Marriage At Easter

 There is so much symbolism surrounding the Easter story. Jesus entered the world and was placed in a tree (manger) and he left the world on a tree (the cross). Jesus was the perfect lamb sacrifice for our sins and we don't have to sacrifice animals ever again (praise the Lord)! But one symbol you may not know is about the cup at the Lord's supper. 

Matthew 26:27-28 gives us context for what I'm talking about. It says, "Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" Of course, there is the obvious symbolism here of that not really being Jesus' blood. But there's another picture here. According to Ann Voskamp in her book The Broken Way when an engagement was happening back in Bible times, a Jewish Rabbi "said that when a man decided he wanted to marry a woman, his father would pour a cup of wine and pass it down to his son" Next the son would look at the woman, hold the cup out, and say:"this cup is a new covenant in my blood, which I offer to you." 

When I read this, it was a mind blowing moment for me. Jesus didn't just offer us his body as the perfect sacrifice, he also offered us a marriage covenant. He offered to take on the role of protector for all of us. Then he died on the cross for our sins. Jesus is an example of a good husband. He made his covenant with us and then he took action to show us that he meant that covenant. 

As Jesus is the ultimate example of whom we should try to emulate, I have a question for all of us: are we taking action as well? We have a calling while we are on this earth. If we don't know Jesus as our personal savior, then our calling is to accept him as that. Then we grow in him. If we do know him as our personal savior, then our mission is to grow in him and tell others about what he's done for them. These are our action steps as the bride of Christ. The church is his bride and he showed that through the symbol of the cup and his blood. A bride doesn't just sit around waiting for the groom to arrive. She takes action steps and prepares for his coming. That's what we are called to do as well.

So, do you know Jesus as your personal savior? Are you spreading the good news of the gospel? How can you grow closer to him?

Power at Easter

    What do you think of when you hear the word power? Maybe you think of having something charge like a phone. You may think of someone or something strong like a lion. You may think of politics or money. But is that true power?

   God is the most powerful being ever. He showed his power through miracles. He showed his power through events like creation and plagues. But when it came to how God saved us at first it didn't seem that powerful.

   Looking at the Old Testament we see wonders like parting the red sea, the sun staying still, and walls falling. Jesus came as a baby. That doesn't seem to show that much power, does it? Sure, it was a virgin birth but that isn't that much of a show of power. It is more of a miracle. Amazing yes, but how many people knew that Mary was a virgin? 

   Then Jesus lived a normal life till he was 30. That's when he started performing miracles and teaching but again that didn't seem like much of a show of power. Then he died. 3 days later he rose again. That's powerful.

   But here's the thing, sometimes I think what we think of as powerful is something big, amazing, awe-inspiring, etc. What if power can be in little things? What if power is shown in little moments? Think about Jesus. He is the most powerful person ever alive. He showed his power through miracles both big and small. He touched people with small actions. He showed his love in small things too.

Power can be shown in sacrifice and surrender. We have true power when we give up things. Sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? Jesus was able to do the greatest thing ever because he surrendered to the Father's will. He chose to sacrifice himself to show true power. 

   How do we get and show power then? You may or may not be able to perform miracles. You may not be able to use a lot of money to do great acts for others. But you can show power by giving yourself to God. You can show power by choosing to sacrifice for others each day, by showing love to others. Power can be shown in the small everyday acts we do.

   So, do you realize that power can be shown in little acts? How can you show power and love to others today?

https://youtu.be/cDYowE8B_q8

Easter Isn't Easy

    Have you ever thought about how Jesus came to earth? It was in a very unexpected way. Most people assumed the Messiah would come like a powerful king or a mighty military man. But that’s not what happened. And, when you think about it, Jesus came in a way that wasn’t easy.

   Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier to come in the way people expected him to come? To swoop down like a hero, wipe out the enemies of Israel, and rule? But if he did that, he would not be true to one of his characteristics. He came down as a baby, as a human, to show his love for us. He chose the hard path.

   Why do I say that? He could’ve taken the easy path and showed his power to all. He could have taken the easy path and just destroyed all of us when we sinned. He could have taken the easy path and just chose to ignore us because we chose to disobey him. But he chose to become one of us so he could know what it was like to be one of us.

   He chose the hard path of growing up, hitting puberty, learning a trade, facing temptations, and having hard emotions. He chose the hard path of not truly revealing who he was till he was 30. He chose the hard path of explaining hard topics to others, he went against the religious leaders of that day, and walking away from his family to show love to all. He chose the hard path of submitting to the Father, being falsely accused, being beaten, and dying on a cross for all our sins.

   Yes friends, Easter was far from easy. But, because Jesus chose the hard path, he made a way for us. Jesus took the hard part from us. He took our sins and became the perfect sacrifice for us. Then he made it easy for us to choose him. We just need to accept him as our savior, believe he is God, and confess our sins to him. Now, that’s not to say our life suddenly gets easier. But we do get to walk through life with the one who loves us. With the one who knows our pain. With the one who loved us enough to die for us.

   So, have you thanked God lately for what he has done for you? When life gets hard, how can you remember to lean on God?

https://youtu.be/jEbLTSCDN1E

A Tale of Two Thieves

    It is a Friday. A man who people thought would be king, is now walking through the streets carrying a cross on his way to Gethsemane to die. The crowd cries out, spits on him, and yell in anger. 

   Finally, the man arrives at the hill. His body is spread out on the wooden beams. One hand is gripped firmly as a nail is pounded into his flesh. This process is continued with his other hand and his feet. Then the cross is lifted up so that all can see the man. Above the man's head is a sign that says, "This is the King of the Jews."

   Time passes as the crowd watches, waiting for him to die, waiting for some kind of miracle. The soldiers stand waiting to quicken the process to death if needed. The man hears a voice above the din. "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" This came from one of the criminals on the cross. 

   On the other side of him, he hears another voice, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are getting punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." The man then looked at Jesus, "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom. 

   Jesus, who was the man on the middle cross replied, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

 

   There were two thieves on the cross. One mocked Jesus and, in his pride, expected Jesus to save himself and him. The other, humbled himself and knew he was getting what he deserved. He asked Jesus to save him. Which thief are you?

Where Do You Find Hope?

   Almost any of us who know the Easter story know that one of the main themes is hope. But that is only one story that has the theme of hope. Think about any of the stories you know where hope is a theme. Some may have happy endings, while others may have sad endings. Everyone has hoped for one thing or another in their lives. But, are we hoping for the right thing?

   We all have our own story here on earth. There are ups and downs in our stories. And, there are times we may not have hope. There is only one story that gives us true hope. And, it starts with God creating the world. Then man fell into sin. There was little hope in the world, except for a promise that God would send a perfect lamb to be sacrificed on our behalf. God sent His only son to die on the cross for us. The true story of hope is found in the Bible.

   But, there is one other great thing about this story of hope found in the Bible: it’s not over yet. God gives us a chance to be a part of the story. He gives us our hope in Christ because we know he is coming back. It is our job to make sure that others have the chance to know about this hope in Jesus. But, Jesus coming back isn’t even the end of the story either. When he comes back we will get to live with him forever. See the true story of hope never ends. It’s amazing to think about isn’t it? Hope you all have a happy Easter.

   Mark 8:31, Luke 24:6-7, Revelation 21:4

Got Passion? An Easter Blog

   "He has risen." If you go to church and you heard that more than likely you would reply with: "he has risen indeed." That's a great saying but I wonder if it has become common place.
   I'm not saying it isn't great to remember that Jesus has risen. What I am saying is I think that we do not have the passion we used to have when we say it. Think about when you were a child, or when you first became a Christian. When you heard "he has risen," how did you reply? Did you say "he has risen indeed" very quietly or like you were bored? No! I'm pretty sure you would have jumped up in your seat, if it was appropriate, and yelled "HE HAS RISEN INDEED!"
   Why do I say that you would have yelled it? I say that because when we first become Christian we have a fire for God. We have been saved from our sin. And, we have been saved in a most unexpected way. God came down to take our sin. He showed us love in the most unconditional way. Shouldn't we shout that to the world?!
   But, as time goes on, we take it for granted. "Oh, yes I know Jesus rose from the dead. I know pretty much all I need to know about him. No, I don't feel I am called to go places to share about him. Someone else can do that, I don't want to risk my neck." Rather than sharing the greatest story of love ever told we sit back. We become lukewarm, selfish, and hypocritical. Then we wonder why people don't want to hear about Jesus.
   We have a chance to share the good news. We should want to share this news with everyone! This isn't just a story from history. It is a story that is continuing on and that we get to be a part of. That's why we should have a passion for sharing this news. We should be yelling in church and everywhere "HE HAS RISEN INDEED!" We should be willing to tell others about him no matter the cost because he paid the ultimate price for us.
   So, do you still have a passion for Christ? Are you sharing the good news of the gospel? If not, what can you do to share the gospel? 

   Mark 16:5-7, Matthew 6:21, 1 Corinthians 10:31

   Image found here.

The Champion

   It is Resurrection Sunday! Though, right now, the last thing on your mind might be Easter. It is not easy for many people right now. Many of us are worried about our jobs, our heath, and even what our next meal may be. Churches are online and Resurrection Sunday just doesn’t feel the same to us.

   Why is it so important for us to still celebrate, and treat, Resurrection Sunday with the same reverence even with all of this going on? The answer is because without Resurrection Sunday we would not have any hope. You may be thinking: “how can we have hope right now? It seems like we are hopelessly stuck in this situation.” Today, I want to remind you of something that you may need to hear: Jesus has already won.

   We know that the things of this earth are temporary. It’s not easy what we are going through right now.  We are uncertain of many things. Yet, we have hope. During this time of year I think about an older song by an artist called Carmen. Carmen wrote a song called The Champion. It is a bit of a long song but it give illustration of the spiritual battle that Jesus was fighting. He was human just like us. He faced sin just like us. Though, unlike us, he did not sin. He was also fighting spiritual battles at the same time. That’s what this song is about.

   I think this song is a good reminder that we also have battles, but we don’t fight them on our own. God is there to walk with us. He sent his Son to die for us so we would have hope. Even though it isn’t always easy on earth, we know that we are secure. We know that God is with us. We know that we have a hope and a future with Christ, if we believe in him.

   So, will you choose to remember how important Easter is even if you are unable to celebrate the way you usually do? How can you focus on the hope that we have in Christ today and every day? Will you choose to walk with God when you face difficult battles?

   John 3:16, John 11:25, Romans 12:12, Jeremiah 29:11

   Image from here.

   Carmen video here.

He Didn't Stay Because of the Nails: An Easter Blog

   At camp YoliJwa during some weeks in the summer they have a night where you focus on your relationship with Jesus. One time, when I was there, they had a cross. You wrote on a piece of paper a sin you felt had a hold of you, or you couldn't let go, then you took a nail and nailed it to the cross. It kind of gives a new meaning to my sin is "nailed to the cross and I bear it no more."

   You may be thinking, "well that's exactly what the song says. We are nailing our sins to the cross." You're right; you are nailing your sins to the cross. But, if you forget the message of the cross you lose the whole meaning of nailing your sins to the cross.

   Imagine being there the day that Jesus was killed. Imagine you taking the hammer, grabbing the nail, lining up the nail to go through his hand, and then pounding the nail into his hand. Many of us don't want to imagine that because it's gross, I know I don't like blood so I'm in the same boat. But, in essence, that's exactly what we all did.

   No, we were not physically at the cross when Jesus died; but, Jesus stayed on the cross for our sins. Jesus could have called it all off. He is God. He could have said, "this is too much. These people are not worth it." Instead, he stayed. He stayed because of my sins. He stayed because of your sins. He stayed so we could be with him in heaven. He stayed because he loved us so much and wants to be with us forever.

   This Easter, I encourage you to think about what Jesus did for you. Think about how your sin held Jesus on the cross. Think about how much he loves you. Thank him for what he did for you.

   Image from here. 

The Ultimate Betrayal: An Easter Blog

   Have you ever had the experience where you are talking with someone and the conversation seems to be going really well? You are telling jokes, talking about their kids, asking about their weekend, and all seems to be good. But, in your gut, you just get the feeling that something isn't right. See, you know that this person has stabbed you in the back, and possibly will again. It doesn't matter how you know this person is gossiping about you but you know it for a fact. This person has betrayed you.
   By the world's standards you have a right to hate that person. The world would say that you would not have to talk to that person ever again. The world would even say that you would be just in trying to get revenge on that person. 
   What about God's standards? In John 13 Jesus gives us the example of how we should treat betrayers. 
   In the beginning of the chapter Jesus shows us that we are to serve those who wrong us. Jesus takes on the role of servant by washing his disciples’ feet. He washes all their stinky, sweaty, dirty feet. HE WASHES EVERY DISCIPLE’s FEET. Did you catch that? He even washed Judas' feet. He washed the feet of the person who betrayed him in the worst way. This man was the one who gave Jesus over to die! 

   How can we serve those who betray us in a way like that? We need to remember that we cannot see the whole picture. Jesus knew the ending to the story. He knew what had to be done. He also showed love to his betrayer to the end. We need to trust that God has a plan. God can use trials in our lives to bring about his perfect plan. In the meantime we need to show love to those who hate us. In doing that people will wonder what is different about us. That will make them wonder and thus become a seeker. Who knows, it just may bring them to Christ.
   We also must not forget that we also are betrayers. There is not one man, woman, or child who has not betrayed Christ. We have no right to hold grudges against our fellow man when we have been given so much grace. We have hope in the grace of Jesus Christ. Because of him we are no longer seen as betrayers. We are washed (kind of like feet ;) as white as snow. If we have that kind of grace from God should we not show it to our betrayers?
   So, how do you treat those who have betrayed you? Do you serve them and show the love of God? Do you believe God has a plan for your life? Do you believe in Jesus Christ and the gift of grace he has given us?

   John 13, 1 John 4:19-21, John 13:34

   Image found here.

Who Do You Belong To?

   Way, way back at the beginning of the earth Lucifer decided he did not want to follow God anymore. He wanted to be worshiped as a God. Thus, Lucifer hatched a plan in order to separate God from his creation. And, you know the story. He tricks Adam and Eve into eating the fruit, sin enters the world, humans are separated from God, and Lucifer is kicked out of heaven and becomes the prince of this world. Lucifer thinks he has won. He knows he now has power over humans and he is worshiped.

   But, God had a plan. He chose a nation to be a light to the world. He chose Israel to bless other nations. God made a covenant with them and taught them how to sacrifice to him so that he could still have a relationship with his people. But, it was not enough. Humans continued to fall away from Him and Israel chose to disobey him. Satan still believed he had the upper hand because he was able to pull God’s chosen people away from God.

   Then God, in his infinite wisdom, chose to sacrifice his only son so that the relationship with God and humans could be restored. The devil thought we were all his. He thought he had won. But, I think inside Satan knows/knew that he would never win. That doesn’t mean that he will not stop trying. He is very persistent and wants us to follow him rather than God. But, the neat thing is Jesus came so that we could be saved. He became the ultimate sacrifice. Now all we need to do is believe in him, accept him, and follow him.

   This is why we can have confidence no matter what we go through because God is on our side. We know that when the devil says, “they’re all mine.” Jesus responds, “over my dead body.” And, we know we belong to God not Satan.

   So, do you remember that you have a savior who has already won the war for you? Do you believe Christ died for your sins? Are you choosing to follow God rather than Satan?

   John 3:16, 1 John 3:8, Revelation 12:10-12