I hate getting unexpected bills.  It is one thing to get a bill that you understand; like a "surprise" bill from Best Buy after buying that big TV.  It is not a normal bill you get every month but this first one catches you off guard.  Then there are those bills that come for a few dollars that make absolutely no sense; like the long distance bill the church received today.  We have had QWest long distance for a few years now, but received a bill from Sprint for $9.31 for our long distance.  Wait a second…what is going on here?  So I called Sprint and had to wait and wait and wait.  A couple different times the customer service person came on-line to ask me to continue to wait.  Apparently she really wanted me to stay on the phone so she could give me the run around.  I guess she was having a slow day.  She did eventually come back and gave me some answer that I still do not understand but she was very quick in crediting our so-called account the $9.31.  No fight.  No argument.  Maybe the Sprint staff needed to add to their pizza fund and decided to send random bills in hope that they would not run into someone like me.  A bigger operation might have just paid the bill without any questions, but I am not paying a bill that is not mine.

Jesus came into a world with people holding an outstanding bill that demanded their lives.  But this bill was legitimate and very BIG.  Sin was and is the cause of that debt.  We try to pay the bill off but we never seem to even make the interest payments.  But Jesus came and took those bills and had them nailed to the cross with him.  His death was payment of those bills which means we are "debt-free".  And as we continue to receive those bills, instead of trying to muster up your own resources to pay the bill; instead of ignoring the bill or throwing it away, fall to your knees at the foot of the cross.  With a penitent heart hand your bill to Jesus and Jesus will stamp it paid.  Your debt is forgiven.  Jesus pays your bill without question; without a fight and without an argument.  Stop fighting it and recognize the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord.  He died and rose from the grave that we may be "debt-free".  Praise be to God and Amen!