Undisputed, Undefeated, Unrivaled!

We are number ONE! We long to be in first place. We long to be associated with a winning team. It feels right and it brings us worth. Nobody I've ever met has ever shouted, "I'm number TWO! In sports of any kind, there can only be 1 number one team. Shared championships are not the norm. In our faith walk God makes an exception.

The other evening we held a healing service for those who have been victimized by sexual abuse and while the attendance was low, the power of God's spirit was evident. Near the end of the service, each attendee was encouraged to utilize a small post-it note to name the sin or struggle they face. We were then asked to come forward, place the note on the cross and receive prayer before returning to our pew. The image of our trials and tribulations covering the cross was a stark reminder of the one who hung on the cross to obliterate the power of sin over humanity.

The writer of Colossians redeemed this image in describing Jesus as the one who makes old things new and dead things come alive. In one swift act of devotion to God, Jesus set aside the curse of sin and the sting of death and now stands triumphant. He is Risen! He nailed that which strangles, divides, and kills to the cross and finished it off, once for all!

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive

with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was

against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the

powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

(Colossians 2:13-15, NIV)

Are you hounded by sins, failures, and trials of all kinds today? Imagine God's extravagant grace flowing over your situation right now. Imagine your situation being nailed to a cross and having the King of kings and Lord of lords make a public spectacle of your situation once for all. Imagine the freedom you'll experience when you rise out of your seat with sin folded into the post-it note. Imagine how it will feel to place that note on the cross and then how God's grace will soothe your soul and bring you into closer fellowship with the one who created you, loves you, and has redeemed you.

Friends, we serve a risen Savior who's in the world today and he is available to lift our arm skyward, uncurl our index finger, and even willing to help us shout, "We're number ONE!

Jesus is the undisputed, undefeated, and unrivaled champion of the world and of God's great love. Are you feelin' it yet? Go ahead, find a mirror, look into it, raise your index finger and say, "Jesus has made me number one and I'm glad." We share in Christ's victory; therefore we can say it with confidence.

A Musing Pastor