So you THINK you want to know him

Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians, " I want to know Messiah - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death...." Philippians 3:10  

Just take a moment and think on that.

  

Is this actually attainable?

Yes, it  most certainly is attainable. 

Not only is it attainable but it is very relevant and for every believer in Messiah.

The sufferings of Messiah, even unto ones death, should be a part of a believers every day life. It is called "dying to ones self," laying our life down, humbling ourself. Placing the interests of others before ours. It is the way Yeshua lived his life. We should strive to live as he did.

Philippians chapter 2 talks about  us imitating the humility of Jesus - it's quite beautiful.

Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind.  Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves —  look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own

  Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:

Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.

And when he appeared as a human being,
 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!

Each time I find myself going through a really hard time.

It can be relational, emotional, financial, spiritual. When ever I get to that point  that I find myself asking of God, or crying out to God or maybe I am just really worried or I think you get my point. 

This is so beautiful - this is it.

The Lord in his awesome grace. In total patience - He always - without fail - asks me the very same question,

 "Amy, has anything changed?"

A simple matter of fact, quite profound question.

And of course, I have to answer,

 "No Lord. Nothing has changed."

Understand, I haven't always been able to answer that question. 

In the beginning, I didn't really understand the question, or better yet the answer.

It took me a little while. Sometimes I would answer a wee bit harshly. (Just being honest with you.)

NOW....I fully understand.

But it took some time for me to understand what the Lord was asking me. What and why he was asking me.

I understand now and take great comfort in his voice when I hear the my name and the question that is soon to follow.

  God hasn't changed at all.

 He is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

He knows my coming in and my going out. My first breath and my last. 

I have delighted myself in Him and He has given me the desire of my heart.

I need not fear. I need not worry. The Lord has my life in his charge. Everything under his control. God is still on His throne. 

I need only to live. To Love and to REST in HIM.

This is the same for you.

Who ever you are. Where ever you have been.

You are loved with an everlasting love.

Remember this -

...." though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Messiah is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 

1 Peter 1:6-10

"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;"

Psalm 34:19

A Word for the Shepherds

Ezekiel 34: 2-6

 ¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

 ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? ³ You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. ⁴ You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. ⁵ So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. ⁶ My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them."

Who Will Go?

Who will go and find my lost sheep?

Who will go and who will seek?

Who is willing to leave the prestige?

For canyons and crevasses to return them to me?

Who of my under-shepherds will be like me?

And leave the many for the one you can’t see?

Who will tend to the ones who’ve run off?

Are there any of you willing to count the cost?

Many are your words in your houses built by men.

Now is the time to let them rule your hearts.

Go!

Find my lost sheep and bring them in!

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 

¹⁴In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."

Matthew 18:12-14