Good News!

I really want to hear some good news, don't you?

It has to not only be news that is good - because any sappy story can be good. Like this one: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,581444,00.html. While this is good news, it really doesn't affect me personally other than to bring a rush of emotion.

I need some good news that personally affects me! It has to be good for me now, not sometime in the future.

It has to change my current circumstances and problems.

It has to even change the crappy things that happened in my past, too!

A pretty tall order, eh?

Let's add some more stipulations: It has to make me happy and not just momentarily
there has to be something associated with this good news that is tangible - concrete
and it can't depend on me or anything I have to do.

I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was in 7th grade. At first I was so happy about it. But . . . it was so much work!

So many things I could no longer do, which I really wanted to do.

So much instruction on what I should now be doing, but really didn't want to do. Rules. Guidelines. Christians don't ... Christians do ...

Where is the good news in that?

An angel told the shepherds on the night of Christ's birth: "I bring you Good News of Great Joy."*

Gimme some of that!

The truth is salvation in Christ does bring great joy. The dos and don'ts we get told are really mans' rules, not God's intentions for us.

God's intention is that instead of following rules (which, by the way, He knew we would never be able to keep), He would live inside us and the very act of Him living inside of us makes living right very easy.

He threw out all the rules on the Cross. When he took up residence in us, He made it more simple to live without rules to guide our behavior.

The message of the Cross is not "follow these rules" but the message is be holy - not "do holy" - just be. ** With Christ inside of you, it's easy.

I am holy - without following someone's rules.

Now that news brings me great joy!!!

* Luke 2:10
** 1 Peter 1:16

It's a Brand New Me!

In November 2008, I embarked on a journey to lose weight. I have lost 40 pounds so far.

In the process I had to give up a lot of my favorite clothes because they became too big. Some people suggested I save some of those outfits. They had a variety of reasons for this from the money that was invested in those clothes, the thought that maybe I would get them altered to maybe some implication that this weight loss thing would be temporary and I would regain those 40 pounds and need something to wear.

The truth is, I am a brand new me. My weight loss has altered my appearance. Not only is my physical size smaller, and my face has lost most of that double chin I once had and hated, and my inner me has changed, too.

I am more confident, can deal more effectively with stress, and feel much better in every way about myself.

In the same way, I have been given a brand new life from my union with Christ.

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! *

And one more thing. I know this may sound narcissist, but I love to look at myself in the mirror these days. As I turn and look, I discover how different I look. I look in wonder and happiness when I try on new clothes and discover a pleasing shape or fit.

So it is with my new life in Christ. I love to look at it and enjoy how it has changed me and made me different.

* 1 Cor 5:17 - MSG

First Post - December 27, 2009

This blog is my exploration of what happened on the Cross when Christ was crucified. I hope you join me in what I hope will be prophetic encounters and a journey of experiences - the Word of God come alive to me - experientially.