The Sacrifice

Happy Resurrection Day! This year feels a bit different. Maybe it’s my first full year in MO or maybe I’m just growing or maybe it just is different. Either way, this year, I’ve spent more time contemplating the sacrifice Jesus made so that I could be saved. 

This past week, instead of continuing our study in Genesis, I switched things up and focused on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Since Genesis introduces Jesus (Gen 3:15) and the blessing He is to all nations of the earth (Gen 12:1-3), it was easy to tie what we’ve been studying to Mark 15. The lesson resonated because it is sometimes unfathomable that God would love us so. 

That He loves me this much given all the mistakes and intentional sin I’ve committed over my lifetime, touches me in ways I never imagined. That He knows me better than I know myself, but still wants a relationship with me blows my mind when I reflect on it. I don’t know about you, but when I think back over my life, I realize that I deserve death and damnation, but Jesus. He took all my sin and failures with Him to the cross and now I have eternal life because of what He has done for me. I hope you have it, too. 

When I think about what He endured so I could have this gift, I get really emotional and am subject to cry. Let’s think about it for a minute. Jesus, who had done nothing wrong, was betrayed, abandoned, arrested for false accusations, taken from court to court, ridiculed, beaten, bruised, whipped and bloodied, spat upon, and nailed to a cross (Mark 14:43-15:46; Luke 22:47-23:56)….all so I could be free and no longer bound to my sin. More than all of that, He, who had been with God forever, allowed Himself to be separated from God…..for me. He knew what He would endure and still, He chose to do so. Then thank the Good Lord, He got up on Resurrection Day (Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12)

I know I still mess up, but it gives me a renewed determination to do God’s will and put Him first. It makes me want to put others ahead of myself. It makes me want to please Him. I owe Him everything and He owes me nothing, but He keeps on blessing me. As we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, let’s remember His sacrifice and move closer to being the living sacrifice we are called to be (Rom 12:1). 

Are You Self-Aware?

When was the last time you sought feedback on your behaviors from those around you? When was the last time you reflected on areas in your life where you can improve? Regularly, I try to take some time for self-reflection with a focus on finding gaps and determining ways to close them. It’s really easy to just do what we’ve always done. However, we all make mistakes and don’t always realize the impact those mistakes have on others. We also don’t always realize the way our regular behavior impacts others. 

It’s easy to miss our gaps and blind spots because we don’t know what we don’t know. If we don’t surround ourselves with people who will tell us the truth (Pro 27:5-6), help us identify our blind spots, and give us some perspective about how others see us, we may miss opportunities to grow and make sure our behavior lines up with the Word of God. James tells us to be not just hearers of the Word, but doers, too (Jam 1:22). If we don’t seek feedback from others, we may think we’re aligning and find out something different. 

The Bible tells us that a tree is known by its fruit (Luke 6:43-45). We can’t always tell if we’re sweet or not. That’s why we need a community of people who love us and want what is best for us. In their desire to help us be the best we can be, they will have the hard discussions and love us anyway (Pro 17:17). Pastor Bill always says everything we need is in a relationship and he is correct. When we are in a relationship, we are less afraid to be vulnerable. If we’re worried about being judged or rejected, we will attempt to live in a space where we are fake, wanting only to see ourselves superficially……and only let others see us that way. We believe we can protect our hearts and our feelings by only letting people know us on the surface. 

Until we are courageous and willing to meet ourselves where we are, we won’t live a different life. We won’t see our level of contentment rise. We won’t be free. As long as we’re living a lie, we will be bound by it. The truth will make us free (John 8:31-32). We have a choice to know ourselves so we can deal with the things in us that are not consistent with who God says we are.  Let’s seek self-awareness so we can move the needle and be more like Jesus. 

Pain is Necessary

I know you read the title and think, “Not so.” Pain is not good. No one wants to feel pain. Pain is an unwanted part of life. I can’t say you’re completely wrong. You’re right no one wants to feel pain, but pain teaches us life lessons. We don’t want the pain, but in some cases, we need it. 

Do you remember the first time you touched a hot stove……after your mother or guardian told you not to? I do. The pain of touching that stove taught me two important lessons. It taught me, I never wanted to touch a hot stove again. It also taught me that I didn’t always make good decisions, i.e, being disobedient was not helpful. What about the first time you decided to exercise? That soreness was not fun, but you had to push through the pain to the other side to get lasting results. Or the loss of that close family member ‘before’ their time? It was painful and I was angry. I couldn’t understand why God took her so young or why she had to suffer before He did. I still don’t. 

Jesus told us in this life there was be many trials and sorrows in John 16:33. So we can expect to have some pain in this life. The real testament is what we allow God to do with our pain. Psa 147:3 tells us “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Are we seeking Him in the midst of our pain, remembering that all things work together for our good (Rom 8:28) or do we allow the pain to drive us away from God? It is only as we seek God in the midst of our pain and confusion and suffering that He will grant us peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:6-7). 

It's in the middle of the pain and suffering that we have an opportunity to give God glory for who He is, even if He doesn’t take the pain away. How powerful is that? What a testimony? According to James, our trails help to make us more mature (Jam 1:3). If we worship the Lord in the midst of whatever our circumstance, our perspective changes. We realize He doesn’t owe us anything. We realize that He is Good, no matter what comes. We realize that He is always working on our behalf, even when we can’t see it. 

None of this means we love the pain we’re in, it just means we don’t allow the pain to dictate our thoughts and actions. As we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ, we must die to self (Gal 2:20). That is painful especially when we like parts of our old life that don’t honor God. One thing I’ve learned is that God is faithful. He can take our honesty and our imperfections and still use us for His glory. He is amazing and for those of us in His family, He chose us for a purpose and plan (Jer 29:11). As He is making us into who He wants us to be, there will be pain, but we can rest assured as we are being molded and made, it is only temporary. We have the joy of our salvation and hope of our future with the Lord. Accept the pain as a part of life and press through. God will be with you through it. 

The Word of God is Truth

When we think about the Word of God, we usually think of two things. We think of Jesus, who was in the beginning with God and was God (John 1:1). We also think of the holy scriptures. According to 2 Tim 3:16-17 in The Message, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” 

Today, we’re focusing on the holy scriptures which show us the truth. As we seek truth, we seek God’s Word. It is the Truth. In God’s Word, we learn who we are as Christ followers. According to Ephesians 1, we are blessed, chosen, predestined to adoption, accepted, redeemed through His blood, forgiven of sins, and sealed with the Holy Spirit. That is the truth. Whenever we tell ourselves something different or someone calls us something different, we can stand on these declarations because this is directly from God’s Word. It doesn’t matter how we feel or if our thoughts don’t line up with the Word. The Word is true. 

This is one of the reasons it’s so important for us to know the Word of God. It is a strong weapon for us against the wiles of the devil. According to Heb 4:12, the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is through God’s Word that we distinguish between right and wrong. God’s Word does not return void (Isa 55:11). God’s Word accomplishes everything He speaks. God keeps every promise He makes even when we step out of line and make bad choices. If God speaks a thing, it happens because He said so. 

While so many today live lives according to their own truth and what they want to do, whether it helps or hinders anyone else, we can stand on The Truth. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psa 119:105). Through it, we know the Truth and the Truth will set us free (John 8:32). 

No Compromises

Recently, I was listening to one of my favorite artists and ministers, Cece Winans, and she was discussing how we as Christians are called not to compromise our faith (1 Cor 10:14-22) and our relationship with the Lord to achieve anything. Sometimes that means making hard decisions. Turning down opportunities that don’t honor God. She reminded me that the devil will open doors and provide opportunities as well. His goal is to lead us away from what God has for us and away from honoring God. 

The devil’s jealousy of us leads to hatred and any door he opens for us is intended to lead us astray, especially since He is out to steal from, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). That being said we have to remember that we are God’s children first and all the other characteristics are added on top of that. For instance, I’m God’s child who happens to be female, black and an engineer. That is something I must remember in all I do, so I don’t make compromises about who I am or lead a life where I compromise for popular opinion. 

At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is God and His will (Pro 19:21). Jesus said He was the only way to the Father (John 14:6); therefore, He is. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). When we lean on our own understanding and lean on our opinions about things, we’re not only wrong, but insulting to God (Pro 3:5-6). For us to ever thing we know the mind of God, outside the Bible, is absurd. What we know about the world and everything in it couldn’t fill God’s thimble. The Holy Spirit may reveal something to us, but if it doesn’t line up with scripture and honor God, it’s not of God. God does not contradict Himself or violate His own directives. If what we are doing in any way contradicts the Word of God or God’s will, it is not Him. 

If we truly want to serve God, we have to follow Him (Matt 16:24-26). We have to sacrifice our fleshly desires and allow God to raise us up. In remembering, this journey is not about us, we find that we are in need of God to do everything. We recognize that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). We are not our own (Gal 2:20). Our gifts will make room for us (Pro 18:16), but it’s up to us to make sure we don’t get distracted by the noise. Public praise and attention feel good to our flesh, but it will never replace the intimacy that a close relationship with our heavenly Father provides. Denying our flesh makes us stronger in the spirit (Gal 5:16). Let’s stand on the Word and not compromise our relationship with God for anything. It’s not worth it.