Our sin must be extremely horrible....

Our sin must be extremely horrible. Nothing reveals the gravity of sin like the cross. For ultimately what sent Christ there was neither the greed of Judas, nor the envy of the priests, not the vacillating cowardice of Pilate, but our own greed, envy, cowardice, and other sins, and Christ’s resolve in love and mercy to bear their judgment and so put them away.

It is impossible for us to face Christ’s cross with integrity and not feel ashamed of ourselves. Apathy, selfishness, and complacency blossom everywhere in the world except at the cross. There these noxious weeds shrivel and die. There they are seen for the tatty, poisonous things they are. For if there was no way by which the righteous God could righteously forgive our unrighteousness, except that he should bear it himself in Christ, it must be serious indeed…

                                                                   --from The Cross of Christ (John Stott [passed away yesterday])

Dirty Hands

Today I did a long ride up to Caledon and back. The whole trip was more than three hours. As I was riding back, there was a strong head wind. Despite all the pedaling, it felt like I wasn't going anywhere. I never felt so happy to see the Welcome sign to my city.

On the way back, I noticed my hands were particularly dirty. They must have smudged from the duct tapes on the handle bar.

Then I thought about my hands before the Lord. On Wed at prayer meeting, I was sharing (confessing) about how often I would worship the Lord with dirty hands.

I was referring to the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:23-24):

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

I was sharing that there were times when I worship the Lord and I was fully aware a brother had something against me or I had something against him. I didn't stop worshiping and make peace. Instead, I worshiped with dirty hands. (Side note: notice that Jesus just said...if a brother has something against you. It doesn't matter who is right and who is wrong. He just stated if a relationship requires reconciliation, just go do it regardless if you are right or you are wrong.)

And boy, was my hands ever dirty! My offerings were nothing but filthy rags before the eyes of the Lord.

How much the Lord hate this? Take a look at Isaiah 1:13-16 when the Lord accused the Israelites of false worship:

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!

Your incense is detestable to me.

New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—

I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts

my soul hates.

They have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.

When you spread out your hands in prayer,

I will hide my eyes from you;

even if you offer many prayers,

I will not listen.

Your hands are full of blood;

With Good Friday just pass and Easter Sunday around the corner, I thought about the cross and Jesus. He was the ultimate sacrifice that cleansed me.

I come to the Lord not with my accomplishments or my 'great' deeds. The Lord will have none of this. My hands are already dirty. So dirty. It is detestable in His eyes.

Quite the opposite, I come to the Lord with the list that made me dirty. People I have wrong and my willingness to rebel and disobedience. It is at this time I have Jesus, the lamb of God, the high Priest, the righteous one who died for the ungodly, who took my place for the wrath from our Lord.

And I rejoice! Because of all the things I mess up and those I know I cannot fix no matter how hard I try, I have a Savoir who took care of that for me.

AMEN!!!

[Addition]

Lord, I don't mind riding my bike with dirty hands.

Please convict and discipline me so when I come before your throne, I come with clean hands.

Easter, Cross, Surprise by Grace

At my church, every Good Friday we have a morning service.

Last year, before the Good Friday service I was doing hill repeats (running up and down a hill). It was at that point I told myself, 'I hope whenever I think about the Cross, I will always be in awe.'

Last night at fellowship we were sharing how the Cross impact us from a year or two ago.

It is amazing when I was shown by past experience. My own pain and my fault. Do I started to take in as to what I learn at Church.

Last Sept, I went to Australia to participate in the World Transplant Games. Afterwards, I backpacked for two weeks. There was one passage that convicted me. It was Romans 5:6-11. Here's the post reflecting on that experience.

It was that passage and reflecting of my pasts that God shown me how helpless I was. Not only did I act against Him. But the active enjoyment of rebelling against the Holy One that hurt even more.

I was broken. My hands were dirty. There's nothing I can do to mend things. And at this point of despair that I looked up and caught the glimpse of the redeeming power of the Cross. It was Jesus who had to died on the Cross. His death, a shameful death, is the only solution for a justly God to deal with our sins. Jesus had to bear the Father's wrath for us so that we can stand right before God.

It was at the exact time I was rejoicing. Jesus done everything that needed to be done. For why Jesus would bear the death on a cross for such a worthless soul like me, I will never know. But all I can see before my teary eyes is a God that is merciful, full of love and gentleness. Indeed, He is my Abba Father.

A reckless Father who will stop at nothing to reconcile His enemies (me!). Even to the point of giving up His only Son.

Until the Holy Spirit brought me to a low low place where I stood among the darkness of my sins, I could not comprehend the saving power of the Cross. It was at the point where I had no where to go. When conviction overwhelm my pride and my ego. The conviction of the truth of my nature. God revealed His awesome power of Grace.

I was startled.

I rejoice!

Once again, I pray to my Father that I will never forget the sight of the Cross. That despite all my inequities...

When I am selfish.

When I judge others.

When I think I am better or more important than them.

When I give them the cold shoulder because I have something against them.

When I lie to move ahead.
When I am the rich man and forgot about Lazarus.

When I am the rich fool who build a bigger barn.

When I am a Pharisee.

When I indulged in drunkenness.

When I cursed.

When I brought shame to Christ.

When I am self righteous.

That the power of the Cross still overwhelm. Because our Father is graceful. No matter how far I run away from Him. It will never be far from His reach. And His Grace is ever amazing.

AMEN!

A promise of God's Grace: A Prodigal God

I've been listening to Tim Keller's sermons on the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) for the past week. Today I loaded all of them up on my dad's iPod Shuffle (I am testing it for him :P) and hit the trails.

One of Tim's sermons was entitled, The True Older Brother (Luke 15:17-32).

To give a quick background of the parable, the older brother represents the Pharisees. Tim then pointed out that Jesus is speaking to his enemies (the Pharisees).

This is a transcript taken at around 26 min mark in the sermon:

The very end of this story is wonderful....because we don't just see the father pleading to his older son. We see Jesus Christ pleading with his enemies....to the people who are going to kill Him...and what does He do?

Does He say, 'you bast**d!'

Does he scream at them? Does he yell at them?

Listen to it, 'my son, my child. I know you try hard. I know you work very hard.

On the one hand, this parable is a punch between the eye.

You don't understand the very purpose of the Father. You think you are close to God.

Don't you understand everybody lost here. You have good people lost and bad people lost. Everyone is lost....

He is not pulling any punches. Yet He is so tender. He is so patient.

.....

Jesus didn't fight back. Just like the father react to the older brother in the parable, He pleaded with them. He asked them to come back.

And who else are Jesus' enemies? You and I.

Tim brought Romans 5:8-10

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Then it dawned on me. I can recall those times when I was the older brother. The smugness of being a Christian. Looking down at those who do not know the Lord. Or at church, looking down at others because they aren't 'strong' Christian. Or using my Bible knowledge to shot someone down to boost my pride. Asking the Lord, why is this person getting xyz when I have been so faithful.

Oh the anger of the older brother. The fury of the older brother. The rebellion nature of the older brother. I was there. I've been there.

And yet, what did Jesus do to me? He didn't scold me. Nor did He punished me. He didn't even struck me down. He didn't ask for me to pay Him back (not that I can). He was gentle. He was patient. He pleaded with me. He even gave me ministry for His Will.

What did the father say to the older son in the Parable?

..you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.. (Luke 15:31b)

Everything the Father has is mine. Wow. Materially I might not have much. But this is the heavenly Father we are speaking. The glorious riches that is hidden in the eyes of this world.

And really at the end of the day, what do I really seek...the reconciliation of a broken relationship with the Father. And Jesus already mend that. He mended it on the cross.

And here's the ironic twist. For God to reconcile us, His enemies, back to fellowship with Him, He had to severed the relationship with His very own Son:

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

When I heard that, I was filled with tears.

How can a God be so generous for the younger brother and the older brother?

It took one righteous man to die for the unrighteous. A innocent lamb has to be slain for the guilt of the world.

And I have the privilege of being in a relationship with a Father that have so much grace, it overflows.

At the sight of the Cross, I see my sins that cause Jesus to bleed and die such a humiliating death.

I cry.

Because there is no other way.

At the sight of the Cross, I see a reckless God that is willing to do anything and everything to bring me back to Him.

I rejoice.

Because He considered me more worthy than all the stars in the universe.

And who am I to deserve such riches beyond comprehension!

Humiliation and affirmation on the cross..nothing else!