He Knew

He Knew

(before you begin please think about your favorite desert and how much you would love to enjoy that right now)

There is a King. Actually Three Kings. Unique. There are three, but they are so completely perfect, kind, knowing, present, powerful and loving that they are really completely one. Three, but one. They can finish each other’s sentences. They are fully present everywhere (every place), all powerful (nothing – absolutely nothing that is beyond their ability) and know everything (quantum physics, how many hairs on your head and what you will be thinking two weeks from Tuesday).

They have always been this way. There was never a time when they were not.
They are drenched inside and out in beauty, harmony, peace, joy, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, patience, provision, power, purpose, comfort and love.

There is nothing they don’t have and absolutely nothing they need. Their existence is completely perfect and they are completely Holy. In fact you can’t even speak about their perfection in terms we can grasp. Their holiness is overwhelming and cannot be measured. The three in one is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.

Their love is boundless. This too is beyond measure. It is higher than the highest heaven and deeper than the deepest ocean.

While they need nothing and are completely perfectly content and at peace in themselves, their love overflows in kindness and generosity to us.

The three and one elected to created humans and made them in His image. Meaning they chose those who could love, could reason, could choose, could rule and could enter into relationship. They would make us fearfully and wonderfully and put us in the finest accommodations. They simply wanted to share the love, relationship, community, joy, peace and purpose that they enjoyed so fully.

To be allowed to share in the divine glory, to have purpose, to know to be known and to rule – how do you begin to express how astonishingly wonderful that is.

Requirement.

The three-in-one did not want to create creatures that would be forced to love Him back. If we are really to have a seat at their table, to have a place and purpose, to be a part, to share the love and relationship, it must be our choice. This choice is absolutely essential, otherwise what is the point.

The idea was to extend the love of the three-in-one to others. To widen the circle of relationship. To allow others to participate in the divine glory. To commune with the Father. It is a BIG BIG STORY!!!

Their creative power is limitless. They don’t need a Project Manager, a Designer, Architect, Logistics Planner, Design Specialist, Graphic Artist, Public Relations, Time Line, GANTT chart or any of the rest. No CAD/CAM, just their word. Literally, they speak and entire universes come into existence with a simple word from their mouth. There is nothing they can’t do. If the creation is not able to choose, to have free will, to choose to love or reject, then there is no point.

If I could speak a universe into existence and speak it out of existence with just a word then what is the point. It is like turning on and off a light switch. It has no meaning or purpose. Like playing Solitaire, but God is not bored and in need of something to do, to fulfill His meaningless existence.

God is purposeful. Everything He creates is beautiful, has meaning and purpose. Everything. Especially You.


Constraint. When the One who was, is and is to come created freedom to choose Him or reject Him this created a two sided opportunity.

God is both completely HOLY and completely LOVING. However their infinite holiness cannot entertain or tolerate the least imperfection. This is completely incompatible with their nature.

They are perfect and they will not stop until everything is perfect in purpose and holiness. You see it in some of Jesus’ very first words from Matthew 5 (Be Holy as the Father is Holy).

You see we are far from holy, in fact when you get right down to it our best if filth, full of twisted motives and selfish ambition.

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

If I gave you the meaning of filthy rags from the Greek you would blush. Filthy is mild.


Free will and God’s knowledge. Isaiah 46:10 tells us that God knows the end from the beginning. Meaning he knows what will happen in the end before He ever begins.

Isaiah 46:8-11

"Think about this. Wrap your minds around it.
This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart.
Remember your history,
your long and rich history.
I am God, the only God you've had or ever will have—
incomparable, irreplaceable—
From the very beginning
telling you what the ending will be,
All along letting you in
on what is going to happen,
Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul,
I'll do exactly what I set out to do,'
Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east,
from a far country the man I chose to help me.
I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it.
I've planned it, so it's as good as done.

More on this in a minute. The point for now. God already knew what would happen and He chose the relationship anyway.


The relationship begins


Contentment – Keeping your eyes on Him – Adam & Eve and others – example #1

He knew we would be at home with Him for awhile content in our relationship with Him. Each evening He came to His creation and like little children the created were enamored with all that they had discovered that day, content in the wonder of it all. Of course the Three-in-One already knew what they had discovered, He made it and he of course knew what they would discover before they discovered it.

During this blissful time there was beautiful relationship. He had created a perfect universe, a place, a purpose and the created were given all of this to rule.
I suppose (and it is just that my supposition) that the creation ran out of things to discover and rule over in this little garden after a time and frankly got bored. Rather than ask the King for more to rule over or for more purpose they lazily began to entertain thoughts of reaching into the one thing the King told them not to do.

They took their eyes off of Him and did not find their contentment, purpose, meaning, joy and love solely in Him. Not unlike Peter who attempted to walk on the water. Doing fine, eyes on Jesus, living in the moment, enjoying the relationship, not worried about yesterday’s failures, then he did it, he jumped ahead worrying about what will happen next. Relationship with God is only in the moment. The past is forgiven and gone. The future is not ours.

Contentment. Enjoying Him. Living in the moment with Him. Sweet Deal.

Adam and Eve excellent deal. To rule, to have a purpose, to live in perfection, a place. I think they had been there long enough to get bored, animals named, garden explored, trees identified, what’s next.

God created you to rule (Genesis 1:28). They didn’t take that to God. He created the whole earth and the universe. There is much more ruling available.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Matthew 14:28-31

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Luke 11:24-26

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

When you take your eyes off of Him you fall. If you look around even for a moment you fail. Prison, Addiction, broken Relationships, Abuse, Divorce, Neglect, Loneliness, Boredom, Longing, Hunger, Purpose, Belonging, Oil Leaks, Volcanic Ash Clouds, Economy, Debt, Bailouts, Law Suits, Tax audits, Disease, Death, Tyrants, Destruction, Employment, under Employment, no Employment and on it goes.
You don’t push out sin, by sheer determination and grit, you empty yourself of yourself and you continually fill yourself with Him. See Matthew 16:24, Romans 12:1, Matthew 11:30

Realize you are hungry for Him. You are starving to death. Most of you won’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of mealtime, even if the food quality is poor. You know you are hungry.

You are in a fight. If you knew there would be a fight later today you would be ready. If you knew someone was coming after you, you would do your best to be ready. If you knew you had an appointment with the parole board tomorrow you would be ready.

It is amazing how many people don’t know they are in a fight. Satan rather likes it that way.

1 Peter 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

My friend called me, “Greg, my wife is leaving me. She has been sleeping around. I have no education. No ability to provide for myself. Debt collectors. Foreclosure. Homelessness. What about my kids. Law suit.

Yack – Yack – Yack!

(I am not as insensitive as that, but the point is where is the focus). Pick up your SWORD and FIGHT!!! You are in one you know – you absolutely must learn how to defend and attack. If you do not stand you are defeated the evil one will sift you like wheat. Read Ephesians 6 again. This is war people.

Yes your issues are real. Yes they hurt. Yes you have got work to do, but…

When God tells us not to be anxious that’s just what He means. NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING.

Not prison, the system, the judge, the jury, your family, the future, restitution or your accusers. Not the boss, the lack of a boss, your kids, you lack of kids, your spouse, your lack of a spouse.

Live in the moment with Him. He has got you. He has got you completely. Read that again and again. He has got it, especially when you can’t see a hint of Him anywhere within a thousand miles.

Every morning before you allow one thought in your mind about your circumstances allow Him in and nothing else. Hit you knees before you can hardly breath. Don’t lay there in wonder, fear, despair and all the rest. Get up. Renew your mind. Deny yourself. He is in charge. He has got you. You can trust Him and have peace and joy.

Then get up and go to work (and be sure to take Him with you)!

1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Taking your eyes off of Him – Satan and a third – example #2

There was a time much earlier when a third of the King’s helpers , the Angels, decided they had had enough. They were not content. There it is again.

Contentment.

Genesis 6:1-4
Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Isaiah 14:12-14
12"How you have (A)fallen from heaven,
O (B)star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13"But you said in your heart,
'I will (C)ascend to heaven;
I will (D)raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
(E)I will make myself like the Most High.'

Revelation 12:4

4And his tail swept away a (A)third of the stars of heaven and (B)threw them to the earth And the (C)dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth (D)he might devour her child.

Luke 10:18

He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Whether Genesis 6 is related to the angels who fell or not is debatable. The point is this Satan and a third of the angels had a good deal. Adam and Eve had a good deal. To be in relationship with the self-existent, holy, perfect, patient, loving creator, who is completely powerful, knows everything and present everywhere at the same time. To be cared for by Him. To have all of your needs met in Him. To be created in His image, to live in His garden or in His holy heaven. To be known. To be acknowledged by Him and to touch His divine glory. To have Him find joy in relationship with you. To have the Holy One say to you “well done good and faithful servant”. Too good for any amount of words you can imagine, constructed by the most elegant wordsmith.

But for these it wasn’t enough. Too simply be in the moment to love Him and to be loved by Him. To simply trust and obey was too much. To break covenant. To adulterously run after something else. To leave your first love and try to find joy, purpose, knowledge, rule, dominion, love in another, this is when we fall.

Falling was not when Peter went under the water. It was the moment he took his eyes off. The moment he began to jump ahead, to worry – his descent started.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

Be content in Him. Trust and Obey. In this you can sum up the law and the prophets.
You see it is much bigger than a book of do’s and don’ts. Our relationship with Him is much larger, more intimate, more moment-by-moment, more relational and more vibrant, alive and engaging that any petty fear based adherence to some moral or religious framework.


No Surprises (back to it)

God knew. He knew before He created. He knew completely. No surprises. No improvise, adapt and overcome (not to diminish in any way my love and support of the Marine Corp - hoorah).

He chose. Just stop and contemplate that. He chose. He knew and He chose you. I mean that - He chose you.

100 billion people or just one. All the same. He chose relationship.

Out of His overwhelming love and grace. He chose.

Ephesians 2:4-10

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing (I)riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

God was not surprised. He chose. He has done everything. He created a universe that is magnificent beyond measure. He cut covenant with us. He kept His word completely as we were completely wretchedly unfaithful. He intentionally chose, knowing the cost. He chose to enter the story to let each of us break His heart. He chose to allow His creation to bring Him pain. He chose to commit to us no matter what. To enter into the most sacred covenant with us. He came to our wretched world.

Imagine that for awhile. The God of the universe, left His throne and came to our world. Think about it some more. Can you begin to even fathom what a vast step, what a huge gift it was that He came. Read Luke 2 and see the legions and legions of angels bursting onto the Bethlehem night sky, with jaws dropped, praising God and Good will to men. Good will to men. Now that’s an understatement! That strikes me like someone saying have a good one.

Do you know who has left heaven and come into your wretched, depraved world. Spine tingling, jaw dropping, earth shattering, mind boggling, stunning, knee dropping, rattling, overwhelming and we haven’t even warmed up the list.

Imagine Jerry Jones, Ross Perot, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or the Sultan of Brunei used all of their considerable influence and liberated you from this place, gave you everything you could imagine, were patient, kind and generous to you and then you attacked them, were convicted and sent right back here. But not in Dawson, Hutchins or Polunsky’s Death Row, but to the most torturous bloody abuse you can imagine and then took your place.

Mel Gipson was asked by some to tone down the torture scenes in the Passion of the Christ. His reply, “I did”. True enough.

The fact that we are even created is breathtaking, that we can know of Him, His existence, His divinity and stunningly that we are able to speak His name. We are unworthy to even look on His kingdom, breath His air, dirty up His creation and certainly to revile against His will.

When you combine a true understanding of how very far from who He is with an understanding of what He has done, praise comes gushing out of you. Out of every thought, every motive, every opportunity, and every resource at your command. You can’t keep from singing His praise. How can you ever say thank you enough, do enough or work to make Him more famous on this Earth.

That is where life is lived, not in checking off the rules or giving the right amount. Not in trying not to lie, manipulate, abuse substances, steal or be kind to your families. It is wreckless abandonment to denying your self and doing what He commands. His yoke is easy. Take every thought captive and surrender to Him. Live in the moment. What does He want? Do it. It is seeing a need and rushing to meet it. It is fervent prayer (just communicating fully, freely, intently with the one you love passionately and with all of your being). He continues to love you this way.

It is without fear. He does not want relationship out of your fear or reluctant dutiful acceptance. He wants you heart soul mind body in relationship and love with Him.

He knew it wouldn’t be that way. That we would be far from it. That we would break covenant, early, often and in the most vile and abusive self-centered ways imaginable.

Today we look on the “problem of pain” and can’t believe a loving holy God could be real when so much pain, heartbreak, cancer, disease, slavery, abuse, war, terror, disaster and calamity are allowed to be so pervasive.

Unfortunately it is the wrong question. As my pastor said, "You are looking through the wrong end of the telescope".

If God created. If He chose us, this would be the outcome. Create or not create. That is the question.

He knew the pain. Adam, Eve and Satan tried relationship without pain and it was a complete failure. Our pain is the only thing that draws us to Him. Unfortunately proven time and again without a reason to be drawn to Him we will rebel every time.
God knew it would be hard. He knew the cost for each of us and He certainly knew the cost to himself. He knew and He chose YES!!

You see our pain is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Purpose and Pain

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

James 1:2-4

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces (E)endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be (G)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If I told you that in exchange for a life time of extreme pain and difficulty you could experience an eternity of Utopian Perfection beyond all you could ask or imagine. An eternity of love, relationship, peace, joy, kindness, purpose, dominion, provision and so much more compared to a fleeting list of pain and trouble you would choose the pain every time and so would He.

He chose pain, because He chose you over His own tranquility and comfort. Will you chose Him over the pain. Will you hold the line, defend the defenseless, serve your family, deny yourself, empty yourself, trust Him?

You see Faith is not simply some intellectual acknowledgement of His existence, or what He did and is doing. It is not in your good deeds. Satan was “son of the dawn” and the angels who fell had their “good deeds”. Your best is filthy. Faith in Greek is active present tense. That means it is relational and it requires your active trusting participation. When you have that the works will come. It is not some distant memory of your realization of His deity. Even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19).

Purpose

He loves you. He is not oblivious to your pain. He hurts with you. Deeply, but he must keep the door open longer for others.

Wouldn’t you love for Him to come back right now? What if He came back and liberated the Jews at Aushwitz, or those in Stalin’s prisons, those in Sadam's torture chambers or the Jewish (we owe them a lot) from Roman oppression, Babylonian captivity, or Egyptian bondage. You’re out. There were others suffering death, disease, prison, slavery, abuse, poverty so that you would have an opportunity.

What about today - child sex slavery, abortion, murder, corruption, abuse, impossible job dewmands, taxes unbearable, cancer, disease, aids, blindness and on and on the list goes on.

Can you imagine the gratitude that millions will have for you that God did not stop this world sooner and allowed them to join in the story.

Endure, find joy, peace, kindness, love, patience, gratitude, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in the midst of suffering.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Job

Job lost his family, his possessions, his health and was left with some sorry friends and a wife he probably wished and been the first to go. Job thought God hated him and was unjust. Job is likely the first book written in the Bible. God knew about our questions about pain. He wanted to give us a story, so that we would know that life is hard. He didn’t create it, but he knows we need it.
Job thought he was alone, but he was center stage in the largest of drama’s as all of heaven and hell were looking on as an epic battle ensued as Job fought Satan and God was glorified.

If Job knew that he was asked to glorify God and to be an example for billions who would suffer after him and he would be famous forever what would his attitude have been.

Sons of Korah

Numbers 16:1-3

Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?"

Numbers 16:8

Moses also said to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites!

Numbers 16:31-33

As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

Numbers 16:40

as the LORD directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

Numbers 26:11

The line of Korah, however, did not die out.

Note:

The sons of Korah were Levites served in the temple, and they could no longer serve in the temple. Now what? Seriously what do you do, your name is a disgrace, it is impossible to find a job, a place. You are made a door keeper and everyone who walks through the door looks at your with absolute disgust and contempt. That is to be your family’s linage for the next 1000 years. Have a nice day.

Psalm 84

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. [b]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Sons of Korah

They longed to go in the temple courts, but could not. Even the sparrows can go in, but not them, anyone but them.

In 1995 Chris Tomlin (famous Christian writer and musician) took that simple Psalm and created a song. Number #1 in Contemporary Christian Music. Millions and Millions of Christians were ushered into worship of the Living God through this story.

What would you endure for Millions and Millions to make Him more famous? What will you sacrifice for Him? When you know your wretched condition and His overwhelming gift you can’t do enough, or say enough to bless Him back.

Paul and John

Paul was in prison and desperately wanted freedom to go and preach. God had him right where He wanted him. God made him stay put so that he could write a large portion of the New Testament.

John was imprisoned on the Island called Patmos and wrote for us the Book of Revelation. Don’t you know John wanted to be free.

Joseph

Joseph was badly treated and spent 13 years away from his family and largely in prison, but brought salvation to the world and his own family.


Abraham and Moses

Never saw their promises.

Babylon and others

The Israelites were in Egyptian Slavery and Abuse. They spent 40 years wandering around the desert. They were in Egyptian bondage, Babylonian captivity, Roman occupation and many other trials.

Millions of Israelites in hundreds of generations never saw the hope and promise.

Millions saw nothing but abuse, torture, slavery in a foreign land.

Had they known that through God using circumstances to hold them together as a group for thousands of years to bring the world the Christ what would their attitude have been?

Some never saw much but misery. Their part was to trust, obey, be patient and do their part in the larger story.

Hebrews 11:32-40

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

If someone told you that the Taliban had planned a sleeper cell in Dallas and they were preparing to detonate a nuke in downtown, who wouldn’t do everything they could to find it. Everyone wants to be a hero. The question is will you do the really hard work. Daily denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him.
This may be the greatest source of confusion. You see when you live with Him in the moment, deny yourself, renew your mind, then you will find the greatest mystery “His Yoke is Easy and His burden is Light”.

Enjoy the journey!

(what happened to that desert that you wanted so badly, you forgot, because you pushed it out and filled it with something better - that is how you win)