we are the body

HE IS RISEN! 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah is a word translated the same in all languages and a word we'll be saying all of eternity together. Thank You, Jesus, for making it possible to spend eternity with you. How You lived a life I can never live and died the death I deserved is something I'll never grasp. For that I am forever grateful. 

Our journey didn't end at the cross. We continue to shine His light on earth until He returns. I found this song and I've replayed it a thousand times. It fits with what our life now looks like after the resurrection of our Savior. We are the body of Christ and we reach out to the least of these. 

We are the body of the most high

We are the bride of the Savior

And we fall for the king of the Kingdom

As we sing the songs of salvation

And we stand for those that cannot stand for themselves

And we love the loveless

And we go where Your light's not shining

We are the body of Christ

We shine like a city on a hilltop

We boast in the Spirit living in us

And we march on a road leading to freedom

As we reach out our hands to the fallen

And we bring living water to the thirsty

And we live for the One who was and is and is to come 

So our life counts for something greater than ourselves

We are the body of Christ

And our anthem will be a song of praise to the King 

"He is worthy, He is worthy"

With one voice we will sing 

"Where oh death where is your sting"

He is mighty, He is mighty

jesus paid it all, all to him I owe

Last Sunday, I began a time of reflection in the life of Jesus. The message given at church was titled 'Jesus' Message to Us in His Death'. There was certainly a message for us in His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus gave us a powerful word of warning, love, grace, and authority. 'It is finished' are several of my favorite words. Those words motivate me to jump on a pew at church and scream 'IT IS FINISHED'! It is finished for us! The fight has been won. Victory is His. 

Doing some normal blog reading during the week, I came across Jen Hatmaker's entry on Easter. Please go read immediately because it will break you. Break you in a beautiful way. Here's a link. 

If you've read that, I'm guessing you're in tears. 

It almost makes me range with anger at the way our society has taken Christmas and Easter and turned them into these go-get-a-pretty-dress-eat-candy-and-go-to-church-with-your-family holidays. After the anger comes tears of brokenness. For there's no depth to why we celebrate Christmas or Easter. Don't we know God has made a way for us? That He made us alive in Christ this week thousands of years ago? Where did this stupid bunny rabbit and plastic eggs come into place? It breaks my heart. 

This Easter, I want to see myself broken at the feet of Jesus. 

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat, this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Matthew 26:26-28

His blood was poured out like a drink offering for me. He did what no lamb, goat, or cow blood could do for us. He carried and bore our sins upon a cross. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins. By His wounds we are healed. I can say those words over and over and still be full of tears. Tears of sadness knowing that my Jesus was mocked, humiliated, spit on, carried a heavy cross, and took away my sin. When I didn't even know Him yet! Even then, He still choose to take the suffering.  

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Because He took my fall, I'm His forever. Not because I'm obligated to, that's where free will comes in. He made the way so I choose to follow it all the days on this earth. A verse that takes heart with me is in Acts 20:24. Paul is speaking to the elders in Ephesus. He's illustrating his life and what it means to him. Acts 20:24 says, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God". My life does not mean anything to me unless it is being used for His glory. The last thing Jesus said to his disciples was to go therefore into all nations and make disciples. My life, your life has purpose! Bringing glory to God! When I'm finished here, I may live forever with Him. What a glorious glorious day that will be! 

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

I not positive our society will change as long I am alive. I know this earth will always be this earth until Jesus rescues His faithful followers. I also know one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10). Every knee that refused to turn to Him and continued their selfish ways will bow one day. I know every tongue that professed the name of Jesus into the ends of the earth will sing His praises at His courts one day. The bunny and Santa Claus won't matter then. Knowing that lets the anger and sadness fade and the hope set in. There is hope in the cross. There is power in the cross. 

Believe it. Be broken at His feet. See His nail scarred hands. Have hope in the cross. 

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Jesus

lets die

One day at Life Is Hope last summer, one of the kids, played with my watch. Somehow he managed to set an alarm at 1:00 a.m. I never fixed it because it felt like a memory I didn't want to be fixed. I love the irony of this because the Haiti team of 15 met at the church at 1:00 a.m. Friday morning to set out on another trip to Haiti. God knew Milliot would set an alarm at the same time I would make a second trip to the place I had been mesmerized. 

The week came and went in a blink of an eye. I always wonder why I keep going back because of how heartbreaking the goodbyes are. It was amazing to say the least. 

Everytime I am serving God, I learn to die to myself. We are called to die to our selfish needs to serve others in everything they need. The team helped lay a foundation of an orphanage being extended so the kids can have more space than they have now. We formed a line to pass buckets of cement and I forgot to bring work gloves. Therefore, my hands became filthy of cement. I looked at my hands and remembered the prayer I prayed that morning. "Lord, let me be Your hands and feet today. Use me in anyway You need today." He used me and my hands were dirty. When we serve Jesus, our hands get dirty and our feet get scraped. This is dying to myself. My hands are not my own. I am not my own. I am His forevermore. 

Come on. Lets die. 

Die to ourselves so that Christ's glorious light may shine through us. 

He is so worth it. 

An encouraging thing said to me was, 'Don't let it end here.' God called me to Haiti a week last summer, a week this spring, and an entire summer. But I'm here in Mississippi now. Wherever I am is my mission field. There is no doubt I miss Haiti so much more than I should but I understand I am here to glorify Him here and now. 

So excited to work with Praying Pelican Missions in Haiti this summer. 

Jouk lè pwochen, mwen manke ou!