The Wonder of the Cross

The cross has always been a symbol of hope for Christians. Non-Christians are often baffled by why a device that created such pain and torture would be viewed as such a significance piece of our faith.

Many criminals died on that cross. What made Jesus any different?

 

Well, for one, He wasn't a criminal. A rejecter of common practices? Yes. Someone who ruffled feathers wherever He went? Certainly. But not a criminal.

 

What's more is that not only was He not a criminal, but He was flawless.

Completely, and totally, flawless.

The Oxford dictionary defines flawless as: without any blemishes, imperfections, mistakes, or shortcomings; perfect.

Why then, was this man hung on a cross? Why was He tortured and spit on? Why was He left to die?

Simply put: He was hung on that cross for you and me.

Yes, we have heard this story all our lives, but when was the last time we let it sink in?

The wonder of the cross is not in the cross itself, but in the One who hung on it and why.

Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, hung on that cross for you and me to bridge the gap between us and God.

Our sin is great, but His grace is greater! How powerful a truth; how incredible a hope!

Isaiah 53:3-9 says,

"He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

 

Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.

 

He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave."

 

Our Lord was tortured and killed for us.

 

That really should break our hearts. Truth is, we don't deserve love anywhere near that.

 

However, the story did not end. If it had, there would be no hope. There would be no reason to worship this Deity who was fully God and fully man.

 

Had Christ not risen, we probably could have marked him off as a good man and a rather odd character who was definitely crazy (I mean, He walked around claiming to be God...).

 

BUT that WASN'T the end!

 

Three days after His death, Christ came back to life. I will discuss this more in a later post, but how awing is that?

 

How could a man rise from the dead? Like, He was deader than dead, but now He is alive?! What?!?!?

 

The cross should hold a significance for us, as Christians, because it shows the ultimate definition of love and sacrifice. It bridges that gap between God and man. No longer does man earn his salvation. No longer do we have to go through a priest or holy man to get to God. No! Christ made Himself that High priest. Now all we have to do is go through Him to get to God.

 

That is so huge, ya'll!

 

The wonder of the cross is not limited to one people group, gender, sexuality, and amount of knowledge one knows or doesn't know. The wonder of the cross bridges the gap for all people in every tribe and nation!

 

May we never forget the significance of the cross; may we never lose the wonder of the cross!

 



"The Wonder of the Cross" by Vicky Beeching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc9-OEgFsKE

Walking in Faith

This summer I will be working on staff at a Christian camp for youth. It is out of state and a camp that I never have personally attended. Where did I find this camp recommended, you ask? Google. What on earth compelled me to send in an application, much less take a job at a camp that Google recommended and that is out of state?

Well, three things.

First, my need for adventure. Yes, I do have a heart for adventure. I like getting out of my comfort zone. I like being stretched. I like challenges and growing. Am I comfortable with not knowing anyone? Not really. Am I comfortable with not even knowing where I am? No. But life is all about adventures. Some are in the day to day things and some are in the big, crazy, leaps of faith you take.

Last summer I took a really huge leap of faith and worked at a Boy Scout camp. I still can't believe I did that, let alone lived in a tent the whole time! It was hard. It was sometimes awkward. I was very rarely comfortable. But each day always proved to be an adventure. I had to choose to adjust my attitude a lot. I had to choose to not let people and things get to me. I had to choose to constantly trust God, moment by moment. I learned a lot. I grew a lot. I discovered a lot. It was an adventure!

This summer I am, yet again, going to a place where I may not fit in. I am going to do a job I am not very qualified for. You know what though? Wherever God leads is an adventure and He'll make up for whatever I lack.

Secondly, my need to invest in people. Life is an exciting process, made even more so by the places we choose to spend our time and the things and people we invest in. At Boy Scout camp, I taught merit badges and had fun. I had lots of conversations about why I was at camp. It was really great!

This summer, I get to combine my love for people and my love for God. Not only do I get to share a week with people, but I get to share the most important thing in my life very openly. That's Jesus. I get to get real with people and learn their stories. I get to work hard and learn and grow. The only way you can invest in people is to be willing to get out of your comfort zone.

Thirdly, my need to follow Christ. Could I have had plenty of adventures and invested in people right here in Richmond, Virginia? Yes. Could I have found a more comfortable place to work? Yes. Could I have done so many other things? Yes. Instead, I chose the hard way. I chose what would make me uncomfortable. I chose to take a crazy leap of faith.

Why? Because God called me to. When I browsed through Google and saw this camp, He laid it on my heart to pray about applying. I felt the call to go. I sent in an application not knowing if I would even be considered. No one was more shocked than I was when I was not only called for an interview, but accepted. God calls us to crazy things sometimes though. It may not make sense to others, but it is a part of God's perfect plan.

 

So, that is why I am going to a place I have never been, to do something I have never done, with people I have never met. My God goes with me and He is going to do things beyond what I could have ever fathomed! I can't see the whole road, but He can. I will choose to walk in faith. I can't wait to share what God does!

 

For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

All Are Welcome: The Gym and the Church

I was thinking about a statement this week that I hear a lot: "I don't go to church because I don't belong there." Worse yet, "I feel like a hypocrite attending a church where everyone gets this "God thing" but me."

Now, I could pull out all sorts of Scripture out to tell you and show you how Christ came for everyone and how He truly loves and treasures all of us, no matter where we are (or are not) in our faith life. However, that is not the angle I want to come from today.

A couple of times a week, I go to the gym. I lift weights, go to cycle/spin class, and work out on various machines. I do a lot of people watching at the gym. It never ceases to amaze me the variety of people that come to the gym. Not only are there various ethnicities and ages, but there are various body types. Why is this unique, you ask?

Well, everyone comes to the gym. Old people, young people, super fit people, overweight people, runners, cyclists, weight lifters, etc. etc. etc. Everyone comes to and is welcome at the gym. The gym is not limited to just fit, younger people or older muscular people. It is open to all people at all stages of life with all different exercise routines.

No one walks up to a fit person and tells them they are too fit to be at the gym. No one tells the person who only comes once a month that they don't come enough to come to the gym. No one tells the overweight person that there is no hope for them, so why bother coming to the gym.

 

No! Everyone is welcome!

This is what the church should be like. Everyone is welcome. It doesn't matter if you grew up in a Christian household and can't ever remember not being a Christian or if you don't have any idea who this God is. It doesn't matter if you are old or young. It doesn't matter if you come every time the doors are open or only a couple times a year. Everyone is welcome!

See, God is not limited to who we are, what ethnicity we are, how much faith we have, and how much we do or do not know. God is here for everyone.

God came for us all. None of us are a waste of space or a waste of a seat. Ever. Period. But especially when we enter a church.

The church is intended to be a place to come and do life with people. When I say "people," that means no one is left out. People come with regrets and questions. People come with dreams and broken spirits. People come with laughter and tears. The church is the place where we can (and should) be the realest.

For those who have been hurt or rejected by people in the church: I am so sorry. The problem when you get people together, even in the Name of God, is that we are still very much broken and sinful people. It does not excuse the hurt that they have caused you, however please know that God holds them accountable for their actions, even if you do not see that. I also promise you that not all people in the church are like that.

 

The people of God were not intended to look like people of the world, but all too often we are far more like the world than God. This drives people away. Again, I say (better yet, God says) everyone is welcome in the church. You don't have to get your act together or get this whole "God thing."

When Christ said, "Come as you are," He meant it!

I have been a Christian for a long time and I still don't get this "God thing." I still struggle and fall. I still question and doubt. God didn't call me to get it all together. He just calls me to come!

Will you choose to come to God today, with all your doubts and questions? With all your heartache, laughter, and brokenness? I promise that God will never turn you away and the church shouldn't either.

 

To those who are in the church: Will you choose to be kind, loving, and accepting? Will you choose to love on the broken and understanding of those struggling (after all, we all struggle!)? If we do not care for our own, we have no business trying to reach the world.

 

 

 

There Is No Place I Would Rather Be

This past week has been quite a whirlwind of emotions and decisions. Things were said that maybe shouldn't have been said. Apologies were given that had to be given. More tears have been cried than I care to talk about, much less write about. I went from frustration to anger to sadness and then all the way back through a couple of times. Still, as I sit here, I find I am at peace.

 

Peace is an interesting word associated with a nation not at war or a calmness found at the beach. It tends to give a connotation that a lack of chaos exists in that moment. However, I would say that peace is not based on circumstances or people, but on where your identity is found. It isn't based so much on how you feel as who you are.

 

Let me explain. This past week, I have felt like crud (how's that for bluntness?). All I have wanted to do is cry and, at times, throw something (whether at someone or just myself depended on the moment). I threw myself into school and serving others, as I generally tend to do when I want to forget my circumstances. I wrote 50 postcards and did two weeks of school in less than one. That didn't bring me peace though. Nothing you do can really makes you forget what breaks your heart. At the end of the day, we all have to face our fears, heartaches, and demons.

 

In the silent of the night, the tears fell and with them, I poured out my prayers. I went back to the one thing that I knew to be true no matter how much my world was shaking. I went back to God. I cried and I yelled at Him. I asked questions and I begged for answers. Then, when I was all spent, I listened.

 

In the calm, I was reminded of who I am.

 

I am a Child of God.

 

Though my mind may doubt itself and I may be struggling, I know who I am. I am held by the King of all creation. My Father. My first and deepest love.

 

 My God died on a cross for me. He gave me life and breathe. He loves me unconditionally (which alone would be enough!). He gives me a living hope. He holds my tears and hears my prayers. He answers my pleas and replaces my mourning with joy.

 

He is my Savior and my God. In Him, I find who I am and that is why I have peace.

 

I heard a Christian song lyric yesterday by Will Regan that says, "There is no place I'd rather be than here in Your love."

 

This lyric rings so true. God's love is all-consuming. His hope is all powerful. His peace is enough.

 

There is no place I would rather be.

 

 

"Set A Fire" by Will Regan and United Pursuit Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs6bdFzgQfY