The Ultimate Price: Have I Been Worth It?

In the midst of Easter Parades, Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Bunnies and Easter Eggs, amidst the abundance of pink and yellow ribbons overflowing the shelves in the supermarkets, we might be reminded of the meaning of Easter through days with names like Passover Thursday, Atoning Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that Easter had a beginning and that beginning is about making the choices in deed, and in courage, and in faith; choices that must be made to be true to who we are and what we believe, in response to the charge given us with the atonement.

Jesus Christ paid the price for our every wrong, that as we repent we may be freed from our sins or payment would reach into the eternities. Through the atonement we were given the possibility to repent, to receive forgiveness, and go on, without having to carry the heavy burden of every wrong we ever did.

Because our Saviour, Jesus Christ atoned for us, suffered and paid the full price for our every wrong, we can actually receive forgiveness from God. As we realise our wrongs, do not repeat them, and to the extent that this might be possible, do our best to correct our wrongs; we may if receive His forgiveness and once again find peace in our hearts.

This payment for our sins didn't happen because it was easy or convenient but because of His love for us. While it would be impossible to fully understand how Our Saviour Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, it may help us trying to imagine how difficult this might have been, even for the Son of God. As we remember the words of Jesus, when in Gethsemane: "... Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done... And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:42, 44)

I imagine that in this dark and sad moment of history, God would desperately want to reach out and lift the pain, to stop everything. Yet, it went on and in preparation for the crucifixion Jesus was beaten, whipped, mocked, rejected, humiliated and treated as a criminal; all while His and our Heavenly Father must have cried heavy tears.

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him," (Luke 23:33) our Heavenly Father, Father of Jesus Christ must have trembled to His very core, with tears flooding His eyes, hearing Jesus lovingly, in a Spirit of kind forgiveness praying and pleading for His assailants:  "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34)

Still, amidst a constant flow of mockery, the crucifixion continued in what must have been an abundance of tears and empathy from those who loved Him.

What must have been hours later, drained, fatigued and thirsty, as pain and feelings of abandonment would seem overwhelming in what must have been the most lonely hour of His life, Jesus, overcome with agony of the whole experience cried out in a loud voice of ultimate loneliness: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

Hearing such a plea, our Heavenly Father certainly would want to reach out and spare His only begotten son from such suffering. As the literal Father of Jesus Christ, He must have wanted to respond in ways I can't begin to imagine. Even with God's perfect knowledge and understanding of what had to happen, He must have have agonised as His son was beaten, whipped and crucified, and finally left to die while hanging on the cross. The Heavens must have grieved and cried that day, to see the Son of God suffer such misery!

Jesus had walked the earth, shared His teachings and dealt with people's doubts, hypocrisy, lies and mockery, all while they conspired against Jesus the Christ to ultimately crucify Him. He had preformed miracles, helped where He could and in return suffered the full extent of evil in the world. Jesus Christ was subjected to a process of blind injustice, suffering every measure of trials, agony and difficulty that we might ever face in a lifetime, only to finally suffer a crucifixion with common criminals. He had truly earned the right to finally say "It is finished." John 19:30 and "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." A long and hard road had finally and mercifully come to an end, and He gave up His Spirit.

Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ both suffered this, all of this, out of love for us that we may be allowed repentance. And, as we truly repent of our wrongs, we may be allowed redemption, to once again find peace in our hearts and sin no more. He walked this long and hard road alone, that we don't have to, and after reviewing some small understanding of what my Saviour did for me, I can't help but ask myself: Have I been worth it, will the sum of my life and what I have done with what I've been given, all be worth His great sacrifice or have I rejected it all with my many shortcomings?

Keeping the Sabbath Holy, God's Way

Many would think of keeping the Sabbath holy as listening to a sermon in church. While the church is where you learn much of what it means to strive to be better person, the proof is in the doing, Sabbath or any other day of the week. 

When in the middle of disaster people sometimes begin to ask themselves questions. Instead of sitting around and asking "Where was God?" people from near and far chose to become an instrument in the Lord's hands by helping those in need, and no further questions were needed. Instead of asking "Do you have plan B?" or even "What can I do to help?" they clearly saw the need where they came and consequently stepped into action. 

Every set of helping hands brought a portion of God's teachings to these people, not by talking but by doing. Everywhere there was "Helping Hands," there was some happiness and good in the middle of all the loss, sadness, grief and disaster, showing the true meaning of being a Christian. God gave us each other to be there for each other as brother and sister. When everything becomes too much for just one set of hands, two or more hearts can share it better! 

When the Hurricane Sandy hit in the Fall of 2012, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints didn't sit around in church for long, to wait for more learning. With winds of up to 109 mph or 175 km/h, affecting the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Eastern Canada and Eastern United States where it hit 24 states and caused damage in the US alone, estimated at over $71 billion(2012 USD), there was no need to first wait and see how bad it was! 

Thousands of members cancelled church and travelled to the areas where help was needed. They arrived by bus, air and train from across the country to help, and this is where keeping the Sabbath holy takes on a whole new spirit. To paraphrase the scripture in Luke 14:5 "If a pair of helping hands is what's needed when disaster strikes on a Sabbath, then you go and be those helping hands, help your neighbour and be a sister/brother!" 

Many people have the impression that missionaries are people that spend their days in search for people to teach. While that is a portion of the truth, there is another side to the story, rarely seen because it just quietly happens when and where it's needed and it happens all the time. This is why you should see this video and see what also sometimes happens on a mission: 

Hurricane Sandy Helping Hands from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

Joshua Brown (facebook.com/jbrownphoto) and (http://weddingsbyjoshuabrown.com) made the video and the music is credited to themusicbed.com

Hurricane Sandy turned out to be the second-costliest hurricane in United States history, the deadliest (totalling 285 fatalities) and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy).

God is real, believe it!

Some might say "If there is a God why doesn't He take away all pain, injustice and suffering?" 

In my experience God has helped me through my pain, eased my suffering and encouraged me when I couldn't look up, or even stand! Without God in my life I would have given up long ago. I'd no longer be able to enjoy the company of good people around me, the light, smiles and laughter coming to me from good friends and family, that God has blessed me to know. 

That's why I know that God lives, He helps me swim, though the water might be be cold and keeps me up when I would let go, flounder and sink. God is real, believe it, I do! 

Where was God?

This will not not need many words but it's IMPORTANT. It's not just an American problem, it's is a tendency happening WORLDWIDE. Mike Huckabee is saying what I wish I had said but didn't have the words. PLEASE, take a couple of minutes to watch this. When you have watched it, I ask that you share it that others may watch it. It NEEDS TO BE SEEN!