The Blog

Well we are not one to brag but we like it here at Crossfire MC when we come up with an amazing idea. Pastor Danny just happens to be one of those people who comes up with amazing ideas. Now we are not going to reveal what the top secret amazing idea is just yet but we can tell you that you should be looking for more info during the month of May. We are hoping to have it done and available for everyone at the end of May.

In other news, Crossfire MC is going to be headed back down to So Cal next week and are very excited to see what God is going to do on this trip. We ask that you would all pray for us and pray that God will do some crazy things on this trip. Make sure to be checking the website frequently for updated pictures, blogs, videos and more. And don't forget to be checking back for more info on our top secrete project.

It still blows me away that God can do so many things that you do not expect. He has the ability to completely change the way we look at things and how we act towards things. God is taking the team here at Crossfire MC through a lot of stuff right now and the fact that he is doing this is just awesome. We get to see things that we never saw before and get to experience things we never thought we could experience. We have had some awesome opportunities to just be able to share the love of God and we will be leaving on another trip soon which will give us even more opportunities.

The message and the thing that I really want to get across to you all through this is that no matter where you are at or what it is you are doing, God is there and he wants to be able to show you things that you didn't know were there to be seen. He wants to take you places that you didn't know you could go. Look for opportunities and be ready for what it is God is going to do in your life. He has big things for you and wants you to be able to take advantage of everything he has for you.

The story of Good Friday is a simple one. It is a simple story of the unconditional love of Christ for each one of us. For the benefit of anyone who might not know of this story of love, it started shortly after Jesus Christ entered the Garden of Olives and experienced a "hemorrhage of blood" that prompted him to cry out, "Father, if it is possible, let this suffering pass from me."


Following that agony that brought about this sweating of blood, Christ's hands were tied. While they were doing everything to distract him from what was taking place, a powerful soldier crept up behind him and jammed a crown of thorns on his forehead. And he screamed with pain. A short time later he was directed toward Calvary and carrying a cross was eventually nailed to it and died. A simple, but powerful story.

Now every major religious writer has told this story of love that took place on that first Good Friday. It is a story reminding us of the unconditional love that Christ has for each one of us.

The suffering of Jesus Christ that we are reminded about today is not just some historical event of the past. The Passion of Christ, his sufferings, did not end on Calvary or Good Friday. It is going on in the lives of every home, every family, every person. Christ has reminded us "wheRev.er two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This is a reminder that if suffering did not pass by Christ, it will not pass by us. The Passion of Christ is being experienced in the parent who says, "Father, my son is a drug addict", or the mother who says, "my mother has Alzheimer's disease." The Passion of Christ is seen in the life of every alcoholic who must learn to unite his thirst with the thirst of Christ on the Cross. The person who has terminal cancer at one point in his life must say with Christ, "Father into thy hands I commend my spirit."

All of us when a serious illness or accident or setback takes place look for an answer to our questions, "Why me?" And Good Friday, when we look at the most innocent person in the world could ask, "Why him?"

If you are looking for an emotional or pragmatic answer to suffering in your life or the lives of others, you are looking in vain. If suffering was to be the life of Christ, his blessed mother, his apostles and saints, then the only rational answer we can give is "not my will be done, but yours," The story of Christ on Good Friday is one of unconditional love. Christ will never stop offering this unconditional love.

The poet, Francis Thompson, in his beautiful work, "The Hound of Heaven," described how he tried to elude the Cross of Christ and realized that in trying to escape the cross he was running from the love of God and denying God the opportunity to lavish his love.
I fled Him down the nights and days. I fled Him down the arches of the years. I fled him down the labyrinthine ways of my mind; of my own mind and in the midst of tears I hid from Him and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes, I sped; and shot, precipitated.

The same theme of unconditional love was written about by Joseph Plunkett in his poem, I See His Blood Upon The Rose. This is another reminder that the Passion of Christ was with us for all time.
I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes
His body gleams amid eternal snows
His tears fall from the skies.

Good Friday is a story of God's unconditional love for us. It was not a mistake to reconcile a sinful man with sinless God. Good Friday, though sad, is a reminder that we have a place in heaven because of a God whose love was so great that his last words were, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in your heart.

Yesterday (April 7, 2009) marks the 15 year anniversary of the beginning of the Rwandan Holocaust/Genocide. In 1994 an estimated one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu men, women, and children were murdered over only 100 days. I remember being a kid and hearing short BBC reports of the "situation" that was happening in Rwanda.
I never really understood what was happening there until I watched the movie "Hotel Rwanda" with my brother in 2004. It has since become my favorite movie not because of the great writing or because of the great acting or even because of the incredibly moving and encouraging story (all three are true), it has become my favorite movie because it really has challenged the way I think.


There is a scene in the movie where Paul (played by Don Cheadle) is thanking Jack (played by Joaquin Phoenix) for filming footage of the genocide to show the world. Jack replies "Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?" Paul responds "How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?" (Jack's response has never really left me) he said"I think if people see this footage they'll say, "oh my God that's horrible," and then go on eating their dinners" The truth is that is exactly what happened. People were being killed in the capital city of Kigali, in the village of Buhongo, and all over Rwanda dead bodies were laying in the streets. But in New York City the United Nations were fighting over the definition of the word genocide. I believe our failure to act on behalf of the million dead is the Free World's biggest failure in the last 25 years.

It makes me wonder how many times as Christians we fail to act. I am not talking about the time were thought-out plans and prayerful consideration is needed. But the times were injustice is happening and we know we need to respond but we don't. Sure, millions don't die because of our lack of obedience to action, but I wonder what the result or the death toll is in the supernatural. As Christians we are supernatural people living in a natural world, however when we are obedient we infuse the supernatural into this world and incredible things happen. I know I have seen situations, and just hoped things would get better and "gone right back to eating my dinner". Most of the time those things don't get better. Are we as Christians like the Priest and Levite in Luke 10. Do we see the man near death laying in the gutter and cross to the other side of road. Or are we obedient to action? Do we go to the ditch get down and dirty and help the man near death?

A few weeks ago I was in Washington DC and I saw a poem at the Holocaust Museum I want to end with this poem by German Pastor Martin Niemöller its called First they came…

"First they came for the Communists,

but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists,

but I was neither, so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the Jews,

but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the Catholics,

but I was not a Catholic so I did not speak out.

And when they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak out."

This last Sunday at Crossfire Family Worship Center, Pastor Aaron spoke a message about smelly poeple. Now its not the kind of smelly that you are thinking about. He was talking about smells and what incencse was used for in the tabernacle. He talked about what it means to smell good to God and what the things are in our life that make us smell not so good. It was a very powerful message and opened up the eyes of people to a lot of things.

One of the illustrations he used stuck with me. He talked about what happens to his dogs when he leaves them outside for a long time. They start to stink. But, him being he owner of the dogs has no problem bringing them in and washing them up just like God will do for us. He also said sometimes the dogs will go and roll in something, they go get all nasty and yet he will still clean them up. Its funny he talked about how God will take us no matter what we do or what we have done and he will always clean us up.

So as you go this week and live out your life, just begin to think a little bit about wheather you smell good, if not see what God can do to vlean you up and make you smell good.