Let me be honest. I have to be… I only completed one of the Easter challenges, which I myself created. I bet you can guess which one it was. Yep, that’s right, I read the Easter story. I had wonderful plans to complete the other two, but opportunities passed, people traipsed by & I left the blessed words unsaid. I failed & felt the pain of the thing I’d done – or not done. My sinful imperfection made me question who I was in Christ… made me feel like a bitter disappointment to my Lord. Certainly I fall short & sin daily, but I had purposefully put these challenges out there for not only myself, but for all of you…& then, I, the creator of the very scheme failed. I could have been instrumental in bringing someone to hear the message of Christ this Easter, which in turn could have changed an eternity, & dominoed from there.
Listen to some of the words of the song my heavenly Daddy placed on my car radio after the fact – when my failure was fresh & stinging…
“I wasted a rescue Abandoned the mission I've failed by my own hand And watched it all go wrong You said You could save me That I couldn't save myself You said that You loved me No matter what I've done
When the light is gone And life is just a dare we take Still the fight goes on To give my heart away
And it's out of my hands It was from the start In light of what You've done for me…
We're bent by our own plans To keep us in the dark And I act like an orphan Forget that You found me But You came like a whisper And saved me with a spark…
And it's out of my hands It was from the start In light of what You've done for me” -Out of My Hands by Jars of Clay
It’s funny, since the New Year I’ve been on a Bible reading plan, & on Easter Sunday evening, I sat, Bible on lap - feeling low I turned to the section for that day. It was Romans chapters 7 & 8, & when I started reading I didn’t know what I was getting into. It turns out it was the perfect place for a sinner like me to go. Here’s some of what I found:
You know when you feel like you should do something, but you let the opportunity pass - & then you turn around & do the things you don’t won’t to do that make you feel like a big let down mess? You’re not alone… Paul speaking: “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.” –Romans 7:19 NIV
Doing the things we hate & not the good things that we want, make us feel like horrible ugly flops, but Christ died to make us 'horrible ugly flops' clean & beautiful from all of these things. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” –Romans 7:24-25
You know that feeling of failure & soul angst? It’s not to remain. We who are in the Savior are not 'orphans'… “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1 NIV
I know I won't be finished with this challenge called 'life' until He calls me home. It will be a challenge, but Christ Jesus has won the final victory. Let’s begin again, knowing that we will fail at times, but seeking & striving beyond our frail humanity, because of the power of Christ in us & how He makes us brand new.
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6 NASB
This Easter Sunday, there’ll likely be several new faces {perhaps the one you invited =)} milling uncertainly about your sanctuary. Let someone new know that you’re glad she/he’s there! Whether they’re a visitor or someone you just usually don’t seek out, find someone new to greet with love. That person is someone for whom God sent His only Son to die – they’re special – just like you. Let them know it. That’s one of the messages of the cross…that we’re treasured by the One who made us. Perhaps, you could invite the newbie to a Sunday School class or other church event. Ask questions about where they live, work, go to school, etc. – people generally love to answer. Compliment an older lady’s attire or shake an elderly man’s hand warmly & introduce yourself. Hand them a bulletin & let them know about your church, preacher, & congregation. Introduce them to others. We’re called to love like Jesus loves. That’s a big order, cause He loved us with His whole life, & in the end He loved us more than life. Let’s start going out of our way to show this love. Remember how Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20)? The King of Kings took on the position of a humble, lowly servant to show His love! After doing this He says, “I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done for you.” –John 13:15, NCV. A few verses later, Christ issues this – not a suggestion, plea, or idea – but a "command", “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” –John 13:34-35, NCV. Even today, our love shows the world that we belong to Christ Jesus. Love is a command.
Sure, you’ve probably heard/read the story all your life, but why not take time out this Easter to read it again…privately to yourself – don’t rush through it, but seek to soak up each verse & its meaning for not only the entire vastness of humanity, but to little ole’ you. You know, ‘you’ doesn’t seem that little after you read what the Creator of the universe did to see that you had a way to be with Him forever – if you’d just take it.
These words are some of the most powerful to me… “But He {Jesus} was wounded for the wrong we did; He was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment which made us well, was given Him, & we are healedbecause of His wounds.” Isaiah 53:5 NCV (emphasis mine)
Where to find the Easter story…
NOTE: You may want to read a few chapters before &/or after, depending on how much of the details (such as the triumphal entry into Jerusalem; cleansing of the temple) surrounding the crucifixion & resurrection you want to read.
An account is found in each one of the gospels. Here’s where to find them all…
This event wasn’t really planned. It sort of just happened, but sometimes that makes for the best recipe - & allows our Lord to do His stuff, when we listen to His nudging & follow. I’ve found myself lately falling into the trappings of apathy – you know, going through the motions of this life & lacking a passion, in this case, for Christ - mixed with a real want to live my life for Jesus, but feeling like a failure at my aim. You see, it’s not just my aim to point to my Savior in all that I do, it’s my very purpose for existence. If I fail in this, but gain in other areas, I’ve still failed. But, the one thing I know, is that if you seek to do God’s will with all your heart, He will help you to live it out. So, I don’t want another moment to go by – let alone another Easter, when I don’t strive to serve my blessed, risen Savior who gave up everything for me. It’s time to live for Jesus, because he died for you. Let’s start this adventure together & see what our heavenly Father has in store!
Love, -Bess-
There’s perhaps no time like Easter to invite someone to church (except maybe Christmas). It’s true {& sad} that many people only go to church twice a year. It’s also sad {& true} that many of us who follow Christ don’t invite these “two-timers,” “one-timers,” or “no-timers” to church. I recently heard on the radio that when a major Christian survey group polled believers with a question something like ‘Do you share your faith with others?’ a large number responded positively. However, when the question was later reworded to something like ‘Are you evangelistic with your faith?’ the numbers dropped dramatically. You see, after some investigation, many were backing up their answers with these faulty thoughts: ‘people know I go to church;’ ‘people know I’m a Christian.’ When the words were changed to mean ‘Do you tell others about Jesus?’ the truth seemed to float to the surface.
You know, it’s not always the easiest thing to share the gospel, but it’s what God has called us to do. I’m sure it wasn’t the easiest thing for our Lord to give up His only Son to a world that didn’t deserve it. If you are a Christian, His strength is in you, & He will help you find the words to say to this world on His behalf. The world aches for His love, whether they know it or not.
For the 1st challenge, all that is asked is that you ask someone to church for Easter. It could be a classmate, friend, neighbor, perfect stranger at the shopping mall {not a store dummy}… So, let’s start to live out our faith. Be sure to be armed with the time(s) of your church’s service(s), address, & phone number… in fact, why not right it on a card to hand out?
If you complete this challenge & want to share your experiences please leave a comment on this post! I’ll be sharing my experiences, as well. I think I might invite my neighbor. Let’s share the Love that’s given us the hope to continue on.
