Counting All As Rubbish

Considering yourself more than you ought comes with ease. For a humbled and contrite heart it must enter into the fire of affliction and refinement. Placing yourself above others originates naturally. Sacrificing, and surrendering your life for the sake of your neighbor, brother, sister, stranger or enemy reaches far beyond the human nature’s capability. Sitting tall and comfortably in the crippling chair amongst the scoffers strengthens the beast within. Kneeling before your accusers, with a controlled tongue and the absence of defense on your lips glorifies the Everlasting King.

“He must become greater I must become less.”

Your heart is truly the wellspring of life. If the heart contains self-seeking intentions and filthy motives your actions flow from the contents within. Foolish are those who believe their dirt can be sweep underneath a removable rug. Though, for a time the grime may be hidden from the naked eye, the Father sees and searches all. The Father understands perfectly and distinguishes His creation better than the very created knows itself. He knows when they sit, when they rise, and can even perceive their thoughts from afar. He is familiar with all their ways and before a word touches their tongue He discerns it completely.

If we aren’t trying to hide our dirt, we are fixing ourselves, or at least attempting to. Why can’t we rest in His power over sin? Why can’t we lay down our defenses and narrow-minded thinking? Why do we have this need to be in control? Give up. Surrender. If you are spending all your time cleaning up your sin, your eyes are taken away from the Son. The focus sets on the depravity of your life and not on the Victory over death. Yes, please recognize your NEED for the Son. Yes, please see there is nothing inside you that is good, except His presence. But don’t forget about His grace, power, love, majesty, desire, reign and glory! If our focus is more on self than the Ultimate Goal we need to get realigned!

“Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness!”

Life is like a breath. Time here continues to seep through my fingers just a sand trickles down the curves of an hour glass. Honestly, taking hold of everything I am given here is not an easy task. There are many moments I had in which I did not fully take advantage of, but I am learning! I am young in my understanding and the greatness of the Almighty. I am still trying to grasp the obedience in living life for the King, but oh how gracious He is toward me. His grace does not give me excuses to be lazy, selfish, nor fickle whenever I choose to be. However, His grace does free me from guilt and regret. He sovereignly guides my steps in the impressions of His Son’s footprints. His grace allows my heart to repent and learn and grow in His incomparable wisdom.

One of my greatest joys being in Southeast Asia is the deepened desire and understanding of the Father and the Son. He continues to reveal himself to this undeserving being. How incredible this gift is. He has challenged me and refined me through the Active Word and among the various people here. I never knew how wonderful, trying, painfully glorious it is to be in the midst of a different culture and in the fellowship of like-minded people. The Father sends us to places, crosses our paths with certain people, and has intimately arranged our very bodies for His purpose. And through His purpose He draws our hearts to His.

Recently, Ashton and I continue to seek locals in the community for extended information in our furthering research on their culture. During the interviews, we have had a handful of opportunities to share the good news. What an amazing role we have been given in shining truth bearing light in a darkened world! Humbling to know he uses the weak to share this incredible message to all people. Though the role brings much excitement, it also brings many challenges. We have to be patient in the harvest. Seems in many of our conversations the seed will fall on soil and even beings to sprout. But when we return for a follow up and more in-depth conversations we discover the sprouted seed had been shriveled by the heat or choked by thorny thistles. These trying instances remind us where true joy comes from, the SON.  We are not promised to see results or people to be unveiled from a life of lies nor promised reaping from what has been sown, but we are giving lasting promises in His name: He is our good shepherd.

“I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of the sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me so that I lay down my life- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

We have a calling given to us by the Almighty: to share His name across the globe! But the sending out should never trump over the recognition of His Glory and unstoppable power!

Consider Isaiah: When Isaiah stood before the Throne Isaiah witness the great, breathtaking, earth shaking splendor bursting from the radiance of the Everlasting King. In the mist of this incredible scene the King called out: “Who will go for us and who will I send.” Isaiah said, “Send me!”  The King sent Isaiah to desolate people; desolate people who neither desire truth nor accepted truth! They despised truth! Yet, Isaiah went not for the people, but out of obedience, desire, and awe struck wonder for the Majesty! Isaiah’s desire in sharing the good news first sprung from his aspiration for the King! Often we place others before the King. Anything before the King is idolatry, even if the works being done seems wrapped in truth, if it takes the place of HIM it is only bloody, filthy, reeked packed rags.

My point: First seek Him. First recognize and worship His holy name. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through fa*th –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of the King – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are the Creator’s workmanship, created in the Son to do good works, which the Creator prepared in advance for us to do!”

Let us remember to trust in His control and reign over all. Let us not get lazy in our command. But let us go forth with zeal for His Kingdom! Let us go forth in zeal for His name and Glory!

This week Ashton and I witness our first animal sacrifice. There are mixed views in our people’s perspective toward animal sacrifice. Some believe it is a commemoration on behalf of Abraham’s obedience towards the command given from the Great Father to sacrifice his son (not Isaac but Ishmeal in their belief). They celebrate the replacement the Great Father gave instead of Abraham’s son dying on the stony alter. Others believe it is the anointing for their sins. Honestly, either view misses the complete point of the story. They do not grasp the prevision of a substitution sacrifice provided by the Great Father to atone sins forever. Meaning the substitution sacrifice was not given to just one son, but the substitution sacrifice was for all men by the death of one, perfect man, the Great Father’s Son!

The sight was repulsive. I’ve never seen blood spilled in such quantities like the cow slopped into the prepared hole next to its neck. I admit I’ve never seen even an animal butchered in America……. So consequently it was slightly shocking for my stomach. The images and the nausea did not compare to the following happenings. The climax of this display came when a woman in the crowd dipped both her bare feet in the pool of blood. In their eyes, in their understanding the blood brings healing…… How far this understanding is from the truth: She was covered by the wrong blood. Only the blood of the Son can heal her.