Standing on the Edge of Eternity

A little over a year ago we were looking ahead to another journey with the Lord to Scotland, one of many over the years. There were countless hours of prayer; experiences beyond retelling as the Spirit prepared our hearts; giving a glimpse of what was to take place in the sojourn now past, and those that still lie ahead.
Each one has been unique yet all have been connected as all have been part of the divine call on our lives to this nation across the Pond and Ireland as well…
A call that the Lord has not and I am certain will not rescind, though the enemy has sought to prevent us from fulfilling our part there. And we are not alone…
There are others, perhaps many others who feel the drawing of the Holy Spirit to places of His choosing to labor and be part of ushering in this last great awakening as the darkest night falls, just before the dawn of a new Age when time will forever give way to eternity.

Just as John the Baptist was called to prepare the way of the Lord when Jesus walked the earth; so are we called to prepare for His glorious return. But before He comes many things will take place, not all of them pleasant or what we would consider ( from a human perspective ) good, but indeed Gods ways are not the ways of this worlds, and from the Lords perspective whatever brings us closer to Him; whatever purifies our hearts and prepares our spirits to hold all He has prepared for us since the beginning of time is, in Spirit and Truth, Good.

For He our Lord is forever Faithful and True; He can be nothing else! And He will not allow anything to take place that does not serve an eternal purpose IF we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Our world is about to change, all we have trusted in apart from the Lord will flee; and we will stand naked and undone before Him if we have not bought gold tried in the fire before the shaking accelerates. The earth groans under the weight of sin; the innocent blood of the martyrs cries out from the ground, their spirits cry from beneath the throne “How long oh Lord, how long?” and all of creation awaits the revealing of the Sons and Daughters of the Most High God…

And as the Day of Jesus return draws near, the Enemy has engaged in an all out assault on those called to labor in the end time harvest. One by one those called to serve are being taken out of the race; sometimes through sin, but just as often by discouragement, sickness, pain, false accusations and slander; even just plain old weariness.

I don’t know about you but some days I tire of the battle, for it feels like we’ve been tried in the fire and sifted as wheat for such a long time. Periods of being in the refiners fire, then a little rest, then back in. Being turned inside out and upside down…
Trudging through the desert, to suddenly be caught up into the glory of God for a moment of refreshing, only to be plunged back in the wilderness again. And I wonder, how long oh Lord, how long? My spirit and heart long for release, for more of His presence yet circumstances dictate otherwise.
In my heart I must believe the Lord has placed us in this season to learn how to fully depend upon Him in in such times.

There are places around the earth where the Holy fire of God will ignite an awakening and Revival will burst forth bringing both unparalleled transformation in believers an unprecedented persecution. It will be “the best of times and the worst of times…”

But first each one of us must experience an individual awakening, prepared by the Holy Spirit to move in the purity and power such a time will require. I believe the desert / wilderness season that many of us have been going through are part of that preparation. For many will lay down their lives while taking a stand for our King. If we cannot draw upon the grace of God to stand and remain faithful now, what hope have we then?

Did you know that more christians have been martyred for their faith in the last hundred years than in the previous two millenia since Jesus walked the earth? Well hold on to your hats and the Lord Jesus Christ, because it’s about to increase.

If you are discouraged, your faith faltering or your vision dim please, please don’t give up! If deep in your heart you know that God has called you Now is the time to press in, draw upon the grace of Jesus and stay the course. If we draw near to Him, He WILL draw near to us. The desert is not where we belong!

Seek the Lord with all your heart, let go of the world with it’s multitude of illusions that dull our heart, mind and soul… be carried by the Spirit of the Lord to the mountaintop where vision is restored.
Look out and see that we are standing on the edge of Eternity!
The hosts of darkness are gathering and the final battle is about to begin.
Hear the trumpet of the Lord sounding in the distance, calling us to come!
It’s time to put on the armour and take up our swords, for the glory and honor of our God and King!

A Faith That Remains

Not long ago we spent the evening with a brother who had been on Iona at the same time as I a year ago, listening to his stories of how the Lord touched his life while there and how he deeply desired to more fully experience the things of the Spirit. As he spoke I thought upon my own journey there, which held a life changing encounter in the Lord resulting in a deeper call to intercession.

After he left I thought about how quickly the cares of this life crowd out the eternal; for up until a few weeks ago I wrestled with discouragement after returning from this last trip to Scotland.

Months of intercession and prayer had been spent preparing spiritually for the journey, which in turn held precious moments of fellowship and a most amazing time in and with the Lord Jesus Christ. Mere words cannot express the impact these experiences have had on my life.

As we are facing some major changes the Lord reminds me to hold fast to every memory of His faithfulness throughout the years; not only those times when the veil is lifted, or in times of miraculous healing and provision, but also in the less noticed circumstances leading up to them where His hand is moving obstacles out of the way in order for His will to be done in our lives.

Those sacred and precious moments in the Lords presence leave an eternal mark on us that if we allow them to, help shape and define who we are in Christ, and how His Spirit moves in and through our lives. They are catalysts for change and transformation, used by the Holy Spirit to conform us into the glorious image of our beloved Lord and Saviour.

They are the bright threads of light woven into our lives, whose eternal worth is beyond compare. As we behold and are touched by the glory of Jesus, our precious, holy, awesome Redeemer and King, the cares of this life disappear.
Be it in worship, intercession, or any of the other encounters we have had the honor and blessing of being able to partake; we for a moment stand on the mountaintop, removed from the darkness of this present age and the world in which we live.

And there, in the presence of the Lord everything is clear as we are filled with, and are one with the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. His sight and hearing becomes ours as our spirits awaken; filled with His life, His light and His love.
The joy and wonder of those times seem like they will never fade, how could they?

The Battlefield of the Mind

Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The fiercest, most important battles mankind has ever fought have not taken place on foreign shores, nor in jungles, woods or fields, but in the minds of mortal men. Every war ever fought began with a thought. Every deed ever done, whether righteous or unrighteous was first conceived in the mind.
It has been, is now, and will remain until our Lord’s return, the spiritual battleground wherein victory is secured or forfeited, depending on the choices we make.

The enemy knows this and therefore constantly assaults us where we are most vulnerable, for everything we see, hear, taste and touch and smell is processed automatically by our brains. However it is also processed through our spirit. The unregenerate person’s mind may be programmed to respond to certain stimuli in a manner that leads to sin, be it anger, lust, coveting, addiction etc. But the christian is not to be subject to the flesh, but rather the Holy Spirit of God.

The same grace that drew us to the cross, that saved our souls from being eternally separated from God is the grace that transforms and renews us day by day, conforming us into the very image of Christ. But it is not automatic; we still have a choice whether to yield to Gods gift of grace and yield to the life of the Holy Spirit within or not.

When Satan tempts us, will we entertain sin, giving it a foothold? Or avail ourselves of the grace of God available to us, and nip it in the bud by refusing to dwell upon that which tempts or discourages us.

A Blessing From Psalms

Psalm 20

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
Selah

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.

O LORD, Answer us when we call!

The Days We Are Given

It was a typical northwest day, the sky was grey and the rain fell softly but steadily as we drove from the church to the cemetery where Josh was to be interned. The memorial service was beautiful, and a clear presentation of the gospel was given with an invitation to pray at the end.

This was important as the sanctuary was filled with men and women from Portland from every walk of life who probably hadn’t considered their eternal destiny in a long time, if ever. Most were in tears throughout the day, facing how fragile life really is as they mourned the loss of a friend who was known for his and quick wit and bravado.

C
From a purely natural perspective, children and young people aren’t supposed to die, but they do. For even the strongest and bravest of them all are frail in their humanity. Young or old it matters not, at any moment on any day, our time here on earth could come to an end unexpectedly. We all know this and yet I wonder how often most of us live each day as if it were our last?

This really hit home at the funeral yesterday. Death comes to us all and no one is exempt. All we have for certain is this day, right now; there is no guarantee for tomorrow.
So the question arises…
What are we doing with the days we’ve been given?
Do we see them as the gift that they are? Do we live each day to it’s fullest; seeing it as an opportunity to bless and honor the Lord while touching the lives of others with His truth and grace?

Throughout the day I pondered these things, feeling convicted in my own heart for allowing the pressure at work to negatively affect my attitude. Some days all I think about is how I can’t wait for this season to end and the Lord releases us back into full time ministry.

While I believe it’s important to have and keep the vision God has given us for the future alive in my spirit, I don’t want to be so focused on what’s ahead that I miss what’s happening now; failing to see the needs around me, or missing precious moments to touch someone’s life with a kind or encouraging word. The truth is, every one of us who loves Jesus is called to be a minister of His grace and truth to everyone we meet, whatever season of life we’re in.

The foundation for tomorrow should we live to see it, is being built today. The trials we face are not only preparation for what lies ahead, but opportunities for the grace and love of Jesus Christ to be manifest to others now. The person we minister life to today, may become a mighty warrior in the Kingdom of God tomorrow. We must not fail to see and reach them!

As my dad often said; ” life is what happens while you’re waiting for something esle. Don’t be so focused on tomorrow that you miss out on today.” He was a very wise and wonderful man.

By Gods grace, may we all take this kingdom principle to heart, seeing each day as a gift to live to it’s fullest unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way to do this is seek His presence until we see every person and situation through His eyes and not our own.
May we learn from what’s behind, look ahead with joy to tomorrow, while living each day we are given with thankful hearts in the grace, strength and presence of our Saviour, Lord and King!

The Father is Calling us to come

Last night I read the following post after coming home from work; was blessed upon reading it and wanted to pass it along. To Move Beyond is an anointed cry from our brothers heart that needs to be heard, for it is the Fathers cry for His people in this hour.

This link was part of another post but somehow it just wasn’t right. I realized this as I was walking this evening; the sun had just set and the sky, while still illuminated by the suns dying light, had that ethereal quality of the time between times…
No longer day, but not yet night. A reflection of where we are now as we near the end of this Age.

The air was perfectly still, softly perfumed by the scent of cherry blossoms. Across the road towering fir trees were beautifully silhouetted against a deep blue sky still touched with hues of gold and pink from the sunset, and a deep sense of peace washed over my soul. Last night I was still in winters icy grip, but tonight Spring was in the air.

Once again our family is mourning the loss of a loved one, but in the midst of sorrow and uncertainty the Lord has reached down with comfort and assurance that while death may part us in this life, we who know the Lord will be reunited forever in Eternity.

While I am so very thankful for the Fathers loving kindness, mercy, and unfailing faithfulness, I believe it is wise to have a healthy fear and respect of the Lord in our lives. We do not know when our time will be up, and Jesus is after our heart now, ALL of it! He wants us to genuinely know and love Him, even as we are known and loved. To hear and know His voice and follow wherever He leads.

He is calling us to lay everything down; every single thing that in any way hinders our walk with Him. He is calling us to come into His presence, be filled with His love and His life; set apart wholly for His Kingdom. He is waiting for us to ask what we can do for Him instead of always asking Him to do things for us! And then be willing to do it no matter how wild or unreasonable or crazy it may seem, for this has often been the lot for those God has used mightily in the Kingdom.
So do not hold back any part of your heart or life from Jesus today, come in complete surrender to the throne of grace! It is time to awaken and embrace His life; we need to press in to the Lord Jesus Christ deeper than we ever have before!

The Lamb

The precious blood wherein is Life
Still flows from Jesus hand
Cleansing all who come to Him
From each and every land

It heals, restores, makes new again
this fount from heavens Lamb
His life for ours, upon the cross
Oh blessed great I Am

He suffered undeservedly
And bore the sin of man,
Then rose victorious over death
that we might live again

Through every trial and sorrow
We’re kept safe in His hand
Covered by the precious blood
of Christ the risen Lamb

John 1:29
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Thank you for praying

To each and every one who has written and been praying I would like to express our deepest thanks and appreciation. I wish I had the energy to respond personally, but right now I’m exhausted, still sick with the flu, and very sad. Josh passed away this afternoon after being removed from life support. It seemed too soon to many of us, but there’s no turning back the hands of time so we rest in the Fathers love and grace.

May the Lord bless and be with you all, and once again we thank you. It is a comfort to be wrapped in prayer.

The Resurrection and The Life

Around the world Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ today; it is in truth the most important holiday and holy day of the Faith! Through Jesus sacrifice on the cross and subsequent victory over death we who believe are given the blessed hope of eternal life, and this is something to celebrate indeed!

But for our family this day is marked by sorrow, as we just received word that our son in law Joshua has been declared brain dead after an accident yesterday while on vacation in Puerto Rico. Tomorrow they will take him off life support unless a miracle happens.

Last year on the eve of Easter, Richard was in Seattle with his brother and sister saying goodbye to his mother who passed away after a long battle with emphysema. It was expected, so there had been time to prepare for the parting, but this year on Easters eve, we were all stunned at the news that another family member has suddenly gone from us, and without a chance to say goodbye.

My daughter doesn’t know how to tell her little girl that she won’t ever see her Daddy again. I can only imagine how Deborah, Josh’s mom must be feeling thousands of miles away from friends and family having to make the decision to let her son go.
We all love Josh and will miss him dearly should the Lord keep him from returning to us. But I’m not giving up hope yet.

I believe in miracles, in God’s awesome power and His Faithfulness! I believe in divine healing and the resurrection of the dead, not only at the end of time, but even now, today. Will you join your faith with ours and pray for Joshua’s healing? Will you pray that the Father reaches his spirit and draws him to Christ even while in a coma?

I realize this might sound strange but I believe that nothing is impossible with Christ, absolutely nothing! His power is greater than we can imagine and has no limits.

So if you would please pray that Jesus will touch Josh; that He who is the Resurrection, The Life, and our only true Hope would reveal Himself in His fullness, we would be most grateful. We rest in hope that even if he is not raised today, he will be on that tomorrow when the Lord returns. Then those who are in Christ will never be separated by death again.

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

May your hearts and homes be filled with Jesus love, grace, joy and His eternal hope to this Resurrection Day! Please, take a good look around you; tell your family and friends how very much you love and appreciate them. We just never know what tomorrow may hold and you can never say “I love you” too often!

Every blessing and grace to you in Christ,

~Susan

John 11:25-27
“ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

A Place Called Gethsemane

Jesus knew His darkest hour was upon him, and He dreaded it. So much so that He sweat blood under the stress and pressure of facing not only torture and the slow excruciating death of crucifixion, but of bearing the weight and the shame of all mankind’s sin upon Him. He became sin for us, that we might be made holy and acceptable to God. But the very thought of what lie ahead made Him tremble.

“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. .”
~Luke 22:41-46

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus final battle was fought and won.
Don’t think for a minute that He didn’t have a choice, or wasn’t tempted to turn away from the cross. He could have called a legion of angels to come rescue Him, He even asked the Father if there was another possible way, but then yielded His will to the Father’s, just as He alway had throughout His sojourn here on earth, and love compelled Him to see it through.

Some may argue that Jesus was God and therefore couldn’t sin, but temptation isn’t temptation if there is no possibility of giving in to it. It is written that He was tempted in ALL ways like us, and yet without sin. That’s what made Him the perfect sacrifice; what makes Him the perfect high priest, enabling us draw upon His grace and strength in every trial and temptation as we sojourn here.
He’s walked this sod and knows how hard it is to be wrapped in mortal flesh. Can you imagine what it must have been like to leave heaven and become part of His very own creation, subjected to it’s weakness and frailties? Then be surrounded by men who just didn’t get it a lot of the time, even though they experienced the miraculous daily while walking with Him!

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. ~ Hebrews 4:14-16

How did Jesus overcome temptation, where did He find such strength and grace? Like us, He had to seek the Father often in prayer and sometimes fasting, to discover, and find the strength to do, God’s will. Right up to the very end. And some of the last words spoken to His disciples were an admonition to pray.

“And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation…”

Jesus poured out His heart to the Father before enduring the torment of His final hours on earth and the agony of the cross. The battle was fought and won on His knees in a place called Gethsemane. When He arose the last time before being taken into custody, we see Jesus calm and at peace, ready to face His accusers with a grace that honored and glorified the Father.
At the very end even the centurion and those witnessing the crucifixion were fearful as they realized “Truly this was the Son of God!” as He committed His Spirit into the Fathers hands with His dying breath.

Friends, as we ponder Jesus sacrifice today let us remember His agony and victory in the garden, which prepared Him for the cross. Let us remember how our precious Saviour cried out to the Father in prayer in His hour of need and find hope in the victory won on His knees, knowing that He is our example in all things.
Let us heed His words to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation for our spirit indeed is willing but our flesh is weak.

Because He overcame we too can overcome in the power and Spirit of His grace. Because He bore and became the sacrifice for our sins , we are justified, holy, sanctified and set apart for the Lord. Because He died and rose again, we too can die to self and be raised a new creation in Christ Jesus!
Isn’t that good news, in Spirit and truth?

“For our sake he -God the Father - made Him ( Jesus the Son ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.

But let us also remember that even our Lord and Saviour was tempted and tried and found the grace and strength to carry on in prayer. One of the most heartbreaking passages of scripture is when Jesus returns after telling his disciples to watch and pray and finds them sleeping. They knew He was heavy and sorrowful, He had even told them what was coming but they didn’t have ears to hear. Sadly He awakens them and asks; “What, could you not watch with me one hour?”

May we arise and be a people who know what it is to spend time on our knees in the presence of the Lord; a people who do not slumber but are ever mindful, watching and ready for the His return. Gethsemane prepared Jesus for the Cross, the Cross led to the Tomb where death was conquered once and for all through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life. Hallelujah!!!

Let us remember the place called Gethsemane in our time of need and pray.
The victory is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord!