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Posts Tagged ‘Easter’

Save a Drink, Save a Life

Posted in Africa, Easter, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

t5

I’ve been a huge supporter of Blood:Water Mission for some time now. I love their passion for clean water in communities in need and their projects to build water wells. On occasions I will partake in their water challenge fundraiser around lent season. When I traveled to India, I had the opportunity to dedicate a water well. To see the joy in people’s faces who have never had clean drinking water is something I’ll never forget. It cost $1200 to build a water well in India and I am raising 10% of that from giving up some my personal pleasures of life during lent. Watch some of these videos for the Save a Life campaign for Rwanda and be inspired by the work Blood:Water is doing. You can give to my campaign here. Thanks! God Bless!

t3

t4

Dedicating a water well in India
Participating in a water walk at Passion 2010

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Easter Prayer Breakfast

Posted in Easter, Prayer, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

loswhit

I try to pray for our President and the leaders that lead this nation as much as I can. I love seeing pictures of these Easter prayer breakfasts when over 100+ Christian leaders are invited to the White House. Most of the leaders that are usually there are Godly people who have influenced me throughout my own personal journey. Carlos Whittaker led this morning’s breakfast with Nothing but the Blood. I love this picture he sent out with President Obama next to him as he sang some worship songs. I pray for God’s presence in Washington and for wisdom for our leaders to know what’s right and the courage to do it.

Blessed is the nation whose God is Lord  – B. Graham

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Thanks Be to God

Posted in Easter, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »

photo-5

Ecce Homo, 1871- Antonio Ciseri

Growing up, this was one of my favorite paintings. It is of Jesus Christ on trial with Pontius Pilate and it is entitled Ecce Homo or Behold the Man. Today is Good Friday and I attended a beautiful tenebrae service (Latin for ‘darkness’). The symbolism of darkness represents Jesus’ death and the hopelessness of this world. We read from Mark 14 and 15 about the hours leading up to the crucifixion. We left in silence to ponder these events and the impact of Christ’s death on us. It was a powerful service and the message was clear:

God showed His love for us in this: Christ died for us

THANKS BE TO GOD

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Holy Week

Posted in Art/photography, Easter, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

PALM SUNDAY

Almighty God, we are unworthy to come into your presence, because of our any sins. We do not deserve any grace or mercy from you, if you dealt with us as we deserve. We have sinned against you, O Lord, and we have offended you. And yet, O Lord, as we acknowledge our sins and offenses, so also do we acknowledge you to be a merciful God, a loving and favorable Father, to all who turn to you. And so we humbly ask you, for the sake of Christ your son, to show mercy to us, and forgive us all our offenses. By your Spirit, O God, take possession of our hearts, so that, not only the actions of our life, but also the words of our mouths, and the smallest thought of our minds, may be guided and governed by you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

WEDNESDAY

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1

MAUNDY THURSDAY

 PASSOVER SEDER MEAL

The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in the Gregorian calendar.

The Seder is a ritual performed by a community or by multiple generations of a family, involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. This story is in the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible. The Seder itself is based on the Biblical verse commanding Jews to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt: “You shall tell your child on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'” (Exodus 13:8) Traditionally, families and friends gather in the evening to read the text of the Haggadah, an ancient work derived from the Mishnah. The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and special Passover songs.

Seder customs include drinking four cups of wine, eating matzo, partaking of symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate, and reclining in celebration of freedom. The Seder is performed in much the same way by Jews all over the world. – wikipedia

Baby Judah

GOOD FRIDAY

“JESUS WEPT”

Why John 11? For the past several seasons of Lent, I have been meditating upon this account of three siblings: Martha, Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. In particular, John 11:35 has become a central passage for me to consider in self-reflection, because an artist learns very early that creativity demands boundaries and limits to thrive. When I began on my recent journey to illuminate the Four Holy Gospels for Crossway publishing’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, I needed to find a thematic boundary. I was so overwhelmed with the grand scale of the project that I chose this shortest passage in the Bible—“Jesus Wept”—and that decision has led to many discoveries along the way.

“Jesus Wept” is, to me, the most profound passage in the Bible. After I gave a recent lecture on this verse at Duke University, Richard Hays commented on my reflections: “The Incarnate Word of God stood wordless at Bethany.” Indeed, Jesus’ tears make no logical sense, as he came to Bethany with the specific mission to raise Lazarus from the grave. He told the disciples his mission (and why he intentionally delayed his arrival, knowing that Lazarus lay dying) and revealed to Martha that he was and is the “Resurrection and the Life.” So why did he, upon seeing the tears of Mary, waste his time weeping, when he could have shown his power as the Son of God by wiping away every tear, telling people like her, “Ye of little faith, believe in me!”?

In my reflections, this “irrational,” emotional response from Jesus became a central means to understand the role and even the necessity of art in the midst of suffering—what I have began to call our “Ground Zero” conditions. Art, like the tears of Christ, may seem useless, ephemeral and ultimately wasteful. But even though they evaporate into our atmosphere, the extravagant tears of God dropped on the hardened, dry soils of Bethany, or onto the ashes of our Ground Zero conditions, are still present with us. Because tears are ephemeral, they can be enduring and even permanent, as with “Jesus wept.” In the same way, perhaps our art can be so as well. What seems, at first, to be an irrational response to suffering may turn out, upon deep reflection, to be the most rational response of all.   –  Makoto Fujimura

Link – The Father’s Cup: The Crucifixion Narrative



Community


Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.The Crucifixion of Jesus. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The Kingof the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they


Family


took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one foreach of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,“They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did. John 19:16-24


Confession






THE FOUR HOLY GOSPELS  






Charis – Kairos (The Tears of Christ)


Luke – Prodigal God


John – In the Beginning


Mark – Water Flames


Matthew – Consider the Lilies








SATURDAY










EASTER SUNDAY




HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!




I heard a man say, “The importance of the Resurrection is that it gives evidence of survival, evidence that the human personality survives death.” On that view what happened to Christ would be what had always happened to all men, the difference being that in Christ’s case we were privileged to see it happening. This is certainly not what the earliest Christian writers thought.


Something perfectly new in the history of the Universe had happened. Christ had defeated death. The door which had always been locked had for the very first time been forced open. This is something quite distinct from mere ghost-survival. I don’t mean that they disbelieved in ghost- survival. On the contrary, they believed in it so firmly that, on more than one occasion, Christ had had to assure them that He was not a ghost. The point is that while believing in survival they yet regarded the Resurrection as something totally different and new.


The Resurrection narratives are not a picture of survival after death; they record how a totally new mode of being has arisen in the universe. Something new had appeared in the universe: as new as the first coming of organic life. This Man, after death, does not get divided into “ghost” and “corpse”. A new mode of being has arisen. That is the story. What are we going to make of it?


– C.S. Lewis, “What are we to make of Jesus Christ?”




Sing it, o death, where is your sting?

O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

Our God is not dead, He’s alive, He’s alive


We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.   


Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV




Adonai  Elohim   The stone has been lifted from the grave




CELEBRATION






A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. 


Proverbs 17:17  NLT






Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.


MONDAY REFLECTION






NAMES OF GOD


A faithful God who does no wrong


A forgiving God


A fortress of salvation


A glorious crown


A jealous and avenging God


A Master in heaven


A refuge for his people


A refuge for the needy in his distress


A refuge for the oppressed


A refuge for the poor


A sanctuary


A shade from the heat


A shelter from the storm


A source of strength


A stronghold in times of trouble


An ever present help in trouble


Architect and builder


Builder of everything


Commander of the Lord’s army


Creator of heaven and earth


Defender of widows


Eternal King


Father


Father of compassion


Father of our spirits


Father of the heavenly lights


Father to the fatherless


God


God Almighty (El Sabaoth)


God Almighty (El Shaddai)


God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ


God Most High


God my Maker


God my Rock


God my Savior


God my stronghold


God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob


God of all comfort


God of glory


God of gods


God of grace


God of hope


God of love and peace


God of peace


God of retribution


God of the living


God of the spirits of all mankind


God of truth


God our Father


God our strength


God over all the kingdoms of the earth


God the Father


God who avenges me


God who gives endurance and encouragement


God who relents from sending calamity


Great and awesome God


Great and powerful God


Great, mighty and awesome God


He who blots out your transgressions


He who comforts you


He who forms the hearts of all


He who raised Christ from the dead


He who reveals his thoughts to man


Helper of the fatherless


Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine


Him who is able to keep you from falling


Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead


Holy Father


Holy One


Holy One among you


I AM


I AM WHO I AM


Jealous


Judge of all the earth


King of glory


King of heaven


Living and true God


Lord (Adonai)


Lord Almighty


Lord God Almighty


Lord is peace


Lord (Jehovah)


Lord most high


Lord my banner


Lord my rock


Lord of all the earth


Lord of heaven and earth


Lord of Kings


Lord our God


Lord our Maker


Lord our shield


Lord who heals you


Lord who is there


Lord who makes you holy


Lord who strikes the blow


Lord will provide


Love


Maker of all things


Maker of heaven and earth


Most High


My advocate


My comforter in sorrow


My confidence


My help


My helper


My hiding place


My hope


My light


My mighty rock


My refuge in the day of disaster


My refuge in times of trouble


My song


My strong deliverer


My support


One to be feared


Only wise God


Our dwelling place


Our judge


Our lawgiver


Our leader


Our Mighty One


Our redeemer


Our refuge and strength


Righteous Father


Righteous judge


Rock of our salvation


Shepherd


Sovereign Lord


The Almighty


The compassionate and gracious God


The eternal God


The consuming fire


The everlasting God


The exalted God


The faithful God


The gardener (husbandman)


The glorious Father


The glory of Israel


The God who saves me


The God who sees me


The great King above all gods


The just and mighty one


The living father


The majestic glory


The majesty in heaven


The one who sustains me


The only God


The potter


The rock in whom I take refuge


The spring of living water


The strength of my heart


The true God


You who hear prayer


You who judge righteously and test the heart and mind


You who keep your covenant of love with your servants


You who love the people



					
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Easter weekend/Final week of Lent

					

					Posted in Easter, India, Spiritual Growth, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  on April 24, 2011|
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HE IS RISEN!!!


Good Friday


Worship service in the Student center


Cornerstone hosted a Good Friday worship service. They held it at noon in the student center. What an amazing sight to see many come out on their lunch breaks to give thanks to the Father. Thanks to Ryan and Brain for putting this together.


Later that evening, we attended a Friday night service at Redemption church. It was a beautiful outdoor setting at the Gilbert campus. It was awesome to see 3000+ come out to worship under the stars and give thanks to God for giving His son to die on the cross for us. Pastor Justin spoke on how much God loves us to do this for us. I love the illustration he gave about God even giving His son despite those that reject and turn away from Him.


So what does life look like beyond Easter? When the busy week comes upon us, do we stray and forget about the cross? How do we live our life for Christ day in and day out so we don’t have to constantly live for high moments in order to correct our paths when we drift?


All church Friday night worship service at Redemption Gilbert campus








For Easter, Christin and I served at Cornerstone Saturday night. We met up with our mothers and attended service later that night. Cornerstone had this “Egg your City” theme in which they used eggs to help promote the Easter service. The cool thing is that they also challenged those that attended to “Change the World”. They asked if we would donate $15 to help clothe and feed a child in India. Cornerstone has a strategic partnership with Harvest India and there is a huge need to feed these orphan kids. The goal was to feed 2500 children. Between the 6 services, people stepped up and sponsored over 4300 children ($63,000). Praise God!


I loved how Pastor Linn tied in the feeding of the hungry with an Easter message. What we believe in is a big deal. Deep down our hearts are hungry for something and we look to the wrong things to fill us. The majority people in India are Hindu. In Hinduism, they believe in karma and this idea that we get reincarnated into something better in the next life if we live out our lives well. Well.. we need something more to satisfy our hunger because the result from us filling it with worldly stuff (accomplishments, relationships, etc) produces bad fruit like worry, anger and pride. These things will build a wall that will separate us from God. We need to make contact with God and let Him fill our hunger and deepest needs. Christ is the bread of life and if we believe, we will never go hungry or thirsty.


Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. John 6:2-27










Earth Day


Good Friday was also Earth Day. I saw it as a day to celebrate God’s creation and how we need to take care of it as inhabitants of this Earth.




Lent – Week 6




Final week of lent. I have really enjoyed using the resources of World Vision ACT:S as I participated in lent this year. The information they provided really got me in tune to the world and the need out there. God has really made my heart ache for those in poverty and how I can be used to be a voice for those that don’t have one. Please pray and consider how you can be an advocate and be a part of creating a modern-day book of Acts of living.


This is Romeo. He is one of many growing number of street kids that are roaming around Albania. His family left him and he was forced to live life on his own around the age of 12. He is often ignored by those passing by as he has to beg and steal in order to eat and live. There have been many times I have felt forgotten or left out. In fact, I have done this to God – forgotten about Him. Yet, God never leaves me and is always there. This gives me hope that we are never forgotten and that He will use us.


A great example is the shepherds in Luke 2: 8-11. Shepherds were forgotten people in their society back in biblical times. Yet God used them to spread the news to them of Jesus’ birth. How awesome is it that a great host of angels appeared to them that Christmas morning to proclaim the birth of Christ. God then used their excitement to spread the news to others. God will use anyone for His purposes.


Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV).  


Jesus came to this broken world to be one of us. Because of what He has done for us, we have the opportunity to partner with Him and be a light to those that know Him. Imagine if instead of ignoring a street child like Romeo that we give him food and shelter. What a way to impact someone who needs to see and know the love of Jesus. God has called us to be missional and to seek justice for His people. I want that for my life, to see the world the way Jesus did and to love on others the same way He has loved me.






May we bless the world with comfort. Comfort when a child is suffering and no parent can help, so that we may become the arms of a God who heals. Amen


May we bless the world with peace. Peace for the persecuted and those who struggle to provide, so that we may become the feet of a God who brings good news. Amen


May we bless the world with love. Love for the ones who only encounter the demons in others, so that we may become the heart of a God who feels every human affliction. Amen


May we bless the world with wisdom. Wisdom to pass wisdom, so that we may become the mind of a God whose dreams become reality with the breath of a word. Amen


And the blessing of God, who provides comfort, peace, love and wisdom, be upon us and all that we love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen




Today marked the end of my 40 day only drinking water as a beverage campaign for Blood:Water Mission. This year it was a lot easier for me to give up my morning coffee. I either really don’t need it or God is really working in me. But this lent season was very impactful for me as it came at a time that God is refining and restoring me to be who He wants me to be. I am grateful for the prayers and support from everyone while using this time to learn more about myself and drawing closer to God. God is working!


Pumping a water well after dedicating it in India - a huge blessing for me!


The work that is being done in Uganda and others parts of the world have really been inspiring to me to learn more about water. I have always had a heart for these water wells and how they can provide clean water for an entire village for very little money. God has really taught me a lot through Blood:Water mission about how much water we waste here in America and how we take it for granted. From not drinking coffee and tea for 40 days, I saved $105 and I will be donating that money to help fund water projects in Uganda. Please read this inspiring story of how God is working in Uganda here.


Oh coffee. How I missed you..

					
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Lent 2011

					

					Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged , , , , , , , , , ,  on March 6, 2011|
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Lent 2011. The 40 days of Lent correspond to the time Jesus spent being tempted in the desert before beginning his public ministry. During Lent, Christians examine their hearts and are particularly diligent about putting away sinful behaviors. People often give something up for Lent – examples are a particular item of food or a bad habit. This period is a reminder that following Christ means dying to myself every day. I have always wanted my observance of lent to be a little more outspoken in being an advocate for a particular cause near and dear to my heart. So for the past two years I have observed lent by taking on a challenge from Blood:Water Missions. They have asked us to fast from all beverages with the exception of water for 40 days. They then ask that we donate the money we save from that cup of coffee that we buy each day and donate it to their clean water projects in Africa. This year I am also taking on another challenge from World Vision ACT:S (a ministry that challenges us to create a modern-day book of Acts with our lives) and will be giving up six luxuries each week during lent in addition to drinking only water as a beverage for the 40 days. Each day I will be posting on my Facebook/Twitter a particular cause/ministry/missionary dear to me and a scripture verse that speaks to me during the 40 days. I plan on reading out of Psalms and Proverbs during this time and the gospels leading up to Easter. I will also be blogging each week and let you know how God is working in me during this time. I am excited this year as Christin will be joining me in this fast. I am looking forward to doing this alongside her as well as having the extra accountability.




Will you pray for us during this time? Will you also consider observing lent and give up something that is meaningful and use this time to draw closer to God? If you would like to contribute to my campaign for Blood:Water Mission you may do so here and put my name in the box as the person you are donating on behalf of. Lent starts this Wednesday March 9 (Ash Wednesday) and ends on April 23 (day before Easter Sunday). Thank you for your support and prayers. God Bless!






I will be wearing these silly bands of Africa and a drop of water during the 40 days I fast to remind me of how I am impacting a life in Africa with my beverage fast.



					
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Rescue

					

					Posted in Easter, tagged , , , , ,  on March 22, 2008|
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There are times it feels God isn’t around… yet I know he is there. He is always working in all of us. I guess I can’t expect to see miracles or amazing things everyday. I’m really trying hard these days to look at the big picture. I know I can’t concentrate on just one day and think I can figure out what God is doing. I just go through these times where life is amazing and I see God working. Then I go through times where I wonder where God is. But in the end, the trials I go through seem to always make sense. And he is still working…


I feel pretty focused on God these days. Yet life is a little up and down for me. The past 6 months have been a little crazy for me. Especially with broken  relationships and temptations. But I keep looking to the cross for strength. I especially have spent some quality time reflection on what Christ did for us with Easter being here. I see God doing some cool stuff in my life, yet I still struggle as well. Especially this past couple of weeks with stress. I have been asking God to help me get through this rough period.


Just when I wonder where he is….


God goes and does something amazing and makes me remember that through Him all things are possible….


I work graveyards at a hospital in a laboratory. I usually work with the same four people everynight in my part of the lab. A male and a female in their late 40’s and a female my age. I’ve worked with them for over four years. Just over two years ago I knew nothing of their Chistianity. None of them were going to church. That is when I surrendered my life to Chirst after going through divorce. They were all very supportive and caring during that time for me. And I was open to what God was doing in my life and how he rescued me from that situation. But I didn’t want to overdue it and just tried to be an example in Christ by showing love to them.


The lady in her late 40’s went through her third divorce at the same time I went through mine. She inquired time to time about going to church, but hadn’t gone since a child. Her brother had died suddenly. She was at a point where she was trying to find peace in her life. One day I found out that she had attended my church. She drove by one day and decided to check it out. She fell in love with it. She know goes on a regular basis and even brings her ex-husband. We have many wonderful conversations about God at work.


I have known the girl my age for almost seven years. She spent the first five of those years in an abusive controlling relationship. She had a child with her boyfriend. He never worked. She supported him. There were too many nights she came to work crying. I prayed hard for this girl for years. I would occassionally give her a devotional book or a Christian book. But most of all, the other lady we work with and myself just tried to be there for her. Last year, her boyfriend up and left. At the same time, she started to go to Central Christian church with her sister. God caught her. I just went out with her this week and she is doing great. She has started to get very involved with her church and God is working in her. I truly feel someday God will use her testimony for other women that struggle from abuse. Its so awesome when you pray for someone that long and see God do amazing things in their life.


So this leads me to the last person… the guy in his late 40’s. Single guy, never been married. Pretty much lived the bachelor lifestyle his whole life. Smokes, drinks, sleeps around, lives alone. I pretty much felt there was no hope for this guy. Over the years he always poked fun at me for bringing my Bible to work and listening to church sermons on my IPod. Yet he saw what Chirst did in all three of us. Last year he ask me to pray for his sick aunt. Then he came to me about his anger issues last month. He told me his struggles with self control and was in tears. He asked me about my life.


This morning he called me and ask me if he could go to church with me….


Wow! I was on cloud nine all day! I just saw God do something amazing. I just saw him completely take a person that I felt had no shot of stepping foot in church and do a complete turnaround in his life. And he loved the church and wants to come back! I’m in awe of God! I can’t wait to go back to work (can’t believe I’m saying that).


I was unsure of how Easter would be for me this year. I read the gospels on the crucifixion and watched the ’Passion of Christ’ movie. Maybe I was hoping for something spectacular to happen. Something to me get past the down times of life. I don’t know. But I did see God at work. He is always at work. It doesn’t always make sense. But God used me to play a small part in a bigger story. And I have nothing to be down about. I trust God and know he is there. Easter is about rescue. Even though it was all in His timing, God rescued our little night shift… one by one. Its how He works. Its how He uses us. And its all for His glory!

					
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My thoughts on Easter…

					

					Posted in Easter, tagged , , , ,  on March 19, 2008|
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As easter approaches, I have decided to read each gospel’s accord on the crucifixion as my daily devotion for this week. It is my way of remembering how Christ died and suffered for us. As I have been reading, I came across a piece of paper in my Bible. Awhile back, Dave from my men’s group had ask us to write a little something about why we felt Christ had to suffer for our sins. Was it necessary? Was there any other way? Well.. I don’t remember us ever discussing it, so I thought I’d blog what I came up with. I know there are books and sermons on this topic.. and I hope to do a major study on this sometime.


Isaiah 52:14 “Just as there were many who were appalled at him – his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness…” So fullfilling prophecy is a huge reason Jesus had to suffer. Isaiah predicted years before his crucifixion and the fact that he would suffer.


But Christ had to be an example to all of us. Being a Christ follower means we will all endure hardships. Jesus suffered all through his life. Not only physical sufferings, but spiritual sufferings. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus had the weight of our sins on him at the cross. When God forsake him, Jesus cried out.


It also shows how terrible sin is. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Yet it is shows God love for us and how he demonstrated that by sending his son to die for us. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstarted his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”


He suffered to be the perfect advocate. Hebrews 2:10 “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through  suffering.” Christ was qualified by God to be the one to carry out his redemptive mission. We have Jesus on our side as one who speaks out against those that sin against us.


1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you closer to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.”Jesus’ suffering brings us to God. It is so we can approach the throne for mercy and not by our own strength. Only by the strength of Him suffering for us.


God loves us so much. Jesus suffered horribly for us. We take that for granted way too much. He had to suffer for us. He demonstrated the ultimate love for us to an example to us. We are to do the same for our brothers in showing this love (1 John 3:16)

					
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