A day
WITHOUT JESUS is a day WITHOUT~
WITHOUT
Peace
WITHOUT
Hope
WITHOUT
Joy
&
WITH
Total separation from
GOD~
complete Darkness.
The same darkness that filled the sky on the day that is called
GOOD FRIDAY.
The day when
JESUS became separated from GOD on the Cross.
The brutal Cross where
HE hung~
"From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land" (Matthew 27:25)
Darkness filled the heart of HIS mother & HIS disciples.
A day WITHOUT JESUS is a day WITHOUT!
What is your "WITHOUT" that causes you to be WITHOUT?
But GOD allowed darkness to take over when
HE allowed HIS SON to suffer,
as JESUS wore each nail that kept HIM on the cross,
and was not exempt from feeling the stinging pain
of the punishment of sin
so that we can live
WITHOUT
ever being separated from GOD~
because there was
JESUS
experiencing
HIS WITHOUT MOMENT~
Total Darkness & Total Separation from
HIS FATHER
because
GOD never wanted us to live
WITHOUT HIM
so darkness would never take over us~
"GOD made HIM who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of GOD" (2 Corinthians 5:12).
And it all happened on a
"GOOD" day called
GOOD FRIDAY.
Good for us because
"GOD demonstrates HIS own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us" (Romans 5:8).
GOOD FRIDAY
what appeared to be a not so GOOD day
to those who followed JESUS.
Where was their JESUS now?
Where was the MAN
who they saw perform life changing miracles?
Where was the MAN who said
"FOLLOW ME"* .
Did they miss the part that said
"let him deny himself and take up his cross"*(Matthew 16:24)
As they looked at the MAN who claimed to be
the SAVIOR
was bleeding on the cross.
Oh the heartache to live
WITHOUT the ONE who came to save you.
And there was
Mary
who watched the whole thing
and couldn't do one thing to stop
those from doing what they did.
Oh the heartache to TRUST GOD
in the midst of the most terrifying circumstance
where JESUS appeared to be
Helpless.
Would you have still BELIEVED IN HIM?
I don't think I would.
I would have forgotten the PROMISE
that JESUS told me before~
"They will mock HIM, insult HIM and spit on HIM; they will flog HIM and kill HIM..."
And then I would have forgotten
the best PROMISE of all
that would allow me to still BELIEVE
as I watched my JESUS die on a cross~
"On the third day he will rise again”(Luke 18:32-33).
Oh a moment WITHOUT remembering GOD'S PROMISE
is a moment WITHOUT.
Oh it was the worst of times from a human point of view
but
oh it was the best of times from JESUS' point of view
as HE did what transcends all understanding
so we never ever ever have to live
WITHOUT
PEACE that transcends all understanding
WITHOUT
HOPE that transcends all understanding
WITOUT
JOY that transcends all understanding.
Let's FAST from the weight of
WITHOUT ~
the whatever is stealing your PEACE, HOPE, and JOY~
and present it to the ONE who will be
WITH you despite your WITHOUT
because
A DAY WITHOUT JESUS is a day WITHOUT!
A MOMENT WITHOUT JESUS is a moment WITHOUT!
A SECOND WITHOUT JESUS is a second WITHOUT
because on that
GOOD FRIDAY
there was a Cross
And
"THERE WAS JESUS" (listen to the song below)