there is always a friday...

i feel protected today, this weekend, this holiday.

after being broken, feeling destitute and out of luck i came to a place where i finally gave up...and in that place i began to experience the grace and mercy of God in new ways.

today is a holiday that is better than every other holiday...this sunday is a holiday that screams hope and power.

there is hope in my life, despite what things appear to be...

time after time, there is hope that appears in scripture despite what the circumstances look like, especially as we get to look back into these accounts given.  how many times did Jesus heal the lame or the blind.  how many lepers did He make clean.  how many people held captive to a demon or possibly worse yet, their self image, did Jesus set free?

this weekend though as i looked back on the crucifixion and the events surrounding that time i was forced to think about the disciples.

the disciples didn't have the luxury of looking back like i do.  the disciples saw Jesus arrested and became fearful.  some lied while others fled.  some went back to their hometowns and places of work.  in one of his better sermons tony campolo described this as a friday.  we call it good friday.  we all have fridays don't we?

i have had a pretty long friday.  some of you have had pretty long fridays.  there are more fridays to come...there is always a friday.

but here is where the hope comes in...because we get to see backwards, we get to see that no matter how bad friday looks...even if we see all our dreams buried in a tomb...sunday is coming.

and on sunday, there is power!  on sunday there is a resurrection.  on sunday there is new life.  on sunday there is healing.  on sunday there is our Creator, waiting like a father with open arms to welcome us back home.

check this out from ephesians 1

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come

there are so many levels this applies, from our lives today to all eternity, and while it may be a friday...sunday is here!  and this truth leads me to want to worship my creator for all He does on friday when i cant see it and for every bit of sunday i get look back on.


Jesus paid it all video - http://youtu.be/brVIlXlJRkQ

Tony Campolo - http://youtu.be/UcbKWT10z34