Good Friday

Today is Good Friday.  It's gone somewhat unnoticed by the secular world; no bunnies, jolly men, or candy on the market for this occasion.  Yet it is my opinion that Good Friday is the most significant and holy day of the year.  This is the day we remember that Jesus died for us.  We have lots of images to help us conceptualize it.  We have Mel Gibson's hand in "The Passion of the Christ" and  other movies that help us understand.  But I doubt we get it.  We can somewhat understand the pain, although when one reads the account in the Bible of the torture Jesus endured I'm not sure most people have anything to compare it to. But I don't think we can understand the other part of the suffering the Christ endured.  What happened to Jesus was punishment, not only from men, but from His Father.  The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5).

If Good Friday is the day that Jesus was tortured and punished for our sins (though He had no sin of His own), what's so good about it?  Why call such a day Good? Perhaps it ought to be called Black Friday, or Blood Friday.  Jesus begged His Father to avoid this day and He sweat drops of blood as He prayed (Luke 22:42).  There is nothing good about this day for Jesus.


Good Friday is Good because of what it means to us, God's created ones.  Because of Good Friday, we can have peace with God.  Isaiah 53:5 tells us that "...he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Healed.  No longer separated from God because of our sin.  Someone took the punishment for us. Someone that God himself provided.  That person was God himself; God in flesh took the punishment that His own creation deserved.  That is Good.  I can think of nothing better.  "Thank you" seems quite inadequate for such a gift.  Singing a worship song isn't enough either.  I'm not sure there is any way to adequately appreciate it.  But the Bible tells us how to respond.  It's pretty simple actually: receive it.  Believe that "He is the Christ, the son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16) .  The book of Acts says “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).


If you are having trouble with any of this, don't ignore it.  Instead seek God!  The Bible says that if you seek Him, you will find Him (Acts 17:27).  Pray.  Read the Bible. Find a friend and Christian mentor (Christians live for this opportunity!).  Find your way to a good Christian church (this is really not scary!  Any Spirit-filled church will welcome you warmly!).  Learn how to live a life that reflects your thankfulness for this gift, the gift of Good Friday.

As for me, today I spend the day near tears, knowing I don't deserve the freedom I live in, but also filled with joy in knowing that I am dearly loved by my my Creator, demonstrated by Good Friday.

For further study

Isaiah 53 

11After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 23:1-49

Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

3So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,”Jesus replied.

4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

5But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

6On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.7When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.12That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.

13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”

18But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

26As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them,“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.29For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’30Then

“ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”

and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’

31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said,“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.

44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

For a free on-line Bible go to www.YouVersion.com.

Thanksgiving Morning

Thanksgiving morning

Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 8:21am ·

This Thanksgiving morning the house is peaceful, everyone is still sleeping.  Today, Thanksgiving Day, many stores are opeing early to begin the Black Friday shopping experience even earlier.  They are offering bargains and coupons to coax us to do our Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving Day.  These stores, and our American culture, are convincing us that Christmas is about giving gifts, spending a lot of money, going in debt, Santa, red and green lights, tinsel, and tradition.  All of that is a smokescreen and a distraction for what Christmas really is.  The real meaning of Christmas:  God loves us.  The book of Romans in the Bible says that we have all sinned, and from my personal experience I know that's true.  It also says that if we sin, we deserve death and eternal seperation from Him.  But God had the perfect gift that would cover all of the world's sin:  His perfect son would willingly die in our place. He took our punishment for us, as a gift, and a demonstration of His mercy and grace.  The message of Christmas is that God loves me. God loves you too, no matter how far away you feel.
The Bible also teaches the value of thankfulness.  What better time than Thanksgiving Day to be thankful for peace with God because of the gift of Christmas.

Sunday Morning Dress Code

Yesterday I was sidetracked by a debate about casual dress at church.  Should Christians dress up for Sunday service?  One opinion was expressed with such passion by a sister in Christ, and I love her heart on this.  She believes that we demonstrate our reverence for God by putting on our best when we come to church.  How we present ourselves is a reflection of our heart, and to give God the proper glory, we should wear our "Sunday best".  In her opinion, it shows a lack of seriousness about our faith if we come dressed in a casual way.  My sister clearly loves Jesus and wants to be the best she can for him.  This is consistent in her life.  She is loving, thoughtful, eagerly seeking to hear from God in her prayer life and wants to do His will. 

But I must respectfully disagree. 

I'm 1000% sure that what we wear matters. 

We will dress in a way that is modest. 

 1 Timothy 2:9-10⁹ I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰ but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

We will not find our beauty in clothes, jewelry, and braided hair, but in a sweet spirit. 

1 Pet. 3:3   ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴ Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

If we don't have money for clothes, we will not worry about what we will wear.

Matthew 6:28-30  ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

But the need to dress "up" for church to honor God?  I don't believe that is Biblical.  Instead, we are not to show favoritism to people due to the way they are dressed.  We are not to be impressed by expensive clothes.  If a person comes to church in their yard work clothes, we aren't to take notice.  There is to be no favoritism.

James 2:2-3 ² Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

I believe that the Bible points us to a different way of honoring God on Sunday morning.  And that would be by honoring Him every day.  Rather than cleaning the "outside of the cup", we should bring the most beautiful "inside" that we can. 

Matthew 23:25-26 ²⁵ "...You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ ...First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

We should prepare our hearts with humility, repentance, and forgiveness.  And not just on Sunday morning, but every. single. day.  Honoring God who washes us clean and makes us beautiful as we grow in His likeness.  He personally and individually created us. Then He made an infallible way for us to be with Him forever if we would choose to. He will one day give us a new white robe to wear.

I want to kneel at Jesus' feet every day, and Sunday is no different.  It's the same me, and the same God.  Only there are more people there on Sunday.  Some who are broken, and it shows in their appearance.  And others who are broken, who hide it very well with shiny new dresses.

Revelation 7: 13-17
¹⁷ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
  I answered, “Sir, you know.”
   And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore,
   “they are before the throne of God
   and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
¹⁶ Never again will they hunger;
   never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
   nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
   he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”