When All Others Fled — Love Remained!
This morning in Communion, as I dipped the Bread into the Wine, lingering with The LORD, and leaning into His heart, I asked The Father to impart to me the very life and Blood of The LORD Jesus Christ, as I released a heart cry up to Him, that this sacred time with Him would go beyond a mere ritual or even a devoted commemoration: “Would He give me a revelation from His infinite heart of love and wisdom that I could, by His great Grace, hold within my own finite heart?”
I asked Him to momentarily pierce my heart with both Love and Grief … that I would not simply go through motions … but in my heart, wait upon Him … enfolding myself with His heart thoughts … as I considered and “looked upon” the Cross.
Would I, could I … even for a moment … truly feel and embrace a fraction of the awe and wonder of this unimaginable gift of The LORD? This incredible sacrifice of Love…
Could I realize something of the magnitude and weight of the cost paid for the redemption of my soul…
(I felt in that moment that I would break under the sheer weight of even having a glimpse of this…)
In that moment these Words from The Father came to my thoughts: “That you might have an unfolding revelation of this Covenant-keeping God.”
Oh Yes Father!!! Yes!
ohhh these moments… when the very Breath of The Holy Spirit breaks through in greater Glory to speak to my heart!
I realized that it is the very desire of Father to draw us into these revelations, and that little by little as the fruit of His Love and Life is formed within us, we are prepared to carry some of the glory of these remarkable revelations of Truth and Love.
As I continued to wait, enfold and listen… I felt the burden for prayer:
Prayer: Struck by Love
That I might carry in prayer Father, The LORD’s heart for each and every soul within my sphere of influence in this season, who would be coming to that Cross… that they would be “struck by Love”… that by Your Will Father, and through the Grace empowerment of The Holy Spirit, that they too would truly be able to deeply embrace the suffering Christ as their own, receiving His sacrifice of Love with a revelation of Truth and Life that only You can give.
It was this payment of Yeshua for our sin, ordained from before the foundation of the earth, that would bring us to “True Life in You” eternally setting us free from the bondages of sin that would have condemned us to separation from You.
It was this sacrifice of love laid down that still bids: “… all who will, may come…” (Revelation 22:17)
Vision at the Cross
A small Vision came forth, and I felt transported to the awfulness of that place at Golgotha….
It felt so bleak, shrouded in darkness, as if Blood draped the very landscape with the sorrow and the grief of this moment…
The women were there, faithful followers of Jesus… tears and quiet sobs choking out the hope that they had come to embrace…
These were the ones who had loved and walked with their Beloved Yeshua through the hills of Galilee…
This was their Messiah! …. The promised One… their gentle, loving Teacher, their Adonai…
How could this horror be happening to this One? This One who had done nothing but bring wholeness, healing and truth to His People….
I could feel in my heart the depth of love…being crushed by the weight of their grief…
There amongst the weeping women I noticed a single, solitary man — the beloved apostle of Love, John.
This devoted Christ-follower who The LORD tenderly loved, was one who had continually reclined next to The LORD, laying his head upon Yeshua’s shoulder, leaning in to the very heartbeat of Jesus.
On this day while other disciples, men with bold claims of solidarity to Adonai, had run and hidden in fear, John alone stood numbered with the women, near to his suffering LORD.
I somehow could feel a portion of the weight of this in my own heart, as I recalled Christ’s words that came forth in what must have have been close to this moment:
“by the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, [Dear] woman, See, [here is] your son!
Then He said to the disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own [keeping, own home].” John 19:25-27 AMPC.
What produced that kind of allegiance in the midst of inconceivable evil that was threatening the very lives of any who followed the Christ?
How could a mere man be brave enough to stand and be counted among Adonai’s followers, when it was feared that all who were connected to this Galilean would be subject to the same conditions of tyranny of those who opposed their very souls in order to justify condemnation of this Innocent One?
When others had fled, Love remained
It was Love that held our Christ to that Cross, and in the receiving of “This Life” in place of his own, it was love that held the beloved disciple John near to His LORD.
And so for each of us… beloved “Christ followers”.
In that day of persecution and treachery, it will not be the great sermons, the studied law, or all of the duties or miracles that you have performed in the name of Christ that will compel you to stand and be counted among His true followers in the very face of evil.
It will only be the devotion of Love that holds you and constrains you to stand “steadfast and immoveable” in complete allegiance to Yeshua’s heart.
— “Love’s Perfection” —
“Now, Faith, Hope and Love abide …. but the greatest of these is Love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13.
An invitation to drink deeply of the Epistle of John
What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that [a]your joy may be full.”
Fellowship with Him and One Another
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:1-5 NKJV.
Come and be transformed by … and into …. Love.
~ Shelley M Ed
Shelley M Ed/ LifeSetMinistries: Ordained Minister CMA/ working with Leaders and Ministry Houses: US/CAN/INT. Leadership development, counselling, and oversight.
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning” Luke 12:32;35.