Category Archives: GENERAL INTEREST

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HOLY WEEK’S SIGNIFICANCE

HOLY WEEK

This week is such a significant time on the Church calendar.  It is a time of reflective celebration referring back to the pivotal event of all history:  Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. No one will come to the Father except through Him. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

All of time in the earthly realm relates in some way to Christ’s death on the cross. The Old Testament events looked forward to the cross. Animal sacrifices given as atonement for sin illustrated what was yet to be.  Christ’s life, death, and resurrection fulfilled God’s plan–the sacrificial lamb of God slain for the sins of the world whereby redeeming  a lost humanity so they might receive rebirth in their souls by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:6

CHRIST

Christ was crushed for us. He was wounded that we might live. The redemptive cycle is completed. “It is finished,” and Christ dies on Good Friday. The sky grows dark. An earthquake shakes the ground. People run for cover. The world will never be the same again.

And then “He’s alive!” Death can’t keep Him. The Savior has conquered sin and death to save the world.

REDEMPTION

Life is that way, too. In fact, most of life is a story of redemption. There are burial, resurrection, new life cycles that occur, over and over again. We see it in the seasons, the plant life, events in our lives: birth, childhood, middle age, old age, death, resurrected life. It is one continuous circle that goes round and round.

SALVATION

Some want off the circle, pain hijacks their life. I wish for them freedom that will lift them out of the cage. But I can’t do it for them. I am only used as a way to lead them to the door. I say to them, “It is possible. It’s your choice. God offers it. Take His gift of grace, the salvation He offers for your soul. Confess your sins. Be forgiven, be free.” After that, it is up to them and God.  It will take both joining together in purpose and in power.

STRUGGLE

Some are fighting the fight to get there. They can’t quite give up to go with God. Some desire it but they haven’t figured out how to let go of the bondage of past indiscretions or paralyzing fears. These dear ones want to throw in the towel because it is getting to be too hard.  It takes courage to face your stuff. It can be intense and usually it is. It gets worse before it gets better. Then comes sweet surrender; the embracing of Christ; tears of sorrow turned to rejoicing. The tears’ sting penetrates the soul and peace heals its inner wounding.

PEACE

Life becomes one sweet Ode to Joy when the battle is won and victory is secured. You will never return to the pit from which you have been released. You’re not there yet? Ask God to become real to you. He will be with you. He understands when you hurt and are fearful. He wants you to be free. He waits for you to trust Him. Come to Jesus.

Dear one, please trust in Jesus. He loves you so much.

PRAYER

Thank you, Father, for a resurrected life. I feel like I’m sitting in Your presence—that Your Son just walked in the door and greeted me. He radiates the self-assured, holy life, a transparent yet hidden glow of holy radiance. His smile is accepting of me. I want to be like Mary and sit at His feet, to talk with Him and ask Him the harder questions, the ones that confuse the unbelieving and believing alike. The more I know of Your nature, the more that I realize Your love is that of a loving father who deeply cares for His children. And I am one of them. Thank you, dear Father God. Amen

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*A condensed reposting

*Photo from Unsplash

THE CREAKING ON THE STAIRS: Finding Faith in God Through Childhood Abuse by Mez McConnell (Christian Focus, 2019)

Mez McConnell’s childhood story is that of severe deprivation, abuse, and mistreatment. His abuser(s) enjoyed hurting him and his sister in the cruelest of ways. He spent his early years in an impossible situation where each day of life was lived in fear of ‘her’ and the starvations and various abuses she meted out with relish and regularity. He prayed to God to save him from these but couldn’t tell that God even cared. He learned to ‘take it’ without complaint as he nurtured an inner rebellious defiance against the satisfaction she would gain through the pleasure of administering abuse. Years later, after McConnell’s own inner torment was well into self-destructive mode, he began to explore the possibility of there being a God, and, secondary to that, why a just God would have allowed such horrific abuse to occur. He eventually realizes that Christ suffered and died for people who hated Him. He begins to understand the bigger picture of Christ’s love to the world of scarred humankind. This book is an uncomfortable read but it is also the encouraging story of a redeemable human being. McConnell shares insights about the theology of God in offering His caring, loving, and redemptive hope to all, especially to those wounded by life.