Resurrection
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Monday, April 1st, 2024
Today is generally known as “Joker’s Day.” It is the day we “approve” of jokes played on other people. The more outrageous the better. April Fools Day is known as a day of nonsense, tricks, jokes, and a general “I-got-you” day. Ironic then that it follows the day after we celebrated the greatest day in history (and no, it is not the day the White House declared it to be). Psalm 14:1 says, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (NLT) The book of Proverbs is filled with references to fools. But let’s move away from that topic to one which is much more positive.
Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday. We had a super fine day as we joined together in one service at another venue. Even then we ran out of chairs. What a great problem to have! 🙂 During my sermon I asked the question: “What if the resurrection never did happen?” Well, the Apostle Paul gives 4 ramifications of that from I Corinthians:
- Our faith is useless. (Verse 17a). The Greek word for useless means “futile, empty, of no value.”
- We are still in our sins. (Verse 17b). Succinctly put: if Jesus is still in the tomb, His death cannot save us. He is no different than any other religious teacher.
- We have no hope of a future. (Verse 18). Without the resurrection a bright future is an empty promise.
- We should be pitied more than anyone. (Verse 19). All we do in this life is for nothing if all we have is this life.
But let’s turn those thoughts around and show what a difference the resurrection makes:
- Instead of our faith being useless, we can say our faith has meaning. Something we believe in is true.
- Instead of still being in our sins, we can say we have forgiveness. The resurrection makes sin forgiven a reality.
- Instead of having no hope for the future, we can know we will see our loved ones who died in Christ. Can there be anything more lonely or lost than no hope, of just being worm food?
- Instead of being pitied more than anyone, we can be certain of our own future. Knowing we have something to live for, to look forward to changed everything.
You may have heard something like this yesterday from your own pastor. But today is Monday, the day we begin to put it all to the test. Live today in the light of His resurrection.
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Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Resurrection, Scripture look
Tuesday, March 26th, 2024
I had someone say to me the other day, “Getting old s**ks.” (I can’t stand that word hence the astericks. However, it is a quote so…). While I hate the way he said it, I can’t totally disagree.
At age 71 I’m getting older. Well, so are you, but let’s think about this for a moment. As we age, lines develop on our face. We call them crow’s feet. Some develop “wisdom wrinkles” which become more prominent as one ages. Depending on your body fat, skin will hang and wiggle. Skin will get crepe-y. Bruises (blood) will show up in the arms and forearms or skin nicks will show up when you can’t even remember bumping or scraping them. Your stamina is not what it once was. For example, I used to ride 20-30 miles a day. If I do that today, I need a day or two between rides to recover. I might do 20 miles for 2-3 days in a row, but then I have to give myself a day or two off the bike.
Getting old is an adjustment, that’s for sure. That’s why I have issues with the “preacher” i.e. self-help guru who tries to tell me my best life is now. No, Joel, no it is not.
My best life is yet to come. I recently held the funeral service of a man whose last 2-3 years were spent fighting the effects of diabetes, a nasty bed sore caused by neglect of a rehab facility, the amputation of a leg at the knee, and a couple of strokes which affected his right hand strength and his communication (he could communicate but was slow in responding and putting sentences together). His best life was not now, laying in a bed. Not here. He is enjoying his best life NOW, living in the presence of the Savior he loved so much.
Do not look at your present or even your past life, as the pinnacle..as your best life. It’s not. For the follower of Jesus, the best is yet to come! That, by the way, is what the story of “Easter” is all about.
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Tags: Christian Living, Future life, God's Plan, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Resurrection, Story
Thursday, December 21st, 2023
There are just sometimes you just couldn’t orchestrate something any better even if you tried. Know what I mean? Case in point: this morning.
I have an almost constant pattern in the morning. I seldom deviate from it. Other than the shower, etc I take every morning, I have what I call my Encounter Time (ET). Some call it their Quiet Time. During my ET, I use several different resources to read and meditate on, but the crux is my reading from the Bible. I am almost constantly reading from Psalms (usually 2 chapters a day, except 119); every other month the book of Proverbs (1 chapter/day = 31 days); and from the NT. This year I have read through the NT twice and am now on my 3rd time. This will obviously carry on into 2024. Today’s reading was from Psalm 39-40, Pr. 21, and Mark 15-16. There was some great stuff in Psalms and Proverbs today, but the real irony was in Mark. Mark 15-16 is about Jesus’ death and resurrection!!
This is Christmas…the birth of Jesus and I’m reading about the death and resurrection. The irony didn’t escape me. Birth. Death. Resurrection (Life). The story of His life and purpose. Then the words to a well-known Christmas song came to mind. Here is a snippet: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity; Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel…Mild He lays His glory by, Born than man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give us second birth.”
The irony-no, the truth-does not escape me. Birth. Death. Life. They go together. For Jesus. For us. Or maybe I ought to say, “For Jesus. Because of Jesus for us.” The birth needs the death and resurrection to give meaning. The death and resurrection needs the birth to have a beginning. “Born to raise the sons of earth/Born to give them second birth/Hark the herald angels sing/Glory to the newborn King.”
Celebrate His birth with the future (His and yours) in mind.
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Tags: Christmas, Doctrine, God, God's Plan, God's Word, Jesus, Opinion, Reflection, Resurrection, Story, Truth
Monday, April 10th, 2023
We experienced yesterday what probably most churches in America experienced-a swell in attendance. It was good to see. Honestly, I used to “pick” at those who are called C & E Christians. That’s Christmas and Easter for those of you who may not know.
Not any more. I am glad just to see people. There are several reasons for that:
- With the advent and further use of live streaming, many who were there yesterday watch each week from home. It was good to see them, but I know they are “attending” by watching.
- There were some who were there because mom or dad invited them. Yeah for mom and dad! 🙂
- There were some who were there because a friend saw an opportunity to use the open door of a holiday.
- There were some who were there because some traumatic event has happened and they are trying to make sense of it all and are searching for answers.
- There were some who may have been there out of curiosity.
I love the last 4 especially because it is an opportunity to give them hope by talking about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I may only get this one shot to share the love of Jesus with them.
Resurrection Sunday also gives another conundrum. What about next Sunday? Let’s shorten the time frame. What about today or tomorrow? Will we go back to life as usual or will we allow the truth, the life-changing experience of the resurrection to change the way we live and operate our daily lives? Christian writer, Sam Allberry wrote: “Many Christians, while believing in the resurrection and rehearsing that belief every Easter Sunday, effectively stick it back in the drawer for the rest of the year because they are at a loss of what to do with it.” (Quoted in Hope in Times of Stress by Timothy Keller- p.xxi)
That is a seriously important quote to consider. All the talk, all the sermons, all the banter about the Resurrection is meaningless if life is not different on the inside.
Take on the challenge to allow the truth of the Resurrection to change how you operate-with God and with people.
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Tags: Christian Living, Easter, Jesus, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Resurrection
Tuesday, October 6th, 2020
I believe if there is one thing which could change the course of our faith-derail it even-it would be the validity of the resurrection of Jesus. If someone could somehow prove it never happened everything falls apart. I just finished reading I Cor. 15 in One Faithful Life by John MacArthur. In his commentary he gives Paul’s 6 disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection. Here they are:
- Preaching Christ would be senseless. (v.14)
- Faith in Christ would be useless. (v.14)
- All the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars. (v.15)
- No one would be redeemed from sin. (v.17)
- All former believers would have perished. (v.18)
- Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth. (v.19)
As you can see quite a bit of weight lands on the resurrection. Quite a bit of truth is dependent on the resurrection. When you think about it, that explains why so much effort has been put in by skeptics to somehow disprove its validity.
And that is good news for us! We stand on truth. If the resurrection were not true they would not be trying so hard to find loopholes and use flimsy excuses. Standing on truth is a good place and solid place to plant our feet.
“Father, thank you for the resurrection. It is the hope of all mankind. It is the rock of all Christ-followers.”
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Tags: Bible/Scripture, God's Word, Jesus, Opinion, Resurrection, Scripture look, Truth Telling
Thursday, August 27th, 2020
Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill has always been an interesting one to me. You can find it in Acts 17: 16-34. Paul is in Athens, the religious center of Greece. In fact, as you walk with Paul and listen to him, it is easy to come to the conclusion that Athens was the home of virtually every god known to man. In 17:16 it says, “Paul’s…spirit was provoked as he saw the city was full of idols.” In verse 22 it says he begins his sermon with “I perceive in every way you are very religious.” I’d say those are dead giveaways! 🙂
As Paul reasoned with the people, the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were curious (they loved engaging with others for the purpose of learning and discourse), but some were hostile. Why? Because he preached Jesus and His resurrection. He didn’t “preach” health and wealth. He didn’t “preach” a glory cloud will fall. He didn’t “preach” God wants to bring a miracle to your life. No. He preached Jesus and His resurrection.
They wanted to hear more, but it was more of a defense of what he believed. The Areopagus was a court named for the hill on which it once met. His defense is interesting.
- He alludes to their multiple gods. They were “very religious.”
- He zeroes in on the altar To An Unknown God. They were “spiritual;” they believed in the supernatural. Sort of like many in our day. They believe in something; they just aren’t sure what or who.
- He teaches with purpose. Take note of it: The God who made the world (the one they classified as unknown); He doesn’t live in temples; He gives life, breath, and all things; He has made us all equal (one blood); He has put in all of us a need for Him and a desire to seek.
- He presents the appeal. Now is the time. God has overlooked our rebellion but no more.
Such a far cry from the mere pablum of our day. No hype. No promise of wealth. No “God wants His kingdom here now.” No “think better of yourself because you are worth it.” Just Jesus and our need for Him. Just Jesus and our need to repent. Just Jesus- and it was all cemented not by our agreement-but by His resurrection. And like today the response was mixed. Yes, as expected there was hostility. But that day Paul’s honesty in preaching brought some into the kingdom and raised the curiosity of others.
“Father, my mandate is to preach Jesus and Him crucified and resurrected. Help me not to waver from that mandate.”
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Tags: Choices, God's Word, Jesus, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture look, Truth Telling, Worship
Thursday, July 9th, 2020
I’d like to continue with the thought from yesterday’s devotion (July 8). What to do about the risen Christ?
A number of theories (“proofs”) have been put forth concerning the empty tomb.
- Jesus just swooned on the cross. He passed out from all the torture; was put in the tomb; revived in a cold, damp tomb; then had the strength to push the stone away. I suspect somewhere in there He also had to over power the guards. Seriously? The more one thinks of that the more ridiculous it sounds.
- The ladies went to the wrong tomb. Does that sound as silly to you as it does to me, especially given the fact that both Matthew and Mark tell us they were there when they laid Jesus in the tomb AND they even prepared the body with spices and oils. (Luke 23)
There are other theories-just as silly- but I think one of the most incredulous was actually given during that time: the disciples came and stole the body. Matthew 29 records that lie. But what is absolutely “insane” is how it went down:
- The guards report the body is gone.
- The guards were bribed by the religious leaders to tell the lie of the stolen body.
- The guards accept the bribe and spread the lie.
- The religious leaders promise protection (if Pilate should hear word of it) to the guards.
One big question: if the guards were asleep, how did they know the disciples stole the body? As Biff says to George McFly (Back to the Future 1), “Hello! Think McFly! Think!” Think people. Think! Does not that lousy excuse for the reason sound more more unbelievable as you think about it? And here is another question: what about those soldiers? To live with that lie over your head and to know you betrayed your army? To be black-balled in the eyes of your fellow soldiers? No thanks.
Seems to me it takes more “faith” to believe a lie than to believe the truth that Jesus rose from the dead.
“Father, the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead piles up, especially when one considers how ridiculous the theories sound. I state again how I will stake all I have on the resurrected Christ.”
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Tags: Choices, Faith/Feelings, God's Word, Jesus, Opinion, Questions, Resurrection, Scripture look, Story
Wednesday, July 8th, 2020
One of the truths of Scripture which is a non-negotiable is the physical resurrection of Christ from the dead. One of the heresies which has never seemed to go away is Jesus did not physically raise from the dead but his spirit did.
To believe the latter you must deny the former. This is not one of those either/or propositions. This truth came home to me as I read the accounts of that Sunday morning. The Sabbath was over and 3 ladies (Mary Magdalene; Mary, His mother; and Salome) made their way to the tomb. They discussed how they were going to move the stone but, of course, it was not an issue when they got there. “He is not here; He is risen.” James and John find an empty tomb. But the best exchange IMHO is His exchange with Mary Magdalene in John 20. Probably driven back to the tomb by her grief, she encountered Jesus. Thinking He was the gardener, Mary asked where they laid Him. You gotta wonder why she didn’t recognize Jesus. I mean, she had been a follower of His for much of His ministry. She was one of the women who took care of His and the disciples physical needs (food and shelter). But we aren’t told why she didn’t. Speculation: her tears clouded her eyes (that does happen you know? I’m married and have two daughters). 🙂 It could have been because the last time was ugly and He was beyond recognition. And maybe it was a supernatural thing (like the two on the road to Emmaus). That really isn’t important. But when she did recognize Him? WOW!! She hung onto Him. The word is clung to Him. The last thing she wanted to do is to let Him go again. But keep in mind you don’t cling to ghosts or apparitions; figments of your imagination; or dreams. She clung to Jesus. But she had to let go.
I’d like to reference the holding on and letting go, but my point today is the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is unquestionable. It cannot be seen as unimportant. Christianity literally rises and falls on its surety. No bodily resurrection = no faith. Bodily resurrection = solid rock.
“Father, Jesus rose. He is alive. Not a ghost or a figment of the imagination. Without doubt one of, if not THE most essential truths of all. To this truth I cling.”
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Tags: Choices, God's Word, Jesus, Opinion, Resurrection, Salvation, Truth
Sunday, April 12th, 2020
Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is not quite the Resurrection Sunday celebration we were anticipating that’s for sure. The past few years we have had one service at a local venue (Abram Farm) that allowed us to be all together as one church family. This year was already going to be different due to the company that normally did our sound having to beg off this year. So, in spite of the graciousness of Bill & Suzie Abram, the owners of the venue, we were going to have two services at our building.
Then COVID-19 happened. Suddenly, we went from Abram Farm to our church building to a virtual celebration. But there is a great lesson here! The grave could not contain Him. What in the world would make us think a virus could? So we celebrate anyway. Virtually.
More could be said. But I’m not going to belabor the point. So I say, “Celebrate! Jesus is alive in our hearts. He is alive in our worship. He is alive seated at the right hand of His Father. Celebrate!” I’d like ask you to listen to an old song. In my mind, one of the best Easter songs you don’t even know by my favorite Christian group of all time.
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Tags: Church, Easter, Jesus, Resurrection
Wednesday, December 4th, 2019
My title for this devotion is Christmas vs Easter.
Celebratory vs Solemn.
That’s often the way we look at Christmas and Easter. Christmas Eve vs Good Friday. The tree vs the Cross. Not until Easter morning-Resurrection Sunday-does the 40 days leading up to it become a celebration.
In my mind it is not a case of either/or. It is a case of both/and. In God’s grand scheme Christmas is not more celebratory than Easter. Sure Christmas is a time of celebration-nowadays dating back to the day after Thanksgiving (and now creeping closer to Halloween). And Easter tends to be more of a one day of celebration.
But if you really think about it, without Christmas Easter makes no sense. And without Easter Christmas is only an introduction but has no conclusion. Taken separately Christmas speaks of a birth; Easter speaks of a death & resurrection. Seen together we see Someone born; we see Someone die; we see Someone born to die.
We often hear during this time of the year the slogan “Wise men still seek Him.” True. But not just Christmas. Wise men worship the child who was born and the man who would die.
“Father, I thank you for the story of Christmas. I thank you for the story of Easter. And I thank you they make more sense and have more meaning when seen together.”
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Tags: Choices, Christmas, Church, Death, God's Plan, Jesus, Opinion, Resurrection, Worship
