Christ Died for Sins Once For All

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

One of the biggest financial “chains” that a person can have on them is a mortgage. Although, for many financial gurus a mortgage falls into the category of “good-debt”, it is something that holds many in bondage. Just think, you have to make a payment to a company every month for at least 15 years and for most 30 years. To top that, many people refinance and or take on second mortgages. For some, the day of sending in the last payment for their mortgage materializes only in a dream.

Imagine this, you wake up tomorrow morning and you get an email, from a very credible source informing you that your entire mortgage has been PAID IN FULL. And not only that, but if you decide that you want to move, every subsequent home that you live in will be mortgage free. Well, beside the hour that you spend ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), what if you found out that this was a serious email and that your mortgage debts were from this day forth PAID IN FULL. What would you do?

What would you think of a person who after finding this out, month after month still sent in a payment towards their mortgage? They have the deed in hand, but regardless they still send in the payment. Sound crazy? Why would someone do this?

There are several reasons; Fear-they may be thinking, “I can’t believe this. This is just too big. What if someone is just really messing around with me and I get caught down the road in the biggest scheme of all history?” Maybe it’s Doubt. They might be thinking, “Did this benefactor’s check really clear? What if they changed their mind? Did they really mean the whole mortgage?” For some it might be Guilt. They may be burdened with the thoughts that there is no way that they could ever deserve this kind of blessing, they’ve been late and or missed too many payments. And yet for some, it could be Ignorance, because they never check their email and for years, they’ve missed the message that their debt has been PAID IN FULL.

Sound like a wild story? It’s not really. Jesus Christ has paid an even bigger debt for you and for me. He wrote it in a book filled with many letters describing in many different ways that your sin debt is PAID IN FULL. But for many, fear caused by disbelief, doubt wondering how could this be, guilt weighed down by the past and or ignorance due to just not listening have caused them to continue to work for their “Salvation”.

As you worship today, be thankful that “He paid a debt He did not owe for a debt that you and I could never pay.” It is PAID IN FULL! Live and worship Him in the reality of that today!

Pastor MJ

Garden of Eden

One day while walking through the Dallas Arboretum, breathing in the sweet aroma of the thousands of varieties of plants and flowers I began to wonder what it was like in the Garden of Eden. As beautiful as the Botanical Gardens are it is at best tainted with the imperfections of sin. The atmosphere is not pure, the ground is tainted, and the climate as near perfect as it may be still falls short to the Garden planted and tended by God first then by a near perfect man in a perfect environment.

Something else about the Garden captures my thoughts. Just imagine, what would it be like to be on a small (relatively) part of the earth in a perfect environment with everything you need, want or desire and throughout the day you have one on one conversations with God. He actually walks in the garden and talks with you. He doesn’t think only of what you have with Him, but He cares so much about you that he causes you to see your need, and then fulfills that need by creating a mate for you. A mate made by the hands of the same Artist that just created the sun, moon, stars, the earth and the entire universe. What a deal!

Worship was a lifestyle with Adam. It was not something that was put on. It was not something that He had to labor over. It was not something that he switched on and off. It was life for him to walk, talk, and commune, spend time with, listen to, learn from, and be in the presence of the God of the universe. Everything was just right. Just like it was after God created everything – it was very good!

But something happened. That sweet communion between God and Adam was broken because of sin. That broke the heart of God. He had so enjoyed the fellowship with the one part of creation that was made in His own image. However, He was not going to let sin keep Him away from His precious creation.

Where He had every right to forsake Adam, destroy him and start all over again, God instead pursued Adam and took the first step to restore that relationship. That pursuit continues even today. We all have sinned, but God pursues us to restore the original relationship that He desired to have with Adam. For Adam, God sacrificed an animal, shedding its blood, and used the skin to cover his nakedness. For us God sacrificed His Beloved, shedding His blood and used Him to not only cover our nakedness before Him, but to cleanse and remove our sin before His holiness.

Bow before Him in worship in light of that today.

Pastor MJ

Exercise In Faith

Some time ago, I had an exercise in faith, riding the roller coaster rides at Six Flags. Throughout the day I put my trust in many people; in the teenagers controlling the rides, the engineers who drew the plans for the rides, the workers who constructed the rides as well as the park owners who assured us of our safety if we followed certain guidelines. Now, I don’t know any of them and the only real interest that they have in me is my money and my return visits, yet, I put my life in their hands and more than that, I put the lives of my three children in their hands as I sent them on a few rides alone.

What guarantee did I have that they were not playing a trick on me or that the cables would hold? How did I know that the engineers that built a certain ride did not cut corners in the construction of the ride just to save money?

I put my life and the lives of my children in the trust of the creators of the Texas Giant but what do I do with the “Giants” in my life? Daily life brings with it many curves, dips, bumps and often hair raising falls that never seem to end. However, the Creator of life says, “Jump, you can trust me!” And in reality, unlike the Texas Giant, or Dive Bomber Alley, many times life’s rides don’t have visible seat belts or cables. The fall is void of any visible safety measures. Yet God says, “Trust Me”.

Abraham had no safety net when God told Him to sacrifice his son. The safety net of the ram in the thicket and the angel holding back his hand only came after trust and obedience and “going without knowing”.

Think about the things we put our trust in daily, the water company (for untainted water), doctors (For correct prescriptions), mechanics (to put the lugs on tight enough so we won’t crash), etc. Do we put that much trust in God who has our very best in mind? Let our ultimate deed of faith this week be our trust and obedience in our All Knowing, All Loving, All Powerful Heavenly Father, who has never failed. Begin today by praising Him for all of the ways He’s revealed His trust worthiness to you and your family this week.

He’s worthy to be trusted,

Pastor MJ

One of Those Weeks

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14 NIV)

Have you ever had “one of those weeks”? You might be saying, “Mark, I have one of those lives!” I often feel bad about expressing how I feel about different life circumstances. I know I’m not supposed to complain or be anxious. I know there is always someone worse off than me. I know that a better day is coming, but to be honest, sometimes I’ve just got to let it out and tell it like it is when life really hurts.

That’s what I love about the Word of God. Father knew what my week would be like and He had the testimonies of Elijah, Job, Habakkuk, Thomas, Jesus and especially my fellow worship leader David, and their experiences included in His Word so that I could see that it’s okay to tell Father how I’m feeling. It’s okay to scream out, to cry to agonize and to hurt. However, although Father accepts us as we are, He loves us too much to leave us there. Because after we’ve had our say, He is there like he was with Habakkuk in chapter 1 verse 5 where he answered, “Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” God’s Word not only gives us the freedom to be honest it gives us the hope to endure.

David, after realizing he was up against many things, even death, took comfort in the realization that the Lord was his salvation, his shelter, his helper. Also, David was not content just to say, “a better day is coming”, he stood bold in God’s faithfulness and proclaimed that he’d see God’s goodness here, realizing that in that even in the midst of pain God’s faithfulness shines through; that even in the moments of doubt and fear, God’s presence and promises are near. He refused to forget in the dark what God had already reveled in the light.

Join me today in thanking God for the timeliness and strength that His Word gave us yesterday and gives us today and tomorrow. He is so good!

With you on the journey,

Pastor MJ

Hope Is A Declaration Of A Reality

“Hope is not a wish, hope is a declaration of a reality” MWJ

During the Christmas season we hear the words hope and wish many times. There is, however, a huge difference between the two. A wish may or may not come true and often disappoints. Just ask a child on Christmas day that doesn’t receive what they’d wished for or maybe interview someone who watches as the Prize Patrol rings someone else’s door bell on Super Bowl Sunday and delivers a check for ten million dollars. Our wishes don’t always come true. And that is a good thing as well, because how many of us have wished for something in a fit of rage or during a really unwise moment that if it had come true would have been devastating?

True hope, on the other hand, will always be realized. I say true hope because it all depends on who or what our hope is built on. If like the hymn writer you can proclaim, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness…” than your hope is secure. That security comes from hoping in what God has promised.

What can we hope for?

* “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

* “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NASB)

* “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NASB)

* “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NASB)

* “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

*”For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NASB)

And much, much more! My friend, true hope cannot disappoint because Jesus holds and guarantees the realization of that hope. So, today, don’t live on wishes and dreams, rather, hold fast to hope, hold fast to Jesus. He is worthy of our trust and is indeed our only true hope.

Pastor MJ