An old story and an old song, but the message is always new. I hope you enjoy this Good Friday story of the Lamb.
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Archive for the Category »Lent «
In the midst of Easter week there are seven facts you don’t want to miss. These facts are easy to overlook. Even the Jews who were waiting for their promised Messiah couldn’t see God’s hidden strategy on that first Easter—they were looking for a Conquering King, not a Suffering Servant.
The disciples of Jesus didn’t see God’s hidden tactics—they ran away and denied ever knowing Jesus.
Satan couldn’t see the fullness of God’s plan—he was on the lookout for a Jewish King/Messiah who would reign over mankind. He had orchestrated his temptations accordingly.
The Jews, disciples, and even Satan missed the connection between the yearly sacrifice of an unblemished lamb and the final sacrifice of a sinless man—the Lamb of God.
Here are seven facts you don’t want to miss:
1. On a lonely cross, Jesus took on the sins of the world so that in His death sin would also die. It was the only way that humanity could again become right before God (2 Cor. 5:21).
2. He who had cursed man with death now experienced it Himself (Gal. 3:13).
3. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit turned away from God the Son, who in His innocence became crucified Sin. In His holiness, God walked away from a cross. In His love, God the Son embraced the cross so that we might be ransomed (John 10:17, 18).
4. As this innocent Lamb shed His blood, our sins became invalid in the courts of heaven. Neither could death hold Him in the grave, for sin and its death-curse were rendered powerless. He rose triumphant to proclaim freedom to all men who would accept His redeeming work (I Tim. 4:10).
5. Heaven rang with the declaration that sin and Satan no longer had legal authority over man, for the price of innocent blood had been eternally paid (Rom. 6:6; Heb. 2:14, 15).
6. Throughout the universe the cry of victory rose as the Prince of Darkness and his forces were paraded in the Triumphant Procession of the King of Kings. Heaven and earth shook with the victory of the Cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).
7. This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him (John 3:16-18 The Message Bible).
That’s the facts. Any comments?
(This post was taken from my book, Intercessors, God’s End-Time Vanguard available at the Eternal Foundations bookstore.)
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
In a busy week of preparing for Easter Sunday service, coloring eggs, and getting my house and yard ready for the traditional family gathering after church, I find it helpful to remember what is real—whether seen or unseen.
In his book, Abba’s Child, Brennan Manning tells the story of a newspaper reporter approaching G.K. Chesterton on a London street corner.
“Sir, I understand that you recently became a Christian. May I ask you one question?”
“Certainly,” replied Chesterton.
“If the risen Christ suddenly appeared at this very moment and stood behind you, what would you do?”
Chesterton looked the reporter squarely in the eye and said, “He is.”
Chesterton knew that Christ was alive and walking with him. He believed it to such a degree that he would not have changed his stride if Jesus suddenly materialized. Real is real, whether seen or unseen.
What is your reality this week?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Well, my journey into Lent and fasting is almost over—at least for this year. I’ve learned that there are many reasons to fast, there are different types of fasts, and that I’d rather not fast. However, two things will keep fasting as a spiritual discipline for me throughout the year:
First, I’ve learned that involving my body through fasting brings a unity to my spiritual life that otherwise is missing. I tend to look at my spiritual journey as an inward process, yet what happens inside must be expressed outwardly for my journey to be a fully human experience. Fasting unites my body with my inner person in a way that complements what is happening in my mind, emotions, will, and spirit.
Second, I’ve learned the necessity of scheduling a fast, but also to respond with spontaneously fasting when a sacred moment arises. “…fasting is what happens to the unified person who encounters a moment so sacred—a death, a consciousness of sin, a need to stand before God in prayer, a desire for holiness and love—that the person simply can’t eat—the moment is too sacred to indulge in food or pleasure.” –Scot McKnight in Fasting.
Lent’s introduction to Easter is soon complete. What have you learned though fasting? Do you plan certain days or seasons to fast? What sacred moments have caused you to spontaneously fast?
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
Today begins 40 days of fasting for this Charismatic girl. I’m new to the practice of Lent, but I thought I’d jump in with full intentions and inner resolve to fast. I’m reading as much as my brain can digest pertaining to this ancient spiritual practice as information tends to facilitate my resolve. It also helps that my husband has called our church to fast—I am not alone in my pain.
I’ll be sharing things I am learning in some of my posts during the next 40 days, but for a start, here are 5 things you should know about fasting to survive the backtalk your stomach will give you:
1. When a Christ follower desires to grow closer to God or to identify with the things that grab God’s attention, he or she will fast. Throughout the Bible we find stories of men and women fasting in some form or another. Church history contains additional stories of our fathers and mothers in the faith setting aside time to live a fasted life.
2. Our body communicates what we value by responding appropriately. When my father died, I cried. I also didn’t eat for days. My husband, a very funny man, beams when I laugh at his antics. Check my day planner—I schedule eight hours of sleep at night because I value a fresh mind and clear thinking when I rise at 5:00 to write. Walking up and down my street keeps me healthy so I can dance at my grandchildren’s weddings.
For much of my life, the closest I’ve come to integrating my body with my spirit and soul is when I raise my hands in worship or pray aloud. Have you ever noticed that in some cultures people wail when a friend dies or position themselves horizontally on the floor during prayer? I have never heard wailing at a funeral. Yet, raising my hands in worship, putting my face on the carpet to pray, and wailing at a funeral are appropriate, physical expressions of what I value—worship, prayer, and people.
In his book, Fasting, Scot McKnight comments, “The Bible, because it advocates clearly that the person—heart, soul, mind, spirit, body—is embodied as a unity, assumes that fasting as body talk is inevitable.”
3. There are different kinds of fasts. Normally, a biblical fast involves abstaining from food from sunup to sundown. Sometimes a fast means going without food and water for 24 hours or longer (see Acts 9:9).
During Lent, many follow an abstinent fast by denying themselves certain foods that otherwise would be acceptable. A Daniel fast would be an example of this type of fasting. Daniel and his friends abstained from rich foods and consumed only vegetables and water during their training for the king’s service (see Daniel 1).
4. Fasting is not easy. If fasting was undemanding it would not represent your body identifying with the things that break God’s heart. So, expect the discomfort and hunger pains to be your voice for grieving the lack of the Kingdom on earth.
5. Fasting involves planning. Depending on my chosen fast, I may not dine out much during these 40 days. Since my sons-still-living-at-home crowd is currently feasting, the refrigerator needs to contain man-food. I’ll plan ahead to avoid frustration and a negative reputation as a mother.
I can’t think of many spiritual practices that so invade our daily life as much as fasting. The rewards are worth it, but that discussion is for another post.
Are you fasting for Lent? If so, what does your fast look like? What is your body identifying with and what is it saying through your chosen fast? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
In Him together, Susan Gaddis
For more information on this subject, click on Scot McKnight’s book Fasting in the far right sidebar.
Subscribe to Holy in the Daily by Email
Conversations