Author: Michael Ian

The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
Psalm 118:14 (NIV)

In August of 2021, I took a trip to West Texas on a planned week-long vacation to seek the Lord. En route, I developed a fever, and when I arrived at the rented house, I was ill. It was the virus, and I became very sick very quickly. I found the house was filled with new age and occult paraphernalia, and there were undoubtedly dark spirits around the property.

I recall praying and thinking perhaps this would be it for me. This was my second bout of the virus, and it seemed this time like there was a sentence of death on me. I remember praying that if God was done with me, then I would gladly welcome dying and being with Him in a new way.

On the third day, I had an encounter with my Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke words of strength and encouragement to me and touched me. I knew from that moment that Jesus Christ never forsakes us nor leaves us. I’d already known this; God has been so very gracious to me and my family over the years, but to be in that sort of situation and to experience a touch of the Lord’s presence brings a new awareness.

I managed to drive home the next day to Mineral Wells, and my condition worsened. After beginning the prescribed protocol of treatment from a local clinic, I became deathly ill. I spent the next couple of weeks in bed, unable to eat or drink much. I lost twenty-five pounds and most of the muscle tone in my body in the first week. My kidneys were shutting down, I could barely breathe or stand, and walking was tough.

Yet I rejoiced in the Lord. I KNEW that Jesus was with me, that He was never going to leave me or forsake me, and that no matter how bad it might get, He was sustaining me. So, I praised Him, giving thanks to God in the name of Jesus Christ each day. My wife Lori took loving care of me, praying over me to God in the name of Jesus Christ, and He heard our prayers and answered us.

I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
Psalm 118:17 (NIV)

Recovery took months, but by the grace of God, I did recover, and Jesus Christ did heal me fully. Others we knew and heard about were not as fortunate, but many went through the same virus or other illnesses and were healed, too.

My wife and I were out to lunch with good friends of ours, a pastor friend and his wife, a couple of months later. When I shared what had happened, he shared with us that he’d had the same experience as I’d had a couple of weeks ahead of me. I was stunned! Praise God!

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Psalm 118:16-16,28 (NIV)

I began hearing stories and testimonies of others God had brought through “the valley of the shadow of death.” God has always worked mercifully in the earth, but these testimonies contradict what was occurring and being spoken about in the news media.

My sister Emily has a beautiful, wonderful testimony from these times. She was diagnosed with terminal stage IV cancer on New Year’s Eve 2019, and from that time, it was a fight of faith by the power, mercy, and grace of God. Doctors and nurses were telling her to give up, go home, and die already, and they were not providing the care they should have. But God sustained Emily, healing her over and over in different ways as the illness raged against her, even bringing her back from the dead three times. She did not give up; she prayed, she trusted, and I praise God, PRAISE GOD, that she is alive today, HEALED BY GOD ALONE, and lives to share her testimony of what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has done for her.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1 (NIV)

Many other people have wonderful testimonies of God’s loving graciousness and mercy; you may be one of them. In these dark times, God is working wonders among us so that Jesus may be glorified and that multitudes may hear of his works and turn to the Lord Jesus and be saved.

We are like those written of in Revelation who have come to know the goodness of God and testify of God’s mercy toward us through faith in the name and blood of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God:

They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
 as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

I’ve had many encounters with people facing spiritual and physical issues since the Autumn of 2021 when God sustained me and raised me from my deathbed again. I say ‘again,’ for He has done it multiple times in my life and the lives of my family. I have testified of God’s goodness, praying with people and encouraging them as the Lord has led.

Undoubtedly, darkness is spreading throughout the world. Lawlessness, rebellion against God, and mocking of faith and trust in Jesus and the Word of God are increasing. In this darkness, many people, including Christians, are losing hope, encountering demonic circumstances, and even having their love grow cold as they find themselves caught in despair and bitterness.

Yet the Word of God remains true. We are entering times that have long been prophesied and written about in the Word of God.

…There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time, your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered… Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Daniel 12:1–3 (NIV)

As Daniel wrote of such times, we must stand firm in our faith and “stand against the schemes of the devil” (see Ephesians 6), knowing there will be trials and troubles.

…the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder.
Daniel 11:32–33 (ESV)

We must take heed of the Word of God…

When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
Daniel 11:34–35 (NIV)

I have prayed about everything I’ve encountered along the way and believe the Word of God, the Bible, is utterly and absolutely true, correct, and accurate. Any confusion in the Church, among the Body of Christ, comes from our own inherent weakness, fallibilities, and stubborn resistance to the Word and the working of the Holy Spirit of God.

We know that Jesus Christ is returning, and that can’t be far off. No man knows the day or hour; however, it looks and feels like we’re in the season. The fig tree is blooming, and this generation shall not pass away before the Lord returns in triumph, and we are all caught up in the air to meet Him.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Matthew 24:32–35 (NIV)

Whether this is pre-, mid-, or post-, I don’t claim to have special insight about it, nor does it much matter to me. But I understand that many have strong views, and there is no shortage of charts and formulas to point to one or another. No matter, for God will reveal all things in due time.

Until then, our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the commission to be his disciples, loving God and people, taking the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus into all the earth, making disciples from all nations and teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded us, and baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this, we behold the reality that Jesus is with us always, until the very end, and then we will be with Him forever.

We have grown lax about this, substituting many good, elegant, and entertaining things while neglecting the simple and necessary things. In this, we have become like Jonah, who rejected the call to proclaim the Word and will of God. We have run to places, practices, and traditions of our own devising.

God, in his mercy, provided a means to get Jonah back on track so that he might repent, be restored, and obey the Lord’s command.

Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17 (NIV)

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and realized he was in the grip of death and repented and cried out to God, so, too, God has mercifully brought many of us through the “valley of the shadow of death” so that we, too, might cry out to God in the name of Jesus and experience his love and grace.

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. He said:
“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
Jonah 2:1–2 (NIV)

“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ ”
Jonah 2:7–9 (NIV)

All this so we might go forth proclaiming the goodness and salvation of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who, by the power of our God, was resurrected on the third day to eternal life.

In all of this a new awe of God and His Word has entered my heart, along with a deeper sense of the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

I have come to understand with a new sense of gravity that…

We must not neglect our salvation and commission in Jesus Christ…

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Hebrews 2:1–4 (NIV)

We must not scorn the precious blood of Jesus Christ of the new covenant…

“How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
Hebrews 10:29 (NIV)

We must love and accept all the members of the Body of Christ…

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”
1 Corinthians 11:27–29 (NIV)

We must love God and people with the very love of Jesus Christ…

 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37–40 (NIV)

We must be disciples of Jesus, making disciples of Jesus Christ…

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV)

We must take the Gospel into all the world…

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Mark 16:15–18 (NIV)

And we must do everything in the love and mercy of Jesus Christ…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:16–17 (NIV)

“…while the morning stars sang together and all the angels a shouted for joy…”
Job 38:6-7

​It was a Summer night in 1982. I was 14 and on a family vacation in the mountains of upstate New York. I lay on a large, rubbery pool float the campground people had left on the grass beside a raised embankment. In the sky above was an infinity of stars twinkling silently from the velvety depths of space. I struggled to match the beauty and wonder of what I saw with scenes imagined from my favorite fiction books. Anything I could envision fell short of the glory I beheld.

My mind drifted to larger, timeless questions. I wondered whether God was indeed real and the Creator of all things. How could the earth and everything in it come into existence otherwise? And all those stars and planets and everything they contained, how could they have appeared from a bang of what, dust? Where did that come from? How could everything have come from nothingness?

And then it seemed I might find out. The stars drew a little closer, and I felt weightlessness. I was airborne and began to tumble in the air. What the…?

Just as suddenly as confusion hit me, I hit the ground, hard. Very painfully. It was shocking and stunned me. My body hurt in several places all at once, but nothing seemed broken. I spent a long minute just breathing and getting a grip on reality. That’s when I heard laughter in the darkness.

My younger sister and brother stood on the rubbery pool bag, doubling over in glee, laughing uncontrollably. They’d jumped together from the top of the embankment in a maneuver calculated to bring about my demise, or at least as a mean joke. They’d hit the end of the float with about a hundred tons of force, and I’d been launched skyward, landing about twenty feet away. Any deep, existential thoughts were wiped from my mind. At that moment, my only reason for existence was to exact my revenge. In hindsight, I can’t remember whether I ever did.

I lost something that night. Looking up at the stars never seemed to be the same, never brought that same depth of awe and wonder. That was ever behind me, dwindling into a past that became harder to recall with each passing season. Maybe the darkly amusing memory from that Summer in the mountains had somehow eclipsed it. Or perhaps it was just the quiet death of innocence that happens to most of us in the journey through adolescence. Most of us come through it with a scar or two.

And I had my scars. Hard knocks and the consequences of my teenage foolishness had shaped me into a restless, unsteady, and troubled soul. I’d become a passive nihilist given to moments of spontaneous stupidity. Although my heart was often tender, and I still cared deeply for others, my moods would change with the winds, and I’d impulsively act out from hurts too deep for me to acknowledge.

For years afterward, my life was heading steadily downward. I knew it. Things went from bad to worse, and I didn’t know how to turn it all around. It took a season of personal distress and a very near-death experience to make me desperate enough to cry out to God. When He responded by miraculously, blessedly healing me, I learned that He does indeed exist. My answered prayers were the proof.

From that point, my stubbornness became a drive to climb up and out of the pit I’d been living in. I was determined to live a better life. And as I made better, saner choices, things turned around. There were still bumps here and there, but life began to hold more meaning. I hoped things could turn out well, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like.

Some may have expected that I’d become religious after such an experience. I’m not sure whether I even had a Bible. I did pray at times, usually when I was anxious about something. Mostly, I was thankful to have been healed but also puzzled by it. I couldn’t understand the how or why of it, so I took it as a “Great Correction” of my life and went from there. My way of living became based on a fuzzy notion about justification through good works. Maybe we were created to do as much good as possible, so we should aim to offset whatever bad stuff we did with what good we could muster. I did not understand God’s love and grace or much about anything from the Bible. But that didn’t stop me from trying my best to be and do good when I wasn’t rationalizing whatever wrong or selfish thing I sometimes chose to do.

Eventually, my standard of living was far above the low roads I’d traveled early on. I was in my second marriage and doing well in my technology career, and I thought my life was pretty close to perfect. I’d come up with a dream for myself to someday make it into outer space. At least to buy a tourist ticket on someone’s rocket or maybe as a volunteer settler for a lunar colony. If I worked hard enough, who knew? Perhaps I’d even be able to start my own space company. Either way, if I could somehow get “up there,” I might find the answers to all the questions I had “down here.” The one wrinkle was that I couldn’t picture how my wife and children fit in with my plans to conquer space and find some answers to the BIG questions.

I recall boasting one evening at Happy Hour that with just a little work in my marriage, I could declare my life a success and that I was on my way toward attaining my delusionally lofty goals. And it had all come to pass because of God, of course, because He’d made me good enough to do it on my own.

And, of course, that’s when things crashed. You’d think I might have learned by then. Like so many other times, my foolish pride was my downfall. (It seems like I’ve read somewhere something about pride going before a fall…)

In a heartbeat, everything in my life changed. It looked like I would lose everyone and everything I cared about and maybe die, too—everything I said or did made things worse.

I’ve written other times about this next event, but it ties in with that Summer night from so long ago in ways worth mentioning. So many things in my life now flow from what happened…

One Friday night, the day after Thanksgiving, I stood very alone on the River Walk in San Antonio. It was around eight pm, and there wasn’t another soul in sight. I guessed that everyone was out on Black Friday shopping or spending time with family, which hurt my heart to think about because the future of my own family was uncertain. This tormented all my thoughts and fears about it and what might happen. I hadn’t eaten or slept much for days and had to get out of my hotel room and find something to eat, somewhere to go, somehow to get my mind off everything that was happening.

When I made it out to the River Walk, I took a few steps in a likely direction and stopped. I didn’t know where I wanted to go or what to do. Stress and anxiety and whatever else was wrong with me had me feeling continually weighed down as though by a ton of stones, and on the inside, I felt sick and thought I might be dying. The worst part was that my mind was always going nonstop at the best of times, and it was a whirling mass of confusion. Half-formed thoughts and ideas conflicted with whatever train of thought I would try to follow.

I looked up. There were a few clouds here and there in the night sky, and I saw a star or two shining. A memory from long ago came to me, of looking up at the sky and wondering… and then I remembered when I’d been deathly ill, dying, years earlier. How I’d prayed, and God had answered me. I was pretty sure about it, but I knew that I hadn’t been living my life in a way that was worthy of Him.

Now, I was again in trouble, just as bad or, in some ways, worse than I had been then. I’d been reading my Bible for a couple of years, thumbing it open randomly most evenings and reading a paragraph or two. And it had been making some sense. Plus, odd things happened along the way that I couldn’t explain. I didn’t think or speak much about them; when I did, I just categorized them as “God things” that I couldn’t wrap my mind around.

Seeing that I was at the end of my rope, I made the same choice again. I called out to God in prayer. It wasn’t much of a prayer, but it was earnestly from my heart, spoken while looking up in a direction that was my best guess for the direction of Heaven.

And God answered in a miraculous, unmistakable, unforgettable, unfathomable, incomprehensible way. He took everything up and off of me; all the stress, fear, anxiety, sickness… and noise in my head went silent all at once. Then, a profound peace overcame me, an indescribable sensation that wasn’t felt but experienced as it enveloped me. I don’t think it lasted long. When I thought again to move and remembered to breathe, everything was different, especially within me. I had tasted and seen that the LORD is indeed good. His peace surpasses all understanding.

Three weeks later, I’d had a rough day and was desperately trying to sleep. But scripture I didn’t know that I knew kept coming clearly to mind whenever I closed my eyes. It was as though someone was trying to tell me something if I would only listen. So, three times, I read the book of Romans from the Bible because that’s where much of the scripture was from. After the third time, something gave way in my heart, and I knelt at my bedside, prayed, and spent some time waiting on the Lord. I received faith, a certainty of belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as my Lord and Savior. I committed my life to Him that night, rejoicing and praising God in His name.

The following day, I was out driving somewhere very early. As the sun was coming up, I was struck by the glorious sunrise. I wept at the beauty, the handiwork of my God, awed by his works and overwhelmed with his love. I knew then that I was in a new place, in what I could only understand as a new relationship with Him through Jesus.

Not long after that day, I found myself noticing the sky and clouds a lot, struck by how lovely it was to behold. I thought back and realized I couldn’t remember the last time I’d really looked up at the sky. I’d lived for years without ever looking up, keeping my eyes constantly on the ground when outside. Whether from shame or guilt or fear, I don’t know. But I do know that I have been truly set free. I was like a prisoner released from a dark dungeon, at last walking unbound beneath a wide-open sky. I had been set free through faith in Jesus Christ because of God’s great love for me, you, and every living soul.

That was many years ago, and I haven’t forgotten what God has done for me. I still thank and praise Him, seek to grow in knowing Jesus Christ, and follow God’s will for my life.

And ever since then, I have taken the opportunity to look up at the night sky and behold with wonder all the stars and the works of God’s hands. I experience the same joy I’d had as a boy, my heart untroubled and resting in Christ. I do not need to look for answers “up there” in the heavens because I’ve learned that Jesus came “down here” so that we all might know the TRUTH and experience God’s love and peace for ourselves. My questions have been answered through the Word of God and his love in Jesus Christ, and I am at peace.

God, by his will and word, has made and arranged every one of those twinkling lights in the sky, each with its own distinct glory. And you and I have just as surely been uniquely created and called by Him to live here and now according to His purpose.

Have you yet called upon God in Jesus’s name? If not, what are you waiting for?

​

I could call this story “the time self-help really worked,” but that wouldn’t be true. Self-help never did much for me, and I’m skeptical whether it helps anyone in lasting ways. Maybe you’ve had a different experience, though.

I DID eventually find something that continues to change my life. I would never have believed how different my life could be and how much peace I could have.

It all began almost twenty years ago as a penciled-in whim on my self-guided personal improvement plan—or so I thought. By trusting in some time-tested wisdom, I was given revelation and knowledge about myself, life, and my place in the universe. It didn’t appear so profound at the outset, not like anything that would have the power to transform me and profoundly alter my perception of reality. But that is just what it did in my life over time.

I’d been in a season of life searching for “ancient wisdom,” mystical secrets, or seven-step recipes to accelerate my career and personal growth. Like-minded coworkers turned me onto stuff like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and The Art of War, which seemed chock-full of insightful tidbits that I struggled to apply in meaningful ways. I quested on, sure I would find something that worked for me.

In my search for an evolutionary transformation, I was willing to skim whatever dusty old books others had used in past times to propel themselves into glory—even the Bible. I took mine down from a shelf for a look one day and found something that caught my eye. I was thumbing through it when I found written in Philippians chapter 2, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” I snorted, but something in those words spoke to me. I would not have admitted it, but I found it laughable that I should “count others (as) more significant (than me).” Back then, I lived for myself and my big, vague plans. But reading that text, I felt a twinge in my heart. It seemed to be… true.

I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the Bible. I’d read some of it as a kid and knew all the big stories from Sunday School. I’d tried reading it as an adult but tended to skip large sections, which, as it turns out, are the essential parts like most of the New Testament, the Gospels, and anything directly related to Jesus. I didn’t think I liked him that much.

I’d come to peg Jesus as being an ancient Hippie. Many hippies ran around with long hair, beards, and sandals when I was growing up. Some even talked about “peace and love,” though I don’t think they had God in mind. Then, there was how Jesus was portrayed in “Godspell,” who appeared to be a clownish Hippie fool. I’m sure it wasn’t intended as a faithful portrayal of the actual Son of God, but tell that to my four-year-old self. My view of him was very distorted.

I was raised by parents who were a suburban, weekend variety of Hippies that hadn’t wholeheartedly tuned in, turned on, and dropped out. Something in their lifestyle turned me off. I identified more with the clean-cut, groomed, and polite side of Americana portrayed in the million-plus hours of TV and cartoons I watched as a kid. Archie Bunker and others left their mark on me. I soon disliked and distrusted folks who preferred denim and tie-dyed clothing.

Since Jesus was, in my mind, King of the Hippies, I wanted nothing to do with him. Which was a problem, given how often my parents brought us to church. And not just any church, but a Pentecostal church that didn’t like the Hippies very much, either. No wonder I was confused.

But that didn’t stop me from reading the Bible sometimes. The authorized King James version, thank you, because that’s what they used at church. I tried to read the “Good News For Modern Man” version, but it confused me. What was the point of a Bible that wasn’t in the King’s vernacular?

I remember countless hours of fidgeting on wooden pews in church. I passed the time by reading the few good parts of the Good Book. I preferred anything weird, such as the imagery of Revelation and parts of Ezekiel and Isaiah. Dragons, plagues, swords, angels, demons… Anything to distract me from the sermon and the polyester adults with their praising and shouting.

So, I was surprised when I stumbled onto that gleaming nugget in the text as an adult. It shouldn’t have caught my eye; there wasn’t a sword or dragon on the page, and in a book with such a boring name as “Philippians,” but I typed and printed out that verse and hung it on the grim, gray wall of my office cubicle.

Sometimes, amid grandiose corporate wrangling, I’d notice those words hanging there—usually while I was on the phone and my mind was drifting. The words would creep into view, and I’d wonder how to apply them.

I was on a business call one afternoon, waiting for a pause in the mouth sounds from the handset when those printed words from Philippians caught my eye. “Consider others as more significant…” Yeah, right.

But then, an idea derailed my train of thought. Instead of verbally barraging my caller, as I intended, what about actually TRYING to see them as being more significant than myself… worthy of my patience and understanding?

“Yes, I agree with you,” I found myself replying on the call instead of cutting them down with my words. Then inspiration struck. “Why don’t I come over there and let’s see if we can work this out.” And I did just that, which led to us working together to solve the issue successfully.

And that’s how it started, with those words from the Bible coming alive. I wondered afterward if maybe I was suffering some silly kind of mental breakdown. But reading words from the Bible and applying them wouldn’t seem to stop. It led to me politely helping people when I could. Which, I’m ashamed to admit, was uncharacteristic. It was sometimes unnerving being so far out of my comfort zone. I even found myself cutting back on drinking.

Then, another challenge arose. I thought there had been another verse near that first one in Philippians, so I dug the Bible out again. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Now, that was just plain odd. Why would anyone want to do that? I was already helping people and answering questions. After all, I was a team player. I would help when asked or noticed an opportunity to correct someone.

Since applying the first verse had worked out well, I decided to give it a shot, to look for opportunities to help others, whether or not there was anything in it for me. So, during breaks or when work was slow, I’d stroll around the office and help whoever I could.

The downside was that I began encountering problems and situations beyond my experience or skills. It was humbling to admit when I didn’t have the answer or know-how. I learned to turn those situations into opportunities for growth and would research and study in areas where I was weak. I’d later revisit people to see if I could then help with my new knowledge.

Things began changing in my job. My role required interaction with many other people and teams, though it had brought much friction and little fruit in the past. We began to make progress together, which was unusual for our corporate culture. I received recognition for going above and beyond, which felt good but was a surprise. More surprising was that I was changing, becoming more like the person I wanted to be, though not by the means I’d expected.

God had used those two verses to pry open my heart and begin his work in me. He instilled in me a willingness to try putting into practice what I’d read from the Bible. A Psalm in it speaks of “taste and see that the Lord is good,” and that’s what I’d done. God is indeed good, and I thank and praise Him. But He wasn’t done with me and had more planned.

I went through difficult times in the season that followed. I found myself at a dark, hopeless place in my life that brought me to the brink of death. But God knew what would come, that I’d need Him. In despair, I reached desperately for the hope that He had revealed and cried out for help.

God heard me, answered, and saved my life. I was shocked at his love and how He showed up, helped, and revealed his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to me.

It all began with just two verses.

I encourage you to seek the One who is the source of all life and everything good. God is near and willing to help with whatever you’re facing. Take it from a poor wretch God rescued from darkness and death; Jesus Christ saves, heals, and delivers those who earnestly call on him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16–17 (NIV)

In the Biblical book of Ezekiel, the author describes a revelation of the radiant glory of the Son of God as He was manifested before Bethlehem…

“Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” Ezekiel 1:25–2:1 (NIV)

By the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote of Jesus the Son of God humbling himself as the Son of Man…

“Who (Jesus), being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6–8 (NIV)

Jesus revealed a glimpse of his innate glory to the three disciples…

“…Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” Matthew 17:1–2 (NIV)

John wrote in his Revelation of the ascended Jesus…

“…when I turned I saw… someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” Revelation 1:12–16 (NIV)

That Jesus is the One of radiant glory, the author of Hebrews wrote…

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” Hebrews 1:3–4 (NIV)

John also wrote of Jesus on his throne…

“…I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” Revelation 4:2–5 (NIV)

This same Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, suffered while on Earth the same indignities that we all suffer in this life, was tempted as we are, yet did not sin or even utter a single complaint.

When He entered Jerusalem as King, he did so without a visible angelic accompaniment and no trace of the majestic and radiant glory in view. Instead, He rode on the back of a borrowed donkey in accordance with the Word of God. The work He did to cleanse the Temple could have been done at one command to a legion of angels, yet in mercy he merely rebuked and whipped the moneychangers to drive them out.

In love, Jesus has shown us all mercy and brought to us the grace and truth of God. He demonstrated this when he took our sins upon himself and went to the Cross at Cavalry, where his blood was shed and he gave his life, a willing sacrifice and ransom for all who trust in Him and his name.

Yet soon, perhaps very soon, Jesus is coming back. Our meek and lowly King will at last come to set all things in order according to his Father’s will, and he will do so in power and glory.

As John wrote of him…

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: ‘king of kings and lord of lords.’” Revelation 19:11–16 (NIV)

I’ve had a few dreams in my life that I consider to have been from God; most were when I was younger, revelations about myself and God and what He would do in my life.

One night a few years ago, I dreamed a dream from the Lord, that I was on a mountain ledge, high up. A man climbed toward me and spoke, saying, “You might think the climb is done, but not until I’ve shown the next generation how to climb, and the Way to ascend.” Then he took me by the hand and climbed upward a ways, and after a time, he was gone, but I wasn’t alone. I found the next, and climbed with him, and after a time I was gone, but he went on. And this went on, generation by generation, the ascent of Mount Zion by the saints of God.

Sometimes there was slipping and backsliding, but always by the grace of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit, would come recovery through repentance and the ascent of faith in Jesus Christ. Until at last, came that final generation, reaching the summit; and as they extended their hands, the Lord himself reached down to help them up. As they came over that final step, they found every prior generation already there, joyously awaiting them, shouting and praising the Lord. Jesus himself made the first climb, so long ago; He opened the Way, and He is the Way, that we might follow ever upwards. We carry no heavy burdens, for we go with Him who is our Lord, yoked in His easy yoke, our burdens light, for Jesus took all upon himself, that we might live by faith alone.

“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”
Isaiah 41:4

We aren’t meant to walk alone, but to live in fellowship with God’s children all around us, loving one another, encouraging and helping one another.

“I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34-35

How sad for those children of God, who climb alone, with no other companions in the fellowship of Jesus Christ. How tragic that many are content, having reached a certain vantage point, to turn aside from the ascent and pursue their own interests. Even sadder is the example and encouragement they give to others to do the same.

We must be determined to know the Lord, to ever follow Him, always, teaching and encouraging others to do the same. Because that’s what we’ve been commanded to do:

“Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
Matthew 28:18-20

God reveals the Way to each man, and whosoever will must walk his path with the Lord, following Jesus, taking up his cross daily, bearing his load, walking and working to completion his own salvation, through faithfulness and obedience to Jesus Christ.

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”
2 Timothy 2:2

We must examine ourselves, and ask truthfully, who are we walking with? God intends we pass along a spiritual legacy, an example and encouragement to those coming along after us. Are we wisely investing in the next generation? Are we helping others to run the race well? Are we encouraging those ahead of us to finish well? Are we pacing ourselves, moving at the Lord’s pace, and cautious to stay the course, to finish with excellence?

Moreso, nearing our finish, can others come, having followed for a time, and take up the baton of the Gospel and Discipleship from us, carrying it forward to new generations?

Have we written down that vision from the Lord, that which He’s placed on our heart, that others might read it and run by faith to the fulfillment of God’s purpose?

Are we like the rich man, focused only on himself, building bigger barns to stash our loot? Or are we wise stewards, sharing all we have, teaching and proclaiming God’s goodness and faithfulness, bringing glory to our Lord and Master?

I can recall a few years ago my children’s elementary school celebrating the “advancing” of students, those who’d be moving up to Junior High when Fall came. My wife overheard some of the third graders calling things out to the older children going forward in the commencement. They were shouting, “you can do it! You’re going to do great!” to the older children, encouraging them as they walked forward into a new season of life.

Are we so filled with godly love for one another, that we’re freely encouraging everyone, all of God’s children, to keep on keeping on, to keep fighting the good fight, to keep running the race, to keep going on in faith with our Lord Jesus Christ? Do we love them, and Jesus, enough to help them all do so?

The Apostle John, nearing the end of his life, wrote these words of encouragement to the generations that would follow, including to you and I:

“I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.

I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.

I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.

I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.

I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.”
1 John 2:12-14