God fasted over you. Yes He FASTED! …. Over you . Everything is for you- who is God to you?

 

[this one may a bit rough in certain places as compared to the ‘feel-good’ ones I normally do. Its also really packed. Don’t rush. Pray. Meditate. Its long and its gonna take you a while anyway 🙂 ]

God Himself fasted and prayed over you in the wilderness (Selah)
Believe it?

He suffered many things for you. Not just the beating, thorns , the cross and death. His whole life and everything in it that had an element of suffering, He endured for you. In all its aspects of struggle or any place in the Bible where we read He went THROUGH something.
Meditate on that. Pick any part of the gospels where you think, eish… That musta been hard, rough, difficult, demeaning, embarassing, shameful, humbling… Then ask yourself .. Why?

I mean common sense would think that that’s common sense when you think about it. Really? Lets see if you still feel that way by the end of this.

Jesus, the Father , even the Holy Spirit, who was the one who drove Jesus into the desert immediately after baptism, all are you (us) motivated. You know how they say, “she lives for her husband or he lives for his wife”? God creates us and then lives for us. So driven into the desert? How deep is that?! Why not sent?  Why led (her hold my Hand Son, ok now come on). Why drove? Theres something there. It says to me, that going into the desert itself was a temptation. The decision and the journey out in there was similar to Abraham going up mount carmel to sacrifice his son. I wasn’t easy. Not that Christ had a reluctance, but ‘drove’, ‘led’ says to me difficulty, struggle was a reality. And because we believe that righteousness by faith was first perfectly manifest in humanity by Christ alone, then drove also says to me CARRIED! Its a theme throughout the old testament. “I’ll make it through cause of You”. Its there. Moses, David, even Samson.

Check out some of the below. Why I’ve included these verses is because I ask you…. I think you’ve heard me ask this before. When will a human beings heart or love EVER out-do God? Will that ever happen?

Job 9:28Job 9:28
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WP-Bible plugin –I am afraid of all my sufferings;I know that You will not hold me innocent. (Jesus the sin-bearer)

Remember in God’s eyes Job was also righteous by faith. Now read that verse again as a prayer, a cry from the heart of a Manwho knows no flesh shall stand justified by the Law. Jesus was born condemned! By the Law came the knowledge of sin. Not freedom. Instead by the Law came death. And the Law is perfect.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Doesn’t it take on a whole new meaning when He says “Yea, not a jot shall pass away, till all the Law and the Prophets be fulfilled”. Now put Christ in Jobs shoes with that prayer… Now does the garden of gethsemanemake sense and take on a whole new meaning as to why Christ said what He said then said “no Your will”.  Christ, never did anything wrong, and there He is being DRIVEN into the desert. Fast forward there He is being abandoned/forsaken, in fact Isaiah quotes “stricken by God” so does the book of Hebrews and Corinthians. So not a jot means to me, that God was not gonna stop pouring out His wrath on Jesus until He had worked out the fullness of the damnation destruction punishment of wickedness onto His only Son. I mean how hectic is that?! How UNFAIR! How wrong! How painful! How UNJUST! Yup… All for you.
There will never come a father son relationship on this earth that can ever touch the beauty and ever-trustworthy never-let-you-downness that the Father and Son had. To be utterly forsaken and abandoned. Hmmm. “Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani” also now making sense… My God My God, WHY!!!

I used to have a training partner. Full contact. No holds barred. Stop at blackout or submission. (yes I mean that).  And we had an agreement. Whenever we had issues in our lives, we’d come to train and we allowed each other to take out our stresses on the other partner during our work out. So we’d pad-up fully. Head guard, mouth guard, groin guard. Shin guards, fore-arm guards, grappling gloves the whole nine. Bno guards though for back, chest, stomach, face or feet cause these are targets. Not for the faint hearted. And then it was literally -”You’re feeling angry, like you’re gonna lose it? Ok HIT ME THEN…. Common! My mother can……”. The idea was to sweat and work-through pain-threshold. Also to give the other guy the opportunity not to worry about pulling their punches. (lol I digressed but its the truth. Its too graphic for some of you but hey I’m trying to give us context for what I’m about to say)

Now… In laymans terms. That’s the cross. In a very pitiful, very limited, very almost moronic but very human way of expressing it, it was no-holds barred, no-retreat no-surrender no gloves, barefisted beat-down at the cross. And the Father working out His hurt, His disappointment, His anger or what the Bible calls… His “strange wrath” or that “strange work” ON His only Boy! By the way, on that point… Please stop breaking God’s heart with thinking that He’s actually gonna enjoy (God forbid) or be ok or not moved when destruction comes with hellfire and judgement day.

For us heaven is  eternal bliss. But imagine the sorrow of a God, who makes the beautiful the perfect the pure the holy only to burn it (them)! If you were an artist could you destroy your greatest work of art? And you’ve been thinking all this time that judgement was gonna be EASY for God!!!! Jeez. Seriously? A God of LOVE, who IS Love? Who IS Pure? Who IS righteousness Incarnate?!!! Imagine all the cries of pain and hurt. I don’t know about you, but, and its not Biblical, but I’m guessing that the God’s heart will mourn forever(whatever that means to an eternal God) at having no other way to protect us from sin than to destroy it and un-saved/infectious, contagious sinners forever.

Guys please… Can we please see God for who He really is… You will NEVER experience the brokenness of God on the level of a God. You may taste pity and heartbreak in your lifetime. When your loved ones let you down. Or when you have to separate from friends or ppl you care about who are negatively affecting your salvation even if its momentary. Like keeping the right friends of faith and letting go of bad influences.

Now multiply that by a billion billion times over for every hurt we go through and the worst being damnation. The FINAL hurt. The LAST pain. For the lost that is. That is why He says two things. “I take no pleasure in the death of him who dies... Now therefore, CHOOSE LIFE AND LIVE!” Ezekiel 18:32Ezekiel 18:32
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I’d be willing to be called the fool and paraded before the universe as an idiot if God doesn’t say that through the Holy Spirit for Ezekiel, but with actual tears in His eyes as He sits on His mercy seat downloading into Ezekiel as he wrote it. Notice it ends with exclamation marks.

People God is broken over us! Who knows what it takes from Him just to live with Himself over our temporary deaths when I person dies and sleeps let alone when judgment day comes and the second death loses for God those souls forever. Have you LOST a loved one. Do you understand why we called those people the damned. But God calls them the LOST. LOSS people. God feels LOSS on judgement day. EMPTINESS inside. HURT! PAIN. The lost.

Like I don’t know how to emphasize it more. Be fair. Be honest about God. Defend His Love! This is a gentle kind God. What did it do to Him to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? (till the cup of their iniquity is full… How long does it take a loving parent to throw out a delinquent child, IF they’re even able to. Imagine having to kill that child?! Izzat too heavy for you? Now multiple the madness of hurt it would cause a parent and try and put yourself in Gods shoes for a moment if you dare). What did it do to destroy every first born child in Egypt? Cause remember the Bible says that the “A”ngel of the Lord went about destroying the first-borns of Egypt. So is it easy for God? Like even without reading the verses as proof we shouldn’t have to have it proved to us about WHO God is. Like we should almost implicitly trust God without needing to read about Him. But there we are, running to the Bible repeatedly (or we should) whenever we struggling to trust God. Didnt God mourn over Saul? Didn’t God mourn over even the Devil in Ezekiel – OH How thou art fallen …. you were….!
I mean seriously guys, David mourned over cutting a piece of Sauls robe then calls that murdering, witch-seeking idolator “father”. Is David, also a murdering, adultering, best-friend back-stabbing human being going to out-do a perfect holy and righteous God? … Like really. Can someone please feel ashamed of how they have looked at Him. Can someone (me included) please feel deeply embarassed at how they’ve almost secretly hidden it from even themselves how they’ve struggled to marry the concept of a God of love with a God of Wrath and Judgment.

But just to increase your (our) faith read Isaiah 28 – 16 –22 but just read the whole chapter. Oh God! When I heard this in a sermon, it FREED ME! Oh how much peace it gave me. How I apologised to God in my heart for harbouring this “looking at You from the side of my eyes”-mistrust and uneasiness. I have learnt that in the Bible, whenever you see God being “harsh” in your eyes, examine your faith. Confess you’re struggling to reconcile the love you have in your heart for God with someone the book of truth says about God. Confess it. Be real. Admit to God you’ve got issues with this seemingly gangsta, bully mafioso occasionally nice God of the old-testament …. Who kills entire planets… With this soft, gentel almost walk-over Jesus in the new-testament. As He changed His mind about something. Or the rough-love wasn’t getting through so He decided to try another method! Come one guys, you’ve either been there or (mercy!) you’re still there. You can’t reconcile. Here is faith. Everything God does in the Bible is by right (He’s king no discussion sorry) and He does out of perfect love. Including destruction. Imagine the mind of a Christian struggling to grapple with God IS love and then having to deal with floods and wars and fire and brimstone and pillars of salt.  No wonder we’re struggling with pet since. We’ve still been given a spirit of fear again! We have not been given a spirit of love and of sound mind. Our minds are struggling with this issue. But here is the love of God in another piece of Him that proves He’s true to form. I’ll prove it below.

Again with Isaiah 28 from 16 It starts with a description of Jesus, then brings the destruction, then pleads with us to listen to God because He IS a wonderful Counsellor. A wonderful Guide. Read these verses in your own time and see what God has to put Himself through for you to have careFREE tear-FREE paradise. And that’s because God had to this “strange-act” this “unusual act”.  Don’t ever accuse God of “Yo! God is harsh” If you’re afraid to speak out and youre in a place where even implicitly or in silence when people are talking about hell and you leave the room with a feeling like God is harsh. At least in your own heart, fight that unbelief. Pray it out of you. Even if you cant speak up. At a minimum, because of this gospel, this hope we have that doesn’t disappoint, do believe it inside.

How long, how deeply with weeping and criying out do you mourn the dead?

Or how long do you mourn divorce with a crushing, the world makes-no-sense no more depression and sadness?

And you think you can do better or out-do God with sorrow? Ridiculous. Eish… Be fair to God people. Be fair… Please. Be fair. Sympathize with Him. Feel for Him. Hurt for Him with Him by Him. Then go out there and get/give somebody some Jesus. On the real. Get serious about your Christianity. Don’t let people miss out. Lets try and protect God from heartbreak. Lets not add to His grief. But lets do our part so at least we can reduce or minimize how much mourning and grief He has to go through. Therefore, if any man loves me, it is him who keeps my commandments… “And this is life eternal, that you believe on the Father, and Him who He has sent, the only begotten Son. He alone has seen the glory of the Father, no one else has ever seen it! A new commandment I give you,  that you have love one for another. For then… They will believe that you are Mine and that I sent you.” gospel – John.

See people don’t believe in God cause they don’t believe us (when we talk) and or believe IN us (what we do). Why, cause we LACK true love. We lack God-love. Agape! Why? Coz our love for God without faith is born warped (iniquity). Its cracked, its handicapped (iniquity). Its bent (iniquity) its skew (iniquity again one more time) . Then on top of that we sell God short (sin) first in our hearts (sin-unbelief) then to the world. First us inside  we don’t measure up (sin) and we cant hide it (Hebrews 4) then outside we fall short and get caught out (form of religion). Did you know you need faith to love? Why faith to have love ?
And why need love to have faith? Lets discuss the 2 parts of the gospel for a moment.

OBJECTIVE gospel. Christ IN US when you get saved (the marriage proposal God-getting-down-on His knees and saying marry me). Top-down. This opens your heart. In comes faith with the wow experience. Then that faith opens your heart again. SUBJECTIVE gospel. And more love gets downloaded into you. Because YOU are IN Christ. Down-up. The never-ending beautiful cycle. God to us. The proposal. We say “Yes, I will!” and we scream and we’re blown away and we can’t believe it and we cry and we faint lol! And we get married. That’s Christ IN YOU. From God to us. Oooo… Wait for it! Then you back. You give yourself to God. You fall for Him cause He first fell for you. WOW! Then you IN Christ. From us to Him. Its a cycle. God first, then us, always. With God always opening up the valve, the tap, more or differently each time. More to help you overcome. Differently when He convicts of a new area of your life you need to surrender to the Holy Spirit (your BFF). That’s why you need faith to love, once you’ve first received love to have faith. I’m not playing with you. Or with words. Just covering all the angels. So Top-down then down-Up. Or Love to get faith. Then faith to get Love. He fell for you (love before-first-sight) then pursued you. Then you fell for Him (head over heels). The first is an in-pouring (empowers) and it saves. The second is an out-pouring(living-sacrifice) and normal/reasonable. The first is a foundation, a chief corner stone. The second is a result. Not a work or a labour but a you looking at yourself and realising hey I’ve changed or people saying hey you’ve changed. Thus faith empowers for the outpouring faith brings love. “Because He first loved”. In all our struggles, this is the area that’s gone wrong. Youre struggling with sanctification? Youre pipe, your download is blocked somewhere. Your faith isnt letting Him “first love” in some area of your life and as a result you’ve run out of gas(petrol) to overcome in that area. In and out. In and out. One more time. Him IN me! Then I go INTO Him (streams of life-giving water will flow out of their hearts). In fact the Bible is beautiful, it takes away so completely anything you can bring to the table or contribute to any part of your salvation or Christian life by saying “that I may be FOUND in Him”. Almost as if even the second part – you going INTO Christ – or you IN Christ being an out of body experience where you suddenly find yourself there. So you ask, so whats my part? You have no part. Its already done. Why do you want a part? The moment you believe its done over and finished. And this comes by revelation only not human understanding that’s why so many are frustrated Christians cause its too easy too simple and they want a part to play. So how to I pray more or study more or hear Him. Here’s a simple extract from Steps to Christ, “if the Christian could just spend some time everyday, contemplating the Cross and the sacrifice Jesus made” so much would fall into place. See we become changed not by anxiety but by faith. Which again we have to pray for. Another steps to Christ quote “can the child by being anxious add even a single inch to their height before the time? How then can the Christian add anything?…. “ to their growth. Everything about your spiritual life is about receiving. We pray for faith, we pray for wisdom. And we pray “in all things without ceasing” then it means all things are external to you. Including your faith. If its external then what kind of faith is it? The faith of Christ. Being parcelled and divided out to the Christian heart as and when it is willing. Its all about receiving. Power to overcome. Faith to love. Strength to obey. Wisdom to understand. Purpose to serve! Identity to belong! And Life to live. Why is it that it makes sense that your body gets tired when you gymn so you have a limit and yet you think you can work at your faith and not get tired? Let us be transformed by the renewing (Phil 2) of our minds and become and be humble. Or Peter puts it beautifully almost competing with Christ’s sermon on the mount. Let every man be humble that God may exalt him. Do you wanna be a better Christian be honest about how bad at it you will always be and therefore (not depressingly but liberatingly) how needy you will always be. This is the first four beatitudes of Christ in Matthew 5. First be poor because we suck at this. Then mourn, at how badly we suck at this. Then be meek when you recognise how badly we suck. Then don’t get stuck down there but remember the promise of God and need or be hungry to NOT suck. In fact be so hungry that you actual desire not to be better but desire to be pure to be holy. Yearn for holiness to try to be holy. HUNGER for righteousness don’t try your best to pray for long and study for hours. REACH UP AND OUT for God, spreadh your arms wide and weep with desperate whimpering for God to save your soul, and beyond to lift you up into the image of His glory so you, the prince(ss) can be like  (a unqiue copy of) Him! IN HIM!

Why this negative approach by the most beautiful preacher of all time? Because the poor already have heaven. The mourners will find comfort (blessed assurance). The meek will be paraded around the universe with much pomp and fanfair come judgement days as “these are my heirs” and the hungry and thirsty shall be filled. ALL OF THAT IS CHRIST IN YOU (cause the closer you get to God the more inadequte and filthy you see yourself, but with a happy-ending twist). The Objective Gospel. No democracy not a discussion.

Now when that happens, then you become pure (you will see God), and merciful, you become peacemakers. To pause a little, why are peacemakers called children? Cause the gospel is first one of peace between you and God. No more estrangement and war. First issue is peace. (While you were yet enemies, while you were yet without strength). See… The gospel is real peace. So people who take peace, good news to the world become the real children of God cause they bring hope. They bring peace. The bring blessed assurance. And then finally comes the persecution cause you’re not acting normal but are suddenly a peculiar people. What you thought  you were gonna get rewarded by the world cause you act think talk and behave like Jesus? What happened to Him? And His disciples? What are they calling Bible-beleiving Christians these days? “Fundamentalists”. And we know we’re living in times where the word “FUNDAMENTALIST” is synonymous with terrorist. Now these rest of the beatitudes are SUBJECTIVE gospel. How far you get depends on you. Why? Because you need to ACCEPT the first 4 beatitudes. Top-down. down-Up. How far Up you go, depends on how much (rain) you let come Down.

These beatitudes are a description. A CV. A resume. A track-record of a Christian. They are what a normal, real-gospel-believing Christian is. Isnt that a challenge and an indictment at the same time!!! Are you (am I) Matthew 5:1-12Matthew 5:1-12
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The first four objective. The last four subjective. The first four you depend on God. The last for God depends on you. First 4 God Down Into you. Last for you out back at God. First four a “state of being”. The last four a result a consequence. The first four AFFECT your worship, your love. The last four ARE your worship, your love.

Again, Andrew make it plain. Are you struggling with any of the last four? Your problem is the first four. In fact, I have found with me, its mostly my struggle with the very first one. I’m a nice guy. I’m not so bad. I’m not so poor in spirit. I’m not spiritually destitute. Hey, I write devotionals. Hey, we’re doing ok, we study our Bibles. Hey people in the office know we don’t swear lol! Poverty. Absolute, in-humane, spiritual poverty is the legacy Adam left for us. But 2 Cor 7:102 Cor 7:10
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WP-Bible plugin. This does not depress. It cause repentance. That’s why its so beautifully and eloquently called “godly sorrow”.

I hope someone is seriously challenged by this version of the gospel. The truth. Verbatim. Verses the gospel they have or believe they have. In many cases the truth is rest while we as believers have a heavy laborious burdensome hard-to-live up to life. Here’s a final spanner. Just to put it into perspective. And I keep coming to marriage cause God’s been trying to talk to us through it but we’ve warped and messed it up so bad that people don’t even like the comparison.

Why is the woman submissive and the man the head? Because she was built to contribute while being taken care of. And the man, husband was built to take care of her. A man of God, builds his wife emotionally physically. He speaks INTO and TO her self-esteem. He doesn’t flatter. He compliments. A man of God loves with a love that makes a woman walk up straight and make direct eye contact with anyone out there. A man of God loves in such a way that his wife is not only proud of and proud to be married to her husband but her respect goes deep. When you say respect the king what do you mean? You mean honour! You mean adore! And he walks down the street the crowd cheers and throws flowers! And when there’s war whats the first thing the citizens think of ? The VALOUR of the king and his princes! And what does he do? He pushes his principles. He lives and dies by his honour. He builds his cities and kingdom for the people. He loses sleep (husbands) over the people’s welfare. He throws himself in front of lances and spears. He dies on the battle field killing the enemy and never again having any more cherished moments with his beautiful queen just so she and everyone else can live. His life means nothing. Pride? If the enemy will spare the city, he bows and surrenders if he has to. And if the enemy breaks trust he sacrifices himself killing the enemy and the oath-breaker.

I know I have so digressed you’re now lost, but what does all this do? It creates an honour and adoration for him the king in the heart of his queen (wife) and the people (family). We can depend on him. He will protect us. He will provide. He will role-model. A woman loved like this, doesn’t need to be forced or reminded to submit or respect. Like Jesus eventually, she will conform and love and adore and respect. Hectic. Never been married. I just read this stuff in the Bible lol! One facilitates the other. And it begins with a mind-blowing, life-giving, pride-sacrificing love from the husband. The get down on his knees and embarrass himself before everyone kind. The plan and meticulously creep on her and sweep her off her feet kind with intimate privacy and all her favourite things such that by the time the ring comes out she’s already guessing breathless. LOL! Do you see the Christ in you and the you IN Christ happening there? The on his knees cause the mouth-open wow-I adore him effect? Where in that equation did the wife work hard to be more beautiful? Lol. Or worry at night and labour at becoming more attractive? He loves you or he doesn’t. What you do, don’t matter by the time knees hit the ground and the ring comes. What you ARE is the killer. He’s proposing to who he sees you ARE and will be (cleanse her and present her faultless Ephesians 5). Its his job as commanded by God to help you bloom. Isnt that what people say? She’s blossomed into a beautiful woman. She’s blooming. She’s glowing. Lol! We say things naturally from out of the deep places of our hearts and fail to hear God laughing at how slow we are! Like these people “are a stiff-necked, hard-hearted people”.

Working hard at marriage is truth. But it should pour out! Not be carried up a hill! It should flow and sometimes yes be hard-work in that God is working out in us our flaws and teaching each other love that’s self-sacrifice, not self-seeking, doesn’t remember hurt. Imagine if you could find a marriage, if your single, where youre absolutely at peace and convinced theres nothing you could do to get your spouse to leave you and that they had hurt-amnesia. The kind of spouse that thought about you all the time and just wanted you happy. Some one gentle, kind and then on top of that doesn’t even think they’re all that great. They’re just average in their own eyes. (Not puffed up). Problem with nice guys and great girls is that they think they’re nice and great. Imagine some not just able but built to live with all your flaws faults weaknesses and shortcomings (bears, endures all things) and just dedicated their life to pouring into you (believes all, hopes all) (oooo 1 Cor 13 hehe). Like  how amazing is that! How would that make you feel? What would you do with feeling. “Do anything” naturally for them right? BAM Gospel. From this amazing person into you, you head over heals and unbelievably in love enabling you to be an amazing spouse.

Ah, God loves you like that. Loving him back should be easy. Problem is we may think intellectually that God loves us like that, but we havent married it with the first beatitude. We arent at the stage where our spouse (God) is so awesome, that it kills you that you cant return that same love back. You burn to be like them (Him). It drives you nuts to have even a little of the same attitude (meek cause you don’t measure up). We arent at the stage where you wish so deep that you could somethow be like them and love them back the same way even though you know you lie, cheat, mistreat and grieve them on a regular. Lol.

So how amazing is God’s love really? Like why does He do the things He does for us?
Why would God fast over us? Or suffer in any way for us. Isnt that, fasting, our job! Lol…. As if any human being ever did anything good first before God!!!! He’s always the yardstick. Yo! I’m so slow its painful. A friend of mine uses the phrase “as thick as two planks”!

Anyway back to fasting and suffering. Compare how far humans, our Bible heroes, are willing to go and have gone in the below.

Romans 8:18Romans 8:18
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[ From Suffering to Glory ] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
2 Corinthians 1:5-62 Corinthians 1:5-6
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For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for [YOUR] consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. .
Philippians 3:10Philippians 3:10
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that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Colossians 1:24Colossians 1:24
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[ Sacrificial Service for Christ ] I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church

(bold my emphasis) (Is your Christianity effective? Examine your fears. Oh and there is gospel in Phil 3… Conformed to His death!!! We are still sinning (not sinners but transgressing, chained, bound by strongholds) because we arent dead = which is the promised freedom from sin in THIS lifetime! We did that study last week. The author was like freedom comes in heaven only and that 1 John didn’t mean live sinless just because theres a provision. But the Bible is clear that freedom must be tasted here first. Heaven should, for believer, only the final freedom from the PRESENCE of sin. “Hosea 8:12Hosea 8:12
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WP-Bible plugin -I have written for him the great things of My law, But they were considered a strange thing”. But God CAN raise a holy people. Otherwise the gospel is poor and not rich. MAY WE BELIEVE. Selah! Selah!)

Now put those verses above together , Romans 8, Phil 3, 2Phil 3, 2
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WP-Bible plugin Cor 1 and Col 1 and lemme pose the question.

Do you honestly think He spent most of His time 40days and 40 nights praying over Himself!? Lol.

Anyway so the trinity have always been about putting you (me, us) first.

I’d be willing to stake my eternal life on the idea that He spent most of that time praying and fasting over us.

This is how much I love my Saviour.  And here is peace for me. Though it may sound like madness. If Jesus, allowed Himself, God, who had never known HUNGER or THIRST to feel these things for me, then today. Just for today, I can love Him. I’m not worried or even thinking about tomorrow. I hard pressed in my heart about right now.

If He loved me enough to let Himself, a creator God, taste exhaustion. To let His lips crack and bleed with dehydration. To let His eyes and tongue be filled with dry dust when the wind blew by and He squinted His sore red swollen eyelids. He eventually got tired of fighting the flies. He reached the point where His body ran out of sweat. He become not thin, but emaciated. A living skeleton. If Jesus, who is Life, the breath of Life, could allow Himself to suffer to the point where it was hard for His lungs to lift themselves up and draw rasping breaths through a parched nearly dry shut throat, just so that today I could breath. Imagine being plagued day and night by snakes, scorpions. Heat during the day and minus 0 (yes below 0) temperatures at night. Vultures circling over you. Wild animals coming to check if you’re dead yet. Howling maybe even snapping at you! Read the gospels again. Its says “with the wild animals”. Not some hiking trail or farm retreat or safari. In the wild! Fasting day and night. Barely able to keep His eyes open towards the end. Body SO DEHYDRATED that even tears couldn’t fall. Throat so dry you can’t talk. Your stomach so shrunk cause you’re BEYOND hungry. THEN when you can’t take it anymore (at least so the devil thought because he is a student of humanity –6000 years plus later since Eden) along comes that Serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan. To tempt Him with the basics. To us, turn stones to bread sounds so small. When was the last time you were really really hungry and then you smelt food. What happened? You’re whole body reacted maybe you even had a dizzy/fainting-spell. Imagine sitting on the power to re-arrange every single molecular structure in the universe simoutaneously with one thought. At your fingertips. Imagine fighting against the temptation to STEP OUT OF TIME AND SPACE – grab some MacDees – then STEP BACK with no one, not even the Devil, the wiser. Imagine the temptation to leave this decaying weak useless body and just be God fully again. And along comes the devil… IF you are Him, eat. How simple. How easy. How innocent. How small. How insignificant. Can you see the danger of sin? It doesn’t have to be big. It can be so small. SO insignificant. So unobstrusive. So unassuming. A white lie. Litte fib. But had Jesus caved, it would have changed universal history irrevocably forever. Imagine the shame He had to endure, being tempted by His own creation….. “IF You are, then I dare You!!!!” If there was every any proof that Jesus was God it was this one encounter. Cause the Devil could have just killed Him there. But it wasn’t His time and He couldn’t be touched. It wasn’t even about the angels. He fought Satan with “as He believed so He spoke” and “as a Man thinketh in His heart, so is He”. He did all of this for you and me. The whole point NOT self-control…. But God-control me. You think Jesus withstood temptation? Lol. Again funny. Jesus leaned on the everlasting arms and that’s why we can lean on His. The point was to prove that no matter how basic or how hectic the temptation, the human being can be made perfect, through Christ. The Bible said He learnt obedience by His suffering. WOW. CHEW ON THAT! So should we 40days and 40nights? No. Why? Cause He already did. The points already been proved. Stop recreating the passion of the Christ in your life. Go check out your credit balance! Accept and receive when you believe! The Christian that believes and receives becomes (2 Cor 3:182 Cor 3:18
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WP-Bible plugin). We change by seeing God not by climbing up the ladder of hours on our knees or hours in Bible study or tithing on time or Sabbath-keeping. We behold and we become changed. Too easy huh?! God is merciful. Four not two planks.

If He went through all that for me, then today I can love Him. Just for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today is fresh new and needed. Today is life and death as if I were in that desert. Today I need Him. Today if I cant have Jesus I would rather die. Today today today. If God cant touch me. If He cant condescend and embrace my yearning lowly heart with His magnanimous Spirit then I don’t wanna see another sunrise.

I would rather be damned forever then live this moment to the next moment without the pure astoundingly sweet all encompassing mind-blowing undeserved beautiful love of God.

What is life without Jesus? Why should my heart beat? Why should my veins have blood, and God’s blood be spilled and wasted on to the ground as if it were of no value?!

And to think, a Being like Him, lives INSIDE me?!

… Too much.
Here is final proof. Whenever you read the Bible, and you see Jesus do something in the old or new testament I want your faith to be increased from today.

Hebrews 2:9-10Hebrews 2:9-10
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But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death CROWNED with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.[ Bringing Many Sons to Glory ] For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfectthrough sufferings.
Hebrews 2:18Hebrews 2:18
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For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

1 Peter 3:181 Peter 3:18
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[ Christ’s Suffering and Ours ] For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, (and we WITH Him) being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
1 Peter 4:11 Peter 4:1
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Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, (eish are you suffering? Or still sinning?)
(again my emphasis)

Why did He go into the desert 40days and 40nights? (Why do you fast?)
Why did He have no place to sleep even foxes He made and birds He created have holes and nests? (Why do you go without whenever you do, if you ever do?)
Why did He allow Himself to be paraded back and forth between Herod, Pilate and the Priests? (Why are you willing to be embarassed for God, if you ever are?)
Why put Himself through such as horrendous death of nails and cross and being displayed before then entire universe, half-naked, beaten up but not beaten down? (Why take a verbal, emotional or spiritual beating, for strangers if you ever have)
Why did He go hungry talking to people like the Samaritan woman? (Why deny yourself food or water or any pleasure or daily need because you didn’t have time, because you were reaching out to someone… Or again, have you ever?)
Why did He insist on teaching people when the Pharisees were constantly ridiculing and trying to trap Him (Why do you insist on sharing the Bible with people when someone is always making fun of you when you do, or do you only share the Bible truth and Spirit in safe comfort-zone environments)
Why did He wash their feet? (Have you ever demeaned yourself to someone undeserving to prove a point of love… And we come to church with broken marriages and broken homes because people have too much pride. Why come then? What you’re too proud to say sorry for something you didn’t do? Too proud to humble yourself and be laughed at, shouted at or rejected when you reach out to a loved one who is chained by their hurt or hate? Even if you havent done wrong? Why am I too proud. Why Lord?! Why!?)
Why did He let Judas walk with Him for years know what He would do? (Have you ever shown love to someone who hates you? How long did you last and who gave up on the relationship first them or you? Remember Judas hung himself but Jesus never gave up on Him)
Why did He WARN Peter before he betrayed Him and say ‘ the devil came but I prayed for you, when you’re back on your feet, I’ll be here waiting’ (Have you ever seen someone heading towards letting you down and hurting themselves in the process? What did you say… Was it condemning and judgmental or did you say something that planted in their heart that this relationship isnt going anywhere. ‘You’re gonna hurt yourself and me, but when that happens know that I prayed for you already and when you come back I’ll be waiting, and not only that, you’re story is gonna help other people’)

This is why, we can’t chase the Law. All of the above is God’s character not even just His standard or His Law. God IS the above He doesn’t ACT like it. These arent His emotions or even decisions. God IS. He doesn’t think through stuff and then make a decision. He forever lives in a state of I AM.

I AM a sufferer for you
I AM hungry so that you wont hunger
I AM embarassed and ashamed so that you wont bear my shame

I AM a teacher so you arent lost without knowledge
I AM low and meek and I AM a foot-washer so you can be clean
I AM etc etc

Guys by the time God, when living in our timeframe, gets to points where a human being would have to MAKE a decision, He already (from before the foundation of the world) HAS made a decision.
He IS that decision.
He is CONSTRAINED.
Moses and Abraham and Hezekiah didn’t get God to change His mind. God allowed their hearts to risk talking-back or arguing with God so that they could work out their salvation and test (yes I said test) GOD’S character.
Like Moses said ‘You can’t do that! What will people say!!! That’s NOT who You are. And even though I know You love me HARD and You need me to lead these Israelites, I want You to put all that at risk AND Blot (kill me forever) my name……blah blah …. If that’s Your decision”

Guys imagine the smile on God’s face.

One more time.

Everything God does is for you (us). This is a being so utterly selfless I wonder if He even has self-Motivation. If He does, His kind of self-Esteem or self-Motivation or self-Image or even the idea of HimSELF is probably SOOOO different from ours it would probably cause a mental breakdown for us if He tried to explain God’s version of SELF anything to us.

I am a man of unclean lips and I live amoung a people of unclean lips. Yet my heart has heard the King, The Lord of Hosts. Yet, sinner though I am,one day I’ll have the privilege of saying “Woe is me, I am undone Isaiah 6” and in “this body shall I see Him- Job 19”. If and when that happens, I confess, I don’t need heaven. It will be enough. To see and be seen is enough for me. No touch, no well done. Just to see! Enough.`

May you all have the same hope and the same shalom.

Amen and amen

[eish you’ve done well to reach here especially if you’ve not rushed or skimed through. And more so if you re-read. 😀 ]