Moses stuttered and spent years in the wilderness before the burning bush. Jeremiah was young and known as the weeping, unwelcomed spokesman of God. Joseph was hated by his siblings and spent time in prison. Ruth lost everything and Rahab was disrespected by all of Jericho.  Paul was in chains as he wrote most of the new testament.  Billy Graham suffered terribly with Parkinson’s before he met Jesus face to face. Life as a servant of God includes hardship, trouble, fires, and crowns for endurance. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. I appointed you a prophet to the nation.” God has a similar plan for all of us. His great plan is to replace the world’s Liar with the voice of heaven’s Lion of Judah. Our Father prepares us by testing us. All the servants mentioned in the heroes of the faith, spent time in a pit of pain as they all suffered. The Word of God is living and active, as it cuts through our human doubts and fears with fire. The calling of the saints before us are recorded to build our faith in His way. God formed us all in the womb along with  unique gifts and a fabulous life purpose. God’s plan for us did not begin when we accepted Jesus as Lord. His plan began before He spoke the universe into existence. He gave us the Holy Spirit, therefore, we are fully equipped to step into our life purpose. Our New Life in Christ does require hard seasons. His refining process hurts but miracles abound. Every breath is a gift. One day we will all be totally sanctified, glorified, and healed as Jesus gives us a new name in heaven with a white robe and stone. His Peace Abides

His plan for us is forged in  fires that hurt. Our story is part of His glory.  He “knew” us before the foundation of the visible world was seen by the first Adam. The word “knew” in greek is an action verb. God still actively knows us just like He knows all the saints. Our Father loves it when His kids rely on Him, His wisdom, and His promises. In the quiet of our darkest days is when we surrender our view of our purpose “in Him.” Accepting that we were set apart for His purpose, for His eternal agenda, is to choose to consecrate ourselves for His use. “Here I am Lord, use what You can!”  Imagine His delight as we align our ways to step into His purpose. Just like Moses, Jeremiah, Ruth, Esther, Paul, Peter, and John, we are marked in Him for His mission, we were set apart too. Life in Christ is not always fun, or very comfortable. We do not fit in this world because our citizenship is in heaven. On earth we get rejected, hated and misunderstood. Being set apart can feel lonely, and that is why God reminds us to “Come to Me.” God allows us to feel the pressure, the heat, the hurt before His Spirit elevates us beyond our understanding. God did set us apart to speak truth to Nations.  His great commission includes all peoples. The teen Jeremiah responded, “Lord, I am too young, I can’t speak.” God replied, “Do not say you are too young, I will put My words in your mouth.”

To say “I knew the Lord” is to take action within a personal relationship.  In Matthew 7:21, the word “knew” in the original Greek text is derived from the verb γινώσκω (ginōskō). This ACTION term means to personally seek to experience God. When we recognize our desperate need of a set apart identity —that is when we encounter the transforming power of God. A wise action is our admission and submission. This requires a relationship. Only when we surrender our plans, our schedules, our own intellectual understanding, then is when we crumble before God in the sacred place of knowing Who Jesus is. He is the King, the Healer, our Lord, our Master, who we are privileged to seek, for healing, comfort, and guidance. Only with a personal encounter do we experience the intimacy of receiving and knowing. He imparts wisdom, and knowledge that can only come from a one one one relationship through the indwelt, ever present Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the WILL of MY Father who is in heaven.”   Knowing that the Holy Spirit was imparted is intellectual. Submitting to the Holy Spirit is experiential. We can say verbally that Jesus is Lord. But is He all sufficient, or do you live self-sufficient, without need of His counsel? It’s about having a GENUINE relationship with Jesus and living out HIS teachings. Not just knowing the story of Jesus. Our OBEDIENCE is a result of a God given desire to honor His word while remaining in Him, the true Vine. The use of ginōskō aligns with other biblical text where the knowledge of God comes with our COVENANT, consecrated relationship. We live out our faith in alignment with His will, not ours. AMEN SO BE IT.

Job suffered a bunch as God allowed Satan to destroy all that citizens of this earth  treasure. As his close circle of friends watched, Job lost all his family, fortunes, and health. The best thing we can do for those who now suffer is to visit, listen, pray and offer practical helps, not advice.  Job’s friends visited in respectful silence, then they began giving their opinions.  Job was then forced to lean on God alone. Job’s friends did not issue kindness or welcome words of comfort. ●Eliphaz the Temanite is the first friend to suggest that Job’s suffering must be a result of some wrongdoing on his part. ●Bildad the Shuhite emphasized the justice of God and the idea that the innocent do not suffer. ●Zophar the Naamathite is more blunt as he says that Job’s punishment is less than he deserved. We learn from the documented mistakes of others how to be a friend. Job suffered as he trusted God.

Knowing Jesus knew you before birth, and that the King of kings loves you, that is enough to make our bones yearn to know Him. As the object of such great love, we hunger to know Jesus as we are known.  Because Jesus laid down His life in willing obedience, we lay down our plans for His. His sacrificial blood washed away all the sins of those who believe, trust and obey the Father’s will. So what exactly is the Father’s will? ■ Romans 12:2 “Do NOT conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what GOD’S WILL is—HIS good, pleasing and perfect will.” ■ 1 Thess 5:16-18 “REJOICE always, PRAY continually, give THANKS in ALL circumstances; for this is GOD’S WILL for you in Christ Jesus.” ■ Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to ME, ‘Lord, LORD,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY the one who DOES the WILL of MY FATHER who is in heaven.” ■ Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very CAREFUL, then, how you live—NOT as UNWISE but as wise, making the most of EVERY opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do NOT be foolish, but UNDERSTAND what the LORD’S WILL is.” ■ Colossians 1:10 ” We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of HIS WILL through all the WISDOM and understanding that the SPIRIT gives, so that you may LIVE a life WORTHY of the Lord and please HIM in every way: BEARING fruit in every GOOD work, GROWING in the knowledge of God.” ■ James 4:15 ASK BEFORE YOU LEAP. “IF it is the Lord’s WILL, we WILL live and do this or that.” ■ Proverbs 3:5-6 “TRUST in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding; in all your ways SUBMIT to HIM, and HE WILL make your paths straight.” ■ 1 Peter 2:15 “For it is GOD’S WILL that by DOING GOOD you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” So we remain attached to the Vine.

As friends of Jesus we are all adopted, sealed, royal family members.  We are all in His process of being fully sanctified. Jesus said, “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the Vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples. “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15

We are blessed to be a servant of the King. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ❤️ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ❤️ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ❤️ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ❤️Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ❤️ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ❤️ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ❤️ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ❤️ Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ❤️ Matthew 5