Race Directors do NOT abandon any of their runners.

Jesus was forsaken on the final moments of the cross and for the three days in hell.  Jesus as savior had to experience every experience a human would or could ever experience including death, and a trip into hell. 

At Jesus death, his spirit was released from his body.  When God raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus spirit was reconnected to his body.  At death, Jesus body lay in the tomb, and his spirit entered the eternal world, and as a forsaken being, was taken into hell by Satan who had the keys to hell and death.  He had already endured the assault on every aspect of what it meant to be human during his crucifixion, now he is experiencing what it is like to be forsaken and abandoned by God.

Jesus had to experience this, because in our times of really bad times on earth, one of the thoughts that the thief likes to plant in our minds is that God has forsaken you.

The thief enjoys planting seeds in the minds of people under great stress and duress, and one of his most effective seed he plants is, the reason you (he actually will say, I) the reason I am going through this is because God has forsaken me.

So… with this seed planted, our first impulse if not fully full of scripture, we will also think, that this tragedy or crisis or abuse is because I have done something wrong, and therefore, God has forsaken me.

It is true that on the cross and the three days in hell, Jesus was forsaken and abandoned, and we cannot grasp the sufferings of that time.  But it was so horrible, and the price he paid was so immense, that this is now forever true.

God cannot and will not forsake you.  Jesus has suffered being forsaken, and abandoned, and on the third day, at the worst of the suffering, God raised Jesus from the dead, and in so doing, took the keys of hell and death away from Satan, put them into the hands of Jesus, and at his resurrection and ascension, given all authority over heaven and earth, and since hell is in the bowels of the earth, Jesus is Lord over heaven, earth and all of hell.  Listen, it is not possible for God to forsake us, or anyone anymore.

If trouble comes, it is NOT because God has forsaken you.

God loves you, he is not forsaking you.

No race director leaves the race until all their runners are safely accounted for.  How much more does the Heavenly Father manifest love to all human beings?

Follow Trail Markers, NOT Your Feelings.

For those of us in relationship with God, through Jesus we have willingly accepted the rule and reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and have chosen to allow the Holy Bible to serve as our rule for faith and conduct.  For those who toe the line in an ultramarathon, they willingly bring their will under the rule of the race director and the staff who marks the trails with trail markers. As they run, they don't run their race, but the race set before them by the race director.

John 10:10 and 11 reminds us it is the thief that comes to steal kill and destroy, so we, have an option when bad things happen to us on earth.

Never yield to an emotion and get upset at God or God’s people (including yourself) when bad things happen. Always yield to the scripture and elevate scripture above what you feel and want to say.

Follow scripture, not feelings.  Follow the trail markers.  Stop running your own race, but run the race set before you by the Lord, who is the Master Race Director.

God Can NOT and Will NOT Forsake You

You may ask, how do you know, and how can you say this for sure.  Because it sure seems like, God has taken his shield of protection away from me, and it sure seems like I am being punished by God.  It sure seems like God is tempting me.

On the cross Jesus uttered some very intriguing words.  He who was in such close community with the Heavenly Father, only said, and only did what the Father told him to say and do, on the cross uttered words that are found in the Psalms.

Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Even in this, Jesus did not yield to his own will, his own emotions, or his own words.  He, like others, had the book of Psalms memorized, and in times of great distress, we, need to have the Word in our hearts that we can utter.  

Jesus was forsaken on the final moments of the cross and for the three days in hell.  Jesus as savior had to experience every experience a human would or could ever experience including death, and a trip into hell.  

Jesus was forsaken and abandoned, so that no human being  will be.

In Earth as it is in Heaven

In earth, there are experiences that we have that will not be found in heaven.

No one will fall down steps after worship in heaven, nor cut his hand after preparing meals in heaven, nor have his mansion set on fire while he is worshipping at the throne.  No one will feel or be sick.

So, how do we resolve this tension between what we pray happens, and what happens sometimes.

We Follow Scripture NOT Feelings

If and when a negative experience occurs on this earth, there will emerge a competition between your emotional response and a scriptural response.

If you ever become a lifeguard or an EMT, or anyone in a life saving job, or a doctor, nor nurse or anyone in a medical field, you will be trained, not to yield to emotions, but to follow a set, and prescribed protocol.

In times of distress, we must follow the professional protocol, not our own feelings.

Our professional protocol is to follow scriptures, not our feelings.

For those of us in relationship with God, through Jesus we have willingly accepted the rule and reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and have chosen to allow the Holy Bible to serve as our rule for faith and conduct.

Fallen Asleep

John 11:11

… “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

Lazarus was dead, and had been dead, yet Jesus, who had heaven’s perspective did not say, he was dead, but asleep, and he was going to go wake him up.

Here is a major theme of Jesus.  He came to conquer the curse of sin and death, and those who followed him in relationship, would no longer die in the same way a wicked person would die.  Those who follow him, simply fall asleep, and at the resurrection, Jesus will come and wake them up.

So, as we journey through this life, let us remember the hope of the resurrection stems from a friendship relationship with God, through our best friend, Jesus, and the hope for all who are in relationship is we don’t fear death anymore.

Death is not an issue for us in relationship with God anymore.  We are good to go.  Like Moses, I hope you are setting your faith to live on earth for 120 years, and on your 120^th birthday, just fall asleep and enter heaven.

If you do not make it 120 years, it is not a defeat, but a victory, for you are simply falling asleep, you are not dead, dead.  You are not double dead, but asleep.