I was raised in a Christian home all
my life, but I spent about six years
lost in drugs and selling drugs and in
and out of jail.
In fact, I was in and out of
jail three or four times by the time
I was age 18, but I'm just here
to tell you all that the Lord's got
a hold of my life.
I've been delivered.
The devil doesn't have a hold of my
life anymore.
And last night, the Lord gave me this
poem I wanted to read just as part
of my testimony.
It says, life was once empty and aimless
with wandering, I mean, excuse me, life was
once empty with aimless wanderings and confusion.
This life lived was that of a destitute
place.
This life was filled with hopelessness and ever
growing despair.
This life found me battered and empty, lying
lifeless on my face.
How did I get here?
I wondered and feared.
I looked inside and realized that my conscience
was seared.
I could not understand how I'd fallen so
far.
From the Lord, I found myself estranged and
afar.
I was barren and defiled, hopeless, even lost
when I realized the father want to be
home no matter what the cost.
I reached out my battered hand with one
last spark of strength.
In doing this, I felt a hand that
would soon wash away my pain.
He scooped me up into his arms and
held me to his face.
I could not understand this for I did
not deserve his grace.
I looked up at him with tearful eyes
and all he did was smile.
With all the time I was lost in
sin, he loved me all the while.
He washed me with his love and grace
and made me feel brand new.
Then he brought me to his kingdom, turned
my gray skies to blue.
He showed me the wounds on his hands
and feet and the piercing in his side.
He said, I've done this all for you,
my son, so you can be my bride.
As you know, the Passover is two days
away and the son of man will be
handed over to be crucified.
On the first
day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the
disciples came to Jesus and asked, where do
you want us to make preparations for you
to eat the Passover?
He replied, go into the city to a
certain man and tell him the teacher says
my appointed time is near.
I am going to celebrate the Passover with
my disciples at your house.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave
thanks and broke it and gave it to
his disciples saying, take and eat.
This is my body.
Then he took the cup, gave thanks and
offered it to them saying, drink from it
all of you.
This is my blood of the covenant which
is poured out for many for forgiveness of
sins.
Sit here while I go over there and
pray.
Watch and pray so that you will not
fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is
weak.
He went away a second time and prayed.
My Father, it is not possible
for this cup to be taken away unless
I drink it.
Your will be done for the forgiveness of
sins.
You think I cannot call on my Father
and He will at once put in my
disposal more than 12 legions of angels?
But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled?
I'd say it must happen in this way,
for the forgiveness of sins.
In my leading rebellion that you come out
with swords and clubs to capture me every
day, I sat in the temple courts teaching
and you did not arrest me.
But this has all taken place that the
writings of the prophets might be fulfilled for
the forgiveness of sins.
I charge you under oath by the living
God, tell us if you are the Christ,
the Son of God.
Yes, it is as you say.
Jesus replied.
But I say to all of you, in
the future you will see the Son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the
mighty one and coming on the clouds of
heaven.
Then they spit in his face and struck
him with their fists.
What shall I do then with Jesus who
is called Christ?
Then he released Barabbas to them.
But he had Jesus flogged and handed him
over to be crucified.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the
praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers
around him.
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe
on him, then twisted together a crown of
thorns and set it on his head, put
a staff in his right hand and held
it in front of him and mocked him.
They spit on him, took the staff and
struck him on the head again and again.
After they had mocked him, they took off
the robe and put his own clothes on
him.
Then they led him away to crucify him.
Save Douglas.
He can't save himself.
He's the king of Israel.
Let him come down now from the cross
and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God.
Let God rescue him if he wants it.
For he said, I am the son of
God.
At that moment, the curtain of the temple
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook and the rocks split.
He rolled
a big stone in front of the entrance
to the tomb and went away.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting
there opposite the tomb.
The next day, the one after preparation day,
the chief priests and the Pharisees went to
Pilate.
Sir, they said, we remember that while he
was still alive, that deceiver said, after three
days I will rise again.
So give the order for the tomb to
be made secure until the third day.
Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the
body and tell the people that he's been
raised from the dead.
This last deception will be worse than the
first.