Can you relate? Do you go through those times? It is those times where my own heart caves within to it's own pride and selfishness under the weight of the way I know I should be, both trusting and loving, but not! Then one bursts into tears and finds the grace of a Friend, directly from Him or flowing to me through someone else. Why is it, that the Lord will allow us to think we are doing His will, let the pressures build to bring us to the brink of our own souls, only to seemingly at that point, allow us to rediscover and be comforted by the motives of a sincere Person? The answer is that we are loved. We may suffer because we are both selfish and have Someone unselfish living within, but in the end, we are changed a little more with our affections leaning more toward Him and others. It is a miracle that any human could ever truly look upon the need of another and act in such a way where the object's need is supreme. We are to lose sight of ourselves in the face of other's value. And it is His heart that we see people's need for Him. We must take up the Cross. In dying, we live.

Years ago one had to forsake the image of the super-Christian being paraded on TV by so many. I've yet to meet that super-Christian in real life. That burden has lifted. The great thing, that brings real change within, is that God is not putting upon me the heavy yoke of being someone I'm not, but the light burden of gaining His company simply because He wants mine. He paid a heavy price for that light burden. He desires us deeply. In all of life, can there be anything to compare with the notion that the living God, who came to bow before us, wash our dirty feet and die of a broken heart, did so because He just wanted to "hang with us"? Yes, the Son did so out of love for His Father, but simulataneously with a desire for us. Again, He desires us deeply. Nothing compares with this notion. And the notion is true! The moment a heart hears this down deep, life can never be the same, for this truth will go onto create comfort and tension within. As one friend said years ago, Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me and by that same token, the worst.

The current fog over people's minds seems powerful, but it is only a fog. Hope is hard to see everyday as so many seem so lost. Sometimes I get so discouraged within myself, unable to see past myself and feel that all is hopeless for the masses. But this is not reality. It is a selfish point of view and a lie from Hell. The heart of the Humble King stands in contrast to all this and in quiet time the truth is so clear. It's this life that is the fading nightmare and the love of God which is the real thing; The great thing. And it only takes a little light to shine brightly in order to turn the tide in seconds.

The day is coming, when we will be publicly preaching from hearts bursting with love and passion for the lonely; For to be lost is to be lonely. It may come admidst hard and dark times, but it is coming. We won't be contained to church buildings either. We won't preach because we have an entrepreneurial mindset for building another so-called ministry, but because His heart has consumed ours for the benefit of others and the pleasure of our Best Friend.

That day is coming.

Look at Calvary's three crosses. At one point the Scripture points to the fact that BOTH men on Jesus' right and left, were railing against Him. But apparently something changed within one, where he began to embrace his own guilt and exhort the other from hurling more insults on the Lamb. The Bible doesn't say this, but it probably happened this way. That man must have looked into Jesus' eyes and his soul was quieted in this amazing moment. Prayerfully ponder it. Put yourself in that man's shoes. This criminal knew then that this Man being there was wrong. By then, he had no hope for himself, but made the request that Jesus just please keep him in memory when He passed to the other side. Translated: Jesus, if you'd just remember my name that'd be more than I ever deserve. Jesus was filled with compassion for him and went beyond by saying something so unbelievable and full of love: "...you're going to be with Me".

Praise be to the living and loving Lord!  Who is this Man?  What is this Heart?

There is no love like this apart from Him. He is both worth living for and dying for. We are to be conduits of His heart. The time to seek His heart together has come so we can be changed and the lost be loved. This truth is inescapable. There is Virtue in this world. There is Love. His name is Jesus and in my deepest part I know He has not yet abandoned us to ourselves. The heart of the Humble King cannot be stopped. It is too attractive. We just have to start with admitting that we do not see, followed by action to seek to have our hearts opened to reality.

That day is coming.