Joyful Consecration

What a privilege it is to consecrate myself to Him at the expense of everything else. To be misunderstood, to be used and abused, to be overlooked and unappreciated, to be poured out on behalf of others with no expectation of reward or recognition, only serves to conform me to His likeness in His death. Apparent failure is not my enemy, but a beautiful constriction in humility, a siren to deeper prayer. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted...I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." (Psalm 119:71,75)

On the front side of consecration there is immeasurable loss, but the reaping of reward is equally without measure. A bubbling, joyful expectation of resurrection power energizes me daily, looking forward to the hand of the Father coming upon me, when at last I hear the pleasure in His voice, "Well, done. Never lost faith, you. Come up here!"

In Christ

Paul the Apostle helps us understand the mystery of being "in Christ." He said "I know a man IN CHRIST... I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses." 2 Cor 12:5. He knew himself in himself to be frail and sinful, but he moved in the power and ability that God provided. He intentionally, daily, stepped into the role, the Anointing, which was who God called him to be. "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ [the Anointed One]...(1 Corinthians 1:1)
That is the image that God had of him before the foundation of the world, before sin marred creation.

TWICE RELATED, TWICE OWNED

A Jewish friend reminded me at Passover that we may not agree religiously but we all are bound spiritually in the human family. This is TWICE true.

We are all TWICE related through Creation and again through Redemption.

Jesus' death on the Cross was propitiation for ALL humanity (1 John 2:2). His prayer, "Father forgive them," was not just for the crowd but for the entire God-hating race. "They don't know what they're doing!"

So, each person is now a forgiven human spirit. The newborn, the church lady, the vandal, the serial killer. Each person, once lost, now purchased back, redeemed by pure Blood-sacrifice. We are all TWICE-Owned. Lost and found (2 Cor 5:19-20).

To accept this gift of scandalous Grace opens a purging flood of more and continuous Grace. It is to experience the ultimate Paradigm Shift from mere life to Abundant Life (John 10:10). It results in SOUL salvation.

Every dispicable offense of every depraved human has been forgiven, except one. On this one question hinges the final Decision of where each Soul will spend all eternity.

How are you with the Man on the Cross?

Understand, to despise, to reject such an overture of Unconditional Love is to become eternally unforgivable and worthless, uncreated in the mind of Heaven, and to be flung away from Open Paradise into a merciless chasm of eternal searing regret and loneliness, TWICE fallen, TWICE lost (Heb 10:28-31).

Jesus said (red letters), "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."John 3:16‭-‬19

Before we will ever be judged on our deeds, good or bad, the ONE question you will answer, under the penetrating gaze of Resurrected King--"Did you accept My Gift of Eternal Life?"