I believe this.
Jesus had to die to be able to accomplish His mission.
The means by which He died offered a lasting picture of seemingly barbaric destruction.
That's the world for you sometimes.
But in the spiritual realms his death had a major purpose.
It was part of the mission set by a father for his cherished son.
A mission that was accomplished while Jesus was on earth, a mission that succeeded to brilliantly allow every person a secure way to be in relationship with the same father, a father who is desperate for us to be his children.
That's Jesus for you.
Jesus once said, "And I know that His command brings eternal life. What I say then, is what the father has told me to say." (John 12: 50)
He must have been in the most incredible depth of relationship with his father to listen to and then speak his words.
He followed those instructions even to the point off barbaric destructive death.
What grace.
What an example.
What beauty.
Yesterday morning I met with the police. They are worried about a homeless lad who comes to our Corps everyday. This lad is on the face of it a lost cause. He habitually engages in criminal activity. He frequently tells me "Gaz I'm indestructible." People in our community have loved him, prayed for him, given a lot to him. Two years on, there hasn't been any breakthrough. He is spiralling towards oblivion.
Our mission to save him from destruction feels more and more like it's failing.
It feels tiresome.
Yesterday I felt a bit useless in our mission to bring this guy into the kingdom.
Yet.
Jesus didn't give up in his mission. Even though death had to be part of it.
So this morning on good Friday.
I fall to my knees and refresh my resolve to tirelessly never give up on the mission God has set us.
And I simply throw the same challenge out on to the cyber lands today.
To the church, never give up. Never lose heart in our mission. Rise today and keep going in the midst of a world in which many are far from God.
Listen for the voice of the Father, up your relationship with him. Act on his word his instruction. Don't give up. Make sure we chase lost causes. Chase them harder. Allow the death of Jesus fire a passion within us for the accomplishment of our mission. Be prepared to do whatever it takes. Even to die.
Never give up.
Advance the war.
Seek the lost.
Use your God given character to save the lost. don't follow the plans of religion but follow Jesus.
Advance into unknown territory with Jesus. He is holding your right hand.
Die with him today.
Die to apathy.
Die to unbelief..
Die to distrust.
Die to separation from him.
Join him in his ongoing mission to save mankind from missing out in a saviour.
Let today resonate and inspire. transform and heal. Motivate and compel us to the war, to the mission field.
Massive blessings
