TGIF - Special!
It is TGIF again! TGIF is short for Thank God It's Friday. In fact, we ought to thank God for everyday not just Fridays and for everything for when your heart is always thankful, you become a grateful person. You are grateful for everything. Grateful persons are never greedy and could not be selfish because they understood it is never about them. Grateful people have no need to harm others. They are very secure and have great peace and harmony about them as they understood the universe, the cosmos and the truth. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8).
But this week's TGIF is special. It is Good Friday, primarily observed by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Jesus died AD33 meaning he was about 33 years old when he died. Because he is God who came as a man, dying at 33 may have significance. I think most of us are best looking at about that age. Not too thin not too fat just looking good. Go search for you old photos and compare. Haha. He is a leader who led from the front line. A great leader will never expect us to do anything he could not. They come down from their high places.
I said that because Jesus knew he was here to die. He knew why he had to die and when it was coming. He need not do this. He did all the good deeds, lived a righteous life, performed miracles of raising the dead, healing the sick and with great teachings. He was pure. He hit out at those who were hypocrites, who pretended to be holy and religious. He was not a rich man. He was prosecuted because he was good. As he was good, he became a threat to those in power who could not hold a candle to him.
How many of you have experience a little bit of what Jesus suffered? Not the torture and pain of crucifixion where you are left hanging on a cross with nails through your wrists and your feet. Can you imagine the whole weight of your body on just these points. How excruciating the pain must have been. I am just thinking out loud which is more painful? Some physical pains we suffered in life can be very painful but there were times when we got hurt - say by betrayals of a cheating spouse, of good and trusted friends, even family members or by scheming and evil people. How painful are those? To some folks, it can be worse than physical pains.
Many thus suffer for not being able to forgive. Of course, forgiving is easier said than done but worse, not forgiving means you alone will suffer. They say it is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Most of us of a certain age would have collected quite a fair bit of scars and wounds like Rambo. Tell that person who stabbed you in the back to pull the knife out as he is likely to need to use it again.
Now imagine, you have to be tortured by crucifixion and then die for these people who cheated, betrayed, did bad things or are evil, bore all for them but you did nothing wrong. None of us would do this I rest assure you but you just imagine the pain - first the physical pain then the pain of your soul having to bear the sin of others and they did not know of it, many may even curse at you. Unthinkable and unbearable. That was what Jesus did and he was pure and righteous so the weight of a sinful world came upon him who is God.
He was left to agonised on the cross for some six hours. In his last three hours at around 3 pm, darkness fell across the land. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open and the centurion on guard declared "Truly, this was God's son!" Thank God, today we have bright and blue skies. It may be hot and humid but be thankful that the haze has not returned.
I said that because Jesus knew he was here to die. He knew why he had to die and when it was coming. He need not do this. He did all the good deeds, lived a righteous life, performed miracles of raising the dead, healing the sick and with great teachings. He was pure. He hit out at those who were hypocrites, who pretended to be holy and religious. He was not a rich man. He was prosecuted because he was good. As he was good, he became a threat to those in power who could not hold a candle to him.
How many of you have experience a little bit of what Jesus suffered? Not the torture and pain of crucifixion where you are left hanging on a cross with nails through your wrists and your feet. Can you imagine the whole weight of your body on just these points. How excruciating the pain must have been. I am just thinking out loud which is more painful? Some physical pains we suffered in life can be very painful but there were times when we got hurt - say by betrayals of a cheating spouse, of good and trusted friends, even family members or by scheming and evil people. How painful are those? To some folks, it can be worse than physical pains.
Many thus suffer for not being able to forgive. Of course, forgiving is easier said than done but worse, not forgiving means you alone will suffer. They say it is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Most of us of a certain age would have collected quite a fair bit of scars and wounds like Rambo. Tell that person who stabbed you in the back to pull the knife out as he is likely to need to use it again.
Now imagine, you have to be tortured by crucifixion and then die for these people who cheated, betrayed, did bad things or are evil, bore all for them but you did nothing wrong. None of us would do this I rest assure you but you just imagine the pain - first the physical pain then the pain of your soul having to bear the sin of others and they did not know of it, many may even curse at you. Unthinkable and unbearable. That was what Jesus did and he was pure and righteous so the weight of a sinful world came upon him who is God.
He was left to agonised on the cross for some six hours. In his last three hours at around 3 pm, darkness fell across the land. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open and the centurion on guard declared "Truly, this was God's son!" Thank God, today we have bright and blue skies. It may be hot and humid but be thankful that the haze has not returned.
If you wish to be a great leader, learn from Jesus. You must at one time heard about servant leader, etc. Jesus is God, He is the King, the boss but He is always humble. He came down from a very high place. To become a man. He sat down with all kinds of people. He wash the feet of his disciples. That is leadership by example and humility. He dispensed wisdom, healed the sick and taught so many great things including mercy, forgiveness, generosity and love. He hated sins but love sinners. He sat down with sinners. He never practised more righteous than thou. He taught us not to be judgemental. Remember the adulterous woman who was about to be stoned and they tested Him when Jesus then said: "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone" and one by one walked away. He hits out at hypocrites. Hey, I like Jesus!!! He rocks and he is hip and cool!
Life on earth is actually warfare, often a spiritual warfare. There are always suffering and warfare. You are at war everyday to do "the right things", don't you think? Self righteous people instead of seeking the truth rather seek their own justification.
In Luke 4:18, Jesus said: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free."
Unbeknownst to us, we are all prisoners. Prisoners of our own device and making, one way or another. We are blind too. Blind in our biases and prejudices and in many other ways. You are blind if you persist in your ways even when you know you are wrong. When you should have done something right but turned a blind eye to it. Some can come to a point where they can't seven see their own faults or blatant ways. How many of you are free? I mean really and truly free? Very few people are free. Many are actually oppressed. Oppressed by their own ego and pride, stubbornness, worries, greed, selfishness, arrogance, anger, etc. Many of us do not know that we are prisoners, blind, oppressed and are not free.
When we hear birds singing or when the thunder roars. What do we hear? When we see the sun shining brightly, when we witnessed a child birth, what do we see? We did not even notice.
When it rains and we get wet, when a butterfly flutters around us and when we see the morning dew, what do we feel? All the little things in life, we take for granted. Even friendship.
When we experience the seasons - winter, spring, summer or fall. The seeds, the trees, the flowers and the fruits flourishing in their splendour in due season. What do we think? All these are daily miracles. Child birth is an awesome miracle. A creation out of love. How do we teach our young?
Forget religious bigotry. Jesus was never a Christian. He taught fabulously and on one has ever taught like Him. In Matthew 5, he taught:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
He is teaching on the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” He was tearing down the wrong notion that a person is only guilty of adultery only when he commits the act in the physical and that the act of adultery first takes place in the mind, which later results in the physical. You see very high standard of holiness required by God who looks at your heart. Read in context on the eye gouging and hand cutting which is a figure of speech. His standard is always supreme to Man.
Forget religious bigotry. Jesus was never a Christian. He taught fabulously and on one has ever taught like Him. In Matthew 5, he taught:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
He is teaching on the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” He was tearing down the wrong notion that a person is only guilty of adultery only when he commits the act in the physical and that the act of adultery first takes place in the mind, which later results in the physical. You see very high standard of holiness required by God who looks at your heart. Read in context on the eye gouging and hand cutting which is a figure of speech. His standard is always supreme to Man.
Why then is leadership by example so important? Because you can tell your children a thousand things but they will do what they see by watching you when they are growing up. Because people can be so hypocritical. If your God is so good, let me see God in you by the way you live and treat others not the way you talk. Anyone can talk. Anyone can tell different stories to different people using double standards. So do not talk the walk. Walk the talk. Be spiritual by all means not religious.
Matthew 5:13 says “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
There you are on walking the talk. Let your light shine!
In John 6:35, "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never grow hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
There you are on walking the talk. Let your light shine!
In John 6:35, "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never grow hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgK2OISzqkU (When I Survey The Wondrous Cross - Kathryn Scott)
In Luke 23:39-43 (NIV), this was what happened on the day at the cross:
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg9zjVUz9Kw (Above All - Lenny LeBlanc)
Jesus could have snapped his fingers and he would be surrounded by angels. This is what men do like when they surround themselves with body guards and those who worship them. They love and like to show power. Jesus has great powers but he use his powers to heal the sick. He is all about acceptance, mercy, compassion and love. He has to die and his blood has to be shed for forgiveness of sin to take place. The thief was a nobody condemned to death. He knew he was hopeless but in his final hour he asked Jesus to remember him. It was not his words but his heart that Jesus knew and Jesus said to him "you will be with me in paradise". This means that mercy was shown for this man who was a thief and he was forgiven. Just like that! No need to repent by torturing yourselves or by any other acts of man. We are the ones who are supposed to hang but He took our place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjJNEsDJPFk (Passion of the Christ)
James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmpnov1TPwQ (Victor's Crown - Darlene Zschech)
No one can change you except yourself. Change is internal. Take the example of the humble egg. If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If it is broken by an inside force, life begins. All great things always begin from the inside. So do not change your face, change your heart. That is the true worth of a person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE (In Christ Alone - Adrienne Liesching)
Jesus Christ came as a man, taught the truth, mercy, generosity, forgiveness, love and every wisdom plus so many more. He came to show us the way. He has overcome the world. He has even overcome death. There is not a greater leader. And if he is God then that it is even more wonderful. In His last breath as a man, he said: "It is done." He has completed the work He came to accomplish. He also said: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." None of us deserve it. It is His Grace.
In Matthew 8:32 he said ...Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
So why is it called Good Friday when Christ the Lord died on that cross? Because he took our place and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sin. He overcame death and He has risen. In those days, Jewish customs do not permit work on the Sabbath. So Jesus' body was hastily placed in a tomb on a Friday afternoon like today and when they went to his tomb on Sunday morning, it was empty. "He is not here for He has risen". Two angels told them that He has risen as He has told them before.
Jesus appears to women first, maybe women have more faith than men then to his disciples who may still be sleeping. Haha. The Apostles came and they saw the wounds in his side and hands from crucifixion. Jesus said to them: "Have you believe because if you seen? Blessed are those who have not seen but have come to believe. He was resurrected from the dead on Sunday morning and remained on earth for 40 days. That Sunday is now what we called Easter.
This was Jesus' parting words to his disciple in Matthew 28:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus is who he said he is or he is the greatest liar. Think about it. He is the good shepherd and He is looking after every sheep in His flock. Even if just one is lost, He will find it.
Happy holidays and have a really good Friday and a great weekend!
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