Apr 24 - Easter Sunday - "The Joy of Eternal Life"

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” --- John 20:1-20

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Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia!

O glorious day! Our friend Jesus has returned to us a the risen Lord! Prophesy has been fulfilled! Our sadness has been put aside! Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice! Did I put enough exclamation points here to show how joyous we should be! :-)

This truly is a day for which we should be excited…cheer…sing…smile…laugh…play…dance…love. Whatever that thing by which you show true and unbounded joy, you should do today. But, why is this day so important? Many of you might read this and say, “Well, isn’t it obvious?!? Jesus Christ rose from the dead.” Yes, I agree, but why is it important that He rose…that He died…that He lived…that he was and is and is to come? Why? Because today’s resurrection is the completion, a fulfillment of a plan set in motion before the first moment of creation.

What do we see as the story of our lives; not just the time those reading this have spent on the earth. I mean from the beginning of time. The story which, without all of its parts in the correct order, would not have the same meaning, the same impact as it has on us because of those events and because of the sequence in which they occurred.

Could you imagine how confusing the Bible would be if Noah had come after Jesus? Or if Jesus would have appeared to Adam and Eve, as a gift for their salvation and redemption after taking of the forbidden fruit? What about if Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac would have taken place while all of Israel was held captive in Babylon? Would the scriptures be as relevant without Moses and the Exodus…Jacob and the Angel…Judas’ betrayal?

God’s plan for us over the millennia has an order and a composition that is miraculous. We, as Adam and Eve, were given the gift of all creation in its perfection. But we threw it away. We were evil, so God had to wipe the Earth clean with a flood, and promise to never do it again. We had to see the faith of Abraham, ready to slay his own son. God lead us out of Egypt to safety, but we went back to worshipping golden calves. When the Judges were raised up, time and time again and we as a people repented, returning to the Lord but only to fail again, the message was still not getting through. Israel was placed in captivity, then gloriously released after years of slavery. Did any of these things cause us to remain steadfast in our faith? Was there any point when we, as humanity, did not return to our wicked ways, even after we had seen miracles, wonders or received holy deliverance from our God?

We had to see all of these things in the right order to fully understand and appreciate the gift that is Jesus Christ. God had already tried everything else. The only thing left to be done was to offer us forgiveness when we did not deserve it. He gave us His only Son, who was perfect in every way, as a sacrifice to forgive all of our sins: the ones we committed yesterday, the ones we will commit today and the ones we will commit tomorrow…and the next day…and the next day. All of them!

Today is a glorious day! Our sins have been forgiven! There is no longer any way to “earn” our way into Heaven. The debt, the price of entry, has been paid in full. All we have to do is accept what has been given to us.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

So, dear friends, rejoice in this gift. Have peace in knowing that we will be with God forever after the end of our earthly days because He died for us. Alleluia!!!

Apr 23 - Holy Saturday - "The Barren Wasteland"

“For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.” --- Psalm 31:10

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If there was ever a day without hope, today is that day.

If you look at each of the four gospels, nothing is written about this day. There are no stories about what the Disciples did during this time, no account of how Mary spent this day. The day is a barren wasteland, both in spirit and in the Word.

From the earliest days of the Old Testament, there was always a hope of the Messiah to come. That hope is now gone. Over the past three years, Jesus preached of a new type of relationship with God, with the Law and with each other. That promise now lies dead in a cold tomb.

What can we do on this day when all hope seems to be lost?

If you are His Disciples, now only numbering eleven after the great betrayal, you fear for your lives. Are you next? Will the chief priests, emboldened by the death of He who said He was the Messiah, come after His followers to crush this rebellion?

If you are Mary, His Mother, your pain is doubled. Not only has the promise of a new covenant been destroyed, you are mourning the death of your own son.

What can we do? What will happen next? We can pray that all hope is not lost, but just as Jesus was betrayed, do we not also feel betrayed? Was our faith placed in the wrong man?

If there was ever a day without hope, today is that day.

Apr 22 - Good Friday - "Why Did I Fail Him?"

“Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.” --- John 18:25-27

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You are Peter. It is late in the morning. You sit in alone in a corner of the courtyard as the last few people from the massive crowd, there just moments before, filter out into the city. They have just finished shouting, “Crucify Him!!! Crucify Him!!! Crucify Him!!!”. You begin to weep, unable to believe what has happened over the past day. The simple Seder you shared with your friends last evening seems like an eternity ago.

You reflect on all that has happened these past three years. You smile, remembering the joy you felt when you first met Jesus. You had such pride when He said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”. The possibilities of a life with this Man, spreading His message of love, grace and redemption, seemed exciting and endless. But what did you do? Did you have faith and stand by His side? No…you failed Him.

When your faith in Him would have let you walk on water, you sank because you did not believe.

When He spoke of His sacrifice to come, you scolded Him.

When He was teaching, your questions were selfish, petty and foolish.

When He offered to serve you, to wash your feet, you rejected His gift.

When He needed you to stay awake and pray with Him, in the Garden at Gethsemane last night, you fell asleep.

When the guards came to arrest Him, your temper flared and you hurt an innocent man; Jesus scolded you.

When the authorities had taken Him, you denied Him once, a second time, a third time.

We are all Peter. We fall short. We have failed Christ at so many points. He is dying on this Good Friday because of us, because of our sins, because we reject Him over and over.

He was mocked, He was beaten, He was crucified, He died.

You are Peter. You have lived a full life, preaching the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ. Thousands of people have accepted Christ because of your work in the world. You were crucified, just as your friend Jesus was. Yet, you wonder… Your life has just ended and you are sitting in a brightly lit space that has no form. As you reflect upon your life, you remember the moments of failure. You start to weep, just as you did in that courtyard as you watched the thinning crowd, replaying in your mind the three times you denied your Lord, Jesus Christ. The echo of the cock’s crow, reaching you yet again after so many years, mocks you.

But, coming to you in the formless mist is your friend, your teacher, your Lord. He is smiling. He opens His arms to you and takes you in. Instantly, you remember His words, His love, His gift to you. Your faith is complete, your denials forgiven, your worthiness restored. You are filled…bursting…with the awareness of what He has given to you and that in each time you failed, was the gift of redemption. He is not hurt, He is not disappointed, He is not saddened. He turns with you, arm around your shoulders, walking together again as friends, taking you to be with your Father forever.

So, on this Good Friday, know that we are the reason for His death, His sacrifice. Remember that we are Peter.

Apr 21 - Maundy Thursday - "Serving Each Another"

” And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off His outer robe, and tied a towel around Himself. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around Him.

After He had washed their feet, had put on His robe, and had returned to the table, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’” --- John 13:3-5, 12-16

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Yet another amazing a beautiful thing occurs between Jesus and His disciples on this night. The Living God in the form of Jesus Christ, stoops down to the lowliest of positions and washes His disciples’ feet.

This act of service has such a deep meaning, not only to those around Him who experienced this moment, but to us today. During this time in history, we have to remember that everybody wore sandals, if they had shoes at all. This meant that the dusty and muddy conditions of the roads, paths and fields caused peoples’ feet to be in a constant state of “dirty”. Not only that, but the wear and tear of the feet of that time was great; no comfy slippers or cushy running shoes…no Vibram soles on sturdy walking shoes or work boots. Feet took a beating. Therefore, the act of cleansing a person’s feet with gentle hands, drying them with a soft cloth, was an especially refreshing an healing experience.

When I think about the beauty of this day…the celebration of the Last Supper and of Jesus’ humble act…it reminds me how infrequently I actually take the time to serve others and, most importantly, serve in a humble way. Yes, I help and my church with Sunday School, as a reader, usher or greeter and with the occasional set up or clean up at a meal. The Jehoshua House prison ministry I participate in is also a way to serve. But, do I truly ever place myself in a position where I submit my all with deep and obvious humility? How can we do this?

Christ calls upon us to serve each other. And, not only does He call upon us in this way, He also shows us that even He, a King, is not beyond serving. We all bring something different to the table which we can use to serve . We can use our time, talents and treasure to offer what we have been given and show our appreciation for the gift that Jesus gave us in His teachings, His miracles and His ultimate sacrifice.

Jesus, when speaking with His friends after this simple meal which we still celebrate today during Communion, in remembrance of Him, offers to us His final and most important words of guidance; “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” What greater form of service is there than simply loving one another?

So, serve each other. Do this in remembrance of Jesus, with humility and true love. For, when we love one another, we put others before and above ourselves, and this is the greatest way to heed Christ’s call to us to serve.

Apr 20 - "Parting Words"

“After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.’” --- John 17

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Did you know, that Jesus prayed for you? Not just to those who were on the earth with them, but for you…yes, you…who are reading these words right now.

To be honest, I am not sure if I have ever read this chapter of John’s gospel. Most likely, at some point, it was covered in a sermon, Sunday School or a bible study, but for some reason it never stuck with me. I think it is one of my new favorites! I encourage you to crack open your Bible and read more than just the excerpt above, but the whole chapter.

The whole chapter is basically a prayer. It is Jesus praying to God, His Father, about all that has happened during His time on Earth. But the most important part of the prayer is what He is asking God to do for His followers; “Holy Father, protect them in Your name...”. Jesus, our friend and teacher with who has been with His earthly family and friends over the three-plus years of His ministry has a beautiful prayer for us; He also says:

He assures us that what we have seen is the truth: “Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.”

He comforts us that, although He is leaving us, we will not be sad: “But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.”

He blesses us: “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

He gathers us together as His family: “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

What a wonderful gift these words are!

So, rejoice in the blessing Christ gave to us in his parting words. Because, even though we was praying for those who were with Him at that time, He also prayed for YOU: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their word.”

Apr 19 - "A Perfect Response to Betrayal"

“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray Him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray Him to them when no crowd was present.” --- Luke 22:3-6

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Have you ever been betrayed? Has someone broken trust with you and seemingly rejected the relationship of honesty and truthfulness you believed was in place?

In this continuing account of Christ’s journey over the final days of His life in human form on the Earth, we see Judas offering up to the Sanhedrin a means for them to capture this rebel Jew. Can you imagine a deeper betrayal? What has Jesus done to warrant this type of treatment from one of His twelve disciples? It seems hard to believe that a man who had witnessed all of Jesus’ miracles, words and loving actions could offer Him up to be arrested and slaughtered.

But yet, we see the Evil One entering into Judas, putting this betrayal in his heart. He becomes yet another pawn used in the attempt to bring down humanity through death.

Betrayal is one of those acts which can cut us to our core. When a stranger steals from us or harms us in some way, the physical outcome may be the same as when it is done by someone we know. But, the emotional harm placed upon us when a person who is close to us or whom we love harms us can almost destroy us. The trust which is destroyed as a part of this betrayal is something that can often never be restored. Our response, when faced with a betrayal is, at best, a loss of love for that person, at worst anger and even hatred can settle in. The restoration of that trust may never occur.

How does Jesus respond to His betrayal? He willingly accepts it as His Father’s will. Jesus has known from the beginning of Time that Judas would betray Him. He also had the power to bring the power of legions of angels…or at least eleven of His friends…to stop it from happening. But He knows that this betrayal has been foretold and that this betrayal is a part of the sacrifice He must make to save all of us.

Should we expect ourselves to respond like Jesus when faced with betrayal? Maybe for some little thing, we could let it go. But what about the big ones? The business associate who steals from you; the friend who discards the trust of a secret you shared ; the spouse who breaks the marriage covenant; all of these seem unforgivable. What would we do when faced with any of these? It is hard to imagine being able to forgive these things. And even if someday forgiven, how could we not take action to eliminate the risk of betrayal again in the future by disbanding the business, ending the friendship or leaving the marriage?

What did Jesus do? His response is perfect: peaceful acceptance without judgment or retribution. We will see many examples of His perfection over the course of the next couple of days as a part of the events to unfold.

So, as always, look to Jesus as our guide. For even though we may experience the deep pain of a betrayal, we must still find a way to love.

Apr 18 - "What You Might Miss"

“Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’” --- John 12:20-25

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Can you imagine what it would be like to plan a wonderful vacation full of exciting events and only experience the first day and the last day?

This may sound strange, but it what many of us do, when it comes to the experience we have every year related to the remembrances and celebrations of Christ’s life in the world. There are many who attend at Christmas, Easter…and that’s about it. Every year, the experience is, “He is born! He is risen!”, over and over again.

But let’s say you are a regular churchgoer. You have a community of faith where you belong and regularly attend. You experience the celebrations of Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide and Pentecost each year. This is a very good thing, but what do you do between Palm Sunday, the glorious celebration we experienced yesterday, and what we have this coming Sunday, rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection on Easter? Might you be missing something?

Please believe me, this is not a guilt trip about everyone needing to attend church more or something like that. As I have written on numerous occasions: God doesn’t need you to go to church; attending services with a community of believers in some building does not automatically get you into heaven, nor does the opposite…never stepping foot in a church…keep you out. This is about the enrichment we can receive by experiencing the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ; what happens in over the course of the week from Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is so important to see.

Between today and six short days from now, we will see Christ speak to His disciples about the importance of what is to come, both in parables and very direct words. We will share a Last Supper with our teacher. There will be the struggle, violence, fear, anger and peace of the Garden at Gethsemane. Our friend , Jesus, will be arrested. We will deny Him three times. He will be beaten. We will shout, “Crucify Him!!”. He will be dragged through the streets, nailed to a cross, die and be buried.

You may say, “Yeah…that sounds like a lot of fun. And why would I want to experience this?!?!?” Brother and sister, we know that life is enriched by all that we experience; the good, the bad, the smooth and the rough. All of these things make our joys more joyful, our love deeper and our laughter louder.

So, don’t miss out. Take the opportunity to go to church this week and experience all that Holy Week has to offer; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and…of course…Easter Sunday! I guarantee you that the joy of the risen Christ will be increased a thousand fold if you have also had to experience the pain of His death.

Apr 17 - "Hosanna!"

“The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’” --- John 12: 12-15

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Have I told you at least once or twice in the past 40 days that I think that we humans are a fickle bunch? It is amazing how quickly our public opinion can turn from one end of the spectrum to another, in relatively short amounts of time.

Do we not remember that a man who now has a daily talk show on TV, with people seeking his “wisdom and insight” on a regular basis, was ousted as governor of New York because he organized a prostitution ring?

Have we forgotten that a man who now commands six-figure fees for 30-minute speaking engagements admitted to cheating on his wife in, of all places, the Oval Office of the White House while he was President?

Is it hard to remember that the most well-known radio talk show host was arrested and convicted of buying mass quantities of prescription pain killers just a few years ago?

I have written about forgiveness many times during this year and past years and it is something I believe with all my heart we need to do more of, but there is a point where forgiveness moves to the point of rewarding and validating the poor behavior.

Looking back 2000 years, I say to myself, “I never would have gone from praising a man one day, worshiping Him as He came into my city, then shouting, ‘Crucify Him!!’ a mere five days later.” But would I have? Am I any different…are we any different…from those people two millennia past? Based on what we see in the world almost every day today, I am not so sure.

But, enough of that…today is a day for rejoicing!

Today, all who saw the miracles of Jesus over the three-plus years of His ministry on Earth, have the opportunity to praise Him as He enters the city of Jerusalem. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be there? Close your eyes for a moment and think about a humble shop keeper in Jerusalem.

Pretend you are him. You saw this man Jesus preach to and feed five thousand people. You have heard of His miracles; healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, allowing the lame to walk again and raising a man from the dead. All of the ancient prophesies point to the fact that this man is Messiah; He seems to be fulfilling these more and more every day. And today, He fulfills, yet again. You remember the words of the prophet Zechariah, that He will arrive, sitting on a simple donkey.

You look up; here He comes!! You hear all of those around you praising Him and saying, ‘Hosanna!’, pleading for Him to save. He passes you, looks in your eye and smiles. You feel great joy, exhilaration and peace all at the same time. Can you imagine it?!? How wonderful it would be to feel so fulfilled, so validated that what you have come to believe is actually true.

So, today, rejoice! Our King has come! Sing Hosanna, praise the Lord for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. For even though we know that some darker days are soon to come, live now, fully in this moment of pure joy and perfect fulfillment.

Apr 16 - "Praising The Pain"

“By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you, O Zion. As for our harps, we hung them up on the trees in the midst of that land. For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How shall we sing the LORD’s song upon an alien soil?” --- Psalm 137:1-6

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It is really hard to remain positive in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Today’s Psalm was written (or looks back) on the time when the Israelites had been taken from their land and were in captivity. Although Jeremiah prophesied for 50-plus chapters that things were not going to go well if the Jews did not turn from their evil ways, they did not and were taken into captivity. Their captors ask them to sing a song, to play happily, but the people are not able to do so because of the pain and loss they are feeling at this time.

Don’t we feel that way sometimes? I know when I am in the middle of a rough patch (we all have them), it is hard to think about praising God for the gifts that still are coming, even in the midst of tough times. We have trouble seeing them, remembering what it feels like to be joyful. When we are really sick with a bad flu or have pain from some injury, it is hard to remember how it felt to be free from sickness or released from the pain.

Yet, the time when we need to be thankful, when we need to relish in the opportunities for learning and growth, are when these hard times occur. If I am honest with myself, I know that the tough times I had prepared me for something for which I needed strength. Can you imagine how differently the pain would feel, if we were thankful for it? Seems weird, but somehow it also makes sense. I pray to remember this when things are tough.

There is a Jewish prayer that says something like, “When it is raining, we pray for rain.” I love the deeper meaning that can be associated with this simple phrase. It recognizes that even when things are not working out the way we want them to, we need to be thankful for what that particular situation may be bringing to us, in the form of a blessing.

So, when those tough times come, when you are in pain, praise the pain. Orient your heart and your spirit to the blessing which the hardship may bring. Realize that these struggles bring growth and that, just as silver and gold must be refined in the heat of the crucible in order to be pure and shine, you also will be made bright and new after the pain has passed.

Apr 15 - "Be Careful of What You Ask For"

“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’ The Jews took up stones again to stone him.” --- John 10:19-42

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Are there times when we pray for something, ask God to deliver or provide, and yet when the answer is given to us, we reject it?

When I read through different parts of the Gospels and see times where Jesus is interacting with the Jewish leaders, I really think there were many who wanted desperately to believe the Jesus was the Messiah. There are many times when they ask Him these direct questions; “Are you Him?!?”. But oddly enough, when He does given them a straight answer, they flat out reject it.

What’s beautiful about all of these interactions, is that Jesus had the power to absolutely prove to them that He was the Messiah, but He does not. He could have waved His hand, swooped them all to Heaven to be in the presence of God and every servant who had come before…Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…all who would have testified that Jesus was the Son of God. They would have seen, without any doubt, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. But He doesn’t do this. He relies on them to have faith, to accept His answers and believe. But, as we see, they do not.

I am sure many of you have heard the story/joke about the man on the rooftop in the flood.

A man’s house has been surrounded by flood waters and he climbs on the roof to escape. He prays to God, “Lord, I know you are my God and you will rescue me from this flood. Please, Lord, deliver me from this position of certain death.” In few minutes, a boat with his friends come by and they say, “Get in, the waters are rising fast!”. The man says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to rescue me.” The waters continued to rise until he has to stand on his chimney.

Shortly thereafter, a police helicopter comes hovering over him. The office with a bullhorn shouts down, “We are lowering a rope to you so you can get off your roof before the waters overtake you. Grab the rope!”. The man says, “No thanks, I am waiting for God to rescue me.” Not long after that, the waters rise further, overtaking the man. He is swept away and drowns.

Moments later, he is standing with God in heaven. He asks God, “Lord, I believed in you. I waited on you to rescue me. Why did you let me die and not save me?!?”.

God said to the man, “I sent a boat and a helicopter. What else did you want me to do?!?”

If I am being honest with myself, there are many times in my life when I am the man on the roof. Sometimes, God sends me answers to my prayers and I don’t recognize them for what they are. But equally as often, I say prayers that maybe I don’t want to be answered. Maybe, when the answer comes, I am not willing to accept it and take the action which the answer is delivering to me.

When I pray to God, “Lord, I want to do Your work in the world. I want to serve You. Show me, Heavenly Father, what You would have me do to show the light of Christ to others. Help me know what way I can serve You”. This is a “dangerous” prayer. What if God’s answer is, “I want you to quit your job, sell all of your worldly possessions and move to China to preach the Good News and build up My followers in a country where my Gospel is suppressed and persecuted.” What would I do? Similarly, when I pray for an answer for how I should address a particular situation at work or with my family, and the answer comes, but it will be a hard or painful thing, will I accept the answer to this prayer?

So, be careful of what you ask for. Do you really want God to answer your prayer? Are you prepared to act on what He asks you to do in its fulfillment? When we pray, we must also ask for God to give us the strength and the desire to follow His will. He will not give us more than we can handle, but when we ask Him to deliver, we must also be prepared to recognize and accept it.

Apr 14 - "Our Shepherd's Voice"

” Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” --- John 10:1-18

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Talk to any shepherd (do you actually know one?)…maybe even a farmer. They will tell you that sheep are pretty mindless creatures. But, they will also tell you that, when properly acclimated to their shepherd, be it a person or a Border Collie, they know what they are supposed to do when called.

From the time when we were all babies, we learned early on the sound of the voices in our lives. It is amazing to watch a new baby (we have one coming today…my sister Jessica is having her third…very exciting!!!) just a few weeks after being born, and how quickly he or she can identify voices. Even at such as early age, when a baby can’t see mom or dad but hears their voice in the room, their demeanor changes instantly. Sometimes, they look around a bit, or most often, start crying. Whatever the reaction, it is evident that they know the voice.

As I think about today’s scripture from John’s Gospel, I wonder, do I know when I hear the voice of my shepherd, Jesus? Do I react when I hear His voice? It is always hard to know. We can get confused at times and we can take over. Most often, good things don’t come of following our own voice over the long term. But, I think there are times when it is abundantly clear that our shepherd, Jesus Christ, is calling to us, when we can hear His voice over the cacophony of noise blaring at us each day.

When we hear, “Peace. Don’t worry, it will all work out.”…that is the voice of Christ.

When we hear, “You are good enough. You are perfect. You are worthy.”…that is the voice of Christ.

When a sermon on a Sunday morning touches our heart, speaks to us directly…that is the voice of Christ.

When our favorite song comes on the radio and we sign out loud with joy in our heart…that is the voice of Christ.

But, it is not only about hearing the voice of our shepherd, Jesus. It is also about being His voice.

When we open our heart to someone undeserving of our forgiveness and say, “I forgive you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

When we reach out to those in need and say, “Let me help you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

When we come together with friends and family and say to one another, “I love you.”…we are the voice of Christ.

So, listen for His voice. Have you strayed away and He has come looking for you, calling you home? Are you in need of peace and His comforting voice is ready to be heard? Be His voice; speak good things to one another, sing praises, offer forgiveness. Be still… Listen… Is He calling to you?

Apr 13 - "Two Approaches To Believing"

“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” --- John 9:18-41

When you think about your faith, what you believe, what kind of approach do you take? From which direction do you come”? Do you start with doubt and try to have your belief “proven” to you, or, do you start with believing?

Although I was already familiar with this story of Jesus restoring the sight of this blind young man, for some reason, I must have never read on into the this chapter from John’s Gospel to learn what happened after. The Jewish leaders were highly critical of Jesus. They were looking for any way to dispel the fact that He was the Messiah. With this young man, they even go to the point of badgering his family, berating him, doubting that he was actually ever blind and repeatedly questioning the facts of what happened. And, what do they do when they don’t get the young man to renounce his newly found belief? They banish him from the temple and send him away.

How about this young man? I have to imagine, that until he met and was healed by Jesus, he did not already believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He merely came and asked to be healed, probably because he had heard that Jesus could do these things. Yet, he believed it would happen. Once healed, his faith was immediate and strong. He approached the situation starting with faith, and his faith was upheld. As a brand new believer, how does he respond when questioned about the event and his beliefs? He stands impressively and simply strong. He even goes to the point to tweak his inquisitors a bit, when asked to tell of his healing a second time, by saying, ‘Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’.

By starting from a place of doubt, the Jewish leaders are unable to believe.

By starting from a place of belief, the young man is able to stand strong in the face of adversity, and his faith is strengthened.

When you pray to God for help, for healing, for forgiveness, from where do you start? Do you believe in your heart and soul that God will deliver what you ask, or are you filled with doubt and skepticism? Is your prayer spoken with the confident voice of deep faith, or is it a feeble plea with no real expectation of realization?

I am amazed at the faith of this young man. As a new follower of Christ, not even a few days from being ‘born again’, he stands stronger than I ever have, even after years of being a Christian.

So, take the approach of starting with belief. Speak your prayers and your faith assuredly with the conviction of the young man who has been given the gift of sight. When we start from the position of ‘I Believe!’, surely, our faith will be strengthened and greatly rewarded.

Apr 12 - "The Spoken Word"

"...because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with his heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." --- Romans 10:1-13

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Have you ever thought about the power you have with the spoken word? Do any of us realize how much good or damage we can do just by saying something to others, or to ourselves?

In today's scripture, Paul is speaking to the Romans about the continuing confusion early Christians had around how they were to obtain salvation (2000 years later, are we any different?!?). Having been a Jew, Paul recognized the complexities of Hebrew law and how following all of the rituals and rules which were supposed to justify a person's faith. Many of the early Christians believed that they had the ability to "earn" there way to salvation by their works and gain righteousness through simply having a passion for the teachings of Christ.

To clear things up, Paul makes it really simple. He puts aside any misconceptions on things we have to do to be saved: believe it and speak it. By truly having a heart which believes that Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth to die so that we might have eternal life with God, and by saying it out loud, we are saved. That's it. What power in those words!

One of the rules with our family is that there are certain words we don't use. Yes, the standard ones apply that I won't even write here, but there are also other words which, though seemingly less profane or taboo, can be just as sharp. Words like "stupid", "hate", "ugly", "shut up"...these words when directed at someone, are very hurtful and mean. Even as our daughters have grown up, and they hear these words at school every day, they still get a cross look from us or a scolding when one of these words slips from their mouth by accident.

Similarly, we need to think about the words we use to speak to ourselves. When we say things to ourselves such as, "I can't do it", "I'm a failure", "I'm miserable", "I hate myself", do they hold any less strength to do harm than when we say them to others? What about supportive words? When we say "I know I can do it", "Stay strong", or "I'm not going to let it get me down", are we also not unleashing the power of the positive? In either situation, the positive or the negative, repeated enough times, these words can become the truth. The can shape how we view ourselves and those around us.

Paul realized this when writing his letter to the Romans: words have power. When we confess with our lips, say out loud, that Jesus is our Lord, it becomes the truth.

So, speak the words which you want to become the truth. Know that in speaking with your heart, you have tremendous strength. Recognize the power you have to do good things, simply by saying them, to others, but most importantly, to yourself.

Apr 11 - "How Do We Know?"

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise the word of the Lord, 'It shall be well with you;' and to all who stubbornly follow their own hearts, they say, 'No calamity shall come upon you.'" --- Jeremiah 23:16-32

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We offer up our prayers to God. We wait for an answer. When the answer comes, how do we know it is God speaking to us and not our own thoughts? Is there some clear way to know that we are doing God's will for us and not just going our own way?

I find myself in this situation all too often. I have am struggling with what course of action to take on a particular issue and have offered it up in prayer to God for an answer. Usually, this comes in the form of a "conversation" with God. The prayer tends to wind out into a long dialogue where I eventually come to the point where I think an answer has come. But, given that thoughts can just pop into our heads when we least expect it, I find myself wondering if it my idea or God's idea. I find myself saying, "God, is that You or am I just coming up with the answer I want, not what You want, and pretending it is You just because I offered it up in prayer?"

When these answers come and I am not sure of the source (me or God), it usually means that my will has taken over and pushed God's out of the way. It's all about being truly honest with myself. Am I going down a path that is easy or without conflict, just because that is what I want to do? Or, has the answer God given me present a challenge, a hardship which I will have to ensure and so I choose a different direction?

The truth is, there is no way to know for sure. We can examine the "evidence" and ask ourselves the honest questions, "Is what I am doing good and right?"; "Does my course of action follow the Bible and the teaching of Jesus Christ?"; "Am I building up or tearing down?". But, even though we have evidence such as the Bible or historical records proving that much of what occurred in the Bible was true, we must use faith to complete the cycle of our belief in God. Similarly, we must have faith that, when we believe God has given us a message, answered a prayer or given us direction, He will guide us to the correct end for which His will intended it.

So, listen to the voice of God speaking to you. Be honest with yourself when the answer comes. Ask yourself the tough question: "Is it me or is it God?" If you don't know for sure, keep praying and, I promise you dear friends, eventually your heart will tell you when you have put yourself aside and brought God to the front, letting Him lead you on.

Apr 10 - "The Race"

"Do you not know that in a race, the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So, I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified."

--- 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

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Maintaining discipline is a hard thing to do. By definition, the word discipline brings to mind control, unwavering focus and denial of things which don't contribute to the purpose for which the discipline is intended.

A few years ago, before I became a runner, "working out" was not something that was on my list of fun things to do. The thought of getting up and going to the gym to lift weights, ride a stationary bike or run on a treadmill seemed like complete drudgery. I was of the attitude which said "what's the point?!?". For those of you who knew me in that time period from about 2000 to 2004, the end result of that attitude, combined with plenty of Oreos, ice cream, french fries and Doritos, was a very unhealthy situation.

When I first decided to change my lifestyle, creating a discipline around eating better and getting some exercise was incredibly difficult. It felt like constant denial; denial of sleep, denial of "treats", denial of laying on the couch all day. But, with a bit of focused effort, it began to feel more like a challenge of the positive sort. I found myself saying, "I can do this...just stick with it." The first 50 lbs. or so came of pretty easy over the course of 6 months or so.

But then what? I had changed my lifestyle to some extent, but I also knew I still had a ways to go. For me, the thing that changed my approach and gave my discipline more focus was racing. Signing up for a race (5k, 10k, sprint triathlon...it does not matter) and telling people about it, making it "public" became the way for me to keep the discipline in place. When I had a day where I did not feel like going out to train or wanted to sleep more...or was just plain worn out, the fact that there was a race out there with a date and time kept me going. The fact that I did not want to have to tell people "Oh, I just didn't get that done." when they would ask me about how the race went, propelled me forward. The goal that was out there...the race...helped me keep the necessary discipline in place. By putting this goal in place and keeping the discipline, almost 100 lbs. disappeared over the course of time.

Paul is telling us, our life in Christ should be like this too. What is your goal? What are you wanting to accomplish? Is it a simple thing like reading the Bible every day? Or, could it be a more complex and difficult like setting up an outreach ministry or organizing a mission trip at your church? Set the goal, but understand the discipline necessary to accomplish it. If we just say, "I want to do this thing", but do not understand how we will get there or specifically what the target it, we will, as Paul says, "...box at the air...".

Lastly, a key thing to remember, as is the case with my running, we cannot do it alone. I am able to swim, bike, run and race because I have the support of my family. I have the time to participate in the prison ministry of Jehoshua House because they encourage me. They each play a role in allowing me to keep the discipline necessary in order to run the race. We must enlist others to our cause and find ways to give back the time and the effort they make in support of their goals.

So, run the race as though to win it. Don't allow yourself to wander aimlessly towards your goal. Make a plan. "Sign up" for the race. Make it public. Ask others to help you. Most of all, bring Christ to your cause. Pray for support in maintaining your discipline and you will most certainly receive that imperishable wreath.

Apr 9 - "The Plan"

"So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, 'I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing My power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then, He has mercy on whomever He chooses, and He hardens the heart of whomever He chooses. --- Romans 9:1-18

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This is a pretty tough message to hear. Could it be true that God sometimes chooses that some will suffer? It is possible that He purposefully hardens someone's heart against Him?

Although we would like it to be that God is universally and continually benevolent to all people everywhere at all times, we also have to realize that God's power is infinite and causes all things to happen. There is nothing which occurs that His hand is not in. Knowing this, we are faced with the painful truth that, yes, God is in the good and the bad, for all of these things are a part of His creation.

An easier message would be that the gift of Free Will which God has given to us is the cause of the bad things. The choices we make each day, often for the dark, the hurtful and the hateful, are what brings the sad and imperfect things into the world. With this message, at least we can believe that God wants good for us, but we are the cause of the bad.

But what about earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, crippling drought, tornadoes, dramatic climate change? Since it is not in our power to cause or prevent these things, we must face the fact that God's hand is behind these too. The question then becomes, why? For what good reason or result must these things occur?

When I was in college, a couple of key events caused me to turn away from God; to harden my heart (or to have it hardened?) against Him. The tragic death of my young cousin made me sad beyond belief. I remember saying to myself, weeping outside in the dark after his funeral, "If this is what God is, I don't want to be a part of it." I turned my back on Him and chose to walk away. This event, combined with the philosophy courses I was taking over the next year or so, seemed to give me plenty of evidence that God was just a myth, a being created out of a desire for we as humans to assign power to an entity greater than us. For me, at the time, Jehovah, Yahweh, the God of the ancient Israelites was no more real than Allah, Krishna or Shiva. Did God make this happen, did He harden my heart?

It is not easy to understand and, frankly, I don't have a good way to explain it. All I can say is that I believe God has a plan. Maybe it is as simple as recognizing the fact that there is pain in the world. A large part of what happens on a daily basis causes pain, hardship, loss. These, things, however, are only earthly things. When we shuffle off this mortal coil and leave to be with God in heaven, all of these things we experienced pass away. They are temporary. Yes, sometimes temporary can feel like a long, long time, but eventually, the pain does pass. The evil moves on. The sadness fades.

So, when the pain comes, remember that God has a plan. We must first look to ourselves and ask. "It is me that has turned away?". If not, we should accept that God's greater hand is and work and that something good always comes out of something bad. It is hard. But know that the sorrow is only one part of the Plan and that God has amazing things in store for each of us, if not in this world, then in the next.

Apr 8 - "Thank God. It's Friday!"

"Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and raise a loud shout to him with psalms." --- Psalm 95 ********************

If you have a chance today, read the first 7 verses of Psalm 95 (below...the exclamation points are mine...except for the last one). I imagine the Psalmist must have written these verses on a Friday morning. The words are exploding with joy and praise for God...I can almost hear them being shouted from a mountain top!

When we praise God, it is almost impossible to not be filled with joy. We find ourselves smiling, at times on the verge of tears of happiness. That praise can be in song, dance, sport, hard work, a fervent hug, a passionate kiss...anything we do, that when we do it, we are recognizing the full potential of our being.

So, today, shout it out!!! Thank God!!! It's Friday!!!

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Psalm 95: 1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation!!!

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;

and raise a loud shout to him with psalms!!!

For the Lord is a great God!!!

and a great King above all gods!!!

In his hand are the caverns of the earth;

and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,

and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!