Jeri and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary last night by doing one of our favorite things – going to a concert. Of course, we love family time, so our beautiful girls joined us! The family time together was awesome!

Yet, I must admit it was a sad experience, too. Standing in the middle of a sold out crowd and seeing some of the most vial stuff I’ve ever seen. Granted it was not a war zone, but just in the course of an every day night out, it was horrific – and I’m not one for over-statement.

Generally, I’m not big into “churchy” scenes, but I’d take churchy over last night any day.

Still, when I take a moment to think about it, the stuff inside my heart and mind can be just as putrid as what I witnessed last night. When I see it right in front of me and all around me, I can clearly see how disgusting and perverted it is, but when it’s within me, it’s easy to hide and excuse it.

So, where’s the good news? Today’s Good News, is all of that filth inside me has been covered. Not by anything I’ve done, but because Jesus was willing to come and take upon Himself the fullness of God’s wrath (His just anger against all that hurts me and rebels against His invitation for a health relationship with Him).

We tend to think of God’s wrath as something bad – it’s not. It’s a just consequence. If someone rapes and murders another person we rightfully expect them to have a consequence for their actions. Why would we expect less from a holy and pure God whose desire is to make us holy and pure – for our benefit and good?

We trade perfection for so many things that are far far less.

The amazing power of scandalous is grace, is that God was willing to take the consequences of my wretched decisions upon Himself, so that I can recieve what I never could earn – a healthy and whole relationship with Him. Man, that’s Good News!

Any ads here are from WordPress, not me…