So as I reflect today I think about this time last year I was on the final day of my EPIC trip to Israel. EPIC stands for Encountering People In Context. The Friday before, March 29th, I slipped, fell and hit my head on the bathroom marble wall. In Jerusalem of all places! It was a beautiful evening celebrating my first Shabbat dinner with the travel group. Then everything quickly went left. You will never know from the pictures I took or the brave face I put on how difficult that trip was for me. I had a lump on my head, headaches and severe fear of death. I didn’t sleep for days. Fear is real! I went on every planned activity. Sick to my stomach and faking wellness, physical and mental. I did what little I knew to do. I anointed myself with oil, I spoke Psalms 23 over and over. I said I will live and not die because a prophet had told me so. I prayed, I sang songs of worship. Of course I was taking Tylenol and drinking lots of water. My mother, pastors and friend back home prayed and by the 5th day I was healed. It didn’t happen immediately or overnight. That is how it is sometimes. Fight. His word is true. He does not lie.
So here we go, last year I was in Jerusalem and this year I’m reflecting on the journey Jesus took as he was preparing to enter Jerusalem knowing death was waiting for him. April 5, 2020 today we Christians mark as Palm Sunday. I am pondering how upon Jesus arrival to Jerusalem we quickly turn from Hosana to crucify him! Why do these things happen? Why did we lose faith? Where was Hope? Because “things” did not happen as they anticipated so they didn’t see truth right before them. They were looking for a King to save them. He freely gave his life in such a humble and loving way I cry every time I think about it. I cry because that love is one I cannot compare or comprehend at times. You see to think one is about to die from a head injury and to know one is going to die to save the world is another. He was the King that came to save them! To know that he loved us so much that he would come off his throne, put himself in human body and allow us to kill him as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. An innocent life. This is the new covenant. The promise. God’s righteousness will not allow sin to go unanswered. He told us up front the price to pay for sin is death. This is why animal sacrifices was made to atone for sins. We had to kill the animal with our own hands so Jesus allowed himself to be the lamb and with our hands we beat him, cut into him and nailed him to a cross. While I sit in my backyard this Sunday as I shelter in place from the Corona virus/COVID 19, I had no idea that as I wrote the last post on Focus 2020 Vision, that he would actually make a way in which I would have no excuses but to spend time with him. I wrote it. Spend time with the Lord, pray and fast. What a year this is turning out to be. Now I am facing the fourth week in the house and growing closer to him.
COVID is EPIC.
The Lord said if you abide in my word you are my disciples and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Well what is the truth? JESUS! yes Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man can enter heaven to the FATHER except through him. So I don’t fear of losing this life, I only fear not knowing my God in an intimate way. So today I commit to die to myself. This means I want to live in a way that I put me down to lift you up. YOU are important.
I always liked the simplicity of the testimony of Jesus asleep in the boat during the storm. The disciples were afraid of the storm. They thought they were going to drown because the wind was fierce. They forgot they had Jesus in the boat with them. This testimony was said to give you encouragement and strength to remember Jesus is in your boat. His death, his body broken for us. His blood shed must be the nature of him we consume, to live and die.
He that is within us, is stronger than he that is in the world. Abide in Him means to get to know him. When you know him you will know truth and the truth will set you free from fear and any other stronghold, trap, or lie Satan has. He 🌹
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