IT'S NOT ABOUT HERE, IT'S ALL ABOUT THERE

Life can sometimes be confusing . We wonder if our Father loves us so much, why doesn't He stop the hurt, the painful times we have to endure on this earth. We have all said at one time or the other, "God, why are you allowing this? You could stop this because You are Almighty God, and there is nothing too hard for you, so how could You let this happen?"

Things began to take on a little more clarity for me when my little grandson Ryan died. We had prayed and believed God for Ryan's life. I prayed and stood on God's promises right up till the time he passed from this life to the next. I remember that night going home from the hospital, I fought sleep, because I didn't want to wake up to the reality of his death. I guess that sounds silly, but the initial pain was so intense, I didn't want to wake up and realize my precious baby was no longer with us, and go through the initial shock again. I sat up in a chair all night, thinking and praying mainly "God, I don't understand. I am trying to trust You, but I don't understand, help me Lord."

Later standing by his little white coffin, I heard the Lord speak. He said, "Tell them, it's not about here, it's not about this earth, it's about where this child is now. Tell them, it's not about here, but it's about there".


This did not stop the pain I was going through, it did not keep me from missing Ryan and wanting him here with us, but it did help me to see things in a different perspective.


God isn't so interested in my being happy all the time here on this earth, as He is me being prepared for heaven and showing others the need to be prepared. It's through enduring the hard times and allowing His glory to shine through my life that others will see Him in me. Who will be in heaven one day because they saw Jesus in you and me? That's what it's all about, our lives pointing to heaven.


We will spend a very short time here on this earth compared to eternity with Him. So it's not about "here", it's about "there" where all of us who trust in Him will be one day. I heard someone once say that, "when we get heaven and earth in the right perspective, everything else in life will fall into place".


Ryan's life had a purpose, as do all of our lives, and that is to point to Jesus. I believe when I get to heaven, there will be many there enjoying eternity with Jesus as a result of Ryan's short life on this earth. There will be many there also because Ryan's life and death made such an impact on my life, because my faith is so much stronger now.

Help us Lord to understand that as beautiful as this earth is, You have so much more ahead for us. Help us also to realize that we are just camped out here in these earthly tents for a short time compared to eternity with You. One day there will be no more sadness, no more tears, only perfect happiness . Help us to keep our focus on our destination, Heaven, because it's about there, not about here.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev. 21:3-4

Jesus said,"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust God, trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may also be where I am. " Jn. 14:2-3

WHY DO WE HAVE DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING JESUS' COMMAND TO WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET?

Tonight at our church, we will honor the command of Jesus to wash one another's feet.

Jesus said, "Now that I your 'Lord' and 'Teacher,' have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." Jn 13:14-15 Jesus goes on to say that we will be "blessed" if we do these things.

True meaning is sometimes lost in ceremony and ritual. I believe this to be true of the Jesus' command to wash one another's feet. In order to comprehend the true meaning of the act of washing one another's feet, we must realize that as with most cases in the scriptures a physical act had a spiritual meaning.

In the physical sense in that day those who traveled in the dirty and dusty conditions of the world necessitated the need to have their feet washed. This job was reserved for the lowliest of servants.

So how do we apply the "Command of Jesus" to wash one another's feet in our lives today?

In our daily lives journey as we journey on this earth we become soiled spiritually from the filth of the world. We pick up worldly attitudes and ways that hinder our spiritual walk with our Lord.


That night before He was to be crucified Jesus had to settle an argument between the disciples as to who was to be the greatest. They walked with Jesus every day and yet the ways of the world crept in. Pride and exaltation of self was a worldly attitude that Jesus knew would divide and separate His "Body of Believers". It was important that they be unified, that they become as one because they would be His representation on this earth.

Jesus prayed in John 17:20, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be as one as we are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. "

In order to lift up Jesus we must be unified. We must become "one body" "the Body of Christ", no individual aspirations, but rather submitting to one another in love. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all peoples to Myself." Jn 12:32

Beth Moore, in her Bible Study, "A Woman's Heart", gives several reasons why we like the disciples have difficulty following Jesus' Command to wash one another's feet. (I think she means "truly washing" another's feet, not just the "act of foot washing" but able wash another's feet in our hearts by allowing our selves to become vulnerable).

One reason is because we are forced to confront our egos and we lack the assurance of who we are. Jesus knew His position with the Father. He had nothing to prove; therefore He was not humiliated by humility. We are coheirs with Christ, if you know who you are in Christ, your personal ego is not an issue. Sadly most Christians do not have the confidence in Christ to humble themselves.

She also stated the need to lay aside the outer garments ( take off our mask). It's difficult to hide when you are washing another's feet. True servants are only those who are willing to be vulnerable.

All too often our pitchers are empty. We might wash a few feet, if we had something in our pitchers. When we fail to be filled we have nothing to pour out. We would really rather people just stay behind their sparkling facades that way we could minister to them easier. Facing the worn out calloused areas of others' lives might remind us of our own.

We have to get down on our knees to do it. As John the Baptist said of Christ, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Jn 3:30

Another reason Beth stated, that we cannot bring ourselves to wash another's feet in the (spiritulal sense), is that we refuse to let Christ wash our own. Notice that not until He washed their feet were they enabled to go and wash one another. She said we need to just curl up in the arms of Christ tell Him we need Him. Until we learn to let Him serve us at the point of our need, we will never truly be able to serve others.

Lord as many of us honor your command to wash one another's feet this Easter season, help us not to get caught up in just the ceremony, but to examine our hearts, put aside our personal ego and thoughts of self so that we may minister to one another in Your love. We know that then we will become one, having one goal, and that is that You may be glorified and lifted up for the world to see. Help us to realize that we are "the Church, Your Body" we are the way the world sees You!!!

THE LORD HEARD THEIR PLEA AND GAVE THEM VICTORY!

Trust God and stand on His Word (promises ) and He will give you Victory! His promises to bless us are "Yes and Amen"! His Word is full of His great and precious promises for our loved ones to be saved and for all the many trying situations we face in life. Many times we are like the Israelites in Numbers chapter 20. God will give us His Word saying, "Trust Me I will make a way", but the enemy will say "No that's not going to happen". Instead of trusting God we get discouraged just like they did, and back off.

They had asked the king of Edom to allow them to go through his country into the Promised Land. And he said "No". So instead of facing the enemy, knowing that God would give them victory, because He wanted them to go into the Promised Land where He could bless them, they backed off. They took the long way around instead of the way God told them to go, so their blessing was delayed. They became impatient and discouraged because it took so long. then they began to mummer and complain. Doesn't that sound like us?

God gives us His Word. He tells us He wants to bless us. And the enemy says "No, that's not going to happen". Instead of facing the enemy head on and fighting him with the "Sword of the Spirit", "God's Word, His promises" we back off. Then we get discouraged because our prayers are not being answered.

The next time around in Numbers chapter 21. The Canaanite King of Arad heard the Israelites were coming so he attacked and captured some of them. Don't expect the enemy to roll out the red carpet for you! He doesn't want you blessed, he doesn't want your loved ones saved, he doesn't want your prayers answered. There's going to be a battle unless you get discouraged and back off.


This time the Israelites got serious about inheriting God's promises and they cried out to the Lord. They said, "Lord if you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." In other words their enemies would never have a place again.

God knows when we are serious! He knows when we are ready to get down to business and "determine to believe His Word", and not allow the enemy to have any place in our lives or thinking. Then we can expect victory.

Numbers 21:3 says, "The Lord heard their plea and gave them victory!" The only way the enemy can win is when he can convince you with his lies. The only power he has is that you believe him. But when you determine to believe the Word of God, believe what God says about your situation, God will give you victory. Just as the Israelites said, "We will totally destroy their cities",we must say "there will no longer be a place in my mind for the "words of the enemy".

God has promised us victory telling us that, "we are overcomers!" He has given us all that we need to overcome the enemy, "His Blood and His Word." Rev. 11:12 He told Joshua, "Meditate on My Word and you will have victory." Jos. 1:8 Focus on what God says and not what the enemy tries to tell you.

Paul said, in 1Cor 10:6 "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."

The Battlefield is our minds. Don't let the enemy have any territory by listening to his words, renew your mind to the what God says about your situation.

"Don't be conformed to this world (Satan is the God of this World), but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God." Rom. 12:2

IS LIFE A STRUGGLE OR ARE YOU "RESTING IN HIS ARMS"?

I have learned so much from from the Israelites and their journey in the Book of Numbers. For instance, because they didn't trust God and His promises, ended up wandering in the wilderness the rest of their lives with no direction. They went around that same mountain, never gaining victory, getting nowhere, going in circles. How many of us have been there at one time or another in our lives? You say, "I recognize this place, I have been here before, when am I ever going to learn?" Boy I have! I have been there, done that, and got the tee shirt!

I remember a job that I took out of fear. I knew that it wasn't God's will, but financially I couldn't see how we were going to make it. For almost two years I was miserable and getting nowhere. When I finally saw "the light" and quit it was as if a burden had been lifted and it had! There is nothing like getting the blessing of being in His perfect will.

When we face giants or things that seem insurmountable in our lives we often cower in fear. We end up with lost years when we virtually accomplish nothing. Have you ever heard someone say, "I have lost years of my life because God was teaching me something, it was a wandering time for me?" Well as Paul said, "we are given these stories as examples." The Israelites were out of the will of God because they ceased to trust Him so they just wandered for years accomplishing nothing.

God has a plan and a purpose for every life He created. A plan for good and not for evil. He wants to bless us and give us abundant life. Yes, bad things happen, heartache, sickness, brokenness, because we live in a fallen world. But He told us this would be,"In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jn.16:33 We can overcome any giant, any mountain because He is with us. We don't face the giants alone!!! He says, " Your walls or the things you face are ever before Me." Is. 49:16 He knows what we are facing!

The key is to stay focused on Him for direction. Too many times we, like the Israelites, take our eyes off Him and look at our circumstances. And we say there is no way I am going to be able to get through this. So we do as they did, we try to come up with our own plans and we end up wandering with no purpose or direction, never really getting anywhere.

God has a plan and a purpose specifically for each one of us to accomplish in this life. The main purpose will be accomplished if we have given our lives to Him. That purpose is to spend eternity with Him and we will be blessed beyond our imagination. But when we don't focus on Him during our journey here on this earth, we miss the blessing and purpose He has for us here. The destination may be wonderful, but the journey miserable. It doesn't have to be that way.

His purpose for us, is that our lives revolve around and point to Him. I wonder how many people are miserable because they planned their own lives, instead of seeking God's plan for their lives. They wander around making their own plans seeking their own agenda. "There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is destruction." Prov. 14:12

Ephesians 1:9 tells us that He has made known to us the mystery of His will, which He purposed in Christ. In the fullness of time all creation will all come together in Christ, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Him.

It is the key to understanding life, God created everything to be brought together in Christ. So if we are not moving in the direction of His will, in the direction in which all creation is going, we are going against the flow.

It is like trying to swim upstream always fighting, always struggling, always in a sweat. I don't know about you, but I don't like fighting , struggling, and sweating. I just want to rest in His arms and seek and fulfill His plan for my life.

The Israelites ended up making it into the Promised Land, that is those 20 years old and younger. So God's purpose was fulfilled, He did get the Israelites in, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. The blessing was delayed, because of their disobedience and lack of trust, but His purpose was fulfilled!

Our blessing on this earth doesn't have to be delayed if we just trust Him and go with the flow of all creation. And that is focus on Christ, life is all about Him and His will for each one of us.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not to your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."Prov. 3:5-6

Trust Him when He has given you direction, keep focused. Meditate on what He has spoken to your heart and then rest in Him. Let Him take care of the giants, the mountains and the walled cities that you face. Stop struggling and go with the flow of all creation, "His will for your life."

GOD WORKS HIS GRACE AND PURPOSE EVEN WHEN WE MAKE BAD CHOICES

Sometimes we think "well I blew it!" We realize we made a bad choice and it probably wasn't God's perfect will for our lives. In the Old Testament story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel, Jacob in looking for a wife didn't consult God, but chose what looked good in his own eyes and got himself into a mess. He ended up with two squabbling women that I am sure made his life miserable and working for 14 years because he was deceived. We reap what we sow, so we may have to go through some miserable times because of our bad choices.

Later Jacob was blessed by God, and his son Judah by Leah was in the lineage of Jesus.
So God's purpose was still fulfilled in Jacob's life. God worked His purpose for Jacob's even in the midst of the mess Jacob had created by his bad choices.

In our Wednesday night Bible Study, Pastor larry applied this to marriages and relationships. If we just continue to trust God, even though we have made a mess of things, God can bring us through and bless us.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

All we have to know is that God loves us and He holds our future. Knowing that we can step out into His unfailing promises Trusting Him "ONE DAY AT A TIME."

In Numbers 13:1 God told the Israelites to take 12 spies and go into the Land, but this was only after they insisted on having it their way, which was to spy out the land instead of taking God at His Word. As a result they were afraid and they saw all the giants and they looked at themselves as grasshoppers. Instead of seeing how big their God was they saw the greatness of what they were facing.

Isn't that what we do sometimes? We look through human eyes instead of the eyes of the Spirit. God says "Just trust Me,"but the enemy shows us his view of what is ahead and we say there is no way I am going to be able to conquer this. We give in and forfeit all the plans the Lord has for us. A whole generation of people died in the wilderness and never fulfilled the great and wonderful plan God had for their lives.

Yes there may be suffering involved, but God has promised He would never leave nor forsake us. His Amazing grace will get us through times we could never imagine, when we trust Him to fulfill His perfect plan and purpose for our lives.

I remember in 1999 when God called me into ministry. I guess if I had known what was ahead in preparing me for the fulfillment of that call and His purpose for my life, I would have said, "No Way." By His grace I endured things I never thought I would be able to endure. But His wonderful amazing grace brought me through.

The eyes of the enemy may be spying out your future for you today. He is showing you all the giants and the difficult things that lie ahead. God said in Isaiah 40:22, "They are like grasshoppers to Him." Choose instead to look through the eyes of the Spirit, saying "God has given me a purpose, hope and a future, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Jermiah 29:11, Phillipians 4:13 (these are His promises).

"Shout Grace! Grace! to that mountain and He will remove it!!! Not by power not by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord will this mountain be removed." Zechariah 4:6 It is His Grace that brings us through the hard times.

Caleb even after he had seen the giants said, "Our God is well and able to take the Land." Be like Caleb and Joshua who were ready to step into the Promised Land trusting the Lord and His love for them and the promise for their future. They chose to step in and take it "ONE DAY AT A TIME" trusting the Lord each step of the way.

BLESSED IS SHE WHO HAS BELIEVED THAT WHAT THE LORD HAS SAID TO HER WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED!!!

The dark day in which we live in is not unlike the time when our Savior first came to the earth, a day where darkness and evil prevails.

King Herod who ruled at that time was a cruel and evil man. It was said that he killed his own children because he feared they would take his throne.

That same evil spirit prevails today as thousands of babies are sacrificed because of the self seeking, self gratification of their parents. Not only are they being aborted in their mothers wombs, but we hear on the news every day countless tales of the cruelty of parents abusing and killing their children.

Just as King Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, that same spirit is seeking out today those who would truly carry Jesus in their heart. That evil spirit wants to abolish any mention of the name of Jesus. His mission is to stop the birth of Jesus in the lives of those in the earth today just as it was then.

In this day just as it was in the day our Savior was born, the Lord is looking for Marys who will be faithful to Him. In Him there is no gender. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to strengthen those hearts who are fully committed to Him." 2Chron. 16:9

Reading the Magnificant in Luke 1:46, we see that Mary was a lover of God who knew the scriptures, she knew His Word. He is looking for those who are lovers of God just like Mary willing to believe that He can do the impossible by the power of the Holy Sprit in their lives.
"Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!!! " Luke 1:45