The Brightness of His Presence

Love Never Fails

2012-03-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

And here we come to the point.

Love never fails.
It never ends.
It never grows apart.

Love DECIDES to keep going.
Love DECIDES to honor commitment.
Love DECIDES to keep loving.

It's not easy. It hurts. But love does it anyway. Again, not our love. God's love. We know that God's love never fails, and therefore - logically - if we have God's love in us, we can have a perfected sort of love that does not accept failure.

Love that does not accept failure. That means marriages don't end. Friendships aren't broken. Children aren't abandoned.

Unfailing love is a decision. Not a feeling. You can't do it on your own, neither can I. We can only decide to keep loving the unlovable - ourselves, each other - with him. His love, his life, living in us.

It takes courage to love this way. It takes courage to keep loving when we are hurting. When we aren't accepted, or loved in return. But it's what we are called to do.

We are called to love in a way that never fails. Ever.

Love Always

2012-03-04T21:09:00.000-05:00

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Does your love always? Once again, we see just infallible and faulty human love is, and how perfect God's love is, and how much we need his love in us to truly love.

Because my love doesn't always. I think I may be pretty good at protecting the ones I love. But does my love always trust? Does it always hope? Nope.

Why is it important to always? Why is it important to protect, trust, hope, persevere?

Because that is the core of the human experience, don't you think? Our lives move forward when we trust. When we hope. We grow when we persevere. When we protect.

Amazing.

Amazing how much love is a part of who we are.

Love makes the world go round, so the saying goes. And it's true. Can you imagine a world without hope? Can you imagine a world with no protection, no trust?

When we allow God's love to permeate our being, our very selves, then we can love that way. We can have the freedom to trust and hope, and we can accept the responsibility to be someone others can trust and hope in.

Remember, it's not our love. It's his. Only through his love can we truly love.

Taking a Stand

2012-02-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6

What does it mean to delight in evil? Why would this even be a warning for believers?

I think it means that love does not support evil things; it does not enjoy unrighteousness; love does not exult sinful things.

Truly having godly love means that you recognize the difference between good and evil, and that you actively seek to support good. It means you turn off the movie, shut down the conversation, turn away from the behavior. It means you take a stand against ungodly things.

It means you do the hard part of love.

It means you say, I'm sorry guys, I don't want to hear this gossip.

Ouch.

It means when the world tries to convince you that this or that sin is not so bad, so go ahead and overlook it, you say no. It means you are so tuned into God and his ways and his wants that evil disgusts you.

We must be careful what we celebrate.

My caution is with language. I think I've gotten to the point in this media age where I almost don't hear bad language anymore. And yet, we've been warned, "let no unwholesome word proceed for your mouth" (Ephesians 4:29). When evil is a part of our culture, and we do not take a stand against it; when we do not choose to do good instead of wrong, that evil becomes a part of our internal culture. That is not love.

Love isn't just not cussing. It's not listening to cussing. It's not just not gossiping. It's not listening to gossip.

Love is taking a stand for good.

Forgetting What is Remembered

2012-02-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

How's your memory?

Mine is terrible. I never remember anything. My son broke his hairbrush this week; everyday I've been to town. Everyday I've forgotten to buy him a new hairbrush.

I forget birthdays and anniversaries. I forget dental appointments. I forget to return phone calls.

I forget people's names. I forget where we've met.

I forget everything.

One of the benefits of being so forgetful is that I forget the bad stuff, too. My husband and I can be in an argument and I literally forget why I'm mad. Then I have no choice but to get over it and move on!

My forgetting comes naturally. But we are really all called to forget. I'm not talking about the whole, "forgive and forget" scenario. I'm talking about forgetting what you remember. I'm talking about knowing someone's faults and shortcomings, but choosing to overlooking.

When Paul says, love keeps no record of wrongs, that's what I think he means. I think he means remembering to forget. Choosing to overlook. I think he means giving second chances. And third and fourth and more.

It's way more fun to be a victim, for some people. It's way more rewarding to remember how much someone hurt us, to keep the fire of our anger burning. But that's not love.

Sometimes we've been truly, deeply hurt, and we cannot imagine letting go of that. And on our own strength, we can't do it! But once again, God's love living in and and through us is what fuels our love for others.

The next time you are tempted to remind someone of a mistake they've made, or something they're not good at, stop. Remember that God doesn't love you like that. Remember to forget. And forget what you remember.

Living the Love

2012-02-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 1 Corinthians 13:5

Moving on with verse 5, we are at the phrase, love "does not get upset with others." OK, everyone who loves others so much that they do not get upset with them, despite their faults, bad behaviors, etc., raise your hand. Do you hear the crickets in the room? Kind of empty, huh? Everyone gets upset with others. So then how can this be a characteristic of love?

The New International Version calls it not being "easily angered." I like that. We get upset with people, and sometimes rightly so. But are we touchy? Are we irritable? Let me ask you this: Are you always offended by something? Is there consistently something under your skin?

Because we are not supposed to live that way. We are definitely not supposed to love that way! You know, all we really need to do to define love is to look at the greatest commandments: Love God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.

Let's face it, we don't want to be loved that way. We don't want to be treated like pests. Isn't that how we treat others when we are easily angered? Whether it's your kids, your family, your coworkers, or people you go to church with - or the lady in line with you at Walmart - everyone wants to be treated with dignity and respect.

If you are struggling with this, if you find yourself easily angered, if your life is defined by the people you have problems with, you need to take a good, hard, long look at yourself. It's time to make a change. In YOU. In your love, in you allowing God's love to flow through you.

Let God love you, so you can live the love all around you.

A New Vocabulary

2012-02-19T18:26:00.000-05:00

Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 1 Corinthians 13:6, NCV

Today (Sorry for being absent for a few days - I try to blog every day when I'm doing a series but it's not always possible) we are focusing on the second part of this verse, love is not selfish.

As human beings born with a sinful nature, our natural bent is toward selfishness. We are self-preservers, looking for the best for ourselves, watching out for number one. This is yet another example of how we cannot truly love without God's love flowing through us - we absolutely cannot! There is no way that we could love unselfishly on our own devices. We could put on our best behavior and our "game faces" for awhile, but our true nature would always come out.

Let's look to the dictionary again, so that we all start from the same place: selfish means devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

If you look carefully at the dictionary, really squint up your eyes, twist your head a bit, and hold the page just right, you'll see a picture behind those words. The picture of a face. Oh! That face is mine! Because those words describe me.

Someone once told me that what you wake up thinking about in the morning is what you really care about. So, come on, how many of us wake up in the morning thinking about our day, our agenda, our needs? Few of us naturally wake up thinking about others. But we can train ourselves to do so.

It's been a few years since my friend told me that, and it's really stuck with me. How can I say God is most important in my life when I don't even think of him first? How can I say I want his agenda to be my own when my first thoughts are my own agenda?

I wanted my thoughts and my words to match, so over time, as I woke up every morning, I started purposefully thinking about him, singing praise songs, praying. And now when I wake up - not every day, but almost every day - I wake up singing. And that helps me purposefully turn my thoughts, my day, my concerns over to him.

Now what does this have to do with love? When I have turned my thoughts, my day, and my concerns over to God, I am free to lavish my love on others. I can take everything God gives me and turn it outside of me. When I know, beyond a doubt, that God will take care of me, I am free from worry. I am free from doubt. I am free from fear.

Being free means I don't have to think about myself all the time. It means I change my vocabulary from me, me, me to you, you, you.

Check your dictionary. See if you see a picture under the word selfish. See if it's yours! (Although seriously, if you see a picture of yourself in the dictionary, you might want to run! ;0) )

2012-02-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 1 Corinthians 13:5, NCV

It's interesting to me how the first two characteristics of love are written positively (love is patient, love is kind) and then are contrasted with the last six, which describe what love is not. I wonder why Paul wrote them this way. One thought I had is that contrasting the characteristics highlights them a bit more.

Saying what love is not inspires us to explore exactly what those words mean. So let's look at today's descriptions. First, love is not rude. We live in a rude age - insults pass as humor, putdowns disguise feelings, and intimacy is distracted by teasing.

Some families are built in this way. The only way they can show "love" is by insulting each other. But this is not love, this is familiarity. True love rises above the tendency to vault ourselves up while holding others down. That is what rudeness is.

One of the antonyms for rude is kind. Does that sound familiar? Paul is reiterating again that love is characterized, hallmarked even, by our behavior. When we hide our love with teasing or insults, we are either very faulty in our love behavior or we don't know how to really love.

Love means that we set aside our tendencies, our pasts, our family behavior, to ride above our fears and love freely. When we have God's love, Christ's love running through us, we don't have to be afraid. We can love, and love, and love.

Once again, we cannot love without rudeness without God's love coursing through our veins. However, with God, we can love the most unlovable, the most vulnerable, the most irritating. We can love the rudest people with love that rises above rudeness. We can love them - truly love them - with kindness and joy.

There's so much to this verse, I'm just going to take a few days to cover it! Tomorrow: love is not selfish.

Love Is . . .

2012-02-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

It is hard to read these verses about love and not think about how faulty my love is! Yet I remember, God does not call me to action that he will not prepare me to take. He is always working on me, in me, and through me. He is developing the love within me that he ultimately wants to see. (He's so cool!!!!)

I could think that this part of this verse doesn't apply to me, because if I was going to envy or boast, it wouldn't be with people I love. If I was going to be proud of my accomplishments or something that I am, I wouldn't boast to my friends.

But . . . love is not just for my friends. It's not just for my family. So when I look across the room and see someone who has more than I do, and I'm envying, even if it's someone I don't know - I'm still called to love them. I'm called to love everyone. The person at Walmart, at the gas station, on the street corner. Everywhere I look, everyone I see.

And yet, if I'm being completely honest, I would have to admit that envy, boasting, and pride are part of my love relationships, too. Am I ever jealous of my friend's success? Sure. Do I ever brag about myself to them? Yes. Do I ever allow pride to inhibit me from sincerity or true humility? Uhhhh, yes . . .

So if love is NOT those things, that means love is the opposite of those things. I looked up antonyms for these words. The opposite of envy? Contentedness. The opposite of boast? Modesty. The opposite of pride? Humility.

So love is content. It's modest. It's humble. First of all, I think of how these words describe Christ. Second, there is no way I can develop those qualities on my own. Only through Christ living in me. And finally, a reminder. God will not require characteristics in us that he will not develop.

Isn't he cool?

Love is Kind

2012-02-13T19:19:00.000-05:00

Love is kind . . . 1 Corinthians 13:4

The LORD appeared to us in the past^, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

We can allow ourselves to be tempted to shortchange kindness as simple manners. But kindness is more than that.

Kindness gives blessings when insulted. Kindness offers mercy instead of justice. Kindness is courage in the face of hurt.

To only love those who love us, to give kindness to those who give it first - that is not love. True love, true kindness, blesses and anoints the receiver with a spirit that is everlasting. That doesn't fail. That kind of love is a choice.

It's not an easy or natural choice. But it is still our choice. When we give our children forgiveness, it spreads over them like warm oil. This kind of love truly spreads - across people, families, communities and nations.

Kindness is not the ability to be a doormat. It is not letting people walk all over you. Kindness is not weak, it is strong. It's being strong enough to say, the Lord will take care of me. So I'm not afraid of you. I can still have the courage to love you, no matter what you do.

Do you have true kindness? Can you overlook the faults and weaknesses of others to help them draw closer to God and his love? Can you help them discover his true, deep, fathomless kindness?

You can, if you begin with him. His loving kindness will show you the way.

Love is Patient

2012-02-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

Love is patient . . . 1 Corinthians 13:4a

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

What does it mean to be patient? The dictionary's definition is: bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint, anger, or the like; quietly and steadily persevering or diligent.

We also see from the Bible that patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and a characteristic of God. Patience is a virtue, we've been told, and a charming personality trait. But, let's be honest - are you patient? Do you bear annoyances with calm? Can you quietly and steadily persevere?

For me, looking at this characteristic of love, it is easy to see the ways my love is imperfect, the countless times I am impatient, not showing love. And it's also easy to look at patience as a virtue God gave to some, and not to others. So now I must turn to this question: Would God require a characteristic in us without equipping us for it?

The short answer is, no. God calls us to be patient and give us the tools to learn patience. Please note that patience is not automatic; few of us are born naturally patient. But it can and should be learned! The wonderful thing about this loving God we serve is that what he calls us to do, he helps us do. What he expects of us, he helps us with. He calls us to love and then gives us his love to help us love him and others! It's a cycle that I cannot fathom, that no other god or religion can claim.

So yes, if you are loving, you will be patient. It doesn't mean that you won't blow it sometimes, but as you grow in Christ, you will blow it less often. As you grow in Christ, you will develop patience . . . and then more . . . and then more . . . and then more.

I've come to realize that this love chapter describes a process. Love is not instant; love is a building. It begins with a foundation in Christ, and then the first floor is built with patience. To me, this might be the hardest aspect of love to develop! Perhaps that is why Paul listed it first. If you begin with patience - with others, and with yourself as you are building your love! - the other characteristics will come.

What is Love?

2012-02-09T20:54:00.000-05:00

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

I've been thinking much about love this year. As Valentine's Day approaches, I've decided to share my thoughts and study about what love really means.

This whole thought process started in Romans, actually. I have a Bible study on Monday mornings that spent 1 1//2 hours each week, from June to December, on the book of Romans. In the 12th chapter, Paul says that love must be sincere (verse 9). The Message version puts it this way: Love from the center of who you are.

That's an amazing turn of phrase, isn't it? For those of us who may think we don't love well, or enough, or maybe as 1 Corinthians 13 describes love, have an answer to our dilemma: we must love from the center of who we are. From our core. If our love core is not based on God - who is love - there is no way we can truly love.

Look with me at the verses above, in 1 Corinthians. If I don't have love, I am nothing. I can have wealth. Fame. Talent. I can have everything . . . but if I cannot give - and receive! - love, it's all worthless.

As I grow older, I realize that goals are great, ambition has it's place - but none of that makes the ultimate difference. It's love, baby. Loves changes the world.

I hope you'll stay with me over the next few weeks as we explore love, together.

Rest

2011-12-30T21:59:00.000-05:00

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. In my opinion, they are a guilt-driven, short-term feel good mechanism that are most often doomed to failure.

I do believe in goals though. I do believe in growth. I do believe we can change.

I just don't always believe that the change happens because we make it happen. Sometimes it does, we all know that. But sometimes our changes are because of what God does. Not what we do. Sometimes, we look back over the last few days, or weeks, months, years . . . and we realize how much we have changed. We change without even noticing.

There are things God wants from us, and sometimes that involves purposefully working, disciplining ourselves to listen to Him, to honor and obey Him.

Having said all that, I have made a decision for myself. A change I need to make that on the surface may seem selfish. In fact, I've been thinking about this change for a long time, but was worried about what others would think about it.

I'm learning to not care about what others think. :0)

I'm not going to get into details about my change, but will just say this: my change concerns rest. Rest involves my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual sides. Rest is commanded and modeled by BOTH God and Jesus. Rest is renewal.

So I'm making some changes, cutting back in some places, changing my schedule, to plan and make time for rest. I must have it - we all must have it.

What is your plan for 2012? Do you make resolutions? What areas are you thinking about changing?

Joy to the World

2011-12-25T05:02:00.000-05:00

Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King! Let every heart, prepare Him room . . . and heaven, and nature, sing.

I heard a woman say recently that in Jewish culture, they tend to celebrate the day of your conception, not the day of your birth, because life begins at conception. Now, Jesus was probably not born on December 25 - in fact, most historians think He was born in September. Which would make the day of His conception . . . in December. We celebrate the time when the Holy Spirit breathed new life into Mary, and Jesus was created.

True joy, true love, true freedom came into the world 2,000 years ago, in a pile of straw in a cave. Who would have thought that this would be how mankind would be redeemed. And why?

You know the answer - love. Love is the how. Love is the why.

Merry Christmas.

The Twenty-Fourth Person of Christmas is You

2011-12-24T04:50:00.000-05:00

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. John 3:16, the Message

God sent His Son to earth because of love. He loves you, He loves me.

We can spend a lot of time arguing theology. We can spend a lot of time trying to understand the mind of God. We can spend a lot of time exploring the complexity of biblical history and culture.

But the one true purpose is love. The one true message is love. The one true God is love.

That verse above, that we all know by heart in the King James or New International Version, would be just as true if it said, "This is how much God loved you." We can each individually insert our names in that space.

People say, remember the reason for the season. They say, try to capture the true spirit of Christmas. And to simply say that the reason for the season is Jesus is not enough - because the reason for the season is that God loved us so much, He paid the ransom for our sin. He sent His son - His one and only son - to die for us.

And why? Because of love.

God loves you. THAT is the reason for this season.

The Twenty-Third Person of Christmas is Jesus

2011-12-23T09:27:00.001-05:00

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16

There are over 360 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Jesus, the Messiah. I don't know them all. I can't explain them all. I'm not a bible scholar, or a deep thinker, or a theologian.

I'm just a follower. And though usually I try to do a lot of research and study on each person I write about, today I just write from my heart.

Today I can write with my own knowledge, my own heart and mind, because this person - unlike the others I have written about - Him I know personally.

If Jesus came before me today, and asked me the same question that He asked Simon Peter, I could truthfully say the same thing: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

There are many names for Jesus in the bible. He is the only begotten son of God. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is Christ. He is Lord, Rabbi, Teacher. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

He is all those things and more. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords. He is the Lion of Judah. He is Faithful and True. He is our Salvation.

He is all those things and more. He is Worthy. He is the Word of Life, He is the Bread of Life, He is the Light. He is the King of the Jews and the King of the Ages.

He is all those things and more. He is the Way. The Truth. The Life. He is the Savior of the World. He is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever.

He is all those things and more. He is the Messiah. He is my Messiah.

Jesus left of the splendor of heaven, to be born in a dirty stable. He left His Father, to be born to human, sinful parents. He left His kingdom, to be spat upon, beaten, and killed. Then He left us here to go to heaven, to prepare it for us, to await our time together.

Remember what this is about. This is about Him. Every day, all month, every person we've talked about. It's all been about Him and Him only.

For unto us is born a Savior. He is the Messiah, the Lord.

The Twenty-Second Persons of Christmas are the Shepherds

2011-12-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 2:8

In that time, shepherds were often wage earners, hired by farmers to keep watch over their sheep. Sheep needed to be moved from pasture to pasture, and a farmer simply did not have the time to do that with his other responsibilities.

So shepherds would have been nomadic people, living apart from society. Wikipedia.com says, "It was mainly a job of solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally. Shepherds were most often the younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land."

Shepherds could have also been the youngest member of the family - such as David - who couldn't help with the more difficult, more physical work.

Whichever kind of shepherd you were, it would have been a lonely job. Just a man and some sheep. They did not have access to societal "niceties" such as very clean clothes, good food, or even baths.

The shepherd would have been one of the lowest classes of society. They were dirty, smelly, and uncouth. Not being around people on a daily basis, if they would have had any societal "niceties," they would have easily been lost by being alone for days on end.

Why on earth would the angels appear to the shepherds first?

For the same reason the Jesus is often referred to as the "Good Shepherd." Because He came for the least of these. He came to save us all - the king and the pauper, the farmer and the shepherd, the Jew and the Gentile, the man and the woman.

These shepherds, these dirty, unkept men, were the first to see the Messiah. God bestowed that blessing on them! And why? Because they were so taken with what they had seen - this heavenly host - and what they had heard - "Glory to God in the highest!" - that I think they literally ran into Bethlehem. I think they tripped over themselves, laughing, crying, panting - trying to get there, get to the manger, see this baby.

And after the loudness that must have surrounded them when the angels sang . . . the manger must have been so still. So quiet. Just, perhaps, a baby's cries, a mother's coos, and father's sighs.

The shepherds are important to the Christmas story because they remind us that no matter who we are, where we come from, how bad our past is - Christ came for us, too. They remind us that no one is "lowly" to hear from God. They remind us that when we hear this good news, we must respond - we must go to Him!

The Christmas story is about kings, and shepherds, and everyone in between.

The Twenty-First Person of Christmas is the Heavenly Host

2011-12-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14

Can you use your imaginations with me again? Have you ever heard the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir? How about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? When they sing, it's beautiful, right? Blended harmonies, robust with richness and fullness, rising and falling in perfect crescendos.

I think the heavenly host was like these two choirs combined. On steroids. Times infinity. Plus one.

I cannot wait to hear the heavenly host sing some day. I cannot wait to just soak in the beautiful music, beautiful for one reason - because it is sung for the Most High.

Don't be confused, again, about who this heavenly host is. They weren't tiny little cherub-faced angels, strumming tiny guitars and flitting around in the sky.

The heavenly host is an army. It's described several times in the Bible, from Joshua to Psalms to Luke to Revelation. The heavenly host is comprised of cherubim, archangels, and angels.

Cherubim are God's guard dogs. They are depicted on the ark of the covenant and are said to accompany God and protect His throne (see 2 Samuel 22). Ezekiel describes them as having four faces in chapter 10: of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They are said to have the stature and hands of a man, feet of a calf, and four wings each. Two of the wings extended upward, meeting above and sustaining the throne of God; while the other two stretched downward and covered the creatures themselves.

Archangels, as we discovered when we talked about Gabriel, are high ranking warrior angels, like a general in an army. They are messengers and warriors, and two are named specifically in the Christian bible: Gabriel and Michael. Hebrew scriptures and Catholic tradition also refers to Raphael, and apocryphal books refer to seven archangels - once eight, the eighth being Lucifer before his fall.

Angels refer to the rest of God's heavenly creatures. Their role is to be the messenger of God, as well as protecting and guiding human beings, and carrying out God's tasks The book of Revelation (5:11) refers to ten thousand times ten thousand angels circled around God's throne. That would 100 million angels!

It's no wonder that in Luke 2:9, a single angel appeared to the shepherds first. The bible says that alone terrified them! Can you imagine what it would have been like if they had seen cherubim first, or 100 million angels at one time? (By the way, 100 million is 100,000,000,000. Wow.) These poor shepherds would have dropped dead from shock!

But let's dream. Let's imagine. We don't know if every single angel, archangel, and cherubim of heaven were in this choir. But let's imagine they were. 100 million angels, seven archangels, and who knows how many cherubim. Flying across the sky like shooting stars. Singing, perhaps playing instruments. Perfect harmony. Perfect synchronization.

Remember, as I've said a few times already, common sense tells me that these angels already knew Jesus intimately. They already knew Him as God the Son, and had probably known him for generations upon generations of time. They knew His wonder, His power, His love, His joy. This was their Redeemer, their Savior, their Friend.

The heavenly host is important to the Christmas story because they remind us of the purpose of the whole thing: "a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

Glory to God! The Messiah has come!

The Twentieth Person of Christmas is the Innkeeper

2011-12-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

"...she placed him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn." Luke 2:7

The Bible doesn't mention the innkeeper. Nor does it mention any homeowners that might have turned Mary and Joseph away. The Bible is curiously silent on the hours leading up to this one moment, as Joseph must have looked frantically for a place for Mary to give birth, realizing the time was upon them.

I wonder about them, this innkeeper, these homeowners. Did they know? Did they hear? Were they some of the people that the shepherds went running to, to tell them the good news that the angels had shared?

I wonder if these people ever realized what they missed out on.
Did they ever understand that they were this close to witnessing the event of history?

It's a good lesson for all of us. We have to be ready to see. We have to be ready to hear. We must be ready.

You know, it wasn't just the innkeeper who missed it. Most all of Bethlehem, and the world, missed it. Missed the wonder. Missed the miracle. Missed the joy. Missed the Messiah.

The innkeeper is important to the Christmas story because he reminds us that we need to be ready! We need to be looking! We need to pray to have His eyes and His heart, so that we may see needs that we can meet, so that we can hear the hearts' cries of others. So that we can receive the blessing of being His servants.

If we are ready to entertain "angels, unaware" we may never know in this earth life just what we've done. And that's ok, someday we will.

But we will know that we have been God's servant. We will know we have done His will. We will know that we fully participated in His plan.

So be ready. Open your eyes. Open your ears. And be ready.

The Nineteenth Person of Christmas is Mary, the Traveler

2011-12-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:4-7

Poor Mary. Nine months pregnant, traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The distance is about 80 miles; a normal person can walk about 20 miles per day. But a pregnant woman is not a normal woman! (ha ha) And, Samaria lay between the two cities, so they probably would have walked around it. So it's possible that they journey could have taken up to a week.

Now, Mary and Joseph had to have known it was time for the baby to arrive. I wonder why she didn't stay behind? Perhaps it was because she had no one to help her. Perhaps their families had truly shunned them for this pregnancy. We don't know the answer to that question.

But I would like to think that Mary would have been somewhat prepared for the possibility. She did have swaddling clothes, which consisted of a cloth tied together by bandage-like strips. In those times, after an infant was born, the umbilical cord was cut and tied, and then the baby was washed, rubbed with salt and oil, and wrapped with strips of cloth. These strips kept the newborn child warm and also ensured that the child's limbs would grow straight.

So Mary would have had these things with her. She wasn't surprised when she went into labor. But oh . . . how tired she must have been. How she must have ached, how her feet, legs and back must have hurt!

I wonder if she worried. If she worried that God had made a mistake, giving His Son to her. I mean, they couldn't even find a decent place to give birth! Here she lay, in a stable, giving birth to the Son of God, among farm animals, their feed and excrement, rodents and the like.

And don't make the mistake of thinking that the stable tradition teaches us about, like our beautiful nativity scenes, is anything like what really took place. Mary literally gave birth in a cave - a structure hollowed out of the side of a hill. Rocks all around her. Nothing comfortable. Nothing joyous. Nothing perfect. Far from it.

But then, out of this discomfort, this imperfection - comes love. Love in the form of a perfect baby boy.

Verse 19 says that as all these things were happening - the birth, the angels, the shepherds - "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

She's changed quite a lot in these last months. A simple virgin girl, transformed into a mother. A young innocent who has not seen much of the world, has suddenly seen miracles. An obedient servant, who becomes a leader for generations to come.

Mary is important to the Christmas story, because - yes, she shows us that God can use anyone. She shows us that God does miracles. But she also shows us that God amazes us. He confounds us. He uses the worst of our circumstances to make the best miracles, the best blessings, of our lives.

The Eighteenth Person of Christmas . . . is Satan

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15, AMP

I saw a play once about the life of Christ, but the first character to appear was a very handsome angel who flew in from the back of the theater, over our heads to the stage. When he began to speak and then to sing, his voice was strong and beautiful.

Unfortunately, we soon understood that this angel was in fact, Lucifer. And the play goes on to show how Satan was always watching Jesus, stalking him, if you will. He tried and tried to get to him, to be his undoing. He hid among the shepherds at Jesus' birth; he walked among the crowds during His ministry; and he stood with the Pharisees and Sadducees at His death.

There was a scene where Jesus and Satan come face to face in a pretty powerful confrontation. And I was struck with the realization - and I don't know why it never occurred to me before - that Jesus and Satan had known each other before.

Remember when I talked about the angel Gabriel several days ago? And I said that Gabriel would have known Jesus in heaven?

Well . . . wouldn't Satan have known Him, too?

Satan - Lucifer, as he was known then - was beautiful, the most beautiful of God's creation: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared." Ezekiel 28:12 - 13

Lucifer was in heaven, with God, with Jesus, with the Spirit, for . . . who knows how long?

Do you think it's a stretch for Lucifer - the seal of perfection - to have considered Jesus like a brother? Do you think they would have been close? Bonded? Perhaps that is too simple of a description. But . . . my goodness. Lucifer KNEW God. He KNEW Jesus.

And yet . . .

"You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'” Isaiah 14:13 - 14

Clearly, Lucifer tried to overthrow God, to become God Himself. He didn't want to just be 'like' God - he wanted to be Him.

And then, when God said in Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image . . ." I think Satan was infuriated. He has been in a jealous rage ever since! No wonder he hates us - he is jealous of us!

So when Jesus littled Himself - literally babied Himself - to come to earth - how Satan must have crowed! He surely thought - now! Now is my chance! If He's human, I can defeat Him. How excited he must have been!

But I wonder how these times played with Satan's mind, even his psyche, if he even has such a thing. As Jesus was presented at the temple, as He grew in wisdom and stature, as He resisted temptation in the wilderness, as more and more people came to Him and changed their lives. Did Satan feel his defeat in the air?

Certainly, there were times of victory for Satan. When the rich young ruler turned away, deflated. When Satan convinced the priests to go after Jesus. When he entered Judas. When they arrested Him. When they tried Him. When they killed Him.

I think Satan knew all along what was going to happen. But I think he kept it to himself. I think he hoped against hope that the prophecy was wrong, that Jesus was too human now to still be God, that Jesus could not defeat death. I think he allowed his demonic minions to party and carry on, while he paced and stewed and waited.

I think during those three days, when all earthly signs said Jesus was dead, when Jesus was preaching to those in Hades, when Jesus was still quite active and working! - I think Satan was also working, working feverishly on Jesus' disciples and followers, trying to convince them that it was over, that all hope was gone.

And when those three days were over, and that stone was rolled away, and those angels waited for Mary and Peter and John - I think Satan was cowering in a corner of hell.

But 33 years earlier, I think Satan thought, maybe he had the bases covered. He would use evil men to do evil things, and he would defeat this stupid, ridiculous notion called love.

You see, that's why even Satan is important to the Christmas story. Because of him, we see the true fullness of God's love for us. That God was willing to allow His son to be tormented for 33 years - that Christ was willing to go through Satan's brutal attacks - and why?

Because of love. That's why. It starts with love, and it ends with love.

The Seventeenth Person of Christmas is Herod

2011-12-17T09:54:00.002-05:00

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magifrom the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1 - 3

King Herod was also known as Herod the Great. The name should have been, Herod the Crazed. Herod was evil. He had ten wives and at least 14 children, three of which he had executed. He was suspicious and prone to passionate outbursts, which leads many historians to believe that he was in some form mentally ill.

Herod was a Jew (converted) who was an appointed Roman king. He had colossal dreams and views of himself; he is known as much for his ambitious building projects as he was for his brutality.

It's difficult to think of how God could use Herod in the Christmas story. As we go farther in Matthew 2, we see that Herod, so alarmed by the appearance of the Magi and their questions of a new king, orders all male children under the age of 2 to be executed.

Bethlehem was a small town. Some historians think the number of murdered babies could be as low as 20. But that's not a low number, not to any sane, rational person, and not to God.

How could God use this horrible man and his evil deeds in the story of His Son?
Why did there have to be horror?
Why did a time of hope for some have to be a time of tragedy for others?

In short . . . I don't know. All I know is this: nothing will stop God's plan. Nothing. Not an evil madman. Not dead children. Not even Satan himself (who we will discuss tomorrow).

God's plan was for the Messiah to come, to offer Himself as a sacrifice for all mankind. To pay the price for our sin. That is His ultimate plan of redemption, and nothing could stop it.

Herod is important to the Christmas story, because he reminds us that not all that was happening during this time was good. And yet . . . God still triumphed.

The Sixteenth Person of Christmas is Caesar Augustus

2011-12-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Luke 2:1

Caesar Augustus was the first emporer of the Roman empire, which he ruled from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. The word "Caesar" you've probably often heard - no, not caesar salads! You may already be aware that "Caesar" is a title, like "king." The title Caesar is derived from the name of Gaius Julius Caesar, who died in 44 BC.

Caesar Augustus, as referred to in the book of Luke, was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus; interestingly, he was adopted posthumously by his great uncle, the above mentioned Gaius Julius Caesar, via his last will and testament. In 27 BC the Roman Senate awarded him the name Augustus - "the revered one" - and thus consequently he was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.

There are pages and pages of history in books and (and wikipedia!) that I don't begin to pretend I understand. Roman history is complex, rich and dogmatic. Yet if you'll allow to simply summarize that at this time in history, Rome controlled most of the world. They were THE dominant powerhouse, and controlled everything around them - by force, if necessary. And it was often necessary.

Remember that the Jews hated being controlled by the Romans. They did not like being taxed, they did not like having their religion threatened, and they did not like the constant internal bickering of Roman government (because, why, it was so different from their own?!?). The Romans weren't so crazy about the Jews, either. The Jews were unpopular, and there was constant concern about rebellion.

So it's no wonder that Caesar Augustus ordered a census at this time. As ruler of the world, he needed to have a handle on what that world consisted of. Who were his enemies? Where were they concentrated? What were they doing, how were they living?

And, it makes sense that he would command each man to go back to his city of ancestry. Long before the postal system, cars, telephones, computers - each part of the census had to be done by hand and by mouth. And so there had to be a way to get each person to a city, to a center with lots of bodies to do the work.

Caesar Augustus is important to the Christmas story, because his census shows how God uses everyday, ordinary events to create his will. He could have ordained that Jesus be born somewhere else. He could have not had the prophets say that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem! He could have snapped His fingers and - poof! - Joseph and Mary could have suddenly appeared in that city.

God can, and does work that way. But most often, He uses the common. The ordinary. The every day. He uses you. And He uses me.

I don't know why. I don't know why the King of the Universe doesn't call up great and mighty people to do His great and mighty work.

But He doesn't. And that's good news for me, because there is nothing great or mighty about me.

How about you? Can you look around at the circumstances of your life and see how God is using them, how He is calling you?

The Fifteenth Person of Christmas is Quirinius

2011-12-15T19:50:00.000-05:00

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. Luke 2:1-3

I'll bet you are like me. I'll bet you've never spent much time thinking about Quirinius. Who cares about him? What does it matter? How is he important to the Christmas story?

He matters a lot. Luke was quite wise to include him in his telling of the birth story, because it gives the world historical proof that what Luke was saying was true.

However, there have been critics through the years who point to this particular passage to say that this story is untrue, or at the very least, that Luke was wrong. The bible says that Jesus was born before King Herod died. Herod died in 1 B.C., but Quirinius was not appointed governor of Syria until around 6 B.C.

So either Luke was wrong, or this didn't happen, or history was wrong.

But recently, we've seen that on close examination, the original translations do not say that Quirinius was governor. It says he was governing. There's a difference! If he was working in government in Syria, then Luke's statement is entirely accurate, whether or not Q was the head governor or not.

Why is this important? It's important because Q's role in this whole story gives a historical foothold to the story of Christ's birth.

And why is that important?

I think Luke must have been an interesting character. Scholars think that he was a Gentile, highly educated, well traveled, well connected, and extremely widely read.

But this day isn't about Luke, it's about Quirinius. So why is he important?

Because I think Luke had a sense of what he was writing, of who he was writing to. He was not an eyewitness to any of Jesus' life - from his birth to his ministry to his death. So Luke knew that in order to make a convincing argument for the authenticity of his story, he had to make it factual.

And Q was indeed a Roman governor. He was appointed to Syria, and one of his first tasks was to carry out a census - part of a world-wide census - for taxation purposes. Now, the Jews hated the Romans, hated being taxed by them, and a census was forbidden under Jewish law. Open revolt was on the horizon.

What does all this mean? Why am I telling you this? I am telling you this because Quirinius is important to the Christmas story. The time was ripe. The world was ready for a Savior, the Messiah. Quirinius simply plays a part in the story, a story he probably never knew he was in. But it's a never-ending, life-changing, world-altering story, nonetheless.

The Fourteenth Person of Christmas is Balthasar

2011-12-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 2:11

Now, remembering that most of our Magi discussion is purely imaginary, just wonderings - our last king is named Balthasar, from Arabia. The distance to Bethlehem was a little more than 750 miles - so Balthasar had the shortest distance, and the shortest time to travel!

And again, whether or not the kings came from three different places, or all from Yemen, as discussed yesterday, the important thing is that they came. They acted. They moved.

And they didn't just come as curious onlookers. They came as worshipers. And they brought gifts!

The gifts themselves are interesting. They have both practical and symbolic value. All three gifts are both ordinary offerings, and gifts given to a king. Myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning as well: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense, like that used in the temple) as a symbol of priestship, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death.

One could make the argument that these astrologers were predicting Christ's future: that He would be our King. That He would be our Priest. And that He would be our Sacrifice.

The three kings are important to the Christmas story, because they give us three gifts, as well. They showed us the importance of coming from wherever you are. They showed us the importance of humbling ourselves in worship before Him. And they showed us that when we come, when we humble ourselves, we are giving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit the only gift we have to offer: ourselves.

The Thirteenth Person of Christmas is Caspar

2011-12-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Yesterday I shared that there is some thought that the three wisemen were named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. Please remember that I have no idea if this is true - we are using a lot of imagination during these three days as we think about these three kings.

It is said that Caspar came from India, which is over 2,400 miles from Bethlehem. It's interesting to imagine that the three kings came from different parts of the east, meaning that at some point, following the star, they came to the same point at the same time and continued on their journey together. That would truly be just like God - to bring these three like-minded men, who would have all been wealthy, learned, and powerful - to a place where they would want to humble themselves to worship this tiny King, together.

However, most believe that they were Babylonians, Persians, or Jews from Yemen, as the kings of Yemen then were Jews. Most likely, they were from Babylon, which was the center of Zurvanism (see yesterday's post), which would also mean the center of astrology. They may have retained their knowledge fromt he time of their Jewish leadership by Daniel. [Information in this paragraph was obtained from wikipedia.com.] If they were together, traveling from Yemen, they still had to span a distance of over 1,200 miles!

Whether the kings were from the same place, or all different places, do you see what a miracle it was for them to come together, to risk hardship, death and more, to see this child? They knew for sure they were coming to see a baby, or very small child, because they asked King Herod, where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?

Kings don't often humble themselves. They don't often take great risks. Kings don't often seek to worship another king. To do so would be to admit that they themselves weren't the center of the universe. In most royal societies, it was assumed that the king was on the throne because either a) he was god or b) God himself put him there.

So to see these three kings travel so far, for so long, taking so many risks, is truly amazing. It can only be a God-ordained event.

The wisemen are important to the Christmas story because they show us the importance of humility, from the foot of the manger to the foot of the cross. Paul wrote to the Galatian church about how we are all the same - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28"

This baby, born to poor parents, born in a barn, born with no dignity, no grandeur - He was born so that kingly men could bow down and worship. He was born so that homeless men could bow down and worship.

He was born so that I could bow down and worship.

The Twelfth Person of Christmas is Melchior

2011-12-12T08:05:00.000-05:00

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matthew 2:11

Over the next three days, we are going to be using our imaginations a lot, as we talk about the three wise men, these three kings from the east.

Do you know that Matthew is the only book that mentions these kings. And he does not say there were three men - he simply mentions three gifts. There could have been two kings - or eight! In fact, eastern tradition says that there were twelve! But for this week's discussion we are going to safely settle and agree with the tradition of three.

We know so little about them. The bible never mentions their names; however, history and church tradition call them Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. In fact, there is an Armenian tradition that identifies them as each being from a different country: Melchior from Persia, Caspar [or Gasper] from India, and Balthasar from Arabia.

The term magi refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastianism from the old Persian empire. [You can read more about this religion at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism.] As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars, and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. However, some argue that it was astronomy, not astrology, that was their focus.

Regardless, they studied the stars. And there was something about this star that was special. Something about this star made these three men want to leave everything behind and follow it!

You know, if they truly came from three different countries, then they didn't plan this trip together. Rather, they separately ended up united for this amazing journey. At what point they met - we don't know. Oh, there's so much we don't know!

Today, let's talk about Melchior. If it is true he is from Persia - which is modern day Iran - he would have traveled roughly 1,000 miles to see the Christ child. That's a long way to go, right? In fact, though most of our nativity scenes show the kings kneeling right alongside the shepherds, in the stable, Jesus was probably two years old before Melchior saw him.

Do you find it ironic that this king of Persia went to all this trouble to see a baby who was, basically the creation of Christianity?

Most people today would consider Iran to be an enemy to Christianity. Would you agree?

Isn't it just like God to use such irony to teach us about His character . . . it doesn't matter where you come from. It matters where you are going. Your baggage doesn't matter. Your background doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are really, sincerely, looking for Him.

The three kings are an important part of the Christmas story. I'll summarize fully on the third day, but for now, let me say - the fact that we don't know much about them is important. It allows us to wonder, to imagine. It allows us to say - no matter who you are, or where you come from, there is room for you.

The Eleventh Person of Christmas is Joseph's Angel

2011-12-11T23:03:00.000-05:00

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20 - 21

We are not told this angel's name, as we are in Mary's and Zechariah's stories. He could be the angel Gabriel, also, but . . . I like to think not. I like to think that Joseph, in his exceedingly unique position, would have his own unique messenger.

He might have been another archangel, such as Michael. We know that they are often sent as holy messengers. I really have no clue.

But here's what I do know.

This angel had a brotherhood with Joseph. He had a kinship. He seems like a big brother - watching, waiting, protecting. Protecting not just Joseph, but the entire family. Mary. This tiny baby.

Remember, as I shared when I talked about the angel Gabriel - these angels already knew Jesus. They had known Him, probably, for thousands of years. So this angel had more than just obedience to God going on here. He had a personal, vested interest in keeping this family safe.

And so he stayed with Joseph, continued to communicate with him, guide him.

It starts in Matthew 1, with the verses, above. He, like Gabriel, tells Joseph what to name the baby, He comes back in chapter 2, warning Joseph to run from Herod.

Now we get to what I really love about this story, about this angel. Matthew 2:13: "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Until I tell you. That's quite a promise! It's one thing for a heavenly messenger to come and give you a message from God. It's another thing when he comes again! But it's an entirely crazy, chaotic, passionate thing when the angel says, I've got your back. I'm staying around, I'm watching out for you, and I'll let you know what to do next.

Can. You. Imagine. Can you imagine the sense of urgency this angel had, the way he might have spoken to Joseph? The first time, he would have been comforting, full of grace and love. This time, I think he was in full warrior mode!

"Joseph. Joseph!! Get up! You must run. Run, Joseph!! Take Mary and the baby and run!! Go to Egypt, and don't leave until I tell you. Let's go - let's go!"

This unnamed angel is important to the Christmas story because he shows us the real, immediate danger this little family was in. And yet, he also shows us how God was there, the whole time, watching, working, moving. He didn't leave His Son and His parents in a dire predicament without hope, with no way out.

He gave them protection. He gave them angelic warriors to comfort them, guide them.

You know what? I can't wait to meet this angel one day.

The Tenth Person of Christmas is Joseph

2011-12-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:24

Read carefully the accounts of Jesus' birth in Matthew and Luke. Do you see what I see? Do you notice anything? Maybe something about Joseph?

Joseph, the man chosen to be the earthly father of the Son of God . . . never speaks. Not a word. There is no recorded testimony from him in the biblical record.

I find that so interesting! What we see from Joseph, then, is a man of character, a man of obedience, a man of action .

When Mary told him she was pregnant, Matthew writes, "Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." [1:19] This was a man who had every legal right to shame and shun Mary, but we see his character in that he wanted to handle this matter discreetly, quietly.

When the angel said to him, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit," [1:20] Joseph "did what the angel of the Lord commanded." By all appearances, he immediately took Mary as his wife. There's no record of him consulting with his parents, or the priests, or even his friends. He simply and quietly obeyed God.

After Christ was born, an angel came again to Joseph, warning him of a plot to kill the baby: “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” [2:13] Matthew tells that Joseph got up that very night and took his family to Egypt. He quietly jumped into action and protected his family.

Do you see a theme here? Joseph might not have been a quiet man; he might have had a loud, booming voice with an infectious laugh. But I also see a man who didn't argue with God; a man who obeyed without second thought; a man who didn't seek out opinion or validation from others.

That's a man with a quiet grace. That's the kind of [wo]man I want to be! Joseph's life, the small amount that we know of it, teaches us about humility, grace, and a gentle and quiet spirit.

Joseph is important to the Christmas story, because - although he had nothing to do with the conception of the Messiah, this baby - he had everything to do with keeping him safe, with his very life! Yes, God could have simply eradicated this baby's enemies with a wave of his hand. But . . .

But what an honor for Joseph, that God allowed him to protect His child. In turn, God allowed Joseph to honor Mary, and church and historical tradition account for many more children together, and although it seems Joseph died years before Mary, there is no reason to think that their marriage was not good, holy, unique.

I wonder - the moment Joseph the father came face to face with God the Father. You know, my imagination can run wild, but I can just see Joseph running to God, thanking Him for this precious gift, this life he was chosen to lead. I can see him turning, and seeing his son - his Son! - in all his radiant glory. I almost see Joseph take a step back in awe, and stumble, and Jesus reaches out to steady him. And that embrace that follows - oh that embrace! I hear Joseph telling God, and Jesus - thank you. Thank you.

And I hear Jesus saying . . . thank you, Father. Thank you for obeying OUR Father and for raising me and loving me and protecting me.

Do you realize that no one else in the history of man will ever have this same experience? Just Joseph. And although he never spoke in these stories, his character, obedience and action speaks louder than any words.

The Ninth Person of Christmas is John

2011-12-09T07:47:00.000-05:00

Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. Luke 1:66

I struggled with whether or not to include John in our list. He was just an infant when Jesus, his cousin, was born.

But oh, John is so important to this story.

Remember what the angel Gabriel said: "He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God." And Zechariah himself prophesied concerning his son: "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him . . . "

Even Luke, the writer of this book, proclaims about John at the end of chapter 1: "And the child grew and became strong in spirit [or in the Spirit]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel."

God created John for a very special role: to prepare the way for the Messiah. John was called to get people ready, to prepare their hearts for the King.

It's such a good lesson for us all, today. Re-read the verse, above: the child [John] grew and became strong in the Spirit. God calls us all for important work. But He doesn't expect or even want us to do it on our accord, of our own strength. He gives us everything we need to do our job. He literally puts the nail in one hand, the hammer in the other, sets us before a board, and all we have to do is swing.

John lived to become strong in the Spirit. He prepared himself before he ever tried to help his people prepare their hearts.

It seems to me that John the Baptist knew exactly who he was, and was bold in his calling. He knew what his role was. He didn't tangle up God's will verses his. He didn't confuse his ambition or agenda with God's. He simply lived the life God called him to live.

It wasn't an easy, or glamorous life. He lived in the wilderness! He died a horrible death. But the way he lived, the way he died, tell us a lot about God. It tells us that God has a special role for each one of us. It tells us that relying on God's strength, instead of our own, is the only way to get through. And it tells us that no matter how special or great we may think we are . . . we are simply humble servants, whose thoughts, deeds, and words should point to the Messiah.

John is important to the Christmas story, because his life exemplifies the calling of God on each Christian. In John 3:30, John said, "He must become greater; I must become less." That's one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible. It's the summary of John's life. He was created to teach us, to show us, that our lives serve as a message, whether we purpose to do that or not. The message is there. What does your message say?

Our hearts must be ready to receive Him. And while we do the leg work, it's God who does it all.

The Eighth Person of Christmas is Zechariah

2011-12-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Luke 1:68-75

Zechariah's song, after nine months of silence, is one of joy and thanksgiving. He praises God for the horn of salvation - a phrase symbolizing a strong king - and for mercy, righteousness and holiness. This is prophecy - and Zechariah certainly knows who he is speaking about!

Can you imagine his true joy and excitement, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesy about the coming Messiah? The soon coming baby - his relative - who was the soon coming king?

Then he speaks about John:

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God...

The Holy Spirit has come upon Zechariah in such a tender way. His praise for God, turns into joy for his son, and the role John will play in God's mighty - yet strikingly simple - plan.

I wonder if he understood the plan. I wonder if he understood the prophecies. Could he foresee the humble life his son would lead? Could he foresee the horrific death he would suffer? Could he even begin to see the way Christ would lay down his life, for all man, for all eternity?

When the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah in the temple, to tell him his prayers had been answered, and his wife would have a son, Gabriel's message was so clear: "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

That's quite an angelic message! Not just the promise of a child - but a joy. Not just an answer to prayer - but an anointing of God's power and purpose in his life.

John was clearly to be a special child, a special man.

So were his parents.

Zechariah is important to the Christmas story because his song of praise and thanksgiving points us to the role of John the Baptist. John was created - it was even foretold - to prepare the way for the Christ. It was his mission in life, the purpose of his life.

Don't we all share in that message - to tell the world about the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God?

The Seventh Person of Christmas is Elizabeth

2011-12-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1:25

Would you like to join me in an imaginary dinner party? Sitting around the table would be women from Biblical history and beyond, all sharing how God gave them their hearts' desires - a baby. Sarah would be there. Hannah, too. Elizabeth would hold center stage. I would be there, and many of my friends, too. Wouldn't you love to hear their stories? Some, like Sarah, would share that at first they didn't believe, they couldn't believe! Some, like Hannah, would laugh as they told stories of how people thought they were crazy to think she could get pregnant.

Then I imagine the conversation grows quiet as Elizabeth shares her story.

I imagine her wistful smile as she shares that in her case, God didn't come to her, or send an angel to tell her the good news. Instead, His angel went to her husband, Zechariah, in the temple. I imagine the tears in her eyes as she contemplates how God used His holy place to share this holy news.

I think her smile grows as she tells how Zechariah ran home, and using sign language or some other communication, tells her about this amazing visit and their good news! I like to think she even giggles as she remembers Zechariah's speechlessness, his pantomime retelling of his story.

Then perhaps her eyes widen as she shares the moment she realized she truly was pregnant. The tears of joy, now spilling down her face, simply create a glow on her countenance, as she struggles to find the words to share that moment. And all of us at the table nod, in complete understanding, for we have all had that moment of wonder and joy.

Then I think she stands, unable to contain her excitement, as she shares how her baby leaped in her womb the moment she sees Mary, her pregnant cousin, carrying the Messiah. I think the words we read in Luke 1 are words she now sings to us:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

As she sings the words, her voice changes to a whisper: why am I so favored? How am I so blessed?

Elizabeth returns to her place at the table, and we are all quiet for a moment, contemplating the goodness of God for generations upon generations. We are all thinking about our children, these babies who became men and women, some strong for the Lord . . . others not. Some women are crying tears of mourning; some tears of joy. But we are all crying together, sharing this moment, gathering strength from each other.

Then Elizabeth begins to share who her boy grew to be. How he became known as John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness - that's right, the prophet Isaiah even told about him, her son! - the one who came to prepare the way for the Messiah.

She shares how painful it was for John to die such a horrible death, but her overwhelming, everlasting joy at sharing eternity with him, with her family, her cousin - the Messiah was also her cousin! - and of course, God, her heavenly father.

Elizabeth is important to the Christmas story, because her son would give testimony to the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, our Redeemer. Her story - which, just like Mary's - is a miraculous example of grace and hope, tells us about God's character. Elizabeth's story exemplifies the love God has for us, His desire to give us our desires, and His overwhelming, ever reaching plan for the world. To give His only Son, that we might have eternal life.

The Sixth Person of Christmas is the Holy Spirit

2011-12-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Luke 1:37

I really cannot even begin to fathom the complexities of the Holy Spirit. We know that he is equal parts God, with God the Father and God the Son. We know that he is real, as real as a person, not some ethereal, shadowy, force-like (use the force, Luke!) object. He has a will, a mind, a heart (or emotions).

We know that he bears witness of the Christ in the hearts of man. We know he acts as our conscience and our guide. We know that he brings comfort and peace to our hearts, minds and lives.

But we might not know him as a baby maker.

I struggled with infertility for years, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my Samuel is an answer to prayer. But . . .

I was not impregnated by the Holy Spirit!

I wonder what that moment felt like for Mary. Did she feel anything? When Gabriel said that the Holy Spirit will come on you, did he mean in a literal, physical sense?

We often think of the Holy Spirit like a breath, like the very breath of God. I like the idea that the Spirit breathed into Mary, and breathed Jesus' very life into being.

I recently heard a Christian scholar of Jewish tradition say that in the Jewish culture, birthdays are not what is celebrated. They backtrack nine months, and celebrate the day of conception. If that is true, can you imagine the celebration the day that the Spirit of God joined with His chosen vessel and created the Son of God?

From the moment the Spirit breathed on Mary, life was created. The life that would save the world.

I believe the Holy Spirit has emotions; I can't even imagine how excited he must have been at that moment! God's plan for a Messiah was coming to fruition! The world was going to see just how much God loved!

And at that moment, Mary - this simple girl from Nazareth - was joined with God the Spirit in a way no one else ever was, or has been since. Can you imagine?

The Holy Spirit is important to the Christmas story because he breathed the life of Jesus into his mother. Without God the Spirit, God the Father's plan to bring God the Son to man would not have happened. Yes, God could have spoken and it would have happened. Yes, God could have simply willed it to happen.

But that He did it in such a beautiful way is part of the gift. The Spirit came upon Mary, and by him a mere human could carry the Son of God.

The Holy Spirit still moves, works, breathes all around us. Just imagine what He could do for you this Christmas season.

The Fifth Person of Christmas is Gabriel

2011-12-05T07:16:00.000-05:00

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:35-36

The angel Gabriel is a member of a privileged group. Not only is he an angel, he's an archangel, one of two mentioned specifically mentioned in the Bible. In church lore, there are thought to be seven archangels: Gabriel, Michael (the other angel mentioned in the Bible), Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Remiel and Saraqael. These angels are mentioned in the Jewish canon, Enoch, which is also referenced in the book of Jude in the New Testament. (Note: there is some thought that there were eight archangels . . . the 8th being Lucifer.)

Archangels are messengers - trusted with God's instructions and holy words. Archangels are warriors, sent to fight on our behalf. They are servants of God, as are all angels.

Oh, to be Gabriel on this day. Can you imagine with me for a moment the dark spiritual forces that might have been surrounding Mary on this day? Satan did not want Mary to get this message from God. Perhaps he hoped that if he caused her to have a really bad day, she would act ugly and God would change His mind about her. Or maybe, if he stirred up a lot of evil activity that day, Gabriel would be busy - too busy to deliver the message.

I like to imagine that Gabriel, with a huge, mighty sword, is swashbuckling his way to Mary, throwing demons left and right, with a heavenly host with him, and they surround Mary at this moment, protecting her, loving her, giving God's peace and calm to her.

To me, the most important thing that Gabriel says is the very last sentence, above: No word from God will ever fail.

I like to imagine that Mary held onto these words for the rest of her life! No word from God will ever fail. God speaks peace - it will never fail. God speaks love - it will never fail. God speaks hope - it will never fail. God speaks deliverance - it will never fail.

I wonder if it was hard for Gabriel. After all, Jesus had been in heaven forever, and Gabriel had known Jesus since Gabriel was created! Did Gabriel know and understand all that Jesus was in for? Did he understand the prophecies? Would Gabriel quite simply miss Jesus, after spending thousands of years in his presence?

Well, we'll never know on this side of eternity. However, we know this: Gabriel is important to the Christmas story because he was chosen to perform the most sacred of tasks - to deliver the Good News to Mary. He was able to tell her not just about the coming Messiah, but the Messiah he already knew.

Think about this: when he told Mary that she would give birth to a son, and call him Jesus, and "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" . . . Gabriel already knew Jesus, knew him just like that.

Yes, Gabriel is an important part of the Christmas story. Not only did he get to deliver this beautiful, eternity-changing, earth-shattering message . . . but he got to talk about the Jesus he already knew. The one who is - who always was - great. The Son of God.

The Fourth Person of Christmas is Mary

2011-12-04T07:51:00.000-05:00

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is certainly important to the Christmas story! We are actually going to look at her twice this month: today, as a young, virgin girl; and in a couple of weeks as a pregnant, weary traveler.

Today, let's think about the miracle of a young girl's obedience to a future that, if she agreed, would be plagued by scandal.

Although some believe in the Immaculate Conception - that Mary herself was sinless, or she would not have been able to "house" the Christ - there is no biblical evidence of that theory. The miracle really comes when we look at Mary as who she really was - a teenage girl, engaged to be married, probably dreaming and making plans for her future. She would have still been living with her parents, and in all likelihood, that is where the angel Gabriel came to meet her:

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

That Mary found favor with God did not mean she was without sin; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David - they all found favor with God, and yet were certainly not sinless.

So . . .
What could it mean, that God found favor with her?
What could it mean, that she would have a baby before she was married?
What could it mean, to her and her family, to Joseph and his family?

Well, it probably meant heartache. We don't know if Mary immediately understood that implications of all of this. But we do know that her first reaction was not doubt, distrust, or demand. Her first reaction was a beautiful: "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled."

How many of us wise, older women would have an immediate reaction of obedience?
How many of us who know and study scripture would believe that God would do something so . . . crazy?
How many of us would choose trust instead of doubt?

The angel promises Mary many things - that her son's name would be Jesus; that he would rule on Jacob's throne forever; that she will conceive through the Holy Spirit. He tells her that her very own cousin, Elizabeth - who was well past the age of childbearing - that she herself was pregnant.

This message from God, delivered by Gabriel, is full of hope and promise, and yet Mary surely understood - even if not immediately - that it was also a message of heartache and despair. She surely realized at some point that she would be shunned. She surely wondered how Joseph would react, if he would believe her, what he would do.

Yet we find none of those feelings in her song at the end of Luke 1. After she goes to see Elizabeth, Mary sings the most beautiful song - some of the most poignant and moving words in the Bible, in all of history:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
   of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
   holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
   from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
   but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
   but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
   remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
   just as he promised our ancestors.”

This teenager girl, about to become mother of the Messiah. This Jewish girl, about to obey to see the whole world saved. This virgin girl, about to become pregnant. That's impossible, except through the Spirit of God.

Mary is important to the Christmas story, because - taking all the miracles out of the equation - her obedience to a questionable future is the promise of Christmas. She believed that no matter what happened, her God, who had performed mighty deeds, brought down rulers, helped Israel, remembered Abraham . . . she believed that He would be with her, too.

And He was. Immanuel. God with us.

The Third Person of Christmas is Isaiah

2011-12-03T04:20:00.002-05:00

Isaiah was called as a prophet to the nation of Judah and to Jerusalem during the reigns of King Uzziah, King Jotham, King Ahaz, and King Hezekiah. His writings were produced between the years of 740 - 680 BC. His name means "The Lord is Salvation." How fitting for God to choose this man, this prophet, to foretell so much about the coming of Christ.

Isaiah was special, chosen by God to tell His chosen people of His son. And if the people had been listening to Isaiah, they would have easily recognized Christ when He came. They could have rejoiced that He would be born of a virgin, Isaiah 7:14; that He would come from the house of Judah, Isaiah 37:31; that He would be from the house of David, Isaiah 16:5; that He would be from Nazareth, Isaiah 9:1-2.

Isaiah gave us these words: For unto us a child is born, unto a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever, Isaiah 9:6-7.

Those words are the epitome of Christmas. Those words are what we celebrate. Those words are what give something called a "holiday" a meaning beyond our wildest dreams.

Because those words give us hope. Hope for a future, for peace. Hope for eternity. Hope for a God who is with us forever.

There cannot be a Christmas story without Isaiah. Because His prophecies were the map for God's plan. God didn't just spring a Messiah on His people, on the world. It was His plan from the beginning.

You know, the Jews of Jesus' time knew the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the others. They knew that the Messiah was to come from the house of David, and would offer them hope and salvation.

Unfortunately, they ignored other prophecies. They were waiting for a political and military hero, one who would free them from Roman rule, expunge them of their enemies, and restore them to a great nation. Their way.

They were not waiting for God's son.
They were not waiting for Jesus.

If they had really read Isaiah's words, really inspected his prophecies, they would have seen these words from chapter 53: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted,yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand."

Isaiah is important to the Christmas story, because hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, before His ministry and His teaching, before the controversy, before He was betrayed and handed over - Isaiah told us all about it. From His virgin birth, to the day of His death, Isaiah told it all.

God used Isaiah to prepare the hearts of men for the Christmas story. And He uses him today, in our lives, to remind us of His great plan, all along.

The Second Person of Christmas is David

2011-12-02T03:45:00.000-05:00

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

This is a record of the family line of Jesus Christ. He is the son of David. Matthew 1:1

We all know who David was. He was a conqueror, a king, a man after God's own heart. He was a songwriter, a shepherd, a best friend. He was an adulterer, a murderer, a fallen hero. He was the best. He was the worst.

You know, God loves order. Look at the end of chapter 1 of Matthew: "So there were 14 generations from Abraham to David. There were 14 from David until the Jewish people were forced to go away to Babylon. And there were 14 from that time to the Christ." God has ordained the days - not just the days, but the generations - of man from beginning to end.

But why was it important to God that Jesus come from the lineage of David?

You know, I used to think that God was chaotic. In some ways, I still do. By that, I mean that God is always moving, always swirling, always working. Yet, when God looks at the world, at the cosmos, at His creation, He doesn't see chaos. He sees order - His perfect plan.

His perfect plan was that Jesus and David be the same blood. For Jesus to claim the throne as King of the Jews, He needed to come from a royal line. Mary and Joseph both were direct descendants of David; through Mary, who shared the blood of David with Jesus, He was a rightful heir. Through Joseph, who was not Jesus' blood, He had a legal inheritance as the son of David.

But again, why David? Why this king? Why this time?

Is David a hero or a villain of his own life story? The best answer is, both. He is a perfect king from which Jesus' blood lines should be drawn, because, in spite of his sin and shortcomings, he kept coming back to God.

When confronted with his sin, he didn't deny. He accepted. He repented. He renewed. He led God's people through times of war and peace, prosperity and adversity. He always led with a knowledge and sense that they were God's chosen people. He never turned his back, or the back of his nation, away from God, even when he did sin.

Without David, there would be no Christ. In the end, if you ask me why, my answer must be - I don't know. I don't know why God ordained it this way. I just know that He did.

David is important to the Christmas story, because his life is another reminder that God had this plan all along. When David was born, when he killed Goliath, when he ran from Saul, when he took the throne as King of Israel, when he saw Bathsheba for the first time, when he had her husband killed, when he lost his son, when he . . . when he did everything . . . he was part of God's plan all along.

The good and the bad. The beautiful and the ugly. The sin and the righteousness.

All part of God's plan. To bring to the world redemption of sin - the Messiah . . . from the House of David.

The First Person of Christmas is God

2011-12-01T07:49:00.000-05:00

From December 1 to the 25, I am going to write about the people of Christmas - 25 "characters" who shaped the Christmas story.

We begin with God. God the Father, the one who wrote this story in the first place.

It's so hard to imagine that bringing a baby to a poor couple, impregnating an unwed teenager, telling dirty shepherds before kings and politicos - it's hard to believe that was God's plan.

But it was. All along.

Sometimes we belittle the nativity story by thinking that Mary and Joseph happened to go to Bethlehem, that they were struck with some kind of curse by giving birth to the Savior in a stinky stable. We belittle the miracle when we believe it was an accident, or bad luck of some kind.

We must know, and believe, that the whole of the story was God's plan from the beginning. From the beginning - from before Isaiah, David, Abraham, even Adam. From before the creation of Genesis, God was planning on proving his redemptive, everlasting love for us.

Did you catch that? God - the One who spoke, and stars filled the sky, animals roamed the earth - the One who literally breathed life into the nostrils of His created one - this God has always known that He would prove Himself to us.

He, who had nothing to prove. He, who could have spoken His way into our hearts without our consent. He, who gave us our very lives.

From the beginning of creation He has been pointing mankind to the coming Messiah. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He began the lineage that would one day house the Savior. In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham that "all nations will be blessed through you." That means us. You and me. Because God was going to use Abraham's lineage to bring a Savior to the whole world.

God has been proving His love to us from the beginning of His story, from the beginning of His love letter to us. From every thought and step that went into creating the tabernacle, to the priestly garments, to the Passover Festival - every last detail points to Christ. Through the life of King David, through the prophets, even through the 400 years of silence from the Old Testament to the New - God has been telling us. Every detail points to Christ.

Every. Last. Detail. Then, and now. Every detail He has planned for your life is designed to show you His love for you. Everything is about Him.

God is the First Person of Christmas, because the whole story is about His love for us. And that's the message of Christmas.

Be Glad for Weakness

2011-11-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

I've been involved in several discussions lately regarding our weaknesses; the phrase, "we all have our issues" has come up more than once.

Sometimes we get down on ourselves for our weaknesses, our faults. Or we pretend like we don't have any - like we are the only perfect one on earth!

But is that scriptural? Is that what God wants from us, to pretend? Doesn't He call us to an authentic faith, an authentic life, where we live together, harmoniously, warts and all?

God doesn't want us to pretend to be perfect or strong. It's in our weakness that He renews us. It's in our faults that He comes shining through. It's in our issues that He perfects us.

Don't try to pretend you're good at everything. Don't waste your time acting like you don't have any problems or issues. Celebrate your shortcomings, because that is where God can really shine through!

So You Think You Are Bad

2011-10-02T21:03:00.000-04:00

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32

These warnings from Paul are a poignant reminder of the danger of "rating" our sin. To think that you only gossip a little-that's not so bad- well, Paul uses that in the same sentence as "God-haters." Notice what Paul is doing: he is listing sin without categorizing it. He is making no comparisons, no contrasts, no arguments- except that sin deserves death.

It's amazing how we have allowed the devil such a foothold in this area. Not only does he tempt us with sin, into sin, but he also fools us into thinking we are still ok, because we aren't as bad as so-and-so, the murderer/slanderer/wicked one.

But you see, Paul is showing us that all sin is deplorable in God's sight. And sin should become deplorable to us too. We should be disgusted with sin, and with ourselves when we give into temptation.

I am often led to the smallest part of myself, where I realize and recognize the true wickedness within me, and feel such guilt and despair. My prayer is that I will develop a larger sense of myself, where I quickly and easily recognize my weaknesses and areas of temptation, and want so much of God that I refuse to settle for anything less. As we look through Paul's writings, especially here in Romans, I believe this was his prayer.

John 3:30 records John the Baptist's prayer,"He must become greater; I must become less."

As He becomes greater in our lives we have less tolerance for sin of any kind, "big" or "small." So I echo John as I pray tonight: "He must become greater; I must become less."

Thoughts on Shame

2011-09-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

When Paul writes In chapter one of Romans that he is not ashamed, as I discussed last week, he's making a very bold statement.

Let's talk about shame. According to the dictionary, shame Is defined as the "painful Feeling arising from the consciousness Of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous." A friend once told me that shame is a feeling of,"I am wrong, therefore I am innately wrong, I.e., created wrong." Compare that to guilt, which is a God-given gift of the Holy Spirit to steer our daily course of direction.

Shame, however, is not God-given. It's man-driven. We see shame used as a tool of religion, all the time, through the centuries. I'm not an expert on Jewish history or relations, but it would be easy to imagine that Jews during Paul's time would have completely shunned him, trying to use shame to "get himself right."

So it's a bold statement for Paul to assert that he is NOT ashamed. No one was going to put that shame on him. No one was going to force him away from Christ. No amount of danger, physical, emotional, anything, would change his mind.

Shame is a powerful motivator. But not a healthy one. It's not easy to assert oneself, to stand up and say, no matter what, I'm staying on this path. I'm doing what's right, what I'm called to do. And at this point, Paul is challenging the beliefs of the Jews. Not only is he preaching and teaching the gospel, this gospel of Jesus Christ, but he is offering holiness to the Gentile! To the Greek! To the non-Greek!

To rise above shame takes courage. Honor. Power. Paul tapped into the power of the Holy Spirit to rise above the opinion, threat, and dishonor that his background threatened. He lived according to God's power, not his own.

That's the only way to rise above shame.

I Am Not Ashamed

2011-09-21T07:45:00.000-04:00

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Well, I am back to the blogging world. I flit around, in and out, unpredictable. Ha! Actually, I gave up in the summer; with my kid home, I felt like I could never find a quiet moment. Now school has started, our schedule is back in swing, and hopefully I can remain committed to sharing my thoughts as I study His word.

I will be spending some time with you in Romans. I've been studying it since June, and - wow! What a powerful letter! Paul just blows my mind sometimes! He's so intellectual, yet so accessible. I can't wait to have a conversation with him someday (although I may have to say, dumb it down for me, Paul!).

Look at the verse, above. A phrase we all know pretty well. I am not ashamed of the gospel. But then look at the next phrase, the why: Because it is the power of God. Let's stop there.

The gospel - in other words, the story of Jesus, of salvation, of grace - is the power of God. To me, that means that God's power is proclaimed through the message of Jesus. And that's what Jesus said, too, right? He said He was here to do His Father's will. But the amazing thing is that the power of God didn't end when Jesus left earth.

The power of God is proclaimed every time the gospel is read. Preached. Heard. Thought about. Talked about. And I don't think it's over reaching to think that the gospel is read, preached, heard, thought about, or talked about - every single second of every single day. Which then tells me that God's power is moving, every single second of every single day.

Let's look at the next phrase: that brings salvation to everyone who believes. What a strong, powerful reminder. It is GOD who brings salvation. Not our works. Not our birthright. Not our church. It is GOD, through His SON and His Spirit. God and God alone brings salvation.

And just to break this down, what is salvation? Let's make sure we all understand this. The dictionary definition is, "deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption." Deliverance. A new beginning, new start, new life.

Only God can create life. And then, He re-creates it. Through His offer of salvation, through His kindness, mercy, and goodness, through the abundance of love He gives.

You know, if you really grasp the second part of the verse, this power of God thing, then you truly begin to live the first part. I am not ashamed. Nothing can hold me back. This God, this power, this salvation, is too strong and too much and too EVERYTHING! I can't keep quiet about it!

Hope someone is reading. I'll be spending a lot of time in Romans in the coming weeks. Love to all.

What Happens to the Fire

2011-06-26T19:08:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the burden I feel about prayer. I basically challenged the devil to a fist fight, and unfortunately, the devil won this battle.

Life came along. I was busy. Distracted. And in that short period of time, my passion faded. I was still praying, but not with fire. Not with passion.

After a week of this, by last Friday I was discouraged. I had no vision or desire. And I was taking everything personally.

How is it that everything I do or think becomes so selfish? Why am I surprised when the devil finds me, and attacks me? Especially when I pretty much challenged him to a duel.

What have I learned from this? That you have to be on guard. All the time. That you have to constantly and consistently surrender your will to His. That no matter what happens, it's not about me. It's about Him.

The blessing of this tough lesson is that the people I've been praying for were at church today. Three of the four couples. That's a joy. And it's a reflection of His power. Definitely not mine.

I don't know that I am adequately describing my self disgust. I blew it. To clean my house and work and just do stuff. What do I have to show for that week? Not much. (although I cleaned out my garage. That's pretty awesome.)

I'm going to be studying the armor of God, and I'll be posting at times. I'm still learning a lot in this journey. All I know is that I want to be like John the Baptist, in John chapter 3. "He must become greater; I must become less.”

My Challenge

2011-06-14T09:01:00.000-04:00

<I shared this in an email with my Sunday School class this morning. I decided to post it, to recreate this blog into a communication tool for the purpose of prayer.>

As many of you know, in Sunday School I asked you to join me in a prayer challenge. I realized last week that a couple who had been coming to church had sort of disappeared, and they are not responding to any communications. I'm really worried about them, and so mad at myself. There had been drugs and alcohol in their past, and I'm so mad that we - no, I - didn't aggressively, assertively pray for them. Of course Satan was going to attack them, tempt them, seek to undermine them when they started coming to church. Why didn't I see that? Why wasn't I prepared for it? Why wasn't I storming the gates of hell for them, refusing to let Satan go after them?

Well, no more. I'm mad now. I've been a wimpy Christian before, but no more. I've been given a burden, and I'm going to be praying for them in a major way now, and I asked you all to join me in this kind of "storm-the-gates" prayer for the new families who have been coming into our church family. Satan is going to attack them! And we have to help them!

Specifically, I'm talking about Frankie & Brandy, and Tracey & Amber. I think Frankie & Brandy's last name is Adams; I don't know about Tracey & Amber. I was reminded last night about another couple that I haven't seen for awhile - Gary & Brandy . . . Manship, I think.

In Sunday School, I talked about some reading I had been doing about Roman warriors. Their battle motto was, "Take one square of ground - clear it - advance. Take one square of ground - clear it - advance." Never retreat. Hold your ground until victory or death!

Isn't that what we should do spiritually? Take one square - be it temptation, a bad habit, bitterness, etc - and fight until you clear it. Then advance. And do it again. Never retreat. Never surrender. Hold your ground.

That's how I want to approach this prayer for the lost. Never stop praying. Never give up.

OK, so that's the background. The new information is what happened yesterday. At our morning Bible study in Romans, we got to talking about verse 16 in chapter 1: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Long story short, we got to talking about what shame means, and that talk turned to prayer - the kind of prayer that is shown in 2 Chronicles 7:14, the kind of prayer that is on-your-face before God, wrestling, interceding, focused prayer.

It was a great discussion, and then last night we went to camp meeting. The church praise team served as the camp praise team last night, and Dr. Nina Gunter was the speaker. And guess what she talked about? Prayer! (She told me last night that that wasn't the sermon she had originally planned. God woke her up around 3 AM and told her to give this message!)

She said things like, God has called us to move forward! And the only way to do that is through prayer. She asked if we were desperate for God. She asked what will happen if we fail to pray. She challenged us to be warriors! To take on the armor of God and fight! It was amazing. (I recorded it if anyone wants to hear it!)

I cried. I wanted to curl up in a ball and sob. Not because I felt bad. Because I felt overwhelmed by the presence of God. She was challenging me in exactly the same way I felt God challenging me. He has spoken so clearly over the last few days . . . I feel so blessed.

So here's the thing. I'm praying. In a huge way. I'm not letting go. You don't have to join me, if you don't want to. But I hope you do, because I believe there is HUGE power in communal prayer. There's nothing in my way - get behind me, Satan! Dr. Gunter said last night, Satan dreads prayer. Of course he does! He knows we have the most powerful nuclear weapon in the universe, and when we don't use it, we are no threat. But when we do . . . he'd just better watch it! I'M. NOT. GOING. AWAY.

If you join me in this, he's going to attack us, too. It won't be easy. He'll try to make us feel discouraged. He'll create problems. He'll create distractions. He'll try to divide us, so he can conquer us. Uh-uh. I'm not standing for it. I'm not going to fall for the devil's schemes. If you're going to join me, we'll need to pray for each other, too. And not just during Sunday School. Continually. All week. We'll have to pray for unity and joy and strength and energy. Don't be afraid! God is bigger!

I found a Roman battle cry as I was doing my reading and research on the warriors. It's "Stete!" It means, "Stand Firm!"

Anyone care to join me?

Time Off

2011-05-11T16:25:00.001-04:00

Folks, I'm taking the blog down for a few days. If you want a copy of the calendar I can email it to you. Just let me know.

Ruth

2011-05-09T11:20:00.000-04:00

But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!”

At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:11-17

It's funny, because we often hear the verse, "Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay" during weddings, pertaining to the bride and groom. What would happen in our marriages today if the bride said those words to her mother-in-law?

Because that's what's happening here. Naomi's husband had died. Both of her sons had died. For a woman, that was a death sentence. That circumstance would put you at the mercy of the community for your food, clothing and protection, unless one of the men had left her some money. There is no indication of that here.

So Naomi is going "home," back to where she came from, back where she might have family. She sends her daughters-in-law back to their homes, for the same reason - they have no money, no future. At least the daughters-in-law are young, and can marry again.

Naomi may feel like her life is over.

Who would want to be around that?

Who would want to stay in an uncomfortable situation, when a better door is opening right around the corner?

Ruth, that's who. When she married into her husband's family, she obviously took her vows seriously! She married all of them! I can see her grieving for her father-in-law, as if he were her own father. I can see her grieving for her brother-in-law, as if he were her own brother. And she treats Naomi as her own mother, refusing to leave her.

Ruth could have a future somewhere else. But she has chosen to truly care about Naomi, to take her as her own. She cares enough to not let her go out on her own. She cares enough to care about her loneliness, her grief, her bitterness. She cares enough to offer her protection.

Care, like love, is action. It's putting feet to words. Ruth is such a perfect example of this, don't you think?

We can all say we care. We get together at church, hear the prayer requests, bow our heads and sincerely and fervently pray for each other.

Then we go out for dinner. And never think about those things again.

We hear that Old Mrs. O'Leary is sick, and has no family. And so we pray - but do we go see her, send a card, take her a meal? We hear that Janie just had a baby - do we offer to come with the infant so mama can nap? We hear needs all around us, all day. Do we do anything about them?

I'm not pointing fingers - I'm talking to me! This is something I am HORRIBLE at!

I hope God speaks to you today, as He is speaking to me. How can we care - truly care - about others this week?

Justice and Submission - Deborah

2011-05-08T06:30:00.000-04:00

She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. Judges 4:6-9

Sometimes as women, we can fall for the lie of the enemy that we are oppressed. Now, don't get me wrong - in some cultures, women are definitely the lowest class of citizen. But in America, women are strong, powerful, and vibrant.

Even in Christian cultures, woman can be perceived as less than equal. We can sometimes read the Bible and, again, believe Satan's lie that God doesn't love us like He loves men. Because He has allowed civilization to "hold women back," so to speak, it must mean that He doesn't value us. Because He has commanded an attitude and lifestyle of submission, it must mean that He doesn't value us.

But over and over again in His word we see how wrong that is. I hope you've seen so far this month, the strengths - and very definitely, the weaknesses - of Biblical women. But the key is that God still used them to further His kingdom, to advance His plans. As fallible as they were - and as fallible as we are - God still used them, still has a plan for us.

Deborah is such a wonderful biblical example of female leadership. Israel has been sold into the hands of the Canaanites, because they again did evil and turned away from God. Deborah was a prophet, leader, and judge. She was a wife and a mother - she had her hands full already! And yet God had gifted her with wisdom and leadership abilities, and she used them to honor Him.

Women may be a discriminated class, but in this case, Deborah - under God's authority - was about to show men how God would use women. Barak, the big strong warrior, was too afraid to go into battle without her. Crazy, right? What did Deborah have that Barak thought he needed?

Something about her projected confidence. Something about her showed authority. Something about her revealed confidence.

What was it? Well, I'm going to tell you something you might not want to hear. I believe Deborah possessed all the attributes of leadership because she was submissive.

She was submissive to God's plan for her and her family's life. We know nothing about the relationship between her and her husband, but a woman of that time - any judge of Israel - would have had to have their family matters straight in order to be a good and pleasing example to the nation. So I believe she was submissive to her husband. She was even submissive to Barak - when he wanted her to go with him, she did.

She never forgets who she is. In her song of victory in the next chapter, she says, "Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel." (verse 7)

She was a wife. She was a mother. But most of all, she was a servant. And her willingness to submit to God's holy plan for her life led to a great victory for her people, which led to forty years of peace for them. All because this wife, this mother, led justice for her people. A woman's justice.

We are each given many gifts, talents and abilities. But these gifts will run amok if they are not submitted to the authority of God. Great Christians have experienced great falls because of great egos. If you are an extremely talented individual, you have an extraordinary need to submit yourself to God, so that He can keep your talents in line with His will.

I believe that is what Deborah did. And I can't wait to meet her one day, and listen to her sing her song.

The Song of Miriam

2011-05-07T15:39:00.000-04:00

The Song of Moses and Miriam
¹ Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:    “I will sing to the LORD,
   for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
   he has hurled into the sea.
² “The LORD is my strength and my defense;
   he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
   my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
³ The LORD is a warrior;
   the LORD is his name.
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
   he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
   are drowned in the Red Sea.
⁵ The deep waters have covered them;
   they sank to the depths like a stone.
⁶ Your right hand, LORD,
   was majestic in power.
Your right hand, LORD,
   shattered the enemy. Exodus 15:1 - 6

I wish I knew and understood more about the Bible. I wish I knew how to read it in the original languages. This passage has a heading that says, the song of Moses and Miriam. But within the passage, it says that Moses and the Israelites sang. I just wonder why....

Well, my Sunday School class is studying just this part of Exodus right now, so I know how interesting this song is. It's interesting because, during the plagues, time and time again, God showed His power and majesty, revealing Himself to both the Hebrews and the Egyptians as the one true God.

But as Moses and his people were leaving Egypt, and as the people saw Pharaoh and his army pursuing him, they easily fell to a spiritual cower; they reacted in anger and disgust. They said to Moses, "Why didn't you just leave us in Egypt? It would be better to be slaves than to die in the desert!"

Then God shows His majesty again, parting the Red Sea, protecting the Israelites while killing the Egyptians.

And His people worship Him, singing songs, and (in my imagination) dancing, laughing, crying, using any action they can to show their gratitude and amazement with God.

However, if there is one consistent thing in this Hebrew story, it's the reaction of the people every time there is a hint of trouble. Throughout the exodus, the people whine, complain, nag, even turn away from God because they don't think He's doing a good enough job. Often they turn against not just God, but each other, as well.

In Numbers 12, we see a strong example of this. Miriam, Moses' sister, and Aaron, his brother, gossip about Moses and his wife, whom they don't see as a "real" Hebrew. They are griping and grumbling, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us? (verse 2)"

Here's the scary part of this story, at the end of that verse: "And the LORD heard this."

When we gripe and grumble, do we really think that God doesn't know? (You know . . . we are really dumb.) Of course He knows. He hears and sees everything we say and do. And God will only let us get away with it for so long.

As a result of this gossip, Miriam was made leprous and forced to live outside the camp for 7 days.

Pretty big consequence for idle gossip.

But you know, we each have a song in our hearts, one that plays out in our lives. Is that song one of grumble, gripe and gossip? Or is it one of joy, gladness and worship?

You can't hide your real song, not for long anyway. The truth always comes out. It strikes me that there are two composers to our heart songs - God and Satan.

Who wrote your song?

What Rachel Can Teach Us About Love

2011-05-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”. Genesis 29:17-18

To understand the love in this story, we have to go back a bit. Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, and her father, Laban, was an ornery sort. He told Jacob that to marry Rachel he would have to work on his farm for seven years. Jacob was so in love, he gladly agreed.

The problem was, Rachel was the younger daughter. Leah was the oldest, and as such, she should marry first. So when Jacob had finally worked his seven years, and stood at the altar to marry his love (whose face was hidden under a veil), he really thought he had made it to the promised land! However, after the wedding Jacob finds out that he really married Leah, not Rachel.

He could have put Leah aside. He could have stolen Rachel and rode off into the sunset. He could have sued Laban for breach of contract. (ok, I don't actually know if that's possible or not. Tee hee) But instead he agreed to keep Leah, and work another seven years to earn Rachel as his wife.

You'd think that Rachel would have spent the rest of her life resting fabulously in the knowledge that she was LOVED! Adored, really. Wanted, definitely. Jacob devoted 14 years to pursuing her. (when was the last time you spent 14 years working towards, well, anything?)

But unfortunately, though Rachel's life could have been a testimonial on the power of love, it instead became another story of envy and greed.

Because we know that later, when Leah, and Rachel's servant, and even Leah's servant became pregnant by Jacob, Rachel did not. It was years before God would remember her, and give her Joseph. Rachel went through years of bitterness, feeling unloved, unwanted, unwelcomed.

Rachel could not know that Joseph was an important part of God's plan for His people, and for future generations. But she did know that God had promised Abraham that He would make a great nation from him. And God renewed this covenant with her husband, Jacob.

Rachel could have known, if she would have thought about it, that God's love and goodness to Jacob was for her, too. Rachel could have known that she too was an important part of God's plan. If she would have trusted in love - God's love, Jacob's love - she could have saved herself years of misery.

It can be difficult to wait on God's plan. No one knows that better than I do! It is a matter of trusting in the goodness of the eternal God instead of our temporary circumstances.

Why is it so easy to believe what we see instead of God? We forget how He has come through for us, time and time and time again. We just panic, and try to make our own way, instead of waiting for Him. Of course, it never works. Things always fall apart when we do thingson our own. And we are right back where we started from.

But true love is really the main character of this story. God's true love. Because His love remembered Rache. His love did not reward her according to her deeds, but according to His plans. His love was there, all along.

Girls Gone Greedy - Rebekah's Life

2011-05-05T05:20:00.000-04:00

[Note: if you are using the monthly calendar, I accidentally put "love" for Rebekah and "greed" for Rachel, but it should be the other way around. Sorry!]

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Genesis 25:27-28

I only have one child. After we had Samuel, we tried immediately for another one, and I worried - how would I ever love another baby as much as I loved Samuel? On the other hand, what if something happened to us - Samuel would be all alone. Not a good reason to have a child - so your first one won't be lonely!

But I had visions of a son and daughter loving, playing, taking care of each other. Fighting, laughing - all the joys and pains of siblinghood. (Just made that word up!)

Nevertheless, we weren't blessed in that particular way - lots of other ways, but not with lots of children. So perhaps that's why I cannot identify with Rebekah and Isaac's peculiar "love" for their sons.

How do you favor one child over another? I do not get that, not at all.

What I do get, though, is greed. And Rebekah shows herself to be a greedy woman as her husband, Isaac, approaches old age:

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” Genesis 27:1-10

I assume that part of her motivation for concocting this scheme was because Esau and Jacob knew what was up. Esau knew his mother didn't care much for him; Jacob knew his father favored his brother. So perhaps Rebekah was worried that her older son, the one on whom the benefits and responsibilities of inheritance would fall, would not take care of her in her old age after Isaac died.

Perhaps she just wanted to see her favorite son with all the favor! Perhaps she felt rejected by Esau, and wanted him to feel rejection, also. Whatever the reason, greed was at the heart. Greed is defined as

excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions. So whatever her motivation, greed was definitely at the heart of the matter!

What causes a person to give themselves over to greed? I think it is a lack of trust - not believing that God will provide all your needs, and that whatever He bestows upon you - that's enough. It may not be the world, or lots of earthly possessions. But whatever He gives is enough.

When we are also searching for more, wanting more, looking and scheming and striving for more - we are telling God that what we have is not enough.

OK, confession time - I do this. All. The. Time. I love to look through Pottery Barn catalogs, decorating books and blogs, looking for interesting ways to improve my home, inspiration for crafts and decorations, creative outlets.

Is that wrong?

Not when it's checked by the Holy Spirit. If God tells me that I'm spending too much time in Pottery Barn, and not enough in the Bible, I'd better change life, or I'm going to end up on the wrong side of His righteousness.

Greed is want run amok. Greed is indulgence to the max. Greed is wants before needs, me before you, mine, mine, mind.

I can't understand favoring one child over another.

But unfortunately, I can understand greed. I've seen it in my own life, and it's ugly. It scars everything and everyone around it. Because of Rebekah's greed, she most likely never saw her son again - he ran from Esau after stealing his father's blessing. That's quite a price to pay - never seeing your favorite son again.

So what's the lesson? Trust God. Trust He has a plan for your life. Trust in His goodness, His ways - not your own.

Lessons from Lot's Wife

2011-05-04T09:39:00.000-04:00

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26

Seems a pretty intense punishment for curiosity, doesn't it? I mean, who wouldn't look back at fire and brimstone? That would be a natural thing to do.

But maybe it wasn't curiosity. There are a few things we know about this situation.

First, the communities of Sodom and Gomorrah had always been sinful. They were sinful when Lot chose - keyword, chose - to move there. Second, they were well-to-do cities, which is why Lot chose them in the first place. Third, we know that Lot was himself a wealthy man.

There are many people who think that Lot's wife looked back because she was greedy; she was looking back at her glorious life, wealth, stature, go up in smoke. Perhaps she was grieving for a lifestyle, one she might never have again.

Or maybe she was being a typical mother. Verse 14 talks about Lot going to his sons-in-law to plead with them to come with him, but they refused. When Lot and his wife fled, it says they took two daughters with them. (These were the two daughters that Lot had offered to the rapists is verse 8.) If these two daughters were the ones engaged to his sons-in-law, it's difficult to believe he would have offered them as sexual sacrifices.

So maybe there were other daughters. Maybe, when Lot's wife looked back, she was crying over stuff she loved. Or maybe she was crying over people she loved. Possibly other daughters. Or men she might have loved like sons. Perhaps there were true friends, other family members.

What, then, is wrong with looking back? What woman would not look back over her loved ones? How could this be wrong?

It's wrong when those we love become more important than the One we love. When the One who loves us isn't the voice we are listening to. When He offers to save us, but we hold on to something else.

Jesus talked about this, too. In Matthew chapter ten, He warns, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." verse 37

Loving our family, our friends, isn't wrong. But they have to come a distant second behind God. He comes first. He'll have nothing less.

Maybe Lot's wife really was greedy, I don't know. But maybe she wasn't. Maybe she was a nice, normal Jewish mother who loved her family and friends.

That makes her a lot like us. And it reminds us that one lesson we can take from her life - from her death - is that God is first, last, and everything in-between.

Hagar, the Mistress of Jealousy

2011-05-03T18:20:00.000-04:00

So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Genesis 16:3-5

Jealousy. It's a horrible, evil thing. I think that lost all of human sin can be traced back to jealousy. The dictionary's definition of jealousy is, "envious resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself." Basically, wanting what you don't have, but someone else does have, but you don't want them to have!

But Hagar had an advantage over Sarah. She was the one who was pregnant. What did Sarah have that Hagar wanted?

The man. The wealth. The respect. The choice.

Sarah had it all. All but a baby. Hagar had the baby, so to Sarah, Hagar hd it all.

What a tangled web. No matter what happens, when we look round, we will always see ourselves in want, our neighbor in plenty. We will always be at the shallow end of the pool!

But you know what I love about this story? How God's redeeming grace finds us, wherever we are. We can run, but we can't hide from Him. Look at these verses from later in Hagar's story:

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

   “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

The angel of the LORD also said to her:

   “You are now pregnant
   and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
   for the LORD has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man;
   his hand will be against everyone
   and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
   toward all his brothers.”

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Hagar had a unique and wonderful opportunity to meet the God of her master, Abraham. What a connection she made with God. And what a lesson she learned: in the depths of despair, God was there. He didn't shame her because of her inadequacy, her sin of jealousy. He met her right where she was, both literally and figuratively.

He will do the same for you! He will meet you right where you are. Sin never gets you what you want, not really. It may meet your immediate demand but will never serve your long term needs. YOU serve sin, not the other way around.

Jealousy is a terrible mistress. Are you willing to leave sin behind, and meet the God Who Sees You?

Sarah, Her Lesson of Faith

2011-05-02T07:38:00.000-04:00

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Genesis 21:2-5

Sarah, one of the matriarchs of religion, certainly had her struggles with faith. Earlier in Genesis, when she overheard God tell Abraham that she would bear him a son, her reaction was disbelief - to the point of laughter! When confronted about it, she lied and said she didn't laugh.

But really, who could blame her for her disbelief? As one who struggled with infertility myself, I remember having times of absolute surety that God would answer my prayer - and times of despair, sure that His answer would be no.

So I don't blame Sarah for having her down moments. I mean, she was 90 years old! That's a long time to hold out hope and faith for a promise.

If I was going to blame her for anything, it would be for what comes next in the story. Remember, earlier in Genesis, so desperate for a child, she took matters into her own hands and had Abraham "lie" with her servant, Hagar, who bore a son, Ishmael.

Once Sarah has her child, she shows how little faith she truly had.

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”. Genesis 21:9-10

She had seen God's miracle working power for herself. She had heard God's promise to build a nation from Abraham-not just any of Abraham's children, but her child with him! She knew that God had promised that their descendants would outnumber the stars of the sky.

Yet, once again, rather than trusting God, having faith in His promises, she took matters into her own hands again, and sent Hagar and Ishmael away.

Would God not take care of Isaac? Would He not take care of her?

Because of her lack of faith, two sons became two nations . . . Always at war.

Because of her lack of faith, an innocent woman and her son were sent into the desert. To die.

Because of her lack of faith, there were consequences for everyone to deal with - right through to present day.

How many times did God need to provide for her before she trusted Him?

Well, I don't know - how many times does He have to provide for you before you'll trust Him? For me?

If there's something we can glean from Sarah's life, it is that trusting God fully, giving Him all our faith, is what life with Him is really about.

Do you trust Him fully? Do you remember His promises? Do you remember all that He has already done for you?

Eve and the Two Beginnings

2011-05-01T08:57:00.000-04:00

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,

   “This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
   for she was taken out of man

.”

Have you ever thought of the fact that Eve had two lives? The life before, and the life after. Two beginnings. One before, and one after.

We don't know how long Adam and Eve were in Eden before they sinned. It occurs to me that it could have been decades-or even centuries. The only two human beings, walking in oneness with God. True intimacy. The only humans ever created, walking in oneness with God.

The first beginning, for themselves, for mankind,for eternity. True genesis.

Then the fall. To call it "the fall" almost seems to say that something happened to the couple that was out of their control. We know that's not true. They had a choice.

What they chose was another beginning. A new beginning.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Often we think of beginnings being good things. Not so in this case. When Eve made her choice, to believe Satan instead of God, she chose to begin again...but this time with the horror of sin, the power of death. She chose evil over holiness, isolation over oneness, brokenness over sacredness.

She chose to begin again. And I wonder, what could she have possibly needed in life that that God wasn't providing? What yearning was unfulfilled? What was she thinking?

Oops. That's faulty thinking, if my viewpoint is that I would have done anything differently. Even though we live in the fallen world, God provides for our every need. We are loved by Him, chased by Him, cherished by Him.

We have every opportunity to love God, walking with Him in intimate fellowship. Yet we take our eyes off Him, thinking we "need" something else, something more.

Eve's life reminds us that beginnings are not always good. There is the good that comes from beginning again with Him; but the horror of beginning again in sin and death.

So we get to choose. Every day we can begin again. We can begin with Him, or without Him. It's just that simple!

So which will you choose?

Jesus' Acts Cannot Be Contained

2011-04-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25

Well, I can't believe this month is over. It's been such a wonderful focus for me! I've enjoyed this time tremendously. I don't know if anyone ever even reads this blog - it really doesn't matter. Making the commitment to do it has sent me into the Word day after day, and I have learned so much.

But now we come to the end of this particular story. To me, this last sentence is the only "flowery" message John has written in this book. His eyewitness account of the greatest life in history has been quite fact-based, evidence driven. That's what makes his gospel so compelling to me!

But this last statement is a little different, and to me it shows just how much John has wanted to share his heart, his opinions, his thoughts - more than just the facts. (Perhaps that is what his other letters were for! lol)

The Message version says it this way: "If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books."

That's an amazing thought. And it holds an important promise, pointing us to the verse in 1 Corinthians 13:

Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely . . . (verse 12)

I can't wait to get to heaven to see and hear and read all the other things Jesus did during His time on earth. After a thousand years or so of listening to Him, maybe - just maybe! - I'll move on to John. Then Peter. Then Andrew - I'm really dying to talk to Andrew. I can't wait to hear all the eyewitness accounts!

Then I'll share my own eyewitness account. About what He did for me. About how He changed my life. About how he took my little, sinful heart, and filled it with love and forgiveness and grace.

I can't wait.

Jesus Speaks About John

2011-04-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. John 21:20-24

You may think that it's strange that I've included these verses in our month of Easter devotionals. But what a lesson it is! What a reminder!

It's possible that at this moment, Peter still didn't totally get it. He had just had such an intimate, compelling conversation with Christ, but he just had to push it a little bit. Maybe he's thinking - oh great, when I'm old people are gonna take me places I don't want to go? No fair! What about John?

Or maybe he's just curious. Hmmm, I'm going to live till I'm old, apparently. What about John? He's been so good to me, especially these last few days. What will happen to him?

I don't know that it's wrong to have these thoughts. But Jesus sharply rebukes him, and reminds Peter a telling lesson.

It's not that it's none of his business.
It's not that John is going to have a different future.
It's that Peter is focusing on the wrong person.

Peter isn't focusing on Jesus, his risen savior. He isn't focusing on God, whose great and merciful plan of redemption had been accomplished. He isn't focusing on the Spirit, even having just receiving Him in recent days.

He's taking his focus - just for a moment - off God and on man. He's putting the emphasis - even if for a good reason - on earthly things instead of heavenly things. He's living - whether it's in worry or wonderment - on a what if plane.

We can all - easily - fall into this trap. We look around, instead of up. We focus outward, instead of upward. I do it, I'm sure you do it.

That's what happens when we aren't looking at God. We get distracted. Now, do me a favor. Put your hand in front of your face for just a second. This is an illustration I've used a lot. When my hand is stretched in front of my face - right in front of my eyes - I can't see anything else but my hand. But the farther I pull my hand away from my face, the more of things around me I can see.

It's the same thing with God. When I've got my nose pressed right between Jesus' shoulder blades (figuratively speaking), I can't see the world around me, and I can't focus on anything else but Him. But the farther I get away from Him, the more the world distracts me.

Jesus' admonition to Peter isn't harsh, it's truth. It's reality. Don't focus on others. Focus on Him.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

2011-04-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

[Note: I'm going to combine today's and tomorrow's post into one, because it really should be one!]

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” John 21:15 - 19

This is an amazing passage of love, acceptance, and instruction. Notice that, as Peter denied Jesus three times during His trial, so Jesus asks Peter this question three time. Remember, three is the number that signifies God's will or purpose. God used Peter's three denials to his better purpose; in the same way, Jesus is challenging Peter - three times - to a better purpose.

Let's look at what is similar in each case. Jesus calls Peter, "Peter, son of John" each time. Do you think that's significant? I do. I think it's Jesus being particular. It's Jesus saying, I know exactly who you are and where you've been and what you've done. Jesus is specifically calling Peter, son of John. Not Peter, son of Joe. Not Peter, son of Eli. No - THIS Peter. At THIS time.

He also says, Do you love me each time. Was this a little dig on Christ's part, a reminder that three times you denied me, so I'm asking you three times if you love me? Maybe. Not a dig in a negative, accusing way - God doesn't need to do that. But maybe a reminder. Maybe it's like this: "Peter, you had three opportunities to stand up for me, to claim me. Each time you failed. I'm giving you three chances to change your mind here. Three chances to say, no I don't love you. No, I can't love you. No, I'm going to turn away again."

The key here is that Peter is steadfast. He responds the same way each time. He is not bragging or being hypocritical. He has learned a very, very tough lesson.

I like to imagine that this whole exchange happens around the fire, in front of all the other disciples, with everyone listening. Because I think it's Jesus showing the other disciples that He has forgiven Peter, is bringing him back to restoration, and they should all continue doing the same. It appears that, through this last week, they have all embraced Peter, and held him up with love and forgiveness, and for good reason - they all denied Jesus! Peter is no worse than they are.

Jesus is establishing Peter as a leader in his kingdom. What a blessing to know, that no matter how much you have let Him down, how greatly you've fallen, how much you have sinned, God will still use you. He doesn't need your gifts, your talents or abilities - He has plenty of that, thank you! He wants your heart. Your sinful, fallen, incomplete heart. That's how He builds His church.

There's a song that we sang a couple of weeks ago at church that had me weeping - during practice! It's called "Take My Life." One of the phrases is, "Take my heart it is your own, let it be your royal throne." My heart - my sinful, fallen, incomplete heart. For His royal throne - which Isaiah says is bigger than the circle of the earth - in my heart? My sinful, fallen, incomplete heart?

My first thought was how could God lower Himself to make my heart His throne. Then I realized, He doesn't lower Himself. He raises me up, to be closer to Him, more like Him, ready for Him.

My sinful, fallen, incomplete heart - becomes a royal throne. Peter's sinful, fallen, incomplete life - became the beginning of Christ's church.

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.

::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Jesus Appears to Thomas

2011-04-25T09:10:00.000-04:00

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:24-29

Thomas gets a bad rap, and that's not fair. He's known as "Doubting Thomas" or the "Doubting Disciple," but in reality, all the disciples doubted. They didn't believe that Jesus was going to be resurrected. When Peter and John saw the grave clothes, they didn't immediately understand. When Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, she didn't know what was going on. She didn't even recognize Jesus when she saw Him!

Thomas should be known for his words in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The other disciples were trying to talk Jesus out of going to Judea, where Lazarus was, because the chief officials were plotting to kill him. It was Thomas who said, in John 11:16: "Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'”

That doesn't show doubt, that shows bravery. That shows a man who fully believed in Jesus - to the point of death!

I guess it seems like that is where Thomas is right now - the point of death. We don't know why Thomas wasn't with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them. But when they tell him what has happened, of course he doesn't believe - who would? The others didn't!

What a merciful God, what a wonderful Savior. Jesus didn't ridicule Thomas. He appeared and invited him to freely look, and touch, and see, and believe.

And then Jesus talks about you and me. Did you know that you are in the Bible? You are, and so am I: "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's us. Jesus knew that we would not see Him in the way the disciples and followers were. Yet we have a special blessing from Him, because we believe!

What a merciful God. What a wonderful Savior.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples, part 2

2011-04-25T08:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had to post very quickly. Easter is an awfully busy day! But it was a really wonderful day; hope you had every blessing and comfort in this Easter season.

It's not over, you know? Jesus stayed with the disciples for 40 days. I am working through a very personal focus during these 40 days; perhaps I'll share with you when the time is over. For right now, though, please pray that I will be able to hold fast during this period! I want to experience Jesus in a whole new way!

Anyway, I wanted to talk about the way Jesus breathed on the disciples. What I love about the Bible is that from Genesis to Revelation, God is the same. Nothing written about Him in Revelation contradicts what was written in Genesis. I also love that the Godhead - the Trinity, the Three-In-One, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - has always been talked about, right from the beginning of Genesis:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

The following is taken from an article on cbn.com, called, "The Holy Spirit: the Breath of God":

The interesting part of this is the Hebrew word for spirit. We almost get a little spooky talking about the Holy Ghost, but the Hebrew word behind spirit is ruach, and it means "air in motion." It is the same word for "breath." It also means "life." By resemblance to breath and air in motion, it means "spirit." That’s where we get the translation, and the Hebrew word contains all those different meanings. If we just leave it with our English word "spirit," we’re not getting the full attributes of what the Bible is trying to describe. It’s trying to describe that there’s a breath involved.

Interesting. So the Spirit of God is the Breath of God . . . and God breathed our being into existence: "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

When God speaks, He breathes. Every time God breathes, His Spirit is, in essence, moving and working. When Jesus breathed onto the disciples, He was putting the Spirit in their hearts so that they did not have to exist without Him.

Think about breathing for a moment. More accurately, think about how we don't think about breathing. You don't purposely decide to breathe - you just do it! The only time you probably think about breathing is when it's hard to do!

When we live in the Spirit, with the Spirit, and by the Spirit, being one with God becomes our nature. We don't think about it. We just are.

And I think on that day, when Jesus introduced the disciples to the Holy Spirit, He was saying: Be like this all the time. Work like this all the time. Stay like this all the time. Live in the Spirit. Die in the Spirit.

You don't have to have some days that are spirit-filled, and some days that are not. We should live in the Spirit, as Paul said in Galatians 5:25: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Jesus continued to give Himself to the disciples - now He was giving them His Spirit. Just by breathing on them!

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

2011-04-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23

Happy Easter! This is the day! This is the place we've wanted to be - a resurrected Jesus, our Savior, the Messiah, walking and talking among us.

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be a disciple that day? Think about being behind locked doors. Their locks were not a simple flip on the door knob. Their locks were heavy bolts that fell in place across the door. No one was getting in there.

Then suddenly Jesus appeared. The rumors were true! He really was alive!

Was it a ghost, an apparition?

No, Jesus showed them his wounds. I wonder, since he had conquered death and the grave, were they healed? Were they still healing? I don't know. But Jesus used his wounds as proof that he was the real thing!

I wish I had a lot of time to write today. I should have written this last night. ;0) But right now this is enough: Jesus was dead. Now he's alive. He has not left us. He is with us. He has given us his Spirit, so that we can live in peace, without fear, with joy and victory every day.

He is not dead. He's alive!

Jesus Does Not Allow Mary to Touch Him

2011-04-23T17:47:00.000-04:00

Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17, New Living Translation

Imagine the joy Mary is feeling right now. Sorrow is fading, mourning diminishes, and hope is taking root. Jesus tells her not to cling, yet wouldn't that be your first thought, too - to throw yourself on Jesus, hugging, weeping, clinging?

Jesus gives two clear reasons: first, he had not yet ascended to his father. From finishing what He started. That tells me something about Jesus - no person, no thing, was going to keep him from seeing His Father. His dad! Imagine being so close to your Dad that at age 33, you have never been apart from Him, not for one day. Obviously, they had been physically apart, but not spiritually. Not emotionally. Not in any other way. That's close! That's bought in! As much as Jesus loved his earthly friends and family, even they could not stop Him from going home.

The second reason Jesus gives is that he wants Mary to go tell the others. What a joy that would have been! To tell the brothers, the disciples, who were lonely, afraid, and guilt-stricken, that Jesus was alive! And Mary, a woman, got that job. (I'm again so proud to be female!)

Can you imagine being the first person in the whole world who has seen the resurrected Jesus? No one, in all of history, will ever be able to say that again. This honor fell on Mary alone. He could have waited until after he had been to heaven before he appeared to her, or any of the disciples. But he didn't wait. That also tells me something about Jesus.

It tells me that he was excited to share his resurrection. It tells me that he wanted his loved ones to know he was alive! It tells me that he was anxious to put an end to their sorrow and pain.

You know, he shares that same excitement with us. He wants us to know him! He wants us to see him! He wants to end our pain!

The point here is not that he told Mary to stop clinging; it's that he appeared to her at all!

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

2011-04-22T08:37:00.000-04:00

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). John 20:11-16

Wow. This is it! This is the moment!

Remember yesterday, when the disciples believed (something) but didn't understand the resurrection. Now Mary stands at the tomb, mourning. She doesn't understand either. None of them truly believe. Not until this moment.

Biblegateway.com's commentary says this:

This section contains a series of encounters with Christ that show him overcoming a variety of barriers to faith, including ignorance, grief, fear and doubt (Westcott 1908:2:334, 336-37). Five occasions of faith are mentioned, forming a chiasm.

I had never heard of the word, chiasm, before, so I looked it up. You're gonna love this: the cross-shaped connection produced by the crossing over of pairing chromosomes during meiosis (a process of cell division).
At the crux of this moment is a cross. The cross is both a real, actual presence in this epic, and a metaphor, a representation of change.

The disciples, Mary, all the believers are about to see the cross differently then they did a few days ago. They are being given the opportunity to use the cross to make a new connection, a new belief. The cross, which three days ago meant death, now means life.

The cross. The wonderful cross.

Death to life.
Pain to joy.
Mourning to gladness.

We all have this same choice. Will we see the bad? Or cross over to see the good? Will we focus on the pain? Or cross over to see the relief?

The cross. The wonderful cross.

Three days ago, it wasn't wonderful. It was a curse - to Jesus, to his friends and family, to everyone who wanted to believe.

Now, it's wonderful. Even though they clearly don't fully understand the context, that Jesus not only HAD to die but also HAD to rise, they still believe.

Mary believes. Because, as the text says, he's standing right there! Standing. Right. In. Front. Of. Her.

It's amazing to me that Mary is so overcome, so grief-stricken, that she doesn't notice that the men in front of her are angels. She doesn't notice that the gardener talking to her is Jesus. He has to say her name before she truly sees him.

Isn't it the same with us? God is always, ever, all around us. And we don't notice, we don't see. Until he speaks our name. That speaking can happen in many ways. Sometimes bad ways - Illness. Pain. Exhaustion. Death. Sometimes good ways - Celebration. Babies. Healing.

But we don't notice until it effects us. Until it - HE - speaks to us. Then it all comes together. Then we fall to our knees, we repent, we are grateful, we set aside the world and surrender.

We don't have to fully understand to do those things. Mary didn't. Peter and John didn't. Jesus brought the understanding later.

But the joy came first.

Jesus' Disciples Believe

2011-04-21T11:18:00.000-04:00

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) John 20:8-9

The "other disciple" here is John, the author of this gospel. If you remember, he had run with Peter to the tomb, but outrunning Peter, he held back. He waited and allowed Peter to go into the tomb first.

So now he enters, and he believes. But what does he believe? Because the next sentence says that they didn't understand Jesus was resurrected.

Or does it? Actually, it says they didn't understand that scripture said Jesus HAD to rise from the dead. In other words, the disciples didn't understand prophecy. It seems to be a credit to John's testimony of truth that he admits not understanding the prophecies about the Messiah.

At this moment, all they understood, what they believed, was that Jesus was no longer in the tomb. They weren't sure where he was, but he wasn't there!

But this passage begs the question: why did Jesus have to die? I'm not trying to question God here, to question His means, His methods, but I have always wondered . . . why death? Was there not some other way that our sins could be paid for?

I think it comes down to a few simple sentences.

God is holy.
We chose sin over holiness.
Sin and holiness are incompatible.
Therefore, sin separates us from God.
The only justifiable penalty for sin is death. All sin - big ones, little ones, fat ones, skinny ones.
God's holiness is so vast, so complete, that sin is sin, and all sin is reprehensible to him.

With me so far? For us to be holy - like God - we cannot be sinful. The penalty for sin is death. But if we are dead, we cannot be with God.

The only other option for God to live with His created, is for one person to pay the penalty for all.

That person could only be one without sin. Otherwise, he would be paying for his own sin, and not the sin of others.

So God's son, who was eternal and infinite, confined himself to an earthly walk, so that he could take the punishment for us.

But why did he have to rise from the dead? That's what the scripture here says. I found this acrostic on the internet (I love me a good acrostic!)

R-Reveals God’s Purpose
I-It fulfills Scripture
S-Satisfies Proof
E-Experience the Power of God
N-New Life

Jesus rose from the dead because it was God's purpose, it was His will and plan to show that He alone how power over death. It fulfilled the prophecies, it proves the existence of God, it allows us to experience His power, and it promises new life.

This gets me excited! What a powerful God!

Tomorrow, we get more evidence. I almost wish I didn't know how this story ends, because it keeps getting more and more exciting and suspenseful.

Jesus' Burial Clothes in the Tomb

2011-04-20T09:24:00.000-04:00

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. John 20:3-7

Yesterday I told you about burial clothes, or shrouds, in the Jewish custom. It's interesting that John is the only gospel to include these precise details. Remember when I told you at the beginning of the month that John's gospel is so unique; he wrote it as an eyewitness; he used signs - or miracles - to prove that Jesus was God - and he spoke very plainly, matter-of-factly, with no embellishments or flowery language.

John's audience would have understood the importance of the grave clothes. They would have understood that for the linens to be lying there, in place, was . . . impossible! For the clothes to have been taken off of Jesus, they would have been torn - remember, there were no buttons or fasteners. If they had been torn to shreds, because someone was desperate to get Jesus out, or because Jesus himself had miraculously awoken and, in a panic, started shredding the clothes to get out of them, John would have said so.

But he didn't. Everything seems to be in its proper place, as if still wrapped around a body . . . but the body is missing!

John's story is pretty amazing. Pretty consistent. Pretty characteristic of what we know about this man so far.

We know from church and Bible history that John was very young; it's not a surprise that he outran Peter to the tomb. But it shows a miraculous act of restraint, love and forgiveness for John to step aside and let Peter go in first. Remember, Peter had abandoned Christ, while John had stayed by his side. Peter had denied Christ, while John had showed his allegiance. Peter had discarded Christ, and everything about him, while John had supported him to the point of taking his mother in his home.

John let Peter go first. Peter saw the linen. He saw the head covering. He saw the burial cloth. He saw three things. He had denied Jesus three times.

His mind, reeling.
His heart, pounding.
His lungs, heaving.

Is there a little tiny bell going off in his head? Is there any recognition of what is happening? Didn't Jesus say something about coming back to life? It's been three days, didn't he say something about three days?

What's going on?
What's going on?

I can imagine the older man hanging onto the younger man. Both of them crying, hopeful yet afraid.

Could it be?
Could it be?

It could. It was. And they were about to find out!

Jesus is Not in the Tomb

2011-04-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” John 20:1-2

These next couple of days are going to be the best of the month! Talking, writing, sharing about the empty tomb! After the walk we've taken thus far, the empty tomb is where we find hope, and the promise of our future!

But . . . we know the end of the story. We know for sure what happened to Jesus. But at that moment, on that day, at that tomb, Mary Magdalene, John and Peter had to have been scared. They had to have been thinking, now what? What else can possibly happen?

It's striking to me how a woman was the first to the tomb. The first to take action. Sometimes women can get a bad rap in biblical stories (thanks again, Eve lol) but Mary's actions make me proud to be a woman! She showed such sensitivity, such devotion. She stayed by Jesus' side through his whole ordeal, despite any danger to herself, despite the fact that all the men but one left, despite the tragedy that she was facing.

She faced it - head on. She gives us such a good example to live by. How do we react to adversity? Some of us bury ourselves, with work, or stuff. Or we deny that there are any problems. Or we worry and fret.

Mary? She stayed by her Lord's side. No matter what. She stayed by his side, even to the point of going to the tomb. She thought he was dead - what ridiculous devotion! How can staying close to a dead man help at all?

I so want to laugh at that statement! Staying close to Jesus meant she got to be the first one to know he wasn't there. Staying close to Jesus meant (as we'll see in detail on Friday) she got to be the first one to see him alive. Being close to Jesus meant she got an honor that no one else received.

It meant that she got the good news - first hand.

It meant that she saw the miracle - first hand.

It meant that she - this woman, who had been possessed by seven evil spirits, the devil himself! - she got to see a glimpse of eternal promise. First hand.

Woah.

Before I close today, I want to share the significance of the number three. Jesus was dead for three days, and as you probably already know, God uses numbers specifically and symbolically throughout His love letter to us.

The number three, for example, has the symbolic meaning of divine or supernatural. It is used of God to signify His purpose or His will. Let's take a quick look at some examples of the number three:

God sent the three messengers to Abraham to tell him that Sarah would conceive in her old age. It was by the will of God and for His own purposes that Sarah should conceive so that God would make a great nation of Abraham through it.

God brought a thick darkness upon the land of Egypt (exodus 10:22-23) for three days.

Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The Apostle Paul with blinded for three days.

The purpose and will of God is worked out in the three of the Godhead - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Just look and see how many times that 3 is used during Jesus' story. The atonement for our sins is covered in the number three - and again, if you really think about how this number signifies God's will and purpose, the meaning is clear.

Jesus prayed three times that this cup would pass.
Three apostles went to the garden to pray with Him.
Peter denied Jesus three times.
Pilate tried three times to let Jesus go.
There were three crosses
There were three men crucified.
There was writing in three languages on the cross.
Jesus was crucified in the third hour.
He was dead for three days and three nights.

Is three significant? Oh yes.

See you tomorrow.

Jesus' Body is Buried

2011-04-18T07:29:00.000-04:00

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

I was just at a funeral home yesterday. There was an hour wait to get to the family and the casket, people were laughing and sharing memories, it was a time of celebration. This man was 80 years old, loved the Lord, died in His arms surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren. It was joyous, it was peaceful, it was time.

Not so on this day 2,000 years ago. A young man, full of life, hope and promise, was mercilessly stripped of all dignity, cruelly beaten, taunted and mocked, and then nailed to a cross. A horrific death.

Those gathered around his body weren't full of joy and peace. They were full of fear and horror.

I wonder about Joseph of Arimathea. As a secret follower, did he at this moment boldly approach Pilate to ask for Jesus' body? Or did he do so secretly?

Whichever, at great risk to themselves, he and Nicodemus took care of Jesus. They took care of Him. They wrapped Jesus' body, as was custom to do, taking the linen, soaking it in fragrant spices.

Let me tell you a little bit about these burial cloths, or shrouds. All of the below information is from wikipedia.com (and they never lie!):

Shrouds are white and entirely hand-stitched. They are made without buttons, zippers, or fasteners. They are called tahrihim. Tahrihim come in muslin or linen, fabrics that recall the garments of the ancient Hebrew priesthood. Regardless of gender, they [the garments] include tunic, pants, a head covering, and a belt. The pants typically cover the feet, much like footed pajamas. The belt is customarily tied in an ornate knot reminiscent of the Hebrew letter shin. The head covering typically consists of both a hood that is directly attached to the tunic and a face cloth, essentially the ancient sudarium. The fully dressed body, is further enwrapped in a lengthy white sheet, or sovev.

What we normally have thought of as a shroud (probably because of the Shroud of Turin), is the sheet. But burial clothes would have been more than just a sheet. John, in the passage stated above, talks about "strips of linen"; while I used to think that meant long rectangles, it could very easily mean pieces.

[Note: Beginning in the 2nd century, the above description of shrouds became the only way to bury a Jew. We don't know for certain how Jesus was buried. This is just me thinking! This custom, described in detail on wikipedia, was begun by a wealthy rabbi who, when planning his own death, didn't want to appear to be "over" those who were not wealthy, in death. This custom is described in detail on wikipedia.]

So if Jesus was buried in strips of linen cloth . . . Well, more on Tuesday!

Jesus' Side is Pierced

2011-04-17T08:33:00.000-04:00

Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced. John 19:34-37

This moment is important. This moment is where the entire crux of Christianity lies.

This moment proves that Jesus was truly dead. He hadn't just fainted. He wasn't pretending. The flow of glood and water proved that He was dead.

In Barnes' Notes From the Bible, it says:

Such a flowing of blood and water makes it probable that the spear reached the heart, and if Jesus had not before been dead, this would have closed his life. The heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium. This membrane contains a serous matter or liquor resembling water, which prevents the surface of the heart from becoming dry by its continual motion (Webster). It was this which was pierced and from which the water flowed. The point of the spear also reached one of the ventricles of the heart, and the blood, yet warm, rushed forth, either mingled with or followed by the water of the pericardium, so as to appear to John to be blood and water flowing together.

Some think that there is more significance to the blood and the water; that there is spiritual, eternal significance. Blood and water show the two great benefits which all believers benefit from - justification and sanctification. Blood for remission, water for regeneration. Blood for atonement, water for purification. Blood pays the price. Water cleanses and makes new. Blood and water together.

It is vitally important that Jesus dies. I hate to say it like that. But it's true. If he doesn't die, there's no payment. If he doesn't die, he cannot resurrect. If he doesn't live again, he cannot bring us eternal life.

So this one moment is where our entire faith lies. It's the proof, the truth, the fact.

He died. We're forgiven.

End of story.

Well, no, not really. Because the really cool part is coming!

Jesus' Legs are Not Broken

2011-04-16T20:33:00.000-04:00

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. John 19:31-33

The ultimate in complexity. In depravity. In hypocrisy.

It had not bothered the Jewish leaders in the least to incite a riot, level false charges, plot a murder, ensnare someone into betrayal, turn over an innocent man for capital punishment. But they did not want to be unclean for this special Sabbath day.

That just wouldn't be right.

I wonder what they thought when the soldiers came to Jesus, and didn't break his legs. In spite of everything Jesus had been through, he died more quickly than expected; more quickly than the thieves hanging next to him.

What more evidence did they need that this man really was the son of God? What else did they need to show he gave his life, no one took it? What other demonstration did they need to see that they were the sinners, not Jesus?

Matthew Henry's commentary says: "The pretended sanctity of hypocrites is abominable. These Jews would be thought to bear a great regard for the sabbath, and yet had not regard to justice and righteousness; they made no conscience of bringing an innocent and excellent person to the cross, and yet scrupled letting a dead body hang upon the cross."

I wonder where these officials, these church leaders are right now. Throughout church history, great men have done horrible things in the name of God. God said to not take His name in vain; could there be a greater example of it than this? When the church sins, and sins greatly, is God not offended greatly?

I wonder where they are. I wonder how they have spent the last 2,000 years. I wonder where they will spend eternity.

When they saw that Jesus was already dead, were their hearts pierced with guilt?

Did they finally understand what they had done?

Did they think about it at all?

As they began their preparations for the Sabbath day - for this special Sabbath, the Passover - did God remove Himself from this celebration? Did they feel His absence? Did they even notice?

We know what Jesus' followers did now. They mourned. They hid. They came together in sorrow and fear and, we can assume, wallowed in each others' misery. As they should.

But what did these officials do?

I wonder. I wonder about us today, about how we spend our Saturdays before we go to church on Sunday. I wonder about how our homes are on Sunday mornings, what happens in the car on the way to church, before we walk through the parking lot with our fake smiles and hugs, pretending to be something that we are not.

We're broken people. We don't need to pretend.

I wonder what would happen if a church cared more about being real with each other - and with God! - and less about appearing holy. I wonder what would happen if Christians worried less about looking holy than being holy. I wonder what would happen if we asked God to make us real, really real, with Him and with each other.

I wonder. Do you?

Jesus Gives Up His Spirit

2011-04-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

No flowery language. No brilliant metaphors. Just a simple statement. "It is finished." Just a quiet moment. He "gave up his spirit."

At that moment, nothing that the chief priests, the soldiers, Pilate, Herod, Annas, Caiaphas . . . none of what they had done to Jesus mattered. Jesus made the choice. He gave up His spirit.

Don't mistake that phrase with giving up. He wasn't giving up. He wasn't giving in. He was giving. Giving his life in exchange for ours. Giving his spirit to give our spirits another chance. Giving his righteousness so that we may know righteousness.

Giving. He gave. Think about how far we have come in this story. Jesus gave up the richness of a full, complete life in heaven, as King and Ruler of all things, of all eternity, of all of time and space. He gave when He came to be born.

He gave when He entered into His ministry, preaching His father's word. He gave up any hope of a permanent home. Hope of a family, of friends. He gave all that up, knowing that those friends would abandon Him at His hour of need.

He gave when He told the truth to the scribes and priests, the church officials, the Pharisees and Sadducees. He told the truth knowing He would be mocked and ridiculed.

He gave when He limited Himself, allowing these mere men to question Him. He gave when He allowed these "grasshoppers" to beat Him - in fact, to touch Him at all! He gave, and gave, and gave.

Right up to the moment that He gave up His spirit.

What telling words. "It is finished." Other versions says, "It is completed." In other words, there was nothing left for Him to do. No more He could give. I think during those hours of agony He felt the pain, the guilt, the shame, of all the sin of all the world of all time. He took it all. And when there was no more to take, it was finished.

Matthew Henry says this about that moment:

It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the shadows are done away. It is finished; an end is made of transgression by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed. His life was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.

I think it is important to see here that no one took His life from Him. If man were in charge of His death, He would have died after the first beating. Or the second. Or from the pain, dehydration and exhaustion. Or when He carried His cross and couldn't go anymore.

But no. He died when it was His time. Notice that He didn't die, and then His head bowed, as in slumping down because there was no more life. Look at what the verse says, "He bowed His head, and gave us His spirit."

It was His choice. Man made his death miserable, no doubt. But His death - His life - was His to give up. He said in John 10:18: "No one takes it from me [my life], but I lay it down of my own accord."

He gave His life. He bowed His head and gave His life over. He acted in the ultimate submission to His Father. Giving everything.

Please. Today, think about this. Think of how He gave up heaven - for earth. Life - for death. Glory - for submission. Think of all He gave up.

For you. For me. For all of us.

Please think about this today. Think of ALL that He gave up.

Jesus Thirsts

2011-04-14T07:47:00.000-04:00

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

The scripture referenced here is Psalm 69:21: "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." Jesus would had obviously been thirsty after his ordeal and exhaustion, his pain and his suffering.

This shows the two sides of Jesus - the human side truly needed to a drink, and the God side knew of the scripture written about him. Yet, if he was not thirsty, I don't think he would have asked for a drink. He was fully man, fully God, all the way to death.

The Geneva Study Bible comments: "Christ when he has taken the vinegar, yields up the Spirit, indeed drinking up in our name that most bitter and severe cup of his Father's wrath."

Symbolic thirst, and real thirst.

Even now, weakened, beaten, barely hanging onto life - even now, He could have stopped this whole thing. He could have showed his great power by stepping down off that cross, healing his own wounds, and showing himself in full majesty.

Why didn't he? The people around Him would have definitely been affected by such a sight. But He still hadn't redeemed the sins of all of man for all of time.

He could have saved himself. But he didn't. He could have stripped the human-ness off of him like a cloak and shown himself to be the King. But he didn't. He kept going, going and going until death.

Tomorrow, in blog time, Jesus dies. If you want to read ahead, John writes it as one simple verse, verse 30. John, the beloved disciple, watching his best friend die, writes it so simply and matter of factly.

But that's tomorrow.

Today let me finish with the entire passage of Psalm 21. It's amazing:

¹ Save me, O God,
   for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths,
   where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
   the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
   my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
   looking for my God.
⁴ Those who hate me without reason
   outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
   those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
   what I did not steal. ⁵ You, God, know my folly;
   my guilt is not hidden from you.
⁶ Lord, the LORD Almighty,
   may those who hope in you
   not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
   may those who seek you
   not be put to shame because of me.
⁷ For I endure scorn for your sake,
   and shame covers my face.
⁸ I am a foreigner to my own family,
   a stranger to my own mother’s children;
⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me,
   and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
¹⁰ When I weep and fast,
   I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,
   people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate mock me,
   and I am the song of the drunkards.
¹³ But I pray to you, LORD,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up
   or the pit close its mouth over me.
¹⁶ Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
¹⁸ Come near and rescue me;
   deliver me because of my foes.
¹⁹ You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
   all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
   and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
   for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They put gall in my food
   and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
²² May the table set before them become a snare;
   may it become retribution and^[b] a trap.
²³ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
   and their backs be bent forever.
²⁴ Pour out your wrath on them;
   let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute those you wound
   and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
²⁷ Charge them with crime upon crime;
   do not let them share in your salvation.
²⁸ May they be blotted out of the book of life
   and not be listed with the righteous.
²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
   may your salvation, God, protect me.
³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the LORD more than an ox,
   more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
³² The poor will see and be glad—
   you who seek God, may your hearts live!
³³ The LORD hears the needy
   and does not despise his captive people.
³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
   the seas and all that move in them,
³⁵ for God will save Zion
   and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;
³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it,
   and those who love his name will dwell there.

Jesus Gives His Mother to John

2011-04-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27

How amazing that even in this agony, Jesus is still caring for others. This moment gives us such insight into the relationship of Jesus and Mary.

It would be easy to think that as Jesus grew into manhood, that He became dominant over His mother. After all . . . He's God! He's the King, the Ruler, the Alpha, the Omega!

Yet, with all that being true, He still showed the compassion of a loving son to His terrified mother. We believe that His father, Joseph, was dead by this time (which would explain why Mary is never mentioned with Joseph as Jesus entered into His ministry), and as Jesus was the eldest son, it would have been His job to take care of her.

Isn't it interesting that as He hung on that cross, dying for HER sins as well as everyone else's, He was taking care of her? Wasn't He taking care of her eternally?

Yet He stopped, to offer not just a redemption for her sins, but a plan for her earthly life, a way to be taken care of and protected. He offered protection for eternity, and protection for now.

It's an excellent example of how we should not just strive to meet people's eternal needs, but their earthly needs as well. When someone is hungry, don't tell them about Jesus. Feed them - feed their stomach. Then feed their soul.

I can't wait to meet Mary someday. I can't wait to see the relationship that she has with Jesus - boy, and God too! I can't wait to see the dynamics of that whole thing.

But in this small passage of scripture, we get a short glimpse. We see their love for each other - the earthly love, and the eternal love.

As a mother, I cannot imagine watching my son be tortured and killed. This morning when he got out of the van at school he smacked his head on the door, and he just laughed it off. But I know it hurt, and I wanted so much to go after him, to have him cry on my shoulder like he used to, to kiss it and make it better.

Is that how Mary felt on that day? She knew that He was the Messiah, but did she long to hold Him, to take back the last few days, the last few years, to keep Him safe? Did she long to kiss Him, to make it better?

You probably guessed it - let's look at the lyrics to "Mary Did You Know?" She entered into quite an adventure when she used her life to honor God. And she was honored, too, as the mother of Jesus. But did she really know how this was all going to turn out?

Here are the lyrics:

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know..

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

[by Mark Lowry and Buddy Green]

Jesus' Clothes are Taken

2011-04-12T19:27:00.000-04:00

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.

John 19:23-24

My poor Jesus. In what other scenario could we have this feeling? When I read this, I feel pity for the King. The King of the Universe - and I know I say this all the time - who exists outside the confines of time, dimension, and space. The one who should pity ME. Yet when I read this, I pity Him.

It makes me so sorry - and so aware. Sorry for my sin. Aware of my guilt. Sorry that he had to take my shame. Aware that I am the only one who deserves humiliation for my sin. Sorrow. Awareness.

I just become more and more word-less as these weeks go by. His shame becomes too great to discuss. The knowledge of his pain and humiliation becomes to overwhelming to dwell on.

Yet I think he took my sin and shame and guilt, and took them on like a Boy Scout wears his badges over his chest. I imagine Jesus showing his scars to someone, and saying, "See this one? That's a deep one. That's for Jennifer. She was really lost for awhile. But she found me again! That's a good one!"

Now I know that's a HUGE simplification. But I like it. ;0)

In a couple of days - in blogland time - Jesus will be dead. It's kind of rough to understand, that after all he's been through, he's still alive! He should be dead by now, but even bearing the brunt of the responsibility of all the sin of all time hasn't killed him yet. That makes me realize how powerful he was, even as a man! It took all of Satan's weapons to kill him. Every last one of them.

I want to end today with the scripture that prophesied today's passage, Psalm 22. I'm sharing most of the whole thing, because it's just powerful, moving, gripping. Hold fast to it today.

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from saving me,
   so far from my cries of anguish?
² My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
   by night, but I find no rest.
³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
   you are the one Israel praises.
⁴ In you our ancestors put their trust;
   they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried out and were saved;
   in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
   scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;
   they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
⁸ “He trusts in the LORD,” they say,
   “let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
   since he delights in him.”
⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;
   you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰ From birth I was cast on you;
   from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Do not be far from me,
   for trouble is near
   and there is no one to help.
¹² Many bulls surround me;
   strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions that tear their prey
   open their mouths wide against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
   it has melted within me.
¹⁵ My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
   you lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶ Dogs surround me,
   a pack of villains encircles me;
   they pierce my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display;
   people stare and gloat over me.
¹⁸ They divide my clothes among them
   and cast lots for my garment.

and ending with:

²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
   all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
   those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
   future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,
   declaring to a people yet unborn:
   He has done it!

Jesus is Crucified

2011-04-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”.
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”. John 19:18-22

Once again, John is so stoic in his account. There's no drama, no intricate metaphors, no poetic language. Just, "they crucified him."

Now is when we need to talk about what crucifixion means. What it was like, what it entailed. I warn you that it is not pretty. If you haven't seen any of this before, it is troubling - it's troubling even if you have seen it before, it's troubling.

The following information is from Wikipedia.com:

Crucifixion was often performed to terrorize and dissuade the onlookers from perpetrating the crimes punishable by it. Victims were left on display after death as warnings so that others who attempt dissent might be forewarned. Crucifixion was usually intended to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful (hence the term excruciating, literally "out of crucifying"), gruesome, humiliating, and public, using whatever means were most expedient for that goal. Crucifixion methods varied considerably with location and time period.

While a crucifixion was an execution, it was also a humiliation, by making the condemned as vulnerable as possible. Although artists have depicted the figure on a cross with a loin cloth or a covering of the genitals, writings by Seneca the Younger suggest that victims were crucified completely nude. When the victim had to urinate or defecate, they had to do so in the open, in view of passers-by, resulting in discomfort and the attraction of insects.

The length of time required to reach death could range from a matter of hours to a number of days, depending on exact methods, the prior health of the condemned, and environmental circumstances. Death could result from any combination of causes, including blood loss, hypovolemic shock, or sepsis following infection, caused by the scourging that sometimes preceded the crucifixion, or by the process of being nailed itself, or eventual dehydration.

The spikes, or nails, about 7 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter were driven into the wrists. The spikes would hit the area of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain up the arms to the shoulders and neck. Already standing at the crucifixion site would be the 7-foot-tall post, called a stipes. In the center of the stipes was a crude seat to “support” for the victim. The patibulum was then lifted on to the stipes, and the victim’s body was awkwardly turned on the seat so that the feet could be nailed to the stipes. At this point, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints. The position of the nailed body held the victim’s rib cage in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath.

Once up on the cross, the victim would have his body weight suspended by their arms. In this position, it is difficult to completely exhale. The victim could take shallow breaths for a while, but eventually would be forced to push himself up to take a full breath. This combination of pain would quickly force the victim to lower himself back down. Eventually, the victim would no longer be able to raise himself up and would suffocate. The shock from blood loss due to the scourging would hasten this process. (above information from catholiceducation.org)

The nails would have been driven through his heels, not the center of his feet. Once on the cross, the victim would have battled three things:

The victim's weight is now fully supported by his feet. The nails through the feet would be likely to hit two major nerves running through the area. The result would be excruciating pain in the legs.
The nails in the wrists would be likely to pierce the main nerve running through the arm. As the victim pushed up to breath, the wrists would rotate against the nail, irritating the nerves and causing intense pain in the arms. Some authorities also believe that the crucifixion position would dislocate the shoulder or elbow. Any movement would aggravate the pain from these injuries.
The wounds on the victim’s back from the scourging would push up against the rough part of the centerpiece. This would tend to re-open the wounds, leading to more pain and blood loss. (from catholiceducation.org, Robert Gidley)

There is really nothing more I can say. Facts are facts. Horror is horror. Death is death.

My savior didn't die quickly or easily. His death was painful and drawn out. And He didn't have to do it.

But He did it.

Jesus Carries His Cross

2011-04-10T08:10:00.000-04:00

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). John 19:17

I used to think that carrying the cross was part of Jesus' own special punishment. In fact, it was the way crucifixions were typically carried out. The paragraph below is from an article entitled, "Facts of Crucifixion" from catholiceducation.org:

After the flogging, the victim would carry his own cross bar (called a patibulum) from the flogging area inside the city to the crucifixion area outside of the city walls. The crucifixion area was always outside the city, because the process was horrible and disturbing to citizens.

The upright part of the cross (the stipe) was permanently mounted in the crucifixion area. The part that the victim carried was the cross bar, weighing in at 75 to 125 pounds. The cross bar would be balanced on the victim’s shoulders, and their arms would be tied to the crossbar. In this position, if the victim tripped or fell, they could not use their arms to break their fall, and they would likely fall face first into the ground.

Imagine the pain, the horror of this. Falling on your face, holding approximately 100 pounds. After being beaten to near death. After being exhausted and dehydrated. After being questioned and humiliated.

Golgotha - the place of the skull. This description is mentioned in each of the four gospels. Traditionally, there are two sites thought to be this place. Constantine, the Roman emperor, built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre around the site in the early 300s. The other site, to this day, has rock face that resembles eyes/skulls, and that is why it is thought to be the site of the crucifixion. (Go to wikipedia.com - search for Golgotha - for more information.)

No matter where it is, at the time, it was a place of death and horror. And Jesus' earthly life came to an end there.

I almost can't talk about. I don't have the right words for this moment.

So I turn to the gospels. To me, it's interesting how matter of fact John's portrayal of these moments is. He, of all four gospel writers, was the only eyewitness. He was one of Jesus' three closest friends. I would expect an eyewitness account of a friend's death to be passionate, excited, intense. But John doesn't do that. If you ever take the time to read this gospel, to study it closely, notice that John tells the reader right from the start that his purpose in writing this account is to prove to the reader that Jesus is the Son of God. And he says he is going to prove it by using 6 signs, or miracles - beginning with turning the water into wine, and ending with resurrection.

I think that John wrote about Jesus' death so stoically so that no one would accuse him of embellishing the truth. It was what it was. It was horrible, and he didn't need to embellish!

The other gospels give us a bit more information, including how Simon of Cyrene had to help carry the cross when Jesus could not go on. Luke's gospel goes even further, and shares this information:

A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:27-28

Even in His hour of extreme distress, He is not thinking of Himself. He tells the women around Him, to cry for themselves, to feel the sorrow for their own sins. Matthew Henry said:

Therefore weep not for him, but let us weep for our own sins, and the sins of our children, which caused his death; and weep for fear of the miseries we shall bring upon ourselves, if we slight his love, and reject his grace. If God delivered him up to such sufferings as these, because he was made a sacrifice for sin, what will he do with sinners themselves, who make themselves a dry tree, a corrupt and wicked generation, and good for nothing!

(I know I'm using a lot of passages from others today, but it is because I just don't have the right words. People with amazing gifts and insights have written amazing commentaries and given us amazing information, and it is there for us to utilize and ponder.)

By Friday, we will be talking about Jesus' dying. And because we are using John as our main source, it's all pretty cut and dried, matter of fact. But that's ok because you know what? Jesus' death WAS cut and dry. It WAS matter of fact. It happened. End of story. It's not a metaphor, or an allegory, and a fairy tale gone bad. It's truth.

This truth speaks volumes in the lives of believers. I hope it is speaking to you this month. I know it's doing wonders in my soul. I pray for anyone reading this, those I know and those I don't. I pray for myself and my family, that we will be continually changed by this truth.

He didn't die a simple, quick death for my sins. He suffered. He agonized. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. He suffered in every way possible.

For me. For you.

That should change us.

Jesus is Handed Over for Crucifixion

2011-04-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. John 19:16

This is the moment. This is the moment that defines everyone's destiny. Pilate. The soldiers. The priests and officials. Jesus.

This is the moment where Pilate could say - you are all ridiculous! There is no crime against this man! I won't be a party to this!

This is the moment where the soldiers could say - I know that to disobey an order could mean death, but this is wrong! I cannot take this man to be crucified. He has done nothing wrong.

This is the moment where the priests and officials could say - Have mercy on us, O God! We are sinners and have done a horrible thing! This man has committed no crime - it was all lies! Forgive us!

But - This is the moment where Jesus could say - How dare you! I am the King of the Universe! You cannot kill me! I'm calling legions of angels at this very moment! You cannot contain me.

That was the moment when life for all of us could have changed. Because, if any of those things had happened, and Jesus hadn't paid the penalty for our sins, we would really be in trouble. If any of those men had made a different choice, OUR destiny, 2,000 years later, would have been hopeless.

Just imagine what life would be like today, if Jesus hadn't become forgiveness for us. Imagine.

You think the world is bad now? Imagine the scene in Egypt about a month ago. Imagine that all over the world. All the time.

Mass chaos. Riots. Murder. Rape. Not as the exception. As the rule.

In some parts of the world, I think that is their reality. But I cannot imagine living like that.

I think if Jesus had not come when He did, had not died when He did, most of us wouldn't be here. The world would have given itself over to sin and injustice. There would be no such thing as good. The whole of humanity would have imploded into an apocalyptic, joyless, hopeless, over-the-top mess.

If just one of those people had made a different choice.

On the one hand, I want to shake Pilate, the soldiers, the priests. I want to shame them because of their choice. I want scream at them - look what you did!

On the other hand, what if Jesus hadn't died?

God used the circumstances of man's fallen behavior and sinful nature to bring redemption to the world. He took what Satan intended for evil and used it to change eternity.

Jesus Presented as King

2011-04-08T09:22:00.001-04:00

Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. John 19:14-15

This passage is completely disgusting. This group of chief priests, who hated Rome, hated Roman authority over them, hated Caesar Tiberius, was now "surrendering" to Rome in order to get what they wanted - the death of Jesus.

This is betrayal and treachery in its worst form. It is cunning deceit. Hypocrisy. As soon as these Jews get what they want, they will be right back to hating Roman rule again. But for a few hours, they fake submission to Caesar.

This Caesar was Caesar Tiberius (Luke 3:1). (After the time of Julius Caesar, all Roman kings were called Caesar, the same as all Egyptian kings were called Pharaoh.) Caesar Tiberius ruled from 14 AD to 37 AD. This emperor was, during the latter part of his reign, the most cruel, jealous, and wicked that ever sat on the Roman throne. In fact, during that time, faced with treachery himself from within the Roman empire, he put to death anyone that remotely appeared to be against him:

Executions were now a stimulus to his fury, and he ordered the death of all who were lying in prison under accusation of complicity with Sejanus (his political enemy). There lay, singly or in heaps, the unnumbered dead, of every age and sex, the illustrious with the obscure. Kinsfolk and friends were not allowed to be near them, to weep over them, or even to gaze on them too long. Spies were set round them, who noted the sorrow of each mourner and followed the rotting corpses, till they were dragged to the Tiber, where, floating or driven on the bank, no one dared to burn or to touch them. (from wikipedia.com)

To think that there is even a possibility that the Jews were embracing Tiberius is preposterous. I'm certain they feared him - who wouldn't? But to think that they were gladly submitting to his authority is wrong. Throughout his rule, they mainly tried to just stay out of his way. He wasn't in Jerusalem, anyway, so the Jewish idea of submitting to Roman rule was just to quietly go about their business and not do anything that captured Roman attention.

So now, it comes to this. To me, what they are saying is, we'd rather have the tyrant Tiberius than this man Jesus.

They sold out an innocent man because of greed and fear.

They were afraid of losing their power. They were afraid of losing their way of life. They were afraid that maybe the God they had created - NOT the God who had created them - was going to be toppled.

Jesus preached love. They taught fear.
Jesus preached freedom. They taught rules.
Jesus preached that God was the authority. They taught that they were the authority.

So they gave this man over for crucifixion. They led the lamb to the slaughter. They incited the mob mentality and violence.

The tragedy is that Satan had so clouded their vision and their hearts that they refused to see that the God they claimed to know was standing right in front of them. The Messiah they said they were waiting for now wore a tattered robe and a crown of thorns. They thought they knew. But they knew so little.

In my Wednesday night bible study we talked about doubts this week. Is it disgraceful to doubt? We decided, it depends on your heart. To doubt so that you can learn more, is wonderful. To doubt so that you can close off your mind, is disgraceful.

That's just what these men were doing.

It's so ironic that they wanted all this hurried up - this slaughter, this death, this crucifixion - so that they could go celebrate one of God's festivals. How could they not see that God - through the celebration of Passover - had been preparing them for this moment for thousands of years?

They didn't see because they didn't want to.

That's terrifying.

Jesus Refuses to Speak

2011-04-07T05:11:00.000-04:00

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. John 19:8-9

I've always wondered why Jesus didn't speak. Why didn't He take this opportunity to present the plan to Pilate, try to get him on board, show how the pros and cons to being a part of Jesus' ministry and team?

Isn't that what we would do today? We try to coax and cajole people into getting on board with our ideas, our plan.

So why didn't Jesus speak?

Maybe it's because He didn't have anything to say.

What else could He have said? He'd been preaching and teaching for three years! How many times, in how many ways, could He explain God's plan again?

How many more times could He explain where His kingdom came from, and where it was? How many more times could He explain that He and His Father were one? How many more times could He explain that God's plan wasn't about following the law, but following the Person?

So why speak?

Pilate was afraid of the Jews. Afraid of unrest, rebellion. The Jews were afraid of Jesus. Afraid He would usurp their power, their prestige.

Which, of course, was exactly the plan all along.

So why speak?

Pilate wasn't going to listen. The chief priests weren't going to listen. His followers had scattered - they weren't going to listen.

Why speak? No one was going to listen.

I keep comparing then to now. Would I have been different - would you? Would you have listened? Would I have stayed? Would I have fought to keep my power, or been willing to relinquish it all when I met Him, when I saw the truth?

I can't really answer that. All I can do is listen when He speaks now. Surrender when He calls now. Relinquish when I see Him now.

What He did then -- what we do now -- it's all interconnected. It's all the same story. It's the story of redemption, bought 2,000 years ago.

Why didn't He speak? Because no one was listening. If you don't hear Him speaking to you, in your life, it's time to ask yourself that question. Why isn't He speaking? Is it because I'm not listening?

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
   and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
   and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
   and the ears of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,
   and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. Isaiah 32:2-4

Jesus Faces the Crowd

2011-04-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
John 19:6-7

Talk about an angry mob.

Talk about mob mentality.

One week earlier, Jesus rode into town on a donkey, to the shouts and cheers of the mob, who laid palm branches before Him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” These words were part of Psalm 118, a song of David, with which the Jews would have been very familiar. They knew what it meant. They knew these words were reserved for the Messiah.

The also knew the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
   Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
   righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
   on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

They had to have felt like this was a moment of destiny. A moment waited upon, for thousands of years.

How quickly public opinion changes. And now Jesus Christ, who had been worshiped days before, was being ridiculed.

This was also prophecy. Look at Isaiah 53:3:

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

What was He thinking, as He looked out over these people? He knew that in minutes His current suffering was going to be multiplied, to the point of death.

What was He thinking?

I wonder if He was thinking:

"There's Josiah. I love him. He cheats on his taxes, and in a little while, I'm going to feel what that's like."

"That is Benjamin. He rapes his wife, night after night. But, I love him, and soon, I'm going to feel his sin."

One after the other, I can imagine Him looking into the eyes of each man there. Knowing them fully. Knowing their sin. Loving them anyway.

I think Jesus' suffering on the cross was not just physical. I think it was spiritual, too. I think in those hours He spent, bearing our sin, He also bore the shame of our sin. I think He felt just how degraded, how rotten, how horrible sin's effects are.

As that crowd shouted, "Crucify," He knew. As He stood, condemned by mere mortal men, He knew. As He looked into their eyes, those who were claiming the rights of the law, He knew.

He knew that He was the fulfillment of the law. He knew that He was going to make the ultimate sacrifice.

He knew.

He did it anyway.

Jesus Wears a Crown of Thorns

2011-04-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe . . . When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
John 19:2, 5

Again, I am struck by how the King of the Universe accepted the mocking of these soldiers. He, who was (and is) the eternal King, with a crown so dazzling and bright we cannot imagine, was "brought down a notch" by these simple . . . can I say, stupid, human beings.

When Pilate presented Jesus to the crowds, with this "crown" on His head, with what I can only assume is a ratty robe in a royal color . . . Jesus must have looked like a disgrace. He must have seem so humbled, so put in His place. The priests must have been beside themselves with the visual.

Some king, they must have thought.

I think there was someone else who was excited to see Jesus this way.

We were on vacation recently in Pigeon Forge, and went to see a musical called, "The Miracle," which was based on the life of Christ. It began with an angel, with a six foot wing span, flying in from the back of the theater, over the audience, onto the stage.

He was beautiful. Compelling. A voice as rich as I've ever heard.

And one more thing.

He was Lucifer.

The musical started with the rebellion in heaven, and throughout Jesus' life, Lucifer was there. He was one of the shepherds at the manger. He was playing mind games on Judas. He was one of the chief priests.

And of course, He was at the temptation. He was at the cross. He was always around Jesus.

I imagine that at the moment Jesus was presented to the crowd, wearing thorns on His head, blood dripping down His face, this robe thrown around His shoulders . . . I imagine that Lucifer was cackling. He loved every moment of seeing Jesus - whom he would have known as King, in heaven, before his own fall - as a man, beaten and disgraced by other men. Mere men. I can almost see Lucifer's arms spread wide, thinking, "this is my day! This is my moment!"

Satan knew. He knew that this man was the same King that David sang about:

Who is this King of glory?
   The LORD strong and mighty,
   the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
   lift them up, you ancient doors,
   that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
   The LORD Almighty—
   he is the King of glory. Psalm 24:8-10

Satan knew. Think about that. He KNEW Jesus as the King of glory. What a moment this must have been for him, how he must have reveled in what he thought was a victory.

Thorns pushed deeply into His skull. Blood, dripping from head to toe.

Some king, Satan must have thought. I'll show Him! I can make this get even worse. Humiliation? You ain't seen nothing yet. Pain? Oh, just wait! Torture? This will be the worst a human as ever experienced.

Some king.

Aren't you glad that's not the end of the story?? Amen!

Jesus is Beaten

2011-04-04T09:12:00.000-04:00

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. John 19:1-3

Sometimes I wish we were all together, having a conversation instead of me writing and you reading. If we were sitting around a table today, I'd ask you, "what do you know about flogging?". We'd watch a segment of the Passion of the Christ together. We would probably be moved to tears because the visual would be so strong.

But perhaps reading and writing are a good test to our ability to really understand, really feel what our Savior went through on that dark, horrible day, 2,000 years ago.

According to Wikipedia, flogging - or flagellation - is the act of methodically beating or whipping (Latin flagellum, "whip") the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok. Typically, flogging is imposed on an unwilling subject.

Flagellation probably originated in the Near East but then spread throughout the ancient world. Jewish law limited flagellation to forty strokes, and in practice delivered thirty-nine, so as to avoid any possibility of breaking this law due to a miscount. Additionally they would have a doctor monitor the punishment, who would stop it if it became too much for the person to bear safely.

In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion, and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. Such a device could easily cause disfigurement and serious trauma, such as ripping pieces of flesh from the body or loss of an eye. In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would approach a state of hypovolemic shock due to loss of blood.

Imagine a flogging by Roman soldiers that was inflicted by the urging of the Jewish leaders. There is no evidence of a doctor nearby, monitoring Jesus' health and well-being. In fact, we know that as far as all were concerned, He was on His way to the cross; therefore, this beating was simply the first step to a very painful death.

I'm not trying to be gruesome. But I think we need to understand, accept, and embrace just how horrible this beating was for the man who least deserved it!

Roman soldiers were known to be brutal in their beatings. Jesus, after going hours without food or drink, a beating by the Jewish guards, not to mention sweating drops of blood as He agonized over what was going to come - would have been weak, exhausted, dehydrated. Then to be beaten with scourges that had small pieces of metal or bone in the ends, designed to grab a man's skin and rip it off . . . That alone should have killed Him.

And to add insult to injury, pieces of grapevine, filled with thorns, are ruthlessly woven into a circle, and shoved into the flesh of His head, causing drops of blood to pour from His brow.

Remember how I said last week that Jesus was a warrior, a champion? I'm sure at this moment, to the Romans and Jews standing around and watching, He looked like a loser. The guy who lost the fight, lost his dignity, lost everything.

But we have to remember what He said: to save your life, you have to lose it . . . "but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." Mark 8:35

I think we can safely say He truly modeled what He taught.

This life isn't easy. We're attacked daily by the enemy. But just from what we've seen in the scripture so far, tells us that He sacrificed so much for us-so much that this life has to be worth something. Reading what I'm reading this month makes me want to live a life that's worthy of His sacrifice. Of course, the oxymoron of that thinking is that I can't possibly be worthy. But I can live every day with gratitude, fight every battle with confidence, and proclaim His love with boldness.

That's how I pay Him back.
That's what I want to do.
That's who I want to serve.

The man with the broken eye socket. The one bleeding from His brow, His back, His whole body. The man who looks like a loser.

The one who wasn't done yet.

Jesus Questioned by Pilate

2011-04-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die. Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
John 18:28-38

I could spend all week on this scripture. But I'm going to have to focus on one thing for today - it strikes me that this passage of scripture has a central theme: clean versus unclean. It starts with Jews who wanted to "avoid ceremonial uncleanness." It apparently didn't occur to them that plotting a murder against an innocent man was unclean. No, they were worried about "ceremonial" uncleanness.

Dictionary.com has this definition for ceremonial: the observance of formality. In other words, the priests didn't want to appear unclean. They weren't concerned about whether or not they really were unclean, as long as they didn't appear to be so.

It was more important than ever to appear clean at this time of year - this was the Passover. If they entered a Gentile place, they would not be able to participate in the Passover.

And that just wouldn't do.

What would the neighbors say?

What would everyone think?

How ironic - these men did not want to appear unclean, while they were offering up for sacrifice the One who could cleanse them eternally.

Pilate's not so clean here, either. He argues with the Jews, not wanting to take any responsibility for this man, while at the same time, not wanting to tell the Jews where to stick it, either. (Excuse the language. I don't know how else to say it!)

And then, in verse 38, he asks the iconic question: "What is truth?"

My first reaction to that is, what a moron. (I know, I know. I must be in a mood.) But then I look around me, and there's no more knowledge of truth now than there was then. Everything, from politics to education to religion, is relative. The world - and sometimes, even the church! - teaches us that there is no right way, no truth. There's just your way, your truth.

Shame.

Notice that Jesus doesn't answer Pilate. And why should He? Pilate really didn't want to know. In fact, Jesus had just told him the truth, and all Pilate can do is respond with sarcasm!

I'm in a wonderful book club with ladies I just met, who are so inspirational and motivational to me. I've only known them for about two months, and I already don't know what I would do without them. We're reading the book called, "Lies Women Believe." Each chapter is filled with this reminder: you can say you don't believe the lie, but if you are not living the truth, you are living the lie.

Pilate lived the lies. Annas and Caiaphas and the Jewish religious leaders lived the lie.

I wonder about you and I. What will it take for us to acknowledge the lies we believe, and make a choice to live the truth?

Tomorrow's installment - Jesus is beaten. This will be a tough one. I'm praying that we will live this Easter season as if it's the last, and tackle the truth. We'll see more and more of the truth revealed to us through the weeks. I hope you'll hang in there with me. It's gonna get worse before it gets better. But it gets much, much better!

Jesus Questioned by Annas

2011-04-02T11:18:00.000-04:00

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. John 18:19-24

At this point of the Easter story, Jesus has been betrayed by Judas, abandoned by most of His disciples, denied by Peter, and is now arrested and under questioning.

If you have ever been in any of my classes, you've heard me say this: Great big God, little tiny me. I'm often struck by the vastness of God. The Trinity, the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit - they exist outsides the parameters of time and space. They are eternal, omnipresent, omniscient.

That this great big God could choose to limit Himself to human-ness is more than I can understand.

Christ, choosing to abandon His eternal self and be confined by earthly measures, was born as a baby, learned to walk and talk, and begin life as a simple human being.

The creator became the created.

How did He manage to accept being abandoned, without being vengeful? How did He manage to allow Himself to be arrested, without fighting back? How He ever managed to stand before a sinful, traitorous, murderous man and be questioned - how did He do that? How did He hold Himself back, answering questions without rage? And then to be slapped?!? Accused of disrespect? How could it be?

This is God the Son!!

When I am questioned by someone I don't want to be questioned by, I know somewhere in my subconscious I'm thinking, shut up! Who do you think you are? Don't question me. When someone accuses me, or abandons me, or treats me in any way I don't want to be treated . . . well, I don't react well.

But He . . . He just took it.

He, who deserved royal treatment, was instead despised. Rejected.

The indignities He is going to face, as we all know, are going to get much, much worse. This is just the beginning. And yet, He faced them. Head on. No whining, no complaining. No anger, no rage. No show of force. He just took it.

This great big God . . . took it.

Amazing love, how can it be?
That you my King should die for me.
Amazing love, I know it's true.
That it's my joy to honor you.

Jesus Arrested

2011-04-01T11:22:00.021-04:00

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.(The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus.
John 18:8-12

How amazing it is that Jesus didn't run. Didn't hide. Didn't try to deny who He was.

Knowing, as it says in verse 8, all that was going to happen to Him. He willingly, unflinchingly, courageously identified Himself as the one they were looking for.

What a man of courage. So often, when I see Hollywood's portrayal of Jesus, He comes across as . . . well, to me He comes across as wimpy. Quiet, demure, meek. But that's not who I see here, do you?

I see a man who for three years has been telling those around Him who He was, what He was doing, who had sent Him. I see a man who was so rooted in God the Father that to deny His role would have been worse than death. I see a man who is strong. A warrior. A champion.

We all know that over the next 36 hours of Jesus' life, He is not going to seem like a champion to those around Him.

But we know the truth.

This should get us excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Christ is - and was - and has always been - a warrior! Our strong champion, who only limited Himself to this earth, who became the sacrificial lamb, so that He could ultimately win!

Jesus Christ willingly took the steps. When He was called to identify Himself, He stepped forward.

When you are called to identify with Him, do you step forward? I have times in my past that I am very ashamed of, when I hid from being identified with Christ.

But for me, that's all changed. I proudly and humbly proclaim myself a Christian. He was not ashamed of me. I will not be ashamed of Him!!

We are all called, all the time, to identify with the one we serve. So . . . what does the evidence of you life show? You are identifying with God, or with Satan. One or the other. Black or white.

Will you step forward?

He is Delighted in Me

2011-03-25T09:25:00.001-04:00

17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
   he drew me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
   from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
   but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into a spacious place;
   he rescued me because he delighted in me.". 2 Samuel 22:17-20

This chapter is my favorite in the whole Bible. (and, just because I want you to know, the other chapters are Romans 8, Isaiah 40 and 43, Psalm 139, and the entire book of John ... I think that's it.)

This chapter is also where I got the phrase "the brightness of his presence." If you want to go all the way back to the beginning of this blog, you'll see why. See posts for October 11, 12, 13, 14, 2009.

This is a powerful piece of scripture. David describes himself as under attack, with nowhere to turn, until God comes flying to the rescue. Why does He rescue David? Because He is delighted with him.

Not just with him. He delights in all His creation. There's no one man or woman who deserves more favor than another. We are all the same at the foot of the cross. We all need a savior, a redeemer. We were all made in His image, created by Him, as we have studied this week.

To think that HE would find delight in me. ME. It's amazing,really. And it's just another example of how truly big He is.

Remember "great big God, little tiny me?" this great big God delights in us. That He could lower Himself to take pleasure in me . . . I'm not just talking love here. Delight takes love a step further. To me, delight means He enjoys me. He enjoys my victories. He enjoys seeing me draw closer to Him. He enjoys it when I first discover His Spirit, His Word. His son.

That huge God of the universe, who exists outside the rules of time and space, delights in us. Just try to live an ordinary day as you ponder that. I don't think you can do it. Living that truth makes us fly! Living that truth makes us want to do something special! Living that truth should make us realize just how valuable we are.

We are Whiter Than Snow

2011-03-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

We can make jokes about snow that's not white. Lol but I definitely don't think that's what the psalmist had in mind here. He's obviously talking about pure, brand new sparkling white snow.

Here in Indiana, some would say we had way too much of snow this year! But each winter, no one can deny the beauty of the first snowfall. It looks so pristine, so crisp, so new.

That snow is so beautiful that you almost don't want to walk on it. You don't want to disturb it, mess it up.

When we are made righteous under God's grace, we should really have the same attitude about allowing sin back into our lives. We should really want to keep the whiteness of ourselves and clean and crisp as possible, shouldn't we?

But it's all too easy to allow a little bit back in. At first we don't notice a difference, but it's not long until our whiteness looks a little muddy. A little yellow. A little . . . Less than beautiful.

And we go back to God. And we become white again. And slowly but surely, we start letting things back into our lives again. And we again get dingey. Maybe not totally black, but definitely not as white as before.

The problem is, anything less than white is black to God. We can't let a little bit of sin in without being sinful. And sin takes over, consumes every fiber of our being, before we know it.

We need to cling to our Redeemer! He is the only spot remover that is eternal. There's no church good enough, no activities holy enough, no money given that's enough . . . Nothing can pay for our sin and make us whiter than snow.

Except for something that is bright, bright red. The blood of Jesus. Let's remember that the next time we are tempted to trade in our garments for dirty rags!

We are a Holy People

2011-03-23T08:38:00.000-04:00

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: 1 Corinthians 1:2

This verse calls together a number of the attributes we have talked about this month. We are called to be different. Sanctified. Holy.

I'm going to speak about the church today. It must grieve God endlessly to see the state of the church sometimes. Fighting. Selfishness. Politics. Corruption. Let's just call it what it is - sin!

There is nothing we will ever do about having sinful people in the church. We ARE all sinners, and therefore even those called and saved will mess up.

But sinners saved by grace shouldn't be led by sin. They shouldn't be led by self. That's the same thing as being called by Satan.

I'm not at home right now, and I wish I was because I would quote Francis Chan from the book, "Forgotten God.". He talks about what the church could be, should be, and in some cases, truly is.

That church is motivated by love, not money. That church is called by Christ, not by self. That church is known for doing good, reaching the lost, feeding the hungry. That church is built upon the Rock.

Holiness is a constant turning to Christ. It's nothing we can do on our own. It's falling on our faces before God, distressing over our sin, and working side by side in humble gratitude for His mercy.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

There is a Puritan prayer that I love. They were a people who were truly horrified over their sin. When I read that in a book, I thought, when was the last time I was horrified - about my own sin? I'm horrified over murders, child abuse, etc. But my own sin?

Unmask me from sins deformity
That I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it.
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin
Lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed,
But in the greatness of the person sinned against.

We are Sanctified

2011-03-23T08:12:00.000-04:00

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:18-19

Do you remember what it means to be sanctified? It means to be made holy, consecrated. Set apart. For the holiness church movement, sanctification in a big deal. And rightly so! When you become "sanctified," you are accepting the fact that God created you for a holy purpose. When you seek sanctification, you are seeking such close communion with God that His holiness makes you holy, too.

Remember that we can never be holy, sanctified, set apart, by our own work. We can never be holy on our own. It's only through God do we ever even have the hope for a righteous life.

But just as strongly, remember is- that is what we were created for!! I love the new song by Mercy Me, "Beautiful.". In fact I was singing it to myself yesterday,watching a majestic waterfall spill down the side of a mountain. We are called. We are sanctified. We are set aside for something special. Now - let's act like it!

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful

We Were Formed by Him

2011-03-21T18:25:00.000-04:00

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”. Isaiah 1:5

It's amazing to me, time after time, to remember God's incredible love for us. To think that He formed us - that's one thing. And that beyond that, He knew us. Not knows us {of course He does that too} but KNEW us.

To be known by the one who created me . . . The one who created me to be me. What I see as flaws, He created. What I want to change, He formed. Not that sin and life haven't changed His original creation, but still . . . He made the decision to give me brown eyes. Abnormally small ears. A strange sense of humor. A mind that can't shut down. He did all that.

If you've known me long, you've heard me say: great big God, little tiny me. That great big God made the decision, in an instant, to make me a twin. To give me the struggle with infertility. To give me the gift (or curse) of sarcasm.

He knew when He created me that I would reject Him. He knew when He formed me that I would walk away from Him. He knew when He spoke my name that I would sin and do evil.

The truly miraculous thing is that He made me anyway.

How do you purposely create a being that you know is going to reject you?

What kind of person would be big enough?

My God, that's who. And only my God.

We are Redeemed

2011-03-18T03:25:00.000-04:00

You stretch out your right hand,
   and the earth swallows your enemies.
In your unfailing love you will lead
   the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
   to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15:12-13

Ahh, redeemed. I just love that word. Dictionary.com defines it as "to buy or pay off; clear by payment." Then there is the theology definition: "to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner."

Same thing, to me. I was paid for. I was cleared. Isn't it amazing that as Moses and the Israelites sang this song, thousands of years before the birth of the Messiah, they were already claiming redemption?

How did God redeem the Hebrews? He delivered them from the Egyptians. Over and over, He cleared them of their sins, made them new.

The thing about God's redemption - you can't earn it. Can't pay for it. Can't have enough money in the world to buy it. It's the most valuable, the most priceless gift in the world - and it's free. It came at a cost, don't get me wrong - but for you, and for me, it's free.

We are redeemed. Remember this old hymn:

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through His infinite mercy
His child and forever I am

Redeemed, redeemed
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.

We are Created by Him

2011-03-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

When you are the one who builds something, you take a lot of pride and satisfaction in seeing the completed project. Whether it's a house or a craft, it really becomes yours when you sit back and look at it, and realize you did it all.

If those kinds of inanimate objects could talk, it would be interesting to hear what they'd say. Would they have pride in the fact that they were built, brick by brick, nail by nail, by the same hand? Would they feel an intimacy with the one who created them?

As God's created, we should feel that way. Every bone in your body was placed there by Him. Every hair on your head was His idea. Every fingernail, birth mark, and vein was created by Him.

It's fun to have an image of God laboring over us, pouring His blood, sweat and tears into us. But that's simply not true. He just spoke . . . and man was born.

He didn't need us. He wasn't lonely. There was no hole in Him that He was trying to fill. That's our ego talking if we think like that.

Here's the thing - He didn't need us. He wanted us. Can you ponder on that for just a moment? Many times, we have children because we have this aching need inside, the maternal or paternal instinct that is screaming to be fulfilled. But that's not how God is. He didn't need us. But He wanted us.

Not only that, He wanted us so much that He made us in His image. We were designed to reflect Him. HIM!!! The King of the universe! The Creator, the Judge, the Shepherd, the One who IS all things to all people -- He created us to be like Him.

How can we ever be filled with self-loathing, knowing that? Well, we all know the answer to that. Sin. Sin distorts our God-given self-image, the image of ourselves that reflects Him.

But it doesn't have to be that way. When we turn away from sin, and back to our Creator, something within us realizes that now we are home. Right back where we belong. With our Maker.

We are created by Him. If we really believe that, it should be reflected in everything we do. So take a good look . . . are you living this truth? Do you believe that you were spoken into existence by the King?

Let me know how this truth affects you.

We are Knit Together

2011-03-16T16:27:00.000-04:00

Your hands shaped me and made me.
   Will you now turn and destroy me?
Remember that you molded me like clay.
   Will you now turn me to dust again?
Did you not pour me out like milk
   and curdle me like cheese,
clothe me with skin and flesh
   and knit me together with bones and sinews?
You gave me life and showed me kindness,
   and in your providence watched over my spirit. Job 10:8-12

Have you ever seen a good knitter knit?  IF they drop a stitch or make a mistake, they somehow manage to weave the mistake into the pattern, making something beautiful out of something that a novice would have pulled out. But they don't usually make mistakes. They make beautiful things out of something as simple as yarn!

God's like that. He created our flesh, gave us life, knit us together. I am reminded of a video called "Indescribable", with a pastor by the name of Louie Giglio speaking on how magnificently and determinedly we were created. He shows photos of different galaxies, stars and planets, things that we cannot see with the naked eye. God created things of such size and magnificence, it blows the mind to really ponder it.

He also created something called laminin. Laminin is a protein molecule that holds our bodies together. It is a cell adhesion molecule that literally knits us together. And it looks like this:

As I am reading through parts of the Old Testament, I am amazed at how God the Father continually and consistently points mankind to His son.

It's further amazing that one of the DNA components that He used in our creation . . . is formed in the shape of the cross.

You may think that is a coincidence. I think it's a joy. You may think I'm easily manipulated. I think I'm continually overwhelmed by God. You may think you don't have enough faith to believe in a Creator. I think it takes more faith to believe in evolution.

Cuz I didn't bang out of nothing! ;0) I am created, fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together for a holy purpose. I don't need amazing faith to believe that. I need an amazing Creator who shows me His love for me.

We are Fishers of Men

2011-03-15T08:13:00.000-04:00

Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

I'm not sure which is the more amazing statement. That Jesus called these simple men to be His followers, or the next verse: "They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

There was something about Jesus. Something that was dynamic, interesting, unique. He wasn't like anyone else. Nothing else could explain why these men would throw away everything, to follow a stranger. There had to have been something special about Him!

Of course, we know now that He was God - pretty special, indeed! But they didn't know Him yet. But as they watched Him over the next days, weeks, months - as they saw Him heal the sick, raise the dead, preach to the masses - they saw Him. Really, really saw Him.

Just like He really, really saw them - straight to their hearts, before He even glanced their way. He knew their thoughts, their pasts, their futures, their potentials. That's why He called them!

He knew they would fail Him. Deny Him. Betray Him. Yet He called them anyway.

He knows you, too. He knows all you've done. All you are doing. All you will do. And yet, He is calling you, too.

Really, because of the Great Commission in Matthew 28, we are all called to be fishers of men. We are called to bait that hook and reel it in. We bait that hook by living lives that are pleasing to God, reflecting His light, being salt of the earth. We reel them in by being beautiful to the world, with peace that surpasses understanding, standing on a firm foundation, loving the unlovable. That kind of spirit calls out to a hurt and dying world.

We are to be beautiful feet, as the prophet Isaiah said:

How beautiful on the mountains
   are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
   who bring good tidings,
   who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
   “Your God reigns!”
isten! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
   together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
   they will see it with their own eyes. (Isaiah 52:7-8)

Are you ready to be a fisherman?

We are Blessed - Part Two

2011-03-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

This morning I was driving home from the chiropractor and saw a sign that had one of the beatitudes on it - I honestly don't remember which one. But I got to thinking about being blessed, what it means, and the post yesterday.

Here are the beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, verses 3-12:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

I've always taken this message as blessed meaning, highly favored. And I definitely think that's true. But what if we applied the definition of blessed that we talked about this weekend? Sacred. Set apart. Holy.

Sacred are the poor in spirit.
Set apart are those who mourn.
Holy are the meek.

See what I mean? It adds a whole new dimension of understanding for me. I'm looking at this passage of scripture in a whole new light.

What I'm seeing is, that those who Jesus called out in this sermon aren't victim. They aren't poor in spirit victims. They are sacred, ordained, poor in spirit holy ones. Those who mourn aren't at the mercy of the Grim Reaper. They are sanctified. Those who are meek were created that way, uniquely ordained, consecrated for a special purpose.

To me it's interesting to think that these Beatitudes are celebrations of people throughout the millenniums who might not seem as if they are on the "high side" of life. But they were blessed upon their creation, when they were knit together in their mother's womb, and it wasn't an accident that they are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers. Even persecuted.

God ordained them for a special purpose. How wonderful to think that being meek is your special purpose. How majestic is God to create and bless some to be peacemakers.

How wonderful He is!

We are the Great Multitude

2011-03-14T06:34:00.000-04:00

<Note: if you are following the calendar, I inadvertently used "Salt of the Earth" twice. So I'm using Saturday's instead.>

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Revelation 7:9

This verse can give us such hope. Some days it seems as if the world is only evil, there is no hope or goodness, no other Christians.

This verse reminds us of the fallacy of that thinking. Yes, the road is narrow, but that doesn't mean that the Christian walk has to be lonely. There are others, many others!

Sunday morning at church, I had a glimpse of what heaven may be like. Standing there, singing, worshiping with other believers - THAT'S what heaven will be like! Millions of others, of every race and nationality, will be standing together, united in worship.

One of the definitions of "multitude" in the dictionary says, "the common people." I love that! There's no one great, no one small under the grace of God. We're all just common, with one thing in common <grin>: we're all redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

I was told about this website recently, and it is awesome: www.greatcommission2020.com. Check it out. It is an online resource for people all over the world to ask questions about God, seek someone to pray with them, and find Christ as their Savior. God is drawing people to Himself, every minute, of every hour, of every day.

It's Satan's lie that you are alone. You are a part of a great multitude, so great it cannot be counted! Take strength in that!