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Is Palm Sunday Relevant Today

Posted in Christian Living, News & Commentary, tagged , , , , on March 29, 2015|

palms

Is Palm Sunday relevant today?

Many Christians view Palm Sunday as a quick time out before the clock expires on Lent.  Some see it as the start of Holy Week.  Others see it as a day that Sunday school children will dress up and lay green palm fronds on an altar prior to the worship service.  And some will see Jesus as a faithful and suffering servant, making his journey to the cross.

The answer will ultimately depend on how you view Jesus.

Palm Sunday is all about the final journey of Jesus to Jerusalem.  He enters with the reception of a hero.  Palm branches are cut from the trees so that people can wave them and lay them at the feet of Jesus.  The crowds shout with joy and excitement as he arrives.  Some hope for a military solution to their suffering and see Jesus as the right leader for a rebellion.  Some want a new government established where better leadership can be found.  Some desire an economic solution where wealth and riches will fix the needs of their nation.  And a portion of the crowd just desires deliverance through the Promised One of God, the Messiah.  They desire redemption, restoration, and salvation.  A Savior who will wipe away their tears and forgive their sins.

By the end of the week, many in the crowd will be disappointed.  They did not find the expected fix.  The crowd did not find the general, politician, or ruler they had desired.  Only a small portion of the crowd will follow Jesus to the end of the week and they too will ultimately leave his side.  But later, they will see an empty tomb and realize the truth.  God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

Palm Sunday is relevant because of the cross.  As Jesus moves closer and closer to His own crucifixion, it demonstrates the magnitude of His love for us.  That is the reason we sing on Palm Sunday.  We sing to celebrate Jesus, the Lamb of God.  We celebrate the One who journeys into Jerusalem, knowing that it will take Him to a cross, but that it will take away the sins of the world.

If we see Jesus for all that He has done, there is reason to worship, sing, and rejoice just like the first century crowds in Jerusalem.  May our voices ring out in acclamation just like theirs, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna, in the highest!”

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Costly Christianity

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , , , , on February 16, 2015|

cost

The brutal slaying of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS this weekend serves as a grim start to the season of Lent.  While Lent is often celebrated as a time of sacrifice and inflection, today it seems more of a reminder that there is a price for our faith.

As our hearts are heavy and our prayers go out to the families of these 21 brothers in Christ, let us also focus on discipleship.  Let the Church hear this message again and again. There is a cost to discipleship.  There is a figure for service to the Savior.  There is a price when one decides to follow Jesus.

These tenets are not new.  Jesus teaches His disciples that they will be ridiculed, reviled, and rejected.  There is a hard road for us to travel as we grow stronger in faith.  Matthew 10:22 shares, “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Those are not easy words to hear, but they allow us to focus on what is truly important and to keep our perspective.  While there is a great price to pay in service, one will also find value in the salvation of Christ.  There is something greater than all my hardships and struggles.  There is something bigger than all my troubles.  The value of Jesus.

The point becomes clear in Matthew 10:32, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”

As hardships, struggles, and difficulties come your way remember the examples we see in Scripture; hold on to your confession, stand fast in the truth, and endure to the end.  The value of Jesus will soon be clear.

 

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Waiting for Christmas

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on December 22, 2014|

emmanuel

What is the longest time you had to wait for something?  We wait a matter of minutes for food at a restaurant and it feels like a long time.  We wait 5 years to start kindergarten classes at school.  We wait 20 to 30 years to find a spouse.  As a people, we do not wait well, no matter how great the reward may be.

The Advent of Christ is also a story of waiting.  The time between the Old and New Testaments total 400 years.  This time span moves from Nehemiah to the birth of Jesus Christ.  These years are known as the intertestamental period, but they are often called the “silent” years.  A time when people were waiting to hear something from God.

The New Testament gospels give us more than a whisper.  They announce the long-awaited birth of the Messiah, the Desire of nations, the Son of David, the Prince of Peace.  Jesus arrives as our Emmanuel.  Jesus arrives as our Redeemer, Savior, and King.  The most precious gift we could receive.

His birth shows the faithful promise of God to provide salvation.  His birth allows God and sinners to be reconciled.  His birth brings light and life to a world that has only known darkness and death. Jesus was born that mankind may have life, a second birth, a home beyond this world.

We celebrate the Advent of Christ on earth.  We celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the deliverance that it brings.

Now we wait again.  We wait on the second Advent of Christ and His promised return.  May God hasten the day when we can finally see Jesus, the one pierced for our transgressions, the one crushed for our iniquities, the one who died so that we may have eternal life.

 

 

 

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Do You Have a Favorite Place to Pray?

Posted in Christian Living, Spiritual Practices, tagged , , , , , , on April 26, 2014|

prayer

Prayer is central to our faith.  It is deliberate communication with our Heavenly Father.  It is an act of worship.  It is a spiritual discipline.  It allows us to adore, petition, praise, and confess.  Prayer is the primary way we connect with God.

Scripture shows us that Jesus made time and space to pray.  Mark 1:35 shares that, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  Jesus would often separate himself to pray alone.  He left his family, the crowds, and even the disciples in order to connect with God.

Jesus spent long periods of time in prayer.  This was often done before a major event or difficult time.  Luke 6 shares that Jesus went out to a mountainside and spent the night praying.  This was not done lightly.  Jesus spent several hours in solitary prayer seeking the will of God.  After this long time of prayer, he chose twelve of his followers to be apostles.

We see from the example of Jesus that prayer should be a cornerstone of our Christian faith.  We should frequently make time to connect with God.  We should also seek out the Lord and devote significant amounts of time to prayer when major decisions need to be made.

In light of Christ’s example and seeing the importance of prayer I want to ask a couple of questions.

Do you have a favorite place to pray?

Where is it?

What makes it special?

What draws you there to connect with God?

I know that places, structures, and reasons will vary.  Some want to pray in a sanctuary and smell candles burning.  Others want to pray on their couch while enjoying a cup of coffee.  We can make this a Christian community learning exercise and see how the body of believers demonstrate their faith.  Share your response in the comments section and see how other Christians connect to God in prayer.

Comments are being collected at https://godsquad.me/

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For Unto us a Child is born!

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 24, 2013|

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born the Prophet Isaiah recorded a message for all of humanity.  “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah gives us a description of the Messiah that bears repeating.

First, “the government will be on his shoulders.”  This affirms the lordship of our Messiah.  We will no longer be disappointed in the judges, leaders, and kings of this earth, instead we will have the perfect, holy, and righteous Son of God to lead us. We anticipate that reign, a day when Christ is Lord over all of creation.

Second, Jesus has become our “Wonderful Counselor”.  In Hebrew, the idea is that His counsel is a thing of wonder and awe.  He is the perfect ruler, a King with no flaws.  As God incarnate, Jesus is the source of all truth.  There is no corrupt judge or lying politician to rule.  Instead we will have the absolute best, a loving Savior who teaches us how to live and find eternity.

Third, Jesus is our “Mighty God”.  The word for “mighty” also means hero.  This conveys how Jesus saves us from death.  Because Christ is God, He can forgive sin, defeat Satan, liberate us from the power of evil, redeem us, answer our prayers, restore our broken souls, and reign as Lord—“Mighty God”—over our newly ordered lives.  He is not only the Holy Son of God, but his actions rescue and deliver us.  In this way, he is the greatest hero of all time.

Fourth, Jesus is our “Eternal Father”.  Jesus, the Messiah, gives us “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12-13).  We are no longer orphans out on our own, but members of God’s family.  A family and kingdom that has no end.

Finally, Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”.  While many see this title as an end to war on earth, another battle is in mind.  Jesus brings about reconciliation between God and humanity.  He offers peace from God (Romans 1:7) to all who are the recipients of His grace.  He brings peace with God (Romans 5:1) to those who surrender to Him in faith.  He brings the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) to those who walk with Him.

This one verse continues to shine brightly among Scripture.  It delivers the promise of our Messiah.  It highlights the reign of our future and glorious King.  It also shares how we can ultimately be reconciled and redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

When George F. Handel composed his Messiah in 1741, Isaiah 9:6 was one of the Scriptural texts used.  He saw in this simple verse the profound message of a Savior arriving on earth and decided to set it to music.  May we never cease to praise and glorify God for the beautiful gift of Jesus, our newborn King!

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Christmas Music Matters

Posted in Christian Living, Spiritual Practices, tagged , , , , , , , on November 22, 2013| 1 Comment »

Christmas music

I heard something as I walked in the store.  I could not believe it.  The door shut behind me and I just stood there listening to the music.  It was the third of November in Salina, Kansas.  The lady at the counter looked at me, smiled and asked if I needed anything.  “How long have you been playing Christmas music in the store?” I asked. “Since the first of the month,” she shared.  “Isn’t it beautiful! Christmas is just around the corner now.”  We both smiled and nodded in agreement.

While one might expect retailers and restaurants to play the typical songs about snowmen, reindeer, bells jingling, shiny wrapping paper, or enjoying a snow laden landscape this music was different.  This music was even different from most radio stations. This music described a holy night when our Savior was born.  A night when angels proclaimed the birth of our King.  A night when the thrill of hope arrives and a weary world rejoices.  A new and glorious night that transformed the world because He has finally arrived.  The night that delivered Jesus, the Christ, the promised redeemer of the world.

The music itself didn’t stop me in my tracks.  It was the message of the music.  It seemed to transform the entire store into a happy and joyful place.  People couldn’t help but smile at each other, customers and employees alike. The store was transformed into a glorious place where people were happy and at peace. Each person reminded of God’s gift to us.

In my state of surprise or perhaps shock, I also took in what was not happening in the store.  No one was complaining about “religious” music being played on a store sound system.  No one was offended with the message.  No one organized a sit in or demonstration.  No one organized a letter writing campaign to the head office as a protest.  Instead, you saw people everywhere who expected to hear Christmas music.  People heard the music and the message.  We were in turn blessed, renewed, and changed.  The music was a gift.

Christmas music matters.  It is more than an assortment of notes and chords.  It is a tremendous reminder of truth.  It shares and teaches the promise of Scripture. It is a form of worship in that we can use music to offer prayer and praise to God.  It transforms people.  It allows heavenly changes to take place in our hearts, minds, and souls when the gift is received.

Joy and singing do not always come easily.  Many can only focus on dark days and personal struggles.  As we enter the Advent season, let us hear the songs of promise and respond to the heavenly gift of Jesus.  Since God has faithfully delivered the Messiah, we too have reason to sing and rejoice.  May we continue to lift up our voices and share in the heavenly chorus that proclaimed the birth of our Savior.

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Why We Need a Theology of the Body

Posted in Christian Living, Military Family, Military Marriages, News & Commentary, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2013| 1 Comment »

Male-and-Female

Christians need to understand a biblical theology of the body.

I share this because of several recent events.  First, the Supreme Court struck down the federal definition of marriage being between one man and one woman.  Second, California recently passed a law allowing transgender students to choose which restroom and locker room they use.  The law, which will take effect Jan. 1, gives students the right “to participate in sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities” based on the gender they identify with as opposed to their birth gender. Those programs also include sports teams.  Third, a day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison, Army Private First Class Bradley Manning announced that he self identifies as a female and wants to be known as Chelsea Manning.

These events are more than news stories.  They are a reflection of our nation, our culture, and our society as a whole.  They also reflect what currently passes as acceptable behavior.

Here are a few reminders to share from the National Association of Evangelicals and its Generation Forum.

People are created in the image of God.  God made us.  We are not descendants of another mammal.  God created human beings in His image, looked at all He made, and pronounced it “very good” in Genesis 1:31.  We are included in this decree.  This makes every human a holy reflection of God and a unique work of art.  God bestows us with some of His divine attributes setting us apart from the beasts of the field.  Created in His image, we are relational and embodied beings, whose very nature bear the fingerprints of God.

God created us male and female.  The genders announced in Genesis 1 are different.  God’s design is for man and woman to be together in the covenant of marriage.  This bond is blessed so that people can find greater relationship, happiness, intimacy, and know the joy of children.  Jesus confirms this creation paradigm in Matthew 19.  Competing models to the marital covenant are found in current and ancient cultures, including polygamy, same-sex unions, serial monogamy, polyamory, and “open marriages.”  These constructs lack the essential ingredients that fully express God’s plan.  They are flawed imitations of what God intended.

We should also embrace our gender as a gift from God.  The contemporary dance with changing gender identity represents a rebellious rejection of our Creator’s biological design.  We should not change or exchange our humanity.  It would only distort God’s canvass.  This rejection also demonstrates a rebellious desire to exchange “the truth of God for a lie” and make ourselves in our own image, Romans 1:25.

Honor God with your body.  The Biblical mandate is clear, we are to pursue purity.  This is accomplished by upholding fidelity in marriage and upholding chastity outside of marriage.  We need to be aware of potential temptations and be transparent with those who hold us accountable.  Sanctification is both an event and a process.  We are incapable of eliminating ourselves from the problem of sin.  Only Jesus Christ can and will set us free, Romans 8:1-4.  But all are called to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” and to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” Romans 12:1-2.

As Christians, we are called to honestly share the standard God has given through Scripture.  Many will reject it, but the church must be steadfast and faithful to biblical teaching.  Another challenge in speaking God’s truth is being compassionate like Christ.  Hate and anger will only hurt our Christian witness.  Instead, let us continue to advance God’s kingdom by speaking the truth in love.

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Faithful with a Few Things

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

2 mochas

It is amazing what a handful of people can do with purpose and direction.

In 2004, a group of college students went to Africa to help people in need.  As work projects moved forward, many of the young adults expressed frustration with a perceived inability to make an impact in Africa.  The size and scope of work projects seemed unending.  And with only a few dollars – rather than thousands – to spare, many people felt like their efforts equated to dropping a pebble into the Grand Canyon.

This compelled several people to create a new model of giving.  They asked, “what could be done if we gave up one or two premium coffees and used that money for Africa?”  The group realized that they did not have thousands or millions of dollars, but that they could be faithful with money already in their pockets. This concept of making a difference with faithful giving quickly launched the Mocha Club.

Today, people can sign up, pick a service project and donate the cost of two coffees to impact the people of Africa. This allows people across the globe to pool their resources and make a huge impact in the lives of needy families. Donors can select clean water, education, orphan care, or several other projects to support.  The success of Mocha Club has grown to have a massive impact both in Africa, and beyond.

7 dollars

You can learn more about the organization and see how to make a difference in Africa by clicking on https://www.themochaclub.org/ and join the fight to help people in need.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25, that those who are faithful with small things will be entrusted with great things. They will also hear our Savior say, “well done good and faithful servant.”  Let us continue the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  No matter how great or small the work may be.  May we be faithful in all that we do.

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History Channel’s The Bible Draws Incredible Ratings

Posted in News & Commentary, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Bible

Hollywood can say what it wants, but The Bible is the top-rated cable program on Sunday nights.

The History Channel’s mini-series The Bible drew an impressive 14.1 million viewers on its first night.  Horizon media, meanwhile, said some 50 million viewers tuned in to at least some portion of the program over the first three weekends of the five part series.

The show is an outright success.  The latest installment pulled in 11 million viewers and audience retention rates are just as remarkable. To put the numbers into perspective, the premier had better ratings than The Walking Dead and every episode beat Fox’s American Idol.  If the ratings don’t impress you, they certainly confound Hollywood’s entertainment experts.

This Judeo-Christian-themed show reveals an appetite for religious programming that is consistently overlooked in Hollywood.  Did they forget that The Passion of the Christ made over $600 million to become the highest grossing R rated film in history?  Did they also miss The Chronicles of Narnia, Courageous, and Fireproof?

Some critics claim that the calendar is artificially inflating interest around the series.  I don’t see how this argument holds water.  Sure the mini-series airs during Lent and will end on Easter Sunday, but that does not speak to the desire for clean stories and religious programming every day of the year.  The content is drawing the audience, not the calendar.  Content is what drew people to the show and developed a loyal following.

The series is truly unique in that the creators wanted to honor the integrity and accuracy of Scripture.  Nancy Dubuc, president of the History Channel, told MovieGuide.com that a group of theologians and scholars were regularly consulted on the accuracy of the project. “This is probably the most important book in mankind, regardless of your beliefs or religious affiliation,” Dubuc says. “We spend a lot of time talking about this book, and probably not enough time knowing what’s in it.”

Again, that is the entire point.  People are curious about the Old Testament, the New Testament, and how the Bible impacts us.  While Hollywood has not cracked the code, people want to connect with the story of God.

Thanks to the History Channel and The Bible leadership team, people are watching the series, having conversations about the text, and finding out what the story of God holds for them.  That is the ultimate success no matter how the ratings turn out next week.

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The Bible – New History Channel Mini-Series

Posted in News & Commentary, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Bible Series

If you have seen the ads, there will soon be something worth watching on television.

The History Channel will present, “The Bible” as a five-week mini-series.  The premier is March 3, 2013 from Emmy Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.  The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday and will feature the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This television series is a great and simple way for people to explore the message of God.  While the Bible is one the best-selling books of all time, many have not read the text.  The mini-series will give Christians, spiritual seekers, and curious souls an opportunity to discover the Holy Bible in a new and exciting way.  Hopefully, it will serve as a reason for folks to open the text, connect with Christ, and continue their discovery of God’s plan for humanity.

Below are a couple of reviews for the series.  Feel free to share the news and catch the show.

“To help insure the accuracy of the miniseries, many Christian scholars served as advisors and hundreds of Christian leaders have given their endorsement.” – Outreach Magazine

“It is also a project close to Mr. Burnett’s heart. In the past couple of years the 52-year-old former paratrooper says he has become deeply religious, a transition he credits to Roma Downey, his wife since 2007. ‘It wasn’t until I met Roma that I truly understood my faith and it’s been a dynamic shift for me,’ Mr. Burnett said.” – Wall Street Journal

“Famed television producer Mark Burnett tackles his projects with passion, but The Bible is a special labor of love.  The 10-hour, five-part docudrama, which premieres March 3 on the History Channel, will span the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, presenting some of its best- known stories, including Noah’s Ark, the Exodus, Daniel in the lions’ den and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

‘In terms of importance, nothing we’ve ever done, not Touched By an Angel, not Survivor, not The Voice, not The Apprentice, none of this could possibly compare to The Bible,’ Burnett says. ‘To us, as a family, we love the Bible.
This is not a TV show to us. It’s images and sound and sacred text that people will still watch, way after our grandchildren are old people.’

Since the entire Bible can’t be covered in 10 hours, the miniseries, which was filmed in Morocco, focuses on a select group of stories and features such compelling figures as Abraham, Moses and David. Some stories had to be compressed for artistic purposes. ‘In the end, what we’ve done is a meta-narrative, a grand narrative of emotionally connected stories. We know we’re not qualified to teach the Bible. We’re qualified to be good television producers and storytellers. By telling these emotionally connected, big stories, hopefully millions of people will reopen their Bibles,’ Burnett says. Downey came up with the idea for the miniseries a few years ago. ‘It is our obligation to tell the stories as written,’ he says. ‘The stories are so brilliant and compelling.’ The project will have broad appeal, he says. ‘If you know the Bible, you’ll enjoy seeing the stories come to life. If you’ve never read the Bible, I think you’ll love the stories,’ he says.  ‘There’s a reason the Bible is the most widely read book in the world.'” – USA Today

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