What A Beautiful Savior

Sometimes I just don't understand how I can ignore who Jesus is and what He has done in my life.  I went to Penn State ready to do whatever I wanted.  But low and behold God had other plans.  Life altering plans.  Life crushing and restoring plans.  

I think the most amazing part of the change is that it was and has been and I believe will be better than anything my pathetic mind could have even remotely conjured.  

As I think about who He is, I find myself filled with a desire to proclaim His glory.  So on this day of Easter, I hope you don't mind.  These are some verses that amaze me each time I read them - feel free to click on the links and check them out.  I just wanna brag on my Lord...

Isaiah 9 : 2 - 6

 ² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. ⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 52 : 13 through Isaiah 53

¹³ See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. ¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— ¹⁵ so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53

 ¹ Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the laughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?  For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. 

 

Who is like Him?      Nobody. 

He was who He said he was. 

John 4 : 25-26 :  ²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” ²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

He did in fact do what He said He did.

I will never forget when my dear friend (Greg Boros) said that during one of our Bible studies at Penn State, and that phrase (He was who He said He was and did what He said He did) always reminds me that Jesus wasn't messing around.  He was either telling us something very very true or telling us something very very false. 

I believe with everything that is in me that He was telling the truth because He is the Truth.  So as I go get some sleep before I spend the day thinking and bragging on my Lord, I ask you to think about the same things I am.  Think about the love of God that He would send His Son to do these things for us, a broken people.

I mean really - if He was who He said He was and did what He said He did, your world should be rocked like mine with a desire for living water.  Come on - what else could you even consider doin' right now?

The Public Library

I am shocked it has taken me this long to write about one of my favorite things in the world.  I don't know how it happened, and I don't know why it didn't happen sooner, but I fell in love with the freedom and promise offered to me by the public library and have never regretted a second of it.

It's hard to hate on free entertainment.  Now I understand that we do in fact pay for it with our taxes, but the last time I checked not paying your taxes was pretty much illegal.  So even though it isn't technically free, I feel like my obligation to paying taxes makes me feel like it is.  Therefore, I refuse to have my hopes squashed.

I have consistently had at least one item checked out for almost two years now.  These items range from standard books - always hard cover if I can help it - to audio books.  (Yes, I do in fact love audio books.)  I also make a living watching classic movies on DVD.  The demand for new movies at the library is typically too much to wait for, but since the thoughts and pressures of society tend to piss me off anyway, I really don't have a problem watching current movies on a one or two year delay.  If a movie was good in the first place it will continue to be good a year or ten later.  

Let's address the pros and cons of the public library:

PROS:  You can check out a DVD for free for a week.  You can check out a book for free for a month.  They also send reminder emails when you have things due - so you don't really have to worry about late fees unless you just don't check your email.  They even allow you to renew your stuff online, and unless no one has requested your copy you can keep it for the same amount of time longer.  What could be bad about this?

CONS:  I know the public library has a stigma.  But I also don't care about what people think very much.  As is evidence by my outfit here.  (shout out to Cam with the link usage)  There are no other true cons.  Just stereotypes and singularly bad experiences.

Though it is not too deep or in depth, I hope my love for the public libraries of America has been conveyed in even the smallest way, and I hope you go get a membership.  

Because seriously, what else are you doin' right now?

Christian Athletes

I am so excited to be going to the Dominican Republic because I can't wait to see people in a different part of the world who know and love and worship the same God that I do.  It blows my mind that all across this planet there are people who share my beliefs.  I think this same love is what makes me seek out other Christians within the media and on television.  

That's probably why I love rooting for Christian athletes.  I feel like we are on the same team.  I feel like the success they experience is shared by the all of the Christians across the world.  Perhaps that is taking it a little too far.  Perhaps those thoughts are strange.  But I still cheer relentlessly for those that I know are serving the Lord with their gifts.

I remember when Josh Hamilton was in the Home Run Derby and hit 28 home runs in one round.  It was one of the most amazing unimportant sports moments I have ever seen.  Unimportant because it was a home run derby which has no meaning beyond personal success.  Amazing because of what was happening.  He was replicating his swing in a way that enabled him to consistently hit inconsistently thrown slow pitches out of a Major League ballpark.  He had overcome drug addiction just a year before and was now displaying his talent and brute strength in front of a national audience.

At that point he had NO worldly reason to acknowledge anyone but himself. 

But he did.  He continually - through awkward interviews and situations - gave all the credit to Jesus Christ.  Not just God - Jesus.  What a complete rebel.  So many other people would have taken all of the credit.  But he gave credit to the God that created every quark of every proton of every atom of every molecule of every cell of the body he used to hit each and every one of those home runs.  

And all the while I felt like I was on his team - standing "beside" him as he made claims to what I also believe is true.  That Christ was who He said He was and did in fact do what He said He did.

 

So go find those people fighting for the cause with their gifting.  We really are one body - many members - praising one glorious and graceful God.  I mean really - what else are you doin' right now?