Good Friday - The Value of Sacrifice

The story is told of a minister who had two little children. His youngest daughter asked him one Sunday after church why he always stopped and said a prayer right before he preached. Impressed that his young daughter was actually paying attention to what was going on in the service, he solemnly told her that he always stopped and prayed before the sermon in order to ask God to bless the sermon and make it both inspiring and encouraging to the audience. After a moment of silence, the little girl spoke up again. She said, “Daddy, why doesn’t God ever answer that prayer?”

Every pastor, priest, minister, or other religious leader would like to think that all of his or her sermons are encouraging and inspiring. Obviously some are, some aren’t. But on Good Friday every Christian minister prayers a little harder and hopes to inspire people at special Good Friday services happening around the world. On Good Friday 2.5 billion Christians will pause and remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross. His sacrifice, which was freely given, and so terrible costly to Christ in both body and soul, still speaks powerfully to Christians some 2000 years after it happened.

But I believe that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross should encourage and inspire more than just Christians. Even though other religions may not hold Christ in quite the same light as Christians, His sacrifice for others still sets an amazing example for all.

Regardless of our religious background, or lack thereof, stories of deep personal sacrifice always seems to inspire us. Such stories of sacrifice remind us that life really isn’t all about us. Life is about the people around us and how we can help each other live peaceful, fulfilling and joyful lives. Life is also about making peace with God, even when we are tempted to pretend He does not exist.

So whether we are Christians, or Jews, or Muslims, or Buddhists, or Unbelievers, or whatever label we may choose to refer to ourselves, I hope that we will be inspired today as we remember the sacrifice that Christ made for others. I hope we will do more than just be inspired, I hope we will all look for ways in which we might sacrifice for others in order to make the world a better place for our children and our grandchildren.

Let us remember those inspiring words that Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of John 15:12-13 “This is My command: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”

That is the essence of Good Friday.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett is an author and Christian leader in New England. He is a happy husband, proud father, adoring grandfather and thankful cancer survivor. You can find out more about his writings at:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY/

Good Friday Meditation for 2016

Good Friday. What a name for a day on which something so terrible as the death of Christ happened. To think that an innocent man was brutally murdered in front of an approving crowd is almost unimaginable, except that it wasn't just a myth or someone's vivid imagination, it actually happened.

Good Friday shows the depths of the depravity of man. It shows how low people will sink to protect their political aspirations, their theological assumptions, or their place in the world. It shows how even good people will deny the truth or hide in the shadows while great horror happens around them, which begs the question, are they actually good? The answer of course is that there is none good, no not even one (Romans 3:10).

Good Friday also shows the amazing love of God. That He would endure such agony for us is something hard to fathom. None of us deserve it. None of us can truly appreciate it. None of us would even understand it without the gift of grace. Yet, while we were yet sinners, God demonstrated His love for us by allowing Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8).

What makes this day good is not the agony of Jesus, but the love He had for those He was in agony for. Because of what happened on this day, every good and perfect gift can now come to us from the Lord who does not change like the ever shifting court of public opinion (James 1:17). He has declared that He loves us. And that declaration stands. No matter what. This is a hard truth to accept, and yet we must if we are to have any hope for a joyful life on earth and a more joyous one on the other side of death.

Let us remember Good Friday on days in which we feel unloved, or unlovable. Let us remember that He has decided that He loves us and nothing can change that. Nothing. Period. We can resist that love (which does not change the fact that He still loves us), or we can embrace that love (which gives us great peace and comfort). I chose to embrace it, and that makes this day good.

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett is an author and Christian leader in New England. He is a happy husband, proud father, adoring grandfather and thankful cancer survivor. You can find his books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY/

The Answer - Guest Post by Rev. Robert Dickard

In my lifetime I have observed that the church has moved from a position of clout in society to a culture of cost. I mean by this that what the church believed and said on issues of the day had some influence and carried some weight. Politicians, and society in general, were guided by what Christians believed. 

We have seen a seismic shift in how our culture values the opinion of the church. Instead of having clout, there now seems to be a cost involved in having any biblical position on issues facing Believers. 

We are, in reality, “daytime people living in a nighttime culture.” 

We shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus said this would happen. The New Testament gives hope and assurance. The answer to the problems we face today will not be discovered by politicians or scientists. The answer is in the discovery of an empty tomb on Easter morning!

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Rev. Robert Dickard is the Director of Missions of the Piedmont Baptist Association in Easley, SC. You can learn more about his ministry at http://piedmontbaptist.com/

Defining Moments on the Road to Jerusalem - Palm Sunday Meditation from Luke 19:28-40

Here are the notes from my Palm Sunday sermon this morning. Praying it will be a blessing to many.


 

Defining Moments on the Road to Jerusalem - Luke 19:28-40 from Terry Dorsett

Author Interview with Linda Bonney Olin

As my regular readers know, from time to time I interview Christian authors on my blog who I believe have something unique to say to our culture. I met Linda Bonney Olin through an online writer's group I am part of. She has a unique approach to helping people understand what God is trying to say to them. I recently interviewed her and you will find that interview below.

Terry: Linda, in between raising two kids, working outside the home, and helping your husband run a farm, somehow you have found time to serve as a lay speaker in the United Methodist Church and write in a wide variety of genres. What drives you to write and speak?

Linda: I began simply to fill a need. I became certified as a lay speaker in 1997 in order to conduct

worship services when the pastor of my small rural church was away and also to present innovative programs for a bit of variety. I occasionally wrote skits and scripted conversations for my son and his puppet pal. While leading adult Sunday school classes and special programs for my congregation and other local churches, I developed Bible studies, longer dramas, and a little music.

A turning point came in 2007. I prayed my heart’s desire to write something that would have eternal impact, like the wonderful hymns of Charles Wesley and Fanny Crosby. I didn’t ask for fame or fortune, or even publication, but only for the Lord to speak through my writing to someone who needed to hear his message. He agreed, providing I would write according to the Holy Spirit’s daily leading and put his direction ahead of human counsel and my own bright ideas. Who wouldn’t jump at a partnership like that? I retired from my management job and trusted God to meet our financial needs, which was no small leap of faith with the uncertainties of farm income.

Admittedly, I haven’t always been 100% faithful to my end of the bargain, but the Lord graciously prods me back on track when I forget that bit about human counsel and bright ideas. Meanwhile, he has fulfilled his promises many times over, helping me produce hymns, devotions, inspirational poems, Bible studies, blog posts, and a little fiction for publication. A nonfiction how-to book about personal puppet ministry is completed too, waiting for the Holy Spirit to point me to the right publisher. He always guides me to the information I need to carry out his assignments. And I’ve had the pleasure of using that knowledge to help other authors with their book projects too.

Terry: One of the books you wrote is entitled Giving It Up for Lent. It comes as both a workbook and a leader’s guide. I was moved when I read it. Tell us about this particular book.

Linda: That project originated with a weekly supper and study series put on during Lent by several local churches. The idea was to refresh the old tradition of giving something up for Lent, by challenging participants to make significant sacrifices of time, talent, or treasure that would bring glory to God and benefit to others, instead of token “selfish sacrifices” like giving up candy to lose weight. As my church’s representative on the program committee, I wrote and presented the introductory discussion of sacrifices described in the Bible and added the dramatic comedy The Sacrifice Support Group to lighten up the topic a bit.

The play depicts a mixed bag of church characters. In Act One (which ended the first weekly session of the series), they are challenged by their pastor to make those God-serving Lenten sacrifices. Knowing how tough it will be to stick to their sacrificial plans, they form a mutual support group. In Act Two (presented in the final session) they meet to discuss their sacrifice experiences; they all resolve to make their sacrifices an ongoing part of their lives. The play is very simple to put on. In fact, at the original Lenten program I drafted "actors" and handed out scripts during supper; we performed it as Readers Theatre with no rehearsal at all.

The series went over so well that it begged to be shared. I published the drama script of The Sacrifice Support Group as a standalone book and later published Giving It Up for Lent as the full study package.

Terry: Who do you hope will benefit the most from this book and why?

Linda: The obvious answer is church groups who want a fun, potentially life-changing study. More than that, though, the study encourages Christians to adopt spiritual disciplines that glorify God, which is the biggest thing, and do good for our families and communities. The lasting benefit can be enormous, depending on the choices readers make.

Terry: Can you share with us 2-3 key things you hope people will gain from the materials you write?

 

Linda: First, I hope and believe that God will use my work to touch people in ways that have eternal significance. In accordance with my covenant, I leave it up to God what form that significance will take and who will be the target. He might bring a reader to salvation through his revelation of Jesus Christ in my work. He might simply deliver much-needed comfort or a kick in the pants, or anything in between. Some people use my writing in ways I never expected. Non-singers, for instance, meditate on the lyrics and Bible verses in my first book, Songs for the Lord, in their personal devotions, even without the music. Isn’t that cool?

Second, sometimes my dramas touch upon matters that are disputed between Christians of different faith traditions. I hope readers will approach those—and all my work, really—with an attitude of goodwill so they can receive the deeper faith and understanding the Lord has in store for them. For example, not every church observes the season of Lent the way I'm accustomed to. But every Christian can benefit from considering the discipline of sacrifice, whether during the weeks leading up to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross or any other time. So Giving It Up for Lent has value for everyone, and I hope the folks who don’t recognize Lent won’t bypass the book for that reason.

Third, I pray that those who sing my hymns and perform my dramas will be blessed as richly as I have been by the intimate presence of my Holy GhostWriter through "my" words.

Terry: If you could offer one piece of advice to other aspiring Christian writers, what would it be?

Linda: Only one? Ha! I have a whole list!

1. Follow the Lord’s plan for your writing, just as you do for any other aspect of your life. He knows your unique voice and the audience who needs to hear it.
2. As the Bible often says, “Fear not!” Do not be intimidated by what other people say “real” writers do, like writing a minimum number of hours every day. And don’t worry that your crummy first efforts will displease God. Do you think he’d prefer you to waste his gifts and ignore his invitation to bless readers on his behalf? Of course not. So pray, sit your behind in the chair, and let the words flow onto paper or keyboard.
3. Then study the craft of writing, so you can give the Lord and the world a quality product. Unless God’s plan for you included a quill pen that miraculously moves across the paper by itself, be willing to revise and refine your writing and have it edited and proofread.
4. Join a local writers group where you can read your work to knowledgeable readers. Resolve to cheerfully endure the pain of unfavorable comments (we all get them and they can hurt). Listen to the reader’s point of view, instead of trying to talk her around to your way of thinking. Later, after the adrenaline drains off, consider how her input might make your work stronger. Besides giving me honest critiques and valuable suggestions, my local writers group is a posse of kindred spirits who encourage me when things aren’t going well and rejoice with me in times of victory.
5. Attend a Christian writers conference. I’ve attended Montrose Christian Writers Conference almost every year since 2007, the last time as a faculty member. The knowledge, the peer support group, and the industry contacts I’ve acquired there are priceless.
6. If you are itching to write a 300-page tome, fine; but consider cutting your teeth on smaller bites. There are lots of opportunities for short pieces in the Christian market, especially if you are willing to contribute your work for ministry instead of money. Writing short devotions, poems, and hymn texts in between spells of work on a book has helped me develop writing skill, given me the satisfaction of some completed projects, and built my publishing credits in magazines, devotionals, and anthologies.
7. When rejection letters roll in (I could start an impressive origami collection with mine), do not fall prey to discouragement. Revise the piece, have it edited and proofread if you previously neglected that step, find another publisher whose profile your work fits, make sure you are following the publisher’s writers guidelines, and resubmit. Pray and persevere.

Books and blogs offer a ton more of useful advice for Christian writers.

Terry: Where can people find your books and learn more about you and your work?

Linda: Everyone is invited to my Faith Songs web site at LindaBonneyOlin.com. Besides the book pages, check out all my resources for ministry, music, writing, and more. In the Audio section, you can hear the melodies of the songs in Transformed: 5 Resurrection Dramas and Songs for the Lord.

Or you can go directly to my Author Page onAmazon. 

And I’m active on Facebook—the only Linda Bonney Olin there. Stop in and say hi.

Terry, thanks very much for inviting me to your blog. I’ve enjoyed your books, and I’m impressed with the frank but respectful conversations you have here.

Terry: Linda, it was great to have you with us on the blog today. I also want my regular readers to know that Linda loves to interact with others about her ideas and writings. So if something she said in this interview sparks an idea, feel free to post it in a comment below and she will do her best to interact with you.

The Walking Dead - An Easter Sermon

I had cancer surgery a few weeks ago. By God's grace I am recovering well. I was blessed to preach my first sermon since my surgery yesterday morning for Resurrection Day. Below are the notes from the sermon, which was preached at Faith Fellowship, a church that meets on the campus of the University of Hartford.

Introduction:

•          For years my mother told me our family had this condition called Lynch Syndrome. It is an inherited genetic mutation that makes us more prone to certain kinds of cancer. For years I ignored her, after all, I felt fine. Clearly I did not have cancer.  But finally I went to get tested, assuming everything would come out fine.

•          I remember sitting in the doctor’s office while he was explaining my test results. After he used the word “cancer” half a dozen times, it finally dawned on me what he was saying. I had cancer. It was a life changing moment.

Terry's Colon Cancer

•          The odd thing about cancer is that it starts small. Most people do not even realize it is inside of them. People with early stage cancer just keep living their lives, going to work, loving their families and do not even realize that they are the Walking Dead. But the cancer keeps growing until it eventually causes problems. That is when most people realize it. It is often too late.

•          Thankfully, in my case, my mother and a genetic counselor and the U Conn Colon Cancer Prevention Clinic kept pestering me until I got myself checked out. I really did not like all these people putting their nose in my personal business. And I really did not like all the invasive tests that had to be done to confirm that I had cancer.

•          The surgery to remove my cancer was rough and though I am doing well, I am still limited by certain aspects of my recovery. But I am now CANCER FREE!!!! I am no longer the Walking Dead. I am more fully alive than I have ever been.

What Does All of that Have to Do with Easter?

•          All of us have a deadly cancer growing inside of us. Perhaps not a physical cancer like I had, but a spiritual cancer called sin. It starts small and at first it does not seem to have a negative impact on how we live.

•          Family members, Sunday School teachers, pastors, and friends warn us about it and tell us to deal with it before it gets out of hand. But we typically ignore them because it seems like life is going just fine. We may even be offended that these people put their nose into our personal business. After all who are they to judge us or our behavior?

•          Our sin slowly grows until it begins to cause problems in our lives. That is when we realize we are the Walking Dead.

James 1:14-15 - ¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

•          Each of us desires different things in life. Some of them are good, but some of them are bad.

•          What starts as a bed desire grows into sin. Sin, left unchecked, will eventually destroy us.

•          Sin brings death to relationships. Sin brings death to our hopes and dreams. Sin sometimes brings physical death.

•          But there is a solution to this sin sickness.

1 Timothy 1:15 - This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

•          Jesus came to save sinners. He came to make the Walking Dead fully alive and full of joy.

•          Jesus accomplished this through two aspects of the Easter story.

1 Peter 2:22, 24 - He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 

•          The first part of the Easter story is Jesus dying on the cross.

•          Jesus was sinless, therefore He was pure enough to offer Himself as a sacrifice for us.

•          On the cross all our sins were placed on Jesus. His wounds have the power to heal us of the cancer of sin that is inside us.

•          How do we know He is really powerful enough to cover all our sins?

•          The first part of the Easter story is Jesus dying on the cross. The second part of the Easter story is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If Jesus can conquer death then He can conquer anything, even our most despicable sins.

Mark 16:1-7 - When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Verse 1 - When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so they could go and anoint Him.

•          In those days they did not have modern embalming methods. The way they prepared a body for burial was to put spices in the cloth that they wrapped the body with.

•          The Jewish faith required them to rest on the Sabbath, so they were not able to care for Jesus’ body until the next day.

Verse 3 - They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”

Terry coming out of Jesus' tomb outside Jerusalem

•          On the way to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body, the ladies discussed how they would move the stone that was across the entrance to the tomb.

•          This stone would have been large enough to cover the entrance way, which would have been about waist high for an adult. It would have been fitted into a slot in the ground that sloped down, making it hard to move.

•          It would have taken quite a force of strong men to open the tomb. There is no way these three ladies were going to be able to do it themselves.

•          The women realized that the stone was a problem to be solved, but they walked by faith toward the tomb anyway.

•          Every one of us has some “stone” we have to overcome in order to believe.

•          But if we do not start toward Jesus, believing that somehow that stone is movable, then we will never find Him.

•          We must stop looking for excuses for not believing, and start trusting God to help us find a way to overcome our doubts.

Verse 4 - Looking up, they observed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

•          As the ladies neared the tomb, they looked up and saw that stone was already rolled away.

•          If we start toward Jesus, even while we still have questions and doubts, we will find that our stumbling blocks have somehow become stepping stones toward the Savior.

Verse 5 - When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; they were amazed and alarmed.

•          The ladies entered the tomb and saw an angel. The other Gospels tell us there were actually two angels there, but they saw this one first and they were both amazed and alarmed.

•          God often sends us numerous messages to get our attention, but we finally see one and start listening. When we first begin to sense God at work in our lives, we may be both amazed and alarmed. We are amazed because we cannot imagine that we are important enough to God that He actually wanted to do something big for us.

•          We are alarmed because we wonder what God might require of us and what will happen.

Verse 6 - "Don't be alarmed," he told them. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.

Terry and Kay inside the actual empty tomb

•          The angel told the ladies not to be alarmed because Jesus was alive and everything was going to be alright.

•          Jesus displayed the ultimate power in the universe when He conquered death. Jesus is no longer in the tomb.

•          Some people say that is narrow minded and arrogant for Christianity to claim to be the only way to God. But Jesus is the only founder of a world religion whose tomb is empty!

•          Though other great religious teachers may have done good deeds and helped others, only Jesus conquered sin and death. Other founders of world religions did their thing, good as it may have been, and then died. Jesus did His thing, died and came back to life!

•          If Jesus has the power to conquer death, he has the power to conquer anything.

Verse 7 - But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.'

•          The angel told the ladies to go and tell the disciples, and Peter, that Jesus was alive.

•          Likewise, we have an obligation to tell the Walking Dead around us that Jesus is alive and that He can make them alive as well.

•          Why would the angel specifically mention Peter?

•          Peter had failed Jesus by denying he knew Jesus, just when Jesus needed him most. The angel wanted the ladies to specifically tell Peter that Jesus was alive so that Peter would realize there was hope for him to correct what he had done wrong.

•          Sometimes we feel like we have let God down so much that we can never make things right with Him. We think our sin cancer is too great for God to fix. But Jesus wants us to know that His power to conquer death also gives Him the power to conquer our sin, no matter how great it is. None of us are so far gone that the One who conquered death cannot transform us from the Walking Dead into the fully alive! We are only hopeless if we refuse to respond to Jesus’s calling to salvation. We are only hopeless if we are determined to remain part of the Walking Dead.

•          If we have not yet made a commitment to Christ, TODAY would be a great day to place our faith in Him.

Dear Lord,

I know I have sinned many times in my life. I realize that sin will one day destroy me. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again to conquer sin in my life. I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I commit to serve You for the rest of my life to the best of my ability. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Conclusion:

•                  The power of the Easter story is that if we will commit ourselves to Jesus, He will change us from the Walking Dead into the fully alive.

•                  The power of the Easter story compels us to share this important truth with those around us so they too can be transformed from the Walking Dead into the fully alive. This is especially important for those who think they are too far gone for Jesus to change.

Good Friday 2014 Meditation

Good Friday. What a name for a day on which something so terrible happened. To think that an innocent man was brutally murdered in front of an approving crowd is almost unimaginable, except that it actually happened.

Good Friday shows the depths of the depravity of man. It shows how low people will sink to protect their political aspirations, their theological assumptions, their place in the world. It shows how even good people will deny to know the truth or hide in the shadows while great horror happens around them, which begs the question, are they actually good?

Good Friday also shows the glory of the love of God. That He would endure such agony for us is something hard to fathom. None of us deserve it. None of us can truly appreciate it. None of us would even understand it without the gift of grace. Yet, while we were yet sinners, God demonstrated His love for us by allowing Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8).

What makes this day good is not the agony of Jesus, but the love He had for those He was in agony for. Because of what happened on this day, every good and perfect gift can now come to us from the Lord who does not change like the ever shifting court of public opinion (James 1:17). He has declared that He loves us. And that declaration stands. No matter what. Hard to accept, and yet it is true.

Let us remember Good Friday on days in which we feel unloved, or unlovable. Let us remember that He has decided that He loves us and nothing can change that. Nothing. Period. We can resist that love (which does not change the fact that He still loves us), or we can embrace that love (which gives us great peace and comfort). I chose to embrace it, and that makes this day good.

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has been a Christian leader in New England since 1993. He is a happy husband, proud father, thankful cancer survivor, and the author of numerous books aimed at helping small churches become healthier and individual Christians grow in their faith. You can find his books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY/

Good Friday Meditation About Skull Hill

Today is Good Friday. As we contemplate what this day means to us, let us meditate on the sacrifice Christ made for us. Take a few minutes to read Luke 23:26-43. Once you have read the passage, spend some time focsued on the verses below and what they mean to us.

Verse 33 - When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
• This verse troubled archaeologists for centuries because the “traditional” site on which the Roman Catholic Church has built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre does not have a “place of the Skull” as described in the Bible.
• Many people longed to know for sure where the place called The Skull was.
• In 1842 a German Theologian named Otto Thenius first proposed the idea that an outcropping of rock outside the city, which is now known as "Skull Hill," was right beside the actual site of the crucifixion.
• This upset the “traditionalists” a lot.
• But the site was outside the city, looked like a skull and seemed to better fit the biblical description of the place where the crucifixion took place.
• However, few people took Otto Thenius seriously because his ideas went against the “tradition” of the established church.
• Otto Thenius’s idea lay seemingly dormant until the British General Charles Gordon began to publish similar ideas in 1882.
• General Gordon was so well respected in British Society, that people began to take the idea seriously.
• In 1893 the Garden Tomb Association was established in London by some lay people.
• In 1894 they purchased as much of the property around The Skull as possible.
• Kay and I visited the spot in January 2011.
• Here are two pictures of Skull Hill, just outside Jerusalem:

Verse 34 - Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing."
• Even as Jesus was terribly tortured, mocked unmercifully, and hung on a cross, He begged His Father to forgive the sins of those doing it.
• If forgiveness was that important to Jesus, how important should it be to us?
• Perhaps this Resurrection Season might be time to let go of old grudges and experience the peace that forgiveness brings.

Verse 39 - Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren't You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
• Jesus was hung between two common criminals.
• Though the Romans may have meant this as an insult to the “King of the Jews,” somehow, I think Jesus took it as a complement.
• Jesus liked to spend time with “common” people, why not also die with them?

Verse 40 - But the other answered, rebuking him: "Don't you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment?
• Though one criminal mocked Jesus, the other knew who Jesus was.
• Though it was almost too late, this man realized who Jesus was.
• We often stereotype “messed up” people, thinking they could not possibly understand who Jesus was. But they often can.

Verse 41 - We are punished justly, because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
• This criminal realized that he deserved his punishment.
• How often do we justify our sin and claim that we do not deserve its natural consequences?
• We could learn a lesson from this criminal!!!
• He also realized that Jesus was innocent.
• That was a deep theological statement.

Verse 42 - Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
• The criminal cried out to Jesus for help.
• The criminal asked the Lord to remember him when Jesus got to heaven.
• Some might argue that the criminal did say the “right words” or pray the “sinner’s prayer correctly.”

Verse 43 - And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
• But Jesus assured the criminal that he would be with Jesus in heaven that very day.
• The devil would like us to doubt our salvation by telling us we did not do it right.
• All that is required for salvation is to acknowledge our sin, turn from it and cast all our hope on Jesus.
• If we did that in our hearts, we did it right regardless of what words we used.

Conclusion:
• Traditions can be wrong, but the Bible is always right.
• Jesus modeled forgiveness, we must also practice forgiveness.
• Even “messed up” people can come to Jesus.
• Salvation is having a heart that totally trusts in Christ alone instead of trusting in human rituals, traditions or religious activity.
• Do we have salvation? Are we sharing it with others?

Who Will Be the One?

I remember it like it was yesterday. I had preached my heart out at a small church in a small town in Mississippi. In my sermon I had urged each person present to be the one to pray, give and be on mission both in their own community, and in Vermont, where I was serving as a church planting missionary. At the end of the sermon I offered the challenge, "Will YOU be the one to say yes to Jesus about praying, giving and being on mission?" I asked that if they were willing to be the one, for them to come down the aisle and tell me so during the invitation hymn. During the invitation hymn only one person responded. I can still see him in my mind making his way slowly down the aisle. He was an older gentleman with white hair and a cane. When he got to where I was standing, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I'm the one." He then put something in my pocket and slowly made his way back to his seat. Later that day, when I looked at the piece of paper he had put in my pocket, it was a check for $10,000 to the mission organization I was serving with. That check helped that organization keep going for some time.

In the nearly 20 years since, Brother Jim remained faithful in praying. He kept my newsletters and prayed through every prayer request multiple times. He often sent me notes of encouragement or would call on the phone and lift my spirits through encouraging words. He also continued to give generously, often at great sacrifice to his own needs. There were certain years in which he and his wife were the largest benefactors for that year to our small mission organization. Many are now in the Kingdom of God due to Jim's praying, encouraging words and his giving. That was just the kind of man Jim was.

This morning his dear wife Margie called to let me know that Jim would be spending Easter with Jesus this year. He passed away yesterday. But Margie found great comfort in knowing that Jim knew the Lord in a special way and that Jim had made a difference in the lives of others. We prayed and cried together over the phone, thanking God for Jim's life.

Jim answered the call of God to make a difference with his life. We may not all be able to do it in the same way that Jim did, but we can all do something to help others. Let's pray. Let's give. Let's offer an encouraging word. Let's make a difference in the lives of those around us.

For more devotionals like this one, consider Touching the Footprints of Jesus. 

Holy Wednesday Meditation

Today is Holy Wednesday, the day we traditionally remember that Judas conspired with the religious leaders to betray Jesus. Many may wonder why such a day would be considered holy if it commemorates such a terrible event. Though Judas's actions were terrible, God used those actions as an important part of His larger plan for world redemption.

The betrayal was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12-13. You can read more about that here. So the betrayal was not a surprise to God the Father. Nor did it surprise Jesus, since Jesus spoke about it in Matthew 26:24-25, as well as in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. God, who is all knowing, fit the terrible actions of a selfish, greedy, unfaithful friend, into the grand narrative of scripture.

It is important for us to remember that God has a plan in all of this because each of us have had times in our lives when we let God down. We may consider ourself a friend of God and feel really bad for letting Him down. Though we may not have betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver like Judas did, we have all done things in our lives that we know the Lord is not happy with and sometimes we do not know what to do with those feelings. Holy Wednesday reminds us that a holy and just God has a way of using all the failures and mistakes in our lives for His glory. As we acknowledge our sin and turn from them back toward a closer relationship with Christ, we can see our messes transformed into miracles. As we move through this day, let us give our past to Christ and ask Him to turn the mess of our mistakes into something wonderful in His great plan.

The Resurrection Really Happened!

Today is Resurrection Day. Hundreds of millions of Christians around the world are celebrating the resurrection of Christ. Each of the four Gospels give a different perspective on the resurrection. At the church where I am an elder, this morning I shared the Apostle Luke’s perspective from Luke 24:1-12. Here are the points that I used this morning as I explained it to my church.

Verse 1 - On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.

•             The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened on Sunday, which is the first day of the week.
•             In the Old Testament, the Jews worshipped on Saturday, which was the Sabbath.
•             Some people still worship on Saturday, and that is okay. But in the New Testament, many believers began to worship on Sundays in honor of Christ’s resurrection.
•             What matters more than the day, is that we regularly worship the Lord. (see Romans 14:5-6) Far too many people have allowed themselves to get so busy with life that they no longer worship the Lord regularly.
•             Though any amount of worship is better than no worship, to really gain the benefits of worship, we must be involved in it regularly.
•             Some ladies came to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning. The Gospel of Matthew says it was 5 AM. These ladies started their day by coming to Jesus.
•             This is something we should consider as well. Though we can pray and read our Bible any time, when we start our day with a quiet time with God, it makes the whole day go better.
•             The ladies brought spices in order to preserve the body. They did not have modern embalming techniques like we do today. Instead they would preserve a body using natural spices.
•             The fact that the ladies come to the tomb with spices to preserve the body means that they were not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead. They thought they would find His body in the tomb. What a shock they were about to get!

Verse 2 - They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

•             In that time period, they did not dig graves in the ground like we do today. They buried people in caves instead.
•             They would roll a huge stone in front of the mouth of the cave to keep animals away from the body and to keep grave robbers from stealing the personal items families sometimes buried with the body.
•             The stone would have been large enough to cover the entrance, which would have been about waist high for an adult. The stone would have been fitted into a slot in the ground that sloped down. That made the stone easy to move as it rolled down into the slot to block the entrance, but very difficult to get back out.
•             It would have taken quite a force of strong men to open the tomb. There is no way these ladies would have been able to move it themselves.  The Gospel of Mark tells us the ladies actually discussed how they would move the stone as they walked to the tomb. They did not know the answer, but they went to the tomb anyway, trusting that somehow God would work it out.
•             When they got to the tomb, the problem was already solved because the stone had already been rolled away.
•             We all have questions about God and the world around us and wonder why certain things happen. Sometimes those questions are like giant stones that keep us from believing in the Lord as firmly as we should. We must journey toward Jesus anyway, not knowing how our questions will get answered, but trusting that God will work them out.

Verse 3 - They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

•             The ladies were expecting to see the dead body of Jesus. In their minds, it was all over and all that was left to do was put the ritualistic spices on the body. It was not until that moment they realized that the adventure had just begun!
•             How many of us have written off “church” as being boring or just empty ritual?
•             While some churches may indeed seem more like tombs, there are many churches that are vibrant and alive. We need to become involved in a vibrant church in order to have the strong faith that is needed to endure the difficulties of life.
•             Regular worship in a vibrant church and a daily quiet time of Bible reading and prayer will change our lives for the better.

Verse 4 - While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes.

•             While the ladies were trying to figure out what was going on, they suddenly saw two men in dazzling clothes.
•             The other Gospels tell us these men were angels.
•             In the Bible, angels were messengers sent from God to give people special messages from Him. God sometimes still uses angels to do special things in our lives.
•             But most often God uses people to help other people. Sometimes we are so busy looking for a heavenly angel, we miss the earthly person God sends to help us.

Verse 5 - So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" asked the men.

•             The ladies were terrified by what they were experiencing.
•             An encounter with the divine should be encouraging. Sometimes it scares us because we do not know what the result is going to be. Sometimes we are afraid that we might become too spiritual if we let God into every area of our lives.
•             We do not need to fear what God is doing in our lives because God will always do the right thing.

Verse 6 - He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee.

•             The angels told the ladies that Jesus was not in the tomb. Jesus had come back to life.
•             This must have seemed like an incredible impossibility to the ladies.
•             People have always struggled with the concept of a dead person actually rising again from the grave. Can this actually be true?

Ten Proofs of the Resurrection of Christ:

1.              The Bible itself says the resurrection actually happened. For many Christians, this is the only proof they need.
2.              The resurrection is also well documented by numerous historical sources. Josephus, Ignatius, Justin Martyr and Tertullian were all historians who wrote about the resurrection of Christ in the first 100-150 years after it happened.
3. There were numerous eyewitness of the resurrection who both talked and wrote of their experiences. At one point, Jesus appeared to 500 people at once. If the resurrection was fake, someone would have exposed all these people immediately.
4. Though a rumor started that the Roman soldiers had hidden the body of Jesus. If this had happened, they would have been killed for not doing their duty of protecting it.
5. All but one of the apostles died terrible deaths for their faith in the resurrected Jesus. If they had known it was a fraud, they would have never endured such torture.
6. The community at large had turned against Jesus and His followers. Why would thousands of those same people suddenly become Christians unless they had seen Jesus after the resurrection, or personally knew someone who had seen Him?
7. For 2000 years skeptics have set out to disprove the resurrection and after examining all the evidence, a vast number have decided to become Christians.
8. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, where is His body? All that the Roman government or the Jewish priests had to do to stop the spread of Christianity was produce the body. They never did, because there was no body to produce!
9. There have been thousands of documented miracles that have happened since Jesus was resurrected that prove the reality of His power.
10. Many people in this room can give testimony of how Jesus changed their lives. If He were not alive and in possession of real spiritual power, how could He change the lives of people sitting all around us?

Verse 6 - He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee.

•             Though many world religions share various good concepts and seek to make the world a better place, only Christianity has a resurrected Savior.
•             It is the very truth of the resurrection of Christ that separates Christianity from all other world religions!

Buddha was born around 563 BC. He taught that mankind could find enlightenment, be reincarnated and find peace within themselves. He died around 483 BC. His tomb is occupied.

Confucius was born around 551 BC. He taught that rituals provide balance, we must govern ourselves first and we must respect our ancestors. He died around 479 BC. His tomb is occupied.

Muhammad was born around 570 AD. He taught that he was the last messenger of God and that good works lead to paradise. He died in 633 AD. His tomb is occupied.

Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805. He taught that what man is, God once was, and what God is, man may become, and that good Mormon men will populate a planet with own their spiritual offspring. He died on June 27, 1844. His tomb is occupied.

Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809. He taught that mankind was just an animal that resulted from millions of years of cosmic accidents. He died April 19, 1882. His tomb is occupied.

Jesus Christ was born around 4 BC. He taught people to have a personal relationship with God through faith and said we should love our neighbors as well as our enemies. He died around 30 AD. His tomb is unoccupied!!!!!!

•             Kay and I are eyewitnesses of the empty tomb. We have the pictures to prove it!!! 

Verse 6 - He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee.

•             The angels told the ladies to remember what Jesus had said.
•             Jesus had taught for months that He would be killed, buried and rise again.
•             But His followers had not been ready to hear that message until Resurrection Day!
•             Whether we grew up going to church every Sunday or whether this whole Jesus thing is new to us, sometimes we do not get the point until we are ready to hear it.
•             Are we ready to receive this message?
•             Are we ready to be transformed by His Resurrection Power?

Three Lessons from the Resurrection:

•                              We need to worship the Lord regularly.
•                              Life is better when we spend time daily with God in Bible reading and prayer.
•                              We should have faith even when we do not understand.

BUT it all begins with a commitment to the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. Consider praying one of the two prayers below.

Dear Lord, I know I have sinned. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again to conquer my sin. I ask You to forgive me of my sins and I commit to turn away from them and serve You for the rest of my life, to the best of my ability. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Dear Lord, Though I have already asked You to forgive me of my sins and make me a Christian, I have sure not been acting like a Christian lately. Right now I turn back to You and recommit myself to You. With Your help, I will get it right this time. Amen.

If you prayed one of those prayers, leave a comment below so I can rejoice with you.