Sweet Surrender

               The following poem is an excerpt from the "Light Breaking Forth" section of The Wishing Well:  One Woman's Journey from the Bondage of Darkness into the Freedom of Christ's Marvelous Light.  The Holy Spirit gave me this message many years ago, during a time in my life when I was still in DEEP BONDAGE.  Yet, His light and grace was breaking forth in my life and manifesting through the poetry that He ministered to and through me in that season of preparation for TREMENDOUS DELIVERANCE!  Looking back with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, I now know that this was a PROPHETIC WORD PROCLAIMING MY OWN DELIVERANCE!

               God is calling the Body of Christ individually and corporately to follow CHRIST into the Garden of Gethsemene, which is a place of COMPLETE SURRENDER!  The cup that we must drink is both bitter in suffering and sweet in the joy of intimacy with our Lord, Savior, Master, and EVERYTHING!  We are HIS BELOVED and HE is our LIFE! 

               Will you FOLLOW HIM beyond the outer courts, beyond the even the inner courts, beyond the perimeter, where even His inner circle (Peter, James, and John) slept from the exhaustion of sorrow...  Will you FOLLOW HIM ALL THE WAY?  Oh how HE longs to FELLOWSHIP WITH YOU THERE EVEN AND PARTICULARLY IN HIS SUFFERINGS... THE SUFFERING of DEATH TO SELF... DEATH TO YOUR OWN MIND SETS... DEATH TO THE PASSIONS OF YOUR HEART... DEATH TO YOUR SELFISH AMBITION... DEATH TO THE WORLD... DEATH TO YOURSELF... AND LIFE ONLY IN HIM! 

            Little by little, piece by piece the Holy Spirit has been ministering the message of entering into the Garden of Gethsemene...  On Saturday, in the midst of praise and worship the Holy Spirit revealed to me that Jesus GAVE HIMSELF AWAY to the FATHER in the Garden of Gethsemene, and THEN the FATHER GAVE AWAY HIS SON to the world on the cross...  John 3:16 For GOD (THE FATHER) so loved the WORLD that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON that whosoever believeth on HIM should not PERISH BUT have EVERLASTING LIFE!

            Then the Holy Spirit ministered to me that He WILLS for US... THE BODY OF CHRIST... to FOLLOW CHRIST into the GARDEN OF GETHSEMENE and GIVE OURSELVES AWAY TO THE FATHER... so that HE CAN IN TURN GIVE US AWAY to a LOST AND DYING WORLD...  So we TOO must not only CARRY OUR CROSS but also experience EXECUTION as the FATHER GIVES US AWAY for the SAVING OF SOULS...
OUR MINISTRY IS NOT ABOUT US!  I don't know where we EVER got that idea in the first place!

WILL YOU FOLLOW HIM ALL THE WAY TO COMPLETE AND SWEET SURRENDER?

Matthew 26:36-46 "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.   And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.  And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.  And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." (KJV)

   

 Sweet Surrender

There was a man

Who walked this earth,

Set apart

Both God and man from birth.

His life and death

Many years foretold,

A promise

For all with faith to behold.

Many before

Focused ahead,

Yet anxious

To see The One of which they read.

Their lives of faith

Shone rays of light,

Bright fires

Burning throughout the night.

The fallen world

Rejected this hope,

Yet doubting

That God could be trusted and known.

Heroes of faith

Rejected and bruised,

Yet hoping,

A life void of God, they refused.

Many have sought

To trust and obey,

An offering

Of surrenderance to God’s way.

Denying flesh

What can be seen,

In knowing

That on God’s promise one can lean.

Then came the Son

Bright as the day,

Pure Beauty

In a manger He laid.

Promise fulfilled

His life He gave,

God with us

Wrapped in the flesh of a babe.

Was there a doubt

In man’s weak heart?

Disappointment,

Was all hope torn apart?

Where is the king

Upon His throne”

A kingdom

For me to call my home?

Who is this man

“The Messiah”?

I wonder,

Is He Lord, lunatic or a liar?

He speaks with strength,

Yet soft and meek,

Faithful friend of the Wounded and weak.

I saw this man

Early one morn,

Loud weeping

His garments and heart were torn.

“Your will be done!”

He loudly cried,

Death to self

Then came an angel by His side.

I followed Him

Throughout that day,

So amazed

By every Word I heard Him say.

Who is this man

“The Good Teacher”?

Pure and wise,

He fills every need of the seeker.

One grave night

He was led away,

Innocent,

Yet not a word of defense did he say.

Mocked and beaten

His flesh was torn,

No objection,

Nor for Himself did He mourn.

A crown of thorns

Upon His head,

Humble King

To His death He was led.

Though He could have called

Angels above,

In agony he laid upon The Altar of Love.

Upon his flesh

All sin was laid,

Sweet Sacrifice

Sin’s wage of death was paid.

Three days later

The Victory,

He arose

Fulfilling history.

The Son of God

Heroes of faith,

Tightly bound

Surrendered to the Father’s way.

Through one man’s death

Came life to all,

Those surrendered

To obey the Father’s call.

Empty vessels

God won’t refuse,

God’s anointed

He will fill and use.

My Dear Father,

Please hear my plea,

Sweet Surrender

From sin and flesh to be free.

My Sweet Jesus,

Thy servant speaks,

Sweet Surrender

To Your will and Way I seek.

Holy Spirit,

To my heart speak

Sweet Surrender

To know the power of the weak.

Sweet Surrender,

Sweet Surrender was He,

So shall I also be!

© Christine Lombard, All rights reserved, use only with permission