Friday, we remembered one of the most, if not the greatest, bittersweet day in all of history. Bitter in the sense that Jesus suffered and died, sweet because we are now free from our sins. Through out the day I had been trying to wrap my mind and heart around what to feel. Thankfulness? Sorrow? Something in between? Both?
A thought that I kept thinking was, "Jesus, I am so sorry."
Sorry that He had to die for us. That we sin, and that He loves us so much to die for us, to be forgiven. I love Jesus very much, I wouldn't want Him to die and that is why I feel sorry in this sense.
Sorry that every single person turned their back on Him, even His own Father. I don't like be rejected, unaccepted, or feeling unloved just by a few people. But Jesus had every single person refuse to even associate with Him. Peter denied Him, people who knew Him stood at a distance when He was crucified. People mocked Him, spit on Him, and beat Him. God the Father even turned away from His own Son. He was 100% alone.
Sorry for all of the things He must have been feeling leading up to it and during. Aside from massive pain, the stress, loneliness, anxiety, fear, sadness, and on and on. I don't like dealing with just one of those things at a time, but having all of that weighing Him down at the same time? That's crazy!
All of this happened at the same time within one week. That Jesus felt all these things, suffered great pain, and took the weight of every sin of this broken world.
When we get down to it, we all deserve to die the death that Jesus did. As one of the criminals hanging with Him said, "Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41)
I am so thankful that Jesus did die for us so that we may some day follow Him to Heaven, but it also makes me wonder... When Jesus says 'follow me,' is He asking us to also follow Him into suffering as well? If so, what is our response to that suffering? Complaining or anger? Or to receive His strength to go through that suffering and give Him praise?
Think about it...comment, share your thoughts, etc.
Peace
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Who's inviting who?
I realize it has been a while since I have posted anything here and some of you are probably amazed that I have a blog. But when I was praying, had this really cool thought/God spoke/God helped me understand something better.
On the path of becoming a Christian, many people might say "I invited God into my heart," or pastors might say "Would you like to invite Jesus into your heart today?" And as I was praying I was saying "Thank you for coming in to my life and for being a part of my life." That's when God was just telling me, making me think, and helping me understand. Who's inviting who? Who's coming into whose life?
What makes me think that I can say hey God come on in to this finite body, this mortal life? Yeah I believe that the Holy Spirit is within me, works God's will trough me and does, can, and will do amazing things. But do I receive the Holy Spirit because I was convicted of something, get His attention and say come on in...I don't think so.
He's just waiting to jump into our lives. He is searching for us so He can bring us back to Him. (The parable of the lost sheep, Luke 15:3-7) Jesus sent the invitation when he said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except though me." (John 14:6) Or also in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." We come to the Father, we come to Jesus. He's saying, here's My Kingdom, come on over. He's saying, whatever is going on or however you are feeling, come to me. Like I said, He's waiting to jump into your life, for you to say "Yes! I'm coming!" "Yes! Bring me back to you!"
Like when a guy asks the woman he loves "Will you marry me?" The only thing he wants to hear is "Yes!" He can't make her say yes, the feeling needs to be mutual. Same with God and even greater, well because He's God... He's asking you to spend your life with Him. He's not waiting for you to get on your knee, He's on His knee waiting for you to say yes. God loves us so much and the feeling needs to be mutual, that we love God right back.
Thank you God for always being in my life and for searching for me, waiting for me to love you back, waiting for me to say yes, I am Yours. Thank you for being a part of everyone's life. When they are feeling down, tired, weak, help them not to turn to themselves or to things of this earth, but come to you. It is hard to understand you God as you are infinite and we are finite, but thank you for the understanding that you do give us. Continue to work in the members of your Kingdom here on earth to help our brothers and sisters see that you are always with them, waiting for that yes. I love you so much. Amen
Think about it...and let's talk (or feel free to comment (agreeing or disagreeing), share, message, email, call text, whatever)
Peace.
On the path of becoming a Christian, many people might say "I invited God into my heart," or pastors might say "Would you like to invite Jesus into your heart today?" And as I was praying I was saying "Thank you for coming in to my life and for being a part of my life." That's when God was just telling me, making me think, and helping me understand. Who's inviting who? Who's coming into whose life?
What makes me think that I can say hey God come on in to this finite body, this mortal life? Yeah I believe that the Holy Spirit is within me, works God's will trough me and does, can, and will do amazing things. But do I receive the Holy Spirit because I was convicted of something, get His attention and say come on in...I don't think so.
He's just waiting to jump into our lives. He is searching for us so He can bring us back to Him. (The parable of the lost sheep, Luke 15:3-7) Jesus sent the invitation when he said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except though me." (John 14:6) Or also in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest." We come to the Father, we come to Jesus. He's saying, here's My Kingdom, come on over. He's saying, whatever is going on or however you are feeling, come to me. Like I said, He's waiting to jump into your life, for you to say "Yes! I'm coming!" "Yes! Bring me back to you!"
Like when a guy asks the woman he loves "Will you marry me?" The only thing he wants to hear is "Yes!" He can't make her say yes, the feeling needs to be mutual. Same with God and even greater, well because He's God... He's asking you to spend your life with Him. He's not waiting for you to get on your knee, He's on His knee waiting for you to say yes. God loves us so much and the feeling needs to be mutual, that we love God right back.
Thank you God for always being in my life and for searching for me, waiting for me to love you back, waiting for me to say yes, I am Yours. Thank you for being a part of everyone's life. When they are feeling down, tired, weak, help them not to turn to themselves or to things of this earth, but come to you. It is hard to understand you God as you are infinite and we are finite, but thank you for the understanding that you do give us. Continue to work in the members of your Kingdom here on earth to help our brothers and sisters see that you are always with them, waiting for that yes. I love you so much. Amen
Think about it...and let's talk (or feel free to comment (agreeing or disagreeing), share, message, email, call text, whatever)
Peace.
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