A day that will live in infamy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said something very close to this after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Another day that lives in infamy is the one that we remember today, Good Friday. A funny name for a day that doesn’t seem so good on the surface, we read the account in scripture of Jesus being betrayed, arrested, mocked, beaten, harassed, and ultimately executed by the state at the behest of the people (heavily influenced by the Jewish rulers). That doesn’t seem very good. However, the goodness is in the plan of God, that he used the blood of Jesus that was shed that day to cleanse the sins of the world.

Everyone loves a good underdog story. Whether it’s David vs. Goliath or the “Miracle on Ice,” it’s easy to root for disadvantaged heroes who overcome the odds to find triumph. It’s one of the reasons I love the movie Rocky so much. Can anything take its title as the best modern-day underdog movie? I challenge you to name a better one!

f we’re honest, we like being in control.

It can look different in each of us. You like having a plan, knowing what’s next; or maybe it’s feeling like if you just try hard enough, do everything right, pray just the right words, you can manage the outcome. But surrendering to God means releasing our illusion of control.

Have you ever considered a song of praise to be a weapon?  A weapon is something that is used to defeat or destroy.  Throughout scripture, we find praise and worship a worthy antidote to fear and despair.   And in II Chronicles 20, it was the actual reason for a victory in battle. 

God could find no one righteous to fill the gap and act as the mediator between God and His people.

Over and over God provided for His people, over and over He warned them to get rid of their idols, keep His commands and observe His Sabbaths.  Over and over Israel failed to obey God and experienced the consequences.  Over and over God was compassionate and loving and forgave His people and restored them to blessings.

The historic fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is well verified, but it means little unless it is personally experienced. A dynamic personal encounter with the risen Christ is key. But this personal encounter must be grounded in training. Until we “go to school” with Jesus, and are thoroughly taught truth by Him, we are not ready to serve Him.

Each person is responsible for their own actions.  Parents are not held responsible by God for the sins of their children, and children are not held responsible by God for the sins of their parents.  Each person is responsible for their own behavior.  In the same way, you don’t get credit for your parents good behavior if you do bad.  Each person is responsible for their own sin and will be judged accordingly.

Now in 8th grade, I was listening to the Math teacher, taking notes and totally absorbed in “math”. The teacher was talking about historical representations of Pi. Then I almost fell out of my seat when he said that the Bible said Pi was 3. I mean no one talks about the Bible in school, let alone Math.