Recognizing the times in life where God takes the "crazy," and turns it into "beautiful." KNOWING 'WHERE' YOU ARE GOING IS NOT ESSENTIAL WHEN GOD IS IN THE LEAD.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Oil On His Feet
Dear Friend,
From the outpouring of the Spirit as I have prayed for you I want to say this...
From the beginning of time, the Lord has had YOUR name on His lips. He has loved you from the moment you made your first cry. When you mother looked on you for the first time, and loved you so deeply, even more HE loved you.
As you grew, and took steps on your own He let you. He said, "How I love this child..." And He watched as you learned to run. And with your gift to run, you ran back and forth, sometimes running to Him, sometimes running away from Him.
Who is HE? The God who thought you up before the foundations of the earth were laid. You were a thought in HIS mind. This God who created the heavens, and said, "This is good..." That same God created YOU...and when HE completed you He said, "This child is good!" He gazed upon your beauty and He longed to lavish His love on you. There were times where you said, "Yes Lord, I want your love..." And other times where you said, "No thanks. I'm fine."
Friend, A woman who had lived her life in complete abandonment to sin came to Jesus one day when His beautiful feet walked the earthly streets we walk today. Jesus was eating dinner with some friends and this broken figure of a woman entered into the home where He was eating. There they were, reclining around the table as was the custom, and this woman came crawling on her hands and knees, her face so low to the ground her nose became black from dragging it so low in her shame. Have you ever like this? I have. So as this woman reached Jesus, His feet were behind Him, and He felt something smooth being poured onto His feet, He heard weeping, and then droplets began to fall on His feet, and as He turned to look at what He already knew was happening, He saw the broken figure of this woman, so shamed wiping His beautiful feet with her long black hair....down around her tear stained face, now mixed with dust, her dusty nose was now streaked with black. She could not bare to lift her eyes to meet His, but she just kept weeping, and wiping His feet. Oil and tears pouring over His feet. Her sorrow wracked body shook with the shame she held on her own shoulders because of her sin. I can only imagine the look of love Jesus must have had written all over His face. One of Jesus's friends sitting at the table finally spoke up, I can only imagine the looks of shock and horror on the faces of His companions! This is not what people do! This is just not proper! She should not even have her hair down! Hair down implied bedroom activity! But in her utter abandonment of self she disregarded everything "normal" and abandoned herself in utterly and completely gone.
She then sat there at His feet, and kissed them. Those beautiful feet. Those feet I long to kiss. She kissed them over and over and over again. People just stood and stared. This friend who spoke up at last said this..."Do you know who is touching you? What kind of woman she is?"
Jesus said this "Simeon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me said Simeon."
Jesus replied.."Two men owed money to a certain moneylender, one owed him five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which one of them loved Him more?" Simeon replied, " I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
(Luke 7:40-50)
This my friends, is what Jesus has done for us. If you feel broken beyond repair, I have news for you. If you feel shamed beyond the ability to rise, rise in His strength.
Do you want to know the end of this story? This love story of a Savior with His beloved. Jesus looked at this women, rolling around in the chains and shame the the devil wants her to stay in, and He said, "Your sins are forgiven." and..."Your faith has healed you, go in peace." vs 50
Because she took a leap of extravagant obsession towards the only one who could save her, He saw her, and said of her, "You are my beloved. I have known you from the start..."
This world is full of lies, waging war over your souls and affections. The prince of THIS world the devil wants control over you daughters and sons! This enemy wants you to be in chains, to be in bondage...but Christ wants you to lift you tear stained faces to Him, lock your eyes with His, and receive the cleansing that washes away guilt, shame, death and fear of death.
We all have a debt we cannot pay on our own. whatever it is, know this, HE can cancel it. If only you come to Him, and ask. He who has been forgiven much, loves much, and He who has been forgiven little, loves little. You feel you have done to much to be forgiven? Think again. Oh the love that He has lavished on us. That we should be called the sons and daughters of God!
As this woman rose, from her place on the dirt, she left her costly oil, her tears, and she left her SHAME at the feet of Jesus. He wanted her to leave it there. So she could walk away in freedom. And when He hung on the cross for you and me my friend, He hung this woman's shame around His neck so the shame of HER sin, died with HIM. Gone. Forever. Never to be seen again. "Go He said, leave your life of sin!" And, in this He meant, Live free in ME. Do not walk in your own way that has no understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your paths straight. And by straight I mean, FULL. FILLED. NOT empty. LOVED. HELD. PROTECTED. SAFE. you are HIS beloved. He thinks you are beautiful. Friend, if you are not walking in the absence of shame that I speak of, wont you lay your shame at His feet, and accept what only He can give? LIFE. Even if you don't have costly oil to pour on His feet, that's OK. Poor out your heart to Him. He's being born tomorrow into this world to save you. Wont you accept Him as your gift? And give yourself to Him as the ultimate gift is given to you. Life. Eternal life. You will never regret accepting life, over death. Someone must die for your sin, and He would rather have it be Him. He loves you so....
Sincerely,
Your Friend.
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