Good Friday

Like Rebecca Black would say, or would have said it yesterday "It's Friday, Friday gonna get down on Friday" and why not, yesterday was Friday and it was an amazing day! Why is it good though Lord when you were hung on the cross. You were beaten, spit on, mocked, had your beard pulled out, nails in your hands and feet and yet we say it is a Good Day?? Doesn't that make us sound like we hate you? I guess when we sin, it does...but it is a Good Day because you on the cross, Your last words were "It is finished."
Your life was finished, You died. Your death and even Your resurrection are the cornerstones to our faith. Without them, we would have no hope! Your death was for us, a ransom for our sins. Your death meant that I could live. Your death was the atoning sacrifice for me. I don't have to go to a temple and sacrifice any animal or grain to make amends for my sins. There is no more yearly daily atonement and a worry that the priest might offend You or mess up and die while in the Holy of Holies. In fact, when it was finished and He died, You tore that curtain in half so we could freely come before You.
The old days of the temple are finished, sacrifices are finished, being separated from You is finished. I can freely run to Your throne now. I can freely come before You without the worry that I will die!

I do deserve to die though. I am a sinner. I get consumed with thoughts that are unholy. I lie, I hate, I have pride outside of You, I boast on my own strength, I cheat, I am lazy, I do what I want...I am far from holy. I am broken. I am dirty. Watch the news, it talks about rape, murder, adultery, stealing, robbing, torture, and even people lacking responsibilities and common sense that lead to horrible things. I am just like that, and I know it.
This is why it is a Good Day because You knew how horrible I am and how dirty our world is. Yet You loved us enough to still to die, to still let it be finished and not call down 12 legions of angels to save You. You died for me. So when the Father sees me, He sees You, He sees Your blood that washed away my dirty sins.

My prayer now is that Father, make me hate my sins. Make me find my choices to give into sin disgusting. Make me see how horrible they are and make me realize that they are the reasons Your Son had to die. I want to leave those sins behind and be so close to Your Son, to look just like Him. Thank You for Your grace and mercy though, for Your love and kindness. I would be nowhere without them. Thanks to Your I am somewhere, somewhere great and growing though undeserving. Please continue to help me invest and to pour into this relationship with You. I don't want it to seem like some same old routine and forget about what a true relationship sounds and looks like!
I love You and I am forever grateful You love me, the proof is in Good Friday!
AMEN

Hosanna!

Look, God, You are my King. I deserve a tyrant for a king. I am not a worthy subject. I can be a rebel. I can fight against Your will. I sometimes am selfish, I lie, I steal, I lust, I hurt and love my temper, in short, I sin. Yet, I want to be that second thief and to surrender. I want to lay down my life at Your throne. If love kept You on the cross, if You could have called legions of angels down to save You yet You stayed because Your love for me was so strong then I could not ask for a better King. I need a King like you.

Hosanna! Savoir, save me!

You brought me so much joy today! I have seen You be so faithful it blows my mind away! Why? All I know is this, You want Your kingdom to grow and I want to see it grow too! I was just so encouraged because we started so small. I was so discouraged, so sad! I hated it, lol, well, you know what I mean. It was tough! I was scared and not sure of what to do. You told me to have faith and to love everyone You give me. I want to train leaders to do that too. Father, You ask me to prayer for the workers of the field because the Harvest is so ripe, so big, so much!! Father, bring me leaders!

Thank You for all that You have done and for keeping me, my wife and our dogs and house safe through those nasty storms and tornadoes. Though God, I am thankful for Your grace, more than grateful, there are people out there that still need You. They lost loved ones, memories, etc. and now, well, they need You for comfort and strength, wisdom and mercy. Father, bring these people into Your Kingdom. Use this as a way to melt their hearts and bring them into a relationship with You!!

Father, I love You!!

"I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice"

Jesus, You love me. Out of my heart comes evil. I am unclean. Lust and bitterness, silence and not living up to the victory You earned for me. All Champions have duties, responsibilities to follow and perform. As a victor in Christ, the victory You won for me at the cross, I must live clean. I must live a life worthy of the gospel as Paul says. You say You desire mercy, do I give it? You desire compassion, do I have it? Do I live a life worthy of the CROSS You died on?

John said it best "I must decrease so You may increase." If You increase then my life is worthy of the cross. If You increase, then my life, is worthy of championship status. You love me, You chased me, You bled for me. You are worth decreasing for.

What I love is that if I run away from You, well, You are everywhere! As far as I run, all I am doing is running back to You. I can't escape You! I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me. Oh Lord, You love me! You love me!

Today Father, I pray and give You praise. Nicole is pregnant, with a girl! I will be a great uncle again! How awesome for them! She is also now a member of Starting Point! Ian is serving with the tech team! How awesome to see them become closer to You. Your Son was right when He said all things are possible with God (Matthew 19). Father, I mean it, thank You. But Father, if I may ask: why not Miranda and I? Why am I not a father yet? Why is this such s driving concern right now or such a strong desire? I don't want to hold onto this, but with so many friends of ours pregnant or just had babies, well, it's hard not to desire this so strongly! I need You right now to hold me together. I need You right now to be my strength!

I know though my best friend, Anthony and his wife to be need You too! I so badly want to see Anthony have a great and strong relationship with You! I want to see him in Heaven, to have eternity with him, for him to have eternity with Your Son. I am feeling very bold, very ready to share the Cross, Christ, His blood, His sacrifice because Father, I need to have compassion on Him, to love Him, to share what You did with Him. Prepare His heart for You. Watch over him and Cindy and little Kya. They have a lot going on with custody and with a new puppy and preparing for a wedding. Lord, I want to see them succeed, for Kya to be safe, protected, loved on and cared for. Give Anthony the strength to lead her as a father of sorts and Cindy the patience and guidance to be a good momma.

I love You. I honestly do, Lord, You love me, and I am grateful. All things are possible with You. Give me mercy and prepare me to give mercy to others.
AMEN