Jesus' Purpose and Passion

Resurrection Day - 2011

Jesus is passionate about revealing the Father. He was that way every day of His life on earth. And He didn't suffer an unjust, bloody death in public shame just to make things OK with us. He did it to reveal the truth about a Heavenly Father who loves with a vengeance- who loves to death. And He did it to bust out the way into an intimate relationship with Himself and with God the Father- inviting us to enter into the intimate, private relationship THEY share as Father and Son. THAT is the relationship He invites us into. Not just to help us through the struggle- Oh, you get that for sure- absolutely for sure! But WAY more than that! 

You are invited into the very secret place of intimacy that Jesus shares with the Father today in Heaven. Its not just the Father and Son, its the Father the Son and you!  Jesus is passionate about that.  The passionate, purposeful path to death that Jesus took was the rescue of mankind FROM the sin that chained him, and INTO a loving, intimate, unafraid, one on one, everything you ever wanted, or dared to believe, relationship with our Heavenly Dad.

Give Jesus what he is most passionate for. Let His words, His impressions, His whispers, His affections, His kisses, let them soak... deeply... into... your very spirit...  And let your spirit spring alive; welling up in tears of beautiful joy, in laughter... giddy, wide open cries of laughter, and sloppy, snorting, deep, deep joy- because you are knowing the One, The One who loves you in your deepest places, and always has, and always will.

Zep 3:15,17  "The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more.  He is mighty to save. He exults over you with joy, He rests in His love, He rejoices over you with shouts of joy."

Psa 18:31-35 "For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless? 

He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places. 

He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great."

Friday a Thief... Sunday a King

It's Good Friday- Death is about to die

Greater love no one could ever show
Mercy so undeserved, freedom I should not know
All my sin, all of my hidden shame
Died with Him on the cross, eternity won for us

This is Jesus in His glory

King of Heaven dying for me

It is finished, He has done it

Death is beaten, Heaven beckons me

-today's blog title is a lyric from John Mark McMillan's song "Death in his grave"

Days of Lemt - Day Seven

He's Just Uncontrollable


I'll admit it. I love my church. We have a cool Wednesday night meeting called Clarity. Its supposed to be for middle and high schoolers, but all the Jesus Freaks are just taking it over now, so its pretty uncontrollable.  


During a time of worship, I had this image- how Jesus knows us with this precision because he knows what he made when he made us. And he can completely disarm us when he speaks a word to our hearts because He knows exactly what he made us to reflect, what he made us to respond to... how he shaped us perfectly to fit together with him in certain ways- very specific ways that he whispers to us, and then we're just undone. 


Then... like he didn't just speak the most personal, perfect word, that felt like a secret that no one knew, not even ourselves - he splashes love on us like paint from a bucket splashed up against the wall... followed by more buckets of sloppy, stupid, gushes of paint that cover us and make us slip and fall down in the mess of colors that don't even match.  


What is up with Jesus? He's brilliantly personal and sincere, and careful with your heart like you've never experienced before, and then He's a gusher of laughter and song, spinning over you with love and giggles. How do you explain a Jesus like that? Well, I just did.




1 Peter 4:8 "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."