Jesus took in that breath and shattered all death with His life!

Only Andrew Peterson could write a song comparing the resurrection to an Old West shootout at high noon and come up with what is, in my opinion, the best Easter song ever. For me, this song captures all the jubilation of the risen Lord. May you be richly blessed as you celebrate Jesus today!




High Noon
by Andrew Peterson

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the deep of the valley was bright
When the mouth of the tomb shouted,
"Glory, the Groom is alive"
So long, you wages of sin, go on
Don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed;
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle at
High noon in the valley
In the valley of the shadow

And the demons, they danced in the darkness
When that last ragged breath left his lungs
And they reveled and howled
At the war that they thought they had won

But then, in the dark of the grave
The stone rolled away
In the still of the dawn on the greatest of days

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the shadows were shot through with light
When Jesus took in that breath
And shattered all death with his life
So long, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle
High noon in the valley of the shadow

Let the people rejoice
Let the heavens resound
Let the name of Jesus, who sought us
And freed us forever ring out

All praise to the fighter of the night
Who rides on the light
Whose gun is the grace of the God of the sky

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the shadows were shot through with light
When the mouth of the tomb
Shouted, "Glory, the Groom is alive"
So long, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
All praise to the King
The victor of the battle
High noon in the valley
In the valley of the shadow

lenten journey, day 40 — a prayer for those who wait

It’s Saturday. Jesus, the Passover Lamb slain to take away the sins of the world, is dead and buried.

And so we wait.

Because that’s what people do. After Jesus’s lifeless body was taken down from the cross, the disciples waited. They waited together, behind locked doors, sharing grief and fear and defeat, drowning in confusion.

Thomas waited, too. But he found no strength in numbers. His gnawing doubt and overwhelming heartache drove him to wait alone.

Mary Magdelene waited. Early Sunday morning she waited outside an empty tomb, weeping and grieving that the Jesus who had forgiven her and restored her dignity had been taken away—not only by death but, presumably, by grave robbers, as well.

And as they waited, something truly miraculous happened. Jesus came to them.

The disciples’ locked doors and fretful hearts couldn’t prevent the One who loved them most from appearing in their midst, bringing a message of peace and showing off the miracle of mortal wounds that could not keep the Son of God in the grave. Jesus came to them in the middle of their uncertainty. He showed up while they waited.

Thomas’s doubt and solitude couldn’t keep Jesus from coming to him, either. Although it took a bit longer. Thomas had to wait for a week, and even then, he couldn’t be sure that it was really Jesus. But Jesus, in his mercy, brought Thomas what he needed, when he needed it—tangible proof and a stern but loving message: “Stop doubting and believe.”

And what about Mary, who waited in weeping and anguish? When Jesus came to her, the depth of her sorrow prevented her from recognizing her Lord at first. But then he did something so astonishingly simple and beautiful that even Mary’s grief was not enough to blind her to his presence. He called her by name. “Mary.”

How are you waiting on the Lord right now? Do you wait in fear? He will come to you with a message of peace. Are you alone in your waiting, isolated by doubt? Don’t give up…he will strengthen you in his perfect timing. Do you wait with tears streaming down your face, blinded to his presence? Jesus will gently and beautifully make himself known.

And so, on this Saturday, we wait for the risen Lord. He will come. And when he does, what a celebration it will be!

Jesus, I wait for you in the middle of all life’s joys and storms. On mountaintops I wait, and in deep valleys, too. Help me to be patient in my waiting, certain of your coming. Help me to believe that you will show up at just the right time. And help me to be aware of your presence…because what good is the waiting if I’m too wrapped up in my circumstances to even know you’re there? You are a friend who is never far off. Thank you for that. You are a savior who brings peace and communion when I need it most. Thank you. You will come. And I will be waiting for you. Yes, and amen.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning. — Psalm 130:5-6

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
— Jude 1:20-21

lenten journey, day 39 — a prayer for the lost

Today, as I contemplate the beauty and the horror of the cross, my heart is heavy. Not just because my sin—my self-gratifying, self-centered, self-obsessed sin—put Jesus there. Not just because my name was inscribed in each of his bloody wounds. Not just because Jesus endured complete separation from the Father so that I could experience complete oneness with him.

Even though these things grieve me to my very core, my heart is most heavy because there are so many who do not know that this sacrifice was made for them, too.

Because Jesus died, the curtain in the temple has been ripped from top to bottom. There is now free access to the Holy of Holies for all who come to the Father through Jesus. Oh thank you Jesus! May all the children of God come pouring through the temple doors to celebrate the work that you accomplished on their behalf!

Jesus, how can I thank you for what you did on that cruel cross? My words are not adequate, my worship too shallow. You have given so much, what can I give in return? All I really have to offer is my heart, Jesus. May it be an acceptable offering. Lord, the ransom you paid on the cross was so very costly—more costly than I can ever truly understand. Would you open the eyes of those who have yet to see that they are the dearly beloved children for whom that ransom was paid? Would you show me how to live a life that conveys your love and grace to the lost? Jesus, I’m so very sorry that you had to endure the unthinkable for those you love. But I am so very thankful that you did. Here’s my heart, Lord. All of it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" — Mark 15:37-39

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. — Ephesians 5:1-2

lenten journey, day 38 — a maundy thursday prayer to see his beauty

Somewhere tonight—maybe even everywhere tonight—the dark shadow of a broken world is trying to overcome the light that is the Kingdom of God. Babies are dying. Marriages are ending. Cancer spreads. Wars rage. Tempers flare. Good people remain silent in the face of injustice, while the sin-addicted cannot stop speaking in their own defense. We see this ugliness and we know that things are not as they should be, not as they were meant to be. Where is the beauty?

With all of its sorrow and falleness, tonight is not unlike the night Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room to take the Passover meal. The world as they knew it was about to shake apart in a huge way. A dark shadow was forming. For right there in that room was a sinister betrayer, one who would sell out the kindest, most merciful, most holy and loving man who ever walked earth’s dusty roads. And right there, too, was a gutless denier, one who would swear loyalty but exhibit cowardice three times in the face of danger. A doubter was there, as well. And a bunch of others who, after three years of soaking up the Messiah’s teaching, were still so clueless about who he really was.

In that room, where the ugliness of betrayal and fear and doubt and ignorance hung heavy in the air, Jesus broke the Passover bread. He did so knowing that he would soon be broken, too, in cruel and dreadful ways. Then Jesus poured the blood-red Passover wine, fully aware that within hours, his own blood would soak the ground beneath a rough-hewn cross.

Yes, the last night that Jesus shared with his disciples was one tainted by Adam and Eve’s—and our—disobedience. It was a reminder of a broken world corrupted by sin and controlled by fear.

But it was also a night filled with glimpses of exquisite beauty. A night where the Kingdom of God was startlingly near and much too bright to be overcome by the looming shadow of death. This was the night when the Passover Lamb would at last begin to fulfill the plan of redemption that God ordained before the universe was spoken into being.

This is the haunting beauty of the upper room: That Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, would humbly assume the role of foot-washing servant; that the Holy One of Heaven would speak words of comfort to others—“I am going to prepare a place for you”—even as he began the long, lonely, comfortless journey to the cross; that the perfect and spotless Lamb of God would willingly resolve to shed his own blood so that the wrath of God might pass over those who believe in the power of his sacrifice.

As the 12 disciples observed Passover with Jesus and remembered the night long ago when God spared his chosen while claiming the first-born sons of Egypt, did they understand that Jesus is our Passover Lamb? Did they see the beauty of God’s Kingdom in that room? Do we?

Jesus, you are a truly beautiful savior. This world is so fallen and seems so dark sometimes, but it will never be dark enough to overcome the pure light of your grace and mercy. Tonight, Jesus, I remember. I remember that you loved your disciples so much that you got down on your knees to scrub the grime from between their toes. I remember that even though you must have been filled with dread for what you were about to endure, you spoke words of affection and comfort to those you loved. I remember that you commanded us to love like that, too. I remember that you are the perfect Passover Lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world. Jesus, you are beauty in the midst of pain and light in the midst of darkness. May I remember to look for glimpses of you in the broken places of life. I want to dwell in your beauty. I want to be beautiful too. Yes, and amen.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:12-13

”I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20

lenten journey, day 37 — a prayer for europe

During the five weeks that I have been writing these lenten journey prayers, my son has repeatedly asked me to pray for Europe, especially the future of the church there. I’ve put it off, mostly because it seemed such a huge topic to tackle.

But the more I read, the more I came to share my son’s view that we need to be in prayer for the church in Western Europe.

I remember quite a few years back, I heard about a group going to France to do mission work. At the time, I scoffed at the need for missions in a country with so many grand cathedrals and a church tradition dating back to the fourth century A.D. But if I’d done my homework back then, I’d have learned that France is, indeed, a country that needs to hear the beautiful news of Jesus. A staggering 53% of 18-to-29-year-olds in France are atheists, and 60% of the overall population never attends a church service.

European society has been so successfully secularized that churches all over the continent are being boarded up and turned into shops, grocery stores, or lofts. In the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation of Ireland, church attendance dropped from 85% in 1975 to 60% in 2004. That’s still the highest rate in Europe, though not a single priest was ordained in Dublin in 2005. One graduate student in Dublin was quoted in a USA Today article, saying, “I don’t go to church, and I don’t know one person who does. Fifteen years ago, I didn’t know one person who didn’t.”

In Sweden, where the protestant Swedish Lutheran Church is the dominant denomination, 85% of Swedes are church members, but only 11% of women and 7% of men attend services. The marriage rate in Scandinavia as a whole has plummeted, too, and more than half of the children born in Sweden are to unwed parents.

Why does all this matter? It matters because the church is God’s plan for believers. And when I say “church,” I don’t mean denominational hierarchy, religion, or dogma. I mean the people of God, meeting in the presence of God, worshipping God together. The church is the Bride of Christ, and that is an identity to be cherished and nurtured. The Groom longs to meet with us collectively as well as individually. And that makes the worshipping church a true home for all who love Jesus and seek to be conformed to his image.

The good news is that the youngest residents of Western Europe seem to be experiencing great revival. Evangelical churches are also growing all over Western Europe, with immigrants from Asia and Africa making up the majority of their membership. God is moving, as he always does. Let us remember to pray for these churches, that they would begin to shine the light of the gospel into the darkest corners of European secular culture.

Jesus, may the churches of Western Europe once again see themselves as you do—as a beautiful bride preparing herself for her Groom. Lord, when churches become focused on empty ceremony and man-ordained ritual, people flee. But when churches focus on you and your word, people are drawn in like sheep longing for the tender guidance of the shepherd. Lord, would you rise up a holy and shining church in Western Europe? Would you work in the hearts of the European people, so that they would see fellowship and worship as far more desirable than a secular life centered on themselves? May the cathedrals of Europe once again resound with the praises of the Groom! Yes, and amen.

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. — Acts 20:28

And God placed all things under (Christ’s) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. — Ephesians 1:22-23

lenten journey, day 36 — a prayer for intercessors

Right now, somewhere in the world, maybe even right in your own neigh- borhood or your own home, there is an intercessor praying for you. They may not be praying for you specifically by name. They may not even know who you are. But their prayers on your behalf are rising like sweet smelling incense to the throne of God.

Are you a parent? An intercessor somewhere is praying for parents…that they would be wise, loving, and full of God’s infinite grace as they struggle to fit 25 hours of work into a 24-hour day. Are you a wife or husband? Someone is praying for God to strengthen marriages and redeem broken relationships for his glory. A believer? Someone is on their knees, weeping before the throne of God that believers might grow in faith and shine brightly in all the dark places of this world. Do you struggle with physical or emotional afflictions? Prayers of healing are bombarding Heaven on your behalf.

True intercessory prayer is a kind of living martyrdom. Intercessors have made themselves available 24/7 to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. They are soldiers who never retreat, even in the face of intense spiritual warfare. They are willing to agonize physically over the afflictions of others, fully sharing the pain and heartache of those they pray for.

And an intercessor will never, ever ask God to work through others if God is able to work through them. When an intercessor prays for victims of HIV/AIDS, they do so in full abandonment to God’s will, knowing that he may answer that prayer by calling them to minister at the bedside of a dying patient.

Is there any higher calling than intercessory prayer? Is there any more surrendered life? I am so very grateful for those who said “yes” to God when he called them to be intercessors.

I am even more grateful that we have the Great Intercessor—Jesus—pleading on our behalf before the Father, adding his “amen” to our petitions. Jesus died to save us, and now lives to mediate for us. Consider this amazing truth from 1 Timothy 2:5-6…

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Wow. Just, wow. And thank you.

Father, in the name of Jesus our Great Intercessor, I ask you to richly bless all those who have answered the call to intercede for this fallen world. Give them a glorious glimpse of you as they pray, that they might be encouraged and lifted up, even as they bow low at your feet. Thank you, Jesus, that you are our living mediator. What an unspeakable privilege it is to have you on our side. Father, forgive me for the times when you have urged me to my knees and, like a petulant child, I have said “no” to you. Lord, make me a willing intercessor, attuned to the whispers of the Holy Spirit and fully obedient to you. Yes, and amen.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. — Hebrews 7:25

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. — 1 Samuel 12:23a

___________________________________

This is a beautiful song about the power of intercession and tears wept on behalf of the lost. May it bless and encourage you in your own journey of prayer.

lenten journey, day 35 — prayers for hiv/aids

FACT: Since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in 1983, more than 25 million people have died from this deadly disease.

Oh God of all Compassion. You are rich in mercy. But why does AIDS consume so many of your children?

FACT: Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS. 12 million African children and 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS. By 2010, more than 25 million children worldwide will be orphaned by AIDS.

Lord, may your holy church rise up and shower these precious children with your love and mercy. May each AIDS orphan come to know you as the loving Father who never abandons and never lets go.

FACT: There are 14,000 new HIV infections each day. 2,000 of those are in children younger than 15.

How long will this plague rage on the earth? Lord, hear us from Heaven as we cry out for an end to HIV.

FACT: The disease of AIDS is incurable. Unfortunately, the social disgrace that accompanies it seems just as incurable in many countries where AIDS affected families are completely shunned.

Oh Lord, it breaks my heart that your children are left utterly alone when they most need the loving hugs of their neighbors and the practical support of their communities. Father, would you transform the fearful hearts of the healthy and bless the efforts of those who seek to teach entire communities the truth about this frightening disease?

FACT: Thanks to the introduction of generic drugs, the cost of antiretroviral treatment has decreased substantially, costing just $130 per person per year. Still, antiretroviral drugs only reach 1 in 5 who need them.

Oh God, forgive me. $130 is less than what I spent on ice tea from QuikTrip in the past six months. It’s less than the three pairs of sneakers I purchased at Shoe Carnival last week. It’s less than half what my iPod and all those “necessary” accessories cost. Father, please, change my heart. Make me a better steward of your money. Do I really need another pair of jeans when there are so many who need life-giving medicine? Lord, help me to remember that the answer to that question is ALWAYS “no.”

FACT: While I was putting this blog post together, 479 children were orphaned by AIDS.

Oh God. How long must your children suffer?


This video shows what one organization, Compassion International, is doing in the name of Christ to reach out to families and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. May we, as intercessors, contribute a symphony of prayer to these efforts. And may we seek God’s heart on other ways he would have us minister to our suffering brothers and sisters worldwide. (I have been supporting the Compassion AIDS Initiative for several months now, and believe that God is working in a mighty way through this organization. If, after seeking His heart, God moves you to give, please consider the Compassion AIDS Initiative.)




"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” — 2 Chronicles 7:14

…pray continually. — 1 Thessalonians 5:17

palm sunday selah

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Here’s a little something from Hillsong United to help you worship Jesus on this Palm Sunday.