Doubt Mixed with Hope

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We have seen the Lord! But (Thomas) said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” …Jesus came (and to Thomas) “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” …Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:28-29

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Matthew 28:16-17

I can’t do that! I will never be able to climb to the top! I’m afraid! I will never believe that unless I see it! The word doubt is defined as: “To be uncertain or skeptical about; be undecided about. To tend to disbelieve; distrust.” Have you ever doubted? You are not alone since research shows 85% of people suffer from self-doubt. According to management expert Jamie Taets, “So many times, we compare our potential and confidence to those around us, yet they too are doubting themselves.”

Barna, in a similar study, shared that two-thirds of Christians face doubt. Spiritual doubt has been a reality for many on their Christian faith journey through the years. Yet as Selwyn Hughes writes, “Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples.”

I have lost count of the times I used the famous chair illustration for faith.  This is the one that says you can believe the chair exists but only if you sit in it will you have faith that the chair will hold you up. I did modify the illustration a bit after our old reliable rocking chair didn’t hold up. When Courtney was a baby, I believed the chair that I had used daily for months would hold us up.  However, while rocking one night, the chair broke apart! Thankfully, neither baby nor Daddy was hurt. However, it did instill in me a healthy doubt as I sit down in future rocking chairs! Writer Michael Novak says that “doubt is not so much a dividing line that separates people into different camps as it is a razor’s edge that runs through every soul.”

Since Easter, as I have focused on several post-resurrection stories, I have been greatly impacted by Thomas. Growing up in church I can’t guess the number of references to Thomas as “doubting Thomas.” The term has even been used as a put-down for someone’s lack of faith. Does Thomas really deserve the title?

We are not given lots of details about Thomas but what we are given is life-changing. We know he was a loyal and trustworthy disciple of Jesus. When the other disciples tried to convince Jesus not to return to Bethany after Lazarus died, it was Thomas who boldly said, “Let us also go,” even if it was said with a tinge of fear, “that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)

Thomas’ questioning doubt around the final Passover meal allowed Jesus to share a critical truth about himself. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Thomas’s defining moment was recorded by John. The other disciples were all together behind a locked door out of fear, but not Thomas. John doesn’t tell us where Thomas was that evening but we know he wasn’t in the room behind a locked door out of fear. I am sure that Jesus’ resurrection created a lot of drama and excitement in the community. There was no telling how the story was being told and retold since Resurrection morning. We now live in an age of instant access to news and information, but even so, it is often distorted. Like us, Thomas probably thought, What can I really believe?

Thomas was confronted with the disciple’s story about seeing Jesus. What would you have said? Thomas had doubt, but that doubt was mixed with hope and faith. If this was not the case, he wouldn’t have said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) “I believe and I doubt. I hope and I fear. I pray and I waver. I ask and I worry. I believe; help my unbelief.” (the Doubter’s Prayer-John Ortberg)

Doubt would have dismissed the disciple’s claim outright but hope leaves room for faith to work. Lesslie Newbigin writes, “Believing everything uncritically is the road to disaster. The faculty of doubt is essential. But as I have argued, rational doubt always rests on faith and not vice versa. The relationship between the two cannot be reversed.”

Doubt when rightly pursued creates a healthy soul and future. However, if doubt takes control of one’s life, it creates a paralyzed soul, keeping us stuck at that moment and unable to handle new risks and challenges. “Faith is a footbridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you’re forced to walk out onto it.” –Nicholas Wolterstorff

You can almost feel the tension that evening as Jesus walks through the locked door again and greets his disciples, “Peace be with you!” He then slowly and methodically turns to Thomas with outstretched hands. Do you need more proof, Thomas? John doesn’t say but I can only picture Thomas falling on his knees before Jesus with tears streaking his face as he made his powerful declaration of faith, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas left the room a changed follower of Jesus. I am sure Thomas still had questions because inquiring minds always have questions. Yet he takes Jesus’ gentle reprimand to heart as he shared the hope of Jesus, according to tradition, as the first missionary to India. Can you see Thomas smiling as he remembers Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”?

God is great!

“Be merciful to those who doubt” –Jude 22

What Do You Do with An Open Grave?

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As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money and told them, “say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble. They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day. Matthew 28:11-15

Whatever social media platform you find yourself on, you will be familiar with memes. They can be cute, funny, or often contain misinformation that seeks to influence your opinion on a given subject. Now, you may be more into old-school social media such as reading the newspaper or magazine, where your meme will be called a cartoon. Either way, it takes current news, and social or political issues, and shapes or more likely, reshapes the message.

According to Merriam-Webster, there are two definitions for a meme:

  • “An amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media”
  • “An idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture” (USA Today)

The term “meme” is normally credited to British evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins based on his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene. His definition of the meme was “a cultural entity or idea that replicates, evolves, and is passed from person to person.” The use of social media has resulted in a prolific expansion of memes in the past couple of decades. You may have had/have a Keep Calm mug on your desk or had a bucket of ice poured over your head a few years ago all as a result of a meme.

According to Limor Shifman, professor of communication and journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, “Memes are becoming a truly important part of how humans communicate with one another. They appeal to our need to be part of a larger group, and simultaneously our desire to be individuals.”

The use of the internet provides a powerful platform to spread a meme’s idea inside of a culture, shaping opinions and creating conversation. It doesn’t matter whether the meme is true or false if it fits the narrative we want to believe.  Olivia Munson writes, “Anything can act as a meme, all it needs is a relatability and the capability for revamping.”

Though the term “meme” may be a recent addition to our terminology, the concept is as old as time. As I focus on post-Easter moments for the next couple of weeks, I found it fascinating that the word meme was coined by an avowed atheist who dismisses the very concept of God.

Though the guards and priests were not familiar with a meme, they were familiar with how and why you need to create a false illusion. They concocted a story that the disciples had taken the body while the guards were sound asleep. The story would quickly spread throughout the city causing confusion and doubt.

It had been a busy weekend for the priests and religious officials to create a different story surrounding Jesus. The Roman guards had methodically removed the stained cross that had held Jesus’ body out of public sight. The people had been asking about the darkness that had enveloped the land and the torn curtain in the temple created a lot of conversation that Sabbath.

Yet the religious leaders were now facing their biggest problem, an open grave.  The religious leaders could easily create a false narrative about the torn curtain, three hours of darkness, and other events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion. Still, they knew what power a risen Jesus would have on the people.

Matthew’s account gives specific details about how they had appealed to Pilate to secure the grave. “Take guards, Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.” (Matthew 27:62-66). The religious leaders had to face the question, “What do we do with an open grave”? The leaders could have repented and acknowledged that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Forgiveness and restoration could have been the story told but they sought to keep their positions, power, and authority requiring they reject the open grave. It became necessary to create a story based on a lie. This would be the story that quickly spread among the people, even “to this day.”

Creating false illusions and revamping the true story has been one of the mainstays of Satan’s arsenal since the encounter with Adam and Eve. “He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” Even after Eve confronted him with the truth, he reshaped the story to get another message across that was more appealing. “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:1,4 CSB)

Easter requires each of us to respond to the question of the open grave. “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.” (I Cor 15: 13-14 CSB)

Thankfully there was a resurrection!

God is great!

 

First Day, Never the Same Again

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On the first day of the week… Matt 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 21:1, John 20:1

You never quite know what to expect in life when it comes to traditions. Andrew and Carolyn Clark assumed they would continue to follow the tradition of the Clark family and only have boys. It had been 130 years since a girl was born into the Clark family line. Carolyn had heard this tale when she started dating Andrew but didn’t believe the story. “I asked his parents to confirm that information, and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, no, we haven’t had a girl in our direct line.’”

Audrey Clark changed tradition on March 17, becoming the first girl born into the family since 1885. Audrey’s birth was also special since Carolyn and Andrew experienced a miscarriage in January 2021. Carolyn said, “Our parents have just been spoiling her before she was even here-you know-buying all the bows and tutu’s and outfits. She’s got enough clothes that she doesn’t have to wear the same outfit twice.”

Traditions hold special meanings for family and faith. The Passover celebration had been central to every Jewish family since the very first one. The traditions surrounding one of the holiest of holidays had been passed down from one generation to the next. Families gathered to celebrate the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. The days were marked with food, fellowship, special prayer services, and worship.

Jesus understood the rich traditions of the Passover but he celebrated his last one with his disciples by breathing new meaning into the meal and changing tradition. Jesus took the bread and wine as usual, but the words were charged with new life. “As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:22-25 CSB)

The events that unfolded after the Passover meal rocked the disciple’s world and took a toll upon each of them. They were no longer the bold and confident followers of Jesus that were with him in that upper room celebrating together. Eleven once loyal and brave followers had all scattered out of fear. They were hiding from the religious leaders and even denied they knew Jesus.

Unbelievably even the strong, arrogant, but always outspoken Peter was found cowering when he was confronted by a servant girl. The maidservant accused Peter of being one of Jesus’ followers when “he started to curse and swear, I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” (Mark 14:71 CSB) Jill Weber writes, “I sometimes wonder if it was this moment that was actually the making of Peter—the moment that shaped him into the kind of leader that Jesus would entrust with building His church. Peter is confronted with the state of his own soul. Self-reliance and arrogance are exposed and dismantled, and from the rubble, humility begins to grow.”

The Saturday following the crucifixion is shrouded in mystery. Though we are given very few details, what we do know is powerful.  We know there was life after death when Jesus told the criminal on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). We know love beat loudly as Mary Magdalene and the other women who followed Jesus were busy making preparation. Luke tells us “The women who had come with him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how his body was placed. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:55-56)

We know that fear and doubt marked Saturday as the eleven remaining disciples were hiding but Jesus restored the broken and defeated on Resurrection morning. John writes “When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)

We know that when the people gathered to worship in the temple as usual on Saturday they stood staring at the sanctuary curtain that “was split down the middle.” (Luke 23:45) I can only speculate, but did the high priest order some of the other priests to grab the torn curtain and hold it together during the worship service?  Instead of facing the truth, the priests and worshippers pretended not to see the tear and continue to hide the truth. However, no longer would God be separated from the people by a piece of cloth or a lie. Theologian N.T. Wright writes, “Matthew explains the tearing of the veil with an earthquake; Mark leaves it as a mystery, though he presumably means us to understand, in the light of the previous four chapters, that from now on the Temple is as good as finished. Its purpose has been taken over by the event which has just occurred. From now on, access into the presence of the living God is open to all through the death of his son.”

We may not know all the details of Saturday but we do know that “on the first day of the week” the world was changed forever when a group of women found an open grave. We know that a confused group of disciples was changed into mighty proclaimers of the Gospel.  We know that we no longer live in fear of death but with the hope of eternity. “When Jesus pushed back His own gravestone on resurrection morning, hope was born in the world—hope that this Jesus turns even the gravest despair into supernatural joy.”—Tyler Staton

He is Risen!

 

Quietest Place on Earth

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He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him. Colossians 2:14-15 (CSB)

Silence is golden! How many young parents have thought about tattooing this motto on their arms? There is a place that has been officially designated as the quietest place on Earth. It is located in Redmond, Washington at the Microsoft headquarters. The room was built in 2015, the anechoic chamber doesn’t remove all sounds, only the external noises which allows you to hear the endless sounds of your body. “When you turn your head, you can even hear that movement. You can hear yourself breathing and it sounds pretty loud,” wrote Lead Project Designer, Hondaraj Gopal.

According to the article, only a few people have survived staying in the room for a long period at most an hour. “Without any sounds from the outside world to get in the way, absolute silence will gradually turn into an unbearable ringing in the ears. This will likely cause you to lose your balance due to the lack of reverberation in the room, which will impair your spatial awareness.” (Walla! Health)

However, could it be that the quietest place on Earth isn’t a man-made room in Redmond, Washington but a God-inhabited tomb at the edge of Golgotha?

Microsoft took two years to design and build their room. It consists of six layers of concrete and steel and is detached from the surrounding buildings. The room has an array of shock-absorbing springs installed below the floor with fiberglass wedges installed on the floor, ceiling, and walls to break up the sound waves before they can travel into the room.

God took His only Son to build his room! It consists of God’s love that “everyone that believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” His “room” was built with mockery, ridicule, spit, torturous beatings, and finally, iron nails driven into his body until the sound waves are broken up by the words, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Have you ever considered when the one criminal on the cross realized Jesus was who he said he was and asked, “remember me when you come into your kingdom?” He had been mocking Jesus, along with the crowd below and the other criminal on the cross. Maybe it was when Jesus showed compassion and concern for his mother even as he was struggling to breathe on the cross. Perhaps it was when he saw the group of followers who genuinely cared about Jesus yet not one person was there for him. Maybe it was when he heard Jesus asking, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing,” even as cried out in pain.

Regardless of when he finally realized that only in Jesus was hope. This criminal who had no hope, no future, and no understanding found his redeemer. He didn’t make a long drawn-out appeal on how he had been mistreated, misunderstood, or misjudged, he asked, “remember me.” Jesus dying on the cross, beaten and  tortured looked at this criminal and said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Philip Yancey writes, “Jesus forgave a thief dangling on a cross, knowing full well the thief had converted out of plain fear. That thief would never study the Bible, never attend synagogue or church, and never make amends to those he had wronged. He simply said “Jesus remember me,” and Jesus promised, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” It was another shocking reminder that grace does not depend on what we have done for God but rather what God has done for us.”

A person may only stay in the Microsoft room for an hour until he loses balance.  Jesus stayed for three days without losing His balance for the sake of our eternity! Jesus completed his assignment as he shouted out “it is finished!” The quietest place on earth lost its grip on every generation,  bringing hope to those who followed Jesus as Savior. “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!” (I Cor 15:56 CSB) “Death’s horrific sting is a result of sin. Death only loses its sting when death is no longer a punishment, but rather a transition. Believers no longer need to feel the sting of death, since Jesus has achieved everlasting life for believers.” (Dirk van Garderen)

I grew up in the evangelical stream of the Christian faith where many of the terms, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday were alien to me. Yet through the years I have grown to have a deep appreciation for the other streams of Christian faith that celebrate these days, together we form a mighty ocean of Jesus’ followers. As I acknowledge the celebration of Palm Sunday, it reminds me how easy it is to shout Hosanna one day, only to cry “crucify him” on Good Friday.  To sit in the darkness of Holy Wednesday knowing the betrayal of Judas will happen on Maundy Thursday yet wait with the expectation of Resurrection morning.

“The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there. Listen, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7 CSB)

The quietest place on Earth? Not anymore, for He has risen!

God is great!

Broken Pieces

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Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear. Matthew 26:50b-51

Don’t touch! These are the famous last words of every parent with small children who go into a store filled with breakable things.  The temptation to touch is overwhelming as the store manager yells, “You break it, you pay for it.”  However, the temptation to touch is not limited to children. According to a story in the Miami Herald, an art collector in a Miami art gallery reached out to touch a $42,000 sculpture by artist Jeff Koons and accidentally knocked over the pricey piece shattering it on the floor.

Stephen Gamson, a local artist and art collector, still believed the broken pieces could be worth a lot of money. He offered to buy the porcelain shards on the spot. Gamson said, “I find value in it even when it’s broken. To me, it’s the story. It makes the art even more interesting.”

The broken Koons’ work of art should have cost the lady personally, but according to the report, “Fortunately, the sculpture was covered by insurance and didn’t cost the woman anything.”  Jesus knows a thing or two about the value of broken pieces. Easter points us to a Redeemer who is ready to buy the broken and shattered pieces of our lives. Fortunately, our lives were covered and didn’t cost us anything, but it cost Jesus everything.

The Passover had been a little out-of-the-ordinary celebration, maybe even considered a bit bizarre. Peter and John had been tasked with the job of preparing for the meal. Their instructions had been unique, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters.” (Luke 22:10) These two disciples had experienced some mind-altering events over the past few years as they walked with Jesus. Though this request was a bit strange, out of faith, they did as Jesus said. The Passover dinner that night had been anything but traditional.

The disciple’s minds were spinning from the evening as words such as betrayal, denial, broken body, and poured-out blood, had been spoken by Jesus. Now they were huddled together in Gethsemane and this night would be filled with life-changing drama. Jesus had asked his disciples to stay on guard, not as a security force, but in prayer. Yet their worst fears came true as the place quickly filled with a mob carrying swords and clubs. It was when Jesus confronted this heavily armed group, that they realized the mob was led by one of their own.

As the betrayer’s kiss was placed upon Jesus, the quiet, still night exploded in yelling and shoving. The disciples had been dozing off and on during the evening even as Jesus reprimanded them for sleeping when He needed them to stay alert in prayer. Now, still, a bit drowsy, the disciples found themselves confused and afraid as armed men filled the garden.

Maybe it was in this state of drowsiness they had heard the words of Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.” Did these words empower the disciples to action and embolden Peter? Acting with his usual zeal, Peter pulled out his sword and sliced off Malchus’ right ear. Whether the whole ear, part of the ear, or a little cut, Malchus screamed in pain.

The scene became chaotic with Malchus screaming, people yelling, and the armed guards quickly pulling their swords out to fight. That was until the commanding voice of Jesus was heard, “No more of this!”  Jesus turns to Peter, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) Then Jesus turned to the mob, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?” (Luke 22:52)

I picture Jesus calmly reaching down to pick up the severed ear. Then intently looking into the eyes of Malchus, he gently touched his head and then lovingly reattached his ear.

Jesus’ first earthly miracle, when he turned water to wine at the wedding, people celebrated and shouted for joy.  His final miracle which was an act of healing, was performed in the midst of yelling and shouting, not in celebration of life, but for death. Instead of asking for twelve legions of angels to help, Jesus asked the Father to heal the ear of this one who came out to arrest him.

How do we put that into perspective? What became of this last healing? As I think about this scene I wonder if Malchus occasionally touched his ear and remembered that night. Did Jesus’ touch of healing open Malchus’ eyes to see Jesus? Did he share his story in the years to come as a follower of Jesus, how on that night Jesus not only healed his ear but his soul?   Or did he miss the true miracle of that night because he didn’t want to give up his power and position that he held in the religious hierarchy?

All is speculation but what a tragedy if Jesus’ last touch of healing goes unused.  What a tragedy to have an ear but fail to hear the words, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

In a few hours following that healing, the world was turned upside down forever!

Has your world been turned upside down by Jesus?

God is great!

A Betrayer’s Kiss

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While he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:47-48

“Beware the ides of March”! These ominous-sounding words are often identified with gloom and darkness related to one of the famous quotes in William Shakespeare’s play, “Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Before Shakespeare wrote his play, March 15 was just a normal day. Now it is known for the conspiracy, betrayal, and death associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar. On this day in history, a group of nobles led by Caesar’s friends and associates, Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus violently killed him on the steps of the senate.

Betrayal by an enemy might be understandable and potentially expected. However, it is the betrayal by a friend that leaves one heartbroken and deflated. We know danger comes from all kinds of situations and people, but in our hearts, we never expect it from a friend. Proverbs tell us, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” (17:17) Then when it is a friend that betrays us, we are left devasted. Betrayal by a friend can then leave you feeling doubtful of other friendships and relationships.

Retired pastor Robert Berendt writes that “We humans experience many problems in life—and for that reason, we seek those we can trust to support and stand by us. When we find such a person, we slowly let down our guard and, in time, there are few areas of life that we will not share. We reveal that which lies deep in our hearts and we become vulnerable because of the revelation of our weaknesses.”

Without a doubt, history’s most infamous betrayal took place in the darkness of night in the quiet, still place called Gethsemane. It must have broken Jesus’ heart to watch Judas approaching. There were countless meals together, deep prayer times, and sharing the deep things of his heart with a friend. Did a tear fall from Jesus’ eye as He felt the kiss of betrayal upon his face? “Friend, Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” Jesus knew the answer, yet till the end, He reached out to Judas with grace and redemption.

Betrayed…how could my friend do such a thing?

Betrayed…will I ever again feel the certainty of trust?

Betrayed…only You God can again give me hope.

“You are betrayed. Bitten with a snake’s kiss. It’s more than rejection. Rejection opens a wound; betrayal pours the salt. It’s more than loneliness. Loneliness leaves you in the cold; betrayal closes the door. It’s more than mockery. Mockery plunges the knife; betrayal twists it. It’s more than an insult. An insult attacks your pride; betrayal breaks your heart.” -Max Lucado

Jesus would walk out of that garden alone, surrounded only by his enemies. Where are those who called him friend, teacher, and even Messiah?  Judas may have been the one who placed the kiss of betrayal upon his face but the others’ betrayal was just as sinister and maybe even more devasting. If only Peter had walked with him to Pilate’s house. Jesus needed to hear a word of encouragement from John. Did Jesus look around for James, Thomas, Andrew, and the others? They were all gone.

“Are we, like the disciples, full of bluster one minute, sleep the next, and confused shame the next? Are we ready to betray Jesus if it suits our other plans, or if he fails to live up to our expectations? Or are we prepared to keep watch with him in the garden, sharing his anguished prayer? We are not called to repeat his unique moment of suffering; he went through that alone on behalf of us all. But as Christian writers from the very beginning (i.e. Paul) have seen, it is part of normal Christian experience that we, too, should be prepared to agonize in prayer as we await our own complete redemption and that of all creation. The church is called to live in the middle of this great scene: surrounded by confusion, false loyalty, direct attack and traitor’s kisses, those who name the name of Christ must stay in the garden with him until the Father’s will is done.” –N. T. Wright

As we approach Easter in a few weeks, sit with Jesus’ words out of Mark.

“Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed…Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? ‘Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (part of passage out of Mark 14:32-42)

The darkness of that night finally gave way to the morning light of the resurrection.  The sting of betrayal was finally washed away by grace found on the rugged frame of a cross. The betrayers who came for redemption were overwhelmed that morning with love and forgiveness. Today, whether we are the betrayed or the betrayer, Easter gives us hope to face life again, the renewal of soul and mind, and the confident assurance that God is with us till the end!

God is great!

 

Fragrance of Life

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But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

New Mexico is on the verge of becoming the first state to have an official aroma. If the bill passes the legislature then “green chiles roasting in the fall” will become the state’s official aroma. The aroma would naturally fit into the Department of Tourism’s declaration that New Mexico is the “Chile Capital of the World.”  What do you think your state’s official aroma would be?

There are very few things all of us would agree on but I am almost sure we all respond to certain smells, good or bad, that either bring back memories or evoke strong emotions. Coffee brewing in the morning, chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, or a baby’s stinky diaper. Growing up I loved the smell of mentholatum! I am sure the aroma probably wasn’t that great but knowing the love that was linked to the smell is what is special.  As a little boy, my Mother would rub it on my chest when I was sick. For me, it was a fragrance that brought healing.

New Mexico may be the first state to have an official aroma but they are not the first group to be recognized for having a unique aroma, that title goes to Christians in 2 Corinthians when they are called “the fragrance of Christ.” What a beautiful yet challenging description for us as followers of Christ. “To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?” (2 Cor 2:16 CSB)

Can you picture the scene as Noah and his family walked off the Ark after the total devastation of the world? Nothing remained of life as Noah knew before the flood, yet in faith, he built an altar to the LORD. As the smoke from the fire slowly rose to heaven, “the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma” and it became an “aroma of life leading to life.” As the aroma filled heaven that day, God would promise that “as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” (Gen 8:22 CSB)

Can you picture the scene as Mary breaks the jar of pure nard to pour over Jesus’ feet and then “wiped his feet with her hair? (John 12:1-8) The poignant smell of the perfume penetrated every corner of the house for days and maybe still lingered that evening when Jesus was crucified as the ultimate “fragrance of life.”  As the fragrance of the perfume touched their senses it served as a bitter-sweet reminder to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary of how much Jesus loved them.

Can you picture the scene today if each of us as Jesus’ followers would be poured out as the fragrance of Christ on the world? We live in a world where the aroma of death is so overwhelming, yet we can become that “aroma of life leading to life.” We could greatly impact the world if we would be the poured-out fragrance, becoming “imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Eph 5:1-2)

We become that fragrance of life simply by doing what Jesus would do. Jim Denison writes, “Early believers with no political leverage by which to end slavery and child abandonment purchased and then freed slaves and rescued and then adopted abandoned babies. Over time, their moral example became transformational for their societies. By utilizing their public influence with Christlike character, Christ followers such as William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King Jr. became agents of moral reformation.” The sweet aroma of life impacted the world they lived in.

Over the last several weeks there has been an outpouring of God’s Spirit among college students seeking to be “an aroma of life leading to life.” This outpouring of God has now spread to other campuses and locations bringing refreshment and renewal to many.

Lord, may we become that “fragrance of life” today for someone who is hurting, without hope, without life. We desire to fill our world with the life-saving aroma of Christ wherever we go.

Sweet aroma fill this place
Let us feel your warm embrace
Touch us with your healing grace
Let us see your holy face

Hold us so close by your side
Let us see your loving eyes
Take our wrongs and make them right
Breathe on us the breath of life

The fragrance of Christ
It breaks apart the strongholds of pride
and the hardest of hearts
It makes all the wounded whole and then starts
to open the senses to your goodness
It’s the fragrance of Christ

At the start of every day
Fill my heart with perfect praise
with this offering I raise
A holy tribute to your name

Take my feet and lead me to
All the world or just a few
With everything I say and do
May the glory go to you

Fresh anointing cover me
With a balm of purity
Make me a bouquet of honesty

I will hold your name up high
By the way I live my life
Let me be the fragrance of Christ – (Charles Billingsley, The Fragrance of Christ from the Change Album)

https://www.invubu.com/music/show/song/Charles-Billingsley/The-Fragrance-of-Christ.html

 

God is great!

Midnight Calls

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Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him. Then he will reply from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. Luke 11:5-8

Only a few things top the heart-pounding, fear-wrenching anxiety of being shocked out of deep sleep in the middle of the night. On our recent Kenya trip, Connie’s cell phone startled her awake in the middle of the night and her first thoughts are always, “What has happened”? Thankful it was only a mistake, but it took several minutes to calm down and fall asleep again.

Hillary Clinton understood the power of midnight calls during her 2008 campaign and ran a TV ad featuring a couple of kids soundly sleeping in their beds.  The campaign message was playing off the urgency of midnight calls. The ad started, “It’s 3:00 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep.” Then you hear a phone ringing in the White House and then the announcer says, “who do you want answering the phone?”

Over the years I have never answered a midnight call with the news that I won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstake. If I take out the few midnight calling mistakes, the rest have been those heart-stopping moments. Granted the midnight calls can be either tragic or joyful, but regardless, they are life-changing. The midnight calls that bring tragic news seem to be a little darker and more hopeless.

One of the most devasting midnight calls came when we lived in Oklahoma City with news that our pastor and his wife had been murdered and their children left for dead. Midnight calls such as this leave you without sleep. Fear and anxiety slowly take you to places in your mind and soul that create unrest. Though morning comes slowly, it does come because of the assurance that “God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

You can only answer those midnight calls with hope when you have done the work needed in the daylight hours of life. Knowing you will someday face those inevitable midnight calls require you to take the time to stock your inner soul. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity said, “To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?”

The midnight call will come but we know “The LORD is near the brokenhearted he delivers those who are discouraged.” (Psalm 34:18 NET)

The midnight call will come but we know “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22-24 CSB)

The midnight call will come but we know “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10

Personally, I don’t look forward to answering those midnight calls but I know they will come. I must do the hard work of getting the candles ready for the night.  We have the Bible, not to be used as a lucky charm but God’s word that gives us encouragement, comfort, and hope. We have each other to wait with us through the night. We have the gift of prayer that allows us 24-7 access to the One that “neither slumber nor sleep.” Yet, the most significant light we have in the dark is God himself who goes with us through the darkest valley, so “I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

“My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors, He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride forget He sees the upper And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly will God unroll the canvas and reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him”. –Corrie ten Boom—Life is but a weaving’

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)

God is great!

 

 

Is this the time?

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So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bent down on the ground and put his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” I Kings 18:42-44a (CSB)

The people of God had grown spiritually lethargic, and Elijah called them out for it with the challenge, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.” (I Kings 18:21) In a dramatic display of God’s power, Elijah single handed confronted the prophets of Baal and won a decisive victory for God.

What do you do after such a spectacular display of God’s power? You retreat in prayer. Elijah the prayer warrior climbed the summit of Carmel to wait to hear from God. Time after time he heard the words, “there’s nothing.” Finally, Elijah heard the simple words, “a cloud as small as a man’s hand.” Praying is hard work and we often don’t know what to look for in an answer. Then that moment came, when, “the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour.”

Is there a small cloud coming up from the sea at Asbury University? If you haven’t seen the reports, there has been an unusual movement of God on this small Christian college in Wilmore, Kentucky. Senior student Alexandra Presta said, “I was in chapel on Wednesday, and it was an ordinary chapel service…. we have them three times a week. But then…people just kept worshiping afterwards. It was a small group of students.” Since February 8, there has been a continuous worship service that has gripped students, professors and now people from around the world. They linger in the presence of God, testify of God’s glory, confess, repent and seek God.

Asbury Professor Thomas McCall writes, “The holy love of the triune God is apparent, and there is an inexpressible sweetness and innate attractiveness to it. It is immediately obvious why no one wants to leave and why those who must leave want to come back as soon as they can…. In previous revivals, there has always been fruit that has blessed both the church and society. For instance, even secular historians acknowledge that the Second Great Awakening was pivotal to bringing about the end of slavery in our country. Likewise, I look forward to seeing what fruit God will bring from such a revival in our generation.”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV)

A group of 24 men and 24 women met to pray on August 27, 1727 and agreed to spend an hour each day in prayer, covering all 24 hours of the day, seven days a week. This small group of Moravian believers set in motion what would become known as the “Hundred-Year Prayer Meeting.” Out of this fervent focus on prayer, the foundation was laid for a spiritual awakening in the 1800s. Dr. Nathan Finn writes, “The Moravians became the tip of the spear for evangelical global missions.”

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7 CSB)

The words of Ezekiel still ring true in our day, “This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the LORD—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.” (Ezekiel 36:22-23 CSB)

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24 CSB)

Skeptical or hopeful. Young or old. Churched or unchurched. We can’t help but cry out in desperation at the events that overwhelm us in our nation and around the world. Lord, fall fresh on us today. Only You can bring life, hope, and joy. We desperately cry out to you today!

God is great!

Today belongs to Tomorrow, Living Life in the Transitions

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May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 (NIV)

Lucile Randon, also known as Sister Andre, passed away recently in Toulon, France. Chances are you may not have known about her since she didn’t run in the circle of the rich, powerful, or famous. What made her famous was her age. This humble nun died at the age of 118, having been the world’s oldest known person for a brief moment. Sister Andre was born during the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt, a year after the first baseball World Series game and four years before Henry Ford introduced the Model T.  Sister Andre lived through two major global wars, countless other smaller wars, and thousands of world leaders. She finally retired at 108 but continued to help others in the nursing home where she lived.

Maltbie Babcock died in 1901 three years before Sister Andre was born. Babcock was an American pastor but unlike sister Andre, he died at 42. Yet in his short life, he understood that “Part of today belongs to tomorrow, as the seed belongs to the shoot, as the foundation belongs to the building. So today owes its best to tomorrow, for not to do right today may ruin tomorrow. But the reverse is not true. Tomorrow cannot ruin today. Time’s wheel does not run backward. Banish, then, fore-boding and anxious forecast, and fill to today with faithful work, with kindness and courage and hope; and so you will keep tomorrow from being a marplot, and make it a good, honest today when it comes.” (excerpt from Babcock’s book, Thoughts for Every-Day Living. Adjusted some word spellings to accommodate 21st century Grammarly)

William James, the father of modern psychology, coined the term over 150 years ago that “life is in the transitions.” Bruce Feiler took the term for his book, “Life is in the transitions—Mastering Change at Any Age” writing that “most lives simply do not follow the tidy templates of linearity. They follow a different shape entirely.” Feiler uses the term “disruptors” to describe life events that interrupt the everyday flow of one’s life. Disruptors can be negative such as losing your job, or the death of a loved one but can also be considered positive such as starting a new career or moving into a different house. “Disruptors are simply deviations from daily life.”

David Parsons came from a wealthy, influential family, achieved fame as an opera singer, and even married Miss America. Disruptors came to his picture-perfect life causing the wheels to come off. A botched vocal cord surgery ended his stage career, his brother died of AIDS and his dark secret of being an alcoholic since age 11 came to light. Yet another disruptor came when he woke up from a drinking binge, got on his knees, and prayed, “God, please help me not to drink today. If I make it, I’ll thank you tonight and I’ll ask you again tomorrow morning. I haven’t had a drink since that day.”

Now serving as a pastor in New York when asked about the shape of his life, he said, “the cross.” “Every pastor is a theologian of the cross,” he said, “But in my case, I believe in the Jesus story. I know that freaks people out, especially in New York. But I lived a very dissipated life, and now I live a life of service. There was a very specific point in time when God came down and touched my life. That’s the crossroads that led me to where I am today.”

We may or may not live to be 118 but however long we live, we will live life in the transitions. Whether it is age transitions, work transitions, family transitions, societal transitions, death transitions or you “name it” transitions.

As we live in transition, all of us will experience “disruptors” or “lifequakes.” Feiler estimates that a person can expect to experience as an adult, around three dozen, that’s an average of one every 12 to 18 months. What we do with them will be the story we make. Though living life is in the transitions, the good news is that God wants to be with you in the transitions!

God has a pretty good understanding of how to help since from the beginning “all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” –Psalm 139:16b

Jesus encouraged us that even in the transitions, God had the situation under control and could say, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” –Matt 6:34

Psalm 90 captures a prayer of Moses as he prayed, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (10,12 NIV)

Babcock left us “part of today that belongs to tomorrow” in his hymn “This is My Father’s World” which has been sung for generations. “This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet. This is my Father’s world, The battle is not done; Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And earth and heaven be one.” (stanza three, Baptist Hymnal)

Life in the transitions is not always easy, and, seldom what we thought it would be, but what a difference there is when we let God walk with us in the transition! “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:20b

God is great!