Our Easter Courtroom

Our Easter Courtroom 

Ready to face my fate, I am brought into the courtroom. Shackles around my ankles. Cuffs around my wrists. I am seated alone at the defendant's table. My individual guard close by watching my every movement.

The snake-like prosecutor looks over at me with disgust as he unloads the reams of pages he has packed in the files he has against me. Legal pads are filled with notes. He certainly has done his homework to compile my past offenses.

Just as the clock ticks the hour to begin the proceedings, the judge strolls into the courtroom. While he has a welcoming demeanor, he is intimidating at the same time. He sits down and immediately clears his throat to get down to business, "Prosecutor, are you ready to begin?"

In one slithery motion, he stands and almost gleefully replies, "I am, Your Honor." He sits giving me a withering sideways stare.

"Defense?"

I fumble to my feet. Hesitatingly, "I...uh-um...I..."

The prosecutor smiles and almost chuckles as he shuffles his reams of documents.

Silence. The tears well behind my eyes. I have nothing---

The side door to the courtroom opens and a blinding light shines in. A figure appears, and a deep voice cuts through the silence, "Your Honor." The prosecutor's smile withers at the voice, and he slinks in his seat.

The voice says, "Your Honor, I am willing to speak on this child's behalf. We are willing to admit that the accused did not lead a perfect life.--I myself can contest to how challenging that feat is to complete.--I am further willing to say that I will be responsible for all punishment that this child deserves."

"Actually, Your Honor, the accused's crimes have already been paid for long ago. The deserved death sentence...I served it."

My heart swells and the tears now flow. The prosecutor whimpers as the stack of pages disintegrate before him. 

The judge's verdict echoes as the gavel sounds, "Free to go." After these words were spoken and the gavel was dropped, the courtroom scene quickly transformed itself to a windblown hill with three crosses. As my shackles fell away, a drop of blood from the man on the cross landed at my feet and I heard the words, "It is finished."

This Easter if you haven't stepped into the eternal courtroom and trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, Redeemer, and Representation, please consider the eternal consequences. 

Prayer: Father, I am guilty, imperfect, and unworthy; yet Your love, Your grace, and Your Son are offered to me. I surrender my will and my selfishness to live my life for you, O Lord. In Jesus' Precious Name. Amen.

John 10:10 " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Explore the Power of the Checklist (2 of 2)

Explore the Power of the Checklist

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay 

Okay, so hopefully, we now have worked in time alone with God and regular Bible reading into our schedules. Please be a little creative with me as we think about how to apply lists to our Scripture reading and Bible verse memorization. 

We are not making the list with the intent that we are thinking about a one and done approach, but rather as a means of focusing our attention on each and every aspect of these verses. My intent is to really focus on the words and live them out day after day. This will also imprint each word or phrase of each verse on our hearts and minds. 

Let's start with 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter lends itself to two different lists.

Verses 1-3

• "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 
• If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
• If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

The tone shifts in this second list: (v. 4-8a)

• "Love is patient
• love is kind.
• It does not envy,
• it does not boast,
• it is not proud.
• It does not dishonor others,
• it is not self-seeking,
• it is not easily angered, 
• it keeps no record of wrongs.
• Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
• If always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
• Love never fails."

Image by Bruno/Germany from Pixabay

The following is one of my favorites and a powerful daily reminder.

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?

• To act justly, and
• to love mercy and 
• to walk humbly with your God."                             Micah 6:8

The following verse is especially powerful when facing trying times.

"Finally, brothers and sisters,

• whatever is true,
• whatever is noble, whatever is right, 
• whatever is pure, 
• whatever is lovely,
• whatever is admirable--
• if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--
• think about such things. "                                          Philippians 4:8

Father, Thank you for your Holy Word. Help me to write these verses on my heart.

Help me to focus my mind on Your Will for my life each day. In Christ's Name, Amen.

Explore the Power of the Checklist (1 of 2)

Explore the Power

of the Checklist (Part 1)

The New York Times best-seller, The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande records fascinating and compelling stories about the power of a simple checklist. In the book he recounts numerous instances in various professions in which the checklist makes individuals better at their respective fields, and in some instances these checklist help to avert catastrophic disasters.

"Good checklists... are precise. They are efficient, to the point, and easy to use even in the most difficult situations. They do not try to spell out everything--a checklist cannot fly a plane. Instead, they provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps--the ones that even the highly skilled professionals using them could miss. Good checklists are, above all, practical."

"They can help experts remember how to manage a complex process or configure a complex machine. They can make priorities clearer and prompt people to function better as a team." (Gawande)

Are we to the point as a society where we need a checklist in order to include our Creator into our daily lives?

Jesus made connecting with God a habit, a priority, an item on His daily to-do list.

Matthew 14:23

"After He had sent the crowds away, He went up  on the mountain by Himself to pray, and when it was evening, He was there alone."

Mark 1:35

"In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." 

Luke 5:16

"But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."

John 17

Jesus' prayer for his disciples and for all before being betrayed.

Jesus knew the Father. Jesus was one with the Father. Jesus, as man, took time to connect with the Father. 

Let's make sure that we put our Maker and Creator on our list of priorities each day. The list of priorities that "...provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps--the ones that even the highly skilled professionals using them could miss." 

We don't want to miss our Lord.

Father, thanks you for all of our skills, talents, and abilities. Thank you for all of our blessings. Help us to make talking with you a priority each day. In Jesus' Name. Amen