All The Way Home

Paul's Final Encouragement To Timothy

II Timothy 1:6-8

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the 

time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which 

the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day,

and not to me only...

But also to all who have loved His appearing.

I haven't accomplished much in my lifetime (so far) as to warrant a statue to my feats.

I haven't made any medical discoveries that would help and aid mankind.

I haven't moved in political circles or been an elder statesman among those who do.

But I have spent myself, and continue to do so, on chasing this Jesus.

TO follow Him, not out of a sense of guilt or duty, but because of gratitude.

Gratitude for what He has done to me.
Gratitude for what He has done through me.

Gratitude for what He has allowed me to see and participate in.

Larry Norman's song All The Way Home, has been running in my mind and spirit all week.

To simply put it...

Let this good life be the life I lead....
Let my faith grow as a mustard seed...
Let this love be all the love I need...
To carry me all the way home.

You see, like Paul writing to Timothy, I want to see this journey all the way home.

I want to grow in Christ. I want more of Him and less of me. And I want to share this truth and good news with who ever God directs me to. How could you not love Jesus? I know that we're headed to Easter Sunday, and I promise that I will, once again, be overwhelmed by the death and resurrection story. Because every time I hear it, I am reminded that He went through the agony and pain of becoming THE sin offering for me.

Me!

Me...the one who totally did not deserve such a gift as eternal life with Him.

Me...the one who can't seem to stay on the right path without wandering off and falling into a ditch. 

In October of 2013, I attended a gathering of Vineyard folks to hear Phil Strout who is our national director. Phil spoke on "Finishing what was started". Our movement, the association of Vineyard Churches, is over 30 years old. Those who were the pioneers of this church planting effort are reaching retirement age, and are beginning to pass off the work to younger souls. Phil's encouragement to us was to not give up, not sit down, not grow weary, but finish what God had started. That is my desire. To see it all the way through.

As long as I have breath, I will tell others that there is freedom in Christ.
There isn't any freedom in a pill...

Or a needle...
Heroin is not your savior.
You won't find the answers to your problem at the bottom of whiskey bottle.

Rather, you'll find your answers came in the form of man nailed to a cross outside the walls of Jerusalem over 2000 years ago.

A man whose blood was so pure that it has affected, and continues to affect, this world even today.

But He was not ordinary man.
Ordinary men, no matter how hard their resolve, could never have carried His cross.

Any blood spilled by ordinary men would have simply been a waste.
But the blood of Christ became the payment for all sin, for all time.
That is why I will celebrate this Sunday...

That is why I celebrate every day.

Through Christ...
His death and resurrection....
The penalty for sin has been paid...
The power of sin has been broken...
And the presence of sin has been defeated...
And if that doesn't crunk your tractor...

Then your battery's dead.

Sunday morning, I will declare with everything in me...
"HE IS RISEN!"

God on you...

mb