T.H.I.S.

Praying til Pentecost Day 8

• "...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering." Philippians 3:10
• "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

All of us have heard and perhaps even made the statement, "Seeing is believing." It is commonly accepted that when we see something with our own eyes then we can have confidence that it is real or it is the truth. It is hard to believe in the worth or reality of something that cannot be seen.

In the Kingdom of God, Paul's statement sets the record straight for believers, "Faith comes by hearing." Trusting in the word of Christ is not a result of seeing with the eyes of faith, but hearing with the ears of faith.

Sight can be a pretty tricky deal. I remember when I was a ten year old fifth grader at the Main Street School in Farmingdale, New York. I was asked by Mrs. Curtis to write a statement on the board, and then return to my seat at the back of the room, and read it to the class. I didn't think anything at all about what I was writing. I just printed it on the board and walked to my seat. This was my first experience with the public embarrassment that comes from being made aware I needed glasses. I could not see what I had written well enough to read it to the class from where I was seated. I had to get up, and walk closer. The closer I had to return to the board, the louder the giggles became. I could hear the dreaded words begin whispered, "Four eyes!" In those days glasses and braces were not a status symbol or a fashion statement. They were the brands of inadequacy. Whew! Glad that nightmare is over. I am not sure that I have trusted what I can see for the last 50 years. Recent cataract surgery has done nothing but reinforce my skepticism in sight.

Words mean something. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that he wanted to know Jesus better, and he anticipated that this would be done through the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. To the church at Rome, he would remind them that placing faith in the Risen Christ was a result of hearing the word of Christ, not seeing the person of Christ. One of my favorite statements of Jesus is the invitation to "Come unto Me...and rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Sunday I invited the children of our church to come forward for a brief teaching session. I held a little guy in my lap that had brain surgery two years ago. He and I have become friends over the past two years, and I have been at the hospital and in his home enough for us to be comfortable with one another. We always play a simple little game. I hold out my arms, and he reaches up to me. I lift him up and he places his little head on my shoulder. I begin to sing, "Go to sleep little Taiden, go to sleep. Go to sleep little Taiden go to sleep." He closes his eyes and pretends to be sleeping. After a brief pause, I will lift him up and say loudly, "Wake up!" He laughs out loud, and shouts, "Do it again!" We demonstrated our little game for the other children and the adults Sunday morning. He was a natural. I pointed out that Jesus is still calling us by name to come and place our head upon His shoulder, and rest.

Jesus invites believers to find rest in Him. They don't really know Him until they rest in Him. Rest can be described as ...

• R - Releasing
• E - Every
• S- Single
• T- Thing

Rest is not found in reclining. It is found in releasing. There is no better way to release what we are suffering than to bring it to Jesus in prayer.

I have often made the comment, "I don't need this!" Another favorite of mine over the years has been, "I'm not going to take this." Perhaps you have heard some others...

• I don't deserve this!
• I didn't sign up for this!
• I didn't ask for this!
• I didn't go looking for this!

Over the years I have tried to come to grip with THIS! What this means for me is to begin with the definition of THIS.

• T-The
• H-Hurt
• I- I
• S-Suffer

When Paul said that he wanted to know Jesus, he may not have known what he was saying. I understand that he was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to reveal the mind of Christ to him. I just wonder sometimes if Paul knew the consequences of his statement when he wrote it. He may have been like a 10 year old fifth grader writing something on a blackboard, and having to come to grips with what he wrote by getting closer to the truth.

Getting closer to Jesus comes through suffering. The power of His resurrection will never be known fully without experiencing the fellowship of His suffering. The same holds true for our human relationships.

Two years ago, I was acquainted with the parents of the little boy I mentioned earlier in my blog. We were friendly, and on a first name basis. I had a respect for the contribution they made to our community, and we were on cordial speaking terms. Our relationship began to deepen when the suffering of their little boy began to worsen. His seizures required brain surgery at one of leading children's hospitals in Texas. I traveled 70 miles with one of our men in the church, and we met them at 5AM at the hospital to pray with them before the baby was taken to surgery. We stayed all day with them until the baby was released from surgery and taken to recovery. It was a long 12 hour ordeal filled with several different prayer sessions. Long story short, our relationship with one another went to another level through the rough sea of suffering. Without that experience together, we would still be cordial acquaintances, but we would not have the kind of relationship that we now appreciate.

The fellowship of His suffering takes place when we bring THIS to Jesus. Can you hear Him speaking to you today? He still says, "Come unto Me...and rest." Release every single thing that is on your mind, and on your back over onto the shoulders of Jesus. Remember, rest is not found in reclining, but it is found in releasing THIS.

Rumors of...

Praying til Pentecost Day 4

"Jesus said, 'Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.' Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, 'You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep." Matthew 28:10-13

Fear and false rumors have always been obstacles to a great movement of God. Satan is a liar, and those who spread falsehoods and undermine the truth in any form or fashion are under the influence of the evil one.

Recently a malignant reminder of the relentlessness of false rumor has surfaced in our community. Tracing down the source of a lie is more difficult than staying on mission with the truth. The fact of the matter is you just can't keep throwing rocks at every barking dog and still get to town. To cut to the chase, Satan lies, and he has influence on enough people to keep his lies alive. His purpose in lying is to discredit, disprove, discourage or at least delay the people who are on mission for God.

It interests me that the two women were on their way to deliver the truth to the disciples and Satan immediately started lying. He can do nothing else. It is who he is. Matthew's account reads, "Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city..." (Matt. 28:11)

Ron Dunn was often quoted as saying, "Good and evil travel down parallel tracks and usually arrive at the same time." That is exactly what happened when the truth about the Risen Christ was being delivered to the disciples. Satan placed it in the hearts of the elders of the Sanhedrin to conspire against the truth by concocting a story that simultaneously maligned the guards for dereliction of duty and accused the disciples of grave robbing. Stooping to the use of a bribe to seal the deal, the elders of Israel promised to protect their co-conspirators if the governor ever found out the truth. The Scripture records, "This story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day." (Matthew 28:15)

What was the response of the women? They delivered the truth in spite of the lies that were being spread about their message. What was the response of the disciples when they heard the truth? "The eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had designated." (Matthew 28:16)

In other words, they took the high ground. They did not call on the elders to retract their story. They did not have a news conference to alert the city that rumors were being circulated about them. They did not take their offense to the governor. They had seen first hand how much justice Rome was capable of handing out. They obeyed their orders, went to the mountain, and waited for the Risen Christ to show up.

The women did not delay in delivering their message, and the eleven did not hesitate to meet up with Jesus. This is huge. The devil loves to intimidate by false reports and false accusations. His purpose is to put the messenger on the defensive and delay the delivery of the message. He knows the truth better than anyone, and he knows he has no defense against the power of it. His only alternative is to get Christ followers so wrapped up in setting the record straight that they forget their message and their mission.

Thank God the early disciples did not spend all their time chasing down false rumors. They got over their fear, and faithfully delivered the great news about the Risen Christ. They put themselves in the right place at the right time to have an encounter with Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) Thank God these two women and the eleven did not put their time into stopping the rumors, but put their trust in the Truth.

The message of the Risen Christ that we share today is a direct result of faithfulness of those who chose to stay on mission and deliver the message. May we be found faithful to do the same in the face of opposition from the "father of lies."

Crash

Praying til Pentecost Day 3

" 'He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where he was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you in to Galilee, there you will see Him, behold I have told you.' And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, " 'Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.' " Matthew 28:6-10

The early disciples were receiving a crash course in faith. Paul would later write, "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) It is this gathering of the faithful that was going to change the world. They would be called the church or the "called out" ones. They would be known for their responsiveness to the Word of God. A recent study of groups and gatherings reminded me that a collection of geese is called a gaggle, a group of sheep is called a flock, cattle are referred to as a herd, and a gathering of buzzards is called a committee. I won't go there right now, but that last reference is pretty disturbing.

One author has suggested that a gathering of Christians should be called a "crash." This is what a group of rhinos is called. Rhinos cannot see very well, but their hearing is superb. Once they hear, they are prone to move with great speed and unstoppable power. Nothing can stand in their way, especially when they move as a group or a "crash."

It is an interesting perspective to say the least. Perhaps that is why one of the first things the disciples were told to do was to "go quickly." They were reminded of what Jesus had said, and then given a mission to perform.

The ladies were to trust the fact that Jesus was already waiting for them to arrive at the destination they had been assigned. They had to trust the angel's promise and start out on their journey. The next thing they experienced was the personal presence of Jesus meeting them along the way. This is another great picture of the Risen Christ. He honored their faith in His word by offering them the privilege of His fellowship. Jesus is not looking for any special ability from His disciples. He is watching and waiting for them to be available to Him.

One of the world's greatest misconceptions is contained in the statement, "Seeing is believing!" In the Kingdom of God, "Believing is seeing!" One of the most repeated words in angelic vocabulary in the word, "Behold!" It is rooted in a verb that means "to see, perceive, attend to." When the angels use it they are attempting to get the eyes of their listeners off of them and onto the Word of God. The appearance of an angel always generated fear in the hearts of the people receiving their message. They would often have to repeat the word "behold" and make sure people did not miss the message by being overwhelmed by the messenger. The word carries a more contemporary meaning of "Look! Look here! See here! Pay attention! Get this! Get it? Got it? Good!" The angels were held responsible for not only delivering the message, but making sure that the message was received. The angels reminded the two women that they were just repeating what Jesus had said to them before He died. (see italics)

There are at least 155 verses of Scripture that refer to the 40 days Jesus ministered to His disciples from Resurrection Day to Ascension Day. After His ascension the disciples waited an additional 10 days in Jerusalem, waiting for The Promise of the Father.

These Scriptures contain powerful images of the Kingdom of God, and they unveil the truth of Christ's teaching in the context of 50 unprecedented days. For 40 days the disciples received instruction about the Kingdom of God, and for 10 days they waited and prayed.

The Church was birthed in the labor room of prayer. The Holy Spirit was the answer to the prayers of the people of faith. They could not possibly have known what God had in mind when they gathered for prayer. Still, they were obedient to wait and pray. They were available and God was able. It is through our availability to God and God's ability to transform that the nonsensical becomes the believable.

Take a look at the story of the 50 days through the eyes of the early disciples. It can be found in

• Matthew 28:1-20
• Mark 16:1-10
• John 20:1-21:25
• Acts 1:1-11

Easter Sunday marked the beginning of a new step of faith in the lives of the disciples. Intimidation by immediate circumstances had overwhelmed them with doubts and fears. The absence of Jesus had left them with the bitter after-taste of the dregs of defeat and the death of a vision. God had taken them to the end of themselves to bring them to the beginning of all that He had in store for them. Little did they realize that God was at work bringing about His very best when Satan was doing His very worst.

GOOD Grief

Praying til Pentecost Day 2

"When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, 'Sir, if you have carried Him away tell me where you have laid Him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher)." John 20:14-16

My first encounter with death and grief involved the funeral of my grandmother, Nina Larish Miller. I was 12 years old and remember wondering why I did not react to her passing with the same level of emotion and sadness of the others around me. Grannie had always been a bit of a distant figure. She lived in Pennsylvania, and the first ten years of my life, I had lived in Texas. I had not seen her very often. I had not meet her until I was seven years old, and my most recent visits to her home were difficult. Her last two years on earth, she had been suffering from dementia. Eventually she was secluded from the grandchildren in a nursing home. When she died, I was a little embarrassed that I felt relief for her. She had been such a quiet, and loving person, and watching her battle with memory loss and disorientation had filled me with profound sadness. When death came to her, it did not come as an enemy, but a friend who released her from prison. I learned early in life that there are some things worse than death. One of those is a life that becomes overwhelmed with daily distortions of reality.

Grief is another force in our life that has a powerful way of distorting reality. John's Gospel records this first encounter between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Christ. She was so overcome with the loss of her Lord, that she drew no comfort from angelic messengers. She even missed the Presence of Jesus when He was standing right next to her. Grief can deal out the facts of life, but it does not always add much meaning to life. It has a way of numbing and blinding us to all the good that is going on around us.

The resurrection of the dead moved from theory to reality for Mary, when Jesus spoke her name. He said, "Mary!" He called her by name, and suddenly the fog lifted from her eyes. She saw the Risen Christ, and she responded with a teachable spirit. She called out, "Rabboni!" Jesus was about to start His first class in Kingdom Living 101.

Grief over the loss of a person or the death of a vision often blinds us to the manifest presence of the Risen Christ. Mary was in love with her Lord, but she was just not in touch with her Lord. Death had brought grief, and grief had left the bitter after taste of defeat. When Jesus showed up in the midst of her grief, He called her by name, and offered to make sense out of the senseless.

For forty days, Jesus was going to walk among His followers to restore hope in them and affirm His mission for them. After He ascended to Heaven, they would wait ten days in Jerusalem and pray until The Promise of the Father was sent to them. After Pentecost, the Risen Christ would indwell His followers through the person of the Holy Spirit.

When Mary came looking for Jesus, He was waiting for her. She may not have recognized Him, but He had not forgotten her. He spoke her name like no other person could speak it. He met her in the middle of her grief, and gave her a reason to live and a mission to complete.

Grief still has the power to blind us from the living presence of the Risen Christ. When we are stumbling in the dark everything seems bigger than it really is, especially death. The image of the Risen Christ meeting Mary at the empty tomb should not be lost on us. Jesus still has a way of taking the thing that intimidates us the most and turning it into a victory. At first glance, the tomb looked like a finale of a lost relationship, but it was a prelude to The Promise. When her ears heard her name being called, her eyes were open to the Presence of Jesus. He is calling out to you today. Can you hear Him?

50 Days

Praying til Pentecost Day 1

"Until the day when He was taken up to Heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days speaking of the things concerning the Kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father promised, 'Which, He said, 'you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' " Acts 1:1-5

Back to basics is a common theme that is repeated often in many disciplines of life. One of the great stories of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, comes to mind. He would gather his team, veterans and rookies, each year at training camp and review the basics of the game. His first session would begin with him standing in front of his experienced athletes and holding out a football in front of them. He would say, "Gentlemen! This is a football!" Lombardi built great teams on good players who knew the basics, and carried out their assignments with precision and passion.

John Wooden, basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, who led them his teams to an unprecedented string of national championships had a different approach, but a similar emphasis. Coach Wooden would gather his team on the first day of practice and have them take a seat on the bench. He would instruct them to take off their shoes and socks, and then he would hand them a brand new pair of socks. He would then instruct them on how to put on a pair of socks so that their feet would not become blistered by wrinkles or misplaced seams.

Years ago I heard a seminar leader coin the phrase, "The way you come on is the way you go on." The significance of his point escapes me, but the accuracy of the statement is spot on when it is applied to the way Jesus approached ministry.

Jesus introduced the constitution of the Kingdom of God to His followers with the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes were the preamble to the precepts that Jesus would lay out for entrance into this Kingdom. When Jesus returned to spend 40 days walking and talking with His disciples, He went right back to basics. What Matthew's Gospel records in chapters five, six and seven become the reservoir from which Jesus draws. Luke's account in Acts says that Jesus came back to review with His followers what He taught them from the beginning about the Kingdom of God. Jesus was not forming a secret society, but mobilizing the company of the committed with a solid background in what their message would be as they became witnesses of the Risen Christ.

The Kingdom of God is built on the cornerstone of the Risen Christ, but as we return to the Beatitudes we learn that the citizens are called "blessed." What Jesus taught in Matthew 5:2-12 established the criteria of the principle of paradox that would mark the uniqueness of this Kingdom. Things are not always as they seem.

People who think less of themselves and more of others are valued the highest. Those who mourn are merely on their way to comfort. Humble people are heirs to all that God has. Holy hunger leads to spiritual fulfillment. On and on the lessons unfold until the citizenship papers of the Kingdom are stamped with the authenticity of transforming people from victims to victors.

For the next 50 days, pray that the Risen Christ will awaken in you a desire to be filled with all that The Promise of the Father has in store for you. Do not settle for entrance in the Kingdom by the skin of your teeth. Allow your life to be saturated by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. When the early disciples received the Holy Spirit, and He took up permanent residence in their lives, they were transformed from victims of circumstance to overwhelming conquerors.

The last words of Jesus on the cross were, "It is finished!" Remember, He is not on the cross, and the tomb in empty. The best is yet to come.

Getting A Grip on Easter

"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

When I was a student at Baylor University, 1968-1972, we suffered through four dismal football seasons, and two different coaches. Just before I left the campus, a third sacrificial lamb was being offered on the altar. With the arrival of Coach Grant Teaff the Baylor faithful were asked once again to put their trust in the ancient mantra, "Wait 'til next year!" Bumper stickers and billboards began to announce the simple phrase, "I Believe!"

In the fall of 1972, I didn't get to stay in town and witness the resurrection of the program. I was serving in Tukuyu, Tanzania on a remote station in the Southern Highlands of East Africa. When word did arrive about Baylor's early success, one of the missionaries, David Whitson, commented wryly, "Oh, look! Baylor won its game early this year!" Heretic! Obviously, he was not a true believer.

When I returned to the States in the fall of 1974, Baylor's resurrection of their football program had produced a great deal more confidence. Under Teaff's coaching and quarterback Neal Jeffrey, they represented the Southwest Conference as champions and played Penn State in the 1975 Cotton Bowl. Good times!

Within two years, the Bears had moved from a perennial conference door mat to conference champions. The "I Believe!" bumper sticker campaign did not have any power in and of itself to win ball games, but it did raise a significant issue. Before the transformation could begin, someone had to believe it could be done.

Belief is powerful, especially when it is placed in the truth of the Word of God. It means more than intellectual acknowledgement or the accumulation of information. It involves trust, and the act of the will to place confidence in something or someone. With one statement and one question, Jesus settles the issue once and for all. Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to unlocking the door to new life. Belief in Jesus as a good man, great teacher, or ancient prophet all fall short of the answer to the question, "Do you believe this?"

How do you get a grip on the reality of Easter? Does your hand glide over the Scriptural account, and give you have a slight touch on this timeless truth? Do you have a white knuckled grip on Easter, or do you drop it as soon as the service is over and the eggs are in the basket?

Use the five fingers of your hand as a reminder of how important it is for you to get hold of the truth of Easter, and never let go of the power of the resurrection.

1. "I am the resurrection and the life." Jn 11:25-26
This is the thumb of belief. Without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no promise to believe, a person to trust, and or power to transform.

2. "I go to prepare a place for you!" Jn 14:2-3
This in the index finger that points us to Heaven. Remember, this world is not our home.

3. "In this world you have tribulations, but take courage. I have overcome the world." Jn 16:33
We are in the middle of a battle. The victory has already been won, but expect resistance.

4. "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matt. 28:20
The ring finger symbolizes the never ending relationship between the Bridegroom and His Church.

5. "I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you." Luke 24:49
This is the final finger, but this is not the finale of Easter. It is the prelude to praying for Pentecost. The power of God is available to people who admit their weakness.

Get a real grip on Easter, and let your belief in the resurrection transform your life today.

God's Waiting Room

"And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." Luke 23:56

God's grace persistently provides a different perspective to some of the most intimidating issues of life. He takes an instrument of death and turns it into a symbol of new life. He takes a tomb, the last stop on life's journey, and turns it into a waiting room for new birth.

When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed Jesus in the tomb, they were forced by The Law to rapidly prepare His body for His final rest, and then return to their homes for the celebration of the Passover. That had to be a very somber, and restless night for them and the rest of the disciples. From dusk to dawn the followers of Christ must have been filled with discouragement and disappointment over the death of their friend and their vision.

Opinions vary on what Jesus was up to during the period of time between His death and His bodily resurrection. The record reveals that He was doing everything but reclining in the empty tomb biding His time. His physical body was there, but Jesus was not.

• He was "put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit." I Peter 3:18
• He tore the veil of the temple. "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit, and behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;" Mt. 27:50-51a
• He shook the earth as he strolled through Jerusalem. "and the earth shook and the rocks were split." Matt. 27:51b
• He opened many tombs and raised bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep. "The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised." Matthew 27:52
• He went to Paradise, the righteous abode of the dead, to fulfill His promise to join the thief on the cross in. "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Lk 23:43
• "He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark." I Peter 3:19

Jesus was preparing to release the greatest expression of the power of God that the world had ever seen. The timing of the release was set to reveal the sufficiency of Christ and the sovereignty of God over the sting of death and the condemnation of the law. When His disciples were at their lowest point, Jesus was on a mission to raise them up from their depths of despondency. He had told them that He would die and rise from the grave three days later.

When the disciples felt deserted they became despondent. God's delay does not mean God's desertion. Jesus was right on time, and in sync with God's plan. The disciples had forgotten the Word of God, and that led them to the wrong conclusion. They added up, one and two, and came up with zero. When they calculated "Day One" - the brutality of crucifixion and combined it with "Day Two" - the reality of tomb, they came up empty. They thought they knew what was going on. After all, they had been eyewitnesses to the events. They had jumped through all the hoops, and now they were jumping to the wrong conclusions.

The disciples were convinced that they had all the facts and had done the math. Unfortunatley, they had forgotten to add Jesus into the equation. God's math always includes the Jesus factor. Waiting on God is not a detour into fantasy land, but a place where people can regroup and regain their perspective over the intimidation of the immediate. Eyes blinded by the loss of vision can be restored to see the hand of God moving behind the scenes to accomplish His will, in His way, and in His timing.

The night is always darkest just before the dawn. The Resurrection gives us hope. Not only do we have victory of death and sin, but from Easter Sunday on, we can believe that every moment we wait on God can be filled with anticipation and confidence that the longer the wait, the greater the blessing.

The Victory

"DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." I Cor. 15:54-58

I was called on in my first pastorate to meet a member of our church at the County Hospital and identify the body of one of his family member. This young man had mishandled a .45 automatic handgun and been killed by a single round to the chest. I will never forget the look of shocked unbelief that was frozen on his face. This was a difficult moment, but the toughest tasks still were ahead. The parents of this young man were on a once in a life time trip to Europe, and we had to break the news to them over the phone. Meeting them at the airport and walking them through the funeral and grief process was a challenging and prolonged experience. Thoughts of those days are a bittersweet mixture of remembrances of the frailty of life and the Sovereignty of God.

The cross was the ultimate weapon in Rome's battle over rebellion. They had taken it from the Persians and perfected it into a brutal but effective killing machine. It was reserved for the worst of criminals and it was a one way ticket out of the empire and into oblivion. No one ever walked away from the cross. They were carried to a grave. Prior to Good Friday, no one ever wore a small cross around their neck as an expression of their faith, or took comfort from the appearance of a cross over their city. It was a sign of death.

For the family who lost their son to the handgun, it will forever be associated by them as an instrument of death. It never crossed my mind to meet them at the airport with a picture or a small symbolic representation of the gun. That would have been cruel and unusual callousness. They would not have seen this as a sign of comfort and hope, but a rubbing of their noses in the worst thing that had ever happened to them.

This was Satan's plan with the cross. He intended it to be a defeat of God's Son, and use it as a demoralizing reminder of defeat whenever the followers of Christ saw it. It would be a constant reminder to them that their Savior died on that cross, and all their hopes and dreams died on it too. God had a different plan for the cross. His Son would die on it, but He would not stay on it. He would be buried in a tomb, but He would not stay in it.

The worst Friday was turned into Good Friday by the plan of God who intended to offer His Son as the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world. Satan tried to force feed Christ followers with a bitter meal in the shape of a cross. Paul reminds us in his first letter to the church at Corinth that God let Satan set the table, but He swallowed up death in victory. While Satan was up to his worst, God was bringing about His best.

Today the empty cross has been transformed from an instrument of death into a sign of victory. Jesus died on a cross in order to deal with the sin that separates people from God. He built a cross shaped bridge across the chasm between man and God. Anyone who crosses that bridge and returns to God can find forgiveness of sin and fellowship with the Father. The cross brings hope, not regret.

Good Friday is good because God offered His best to us, when Satan was doing his worst to His Son. Thank God for the victory that we have in Jesus Christ. God still transforms trials into triumphs. Paul called on the church at Corinth to remain earnest, immovable and abound in the work of the Lord. That is still possible today for Christ followers to do because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. The sting of death is removed by the forgiveness of sin, and the power of sin is overwhelmed by God's Son meeting the requirements of the law.

"Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Cor. 15:57
 

Pity the Fool

"Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, who He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." I Cor. 15:12-18

Yesterday I wished a little girl in our church, "Happy Birthday!" She rolled her eyes and made sure I knew, "It was yesterday!" I asked how old she was, and she told me that she turned nine years old. I responded with a reminder that this was the last time she would be single digits. I pointed her to next year when she would turn ten, and enter the world of double digits. She said with great drama and conviction, "I am sooooo ready!" I am approaching my own birthday, and soon will turn 60 years of age. I couldn't help but say a little prayer under my breath, "God help her, she has no idea what is coming her way."

By the way, Jesus never told His disciples to remember His birthday. He told them to remember His death, burial and resurrection. He even set aside a supper of celebration that He intended for His church to regularly schedule. This celebration is one of the most ignored commands of Jesus. Some people leave town, or rearrange their sock drawer whenever it is scheduled. There is no hint of conviction that this should be obeyed just because Jesus said so.

Christmas, however, is celebrated with great anticipation and weeks of prolonged binging on food and family. Even with the crass commercialization of the season, it still has a wide appeal to cultures around the world. There is something that warms the heart about a baby being born, and gifts being given to Him. Somehow this has translated into a focus on gift giving to one another. Dave Ramsey reports that for the second year in a row, over 40% of the churches in America have experienced drop in giving to the cause of Christ. The celebration of Christmas does not necessarily translate into a passion for His mission or His church.

Easter season is an even more barren landscape. It is cluttered with cuddly bunnies, baby ducks, pastel eggs, woven baskets, and shredded, plastic greenery. For all the identification that can be inspired by the birth of a baby, Easter is on the opposite extreme of the public relations pendulum. Evidently people do not know what to do with the story of a naked, dying man hanging on a cross. It becomes even more difficult when the story line has him being raised from the dead. This is a much harder sell than a baby shower with presents. Over the years, people have homogenized the Resurrection into a benign celebration of Easter Egg Hunts and new clothes, or a more cynical observation of secular Spring Fest.

Mr. T, the Mohawk coiffed character on the 1980's TV "A-Team," had a stock phrase, "I pity the fool." It was usually reserved for the impending consequences that he was about to deliver on the head of a person who had crossed him or in some way invited his wrath. It was not going to be pretty.

Proverbs points out the width of the chasm between the two choices in life. You either choose to live your life as a wise man or you choose to be a fool. There is no grey area between the lines. God offers clear direction, and consistent course correction for the humble. Prideful people invite consequences that can be expected to impact their lives like the law of gravity on an anvil dropped from a ten story building.

There are few things as sure as the power of the resurrection. There have always been those who could not bring themselves to believe it. When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he was refuting the people of his day who said there was no resurrection of the dead. They were content to believe that Jesus was a good man, but He was also a dead man. They believed that they had received enough input from the wonderful teachings of Jesus to transform them into new creations. They were willing to live according to His teachings, but they were not willing to admit their need to die to themselves. Paul was not very patient with their pride. He said, "You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies...it is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body." (I Cor. 15:36, 42)

The resurrection of Christ is symbolized by the ordinance of believer's baptism. When a person is immersed beneath the waters of the baptismal pool, they are expressing their belief in their own personal death. The act of baptism places a person under the water before they are raised up out of the water. Death precedes new life. New life is predicated on a death. This is not just a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is a symbolic expression of a believer's own admission of their need to die for their sins, but they have chosen to identify with Christ's death on their behalf. The believer's only hope of salvation is the transfer of His death sentence over onto the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is empowered with the Spirit of the Risen Christ.

It is not enough to pick up a few catch phrases and principles from Jesus and then weave them into a personal philosophy of life. This is not going to have the power to transform a guilty person into a forgiven person. This belief system will not turn death into life here on earth or guarantee eternal life in heaven.

It would be foolish to believe that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was solely focused on giving people a good life here on earth. It is true, Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (John 10:10) Well meaning people have described this as a promise of a full and meaningful life here on earth, and not just eternal life in heaven. However, Jesus did not hedge His words when He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:27-28)

Paul understood that putting faith in God was based on the resurrection of Jesus. He saw it as central to the forgiveness of sin on earth, but he also saw the resurrection as the power to fulfill the promise of an eternal destination in heaven. The early disciples were not enamored with this world. Christians around the world identify with this point of view. American Christianity wants heaven on earth. The rest of the world's Christ followers do not live in Disney World. The resurrection gives them hope of a world that is far better than the one they are in right now.

The resurrection should remind us of the Risen Christ's power over death, but also lift our eyes towards heaven. When a baby is born is when we should probably weep. When a saint dies is the time we should be prepared to celebrate. When our vision of a full and meaningful life focuses on our happiness, here in now, it is time for corrective lenses of God's Word. Pity the fool who goes through life, and misses out on God's best for them. The Risen Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He is interceding for us on earth and preparing a place for us in heaven.

"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1)

What's So Good About Good Friday?

"And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun being obscured; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' And having said this, He breathed His last." Luke 23:44-46

From 1980-1983 I served at First Baptist Church of Houston as Minister to Single Adults. Every Friday night we held a Single Adult worship service in the chapel of the church. called
"Single Hearted" It was a regular gathering of Single Adults from all over Houston, and a great alternative to what was being offered on Friday nights. by the Urban Cowboy scene in the city. One night back in 1981, I was catching a ride home with Russ Barksdale, and he popped in a casette tape of a guy named Tony Compolo. He told a story of a preacher he had heard bring a Good Friday message entitled, "It's Friday! Sunday's A Comin' !" He attempted to present the message that he had heard, and even with his second hand effort it was a powerful presentation. It began slowly with a litany of woes that unfolded on the day of the crucifixion, and ended with a crescendo of hope rising above the chaos of Calvary. By the time the tape was over, Barksdale and I were shouting, pounding the dashboard, and perspiring with exhaustion at the exhilaration we received from the truth poured out on us by this obscure professor from Pennyslvania. WOW! I still get a charge out of remembering the first time I heard Compolo deliver that message. It reminds me that things are not always as they seem. When things look their worst, God is often up to His best.

Luke's account of Good Friday is short, but it is not sweet. Rarely in the scope of human language has so much significance been contained within the confines of such a brief phrase. It reveals a cosmic stuggle of epic proportion and all the action is exploding on the scene at once. From the "Holy of Holies" of the Temple mount to the top of Calvary's hill, God is moving to bring about the greatest transfer of debt in the history of the world. Sinful people owe more than they can ever pay back, and God has provided a way for the debt to be removed from their account.

All of the sins of mankind are being placed on the account of the Lamb of God, and He will blot out the stain of debt that is owed. Only the blood of Jesus will satisfy the requirement of the character of God. The separation of sin must be dealt with in order for the barrier between God and man to be removed. Only the spotless Son of God can take away the sin of the world, and build a bridge between the two separated parties. God's character does not allow Him to have fellowship with sin, and the consequence of the divine Law cannot be ignored.

The sun is obscured. The sky is dark, and the veil is torn. The cross has done its worst while God has been up to His best. When Jesus takes His last breath there will no longer be a separation between man and God that only an earthly high priest can mediate once a year. Jesus will take that mantle onto His shoulders. On the cross, he will pay the ultimate price to make it possible for the priesthood of the believer to be sustained by intimate personal, private, prolonged, and prayerful conversation between the Heavenly Father and His children.

A brief reading of this passage does not reveal much good about Good Friday. At first glance, God does not seem to be in control. Chaos is everywhere. Weather is threatening. Traditions are being disrupted. An innocent man is being executed. Death and destruction have taken the high ground and God appears to be on the run.

Later in Luke's account, when we find the disciples trying to process what happened on that day, we find them hiding in fear for their lives, or retreating from the scene of the battle. By Sunday, two disciples were on the Road to Emmaus and were trying to make sense of what they had seen the past three days. Luke's account says, "They were conversing and discussing about all these things which had taken place. And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus approached, and began traveling with them." (Luke 24:13-14)

They had been so consumed with the bad things that they had seen, they could tell when Jesus came into the picture. "And He said to them, 'What are these words that you are exchanging with one another while you are walking?" (Luke 24:17)

The Scripture informs us that the disciples were full of sadness, and short on insight, but that one of them had sarcasm to spare. He said to Jesus, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things that have been happening here in these days?"(Luke 14:18)

The response of Jesus to this question is a precious key that will unlock the door of doubt and allow to the discouraged. His next two words are an invitation for them to drop their disappointment into His hands, and to discover the GOOD about this GOOD FRIDAY. The next two words are perhaps the greatest invitation to prayer that has ever been recorded. "And He said to them, 'What things?' " (Luke 24:19)

What Jesus did for these two disciples was to offer His assistance. He eventually would take the blinders off of their eyes and reveal what God had been doing in the middle of all the chaos around them. He first offered His Presence, and then He pointed them to God's Word. He spent as much time with them as they wanted to spend with Him. The Scripture says that while He was praying the recognized who Jesus was, and then he left them. They were so filled with hope that they returned to the city of Jerusalem and delivered insight and encouragement to the disciples who were hiding in fear. All of this was a result of answering the question of Jesus.

Contemporary disciples would be served well by answering the two word question of Jesus, "What things." Whenever immediate circumstances cloud the vision of a believer, and it appears that God is not in control, Jesus still invites people to let Him make sense out of their confusion. Life is filled with challenges that cause Christ followers to still ask, "What's good about Good Friday?" When events come crashing in on life, and do not make sense to us, only Jesus can make sense out of the senseless. He still invites the discouraged and downhearted to look to Him and respond to His two word request, and unload their doubt to discover His deliverance.