You Love Me Anyway

I was driving home from work and listening to the radio. I listened to a few songs then changed the channel. A song came on the radio that I've heard many times before, but as I listened closely to the words it brought tears to my eyes. Good tears.

"But, You love me anyway."

Isn't that what we all want? We just want to be loved for ourselves, in spite of our faults, our imperfections, our poor choices, our dumb quirks, our lies, our jealousy, our pride, and so on.

There is only One who can love me that perfectly. Only Jesus can love me when I keep making the same mistakes over and over, when I keep doubting Him, when I ignore Him and put other things ahead of Him.

"It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known."

Yes, Jesus does love me anyway. Just let that thought soak in to your soul.

I was reminded of the Apostle Peter. He loved Jesus with all his heart. Yet, when it came right down to choosing between  his own life and Jesus, Peter chose to save himself. Not once, but three times. Peter...well, I can't even imagine how he felt after that. I can only fathom the depths of despair running through his heart. Peter must have felt lower than low. How could you truly love someone and then--to use current vernacular--throw them under the bus when their life depended on it?

The best part of the story is that Jesus loved Peter anyway. Then He gave Peter an opportunity to openly profess his love for Jesus publicly. At the Sea of Galilee Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were fishing (John 21). After Jesus cooked breakfast for the guys, he asked Peter three times, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Did you notice Jesus used Peter's former name when He asked this question? (Interesting.)

Jesus loved Peter anyway and Peter went on to do great things in Jesus' name. Jesus also loves me and you anyway--no matter what we've done.

Watch the official video of "You Love Me Anyway" by the Sidewalk Prophets

Resurrection Sunday

He Is Risen!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! 
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! 
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! 
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! 

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia! 
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! 
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! 
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

 Text by Charles Wesley

The Resurrection

Mark 16:1-7


Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
 
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

Easter: A Love Story (God's Valentine)

Narrated by Anne Graham Lotz

Good Friday

<sup>Why is it called Good Friday? Jesus was betrayed by someone he loved, beaten, and then hung to die... it doesn't sound so good. Jesus came to this earth on a special mission, sent by God. What was that mission? To take the sin of the world (that's you and me) through death, burial, and finally resurrection. As followers of Jesus, we know the story doesn't end on the cross and that's what makes it good. The wrath of God was satisfied on the cross and we can now live at peace with God if we believe in Him. 

That's an over-simplified version of the story. I encourage you to read it for yourself. I've included some scripture below and links to the Biblegateway.com website so you may study further. The passage from Isaiah gives the Old Testament Prophecy about Jesus and the selection following that tells of John's account of Jesus' death.  

Isaiah 53

3</sup> He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
    it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
    a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.
⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
    the sins of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly,
    yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
    And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
    he did not open his mouth.
⁸ Unjustly condemned,
    he was led away.

Selections from John 19

So they took Jesus away. ¹⁷ Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”²⁹ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

³¹ It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. ³³ But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. ³⁴ One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. ³⁵ (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.) ³⁶ These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and “They will look on the one they pierced.”

Blessed Assurance

Listen to the song

This song was on my mind this morning. I grew up hearing it regularly in church. There's just something comforting and familiar about the song. It's a reminder of my rich heritage of believing family members. It's also a fond reminder of all the years sitting on a pew and hearing these great hymns of faith being sung by people I have called my church family. I know my parents thought I wasn't listening half the time, but I was. Kids hear more than adults think they hear.

Besides all of those memories, the words to this song are just so rich in meaning. In this world I have so very little assurance of anything or anyone. Nothing lasts. It's not easy to count on anyone or anything. But I do have a blessed assurance in Jesus Christ is as my Savior. I can praise Him even when things are not going quite right. I can be at rest in the midst of unrest. And one day I will see these wonderful visions of rapture unfolding before my eyes and angels descending from above. One day I will stand before my Savior and hope to hear, "Well done my faithful servant."

For now, I am watching and waiting, looking above. I am filled with His goodness and lost in His love. Yes, this is my story, this is my song!   

The Light of the World

Son of God love's pure light.

I was reflecting on the lyrics to Silent Night today as I heard an instrumental version being played. This particular line from the third verse of the song may not be as well known as the first verse, but it's packed full of hope and love.

Son of God
God came to earth in the fom of a baby, born in a humble location. 

Love
God came to earth all because of love.

Pure
Free from blemish, different than anything or anyone the world has ever known.

Light
Illumination for a dark world.

Jesus is Love's Pure Light

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; 

he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, 

but will have the Light of life.” - John 8:12

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, 

that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. - 1 John 1:5

And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light 

 of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; 

and they will reign forever and ever. - Revelation 22:5

As we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, take some time to reflect on more than just a baby in a manger. The Light of the World was born in a humble stable and eventually sacrificed his life on a cross to take on the sins of a dark world. Let's personalize it: He took on my sins and your sins. That IS real LOVE. That is what Christmas is all about.

Blessings to you.