It was Good Friday.
In the past, it wouldn't have been a big deal to me. I used to think that observing Good Friday was just for really religious people and that maybe it had something to do with Lent.
Yeah, I was clueless.
Turns out that Good Friday happened about five days after the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
The King of Kings on a humble, four-legged work animal. His idea. Not in a Cadillac Escalade with darkened windows and a huge motorcade--but in a Ford Fiesta.
The streets were packed--cheering crowds, street vendors hawking Jesus T-shirts, dancing disciples and crazed followers.
After all, this was the guy that was gonna save them from those hardcore Romans.
"You rock, JESUS!!"
"You're the Man--THE MESSIAH!!!"
Somehow, the message that Jesus was not an earthly king got missed.
Fast forward to Friday.
Crowds gone. Disciples split. Jesus' approval ratings drastically dropped.
Suddenly the guy that promised to have Jesus' back no matter what was saying, "Dude. I totally do NOT know that cat."
If that weren't bad enough, one of Jesus' tight circle of friends sold Him out for the equivalence of a set of gold teeth.
A flashy grill to betray the Prince of Peace.
But even the sell-out was part of God's plan.
It led to Calvary--the place where Jesus died.
On the cross.
For us.
Good Friday is only good because Jesus took our sentence of death and went to the electric chair in our place.
God is good but He is also just. He has to be, otherwise we wouldn't need Jesus.
Jesus not only endured having His arms pulled tight on a wooden torture device, but He had the bear the sin of the world--all of the mental illness, the cruel thoughts, the guilt, the heaviness.
All this while having no way to hoist Himself up to minimize the agony of having His body torn apart from the inside out because His feet were nailed together
Suffocating slowly...lungs no doubt filling up with fluid.
Jesus was literally SACRIFICED like an Old Testament lamb for our selfishness, lies, addictions, greed, pride, laziness and lack of compassion for our neighbor.
Our sin.
We are like the condemned man, sitting on death row, waiting for our execution date.
But Jesus came in like a DA and took care of our rap sheet.
Jesus told the judge to set us free--that He would sit in jail and take on our sentence in our behalf.
So, that's why I celebrate Good Friday now.
It would be rude not to.
That brings me to Alijah.
It was testimony night at that Good Friday service and somewhere in the middle of some amazing stories of God's love came Alijah.
16 years old. Been going to church for three years with his mom.
Just along for the ride.
Not really into it.
Then something sunk in. It may have had something to do with his small group leader, Kim. Her heart for teenagers may have struck a nerve with Alijah.
It doesn't matter, because whatever happened saved Alijah's life.
A month ago, this beautiful, tall child of the most High King believed (for a second) a lie.
That he was better off dead.
That the pain of this life was too much to bear.
And that's where he really met Jesus.
And the lie was over. Alijah heard the TRUTH.
Alijah was ALIVE at the GOOD FRIDAY service-- testifying that JESUS is his LORD and SAVIOR.
He had tears in his eyes.
And so did we.
There was agreement in that moment.
We all loved Alijah and we KNEW that Jesus loved him.
And us.
If you're struggling with the lie that you're not worthy of Jesus' love, say this out loud based on John 3:16:
For God so loved ME that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Heartbreak
A dear, sweet, troubled friend is missing.
My heart aches.
Bright, shining, beautiful and broken she is.
It might be too late.
But she knew Jesus.
Two gorgeous kids.
Missing their mom, no doubt.
Their hearts had steeled a bit, never knowing exactly what was going to happen.
Doesn't take away from their pain.
It's in my throat.
The pain goes down from there.
Alcoholism is impossible to fathom.
Unless you have it.
It wraps itself around you like a viper.
Do vipers wrap?
Maybe pythons are better metaphors.
But she knew Jesus.
If she's gone, she's with Him.
If she's still here, He's with her.
The pain is lifting.
Maybe now I can go to sleep.
Maybe now I can cry.
Maybe now the pain will lessen.
Just enough.
My heart aches.
Bright, shining, beautiful and broken she is.
It might be too late.
But she knew Jesus.
Two gorgeous kids.
Missing their mom, no doubt.
Their hearts had steeled a bit, never knowing exactly what was going to happen.
Doesn't take away from their pain.
It's in my throat.
The pain goes down from there.
Alcoholism is impossible to fathom.
Unless you have it.
It wraps itself around you like a viper.
Do vipers wrap?
Maybe pythons are better metaphors.
But she knew Jesus.
If she's gone, she's with Him.
If she's still here, He's with her.
The pain is lifting.
Maybe now I can go to sleep.
Maybe now I can cry.
Maybe now the pain will lessen.
Just enough.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Cutting--The Enemy's Counterfeit Covenant (Written quickly, without edits, for young people)
OK, check this out.
A while back I wrote about how the enemy aka the devil (that short, nasty, greasy dude that likes to cause mayhem) has been suggesting that people cut on themselves since way back in the day. Like, around Jesus' time. In fact, in the gospels, there's a story about a guy who's fully possessed to the point of running around cutting himself with sharp stones. Once Jesus cast out the demon within this cat, the cutting stopped.
Crazy right?
OK, so yesterday, I was in Bible study and we were talking about how God used various forms of cutting to form covenants, or holy agreements, between God and man. Circumcision, animal sacrifice, etc. were used to solidify our connection with God. Ultimately, Jesus shed His own blood on the cross to pay for our sins.
It hit me then...AGAIN.
The devil took something sacred and holy and turned it into something harmful and deadly. Something that traps thousands of teenagers each year.
Think about it. The enemy suggests lies.
"You're worthless, no one likes you, you might as well slice yourself up. You're ugly anyway."
The total OPPOSITE of what God says about you.
Say this out loud, based on Psalm 139:
A while back I wrote about how the enemy aka the devil (that short, nasty, greasy dude that likes to cause mayhem) has been suggesting that people cut on themselves since way back in the day. Like, around Jesus' time. In fact, in the gospels, there's a story about a guy who's fully possessed to the point of running around cutting himself with sharp stones. Once Jesus cast out the demon within this cat, the cutting stopped.
Crazy right?
OK, so yesterday, I was in Bible study and we were talking about how God used various forms of cutting to form covenants, or holy agreements, between God and man. Circumcision, animal sacrifice, etc. were used to solidify our connection with God. Ultimately, Jesus shed His own blood on the cross to pay for our sins.
It hit me then...AGAIN.
The devil took something sacred and holy and turned it into something harmful and deadly. Something that traps thousands of teenagers each year.
Think about it. The enemy suggests lies.
"You're worthless, no one likes you, you might as well slice yourself up. You're ugly anyway."
The total OPPOSITE of what God says about you.
Say this out loud, based on Psalm 139:
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
POST SCRIPT:
Just after writing this short, unedited blog, I read Joseph Prince's Daily Devotional for Tuesday, March 26, 2013 and it coincidentally had a piece on CUTTING and COVENANTS!!! Here it is:
POST SCRIPT:
Just after writing this short, unedited blog, I read Joseph Prince's Daily Devotional for Tuesday, March 26, 2013 and it coincidentally had a piece on CUTTING and COVENANTS!!! Here it is:
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Slamming Caffeine
Don't let anything get in the way of your view.
Seriously, if you have a driver's license, you know that there is nothing more annoying than some huge flat nasty bug on your windshield. It's annoying, it's gross and it can actually be a hazard. A dead bug can be an obstruction to seeing the road ahead clearly.
Most of us get so, forgive the pun, but "bugged" by the mess that we find the nearest gas station and sponge the junk off.
So why do we hold onto the bugs that block the windshield of life?
If you love a great cup of coffee, that you'll appreciate my heaven on earth scene...rain softly coming down, a city by the ocean (Seattle, San Francisco, Carmel..you get the picture), friendly baristas, fragrant beans roasting pleasantly, fresh roasted coffee just waiting to be ground into most benevolent of brews....Huge comfy chairs, once-read newspapers left behind, the sound of quiet conversations in the background with the occasional excitement of reunited friends...the aroma of fresh baked pastries...traffic bustling outside with cars and people and dogs and bread trucks.
See? I literally get lulled into this fantasy land when I think about coffee. I lose all grasp of reality.
Here's the flip side of that beautiful moment: Imagine being introduced to a certain type of instant coffee that tastes better than fresh brewed coffee and waking up early in the morning in eager anticipation of being able to act as your own barista in your own home. No more drive-thru lines, no more $5 lattes.
NIRVANA.
The only problem with this picture is that in my case I have a very sensitive gut and what with my in-home access to my favorite beverage, I consumed far too much of the stuff. Soon, I was doubled over in pain (it seriously felt like the insides of my esophagus and stomach were being ripped apart with a razor). The nutty part? I was (for a couple of weeks anyway) willing to sacrifice comfort for more of my golden brown elixir, until finally I couldn't take it anymore.
I begged God for help.
"Help me, God. No more, I can't take it anymore. I'm clearly insane. This stuff has become like heroin to me and I can't put it down." (What the heck? Seriously, what is WRONG with me?)
God answered my prayer and QUICK. No hangovers, no headaches...the very next day it was like He had wrapped me in soft, puffy clouds and gave me clarity to see. I had peace and appreciation for all that was around me. The pink cherry blossoms, the green green grass, my son's beautiful smile. It occurred to me that I had been in self will.
That would be the exact opposite of God's will.
It's been a few days now and I occasionally find myself having an internal battle about whether or not I could maybe just maybe have a traditional Starbucks latte because after all, I'm so tired and could really use that kickstart. The thing is that so far (cause trust me, I'm praying in between those crazy thoughts) I don't want to trade in a "jump" for the peace and joy and serenity that I've found.
It may seem stupid to be addicted to coffee, but some of us seem to have that kind of personality. Whether it's Facebook or the Housewives franchise or gossip or alcohol or coffee, some of us have the propensity that act like that bug on a windshield--we are splat up against the very thing that it keeping us from seeing what God wants to see--that our life is good and beautiful and enough.
We cling to the things that dirty up our windshield. We can't see clearly, we have an obstacle to get around but yet we are hesitant to stop by the gas station to clean it up.
And the real zinger? It's only after we've cleaned up the mess that we see what we've been missing.
Seriously, if you have a driver's license, you know that there is nothing more annoying than some huge flat nasty bug on your windshield. It's annoying, it's gross and it can actually be a hazard. A dead bug can be an obstruction to seeing the road ahead clearly.
Most of us get so, forgive the pun, but "bugged" by the mess that we find the nearest gas station and sponge the junk off.
So why do we hold onto the bugs that block the windshield of life?
If you love a great cup of coffee, that you'll appreciate my heaven on earth scene...rain softly coming down, a city by the ocean (Seattle, San Francisco, Carmel..you get the picture), friendly baristas, fragrant beans roasting pleasantly, fresh roasted coffee just waiting to be ground into most benevolent of brews....Huge comfy chairs, once-read newspapers left behind, the sound of quiet conversations in the background with the occasional excitement of reunited friends...the aroma of fresh baked pastries...traffic bustling outside with cars and people and dogs and bread trucks.
See? I literally get lulled into this fantasy land when I think about coffee. I lose all grasp of reality.
Here's the flip side of that beautiful moment: Imagine being introduced to a certain type of instant coffee that tastes better than fresh brewed coffee and waking up early in the morning in eager anticipation of being able to act as your own barista in your own home. No more drive-thru lines, no more $5 lattes.
NIRVANA.
The only problem with this picture is that in my case I have a very sensitive gut and what with my in-home access to my favorite beverage, I consumed far too much of the stuff. Soon, I was doubled over in pain (it seriously felt like the insides of my esophagus and stomach were being ripped apart with a razor). The nutty part? I was (for a couple of weeks anyway) willing to sacrifice comfort for more of my golden brown elixir, until finally I couldn't take it anymore.
I begged God for help.
"Help me, God. No more, I can't take it anymore. I'm clearly insane. This stuff has become like heroin to me and I can't put it down." (What the heck? Seriously, what is WRONG with me?)
God answered my prayer and QUICK. No hangovers, no headaches...the very next day it was like He had wrapped me in soft, puffy clouds and gave me clarity to see. I had peace and appreciation for all that was around me. The pink cherry blossoms, the green green grass, my son's beautiful smile. It occurred to me that I had been in self will.
That would be the exact opposite of God's will.
It's been a few days now and I occasionally find myself having an internal battle about whether or not I could maybe just maybe have a traditional Starbucks latte because after all, I'm so tired and could really use that kickstart. The thing is that so far (cause trust me, I'm praying in between those crazy thoughts) I don't want to trade in a "jump" for the peace and joy and serenity that I've found.
It may seem stupid to be addicted to coffee, but some of us seem to have that kind of personality. Whether it's Facebook or the Housewives franchise or gossip or alcohol or coffee, some of us have the propensity that act like that bug on a windshield--we are splat up against the very thing that it keeping us from seeing what God wants to see--that our life is good and beautiful and enough.
We cling to the things that dirty up our windshield. We can't see clearly, we have an obstacle to get around but yet we are hesitant to stop by the gas station to clean it up.
And the real zinger? It's only after we've cleaned up the mess that we see what we've been missing.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
HAIR (and attitude) by JESUS
Are your Mom and Dad are too busy bringing home the bacon to help you figure out how to make your hair look good in the morning, let alone help you navigate through life?
If you are in a situation where your parents are too clueless, busy, checked out or clocked in to pay attention to you, you've got to know that there's a way out of your hair dilemma, loneliness, confusion or personal drama.
First of all, let's get it straight. Whether you know it or not, you're part of HUGE, loving family. Your family is so big, that it's impossible to know everyone in it!! It's sort of a GANG.
If you know anything about gangs, you know that normally, you've got to be "jumped" into a gang to be a part of it. That tends to involve violence, terror and intimidation by the members of the existing gang.
Here's the GREAT news!!!!! God has already taken care of the "jumping"!!! If you've accepted the LOVE of Jesus in your life, God sent His son Jesus to get jumped for you!!! By dying a sinner's death on the cross, He took our punishment!!! The flogging, whipping, piercing and bleeding??!! That was the PRICE HE paid for our membership in HIS GANG!!!
Nice!
OK, thats great, but your parents are still not as available as you'd like.
Let's focus on Jesus for now and leave your parents for later.
It sounds cliche, but Jesus HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!! AND IT ROCKS!!
I'm guessing that your thing is to do well in school, make lots of friends and look cute in the halls. As long as your hair looks good and your clothes make sense, you're happy.
Now take that plan (and there's nothing wrong with it, by the way) and put it up against Jesus' plan. He wants you to do well in school--and to really discover what drives you; what motivates you. He wants to stir your heart for something amazing!! AND to excite you about finding a way to serve others in a way that is unique to you. It could be volunteering in an animal shelter or going to build houses in Mexico or helping inner city kids in your area!!
There are NO LIMITS to what GOD can do in your life!! The cool thing is that you don't even KNOW what could unfold as you submit your will to HIM!!! (I'm so excited for you, I can hardly contain myself!!)
And friends? Not only does Jesus want you to have friends, but to extend that friendship to others. Especially to those whom everybody else seems to ignore or disregard (the handicapped, the goth crowd, the nerds, the outcasts, the loners...the ones that eat lunch by themselves..). When you reach out to others, you're extending HIS LOVE...and guess what? When you extend HIS LOVE, you get MORE OF IT YOURSELF!!! It's kind of like a "pay it forward" kind of deal!!
Your friendships will start to be deeper and more meaningful. You'll attract trustworthy, amazing people into your life that will inspire you to be the best you possible!!
And your hair? Of course, Jesus wants you to feel confident, but that assurance should really come from the inside!! With Jesus as the center of your life, you're going to have an inner confidence that will radiate outwards. Have you ever noticed that if you're counting on your hair to look good in order to have a good day, that your mood will fluctuate depending on the 'do? When we're Jesus-centered, we can laugh at ourselves if we don't look perfect, realizing that all of that doesn't really matter!! Your true friends will love you no matter what your hair looks like!
So back to your parents. They're busy. You can't change that, but what you can change is your attitude.
Get up a little bit earlier each day and spend time reading the Bible. Even just a chapter.
And, if you want, say a prayer. Something simple like, "God, increase my love for Jesus. Let me see the world, my family and friends through Your eyes today."
Remember, GOD LOOKS AT OUR HEARTS, NOT OUR LOOKS:
1 Samuel 16:7 says (MSG): But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
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