Two and a half years ago, we sold our house and part of the process was telling our realtor every single thing about it, good or bad, right up front so that we could fix the stuff that needed fixing and not be surprised by the home inspection. Same goes for buying a car: you want the whole story right now, because you have a right to know what you're getting in to. It doesn't really work that way in your spiritual life. Since I've been walking with Christ, He has dragged me through some absolute junk. I've had to go through things, endure things and do things I never would have chosen in a million years that I would have avoided in a life without Him, and He never told me about a single one of them up front. I've watched people I love live through incessant heartbreak and tragedy they never knew they would face before coming to know Christ, and He never told them it would happen. I love Jesus because He lets us in on what He's doing when we're ready for it and not before. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples they would be hated, hunted and killed. He said He didn't tell them at first because He was with them. If Jesus had told me up front all the crap I would go through in waking with Him, I may not have followed, and I would have missed out on so much, including life itself.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
24. He Knows Me Better Than I Do
The coolest thing Peter ever said was more than he should have said. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure he meant every word of it. It was totally sincere, it just wasn't true. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples that He was going away and that they couldn't go with Him. He had been warning them of His death and resurrection for months, but now it was time. The disciples were confused and afraid. Peter said, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." I love Jesus because He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself, and still loved him. Jesus looked into Peter's eyes and told him the truth about himself. "You'll die for me? Really? I know you feel that way now, but before the sun comes up, you're going to betray me." It must have been a shock to hear those words, but Jesus sweetly followed them up by saying, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. I'm going to come back for you and take you to be with me forever." He knows the depths of our troubled hearts more than we do and he loves us and wants us more than we do.
Monday, November 1, 2010
23. He Toasted His Betrayer
Jesus did a strange thing on the night He was betrayed. He toasted His betrayer. Now, it didn’t look like a toast in our culture; but it was. Jesus told His friends one of them would betray Him, and when asked who it would be, He said it would be the one to whom He would give the bread once He had dipped it in the dish. Most folks read right over that little statement, but it’s a big deal. You see, in those days and in that culture, this gesture was a high honor. It was like standing, raising a glass and proposing a toast. So, why would Jesus toast Judas? Jesus was reaching out to him one last time, pleading with him to change his mind. But wait... Jesus knows everything, right? He knew Judas would betray Him, right? It was even prophesied, right? Yes, Jesus knew what Judas was going to do, but still His love reached out to Judas, begging him not to. I love Jesus because His love even pleads with a mind made up for betrayal. Even now, Jesus reaches out to me when He knows the many ways I will turn my back on Him. Still His love pleads with me and appeals to me, knowing that one day I’ll choose Him instead.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
22. He Didn't Want To Be Alone
God is a God of community. This is a deep mystery and I have never met one person who really understands it, but God, the One and only exists in Three Persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are God. They are not three parts of God and they are not three gods. They are God, the One and only. Now, I can’t explain that, but it is true and it leads us to understand some excessively cool things about God. For instance, God has, and always has had community and relationship because He is Three in One. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been loving each other for eternity before there was ever a sky or sea. They’ve always known what relationship and community are and they’ve always had each other. So why would Jesus say that He was laying down His life in order to prevent being alone? If He had decided not to die and pay for sins, He wouldn’t have had any of us, but the Father Son and Holy Spirit would have had each other, so He wouldn’t really have been alone, right? I love Jesus because heaven without you and me would have felt like being alone to Him. That’s how much He loves us.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
21. He Loves Your Love For Him
Every week my friend Tom and I go to the Anderson County jail to lead a Bible Study for some of the fellas in Unit 2. Every week we plead with guys out on the block to come join us as we sing, pray and try to figure out what it looks like to live a life with God in it. Lots of guys come, but there are also lots of guys who don’t. Sometimes the ones who come are ridiculed for being a part of Bible Study. Their ‘cellies’ think they are stupid or weak. In other words, they have to take a stand, and pay a price for loving Jesus. One time a woman anointed Jesus with some very expensive perfume as a way to show Him that she loved Him. Everyone who was there made fun of her and even Jesus’ disciples chewed her out for being wasteful. But Jesus didn’t. He defended her and said she had done a “beautiful thing” for Him. I love Jesus because He loves it when people love Him back. When it costs you to love Jesus, He knows. When you suffer for loving Him, He sees it and He likes what He sees.
Monday, October 18, 2010
20. He Cares About Sheep
My friend Tom used to have sheep. Now, you may have always thought sheep are cute and cuddly and sweet, but if so, you were wrong. Sheep are the worst. Tom’s sheep were loud, stinky, gross, stupid, stubborn and really mean. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads and their eyelids are always half-closed so that they look like they’re stoned all the time. They’re not fast, or strong. They can’t protect themselves. If there is one redeeming thing about them, it’s beyond me. Thing is, out of all of the animals in the world, Jesus compared us with sheep. And He’s right! We can be hopelessly headstrong and completely wrong about everything! We are self-obsessed rebels who are too often drunk on our own stupid opinions. We are colossal train wrecks and out of our minds half the time, and yet, Jesus loves us! I love Jesus because He is the Good Shepherd. He not only cares about, but longs for us. He not only puts up with us, He treasures us as His very own! He not only protects us, He laid down His life for us. If I have to be a sheep, at least I know I have a Shepherd like Him.
Monday, October 4, 2010
19. He Changed My Mind
What if a highly trained, angry mob of soldiers went on a mission to arrest a homeless, defenseless peasant who was just standing in the middle of the street and yet they came back empty-handed? What would you think? Surely it isn’t possible, right? Yet this scenario actually happened. Some religious leaders decided they wanted Jesus in their custody, so they sent temple guards to get Him, but they came back without Him. What happened? Did He slip away from their grasp? Did He fight them off? Did He pay them off? No. He just spoke. He simply talked and in so doing, changed their minds. I love Jesus because as those bewildered soldiers said, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” I used to think that I have a right to all of my time. I used to think that the only reason people would disagree with me would be if they had not properly listened to my side of the issue. I used to think a whole host of things that I’ve changed my mind about. Why? Because Jesus spoke to me through His word and changed me. I’ve never been the same since.
