From the Inside Out

Capt. Richard Phillips was freed today from pirates who held him hostage on a tiny lifeboat in the Indian Ocean. After a five-day standoff between the pirates and the military, good triumphed over evil.

It seems fitting that Capt. Phillips regained his freedom on the day we celebrate Easter — the day Jesus rose again thereby freeing us from our bondages. Like Capt. Phillips, we were once held captive — unable to break free, unable to pay the ransom that would deliver us from sin and death, but God provided a way out.

In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were offered as an atonement for sin. When God accepted the sacrifice, He “passed over” the judgment of human sin for a year. Yet these sacrifices were only a temporary covering. They never paid for the sins of the people.

Sin comes at a high cost. The penalty for it is death. The only way to find true redemption is for a blameless individual — one without sin — to substitute himself as payment for these sins. So God came up with a plan. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to become this person. That’s the depth of His love for us — it’s truly amazing.

The sacrifice He made is shocking. I am deeply moved every time I ponder it. The fact that someone so great would love me enough to die in my place is almost unfathomable, but it happened. He did it — for me and for you.

That act alone warrants my undying love and gratitude, but the great thing is that the story doesn’t stop there. Jesus not only suffered and died, but He conquered the grave and rose again. His sacrificial act provided redemption from sin and also eternal life.

That’s why I praise Him, not only on Easter Sunday, but every day I live. He is worthy. He is wonderful. He is my best friend. He is my redeemer. He is my Saviour, and He is alive!

Happy Easter.

I’m happy to report that I survived my first “two-service” Sunday, and my voice is still intact.  It was tiring, though.  

Since I got in bed at 1:45 am, the alarm clock went off way too early for my liking this morning.  It was 6:40 am when I first hit the snooze button…ugh.  I finally rolled out of bed around 7 am.  I hate getting up when it’s still dark outside; it’s wrong on so many different levels.

We made it to church on time, and I was mostly awake when we practiced the songs for the morning services.  Although, I did put 8/23 as the date on the sign-in sheet so I must have been mildly disoriented when I arrived.  Haha! 

Surprisingly enough, a decent crowd showed up for the 9 am service.  Everything went well, and we ended on time, which is critically important since the 2nd service starts shortly after the first.  During the break, they had snacks for the musicians and singers, so we were able to get refreshed briefly before heading out to sing for the 2nd service.

 The 11:15 am crowd was much larger and energetic than the first — go figure.  I’m sure that group was well rested and probably had a good breakfast before venturing out to church.  It felt a little strange to do everything twice — the same songs, same jokes, same drama sketch , same sermon — but at the end of the day, I got to participate in two great services.  And, I had two opportunities to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, my Lord, my Saviour.  There’s nothing else I’d rather do.  He is amazing, and He is ALIVE.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”   ~Matthew 28:5-6~

After a long work week that started on Sunday, I was delighted to be on vacation today.  I’m happy to report that I am no longer sleep deprived or stressed.  My errands have been completed, and I even had time to do some fun shopping today.  Indeed, it was a good Friday. 

Even though I had a great day, I can’t leave it behind without reflecting on the reason for the holiday.  Good Friday is the day on which Christians commemorate the agonizing sacrifice that Jesus made for the salvation of the world.  His sacrificial death for my sins is something I never want to take lightly.  It’s astounding that anyone would care enough, be selfless enough, to pay the price for my sins, yet that’s exactly what Jesus did.  He gave everything to show His love for the world, for me, for you. 

I can’t begin to imagine the horror and pain He experienced that day.  It’s humbling.  If He never answers another prayer, if I never receive another blessing, His sacrifice is enough.  I owe Him everything; He owes me nothing.  That is why I live for Him, that’s why I love Him, and that’s why my soul will forever sing His praises.  It’s the least I can do considering all He’s done for me.

The exciting part is that the story doesn’t end on a cross.  His death was not the ending, it was simply the beginning.  Sunday is on the way…