When the goin' gets tough...

Happy Resurrection Morning, men! Once we get past the traditions of bunnies, baskets, and pastel eggs (don't look too deeply into where those came from - it'll spoil it for you), there are only a couple of things that matter today: God became a man to die on a cross to save us from the punishment of sin, and on the third day after completing that task, He exposed death for the lie that it is by rising from the tomb, so that we could experience a new forever life in Him. 

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  - 1 Corinthians 15:54-57

With that as a backdrop, we know where our security lies. But let's not kid ourselves. Until we make it home, we are on mission to shine light in a fallen world. And we have a cowardly enemy, who, although painfully aware of his ultimate fate, is determined to make it as difficult as possible for us to do that. When we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death", how do we process that? Is it possible to continue to shine? Does that light become muted, or does it appear even brighter in contrast to the darkness? Are we just whistling past the graveyard? Is this all just a nice story we tell ourselves to stay sane? Or is this stuff real? And if it's real, what does that mean for us, for our families, for the world we live in? And how can we encourage one another as we walk through the dark seasons? 

Heavy stuff, y'all. We'll start unpacking it with Jeremy Waterhouse on Friday at the Lodge, April 6th, 6:15 AM. You can catch it on a podcast later, but there's something about being in the room that makes it worth getting up for. I hope to see you there. 

For THIS day, let's not neglect the hope that reminds us: death does NOT have the final word.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.  - Revelation 5:11-14