“What if: Love Unveiled in Power Disguised”
by Lynn Alford
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
What if the one thing we most needed was weakness, and to decrease in our wrong kind of self estimations, so that we could really live? What if the one call we have is to this decrease, where it is all less and less about us, and all about Him, and others in Him? What if every moment in our life which is full of frustration and trial and sorrow, is but to bring us to this one place consciously, a place called the Cross-Life, where Jesus is Lord, and Life, and Love, and we His humbled vessels? What if His call to this humility is really just our call to become in understanding, just what He has already made us in fact to be, by His Finished work of that Eternal Power of the Cross called Love?
What if this Place of the Cross is the only place where we can experience being utterly emptied out of all but this one Power of Love? What if upon seeing this in truth, we are then finally able to receive Love as the one true fact about our days, and so able to walk out, and in, this one Power point of our existence, the Place where we can receive meekly this minute this now-engrafted Word–Love? What if we were then able to understand that this is the Power we have been born into by that which we have called The Cross? What if we then began to rest deeply in such powerful Love, having at last received Him as all this with joy, and so could begin to walk in Him and glory in Him alone, this Wondrous and Amazing One?
What if, at the end of it all, when all the irritations and upsets and sadnesses and traumas are unveiled before us, we find that we had actually been–ever since that first moment of our new birth into Him–we had been all along in this One Place of all and utter Power? And what if then we finally understand that it was and is all about this, the Cross-Life Himself, Love’s Power and Reign Supreme called the Everlasting Son Eternal, Jesus, the Christ?
What then? Why I think then I’d laugh and run and sing for joy! Why not start now? Will you join me? I hear we’ve both been issued an invitation…
“I determined to know nothing among you save Christ, and Him crucified…” 1 Cor. 2:2
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.” Ro. 1:17
“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us who are saved, it is the Power of God.” 1 Cor 1:18
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Cor 1:23-24
“But God forbid I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal 6:14
“A certain man made a great supper, and invited many, and sent at supper time to say to them who were invited, ‘Come! for all things are now ready!'” Luke 14:16, 17
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Grace Notes: November 4, 2004. Used with permission. For more Graceful words, visit Lynn’s Web site: http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/angeleyes13