Once this morning having coffee with a friend - she was telling me about a program she had heard on the radio with Anne Grahm Lotz. She described vividly Heaven and Hell based on what the Bible says. What got me was my friend telling me how Lotz described Hell - "weeping and gnashing of teeth", she said must have been pain equivalent to child birth, or worse-for all eternity- and the feeling of falling in darkness never to land - forever. I teared up - I don't want that for anybody. That thoughts of anybody suffering in Hell would bring me to tears more often and motivate me to speak the Gospel boldly! Can I love someone enough to get over myself and my own insecurities - does Hell as a reality motivate me to tell others about Jesus???
I was brought to tears again tonight as we were doing family worship - twice. First as John was reading A Walk with Christ to the Cross by Dawson McAllister. John has had a whole set of Dawson stuff since his high school days, when he was taken through the studies, and has carried it with him from place to place all these years waiting for the time to take our kids through them. He was reading of the beating of Jesus and then on to the crucifixion - the terror of it, the horror, the agony. Unbelievable agony unlike any I could imagine, except I found myself trying to imagine it and I was brought to tears because in my mind it was horrendous and frightening and yet, it happened -and for a purpose - to reconcile a people running from God, to God.
The final tears came as we sang these words:
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit lives within me
Because You died and rose again
Amazing love, how can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true
It’s my joy to honor You
In all I do, I honor You
You are my King
You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
You are my King
In all I do, to honor You,
In all I do, Let me honor You.
I must admit that until today, Easter had not been on my mind - it has been a full and difficult couple of months and my mind has been anything but clear. But today - and I am so thankful - today my mind was brought back to clarity, and thankfulness, and undeserved forgiveness and grace.
Today, I tasted the bitterness of the cross and the sweetness of reconciliation.
HE IS RISEN!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
To God be the glory.
4 comments:
Amen, my sister. He is risen indeed!
Praying for you...
Thanks for sharing this, Heather.
Thanks for sharing too Heather. Wish we could be there for amazing times like these!
That was a very special family time and I am very glad I was there to share it. You and John are doing a fantastic job of teaching your children how to lead Christ-centered lives.
Love, Mom F
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