Good Friday Devotional

"Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit."

John 19:28-30 NLT

Good Friday … I am sure on that first Good Friday, that the first followers of Jesus would have called it anything but Good. That first Good Friday would have been an extremely long, tough, discouraging, dark day.

You see these first followers who had followed Jesus for three years and had had such hope, such confidence and such anticipation of the exciting future that Jesus would bring to their world and to their individual lives. And yet on that Friday almost 2000 years ago they saw their dreams and hopes dashed. You see they hadn’t read the rest of the story, they didn’t know how this exciting historic story was going to unfold.

All they knew was this Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had learned to trust, was now hanging before their eyes … dead on a cross. What must have been going through their minds?

You see even as we read this painful description found in the Bible in the 19th Chapter of John, it is only natural to quickly want to turn to the 20th Chapter and read about the victory that came on Sunday. But for just a moment on this Good Friday, let’s imagine what it would have been like for the first believers in Christ to see the one whom they had come to believe was the Son of God, the Messiah, was now hanging on the cross seemingly defeated.

What feelings must have been rushing through their hearts? They must have been experiencing feelings of discouragement, defeat, and hopelessness? You see … its Friday and although Sunday is coming, they didn’t yet know it!

Isn’t that the way it is in our lives sometimes?

We experience a discouraging setback at work… or possibly lose that dream job and we feel discouragement and disappointment. It is Friday and although Sunday is coming, we don’t yet realize it!

We suffer another tough day in our personal life feeling defeated by that particular temptation, addiction or enslaving habit. We feel stupid, embarrassed, angry, and defeated! It is Friday and although Sunday is coming, we don’t yet realize it.

We experiencing a heartbreaking setback in a personal relationship in our lives … We walk out of court with the words “Divorce” echoing in our ears. We feel rejected, lonely and unloved. It is Friday and although Sunday is coming, we don’t yet realize it.

We hear a bad report from the doctor for ourselves, or a loved one. Our hearts race with fear, anxiety and uncertainty. It is Friday and although Sunday is coming, we don’t yet realize it.

We stand beside the grave of someone we love very much and we feel a deep loneliness and ache in our heart. It is Friday and although Sunday is coming, we don’t yet realize it.

It is in those moments that we feel the darkness of that first Good Friday!

It is in those moments that we need to take to heart the example of Jesus that is described in the Bible in the Book of Hebrews. In the 12th chapter of that encouraging book, Jesus is described as our champion who initiates and perfects our faith. We are reminded that as Jesus went to the cross he had the following focus: “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross.” That was an incredible focus!

Corrie ten Boom, who suffered in a Nazi death camp, explained the power of focus: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ you’ll be at rest!”

… This morning as we allow ourselves to feel the darkness that those first believers must have felt, let’s focus our thoughts on the fact that … Yes at times in life, the candle might have been blown out temporarily, but it will shine again very, very soon! You see … it is Friday, but Easter Sunday is coming! Let’s take a moment now and reflect on what they must have felt and the reminder that no matter what we might be going through in our lives … It is Friday, but Easter Sunday is coming!

Consistent Journaling (Blogging)

We are concluding this week a church wide 40 Day adventure. As a church we have been reading a book entitled, “The Purpose Driven Life.” Today’s reading challenged the reader to continue to put into practice what has been learned over the last 6 weeks regarding the five purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission.

One of the quotes that grabbed my heart was the quote by Dawson Trotman who said, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips.” One of the challenges during this 40 Day Challenge was to learn the discipline of keeping a spiritual journal.

I have sought to keep my journal through the typed pages on this blog. As you look at the frequency of my posts, you can see that I have struggled with being consistent.

And yet one comment in today’s reading that got my attention was found in Day 39 of The Purpose Driven Life. Warren writes the following: “In the middle of painful experience, the psalmist wrote, “Write down for the coming generation what the LORD has done, so that people not yet born will praise him” (Psalm 102:18; TEV). You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth. It is a witness that will continue to speak long after you’re in heaven.” (Warren; TPDL; page 309).

It had never dawned on me that by journaling I could actually be sharing my faith with future generations, which is a very encouraging thought and added motivation to be a consistent blogger!

Snowflakes United

Vince Havner quipped, “Christians, like snowflakes, are frail, but when they stick together they can stop traffic” (Warren; TPDL; page 275).

A week ago today, Southwest Ohio was pounded with a blizzard. It was amazing how much snow fell in a little over 24 hours and the effect that the “united effort” of a bunch of snowflakes had on our region. Plans were changed, meetings were cancelled, and traffic stopped or at least was altered!

This morning, I had the privilege to witness a group of Christians work together to put on an Easter Egg Hunt for area children at our local YMCA. It was amazing to see the sight of hundreds of young children running to gather up their share of 6,000 + Plastic Easter Eggs filled with candy treats.

It was encouraging to see the smiles on the children’s faces, the joy of grateful parents, and the traffic jam at the YMCA all because some imperfect, frail followers of Christ join together to serve others!

A Steward Mindset

In day 34 of The Purpose Driven Life, the author describes the mindset of a servant of God. He makes the following statements: “Servants think like stewards, not owners. Servants remember that God owns it all. In the Bible, a steward was a servant entrusted to manage an estate. … How are you handling the resources God has entrusted to you?”

You see we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that our money, our resources, and all of our stuff belongs to us, but the Biblical perspective is to remember that it all belongs to God and that we are simply called to manage it on God’s behalf.

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13 NLT). It is interesting to note that Jesus didn’t say you should not serve both God and money, but instead he said “you cannot serve both God and money.”

Rick Warren writes, “When Jesus is your Master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Wealth is certainly not a sin, but failing to use it for God’s glory is. Servants of God are always more concerned about ministry than money.”

As we give back to God financially let’s realize that the money we give is really money owned by God and we are simply managers (or stewards) of it. Also, let’s keep our focus on the ministry that can be accomplished through this money, and the blessing that this ministry can be to others.

PBPGINFWMY

I love the reading for today in The Purpose Driven Life entitled, “It Takes Time.” The author (Rick Warren) describes the process of mature in Christ. He reminds the reader, “don’t get in a hurry” when it comes to spiritual maturity.

I love the illustration that if God wants to grow a mushroom, He does it in a night, but if He wants to grow an oak tree it takes decades.

Personally, I don’t want to be a flash in the pan, that it is simply a façade of growth with fake fruit (a fungus like a mushroom), but I want to be the real deal with authentic spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)).

Although I am not where I want to be spiritually, I am grateful that I am not where I use to be. After today’s reading, I would like to have a button or sticker to wear which simply reads PBPGINFWMY (Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet!).

Work Out ... Not Work For

One of the statements in the Bible that use to confuse me was the strong statement written by the Apostle Paul to the Philippian Church urging them to live out their faith even though he was no longer with them in person. He wrote, “… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13 TNIV).

For years, I struggled to know how to square these Bible verses with passages like …
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

I think that the best explanation of the tension that exists between these verses is found in Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. Warren writes the following describing the verses found in Philippians: “This verse, written to believers, is not about how to be saved, but how to grow. It does not say “work for” your salvation, because you can’t add anything to what Jesus already did. During a physical “workout,” you exercise to develop your body, not to get a body” (Warren, Page 181; PDL).

I was thinking about this quote during an afternoon run and I think that there are a lot of interesting parallel between a physical workout and a spiritual workout. My salvation is a gift, just as my physical body. Working out spiritually cannot earn my salvation, but it develops my spiritual life, just like working out physically does not make my body, but it can make a huge difference in my physical well being.

Another parallel that “hit me” while running, was that if you don’t apply yourself to physical training (like myself the last 10 years … ok 15 years), then you can lose some of your physical strength. The same is true spiritually, if you don’t apply yourself to spiritual training, then you can grow weaker spiritually.

I am grateful that I don’t have to “work for” my salvation, but I am reminded to “work out” my salvation, and prayerfully wait for God to “work in” me so that I can grow and develop spiritually “to fulfill his good purpose” in my life.

"Abba, Father"

Jesus faced troubles on the time he spent on this Earth. Now we don’t become more like Christ by simply going through troubles, but if we learn to react to those troubles as Jesus did, then God will use those troubles to transform us. Let’s see how Jesus responded to trouble …

Toward the end of his life after he had been falsely accused, rejected, and mistreated, he was preparing for his biggest challenge and that is going to the Cross … Prior to facing that ultimate challenge, he prayed the following …
36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Mark 14:36 NLT

Do you know what the phrase … “Abba Father” means? The word Abba can be translated … Daddy … Jesus in the midst of trouble and hardship turned to His Father putting his trust in the Father, the way that a small child puts their trust in their Daddy!

You know I love being a Daddy, but it has been along time since one of my kids called me Daddy. I kind of liked being Daddy that was a great time in life … when my kids were younger, because they laughed at my jokes, they thought I knew everything, and they trusted me completely. At that age, they would jump off the side of the pool into my arms, or off the side of a porch, because they trusted Daddy.

So the next time life is real tough (trouble, hardship, or suffering) … instead of asking: Why Me? And falling into a Pity Party … Remember you have Father in Heaven whom Jesus taught us by example to say … Daddy … Instead of asking “Why Me,” ask, “How can I more completely surrender my life to God, My Father … My Daddy in Heaven” – so He can use this trouble (work it toward good) to make me more like Christ!!” Do you trust your Heavenly Daddy? Do you trust that even the troubles of this life can be used by God to develop our character to become more like Christ?

Remember: “God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development.” (Rick Warren; page 173; PDL)

Learning to Be Realistic

Our church is half way through an exciting 40 day adventure, entitled A Purpose Filled Easter. We are utilizing the 40 days leading up to Easter to renew our commitment to God’s purposes in our lives and in our church. As part of this adventure, we are reading The Purpose Driven Life, written by Rick Warren.

In today’s reading, day 21 the author describes the importance of unity within the local church. In the chapter entitled Protecting Your Church a number of scriptures are referenced describing the high importance of making every effort to keep the unity of the local church.

The author talks about the importance of being realistic in our expectations of the church. In my experience, the author is right on target of how easily members of a church can be disillusioned with a church once they realize that the church and the church leaders are not perfect. (By the way, I am a poster child for that truthful statement.)

Rick Warren writes, “We must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections. Longing for the ideal while criticizing the real is evidence of immaturity. On the other hand, settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency. Maturity is living with the tension.” (Warren, The Purpose Driven Life; page 162)

I long to be mature accepting the imperfections of others within the church and yet never become complacent always striving for the ideal and seeking ways for the church to reach its full potential. My encouragement is to every reader to live within the tension that exists between the ideal and the real!

"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." (Philippians 3:12-16 NLT)