Holy Week - Tuesday

     Yesterday we started our journey through Holy Week by looking at what Jesus did on that final pre-resurrection Monday.  Quite an amazing transformation in just 24 hours!  The Israelites went from laying down palms at the feet of His donkey to breaking His heart by money-changing inside the temple.  What appeared to be celebratory was not... the people of Jerusalem were patting Him on the back in public while many were plotting behind the scenes to speed up His demise.  What I love about Jesus is that He knew this was going on... yet continued to bravely do ministry in the face of it.  

He could hear the footsteps of His coming crucifixion but He never took His eyes off of His purpose.

On Tuesday of that same week, Jesus continued revealing the true intentions of those He came into contact with.  This time, He was tested with a series of questions.  Those that stood against Jesus were constantly trying to catch Him in a lie...or to cause Him to sin.  Here are a few of the questions they asked Jesus on Tuesday:

Q:  Who gave you the authority to do what you do? 

A:  “He answered them,

“I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”

And they discussed it with one another, saying,

“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

And Jesus said to them,

“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  - Luke 20:3-8

Q:  Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?

A:  “But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?”  They said, “Caesar’s.”  He said to them,

“Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.” - Luke 20:23-26

I love that.... they tried to catch Jesus in a trap... He left them speechless with His wisdom!  They weren’t done... but each question the people asked, Jesus gave them a flawless and holy answer...

But Jesus‘ Tuesday wasn’t over... He had yet more wisdom to share with the people...

As they exited the temple, the Disciples were marveling at their beauty. Jesus takes this opportunity to share some more incredible facts with them.  Here’s a quick list:

(from Matthew 24:1-25:46)

• All of the beautiful temples would fall.
• There would be many false prophets pretending to be the returning Christ
• Those that follow Christ would be persecuted for His name’s sake
• No one except the Father knows the exact date and time of Jesus‘ return
• Be ready for the Son of Man will come at an hour you don’t expect
• People will be separated like sheep and goats (believers and non-believers)

This lengthy passage is known as the Olivet Discourse by scholars and I recommend that you read it in its entirety.   Jesus continued to use parable to illustrate complicated concepts to His detractors... never once slipping... never once sinning.  Christ would be dead in just a few days and He knew it.   Yet He spent his last week pouring into the people who would mock and torture Him.  

They would try to silence Him forever. 

God had other plans.  

The resurrection is coming…  Praise God for His goodness and sacrifice today…

Holy Week - 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. 

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-resurrection 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!

Valley or Peak

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6

Things happen that we don’t comprehend. Violence, rage, disease, intolerance, desperation... the list goes on. A typical reaction to things we don’t understand is, “Where is God? Why doesn’t He do something about what’s happening?”

We don’t see Him interacting so we worry.

We don’t understand what He’s doing so we doubt.

We don’t feel His presence so we feel alone.

Today, recommit to trusting God. You may not see Him or feel His presence.

Trust Him. He is there.

Reach out to Him... and if you can’t feel His gentle grip right away, don’t worry... He will never let you out of His sight. He knows you hurt... He knows you are struggling... He is not worried about your future because He has plans for it and will be there throughout it.

He is all that we need or could ever hope for.

Whether we are in the darkness of the valley or enjoying the warmth of the peak... Jesus is there for us.

His loving heart beats for you... it’s my prayer that you would hear it louder than ever.

Don’t give up.

Choose to trust.

He will never let you down.

Seat At The Table

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  Romans 3:23

I read of a small boy who had been consistently late for dinner. One particular day his parents had warned him to be on time, but he arrived later than ever. He found his parents already seated at the table, about to start eating. Quickly he sat at his place, and then noticed what was set before him--a slice of bread and a glass of water. There was silence as he sat staring at his plate, crushed. 

Sometimes we make mistakes.  Sometimes we repeat the same mistakes.  Again and again and yet again.  Our plate sits in front of us... and we feel far more than hunger pains….regret.  sorrow.  guilt.  shame.  sadness.   We hurt.  

We stare at disappointment and realize that we caused it... We sinned... we did the wrong thing.  Will we hurt forever?  Will they ever forgive?  Will God ever see us the same way?  Am I broken?  Unloved?   If only we had one more chance...one last conversation...one opportunity to wind the clock back and make things right.

This young boy’s story wasn’t over...

Suddenly he saw his father’s hand reach over, pick up his plate and set it before himself. Then his dad put his own full plate in front of his son, smiling warmly as he made the exchange. When the boy became a man, he said, "All my life I’ve known what God was like by what my father did that night.

What is God like?

Sacrificial and unconditionally loving.

Full of grace...not condemning judgment

Full of hope...not unending despair 

Full of forgiveness...not relentless blame

God reaches across the table and replaces what we deserve with what we haven’t earned.   As Christ-followers, when we ask for forgiveness, He takes our bread and water... our sin... our punishment... our condemnation... our mistakes... and allows us yet another chance. 

Grace from a loving Father.

Love from a graceful God. 

Feeling discouraged by past failure?   Afraid to show your face around God’s table?

Don’t be.  

There will always be a chair waiting... plenty of food... and a warm embrace from the One who knew that you would sin and created you anyway.   

Diamonds

I read of a woman, Bobbie Oskarson, who recently had quite a find.  While vacationing in Arkansas’s Crater of Diamonds State Park, she unearthed a diamond that weighed in at 8.52-carats.  In fact, she found the stone in her second scoop of dirt…  It was the fifth largest diamond ever uncovered at the park and is worth tens of thousands of dollars.  

Just sitting there.  For free.   An immense treasure just waiting to be claimed by someone willing to dig for it.  

It reminded me of forgiveness.   So many times we do things in our lives that we carry for far too long.  A messy past relationship taking up a corner of our brain…  A lost job… a word we shouldn’t have said… a lie we were caught in.  Sure, we’ve asked the offended party to forgive us, but the residue remains.  We still feel guilty.  We still suffer in silence.  We still think about the pain we caused or the heart we broke.  

We’ve even asked God to forgive us.  

But we haven’t forgiven ourselves.  

The Bible tells us that when we ask forgiveness from God, we are eternally separated from that mistake.  Forever.  God deletes it from our lives with love and mercy.  Psalm 103:12 puts it this way: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”  Why East and West?  They never touch.  Ever.  

God has forgiven you for your past mistakes.  

Read that again.  Out loud.  To yourself.   Only this time, change it a little. 

God has forgiven me for my past mistakes.

Feel better?  Maybe not.  Why?  Because you think it can’t be that easy.  I can assure you… it is.  God’s love for us is immeasurable and complete.  His forgiveness isn’t based on anything you do for Him… it comes from the overflow and abundance of love in His heart for you… His masterpiece.  In His mind, it is over.  Done.  Never to be brought back up or thought of again.  You are free from the ropes that have held your heart down for so long.   

Now comes the tougher part…. The part where you have to dig a little.  Right below the surface of your guilt is a gem called forgiveness of self… and it’s attainable.  Reach for it.  You may have to do it every hour for the first couple of days.  Forgive yourself.  Let it go.  Allow yourself to accept the fact that God doesn’t hold it against you.   In fact, try this… write these three words down on an index card.  “I Am Forgiven”  

Put that card someplace you’ll see it.  It’ll act as a reminder of the truth.  

You are forgiven.

You aren’t forgotten.

You are loved.

You aren’t left behind.

You are healed up.

You aren’t held down.

God has forgiven you for what happened.  Forgive yourself.  You can’t go back and change the past… you can simply learn from it and move forward.  Repair what you can.  Seek forgiveness from those you’ve hurt.  Ask God to forgive you.  And allow yourself to be free from the prison of self-imposed guilt.  In our minds, we build very strong prisons that God never intended for us to live in.   Unlock that cell and break free from the shackles of pain.

The diamond is sitting there… just waiting for you to pick it up.   Self-forgiveness.  

Make today the first day you aren’t carrying the weight of a busted past.  You aren’t that person anymore.  What happened then has helped sculpt you into what you are now…  Would you change some things? Who wouldn’t.  But you can’t.   Please accept that.    There’s a good reason why the windshield is much bigger than the rear view mirror in your car.  Because moving forward is the goal…  Will you make future mistakes?  Bet on it.  

Will you learn from them?  Prayerfully so.  

Learn and move on.

Forgive and let go.

Leave it at the cross and refuse to go back and get it.  Ever.

When we figure this out… we gain what no diamond or wealth could ever give us… peace.  

You can do it.  Steph and I will be praying for you as you forgive and move forward.  

Opinions

Life is too short to be addicted to the approval of others. 

Isn’t that true?  I can see you nodding at your computer... so then why do we spend so much of our precious time looking for it?  Why do people’s opinions matter so much?

I think it’s simple.  Because it feels so good.

We like pats on the back, attaboys, to be on the coffee list, the smile of our boss, and the outstretched hand of the guy whose job we just saved through our hard work.

It feels good to be liked.  It feels great to be loved.  The best feeling?  When we are recognized for something we’ve done in front of our peers... and a whole room erupts in cheering!  THAT’S when we know we’ve done well... and we want that feeling again and again and again.

We become addicted to the approval of others.

Problem with this type of approval is that it’s impossible to maintain long term.  People’s opinions shift... their moods change.  We mess up... the approval fountain stops flowing.  Someone’s having a bad day?  We think less of ourselves because they don’t feel like giving out complements.  The teacher is on a peak... things are good!  In a valley?  Pop quiz.

The approval of others is inconsistent and based on temporary feelings.   It makes us feel great in the short term... but craving more in the long term.

Today, I want to give you another way of looking at your value.  There is one opinion that matters and it’s that of God.  After all, He is the one who created you with all of your gifts (and you have some)... He is the One who sent His Son here to pay for your sins... He is the One who knew of all the flaws and made you anyway.

Let’s take a look at what the God’s Word says about you:

You are a child of God (John 1:12)

Jesus Christ is your friend (John 15:15)

Jesus paid for your sin and you don’t have to. (Romans 3:24)

You are brand new in Christ (Romans 6:6)

You have been set free (Romans 8:2)

You are accepted by the King of Kings (Romans 15:7)

You are no longer a slave (Galatians 4:7)

You are free (Galatians 5:1)

God picked you special (Ephesians 1:7)

You are the best work God can do (Ephesians 2:10)

Your life was bought with a high price (John 3:16)

You are in the light not the darkness (Ephesians 5:8)

God is guarding your heart (Philippians 4:7)

You are complete (Colossians 2:10)

You are chosen (Colossians 3:12)

You are loved (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

Why constantly search for other’s opinion of you?  God is quite clear in these passages.  If you are a Christ follower... there’s only one opinion that truly matters... 

I read the story of a young man who once studied violin under a world-renowned master. Eventually the time came for the student’s first recital. Following each selection, despite the cheers of the crowd, the performer seemed dissatisfied. 

Even after the last number, with the shouts louder than ever, the talented violinist stood watching an old man in the balcony. Finally the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval. Immediately the young man relaxed and beamed with happiness.

You see, the man in the balcony was his teacher, and thus the applause of the crowd had meant nothing to him until he had first won the hearty approval of his master.

The crowd may cheer... it may not.  The opinions of others may be positive... or they may not.  Search the room you’re in.  See those standing around you?  They care about you... but not like God.  Not like the true Master.  Your Creator is confidently nodding in approval of you.  

Even those times when you mess up and people reject you... God nods.  Because you screwed up?  No.  Because He knows your heart... He knows His Son has paid for that sin... and God (who IS love) gets to give you a 17th chance at getting it right.  

He delights in loving you.  You have His approval. Not because you are perfect, but because you are His.   You haven’t earned it... may not deserve it... but it’s there.  You are wonderfully created...flawed by sin...but infinitely valuable.  

Today, when you find yourself trying to win the approval of your peers... remember that your real value is eternal.   You already have the stamp of approval from the One who loves you more than anyone else.  

First Place

“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”  Romans 1:25

     Back when I was in elementary school, one of the most coveted positions in the classroom was line leader.  Everybody wanted it.  Few got the chance.  It was the coolest job there was.  As you walked, the class walked.  If you stopped at the water fountain, all 24 of your friends did too.  Being first had power.  Head of the line meant something.

Being first was important.  

It still is.  Only now, it isn’t walking in the front of the line... it’s putting the most important thing first in your mind and heart.  We don’t have to wait for a teacher to assign it... we get to pick it ourselves!  We get to decide what leads out in our lives everyday...

Number one matters.

True commitment requires sacrifice.   When it comes to what leads our lives, this couldn’t be more true.  In order for us to commit to making God first... to lead us... to guide us... to light the way...  something/someone that isn’t God needs to be moved from the number one spot and either made to be number 2 or 3... or lower. 

Maybe money’s been your idol for awhile... directing your thoughts and actions.  Perhaps it’s ego... or family... or power... or success... or maybe for you it’s that guilt you’ve started to focus all of your attention on.  Something has been in God’s place in your life and it needs to be given it’s proper position.  I believe that if we are going to change this world for Christ... to reach our God-Potential... to fully commit to God’s plan... we need to make and keep Him first. 

God’s opinion matters... Not the opinion of those who didn’t sacrifice themselves so that I could live eternally.

God’s words are true... Not the words of those who have ulterior motives or are trying to manipulate me

God’s values are perfect... Not the values of a world who couldn’t care less about my morality or thought life.

God’s place is first... Not behind something that fades, rusts, leaves, betrays, confuses, or abandons me.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said, ““We always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.”  I agree with that... time to move the cheap stuff out of the way and replace it with some One priceless.