I hope everyone is having a good break so far! Today was really nice for me, because I got to go to my home church this morning, which I havent attended since Thanksgiving. I know somebody who didnt get to go to their home church this morning was our friend Brennen Sanders, who was flying to Haiti this morning. Lets all take some time today and pray for him, and his whole team from Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington, and that God will work in them and through them in unimaginably big ways during their trip. Today at my church, we sang a song which has become a favorite of mine. Its called Man of Sorrows, and its by Hillsong - heres the link if you want to hear it: youtu.be/s7ZJ5D5q54g. I like this song because I really love songs that are based out of scripture. This song reflects how Jesuss life and death fulfill a prophecy given in Isaiah 53:3-5: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (ESV) Weve all just gotten done singing Christmas carols about how holy the night Jesus was born was and lifting up his name, but Isaiah 53 reminds us that no one would have called that night holy in his time. Jesus was mocked and abused in his time, and eventually killed the way a petty criminal would be. But all of this was to glorify the Father, and also to reunite all of us with him. Even though Jesus was killed in a cruel and humiliating way, we now celebrate that cross because it means we can be changed from unacceptable to God into his children. Its like the bridge of Man of Sorrows says: Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full, by the precious blood that my Jesus spilled. Now the curse of sin has no hold on me. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:27:19 +0000