Hospital Food

Hospital food has quite the reputation.  It really doesn’t matter what name is on the outside of the building, the food served inside leaves much to be desired in many cases.   Interestingly enough, the quality has changed very little regardless of the number of complaints from patients, physicians, and guests.  The leadership in one hospital in Ottawa, Canada wanted to change all of this.  They figured that the only way to truly understand what people were griping about was to eat the food themselves.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served to the executives for a solid week directly from hospital kitchen.  

The verdict?  A major change was needed… and fast!

It’s easy to act like there is no issue or problem.  We can go through our day nodding that adjustments need to be made or feigning concern about a cause or situation.  But when we step into the shoes of those affected… our viewpoint changes!  That’s why Christ came. He put on flesh and was born as a baby so that He could fully experience the human condition.  Heartbreak, loss, victory, justice, elation, and gratitude… Jesus felt all of these and so much more.  When we pray that we’re hurting… He’s felt it.  If we are asking God for strength, He’s experienced that too.  

Jesus did more than just create the human race… He joined it.  And because of this we know that He truly understands and addresses our needs specifically.  Today, take a few minutes and thank Him for what He’s already done… and know that whatever you are asking Him for today He has felt it too.  He understands.  Personally.

Christmas Celebration

I remember growing up in Arkansas… Christmas morning was an event at our house.  We would get up early and open some presents… and it never failed.  The one toy that I wanted to play with most had to wait because it was missing batteries.  Those three words:  “batteries not included” were so heartbreaking.  We’d dig through the junk drawer and would inevitably come up empty.  The disappointment was very real… after all, a toy with no power is just a piece of plastic.  But put those cells in… and you’ve got a remote controlled car that could race down the driveway!     

As I sit and think about Christmas… and more specifically, Christ as a baby… I wonder how many thought that God’s plan didn’t include batteries.  After all, how could the Savior of the world be so meek… so tiny… so seemingly powerless?  How would this little baby rise up to be king?  How could this small boy from this tiny insignificant city overthrow the Roman government and restore God’s people?  But the people missed it.  God’s Christmas plan… His rescue mission… was powerful beyond measure.  Jesus Christ, the most significant human being to ever walk this planet… was mighty.  Even as a tiny baby, His mere presence changed the course of history.  At the mention of His name, kings kneeled… wise men gathered gifts… and prophecies were fulfilled.   God knew exactly what His earth needed… a Savior… a loving, serving, giving, sustaining, providing, merciful, power source that would allow repentant people to have a relationship with their Creator. 

So spend part of your Christmas season thanking God for the majesty and power of His Son… thank Him for His provision and His presence in your life.    He is all that you need… all you could ever want… all powerful… all-knowing… and everywhere at one time.  He is the Alpha and Omega… the Beginning and the End… He is Almighty Lord and Everlasting Savior.  Jesus is glorious… and His love for you knows no bounds.  You are His masterpiece… and your presence on this planet is purposeful and specific.  Never forget that.  You matter.  How do you know?  Because over two-thousand years ago, God sent His Son… as a baby.    And that baby would one day grow up to sacrifice Himself on a cross and be resurrected three days later…  

For you.   For your eternity.   

Christ did that so you could live power-filled lives… confident that you don’t have to do it all on your own.   Hold your heads up … pray and give thanks… and this Christmas, celebrate the greatest gift this world has ever known.   

THE Question

The other day someone asked me a question. THE question. The one that every part of our belief in God hinges on. I wanted to share my answer with you here today in our daily devotional time. I'd like you to ask yourself a few questions as you read it. First, do I really believe what I’m reading? Is this just information in my head or do I believe it with my whole heart? Second, is there someone in my life that needs to be told this?

It’s my prayer that today’s devotional doesn’t just end up as a quick glance in your Facebook feed. Share it. Copy it. Keep it handy to remind yourself of God’s love and as a reference to share with those who have yet to believe it themselves.

Here’s the question:

Did the resurrection REALLY happen?

Did Jesus’ heart stop for three days and then re-start? Really? How do we know?

It’s a question that has lingered with mankind since the stone rolled away from the doorway to Jesus’ tomb. Did He really die? Did Jesus’ followers hide the body? What proof do we have?

The best place to answer a question like this (or any question) is to start with God’s word.

Here’s what scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 15

“And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.  And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 
And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.  In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!  And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 17-19 NLT

What the Apostle Paul is telling us in this scripture is that if Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t real, all of them were liars. Every disciple and preacher that spoke of Christ coming back from the dead were purveyors of fairytale and untruth. In addition, Paul goes on to say that if the resurrection were fake, their sermons were useless, their faith misplaced, and their sins still unforgiven. In other words… Paul believed Jesus came back from the dead three days later just like He said He would. He was convinced that the Man he was teaching others about was exactly who He claimed to be: Jesus Christ… Son of God… dead but only temporarily.

If you need further proof look no further than his disciples.

The great majority of them were killed violently for their continued faith. But why? Simply because they stood boldly and would tell all who would listen that their Master, their Teacher, their Savior, and their Lord had risen up out of the grave and walked again. They tirelessly preached about salvation, and the coming judgment, and Christ’s deity and holiness… never stopping when threatened with death or imprisonment. They went without food, spent years in deplorable conditions, and, at the end of their lives, were cut down in horrible fashion by people who dismissed their claims as sedition. Some were beheaded. Others crucified. Abandoned. Destroyed. It was as if the authorities were trying to rid the world of a disease by killing one Christ-follower at a time.

Would any of these men have endured such pain and hardship over a lie? A ruse? No.

People don’t give up their heartbeat for a hoax.

The disciples would have been the ones that snuck in past Roman guards and stolen Christ’s body. They would have known the hiding spot. They would have been in on the secret. The lie. But it wasn’t a lie and they knew it. They believed that Christ rose again so much that they were willing to go through torture, great pain, and even death to proclaim it.

The resurrection was no magic trick to start a religion. Jesus Christ of Nazareth…Son of God… walked planet Earth blameless… healed the sick, fed the hungry, taught the ignorant, and loved the unlovable. He was captured and tried for crimes He didn’t commit and whipped by people He’d created just a few decades before. They nailed Him to a cross and He bled and died. They put Him in a tomb, covered the entrance to it with a large stone, and posted soldiers by the entrance in case somebody wanted to hide the corpse.

But on that beautiful morning, Christ pushed aside the burial shroud and walked among the living once again. Scripture tells us in Acts that He didn’t hide after His return:

“During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.” Acts. 1:3

Christ had risen. And the same feet that walked on the water were now back among the people. The Bible goes on to tell us that before He went back to Heaven, He was seen by more than 500 men (1 Cor. 15:6), His disciples, and dozens of women and children.

Countless confirming stories from eyewitnesses…

Men willingly giving up their lives that could have saved themselves by simply denying it happened…

An empty tomb…

So much evidence that demands our attention and confirms our faith.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is history’s fulcrum… the pivot point where mankind’s debt was paid once and for all. And because of it, each of us can now spend eternity in Heaven with a Savior Who loves us immeasurably. He is risen, indeed.

No Replacement

A man named Dan Chen has created a machine.  A device so outlandish that you will struggle to believe it exists.  What is it?  It’s called an “End of Life Care Machine.”  Essentially it is a robotic arm that gently moves back and forth along the forearm of a patient in a hospital who is dying.  As it does so, it says “Hello [name of patient], I am the last moment robot. I am here to help you and guide you through your last moment on earth. I am sorry that (pause) your family and friends can’t be with you right now, but don’t be afraid. I am here to comfort you. (pause) You are not alone, you are with me. (pause) Your family and friends love you very much, they will remember you after you are gone. (pause).”

It’s hard to come up with the right words for this machine… but for the sake of today’s devotional… We’ll use the word: tragic.

Tragic that whatever person this is used on is left alone in their final moments… and even more tragic that someone thinks a heartless robotic arm can replace the tender touch of another person.  

I was thinking about this device as I read Hebrews 2:17-18 

"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" 

Hebrews 2:17-18

The truth is… before Christ came…all of us were dying.  Bound for eternal separation from God because of our sin.   Taking the punishment for missing the mark that we deserve.  And then God sent His Son.  His glorious loving Son to pay the price for what we had done.    God didn’t send a note… or a statue… or a robotic arm to comfort us… Jesus put on our flesh.  He became a human being.   A person who we could recognize and One that could suffer pain.  Today as you spend time praying, thank God that He loved us so much that He sent His only Son… His compassionate and merciful Son… so that we would know how valuable we are to Him during our time here on the Earth.  

Easter Week - Sunday and Monday

     Yesterday began what Christians around the world celebrate as Holy Week... Jesus’ final week on planet Earth BEFORE His resurrection from the grave.  As we prepare our hearts for this upcoming Easter weekend, I thought it would be great to explore each of the days leading up to Easter... what happened in Christ’s life, what it meant, and how it all led to his crucifixion and ultimate victory over death and the cross.  The Bible doesn’t specifically list these events chronologically, but scholars have pieced together what they believe to be an accurate timeline.  Let’s take a brief look at yesterday (Sunday) and into Monday.

PALM SUNDAY 

• Jesus sends two disciples to secure a donkey and a colt for His entry into Jerusalem

“As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
    riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!
    Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Praise God in highest heaven!”

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem as a hero!  People cheered, shouted praise, and placed palm branches down in the streets as a sign of worship and respect.  As we move on throughout the week... don’t forget the reception Christ received during His entrance.  The feeling of goodwill and reverence would soon give way to violent outrage and disgust.  Why did the people turn on Christ?  Did they really feel inside like they were acting on the outside?  Let’s keep looking ahead.

MONDAY

Christian scholars have surmised through archaeology, context, and significant study of the ancient texts, that Jesus did two things on the final Monday of His pre-resurrention life.  

#1:  “In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry  And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.”  -  Matthew 21:18-19

#2:  And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them,“Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”  -  Mark 11:15-17

At first glance, these verses may seem disconnected.  Jesus starts His morning cursing a tree and continues it by tossing some tables over.  However, both acts were intentionally done by Christ to show the decay that had come over the nation of Israel.  He knew the true hearts of the people... those same people that just 12 hours prior were singing His praises.  

In the first case, the fig tree was often symbolically used to represent the nation of Israel.  Jesus comes to it... sees leaves but no figs... and curses it for it’s lack of fruit.   Here was a tree with potential for wonderful produce... but instead sat unprepared, unready, and disconnected from it’s purpose.  The tree sat barren... just like the hearts of those Israelites that claimed to love Jesus.  Their purpose was to bear fruit as believers...but, instead, they had turned to religion and legalism.  Jesus wants us to fulfill our purpose, bear fruit, and reach the potential for which we were created.

The second passage demonstrates again how the Israelites’ hearts had become hardened to their real purpose.  Here they were selling items inside the very place that they were supposed to be praising Christ.  Jesus knew that He had to set things straight and reminded those causing the trouble that the church was a place for prayer and worship only.  This wasn’t sinful anger... but righteous discipline.  

These two Monday events foreshadow what Christ would face on Friday of this week...  The smiles that He walked past on Sunday were barely hiding the contempt and lack of respect the people of Jerusalem had for the Son of God.  Unfortunately, It would get worse... and then infinitely better!

There are just a few days left until we kick off our Easter services!  See you there!

Playing God

Just a few months ago, history was made as the mini-series “The Bible” was aired to record numbers of viewers.  Soon after, the actor who portrayed Jesus was invited to speak to a group of Christian leaders at the National Religious Broadcaster Convention.   They asked him how he felt to play such an important role.  His answer?  “How can you play the Son of God?  You can’t.  What I had the privilege of playing was simply the words of Christ and taking the journey of the Scriptures.”

It was a very humble answer from an actor who understands that he is just that... an actor.   Nobody can properly play Jesus.  So why do so many try in their own lives?  They worry... stress... try to control things... and in so many other ways attempt to be Lord.  Deuteronomy 4:35 tells us that “the Lord is God and there is no other.”   Find yourself trying to be God over your own life?  I’ve got good news.  You don’t have to be.  In fact, you can’t be.  Let God be God... and spend all of that energy praising Him for Who He is and what He does daily for you. 

Right In Front of Us

I read a story of a man who played the violin in the Washington DC subway.   On this particular cold and blustery morning, very few people noticed the man on the platform… playing skillfully on his instrument.  They were scurrying to make their next train… looking over their newspapers… pressing their faces close to their phones while they checked Twitter.  After a little while, a lady stopped and placed a one dollar tip in his violin case.   But the recognitions were few and far between.  After about 45 minutes of playing, the man had made $32.00.   After finishing his last piece, to the deafening silence of no applause, the man placed his violin back in its case and headed home. 

What the people passing didn’t know… this was Joshua Bell.  Violin virtuoso.  One of the most talented players in the world.  In fact, just two days before, Joshua had played to a sold-out concert crowd in Boston… where the average ticket price exceeded $100.  

Sometimes greatness is right in front of us and if we aren’t careful, we’ll miss it.  

Tonight we celebrate Christmas Eve… the night before the birth of Jesus Christ.   The night where Mary and Joseph walked the streets looking for a place to rest… and the innkeeper turned them away to the caves…   The night when angels prepared to sing, shepherds stared into the starry sky in anticipation, and God smiled knowing that His plan for salvation was about to be unveiled.  It was the night when greatness and perfection lay waiting as a human child in the womb of a young virgin… eager to open His beautiful eyes in a world desperate for His presence.  

Greatness was about to appear to the world.  Yet many would miss it.   To some it was just another night… just another star in the sky… just another young boy.  

To some it was just another birthday.   

This Christmas… don’t miss it.  Don’t allow the busyness to get in the way of the beauty of His birth.   Don’t miss the chance to worship Him… giving your greatest gifts to Him… sharing His story with those that might otherwise walk on by.  He is the greatest single human being ever born… and, at the same time, every bit God.   His knowledge is as vast as the sands on the beach… and His compassion is unequalled.   He IS God.  He is greatness personified.   He is our Savior.  And tonight… on Christmas Eve… let’s celebrate knowing that He was born with the ultimate purpose….  saving the world!

Liberty

“...proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” Leviticus 25:10 (as inscribed on the Liberty Bell)

Today Americans celebrate independence. Freedom. 

In the late 1700s, colonists sought release from British control. After bravely battling against incredibly skewed odds... they won that liberty... taking charge and creating a government that allowed choice and protection.

A young nation... experiencing freedom.

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ sought to release the people He created and loves from the eternal punishment for sin. After bravely enduring incomprehensible suffering due to incredibly skewed charges... He won the ultimate victory... stepping boldly from a grave and completing a new covenant with His creation.

A sinful world... experiencing real freedom.

Liberty came long before 1776. It didn’t involve redcoats or revolutionaries... brigades or battlefields. It didn’t come from a pen dipped in ink or proclamations made against a King named George. It was established centuries before the shot heard round the world rang out... or George Washington issued his first command.

It started with a baby... and ended with a betrayal.

It started with water to wine and ended with wine and bread.

It started with three wise men and ended with three crosses on a hillside.

Freedom began when the veil tore. When the ground shook. When the King of Kings hung His beautiful head and declared “It is finished.” When death lost its perfect record for keeping people under. When the stone rolled back... When the tomb stood empty... When the Savior rose again with your name on His mind and heart.

Eternal freedom happened because you matter to God.

Jesus came to earth with a revolutionary way of thinking, a sinless battle plan against the power of death, and marching orders that make it possible for you to spend eternity with Him in victory.

Statesman Patrick Henry declared in 1775, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Jesus’ life declared... I’ll suffer death so you can have liberty.

No matter how trapped, held down, beat up, or oppressed you feel... never forget Jesus’ declaration of your independence...

“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:36

If you are a Christ-follower, you ARE set free. Believe it and live it out! Let’s take today to celebrate our country... our Creator... and His courageous sacrifice on our behalf.

Love and blessings to you and your family on this Independence Day.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!  It’s my prayer that you are spending today with family and friends… enjoying this celebration of the birth of Christ!   

I remember growing up in Arkansas… Christmas morning was an event at our house.  We would get up early and open some presents… and it never failed.  The one toy that I wanted to play with most had to wait because it was missing batteries.  Those three words:  “batteries not included” were so heartbreaking.  We’d dig through the junk drawer and would inevitably come up empty.  The disappointment was very real… after all, a toy with no power is just a piece of plastic.  But put those cells in… and you’ve got a remote controlled car that could race down the driveway!     

As I sit and think about Christmas… and more specifically, Christ as a baby… I wonder how many thought that God’s plan didn’t include batteries.  After all, how could the Savior of the world be so meek… so tiny… so seemingly powerless?  How would this little baby rise up to be king?  How could this small boy from this tiny insignificant city overthrow the Roman government and restore God’s people?  But the people missed it.  God’s Christmas plan… His rescue mission… was powerful beyond measure.  Jesus Christ, the most significant human being to ever walk this planet… was mighty.  Even as a tiny baby, His mere presence changed the course of history.  At the mention of His name, kings kneeled… wise men gathered gifts… and prophecies were fulfilled.   God knew exactly what His earth needed… a Savior… a loving, serving, giving, sustaining, providing, merciful, power source that would allow repentant people to have a relationship with their Creator.

So spend part of your day thanking God for the majesty and power of His Son… thank Him for His provision and His presence in your life.    He is all that you need… all you could ever want… all powerful… all-knowing… and everywhere at one time.  He is the Alpha and Omega… the Beginning and the End… He is Almighty Lord and Everlasting Savior.  Jesus is glorious… and His love for you knows no bounds.  You are His masterpiece… and your presence on this planet is purposeful and specific.  Never forget that.  You matter.  How do you know?  Because over two-thousand years ago, God sent His Son… as a baby.    And that baby would one day grow up to sacrifice Himself on a cross and be resurrected three days later… 

For you.   For your eternity.  

Christ did that so you could live power-filled lives… confident that you don’t have to do it all on your own.   Hold your heads up today… pray and give thanks… and celebrate the greatest gift this world has ever known.  

Traveling Heavy

In 2007, England’s Queen Elizabeth II decided to make a short 6-day visit to the United States.   While most people would pack a couple of suitcases… the queen travelled much heavier.  In fact, it was estimated that her gear weighed in at two to three tons!    What could she possibly have brought that weighed so much?  The list included clothes, a diamond tiara, her gowns, her crown, gifts, paperwork, and up to 50 pairs of white gloves.  In addition, her personal affects included several framed photos of her family, her favorite tea and teapot, large quantities of favorite brand of water, and special medicines that she required.  Planning and packing took eight months. 

All for a six day visit.

But not all royalty travels with such fanfare.  Over 2000 years ago, a little child entered the world that would forever change it.  He would grow up, heal the sick, raise the dead, teach the masses about God’s love, serve those He created, allow Himself to be crucified, and resurrect back to glorious life.  All while maintaining very few possessions, keeping a selectively small circle of close confidantes, and having a low profile.   Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, came out of Heaven that Christmas morning…  not weighed down with stuff… but burdened with the sins of the world.   In a couple of days we will celebrate Christ’s royal arrival… and as we observe Christmas.. let us never forget that Jesus travelled light for a reason.   It was so that He could spend His time intentionally… not worried about bringing everything with him… but making sure He didn’t leave without us.

Merry Christmas!