. Jesus plus nothing equals everything; everything minus Jesus equals nothing.

You’re free!” (p. 206).

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“I’m tired of being thankful,” she said softly, as tears shone in her eyes.

Honest words. Hard to say in a church sanctuary, of all places, where there are lots of smiles and music.

And very often masks firmly in place.

Her life has been shattered into many pieces. She is tired of trying to trace the rainbow through the rain. Most days she doesn’t even see the rainbow; just the seemingly never-ending storm. The hurt runs deep. So deep that the mask has come off because the pain is too much to hide behind a chipper, “I’m fine, thanks.”

Sometimes life is anything but “fine.”

Church should be the safest of places to bare our hurts, our confusion, our pain, our tears. And thank God, sometimes it is.

However, as one pastor states, “Instead of a hospital for sufferers, church becomes a glorified costume party, where lonely men and women tirelessly police each other’s facade of holiness. The higher up in the pecking order, the less room for weakness.”

This kind of nonsense  is not ever from Jesus.

Jesus is real to the bone. He openly showed a range of emotions to His disciples when He walked this earth. He was not afraid to cry. He asked for prayer and support in His darkest hour. He revealed His heartbreak over sin and death and pride. To this day, He deeply feels everything we feel.

…In all their distress He too was distressed…in His love and mercy He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them…(Is. 63:9)

He desires truth in our inner being (Ps. 51:6). The problem is that sometimes what is in there is so ugly that we don’t want to look at it, let alone acknowledge it. But we must…if we want to be free.

The enemy would prefer that we keep everything locked up tight inside, that we cement our masks firmly in place and by all means, keep smiling! And all the while, the pain eats away at our hearts like a cancer and our world grows small and claustrophobic  and we feel like we are suffocating.

Yet, Jesus is our Deliverer.

We went through fire and through water, but You brought us out into a broad place (to abundance and refreshment, and the open air).–Ps. 66:12

That is always His goal for us: abundance, revival, the fresh air of liberty!  Liberty from sin. Liberty from fear. Liberty from the performance-driven mentality. Liberty from striving to have the  “perfect” life or be the “perfect” Christian. (There is no such thing).

Because in the end, it is always and only about what Jesus has done for us on the Cross..not what we do for Him. As long as we live, we will never outgrow our need for the Gospel, the Good News: I am a great sinner but Jesus is a great Savior.

You may ask, “How does the fact that Jesus died on the cross impact my current situation/heartache/trial in 2012?”

As Tullian Tchividjian writes in his must-read book Jesus + Nothing = Everything,  “The gospel doesn’t simply rescue us from the past and rescue us for the future; it also rescues us in the present from being enslaved to things like fear, insecurity, anger, self-reliance, bitterness, entitlement, and insignificance.” 

He goes on to say, “Rediscovering the gospel enabled me to see that:

because Jesus was strong for me, I was free to be weak;
because Jesus won for me, I was free to lose;
because Jesus was someone, I was free to be no one;
because Jesus was extraordinary, I was free to be ordinary;
because Jesus succeeded for me, I was free to fail. (pp. 23-24)

That is, indeed, good news! Because of the cross, there is a happily-ever-after for all of our sad stories.

So, if today finds you in the same place as my friend, know that every single day for the rest of your life, you will always have one thing to be thankful for…and it is the most important thing of all: Jesus came for you. He rescued you when you had no hope. He gave you new life.

It’s okay to thank Him through your tears.

It’s okay that you may not feel thankful.

It’s okay to pour your heart out to Him.

And in the end, He will make it all okay.

He promised.

As we parted, I reminded my friend that we are all broken. Nobody has it all together in this fallen world. That’s why we need each other. We can pick up those who have fallen and remind them that, for Christ’s own, the darkest night does not last forever. Morning always comes.

So be kind to each other. As you go into this day, keep your eyes open to those who may be hurting…and remind them of the Good News.

For God so loved and dearly prized (you) that He even gave up His only begotten Son (for you), so that when (you) believe in, trust in, cling to, rely on Him, (you) will not perish, come to destruction, be lost, but (you will) have eternal, everlasting life. —John 3:16 (Amplified)