Archive for the ‘Resurrection’ Category

Day 262: 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 — Keep it Simple

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

I’m a meat and potatoes kinda guy both literally and figuratively. Is that shocking? Probably not. I try to take most of the things in my life and boil it down to its simplest form and then go from there. It just seems that I work best in that type of thinking.

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Paul is going to break our faith down to its simplest form. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 simplifies the basis of our faith. You either believe that Jesus Christ was crucified and then resurrected or you don’t. Simple as that. If you don’t believe that Christ defeated death, your faith is futile. If Christ didn’t defeat death, your Sunday mornings would be better spent playing golf.

Yet, I do believe with all of my heart. I stood in the water with my Dad and he asked me if I believe. I said I did and he dipped me below in the cold water and I was baptized because of that faith. Remember the reason that you stepped into the water that day…it is because you believed.

May God bless you and keep you this week!

Matt

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Day 195: Acts 9:32-10:8 — Resurrection

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Have you met her? That one special woman in your congregation who is always freely giving just because she loves God? She is not looking for anything and a thank you is more than she expects. She just loves people and loves being able to do something for them.

Tabitha was just such a person. Acts 9:36 offers an incredible description of her. “Abounding” is the English word the NASB uses to describe the extent of this woman’s activities. No more room for anything else. It seems to indicate that before she was finished with a task she already had another one waiting in line. How rare to find a servant of God with such energy and dedication.

Then all of a sudden she was gone. A severe, sudden illness had taken her life. The disciples knew Peter was near by and sent for him. Yes, he, by the power of God, raised her from the dead. Her restoration to life had an effect in the community. Many obeyed the gospel because of this event. So her death did more good than her life.

Standing beside the casket of many faithful servants of God, I have wished for their resurrection. The only comfort I take is that I know it will happen. I don’t know the when but I know the fact because of Tabitha, but more especially because of Jesus. He rose never to die again and He will raise us (the faithful) never to die again.

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Day 179: 1 Chronicles 25:1-26:32; John 20:19-21:14 — Some days . . .

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Singers appointed, Israel prepares to praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who freed them from Egypt, made a great covenant with them, and gave them a homeland forever, if they would remain His and His alone. Skilled in music, they prepared their best for the worship of the Highest One. The LORD had led them, fought for them, provided for them. David appoints men who would make it their life’s work to prepare praises, songs to teach and to exhort generations to come: Have faith, give loyalty to the Holy One of Israel.

Then we have the fishermen. The passage pictures them as huddled together, trying to decide what to do next. Jesus comes, unexpectedly, quietly, bringing peace. Thomas missed it, would not believe it. Jesus comes again and his presence overwhelms Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” Fishing, let’s go back to what we know best. We have to make a living. Jesus comes again and they do not recognize him at first. “Do you need fish? Is that what you need? Let me help.” Let’s go back to the beginning, remind you of those early days, new, exciting, full of promise. Here is where that song I learned as a child comes back to me, “Fished all night and caught no fishes . . . Cast your net to the other side.”

Such a contrast! Professional singers of a conquering faith and rich tradition. Lone fishermen, outcasts, fearful. Just they and the resurrected One.

We have those days, so disparate. Days of faith so strong, victories so great, blessings, all which lead us to nearly burst with praise and adoration. Then the other days. Alone, dark, beaten down. Then Jesus comes…some days we do not recognize him in the midst of our troubles. He seems so far away, on a distant shore. “Cast your net, ” Jesus says, “I have something for you to do.” Then we know, it is the Master.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Jn. 20:30-31

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Day 178: John 19:38-20:18 — Woman, Why Are You Crying?

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

This week’s Bible reading is very intense. Turn with me to John 19:38-20:18

As I have often told you, it helps me to close my eyes and put myself in the scene. It’s a pretty good way to immerse yourself in the scripture and get a good feel for the emotion. I invite you to do the same. You are there. Jesus has just been crucified. Everything is in disarray. What’s going to happen? Is Jesus really gone? I’d like to concentrate on John 20:10-18

Mary is outside the tomb crying. Jesus’ tomb is empty! His burial clothes are still in the tomb. Surely someone has taken him and moved him! Mary looks up to see two angels seated where Jesus had been. I think it is interesting what they ask her. “Woman, why are you crying?” Of course they knew why she was crying. Then Jesus appears and asks her again, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?” Mary is so distraught (and rightfully so) that she doesn’t recognize Jesus speaking to her. Instead, she mistakes him for a gardener and asks if he took her Lord. Then he simply says, “Mary.” and she recognizes him. Mary wasn’t expecting Jesus to be alive.

My question to you this morning is this – Have you ever been so upset, so distraught that you failed to recognize Jesus speaking to you? It happens. It happened to Mary. So many times in my life I have been so upset by something that in the hour of great peril or grief, Jesus is there for me and I don’t see Him. Why? Because I rely on myself too much. Because I don’t always seek Him first. Because sometimes I wasn’t expecting Him to be there.

I pray that we all listen and watch for our Lord at all times. He is risen! He left the burial clothes behind! He speaks to you today! Will you see Him?

May God bless you and keep you this week.

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Day 139: Luke 24:1-12 — “If a man dies, will he live again?”

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Luke answers the age old philosophical question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14).  He answers the questions in five words in Greek, translated in the English Standard Version, “He is not here, but has risen (Luke 24:6).” Jesus was dead or at least that was what the religious establishment thought.  So, they pushed Jesus aside and went on with religion as usual.  They held their services and made their sacrifices.  They continued to meet and debated over the law.  They would drop a few alms for the poor and feel good about themselves.  No more having to listen to a proclaimed Messiah that looked forward to the coming of a kingdom whose rules for admission and the boundaries of whose fellowship they did not control. No longer would they have to debate over this man who ate with tax collectors and rebuked those who gave fine dinners for their respectable friends.  However, Jesus’ was no longer dead and their lives were about to be turned upside down with the coming kingdom of the church.

Luke tells us that the women were dutifully serving Jesus in the best way they knew how. They had prepared spices to anoint his body and had gone to the tomb early to finish the burial, only to be met with the challenge, “Why do you look for the living among the dead (Luke 24:5)?”  In what ways do we continue to look for the living Lord among the dead? Do struggles and questions lead us to the place that we just shun Jesus like the religious leaders or do we continue to serve Jesus in the best way we know how?  Jesus was not in the tomb but He was found among the grieving, among his disciples, and later in various places, and ultimately at the “right hand of God.”

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” In the midst of tending to the necessary chores, especially the things that need to be done in the hard times, the women were met by the unexpected experience of God’s grace. Sometimes faith means going on and tending to the necessary chores that need to be done in our lives. Be faithful in the tasks that are ours and do the necessary tasks, for in them we, too, may be bearers of the good news of the day: “He is not here, but has risen!”

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Day 52: Matthew 27:57-28:10 — For What It’s Worth…

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Imagine that on this Sunday morning you did everything the same that you did the Sunday before. However, when you pulled up to your church building, you noticed that not one single car was in the parking lot. You walked in the front door of the church and there was no one to greet you, no coffee brewing, no singing. Nothing. Silence. You go and pick up the Bible and flip through the pages and notice something — the Bible in the pew stops at the end of chapter 27. Then….nothing.

Read Matthew 28:1-10 again. We as Christians are very familiar with this story and with that familiarity we sometimes fail to recognize the significance. Without this passage, nothing else would matter. If Jesus doesn’t rise from the grave, if he doesn’t conquer death, what was it all for? What would that mean for us? I think it’d mean that not too many people would be at church this morning. I think it would mean that when we die – that would be the end. Heaven? How would we get there?

Read the passage again. Praise God for Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Praise God for Matthew chapter 28.

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