What the Resurrection of Jesus Does (Part II)

(By Thor Knutstad)

We recently looked at the resurrection of Lazarus in part one.  In the plot of the Gospel story, the Scriptures in John 11 begin to unfold this great conflict between Jesus and the Sanhedrin.  Like the hammer and nails, these leaders become the very tools of our Lord’s death in His suffering and crucifixion.  In today’s blog, it is not my goal to sideswipe the power of Good Friday and King Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sin.  If you want to read more about that, I would suggest that you go to Isaiah 53, the Gospels of Matthew/Mark/Luke/John (latter chapter narratives), Philippians 2:1-11 (which is one of Pastor Nate’s favorite passages where the “Deity-humility” of King Jesus is explained and on which is preached and repeated often at LFA – and I love this because it’s one of my absolute favorites as well); or maybe you can read the various epistles of Paul where the death of Christ and those benefits are explained (the Pauline epistles, especially Romans 1-6, but it is also explicitly mentioned in Hebrews).  Again, it is not my heart to bypass the centrality of Jesus’ death as our substitute for sin.  He gave His life for us.  He died for sin.  He who had no sin became sin for us in our place.  There is no atonement for sin without the shedding of His precious blood.  He is the Lamb slain for the world.  Enough said.  You get the picture.  At least I hope you do.  His death on the cross for sin means everything.  But like my previous article, I want to focus on the resurrection.  His resurrection changes everything.  And I mean it – everything.

The second half of the Gospel of the book of John (chapter 11-end) starts with the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It was a miracle of Christ’s Power, Deity and glory.  It propelled the Jewish leaders to hate King Jesus all the more.  But it set the table for His own resurrection.  To feel the full power of Good Friday and His sacrifice, I have encouraged you to open your Bible.  Gospel fluency becomes easier when we, like the Bereans in Acts 17, become eager to search the Scriptures to see if what someone says is true.  Right now, I want you to put down your smartphone/laptop/tablet and read the greatest passage on the resurrection of King Jesus:  1 Corinthians chapter 15.  You don’t have to read the whole book of 1 Corinthians (I know that some of you who read this will want to read it all and put that chapter in its proper context – that’s fine.  But this chapter stands alone and can be isolated as a treatise concerning the theology and the doctrine and the first importance of Christ’s resurrection as Gospel central significant).  So please stop and read 1 Corinthians right now two times – Not once, but twice.  If you think this would benefit a friend or your spouse or your children or grandchildren, read this aloud to them sometime between Friday and Sunday this coming Easter weekend.  It is the core of the Gospel and it is why we are all on mission to have Gospel conversations with our neighbors and friends and family and with anyone who would listen.  Yes, I am asking you to read the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 - twice.  This is probably Paul’s greatest summary in all of his New Testament writings concerning the first importance facts of the Gospel.  I love how we celebrate the Birth “Incarnation”, ‘in flesh’) appearing of our LORD Jesus during Christmastime.  There is so much joy in knowing that our God King stepped off of the eternal throne and in humility became human flesh.  But maybe Good Friday and Easter are actually greater than His birth?  Maybe we should see this Gospel of His death and resurrection as the greatest gift ever?  Did you stop and read 1 Corinthians 15 at least two times yet?  You will have to forgive the teacher and pastoral counselor in me.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not afraid to repeat myself.  I need the gift of repetition in learning.  We all do ☺ - that was two times.  Yes, you got it!

As I ponder what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 15, I find many effects of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.  Some of these are derived logically from Scriptural truths, and others can be directly cited with biblical chapter and verse.  But the facts remain – there are many effects and benefits of the resurrection.  All of eternity hinges on this great and forever resurrection.  In other words, the resurrection of King Jesus the Christ does, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Testifies to the Deity of Christ that Jesus is God; he is a third of the equal and triune God-head.  Period.
2. Testifies to His power over death as the author of life (Creator) and that death has no power over Him. 
3. Guarantees our future resurrection; we will rise.  Death will not hold us and has no hold on us. Forever. Guaranteed.  I love it!
4. Pronounces Jesus as Prince and King at the highest level of worship; He is on the throne.
5. Perpetuates hope over sin and death; this hope is an anchor to soul, firm and secure.
6. Creates a witness for Gospel fluency; it makes Gospel conversations easier (not harder).  Why? What other belief system serves or believes in a risen Savior?  What God has died for and risen for His people?  None.  Period.  All other religions are straw arguments. Period.
7. Heals all grief and sadness from death and unites us to others who have died (and are risen) before us.  This gives us a greater hope as death surrounds us often and puts this temporary life in eternal perspective.
8. Centralizes the most important part of the entire Gospel of Good News – it is of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and the whole chapter).  Paul never says this in all of his other writings.  It serves us well to pay careful attention to the resurrection of King Jesus (see Romans 10 as well).
9. Guarantees that we will be liberated from the bondage of weakness, sickness, sin, decay, and even death.  This gives us freedom to move and live through things that are very difficult – hurt, pain, broken relationships, and suffering that eventually lead us to this greater hope.  The burdens of life are a bit easier to bear.  But they are still hard, for sure!
10. Brings the reality of faith and hope to the crux of loving well.  The resurrection as followed by Jesus’ death shows us how much He loves us as it secures our eternal dwelling with Him and in His presence forever.
11. Puts Jesus in position to intercede on our behalf at the Father’s right hand throne.
12. Fulfills all (and I mean all) Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament Scriptures and the writings of the true prophets who spoke toward a future Savior who would redeem His people (note the phrase “according to the Scriptures” in 1 Cor. 15).
13. Closes the parallel gap between Adam (sin and death) to Christ (righteousness, life and resurrection).
14. Jesus’ new body guarantees our new bodies as believing Christ-followers – new resurrected bodies raised imperishable, raised in glory, raised in power, and raised as a spiritual body that bears His finished likeness.  What a finished work He makes of us!
15. Swallows death up in victory by our warrior Lion of Judah, King Jesus the Christ and Messiah.  You see, my King is a death killer.  He is God the gladiator and the true Braveheart.  He is that lion who charges to the front of the battle to face the enemy Satan without hesitation.  Have you ever noticed how the real drama of this battle and war cannot really fully be captured on the movie big screen?  There’s just too much going on in the unseen world.  Too much is happening. His resurrection ultimately swallows death in victory.  It is the deciding blow to Satan’s kingdom attempt.  And the sword of our King cuts deep into the enemy.  Victory is sealed.  We win the war.  And winning the war will be seen in real life as the consequences of the Gospel unfold.  Judgment is pending and the medals of valor as crowns will be the blessings of the saints.  Does the crown of life await you?
16. Reveals Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.  He is King over all aspects of life and a “death-destroying God.”  This sin and death conquering King wins because He is life.
17. Causes us to not lose hope in our hearts during tremendous affliction.  The resurrection is a sustaining power to our hearts because though life tries to make us addicted to circumstances, our God calls us to focus on the unseen.  We rise above situations because Jesus did just that – in His death and His life, and in His life resurrected.  
18. Makes His death make sense to us and completes the Gospel by making Jesus supreme and superior and better than all other religious systems, doctrines, teachings, and philosophies of life, etc. (see Hebrews for more on this).
19. Causes our message to others not to be in vain.  Christianity would be pointless without the resurrection.  No resurrection means no Christian faith.  But our message is true!
20. Invites conversation because no one besides Jesus has conquered death in eternal form and eternal fashion.  Death is an unstoppable force as a result of sin and the curse.  But the death of Christ and His resurrection stops the unstoppable force of death and reverses that very curse.  What a gracious, merciful and benevolent God we have!  He so loves us!

Christ’s resurrection rolls away the heavy stone of death and buries death forever.  As we celebrate Easter, pick one of the 20 things listed above that most impacts your heart, and read it before you pray over a weekend celebration meal with your family, friends, and neighbors.  Testify to this Gospel.  Do not be ashamed of this Gospel, dear brothers and dear sisters.  For it is the cornerstone foundation of our very faith.  Resurrected Jesus means resurrected you and much more!  Praise Him, our resurrected King Jesus! 

What Resurrection Does (Part I)

(By Thor Knutstad)

Before his death on the cross, Jesus did a major miracle that caused quite a stir with the Jewish leadership, the Sanhedrin.  In John 11, He raised Lazarus from the dead.  This set off a wildfire of rage and hatred with the Pharisees.  Because of Lazarus’ resurrection (which was witnessed by hundreds), the Sanhedrin called a special meeting and began to specifically plot how to kill Jesus.  Instead of celebrating God’s Glory in this miraculous work of Christ, their jealousy of Jesus and their desires to keep their power motivated them to put a plan into motion to stop what He was doing.  I think that we sometimes wrongly assume that they tried to deny the miracles – especially the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection.  Sure, there are moments in the gospels when they try to deny the miracles of Jesus, but here they do not deny.  They actually admit the miracles and the miraculous signs and wonders.

A closer look at John 11:47-48 reveals something else.  The Sanhedrin were motivated by fear.  In verse 48 John writes in chapter 11, “If we let him go on like this (performing miraculous signs), everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.”  Isn’t it ironic that they were admitting that Jesus actually raised Lazarus from the dead miraculously, confessing the Glory of God in the miracle, without actually believing it?  By doing this, they are somehow saying that Jesus is Deity (God).  Their hearts do not testify to this, but their words and actions actually show an admission of the miraculous.  Yet something was more sacred to them than seeing the Glory of God and being in the presence of the LORD God (Jesus).  What was more important?  Power – the nation – the temple – their fear.  Their hearts did testify to that.  They were so afraid of losing their power and their authority over the people that they would begin the plot to kill the Lord.  Caiaphas, the high priest, didn’t even know the prophecy he was saying when he said, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than for a whole nation to perish” (John 11:49-50).  This solidifies the plot and gives the authority to the Jewish leadership to begin a widespread plot of accusation and collected information to destroy the LORD.  John notes that Caiaphas didn’t say this on his own, but that his statement was a prophecy of deeper truth.  The secondary meaning of his words indicate that God declares the eventual effect of Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death for Israel and the entire world.  What a statement!  But it is a turning point in the battle of the Pharisees against Jesus.  From that point on (verse 53), literally “from that day on” they plotted to take his (Jesus’) life.  “From that day on” is a continual phrase that defines their mission.  This meant that during the next two weeks they would bear down on the people, on Jesus, and the Roman leadership to enact Jesus’ death.  This terrible but great set-up of questions and stirrings and accusations would eventually lead to the cross on Golgotha where Jesus was crucified for sin.  Little did the Sanhedrin know that their plotting was part of a grander design by the LORD God in the sacrifice of His Son.

Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead as a miracle of Jesus is a crucial turning point in the unfolding events of history.  It pits the Sanhedrin directly against Jesus as life-giver and God.  They go so far as to even plot to kill Lazarus (John 12:10) and refuse belief in Jesus, even though they had all seen themselves His miraculous signs and wonders (John 12:37-44).  It is easy to see how they are merely tools and pawns in a greater story, but it should amaze us that their jealousy, their anger and their fear brought them to the culmination of the premeditated murder of our LORD.  The miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection stokes the fire that leads to Jesus’ death on the cross.  It should sadden us that a miracle would create so much trouble.  But life and resurrection do just that.  Our Gospel collides with the enemy and with death and with a world system that is destructive to people.  

We often consider Good Friday and Easter in this order: death, then resurrection.  But Lazarus’ death and resurrection is a sort of prophecy of Jesus death and resurrection.  It’s the very miracle and event that previews Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection that fires up the Jewish leadership to plot the LORD’s death.  Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is in essence defying them and saying this: “I am God, and I have the power over death and life.”  Jesus provoked and irritated their self-righteous and self-protective motives to the measure of them wanting to kill Him.  Wow!  But even their sinful plan to take Jesus out would be used by our masterful God in a better way. A greater and ultimate resurrection – Praise Him!  (Part two next week – What The Resurrection of Jesus Does).

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

This week I want to recommend a video from John Piper to remind us of the key pillars we find in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Depending on where you are at today listening to this short video clip might be the encouragement you need today. We "never outgrow" the gospel, says Piper, it is the news we need to preach to our souls even after we have trusted Christ for our salvation and transformation.

Sincerely,

Diego Cuartas

Would the World Notice if the Church Ceased to Exist?

(By Nate Howard)

Imagine...

Tomorrow, you awaken to find ShopRite has disappeared — along with every other grocery store! What if the police department was no more? What if, heaven forbid, chocolate ceased to exist? What if technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, even electricity, vanished without a trace?

It’s hard to imagine survival without life’s so-called necessities. But here’s a more challenging question: What if all Christian churches disappeared? What if Living Faith Alliance disappeared? Would it make any difference if we didn’t exist? Would anyone notice?
God imagines His church to be a world-changing church — that our presence would be felt, that people would know we exist. God said, "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a
praise, and a glory." (Jeremiah 13:11)
God intends the life of Jesus in His people to significantly alter the world. That’s what we want as well. We’ve set the course of LFA to be in pursuit of the life-changing presence of Jesus, impacting
South Jersey one life at a time.
The 5-year goals we have embraced (see the front cover) describe the kind of impact we imagine, not just as one church, but as a number of networked churches — call them church plants or multisite.
We want to engage our world, intentionally talking with our friends about the Gospel, experiencing the joy of watching them become Jesus followers, connected in true community, living a
purposeful life of mission.

Look again at the graphic. Do you see the five essential practices we intend to grow in? It really does start with you and me. So as we begin this new year, the questions facing each of us are:
‣ What values need to shift in our life?
‣ How must we change?
‣ What will God need to do in you and me for us to become the
church God envisions?

I hope you can see there is an urgency that each of us connect with
God. That’s why we are beginning 2015 with an all-church week of
prayer. Please use this guide to enter in to the life of your church.
Set aside this week and let your faith rise to grasp what God has
for us.

The Donkey, The Elephant and The Ladybug

(By Lois Robinson)

What a weird title for a blog, huh? Well, keep reading and you will find out the reason why I chose it.  It all started back in the first week of December when I was feeling pretty low. I actually felt abandoned by God a few times during the week as well. I was dealing with some significant health issues, family issues and the like. You may be able to relate to what I am talking about.

Then, something really strange happened at the end of that week. I pulled into my driveway and there, hanging on the wrought iron lawn ornament, was a red letter with a heavy plastic donkey tied to it. I thought, what in the world! I took it into the house, opened the letter and saw in addition, two WaWa gift certificates.  As I began to read the letter, it described how my King, King Jesus, came in a very unexpected way, and He road that donkey into difficult circumstances. He too will show up in my circumstances in unexpected ways and will ride that donkey into my difficulties. Oh my, I began to weep and weep.  It was like my Jesus reached out to me and gave me a huge hug. That is the picture of the Body of Christ. Someone, His people, saw my affliction, purchased the items, wrote the letter, pointing me to my King. Praise God for hearing my cry.

These tangible acts of love continued throughout the entire month of December. I couldn’t believe it. There was a beautiful basket full of healthy organic food products along with another gift certificate to Applebee’s. I was so moved and taken aback. Included was a large, heavy plastic elephant with large strong tusks, representing strength, with a handmade ornament. On it was written out Joshua 1:9 about moving out in battle. Not to be afraid but to be strong in the Lord. Once again, my Jesus came and wrapped around me, through the tangible actions of His people. Another package contained a beautiful picture of humming birds and how God cares for each one. Another gift certificate to my favorite food, Chinese:) Plus, a cute little Lady Bug stuffed animal. The people involved have no idea the TREMENDOUS impact you had on my life and the timing of it was absolutely amazing.

Little did I know, there were going to be some very difficult issues ahead the last week of December into January involving very close friends of mine, friends that are like family.  It was and still is in a crisis state. I made it a point to keep the Donkey, the Elephant, and the Lady Bug propped up in front of me by the TV. The letters were there as well. The family felt led by God  to do an intervention for a younger sibling heavy into substance abuse, eating disorder and mental illness.  We would read those letters, with the sister’s name inserted, declaring God’s plan for her life. Amen. We would look at those animals. Knowing that Jesus, our King was riding that donkey right into the middle of those/these difficult circumstances. The image of the elephant reminded us of the book in the bible, Joshua 1:9, to be strong and of good courage. The little Lady Bug, well, she reminded me that someone cared enough to bring her to my house and say, “Hey:) you are loved and not alone.”

There you are, the story of the Donkey, the Elephant and the Lady Bug.

Christmas: Jesus Came to Trade Places with Us!

(By Diego Cuartas)

A reality that is central to Christmas is that Jesus came to trade places with us.

There is a story, found in Mark 1:40-45, which tells of a man who had leprosy and was healed by Jesus. The story actually indicates that the man was labeled "unclean" because a person with leprosy, back in that society, was considered defiled and unclean. A person with leprosy was pretty much considered an outcast and was avoided by others. To touch someone with leprosy was to become unclean.

Perhaps there are things in your life that you or others consider "unclean" or undesirable to say the least. Things that make you isolate from others or hide behind some reality or behavior that helps you, in your mind, look better or more presentable to others. What is that thing you wish was not part of who you are?

So Jesus, the Son of God, enters our world, in the most humble possible way, in order to get close to the leper, close to you, and close to me. He gets so close that he is willing to "touch" what others reject in us. So in the story, Jesus touches the leper with great compassion and responds to the request the man made: "if you will, you can make me clean." Jesus addresses the man, touches the man and says "I will, be clean!." This is exactly what Jesus wants to do in your life and mine. He is close, he wants to touch the places that are broken in our lives and with great compassion wants to release the willingness and power to heal us. That is pretty close, isn't?

Have you ever been touched (impacted) by someone that deeply and that compassionately? This is one of many stories where Jesus, the humble Christmas Savior, moves towards the underserving and yet in need as he compassionately considers their condition. Where in your life would you like Jesus to touch and alter your reality?

I can't help but tell you that it gets even better! Let's recap first: Jesus came into this world. He got pretty close to the leper man. He is attentive to his request. He stretches out his hand and touches him and willingly heals the man. Boom! The guy is made clean. No more rejection. This man has been reintegrated into social life miraculously--not to mention, his sickness is gone! But there is one more thing Jesus does. Jesus asks the man keep this quiet and to fulfill the requirements expected before the town leaders. The man couldn't help it but go about telling everyone about this miraculous encounter with Jesus. As a result, Jesus is hindered from entering the town and remains in the place of the leper experiencing seclusion. 

Jesus will do the same for you! He entered this world. Came close to you in fleshly form. He is willing to touch the undesirable realities of your life. And he will even trade places with you. Well....he actually did it already, at the Cross! Learn from the rest of the people in the story. They went seeking Jesus even though he took the place of the leper. They looked for him because they learned that only such PERSON would dare to touch the "unclean"!

If he touches you, you will never be the same.

May that happen in your life this Christmas!

Ask, Seek and Knock: An Antidote to Lust.

(By Diego Cuartas)

I am so thankful for how simply Jesus offers us a reason to pray. There are 3 action words (verbs) that describe one and the same thing: ask, seek and knock. In these three words we find the simple revelation of what we can do when we experience desires or deep needs. Prayer, according to Jesus, is where we need to begin as we experience personal need or that deep, ongoing desire we call lust.

Before we consider Jesus' teaching found on Matthew 7:7-11, let's make sure we are on the same page with regard to the word I am using here--lust. Lust does not refer only to sexual desires we may have. Lust is a strong desire for something. So lust can take us on any given day to desiring more food, a better car, the phone upgrade, a relationship, admiration, power, sexual fulfillment or a certain position. The list goes on as long as any desire we can list. Elsewhere in the Bible (James 4:2-4) we learn that often times we don't have what we want because we don't ask or because we ask for the wrong motives.

In Matthew 7:7-11, I find two key realities we can consider to address our lust and even our personal needs (two different realities here). Consider what Jesus says:

 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The first reality is that Jesus promises to those who actively ask, seek and knock that they will receive something in return. It is as if Jesus is letting us in into his heart and revealing the fact that he wants us to ask, seek and knock.

The second reality is that Jesus points us to the character of our heavenly Father. By comparing our heavenly Father with our earthly fathers, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father is good and knows how to "give good gifts" to His children--especially to those who ask! This reality in and of itself can offer us comfort. Our asking is met by someone who has our best interest in mind.

One of the benefits of bringing our needs and lusts to our heavenly Father is that we will be more prone to align our heart's direction with His will for us. Asking, seeking and knocking will also prevent us from rallying our own resources or strategies to supply for our own needs and lusts at whatever cost.

What a loving act on Jesus' part to give us exactly what we need to address our needs and lusts: three active imperatives in the present time that are applicable at any moment of our lives--ask, seek and knock!

Interesting that Jesus also gives us in our English language an acrostic to easily remember what is best for us to do regarding our needs and lusts: A.S.K. (ask, seek and knock!).

What are your personal needs or lusts today? First A.S.K.

Where Is The Joy of Advent?

I am pleased to announce that John Piper is making his book "The Dawning of Indestructible Joy" available to all at no cost. The link provided below will re-direct you to the webpage where you can download your free copy. 

Consider Piper's thought which I believe is a good representation of how we are as humans:

"I am prone to be dull, spiritually drowsy, halfhearted, lukewarm. That is the way human beings are, including Christians, even about great things. Peter knows it and is writing to “awaken” or to “stir up” his readers so that they don’t just know but also feel the wonder of the truth." (page 7)

So why consider reading these daily devotionals? Because we all need to be awaken or stirred up deep inside to the reality of true joy in our lives. You could say that joy requires fighting for it-- not because we can generate it or obtain it on our own but because our souls lack the capacity to feel and entertain constantly the indestructible joy Jesus knows and wants for us!

http://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-dawning-of-indestructible-joy 

May our joy increase this Advent season,

Diego Cuartas

The Holidays: Not the Cover of Better Homes and Gardens

(By Lois Robinson)

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FELL AND THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?

 AHHH, the holidays! For some it is an, “AHHH, I can’t wait until the Holidays are over!” And yet others say, “AHHH, Yeah! I can’t wait for the holidays to be here!” Whereas others say, “I’m numb, and it really doesn’t feel like the holidays because of very significant losses that have happened.”

I admit, I have experienced all of the above to some degree. But usually I find myself getting very self-focused and wanting to experience a form of utopia, sometimes literally expecting that picture on the front of a magazine where the whole family is gathered in the beautifully decorated BIG home with the fireplace aglow while everyone smiles and laughs with little appetizers in their hands. The table would be set with more silverware than I know what to do with, the huge delectable turkey in the middle of the table and everyone holding hands thanking God for His blessings. Dinner would be wonderful! No uncomfortable silences, everyone engaged with each other, not a cross word would be exchanged. We would all connect in meaningful ways. Then the coffee and MANY pies would be served. More laughing would occur as we moved into the huge living room with the fireplace (can’t leave that out!) as we began to play games as a family- fully knowing each other, connecting and engaging. Oh, can’t leave out the 6 inches of snow that spontaneously began to fall as well! AHHH, the Holidays!

 FUN WOULD BE HAD BY ALL!!!

 Well, I can honestly say, I have never really experienced that scenario with my family. What I have experienced is some of the above- the fireplace all aglow, some laughing, many awkward silences, forced conversation with some, ministering to some, holding my tongue with others and at times tactfully rebuking inappropriate behaviors demonstrated by the Christians in our family. I believe my family represents a microcosm of the world.

VERY MESSY AND UNCOMFORTABLE

Why is this?? Aren’t the holidays supposed to be celebratory? Hmmm. Yes, but we must remember what we are celebrating!

Is Thanksgiving a time when we engorge ourselves and say thank you out loud for everything we have but make sure we keep it short so the food doesn’t get cold? Laughing and getting a buzz?  Kicking back because, “Darn it, I deserve a break from all the stress!” Christmas has its own scene going on, and unfortunately it doesn’t involve the manger scene- that gets squeezed in where it can fit. It has become a HUGE event that the advertisers enjoy showing more and more commercials of what we need, what to buy so we can be cool (of course) and where to get it. Pipe in the Christmas scents through the store ventilation, play the music and put up the Santa so people will help us make more money for the stores revenue!!! YEAH!!!!!

Friends, is that what the Holidays are really about?  NO!

Thanksgiving is a time that we celebrate what we are thankful for. In the Christian faith, we are primarily thanking God for who He is, what He has done through Jesus and how He has provided for us. It’s not about us. Christmas is about us celebrating Jesus. Yes, Jesus. He came to save us from our brokenness- our broken families, our broken lives, even our broken hearts when our idealistic holiday picture didn’t happen the way we imagined. He came for the picture I described my family to be.

I wonder what your experiences are with the holidays. Where are you in your life? What are you looking forward to? What you are dreading?  Or you may just  want to wake up when it’s all over. I don’t know where you are, but I know where I want to be. I want to keep focused on the One the holidays exist for. I want to be a part of the holiday where I can be used by the Savior Himself to bring about change in a broken world, a broken family, my own broken life. I know that Jesus says in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (ESV).”

I would encourage all of us to be focused on this verse during the holiday season. I do believe that when we live that verse out, we will actually get closer to the picture I dream about. 

Hmmm, new thought. Maybe that desire I have is actually from God. When we get to the Great Banquet in Heaven :) A promise for all those that have placed faith in the One we celebrate,  Jesus Christ.

                          Blessings, My Friends

What is Jesus Doing Today?

(By Diego Cuartas)

I am getting emotional thinking about what Jesus said in John 17:26, in speaking about his desire concerning his disciples, as He interacts with God, his Father:

“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and in them.”

Jesus promised that He will continue to make known to you and I the Name of his Father. He also indicates the reason He will continue to do that is so that we will experience the love his Father has had for him. Furthermore, Jesus wants us to get caught up with him in this love he and his Father have going on!

One thing for sure Jesus is doing today is that He insists in making the name of his Father known to us, to you, to me.

Do you find interesting that Jesus wants to reveal the name of his Father to us? Why not go to the point and say he wants to reveal his Father to us? The way Jesus is expressing his intentions is consistent with the way God would be understood in the Old Testament times. The name was a way to refer to the person, the whole person. The name embodied the character of that person. Thus, God would reveal himself through different names.

Whatever your circumstances may be today, you can be sure that one of Jesus' intensions is to continue revealing what his Father is like to you so that you can be rooted in his love.

I encourage you to reflect today about ways in which Jesus is revealing his Father to you in the midst of your situations. Then see if you can connect that to the reality of God's love for you.

For instance, this morning as I was getting ready for the day, I noticed my mind was quickly going to places where I was being critical of several individuals--almost like obsessed with the thoughts that were going through my mind. As I sat for a few minutes and open my heart to God in prayer something happened. I sensed that the Holy Spirit was saying to me "Diego, you are on a dark path right now....let's turn that to praying for those individuals instead." So I did. The Holy Spirit, whom the Father and Jesus have sent to dwell in those who believe, was revealing the compassionate nature of the Father which is contrary to my judgmental heart. In this experience, I was sensing God's love for me and for others. it was beautiful and I am thankful for this God-moment.

May you know God today and be rooted in his love in deeper ways.

And Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:6 (NKJV)

(By Lois Robinson)

 Years ago, I had a friend make a wall hanging for my office that had the above words on it. They are powerful words that Jesus spoke to one man, only one, at a Pool called Bethesda in the story found in John 5:6. They are words that I never understood very well before I became a counselor.

It always confused me why Jesus only interacted with one man at this pool, a pool that the Bible says many people laid around who were lame, paralyzed, blind or suffering from some sort of brokenness. They were all waiting for the key to their healing that took place at this pool. You see, the Bible says that during a certain season an angel would come down and stir the waters. The first person that entered the pool would be made well of their diseases. On this particular day, Jesus goes over to this certain man and asks him the above question, “Do you want to be made well?”. The man goes into an explanation of why he can’t get into the water, but Jesus doesn’t get caught up in the “why he can’t” reasons. He goes to the heart of the matter. Jesus asks the guy if he wants to be made well, tells him get up and the man does! He just does what he is told to do! Let me say that again: The man does what Jesus tells him to do! He was healed. Later, as the story unfolds, we find something interesting in verse 14. The man encounters Jesus in the temple. The identity of Jesus is made known to the man, and this is what happens:

"A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” (The Message)

Whoa! That’s pretty heavy! Interesting, huh? Here are some of my thoughts and questions this passage has evoked over the years, as well as other questions I get from quite a few people. Maybe they echo some of yours:  

1. Why did Jesus only talk to the one man?

2. The story also says later on that the man didn’t even know it was Jesus!

3. Practically speaking, this man had been an invalid for 38 years. 38 years would cause his legs to be atrophied, bones fragile, etc, and he didn’t question this guy who says, “Get up!”?

4. Does verse 14 mean that our sin issues can contribute to our diseases?

5. Does God make us sick as punishment for our sins?

6. The invalid must have believed the man who told him to get up off his mat.

I always say I get 3 kinds of people in the counseling room: 

1. The Yes People- When asked the same question Jesus asked the man, they answer a wholehearted YES! I want healing and believe Jesus can do it.

2. The I Don’t Know People- They are usually silent for a minute or so, having to weigh their answer according to what the cost will be, what the responsibility will be, how hard it is going to be and the exhaustive list goes on and on.

3. The I Don’t Deserve It People- They step into the role of God and judge themselves, using their veto power to reject the work that Jesus already did on the cross for them. The Bible says we are healed by His stripes. Amen. This group of people doesn’t understand that verse yet.

In working with folks, including myself, I think I have part of the answer for my number one question: Why did Jesus go to the one man? I think it’s because he desperately wanted to be healed, had no excuses and was willing to GET UP! He believed he could be healed, and he wanted to be healed. Plus, he was willing to do the hard work of walking out that healing without excuse. What is Jesus telling you to do regarding your brokenness??

As far as the other questions go, a big resounding Yes to the question #4. Our sin issues can perpetuate our diseases. We can be lazy about doing exercise, eating right and establishing good sleep patterns in order to help in our healing process. On the other hand, a big resounding NO to question #5. God does not punish us with sickness. All of the punishment we deserved for our sins was put onto Jesus Christ when He died on the cross and came back from the dead on the third day, so we too can have eternal life with Him when we say YES to Jesus! That is the good news, folks!

The big point I want to end with is this. It is absolutely, absolutely imperative that you believe Jesus can and desires to heal you. Jesus heals in many ways, three of which I have listed:

1. Instantaneously

2. In a process

3. When we see Him face to face.

I pray for the grace to accept His answer to my healing. I am always wanting an instantaneous healing and will do my part in the process of healing, but will still praise Him if it won’t be until Glory. In Scripture, I find Jesus asking people all the time, “Do you believe?” They respond ‘Yes, I believe,” and then He says, “Your faith has made you well.” Folks, there is something very important about believing Jesus can do it! He can BREAK EVERY CHAIN! Check out this video: Tasha Cobbs ; Break Every Chain. Worship with it; watch the expressions of worship in the video. Ask yourself, “Do I believe that Jesus can really break every chain off my life?”. I would encourage you to check out John 5 for yourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what He wants you to understand in the passage.

Be blessed friends.

Where Are Your Boundaries?

(By Diego Cuartas)

From time to time certain words draw my attention because they are not necessarily words we find explicitly in the biblical. For instance, I have never come across the word balance, as in live a well-balanced life. Or try the word boundaries, as in live with boundaries or within boundaries for your own good and the good of others. I do realize that these concepts are welcomed in some way by our American culture. I am not down on these concepts. What I want to do is from time to time come back with safeguards found in the Word of God to help us keep our understanding and practice of these concepts under check. Why keep them under check? Because something good such as boundaries could become self-serving or feed our self-focused tendencies in life. 

For today, I want to focus on a few thoughts shared by the apostle Paul to help us x-ray our understanding and implementation of personal boundaries. Romans 15:1-7 says:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Test #1: Do you use boundaries in your life to avoid “bearing with the failings of the weak”? In verses 1 and 5 Paul points us to build others up, seek their good and live in harmony with each other. Boundaries should help us reenergize so that we can re-engage community, not live in isolation.

Test #2: Do you use boundaries to “please yourself”? In verses 2 and 3 we see that Jesus set an example in terms of living a life that was not about pleasing himself. He even allowed reproaches that were aimed to his father to fall on himself. Boundaries should help us seek our well-being and the well-being of others.

Test #3: Do you lean on boundaries as your “hope” or safety in life? In verses 4 and 5 Paul affirms that God is the source of endurance and encouragement. In this context, encouragement comes to us via the revealed Word of God. Boundaries should help us realign our hope in God.

Test #4: Do your boundaries serve just you or your community at large?  Verse 5 calls us to engage community “in accord with Christ Jesus”. Verses 6 and 7 offer a picture of what happens when we live in “harmony” with others: God will be glorified by the community and we will grow in welcoming each other. Boundaries should help us offer others in our community a quality of life set by Jesus.

Stay tuned. In my next blog I hope to give an example of how I have misused boundaries in my life. I will also illustrate beautiful things that have happened when I have used boundaries well.

How Do I Deal With Shame From My Past?

What a great opportunity to deal with the reality of personal shame by having looked at the Cross during Easter. If your sense of shame still is lingering and it reaches back into your past, I recommend you listen to this video blog and consider the book "Shame Interrupted" by Ed Welch. Any tool that will help you understand the roots of that shame as well as how is it that Jesus addresses it in the most effective way is worth your time and resources. Here is a quote I want to put before you to "wet your appetite" for more liberating grace:

Here is the challenge. Your shame is about human relationships. What do other people think of you? Where can you fit in? Even now you could wonder, what does God have to do with this? The things God says are good, but they don't seem connected to the deeper issues. For example, if you are a public failure, it is good that parents or friends love you , but that love doesn't touch the rejection you experience. The love doesn't take away the failure. The acceptance of the King [Jesus], however, coupled with the knowledge of how to live before him, will diminish the power of shame. Other people might not yet recognize that your public failure has been replaced by kingdom humility and honor, so you still might hear a few mocking voices. But those voices can't reach as deep, and they certainly won't last. (page 148)

Click here to listen another thought the author of this book offers to us.

Big Question! Where does it say Jesus Hopped??

(By Lois Robinson)

Growing up, Easter was always a big deal in my house. I would look forward to getting my new fancy Easter outfit, which included a little white hat, purse and little black patten leather shoes. The night before Easter, I would dream about what would be in my Easter Basket , how big it would be and what kinds of candy it would be stocked with. I always wanted the biggest chocolate bunny!! The song was always a favorite as well....

“Here comes peter cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way....”  Easter day would come, we would dress in our fancy Easter clothes, sit in “our” seat in church, sing the standard “easter” songs, hear the same ole message about this guy Jesus died on the cross and came back to life in 3 days and so on and so on. All we looked forward to was getting out of there, eating candy, the big Easter dinner that only came once a year and the Easter Egg Hunt that would follow. Yay, let the party begin. The Jesus thing was a formality that had to be acknowledged but the Easter bunny, Easter dinner and the Easter Egg Hunt was what it was all about for me. That is what I was taught. I even remember that the church Easter program had the Easter bunny hop right up the center isle of the church as everyone sang the hippity hoppin' song.

Let me not fail to mention, I was raised in a “Christian” home. 

          As I am writing this blog, very real emotions rise up inside of me of anger, sadness, confusion. Two of the most significant events in history , one being the birth of Christ and the other being the work He did on the Cross and His Resurrection......diluted down to a party involving food, an imaginary figure and a gift. Oh God, please forgive us.

Another set of emotions I am experiencing are humbleness, thankfulness and comfort. You may be asking how can I feel such contradicting emotions at once. It is very possible.....as you look below the surface you will find out:)

I am so thankful that as I have gotten older, failed a lot more and learned from those things, Jesus has shown me deeper truths about the Cross and His resurrection. I used to think it was a one time thing when I got saved but it is an everyday thing. Everyday I am a sinner, but everyday I must remember that my status changed on that Cross because of Jesus. Not because of WHO I am or WHAT I’ve done . It’s all because of WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT JESUS DID AND WHAT HE IS CURRENTLY DOING AND WHERE I FIT IN HIS STORY!

The more I get nearer to Him and He gets nearer to me, I am reminded of how ugly my sin was and is. When that reality really sets in, the Cross of Christ and His Resurrection evokes deep emotion in me. When I literally allow my defenses to drop, get quiet before Him, think of the UGLY things I have done and been apart of by choice.... and some not by choice.....and to know He literally died for all of that willingly without me even asking Him to do that for me......and then on top of that......GOT BACK UP IN 3 DAYS in order to give me the victory everyday over all those ugly things that held me down.....WOW!!!!!!! How can that not give you chills!!!

So, I am not presenting a challenge this time. I am giving a directive this time. Please do not make Easter all about the stuff I mentioned in the beginning of this blog. None of it served to bring me life, forgiveness or freedom. I am not anti- food, anti -eggs, anti- rabbits, anti- candy or anti -gifts. But I am anti-idolatry. Whenever we make anything or anybody bigger than the One who is to be Celebrated...........it leads to bondage. How you may ask:) Using my own experience from the beginning of this writing, since the primary emphasis in my family was on the party, the food, the basket and the egg hunt, the “life or emotional high”  I experienced from the celebration was over by the next day. It was a form of entertainment without substance or truth. So when I encountered hard times later in life, I had virtually no understanding of why Jesus really had to die, what significance that had on my sin/circumstances and how His resurrection impacted my ability to break out of patterns of daily brokenness and sin. That is a HUGE reality I never learned as a child because “Easter” was  about everything else but Jesus and the work He did for me and everyone else on the Cross. Consequently then, I walked around in bondage for a long time without knowing the true reality of Easter and its implications for my life. The Freedom that was waiting for me based on the Reality of the Cross. I tried many many things to experience freedom and none worked for longer than a day...if that. But, when I got serious about Looking below the surface ..........I began to learn what the Significant event of Easter was and IS all about. Amen

Know what you are celebrating and why you are celebrating it!

Discipline

(By Tammy Vaughn)

I thought that I would write a blog that touches on the area of discipline – the kind of discipline that is needed to do something that you do not really want to do but need to do.  Some things that immediately come to my mind are reading the Bible, eating in a healthy way, communicating hard things to people you love, exercising and maintaining your cool when you want to blow up.  The list goes on and on.  Here are some thoughts on discipline.

Discipline takes courage – courage to change.  It really does not take much courage to stay the way you are.  It is easy to remain in the same old unhealthy patterns of life.  For me, all the signs have pointed to me being unhealthy and slowly killing myself by what I was eating. However, change felt hard and staying in the same old way that I was felt easier, more comfortable.

Discipline is countercultural – to create a discipline means denying yourself of the thing that you want.  It includes self control.  In a culture that is all about getting what you want now and putting your own needs in front of the needs of others, denying one’s self is not the norm.  The truth is that if you want to create new patterns, new norms, you have to deny yourself.  It can be such a mind game.  I often find myself thinking, “This is not working; why am I wasting my time?”  Unfortunately, I then entertain the fearful thought that if I don’t do something to change my situation, I will be worse off and even dead.

Discipline can be difficult – quite honestly I get easily frustrated when I cannot see the results of change immediately.  I recently hit a plateau in weight loss.  I had to continue to follow my eating plan even though I was not losing weight.  This went on for a couple of months.  FRUSTRATING!!!   I started to give in to temptations, little ones, but they all add up.  Pretty soon I found myself justifying the little compromises.  The little indulgences became acceptable.  “After all”, I would tell myself, “the eating plan is not working.”  I knew, however, that I had to keep at it if I ever had the hope of losing more weight. 

Well, in the center of my desire to create new disciplines in my life is the person of Jesus.  I was dying in my old patterns of thought and behaviors.  Jesus Christ has stepped into my life and helped me create new ways of thinking, new patterns of behavior.  It is like he took the Holy Spirit flashlight and shined it on areas of my life that were a mess.  While Jesus stands ready to help us, he does not overstep our free will.  This is important to realize because it challenges the thought of a quick fix.  We all generally want a quick fix – “Jesus, take this addiction.  Jesus, give me money. Jesus, heal me.  Jesus, change my marriage.”  For me, I used to pray that Jesus would just take the weight off my body.   I believe that Jesus could melt my fat off my body in the middle of the night if He wanted to, but that hasn’t happened… yet. ☺  Instead, my daily pursuit of Him as God in my eating and exercise is how my pounds are melting away.  To be more specific, I look at what I eat and ask myself, “Does this glorify God?  Is this what He wants me to eat?  How should I manage my time so that I can add in exercise and glorify God with my body.”   “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your bodies.”  I Corinthians 6:19-20 

That is deep!  I was bought with a price.  My freedom was purchased with a price,   Jesus’ very life.   And I still make the wrong choices.  HE did the work so that I could be free.  Unhealthy patterns of behavior and thought do not line up with us being more like Jesus daily.  I believe that while creating new patterns, God always meets our efforts.  I love that! In fact, what does it look like to the world when they see “Christians” stuck in unhealthy patterns of thinking leading to unhealthy patterns of behavior?  We look powerless and weak – not attractive or appealing and not a good representation of our Lord.

We serve a living God who is strong and mighty, who wants to help us as we walk in discipline and health.  As you take a personal inventory of the un-health in your life, what are the areas where God is calling you to make changes?  What is the discipline that you need to allow God to help you make so that you can be transformed to be more like Him?  How do we show the world, fellow believers as well as non-believers, the gospel in action? Discipline!

The Holidays: Not the Cover of Better Homes and Gardens

(By Lois Robinson)

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FELL AND THINK ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?

 AHHH, the holidays! For some it is an, “AHHH, I can’t wait until the Holidays are over!” And yet others say, “AHHH, Yeah! I can’t wait for the holidays to be here!” Whereas others say, “I’m numb, and it really doesn’t feel like the holidays because of very significant losses that have happened.”

I admit, I have experienced all of the above to some degree. But usually I find myself getting very self-focused and wanting to experience a form of utopia, sometimes literally expecting that picture on the front of a magazine where the whole family is gathered in the beautifully decorated BIG home with the fireplace aglow while everyone smiles and laughs with little appetizers in their hands. The table would be set with more silverware than I know what to do with, the huge delectable turkey in the middle of the table and everyone holding hands thanking God for His blessings. Dinner would be wonderful! No uncomfortable silences, everyone engaged with each other, not a cross word would be exchanged. We would all connect in meaningful ways. Then the coffee and MANY pies would be served. More laughing would occur as we moved into the huge living room with the fireplace (can’t leave that out!) as we began to play games as a family- fully knowing each other, connecting and engaging. Oh, can’t leave out the 6 inches of snow that spontaneously began to fall as well! AHHH, the Holidays!

 FUN WOULD BE HAD BY ALL!!!

 Well, I can honestly say, I have never really experienced that scenario with my family. What I have experienced is some of the above- the fireplace all aglow, some laughing, many awkward silences, forced conversation with some, ministering to some, holding my tongue with others and at times tactfully rebuking inappropriate behaviors demonstrated by the Christians in our family. I believe my family represents a microcosm of the world.

VERY MESSY AND UNCOMFORTABLE

Why is this?? Aren’t the holidays supposed to be celebratory? Hmmm. Yes, but we must remember what we are celebrating!

Is Thanksgiving a time when we engorge ourselves and say thank you out loud for everything we have but make sure we keep it short so the food doesn’t get cold? Laughing and getting a buzz?  Kicking back because, “Darn it, I deserve a break from all the stress!” Christmas has its own scene going on, and unfortunately it doesn’t involve the manger scene- that gets squeezed in where it can fit. It has become a HUGE event that the advertisers enjoy showing more and more commercials of what we need, what to buy so we can be cool (of course) and where to get it. Pipe in the Christmas scents through the store ventilation, play the music and put up the Santa so people will help us make more money for the stores revenue!!! YEAH!!!!!

Friends, is that what the Holidays are really about?  NO!

Thanksgiving is a time that we celebrate what we are thankful for. In the Christian faith, we are primarily thanking God for who He is, what He has done through Jesus and how He has provided for us. It’s not about us. Christmas is about us celebrating Jesus. Yes, Jesus. He came to save us from our brokenness- our broken families, our broken lives, even our broken hearts when our idealistic holiday picture didn’t happen the way we imagined. He came for the picture I described my family to be.

I wonder what your experiences are with the holidays. Where are you in your life? What are you looking forward to? What you are dreading?  Or you may just  want to wake up when it’s all over. I don’t know where you are, but I know where I want to be. I want to keep focused on the One the holidays exist for. I want to be a part of the holiday where I can be used by the Savior Himself to bring about change in a broken world, a broken family, my own broken life. I know that Jesus says in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (ESV).”

I would encourage all of us to be focused on this verse during the holiday season. I do believe that when we live that verse out, we will actually get closer to the picture I dream about. 

Hmmm, new thought. Maybe that desire I have is actually from God. When we get to the Great Banquet in Heaven :) A promise for all those that have placed faith in the One we celebrate,  Jesus Christ.

                          Blessings, My Friends