POWER OVER DEATH

Why do we not see the sense of urgency?  People around us are dying every day; not just physically; but, more importantly, spiritually.  I often suspect it is because we are naturally drawn to places of "comfort".  As a missionary, I can't tell you how many spiritual attacks have come upon me and my family as a result of sharing the Gospel (not surprised by them; satan hates what we are doing, and knows his time here is short).  Earlier this year, over about 6-7 weeks, JeJe prayed with 7 people to receive Christ; the spiritual warfare was tough - but we hold the power in us - the Victory of Jesus on the cross; and I will fear no evil.  I choose to trust in my God's promises to protect me and my family, rather than watch souls perish.

We are currently walking through a difficult valley:  a family member, who battled breast cancer a year and a half ago us undergoing surgery to remove tumors from her lung.

As we walk through the hospitals and oncology buildings, we find ourselves surrounded by much hopelessness and, for many, lingering death.  Cluj is the capital city for cancer treatment in Romania.  The hallways are jam packed with people traveling from all over the country, waiting to see their Doctors, have testing done, etc.  Young to old, it is just heart breaking.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I hold in me the power of life over death; HE conquered death by His resurrection.  I only have to open my mouth (I am usually good at that), trust the Holy Spirit to give me His words, and share them with those I come into contact with.  The rest (the results) are His.
Open my mouth Lord; keep me from comfort and enable me to share your words of eternal life.

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?"
Romans 10:14

"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.  For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."  1 Timothy 1:8-12

"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:54-57

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39

THE WAY OF CALVARY

This past Sunday was Palm Sunday for us here in Romania; it has been really "strange" for me to have the Easter season so late in the year.  We will celebrate on May 5th; a long gap between celebrating it here and when it was celebrated in the U.S. (a difference of 5 weeks).

In this "gap" of time, the Lord has allowed me to be refined.  I have been struggling with discouragement, and the purging of hurt that comes through others.

As I cry out to the Lord, He keeps telling me "This is the way of Calvary; this is the road I walked - I want you to feel what I felt, so that you can have my heart.".  He laid down all his rights and will for His own life, so that He could accomplish the will of His Father.  He was sold, betrayed, beaten and rejected (Isaiah 53), but the results, and victory, were for me: reconciled to God through forgiveness of sins that His shed blood brought for me.  I am so thankful for His obedience and example.

If anyone knows rejection, it is Him.  The people would gather by the thousands to take what they could from Him, and opened their streets to cry "Hosanna!  Hosanna!" but days later these same people would cry "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!".

Rejection and disappointment: who knows them better than my Savior?  His disciples all scattered in the garden when He was arrested, and He then carried His cross up that long road to the hill of Calvary; to be crucified for my sins, and the sins of the world.

He has a plan for the things He allows me to go through, and promises to walk with me down the road (Romans 8:28 & Hebrews 13:5-6).

He wants to teach me to love others with His heart, despite rejection and disappointment.  His example to me is when He was on that cross - the only time He would be completely abandoned by His Father;  He cried out "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.".

This is His message to me:   Choose the way of Calvary.

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

Ephesians 4:32

“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.”  ― John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life