Hosanna!

Yesterday was another glorious day in the land of Sunday School preschoolers.  The lesson's focus was on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ, when He rode into Jerusalem on the donkey.  We began the morning coloring a picture and reading a story, both pertaining to Jesus' coming.

"When Jesus came into sight, the people started shouting, 'Hosanna! Hosanna!' and they laid down their coats and palm branches so He wouldn't have to walk on the dirt," the other teacher explained as she read the from the giant storybook.  "The people were so excited to see Jesus!"

Then came the sounds of drums, rattles, bells, and clapping from down the hall.  All the children gathered around the door and anxiously peered outside.  A parade!  One of the other classes was going through the halls with musical instruments, marching and yelling, "Hosanna!" as loud as they possibly could.

"Can we go?  Can we?  Please?" came the pleads from nearly every one of my students.

"Yes, yes.  But you have to have instruments!"  I grabbed the box of instruments from the cupboard and let them choose which ones they wanted.  "Make sure you say 'Hosanna!' to everyone you see!"

I had barely finished my instructions when they ran out the door to jump into the group already proceeding.  The other teacher went out ahead of me to monitor our class.  I grabbed the few stragglers and brought them out.  We made two loops around the halls, and as we were embarking on the second a group of adults from the church came downstairs ahead of us.  They were dressed in robes and head coverings, to resemble those who had laid the palms in front of Jesus.

This made the kids ecstatic.  It suddenly became real to them!  After our parade, we went into what we call the Media Room.  Here, we watched a short video about the Triumphal Entry and then my fellow teacher and I did a skit.  Partway through the skit, the kids were jumping all around the toy horse and laying their paper palms down on the ground.

One little girl came up to me and, referring to the adults we'd seen in the halls, said, "I saw Hosanna!  I saw Hosanna!"  I have never seen her so excited.

It got me thinking.  This little girl had indeed gotten the Name of Jesus mixed up with the word that the people used to praise Him.  She called Him Hosanna instead of Jesus.  But what a precious thing, because she fully understood that He was deserving of her praise.  And at that moment there was nothing more that she wanted than to see Him.

Oh, to have the faith of a child!  To see and believe.  To understand that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the Lover of our souls.  He came into Jerusalem for a divine purpose--the purpose to die for the people He made.  He knew what He was going to face at Calvary.  He knew the very people He came to save would reject and persecute Him.  But He came.  He came!

We should sing.  We should rejoice!  He came for us--and for Him we should cry, Hosanna!

Beauty

I came to a realization the other day.

I realized that there is absolutely nothing inherently beautiful about me.  I was born a wretched, sinful person bound for Hell.  Isaiah 64:6 says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

We were born sinful.  There is nothing beautiful in sin.

And that's where the Gospel comes in.  Any single part of me that may be considered beautiful to God is because of Jesus Christ.  My actions?  Because Jesus Christ lives through me.  My words?  Because Jesus Christ speaks His words.  My heart?  Because Jesus Christ has taken me over.  That is how I can be beautiful.

When my actions and words and heart display attitudes contrary to my Lord, it's because I'm not letting Him work in me.  I'm not allowing Him in.  It just shows my wretchedness.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "If a soul has any beauty, it is because Christ has endowed that soul with His own, for in ourselves we are deformed and defiled!  There is no beauty in any of us but what our Lord has worked in us."

So how do I get authentic beauty?  By wholeheartedly seeking and following Christ.  By allowing Him to transform me.  By letting go of self and clinging fully to Him.  That is real beauty.

"You, then, why do you judge your brother?  Or why do you look down on your brother?  For we will all stand before God's judgement seat.  It is written: '"As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God."'  So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."  Romans 14:10-11

I've heard this message a thousand and one times.  I will stand before God and give reason for everything I've ever done...  But this morning it hit me--I will stand before God and give reason for everything I've ever done.  That scares me.

I'll try not to be a Debbie Downer, but I wonder.  How many words and phrases have slipped out of my mouth and caused unnecessary pain?  What clothing have I worn that have caused people to stumble?  How many times has someone needed to talk to me but I decide I have more important things to do?

Too many.  Too many hurtful words, too many inappropriate clothes, too many times I've ignored a human being.  And God will judge me for that.

Now because God is a God of forgiveness and new beginnings, I will not dwell on the past.  What's been done has been done, and dwelling on it will only make things worse.  But I will make it a point not to continue in this way.  God loved me so much He died for me, and He calls me to show that unfailing love to every other person He died for.  Everyone.

I will aim to do this, even though it's hard, because I know that I will stand before God and give reason for everything I've ever done.

My God?

He made the place I temporarily call home.
He knows the cute little birds outside my window.
He sees the lies that can so easily infest my mind.
He understands the science behind this universe.
He listens to the prayers I lift up to Him.
He gives my family shelter no matter what.
He finds a way to penetrate deeply into my soul.
He brings His peace to me wherever I am.
He worries not, for He holds complete control.
He allows the squirrels to hop all over my yard.
He brings me joy through His beautiful world.
He makes me smile with all of His creations.
He holds my hands when I reach up to Him.
He lifts my face when I'm weary and lost.
He shows me His love in the most interesting ways.
He forgives me always and loves me just the same.

Is this the One in whom I believe?
Who is beyond all imagination?
Is this the One whom I serve?
Is this my God?

Yes, yes indeed.
He is so lovely and great.
This One--He is my God.

Grab Your Cape...

Well, the Christmas rush is over. I'm not sure if I'm happy or not. How are you holding up? Two days after Christmas and I have no regrets..., no disappointments..., and an unusual motivation! I thought that Christmas break would end up being a time of lazying around doing nothing important. Thankfully I've gotten a lot of things done and in a sense I feel like I could conquer the world! Yes that's right.... SUPERWOMAN (maybe a more unique name though). It helps that we are coming on a new year, 2011! A new year, to think of new things, do new things, and the list goes on...

Thinking about being superheros, lets describe what they are like:

• They are not recognized for the good things they do as superheros when they are "every day people"
• They can do anything-except for occasional weaknesses
• They want to help others and realize they can use their superhuman powers to do so
• They are clothed differently than everyone else
• They never die in the movies and comics (as far as I know)

Ok as Christians we are superheros too, let me explain:

• We have no need for recognition on Earth, even if we are persecuted for helping others  (Matthew 5:12- "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.")
• 
  We can do everything with the power of the Holy Spirit  (Phillipians 4:13- "I can do all things through Christ who strenghthens me.")
• We have a longing to help others and are called to also; remember the Golden Rule? (Matthew 7:12- "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 25:40- " “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ")
• God has specially clothed us as Christians and children of the King (Isaiah 61:10- "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
• Finally, with a solid faith in Jesus Christ, you and I will never die, but live forever with God the Father. (John 3:16- "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.")

Ok so there you have it.  As a Christian, we are superheros.  I can conquer the world (ok maybe only make a dent) with God.  He is the reason we can be like this, he is the ultimate superhero (all of us have flaws)!  Ok, so as the new year comes, grab your cape with me and jump off some buildings (figuratively speaking; take some risks) for Christ!

Christmas is coming...

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat... (ok maybe not). But one thing is for sure, Christmas is coming. My vacation has officially started and I am finally getting in the gear... and the spirit. The last few weeks have been pretty stressful and busy and I'm sad to say I haven't spent enough time with God. Lately I've been thinking about the Christmas story, and how this overly familiar story can show me something new. Well, I started thinking about believing and the song "Believe" by Josh Groban came to mind. If you just believe... This song from the Christmas movie, Polar Express, is talking about believing in Santa. As Christians, we believe in something greater (yes, greater than that man in the red suit). God came down to earth as the son Jesus. How more exciting is this! Well, here's the problem: This happened about 2 thousand years ago. Do we still believe? For some this may be walking on dangerous territory, but I think its important to think about and study. Do you really believe that Jesus was born, because of a divine plan to save the sinful people of the world? Do you really believe that we need salvation? Hard questions, I know. Probably pretty scary. In Polar Express, there was a tiny bell that was from Santa's sleigh. Only those who believed in Santa, could hear the ringing. So on Christmas Day, the 2 kids could hear the bell, but the parents just thought is was broken. Here's the neat distinction between that belief and a Christian's belief: We don't grow out of it. At the end of Polar Express the boy mentions that he never stopped being able to hear the bell. He had an encounter with Santa, and he never stopped believing. Have you had an encounter with God? Can you hear the bell of belief?

Cordyceps and God's Beauty

Since Genesis chapter three, sin has moved forcefully throughout the world. When we think of the hold that sin has taken, we think in terms of our own human nature. It is obvious that Satan has taken people captive through various means (such as addictions, lust, cheating, etc.). Yet there are other ways Satan has tried to ruin God's creation.

Take, for instance, the disease of the cordyceps in the following video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8

It is an attack on nature, an attempt to destroy the beauty that God has made and, ultimately, to pull us humans away from Him. Without going in-depth on the subject, can you see how and why Satan would do this? We see destruction and pain and wonder where, and if, there is a loving God. How could He allow for such things? Satan takes advantage of this confusion and doubt, and takes whatever measures he can to push us along the road of unbelief.

But this is where God's beauty shines through. He takes the brokenness of the world, of nature and of humanity, and uses it for His glory. Did you catch the end of the video? There is a positive effect on the jungle's diversity through the deadly cordyceps. They help regulate populations so no individual species grows out of control. It's a check-and-balance sort of system.

Can you see it? God created a masterpiece: the jungle. Upon the introduction of sin to the world, Satan took advantage of the 'control' he was given and pushed for a deadly fungus, the cordyceps, to rummage through the jungle and destroy as much as it could. But God hasn't let that be the end; rather, He is using it for good within the ecosystem.

Little findings such as this prove God's control and divinity. Not only that, but His love. He loves His creation and, thus, takes care of it. Of us. If He takes care of the insects of the earth, how much more will He take care of His children? (Matthew 6:25-34)