TerryLema

We are preparing for another trip to California. Two long trips in less than a month! With Easter Season in between. This time it will be attending Grandparents’ Day and some baseball games. We are looking forward to seeing our California family again. They bring us such joy.

Of course, to get there we must travel about 645 miles.  That’s the not-as-joyful part of the trip. But if we want to hug our kids and grandsons, we’ll even embrace the travel and make the most of that. The rewards come at the end of the journey, not always in the middle.

Paul, in his last letter, anticipated the time had come for his departure. He must have known that he would not be released from prison this time, that instead, he would be martyred for his faith in Christ Jesus. As he faced the end of his journey, he reminded himself, Timothy, and us, that the rewards come at the end. He defined that reward as a crown.

The NT of our Bible speaks of several different crowns for the faithful.  As Paul faced the end of his life, a life lived well for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he thought about one of those crowns, the Crown of Righteousness.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” [2 Tim 4:7-8 NIV]

Imagine that! We will receive a crown at the end of our journey, one given to those who anxiously wait and long for the return of the LORD Jesus Christ.  “Amen, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

John 20:19-22 recounts the evening of Resurrection Sunday when Jesus appeared to His disciples in their locked room. They were all huddled together sharing a common grief and a common guilt. Their Master was dead, and they had failed Him.

When He appeared however, He brought them PEACE that overcame their grief, and by His PRESENCE, He brought them forgiveness that overcame their guilt.  But He brought something else to them. “’As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.’” [vs 21-23]

Jesus brought them PURPOSE and the POWER to fulfill that PURPOSE.  His purpose was simple, “Go.” Go into all the world and make more disciples. Take this encounter you have had with Jesus and tell everyone about it.  Remind them of His PEACE and His PRESENCE, His forgiveness, His salvation.

And you won’t have to do it in your own strength. He also gives the POWER needed to be His witnesses. [Acts 1:8]

The glory of that first Resurrection Sunday was not contained in that one Sunday. For those disciples, the realities of that Sunday became their very life’s conviction and mission. They left their room and went into all the known world, preaching “Jesus Christ, Him crucified, and raised from the dead.”   [1 Cor 2:2, 2 Tim 2:8]

Isn’t it time we left our locked rooms to share our own encounters with Christ Jesus?

John 20:19-22 tells us of that Sunday evening when Jesus first appeared to His disciples. They were behind locked doors out of fear that those who had come for Jesus would now come for them.  They were without hope (even though that morning the women had told them the tomb was empty). They were mourning, grieving the loss of not just their master, their teacher, their friend, but also their own dreams and futures.

Then Jesus appeared among them. When He appeared He brought them PEACE and His PRESENCE. “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” [vv 19-20]

They had all failed their LORD, deserted Him in His darkest hour. They were guilty and they knew it. Even if He were alive as the women had attested, how could He forgive them? They had fallen asleep when He asked them to stay awake. They ran away and left Him alone.

Now He sought them out. And He came with PEACE – not a greeting but true peace, unlike that of the world. His PRESENCE was with them and by His very PRESENCE He confirmed His forgiveness of them.

What do we need more than anything? We need His PEACE, and we need His PRESENCE with us.

I suppose the last words spoken by someone anticipating death are important. There are many works written about the last words of famous people. Some words are profound and some are awful and depressing. Paul in what is considered his last letter wrote these words to Timothy. “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead.” [2 Tim 2:8 NIV]

Remember! That was the theme of my devotions and messages this past holy season. Remember Gethsemane, and the sorrow our LORD endured as He contemplated the cup He must drink, a sorrow so strong He felt He might die.

Remember the six trials and the mockery, the spittle, the beatings, the crown of thorns and the rejection by His own people.

Remember Silent Saturday … imagine what was going on in the heavenlies. Were heavenly choirs singing “Sunday’s Coming!”?

Remember Resurrection Sunday. The grave could not hold Him. John 20 tells us that Jesus suddenly, miraculously, appeared among His frightened disciples and brought them the very things they needed most. And what He brought to them are also the very things we need most! PEACE. PRESENCE. PURPOSE. POWER.

The celebrations of these holy events are disappearing in some circles in American Christianity. We can’t let that happen. We must remember …. “Remember Jesus Christ, Him crucified, and raised from the dead!” [1 Cor 2:2, 2 Tim 2:8]

That is our only hope.

The sky was crowded as I walked my two-mile circuit the other day. Up very high a jet was streaking across leaving vapor trails in its wake.  A little lower two small prop planes were taking off from the local Caldwell airport. In the distance was a training helicopter that is housed at that airport. But right above my head was the most beautiful sight of all. I watched “a hawk making lazy circles in the sky!”

Of course, that line comes from the title song of the musical, “Oklahoma,” by Rogers and Hammerstein.  Since we had just returned from watching our grandson play Will Parker in that musical, the lyrics readily came to mind.

I stood for a few minutes just watching that hawk. We live in an area that is surrounded by agricultural fields, so hawks are prevalent. We’ve even had them sit on our back fence. They aren’t a very pretty bird just sitting on the fence, but when they take to the sky, spread those wings and start to circle, they are magnificent.

The hawk I watched had a gorgeous underbelly, almost all white. He spread his wings and caught the air currents, and then silently began to circle the recently plowed field. It was a magnificent moment. As I watched, I thought about soaring on wings like eagles (maybe hawks?). The jet, the planes and the helicopter, created by men, were great, but that hawk was God’s creation and it was beautiful. It put the jet and the planes and the helicopter to shame.

We too are God’s creation. Sometimes we may not feel very beautiful, like a hawk sitting on the fence. But when we spread our wings in Christ and soar with the Gospel, we are truly beautiful.  “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”  [Isa 52:7]

The weather has been beautiful. It’s springtime warm, blue skies with white clouds floating across them. I have been doing my worship walk outside. Work crews have even paved all but about 100 steps of the 2-mile circuit I try to do each day, making it so much easier to walk.  I have my old MP3 player with me. I listen to my worship songs. I walk. I praise. I even sing aloud!

As I walked the other day, I thought about my old MP3 player. It’s not only old in years, it’s starting to really show its age. The clasp is broken, so I must carry it in my hand or stuff it in a pocket. It will no long advance automatically from one song to the next, I need to press the forward button to do so. But it still carries deep inside the praise and worship sung to the King of Kings.

As I walked the other day, I thought about how I am a lot like my old MP3 player. I used to be able to do three miles in an hour, now I do two. Sometimes my back starts to hurt half-way through those two miles. It’s isn’t as easy as it once was. I’m beginning (well probably I’ve already begun) to show my age…and feel it!

Yet, I still carry deep inside me the praise and worship of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ my Lord.

As I walk, I remember the words of God spoken through the prophet Isaiah. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”   [46:44]

Yep, I do resemble my old MP3 player, but the God of the Heavens, Christ Jesus my LORD and Savior, has 4promised “to sustain” me, and when it becomes necessary one day, “to rescue me from death and carry me into His presence.”  Amen.

Phil 1:29: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.”

 We should probably read that again.  And as you do, take note of two words, “granted” and “suffer.” It has been “granted” to us the favor of believing on Christ Jesus … and the favor of suffering for Him.

The word “granted” is charizomai. It means to grant as a favor or kindness.  I relish the favor of believing … I’m not sure I relish the favor of suffering!

Yet, who am I to think that I will escape suffering for Christ Jesus when followers have been suffering for Him down through the centuries and are now suffering for Him in many places around the world. (Just this past Resurrection Sunday saw the bombing of churches in Sri Lanka and the martyrdom of many people.) So far, in our country, we have had to mainly endure a bit of scorn as the norm and martyrdom or church destruction for now is the exception rather than the rule.

That may change one day and become the norm rather than the exception.  Am I ready if it does? Will I view it as Paul did, as a favor or kindness that has been granted me on behalf of Christ. I pray for courage if that time should come in my lifetime, and I pray for courage if it should come in the lifetime of my children and grandchildren.

I’m not sure why I thought of this today. Perhaps it was the news I read. Maybe that new book I’m reading about whether there is a pre-trib rapture. Maybe it was the remembrance of Good Friday and the study of the sufferings of Christ I did last week.  Maybe it was just the musings of an old woman.

“For it has been granted unto you ….”

1 Tim 2:5-6:  “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.” [NKJV]

That’s a hard pill to swallow for some. One God. One Mediator (way to God). And His name is Jesus, the Christ. He gave Himself as a ransom for all.  We were in slavery to sin. He set us free.

But it seems not all want to be free … at least not enough to place their faith in the Man Christ Jesus. We do want freedom … but we want it our way. Set us free, give us all the blessings and promises, but give it to us without our having to place our faith in that one Mediator between God and men.

If we could get the blessings, without having to get Jesus, we’d be so happy.  At least that is what we think.

When we come to Christ Jesus in faith, we not only get the blessings of God, we get the God of all blessing. And that is so much more, so very much more, than we can even imagine or think.  That God–the Creator, Sustainer, wants us, WANTS US, boggles the mind. Why would He want us?

We have nothing to offer, even the very breath we think is ours comes from Him. We have no talent He did not first bless us with. We have no riches that have not come from His resources. We are rebellious, stubborn, self-centered and often ill-mannered. And still He wants us.

Maybe it’s not that hard of a pill to swallow after all!

Jesus is Risen!

Three of the most powerful words ever uttered across this universe. Death is done. Sin has been atoned for and captives have been set free.

Jesus is Risen!

The way to the Father has been opened, the blockage of man’s rebellion removed by the death of God’s Sinless Passover Lamb.

Jesus is Risen!

The peace promised at His birth has now been granted to all those who place their faith in Him. The war with the Creator caused by mankind’s rebellion is over.  Peace, PEACE(!) reigns in hearts now and will one day reign forever in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Jesus is Risen!

The tomb could not hold Him. The serpent could not destroy Him. The keys of death and Hades could not be kept from Him! Soon He will judge the living and the dead, but for those who are His followers by faith, there is, therefore, now no condemnation.

Jesus is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

“Silent Saturday.” That’s what I call this day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Jesus’ body is in the tomb. The disciples are hiding fearfully behind locked doors.  I’m sure they are wondering about how quickly life can change. Everything is quiet and still, including the dreams and hopes of those who followed Jesus for the past three years.

Have you ever wondered though what Jesus was doing on “Silent Saturday?” I have.

In Revelation 1:18, Jesus tells us: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” [NKJV]

When did He take back those keys?  Maybe on “Silent Saturday?”

1 John 3:8-9: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” [NIV]

Was He proving to the devil that destruction of his work was happening right under his nasty nose during “Silent Saturday?”

It was a “Silent Saturday” on earth. But I keep wondering if it was a “Silent Saturday” in the heavenlies.

I keep imaging the raucous rejoicing of the angels and those held captive by death as they watched Jesus, God’s Son, inform the devil that it may be “Silent Saturday” but “Sunday’s Coming” and his time is truly short!