Amazing Love - How Can It Be???

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

Struggling with my strongholds was now a daily affair … I got sick of myself because I had no one to talk to … nobody would address the issues I had. I couldn’t go back to God with the kind of guilt I held. I mean, what face did I have to go back to Him? Staying away from God’s Word kept me weak and lost. I hated myself … hated who I had become … I needed help! Where could I go???

Fighting my feelings of guilt and disgust, I closed my eyes and wept … I had to do something … didn’t know if I could run back to my Savior. All of a sudden I could hear someone snore. I looked around but was shocked to find myself in a place I had never been to before. I looked around and found 3 people fast asleep. Then I heard someone talking. When I went over to look, I found this man kneeling down and praying. He was saying something about a cup and “your will be done” and I couldn’t understand what was going on. There was something about him that was familiar but I didn’t seem to be able to put my finger on it. As I looked closely, I saw him crying. He was sweating blood! I got scared! I heard a lot of commotion. By the time I realized what had happened, I saw the soldiers take this man away. It was Jesus! Dear God, it was Jesus!!!

I was so scared. What was happening? Where was I? I was in the garden of Gethsemane. What on earth was I doing there??? I ran behind the soldiers but couldn’t catch up. I looked for a place to stay that night and found some people sit around a fire. I heard them say that “Jesus” was under trial the next day. I had to go … I had to see what was going on.

I found my way to the palace but it was too late … I heard the crowds scream – “Crucify him! Crucify him!” – Dear God don’t let this happen I prayed but in a flash, the soldiers took my Lord away. I ran after them…

They tied my Lord to a pole and tore His clothes off. “No!” I screamed. But nobody heard me. They laughed at him and said mean things … one guy even spat on Jesus’ face. Why was He keeping quiet? Why couldn’t He snap back? Then I saw the most horrible looking man come forward and put on His head, what seemed like a crown of thorns. He put it on His head and pressed it down hard. Blood began to flow. One drop at a time and my Lord’s face was covered with blood. I had to do something … But what could I???

They dragged my Lord and took Him out in to the open for all the people to see. Another soldier came forward and he had a very weird looking whip with him. There was a lead ball with a really sharp hook to it. Before I could wonder what he intended to do with it, I saw him thrash my God with it. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” I heard Him scream! He thrashed Him again! “Aaaaaaaaaa…” This time, I saw pieces of flesh stripped off His body. “Leave Him alone! Oh please leave Him alone” I began to cry. No one heard me. I begged for someone to help but no one came forward. The guys who were with Him the previous night refused to recognize Him. How could this be? “Leave Him alone” I cried again. But there was only one person who took notice of me. His eyes locked with mine, and while the soldier continued to tear the flesh off my Lord, He looked at me and smiled!

What had I done? I realized that should’ve been me…. Not Him! Christ was innocent … it should’ve been me!!! Battered and weak my Lord had to pick up the cross. It seemed like it weighed a ton. I ran to Him and cried “stop it Jesus. I’m sorry … just stop it”. He put the cross down for a brief moment, brought my head to His chest and said “shhhhh… it’ll be alright”. A soldier came and dragged me away while flogging my Lord again. “Leave Him please, He’s doing this for me” I said. But no one bothered.

I couldn’t watch any more. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” I heard Him scream louder. “Aaaaaa” I heard Him again. They nailed Him … they nailed my Lord to the cross!!! As they raised the cross to position, a soldier lost balance and the cross came crashing down, with my Lord flat on His face. “Jesus!!!!!!” I shouted. “Father, help me” I heard Him say. But no aid came to Him. When the cross was finally in place, it seemed like Jesus was struggling to even breathe. How could He? Every drop was His blood was already shed. I knew He was in pain but I could do nothing. “Forgive them” I heard Him say. How could He even say that? “My Lord, my Lord, why have You forsaken me?” I heard Him shout out to heaven. And then I knew it was time. One last drop of blood flew to the ground as I heard Him commit His spirit to the Father. The sky turned dark … it was as if the sun turned its face away. “My Jesus is dead”. I started weeping and crying. That should’ve been me! That should’ve been me! I kept holding on to my strongholds and refused to repent. My sin had to be punished but my Lord took it on to Himself. What had I done??? What had I done??? It should’ve been me!!!

I should’ve been crucified! He took my place!!!

There was pin drop silence; No one around except two guards. A BIG stone covered the tomb. Three days had passed since my Lord was laid in there. I just sat outside not knowing what to do. Suddenly I saw a bright shining light radiating from the tomb. What was happening? I ran up to see that the stone was rolled away and my Lord walked out. He is Risen!

I ran to Him and He took me in His arms! I said “Jesus I’m sorry for all I have done”. He said, “That’s ok sweety! It is over now! You are mine!” Here I stood, gazing at the man Who loved me beyond comprehension! “How could You do this Jesus? How could You die in my place? I should’ve been crucified” I said. He looked at me with love and compassion in His eyes and said, “I know that is why I took your place. You are mine. Nothing can separate us now”. “Didn’t you get scared? How could you go through the cross?” I asked Him. “Simple” He said smiling at me, “Above all, I thought of you!!!”

While I was still a sinner, Christ died for me and that is reason enough for me to live.

I woke up with a start. It all seemed so real.

I knelt down before the Lord and said, “Jesus, I am Yours!”

Dream or no dream I’ll never know. But one thing is for sure. After what He did for me, nothing can separate me from His love now. As I agreed to surrender myself to Him that day, He agreed to hold my hand and break all of my strongholds and baggage away!

I should have been crucified
I should have suffered and died
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace
But Jesus, God's Son, took my place

By Faith

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would LATER receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going (Hebrews 11:8)

This verse made me look back in to my own life …How I keep doubting in my Lord’s plans for me just because they are not immediate … Did He not say – “Blessed are those who do not see, yet believe”???

There are so many times in our lives when we want, what we want, when we want it … talk about being spoilt … but it most often than not does not happen that way. We have our plans and our own goals to reach but they do not always materialize. Does this mean we’re losers? Does it mean we don’t have it in us to accomplish what we have set ahead of ourselves? Does it mean God doesn’t care??? Heck No!!!   

Our God cares so much for us that He agreed to go through 33yrs of His life, knowing full well that His destiny was on the cross of Calvary so that you and I could look forward to a life with Him in Paradise. Most of us brush away His sacrifice thinking to ourselves – okay He died … hey He is God isn’t He … He could do it.  But dear friends, the fact will remain that Christ was completely God and completely man! It wasn’t easy for Him to endure the cross … especially knowing how horrendous it would be! Just thinking about it freaks me out … and to think that my Lord chose to do it for me. The Bible (NIV) records that just before He was arrested, Christ fell to the ground and asked God to take this cup (death on the cross) away from Him … yet prayed that it be not His own will but the will of God alone. The cross wasn’t easy for Him. And when we as Christians are asked to deny ourselves and bear our cross (Matt 16:24), what makes you think its going to be a cake walk? Understand this friends, things do not always go our way and most often than not, they will not. But the fact will always remain that when we walk in His strength, you will indeed see that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt 11:30)

Over the years, I have learnt and understood that it is when I, like Abraham trust God intoto, that my faith is manifested in to my miracle!

The fact remains - We have our hope, our future and our security in Christ alone!!! :D