Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Jesus is the Answer

At the beginning, end, center & top of everything sits Jesus Christ the Lord.   The fulfillment of all prophecy of the Messiah for the Jewish people – and for the entire world!!!  The Savior & Mighty King.  Christ is the center of the Father’s heart and the Spirit’s focus.  He is everything and in Him all things find their purpose & meaning. The Lord is in the process of putting everything back under the Lord’s reign, as it was intended to be – and everything aches for it!!!

In BSF, I was asked this question, “Read Isaiah 40:3-5 which the Gospel writers and John the Baptist himself applied to his work (Jn 1:23).  How was John’s work among his people related to “valleys and mountains and rough places” as Jesus Christ was about to appear publicly?”   I love the Bible walk the Lord took me on as I answered this question….

The herald of the Lord’s coming was John the Baptist. His very existence was defined by the message he had to bring to the people – which was to Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near! (Matthew3:2)  He was preparing their hearts so they would see their need for the Savior & be ready to receive Him!! 

If my life is going to shout a message – I want it to be as clear & bold as John’s.   I want my life to say, “the Lord has come, the time to receive Him is NOW.   He is everything.  He loves you beyond anything you can imagine and He endured the worst suffering we could fathom to save us!   Because of Him, the kingdom is here!   He is alive today &  He is Lord of this eternal kingdom and He wants you part of it!!  He is coming back for full, visible reign!!  Don’t wait – accept Him now – be ready for Him!! He is coming back to take back everything under His reign.   Be in His kingdom when He returns!!! You need Him!!  Accept His offering & sacrifice, surrender to Him, He is Lord of all – turn from your old life without Him and face the Savior, look in His eyes, believe in Him!”      

John was fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5. 
A voice of one calling in the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

And John’s message still applies to us.  Make straight the highways in your heart to be able to receive the Savior!  Clear the way in your heart to accept Him!  The Lord Jesus is going to raise every valley, make low every mountain & hill and level every rough ground.  You need Him to - get ready for it!! 

The valleys are those areas of darkness, stress, despair in my life that I need escape from. I need light in. The areas of hopelessness.   JESUS is the answer for the valleys!!  John 8:12 I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of Life

The mountains are the areas of pride and ego and selfishness that need humbling – and JESUS is the answer for the mountains!  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” Luke 14:11

The rough places are the areas where I constantly stumble & trip and just can’t make smooth myself – and JESUS is the answer for those places, too!!  Prov 3:6  - in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight

Not only does everybody have at least one valley, one mountain or one rough place they need saving from --- but ALL people have LOTS of valleys, mountains & rough places!  Everybody needs a Savior!! But until they see that – they won’t realize they need Him.   I pray the Lord will use me to plant small seeds in people’s hearts to admit their need.  It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to convict & open people’s hearts to see their desperate state – and it also takes people willing to plant those small seeds into others, through example & through words. 

We must share with others how the Lord has raised up our valleys, humbled our mountains and smoothed out our rough patches.  But!! I see more clearly we can also point to the Savior by showing the areas we still need His deliverance!  We won't see in full all healing & redemption & things made right until He comes back fully & visibly.   Admitting that, will also point people to Jesus!!!  All things can be used to point to Him!  

Too many times, we think we need to only share how the Lord Jesus has accomplished great things in our life.....but where does that leave all of the people who are suffering & asking for healing & not receiving?  We must do both!!  Share how the Lord has answered and helped in ways only He could.  But also share how we are waiting & trusting on Him to fulfill all our needs and be our answer!!  Let people see our trust in His plan & time and that we know that if He doesn't answer now - He WILL answer fully, someday!  

Let that be my message,  Lord – that you are everything!  And we need you!!  You are the answer now and we will see that in full someday! 

Isaiah 42:15 – I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;  I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These are the things I will do, I will not forsake them

Jesus is the answer to ALL.   All questions, all imperfections, all struggles, all prophecy.


I want my life to boldly & clearly show how much we NEED Him and how much He is the ANSWER.