Here lies a sinner

My mother and I took a trip to Higginsville, MO nearly a year ago I suppose. We had gone to visit the grave sites of my grandpa and grandma O'Dell. It was great trip. We found a very good Italian restaurant in Warrensburg, even caught a free Civil War enactment, ( Which of course was awesome), more importantly we spruced up grandpa and grandma's grave site along with other relatives. I am sure as they sing and dance on streets of gold and spend time with loved ones who have gone before or come after they couldn't care less about what their tombstones looked like, but it sure did make us feel better about ourselves. We spent time that afternoon walking the cemetery and Mom wanted me to see this tombstone so badly. Finally we found it. It astounded me and I have thought about that tombstone often the past year. The tombstone is turned to face east-west while all the other tombstones face north-south. The wording on the tombstone is, 'Here lies a sinner'. "Are you kidding me!, what in the world", was something to my reaction. What do you even do to get treatment like that after you die? Do we even want to know. Probably not. The man's name whose body lies their is William Holden. I do not know who William was or what he did with his life but I do know this, God loved him deeply. The Lord loved William Holden and seeked his heart just as he does mine and yours daily, by the hour, by the minute. Whither We choose to answer and walk and talk with him is entirely up to us. Just like it was up to William. God never quits seeking We just quit answering. I know sometimes I can be so selfish and let my sin be an excuse. I think my sin is embarrassing or I convince myself due to my sin I am not good enough. Well, that is a very self-centered and selfish thought compared to what is good for the kingdom of God. Nothing I do or you do will ever make us 'good enough'. God asks for obedience not perfection. The perfection issue was taken care of at the cross. Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate the apple, God still loved and blessed them. Moses disobeyed and struck the rock, God still loved and blessed him. David, 'A man after Gods own heart', committed adultery and murder, God still loved and blessed him. Out of 12 disciples one betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, one denied Him three times under pressure, one doughted Him. Out of the 11 disciples at the crucifixion only John stayed by Jesus at the cross. None of these men were perfect, they were sinners, when God called they were obedient. Adam and Eve were blessed and started humanity, Moses led his people out of Egypt and was a great leader for his people while they were in the wilderness. David brought back the Arc of the covenant. The disciples spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. God accomplishes pretty amazing work through obedient sinners. My challenge to myself is to be still in the presence of God and obey. Jesus took care of the perfection part. As for my tombstone just engrave ' Here lies a sinner...sanctified by Jesus'.

The day we don't deserve

Yesterday had a very sweet feel. One of the sweetest Easters I can remember. Could have been the great church service, the awesome food, the very peaceful nap afterward. It was a joy spending the day with my wife and little girl. I had a very somber moment at the beginning of the service and the thought crossed my mind. " I don't deserve this day...none of us do." I owe everything to Jesus and pay so little. I just can't seem to get over the fact lately how God's love comes to life. I've read John 20 several times the last couple of days and something just catches my spirit. Mary Magdalene.....Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first. It never really struck me until lately. Not His mother Mary, not John, not Peter, or James. He appeared to Mary Magdalene. I think Mary Magdalene's faith can be described best in Luke when Jesus speaks to Simon about the sinful women who anoints His feet. Is the sinful women Mary? Couldn't tell you...some think it is some think not. I do think it explains the deep love Mary Magdalene had for Jesus.

" There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most.
( Luke 7:41-43)

I do know Mary's love for Jesus was pure, genuine, and very strong. Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary and she became a follower from that moment on. She was from the city of Magdala, a city known for prostitution, this has led scholars to believe she was a prostitute, which would make sense. What I do know is Jesus freed a woman possessed by seven demons and possibly living a life of prostitution and broke the chains, washed her white as snow. She was probably not too far from being dead when Jesus cast out the demons and freed her from her life of bondage. I wonder what her demons were? Demons of lust, drugs, idolatry, greed, murder lies...who knows. But our Jesus did what He does, He saved. Mary knew a life she had never imagined. I bet Mary Magdalene knew and understood the love of Jesus better then any of the disciples. Her debt was greater and in turn her love was deeper. We see proof of Mary's genuine love, she stays by the cross of Jesus when all the disciples with the exception of John hide. Can you imagine how sweet her name must have sounded coming off the lips of the risen Savior in John 20:16 "Mary." I bet her eyes filled with joyful tears and her heart skipped a few beats as she gave him that same huge hug when he cast out the demons, shouting ..." Rabboni!". I am sure smarter people then me have a reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first. My opinion, Mary 'got it', she knew what it was to be truly sanctified by Christ. Mary teaches me a lesson I needed to learn. Through her faithfulness I see Mary didn't allow Satan to convince her that her scars were guilt that would never go away, She looked at her scars as a reminder of what Jesus had washed away. She spent the rest of her life serving Christ for that grace. I pray I do the same. As the old hymnal praises, ' All to Him I owe'

The Centurion

The man rarely mentioned in any Easter Sunday sermons may have had the most profound revelation of any on that dark Friday. The Roman centurion soldier was a career officer. You had to be at least 30 years old to be a centurion. The centurion got the title because they over saw 100 men. They were the outstanding soldiers, probably joined the army at 16, had high accolades, maybe knew the right people. Through the years of a military career, carrying out the orders from ruthless Roman emperors one thing is for sure, not much probably bothered this centurion. He was huge, strong, prime fit, 'all man' you can guarantee that. He wore the heavy armor and could sling a spear hundreds of feet through the chest of an enemy in battle. He been doing this job for along time. He's been through battles, probably cut the heads off of men. A crucifixion sure didn't bother this guy he'd probably carried out quite a few. It was his job, he was following orders. I am sure he probably couldn't have cared less who this Jesus was. But things that happened that day took a heart as hardened as you would be pressed to find and broke it.

"And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." Mark 16:39

"Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man." Luke 23:47

After reading these two passages all I can say is, 'Absolutely Amazing!', not only how powerful but how loving our Savior truly is. Can you just picture this? I find myself closing my eyes and picturing the centurion strait faced all business while he oversees the crucifixion of these men. But this one Jesus starts to catch hold of him. He begins to look over this body so bloodied and beaten, he doesn't even recognize it. he wonders to himself, how is this man still alive....after all we have done to him today, how is he alive? He had heard Jesus say earlier on his horrid path to Calvary "...Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children." (Luke 23:28). He begins to wonder what kind of man suffering such horrible death says something like that? He watches as the men he oversees muck Jesus....maybe then his eyes get a little glassy. He hears Jesus cry ..."My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
The centurion's heart begins to pound, the tears a little bit more full...he looks down so no one notices, a quick wipe. He hears Jesus prayer. "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) He watches and listens as Jesus accepts and saves the criminal. His heart pounding ...Oh he wants to cry out to Jesus...but he can't...not in front of these men. What would they do? They would kill me, he thinks. Then with tears streaming down his face he looks up at the broken body of Jesus. He hears the final cry. 'And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.' (Luke 23:46) ....."It is finished"... ( John 19:30).
At that moment I imagine the spirit of this centurion was overcome. His body covered in sweat, dirt, the blood of Jesus on his clothes, streaked on his forearms. He hits his knees at the feet of Jesus. The feet with nails in the heels dripping his Saviors blood and water. Knowing the man he just crucified is the Son of God. His hands gripping a hand full of dirt and rock, scratching his fingernails in the ground out of anguish, his face in the ground. He leans up with tears streaming down his face and Yells...."Truly this man was the Son of God!!" The centurion glorified God and God forgave. How did God forgive? The same way He forgives us. How truly awesome is a God that reveals himself to a centurion that just oversaw the crucifixion of His only Son? I think we can rest assured there is nothing we can do that would make God love us less. Amen