One of the last things Jesus uttered on the cross were the words, “It is finished.”

When Jesus uttered his last dying moments, “It is finished,” Jesus was proclaiming…

• that as the perfect and obedient Son to all that the Father had sent him to do, Jesus completed the work when and how the Father wanted it done, Jesus declared, “It is finished.”
• that as Jesus looked back upon the tapestry of his life, he looked at the lives that had been touched, the people who were healed, the salvation that he would usher in for all who would place their hope and trust in Jesus, he declared, “It is finished.”
• that as the perfect high priest, Jesus looked at the sacrifice of his body, his blood, his life, Jesus declared, “It is finished.”

Jesus came to do his Father’s will and he did it. He came to purchase our redemption and he did it. He came to do the great work of salvation and he did it.

All the Old Testament prophesies and pictures of Christ in the tabernacle furnishings, the priestly ministry, the sacrificial system are complete and finished in the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus.

The reason why Easter is such a big deal for Christians is because in Jesus those who were dead in sin are made alive. Easter is the reason why Christians are made sons and daughters of the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

But we can miss all this.

There were hundreds of witnesses to the death of Jesus Christ and they missed it.

• To the high priest who was present for the trial of Jesus, Jesus was nothing but a dying lunatic who thought he was God
• To Pilate who sentenced Jesus to the cross, Jesus was nothing but a common rabble-rouser, another failed Messiah
• To the Roman soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross, Jesus was nothing but a common criminal
• To the crowds who spat upon Jesus, mocking him to save himself from the cross as he had saved others, Jesus was nothing but a false prophet

They were all there and they totally missed it.

And the sad thing is, you could miss it too.

In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God has given to us the greatest gift – the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, the opportunity to live life here on earth with passion and purpose…and we can miss it.

Don’t miss it. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died for you and for me. Don’t miss it. There is only one way to salvation: faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Is he your Lord and Savior? He can be if you will accept his finished work on the cross, and ask Jesus to save you.

Listen, accept, and receive God’s fantastic truth…God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that, whosoever should believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus loves you. Jesus is everything you’ve been searching for in your life.

Happy Easter!

We’re all for change…as long as we don’t have to change. While people are all for the idea of change, it’s the actual change part that we have issues with.

Now, there’s scientific explanation as to why that is.

John Medina has been studying how the brain works. In his book, “Brain Rules” he tells us that when people are hooked up to machines to record how the brain is functioning, a change event looks identical to a pain event. As far as the brain is concerned, change is pain for the brain.

That’s why every smoker knows that smoking is bad for them. But they have a difficult time quitting because change is pain for the brain.

I know that I need to lose about 25 pounds. And yet those 25 pounds are so difficult to lose because I like food. Change is pain for the brain.

What is true for individuals is also true for institutions and churches. Whenever change is necessary for the church, it is imperative that leaders understand that what they are doing is creating a pain event. That’s why churches and institutions know they need to change but have such difficulty actually changing.

The only way people change is when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing.

When leading change, it is absolutely vital that leaders advocate for and articulate not only for the change, but why staying the same is unacceptable and undesirable. In fact, a leader will have to convince folks staying the same would be even more painful than changing.

Change can happen, but if you are leading change, remember this simple rule: change is pain for the brain. Articulate both why the change is necessary, why staying the same is unacceptable, and why staying the same would be way more painful than changing.

 

Every church has them.

Every church, every time she gathers, is filled with people with problems and problem people.

They are not the same people.

People with problems are people who are hurting, searching, and needing guidance. People with problems are needing God to show up through the church to comfort, heal, correct, nurture, and to love them.

Problem people, on the other hand, are a totally different breed. Problem people really don’t want to solve their problems. They are not seeking guidance or direction. They are not seeking God’s correction. They are seeking attention.

Guess which one of these two are louder? People with problems rarely want to share their problems with others. And too often, they are hurting in isolation. Problem people? They thrive on attention and sympathy by telling as many people as possible. They will schedule meeting after meeting with the pastoral staff, leaders, anyone who is willing to listen and give them the time and attention they so seek.

The leadership task is in having the wisdom to distinguish between the two. How we deal with the two are different. But in the end, both people with problems and problem people need God to show up to heal them. The reason why we act and behave the way we do is because we are all hurting, seeking, and needing guidance and correction.

May God use you and your church to bring healing and wholeness to the people God has put you in charge over.