Crucifixion Friday

My first thought when I opened my eyes early Friday morning was, “I am going to watch someone being nailed to a cross today.” The thought sent a chill through my soul, it isn’t something I will enjoy. In fact, it is something that NO ONE should have to see, so much less, actually participate in.

As I sit here grappling with this, the rest of the family is asleep, worn out from the church service and hours of driving last night. I am awake because I was driven into consciousness by an echoing cry for grace. "God, dear God, you did this already so we wouldn’t have to!"

Thankfully the Spirit is sweeping through this country and so many have moved from Penance to Repentance… but their own religion is working so hard to blind them from true repentance. Their spiritual hungry is ravenous, and puts mine to shame it seems, and they will do anything in the name of salvation.

Last night as we drove through the countryside to the venue of the conference, we were delayed at every town or little village by crushing crowds gathered around the Catholic churches. The city of Manila is almost a ghost town. Normally a bustling bee hive of chaotic activity, it is now eerily still and silent, malls closed, restaurants closed, businesses of all kinds close, it’s more than 14 million people have headed out into the provinces to take part in the national pursuit of getting God’s attention.

They feel they must bleed and they must suffer, before God will turn a reluctant eye on their pitiful plight.

If any one of them could experience, just one minute, even 30 seconds, of true grace, they wouldn’t be doing this, they would be dancing instead. “God loves me! God thinks I am special!”

I think of all the times I have spent in an Apostolic altar, weeping, shouting, dancing, quietly embracing and being embraced by God’s Spirit and wish the whole world could know what I know.

So, as I sit and watch the sun creep onto the tops of Makati’s towering skyscrapers, I am committing myself all over again to telling these passionate people about God’s Grace. I know there won’t be much grace where we are going today, so we will have to be islands of grace.

“Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.”

Today I will be singing, and at times, humming under my breathe the lyrics to this song;

OH THE BLOOD… REDEEMING BLOOD
JESUS BLOOD… SHED FOR ME
OH THE BLOOD…SAVING BLOOD
CLEANSING BLOOD… FROM CALVARY
OH, OH, LAMB OF GOD, CRUCIFIED FOR MY SINS HE BLED AND DIED
AND OH HOW PRECIOUS IS THE BLOOD