Survivor Life Lesson Part II

Tonight the saga with Matt continued with another interesting twist, you can't write this... Matt who has spent 21 of the 28 days on redemption island mostly alone. This week Matt struggled with the purpose of why he's on redemption island or even in the game and that he's ready to go home unless God desires for him to continue in the game for some purpose. At the challenge on redemption to see who stays a contestant named Julie lost out. Jeff the shows host asked Julie her reason for playing the game and she responded that she basically came for the money, not to make friends or the experience, that her house was in foreclosure and she wanted a better life for her family. However, she indicated that she gained something larger that seeing and witnessing Matt and his faith she couldn't wait to get home and find a church and get active.

It seems that Matt's cry out to God about his purpose there was answered, as I said in an earlier post on this subject that Matt has desired that God use him in the game and in Matt's separation from the game he has wondered how that could happen, but it has on redemption island.

Can't wait to see what happens next, even if Matt does not make off redemption he has influenced one person to seek their own journey of faith and that's bigger than a million dollars.

Different Perspective of Palm Sunday

For years I’ve wondered about how we celebrate and worship on Palm Sunday. This typically involves a re-enactment of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the congregation being his followers in Jerusalem celebrating by waving palm's and announcing the coming of “their” king. This is where it gets interesting; the scriptures in Luke say the people shouted “Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the heights” . Key here is that the people of Jerusalem who lined the streets and laid down their robs & coats where celebrating the entry of a King who they believed had come to claim his rightful earthly place restoring Israel and expelling the Roman occupiers. This was the moment that many had been waiting for including some of his disciples. The man entering Jerusalem was whom they had always understood as the Messiah would be, that of a conquering king not the suffering Messiah, the Lamb of God for the entire world.

Remember that Jesus wept for Jerusalem before he entered the city because he knew the people had already missed the opportunity to understand and believe in what was coming before them. In other words those cheering along the path of Jesus’ entry had no clue or understanding of whom really was entering into Jerusalem and worse would reject the true offer of salvation that was to come. No one not even the Disciples up to this point understood Jesus’ true mission that he came to be the Lamb of God, the one last sacrifice for all humanity.

We must remember the people were there because of the great miracles that Jesus had performed through his ministry had validated in their minds who Jesus was, but they were going to miss the greatest miracle of all the resurrection. The point to all of this is that the people of Jerusalem missed the true Jesus and were celebrating something they desired and wanted, not what God was providing. Do we today get blinded by the miracles and see Jesus for something he’s not. Or do we see and worship him as “The Lord & Savior of the world”. To understand the magnitude of Palm Sunday we must see it from the perspective that even though Jesus’ wepted and desired different for the people who cheered him as he entered Jerusalem he went forward with what the Father had called the Son to do and save the world. So, on Palm Sunday should we celebrate the entry of Jesus as the people of Jerusalem did or as Jesus weeping for those who have missed the truth of Christ by wanting something of our own desires?

Life Lessons from Survivor

Two TV programs I'm a fan of.. Survivor and Amazing Race.. Although Survivor is not really a reality show but it is interesting to watch in terms of human interaction. This season there is this young Christian surfer dude (he just looks like a surfer dude) named Matt who seems, as best I can tell from edited TV a real genuine nice guy and humble professing Christian, but who is clueless on playing the game of Survivor. This season Survivor instituted something called Redemption Island where when contestants voted off go to stay alone and compete against the next voted off contestant to see who stays on redemption Island. Matt was voted off in week 2 and stayed there for 6 episodes beating out all others very gracefully... All while professing he's there to serve his God. This past week Matt was brought back into the game only to be voted out again and sent back to Redemption island. After Matt reentered the game he considered jumping ship and voting with the other tribe, but in the end he felt that would be unethical and decided to stay loyal and honor his God by accepting what God's will would be.. I think Matt has served his God well, even with out playing the game well, on Redemption Island greeting all of the others voted off with humility and grace, even after defeating them.. perhaps this is where Matt can server God best, but as he said in leaving tribal council after being voted off.. God's will is not his will... There is a message here and that is we don't have to play the game well for God to use us, God sometimes rearranges the game to work for us even when we don't see or like it.. It will be interesting to see how this turns out for Matt.