Shhh, They're Singing.

     Sorry it has been a while since my last post. It is the end of the school year and things get pretty busy.

     Have you ever been to an elementary school chorus concert? How about a middle school band performance? If you have and you were honest, you would have to say that the "music" you heard was, shall we say, less than quality. Yet, invariably, after it is over the parents will all be praising their little one's virtuosity. Why is this? They had to have heard the same music, why do they think it was so good? The answer is simple, they weren't listen to some band or chorus, they were listening to their child. Nothing sounds better to a parent than the sound of their child performing.

     The Bible tells us to, "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." It doesn't say to sing beautifully or even decently. In fact, it doesn't even say anything about music. It says to make noise. When we sing to God, that is what it really is, noise. God is surrounded by heavenly beings with angelic voices, we can't compare with that. Yet, when we raise our voices in praise to Him, He silences the heavens to listen. Why? Because His children are singing. God doesn't require polished performances, all He wants is true, heartfelt worship. When we do that, we can be assured that He will stop and point and say, "Do you hear that? My children are singing."

Did It Hurt?

     Travel with me beyond this mortal existence as we follow a man on his trip to heaven. When he first arrives he is awed by all of the sights he sees. In the course of looking around  he finds his way to the very throne room of God. There he finds himself standing in front of the risen Lord. In awe he falls to his knees, overwhelmed to be in the presence of Jesus. From his knees he notices something a little out of place on the ground just behind Jesus. There, on the ground, is a bloodied robe and a twisted crown of thorns.

     Instantly images of all Jesus went through on His way to the cross flash through his mind. He sees Jesus beaten, mocked, and whipped. He sees Jesus trudging toward Calvary under the weight of the cross. He sees the nails driven through flesh, bone, and wood. Lastly, he sees Jesus die.

     The words escape his lips before he can stop them, "Did it hurt?" As soon as they are out he wishes he could call them back. How do you ask Jesus a question like that? Then he feels Jesus gently lifting him to his feet. He feels the arms of the risen Lord wrap around him and he sees a look of love with no conditions on the face of his Lord. Then he hears Jesus whisper, "It was worth it."

     "It was worth it." An Answer that isn't really an answer, but one that speaks volumes. The price Jesus paid; the humiliation, the pain, even death on a cross was worth it because it provided a way for us to join Him in eternity. More than that, the Lord of all creation thought you were worth that price. He was willing to pay that price because He thought you were worth it. If He was willing to do that for you, what are you willing to do for Him?

Who's Really Blind?

     He had been blind all of his life. This day, like every other day, he was sitting by the street enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face and trying to collect a little money to eat. He heard a crowd approaching. One of the men asked a question, something about someone's parents. Than a voice with an authority like he had never heard before said, "He was born like this so God could be glorified." Then the man who had spoken these words spit on the ground, rubbed the mud on his eyes and told him to go wash the mud off. When he did, he discovered that he could now see. He was understandably overjoyed and the crowd joined him in celebrating.

     Well, most of them rejoiced with him. There were some who were incensed. The pharisees questioned the formerly blind man about what happened. He answered simply, "I don't know what happened. He spit, put mud on my eyes. I washed them and now I can see." They tried to get his parents to say that their son was never really blind, but they wouldn't. At every turn the pharisees heard the same thing, "I don't know what happened, but I can tell you this. Yesterday he was blind and today he can see.

     Why all the fuss over a man receiving his sight? Well, if it really happened then Jesus was really who He said He was and the pharisees couldn't accept that. So once more they questioned the newly sighted man, "What really happened?" He replied, "Look, all I know is before I met Jesus I was blind and now I see."

     What was true those 2000 years ago is still true today. When we meet Jesus our blindness is turned to sight.   Will you come and receive your sight?