Every Knee Shall Bow! By Cliff Hazelbaker
I used to read this and I was convinced that these were the knees of those who lived their lives choosing not to believe that God could really love us as much as he does. I prided myself on not being one of those who would need to bow down before God at some later date because I was convinced that I already believed in his awesome grace and understood how deep his love was. And then a funny thing happened, I was reading a book called “Furious Pursuit” by Tim King & Frank Martin. In the last part of the book they list some sacred vows that God (the bridegroom) wants us to hear from his heart to ours. They are very simple and at first I didn’t put much into their profound meaning to my heart.
Here they are:
I have always been there for you, and I always will be.
I will walk with you forever—-just the two of us.
I will always understand you.
I will always be kind to you.
You will always be my own personal concern.
I love you. I always have, and I always will.
Now here is the strange thing. After mulling these over in my mind I found myself asking “Is God that loving?” “Can he really accept me with all my flaws?” “Don’t I have to do something to at least show him I love him?” And then I found myself going back to read these vows over and over again, and I began to weep, not because of how great his love is, but because I realized that his love is so great that as long as I am a human in the flesh I will never really be able to comprehend his love for me. Then it struck me that until we lose this body of clay that is so subject to weakness of all kinds we will never truly be able to appreciate everything God really is to us.
Yes, I do believe in God’s Love for all mankind, and I want others to believe it too, but I also know a time is coming for all of us when we will shed this body made from dust and we will see God with clarity for the first time, and when that happens we will all bow our knees and give the truest form of praise that we have ever given. We will be witnessing the brightness of his glory and we will be doing it without all our questions, and doubts, and divisions, and weaknesses of our flesh.
And at least for me I think I really know now what Paul meant when he said: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
I have worked so hard NOT to judge my brother, and I will continue to do that, but now I also realize NO human being can really fathom how unbelievable God’s love is for us. Yes, that means me too. And guess what? It feels great to know that as much peace as I feel right now, it’s even going to be greater, grander, and beyond my wildest imaginations.
The challenge we each have while we are still in the flesh is to trust his love. His love is trustworthy, and even when we struggle with that trust He is greater then our heart and the day will come when He will take away all our doubts. I am going to read those simple vows more often, and when my time comes to lay down this tired old body of flesh, closing my eyes for the last time, I will be bowing my knees for the first time in perfect praise of my loving God.
Thanks so much for posting this. I’ve been discussing this very thing and just coming to this realization myself. Instead of saying, haha, you ole unbelievers, the day is coming when you’re gonna bow and you’re gonna confess and then you’ll know what I’ve been telling you. No, thats not it at all. Its what Cliff has said here, it is EVERY KNEE because NONE of us in the flesh really understand. But we will, every last one of us will know that He is God and will all be in such awe beyond our wildest dreams.
I really do love so much your sharing of Cliffs words and I could just picture him on that day bowing and praising God and really, really knowing. He did seem to get pretty close to that knowledge even here, imo, but what do I know, I’m still here.
Such beautiful vows. They offer so much peace and comfort to know they were made for us. They are also vows we should try to live by for all that we hold dear.
That is possibly the most beautiful thing Cliff ever wrote. Thanks for posting it Mindy.
How totally apropos!! Cliff is experiencing the things that he wrote about here. I am just a little bit jealous….
Wow Don! Your words sent chills up my back and shivers and goose bumps down my arms. I think for the first time since Cliff left this world, I let go of my self absorbed suffering and felt that moment of bliss that I knew would come.
I felt the realization that Cliff did not leave us with his feet shuffling from tired heavy legs, nor with eye blurred with tears looking back in sadness, but he left running with the spirit of the wind and the strength of the wings of a thousand angels.
I could see him sliding like a softball player into the feet of Jesus, rising into his arms with that big ol smile that only Cliff could have, and saying, “where’s the ice cream!”
THANKS DON!
Love always
Does anyone else thing that it might be Jesus who bows first… to us?
omg, ur a mind blower , B
I guess if he was gonna catch Cliff slidin in , he better be low
Your too cool Bruce..
Love always brother
What can you say to that? BEAUTIFUL! I love this post!
I must say this post feels very appropriate for me today. Do you ever have days when you feel like no one is listening to you? Days when you feel like the whole world thinks you are crazy? Days when you can’t seem to do anything right no matter how simple the task? Nothing makes sense? Well, I am having one of those days.
This post reminds me that I should not pass judgement on others, but I should also not pass so much judgement on things that I do or things that happen to me. I am not saying I shouldn’t think about things, but I should remember that God has a plan and a purpose for each one of us. He has a plan for everything that happens to us. When I “mess up” I should remember that God is here for me and I should smile, live, learn and be grateful. I should think about what God would want me to take away from each situation.
I am continuting to learn a lot about God’s love. Thank you for sharing this post and thank you for continuing to share the words of a great man. I feel much better now! (smile)
“Does anyone else thing that it might be Jesus who bows first… to us?” (Bruce)
He’s kind of done that already……washing the feet of the disciples comes to mind. So, who knows?!
Bowing to us is nothing compared to dying for us!
That’s the good news… he wanted to deeply to have his love for us known that he was willing to die for us. There is no greater thing one can do for his friends than to lay his life down for them.
This really is good news
I love my stubborn cousin, she has a mind that , can almost feels Jesus. He went to his knees many times for us, before he died for us. That cross was heavy, how many times did he drop to his knees carrying it?
I dont think he dropped anymore times then Connie, Bruce or I would to save just one of our babies. He did it for all of us.
“People get ready, there’s a train a coming” ( Rod Stewart) and you got a free ticket.
The expectation that each of us have at the end of our dance will be different. Some will think there is nothing, and there life will simply end, others will think that they will walk on streets of golden bricks, and dance with angels in a garden more perfect then eden. There will be many that will hold true to belief that they will hold in there arms all the ones that they so dearly loved in their earthly life. There will be the sad multitude that will die feeling domed to some sort of Hell.
I have no clue, or clear expectation of what is next, with the exception that I know that there is so much more then nothing , and the only Hell you will feel is the one you choose to feel while your alive.
I think I will choose to slide feet first into heaven with no expectation other than to know that I am LOVED so unconditionally that my earthly heart would explode to feel it.
love always
But Doug, isn’t that LOVE you talk of dwelling within you? And if God is love and Christ and the Father are ONE, isn’t your heart the dwelling place of the Almighty? So then, heaven must be within you!
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So why talk of heaven being a piece of real estate with gold bricks up in the sky somewhere with people sliding to home base? Even a child finds that a bit incredulous. When talking of spiritual things we MUST keep to the internal, that new world unfolding within us, connecting us together, making us ONE with each other and with the I AM. When looking externally, as religion does, we start imagining things we can know with our 5 senses, but spiritual things are above our 5 senses. Our senses were given for our earthly experience to help us with getting about this world. But, they are not able to tell us of spiritual things because we cannot feel or smell or hear or touch or taste spirituality for the simple reason that flesh and blood cannot enter this kingdom. The natural man we are told cannot understand the spiritual.
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Just as a stone in the mineral kingdom by itself cannot enter the kingdom above and become a plant, nor can a plant enter the animal kingdom of its own volition, we as humans cannot enter the spirit kingdom. Each of these kingdoms has a barrier that prevents upward movement. However if something reaches down from the kingdom above, it is possible to elevate what it reaches into, up to its own level. I ’saw’ this when looking at a giant tree my husband cut down, that I had planted 25 years ago. I realized that the little sapling had spent years reaching down into the minerals of the soil, converting them with the help of sun and water to a higher kingdom, becoming LIVING CELLS within that giant tree. As this dawned on me I realized that what I was ’seeing’ was a picture of what was happening to me. As humans we are terminal, under the sentence of death, but the love of THAT MIND WITHIN US, reached down into our humanity by indwelling us and is able to elevate us from the human kingdom to the spiritual kingdom. All we have to do is TRUST those deep feelings within.
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As for Cliff, I’m sure he is part of the Elohim company, cheering you all on in your spiritual journey. We are told we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses, all those who have gone before. They have not yet reached what is for them, they are waiting for us to walk into the kingdom, and then bring them with us into the perfect day. Let’s move on so they can join with us.
Jesus spoke in parables. He used largely agrarian stories to teach spiritual truths because that’s what the people of his day could relate to. We’re doing the same thing when we use examples of streets of gold or sliding into home base, or requesting ice cream once we arrive on the other side of this earthly life.
For me, I can imagine a huge library with unlimited numbers of leatherbound books catalogued neatly for me to peruse at my leisure. Maybe a couple of leather armchairs and a debonair gentleman wearing a tweed jacket with patches on the sleeves, carrying a pipe that he never actually smokes but just uses as a pointer to show you all of his favorite books. Through large french doors you can take your selected book and go out into the garden and sit on a rustic bench in the shade of a large oak tree. Perhaps you can hear the sound of a creek that runs nearby, and glance up from time to time at the birds and squirrels chattering and playing together. Your favorite dog (or cat) would definitely be there curled up at your feet. Every once in awhile, someone would come around with coffee or tea and a tray of oatmeal raisin cookies.
In trying to reassure his disciples when he was about to leave them, Jesus said, “…in my Father’s house are many mansions” and “I go to prepare a place for you.” I choose to think of that “place” as including a large library such as I described, which I realize would be more like hell for some people than heaven. My point is, we don’t really have any idea what is on the other side of death, but we trust that it’s going to be wonderful because we trust the One who has gone to prepare it for us!
“…we don’t really have any idea what is on the other side of death, but we trust that it’s going to be wonderful because we trust the One who has gone to prepare it for us!”
Amen, Connie!!
Audrey, If Gods love is within me and therefore heaven is within me, wouldn’t my vision of Cliff (as incredulous as it might be) sliding into the feet Jesus mean that for that blissful moment i was in heaven with him?
Connie the whole of scripture is written in parabolic form. There are two tiers or layers. One tier is physical and has no life, it just remains ink on paper, and on this level has been the instrument of death and war and separates us from each other because of our differences in the belief system our minds imagine from the words.
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The other tier is ‘lifted up’ and is spiritual. This level has not been understood before because the love of God had not been shed abroad in our hearts. It is this LOVE that is drawing us to see things differently, from INSIDE and NOT FROM OUR HEADS. You have been discovering this love deep in your heart, it is like a beacon, deeper than your emotions beckoning you to discover the spiritual world that is within you, that will ‘light-up’ your understanding. Your heart IS one of those many mansions that the risen Christ has been preparing. You could never feel his presence without his help. He IS that love and cannot be separated from it. We are spiritual beings and only now are we beginning to realize it.
Doug, the answer is a definite ‘yes’. What I want to point out to you is that you were still firmly on the earth – you had a connection in a moment that joined spirit-to-spirit. You did not fly up to the sky. What you felt was not through your five senses and physical, it was from that deeper place within you, and what triggered it was LOVE. THAT PLACE IS SPIRITUAL and the only word we have to describe it is our heart. We understand that in saying ‘heart’, we are not talking of a pump used to carry blood, but the existence of a dimension within us that is higher than physical life, a whole new world not ruled by the laws of this universe but by one law that fulfills everything.
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Connie’s dream, beautiful as it is, is PHYSICAL, and as such is limited by the laws of this physical world. But within us all is another world, that the spirit is revealing to us as we turn away from that physical world and allow the spirit within to disclose himself in our hearts. This is the ‘closet’ JC spoke of when he taught how to pray. We have only begun this journey, and it all starts with using the mind of our heart(spiritual) and not the mind of our head (physical). This is ‘metanoio’ that has been wrongly translated as ‘repent’. It has nothing to do with feeling sorry, but everything to do with becoming as open-hearted as a little child, ready to discover the treasure within our clay bodies.
Audrey, I have always thought of metanoia as a change of heart, a growing in spiritual understanding. I agree that, as we grow in spiritual understanding we’ll be less tied to the physical. “Things” no longer hold the importance for us that they once did. But, while I can follow what you are saying, I must confess that I am still rather earthbound and think in more physical terms than you apparently do.
Connie: The vast majority of people, including myself, think in earthly physical terms more than in “spiritual terms. I have met very few, if any, that look at life in the “spiritual” term that Audrey mentions.
I’m not sure I understand what it means and likely is something that has to be a revelation to us by His spirit. What Audrey says here, whether it is correct or not I don’t know, flies over the head of probably 99.9% of people that claim to have an understanding of spirituality in Jesus Christ.
In my own personal life I just rest in the limited knowledge I have, and that being that I was redeemed along with the rest of the world at the cross when He gave His life for all of us.
I have given up trying to understand “spirituality” as everyone seems to have a different opinion of what that is and what that means. I just rest in what He has done for me and the entire world and that is sufficient for me at this time. If He decides to reveal further things to me then that is fine with me as well but now I can say I am at rest in what little I know.
I am at rest in what little I know, too, Roy. At the same time, I enjoy reading what you write, Audrey. I think it is good to be exposed to thoughts and ideas like the ones you present here.
Audrey, I also enjoy reading your comments and thoughts. As a matter of fact, I generally read your comments two or three times, because I usually can’t grasp all that you are trying to say. That in itself is a very huge compliment from me, because usually if something dosn’t make sense to me immediately I discount it and move on.
I like most have lived my entire life believing that I am “just” a man, no better then any , but as good as all. believing that I wouldn’t fully understand Gods Master plan until i shed this fleshly body in death, but there is something that is very inticing about your thoughts that make me want to look deeper.
By the way, in my comments I was not being critical of what Audrey writes. I read her comments as well.
I read this, this morning, and I thought I would share it. It just struck me as so appropriate, to Audreys comments.
The kingdom of heaven is within,
The kingdom of heaven is without,
God is within, God is without,
God is everywhere, God is all of us,
There is nothing , but God.
Love always
Doug
I posted this then I had to leave on a business trip to go play in some poop! Gross…I know, but it’s my job and I love it. ANYWAY, I am just now getting caught up on everyone’s comments!!
Audrey,
I don’t believe we are limited in our spiritual journey, but I do believe we are limited in our earthly form. I can only jump out of a plane so many times, I can only smoke so many cigarettes, I can only ride in a car so many times, I can only miss the diagnosis of Cancer for so long BEFORE my earthly form has to retire, but I truly believe that our spirit lives on forever in paradise and whatever paradise is I believe it to be like flying without wings…or a motor!
My Father is cheering you on in your spiritual journey as well
Anyway,
I swear I felt my Father’s spirit today in the car with me. I don’t have any proof for anyone, but for me it is very real.
I am driving home from Canton, Oh. It is about a 4 hour trip. I hadn’t cried once the entire time I was in Canton. I was desperately doing my best not to think about him so I could focus on the job at hand. So, on my way home I suddenly was filled with a “grief attack”. This overwhelming feeling developed inside me and I had an urge to say, “you are here aren’t you Dad?” Then I talked to him and I cried and then I laughed and it was as if he was with me. I know our spirits are connected and he had tapped into mine today. I believe that is what the urge was. I believe it was him.
Open your heart and your mind and then your spirit will soar!
We are living in the kingdom of God Mindy, and God that so loved the world. I believe you where with your Dad. I also believe that he cant be with you untill feel him, then he is there.
love always
Dam you Audrey, what have you done to me, lol j/k, I think I’m gonna love my new journey…
Love always
For those of you that follow BG, you know that I have told you that I have never read any bible, that I have no expectations other then that I am saved and will go to heaven. I also told you that I have a lot of questions, and that I think I have started a new quest, a new journey to answer them. Some of my question may seem infantile to some, incredulous to others, but its where I’m starting. The beauty of my beginning is it starts with no fear of is ending.
When you first began to try and understand religions the first thing you realize is that there are so many. It seems that if you choose to be a christian, then you must believe in Jesus Christ, if you choose to be Jewish then you cant believe in Jesus Christ as your savor, if you are Muslim then Jesus was merely a prophet, If you think he was more then that then your doomed to hell.
So, you tell me, if i was trying to understand what to do to be saved, I would have to think with the few religions Ive considered , that I have a 66% chance of being wrong, and therefore going to hell.
What part of what faith should I hold true to?
Have I walked with the Truth inside me my entire life, never needing to pick or choose?
It seems to me so far, that all the bibles and all religions offer two things that are consistent in their teachings, and that would be ethics and morality, and that everything after that is based on interpretation.
Should anyone be expected to me smart enough to interpret all the bibles all the gospels of all the prophets? Well, i can tell you i think I’m pretty freakin smart, but i may need to consult that kitten that is sittin on my foot to figure this out!
To be continued
Love always
Still with the kitten on your foot. Love it!
Doug,
What a freaking struggle it is to walk this journey we are walking!! I know where you are at! Well, We never really know where a person is at when they are going down a spiritual journey, but I will never forget when I started mine. I have never felt so lost in my entire life than in the beginning if it.
I was mad. I was so mad at all I was taught. I guess maybe I couldn’t believe that their was more out there and it was being hidden from me. Not purposely hidden anyway. I was young and I was stubborn and my parents thought they were doing what was “right” for our family by taking us to Church and I am thankful for it. I know that they were on a journey themselves and we were their children so we did it together, but always a journey of love. Out of all the crap my parents were going through as Christians they knew one thing for sure and that was to raise us to love ourselves and others because we were all a part of each other. This was and still is my core, it is the center of my being and it is what I am made of…Love and later down the line it was also what ached inside of me. It was my soul banging against my heart and my mind to be set free.
You can read all the books you want and you can search your entire life for more, but in the end I found all of my answers literally inside myself.
Like you asked Doug, “Have I walked with the Truth inside me my entire life, never needing to pick or choose?” I simply say Yes…YES, THE TRUTH IS IN YOU AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE!! It doesn’t matter if christianity appeals to you. It doesn’t matter if you say you are an athiest. It doesn’t matter if you are Agnostic or Jew or Quaker or Amish~! The truth lies within you, but you have to acknowledge the core within. You have to accept yourself and others no matter what and you have to have faith in love. Love will never fail you, but you will fail to love and that is OK!! Believe that you will pick yourself up tomorrow and try again knowing that the day will be whatever it will be. Your spiritual journey is yours and yours only. The answers will reveal themselves, but you have to open your eyes, your mind and your heart and let your soul (yourself) FREE.
Tonight my husband and I went to dinner with our best friends and all of their kids and Grandkids. While we were waiting on our food a few of us were outside smoking and this little boy named Marcus and his “pawpaw” were outside with us waiting on “Mawmaw”. They were stopping on their way back from Destin, Florida where they had vacationed. This little boy walked right up to as if he knew me. Marcus had a great deal to share with me so we talked for quite a while. He was 4 years old and he said to me, “I love everybody.” Pawpaw said to us, “boy, he sure does.”
Marcus looked me straight in the eye for about 10 seconds and in that short amount of time I know my Father had visited me for a second time today. I felt like I was staring straight into my Fathers eyes.
I have so many questions through my spiritual journey, but today I truly believe that a couple may had been answered. One of which is that I don’t believe we have to search all the time. Sometimes it is staring us straight in the face.
Hey Mindy. I think you are right about not having to search all the time. Max was walking through the kitchen the other day singing “Walkin’ Man” by James Taylor. Part of me thought “How does he know the words to that song?” but it really made me think about my own journey and how I want to be just walking through- slowly, taking it all in, loving as much as I can along the way. James Taylor says “every other man stops and talks, but the walkin man walks”. Love you very much. All of you.
I LOVE the thought of Max walking around singing a James Taylor song! If we really pay attention they can teach us soo much can’t they?
The path I am on is simple. I have no great expectaions. I dont plan to become so heavenly minded that i am of no earthly good. I dont expect to have some amazing revelaton. I do plan to enjoy my journey, as I search for the truth.
It begins for me in the Kindom of God, (ON EARTH) , if i may repeat, (ON EARTH) as it is in heaven…..
Love always, Doug
Just thought I’d share poem. Succinctly summarizes my current state of mind and heart.
Outwitted
by Edwin Markham
He drew a circle that shut me out —
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!
Traditional Christianity measures spirituality by who you or it EXCLUDES.
When in truth if we are to measure spirituality it should be by who we INCLUDE!
Selah
Geo
You are drawing circles that exclude when you make comments like that, Geo. But, that’s okay. You’re in my circle whether you realize it or not.
If we are equal or have oneness in Christ, then why have circles? Circles on most street corners.
Who’s circle is it anyway?
The point of that poem, at least for me, is that, even though others may draw circles of exclusion, I can choose not to do that. My circle includes all of humanity.
Connie Wrote:
You are drawing circles that exclude when you make comments like that, Geo.
Geo here:
Connie I have a question for you:
If my circle includes everyone and everything then who or what am I excluding?
Selah
Geo
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