"Momentous!"

 "There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after." (Ecclesiastes 1:11 KJV)

  "Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT)

 In the light of living under the sun, this is the expression of basic living, as in moments shared with those who are in our lives, cherished times, which do not really get to see the light of day, because they cannot be recorded as they might have happened. It is really not possible to express again something so special and personal; trying to duplicate it, is never the same.

 If we are speaking of certain historical events or people, the actual event or person is the thing that is recorded; but the motivation, emotional journey, and sacrifice of other things, not listed, never see the light of day! People might talk about these things, as if they know, but they really don't know what was or even is, in the heart of another person. 

 However! If you have a personal relationship with God, knowing Him, believing in all that He has promised, then we are talking about a whole different subject all together! Those ripples that are made, big or small, are long forgotten and they count no more; even though they might still go on, long after you die; effecting other people and causing things to happen, that you know nothing about; they have been erased and covered over by the blood of Jesus Christ! 

 Pastor Bryan said something very important for us to lock away in our thoughts, especially when we might be confronted by anyone that might ask: "Why would God need to come and die on a cross?" Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins; not only was He sacrificed on the cross for us, but He was the only one that could be counted as the Perfect Sacrifice; yet, He became sin, taking on the sins of the whole world; so much so, that for that brief moment in time, for the very first time, the Father and the Son had to be separated, because of our sins! 

 It's okay to have doubts about this strange and unorthodox way of sharing something I have no clue or real knowledge about; I even doubt it myself, but I also feel compelled to share it anyways, because I am sure that God is leading me, step by step! On a more pressing note: We are getting ready for some very interesting times; times that will require prayer and fasting, paying attention to the truth, and loving one another, like never before! 

 When things become difficult and trials seem unending, instead of feeling overwhelmed, rest in the arms of the Lord, letting Him be your strength! I really will never forget something I saw Pastor Gary do, back in 1989, as he was showing us what it meant to learn how to surrender and drown. He literally became limp as he stood next to his pulpit, and for a brief second or two, he looked as if he was floating in the water. 

 We need to learn how to drown! That means to surrender to the Lifeguard of your soul, quit trying to save yourself, and just relax and let Him grab hold of you...

"We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on only God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us." (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT)