RANT RAV!NGS 2013 - Righting societal atrocities...since 1981.

Wounded Lamb

One of my Easter traditions is to watch The Passion of the Christ on Good Friday.

Although it's filled with intense visuals, I want to see in full the extent of Jesus' love for me. 

And I think the verse the movie opens with sets up the story perfectly.

 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53 has so many great passages on Jesus' death.

Here's a few that really impact me:

³ He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.

And verse 7 portrays the striking image of a "lamb" being destroyed:

 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.

Finally, verse 10 reminds us that God was the One that originally planned it this way. He knew exactly how high the price was to redeem us from Lucifer's ownership: His Son.

 ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes ^[c] his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

In the crucifixion scene, Mel Gibson wanted the close-up shots to feature his hand hammering the spikes into Jesus.

I guess he wanted to emphasize the fact that because of our sin, we all had a part in nailing His flesh to the wood.

We can never thank our wounded Lamb enough for making all things new.

And one day soon, we will see our Lamb coming as a Lion.

Praying Nationally

Today, Christians across the States are participating in the National Day of Prayer, an annual day set aside to petition the Throne for one central issue: His mercy on our country.

The National Day of Prayer Task Force further defines the event:

[O]n the 58th National Day of Prayer...millions will unite in prayer as thousands of events will take place from coast to coast. The theme for this year is "Prayer... America's Hope" and is based on the verse from Psalm 33:22 which states: "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you."

On their website, there's also a feature called 7x7, which is basically a prayer guide for 7 areas of need over one week: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.

Over the last 20 years, Presidents have reverenced this event with honor. Though it had been a floating holiday since 1952, President Regan officially set the holiday on the first Thursday in May.

George W. Bush made the day a huge event at the White House, inviting Christian leaders to a ceremony in the East Room in the White House.

Our current President?

Not so much.

Praise For Life

From Psalm 104 (emphasis mine):

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
       may the LORD rejoice in his works-

32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
       who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
       I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
       as I rejoice in the LORD.

35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
       and the wicked be no more.
       Praise the LORD, O my soul.
       Praise the LORD.

Verses 33 and 34 reference a lifestyle of praise, and I was really convicted and strengthened at the same time as I read this. Convicted, because He deserves so much more praise than we ever could give Him at our best, but significantly more than we ever give Him at our worst. But reading about the power of our Lord also serves to strengthen us. We can rest secure in the limitless power of our God!

Spiritual Amnesia

In this week's installment of the sermon series "I Am Not Forgotten", Pastor Dino Rizzo explained how the enemy wants us to contract a serious form of "spiritual amnesia" when it comes to remembering all the things that God has done for us in the past:

All of the miracles.
All of the breakthroughs.
All of the healings.
All of the provision.

37 Months

On this day last month I observed the three year anniversary of my seizure. I stood in disbelief as the calendar indicated that 36 months had passed since that fateful summer day in Destin on August 12, 2003. For a few moments in the wee hours of the morning, the synapsis in my brain misfired and my system malfunctioned. But for God alone I would not still be here. Remembering this day each year helps me stay humble, thankful, and really hits the reset button on my perspective and reminds me that His grace is enough for me.

Foolishness

How foolish it is to try and go through an entire day without praying. Why do we do this to ourselves? In this late hour in history, it's like suicide to attempt to live life without proper preparation for the spiritual battles of the day. Sometimes I try to justify this madness with the idea that I may be staying around the house one day. "It's not like I'm going to see anybody today, I'm just cleaning my room." But prayer is so much more than just seeking strength to deal with external circumstances. This sacred time in the secret place grows strength on the inside to stand against temptation.