Are We In Heaven?

Protection… I love what Andrea wrote yesterday about how God protects us from ourselves.  I think that is so true – and sometimes we realize it, and sometimes we don’t.  The – there but for the grace of God go I – is always operating in our lives.  Protection is one of those things that sometimes we don’t know it’s there.  It is so effective that we never see the danger that almost came our way.

Perhaps because I’m pre-occupied and a bit more stressed than usual, I am a bit stuck.  I lack eloquence or even a good idea of what to write today.  Perhaps that’s okay.  I think the greatest times of protection are those times I had no idea how close I came to danger of one kind or another.  I think those things happen probably every day.  While I don’t honor angels over Christ – I do believe that we are surrounded by them and they watch over us.

There was one time that came to mind.  I was pregnant with my second child.  My youngest one was in the back of a classic 78 Volkswagen Beetle.  Oh the stories that car could tell if it could talk...My ex-husband was driving.  Seatbelt laws or car seat laws were yet to be enacted.

We were on our way to visit my mother in the hospital.  It was Christmas and the road was a solid sheet of ice.  Our windows were clear.  We weren’t slipping.  We came to an intersection where we had the right of way.  All of a sudden, BANG!

A car that had barely a circle cleared from his windshield not only skidded but ended up hitting us head on – he said he didn’t see us.  Okay, I was alive.  That I figured out right away – no blood – no gashes.  Ex-husband seemed alive, but what about my son in the back seat.  Then I heard his two year old voice ask – 

Mom, are we in heaven?

Whew – 

I said no son, we’re still alive.

Other than explaining to my mother why we had wrecked her car, all was well.  Coincidence or good luck? No, it was God’s protection. 

That day, the car hit us – I wonder with all the miles I put on the road driving here and there and everywhere, how many close calls I had that I never knew about.  I also, know that when a car is about to hit me, more than once I’ve just said Jesus (not as a curse word but as a prayer) and within inches, we move right through.

Thank God for His Protection

Joshua 1:9 is probably very familiar to many of us. It’s a raw-raw pep-rally type verse to increase our boldness and courage when facing challenge.  I love the verse; it’s a favourite but the part I love the best is the last line, “for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It’s reminiscent of Psalm 139, if you go to the height, God is there and if you go to the depths, God is also there. He is our fortress and our ever ready help in times of trouble.

This week on Kingdom Bloggers, we’re remembering God’s protection. As you read along with our stories, why not share your own remembrances in the comments.

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In recent years, I have a couple friends confess their extra-marital affairs, and both were surprised by the grace and lack of judgement I offered. I wish all Christians would receive grace from each other when we confess sin to one another – less people would be condemned to carry shameful secrets and think they are alone. I don’t make a judgement because I know how close anyone can be to making the same mistake. Truly, it is but for the grace and protection of God, go I.

Years ago, when my marriage was rocky, I was Satan’s target. I was easy-picking because at the time my Man was indifferent toward me. Indifference is worse than hatred – at least hatred is passionate. Indifference says, “It doesn’t matter whether you are here or not.”

I needed to matter to someone, and wouldn’t it happen at the time that an ex-boyfriend relocated to town. Several years prior, the relationship had ended because of distance, not because affections ran cold. He contacted me, and we had a coffee date (several, actually). It felt good to be with someone who knew me and liked me and was pleasant toward me. BUT, it never progressed further and I thank the Lord for his protection.

I am against anything that spoils the marriage bed but at the time, I would not have had the strength to resist if my ex-boyfriend made an advance toward me. I believe 100% if I had been involved in infidelity, my Man could not forgive me and our marriage would have been ruined and it would have stained my future opportunities for kingdom ministry.

1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Without a doubt, God protected me from myself, and our marriage bed is pure.

Because of my experience, I don’t make judgements on others who have fallen. I put boundaries around myself and exercise caution and prudence when dealing with male/female relationships so I will not put myself in the place where I can be tempted like that again.

Now, today I wake

Yes, they were warned to stay away.

But dwelling on that won’t matter now—what’s done is done.

The snake has struck.

 And even now, the poison courses through their veins.

 Beat

After

Venomous

Beat

The heart grows numb.

A blood transfusion is what they need, and only one type will do?—mine.

No.

Not mine.

Please no.

Not mine…

Unless there’s no other way…Okay—let it be mine.

I lay out my flesh to be cut and drained.

I then dreamt of fighting a serpent.

Only it wasn’t a dream. 

Yesterday…or the day before—yes, Friday, I said; “It is done.”

Now today, I wake.

Here in this.

Not my bed, not my room, not my home, but a cold hard slab, in the dark.

My blood now dried, my flesh now healed.

The dark now rolls, and Light revealed.

A Voice I hear.

Well done, My Son—the serpent is dead.

Now they can live.

You’re welcome my friend.

My name is Jesus.

Happy Easter!

Collision at the Cross

There are people who deny the cross has any meaning. They know that Jesus was killed on a cross--that is historical fact--but some believe that the act was a miscarriage of justice against a model of servanthood and integrity, nothing more. Sad that such evil exists in the world, they sigh, but what can you do, except do better and try harder to live up to Jesus’ example and command to love God and others.

But when I read the Gospel accounts--based on eyewitness testimony--and Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, it is clear that something powerful happened on that hill at Calvary beyond human means or reckoning. In Matthew chapter 27, several physical events are described: darkness covers the land from noon to 3, the hours Jesus was on the cross; at the moment of his death, there is an earthquake, rocks split and tombs open; eyewitnesses saw "holy" people who had died raised to life and come out of the tombs; and at the temple in Jerusalem, the veil (curtain) separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The veil was sixty feet in height and four inches thick. Back at the cross, the Roman centurion and other guards present were terrified as the earthquake hit, and knew instantly that Jesus was no ordinary person: “Surely this was the Son of God!”

In Colossians, my favorite of Paul’s letters, the apostle makes clear what is still murky business for some: the collision at the cross involved more than human agency. There is a clash of Titans, if you will: spiritual forces are battling, and only one side wins.

Paul argues that we must remember who Jesus is: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities (1:15-16). For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority (Col. 2:9-10).

And then Paul explains that Jesus’ death defeated the very powers and authorities that stood in the way of our freedom to love and be with God: sin and death, which the earth had been cursed with since Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden. When you were dead in your sins ... God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (2:13-16).

Something happened on a hill two thousand years ago of such power, that those present were shaken--literally. Each of us comes face to face with that same cross when we ask ourselves, “Is Jesus real? Does His death have any meaning for my life today?” Yes, because He lives! “You were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead” (2:12). You don’t have to do better and try harder to be like Jesus: the Author of all life, the Head over all authority and power, gives you the power to live and love freely through faith in Him, through the Holy Spirit!

*The painting is by James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Confession of the Centurion (La Confession du Centurion), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper. Brooklyn Museum. In the public domain.

My heart is most heavy today because I killed Jesus...

I sincerely apologize for not thinking ahead this week...

For the past several years, I've made a habit of cutting myself off from the many distraction that come with each new day and during the period from Good Friday through Easter Sunday just focus on what it's all really about.

That means internet, television, tablets, blogs, magazines, books and all that other stuff that seems to fill my waking days. Not that all that stuff is necessarily bad or even anti-Jesus, just distracting from what the next few days really represent.

My thoughts today and tomorrow will be borderline narcissistic. Yes. I killed Jesus, and today I will be in deep, deep sorrow and repentant for that fact.

Sunday I will worship with all my heart, all my soul and all my being in celebration that He arose and lives within me today!

May your Easter be richly blessed with God all over it.

In Christ Eternal Love,
Tony C

Selah

סֶלָה

Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה‎, also transliterated as selāh)…  a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms… is a difficult concept to translate. (It should not be confused with the Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע‎) which means "rock.") Probably used in instructional music or reading a text, as something like "stop and listen". The Amplified Bible states Selah as "pause, and think of that".

Selah, [celah], is from the Hebrew root word [calah] meaning 'to hang,' and by implication to measure (weigh). In Biblical history, money, food and other valuables were 'weighed' by hanging on a type of balance (equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine value." A possible meaning is an instruction to measure... carefully and reflect upon the preceding statements.

We all have heard that the Good News of the Easter Week is Easter Sunday and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, we must weigh that against Good Friday, because without the Crucifixion, there would not be an Easter Sunday. And Friday is Good News…it IS Good Friday.

This year in our church, we are doing a ceremony which was suggested by one of the Worship Team Members. We were each handed out a red slip of paper on Sunday. We have been instructed to write down areas/sins that we continue to struggle with. A Member is building a literal cross. After we each have a “selah” moment, we will approach the Cross, one by one ,nail our private concern it to the cross. For me, having an exercise like this, holds deep meaning. 

When I was young, we celebrated the Holy Week. Looking back, the day that had the biggest impact on me was Holy Saturday. The starkness of the day and the silence in the air cause me to contemplate certain things. I can still picture the life sized statue of Jesus, lying in the tomb, in church on Saturday. I didn’t honor the statue (as some might think I did) rather for me, it was a visual reminder. It helped me to “take in” what and who it represented.

Jesus died and all of heaven seemed silenced.

Imagine for a minute, being part of Jesus’ inner crowd. What were they thinking? They most likely hiding, not just as a group, but hiding what was in each of their hearts. Some probably talked a lot; as they tried to process what had happened to their leader…others may have found a corner to feel the fear and confusion. Did they think they were next?

Where would Saturday have found you?

Don’t we have Saturday experiences all throughout our walk with the Lord? We follow our Lord and try to absorb all that He is pouring into our lives.  We may try not to but don't we envision how things will unfold. We may have a hope…a picture, as to how it is all going to “come down”

Then, we are left with a deafening silence. Nothing makes sense. We are fear filled. We want to run. We may regret our allegiance to the Lord. Yet, we agree with the Apostle Peter when we say…” Lord, where else would we go?”

Our Easter Week consists of a chance to reflect 

...on a Friday that we know is truly GOOD.

…on a Sunday that holds the ultimate hope and victory.

…as well as a Saturday, where we must pause and reflect.We must stop and think and believe that the One we have been following does not lie. We may be left with an uncertainty of what just happened. Like the disciples, we are not privy to the glory that lies just ahead.

No matter what…an essential aspect of our belief, is not only receiving the message of the Cross… which is the plumb line of  our belief as Christians… to knowing what the disciples did not know, that the Cross was not the end of the story.

So too with us…a Friday may have happened…a Saturday is where we find ourselves, yet knowing by faith…a Sunday, with life and light… resurrection and victory WILL come!

Linda Maynard

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A side note…It has given me such a thrill to hear my three year old grandson singing his heart out this past week…” Is Jesus dead…NO WAY!!!...He’s alive…He’s alive!!!...Is Jesus dead? NO WAY!!!”…He’s alive!!! He’s alive!!!” Yes Jonah…He IS alive!

Celebrate the Resurrection! by Jenna Vick Silliman

What do you do to celebrate life? Jesus said, (See John 10:10.) The reason He came to the earth is to bring us abundant life. He triumphed over sin and death with His amazing resurrection. We have every reason to celebrate this occasion! With a little planning, and people joining in and doing their part, we can have quite a party.

I could easily make a list about what the day is NOT about. For example, it is not about Easter, the goddess of fertility, and it is not about hunting for eggs or candy. Instead, I want to focus on what we can do and what would make the day special. Here are twelve ideas for a resurrection celebration. Please share with me what you like to do to celebrate—I’d love to hear it!

1. Dress up in party clothes and wear something bright and colorful to put you and others in the celebrating mood.

2. Attend a sunrise service put on by a local church.

3. Decorate the party room with colorful table cloths and vases of fresh spring flowers.

4. Wearing simple costumes made from sheets draped over head and shoulders, or robes, act out the story of the resurrection as told in Matthew 28:1 to 10.

5. Dress up a communion altar with a tablecloth and use wine glasses and a pretty plate and tray to serve communion.

6. Plan a love feast and invite family and friends and all bring food to enjoy a meal together.

7. Buy each woman (or encourage her husband/father to purchase) a flower corsage to pin on.

8. Stand in a circle and each share what the resurrection means to you.

9. Read aloud the story of the resurrection in Scripture in Matthew 28:1 to 10.

10. Memorize and recite a Scripture about the resurrection, such as Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” or John 11:25, “Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me though he may die, he shall live.’” My personal favorite is how we are co-raised WITH the Lord Jesus! Ephesians 2:5,6 “God made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

11. Hand out copies of the words to a song about the resurrection and sing it together.

12. Sing and dance and worship the Lord together to a music CD with songs about the resurrection.

Preparation for Joy

I’m experiencing life in a more liturgical church.  It’s been an interesting journey, one that I have written about a few times.  Last year I experienced my first Maundy Thursday service.  You can read about the experience here.

Growing up in a classic Pentecostal home, the anticipation of Holy Week was keen but different.  Being a “Norwegian” Pentecostal meant certain differences.  This oxymoronic coupling of culture and faith continues to shape and define my life.

There were no Palms distributed in our congregation.  I was jealous of my friends with their Palm branches twisted into crosses.  My mother would shake her head and say, “Oh, we don’t do that.”  Nevertheless, there was a joyous anticipation in church that was palpable. 

My Easter outfit was usually finished.  My mother’s sewing expertise would create beautiful garments for me to wear.  Matching shoes and purse completed an outfit that rivaled (and exceeded) any designer’s wear.  I remember vividly being in the 4^th grade and begging my mother to let this be the first year I could wear “nylons” (aka hose or stockings).  She relented and much to the dismay of older friends who had not yet been allowed to wear this sign of mature (and torture).  I learned how to handle garters and a garter belt for Easter. 

 

Preparations for Easter included the joint Passion Week service with the “released time” programs on 4^th Avenue.   (As a kid, every Wednesday we were released from school an hour early to attend religious instruction – thus the name “released time”).  For several weeks, my mother had met with local pastors to plan the Holy Week program.  I marvel now as I think back of this woman with a 10^th grade education sitting with pastors with Master of Divinity degrees from the Lutheran churches, the Methodist churches, etc. to plan observances that were more liturgical in nature. 

As was typical, I usually had a long narration or selection to memorize for this event.  I remember the power of reciting the Passion narrative from the Gospels in front of children and leaders from those various churches.  Perhaps that was a forerunner for my journey to liturgy – the cross so prominent, the words so powerful, the beautiful of the sanctuary, all formed lasting impressions about Jesus and sacrifice.

Most powerful of my recollections was the hours between 12 and 3 on Good Friday.  As Good Friday approached, you could feel the tension in the air.  If I were Jewish, I might have asked – why is this day unlike any other day?  It would have been an appropriate question.  As noon approached, everything halted.  The stores normally bustling with business would lock their doors.  The busy sidewalks were empty.  It seemed nothing moved.  

The tension was so deep that I expected the ground to shake, or lightening to appear.  I also thought that maybe Jesus would return sometime that weekend.  In my childish mind, Easter or Good Friday seemed good candidates for this.  The thought was sometimes greeted with fear, other times with joy. 

It was as if the whole world was stopping as a remembrance of Jesus breathing His last.  I would recite in my mind the words I’d memorized for the program on Wednesday.  I would hear Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani in my heart. During the silence of those three hours, I would ponder what it meant for Jesus to die.  I would wonder, even though a small child, would I be like Peter and deny Christ.  Could I be the one who like Judas would betray Him?  These questions are still appropriate for all of us this week.

As the clock struck 3 p.m., the stores opened again.  The world seemed to go one with the frenzied last minute preparations for the celebration of Easter.  Eggs would be colored on Saturday.  Candy would be hidden from view until Easter morning.  I hoped for the big chocolate bunny that was SOLID… I didn’t want a hollow bunny.  I wanted to gorge myself in chocolate and jelly beans.  Sometimes I would have a live baby duck, or chick included in my “basket.”  One year my basket included two live white bunny rabbits to live in hutches in my backyard in Brooklyn.

This year, I’ll go to Maundy Thursday service.  I’ll go to Good Friday services. I’ll reflect on the Passion of Christ with prayer and reflection.  With anticipation, I’ll pause to remember that without the cross there is no hope.  Without the cross, there is no resurrection.  Without the cross, without “waiting with the Lord in the agony of Gethsemane” the joy of Easter is less meaningful.  I will pause between 12 and 3 and remember the agony on the cross so that as I sing ‘UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE” on Sunday, my joy will be full.

Thank You for the Cross

For every year you’ve been part of the church, you’ve heard an Easter message. Or perhaps, like Joyce, who is a pastor, you’ve preached more than once about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is pivotal to the Christian faith but familiarity can breed contempt. This week on Kingdom Bloggers we’re sharing our own experiences about keeping the Easter message fresh.

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I enjoy Holy Week and for many years I was part of a church that celebrates the whole week by encouraging people to  be interactive in the display and each night, there are different ways to experience the cross, from foot washing to lectio devina to communion on Maundy Thursday. I used to participate in it all but this year I feel removed from corporate gatherings and have (and will) create my own personal time to engage with the cross.

In fact, this year has been a season of personal worship and the cross is central. My thoughts reflect on the cross and I continually thank God for his sacrifice because without it, I could not worship as freely as I do. It is a marvel, how much the Father loves us to banish his son to the cross and to separate himself from the son so that we can be brought into fellowship with the Father.

And how much does the Son love us to die for us. Hebrews 12:2 tells us it was a joy before him to endure the cross - the joy of fellowship and unity with us, the ones he died for.

When I think about such love, my heart wants to simultaneously celebrate and weep. Celebrate because I received a gift greater than I deserve and weep because I didn’t deserve it and yet Jesus willingly died in my place.

Reading People

This week we’ve been asked to share our three favorite books—besides the Bible.

If you want some great reading on some good books—leaf back through this week’s posts and check out what my esteemed colleagues have to say on the subject.

It’s a little intimidating for me. I feel what Sarah Palin must have felt when asked about her favorite magazines and newspapers. Gulp…um, well you know—the usual; the same ones as everybody else, I guess. I thought the best answer for Sarah would have been: “Are you kidding? With all I’ve got going on being a wife and most importantly a mother… and then there’s this whole political scene. I barely have time to read road signs—let alone sit around and read magazines and newspapers.”     

I do read. Most road signs and some books, too. But even still, all week I’ve been fretting about my favorites. The answer I told my wife is: “I don’t have a clue. I don’t have a favorite—let alone three.”

This past week I was interviewed (I know crazy huh?) and asked about my favorite authors. That was easy. Of course The Holy Spirit, Author of the Bible topped the list, and then fiction author was Karen Kingsbury and non-fiction was Max Lucado. Anything from those authors and you can’t go wrong in my book.

But there is one book that kept popping up in my mind whenever I thought about sharing with you today. In this book you can find the most wonderful characters.

Burt and Rachel are some of the main characters. Although in their eighties, they’re still some of the youngest folks you could ever meet—full of life. Burt never stops smiling and happiest when helping someone. Rachel can do an award winning cannon ball and no one can get past her hug. Oh, and they’re always holding hands.

And then there’s Eleanor teaching line dancing by day and doing drama by night—only Lou Gehrig disease took her Home last month.  Oh, and Bill Male’s four daughter’s singing quartet—he brags it’s the only Male quartet made of females.  

Mary always has a story to tell and a recipe to give, she has cocktail hour every afternoon at 2:00 and rides her scooter through the village in her night gown at dusk. But, she won’t be doing that for awhile; she went to the nursing home yesterday—they say she won’t be getting out. And Glen loves Buffy only she belongs to Dean and Shirley, but before they get up each morning Glen sneaks Buffy out for a walk and then keeps her all day.

Dick has red lip stick on his cheek because they’ve only been married fifty years and are still on their honeymoon. And the other Glynn works on bikes—well, he did ‘til the stroke stopped that, but maybe…

And of course there’s Gene who works on everybody’s place because he’s good, and cheap—too cheap. Folks have to give him tips because he won’t charge enough.

Oh yeah, Harold whittles. And Sam plays guitar. Pat sings like an angel and Bonnie makes the piano sing like one. Luella has a contagious laugh and Mickey can spin a yarn a mile long and every word is true—or so he says. Lee catches fish when no one else can. And he doesn’t eat a one—just gives them all away.

I haven’t even begun to get through all the characters. But I’ve learned more about life and love and joy and peace from reading them than any book I know written by man.

If you met them, I’m sure you’d love them. If they met you, I know they’d love you.

This book is a real book with real live characters. It has photos and names and contact information for all folks here in the village. It’s called The Whispering Pines Village Directory.

And isn’t that the best book of all—people? You’re reading and being read every day—what’s your life say? Maybe Sarah should have answered: People. After all isn’t that what makes a good book.

To get your name in the Whispering Pines book all you have to do is be a resident of Whispering Pines. It’s nice, but not all that important. However, there’s another book. It’s of utmost importance. It’s the Lamb’s Book of Life. To get your name in it you must make preparations before you die, to be a resident of heaven. If you haven’t—do that today.