Do you get it?

Today I have a story to tell. This summer I've been working at a Christian camp about thirty minutes from where I live. This week was my fourth week there, and it was their first middle school week. Anyway, last week I was a counselor for teen week, which was amazing. But, that's not what I want to talk about now. This week I was on service staff like I will be for pretty much the rest of the summer. Basically, I wash lots of dishes, clean those lovely "washsheds" as they're called, help teach a Bible class, and a bunch of other stuff as well. So I was thinking this week of how much I really missed being a counselor after last week, but also how much I love my job here. It's like a dream come true. I get to serve others like Jesus did. A good way to describe my job is like this: I clean up after people's messes just like Jesus cleaned up my mess when He came and died on the cross to save me from my sins and an eternal horrific punishment in the lake of fire. He came and cleaned up my life, so why shouldn't I be willing to serve others by cleaning up in a small way compared to how He cleaned me up?

But, I'm not done yet. One of the incredible things about this camp is that they do what's called campfire services on Tuesdays and Thursdays where the kids basically can get up and tell how Jesus saved them and/or share how God has worked in their life since then. And it really is incredible. You must accept the fact that Jesus came to die, and also come back to life to save you from your sins. You must also realize that, yes, you have done wrong according to God's standards...you cannot save yourself. Check out Ephesians 2:8-10 and also Romans 10 and you'll see it's by faith in what Jesus did. Yes, you must be saved. From what? Literally, from yourself. No one has done good according to God's standards (Romans 3:23).

Bringing this back around to the campfire Tuesday night of this week, one kid not only testified to having done this and being saved...saved meaning once you trust in what Jesus Christ did for you and accept it and ask Him to forgive you for your sins...He saves you. "For by grace, you are saved through faith..." (Ephesians 2:8) This kid, named Hunter, who wasn't any older than thirteen, got up there and talked about how much God loves us and how much he realized that God loved him. A middle school kid got up there and wept because of how much God loved him. He was weeping because he just said simply, "Jesus came to die for me because He loved me so much, and that's just amazing." I wish I could remember all that he said, because it was truly astounding coming from the lips of someone not even in high school yet. Hunter got it. Do you get it? He got that Jesus came to die for us for one reason only: Because He loves us that much that He didn't want to live without us. Before the kids got up, another one of the counselors, another service staff member, and I did a song called "How Deep the Father's Love for Us." She and I sang, and my fellow service staffer played his violin to accompany us. This song is one of my favorites. Just singing it this time after having sung it so many others and seeing tears in the eyes of many of the campers and counselors just said it all. His love is sooooo deep and great we can't comprehend it. But it has changed us.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to Glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything--
No gifts, no power, no wisdom,
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death, and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom!

(How Deep the Father's Love for Us
Written by: Stuart Townend)

I hope if it hasn't already happened to you and changed you, that you will "get it" and come to Him. For those of you who are saved and on your way to Heaven, do you get it? Do you get what Hunter got? God loves you SO much. Have you ever really thought about what Christ did for you? How much He went through and had to suffer for your sake? It's incredibly incomprehensible, and we can't wrap our minds around it. But still...don't take it for granted. The Son of God cleaned up your mess. His body was ripped apart by Roman soldiers beating him to a pulp with those cat of nine tails whips. He was not even recognized as human after this...then He had a crown of thorns 2-3 inches long (seriously) slammed into his scalp. The blood was already flowing. Next, He was nailed to a cross by his wrists (they considered this the hand in those days...if it really were what we consider the hand, He would have fallen off.) and feet. This not only caused Him to bleed more, it also pierced nerves in his wrists and ankles. Imagine, as I've heard it described before, someone with pliers taking your nerves and just twisting them. It's an excruciating pain that burns and sears through you. Also on the cross, these guys can't breathe normally. A victim on the cross must lift himself up with is feet (already nailed and causing great pain) just to fill his lungs with air. And it must be repeated until the victim is too exhausted and suffocates to death. Usually that's what happens. But Jesus...Jesus it is said in the King James Version, "gave up the ghost." He didn't suffocate. He gave His life up for us. No one took it from Him. He was willing and undeserving of this death. He's the perfect Son of God. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John clearly show all of this although the Bible doesn't give much of the graphic details of the Crucifixion. It beautifully goes over all of that but at the same time, when you truly think about it and know the facts behind it...you realize, "Wow. I'm the one who did wrong, but yet Christ took all that pain and my sins on Himself. And all because He loved me?" It'll blow your mind...just think about it and let God show you this truth. do you get it?