Lighten Up! – 1 John 1:7

7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us from all sin.

– 1 John 1:7

Lighten Up!

I think we have all heard the expression that we are to be a "light" in this dark world. That we are to let our "lights" shine before men, etc., etc.  While that is so true and the world will be a better place when we all decide to "light" things up, we have to consider what "light" we are talking about.

The scripture tells us that if we walk in the light – as He is in the light . . . then all the other good stuff happens.  So what does that mean?  Well, since God IS light and the scripture tells us that He is also IN the light, then the purity of His light is, was, and always will be un-compromised.  There is no shadow. There is no darkness.  There are no hidden nooks and crannies (I'm not really sure what a "cranny" is but rest assured, God doesn't have any).  He is light within light within light. Turned inside out, He is still light – upside down, 360º, no matter what angle you choose to look, He is out there and available for ALL to see . . L-I-G-H-T.

So . . . how then, can we, with all our nooks, crannies, shadows, faults, secrets, evil and lustful desires, obsessions, anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, criticism, hatred, habits, addictions, self-loathing, and on-and-on-and-on, be light . . . in its most meager of terms?  I mean, there is now way right?  I don't know about you, but I am so unworthy to be called "light," and on my own, there is no way I can even begin to walk in it, let alone even begin to understand what it is to walk as HE (God) is!  So how then do we do it? How do we fulfill this part of scripture . . . this Promise, in our lives?

The key phrase is . . . and the Blood of Jesus!

The blood that covers us in light, allows us to walk in the light, just as He (God) is Light, is Love, is Peace, is Joy, is Hope, is Forgiveness, is Victory, is Understanding, is Purity.  When we are covered in the blood, the very life source of Jesus, poured out for each one of us, just so we could walk in His light, we begin to see others before ourselves.  We begin to really care for one another, and love one another, and the self-centered, prideful ways that once owned us is chased away like the utter darkness that it is.  When the "light" is switched on, and we walk (live our lives) like we know what that means, THEN we can have true fellowship with one another, AND that same blood of Jesus, keeps us clean from the sin that once ruled over us.

Lets recognize His light by being light today.  Smile at someone; help someone; let someone else be first; give generously to someone; let someone know they are loved today; BE light today. Show the world that the Light of God is pure - that His Love is real, that His Joy can be for them too.  Walk in the light as He is light today and see what it can do to brighten up the world around you.  No matter what it is that you have to go through today – even if the world looks dark and gloomy . . . choose to be the light.  I guarantee that not only will you make a difference,  you will notice a difference in your own life, no matter what it is you are facing.

Prayer

Father, Thank You for reminding me of the purity of Your light. Show me how to be exposed today so that others can see Your light in and through me.  Make me a beacon of Your Love, and Peace, and Joy, and Forgiveness today.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Peaches, Apples, & Grapes – Galatians 5:22-23

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23  Gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

– Galatians 5:22-23

Peaches, Apples, & Grapes

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control – I will do my best to live up to the power of this "fruit" in everything I do today and if I'm successful I will sing praises to God . . . but if I'm not, at the end of the day when I reflect on how things went today, I will still praise God and thank Him for His Grace. Then . . . I will lay my head down and be at peace.

You see the sweetness of this kind of fruit comes from the decisions and the choices that I will make throughout my day.

I choose to Love

– I will love because God is Love and I love Him - I will remind myself of that when criticism rears its ugly head.

I choose to have Joy

– I will invite God into my circumstances and I will choose to see my problems as an opportunity to show everyone how good God is.

I choose Peace

– I will forgive and I will seek forgiveness. I will not let me pride be offended by anything or anyone.

I choose to be Patient

– I will look for opportunities to be 2nd (or 3rd or 4th). I will smile when I am inconvenienced and I will thank God for the opportunity to wait.

I choose to be Kind

– I will think on how good and kind my Lord has been to me and I will do my best to pass that on to others.

I choose to be Good

– I will do the right thing and I will look for opportunities to show the love of Jesus to others.

I choose to be Faithful

– I will keep my promises and I will do my best to make sure that others can trust me - with everything I do.

I choose to be Gentle

– I will not raise my voice today  . . . except to praise my Savior.

I choose Self Control

– I will monitor myself and I will think on God and His love and Grace for me before I make any decision.

I choose to honor my Father today by doing my very best - for Him. My choices and my decisions will reflect who I am - according to His Word.  My actions will show others that I believe what my Father says about me.  And at the end of my day, I will lay me head down in Peace and I will rest in His Grace.

Prayer

Father, I give my day to you and I will make my choices according to who You say I am.  I will be fruitful to the best of my ability. And Lord, I ask for Your guiding hand to help me and to show me if my fruit begins to sour. Let my life reflect who You are so that others are drawn into Your loving arms.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

A Prayer For You All! – Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer For You All!

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

15 from whom His whole family 

      in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

16 I pray that out of His glorious riches 

      He may Strengthen you with Power 

      through His Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

      And I pray that you, 

      being rooted and established in Love, 

18 may have Power, 

      together with ALL the saints, 

      to grasp How Wide, 

      and How Long,

      and How High, 

      and How Deep, 

      IS the Love of Christ, 

19 and to know this Love 

      that surpasses ALL knowledge

      that you may be Filled 

      to the measure of ALL the Fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who IS ABLE 

      to do immeasurably More 

      than ALL we ask, 

      or imagine, 

      according to His Power 

      that is at work within us, 

21 to Him be Glory in the Church 

      and in Christ Jesus 

      throughout ALL generations, 

      FOREVER AND EVER! 

      AMEN!

 – Ephesians 3:14-21

Nothing I can add can top this one – I pray this for you ALL today!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Peace Out! – 2 Corinthians 13:11

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace;  and the God of Love and Peace will be with you.
– 2 Corinthians 13:11

Peace Out!
Rejoice!
Restore your relationships!
Comfort one another!
Agree with one another!
Live in Peace!
     THEN...God, who IS Love and Peace, will be with you.

Pretty heady stuff eh?  Can you wrap your mind around this one?  The ball is in your court – whatcha gonna do with it?  You gonna run with it or are you gonna sit around waiting for God to make you feel like being a lovable and peaceful Christian?   If that's the case I hope you have a good set of lungs because you're gonna be holding your breath for-a-long-time!  

God wants us to take the initiative and show the world that we are different – that we talk differently, we drive differently, we live differently, and we react differently – not because we are being made to, but because we choose to.  We have to make a conscious effort to rejoice in the face of tough situations like when we receive a bad Dr's report, or a job loss, or to show love and compassion to those who oppose us.  We must choose to speak life into situations that by all outward appearances seem to be hopeless, and we must live peaceably and be examples of calm in the midst of our trials so that our neighbors and coworkers, and anyone else observing us will be drawn to the light of Christ that dwells within us.

As we do this . . . as we make the choice to rejoice in the life that we have, and as we demonstrate peace, and love, and kindness, and we learn to live full and contented lives (despite our circumstances), we will experience God's love and peace which will enable us to go even deeper in our relationship with Him.  In turn, this will allow us to be even more effective in bringing peace and love and joy to those who don't know Christ.  It is a continuous cycle that as Christians, we should be constantly working in and towards.  

I have been trying to apply this in my own life and I can tell you that I have never felt more at peace with who I am and my walk in Christ.  I am, on a daily basis, getting a better understanding of the depth of God's love and the sweet taste and aroma of His peace in my life, and I actually feel physically better because of it.  Oh, I still have arthritis, and I still have all the aches and pains that go with that, but the stress just isn't there as much.  I wish I could say it isn't there at all, but I am still learning how to make the right choices in celebrating my life as Christ intended, and I know that everyday, I will get a little bit better at living in peace.

Won't you join me in making a lifestyle change?  Make the choice to be a peacemaker and watch your life change for the better.  I challenge you to give up something that you feel is rightfully and justifiably yours in order to bring peace to the situation.  For example, have you been at odds with someone over a debt that is owed?  Forgive the debt and then apologize for any ill-feelings that may have come about because of the debt.  Are you angry with someone for hurting your feelings?  Go to them and apologize for being angry at them (chances are they aren't even aware you've been angry).  Do you have a family member that you haven't talked to in a long time because of something that happened years ago?  Call them today and tell them you love them.  Then watch as God moves in your life – and theirs.  Send me a note with your story . . . I'd love to hear how God has restored your relationships because you made the choice to be a peacemaker!

Prayer
Father I thank You for the revelation of my role in living in peace and rejoicing in my life.  For too long I was expecting You to bring peace in my life but I wasn't willing to do my part.  I see now that I must make the choice to live as a peacemaker in order for Your grace and peace to be active in my life.  I pray that as I continue living my life according to Your Word, others will be drawn to Your peace, which surpasses all earthly understanding.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

When Your World Goes BOOM! – Luke 24:17-21

17  He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 

18  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 

19  "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 

20  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 

21  but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place."
– Luke 24:17-21

When Your World Goes BOOM!

Have you ever had your "world" pulled out from under you?  Everything is going great, things are looking up, the future looks bright and everything you are doing seems to be right in line with what you believe God wants for you and then Wham!  Like a bolt of lightning striking way too close, your "world" explodes around you and everything you thought you knew has been turned to dust.  And worst of all, God doesn't seem to be answering your questions why.

It could be any number of things. The loss of a loved one; the loss of a job; the infidelity of a spouse; the bad doctor's report; the natural disaster that took all of your possessions; the old habit or addiction that has retaken your sanity.  It could be any number of things that while we are in the midst of it all, seem to be the end of the "world."  I think it is safe to say that we have all experienced this a time or two in our lives.  And every time, it is a brand new level of anguish and despair.  Where is God? Why did He allow this to happen? Can't He see what it's doing to me? 

When my first wife left me I was lost.  I didn't even know how to breath.  All of the good intentions and advice from friends and family offered me no comfort.  All I know was that I was serving God faithfully and I didn't understand how my life could be destroyed and the world as I knew it, no longer existed.  I was a total mess for several years.

I couldn't see it at the time but God was right there with me.  Jesus was praying for me and all of the angels in heaven were fighting for me.  I had to learn some lessons and I had to go through those dark times in order to appreciate the blessings that were going to come my way.  I had to shed all those tears and experience the pain of rejection and fear and loneliness and betrayal.  And worst of all, I had to endure for way longer than I thought was necessary and I thought I would never make it.

It was only when I turned it all over to God that I started to see breakthrough.  I started forgiving and praying for other people and asking God to bless them.  I took my eyes off of me and my problems and asked God to have His way in my life, and I thanked Him for the love He showed me while I was hurting.  It was then that I started to live again.  God gave me a new "world" and I could see things in a new light as He healed my wounded heart and gave me a renewed love and a passion for Him.  He also brought me a beautiful and loving wife who fits me perfectly and makes me a better man.  Everything that was taken from me was restored in ways I could never have imagined.  I am who I am today because of the lessons learned from that trial, and I am able to thank God for His wisdom in allowing me to grow through that experience.

That's not to say that I won't be devastated when my current world implodes and is pulled out from under me . . . and I know that it will happen one day.  After all, we all live this crazy thing called life, but I have learned that God has my back – and Jesus is praying – and the angels in heaven are fighting, and even though I know I will surely have a huge pity party when the time comes, I have experienced His grace and goodness and most importantly His perfect timing, so I hope that when the time comes, I can lift my eyes towards heaven early on in the trial, and proclaim victory over whatever the enemy throws my way . . . and my faith will be strengthened (again), and my Hope, will once again be restored!

Prayer

Father, help me to trust in You when my "world" is torn apart.  Thank You for bringing me through those times in my life when I felt that all was lost.  Help me to stand firm in the hope that You can bring good - both now and eternally - out of even my most painful experiences.  I pray for the safety and continued blessings for all my friends and my family Lord . . . and I ask that Your guiding hand be on them today as they face this world head-on.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

What is Your Reason? – 2 Samuel 7: 22

22 "For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 
– 2 Samuel 7: 22

What is Your Reason?
From where I started to where I am today is miles and miles apart.  I have the saving grace of Jesus to thank for that, and yet I know that sometimes I don't show Him enough gratitude for delivering me from my old life – with all the rusty chains that held me down, and the one-way ticket to hell.  I was a mess, and I know that a lot of you have the same kind of story.  Kind of a "rags to riches" tale that speaks of God's Grace and unending Forgiveness.

After I was saved, I used to envy those people who grew up in Christian homes, and I would wish that I could go back and live my tumultuous childhood all over again, but this time with a "Godly" family.  I thought it would have been an easier life.  But as I grew in the knowledge of God's Grace, I soon realized that all of that baggage; all of the hurt; the innocence that was taken from me, and all of the years that were lost due to drugs and partying, only proved the greatness of His Love for me.  He, in all of His glory and wisdom, spoke my name one day, and I found myself giving my life to Him – the greatest day of my life.

I still think it is a very special thing to be able to grow up in a good Christian home, and I'm glad for my son that I was able to offer that to him, but I no longer wish I had grown up differently.  I am who I am because of what I was when He reached down and saved me – and for that, I am eternally grateful!

What is your reason for proclaiming God's greatness?  Has it been a while since you told Him how much you appreciate all He's done for you?  Take some extra time today to reflect on the grace He's shown you, and proclaim Him and His awesome plan for your life.  Really talk to our Lord, and share from your heart how much you appreciate ALL that He has given you through your salvation.

Prayer
Lord, You are a mighty and a great God.  I have seen Your power and I have felt Your compassion as I have grown up in You these past 20 years.  I want to thank You for protecting me as I was growing up.  You held my hand and even carried me through all of the evil that the enemy tried to destroy me with.  You restored me and You have given me gifts beyond what I could even ask or think.  You are MY God and I will love You with my whole heart – all the days of my life!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

He Nailed It! – Colossians 2:13-14

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 

14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
– Colossians 2:13-14

He Nailed It!
I don't know about you but I was as dead as dead can be . . . and I was proud of it.  I was so wretched, and my sin was so repulsive, and disgusting and I was so blind, that I even welcomed the thought of going to hell!  I was THAT lost!  But God had other plans for me, and like the scripture says, He made me alive with Christ – Halleluiah!

I can really appreciate the concept of Christ nailing my sins (and those of everyone else) to the cross and the significance of His sacrifice for us.  What I have always had trouble wrapping my head around, is just how difficult it must have been for Him to become my sin.  That must have been more painful and revolting than any of the beatings He took, or even the crucifixion itself.  Have you ever tried to put on clothing that was soaking wet and muddy?  Not only would it be very difficult, but every inch of exposed skin would be able to feel the disgusting "ickiness" of the heavy material as it passes over.  Christ must have felt each sin of every person that ever existed as He transformed Himself into the very sin that He was about to destroy.  The weight of the cross must have been nothing compared to the weight of the sins of the entire world bearing down on Him.  I don't know that I will ever fully understand what He must have gone through, and it saddens me just to think about it.

What a joy however, to know that because of His sacrifice, I am alive, and ALL my sins have been forgiven!  Now here's the best part.  I get to put on Christ! Every day!  Think about the most favorite piece of clothing you have ever owned and how good it felt as you put it on for the very first time . . . that was like putting on rags compared to putting on Christ.  He fits in ALL the right places.  He accentuates who you are and He makes you look so very good.  He covers up all the flaws and He fits so well that wearing Him even puts a pep in your step so that you can breeze through your day!

Try putting on Christ today.  Try to imagine His brilliant and marvelous light covering you as you fasten each button of His Righteousness.  Visualize lacing His Peace to your feet . . . go ahead – wiggle your toes!  Run your finger across the brim of His awesome Salvation . . . feel how it fits your head just right!  Fasten His belt of Truth around your waist, and experience how He helps everything else stay perfectly in place . . . there's nothing like it.  How does He feel? Pretty awesome huh?  Now you are ready to face the world!  Now you can show everyone what a Christian should look like.  Now you can have victory – every – single – day!

Prayer
Father, I am so humbled knowing all that Christ had to do to save us from ourselves.  I am thankful however, that He did . . . and also for Your Love, and the wisdom of Your plan for bringing us all home.  I pray that as I put on Christ each day, I will be ever mindful that I am Your representative here on earth so that I never cause anyone to turn away from You because of my actions.  I want to draw others to You Lord and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will now be able to do so because You saved me from my sin and from certain death.  I love You!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

It's Already Yours – Ephesians 1:3

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
– Ephesians 1:3

It's Already Yours!
In the movie Trading Places, Eddy Murphy plays a down-and-out street hustler who because of a bet between two wealthy businessmen, is taken from the streets and thrust into the lap of luxury.  He is given a new, fully-furnished luxury town home (complete with butler, limousine,  and chauffer), a new job with a Wall Street investment firm, and enough wealth to sustain him for the rest of his life.  In the scene where he is taken to his new town home for the first time, "Valentine" (Eddie Murphy's character), starts taking the nick-knacks and valuable antiques from around the living room and hiding them in his overcoat – his face is all lit up like he just hit the jackpot or won the lottery.  The two businessmen just look on and chuckle in amusement, and they try to explain that he doesn't need to "steal" the valuables because they are all his to do with as he pleases.  In a classic comedic move, Valentine looks directly into the camera with a huge grin and a "Can you believe this?" look on his face.  It isn't long before we see Valentine fully integrated into his new life and living as a successful Wall Street executive.  He is even giving investment advice to seasoned stock brokers and market analysts.  He is no longer the down-and-out street hustler – he has become a new man – a new creation if you will.

I can picture God standing by with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, chuckling in amusement as we discover the blessings that have always been available to us, and are ours for the taking.  I think that too often we timidly approach God, and with feeble prayers, we ask for a small blessing when all the time there is a huge blessing in the waiting.  God is just waiting for us to get to a point in our lives when we have the faith to take it, and to be ready to handle the responsibility of receiving it.  Like a parent eagerly waiting for a child to open a marvelous gift, He delights when we discover the blessings He has already designed for us.

Scripture tells us that God has already blessed us in the heavenly realms with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ.  It doesn't say that He WILL bless us – it says that we are ALREADY blessed.  We just have to have the faith to take and accept what is already ours.  And once taken, we have to be mature enough to live the blessing and take on the new life in that blessing.

Example?  You ask for and believe/have faith, that God will bless you with a boldness to preach the Gospel.  God sees that you are spiritually ready, high-fives Jesus, and sends the Holy Spirit to the "Heavenly Storehouse" with instructions to deliver your blessing.  Next thing you know, you receive an invitation to give your testimony in front of the congregation at church.  Afterward, someone who just happened to be visiting your church, comes up to you and says, "You know,  I am headed to India for a missions conference, and I want to pay your way to go with us and tell your story on the opening night of our conference – there will be thousands in attendance!"  You had a small street ministry in mind, but God already had a global outreach blessing ready for you . . before you were even born!

I know not everyone is called to be a speaker or a preacher, but I think you get the idea.  So how do I tap into these blessings that already mine you ask?  It's simple really – you ready for it?  Here it is:

Love the Lord with ALL your heart.
Love the Lord with ALL your soul.
Love the Lord with ALL your mind.
Love the Lord with ALL your strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

The key is love – the love OF Christ and the love we find IN Christ.  If we can just figure out how to stop loving ourselves so much, and stop focusing on what it is that WE want, and how WE want our lives to unfold, then we can put our focus where it belongs.  The blessings which are already ours and have always been waiting for us, will be at our disposal and we can realize the abundance of life that God has designed for each one of us.

Prayer
Father, I thank You for the blessings that You have waiting for me.  I pray that I can take hold of the faith to handle the awesome magnitude of Your vision for my life.  Teach me to love with all that I am so that I can claim the  spiritual blessings in Christ that Your Word promises.  Grow me Lord, so that I can handle the blessings once I receive them.  I look forward to seeing the direction my life will take because of Your great love for me.  Help us all Lord, to catch Your vision for our lives and to have the faith to believe in them . . . like You believe in us.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

What Are You . . . Anyway?

1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

2  If I have the gift ofprophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge ; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 

3  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
– 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

What Are You . . . Anyway?

Are you a lover? Or a "clanger?"  Are you something?  Or are you nothing?  I must admit that I am still a bit "clangy," and the Bible says that makes me "nothing" and that the work that I do, even though through my obedience God can do miracles so that others may benefit from it . . . I don't benefit at all.  Pretty harsh you say?  I don't think so.

Before I became a Christian I was not a nice person at all.  In fact, I pretty much hated everybody.  The events of my childhood and the consequences of my behavior as a youth, and on through my early 30's, left me with a warped view of the world, and an especially twisted opinion about God.  Basically I was full of hate, especially for myself, and I was headed down a steep path of destruction.

When God decided it was time, and He called me out of the "cozy" little hate-filled life that I had made for myself, He healed me of many things, and He delivered me of my 15-year drug addiction.  He left many things for me to work on though, and one of those was learning how to love . . . but first I had to learn how to forgive.  Forgive the priest for molesting me when I was 8; forgive those charged with protecting me and nurturing me in my childhood, but instead ended up hurting and scarring me both physically and emotionally; forgive my "friends" for all the things they convinced me to do that caused me to make bad decisions (hey, I had to blame somebody right?); but mostly I had to forgive myself.  I had a lot of self-hatred to deal with.  It has been a process, but now, with forgiveness from my past taken care of, He is continually working with me on learning how to love . . . everyone.

Everyone?  Are you kidding?  How can you possibly love everyone?  To tell you the truth, I don't have the answer to that one, but the Bible tells us that we are to love as Christ Loves us – and that means everyone.  In my own capacity it is impossible.  In my own limited understanding of "humanity" and what makes us tick, it cannot be done.  But God!  God can show us how, if we let Him.  He can bring us to a point of seeing beyond the obvious; seeing past the exterior; seeing His children (everyone), as equal to ourselves and equal in His eye.  He can show us how to love because He IS love.

So how about it?  Is there someone out there who just rubs you the wrong way?  Do you start to get angry at the mere mention of their name?  Clang! Clang! Clang!  Every time you call on God, He has to listen past all the clanging to hear what you are trying to say to Him.  I struggle with this Clang-itis every day, and I'll bet that most of you do too.  It's just our humanity, and our sinful, and selfish nature that we need to learn how to control.  We need to learn how to let God turn even the slightest bit of dislike into a pure and holy love – for everyone – even those who in our eyes, don't deserve it.  They are the ones who need to experience God's love the most . . . through you and through me.  Then, we will be Clang-Free, and that, will truly be something.

Prayer
Father forgive my prideful and selfish ways.  Forgive me for the times when I see Your children as enemies, and for thinking evil thoughts about them.  I need You to help me see them as You do.  I need You to show me how to love because I must admit that I am having a difficult time trying to do it on my own. I don't want to keep hurting You and sinning against You Lord, and I pray that I can start showing Your love to everyone, and that by doing so, it might just turn them towards You.  Thank You Lord, for loving me despite my clangy nature.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

The Cross Roads – Luke 23: 26-27 / 32-33

26 As they led Jesus away, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country just then, was forced to follow Jesus and carry his cross. 
27 Great crowds trailed along behind, including many grief-stricken women. 
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 
33 Finally, they came to a place called The Skull.  All three were crucified there – Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side. 
– Luke 23: 26-27 / 32-33

The Cross Roads
Do you remember the road that led you to the Cross?  Perhaps you skipped down the road as a child and have spent the majority of your life celebrating the Love and Grace of our Savior;  maybe you crawled down it after leaving a bar  or a night of partying;  maybe you traveled down the road for 40 or 50 years and after a life of searching, finally reaching the Cross.  Or maybe, like me, you were drawn to the Cross after a life of defeat, and despair, and perverted living – the Lord reaching down from heaven, rescuing you and walking hand-in-hand all the way to the Cross.  Regardless of how you got there, the point is that you got there, and once there, our Lord Jesus changed your life forever.


Jesus took a very different road.  The road He took was filled with betrayal, and hate, and chaos, and confusion.  It was lined with jeering crowds, weeping women, and Roman soldiers.  It was paved with the blood and sweat of criminals past who were led to their deaths in the same way He was being led . . . or was it?


As I was reflecting on the events of Good Friday, I began to look at it from a different perspective; I began to imagine seeing everything from heaven's perspective.  Looking down at the events of that day,  I began to see a road filled with joy and celebration. A road lined with choirs of angels singing the praises of our King – "Glory, Glory, Glory to the Lamb – He is the Righteous King who takes away the sins of the world!"  I began to see a road paved with gold and pearls and diamonds, shining brightly in the sun as Jesus, dressed in brilliant robes of white and purple, and crowned with brilliant light marching purposefully and gracefully into victory over sin and death!


This was The Plan after-all; the saving Grace of our Father setting His seal upon His people – giving us the keys to the kingdom so that we could face Him through the unblemished blood of His perfect Son.  This was His way of saying, "You are my beloved children and I will walk with you in the cool of the morning, and we will fellowship in the mansions of heaven - forever!"  What an awesome and  wonderful Father we have!


Yes, this was a horrible day as humanity reared its ugliest head and showed how truly evil we can be – but it was a Glorious day that was carefully planned, and perfectly executed, and triumphantly realized . . . just for us . . . just for you . . . and just for me!  Thank You Jesus!


Take some time today to reflect on the road that got you to the Cross.  Thank the Father and our Lord Jesus for guiding you there. Thank the Holy Spirit for giving you the power to live this Victorious Life.  Live this day – for Him, and reflect His Love, and His Grace, and His Compassion to those you meet today.  Celebrate the day as I believe it was celebrated in heaven – with singing and rejoicing, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty!  He saw me and He saved me!  He rescued me from uncertainty and I will dwell in the house of the Lord - forever!"


Prayer
Lord You are a mighty and an awesome God.  Your plan to redeem mankind was perfect and I thank You for remembering me and for leading me to the cross.  My life is so different than it was and I am so grateful.  You reached down to me and You lifted me out of my sin and You held me to Your chest – what a glorious day that was!  I will celebrate this day and I will let Your light shine through me as I go through my routine so that others might be drawn down the road to the cross.  I love You my Lord!


Have a blessed day everyone!


– Richard