God's Intervention by Jenna Vick Silliman

I know God has performed “divine intervention” countless times in my life, but I have had a hard time thinking up some dramatic story to tell. What came to mind immediately, when I heard the topic for this week, was when I crashed into the car in front of me one rainy day back in 1980 on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I know angels cushioned the blow. I was so surprised their car was untouched. My baby blue VW Bug became a “padoodle” with one headlight out—but everyone was fine and the incident was soon forgotten.

One day, as I walked out of Safeway with my nine-year old son, Peter, I threw away the receipt in a barrel by the door. He said to me, “Mom, it is not right to throw garbage into the donations for the Food Bank!” I told him I just saw a garbage can out of the corner of my eye and didn’t realize it was not for trash.

I asked him, “Peter, do you know what it means to see out of the corner of your eye?”

He said, “Yes, that’s how I see the angels, out of the corner of my eye.”

I marveled. I wish I was able to see God’s angel armies constantly acting our behalf. They are truly performing God’s “divine intervention”. When we pray, He puts ‘em all to work. Angels are not giggling, fat, little cherubs. They are twelve feet tall or more and they are mighty warriors with super powers. Cool!

How has God intervened? I don’t know what I don’t know! I am highly favored and blessed beyond measure. On a daily basis He walks with me (and dances with me!) and talks with me. I am like Noah and Enoch, great men of the Bible, who habitually walked with God. (See Genesis 5:24 and 6:9 in the Amplified Version of the Bible.) HOW DIVINE! Jesus said, (See John chapter 15.) if we abide (which basically means to hang out) with Him, He will act on our behalf, empower us with more of His Spirit, and answer our prayers. In other words, if you want divine intervention, hang out with Jesus—He da man!

Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. As His followers we have received Him and the gift of a new life. The Bible tells us that if anyone accepts Jesus and the free gift of salvation, (just talk to Jesus—He is alive and listening!) we become a new person empowered with God’s Holy Spirit. There is a Bible verse that says we are spiritually co-resurrected WITH Jesus Christ! Wow! Amazing! Now that sounds like “divine intervention” to me—big time. Hahaha!

Another way God intervenes every second of every minute is with laminin. I saw a movie about how big God is and how He created the stars and all the universes and how enormously gigantic He is to have such an endless creation out there. The galaxies and light years into outer space are immeasurable and beautiful and all placed in perfect order by our amazing Creator. I really didn’t like it because I felt so small and insignificant, like a crumb on an ant’s left baby toe. However, the narrator reminds us how much God loves us and cares for us and knows all about us—even how many hairs are on our heads at any given moment in time. There are endless and immeasurable miracles inside our bodies as well. Scientists that study the human body continue to marvel at a vast array of amazing facts. One discovery is called laminin.

Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue and between every cell of our bodies. Laminins are what hold us together. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. God, through the laminins He created, is divinely intervening inside our bodies all the time! What is really cool is that laminins are shaped like a cross—the symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (See picture above of a laminin.)

Laminins make me think of this Scripture song: "The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in you, dwells in you..."

One of my friends on Facebook writes:

One of the many things I learned as I translated the Psalms was regarding the Hebrew word for shield. When David describes God as his 'Shield' it means God's very presence is wrapped around Him, covering and protecting. I like that. "God, Your wrap-around presence is my protection and my defense. You bring victory to all who reach out for You." (See Psalm 7:10.)

THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL OF YOUR AMAZING DIVINE INTERVENTION IN OUR LIVES!

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.

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?