Nevertheless...The Rest Of The Story

Wow!
There is more to the story! I can't hardly wait to share with you what God is doing through this word..."Nevertheless!"

It seems that I did not know part of the story about my husband and the Bible. Why is it men leave out important details? It turns out that the man did not know Mike was interviewing with a church for pastor until after he bought Mike the Bible! Mike also had turned him down 3 times before the man looked at him and said, "I really feel that God is telling me to get you this Bible!"
The couple e-mailed us last night and this detail my husband also forgot to share...The man's last name is Shepard!

Do you think angels have e-mail?

Story # 2
I shared with you that my daughter was afraid of DVD games. She came up to us and asked if we could all play the "TV SCENE IT" game. We prayed for her to have courage and for us to be sensitive to her true needs. Are you ready....Nevertheless...she not only played but beat us at it to boot! No nightmares or scary thoughts that night! She woke up excited yelling GO GOD!

Story # 3
I had to go to the doctor today for my bi-yearly check-up. I had gained 3 more pounds! I have high blood pressure that is aggravated by "White coat syndrome." (I see the white coat of a doctor and my blood pressure goes through the roof.) As the nurse is checking my blood pressure, the enemy starts attacking me about the number on the scale. Then, I thought about my blood pressure...I gave my thoughts a good grabbing...took them captive and said, "Nevertheless...I am healthier today than I was even a year ago. Results...My doctor said, "Wow, your blood pressure is really good!" Go God!

Now for the really good news!

As I researched the word "Nevertheless," yesterday I came upon a story that blew my heart away.
It is found in Luke 22:41-44, "And He was withdrawn from them about a stones throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, If it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Wow! Did you catch that? It says here that after he said, "nevertheless" an angel came to minister to Him from heaven! But more interesting to me is that even though He was being ministered to by an angel...he still was in so much agony that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Have you ever been in that kind of agony? I've been in retching agony but not to that extent.

This is Jesus! He knew that death meant He would be with God...so I don't think death is what caused the agony. I think it was the thought of having to take on my sin! He, who knew no sin, was going to have to take on mine and yours and the sin of the world. The perfect Son of God was going to have to bear sin! And for those brief moments that he would bear them the Father God, whom He had always been with, would have to turn away. I think that caused Jesus greater agony than thinking about the nails or the cross.

Do you not know that Jesus could have caused His body not to feel the pain of man's nails and whips? He created the body! The agony...the thing that hurt the most was my sin! I am crying as I write this. Jesus knew what death meant, unlike us, He had already been with God physically. It was thinking about my sin that caused Him to be in so much agony, even though angels were ministering to Him. Today, I realize anew that I truly don't understand the cost...I don't understand how bad my sins are to a perfect and Holy God!

NEVERTHELESS! He did it! He loved me and you more than that kind of agony! At some point Jesus hit His own "nevertheless" moment, because just a little while later the High priest questions him and says, "Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64. Do hear the confidence and power in those words? Now friends, that is a Nevertheless moment!

Today as you encounter frustration, disappointments, trials and even joys...think about Jesus. Think about the cost of our sin...then shout out loud for all to hear, "NEVERTHELESS, JESUS, MY SAVIOR, IS LORD!