The Road to Easter – The Unexpected Happens

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He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied, by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities…For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:3,11,12b NIV

You may not recognize the name Horatio Spafford, but most of you will be familiar with his most famous work, a poem called “It Is Well with My Soul,” which was set to music and became one of the most beloved hymns in the church. The words would seem to reflect that as followers of Jesus, we enjoy a peaceful, serene life on our road to Easter. “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

However, Spafford didn’t pen these words after a leisurely morning walk through his rose garden but while sitting in a ship’s cabin in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean en route to be with his wife, who had survived a horrible ship accident which resulted in the drowning of their four daughters. Spafford was already well acquainted with grief, having lost his precious two-year-old son only two years before, and had experienced devastating financial ruin. Now, he found himself looking out over the darkness of the ocean water, where days before he had lost his daughters.

The road to Easter is not always lined with flowers and green grass, but we have a Savior who walks the road ahead of us. Spafford could have raised his fists in the air and yelled at the unfairness of life, yet he turned his pain and tears into worship until he could say, “It is well with my soul.”

I knew as I started this Lenten series on the road to Easter that I would come across some challenging, interesting, and faith-filled stories. I found as I read and reread each encounter, my own faith walk was encouraged.  I had never spent much time considering one man who Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give a brief mention. However, he played a significant, but unplanned role, Simon from Cyrene.

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” (Mark 15:21, see also Matt 27:32, Luke 23:26)

Jesus was betrayed by Judas, arrested, deserted by his disciples, received a false trial, denied by Peter, faced condemnation by the religious leaders, and endured hours of beatings and mockery. Then, according to Roman law, he was required to carry the crossbeam for his execution. Jesus was now physically and emotionally drained, not only carrying the weight of all humankind but also the added burden of the cross itself.

Then along came Simon, simply minding his own business. Suddenly, a Roman soldier pulled him out of the crowd and forced him to carry the cross of this condemned man. Simon was passing through the area; he hadn’t planned to be involved, and he wasn’t part of the mob crying out for Jesus’ death. He may have been in town for business or, more likely, in Jerusalem as part of the Passover celebration. For whatever reason, Simon found himself literally on the road to Easter.

Simon’s role was cast upon him unexpectedly. He had other plans to do that day, but they were put on hold. He found himself taking up the cross of Jesus and following him to Calvary. Along the way, he heard the crowd yelling, the soldiers barking out orders, and the quiet resolve of a man who had been tortured and mocked, speaking encouragement to his followers and bearing the brunt of humanity’s sinfulness. Simon saw the whip scars on Jesus’ back, watched the blood trickling down his face, and heard his groans.

As Simon struggled under the load of the cross, I can’t help but imagine the words of Isaiah coming to his mind, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But 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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

The unexpected happened that day on Simon’s Road to Easter. These are some of my thoughts as I meditated upon this short verse about Simon that had so little information. What was going through Simon’s mind as the weight of the cross was lifted from his shoulders? Did he linger with the others that afternoon, watching Jesus upon the cross? What did Simon feel as the darkness descended upon the hill, the ground shook, and the eerie stillness when Jesus spoke, “It is finished.”

It is in times of the unexpected that we can feel abandoned and hopeless as we face the struggles and challenges of the road. Judah Smith writes, “When we understand that Jesus is here, however, we can make it through anything. People who know that Jesus loves them, who know that Jesus is with them and for them—those people can not only endure pain and loss and difficulty, they can come out the other side stronger and better people. They can be more alive than a person who sits in prosperous ease but is apart from Jesus.”

It was in the pain of the unexpected that Horatio Spafford worshipped. It was in the unexpected that Simon encountered Jesus. Scripture doesn’t say any more about Simon. So why even mention his name?  Church tradition says he and his family became committed followers of Jesus, and ultimately, Simon was martyred for his faith.

Jesus welcomes all who will walk this Road to Easter, even if the road begins with the unexpected. “It is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” (G.K. Chesterton)

God is great! We can know because Easter is coming!

The Road to Easter – Coming Out of the Shadows

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Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God. John 3:1-2 NRSV

“Bond. James Bond.” Most of you have heard this iconic line even if you have never watched a James Bond movie. These were the opening words Sean Connery spoke in the first of many Bond movies.  Ian Fleming’s novels brought us some of the most classic spy thrillers of our time, many based upon his life as a former spy. The Bond movies would bring us a James Bond who would be bigger than life and paint us a glamorous view of spy life. The 25 feature-length movies have been played by six different “Bonds” in the action-packed world of MI-6 agents battling evil.

Fictional spies come in a myriad of character types, from debonair figures such as Sean Connery’s James Bond, tightly wound but morally just, Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, daredevil Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, or bumbling Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart Agent 86. Fictional spies can be entertaining but the real world of spying has its own unique characters. Spies such as patriot Nathan Hale whose last words before his hanging were, “I only regret that I have but one life to give to my country” or World War II American spy Virginia Hall who was on the Gestapo’s most wanted list. Whether fictional or real spies, they all have the same common denominator, their work is done in the shadows.

The journey on the road to Easter has often started in the shadows for people. Scripture recounts the journey of Nicodemus who came in the shadows asking Jesus lots of questions. Nicodemus was a leader within the Jewish community of faith, trained in rabbinic laws and regulations, and held a seat in the powerful and influential Sanhedrin. Yet he came in the shadows seeking something more.

“Even as the kingdom of God was moving among the poor and the outcast, it was also moving among the powerful, in the very councils that wrote his death sentence, flashing pinpricks of light into a dark world.” (Daniel Darling)

Jesus welcomed Nicodemus to come out of the shadows and sit by the Light. Jesus sat patiently listening to this religious leader question him about who he was, how was he able to do what he was doing, where his power came from and the hardest for him, how could he be born again. Jesus welcomes those who come from the shadows and just like Nicodemus, patiently lets you express your doubts, fears, questions, and concerns.

Nicodemus’ life-changing encounter with Jesus opened the door for Jesus to beautifully and simply tell him and the world why he came. It would be out of Nicodemus’ probing questions that would come probably the most familiar and memorized passage of scripture through the generations of followers. It is a verse that would become part of the core of Christian faith, a verse that learned scholars such as Nicodemus could grapple with, football players could wear to publicly express their faith, or an eight-year-old boy at a small church revival could understand, and have his life changed forever.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NASB)

“How wonderful to know that Christianity is more than a padded pew or a dim cathedral, but that it is a real, living, daily experience which goes on from grace to grace.” Jim Elliot

Nicodemus came to Jesus in the shadow with questions that didn’t line up with his traditions and faith. The bottom line for Nicodemus’ questioning was to find out who this Jesus was and why he should follow him. R.C. Sproul writes of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus that he didn’t rebuke him for his questions but in keeping “with our Lord’s refusal to put out a faith that, being mingled with fear, seems to be a smoldering wick.” “A bent reed He will not break off and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish” (Isaiah 42:3a)

Scripture doesn’t record when Joseph of Arimathea began his journey on the road to Easter. What we do know is that when other followers of Jesus were running and hiding, he came out of the shadows. All four writers of the Gospel acknowledged his actions. “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matt 27:57-60)

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea both came to Jesus in secret searching for answers and probably knowing they would lose their positions of religious power if they became followers. Yet in the end both used their political influence and personal wealth to declare their faith in Jesus. Their actions ultimately set the scene for one of the great apologetic reasons for our faith, proof of an empty tomb!

Oswald Chambers expressed what Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and countless other followers through the years have learned, that “Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason—a life of knowing Him who calls us to go.”

I am grateful the stories of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were included in Scripture as they came to Jesus in the shadows but were willing to say yes to his call in their lives. They were uncertain and most likely had unresolved questions but through their actions, they declared Jesus was worth it!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” (I Peter 1:3-4 NASB)

God is great!

The Road to Easter – Twelve Unlikely Followers

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If anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

Would you get a little pushback if you named a major airport after the son of a gangster? You probably think that might be a most unlikely scenario, but you would be wrong. Chicago O’Hare International Airport was named after Edward “Butch” O’Hare the U.S. Navy’s first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. O’Hare was killed in action on November 26, 1943.

Butch O’Hare was the son of Edward “Easy Eddie” O’Hare, a major figure in Chicago’s criminal syndicate in the 20’s and 30’s. O’Hare chose a path of life that led him into a lifetime business of crime, eventually becoming a partner with the legendary mobster Al Capone. Young O’Hare could have followed in his father’s footsteps except his father made a decision that would change the destiny of his family’s legacy. The one thing that Easy Eddie valued more than anything was his family which led to a decision that ultimately cost him his life. Easy Eddie decided to work with the government and testified against Capone which led to the conviction and imprisonment of Capone. O’Hare’s decision resulted in his being gunned down in the streets of Chicago, but his action gave his son the opportunity to go a different direction in life.

Butch O’Hare walked an unlikely road toward honor and respectability because of his father’s sacrifice for his family. Scripture records the journey of twelve unlikely followers of Jesus on their road to Easter. A group of men as diverse as you could get coming from different backgrounds, social statuses, and occupations. The group was made up of several fishermen, a tax collector, a carpenter, a financial whiz (Judas), an undercover spy, and some we don’t know about. Yet they all had one thing in common:  A man called Jesus.

“So why did they give it all up to follow a wandering preacher? The same question faces people today. Why did this person give up a promising legal career to become a preacher, throwing away a lifetime of high earnings for the insecurity and poverty of pastoring and teaching a church? Why did that person abandon her remarkable gift as a singer in order to study theology and get ordained? Why did this person become a teacher, that one a prison governor, this one a monk, that one a missionary? And – since these more obvious callings are only the tip of the iceberg of Christian vocation—why do Christians in millions of other walks of life regularly give up lifestyles and practices that look attractive and lucrative in order to maintain honesty, integrity, faith hope and love? The answer can only be in Jesus himself. (N.T. Wright, From Wilderness to Glory)

Following Jesus on the road to Easter should have been easy but it was anything but easy. They were expecting the Messiah and Jesus seemed to fit the bill. However, their stories on the road to Easter were filled with drama and tension as they encountered a different version of the Messiah than expected. They heard Jesus talk about compassion and kindness, yet when confronted with the woman pouring her most treasured possession upon Jesus, the disciples failed the test. “When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matt 26:8-9)

These disciples watched Jesus walking the road to Easter with humility and a servant’s heart. They heard Jesus tell the crowd that blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, are meek, righteous, pure in heart, and peacemakers. Yet as they talked about the kingdom of God, it wasn’t about how to have a servant-heart but about positions of power and influence. James and John had the audacity to ask for key positions of leadership (Mark 10:37) which only infuriated the others. “When the ten heard about this they became indignant with James and John.” (10:41)

Jesus walked the road to Easter with the twelve so He could model what faith could look like for them and, ultimately for us. He healed the blind man, cured the uncurable, restored a little girl, and called down Zaccheaus from a tree. He praised the poor woman who gave all she had for an offering and raised Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus walked on water, and every day his disciples watched him saturate his daily life in prayer.

Jesus’ disciples were twelve ordinary men who found themselves struggling with doubt, faith, jealousy, confusion, fear, and betrayal. Judas would turn away from the road to Easter and quit the journey in infamy. The other eleven would keep walking with faltering steps until they finished their journey.

“In our surrender, we must give ourselves to God in the same way He gave Himself for us—totally, unconditionally, and without reservation. The consequences and circumstances resulting from our surrender will never even enter our mind, because our life will be totally consumed with Him.” (Oswald Chambers)

These eleven unlikely followers of Jesus finished their road to Easter “totally, unconditionally, and without reservation.” These eleven who had quarreled, questioned, and even quit occasionally came to understand what it meant to be a disciple of the only One who could give them life. They would take Jesus’ message into every corner of the known world, sharing the Gospel and making disciples even though it would cost their lives and comfort.

Scripture only records the death of Judas and James. However early church writers claimed all except John were martyred, some by crucifixion, burning, stoning, stabbing, or some other form of cruelty. John survived being cast into boiling oil in Rome, being exiled to Patmos but died a natural death.

Would these unlikely followers walk this road to Easter again? Peter, who was crucified upside down according to tradition, because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus, sums it up well in the book of Acts. “Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)

God is great!

The Road to Easter – Mary’s Journey

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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 NIV

Easter – cute little bunnies or a rugged cross, church services or spring break, chocolate, or fasting. Most Americans still view Easter according to a BarnaGroup survey as a religious event but only a minority linked Easter to the Christian faith’s belief in the resurrection of Jesus. Regardless of your church traditions related to Lent, we all can use this season as a time of preparation, reflection, and repentance as we journey toward Easter.

The pages of Scripture are filled with the stories of men and women whom God used to prepare the road that ultimately Jesus would walk on as Savior. Men and women of faith and failure, vision and blindness, obedience and rebellion defined those that God used. Jesus’ steps on the road were made ready through God’s mercy and grace until the final fulfillment on Calvary.

We all know Mary’s story at Christmas but what about her own journey towards Easter? We often forget Mary’s road to Easter came because of her yes to God’s invitation to join in the greatest story that would ever be told, a story of redemption, grace, and mercy.

Mary gets a brief mention from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth. Birth announcements were not Mark and John’s thing in writing their accounts of the gospel story but we learn a lot about Mary from Luke’s account. Mary heard an announcement that would change her life and all the generations that followed. “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.” (Luke 1:30-31)

God asked Mary to do what seemed impossible and was willing to wait for her answer. Mary’s journey toward Easter would not be easy, she was afraid, not married, young, and seemingly unsuited for such a task. What if Mary had said no? What would God do?

God would have respected Mary’s decision but it wouldn’t have changed God’s plan of redemption, but it would have changed what God was going to do through Mary. She would have missed out on God’s blessings for her and she would have missed out on God’s touch of intimacy in her life.

Mary’s no would still have found her cooking suppers for her family but not for God. Mary would still have cleaned house, made conversation with her neighbors, walked to the market daily, went to the temple to worship as a good religious woman, and would still have done a myriad of routine things.

What an amazing difference for Mary when she said yes. Her yes gave her the joy of feeding the King of Kings, clothing the Royal Priest daily, and watching with joy as the Prince of Peace played.

Mary could have said no but at what cost though her yes would not have been an easy answer either. She would hear all the hateful talk about her son, the gossip from the neighbors about her and Joseph, the sleepless nights worrying about Jesus as he traveled from village to village and finally the horror of watching her son being beaten, spit on, and finally nailed to a cross.

“Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ? Make a determination to go on through the crisis surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.”—Oswald Chambers

Each of the Gospel writers highlighted different aspects of the final moments of Jesus’ death yet each made special note of the women who held vigilance at the cross. Each one listed different women by name, as well as a general grouping, but only John recorded Mary’s name among the women who gathered in those heart-rendering moments of Jesus’ final hours. What Mary must have felt watching his excruciating suffering, his cries of pain, and yet for her to hear Jesus speak his final words, “It is finished” and remember the angel’s word to her, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”(Luke 1:32-33)

It’s easy to say, well God already knew she would say yes because God does know everything. However, God chose Mary because of her tender spirit.  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38) Can the same be said of us today? Do we have hearts tender and open to God?  He waits for us patiently and will walk with us as we make our decisions.

Would Mary have said yes if she had known what lay ahead? Thankfully she didn’t know just as we don’t know what lies ahead. Yet because she trusted God’s mercy and grace in the same way we are called to trust in faith and obedience, I am certain the answer would be yes.

As we walk on this path towards Easter, I found this quote from an old Puritan writer that expresses our journey well, “Christ often embitters our comforts that he may be all the more sweeter. Outside of God there is nothing fit to secure the soul upon. Riches, honours, friends, etc., are not given for security to rest upon, but for comforts in our way to heaven.” (Richard Sibbes)

Walking on this road to Easter we will find times of great stress and uncomfortable situations, yet as Jesus walked ahead of us, we know Easter does bring hope and new life.

God is great!

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Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Deut 10:22 NASB

How many ways can you combine six Lego bricks? If you are one of my grandkids, the possibilities are endless. If it is me, you might get a fence, a short tower, or maybe a tiny house for ants but not much more. LEGO supposedly answered that question in 1974 with possible combinations of 102,981,500. This is a few more than I could come up with, but if you give the six pieces to mathematician, Soren Eilers, you might be surprised. Eilers is a mathematics professor at the University of Copenhagen.

During a visit to the Denmark LEGOLAND, he questioned that number. So, like any good mathematician, he went to work on developing a software program to determine the actual combinations you could get from six little Lego bricks each with eight studs. What’s your guess? Chances are unless you know the answer you might be surprised. LEGO was way off their calculations.  There are 915,103,765 possible permutations with just six little bricks!

It had been an amazing but long day for the disciples as they watched Jesus teach and heal the sick. The crowd had grown through the day and now evening was fast approaching with thousands of people sitting on the hillside. The disciples recognized the situation and how late it was getting. Out of compassion, or panic, they worried about the crowd’s welfare and reminded Jesus, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging because we are in a remote place here.” (Luke 9:12)

It was a good common sense suggestion until Jesus asked Philip an interesting question. “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” (John 6:5) Scripture doesn’t say, but Philip probably looked around at the crowd and his fellow disciples and gave the best answer he could. “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Can you imagine if you had been sitting on the grass with Jesus and he gave you six LEGO bricks and told you to build a model spaceship? That’s probably about how far-fetched it sounded to the disciples when they were told to feed the crowd – five thousand men, not counting the women and children.

Faith sometimes feels like you are facing an impossible task. You find yourself in circumstances that leave you struggling with doubt and fear. You have reached your limits and yet you hear Jesus say, “You give them something to eat.” With what?

Andrew, another of the disciples, was trying to figure out the probability of feeding so many people with so very little. Andrew found Jesus was always asking questions that didn’t make sense, simply to test them, was this one of them? So he mustered all the faith he could find for that moment and spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)

Philip gave a good logical, managerial answer on how to solve the problem. Andrew started thinking outside the box, but he found his box too small. The other disciples just sat there looking at a growing, restless, and hungry crowd. I am sure they had compassion for the people but what could be done? That’s a question we have all asked when facing a daunting problem.

“Faith seldom questions God’s power, but it doubts whether he is willing. But he is as willing as he is able! His goodness is infinite, and so nothing less than his omnipotence. He is willing to hear, as you are to pray; as willing to grant, as you are to ask; and as willing for you to have, as you desire to have it.” (David Clarkson)

Nicholas Winton was a 29-year-old stockbroker in London during the early days of Hitler’s rise to power. Most people ask the question similar to what Philip did to Jesus that day, What can we do? It would take resources beyond our abilities. Winton’s motto in life was “If something is not impossible, then there must be a way to do it” which led him to undertake a seemingly impossible mission: the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the nine months before war broke out in 1939.

Winton traveled to Prague for a week to aid refugees. His week-long trip would turn into a full-time operation. He said of the unfolding humanitarian crisis “I have seen this and I cannot unsee it.” With the help of his wife Barbara and other volunteers, they undertook the challenge of evacuating children from Prague and relocating to the U.K. (Armani Syrd, Time)

The final train with 250 children didn’t make it out of Prague and all the children were sent to concentration camps with only two surviving the war. Yet because of Winton’s efforts to give life to the 669 children who did make it, over the years it has given life to over 6,000 children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren.  Winton wore a ring given by some of the rescued children that bore a line from the Talmud, “Save One Life. Save the World.” (Max Lucado, A Heart for Children)

Soren Eilers took six plastic molded LEGO bricks and found 915,103,765 possibilities. Jesus took a small boy’s offering of five pieces of bread and two small fish and fed a crowd. Nicholas Winton’s small step gave life to over 6,000 others.

What are the possibilities? Faith opens those doors beyond our imagination because of a God who does the impossible. This week begins the journey towards the ultimate rescue operation, Easter. One man gave himself to save the world!

God is great!

God’s Grace Is Never Redundant

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Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 NIV

I came to realize after a midnight emergency surgery as an eight-year-old that I could live a long and fruitful life without my appendix. It may be considered a redundant organ, but it sure caused me a tremendous amount of pain when it ruptured. It wouldn’t be considered a redundant organ for a second grader when you had to miss being in the school’s Christmas program. According to scientists, certain body organs adjusted to changing circumstances which forced them to adapt to the changes such as the appendix, wisdom teeth, and goosebumps. Now, I never realized that goosebumps were considered a body part until writing this post.

The lowly little appendix though is a great example of something making a comeback. New research shows the appendix may have an essential role in gut health, helping the immune system fight pathogens and houses bacteria that repopulate the gut microbiome after an illness or antibiotic use. (info from an article by Julia Craven) “Sometimes redundancy has a way of showing up under certain conditions; they’re not truly redundant. Going back to the appendix it’s been suggested that it does have a use,” according to Michael Snyder, director of the Snyder Lab at Stanford University.

There are natural causes for body organ changes but there is also a burgeoning plastic surgery business in body part changes. If it can be tucked, tightened, folded, adjusted, enlarged, or decreased you will find a booming business. Americans alone spent approximately $26 Billion on plastic or cosmetic surgery according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Globally that amount increases to $112 Billion with Brazil leading the world in cosmetic surgeries but the United States dominating in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Getting a liposuction was the most popular surgical procedure worldwide in 2023.

People may spend billions to get their body parts moved and realigned but spend precious little time on critical soul issues such as anger, anxiety, idolatry, bitterness, rage, slander, pride, and the list goes on. Plastic surgeons may give amazing results with all the money spent worldwide but can you imagine what a difference it would make if we chose to focus on doing some soul surgery?

The Apostle Paul may not have been a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, but he did have some valuable insight on what makes a person truly beautiful. Writing in the book of Ephesians he proposed some major surgical removals. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” His post-surgical recommendation followed, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32 NIV)

Paul understood long before society would be spending mega-billions on plastic surgery procedures that it would have limited value. The best Plastic Surgeon can only give temporary results, but Paul had a more eternal perspective in mind when he wrote, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:23-24)

Megan Fate Marshman, in her book, Relaxed writes, “First, we open our hearts and come out of hiding to our God who loves us. Crack open anxiety, worry, envy, jealousy, arrogance, pride, laziness, lust, disobedience. We can’t do this in a day because our hearts didn’t get that way in a day.”

March 5 begins the season of Lent when a large part of the church family celebrates 40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter. Historically it has been a time of giving up something with the intended purpose of drawing nearer to God. Instead of giving up something material such as coffee, chocolate, or electronics, can you imagine the impact if more focus on some of the things Paul mentioned? Granted it is harder to deal with anger than to give up chocolate but focusing on Paul’s lists would be life-changing.

I am not big on Christian cliché but one that makes a lot of sense is, “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.”  Jesus understood fully that we would struggle to transform our lives and made provision that we wouldn’t have to do it alone. “Spiritual disciplines do not transform you. They open you to the God who can.” (Dr. John Coe) The transformed life starts and ends with Christ within you.

Jesus gave us an amazing way to deal with our soul’s burdens, himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Now that is a transformation that lasts forever!

God is great!

Groundhog Day Living

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The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8

One of the most profound questions asked yesterday wasn’t spoken from the pulpits of our churches, nor the echelons of Washington power brokers but from a crowd gathered in Punxsutawney, Penn. The monumental question, “Did Phil see his shadow?” has high expectations around the world on Groundhog Day as people wait for one of the most famous weather “persons” to give his forecast, Punxsutawney Phil. Living in his luxurious home at Gobbler’s Knob outside of Punxsutawney, this little groundhog has one job, to forecast spring or continue winter.

If Phil sees his shadow, we have six more weeks of winter but if he does not, then it is a forecast of an early spring. This tradition of forecasting dates back hundreds of years, but Punxsutawney Phil has been doing this job since 1887. You would think after that many years of predicting he should be pretty good at his job but Phil only gets it right about 39% of the time!

Punxsutawney Phil found his stardom when he met the cynical television weatherman Phil Connors in the 1993 fantasy comedy, “Groundhog Day”. Weatherman Phil played by Bill Murray is sent on his annual trek to Punxsutawney to do his weather show. The problem, though, is that Phil hates the assignment, and shows only contempt for the locals and his co-workers. As fate would have it, a blizzard forces everyone to stay overnight after the Groundhog Day festivities. He awakes to Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” playing on the radio which will be Phil’s story as he has to relive Groundhog Day over and over in a continuous time loop. The loop forces him to relive his daily life as he goes from an angry, resentful, and frustrated person to a compassionate, caring individual who finally breaks the loop as a changed man.

Groundhog Day may not be listed among the great movies such as Casablanca, Titanic, the Star Wars movie sagas, It’s A Wonderful Life or the Rocky series but it did have an impact on the cultural definition of language. Groundhog Day isn’t just about weather forecasting but now expresses a life that is monotonous, unpleasant, repetitive, unwelcome, tedious, or recurring.

Doc is a new TV series where the lead character, a doctor, is involved in a car wreck resulting in the loss of her last eight years of memory. What she lost in those eight years was the knowledge of her son’s death, the estrangement with her daughter, and her divorce. Following the death of her son, she had become cold, harsh, and critical of her fellow doctors, staff, and patients. The new version of her life resembles her old self. No longer carrying the baggage of the last eight years she has become again a caring and compassionate doctor. I’m not sure where the show is going but it has been interesting to watch as she begins a new life.

Phil Connors got to replay his life over and over again. I can think of times when I wish I could have had a Groundhog Day; mistakes I have made, words not spoken well, redoing a decision made, or simply doing something different. However, like everyone else, I didn’t have that opportunity.

What I did get, and what is available to everyone is grace. God has opened the pathway for us to move forward with forgiveness and redemption. God doesn’t let us get caught in a Groundhog Day but beautifully reassures us “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) Unlike the TV doctor who loses her memory, God chooses to extend grace and forgiveness to us. He no longer holds our past against us but restores and makes us whole again. He gives us a totally new story that we can tell.

Whether Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow or not, it really doesn’t matter. Spring will come whether it is tomorrow or six weeks from now. Ultimately Phil is simply a cute little groundhog but in God, we have a God who loves us giving us life, hope, and a new beginning.

The families of those who died in the horrendous plane crash last week in Washington D.C. would give anything for a Groundhog Day. The tragic loss of husbands, wives, children, and friends leaves us without words to adequately express the sorrow all of us feel at this time. Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University speaking to the students following the news of one of their own, 20-year-old Grace Maxwell, who died in the crash said,

“Death seems wrong. It seems wrong because God didn’t create this world to be this way. Death came into this world because sin came into this world. And so, for us to see this death and think this is not right, it’s normal. Friends, it’s moments like these where your worldview matters most. When we recognize this is not the way it should be. So, we grieve and we’re sad, and we don’t know why a young, bright, shining star was taken from us way too soon, but we know there’s a God that will make all things new.”

Dr. White closed with the words, “This is not the end, and one day, the Jesus that we bear in common will wipe away every tear, and he’ll create a new creation where there will be no more death and no more sadness and no more sorrow, and that’s the way it was meant to be.” (Jesse T. Jackson, ChurchLeaders)

There will be days when you feel you are trapped in a Groundhog Day and equally there will be special days when you would like for the day to be a Groundhog Day. However, either way, it will still fall short of being caught up in a God-shaped day.

God-shaped days are new every morning, directed by God who loves us. We listen silently as he sings over us, trusting him when we cry out for help, resting in the strength of Jesus interceding for us and knowing God is ever-present.

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” Psalm 34:8 The Message

God is great!

Is There No End to Evil?

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For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matthew 15:19 NIV

Daniel left his home in Nigeria with the promise of a life-changing opportunity in the UK. Instead, this young Nigerian came face to face with evil becoming a victim of the nearly 50 million people in the global slavery trade. The numbers include boys and girls, men and women who are held in bondage as sex slaves, domestic servants, and child soldiers. (Global Slavery Index) However, Daniel was part of a growing segment of slavery dedicated to organ harvesting. “He was going to literally be cut up like a piece of meat, take what they wanted out of him and then stitch him back up,” according to Cristina Huddleston with the Justice and Care organization. Roughly 10% of all transplants worldwide are believed to be illegal.

Evil works to undermine God’s creation by dehumanizing mankind and creating mayhem. It acts out in the recent murder of Brian Thompson in NYC but is even worse when many praise the murder. Another is the dehumanizing of Lily Phillips, a 23-year-old Londoner who had sex with 100 men in 24 hours and chronicled it online for her OnlyFans subscribers. (James Emery White, Church&Culture)

Is there no end to what evil will do? Evil has filled the pages of history with its devastation, horror, and suffering. Evil has scarred humankind in various forms from the slave traffickers of old and the present, the deviant hearts of men such as Hitler, Stalin, and Judas, the devasting natural effects of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, or the ideological madness that would fly planes into buildings killing thousands. Evil may have no limit in what it will do but it has an adversary in God who hears the cries of his creation.

God stands at the crossroads against the vile cruelty and injustice carried out, to push back the darkness. “Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record? Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9) David’s cry for help has been the cry of the innocent throughout history, “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Ps 57:1)

Two significant events that looked evil boldly in the face stand back to back on the calendar this month, Sanctity of Life Sunday and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Both days approached an evil with the same God-driven passion for justice and mercy bringing hope and life to its victims. Both have the foundational understanding that all of humanity was created in God’s image and deserve to be treated with respect.

Yesterday marked Sanctity of Life Sunday. Many churches set aside the day to commemorate the importance of human life. The day fosters an awareness of the impact that abortion has had on society, highlights the driving forces behind the “why” someone would choose an abortion, and most importantly, reaffirms the dignity and purpose of God-given life. “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”—Psalm 8:2

Monday marks a uniquely American observance commemorating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. This Baptist pastor could have kept busy with the pressing needs of his local congregation. Yet, Dr. King felt the burden to face the evils caused by racial injustice. Bill Gaultiere writes, “Dr. King’s love for Jesus and his experience as a pastor changed how he and his followers rallied against racial inequality. He insisted the fight for freedom must be walked in Jesus’ way of peace and non-violence.”

We have a Savior who is not above our difficulties nor turns away from us but has descended into the very pits of destruction and hopelessness to be with us. Os Guinness writes, “No other god has wounds.”

Can we trust God to help us as we face the crippling effects caused by the forces of wickedness? Pastor and author Jim Denison wrote, “God understands our suffering because he has experienced it with us. I know this is a commonplace observation for Christians, but no other religion in human history has made such a claim. The Greeks would never have suggested that Zeus feels our pain. Muslims view Allah as distant and impervious to our fallenness. Buddhists and Hindus view ultimate reality as impersonal and cannot imagine this Reality being born in a cave, laid in a feed trough, and dying on a cross.”

Dr. King when facing threats and ready to give up prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid…I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” Dr. King then wrote, “At that moment, I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced God before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, Stand up for justice, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever. Almost at once, my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.” (Stride Toward Freedom)

God knows our pains, has known the pains of those who have gone before us and will know the pain of those who come after us. Evil, wickedness, and destruction have met their match in God who loves us, cares for us, and walks with us. Baptist pastor and denominational leader Paul Powell once wrote “To solve man’s basic problem, we must give him a new heart. We must change the seat of his moral, spiritual, and intellectual being. He must be made right on the inside.”

Evil’s hold on mankind was broken when Jesus spoke his last words on the cross, “It is finished!” The darkness was broken, the barrier to God torn apart and grace poured out. Yes, the ugliness of evil still scars the land but God continues to reclaim, recreate, and bring light to His creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17)

God is great!

Another Year, Another Resolution

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Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 NASB

Is it just me or are there more people in the gym this morning? You may have said this to yourself last week since most gyms, health centers, or fitness groups get a large increase in new or old members returning—the main reason: New Year’s resolutions. The leading resolutions include losing weight and getting fit. If you have a gym membership don’t lose heart, only 9% of Americans keep them. So, by February you should be back to sweating alone.

Making resolutions for the new year is nothing new since the practice dates back to ancient times. The Babylonians as far back as 2000 B.C. celebrated with a 12-day festival. A major resolution for them was the return of borrowed farm equipment. The tradition of resolutions was adopted by the ancient Romans when they made promises of good behavior for the coming year. Knights of the Middle Ages would renew their vows to chivalry by placing their hands on a peacock.

Resolutions to change something within oneself have been most prevalent. A Boston newspaper carried a story in 1813 highlighting why resolutions were made. “And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behavior, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.” (Catherine Boeckmann, The Old Farmer’s Almanac)

Resolutions have shifted over time with the culture. The top two resolutions according to a Gallup Poll in 1947 were, “Improve my disposition, be more understanding, control my temper and Improve my character, live a better life.” The top two resolutions today are “lose weight and get organized.”

Resolutions to lose weight, get fit, be better organized, spend less, save more, or spend more time with family are all good things. So why do so many of us fail to keep our resolutions? Who doesn’t want to be skinnier, more muscular, more organized, and simply better?

We often fail because of the “why” we are making the resolution. Similarly, we fail because it is hard to stay motivated with a resolution that starts with a negative focus,  resolutions that have no accountability or we simply fail to keep them because they are really not important to us.

Maybe the medieval knights were on the right road when they renewed their vow to chivalry. Their resolutions were focused on the greater good of others, not themselves. “Over the years, however, resolutions seem to have migrated from denying physical indulgences to general self-improvement, like losing weight. While it may seem superficial, medical sociologist Natalie Boero of San Jose State University suggests that today’s resolutions are also a reflection of status, financial wealth, responsibility, and self-discipline—which isn’t that different from how the New Year’s resolution tradition began.” (Boeckmann)

You could get some good advice from Paul in his letter to the Ephesians about writing your resolutions. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NASB)

“So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with Him and develop a relationship with Him. This is impossible to do.” (Jerry Bridges)

Resolutions that begin with the focus on us are harder to maintain over the course of time. Resolutions that begin with a focus on something or someone else stand a greater amount of success. This is the reason a daily resolve to walk with God will last not only for the year but throughout eternity.

I do not even pretend to resolve to keep my office organized but occasionally in a fit of organizing, I do come across treasures. This week in cleaning out a file I found a bit of spiritual history, a most fitting piece in this resolution-making season. The why I kept it is beyond me but I found Jeannie Elliff’s 2007 goals or if you will, resolutions.  Whatever the reason, it was a good reminder to me to always set my goals/resolutions Godward. Though Jeannie walked through Heaven’s doors several years ago, she left behind a legacy of faith for others to follow.

Jeannie was a missionary, pastor wife but most importantly, a child of God. Henry Blackaby wrote, “One of the best ways to prevent your heart from growing cold is to regularly talk with God.” You may not have known Jeannie but her quiet, dignified life was marked with a fire for God that she kept burning throughout her life. She titled her goals, “Joy in the Journey,” which was quite appropriate for someone who took time to walk with God daily, a life singularly purposed on pleasing God.

  1. I will purpose to have conduct worthy of the gospel. Phil 1:27-29
  2. I will display a selfless humility. Phil 2:3-8
  3. I will keep striving to know Christ. Phil 3:7-11

Whatever resolutions you make this year, let each one of them reflect the great joy and hope that you have in Jesus. Though I am not a prolific resolution maker, there is one that I desire to be central to my life story. I resolve to make this one life that I have been given to be lived in the fullness of God’s purposes for me, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20-21)

I pray you experience the joy and blessing of walking closely with God this year.

God is great!

Get Ready, 2025 Is Here

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Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

“Dear Santa, if you haven’t time to pick out things for me, just leave everything you’ve got.” I have my doubts this little girl got everything but you have to admit she made sure all her bases were covered. This was the first published letter to Santa Claus in the Tampa Bay Tribune in 1899. Though there is no exact number of letters sent to Santa, estimates range from half a million to eight million letters sent annually.

“Today, despite the advent of more modern communications like email and texting, hundreds of thousands of children, from all over the globe, continue to send their Christmas wish lists to Santa using old-fashioned snail mail.”  (Alicia Ault, Smithsonian Institute)

Letters have ranged in requests like the one from Ayden in Tennessee who says, “I’m 11 years old and I think I’ve been really good this year. My favorite things are dinosaurs and space” to those needing help like 14-year-old Maddison from Maryland, “Hello, how are you? Please if I can ask you to help me and my mom for the Christmas holiday…Mom pays the bills, she’s a great mom.”

Occasionally, letters include ones like Tenisha, a mother of two, “My wish is to bring a smile to my children’s faces this year. These past few years have been really challenging for us, financially. If there is any way for you to bless me with a gift card at a grocery store…to buy groceries to make them a memorable holiday dinner, I would appreciate it.” I hope Tenisha got what she asked for because there are a lot of great non-profits and churches meeting the practical needs of families.

Santa letters originally originated from parents before the focus changed to children asking for things. Mom and Dad would write to their children, normally focusing on their actions and behavior, on behalf of Santa Claus. J.R.R. Tolkien left his children elaborately illustrated updates on “Father Christmas and his life in the North Pole—filled with red gnomes, snow elves, and his chief assistant, the North Polar bear.” (Alex Palmer, Gundir agency)

Parents throughout the years have sought to help capture a bit of fantasy for their children yet not lose the reality of Christmas which is the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Corrie ten Boom said it well, “Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”

This Christmas season is over and the New Year is fast approaching. As we enter this liminal space between Christmas and New Year, it is a time of mixed emotions. In many ways there is always a sense of relief, there are no more shopping lists, concerts, or events to attend and yet there is a sadness as we will miss all the activities, the hype, and the anticipation of Christmas. This liminal time finds many of us taking down the decorations, sending out thank you notes, and watching lots of bowl games. It is also a special time to reflect upon the old year and think about what is ahead in the coming year.

If we look at 2024 as unwrapped gifts lying all around us in a heap, they are just a memory now. We look at many of the 2024 days as ordinary, practical, simply get out of bed days, nothing spectacular kind of days but each so needed for life. We were also blessed with a few gifts that were amazing days such as the birth of a new baby, that promotion at work, a new friend that speaks into our soul, or those incredible sunrises we saw on vacation. Unfortunately, not every gift of 2024 was a day we really wanted such as the death of a family member, a close friend moving to another state, that terminal diagnosis, or the 30 days of continuous rain. Yet, in each of the 2024 days, we can see the hand of God moving in our lives. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17 NIV)

The gift of 2025 will come to us in a couple of days. There is always a bit of fear not knowing what lies ahead but there is also a lot of excitement on what the year will bring. If history holds true then the vast majority of days will be those ordinary, practical, simply get-out-of-bed days but we will get a few spectacular gifts that we will treasure because of their priceless value. Thomas Merton penned a beautiful prayer of guidance in his book, “Thoughts in Solitude.”

“My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

We do not know what 2025 will bring but we do know God’s love and presence will be with us daily. “So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb 13:6 NIV)

Wishing you a blessed and hope-filled New Year.

God is great!