Relentless Redemption

The resurrection of  Jesus shows the relentless redemption of God's plan.  If you have been worshipping with us these past Sundays at Northside, you know that we have been looking at the power of Jesus' resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15.  Paul says there that without the resurrection of Jesus, which points to our bodily resurrection, there is no point to Christianity.  Everything stands or falls on the resurrection.

But because there is a resurrection of all believers in Christ, we have an understanding of the lengths the power of Jesus's resurrection will go to change us - the measure of this relentless redemptive plan of God.  Every place where sin has stained, scarred, wounded or warped - in every level or sphere of life where sin has brought death - the power of the resurrection of Jesus works to bring a resurrected life.  Someday we who belong to him will see it all worked out even to the very molecules of our physical body as we are raised with an eternal body that will live forever.

Not only do we see the relentless redemption, we see this overwhelming victory of the resurrection and how far it goes.  Historian Philip Schaff wrote: 

This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a sing line he set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.

The power of his resurrection and the victory it brings is not yet fully seen.  It is still working in you and in me.  Someday we will see it whole, complete and finished.  For now though, we can know it is at work even if we cannot see it.  This post will go out on Saturday, the nameless, sad, silent Saturday between Good Friday and Easter.  But on that Saturday, and on this one, God was and is still at work and his relentless redemption keeps pressing on.  Let us let it and let us rejoice in it.

for the journey...

Tim

Cell Phone Revelations

It was November 5, 2013, I would be helping a group as they watched the Billy Graham video, "The Cross" that evening.  It was a very important day; I was feeling a little nervous.  I got down on my knees beside my bed to pray and as I did I reached for my cell phone to put it away so I would not be interrupted for the next few minutes.

As I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket I realized it had been opened to my internet browser and it had opened BibleGateway.com to John 20:19.  I was shocked because I had not been searching on it recently and I was puzzled how it could "accidentally" gotten to those places.  Here is what John 20:19 says, "On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

I took it as something I really needed to read that day.

I read on and verse 21 said, "Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."  Now I really knew that was something that I needed to read that day.  I knelt there not really knowing what to pray, just trying to soak it all in.  Before I could even say anything in prayer, I had been shown what I needed to hear that day.

God is faithful, that night went well.  The gospel was shared, there was not a great response but I had a real sense that seeds were planted.  But more than that, I went to that gathering to watch Billy Graham's final message with an awareness that the risen Lord was with me.  That really changed my perspective.  I wasn't just going, I was sent.  I didn't have to be afraid, Jesus was there to bring me peace.  Just as surely as he showed up in that locked upper room, he was there that night in a borrowed living room with that group of people offering peace to us all.  What I set out to do that day was not changed.  My perspective on what I set out to do was.

I have read that passage numerous times.  I have read over the notes I wrote down that morning several times since then.  I sensed that this passage is what we need to focus on this Resurrection Day morning.  The resurrected Lord stands here among us and he offers us his peace, even if it doesn't just pop up on our cell phones.

for the journey...

Tim