Eternal ripples

I was able to attend and participate in a memorial service for a very dear lady today. One who loved the Lord and loved others. She is home with the Lord today, but the footprints of her life will be seen for years to come. She cared for and loved others in a way that changed their lives, and she did it by aiming them to Christ.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world...let your light shine in such a way that people will see your good works and glorify your father in heaven."

This dear one always had her light pointed toward Christ. Her life has glorified the Lord, and the ripples from that one life will be eternal.

Well done, dear friend, you have FINISHED WELL!

Palm Sunday, part 4

Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Palm Sunday began with praise and celebration. The king has come. Hosanna in the highest!

But this day ends with tears because they didn't recognize who had ridden into Jerusalem. They rejected their Messiah! But they missed even more than that. Did you notice that last phrase of verse 44- "because you did not recognize the time of GOD'S coming to you." God had been in their midst providing salvation and offering to be their king and they said, "no".

The sad end of this story is in John 19:15- "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

They rejected the king of the universe, and were left with the king they most wanted to be rid of.

It seems that when I reject God's best what I end up with is a sad substitute. And so, Jesus wept over Jerusalem...and Israel missed the very king they were looking for.....

I wonder how often I miss him in my life?

Palm Sunday, part 3

Daniel 9:24-27 is a very key Biblical passage. It is in fact the only Old Testament passages which calls the Messiah “Messiah.” Elsewhere He is called “Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10), the “Root of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:10), the “Righteous Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5), the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), etc. But the name by which He is best known, “Messiah,” appears in only one passage: Daniel 9:24-27. Here is an excerpt from the passage:

"Seventy sevens have been decreed for your people… So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two sevens the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”
Exactly what is meant by “seventy sevens”? If you read these four verses just by themselves you might be a bit confused, but if you read the passage in context (as you should) it’s pretty clear what is meant. The text interprets itself. Daniel’s prayer in verses 3-19 refers to seventy years fulfilled, the 70 years of the Babylonian captivity prophesied by the Prophet Jeremiah. The seventy sevens prophecy came in answer to Daniel's prayer. It foretold a period of seven times seventy years which was still to come.

The seventy “sevens” are seventy seven-year periods - 490 years. The prophecy states that “from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens.” 7 + 62 = 69. So 69 seven year periods (7 sevens and 62 sevens) would pass from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem till the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah would be “cut off” and the city and the temple would subsequently be destroyed again.

This prophecy is according to the ancient 360-day calendar employed by both the Hebrews and the Babylonians (Daniel being written in Babylon during the Babylonian captivity after the fall and decimation of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar). So, 69 x 7 years = 483 years, 483 years x 360 days = 173,880 days.

The Persian Emperor Artaxerxes Longimanus (who ruled Persia from 464-424 BC) issued the edict to rebuild Jerusalem on the 1st of Nissan in the 20th year of his reign (that is, March 5th, 444 BC; see Nehemiah 2:1-8). 173,880 days from March 5th 444 BC is March 30th 33 AD. Here’s the math: March 5th 444 BC to March 5th 33 AD = 476 years (1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is one year, there is no year zero) 476 x 365.24219879 days (which is the length of one year according to our modern calendar) = 173,855 days March 5th to March 30th is another 25 days. So, 173,855 days + 25 days = 173,880 days March 30th, 33 AD was exactly 5 days before the Passover (April 3rd, 33 AD). So what happened exactly 5 days before the Passover in 33 AD?
In John’s Gospel we read, “Then, *six days before the Passover*, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. … Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. *The next day* a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel!’" (John 12:1, 9-13)

The day after six days before the Passover equals five days before the Passover. March 30th was the Triumphal Entry, the day upon which Christ presented Himself to the nation of Israel as their Messiah, the first time in His entire ministry that Christ allowed Himself to be publicly proclaimed as the Messiah (Matthew 21:8-16; Luke 19:37-40; cf. Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; 9:9-10; Luke 9:18-21; John 6:14-15). Christ was crucified four days later, the day before Passover. Within one generation Titus razed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.*

In other words, Jesus came on the exact day prophesied by Daniel hundreds of years earlier, on the 10th of Nissan, the day the passover lamb is selected. The Jews of Jesus day could have figured out when Messiah would come, the information was there for them. As mentioned above Daniel clearly told them the details of when Messiah would arrive. Why did they reject him? Why didn't they know about this day and receive him as their Messiah and King?

Because Jesus came to do something diffeent than they expected, something different than what they wanted. He came the first time as the Messiah to fulfill the role of priest and passover lamb. They were watching for a king to defeat the Romans. They rejected the Messiah and his purpose because it didn't fit with their idea of Messiah.

Do we do the same thing? Do we miss the Messiah in our lives because he doesn't look like what we wanted? Do we miss God's work in our lives because he doesn't do what we want him to do?

*(thanks to gotquestions.org for the detail and math in the notes above. It's a good site for bible questions.)

Palm Sunday, part 2

Exodus 12:1-11- 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire—head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.

The passover is at the very core of the Jewish faith. Moses, by God's leading, established passover while they were still slaves in Egypt. But what I want you to notice in this passage is WHEN they picked the lamb for the passover sacrifice. They picked the lamb on the 10 of Nissan, their first month of the year. Then, four days later, the lamb was sacrificed on passover.

Guess when Jesus entered Jerusalem? Yes, it was Palm Sunday, but it was also the 10th of Nissan, the very day when the passover lamb is chosen. Four days later, on passover, Jesus is crucified. He came as the king on that day, but he also came as the lamb of passover who would die four days later for the sin of the world.

John told us about this when he introduced Jesus by saying, "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Only God could plan something so amazing! The prophet Zechariah talked about a man who will someday come as king AND priest. He has come. He has fulfilled his role as priest, and is already king in the lives of millions. One day he will come back, not on a donkey, but on a white horse, to set up his eternal kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus....I look forward to the day!

Palm Sunday

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. It is a celebration in the Christian church of the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkeys' colt with the praise of the people welcoming him to town. It's an important day!

This is a quiz for all you great bible students out there- Why is Palm Sunday important? What does it mean and why is it an important day in the Christian faith?

(Over the next few days leading up to Sunday I will unpack this day. I'm really excited about what it means, and I can't wait to tell you more!)

The solitary quest

Prayer is the solitary quest of the christian life. It is the bowing of my knees, heart and mind to God and it's not easy. All that is called my flesh rebels against this solitary quest called prayer.

For me to take time aside from the world, to quiet my mind and heart and spend time with God is one of the most important things I can do in my walk with God, and yet, I must admit it is often the last thing I make time for in my busy day.

What always amazes me is that the sovereign God of the universe invites me into his presence at any time in my day to spend time with him! As I write that I'm embarrassed because I don't spend time with God as I know I need to. Now, I'm not being a legalist here, I simply know that my whole life and all that's involved in it is dependent upon the God who made me, who also invites me to come and visit anytime! Why do we find that prayer is low on our list of things we do?

I do believe that prayer is neglected because it's hard work. It demands silence in a world of noise. It demands solitude in a world of people. It demands dependence upon someone else in a world of self-reliance. It demands patience in a world of NOW. It demands time in a world where we think we have so little free time to give away.

The solitary quest is not intended to get God to do something. It's not intended as a time to submit my wish list. It's not meant to be a time to complain. It's my opportunity to quietly tune my mind and life to the one who made me. It's my opportunity to get to know God personally. It's my time to be quiet in his presence and listen....for you see, my goal is not to get a word from God...my goal is to know him. And when I spend time with him, and get to know him, my world changes. My mind and heart quiet down. My fears calm. My brow softens. My sighs turn to giggles. And the God who already knows what I need often answers prayers I never asked.

I spent time with the creator of the universe! Will he not do what's best in my life? The more I know him the more I will trust him. When I'm fearful, worried, scared.....it's clear I have lost sight of God...it's time for a solitary quest to spend time with my God. Whether he answers my prayers is no longer the issue, now my quest is simply be with him. The rest will work out, for you see he's God!

Col 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Col 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Monday's cartoon

The great adventure

The christian life is the great adventure. There is no life more exciting than the life of a christian. Starting with this picture what would you say about your walk with God? Yes, it's your turn to talk about what God is doing in your life...have fun....I'm looking forward to hearing your story.

Resting in the wrong places

In my reading I'm back at Psalm 1 again. I have memorized this Psalm, so I love it and often take it for granted as well. The message is clear- resting in the wrong places can get you in trouble! "Come on, sit down, relax." they tell you, but you don't realize where the chair is located....finding rest in the wrong place can be dangerous. It's a very visual chapter- the pictures he paints are very clear. Make sure you are resting in the right places...make sure you are fnding your rest and delight in his word. Read over this short Psalm, and then take a look at your days in the last week. How has it lined up with David's direction? Do you find yourself looking for rest in the wrong places?

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Psa 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psa 1:4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
Psa 1:6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Trusting God

Psa 131:1 A Song of Ascents, of David. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.
Psa 131:2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.
Psa 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

I think in pictures, so when I see a picture it will often remind me of something I have read. This IS the perfect picture for this Psalm. Total trust, complete dependence, not a worry in the world, quiet and at rest in his mother's arms.

We often fret and worry when we most need to simply rest in the Father's arms. Why do we do that? Why do we struggle so much with God as our Father?

Lord, help us to rest in you. Help us to trust you. Let us see your face so we won't worry about what is going on around us. We need you.

What do you want?

I had an early morning breakfast with a friend today. He asked me an interesting question, "What do you want to do?" I know my answer, because I have thought about this a lot....I want to serve God, and serve his church. What does that look like? It depends on the need of the moment. There are times when I have to simply sit and listen to one of our family dealing with a big loss or a great victory. There are other times when it's simply setting up chairs for an event. The thing I have to constantly cultivate is the heart of a servant. It's not normal for any of us, but it's important to God.

I often go back in my mind to a passage of scripture in John 13. It gives us, as Christians, our directions on how to interact with one another. Here's what Jesus did and said-

Joh 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
Joh 13:4 *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
Joh 13:5 Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
Joh 13:6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"
Joh 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter."
Joh 13:8 Peter *said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter *said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."
Joh 13:10 Jesus *said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
Joh 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
Joh 13:12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
Joh 13:13 "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
Joh 13:14 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
Joh 13:15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
Joh 13:16 "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.
Joh 13:17 "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

That last verse is what has my attention. I am blessed when I serve others? When I do menial things that others need? When I do what no one else wants to do? When I'm a servant and no one says, "thank you"? I'm blessed HOW?

I'm blessed by God by obeying him. I'm blessed by seeing God use me. I'm blessed because I put someone else ahead of me.

The thing I have to constantly cultivate is the heart of a servant. It's not normal for any of us, but it's important to God.

Just thinking

In my reading this morning I was in Revelation 4. As I was reading I got one of those, "hey, wait a minute...." moments. May I share it with you? Here's the passage and then I will share what I'm thinking-

Rev 4:5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
Rev 4:6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
Rev 4:7 The first creature was like a lion,

and the second creature like a calf,

and the third creature had a face like that of a man,

and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

Rev 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

These four creatures are called Seraphim. They are the angels who are contantly in the presence of God crying out "Holy, holy, holy." Now I don't have pictures that would show them as they are, but can you imagine what amazing angels these are? How wonderful...six wings, full of eyes....we have no idea how awesome they look, but we do have a little picture of them. It suddenly struck me today, as I read, that these angels were created before God made the heavens and the earth. Is it possible that these animals are a small glimpse of what those Seraphim look like? Did God make the Lion, the calf and the eagle to honor those angels? Do they give us a glimpse at how amazing even God's angelic creation is? I think I will look at lions, calves and eagles in a different way from now on.....just a "hey, wait a minute...." moment for me.

Early morning thoughts

This morning, at 3, I woke up. I do that often. I will often use those times to pray, read or write. This morning I wrote a great blog piece (trust me), hit the wrong key, and lost it all. Now that's a bad way to start the day!

Basically what I was thinking about this morning is God's placement of me in time and history to be part of his kingdom plan. I'm here, in this place at this time by his divine plan. He has a task for me to do in his kingdom.

For me, I have always sought lofty accomplishments. I have wanted to do great things for God- build big churches, be the next Billy Graham, or write the great Christian book....you get the idea, but that's not what I was made for. And I must be honest, finding out what God made you to do and doing it is one of the most important things in life! I was made to care for people. If all I do in life is touch one life at a time with the gospel and help people in their walk with God then my reward at the judgment seat of Christ will be what God intended because I did what I was designed to do.

I am always amazed by the picture painted in Revelation of 4 angels who were created to do one thing, and they haven't done it yet! They will be successful because the will do their one thing as God planned. And that's my goal- to do those things I was made for. It's funny how grand aspirations fall away quickly when you know what God made you to do.

If you don't know what the Father designed you to do then ask him. Ask a pastor. Talk to your friends. Get in the word. The best place you can be is to be you doing what God made you to do.

1Co 12:7 Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!

Monday's cartoon

a fun musical cartoon to start the week. enjoy.

Family

I love our church because of the family feel, the closeness of us all riding through our joys and sorrows together. We have hit some bumpy roads in recent months, but what has made it easier is that the family of the church has gone down this difficult road together.

Some have left. I am told that always happens. But it has made our church family even stronger for the ordeals we have been through. I find that I am much closer to many in our church because of the difficult road we have been down. It has drawn us closer, it has made us stronger, it has drawn us back to a God dependence.....and in spite of the reason those results are all good.

We are not finished with our trip down this bumpy road yet, but we are doing it together, and when we get through this difficult time we will all be closer to each other, closer to God, and better prepared for the next bumpy road when it comes.