Remedy

The world is a hot mess. The USA is a hot mess. Let’s see, just when I thought there was a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, it’s on a rampant surge in India. There’s finally some justice for George Floyd, but at least 6 more Black people have been killed by police. What is the remedy??

The world needs a GIANT intervention. I find myself crying out to the Lord with ever increasing frequency, how long? How long will we go on destroying each other? How long until this virus slithers back into the pit of hell?

The remedy? Jesus come back! In the meantime, we are the body of Christ, we are the Kingdom citizens on earth as in heaven. We know what God loves. He loves justice, mercy, humility. Let’s do these with passion. Let’s fight for the poor, the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, people of EVERY tribe, tongue, nation. If we don’t do it, who will?

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

Matthew 25:35-36

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Permission

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”‬‬

Ephesians 4:2

The hard season of injustice seems like it may never end, doesn’t it? I’m giving myself permission to talk about it because I care about black people. I care about all people. And since Jesus cared about us enough to come down here and take the penalty We deserved so We could be free, And since I believe he did that for every single living human being, and since I believe the Word of God is absolutely true, I would be remiss to not speak.

Can we the church agree to give all people of all colors and beliefs permission to be the image bearers that God created them to be without making them justify who they are to us? Can we stop being like Job’s “friends” and stop telling others how they should feel and how if they were just better people bad things wouldn’t happen to them? Can we stand with our black and brown Jesus loving, Jesus following brothers and sisters and let them know we are with them? Can we be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in the world who haven’t met him yet?

I really hope we can change. I certainly know that Jesus would want us to change.

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Gentle

What’s so good about Good Friday? I’m currently doing a one year chronological Bible reading plan. With the Lord timing is everything. I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in the sovereignty of God. So today, on this Good Friday, I’m in Exodus (because I began this plan on March 1) and I just read how the firstborn of Egypt have died. I am a firstborn. I have a firstborn. I know a lot of firstborns. Wow!

Jesus Christ, is the Lamb of God, the Passover lamb. Jesus Christ is also a firstborn!

You guys! Jesus was not the One anyone expected. We’re so bound and determined to fight our way to the top, to destroy anyone who gets in our way, to prove we’re right. He came into our world and we didn’t even see him because he wasn’t the hero we were expecting.

But oh! He is definitely the Hero we’ve been waiting for!

See the man there, healing the sick, holding the children, teaching the people, feeding the multitude. He is strongly gentle. He is compassionate. He is kind. He loves all of us. He loves us so much, he weeps when we die. He loves us so much, he dies as we mock him.

All. So. We. Might. Live.

This isn’t just Good Friday, it’s the best Friday.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

— ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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