Archives for November 2012

“Off Duty!”

That’s what the Lord said to those of us who had been “standing watch” for my friend Nadine. He said He was taking her home. She had fought a good fight. She had kept the faith. She had finished her course. We had done what we had been commissioned by His heart and love to do! He had taken her home. We were now “Off Duty!”

Now where did that leave us? Those of us who were now pondering all the prayers of faith and visits and calls and meals and baths and massages and support? Those of us who believed God for her healing in this life? Where did that leave us who were now “Off Duty”?

What I discovered is this: God is so concerned about the heart that He will do anything to get to it so that we can stockpile the greatest amount of eternal wealth. It’s the only thing that lasts. In Nadine’s last year, God allowed her to store up more treasure in heaven than, I believe, she had stored up in the former years of her life.

• He healed my friend’s heart and prepared her to meet her Bridegroom.
• She was able to let go of the bitterness of the past and live in the love of God!
• God was able to heal deep wounds that she did not EVEN know existed!
• She was able to see in a real way the people God had given her for her life and for transportation into eternity.
• God was able to develop in her a love for His people and His land Israel, so that she traveled to Israel and selflessly served the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in any way that they needed her.
• She connected with the Jewish roots of her faith and joined studies at a Messianic synagogue.
• She was able to know what it was like to bask in the Presence of God and to desire that Presence.
• She was not only able to grasp God’s word for her healing but also to cling to it because she loved it. She realized that a relationship with God  was more than what she could get from God but who she was in Him. It was more than about her healing. It was about the richness of a life lived in Him. “He will always be in charge of my life,” she said. “Oh, how I love Him so!”
• She was able to bless the lives of those she loved with a radiant smile even in the midst of her pain.
• She was able to build a legacy and leave that with us–her family and friends. A legacy of . . .

1. A life well lived and a race well run . . . and WON!
2. Meeting any obstacle head on;
3. Enjoying life . . . with cruises and backpacking in Europe;
4. Fulfilling dreams, like one of being baptized in the Jordan River, of a wedding dress in a shop window in Turkey, and relaxing in DuBai.
5. Loving family, that even in her sickness she traveled to Trinidad and to New York to connect with those she loved.
6. Not giving in to a struggle.

Nadine Lisa Spence was . . .

• A Warrior in the Navy!
• A Diamond among her friends!
• A Jewel in her family!
• A Princess in the Kingdom of God!

…  and was given an opportunity to build a legacy, leaving that as a memory, an example, and a reflection of the life of a Warrior Princess who is now also “Off Duty.”

PRAYER: Thank you for allowing us to serve our sister, Father, so that she would have more time to build a legacy and store up more treasures in heaven. Thank you that her indomitable spirit did not stop her from believing or trusting You which allowed her faith to make room for Your sovereignty.  You trusted us to encourage her spirit. You trusted us to show her the Father’s love. You trusted us to pray her into Your arms. Although our assignment with Nadine is complete, our assignment with You is not. Never will we forget her, but we do hear You saying to us, “Off Duty. Regroup! Reboot your faith . . . and wait . . . for the next assignment.” It was a privilege serving Your daughter! Amen.

When God finished creating each day’s task, he saw that it was good. The Hebrew word for saw is “ra a.” It literally means “to see, look at, inspect.”

• The first time the Bible says that Adonai “saw” is in verse 4 of Genesis 1 after He commanded light to appear. Then He looked at the light and the Bible says, “He SAW that it was good.”
• The second time it is used is in verse 10 of Genesis 1. He literally says to the dry land, “You are called ‘Earth'” and to the water “You are called ‘Seas’.” As the Master Designer, He creates. It’s what He does — making something out of nothing! Then He inspects His creation. Then He proclaims over it that it is good! He took a world that was flawed because of an angelic rebellion and makes something good. (Remember that Lucifer and a third of the angels were cast into the earth.)

Seven times in Genesis God “saw” that what he had done was good! He did not do that for his benefit because He knew His own capabilities. He knew that He could declare something to be and it would appear just as He envisioned it! But He did it (saw) for our benefit.

He knew that one day we would accuse him of creating a flawed universe, or flawed angels, flawed earth . . . or flawed humans. And that one day we would blame our situation on Him. Adam blamed Him even when he was a witness to the “good” state of the world. Eve indirectly blames Him even when she had the same knowledge as Adam.

When have you blamed Him . . . and what have you blamed Him for?

But He inspected His creation for us. He performed such a condescending task of inspecting His creation for us.

Isn’t that encouraging? He sees you, brokenness and all, but He proclaimed that everything He made was good. Now that you are covered by the blood of His Son, you’re better than “good”! You’re extraordinary!

PRAYER: Abba, again we must say that you are AMAZING! How passionately you want us to know of your love for us that from the beginning you would stand back (if that’s what you did) look upon what you had done, inspect, and see the goodness of it! You took away all of our excuses! Thank you! Help us to receive your love and the reality of how extraordinary we are in your Son. Amen.

She has a winning smile and an amazing personality! Almost two years ago she walked into my congregation. When I met her, we connected right away.

Soon, her cancer would flare up (“again” I later discovered) and I was in her life. It was my watch. You know what that means, don’t you? There is a season God gives to us where he brings others into our lives to pray for–to stand guard against the enemy’s fiery darts, and if the truth be told “the enemy’s missiles.” This was my season. This was my watch.

On this watch, I met friend after friend who hers who came to visit whether she was in the hospital or at home. Because she lives alone and is on a strict diet, they sometimes bring her food. I met . . .

• former neighbors who are now refurbishing a ’64 Mustang for her just to bless her! Amazing!
• a former boss from the military who stops by the hospital to visit her.
• another military friend whose whole family (husband, daughter, and mother) offers their home to her.
• another lifelong friend who has seen our friend through previous episodes, and is still standing watch.
• a woman who identified herself as my friend’s Sunday School teacher, neighbor and friend; she had brought goodies: a pumpkin to cheer her and watermelon to help fatten her. She proceeded to question my identity, making sure that my friend had good people around her.
• a neighbor who had mowed her lawn, to whom she had sent me with money for payment for his work. It was only upon her very adamant suggestion that he reluctantly accepted it.
• clergy from a Baptist Church and a Messianic Jewish congregation who came to pray with her.
• Her only sister  comes down from Michigan periodically and swaddles her with prayer, love, and a lot of TLC.
• Aunts from NY and NJ stay weeks at a time on their watch.
• A grandfather visits and bathes her in prayer.
• A daughter comes from college when she can and massages her, tells her all about college life, and graces her mother with her healing presence.

And of course my Bible study group that she joined prays constantly, visits, texts, and calls weekly.

And others in the congregation, one who just battled cancer herself, realizes it is her watch too.

Another who defeated cancer, along with her husband, prepares organic meals, meets with doctors and nurses, transports her family when they come to town, massages her, encourages her, stays in touch with family members . . . actually the list is endless, especially because she also knows that this is her watch, too.

WHAT’S THE POINT OF ALL THIS? Here it is. When I survey all I’ve written, I think about how God strategically mapped his daughter’s steps. He knew what was coming to my friend as a result of this fallen world in which we live. He knew the support group that she would need to beat this vicious, ugly, merciless enemy! He offered her a group that crosses racial divides, socio-economic lines, and religious ones as well. And she accepted and received those whom He sent!

• God knew that when she didn’t have the strength to lift her arms, she should not have to look around for an Aaron and Hur! They would be in place.
• When she could not carry herself to Yeshua, there would at least be four friends around her who put her on a gurney, opened up the roof, and lowered her in front of the Master.
• That when she could not run to him, there would be a friend (as there was for Lazarus) finding Yeshua and proclaiming, “Master, the one that you love is sick and needs you!”
• And when she couldn’t encourage herself like King David, someone who knew it was his/her watch would say to her, “Hope, thou, in God!!!!”

I told her, “Not only is this support group an indication of a life lived well, it is the favor of God upon you.”
“I never saw it as favor,” she said.

“It is His incredible love for you, Sis,” I told her.  “That’s the favor of God.”

We have no idea what we will have to endure in this life, but God does. He’s put people in your life. So this is what you’re to do: Build bridges and relationships that will last . . . just like my friend has. Then you will have those who will be standing watch for you!

PRAYER: Father, thank you for my amazing friend. Thank you for the spirit that she bears that is Your Spirit. There is a reason you have given her this amazing support group.  Raise her up healed and totally free from cancer to reveal to the world what a community of believers can do when we hope against hope in Yeshua’s Name, trust You to do what seems impossible, and rely upon a God who can call those things that are not as though they were. When it is our watch, help us to WATCH as well as pray! Amen.

Enjoy this song: “Friends Are Quiet Angels”