abandoned to Christ.

Ahhh….falling in love with Jesus, how can I count the ways? I cannot. For Who the Lord Jesus is, and all that He has done for me; there is no number, and no way to measure the splendor of His majesty.

Therefore, how can a person ever choose one moment, one time, one instance, over any other: to recall and share His greatness, His kindness, His faithfulness? I believe this is difficult for any of us. As even the Apostle John felt the same way, for he chose to close his gospel letter with this profound and true statement:

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

~ John 21:25
(ESV)

The memory I have chosen to share with you, is not one of extraordinary circumstance. Instead, I wanted to share one occasion that best depicts the epitome of my daily life, with my exceptional Savior, Jesus, the Christ.

Several years ago, as I was driving home one morning from dropping the boys off at school, I lifted my eyes to the sky. I was overwhelmed with the greatness of God, whom I had the privilege of calling my Father. As tears streamed down my face, my vision became blurred to the things of this world, yet clear, to see the awesome beauty of my Savior; and I felt so unworthy of such a gift.

I so desperately wished I could be Home with my Jesus. I hungered even more to draw near to Him that I became grieved with the constant struggle between my flesh and God’s Holy Spirit within me. As I became more and more distressed with this fierce inner battle, my heart remembered my Lord’s words to me when I was as child:

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of my enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

~ Psalm 27:10-14
(KJV)

Just as my eyes were lifted to examine the vastness of the sky above me, my heart was also lifted, and it soared with rejoicing and praise for the King of kings, the Lord of lords, my Savior, my Master, my Jesus. From the overflow of my heart, came these words that streamed as gently and effortlessly as the tears upon my face.

Captivated

I am captivated
Completely illuminated
My heart’s elevated
By Your love
Your love

Teach me
Guide me and lead me
Holy Spirit knead me
Show me
The most excellent way

Refine me
Burn away the chaff
Give me Your mercy
And teach me to ask
For Your discipline
Oh LORD

Your Hope in me
Says there won’t always be
This struggle with my flesh
And Your Spirit
Cause one day…

I’ll be recreated
My spirit’ll be elated
My body newly stated
By Your love
Your love

Then I will see
You take my hand and hold me
See You in full glory
And I’ll never part again
From Your side
Your side

Thank You Lord Jesus,
That we'll never part again!

“and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:17-19
(ESV)

As I was completely enjoying my time with the LORD this morning my heart cried out:

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

~ Psalm 73:25-26

I sat and meditated for a moment on the fact that God is my portion, my inheritance, my Gift (through Jesus Christ) forever. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were given an inheritance – a plot of land (territory) that was given to each tribe for generations to come. But the Levites who were anointed and elected by God to be His priests, were not given any portion of land as their inheritance, instead, the Lord God said to them:

“And the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.”

~ Numbers 18:20
(emphasis added)

How incredible is THAT?! All the other tribes of Israel were given a “claim” on this earth, but the Levites were not to claim anything on this earth for themselves because the LORD God alone would be their claim; their inheritance; their greatest treasure!

I am sure when Asaph, a Levite wrote Psalm 73, he delighted in God’s great promise and incredible announcement to his tribe alone; that the Levites would not need to claim anything on this earth for themselves because God would provide for them so they could concentrate solely on faithfully serving the LORD as they minister to His people.

And as God's children, through faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we who are called by God: are chosen and predestined to be conformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus (God’s one and only begotten Son), and are now graciously included in this promise and exhorted to live as such:

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

~ 1 Peter 2:1-5, 9-10

If the LORD God is my portion, what more shall I want? What greater thing can I desire? Nothing, for there is none like my God! There is not one who is even equal to Him! For the LORD alone is God and I will forever be satisfied that He is mine, and I am His!

Please watch the video above, which includes interviews by:

R.C. Sproul ~ Founder& Chairman 0f Ligonier Ministries
Joni Eareckson Tada ~ Founder, CEO of Joni & Friends
Dr. Tony Evans ~ Sr. Pastor, Oakcliff Bible Fellowship
Dr. D. James Kennedy ~ Founder, Coral Ridge Ministries
Dr. Ravi Zacharias ~ President, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)

I'm so excited about this! If you've never watched Way of The Master (WOTM), you're really missing out! When we were introduced to this show several years ago, it just blew us away! We never realized how "easy" it was to evangelize! We didn't need to be a graduate of seminary, we didn't need to memorize a million Scriptures, we just needed to know the Ten Commandments and our personal testimony of God's gift of salvation through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ!

My family found such freedom in this. Does that mean evangelism isn't still a bit scary for us? NO! It still is, but at least we're no longer stifled by all of Satan's reasons and scare tactics of why we are not qualified to fulfill God's Great Commission:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
~ Matthew 28:19-20

We all often complain about all the "bad" stuff on television these days, well folks, here's some "good" television to watch! We've watched Seasons 1 & 2 and even purchased the Basic Training Course and worked on it together as a family in the evenings (it makes for a great evening family devotional!).

Due to the influence of WOTM, even both our teenage sons evangelize regularly at their public schools! As a matter of fact, God used WOTM as one of the tools to inspire our oldest son (who is now almost 16) to start S.W.A.T. Bible Club in his public school when he was in the seventh grade, and only 13 years old! By the power of the Holy Spirit, God directed Michael to write lesson plans for the students who came to the club as well as a leader's discussion guide for him and his Assistant Team Leader. We were very blessed as a family to see God move in such a young man to save the lost souls in his school; which opened the door for our entire family to share the Gospel with these students' families!

There were many students who thought they were saved just because they went to church, they had been baptized, or were just "good" people. But as Jesus said, "No one who is good, except God alone." So Michael faithfully shared the Gospel the way Jesus commanded us to, the way He did it and how He taught His disciples to do it: Law to proud, grace to the humble. Jesus always gave the Law to those who thought their own "goodness" could get them to Heaven, not to be mean, but out of compassion, He used the perfect Law of God to reveal to them that they were sinners and were in desperate need of a Savior, who alone is Jesus Christ. But to those whose hearts were already repentant and broken, He gave them the Good News, (the Gospel), as they were already convinced they were sinners in desperate need of a Savior.

All these students were so thankful to God for Michael as they realized that they could have been the "many" Christ spoke of when He said:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "
~ Matthew 7:21-23
(emphasis added)

Because Jesus said this, my heart is burdened and terrified for so many who think they are saved because of their "good works", but never repented of their sins, and fully trusted Jesus with their lives. The Bible says there are two days in which to find out this truth. That day (the day of Judgment) and This day (today). And as you can see, only one day is a good day to find out where you stand with God....and That day is not it.

We are so grateful and humbled that God so graciously gave us the gift of witnessing many come into a saving relationship with God, through repentance and faith in Jesus alone. And continue to thank God as He opened and continues to open many doors at my husband's office, providing him with great opportunities to share the Gospel.

God also continues to open doors for our boys at school, through sports and other activities they're involved in. And as a stay-at-home-mom, where is my portion of the "harvest field" I work? It's whereever I am! I witness to my neighbors, the Target store clerk, any grocery store and department store clerk, any person the Holy Spirit inspires me to speak with that happens to be shopping as well, or at the movie theater, malls, hospitals, (where I've spent a lot of time at for the past four years) doctor's offices....really, just anywhere I happen to be!

In order to help us, since evangelism is still a bit scary, we make sure we are always fully prepared with tracts to help us get started! As a matter of fact, I only purchases purses that are conducive for carrying tracts. My favorites are:

Million Dollar Bill
Giant Money
Curved Illusions (kids and parents LOVE this)
Smart Card
How to Live Forever...Without Being Religious
The Atheist Test
Test Your Reading Skills
Why Christianity?
Ticket to Heaven (un-tear-able)
The World's Ten Most Popular Things
Hell's Best Kept Secret & True and False Conversion CD
¿Fres Una Persona Buena?

....okay, okay, so I have a lot of favorites! Instead of continuing to list them all, visit Living Waters store website and you can get some for yourselves! They also give you some fabulous tips on how to use them.

This a a Biblical, non-offensive and compassionate way to share the Gospel...but of course it is...this is how our Master and Lord Jesus Himself did it!

I could go on and on about all the great things God has done through WOTM, with Michael's S.W.A.T. Bible Club, at school, my husband's office, etc., but I think it's sufficient to leave it where the Apostle John left it:

"Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain all the books that would be written."
~ John 21:25

Click below to be taken directly to their website to order this set of DVD's!