Today I am feeling blessed. Even though it is not Thursday, God has placed on my heart some encouragement to share. My scripture reading for today really just summed up so nicely some "wrestling with God" that I have been doing this week and I hope it is helpful to you.
S - Mark 6:1-7
Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? (side note by this author: this is not Judas who later betrays Jesus) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
O - My first observation is that I find it remarkable that Jesus has lived 30 years before he started his ministry. He was "God with us" and yet chose to live a human life in a small town in Nazareth as a carpenter. I have always found this interesting and what I can decipher from the scriptures is God's timing is always perfect and Jesus knew when the right time would be to begin. Mary knew who he was because of his divine birth and yet she had been waiting all this time for her son to show the world "what he can do"...no one, not even his own mother, really understood what his ultimate purpose was, even as he died on the cross.
In this passage, Jesus has already begun his ministry and he is returning to his hometown with his disciples. The people that he grew up with actually are offended that he is saying the things he says and is performing miracles. They are having trouble seeing him for who he is because they are blinded by how they saw him growing up. It's not like he woke up on this 30th birthday and became the son of God. He knew who he was all along and waited before revealing it to the world. They don't know what to think of him and Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith!
Another observation about this passage is that Jesus was not discouraged by this lack of faith from his hometown and continued with his plan. From his comment, it's like he knew exactly how they would react but he went home anyway. Then, He sent out the disciples two by two. His plan for sharing his message was for the disciples to go in pairs. They were not meant to do ministry alone. On the journey the disciples were able to encourage one another and complement each other's strengths as they ministered to people.
A - This reminds me of the story of when David was anointed king as a young shepherd boy. No one that knew him believed that a young shepherd boy would be called by God to be king, nor did they believe that he could take down Goliath. One of my favorite verses from David's story is from 1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith in his hometown, although he was probably not surprised. They looked at Jesus' outward appearance and saw a carpenter boy.
For me personally, this applies to my life in a couple ways. First, it is kind of interesting to me that today we have a show like "The Voice" and we have a local girl from here in Houston (Cypress) that will have everyone in our area cheering her on because she is from our town. AND she won the whole thing!!! WOW! We can say "we know her!" when we don't really "know" her, we just claim her as one of our own. I wonder what would happen if it was like in Jesus time but with modern technology and someone from our high school or hometown went on national TV and started quoting scripture, healing people, and claiming to be the son of God. Would we have the same reaction as someone we could cheer for on a talent show? Would we react to the son of God the same way today as the people of Nazareth? Do we see someone's potential, or do we see who they have always been?
Secondly, two nights ago my friend Linda was an encourager. Some may think I'm weird but I could literally sit and discuss "deep thoughts" for hours. There are not many that would do this with me, not even several of my family members. People get bored...want to change topics...get restless...etc. Perhaps she felt compelled because I was "wrestling with God" over something and she wanted to help. Linda just sat, and listened, and gave biblical advice and prayed, and listened some more. This went on for hours and it occurred to me that Linda made a CHOICE to give me encouragement and be a friend, even while I probably drove her a little crazy. Even while she may have been tired and annoyed with me inside, she chose to show me love and support instead as we talked through all angles of the topic at hand. The "deep thoughts" that Linda was helping me wrestle with God about was having to do with listening for God's voice, waiting, and not growing weary as we wait on the Lord. For me, I find it easy when a friend is struggling, to be an encourager and have a steadfast faith in the Lord that I even surprise myself with sometimes. But sometimes I need the same thing from a friend and I really get very hard on myself that I "need" it! And I definitely don't like to ASK for encouragement! I think I should be strong and I'm not. Linda was this friend for me and it was a significant conversation because it helped me realize exactly what this verse that I read today is about.
We will face hurdles in life and beat ourselves up for not being who we or others THINK we should be. People look at us and think "you can't do that" or we look at ourselves in the mirror and think "who do you think you are...you're not ever going to be/do _________". Sometimes we are our own worst critic. Sometimes we have someone in our life who always sees the negative or "realistic" side of things and it makes you doubt your abilities. Sometimes, in my case the other night, we are doubting whether we're walking the right path that God wants us to take or whether we are really hearing his voice, or whether we can even do what we think he wants us to do! Sometimes you have ALL of these bundled up in your brain and it makes one complicated mess! Wow, that's a lot of doubt right there!!! (I'll have to write another time on "renewing your mind" and how we purge negative thoughts)
So here's some encouragement for those of you that are weary. Jesus was not discouraged by those in his hometown that did not see him for who he was or who he was going to be for the people. They had little faith in his abilities. He did it anyway. AND he encouraged his disciples to go out in PAIRS and do ministry ANYWAY. We are meant to do what God is calling us to do, even if it seems like a temporary assignment and face discouragement and doubters, and do it ANYWAY. And we are not meant to do life alone. Are you trying to do life alone or do you have someone to be a "pair" with...someone that encourages you and helps you use your strengths. I would venture to guess that the natural answer for many is your spouse, a best friend or a parent. However, I think there are many that will NOT say their spouse/best friend/parent is an encourager and he/she does NOT help you use your strengths. Maybe you feel like you have no one like this in your life. Maybe you are feeling DIScouraged right now. I'm not recommending changing your spouse or your parents necessarily, although you might be able to change your friends??? Consider this...perhaps YOU can be the encourager in ALL of your relationships and I just bet, you will find someone that will be the encourager for you. If that is your focus, how you can go out and be an encourager, it will take the focus off yourself and I believe God WILL send you someone to be an encourager for you. And you can be an encourager for yourself. You can do what God is calling you to do ANYWAY, even when it's hard, even when you face obstacles, even when you face naysayers, even when you doubt your own abilities. Let's believe that "God equips the called" and be encouragers for each other! I have been this for Linda (which I am glad to say I have the opportunity to do on occasion) and she had a chance to do this for me. It's a beautiful thing when we can look past the negative in each other and look at the heart, encouraging each other as we do life together.
P - Dear Lord, please hear my simple prayer. May you help us to hear your voice, send us encouragers, empower us to BE an encourager and equip us to do what you are calling us to do ANYWAY. In Jesus' holy name. Amen!
Showing posts with label God with us. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God with us. Show all posts
Monday, July 15, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Apostles' Creed
Today I am writing from beautiful Colorado. I am on a "girlie" retreat with my daughter, my friend and another friend's daughter. We are going to be working on being "missional" while we are here and took the girls to a dog kennel to try to see if we could help. We got to play with and "socialize" some puppies! It was so fun!
We are also going to be working through a short bible study with the girls called "Confirming Your Faith" and today I would like to share some thoughts on The Apostles' Creed.
There are perhaps many that have not been raised in a "traditional" church setting and may not be familiar with this creed that states what the Christian believes. Here it is in a "traditional" but updated version:
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."
S - John 11:25-27
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
O - Being raised in and growing up in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches I was aware of this creed and knew parts of it as a kid. I learned this creed in its entirety in confirmation class as a 6th grader and was able to recite it. This was something we would recite often enough in my church that it was helpful to know it. It didn't really hit home with me though until I was in college and teaching junior high Sunday school. It's like it had always been factual until I taught it to someone else and then it became personal. I was able to break it down into parts and really take in the depth of it because I was teaching it.
The verse here in John that accompanies this creed from our little study is Jesus speaking to a woman. I think it's important to know the context here...he is actually speaking to Martha the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this verse, Lazarus has died and Martha and Mary are mourning, saying that if Jesus had been there, he wouldn't have died. Jesus was about to demonstrate His power over death so that his followers might believe. He is asking her to believe before He has even demonstrated this power. This is a testament to her FAITH. She had heard Jesus' teachings and seen miracles but resurrection takes it to a whole new level! She did not have to have proof of his power over death to have faith. She BELIEVED He was who He said He was by faith, and nothing else. He was not just a good moral teacher...He was God in the FLESH. He was God who came down to earth to live among us and save us.
Another observation is that He says whoever LIVES by believing in me...this is about not just believing but also LIVING by this belief. We demonstrate our faith by how we live and we help others come to believe as well by how we live. This does not mean we need to DO something to earn salvation, but it is how we respond to our faith, as well as how others come to know the Lord. If we don't share our faith, no one else would have a chance to believe and we would be keeping the greatest gift we've been given from ourselves. I don't know about you, but I want others to get to receive this amazing gift and share it with me!!!
A - the apostles creed has basically three parts of belief: creation, redemption, sanctification. First, we believe that God is the creator of all things and is over all things. Next, we believe that we have the opportunity to choose redemption because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us as a SUBSTITUTE. And third, sanctification is about holy living and demonstration of our faith...we need to believe in the importance of this AND in the correct purpose of holy living. I think this is the hardest part for many people in a lot of ways.
I think for the most part there are many that believe in God as they know Him...the creator, a "higher power", a provider. Even those that are not active in a church and those that follow the Jewish, Islam or other faiths or claim no faith at all believe that we are all believing in and following the same God. (I could get off on another topic about whether this is the same God or not, but I won't for now)
As for redemption, a belief that Jesus died for each of us is maybe an easier path to take than believing that this belief is actually going to CHANGE us through the process of sanctification. Many say "Oh yes, I want to go to heaven...I want to live forever with God." and yet do they really realize what they are inviting God to do? I don't want to dog certain denominations within the Christian faith but I think there are still MANY Christians that are focused on the "how to" guide book of what you have to STOP doing or what you SHOULD be doing to be a "good" Christian and forgetting one simple truth...we are saved by faith alone and this is the purpose of Jesus' redemption. Once saved, it is not up to US to change, it is up to us to ALLOW the Holy Spirit to change us through sanctification and show us how we can demonstrate our faith to others.
And this is why KNOWING what we believe is so important and why the Apostles Creed can be helpful. This is a creed that was written during the years of the early church. I'm not really an official "theologian" and will need to study up more on the origin of it but I think it's an important creed to know and live by and I'm pledging to try to be more purposeful in teaching it to my children. It is a foundation for everyday living and can be a guide for how to demonstrate our faith and share it with others. As the accompanying verse in John teaches us, faith is based on a belief that Jesus IS who He says He is and He will DO what He says He will do.
I think it would be a valuable exercise for all Christians to dissect this creed and really think through each of the points, one by one, and decide for themselves what they believe about it. Do we believe in the resurrection of the body, for example? Have any of us really taken the time to think about what we REALLY believe in relation to the gospel or are we just "going with the flow". Perhaps it's time to take a deeper look for yourself???
P - Father God, you ARE the creator of the universe. You sent Jesus to live among us and to save us through substitution and I am eternally grateful. You have transformed lives through the work of the Holy Spirit and I pray that others would not only believe this for themselves but that they would understand WHAT they believe. I ask for guidance Lord as I teach this truth to my children and to others. I pray protection for the TRUTH and that different interpretations of who Jesus is would not be just molded into a sweet little "box of rules" that we can hold onto. NO, I pray we would see life transformation and we would be open and receive the Holy Spirit, putting our life in his hands. Amen.
We are also going to be working through a short bible study with the girls called "Confirming Your Faith" and today I would like to share some thoughts on The Apostles' Creed.
There are perhaps many that have not been raised in a "traditional" church setting and may not be familiar with this creed that states what the Christian believes. Here it is in a "traditional" but updated version:
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."
S - John 11:25-27
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
O - Being raised in and growing up in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches I was aware of this creed and knew parts of it as a kid. I learned this creed in its entirety in confirmation class as a 6th grader and was able to recite it. This was something we would recite often enough in my church that it was helpful to know it. It didn't really hit home with me though until I was in college and teaching junior high Sunday school. It's like it had always been factual until I taught it to someone else and then it became personal. I was able to break it down into parts and really take in the depth of it because I was teaching it.
The verse here in John that accompanies this creed from our little study is Jesus speaking to a woman. I think it's important to know the context here...he is actually speaking to Martha the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this verse, Lazarus has died and Martha and Mary are mourning, saying that if Jesus had been there, he wouldn't have died. Jesus was about to demonstrate His power over death so that his followers might believe. He is asking her to believe before He has even demonstrated this power. This is a testament to her FAITH. She had heard Jesus' teachings and seen miracles but resurrection takes it to a whole new level! She did not have to have proof of his power over death to have faith. She BELIEVED He was who He said He was by faith, and nothing else. He was not just a good moral teacher...He was God in the FLESH. He was God who came down to earth to live among us and save us.
Another observation is that He says whoever LIVES by believing in me...this is about not just believing but also LIVING by this belief. We demonstrate our faith by how we live and we help others come to believe as well by how we live. This does not mean we need to DO something to earn salvation, but it is how we respond to our faith, as well as how others come to know the Lord. If we don't share our faith, no one else would have a chance to believe and we would be keeping the greatest gift we've been given from ourselves. I don't know about you, but I want others to get to receive this amazing gift and share it with me!!!
A - the apostles creed has basically three parts of belief: creation, redemption, sanctification. First, we believe that God is the creator of all things and is over all things. Next, we believe that we have the opportunity to choose redemption because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us as a SUBSTITUTE. And third, sanctification is about holy living and demonstration of our faith...we need to believe in the importance of this AND in the correct purpose of holy living. I think this is the hardest part for many people in a lot of ways.
I think for the most part there are many that believe in God as they know Him...the creator, a "higher power", a provider. Even those that are not active in a church and those that follow the Jewish, Islam or other faiths or claim no faith at all believe that we are all believing in and following the same God. (I could get off on another topic about whether this is the same God or not, but I won't for now)
As for redemption, a belief that Jesus died for each of us is maybe an easier path to take than believing that this belief is actually going to CHANGE us through the process of sanctification. Many say "Oh yes, I want to go to heaven...I want to live forever with God." and yet do they really realize what they are inviting God to do? I don't want to dog certain denominations within the Christian faith but I think there are still MANY Christians that are focused on the "how to" guide book of what you have to STOP doing or what you SHOULD be doing to be a "good" Christian and forgetting one simple truth...we are saved by faith alone and this is the purpose of Jesus' redemption. Once saved, it is not up to US to change, it is up to us to ALLOW the Holy Spirit to change us through sanctification and show us how we can demonstrate our faith to others.
And this is why KNOWING what we believe is so important and why the Apostles Creed can be helpful. This is a creed that was written during the years of the early church. I'm not really an official "theologian" and will need to study up more on the origin of it but I think it's an important creed to know and live by and I'm pledging to try to be more purposeful in teaching it to my children. It is a foundation for everyday living and can be a guide for how to demonstrate our faith and share it with others. As the accompanying verse in John teaches us, faith is based on a belief that Jesus IS who He says He is and He will DO what He says He will do.
I think it would be a valuable exercise for all Christians to dissect this creed and really think through each of the points, one by one, and decide for themselves what they believe about it. Do we believe in the resurrection of the body, for example? Have any of us really taken the time to think about what we REALLY believe in relation to the gospel or are we just "going with the flow". Perhaps it's time to take a deeper look for yourself???
P - Father God, you ARE the creator of the universe. You sent Jesus to live among us and to save us through substitution and I am eternally grateful. You have transformed lives through the work of the Holy Spirit and I pray that others would not only believe this for themselves but that they would understand WHAT they believe. I ask for guidance Lord as I teach this truth to my children and to others. I pray protection for the TRUTH and that different interpretations of who Jesus is would not be just molded into a sweet little "box of rules" that we can hold onto. NO, I pray we would see life transformation and we would be open and receive the Holy Spirit, putting our life in his hands. Amen.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Holy Week Thoughts
This week instead of sharing my regular SOAP devotionals I wanted to share some thoughts on Holy Week. Since I'm currently reading the end of Leviticus and the beginning of Luke, and wouldn't have the opportunity to write about the Easter story, I thought taking a diversion was the best way to focus on the importance of remembering God's greatest gift to us. Next week I'll be back to my regular routine.
S - Luke 24:35-49
"Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, 'Peace be with you.' But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 'Why are you frightened?' he asked. 'Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!' As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his feet. Still they stood there doubting, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, 'Do you have anything to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, 'When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.' Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And he said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me." You are witnesses of all these things. And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.'"
O - There are several eye witness accounts in the gospels of Jesus' appearance after his death on the cross and being placed in the tomb. I like this one in particular for several reasons:
1. He already knows the disciples are afraid, and that they think he is not real, that he is a ghost, and he tells them that he has a body, unlike a ghost would have. He also asks them to touch him. He knows that they are in hiding because of the Jewish leaders and His appearance to them in a locked room is powerful because of it's great testimony. How could 12 men in a locked room have the same hallucination? Why would they testify to this eyewitness account later and suddenly change their frame of mind when they feared for their lives?
2. He asks for food. Now this is my kind of guy! Let's eat is always what I say!
How could a ghost physically ingest food?
3. He restates what he's been telling them all along: look at the scriptures in the Old Testament (back then it was just the Jewish scriptures) and see what it says. It says he will suffer, it says he will die, and it says he will conquer death by resurrection on the third day. The Jews many times over had been looking for a different kind of Messiah, a warrior savior among them and they missed the message. He reminds them again what God spoke to his people in Isaiah 43:12, "First I predicted your deliverance; I declared what I would do, and then I did it - I saved you."
4. His final words in this passage are powerful because of what follows these events, recorded in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament through the writings of Paul and other witnesses. He sends His Holy Spirit to be here with us on earth and there are many miracles that take place. His resurrection is not the end of the story, it's the BEGINNING!!! There will be more witnesses beyond these 12 men and many who are willing to give their life giving testimony to these things.
A - So how is it really that many still doubt or have different beliefs about who Jesus was and is?
The Jews believe that he was not the Messiah they were looking for...He died and the Messiah would have conquered the cross itself, never dying in the first place. In addition, the tomb guards told the Jewish community that the disciples stole the body from the tomb (they were bribed by the Jewish leaders) and therefore they believe that it was a hoax. But why would hundreds of thousands of people be willing to die for what they believe in? For what advantage?
The Muslims believe that God is ONE, and deny the Trinity...that God would not descend low enough to come to earth as a man...He is too great to walk among His people. They believe Jesus was simply a prophet. They believe that if we follow the Five Pillars of the Faith set before us in the scriptures, then God in His mercy will save us, if it is His will.
Buddhists also believe that we can achieve "enlightenment" by making the effort ourselves in following the "middle way", therefore there is no need for a "savior". Hindus believe that God is in all of us and in everything so there is not one path but many to finding God. Buddhists and Hindus believe in many lives lived over and over until we achieve a release from this "illusion" of material reality through union with "God".
To apply the study of this passage to our lives today, how can some not believe that what Jesus did was real? Eyewitnesses SAW for themselves Jesus perform miracles, raise people from the dead, heal the sick and cast out demons. They saw Him die and they saw Him out of the tomb and alive. If the disciples conjured up a scheme to begin a new "religion" in order to save face, then they had thousands of people in on this lie. Today, we may not have seen Jesus for ourselves or been witnesses to His story but I KNOW that Jesus is alive and is living today because He has changed ME. I do not have to SEE Him to know that He lives in me and gave His life so that I might live with God in eternity. Only God can be God - the creator of the universe, all good and all powerful, who can speak a word and move mountains - and yet because of His nature of not tolerating anything but goodness AND at the same time having an extreme love for US, His creation, found a way to come to earth in flesh and take the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He is God WITH us. He took our place. He paid the toll. We have received the greatest gift ever given and there is NOTHING we can do to EARN it, except to ACCEPT it.
P - I pray Lord today for those that have doubts and fears about who you are and the gift of life that Jesus gave. It can be confusing to some and I pray that the veil of unbelief would be lifted so that those that might read these words today would believe. I pray that if they still have doubts, they would investigate more and that through your Holy Spirit Lord, you would reveal to them that you are REAL and that you are ALIVE. I claim this truth for myself and I praise you that you would do this for ME! And those that don't see the need for a savior and that life is "just fine", I pray that you would show them Lord that life is better and more incredible when we invite you to be a part of it! I thank you that even today you have given me the desire and the opportunity to speak your truth through this blog and in other avenues so that others might claim this salvation for themselves. Hallelujah, Christ is Risen indeed!!! Amen.
If you would like to investigate more on the evidence for the Resurrection, read "The Case for Easter" by Lee Strobel. It is only 90 pages and I would be happy to loan you a copy if you know me personally. God's peace to you this Easter as we celebrate and remember God's greatest gift to us in Jesus.
S - Luke 24:35-49
"Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, 'Peace be with you.' But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 'Why are you frightened?' he asked. 'Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!' As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his feet. Still they stood there doubting, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, 'Do you have anything to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, 'When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.' Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And he said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me." You are witnesses of all these things. And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.'"
O - There are several eye witness accounts in the gospels of Jesus' appearance after his death on the cross and being placed in the tomb. I like this one in particular for several reasons:
1. He already knows the disciples are afraid, and that they think he is not real, that he is a ghost, and he tells them that he has a body, unlike a ghost would have. He also asks them to touch him. He knows that they are in hiding because of the Jewish leaders and His appearance to them in a locked room is powerful because of it's great testimony. How could 12 men in a locked room have the same hallucination? Why would they testify to this eyewitness account later and suddenly change their frame of mind when they feared for their lives?
2. He asks for food. Now this is my kind of guy! Let's eat is always what I say!
How could a ghost physically ingest food?
3. He restates what he's been telling them all along: look at the scriptures in the Old Testament (back then it was just the Jewish scriptures) and see what it says. It says he will suffer, it says he will die, and it says he will conquer death by resurrection on the third day. The Jews many times over had been looking for a different kind of Messiah, a warrior savior among them and they missed the message. He reminds them again what God spoke to his people in Isaiah 43:12, "First I predicted your deliverance; I declared what I would do, and then I did it - I saved you."
4. His final words in this passage are powerful because of what follows these events, recorded in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament through the writings of Paul and other witnesses. He sends His Holy Spirit to be here with us on earth and there are many miracles that take place. His resurrection is not the end of the story, it's the BEGINNING!!! There will be more witnesses beyond these 12 men and many who are willing to give their life giving testimony to these things.
A - So how is it really that many still doubt or have different beliefs about who Jesus was and is?
The Jews believe that he was not the Messiah they were looking for...He died and the Messiah would have conquered the cross itself, never dying in the first place. In addition, the tomb guards told the Jewish community that the disciples stole the body from the tomb (they were bribed by the Jewish leaders) and therefore they believe that it was a hoax. But why would hundreds of thousands of people be willing to die for what they believe in? For what advantage?
The Muslims believe that God is ONE, and deny the Trinity...that God would not descend low enough to come to earth as a man...He is too great to walk among His people. They believe Jesus was simply a prophet. They believe that if we follow the Five Pillars of the Faith set before us in the scriptures, then God in His mercy will save us, if it is His will.
Buddhists also believe that we can achieve "enlightenment" by making the effort ourselves in following the "middle way", therefore there is no need for a "savior". Hindus believe that God is in all of us and in everything so there is not one path but many to finding God. Buddhists and Hindus believe in many lives lived over and over until we achieve a release from this "illusion" of material reality through union with "God".
To apply the study of this passage to our lives today, how can some not believe that what Jesus did was real? Eyewitnesses SAW for themselves Jesus perform miracles, raise people from the dead, heal the sick and cast out demons. They saw Him die and they saw Him out of the tomb and alive. If the disciples conjured up a scheme to begin a new "religion" in order to save face, then they had thousands of people in on this lie. Today, we may not have seen Jesus for ourselves or been witnesses to His story but I KNOW that Jesus is alive and is living today because He has changed ME. I do not have to SEE Him to know that He lives in me and gave His life so that I might live with God in eternity. Only God can be God - the creator of the universe, all good and all powerful, who can speak a word and move mountains - and yet because of His nature of not tolerating anything but goodness AND at the same time having an extreme love for US, His creation, found a way to come to earth in flesh and take the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He is God WITH us. He took our place. He paid the toll. We have received the greatest gift ever given and there is NOTHING we can do to EARN it, except to ACCEPT it.
P - I pray Lord today for those that have doubts and fears about who you are and the gift of life that Jesus gave. It can be confusing to some and I pray that the veil of unbelief would be lifted so that those that might read these words today would believe. I pray that if they still have doubts, they would investigate more and that through your Holy Spirit Lord, you would reveal to them that you are REAL and that you are ALIVE. I claim this truth for myself and I praise you that you would do this for ME! And those that don't see the need for a savior and that life is "just fine", I pray that you would show them Lord that life is better and more incredible when we invite you to be a part of it! I thank you that even today you have given me the desire and the opportunity to speak your truth through this blog and in other avenues so that others might claim this salvation for themselves. Hallelujah, Christ is Risen indeed!!! Amen.
If you would like to investigate more on the evidence for the Resurrection, read "The Case for Easter" by Lee Strobel. It is only 90 pages and I would be happy to loan you a copy if you know me personally. God's peace to you this Easter as we celebrate and remember God's greatest gift to us in Jesus.
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