Reflections on "Good Friday."

Do you think that when Jesus sat with His friends around the dinner table that night passing around bread and wine, urging them to remember His sacrifice, what He had in mind was our version of "Good Friday?" Do you think he was hoping for late night worship services? How about large programs? Did He hope that once a year we would look to the event of the cross and feel sad... guilty... shameful or confused? What was the point? What is the point of Good Friday I wonder?

Ironically the most common feelings in most human beings on Good Friday are things like confusion, shame, guilt and sadness. Almost as if we will hurt Jesus' feelings if we don't take a few moments in the evening on this day to furrow our brow, sadden our face, and be solemn. I guess for me it's always been less about how Jesus is "feeling," and more about how I am feeling. I've never really known how to act, so I sort of make it up. I spend the day a little more contemplative then usual, but I am in essence just putting in my time of feeling sad and guilty.

Can this possibly be what Jesus was after? No way, in fact, I'm convinced today that in fact our typical Christian approach to Good Friday actually steals from and cheapens the impact that this historical event was meant to have. It starts with rejecting one of the most common misconceptions about Good Friday...

My sin forced Jesus to the cross

Believing this is what makes me feel guilty and shameful on a day like today. How could I? It's my fault, my sin, my mess that forced Jesus to endure the suffering and pain of crucifixion.

Believing this makes me want to close my eyes and pretend it's not there. Believing this makes me feel even more guilt for somehow not taking it serious enough. I feel shameful, and imprisoned my own lack of faithfulness. This breads fear, anxiety, guilt and a sense of obligation. All of these things are what Jesus came to rule out of our lives!!!

How is it that we have taken a day that represents the end of condemnation (Romans 8:1), and turned it into a day that we place condemnation on ourselves.

Bottom line, you didn't put Jesus on the cross, I didn't put Jesus on the cross, He went on His own accord. He set aside his position of glory, and took on human flesh, becoming obedient to death on a cross because He chose to. Stop giving yourself so much credit! You and I do not have the power to control the God of the universe. He did it, for free, as a gift, and it was His idea and free choice.

Today, instead of feeling guilty, sad, and shameful; Instead of feeling a sense of obligation about all the Christ did, instead, I want to elevate it and celebrate it by basking in all that it accomplished in my life. That is what gives power to in in my own life. Today I choose the freedom, righteousness, grace and power that the cross offers. I choose to celebrate, not cry. I choose to smile, not frown. I choose to live, because that is why He came, that I might have life, and life to the fullest.

Scripture reminds us that, "It is for freedom, that we have been set free."

Live in it, walk in it and celebrate today, and you will be placing Christ and His work on the cross at center stage in your life. Then, choose to live in it every day for the rest of your lives.

If we celebrate the cross once a year, we have entirely missed the point of what today means. I pray that today, my heart would be set on living in the power the cross gave me, and letting it change the way I live, move and breathe.

So tonight, I am going to reflect on the cross, I am going to worship Him for the gift, and then I am going to watch the Lakers kick the Hornets butts in game 3 of there playoff series, and I am going to celebrate the freedom I have been given to do so! It is for freedom I have been set free.

Thanks you Jesus for giving your Life so that I could have real life! I celebrate you and that life today!

Images from the Almighty...

33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

too long

It has been too long! I never thought I would be one of those people who start a blog and then let it sit silent for months on end. Well, I am that guy now. It's like a website that hasn't been updated since the first week it was launched, seems almost completely useless. Well, if you have given up on waiting to hear from me I understand, but if not, here is a what is swimming around in my head this morning.

I am getting ready to go preach to maybe 70 people this morning a message of hope that has been less than "life changing," for most Christians I know. It's a message of belonging from Romans chapter 8. The big question being asked is, "what do we have in Christ?" What does God's sanctifying work in our lives leave us with?

belonging, adoption, inheritance, honor and glory...

I am struck, in particular, by the language Paul uses as he is introducing the concept of, "Children of God." He uses a phrase that stands out to me...

"Those who walk in the Spirit have not been give a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption."

I love that he sets fear and adoption as oppositional forces in this passage. We all need to belong, be part of something, be chosen, and feel connected. When a child is homeless, or has no family, they feel lost, insecure, and full of fear. It will likely impact the way that child views the entire world. But a child with a loving, family to belong to, live with, receive and give love to, the world is right.

As justified, sanctified believers, we have been given a spirit of adoption. We belong to God, He has chosen us to be part of His eternal family. That work He does is not just a formality, no God puts His money where His mouth is. The full inheritance of Christ goes right along with it! We don't just get a piece of the pie, we get the whole freaking pie. We get power, peace, hope, salvation, etc. etc. etc.

How many of us as Christians are setting aside this incredible gift for something so worthless as, "our own lives," we are living, most of us, a shell of the life that is offered to us in unhindered relationship with the father. We have, due to the ongoing sanctifying work of the holy spirit in our lives, the opportunity to live in perfect relationship with God once more. Yeah, perfect, just like Adam and Eve once enjoyed, we can get that back, we can be totally free from the one thing that blocks our connection from him, that being the sin of selfishness. When we surrender, releasing our lives to His power, setting our minds on the Spirit, and allowing him to purge our lives, conforming us into His image, we set ourselves on a path toward unhindered relationship on this earth.

This morning I take hope and refuge in that thought... won't you as well?

Easter Sunday

I recently heard a pastor make a plea to his congregation to, "Pray for those you have invited to our Easter service." A seemingly great challenge, and in fact, I am never going to be the guy who ever gets in the way of prayer in any context... it's too powerful. But it did get me thinking about how we approach prayer in our lives.

I am convinced that as human beings we are naturally prone to pray prayers that are centered around us and what we want. I guess the ultimate problem I have with this plea above, is that when it comes to eternal impact type things, shouldn't we allow God to dictate where the work is done? Shouldn't that plea have been reversed?

"Invite to our Easter service those you have been praying for."

While it may seem like simple semantics, I think the distinction is everything. You see the first plea is living in a self oriented human ability kind of world. Do your thing, and then, ask God to bless your efforts. When it comes to real life transformation, I can't help but believe that formula will more often then not leave us wondering why God did not do the things we asked Him for.

On the other hand, if I am living and active life of kingdom minded prayer for the people in my life, community, and natural sphere of influence, I allow the Holy Spirit to dictate where and when He decides to show up. You see it takes the responsibility to change someone off of me, and places it on the only shoulders capable of handling that kind of job... The Almighty God. Then, I get to sit back and watch what God will do, and how He will use me to do it.

In this context of inviting people to Easter services, how much more expectant will you be about the the morning if the people you invited are people you have been praying for the Holy Spirit to work in all year? So much more. Ultimately, if I am praying that way, I won't find the need to see, attendance at church as the indicator of the drawing of the Spirit. If God chooses to use our Sunday morning service great, but that is not the end all.

So, this Easter, instead of inviting first, I want to challenge you to pray... first... What if our Easter Sunday services were filled with people that we have been praying for all year long, connecting with, loving and blessing. Something tells me Easter Sunday in American churches might look a little different.

To be filled...

So, my wife and I are headed into a pretty interesting season of life. Case and point, I found myself spending most of the day last Friday filling out job applications for minimum wage type jobs that require no degree or unique skills to speak of. I am not trying to say there is something wrong with those jobs, or anything, just that it feels strange to be at this stage of my life to be doing something I last did my 2nd year of college.

We are headed toward a season of unknown... well, the one thing we do know, is that life is not going to be easy... practically speaking. Questions about the impact of drastic reduction of time, energy and money are swirling like a tornado in my head and heart, not knowing what the future holds. Is this fair? Is God abandoning us? How can God turn His back on a family that has given it all for His kingdom, for His purposes, and for His glory? Have we done something wrong?

I always get emotional when alone in my car, I guess it is where I am thinking most clearly, or have the least amount of distractions. On Thursday as I was driving home from Life Group, after an amazing time of encouragement, I found myself thinking and contemplating a new question. What is the point of earthly blessings? Why would God choose to give financial prosperity to one, and struggle to another? I realized that for the past 6 years I have been in a season of prosperity. Life has been good, relatively easy, at least practically, so what does this mean that life is changing?

Just then, the next song clicked onto the CD player, and it happened to be a worship song that I have led people in churches on multiple occasions. The last verse of the song goes like this...

This is my prayer in the harvest

where favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

This seed I received I will sow.

Immediately I began thinking,

"For a devoted Kingdom Laborer of Christ, what is the point of earthly blessings."

According to this song, it is only to give it away. Hmmm... can that really be true? Is the only reason God fills us, so we can be emptied again? If that is true, then maybe I can begin to see this season of life as just simply a natural cycle of life with Christ. I have spent the last 6 years of my life being filled, taken care of, blessed, for what? So that I could pat myself on the back and continue on feeling great about how I have taken charge of my life? No, to be poured out again!

It struck me in that moment, that my life is ultimately a tool to be used by God. If He chooses to bless me with earthly blessings, I can see it as simply a sharpening of that tool. My life has more to offer others. I have more to give, not more to hold on to.

Then in the times of dessert, while I am being poured out, I have a greater opportunity to display the love, grace, sacrifice of Christ then ever. Is God still good? Did something change because life got hard? No, not at all. I was simply filled so that God could use me. After all, my greatest opportunities for life change, impact, and closeness with my God is not afforded to me in moments of prosperity, but in moment of trial.

So, I choose to be poured out, I choose to see my life as a tool, I embrace the breaking, using, and re-shaping God desires to do in my life in this next season...

Starbucks here I come!