In His Timing

In  the book of John, chapters 13-17 are all written concerning what took place, and the conversations Jesus had with His disciples, at what we refer to as the Last Supper. It was Passover, and they had gathered in Jerusalem, together to celebrate, and in reality it was their last meal together before Jesus was arrested and crucified.

As I read John Chapter 16 the phrase "a little while" kept jumping out at me.

John 16:17-18

17.Some of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?"
18.So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

Jesus was trying to explain to his disciples that the time was upon them for His death. Even though Jesus had talked to them about it before, they really didn't want to believe it. They just couldn't imagine Jesus leaving this earth in what they felt like would be a defeated way. They didn't understand that His plan was not to "take over the government and kingship" of Israel. They wanted a new world order and even though they knew Jesus was God's Son and the Messiah, they also wanted Him to be an earthly King. Solve all their problems here on earth in their lifetime and make right all the injustices of their existence.

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Their timing was off. The Old Testament refers to a time when Jesus will rule, but it was just not at that time. I think a lot of us get our timing off. I know I have...way off. Things I know God has spoken to me have not yet come to pass. Have I given up? No...it's just not the right time yet.

Jesus says that we will have trouble, and we do. Illness, death, upset, disappointments...we all experience them. But the key here is to realize that in the end we will overcome.

2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16-18

7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; 8. [we are] afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;... 16. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18. while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The Holy Spirit directed me to these passages today. Are you needing to see God's timing come to pass? Are you like me and need Him to step in and "make things right"? I think many of us are. I think He's reminding us today as we walk through the week before Easter, that He knows the right time to bring things to pass. What may look like a huge disappointment; something that just cannot be "fixed" or made right to us; He is in control of. He knows the days and times. He knows our needs and desires. He doesn't leave us alone. He's there; working it out. What we see with our own two eyes in the "natural", He has His hand on in the "supernatural".

I know His disciples were devastated at His crucifixion. How could it be that He let this happen, when He, Jesus, had the power to make it different. They just didn't understand the timing...it was to be "a little while" then it would all be clear. Jesus' death on the cross made it possible for our salvation; all mankind's salvation. Otherwise that would not be possible.

What we see now is temporary; what we cannot see is eternal.

Thank you, Jesus, that you are teaching us to walk, not by sight, but by faith.

love in Jesus,
Have a blessed Easter,
Debra

Dirty Feet?

The weather has been warming up lately, and yesterday everyone I saw had on flip flops. I commented that I needed a pedicure before that would happen. So feet have been on my mind. Today the Holy Spirit planted a little illustration in my heart.

It was the day before Jesus was arrested, and He and the disciples were having their "last supper" before His arrest, then crucifixion.  

John 13:4-17

4.[Jesus] rose from [the last] supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. 5. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6. And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7. Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter." 8. Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9. Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." 10. Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean,

I'm writing this as it's coming to me from the Holy Spirit...
 
I am going to share a story today, it's about washing feet. In times past I've had dirty feet. I was clean because I was "saved". I knew Jesus as my Savior from an early age. But days of distance from the Lord had left me in the mud and filth. I was not a pretty site. Layers of grime coated my feet and toes. "Gospel Shoes" didn't' fit well because of it. I left tracks wherever I went and people that I knew and came in contact with, might have caught a "whiff". Yep, I had ...dirty feet.
 
One day Jesus sat me down and pointed them out to me.

"How can you expect to live a clean and righteous life if you are constantly getting into the mud and slime? Do you want to change and be a person who represents Me? If you do, there are some things to attend to. First you need to realize where you've been and make a point to not return. If you ask Me, I will help you refuse the temptation to go back to that pit again. That pit has held you far too long.
Now just ask Me. I will say Yes, and it will be done.
Now, make the declaration, "I'm not going back!"
 
Then I said to Jesus, "I know that I'm clean in spirit, but I DO need a foot washing."
 
So Jesus knelt down, towel in hand and a basin of fresh clean "living water". I believe I saw a little "launderer's soap" in there as well. He reached for my feet and immersed them. Washed and dried them, and then put on my shoes.
They smelled sweet and my shoes fit again!
 
Do you need help with your feet? Notice any smudges, dust, or grime? Have they been leading you to preach the good news, or have they taken you places you never want to return?
 
Just do what I did, ask for a foot washing from Jesus. He's waiting, with a smile and a towel.
 

Have a blessed Easter weekend. I'll be with my family this weekend, Hope you'll be with yours. I'll be back next Wednesday.

 

love, in Jesus,

Debra

He Comes in Triumph

Today, I knew that God wanted me to write about Holy Week. He had something to say, so in prayer He directed me to John 12.

John 12: 13-18
13.[The crowd] took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and [began] to cry out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel."
14. And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written,
15. "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."
16. These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
 17. And so the multitude who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, were bearing Him witness.
18. For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
 
Palm Sunday is also called the "Triumphal Entry". Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. This was the week before His arrest and crucifixion, on Good Friday, and His resurrection on Easter, or Resurrection Sunday.

The crowd that had been at the house of Lazarus and saw him raised from the dead were all there, to greet Jesus and wave the palm branches which was ritually for triumphant leaders coming home from war.
 
Let's look at the prophetic scripture from Zechariah that predicts this day in Jesus life.


Zechariah 9: 9-10
9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph], O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

I have heard that there are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Jesus' life and death. The previous verses from Zechariah 9 are just one of them. Let's look at them with the emphasis on Jesus riding the young donkey.

In Biblical times war was almost everpresent. Chariots and horses, bows and arrows were the weapons that were used.  Throughout Jewish history the people were looking for their "King". A Messiah that would come and set up an earthly kingdom, as did King David. Most of the inhabitants of Israel were waiting for the Messiah that would come to liberate them from oppressive rule of their enemies and then, in Jesus' day, from the harsh hand of Rome.
Many of the followers of Jesus and even His disciples were thinking along those lines. Having seen the miracle He performed with the resurrection of Lazarus, they were hoping Jesus would "miraculously" take over the government and give it to the Jewish people. On Palm Sunday, that was what the crowd was thinking. They were worshipping Him as God's Son, but also hoping that the time was near for Him to be "crowned" as King here in an earthly kingdom.

But instead of a powerful steed to signify the strength of an earthly takeover, Jesus was destined to ride into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey. Just as a pregnant Mary had done all those years before, He now rode on the back of a donkey once more.

Jesus does triumph. His death on a cross almost 2000 years ago cannot be looked at as a loss, nor a failure. That is what the world does not truly understand. God's son came as a man, Jesus, to provide a way for salvation and eternal life for us. He paid the price on the cross for our sin. He was predestined to do that. The Jews did not kill him, nor the Romans. The devil did not win. Jesus won. We won. He triumphantly led the way on a young donkey. He came in peace, on a humble mount, the lowly way to arrive in Bethlehem and then in Jerusalem. He voluntarily laid down His life for us. Thank you, Jesus, for your great love for us.

If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, it's easy to do so right now. Just ask Him to come into your heart and change you. He will do it. Salvation is easy. It is not hard. All it takes is one step in His direction. He will meet you and you will begin a new life. You will win, too.

Thank you Father God, that your Son who came humbly and in humility, to bring us peace, is truly the King of Kings. 

Love, in Jesus,

Debra