Month: April 2022

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Easter has come and gone, the hallelujahs have been raised, the flowers on the crosses are losing their luster, the crowds are gone, the hams have been consumed, the hidden Easter eggs have been found, and the adulation and joy of last Sunday is beginning to fade. Now what? Where do we go from here? Is Easter just one day of celebration? How do we keep the celebration going each day of our lives as Christians?

Many of us will look back on our Easter and think, “Wow, it just doesn’t get any better than this!! It was such an uplifting day!” Unfortunately, then we put it on the back burner of our experiences and go on to other things in our daily life. The problem is if we are truly Easter people that doesn’t work. We need to carry that joy and adulation to others and spread the message of Easter. He is risen!! It can be done, but it will take shaking up of our routine in order to achieve it!

This past week Randy and I got away for a few days, and it was so good to shake up the routine of our lives if only for a brief time! We were surrounded by the beauty of the South Carolina lowlands, got to eat some food we have been denying ourselves, watched dolphins swim and play close to shore, and rode bicycles for the first time in years! As we were driving home, I thought, What Now? How do we remember to embrace the joy of each day?

There was a time in each of our lives where we jumped on monkey bars, rode roller coasters, and climbed mountains. No goal was unattainable. Then, we grew up, and we listened to those who would instill insecurities in us. Just like not being on a bicycle in years (because doctors warned Randy of the consequences of a fall with his two artificial knees and hips), fear creeps in and we begin to doubt ourselves. Fortunately, some things are worth the chance, and after we got the fall out of the way, the rest was a breeze and so much fun! What now? More bicycle rides!!

We can be so scared of losing what we have that we don’t go after what we want! Just like a football team which has the lead at halftime and begins to think of how not to lose instead of how to win, we play it safe while the other team takes the chances, plays without fear, and wins, we begin to live our life playing it safe.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam was perfectly formed, but he had no life until God’s spirit breathed into him. It was then that he started walking with God, taking initiative and fulfilling his purpose in life. If we want to continue the Easter spirit, it’s somewhat like riding a bike, we know how to do it, we just need to take the initiative to get it done! What Now?

David said, The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? That says to me that living and exemplifying our life of faith means overcoming our fear of What Now? and adopting a play to win mindset. A mission that says even though the going is tough, we won’t let the resurrection story become a distant memory until next year!

When we make up our mind to spread the story, it isn’t easy because not everyone wants to hear. We have to pursue it with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and struggles will face us at every turn, but these things are just part of life. If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t appreciate the success we feel when we see an answer to What Now?

This week as Easter people, the thoughts should be these three things: obstacles are meant to be overcome, fear is meant to be conquered, and success is meant to be achieved! We need to refuse to give up until the game is over, the bike is ridden, and the victory won! What Now? Victory!

Oh Jesus I have promised to serve thee to the end. Be thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend. I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side; Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my guide. John Ernest Bode

But now in a single victorious stroke of life all three -sin, guilt, death- are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! 1 Corinthians 15:57

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

The word victory is defined as the act of defeating an enemy or opponent. This past Sunday, Christians around the world celebrated the awesome reality of Jesus’ victory over death. Carolyn Amends says that Easter Sunday is the Christian faith’s gold medal victory lap!

During this past week, we have gone from jubilation on Palm Sunday to the sadness of the Last Supper, the betrayal by Judas, the pain of the crucifixion, death, and now we can finally celebrate the new beginning that has come from the terrible ending on the cross on Good Friday.

Growing up in the 1960’s everyone who had any interest at all in sports had heard the saying made popular by Jim McKay on ABC”s Wide World of Sports – The Thrill of Victory…the Agony of Defeat. Christians right now are experiencing the thrill of the victory of Christ over the grave.

We have all experienced so many victories in our personal lives, careers, and even in our local and favorite sports teams since our last Easter celebration. We have celebrated weddings, engagements, new babies, good health reports, and graduations. We all love the victories and celebrations of life just as we love the victory of Easter, but what would Easter be without Good Friday?

If we aren’t careful, we can begin to forget that the resurrection would be meaningless without the pain and sacrifice of Good Friday. There is no victory without sacrifice, and no decision to follow Christ is without trouble, sacrifice, or pain. Sometimes, especially during times of sickness, loss, or betrayal by others, we can be tempted to feel that Jesus has let us down, but He never promised that life with Him would be care free. Every pain is an opportunity to consider it all joy, and grow into the person God meant us to be.

This year has also brought its share of challenges. We’ve seen friends lose spouses in well fought battles – some long lived and some quickly. We’ve seen people suffer with the pain of betrayal, sickness, heartache, and loss. Grief will break all the rules of seeking victory. Paul tells us that when we run into these challenges in life, they help us build endurance, endurance develops character, and character strengthens our hope. This hope will not disappoint. Romans 5:3-5

God provides us an amazing set of benefits when we face problems. First, He helps us develop endurance which gives us the strength to draw on His grace and keep moving forward regardless of our circumstances.

Next, God helps us to draw on our inner strength of character which is developed by a closer walk with Him. Our personal integrity is developed and leads to the strength to handle those Good Friday days.

Finally, we gain confident hope, a deep conviction that whatever it takes to be Easter people, we will ultimately make it. We also know that we are guaranteed success in our mission because this hope will not lead to disappointment.

It’s human nature to let the joy of Easter fade away as we deal with our day to day lives, but Corrie Ten Boom reminds us that faith shows God’s love and Jesus’ victory even through the chaos of life. It’s up to remind ourselves that because He lives, we will live also. John 14:19

The victory lies not with us, but with Christ, who has taken it on himself to conquer for us and to conquer in us. Richard Sibbes

Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er his foes; He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign. He Arose, He Arose, Hallelujah, Christ Arose. Robert Lowry

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

The word finished is defined as to bring a task to an end or complete. I can remember using this word for things like, I finished my homework, I finished the dishes, I finished high school, I finished my day at work, I finished college, and the list goes on. The task was completed, and it could be checked off the list of tasks for my day, week, year, or life goals.

Jesus was put on this earth with tasks that needed to be completed or finished. He was charged with spreading the Word of God by teaching, healing, preaching, loving, and sacrificing. The Old Testament foretells of His fate in Isaiah when it says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

There are three things which I consider about the way we view the words, It is Finished. The first thing is that Calvary was voluntary. The word “Calvary” appears only once in the New Testament in Luke 23:33 where it reads, They came to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.” Those who witnessed Calvary thought Jesus was a victim of the collusion between Jewish hatred and Roman might, but the truth is, no on coerced Jesus into going to the cross, it was voluntary. What happened there changed our destiny because even though his enemies intended Calvary to end His life, Jesus intended it to save us from our sins.

Calvary was also a substitution. Substitution is defined as replacing someone or something with another person or thing. We just crowned a new NCAA basketball champion last week. Many analysts have said that Kansas outlasted North Carolina in the end probably because of substitutions made during the game to keep players fresh. On Calvary, Jesus substituted himself for us. Peter writes, He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. Everything He did from His birth from a virgin, His sinless life, His ministry, His redeeming death, His miraculous resurrection, to His glorious ascension, He did as a substitute and as a savior for us.

Lastly, Calvary was vital because without it, our sins would have separated us from God forever. Jesus fulfilled or finished every requirement of God’s law, and He did it on our behalf. His life was not taken by force but freely given. Because of Him, we are forgiven.

The last words of Christ were not, It is Finished, even though it sounds like that, but rather, Father, into Thy hands, I commit my spirit. Jesus announces here that all our sins are forgiven, all our guilt was taken on Him, and that our salvation is won. Jesus announced it from the cross where all could hear, and his beloved disciple could record it.

It is finished is a victorious cry telling us that at Calvary love triumphed over law, forever freeing those of us who could never live up to God’s law. It was a cry of a victor not a victim! Three days later the empty tomb proved that Jesus had won the victory over death. He finished His task.

Jesus knew It Is Finished because He fulfilled all the scripture to the Glory of God. He did it all so that we could know that if we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, we too will be finished with this earthly life and join Him in heaven.

Happy Easter!

After he had said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. “One of you is going to betray me.” The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So being the closest, he said, “Master, who?” Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I have dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him. “What you must do,” said Jesus, “do”. “Do it and get it over with.” John 13:21-27 The Message

Formal dinner parties have almost become a thing of the past in this world of today. Casual is the new style, and with that comes the abandonment of certain rules of etiquette and formality. Randy and I both come from large extended families, and I can remember family dinner get togethers being a bit of organized chaos, except that my grand mama and grand daddy always sat at either ends of the table assuming the positions of host and hostess.

Normally, their oldest child sat to the right of my Grandfather, the next oldest to the right of my grandmother, then the next oldest to left of my Grandfather and the next to the left of my Grandmother. These spots were considered the seats of honor. Spouses could sit next to their husband or wife, but it was not assigned seating! The other fifteen of us just found the nearest table.

It’s interesting that Jesus invited the disciples to the Upper Room on the night of the Last Supper, and He had seats of honor chosen for some. The Bible says that John was seated to his right which was the highest seat of honor. Many scholars speculate that Judas was seated to His left which was the next highest seat of honor. It is thought that Peter was seated away from Jesus since he was not close enough to John to ask him who Jesus was accusing but rather had to motion to him. He was close enough however, that he and John could communicate without the other disciple’s knowledge.

It is obvious that with the exception of Judas, none of the disciples had come to the meal with any idea that a betrayer was seated among them, and they certainly wouldn’t expect him to be in a seat of honor. The Bible says that the disciples were bickering among themselves about who deserved seats of honor around Jesus. Imagine their shock as the evening played out.

It would be interesting to know what the conversation was like around that table after Judas left and went to the sell Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. It’s been said that there are people who are invited to parties but sometimes the people there make them feel unwelcome. Thus the phrase, Invited but not welcome. I wonder if Judas felt unwelcome after the revelation or if he was so possessed by Satan that he felt no remorse until after the deed was done.

Jesus was not going to let the betrayer leave any feelings of animosity among the disciples, so he gathered the disciples together to give them a new commandment. He said, Love one another. In the same way I have loved you, love one another. This is how everyone will recognize you as my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other. (John 13:34-35) In doing so, He demonstrated His servanthood and humility and commissioned the disciples to remember their mission.

He does the same for us when we feel betrayed whether by people, society, government, or life. He gives us things we can do to deal with betrayal in our own life.

First, He tells us to pray for those who “despitefully use you” because one day God will right ever wrong. Jesus also encourages us to stay focused on Him and let His peace fill us. We must be patient, make up our minds not to be like them, and let the Lord lead. Lastly, we must follow the new commandment and love one another.

Let’s not forget this about Judas, he was loved by Jesus just as the other disciples. He betrayed Jesus, and yet with all the complexities and contradictions of his life, he had a seat at the table with Jesus. So do we. It is said that a Christian can only be in two places. Either we are present in our body on earth, or we are present with the Lord in heaven with a seat of honor reserved just for us!