There is so much that divides us, as people—politics, race, social economics, and so much more. We often try to get people to be on “our side.” One of the challenges we face is we often question who is God fo? Who’s side is God on?
This video is some of my thoughts on the question at hand, whose side is God on? Be sure to take and tackle the question at the end!
Let me know your thoughts.
Click here to read Matthew 28:1-10
What would it have been like that first Easter Sunday? We have gotten into the tradition of going into Easter with pomp and circumstance. We should, after all be celebratory and joyful everyday because Christ has risen from the dead.
But, what if, we miss the point of Easter going straight to the celebration. Do we come with wonder anymore? Has the story become too familiar that we don’t give it the attention it deserves?
Put yourself in the women’s shoes as they travelled to the tomb. They still could not believe Jesus was dead. They were still in shock he was treated the way he was on, what we call, Good Friday. How could he, a non-criminal, really be put to death like that?
Not only that, but there must have been some anxiety because they could not anoint Jesus’ body when he was placed in the tomb, or even during the next day because it was the Passover meal festival and the next day was the Sabbath, and nothing like anointing could have been done since it was considered as work. Can you imagine the stress that would have placed on them?
Fast forward to today. We love to celebrate, we love it when things go right. We love to be able to find ways to party and have fun. But what if, we are not supposed to think of Easter as a “normal” celebration we hold each year. What if Easter is supposed to be something more? What if God uses this time of quarantine, social/physical distancing, staying home to teach us what really matters in this life?
I know many people are disappointed we are not able to gather together for Easter worship this year. But, maybe we have the opportunity to live out the resurrection story in a brand new way, a way that is not traditional nor the status quo.
So, how have you traditionally celebrated Easter Sunday? If you’re like most people, we celebrate Easter just on the Sunday and we go back to “normal” life the next day.
If anything, this year should teach us we cannot go back to living “normally.” Why would we really want to go back to normal anyway?
After the guards left the tomb, they were different. After the women left the tomb, they were different. After the disciples left the tomb, they were different. Not only were they different, but they never went back to the way they lived before they encountered the empty tomb. Once they interacted with the Resurrected Christ, everything was changed.
Notice some of the things that changed. First of all, this happened on the first day of the week, symbolizing the start of something NEW.
Maybe we can use this time right now to reset our priorities and have God reset our hearts and lives toward him.
Matthew’s account of the resurrection says a “violent earthquake” occurred because and angel of the Lord came down from heaven. Remember, we can experience God in the quietness, like being in nature, but what if God is speaking to us when everything is shaken up? One of the C.S. Lewis quotes I love is “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
The world had just put Jesus, the Son of God, to death. The world was not listening to God. Sometimes there has to be something dramatic to shake things up and open ears to hear God speaking and calling out to us.
What if, we use this time, this unique time, to call out to God. Maybe God is speaking to us here and now. What is he saying?
The angel of the Lord told the women (the first apostles and evangelists) Jesus is not here (in the tomb) because he is risen! The angel also said do not be afraid.
Yes, the angel allows the women to look inside to verify Jesus was not there. But this is a reminder to us, even today, nothing is ever going back to normal. At the same time, we have nothing to fear.
When they went to the tomb, they were expecting Jesus to be right there, to be where they left him. Then they expected to go back to their normal lives and go on living, with grief yes, but living just as before.
One of my fears today is that we go back to living as “normal” when clearly we, as the church, should be seen more in the world and demonstrate the presence of God with us because CHRIST IS RISEN!
There is a great urgency to be the people who follow Christ. Why? Because there is a lot to do? Nope. Because Christ is alive and has called us to be in mission with him. Our lives are no longer lived for us, but for him. It really doesn’t matter what we think we like because Christ is alive and we are being transformed into his image and likeness. God is giving us the “mind of Christ”, if we let him.
The part about Easter that I love, and it means so much more to me now, is how NOTHING will ever be the same. Christ did not die so we could observe the empty tomb and throw a party at the empty tomb once a year. Christ is alive and that means we can celebrate wherever we are in the world because Christ is there.
Yes, this year has been different. We have been told we need to stay “sheltered” inside our homes. We need to practice “social distancing.” This is all well and good because we do not want the virus to spread. But, at the same time, maybe we get a little taste of what the early disciples experienced. Maybe we get a little nervous (the disciples were afraid because they could be put to death) about going outside and in the stores.
Maybe we get to take the intimate settings we practiced, observed, and worshipped this past Holy Week and allow the Easter story to be born anew into us.
The reality is, the world tried to shut Jesus up by killing him.
The world tries to shut the doors of churches so we can’t gather together. But here’s the deal. Church buildings may be empty this year but so is the tomb.
The world thought it could stop the presence of God through Jesus Christ from going further into the world with the message of Heaven and God’s love for the world. The world closed the tomb to try and keep Christ buried and hidden. But always remember this, Church: there ain’t no stoppin’ love!
Let your cries in the world be CHRIST IS RISEN! ALLELULIA! Christ is risen, the tomb is empty but our lives are full.
Christ lives. Nothing is the same now nor anything will ever be the same again.
Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Amen.
RESPOND TO CHRIST
Christ is alive and is speaking to you today. Maybe you haven’t taken the time to notice. Maybe you couldn’t hear because you’ve had so much thrown at you by the rest of the world. Maybe you sense something stirring in your heart and want to acknowledge Christ is speaking to you, yes you to give your life and complete devotion only to him.
Maybe today is the day you finally say YES to Christ. Maybe today is the day you say YES again to Christ.
However you respond today, I implore you to listen to the Spirit’s words and see the beauty and power of the Risen Christ who came for you.
Question: Can a modern, educated person rationally believe in miracles?
I believe a modern, educated person can rationally believe in miracles if they have faith miracles can happen. If a person, any person, does not have faith, miracles can happen, then they would not be able to know if it was a miracle. Belief in miracles depends on the person’s worldview: do we live in a world where God can intervene, and we have personal religious experiences?
There seem to be different understandings of what a miracle is. Some people describe a miracle as an unexpected event or occurrence. Most often, a miracle is defined through the lens of religion, primarily because of the result of divine activity. Two types of miracles are violation and coincidence miracles. Violation miracles are those we tend to think of the most—God stopping a natural disaster, terminal disease cured, a person saved from a horrific accident unharmed. These are the miracles that give the best stories. If religious experiences people have are challenging to examine or prove, then violation miracles could be challenging to prove as well. Coincidence miracles are those events that seem unlikely to occur, though they do not violate any laws of nature (i.e., a candidate gets a job they were not qualified for, etc.) In these miracles, the eyes of faith can see God working.
Throughout history, there have been unexplained events that make no sense unless they are described as miracles. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most significant one people still grapple with today. Had this not been a miracle and real event, the early disciples and followers would not have been so bold in their faith, their testimony, or even to be willing to die for the message Jesus Christ lives.
I think the most significant aspect of miracles that make them difficult to believe in is that they force people to look beyond themselves as the center of the universe. Meaning, we have to open ourselves up to the possibility there is a higher power (God) that created the world and is still working within this world and the lives of the people, whether they know he is nor not. Yes, this is a challenging thought and concept. But what if we took the wager of Pascal and began to seek to have faith in God just for the outcome of experiencing joy and seeing everything around them in a new way?
For me, I do believe in miracles. This past summer was one of the hardest of mine and my wife’s life. She was pregnant and had a very, very difficult pregnancy. It was so complicated that we were not sure if the baby was going to live outside the womb or not. We also were not sure my wife was going to make it either. We recently had our baby boy baptized. So every day, I believe I am looking at a miracle when I look at my baby boy and wife.
For an intelligent, modern person to believe in miracles, we have to go back to the questions at the beginning, do you think we live in a world where God can intervene, and we have personal religious experiences?
“Who do you say Jesus is? Some say he was just a good person. Some say he was a prophet. Others say he didn’t exist. CS Lewis says, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d be either a lunatic on a level with a man who says he’s a poached egg or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” It is important for us to know who Jesus is because this is who we are being formed into. We are not forming Jesus into ourselves, but rather he is recreating us to make us into his image.
This 8 chapter book goes over the big moments of Jesus’ life to help us see how the life of Jesus is still impacting our life today. The next time you’re asked “Who is Jesus?” you can have some answers to help people understand the power of the Risen Christ that is with us always and who is giving us our identity.”
Do you have your copy of the daily devotional on the Book of Acts?
Get your copy here. Paperback version. Kindle version.
The Book of Acts tells the historical events that shaped the early church through the powerful, dynamic movement of the Holy Spirit. This power is still available and working today all over the world. As we encounter the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have the great opportunity to watch God do incredible work in and through us. This daily devotional walks us through the book of Acts so we can experience a personal revival and help us experience a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
FOR ALL ORDERS DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, I WILL BE DONATING ALL OF THE PROCEEDS.
GET OUT OF THE WAY
One of the things that is really fun to do is just sit back and watch God do the work. I have been challenged by this in the past because I have been the one who wanted to make sure everything was running and going smoothly.
But, here is something for us to consider. We have prayed. We have began to meet with people. We have interacted and gotten to know people in small groups. We have visioned together. We have shown God’s incredible love through small and consistent acts. We have made sure we were practicing and promoting Sabbath rest.
This has not been an easy road. It has not happened as quickly as we may have liked. But, God has been working in and through us. It is God, through the Holy Spirit, who was doing the work and has been using us as willing and able vessels. Be proud of what you have seen God do in and through you.
Now, we get to be in celebration mode as we see what God has in store for the person/organization/church. Be prepared for what you witness to possibly be something different than what was planned, or something even better.
If we continue with this same “process” these past few posts have lined out, we will see a renewal movement with people relearning what it means to experience and fully live in the life of God through Jesus Christ.
We can be proud of the work we have done; but be sure to give God all of the glory. Yes, we were part of God’s work because we joined him; but be sure to give all glory to God. After all, we have been working hard to bring people to experience and live into the grace and new life God offers through Jesus Christ.
The work we have been able to do has, hopefully, guided the people to know what it means to live. We have been able to LOVE people, through the love from God, to LIFE. Hopefully, there is no desire to want to go back to the simple and easy status quo; but, rather, keep living and moving in the life and direction God has in store.
Keep going through these chapters. Keep praying and meeting new people. Keep seeking the wisdom and guidance from God through the Holy Spirit. Allow God to work in and through you. Watch God do incredible work in the hearts of the people.
Our mission is, of course, to work with God for the redemption and transformation of the world. We’ll get to do this one step, one person at a time.
I am praying for you in your work and mission.
“I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 CEB)
Easter Sunday was a few days ago. I know there were people who did not do anything to celebrate; but there where millions/billions of people celebrating the Risen Christ.
Easter bunnies, family lunches, sunrise service, church activities, and so much more were taking place that day. Have you recovered from Easter?
This is a question I ask almost every year to the churches I serve. Have you recovered from Easter? I hope not!
Too often we get wrapped up in the events and activities of this “holiday” that we can get weary from them. But Easter is not about the events that we do, but the Event that happen almost two thousands years ago. Easter is so much more than the activities we put on and participate in. I hope you have recovered from the activities and have been able to rest; but I hope you never recover from Easter…Jesus’ resurrection!
We live in a world that needs hope, healing, redemption, and the power of the resurrection reminds us that the worst thing in life is never the last thing. We have this incredible power because of Jesus Christ, because of the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, that we can use to walk with God bringing his message of hope, light, and true life into the world.
The resurrection was, and i, life changing for the world, for you and me. I pray you and I never “recover” from Easter; but just the opposite. I hope we get so full of hope, so full of love, so full of knowing the victory of God that we proclaim, with joy, each and every day, “Christ is Risen!”
So continued to be filled with the love and knowledge of God through Jesus Christ and share his love in the world. Because of Christ, death has been defeated, sin has no control over us, lives are changed, hope restored, love is know, and so much more happens than we can imagine!
I invite you, this week, to read through the Gospel of Mark and see the life of Jesus Christ and miracle he performed.
Live as people changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit who reminds you of how the resurrection of Jesus Christ has changed your life and go into the world knowing and sharing this life changing power and grace to the world.
REVIVAL RISING: WHAT’S AHEAD?
E.M. Bounds says,” The past is not exhausted the possibilities nor the demands for doing great things for God. The Church that is dependent on it’s past history for its miracles of power and grace is a fallen church.”
We are on our final week of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.
Below the video link is a historical example of revival.
You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com
Feel free to share this video study with your friends.
Revival Experience from the book Revival Rising:
REVIVAL WORLDVIEW
Romans 11:25-26 “…a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…”
We are on week 11 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.
This week, we are making sure we have a global mindset when we pray for revival.
Below the video link is a historical example of revival.
You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com
Feel free to share this video study with your friends.
Revival Experience from the book Revival Rising:
REVIVAL HOPE
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We are on week 10 of a 12 week time of prayer and study for revival and awakening.
This week, our topic focuses on the freedom God has given us to be able to choose his power, his love his grace when we are seeking and experiencing revival.
Below the video link is a historical example of revival.
You are invited to go through this time of study and prayer either individually (i.e. journal), or gather a group together to pray and discuss each week’s topic. Our guide for this time will be the scriptures, prayer, and the book “Revival Rising.” You can get this book at http://www.seedbed.com
Feel free to share this video study with your friends.
Revival Experience from the book Revival Rising:
