the cross.

today we are celebrating Good Friday. and although it is a day of deep sorrow and deep pain, it gives us an even deeper reason for gratitude. today we remember that Jesus died. today we remember his voluntary walk to the cross. today we remember he went to the cross out of love. today we remember that He had a greater vision, a greater joy in store. today we remember that because of Him we are accepted as we are. 

Do we treasure the cross enough? Do we look at it in wonder? Is our response to it incessant praise? I think at times we think we don't need the cross. We are just fine going through day by day. Even if we are Christians a need for the cross is not a place we live out of. We acknowledge it, may occasionally thank God for it, but it is an active place of remembrance, an active participation of enjoying the Father's love, the Son's sacrifice? I pray that our hearts can be filled with gratitude that springs from rivers of mercy that flow out of our gracious God. The cross humbles us. it allows us to know that nothing else can bring true reconciliation or forgiveness. nothing else brings the ultimate peace that we long for. through the cross we have an inheritance we cannot fathom and riches that cannot be weighed or measured. do we understand that because He suffered, He took away eternal suffering that we have barely tasted? and that it was because of the joy set before Him that he did this? that is the reason He took the cross and bore its shame? to be reconciled to us and to be in relationship with us? to save us? (Hebrews 12:2)

The cross is the place where unique wonder meets divine gratitude. 

The place where ultimate humility meets undefeated strength. 

The place where our sinless Savior bore the weight we could not bear. 

The place where the disgrace of suffering meets the beautiful outworking of redemption. 

The place where the place of wanting meets the guarantee of eternal security and satisfaction.
The place where the mess of our betrayal meets His pure and full forgiveness.

The place where the desire for truth and freedom meet a Person.

The place of Life everlasting. 

let's live out of that place. 

remembering His suffering and rejoicing in His life. 

remembering humility yet boasting in His strength.

remembering weakness yet claiming ultimate victory. 

remembering we are sinners yet we are washed completely clean.

remembering that it takes God to love God. 

remembering that because of Him, we can say yes to Him, know Him, desire Him. 

this is the power of the Cross. 

HOPE.

Hope. What is hope?

It is both a noun and a verb. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, the definitions are as such:
(noun): a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
(verb): to cherish a desire with anticipation, to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence

If we connect these definitions to our lives, where can we find ourselves putting hope? What are the kinds of things we are hoping for?

I think hope is beautiful. It has the ability to alter our mindsets, to bring a positive outlook on something. Although we can hope for something to stay the same, I would assume the times in which we have clung to hope is because we are anticipating or desiring a change.

As I have been reflecting on what has really brought me out of feeling stuck in certain areas of life- whether relationships, circumstances, my future, etc. it is hope that renews and restores an element of peace within me. But where does this hope come from? Can it endure?

If the thing I hope for is not given, or if it is taken away- would I therefore conclude that hope is gone? If I hope for a certain job to open up for me next year, and I don’t get it, will I despair? If I hope for relationships to change, or they are taken away- does my source of hope go away? It has made me ask the question, do we immediately find a new situation/person/ desire to put our hope in once one goes away? There are times when I have hoped and felt disappointed. I have desired things, wanted things to happen, wanted changed circumstances, desired healing, wanted a relationship, etc.


CS Lewis quoted this on the fulfillment of desire…


“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.”

So, can there be a contradiction? How can the Bible say that hope does not dissapoint, yet my hope does not seem to last? I came to the conclusion that we need to start discerning our method of hope, but also what we are putting our hope in.

What if there was something, actually Someone, who could not only be the source of our hope, but fully satisfy our desires and be our ultimate hope?


Jesus came to bring hope. Jesus himself is hope- “Whoever should believe in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Through having a relationship with Jesus, we can know that we are known, forgiven, and free, for all of eternity. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, He established for us an eternal hope. He made the way for us to be back in relationship with God, the One who made us, sustains us, and deeply loves us.The Bible says that hope does not disappoint... why? because God has poured his love into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).


This hope is not just something for our time on earth here- we have expectation that in heaven, all things will be made new and restored. We will live in perfect harmony with Go and with each other. All of our desires and longings will be satisfied. Ultimate hope will be fulfilled. The injustices, disappointments, and heartaches we have endured on this earth will be made right, and there will be a never ending source of renewal, joy, and hope.


Revelation 21:3-4 says,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mounrning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”


God not only is hope, but he gives hope. This hope is not something that is conditional based on success, circumstances, or our ability. This hope does not fade when ours does. This hope stands true, even when everything else seems to be falling apart. Why? This hope is a Person. A Person who came to earth to show His love, died on a cross to achieve for us forgiveness of sins and rose again to conquer death. His victory instills within our hearts an ultimate, freely given, hope.

Again to quote my fav, CS Lewis...

“Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”

We have the most beautiful message of hope to hold onto and to share. We have promises that we can hold onto in spite of any change or disappointment. We have the ability to override despair because of our hope in Jesus. In the book of Hebrews, the author describes hope as an “anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (v19).

The things that we put our hope in within this world are not going to last..they will fade. But when we hope in something outside of ourselves, the promise of redemption, of a Savior that loves us, of a life that is never ending, of a constant companion, of a love that is inexhaustible and greater than we know, of truth, of guidance, of peace, of security, comfort, etc.- and when those things are rooted in Jesus, that is when it does not disappoint.

We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD,

for our hope is in you alone.

-Psalm 33:20-22

life as a scouse ;)

So.. two weeks ago a team of us went to Liverpool for mission! Home of the Beatles! The inhabitants of Liverpool are actually called Liverpudlians but are known by the colloquialism Scousers. It comes from the name of a meat stew called Scouse- and the name was originally adapted by families who frequently ate it! fun fact ;) Their accent is quite unique- although I only met a few people actually from the area!

This mission was completely different from York- but was still wonderful. There was a different vibe on campus because there was no central location- campus was more of buildings spread out throughout the city than a specific enclosed place.

There was a great team of about 12 or so that went, while the other OCCA students were on mission to Bath and Aberystwyth. Our speakers were Tom Price & Sharon Dicrkx (both tutors) and OCCA alumni Jonathan Sherwin and Kate Seagrave. They rocked all the talks- each coming from a different speciality and background. Tom is a philosopher and absolutely brilliant- he also worked in his love for film into his talks to create a great dynamic. Sharon is a scientist and was able to bring her knowledge of science, experimentation & research, and life experience to the table. Her personal story of suffering made for a powerful testimony in the talk "Why does God allow suffering"- with a brilliant response of the questions we ask, who our God is, and how he can meet us within times of suffering.

This week was filled with many different kinds of conversations about God, Jesus, Christianity, truth, pluralism, etc. We were able to meet students through various means: worldview surveys, flyering, lunch bars, evening events, and coffee shop chats. Students came from all different backgrounds- and we found a vast array of perspectives on Jesus & faith. Many conversations I had were with students who believed truth to be relative, and each religion was an equal road to God- no religion was right over another.

It was great to understand where people were coming from, and genuinely getting to know them as people instead of going into a conversation with an agenda. It was freeing to understand that God knows their hearts and where they are in their search for truth, their beliefs, etc. and when I could go into a conversation with no set expectations or views of success- it allowed me to be more gracious, understanding, and able to give the conversation to God.

I made some great friendships last week- with my host Anna, and a few girls that I met throughout the week. God put me into some tough conversations- philosophers & scientists coming my way- but gave me a confidence in who He was and the message I was bringing- which allowed for a good mix of building relationships & boldness to ask hard questions.

I had one conversation with such a lovely girl- who had such a similar story to mine. Her doubts, longings, questions, and perceptions of God were so similar to the same things I have asked and questioned in my own walk. It was a very evident way God showed me that he can use His healing touch in our specific pain and struggles as a beacon of mercy for others. She told me that she had never had someone articulate the desires and questions of her heart in the same way- and i felt the same. What a blessing- and a privilege  to be able to get to know someone in such a deep way over such a short period of time!

I was very thankful for this week. God really revealed to me how much I love evangelism. It was a bit of a miracle week in the sense of being freed from anxiety the whole week- a taste of a freedom He is working on and I believe to be coming more and more.

I was fascinated at how God could use us as a team- bringing the same people to have conversations with different people, the use of different international backgrounds & languages, and how God divinely paired up conversations with who each person needed to talk to.

A little bit of a summary for you- I could go on with specific stories- but I'll leave it there. Feel free to email me and ask me more questions though!

xxx