The Proposal

Most would not admit it because we try so hard in life not to get too emotionally attached to the moment. We are more worried about what people think about what we look like in the moment (for fear that our appearance will bring shame or embarrassing verbal "buzz" about us), than being fully alive without inhibition (...wow, to be fully alive?).

It is OK for kids to be a little out of control of their emotions, but adults, the "big people", to appear to be too intimately connected to a moment will usually result in the crowning declaration "why don't you grow up!" Oh, by the way, people who get too quickly pulled into a situation emotionally, could be experiencing a neurological disorder and there are drugs to control that (go figure???). I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Satan wants God's kids numb and unresponsive; because if the Kingdom message can stay hung under a veil of stupor like or emotionless responses, God's active love will not be seen in the world.

Psalm 103:1 "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name." "BLESS" let's paint a picture!

The moment was right. They were fully alive. Heavens romance dance was following its spirit led choreographed steps in perfect time to the beat of two hearts. All eternity was in favor of love. He gently held her hands so to cause a purpose filled pause in the moment ... with locked gazes so full of wonder and amazement and admiration; the silence of the moment seemed to have all of creation holding its breath.

And then it happened; he slowly dropped to one knee without releasing his gentle grip of her hands and without breaking the glory filled gaze into her eyes. There seemed to be an otherworldly tremble in this moment as perhaps millions of angels and billions of stars held there praises of the Holy One, silent for just this moment.

He was not about to cheapen his adoration of this beautiful gift from God standing before him. He wouldn't dare restrain even a grain of a mustard seed of emotion; for if "all that was in him" was not "all for this moment" then what would be perceived of the value he placed on the object of his love?
His heart could not risk rejection for it would break to never be mended, but he would sooner live the rest of his life with a totally devastated soul than to never have risked all for love.

To bless The Lord , is like an eternal marriage proposal. Fear not to risk all that your are for all that He is. Position all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, all of your strength for full adoration of The Lord your God. He will never turn your love away... He will not leave you disappointed.

Gently grasp His hand, gain His gaze, fall to your knees and sing His praise as He offers you all that He is ... for all that you are.

HLFA,

Jeff

Loving His Appearing

II Timothy 4:8 - “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Key words ..."laid up"... such an intimate statement of God's tender care of his children… please read on and see the Lord's tender placement of the crown of righteousness:
“laid up” - to lie, to place gently.
The King appeared in all His glory (scared brow, hands,feet and side). Majestically He arrived at the center of our garden of fragility. His hands carefully lowered a Heavenly wreath upon the brow of our brokenness. In the placement of this wreathed crown, His eyes wept tears of fullest understanding. As a cool invigorating rain pouring over the feelings of our infirmities, He would begin the process of washing away the pain of our stained and pained existence.
“laid up” - of an infant
(Years ago, but like yesterday)While we were still in the numbness of the moment, I was asked to do a task that my mind only goes to if the Lord takes me there. Our first little gift from Heaven, Justin, was born to be delivered back to Heaven after Six short days. As we gathered together in the funeral home to get our third and last glimpse of him before they would seal him into his tiny little hope chest, the funeral director asked me if I would like to hold Justin for a moment, while he prepared his tiny little burial vessel for sealing. Before my lips could respond, the little guy's lifeless body was placed in my arms. I have never held the stillness, the emptiness, the brokenness of death's intimate but indiscriminate separation until that moment. My heart and my mind swirled in a chaotic rush of conflicting winds and voices, but one voice, so small yet so still, held my heart - "Trust me, I love you!". Then it happened, I was asked to gently place Justin in his final tiny treasure box. O the tears we shared!
“laid up”- of one buried.
We stood by the graveside...so final, yet so promising. The gentle loving words spoken to us by the Pastor that was ministering in that moment, was not the typical "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" type of rhetoric, but was a powerful spirit filled conjecture of the nearness of our God in these situations, and the assurance that we were specially chosen, not outcasts."Little babies are not born in Heaven, and every once in awhile God chooses a special couple to send their baby on ahead, so that Heaven can enjoy the sights, sounds and joys of a little one there".  His words helped to bring us closer to Jesus.
“laid up”- of things that quietly cover some spot.
The little bronze grave placard was gently and reverently set in place to cover the moment, the loss, the shame, the feeling of abandonment. Ever to be there for visits and memory... as a reminder of God's loving Presence in our times of greatest need.
“laid up”- of a city situated on a hill.
Though some would walk away and cast a shroud of sorrow and bitterness over that moment. We would carry the sorrow, the bitterness and the shroud, but the moment would be liberated by "the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". This moment with Him would be a monument standing tall in our "city on a hill" reminding us that God loves us though our hearts may be ransacked by the joy thieves of this world. Their sad song will only be sung for a while, but so very soon a New Song is coming.

Jesus is set in place for every child of the King. He strengthens our earthly vessel. He endears us to His Throne of Grace. He allows us to look beyond the confusion sown on this side of Heaven. He is the Hope laid up together for us. He is the foundation that cannot be shaken. He is our eternal love appointment. He is the first and final Word of the Law of Love. He is our destiny. We are His, and He is ours. And this is where the power of the evil one becomes powerless and impotent. Here is where the bonds of wickedness will be broken. Jesus is our Victory; love his appearing!

As God watches over our feeble efforts to longingly look for His epiphanies (appearances)in our lives, He gives us snapshots of the tender care that are actually shadows of the placement of this crown of righteousness. Some day, and soon, He will break into the strongholds of this world and steal us away to His side forever... And this will be everlasting Joy and our new song ... forever.

HLFA,

Jeff

Her Friend Named Cancer

It was a quiet little room, but comfortable in its simple furnishings. There was a large window beside
the bed that opened to a view of a world that wrapped itself around a small scantily frequented bird feeder. The sun would gently sweep the windows toward the end of the day with all the colors that creation could muster up for that moment. And with the curtains pulled in the evening, the moon would still manage to squeeze a few loving wisps of soft night light into the little room. Whatever the intensity or color of the light, it would always grace the cheeks of her beautiful face in a way that made her radiate the love of her Saviour. This was her room with the final view.
She had diligently cared for two husbands that had been taken home to Heaven by cancer. She stayed close by to comfort them in their suffering; to coddle and to cradle them in the loving care that only “The Saviour” could extend through her to them. Her tears would trace through the lines on her face until they would end up emptying into her smile as she would assure them ... “Jesus has all things ready”, and “We will all see you soon!” This scene was filled with such otherworldly compassion that it had power to shake the coldest of visitors, that they too would consider their end. Some had even said, “I wish I had a wife and Mother like you!” ; and she would let them know that their greatest need was Jesus, and in trusting Him they could have Heaven as their home too.

Some would say to her in her last days (without thinking)… “Theresa, you cared so graciously for two husbands who died from cancer, isn't it ironical that God would allow you to suffer with cancer also? You must hate cancer?”. Mom's response was amazing … “How can I hate something that is taking me to Jesus? Cancer is my friend, not my enemy.” Oh, she would wince and groan with pain, and desire that it go away, but in the same breath thank God for the moments that she could still spend with those she loved.

It was my privilege (for just a few happenstance moments) to come upon her while she was napping or sleeping what appeared to be a sleep of great contentment (though many times she would awake to pain caused by her friend named Cancer). Upon placing a gentle kiss on her forehead (to my delight), her eyelids would flutter, her beautiful multi-hued brown eyes would twinkle with excitement, and her face would radiate with a welcoming smile. Then she would say with such passionate emotion, “Oh, I am so glad to see you, I've been waiting for you … Jesus!” Then with a childlike giggle she would say “Just practicing; but I am so glad to see you too, my Preacher Son”.

Was Mom perfect … far from it, but she knew that her God was perfect, even if she could only see bits and pieces of that perfection through her suffering. Mom would not want a single “jot or tittle” of credit for this written memory of her; her desire would be that we would know that Jesus loves us. She would say, “If Jesus can love me, surely He loves you!”

To be part of the practice session of a saint longing for Heaven is a moment that has no words to express the anchoring of the soul in that moment. For some strange reason I almost felt the clapping of the wings of angels as they celebrated near by in response to that form of humble exultation. She never saw Jesus with her naked eyes, but through the eyes of her heart she saw clearly the active promises of His Word fulfilled in her life . She never physically tasted the sweet realities of eternity's wonders, but still positioned her flesh to the urges of the spirit. Though the flesh was being ravaged by the pain of cancer's suffering, it could not completely quench the gentle praises of her soul set free.

O, If daily we could stay so longingly amazed with the love of our Lord, that the value of knowing Him would capture our moments in such a way that others would be caused to love Him also. “And now little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. I John 2:28
Happy Mother's Day 2014 –
In Loving Memory of Mom, Theresa Dean Redding Lambe
"Mom, we love Jesus more because of you!"

HLFA,

Jeff

Love, the Abuser?

Disclaimer: The words below do not reflect any one family in specific, but during my more than 40 years ministering to people, I have learned how powerful the impression of a parent's love is in the foundational relationship of an individual with his God. A parent can handicap that most critical of relationships. I weep as I fearfully try to imagine the crippling moments (In light of I Corinthians 13).

I looked out of the window with a longing heart. I climbed on to one of the dining room chairs that I pushed to the front door to peer out of the top door windows, and strained to see with an anxious soul. I stood and gazed at the sofa that , so soon, “Love” would be resting on after a long day of work. I imagined what it would feel like to be able to curl up near Love and feel a gentle tousling of my hair. My eyes clouded up as I imagined looking into his tired but loving eyes, and hearing him say “I love you my child, God blessed us on that day that you came into our lives”. Oh, I wanted so badly to be blessed, and to feel that I too was a blessing. But it would not be so … love would come home; and my hopeful desires would be shattered.

Love came in the front door; we all cowered and moved away. Love would be rudely and immediately impatient to the point of insult and cursing. Love would vaunt himself and show his strength with a display of horrid expressions and a torrent of threatening gestures. Love would keep us cowering in the shadows. Love would roar,“Where is my dinner?” Love then would smile, but just before an unprovoked beating. Love seemed so selfish with his space and his time ...“Leave me alone, I don't know what we were thinking when we decided to have you kids”. And then Love would turn to Mommy and bless her with … “You are the worst wife and mother of all time!” “The biggest mistake, apart from having kids, was the day I married you!” The evening meal was a meal of bitter herbs no matter what was served.

 It almost seemed like Love wanted us to be bad so that we would prove that he was right. He seemed happier with our lies of agreement with his accusations, than with the truth of our devotion to him. Love closed his eyes and stopped his ears to our efforts to please him. Love never heard Mommy trying to build him up in the eyes of others, as she would swallow her shame and say ...”He works very hard and loves his family dearly!” Love seemed to be bothered by all things, and mistrusted all things. As a family, we felt that he hoped we would all be dead, because he acted like he couldn't stand us for one more moment. Love was failing.

We would go to church as a family, and Love would make sure we behaved. Love would smile and talk nice to others and spend time with the pastor; but no sooner would be be driving away from the church, Love would begin to tear us down. Week after week we would hear about God's love. Week after week I would whisper in my heart if God is like Love, then I don't want Him. Love had failed.

If in reading this a light has switched on and your heart is tugged in some direction … “pray”. Pray appropriately for your need or someone elses new start. “For His mercies are new every morning”(His mercies of second chances are renewed with every moment of awaking or unveiling light). As a parent, your level to cope with the pressures of this world and to be an effective parent will be proportionate to the time you spend loving and being loved by the Lord Jesus Christ (unseen by others).

We are only as real as we are in secret with our God. Make a positive impact on your family as you secretly allow God to make an impact on you. Be courageous in your open love for your God by openly loving your family … never openly embarrassing and belittling your family.

Count on God's Love daily because your family is counting on you.

Don't be afraid of curling up on the Daddy Chair because He will always be there for you.

HLFA,

Jeff

"And now abideth faith, hope, love,these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE." I Cor. 13:13