it's your blood. that has claimed me.

a blog about some random thoughts on Easter 2011.

I am trying to remember exactly where I was this last week, last year... and where I am this year and where I was last year are a world apart [literally and metaphorically]... in every sense of the meaning of that phrase. my life is different.

Fighting back tears tonight while writing this in my beloved journal...and how different things look through these eyes these days.

There has been a massive shift take place.

I am just so astounded the God of the Universe made humans to be His best friend...and everything changed with a simple bite of free-will fruit. And ever since that moment in history there has been a great pursuit, starting through a chosen generation of [Israel], to right this wrong. For humans and God to dwell again together in right relationship. The Old Testament, historically a bit daunting and vague, actually declares that story of pursuit. The law was written so that God could once again dwell with people. He asked people to build a tabernacle in a desert so that God's presence could stay with them there... Ah, so poetic, so beautifully perfect, so full of symbolism and... grace. And the story goes on with testimony after testimony of provision and faithfulness. And then the New Testament came along and everything changed. God so loved the WORLD that He wanted to deal with this sin issue once and for all and instead of building another tabernacle for Himself to dwell in, He sent Himself in human form to dwell among people. He chose to come down onto the Earth.

Love: Personified. Jesus.

And so Jesus comes and teaches a new law. Not the law once valid in the desert, but a new law. The old was gone and the new had come. And Jesus was the new law, He was the new way to get to the Father. And just like blood sacrifices were the only proper atonement for sins in the desert [old testament], blood was the only proper atonement for sins on the cross [new testament]. But, it wasn't thought that everyone should perish, but have everlasting life...so LOVE took our place. Because God longed for a relationship with His people to be restored. My mind cannot comprehend it. I cannot hold it in, I am bursting... His blood and His body broken. The covenant redeemed between Christ by death on a cross. ONCE. AND. FOR. ALL.

And if Jesus had never rose again, we would have no hope of the Holy Spirit to DWELL in our hearts...To be in relationship with us.

The gospel effects everyone. The Bible is not some ordinary book- it has withstood the test of time, where other doctrines fail...it stays true. Jesus has withstood the test of time. People are still talking about Him today. I don't know many other people as old as Him that people are still talking about..

I want so badly to just sit and tell the ways that Jesus has been good to me. But, none compare with the act of love that was shown on the cross...And my only right response to this, is to ask [whoever may be reading this]... do you believe it for yourself this Easter 2011?

it's your blood. that has saved me.
it's your blood. that has claimed me.

Easter 2010: I believed that for myself.

Easter 2011...
I cannot contain it.
I cannot keep quiet anymore.
It isn't enough for me to believe.
Let the gospel advance.

JESUS.
IS.
ALIVE.