I am borrowing from Beth (Moore) today. I am 19 days into another of her 90 Day Journals that once one works it, it becomes yours. This one is John, 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple. The Scripture passage is John 19:28-37. It is the passage wherein the Holy Spirit with His Writing Instrument, John, records Jesus’ time on the cross. Listen for a glimpse of John’s heart in verse 35:He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. I see here a man who is saying, what I am recording here is so horrendous and so glorious that it will be hard for you to believe; but believe it! I saw it with my own eyes and every word I have written is true! I appreciate my brother John. A humble, wonderful man he was/is. Think about how unlike most of us he was. This is what Beth said on page 91 of the aforestated book:
John remained nearby Jesus whether his leader was on the Mount of Transfiguration or in the deep of Gethsemane’s suffering. John leaned affectionately upon Him during the Passover feast but also followed Him into the courts for the trials. John clung to Jesus when He raised the dead, and he clung to Jesus when He became the dead.
John was found nearby when human reasoning implied his faithful Leader’s mission had failed. He could not have comprehended that the plan of the ages was going perfectly. Yet he remained. He who looked upon a face that had shone like the sun (Matthew 17:2) was willing to look upon a face bloody and spit upon. He stayed nearby during both Christ’s brightest and darkest hours. The young disciple knew Jesus in the extremities. John was willing to look when others would have covered their eyes, and he beheld Him. How can we behold what we are unwilling to see?
We cannot claim to know anyone intimately whom we’ve not known in the intensity of both agony and elation. Anyone with eyes willing to truly behold Jesus will at times be confused and shocked by what he sees. You see, if we’re willing to be taken to the extremes of His glory where intimate knowledge is gained, we will undoubtedly see things of Him we cannot explain and that sometimes disturb.
Then comes the question: Will we walk away from Jesus when from human understanding He looks weak and defeated? Do you know what I mean by that question?
When based on earthly evidence, human reasoning is left to one of two harrowing conclusions: He is either mean or weak. Think, beloved, about what I’m saying. Will we cling when our human reasoning implies evil has defeated Him? Or that evil seems to be found in Him? Will we stand by faith when human logic says to run? That’s what will make us different.
Now I ask you is that in our face sobering or what? When a beautiful 19 year old is diagnosed with cancer — do we cling to Jesus or do we accuse Him? When we lose our job and the money is running out and we have not found another job yet — do we cling to Jesus or do we accuse Him? When we pray and we pray and we pray and we still see no change – do we still believe He is good or do we doubt His goodness? When we are miserable in the position we have and nothing else is coming open, when we are underpaid and under appreciated, and that very very bright son is not shining so well, and the dog needs to go to the Vet, and the laundry is piled 3 feet high and while tending the bickering siblings we burned supper and Calgon is no where near to take us away — do we still KNOW in our heart of hearts that He is good and not being mean to us?
John did. And we can too — by His Spirit within us WE CAN TOO!
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
How do I even begin, LORD? I so appreciate the love John had, has for You. I so appreciate his courage; the way he stood there even when I know he had to be terrified – so afraid. I am so glad he loved You so much. I am so glad he was there with You, in Your GOD-MAN humanness, he must have been a comfort, even an encouragement to You. I’m not so faithful, I’m not so strong and yet I am sure You love me just as much. How You do I don’t know, I just thank You that You do. I thank You too for Beth. I value, treasure even, the ministry You have given her and the faithfulness she demonstrates. You know the hurtles in her path to the Simulcast on Saturday – overcome them all for her and in her. Holy Spirit, anoint her to speak boldly Your Word to us and tender our hearts to hear and receive and when we leave each gathering place, individually, seal Your individual message in each heart – change us for Your glory. And LORD any woman who attends that is lost, still in her sins, still without saving faith, give it to her on Saturday and birth her into OUR FAMILY. Give us new sisters this weekend. That’s what it’s really all about isn’t it – rescuing souls one at a time. And I want to be a part of that by prayer and by actually ‘mid-wife-ing’ some new babies into the family. I pray for that honor and privilege, LORD. You are the Sweetest Presence in all the Universe, LORD. I love You. And while we are talking, I want to mention some other matters too. Like our IDOK Troops always. We want so much for them to stay safe; not just in body but in spirit and emotions too. We want them to come home safe and sound not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too. And You are the only one that can make that happen and we pray they, each one of them will cooperate with You for this. And we pray for the families left behind here; we want them to conduct themselves honorably and we want all their needs met too and we pray for that. And I want to mention all the other people and situations on our long list. I am grateful for this list; grateful to pray for them and I’d like to ask that You send us some more prayer warriors. More sisters and brothers who know how to commune with You, who know how to pray and who live lives that You get to bless. I want all of us to live those kinds of lives – lives that You get to bless. It must be so fun for You when You get to do happy things for us. I am sorry we don’t conduct ourselves so You can do it more often. We want to and with Your help, we will. Thank You, LORD. And thank You for this devotion and this sweet time. When it reaches the screens of our IDOKs and our Readers I pray they will experience Your glorious sweet Presence in just an abundant, astounding way. Amen and Amen, ABBA, in JESUS Name.
Joshua has been on our prayer list for many months now and we have not had any recent word… today we do! When you can take the time to read his Mom’s update and pray! Thank you so much and holy hugs! kat.
Legrand Strickland, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 – Please pray for Carrie’s safe trip back to Bentonville, AR, and for Shirley’s safe trip to San Antonio (grandmother) to help Legrand while Carrie is getting some time with her boys and family.
As you know from Wednesday, Journey (A LifeWay Publication) suggested that I read Psalm 86 and I did. And now I have some filled in margins in my new Bible. Look with me at verse 11Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Unite my heart. And what does a united heart do? Beat in unison, of course. With Whom?
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. 13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Well, a (GOD) united heart gives thanks to Him with all her being – forever – consistently, day in and day out. (I’m not leaving you out, Guys, please substitute his or him for her as you read.) A united heart knows and believes that the LORD’s loving kindness toward her is very great and that He has delivered her soul from hell. But what if the heart is not united? What is it then? Let me pitch it out to you that it is fractured. And why would a heart be fractured?
14 O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them.
Yeah, that would do it! The likelihood that we are going to make it through this pilgrimage without some fractures of the heart is between nil and none! Know what I mean? However! How great is it that our hearts do NOT have to stay fractured? GOD is the Great Physician and He is all about mending us — all about giving us a heart that is UNITED with His! Not fractured and broken and strewn across the landscape of our lives but whole and healthy and beating with the love of JESUS. Oh! That’s what we want! And we can have it!! We can have it as we give thanks. As we refuse to believe anything other than He loves us and has our very best interest at His heart. As we believe with the tenacity of an ant that all things, even this (you fill in the blank) _________, meant for evil by somebody, ABBA means for good. Otherwise, He would NEVER have allowed it to happen. Believe this and keep on believing it and really soon we will FEEL the pulse and see the affects of our UNITED with CHRIST Hearts all across the landscape of our lives.
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
Again today, DADDY GOD, this is good. And I pray that You, Holy Spirit, will minister it to hearts. How well I know that unless You give life to these words, they are meaningless – they’re just words on a screen — only You, LORD, can make them alive in my heart and in the hearts of each IDOK and Reader. Only You can turn faith on within us; only You can unite our hearts to beat with Your Love. This is what we need. I am sure of it and I am sure that only You can make it happen with each of us. We cannot work ourselves up into it, it is a GIFT from You that we must be willing to open and put to use. I know this to be true so, Holy Spirit, I am inviting You to not let up on us about this until we are consistently living this way.
I am thinking the travel time is complete by know for Carrie and Shirley but I now our prayers are still needed and not too late to help. For Shirley to minister with confidence and ease to LeGrand and for Carrie to minister with confidence to her boys and family that all is well with LeGrand. I ask You to anoint them all to give and receive as needed.
And we pray for our other IDOK Troops and families, we ask You to keep them safe; that each of them will live safely and victoriously — spiritually, emotionally and physically. We again ask that not one of them be lost but all come home safe and sound.
And, ABBA, there are some recent prayer concerns that have come to us, really close to the heart stuff for some people, and they really need Your help. Migraine headaches – relief is needed, LORD, please give it. And jobs–it’s more than about income although that is crucial but it’s about contributing and responsibilities and a sense of accomplishment and well being so I am asking You to provide and open those employment doors for at least three that we love, and, LORD–there may be more who have not voiced those employment concerns, do it for them too. And Danny, GI problems and pneumonia and Curtis, serious infection; we pray for these two and ask You to heal them. And Jason, a serious stronghold, he’ll never be free without You; Holy Spirit, we want so much for him to allow You to set him free; for him to be willing to be free. Make it happen. And we pray for our others too–not one name on this list is unimportant and we ask You to minister and tend to each one.
ABBA, You know the quiet cries of our hearts, You know the frayed emotions, the troubled thoughts, the faces on the screens of our minds as we pray–we want help for them and we know there is only so much we can do and it frustrates us often, so we need Your help too. We are just a needy bunch, so glad You are well able to take care of us and in JESUS Name we know You will. Thank You, LORD. Amen and amen.
If you are wondering why I said tenacity of an ant rather than bulldog, check it out:
Praise Reports and Prayer Requests — Updates and Requests:
As I come to the screen to write today for Wednesday, there are so many good things I have seen in ABBA’s Word today that this screen is not long enough to write them to you in one setting. I covet your prayers for me that the diligence I have exercised today to get to this place will become the norm for me.
Now, where do I begin today? Point one. My Journey (A LifeWay Publication) for today told me the story of a young woman about to lose her home due to the suffering economy and yet she was at peace, even splashes of joy dominated her countenance. A friend not in obvious danger of losing her home was questioning why – she knew it would be a different story if it were she in a similar situation. And Tammy said, “I won’t pretend this hasn’t been hard. Believe me, I’ve had a few fits over it. But God has been so good to us. I’m probably closer to Him now than I’ve ever been. I may not have a house as of Saturday, but I’ll have Him. He gets me through each day.” Doesn’t that just give you eyes welling with tears? So the Journey continued: “Often it takes a crisis for us to fully grasp God’s sufficiency.”
And then I said to me and now to you – Salvation comes when a soul comes to believe and KNOW that God is able. That He is sufficient; that He in Christ Jesus did what was sufficient to save our stinkin’ souls; that what He has done is sufficient to keep us from going to the hell we deserve. Isn’t it sad He has to keep on and keep on proving to us He is sufficient to meet our here and now needs? Isn’t it great He keeps on doing it and even with a smile?! Can we smile back at Him today for being SO GOOD to us?!
Point two – Quickly. Point Three on Thursday – LORD willing.
My Journey also suggested that I read Psalm 86. I did.
Have you ever thought it to be arrogant or something similar to pray and ask God to be so good to you that those who hate you will be ashamed? GOOD News! With a united heart (Thursday’s Point Three) we can ask. More than that, we should ask!
17 Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
See! Here’s a suggested prayer: ABBA, You know what she said, You know what she did and You know it hurts, it hurts bad. So, DADDY GOD, I am asking You to be so good to me that she will be ashamed. Be so kind and comforting to me that she will be so ashamed that she will seek You too; that she will want to know You and ABBA when she does, be as gracious and as loving and kind to her as You are to me. Amen and amen.
I tell you, IDOKs, I love it! It’ll not only preach; it’ll set us FREE!
Romans 2:4 (NASB) Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
DADDY GOD, this is good! Thank You! Now I pray we will be doers of it, not just readers. Don’t let me get up from here and forget this. Don’t let our IDOKs and Readers get up from their screens and forget it. We want You, Holy Spirit, to plant this in our hearts and grow it BIG in us. And we want You to demonstrate Your mercy and grace so abundantly to and through us that others will want to come to know You. Make us such recipients of Your loving kindnesses and grace and mercy and abundance that we cannot do anything else but give it to others encouraging and motivating them to want to know You too. And we pray similarly for those on our prayer list too. That You will be so gracious and so attentive, tending us and tending them that others take notice, not of us but YOU. Because we confess, it is coming to KNOW YOU that is the cure for all that ails us. And we do pray that You will cure what ails these on our list. We pray You will continue to protect our IDOK Troops. We pray HOLY SPIRIT they will know You are tending them, that You are watching over them and we pray they will give You praise; that they will worship You in hostile places and safe places. We pray You will take care of their families back home too and that the Troops themselves will be confident that You are. We pray they will have confidence and peace of mind that You are worthy to be trusted. And we are not forgetting to pray for Israel; for peace and protection and wisdom and courage to do what is right even when the enemies do wrong. I pray that for America too. I ask You, ABBA, to forgive and have mercy and to turn the fractured hearts of people to Yourself. We pray for more and more churches to become Houses of Prayer. We pray for more and more homes to become homes of prayer and less and less places of televisions and movies and video games, and bickering and selfishness. Wake us up, LORD, and turn our hearts toward home in Jesus Name. Amen and amen.
We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?
