This is Jerry's… it must forever remain untouched by anyone but Him!
This is Jerry's… who would He want to have it?
This is Jerry's… no one will ever want that.
This is Jerry's… no one can have that.
This is Jerry's… why did he ever keep it?
This is Jerry's… how can I use that… it was His?
This is Jerry's… it's valuable because it was His.
This is Jerry's… he'd want them to have it.
This is Jerry's… don't touch it!
This is Jerry's… please, take it.
This is Jerry's…
Don't make me say it! I have to say it…
This WAS Jerry's… it all WAS Jerry's, not IS Jerry's, but… it is… it is Jerry's… it will always be Jerry's.
Almost seven weeks later and I still question, how can he be gone?
Jerry owns nothing now and that doesn't seem real, or right, in any way. Gone, never, ever ever forgotten.
Truthfully, there are a lot of things that will always be Jerry's, I'm not making that up. Even without Him here to possess them, they are his. I'll just be a caretaker of the things that are His-- keeping, distributing, loaning, things that are his as my heart decides.
I still have my grandfather's desk, my grandmother's china cabinet, my mother's bedroom set… See, they remain theirs forever- it's in their history. I don't say I have my grandfather's desk which went to my mother, which in turn went to me- there is no long spiel about it, just simply, that was my grandfather's. There are sentimental treasures here that will be passed down to my children and they will forever be their father's- this, and their father's - that, and this is the way of life as it continues ever onward.
Seven weeks… and in some ways it seems like yesterday.
*******
Learning.
We live in the furnace of affliction and so many people don't recognize it as such. What would happen if one of the first important things you were taught growing up was the fact that you live in a world with unseen forces that truly impact your life in a very real way? That the world unseen is filled with beings intent on causing us to endure all manner of afflictions. That the world unseen is filled with those who will allow the afflictions in order to purify us, refine us, strip off the layers of superficial life right down to our very core where the workings of our heart live. What would happen if we were all taught the truth from the day we were born?
What has all that to do with learning of Christ's yoke and burden? Christ's yoke and His burden are the core of our core. That which lives under our outer impurities, our fleshy dross. We need to learn of Christ- the core of our core, the love that enables us to love. Christ who could have called ten thousand angels to set Him free from this earth bent on His murder, but chose to endure all the horrors inflicted because He was sacrificing Himself to prove His love, His core, Himself.
Why would He do that if there weren't something more for us than this world with its unseen forces? Jesus came and said…
Joh_14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Fact- His Father has a house big enough to contain MANY MANSIONS.
Fact- His Father's house with its many mansions exists and is being prepared for US.
Fact- Jesus will come again to receive us.
We live now and all the afflictions we endure CAN be used to refine us, stripping away our dependence upon ourselves so that we recognize our need to be dependent upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Some of those unseen forces in our world will do all they can to keep us from learning of Jesus, of really learning of Him in the way that we can recognize His easy yoke and light burden. Read the many verses below of how God refines. We need to understand the refining isn't going to be easy- mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. This world as it is now isn't intended to give us easy, affliction free lives. If you choose to simply live for this awful world because you're too prideful to let the afflictions refine you to your core, then no, you will not inhabit any prepared mansion. Not a single person will inhabit a mansion in heaven that willfully chooses not to learn of Jesus now. You may scoff at all this unbelievable nonsense, but think for just a single moment, what if none of it is nonsense? You have to know deep down that this world has a whole slew of seemingly unfixable problems and that in the thousands of years we've had to fix things, we just don't. This world is broken, we are broken, but we can have hope to be fixed.
Christ's burden and yoke are light and easy, learn of Him. Don't learn of any one religion, just learn of Him. Please.
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Psa 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Pro 17:3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.
Jer 9:7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
Eze 22:18 Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Eze 22:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
Eze 22:20 As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
Eze 22:21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
Eze 22:22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, not and forever!!!!!!! Amen!
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