Have you ever wondered why we call it Good Friday? I mean, it really doesn't seem like it would have been a good day for Jesus' followers when they watched Him get nailed to a cross and die. They wouldn't have had the thought that Jesus would rise from the dead in victory just a few days later. We have that in mind when we come to Good Friday on our calendars. We know what happened a few days later. And even still I often find myself wondering why we call it Good Friday. It just doesn't seem to be a name we would give to a day that is for us to remember Jesus' sacrifice for us.
When I look for and do some research there are all kind of things said about why this day is called Good Friday. I couldn't find an explanation that was universally given. And so I'm left to wonder why. But, maybe that is a good thing. It makes me stop and actually think about this day - about this weekend.
Jesus' death paid the ultimate price for all of the sin of all of humanity. That's something worth remembering - because it changed everything. And then three days later, He rose from the dead - He conquered death! That really changed everything!
In many ways, it is beyond human understanding that someone would do this for us. We have people we would give a lot for, but probably not a lot of people we would give our lives for. Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did for us. He gave His life for us! That's some amazing news.
Maybe that is why we call today Good Friday.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
going from the classroom to the real world
I've been reflecting lately on some of the things I have written on this blog. They're things that don't necessarily sound easy to live out, but writing about them sounds good. They're the "right things" to say. They're the truth about what God has to say through His Word. But, that doesn't change the fact that moving from the classroom with these things into the real world can be a challenge.
When we finally have an understanding of what something looks like, it may seem like we're done. But, that is very often the time that God is looking for us to put what we learned into practice. God doesn't teach us things so that we have more knowledge. He teaches us things so that they become part of a transformed life. We have to act on those things we learn.
We have to take what we learned in the classroom into the real world. In some ways, it's like what happens when we finally finish our education and get a job that uses it. We take what we learned in the classroom and we start to put it to use in everyday life. It does us no good at that point to keep what we learned in our heads. We cannot do our jobs well if we do that. We have to put it into practice.
And it is the same with what we learn as we walk with God. What we learn doesn't ultimately do us any good if it just stays in our heads. We have to learn how to use what we learn in everyday life.
When we finally have an understanding of what something looks like, it may seem like we're done. But, that is very often the time that God is looking for us to put what we learned into practice. God doesn't teach us things so that we have more knowledge. He teaches us things so that they become part of a transformed life. We have to act on those things we learn.
We have to take what we learned in the classroom into the real world. In some ways, it's like what happens when we finally finish our education and get a job that uses it. We take what we learned in the classroom and we start to put it to use in everyday life. It does us no good at that point to keep what we learned in our heads. We cannot do our jobs well if we do that. We have to put it into practice.
And it is the same with what we learn as we walk with God. What we learn doesn't ultimately do us any good if it just stays in our heads. We have to learn how to use what we learn in everyday life.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
love the church?
Do we love the church? The local body of believers? Do we value meeting together? Do we give it a place of importance in our lives?
I've often wondered about those questions. Earlier today I read an article on Boundless that started me thinking about these things again. The article was called Love the Church. I would encourage you to read the article for yourself, but for those who don't, the basic premise is that in all of our desire to do big things for Jesus we cannot leave the local church in the dust. We need the local church along with those big things.
After I read the article, I found myself reflecting on what my usual attitude is towards the local church, and how it comes across in what I say and how I spend my time. Do I love the local church? Do I value meeting together with other believers? Do I value serving in the local church the same way I value doing the big things for Jesus?
There was a couple of sentences in the article that seemed to jump off the screen at me:
When I read that, it felt like it got to the core of the issue for me.
I have heard the argument about not being involved in a local church that Jesus didn't go to church. Except that over and over in Scripture we find that He was to be found in the local Synagogue - the church of the day. And although He often spoke against the religious establishment of the day, Jesus was speaking against the misguided way they were leading the people in ways that were not according to God's will. Jesus' model for ministry was always in the context of people together. And much of the New Testament is comprised of letters to the local church in an area. Paul spent much of his time strengthening the local churches in areas he went to. Scripture makes it pretty clear that the local church is an important, I would daresay vital, part of our lives as followers of Christ.
So, I'm left with the question of whether I love the local church. And the challenge that I need to love the local church and I need to live in such a way that my life shows I value it.
I've often wondered about those questions. Earlier today I read an article on Boundless that started me thinking about these things again. The article was called Love the Church. I would encourage you to read the article for yourself, but for those who don't, the basic premise is that in all of our desire to do big things for Jesus we cannot leave the local church in the dust. We need the local church along with those big things.
After I read the article, I found myself reflecting on what my usual attitude is towards the local church, and how it comes across in what I say and how I spend my time. Do I love the local church? Do I value meeting together with other believers? Do I value serving in the local church the same way I value doing the big things for Jesus?
There was a couple of sentences in the article that seemed to jump off the screen at me:
"The passion for ministry and commitment to a local church are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they must go together. You can't be all about the mission of Jesus and not be all about the mission of His bride."
When I read that, it felt like it got to the core of the issue for me.
I have heard the argument about not being involved in a local church that Jesus didn't go to church. Except that over and over in Scripture we find that He was to be found in the local Synagogue - the church of the day. And although He often spoke against the religious establishment of the day, Jesus was speaking against the misguided way they were leading the people in ways that were not according to God's will. Jesus' model for ministry was always in the context of people together. And much of the New Testament is comprised of letters to the local church in an area. Paul spent much of his time strengthening the local churches in areas he went to. Scripture makes it pretty clear that the local church is an important, I would daresay vital, part of our lives as followers of Christ.
So, I'm left with the question of whether I love the local church. And the challenge that I need to love the local church and I need to live in such a way that my life shows I value it.
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