Judas and Grace

Jesus had his disciples make the preparations for the Passover meal in Jerusalem.

Jesus knew it would be his last meal with his disciples.

Jesus also knew within moments after the meal, one of his disciples would betray him and hand him over to the authorities.

What I find astonishing is that Jesus still broke bread with Judas.

In fact, because Jesus knew what Judas was about to do, Jesus intentionally served him the bread and wine and declared, "This is my body broken for you Judas. Take and eat, and remember me."

After they had finished their passover meal, Jesus looked into Judas' eyes and declared, "This is the blood of the new covenant, given for the forgiveness of sins. Take and drink, and remember me."

It's as if Jesus was saying to Judas, "It's never too late. You can always ask for forgiveness and it will always be given to you. I am going to the cross to forgive you for what you are about to do. Remember me. Remember you are forgiven. Remember you have been redeemed!"

The grace demonstrated here is beyond understanding. It is truly unbelievable.

This is the grace that is offered to all of us.

For how many times do we do things knowing it is hurtful, knowing it is sin? And yet we still do it.

How many times have we said things and done things knowing it to be sin, knowing we will ask for forgiveness, knowing Jesus would forgive?

How many times have we withheld from giving our best, doing what we know to be right and still not doing it?

Thank God his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting!

Thank God his grace is never ending!

For that's our only hope.

Thank God for God!

I Know It's Only a Game...But Dang!!!!!

I know it's only a game.

But dang! I shouldn't be this disappointed.

It really is only a game.

But...dang!!!!!

Just one strike. That's all the Rangers needed. One strike!!!

I didn't think the Rangers could come back after a heartbreaking loss like last night's win. I had some hope that I might be wrong when the Rangers scored two runs in the top of the first inning. But by the time the fifth inning, you could literally feel it slipping away.

It was one the greatest World Series I've ever seen.

You can't get any closer to actually winning the whole thing than the Texas Rangers in game 6. They were one pitch away from uncorking the bubbly.....TWICE for goodness sakes!!!

One pitch.

Less than one second away from jumping for joy and bringing the first World Series to Texas.

Not once, but twice, the Cardinals would get crucial hits. You couldn't duplicate that on the play ground let alone in the World Series with the entire series on the line. Even the pitcher was getting a crucial bunt down to keep the rally going.

You just can't hit clutch like that. If you were to see it in the movies, you'd laugh it off as impossible.

That's how crazy the Saint Louis Cardinal's win is.

Hats off the Cards! One heck of a series.

I do have to say, I hate the way we give home field advantage for something as important as the World Series on a meaningless game as the All Star Game. I think the series could have been very different if the Rangers had home field advantage.

Alas...could of, should of...another year of asking what ifs. And that's the worst part of a loss like this.

There were so many missed opportunities that slipped away.

Things that Matter

Borrowed from AP

One strike away from winning the first world series........twice!!!

Literally moments away from the biggest celebration in Rangers history...only to have those chances be rebuffed.

It was truly unbelievable to see what was actually taking place in the World Series game last night between the Saint Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.

In fact, no one had ever seen anything like it before because it's never happened before.

It was truly amazing to watch. First as a baseball fan, to see one of the most intense games ever. Whenever the Cardinals would make an error, the Rangers would score. But the Rangers would be sloppy and allow the Cardinals right back in the game.

So it went back and forth.

And who will forget the incredible 9th, 10th, and 11th innings?

It looked like the Rangers had it in the bag with a three run lead going into the final half of the inning with Felix on the mound. But the Cardinals never quit. With one strike away from losing the world series, they would tie it up.

The Rangers would go up again in the 10th, and the Cards would come right back.

When the Rangers didn't score in the 11th, and also used up all their pitchers by then, you knew the Rangers were done. And the Cards hometown boy Freese would deliver the death blow with a home run to the center field grass.

Unbelievable!!!

Here's the thing...As terrible as most Rangers fans felt, and as joyous the Cardinal's fans were last night, give it a few years and very few people will even remember who their hometown team played against, let alone the details of the drama.

That's the way it is with games. Because that's what they are...games.

As I reflect back on the of the up and down emotions of the game last night, I wonder how I might be that engaged and that into it about life, marriage, my family, the ministry, about God, about the things that actually matter in this life and for all of eternity.

Why is it that I am not as fully engaged in things that matter?

Because the way I want to live my life is to enjoy the games, but to invest myself fully in the things that have eternal ramifications.