In His Image

We do not like to think about pain, we run from it! But what is God’s heart feeling right now as He looks at this world? We say we want the heart of God? Do we? Are we willing to feel His pain?

This has stirred my heart in a way I cannot express. Below is the excerpts from one of David Wilkerson’s Messages. This is the man who wrote “The Cross and the Switchblade.” He is a much older man now, but his message for us is one that comes out of years of ministry, and a brokeness seldom seem today.

If you want to download the entire message, I have included links to the mp3 files at the bottom.

These files are split into 5 parts to make it easier to download.  If you want to download it for future listening, just right-click on the link and then click “Save As” and put it in a file of your choosing.

A Call to Anguish – Part 1
A Call to Anguish – Part 2
A Call to Anguish – Part 3
A Call to Anguish – Part 4
A Call to Anguish – Part 5

As I sit here this evening, I must confess that I am somewhat disturbed in my spirit and some feelings are welling up inside me in a way they never have before or at least for a long time.  I struggle to grasp the significance of what is going on in the lives of those so precious to me.

As you can read in the post before, my little niece, Regan, at the ripe old age of 4 develops a tumor on her brain that turns out to be, larger than a golf ball but not quite as large as a tangerine.  They had surgery today, less than 36 hours after it’s discovery.  The ongoing treatment and what caused it are unknown at this point.  She made it thru the surgery safe and for that we are most grateful!

Then we heard from my Grandfather that my Grandma’s bone that broke was caused by her having bone cancer.  Yet the doctors are unable to figure out were it is coming from so right now, they are unsure how to proceed with treatment.

I talked to a good friend of mine in Ohio who knows of two children close to them there, who have come down with cancer and the one is given a 25% chance of survival and if he makes it thru the first year, they raise the odds to 50%.

I have put up a sign at my store that reads thus;

#2 Question:
“Is today the day
I die?”

I am slowly coming to grips with the fact that life and what we we know of it here, is so short lived.  To see these loved ones face the ultimate trial of life, to stare death in the face and realize that we have no promise of tomorrow, brings home the reality that this life is only the prep course.  We were born to die.  The only difference between those who have cancer and those of us who are “healthy” is the fact that they have a better idea of when they might die.  We both will, it’s just a matter of when. 

Our greatest fulfillment will never happen on this side of the grave, but will happen when we see our Saviors face.  I long in a greater way tonight for the rapture.  To see my loved ones suffer, makes me long for the day that there will be no pain, no more cancer, no more life and death struggles!  I long, not for my own comfort this time, but because so many around me are hurting.  Like the saints under the alter I ask, “How long?”

So to conclude, the young lady asked me the other day, “If that’s the number two question, what is number one?!” 

“Am I ready to die?”

During my growing up years, my father and I would have these discussions about whether something new was “right” or “wrong.” I would inevitably ask, “What is wrong with it?” to which he sometimes did, or did not have an answer. Now I have come to realize that the whole premise for the question is wrong.

To ask “what is wrong with it” is to imply that if it cannot be proven detrimental to me, then it must be ok for me. But let’s take that premise and look at it from a different perspective. Most of us have been to a hospital and to the pharmacy counters. What if these doctors and nurses looked at the patient with an infection coursing through his body and then walked over to the list of medications and asked themselves, “what won’t hurt him?” If that were the only standard for choosing the medication, there would be a host that they could prescribe! But their goal is not just to avoid harming the patient; they are going to try their best to get the right medication that’s going to destroy the virus that is causing the patient the trouble. With that in mind, the list of medications is much smaller, but is made up of ones that will help bring the patient to the goal of restored health!

We are all born with the infection of a sin nature. When we accepted Christ into our lives, a terrible battle ensued between the spirit of our flesh and the implanted Spirit of Christ. Paul talks of this so eloquently in Romans 7
19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Paul knew that this was not a hap-hazard conflict, it was a serious infection! Yet so often I have looked at the state of my heart, and instead of trying to do that which strengthens the Spirit of Christ and puts down the spirit of the flesh, I have simply tried to avoid damaging the Holy Spirit’s presence by asking, “what is wrong with ‘it’.” To my shame, for many years I walked in lukewarm Christianity because I was unwilling to do that which conquered the flesh, seeking only that which “was not detrimental to my spiritual health.

Now I realize that my goal of becoming in the image of Christ will not be achieved by doing whatever I want that does not directly conflict with His spirit, but will only be reached as I look ahead to that goal and do only those things which strengthen His spirit and do the most damage to my fleshes desires. Thus I willing take the counsel of my parents and church leaders, since God has placed them there for my spiritual growth; and I choose only those things which strengthen my relationship with Christ and those I see setting a good example.

Why? Because 1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8

Praise God!!

Sunday morning, we were on the way to church and to pick up Aimee’s brother who cam to visit for a week.  Our boys had been ecstatic with anticipation of all the fun times with their Uncle Skyler.  However it had been almost two years since they would have seen him so I asked Japheth Jr. if he still knew what Skyler looked like.
     “Yes Papa, I know what he looks like!”
“What does he look like?” (I, who never misses a chance to learn better how to describe one’s looks
“Oh Papa, he has a round head just like Jeremiah’s!”

Oh how the laughter rolled.

Japheth was only trying to find words to describe his uncle so he compared him to someone he knew.  The thought came to me later, what do people compare me to when they try to describe my physical features, or more importantly, my spiritual features!  Truly, “by their fruits ye shall know them.”

This morning as I was traveling to Fosston to drop off some machines, I was listening to some of my favorite songs and one of them was by Michael Card entitled, Basin and the Towel.  One phrase really stood out to me this time though, “one will kneel, and one will yield.  Our Savior servant must show them how, through the will of the water and the tenderness of the towel.”

It started me thinking.  A few months ago, my good friend Keith, told me, “Japheth, you are a really hard person to be a blessing too.  You almost never want to accept the gift or help from a brother.”  It made me wonder, why?  Why do I find it so hard to accept the kindness of others?  Why do I always have to be the giver and not the receiver?

This weekend we have communion again and since we still practice the Biblical ordinance of feet washing, I thought of the dialogue between our Lord and Peter.  Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter because he had been going too far in his service to the brotherhood.  No, Jesus didn’t even infer that.  Jesus simply stated that if Peter was unwilling to accept the gift of service to, Jesus said that he could have no part with him.  Then Peter went all out and wanted everything but Jesus balanced him out on that issue as well.

It just made me think that maybe I am the one in Peter’s shoes more than I thought.  I often have too much pride to “receive help from ‘that person,’” and thus I have missed a real blessing meant for me from God.  It also is a warning that once again, God cannot stand pride between His children and He even went so far as to state that if I am unwilling to humble myself in the brotherhood and accept the help that He has sent for me, my pride will keep me out of God’s kingdom.
Just some thoughts.

Otherwise, my life has been made up of too things, work and family!  When I am not at home eating or playing with the children, I am at the store working on sewing machines.  If you remember, I was so concerned when I started if I would have enough sewing machine repairs to pay for the place.  The words in Malachi ring in my ears, “see if I am able to open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing that there is not room enough to receive it.”  I have been SWAMPED with work!!  This past week I had sewing machines sitting on the floor because my shelves were too full to hold all of them!  I was hoping for 8-10 sewing machines a week, I have been getting 12-16!

It makes a man feel pretty small to feel the trust that God places in you who has failed Him so many times!  I am grateful and humbled that so many people trust me and have given of their hard earned dough to have me work on their machines!  Truly, God does not give us what we deserve; He instead has blessed us beyond belief!!