As I opened up my blog to sit down and write, I noticed that it has been almost six months since the last time I was able to blog. Geez. I am in no way a writer, and I barely think anything I have to say is "blog worthy" but, I try to do an occasional sit down whenever I want to remember something significant. This just happens to be one of those times. Today is Good Friday, and I always seem to reflect upon my walk with Jesus on this day. You see, without this weekend, my faith in Christ means absolutely nothing. The Apostle Paul said it the most profoundly in my opinion.
"And if Christ has not been raised, then ALL our preaching is useless, and your FAITH is useless. And we apostles would ALL be lying about God-for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, then your FAITH is useless and you are STILL guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are LOST! And if our HOPE IN CHRIST is ONLY for THIS LIFE, WE ARE TO BE MORE PITIED THAN ANYONE IN THE WORLD." 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 {NLT}
Paul is telling the Church at Corinth that we are to be the most pitied people on the planet if Christ did not raise from the dead. And that just blows my mind, that a statement like that is in the Bible. Because it is so true. Our Christian Faith is solely based on one single event in history. Jesus not being in that tomb Sunday morning. An event in time that at one time I mocked openly. You see, 7 years ago on Easter Sunday, Jesus called me by name, and pulled me out of the muck and the mire, and set my feet on His path. And 7 years later, it is still the most important relationship in my life. 7 years of walking hand in hand with The Creator of the Universe. The Alpha & The Omega. Who did not woo me to Himself when I had it all together. No. He plucked me out when I was a murderer, an adulterer, a liar, a thief, jealous, broken, and had a dark, cynical, prideful, arrogant, heart. That was ALL me. All of those things, and to top it off, I openly mocked His name. I mocked those who called His name precious. You could not possibly get me to set foot inside of a Church. No way, no how. But, He knew how to get me there, and He knew I needed to hear the Truth. I heard the Gospel that day. And, when I say I heard it, I HEARD IT. It was all of a sudden heard with ears that knew without a shadow of a doubt that what Pastor Rick Barnett was reading Easter Sunday 2008, was true. I don't know why, but I knew that my sin was sin He died bearing for me, so that I might KNOW Him. I have never been the same since. On April 6th 2008, I was baptized in the East China Sea, and when I came up from that water, I. WAS.FREE. Do you hear me? I was free. I can't explain it in any better language than that, and I have sought to know who He is, and what His Word says, ever since. Each time I look back to that day, it humbles me in a way that I can't convey without tears. To know how dirty, and wretched, how broken, I was until He swooped down and rescued me? It's a gratefulness that I can only give back to Him by making MUCH of HIS NAME. It sometimes feels as if it will overflow from my body and spill onto the floor. When I hear His name spoken in reverence, I feel as if I have to bow my head, or bend my knees. SO, you out there who don't know Him. WHAT would cause me to have this significant of a life change, if it WAS NOT for an empty tomb? There is no other answer, other than Jesus Christ. As each year passes, I am blown away by how much less this world means to me. How much less afraid of what people say, do, and have done to me. The one thing that remains focal is Him and Him alone.
As Easter Sunday rolls around, it seems as if every Church has some sort of "Special Event" planned for their Church, in an attempt to draw a crowd. This saddens me so much. Because, Easter usually is one day when people feel they "HAVE" to attend church. The one thing Jesus has always been really, really good at, is drawing a crowd. By all means, invite your loved ones, friends, coworkers, whoever, to Church on Easter. But, let them know this is the day we celebrate the Gospel! That God made a way for us. Then on that day, TELL them how "He is not here, HE IS RISEN!" The Gospel, and the Gospel alone saves, and if your church has 7 people there on Easter Sunday, then you tell those 7 people about God's great love for them. He knows who needs to hear. WE need to let God be God, and God saves through Faith alone, by Grace alone.
I pray that someone invites you, or you go to find out what I am saying has any weight, or that you have been feeling the gentle tug upon your heart to surrender your life completely to Him. 7 years. He has given me 7 life breathing years knowing Him. I get excited to know that He isn't done with me yet. I blow it all the time, but He always encourages me right back to His side. My prayer is that by next year's blog I can know more of you as my brother and sisters, than just my friends.
"The Angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, He has risen, just as He said. Come see the place where He was lying."
