Sometimes you've just got to go with your heart...

I've got to admit I'm a little distracted while I write my post (late) today...

Yesterday, I lost a good friend who had suffered a stroke several months back. He was a diabetic that had lost his eye sight and much of his mobility over the past few years.

Oh...I also found out just yesterday I too have Type II diabetes.

Last night, I took a long walk alone to sort through a number of issues I'm currently going through with the two above being paramount. I also have several of you specifically on my heart as well. It was a clear, cool night as I walked around a track that's not only elevated but has a spectacular view of a nearby mountain range.

As I walked and talk with my Father about the things on my heart, it became abundantly clear to me that my personal issues are a direct result of my own actions...or lack there of.  There will be no time for a pity party. I just need to stop with the wishful thinking and start acting. God provided me a loving, supportive wife who understands the ramifications of this week's news on all levels. Although I could see the anxiety in her eyes when she read my blood work report yesterday, she also projected a silent strength. One I haven't seen since quite possibly back in Officer Candidate School before being commissioned in the Marine Corps.

Back to my walk.

God has a remarkable way of humbling people while at the same time providing hope. If for some reason you happen to be a doubter in the God we worship and write about on this blog, and you are still reading...maybe even searching...hear me out. Last night...God brought me to my knees.

There are very few things short of medical reasons that would cause me to spontaneously fall to my knees in submission. Actually there is only One. Most of us go through life under the belief or misconception that kneeling before God is an act reserved for an alter in a church on a Sunday. Brother...I've been there, and I know better. God is every where at all times, and He doesn't reserve His Spirit for us on just Sunday mornings.

There were changes made in my life last night. Changes that can only come with the help of a risen Savior. I understand completely I have a crucial role in those changes, and they won't happen without me. But I've got from pretty good sources that everything will be okay if I just remember this:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

 Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

What does any of this have to do with the Resurrection? Well for me...it has everything to do with it...absolutely everything.

The Resurrection brings me Hope

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the word Hope. Hope that my life will be of value while here on this earth, and Hope that I have more to look forward to when my life on this earth is finished.

Because Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sin, and because he rose from death 3 days later, I have hope for life after this one. When my life on this earth is done, and I stand before the All Mighty, Holy, God, I can be in His presence because the blood of Christ has made me clean (Hebrews 9:11-27). Knowing that this life on earth is not all that there is gives me a sense of stability, calm in calamity, and purpose that I don't know how to put into words. This knowledge always being in the background of my mind puts things into perspective.

The resurrection changes me. Romans 8:8-20 talks about these changes in a manner that takes my breath away! Verse 10 proclaimes that:

for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms.

and verse 15 says:

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant

While Jesus was here on this earth He said that His followers would do greater works than He did (John 14:11-13). I can't tell you what those "greater things" include; I tend to believe that it will look different for each person because God has a unique design and plan for each of us. But I do know that I don't have to live life just getting by, or seeking after material things, or living for sensual pleasures - I have a purpose that's bigger than myself. Each day as I look to Him for what He wants from me in that day, each day as I seek to remain open to His leading and guiding, to be on the look out for what God is doing around me and how I can join Him in His work, it truly is an adventure.

Time for Greater Works

Christ is Risen.  He is risen indeed. 

Perhaps you greeted someone with this ancient greeting of our faith this weekend.  These are powerful words.  These are meaningful words.  They are words that declare the most important fact of our faith.  Christ rose from the dead.

I am never at a loss for thoughts.  I have a very fertile mind.  There are so many ways I could express my thoughts and feelings two days after Easter 2011.  I had a strange Easter.  It has been years since the family actually gathered to celebrate the day.  Some of us celebrated the holiness of Easter at the Easter Vigil at Saint Ann’s RC Church.  You can read a bit of my thoughts about that night here.

On Resurrection Sunday we celebrated the gift of family.  It was a beautiful day.

But Easter is over for this year.  Like David my thoughts are turning to the days following.  While we express jubilance at the Resurrection, I wonder about those first disciples.  They all had questions.  Not just Thomas who expressed his doubts.  They all wondered what was next.  They were hiding behind locked doors. 

During the days after Jesus resurrection he appeared to many.  He eased Thomas’ doubts.  He offered restoration to Peter.  He told His disciples to go and make disciples.  He told them to baptize the new disciples in the name of the Father, and name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). 

Jesus had told His disciples that they would do greater works (John 14:12).  I’ve pondered that greater works many times.  I know the discussion in Christianity over works and grace.  While I can’t earn my salvation, I am called to do greater works and to make disciples.   

I’m heading to the upper room with David.  I’ve baptized a few people in my life.  I want to baptize more disciples.  I want to do the greater works that Jesus told us we would do.  I want a fresh Pentecost.

I’ve been praying for some people who have deep need.  I am sobered by the needs of my friends.  As I go to the upper room with my own plea for more of God, I also go for them.  I pray for them.  As I pray I am reminded of Paul’s words about the Spirit of the resurrection: 

If the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's! (Romans 8:11 The Message)

Go To Your Upper Room!

It is the day after the celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead! We sang Hosanna in the Highest and maybe shouted hallelujah, now what? Many liturgical Christians use the church calendar to engage the many faceted life of Jesus, and worship the Most High. Even non-denominational Christians celebrate the biggest feasts, Christmas and Easter.

He has risen!


This week we'll be writing about the resurrection season here on Kingdom Bloggers. You'll have to forgive me, but the side effects of two of my new heart medications is confusion - so it can tough getting through a blog in a cohesive manner. But I'll try.

The days of the Lenten season leading up to Resurrection Day are often introspective and reflective; a time to look inward and do some soul searching. Then on Easter, there is the release of joy in the empty tomb!

If we follow the life of Christ, we need to ask what is next? I mean we are Christ followers, right?

The next major feast is that of Pentecost. It is both a Jewish and Christian holiday. In fact all the major events of Jesus' life fell on the Jewish feasts, that is one way we know that he is the Lamb of God! This is essential revelation, and you can read a short blog about it HERE.

For the 50 days following Easter, the disciples, about 120 of them grieved the loss of Jesus their friend, they were confused about the now but not yet Kingdom, and a few Jesus appeared to them after his death - oh yes, and they prayed. They believed the word of God and the words of Jesus. In fact the life of Jesus was also properly witnessed according to Hebraic Law (more on that HERE). And of course there were the prophecies about the Messiah. (more on that HERE). Their perseverance in the word, in prayer and in fellowship; however was not going to be enough to keep them going for a lifetime!

As the first believers in the resurrection made their way forward with a dead but living Jesus, I am sure it was an interesting time. They did not yet have the Holy Spirit to comfort or teach them. There had been a terrible crucifixion followed by an earthquake, after which those that were dead came out of their tombs and walked about he city! (Matthew 27:51-53) There were so many new questions, new doubts, and a glimmer of hope. After all Satan doesn't even have the keys to his own kingdom! (Revelations 1:18)

I want to be like them!

In this season, I want to prepare myself for an encounter with the Holy Spirit. I want to put aside all my theories, all my head knowledge, and all my preconceived notions about the greatest Power in all of creation, and experience Him. This is the very power that raised Jesus from the dead, it created the heavens and the earth, and it knew you before the foundations of the earth! It is the power that moves mountains, heals the sick, drives out demons, causes mere man to prophesy that which is not as though it is, it performs miracles, and came to give you peace that surpasses all understanding! It's good stuff!

This power is the King of King, the Lord of Lords, the Lion of Judah, the Bright Morning Star, the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Cornerstone, the Counselor and the Creator - he is the Father and the Son, the Good Shepherd and he is our Hope and our joy: He is love. (more about who He is HERE)

As we head towards the celebration of Pentecost, I want to prepare myself to encounter the mighty, but gently blowing Holy Spirit which empowers me to do everything that Jesus did, and more! (John 5:20)

I don't know about you, but I am growing weary of living with a dead but living Jesus, yet doubting His power. For the next 50 days I am praying this prayer:

Lord, I said I would follow you, but I guess I meant when it was easy. I'm repenting now. I say I have faith, but some days it doesn't produce much fruit. Increase my faith. I want to preach the Gospel and heal the sick like you did. Empower me. I want to hear your voice and know your heart. Speak to me. Today, I give you permission to invade my life with your Spirit and prepare me to encounter You, giving meaning to Pentecost like never before. Baptize me afresh with your fire. Amen!

Care to join me?

Thank God for His pardon of sin...because I'm as guilty as they come.

I am completely unworthy of writing this day about this topic...

Out of obligation to my fellow Kingdom Bloggers who have done such a wonderful job this week, I post today as I also personally reflect with tremendous sorrow on my heart and heavy shame on my conscience. Why? Because I killed Jesus.

Our Father created a perfect world and placed perfect people in that world. Out of His love for that creation, He extended the gift of choice to mankind...whom He created in His own image. Honestly, I've not been a very good steward of that gift of choice.

But God knew that would be the case a long, long time ago. He didn't make excuses for me because there just are none. What He did give me was another chance...another choice.

 Love Me as I have loved you. Come back to Me child. 

Jesus is perfect...Holy. He has spent eternity in Holiness with the Father. Pure. Heaven.

Because I'm incapable of loving God back the way He loves me, my sin required another gift from my Father. I took choice for granted, so God from His love extended to me the gift of Grace. But this gift didn't come without a price...it couldn't.

Because of the disobedient choices I've made in my life, Jesus had to leave His place of purity and come walk among the filth and disgust of sin. When I put aside my selfish tendencies and reflect on just that fact alone...I am overwhelmed with shame. He didn't deserve that...not on my behalf. Especially on my behalf.

I don't ever want to make light of the physical torment my Savior endured on this Good Friday so long ago. But those temporary physical pains could not possibly compare to the moment my sins were placed upon Him to be taken away. Jesus had never known sin...through all of eternity...until that very moment when His Father was forced to look away...because of me.

If this had been the end of the greatest story ever known, my life would be completely worthless to me. The moment of enlightened understand that I was guilty of killing Jesus just so I could be with God again, I don't think I would want to continue living with that guilt hanging over me. Like Judas, I'd probably go find my own tree of reconciliation.

Thank God that isn't the end of the story! As I spend today in reflection on the ultimate loving sacrifice, I look so forward to Sunday when I will joyfully celebrate an empty tomb and a risen, living Savior. Salvation, above all else, should be something we all celebrate together.

I thank you Father for saving my soul and praise Your Holy name on high!

Maundy Thursday

Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment". In John 13:1-34, Jesus both demonstrates and proclaims a new commandment. Specifically, in verse 34 He comes out and says:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Whenever I read these words I'm blown away. The preceding verses show Jesus washing His disciples feet, loving the one who will betray Him, and sharing about the fact that He will give His very body and blood so that His followers can experience forgiveness of sin; then He says that we are to love one another as He loved us!

Whenever I read this passage I'm hit anew with the truth that I can not do this.

I'm always brought back to the fact that it is only through Christ in me, by staying connected to God my source, that I can even start to touch the edges of this kind of love.

What about you, what are your thoughts as you reflect on this new commandment that Christ gave His followers?

Remember White Gloves and White Mary Jane's?

I wrote a rather deep thought-provoking blog on Holy Week yesterday on my Sounds of Hope blog.  You can read it here.  I thought about continuing on that theme.  I have a lot of those thoughts right now.  Seems Holy Week brings them out of me.  As we remember Christ’s passion I think it should bring a lot of deep, reflective thoughts.  However, I think I’d rather take a little bit lighter approach today.

I was not raised in a liturgical church.  Back then, we called them “mainline” churches with a bit of a distain in our voices.  We spurned all things ritualistic as it did not allow the spirit to move.  While I fully understood the message of Holy Week and Easter, our “holy week” was spent focusing on what to wear on Easter.  My mother usually made my clothes for such momentous occasions.  New white gloves were bought and ruffled white socks were bleached to perfection.  This would be the first time I wore my "spring coat."  I remember clearly some of my Easter dresses, and of course the necessary Easter bonnet.

There would also be talk of Easter baskets but never a lot of talk about the bunny that is supposed to bring them.  Perhaps that was too secular.  My mother was a flurry of activity during Holy Week for in addition to my clothes, she needed a dress for herself, and a meal to plan and prepare.  Usually a ham would grace our Easter table complete with brown sugar, pineapple rings, and those little black studs, cloves.

One element of liturgy always crept into to Holy Week.  It was the only time I heard the term Holy Week, as to us it was the “week before Easter.”  My mother was in charge of “released time.”  New York City schools allowed for a weekly one hour release from school for religious instruction at the church or synagogue of your choice.  Each year as Easter approached, she would be notified by the Pastors of the 4^th Avenue churches that it was time to plan the joint Holy Week released time services. 

I think my mother was intimidated by these “mainline” pastors.  Most were Lutheran and seminary trained and here she was this woman with a 10^th grade education.  Her only qualification was she loved Jesus and she loved children.  I remember the year she came home upset because they made jokes about hymns and ruined the song “In the Garden” for her.  She said they called it the Andy song – Andy walks with me Andy talks with me. 

But it was part of her duties to share in this one ecumenical event.  The Norwegian children of Salem had never been exposed to the “state church.”  We were dissenters.  We were purer.  We were holier. But we went.  Into those mysterious Lutheran churches we would see our friends from school and celebrate Holy Week.  One year, my mother volunteered me for a long narration of the Passion scriptures.  I remember saying with all seriousness: “My betrayer draweth near”  and foolishly wondered if Lutheran's could be "saved."

Soon it would be Good Friday, or Long Friday as my father would insist it should be called.  He would say every year, why do you call it Good?  Somehow long suited his translation from Norwegian to English much better than good.  Our hustle to get ready for the big day stopped for a few hours on Friday.  Every shop was closed for the hours that Jesus hung on the cross.  The neighborhood became somber for those hours. 

My childhood thoughts turned from my new dress and patent leather shiny Mary Jane shoes to a cross.  Sometimes a cloud would come during that time and I’d remember my Sunday School lesson.  I’d remember that the sky turned dark and the veil was torn in the Temple as He hung there for me. 

I won’t get new clothes this Easter.  I haven’t played dress up for a long time.  I’d like to.  I will think of the cross.  I will think of Christ’s Passion.  I will think of those days before His Passion as He spent His last moments with His disciples, including Judas who would betray Him.  I wonder if He prayed for Judas?  I will remember those hours in the Garden as He sweat drops of blood in agony. 

I will be participating in some of that liturgy my parent’s distained.  I know the Spirit moves in ritual as well as freedom.  It will help me with my remembrance.  

How will you remember?

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty

I confess it has been a very long time since I celebrated traditional church feasts or holidays other than Pentecost, Christmas and Easter. I hope that doesn't make me a bad Christian.

This week the faithful are writing about holy Week - whatever that is. :)


As an Anglican for a few years, we followed a liturgical calendar. I think the biggest difference in focus (not theology) between the evangelicals and those the follow the Roman Catholic calender is the resurrection. The Catholic cross depicts Jesus being crucified, while the evangelical one, shows an empty cross; a sign of the resurrected Jesus. As Christians, we need to understand the sacrifice and the horror of the crucifixion, as well as engaging the power of the resurrection!

My take on Holy week is this, we follow Jesus from the Triumphal Entry through the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross, and the joy of the empty tomb. On Palm Sunday we cheer the mighty King, and on Good Friday we celebrate his death (in our place) which is like a funeral mass. Then there is the overwhelming joy of Easter!

Each service touches me in a different way as I reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for me. One of the things that I miss the most about my Anglican roots is the stations of the cross. Because the stations of the cross are done on Good Friday, the 15th one is omitted and done on Easter Sunday. Let's take a quick walk through them.

-1 Jesus is condemned to death
-2 Jesus is given his cross
-3 Jesus falls the first time
-4 Jesus meets His Mother
-5 Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus' cross
-6 Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
-7 Jesus falls the second time
-8 Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
-9 Jesus falls the third time
-10 Jesus is stripped of His garments
-11 Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
-12 Jesus dies on the cross
-13 Jesus' body is removed from the cross
-14  Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense and grave cloth.

Holy week was a painful journey for our Lord as he suffered betrayal, humiliation, false judgement, torture and finally death - a death that defeated the sting of death for you and me for all eternity.

What does the death of Jesus mean to you?

I'm a Christian who happens to write blogs...not a Christian blogger.

Christians really mean well with our projections of Jesus, but...

Okay. I'm guilty party as anyone when it comes to personalizing an image of Jesus because even Christians are autocratic and infatuated with the concept of power. One might even say especially Christians from a historical perspective. So, we've created a paradox within our own belief system, and nothing epitomizes that quite like the events of Holy Week.

Everything Jesus did on Earth was for a reason...His reason. Some actions were extremely overt and witnessed by many, while others took on a subtle nature and may not be understood or even discovered this side of Glory. Why is it so hard for Christians to accept the life of Christ, as He actually lived it, as the living model for the Kingdom of God?


How do Christians continue to be the Light...to show love for others, seek justice, and carry out the Great Commission if we fail to fundamentally recognize the very nature of our Savior? 

Palm Sunday, as the story unfolds in the Word, is a head-scratcher for most people. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a direct collision course with the mighty Roman Empire, the Jewish religious establishment of the day, and a date that will forever change history. He does this on the back of a borrowed donkey to the cries of Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest...or literal shouts for salvation; yet just a week later, the same crowd enthusiastically cry out for Jesus to be crucified. Did they have any possible comprehension that the two separate sets of exclamation would forever be Divinely connected?

The concept is mind boggling even today, and Christians have the benefit of knowing the outline of the whole story from birth to return. So why do we continue, even today, to misconstrue the nature of Jesus? I believe as the people did during Holy Week over 2000 years ago, we still to this day subscribe to the same crowd mentality that breeds a very narcissistic attitude.


The crowd on Palms Sunday had surely heard the stories of Jesus. Some may have even witness a miracle or two in person.Their cries for Jesus to save them were done from a secular frame of mind...not an eternal one. Sure. The qualifier of calling Jesus the One the Lord has sent was a nice tribute, but if they really believed Jesus had been sent by God to save them, why did they turn on Him so fast?

Jesus gave the people hope. What they failed to realize was that hope was on a far greater scale than just delivery from Roman oppression. Even if Jesus had delivered His followers from the hold of the Romans, that didn't change the broader setting of living in a fallen world. Most of them couldn't see past the immediate challenge to seek after the more meaning reward of eternal life in Heaven.

Aren't we guilty of the same mistake today? Even as Christians, we often focus on paltry things like status and image. We even use the name of Jesus selfishly to attain such secular objectives. Sometimes we even do this while claiming to serve the Kingdom...which not only pains me to write...but shames me even more to realize and admit includes myself. No, we don't have to be guilty of cheering for Jesus to be crucified or physically throwing Him up on the cross to be lumped together with those who did. Each and every one of us have our own sins that Christ died on that cross to atone.

I'm excited myself about the day I get to cheer and worship Jesus in person. But until that day comes, I need to be just as enthusiastic about serving God in humility and on the terms He established in His word while always remembering this is all about Him...not about me. I need to learn to ride the back of that donkey just like Jesus did and with great confidence He rides right along with me...and that's what makes the task so wonderful.

Just Get the Donkey!

Imagine that one day you are sitting, looking out the window at your car, and two nicely dressed guys, one who looks like Rob Bell and the other who looks like John Piper, they open the front door and start looking around in it. You ask them, "hey, what are you doing?"

"We are taking this car because the Lord has need of it." they reply in a soft spoken voices.

"Well, I need it to get to work, and pick up the kids from soccer." you reply. "Can't you just rent one?," you ask them.

"No, the Lord said that he needed this one. May we have the keys?," they ask.

I know it seems a little far fetched, however; that is exactly what happened so many years ago.

Luke 19:28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’”


Situations like these I prefer to call a "crises of faith." Without faith, how would you know if they were ripping you off, or if the Lord really wanted them to use YOUR car? This passage is an excellent illustration of what it is like to follow Jesus - to hear his voice and do it. in fact both the disciples and the colt owner both had to hear and obey God.

I pressed a Bible study really hard one night. How exactly would you know if this was God or not?

They seemed to agree with each other, "well I just would!"

I continued to probe them. How would you know, what is it like for you to "just know? Has it happened before?" I asked.

The real issues was how do you know that you are hearing God in the first place? I find that a lot of Christians don't hear God, they throw a few prayers up in the air and hope things work out, they find a Bible verse that agrees with what they are feeling, or they get counsel - some times even the counsel must agree with their feelings. But the real question was how would the colt's owner know that the disciples were on a mission from God? Or not?

If we look at the disciple's side of things, they had to be told "if anyone asks" which certainly shows some sort of doubt, and it wasn't Jesus. The message is clear, just get the donkey!

The entire Christian life is encapsulated in this passage - hearing God and being obedient.

Of course the story of the Triumphal Entry goes a lot deeper. There are lots of questions surrounding those that cheered on the Messiah, and where were they as the events of Holy Week progress toward Pentecost?

How about you, how do you know that you've heard God? Have you missed it?