Saturday, March 25, 2017

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!


I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about in those days prior to Your death?  Yes, I know You are Deity … but I also know You resided in a form every bit as human as mine.  You wanted to know, to truly understand the reason Your Father had sent You, overwhelming as it was.  I know You felt every emotion that human-kind has ever experienced, and that must have been cause for battles in Your soul.  I cannot even begin to fathom what You must have felt.  Here You were … the Son of God … of royal lineage … Your Father, the Creator of the Universe ~ yet none of that would keep You from the death You were facing; in fact it was because of who You were, that it would take place.  And most amazing, is that You were obedient!  I was just wondering, Lord … wasn’t it the most difficult choice You’d ever make – to be obedient to what Your Father was asking?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about as Your crucifixion neared?  I know, by now, it must have seemed like it was all out of Your hands.  This was Your destiny, Your cross.  Yet it only happened that way because of Your submissiveness to the Will of Your Father in Heaven.  You could have rebelled, even refused.  But You lived those days in total abandonment for a cause that would change the face of the world for all of Eternity.  Your Father was on a mission to destroy sin once and for all – but He needed You to pay the price.  There’s always a price, isn’t there?  And at this point in history, for a cause so great, the payment also had to be great.  Your life ~ that was the price.  Did You ever wish there could be another way?  I was just wondering, Lord … You were so young, You had so much to offer; did You ever wish it could be someone else going to that Cross?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking about as Your time on earth was running out?  You had already made such a huge impact on people’s lives.  You’d gone from village to village, teaching and preaching, saving and healing, bringing hope and changing hearts.  You left a trail of miracles, and You never lost sight of the work Your Father had called You to do.  Your days ran into nights, and the nights into days.  The crowds that followed You … the hurting who sought You out … were never-ending streams of humanity.  Yet You never quit.  And as You walked the dusty roads with Your disciples by Your side, You kept emphasizing Your message.  You were “matter-of-fact”: (saying) “Embrace this God-life.  Really embrace it and nothing will be too much for you.  This mountain, for instance:  Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’ – no shuffling or shilly-shallying – and it’s as good as done.  That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large.  Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything.  And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all about asking.  If you have anything against someone, forgive – only then will Your Heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”  Mark 11:22-26, (The Message).  God breathed His messages into You … and You spoke them … You lived them.  But it couldn’t have been easy.  The religious leaders balked and demanded credentials; they even tried to trick You.  Some of the people didn’t listen, and many didn’t understand.  You spoke in parables, keeping the Message as simple as possible, and told the believers to stay at their post and to keep watch.  But I was just wondering, Lord … did You ever get discouraged when the Message seemed to fall on deaf ears?  Or was Your focus so great that You saw beyond the grave to the victory You would receive and bring to a world who needed it so desperately?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what were You thinking as Your final days with Your family ebbed away like grains of sand in an hourglass?  You knew what lie ahead of You.  Did You just want to stay with them?  Your life had been taken in countless directions, and “home” was now wherever You laid Your head.  But there’s something about a family who loves you and supports you.  You must have longed for simpler times like those moments You sat at Your mother’s knee and listened to her sweet voice as she spoke in soft, gentle tones, stroking You wavy hair and running her fingers across Your brow ~ making You feel, oh so loved and so secure.  And You must have recalled those pleasant hours in the carpenter shop with Your earthly father, watching as You learned from his gifted hands, and learning more than just that skill; being taught by example – integrity, honesty, and kindness – which of course, already dwelt within You in great measure.  Oh, those days had been so safe, so comfortable, until God began to enlarge Your circles and took You out into the world He had sent You to save.  A world filled with anger and pride and evil, everywhere You turned.  I was just wondering, Lord … did You ever feel like Your heart was being torn apart, knowing that the separation from Your family was near?  Or did Your devoted love for Your Father in Heaven transcend Your earthly attachments to those You called mother and father, brother and sister?

I WAS JUST WONDERING, LORD … what You were thinking when those nails ripped at Your flesh as You hung on that cross at Calvary?  I know You looked down at Your mother and Your family, seeing the anguish in their faces.  I know You looked down at the soldiers who placed You in that precarious, painful position and saw their hatred and their mockery.  I know You looked down at Your followers and saw them hanging onto the Hope that Your words had given them.  But what else did You see, Jesus?  Somehow I know You saw more than Your surroundings on that hill.  I know You looked down through the ages as You hung there, blood and sweat-drops blurring Your vision ~ but You saw with Your heart – multitudes of people needing You.  You saw nations of people that hadn’t even been born yet … You saw us all ... and You saw the good and the bad in us.  You hung there and died for the bad in us –because You knew, and we knew, it should have been us hanging there.  But You chose to take our place.  You hung there and died for the good in us – because You saw the potential in us that we often don’t see until You bring it to our attention.  You chose to give us a life that we all too often only dream of.  Did we break Your heart that day, not only because of our wretched, sinful ways … but also because we are so needy ~ and because we don’t just reach out and take all the gifts and the blessings You plan for us each day?  You died so we could live ~ and not just exist.  With each beat of Your heart, Your desire was for us to live life abundantly.  That’s why You came!  I was just wondering, Lord … do we break Your heart even now, because we just don’t get it?  Because we hang on to our stubborn ways?  Because we settle for less than what You give?

My heart carries me back to Calvary, and I find myself standing on that hill today, seeing something so different from the Scriptural accounts.  What I see is what could  have been – what should  have been.  I see a never-ending line of crosses, as wide and long and as far as my eyes can see.  They cover every hill, and are every bit as rough and splintered as Jesus’ cross ,, and each has a sign.  But these crosses don’t say “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews” ~ these are printed with large letters that bear my name … “Debbie Jones” … and your name … and yes, your name, too.  ALL of our names are there.  There is a cross for every person from the beginning of time until the end of time.  And on each cross, marked with our names … we hang.  There I am, on my cross, paying the price, dying for my sins.  There you are, on your cross, paying the price, dying for your sins.  There we are, a sea of humanity, lost and writhing in anguish of body and soul.  Suddenly, my eyes turn to that hill of all hills … Golgotha … it stands out above the rest, and there on that mount looms the Cross of all crosses ~ and on it, I see Jesus hanging.  I look across from my cross on my hill and my eyes are transfixed on His eyes.  Our gaze meets, and in that moment, I finally understand what I’ve known all along:  that while He was on the Cross … I was on His mind.  (The words of that song keep going through my mind!) 

Without Him ever speaking a word, His eyes and heart speak volumes of truth and forgiveness … and freedom and liberty to my heart.  I knew what I had to do next.  I wrenched myself down off that cross of mine, and crept to the foot of His cross … and kneeling there, I found payment for my debt that had put me on my cross.  I found salvation and healing, and every other gift I’ll ever need as long as I live … and when I stood to my feet, I was a new person!  All of my sin had been covered by those drops of Jesus’ blood – and all of my weakness and all of my fears were covered by that blood, as well.  And I stood there, forgiven and free … I stood there, knowing I was His child, His disciple.  I stood there, knowing I would carry His message for as long as He gave me breath!  I turned to face my empty cross, and to my utter amazement, they were ALL empty; and as I watched, they just all disappeared from view!  Gone.  Like they had never been there.  I turned once more to Jesus, and then I understood.  It was as if those millions of crosses melted into His ~ and then I could see it in His eyes ~ He had taken it all upon Himself … all the ugly, horrible sin … mine and yours … and a million times a million more sins, so that we would never have to be crucified … just set free!  All we had to do was say “yes” to Him and His incredible, abundant life!

Well, I said “yes” to Jesus when I was just a little girl.  BUT I WAS WONDERING, DEAR PEOPLE …what are you thinking now as we again celebrate our crucified and risen Lord?  Have you ever said “yes” to Him?  If not, there’s no time like right now.  Call me at (507) 363-2109 and I’ll be so thrilled to pray with you!  And then, start living forgiven and free, and begin opening ALL those gifts He gave to you on Calvary ~ there’s enough for each day of your life!  Please don’t leave them unopened any longer!  Celebrate life … celebrate Life!

(revised from “Ponderings from the Pastor’s Wife” as written by me on 3/26/01)

 REMEMBER . . .

Jesus wants you to believe His words of amazing love:
“I will not forget you. 
See, I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands.”
~ Isaiah 49:15-16 (NRSV)  

Joyfully Serving Christ . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie



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