One More For JC

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  (Hebrews 2:9) Dee and I went to see “The Passion of The Christ” last Friday.  It was a very heart wrenching two hours and six minutes, and without a doubt the most powerful movie I’ve ever seen.  The film’s intent is to tell the story of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, but it goes well beyond that.  It seems to lift you from your seat and transport you to the Garden of Gethsemane, to His trial, to His scourging, to His carrying of the cross, and finally to His death and resurrection.  Although a Hollywood movie can only take you so far, it does convey the extent of Christ’s sacrifice in a way no film has ever done before.  A few months back in “ The Cost ”, I wrote about the song “Here I Am To Worship” and how “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin...

Go and make disciples of all the nations.  (Matthew 28:19) The “Great Commission” began with a directive from Jesus to his apostles to make disciples of all the nations.  I’m sure it seemed like an impossible task for the eleven individuals at the time.  After Jesus’ death, the apostles had taken to a life of fear and doubt.  But through the power of the Holy Spirit, these same men would be transformed, and would become bold, powerful preachers of the gospel who would change the world. The “Great Commission” continues today.  I was reminded of that recently when I heard a powerful message from Rick Warren, who shared the story of his father who had dedicated his life to serving Jesus.  On his deathbed, his father struggled to get out of bed, and repeated nearly one-hundred times, "Got to save one more for Jesus!"  He then turned it into a directive to his son: "Save one more for Jesus!"  Warren would become the leader of one of the larges...

I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.  (Here I Am To Worship – 2000 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music / PRS) I’ve sung a lot of worship songs over the years, but Michael W. Smith’s “Worship Again” CD brought me in contact with one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever heard, “Here I Am To Worship”.  Towards the middle of the song, the chorus begins a heart wrenching repetition of “I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.”  I’ve never thought about it to be honest.  The fact that I’ll never know the exact number of blows Christ received in my place, or how much of His blood was substituted for mine, or how painful those nails felt as they were driven into His hands and feet, or the precise amount of time He hung on that cross – enduring the most excruciating death imaginable for me. Even when I’m in His presence in heaven, I’m sure the full details of that day will remain undisclosed.  It wouldn’t be in Christ’...

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”  (Exodus 20:12) Last Saturday, my family threw a surprise birthday party to celebrate my Dad’s 75 th .  It was an extremely emotional day for me as I spent most of it thinking back on all of the wonderful memories I’ve shared with my parents over the years.  I counted my blessings as I thought back on all of the sacrifices they’ve made for me, and prayed that they knew how much each one was appreciated. I could go on listing each one individually, but it would take up too many pages.  The example of love, sacrifice, and devotion they have shown to my sister and me from day one has made the fulfillment of this commandment an easy one; for any child not to honor and respect these two parents would be a travesty.  Although I honor them from afar now, the 1,008 miles of separation only makes me love and appreciate them all the more.  The one m...

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:25-28) I’m sure many people will never forget the images of this past week in Baghdad, as three Iraqi citizens climbed up a monstrous statue of Saddam Hussein, and did everything in their human power to bring it down.  It took help from American soldiers to topple it, but when they finally did, a celebration ensued that was heard around the world.  It vividly summed up the type of leader that Hussein was – a brutal, prideful dictator who forced others to serve and worship him.  What a contrast to the king of kings, Jesus Christ.  Born i...

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1) A couple times a year my parents venture out for a weekend “polka” adventure filled with good friends, good music, and good food.  A few years back they met an older couple that would become dear friends of the family:  “Uncle” Joe and “Aunt” Lil.  We had some great outings together - one outing Uncle Joe told about 100 jokes over dinner - never missing a punch-line to boot.  My favorite memory was my wedding reception party in New Jersey, when the two of them dressed up in Hawaiian shirts (our theme), and danced the night away. Unfortunately, after my move to Minnesota, I lost touch with Uncle Joe and Aunt Lil, but I never forgot them and they never forgot me.  Although I wasn’t around to celebrate occasions like Uncle Joe’s 90 th birthday party, we did exchange a Christmas card or two.  This year, I received a quick but very special note from Uncle Joe r...

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12) “Do onto others as you would have others do onto you.”  The Golden Rule.  The first time I ever heard it was in the 5 th grade when my elementary school teacher put those words up on the chalkboard with big block letters.  He never mentioned the author of the ‘Rule’, but it clearly was the motto he lived by, and wanted all of us 5 th graders to live by. Little does he know it, but my teacher made a huge impact on me.  As the years went by, every time I heard the Golden Rule mentioned, I thought of him and the motto he wanted us all to live by.  I did my best to live up to it in my relations with others – when I was selfish and hurtful - these words were always the ones I fell back on to apologize and ask for forgiveness. It wasn’t until college that I found out who the author of the Golden Rule was.  I was working my wa...