This week in the life of Christians and Jews is one of deep reflection and celebration.
I am both…and I am thankful.

I have fond memories of celebrating the Passover Seder as a child. I didn’t quite catch the “symbolism” of it then, in fact I most remember being scared when they set the table for Elijah and opened the door to let him in.

While I have not done the traditional observance of Pesach in many years, there is one element that struck a deep cord within me this year and I AM doing it.

“Symbolically”

It has to do with the removal of all Chametz. (or leavened bread) Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains. The purpose behind it is this: It commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the “puffiness” (arrogance, pride, ego) from our souls.

The last part of that description is what gripped me.

Although I haven’t physically removed breads from my home, I felt this year it was more symbolic of my soul. Removing the “chametz” WITHIN if you will.
What are the things that “puff” me up, that cause me to stay stuck in my sinful arrogant ways. Where have I put MY needs, My desires, Me, My and I first.

My prayer echoes John the Baptist, “Lord let me decrease so You may increase!”

One of the traditional ways to get rid of “chametz” is to BURN it.
Lets read Luke 3:15-17 from The Message:
The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder,
“Could this John be the Messiah?”
But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

Although this verse is something we SHOULD be living daily, it seems very appropriate in this season to appropriate this promise. (To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself)

I believe God is doing a new thing in our lives.

A fresh wind is blowing and for all who will allow Him to dig deep within and burn out the excess “chametz” will be ignited with fresh fire.

Are you ready to make that clean sweep…Put out with the trash all that is to be burned?

This Easter let us take some extra time to seek God out and thank Him. Let us remember the great sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we could be set free from the law of sin and death. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with fresh oil and stoke the fire within us.

And then Lord, let us share it with someone who has yet to discover Your amazing Love and saving power. For if we know you as we say we do, then it’s really the ONLY reason we are on this planet!

Shalom!

“What if I had given everything?

Instead of going through the motions?”

Be the Difference

Be:

to exist or live

Difference:

a distinguishing characteristic; distinctive quality, feature,

BEING the difference is BEING LIKE CHRIST

In order to be like Him, you must first KNOW Him. Who He was, is and will be.

John 18:37 (NKJ) Jesus said, For THIS cause I was born, and for THIS cause I have come into the world—–that I should bear witness to the truth!

When you KNOW Him, I mean really know Him, you will WANT to  “Live with HIS distinguishing characteristics, YOU will exist to be the distinctive quality in this world!

One thing you must know about Jesus: HE IS PASSIONATE!!

Passion/zeal:

any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

A story of 4 people who decided on behalf of another to BE THE DIFFERENCE

Mark 2

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”1.

1. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

These 4 guys were not just “making a difference” in the paralytic’s life by making him comfortable in his affliction, they were BEING THE DIFFERENCE by carrying him to the solution!

What SOLUTION do you CARRY within you to BE THE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE’S LIFE OR THE WORLD?

2. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

They didn’t stop at the first sign of opposition; they were willing to dig through the hard stuff to get to the Solution.

We must have a passion that leads to Action. Don’t say oh I want to make a difference.

Go—> BE THE DIFFERENCE!

3. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus saw THEIR faith and said to the man, your sins are forgiven get up and walk, not because of his faith, but THEIRS!

WOW!

That is BEING THE DIFFERENCE!! They were not out to make a name for themselves, to create confusion by causing a commotion, or hoping Jesus might just come by their house later in His spare time, they were moved with compassion that led to ACTION to BE THE DIFFERENCE IN their friends life…..and because of their action àthey became the solution!

People may not always listen to what you say, but they cannot deny what You do.

CHANGING A LIFE BEGINS WITH ONE SINGLE STEP

WHO is waiting on YOU to be the difference?

Are you ready to stop going through the MOTIONS and say, “God, I refuse to go one more day without YOUR ALL CONSUMING PASSION INSIDE OF ME?

“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance— isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

Let us be careful to not promote self, but may we be self-LESS

and promote the cause of Christ…all else is futile, fleeting and fake.

God will promote us HIS WAY, HIS TIME.

Don’t be a sellout! Unless you’re sold out for Christ.

Remember God said…”be hot or be cold…not lukewarm! Or Be Barf

  And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (msg)

What are you doing secretly that you would be so ashamed for someone to actually see or know about?

God sees.

God Knows.

Say this prayer:

God today search my heart, see if there be any wickedness within me. Remove any hidden personal agendas I may have to advance myself and not your Kingdom. Help me to not put on my “christian face” in christian circles and then live contrary to that in other areas of my life. Help me to not live a double life. I don’t want to play religion; I want a strong, vibrant relationship with YOU! Place a burning white-hot desire in me to not accumulate the accolades of men but to become a fisher of men. Give me a passion for the lost, hurt, dying and broken. Strip me of myself! May I become less so you can become more!

In Jesus Name!!!!!