The Resurrection and The Life

If you’re anything like me, there are times when you read the Bible and by the time you’re done reading it, you can’t even remember a significant portion of what you’ve read. Sometimes I get caught up more in trying to check the box of reading the Word rather than trying to spend time and let the Word marinate in my heart.

One practice that I’ve found recently that helps me is to slow it down and begin to ask questions about what I’m reading. What is happening in this particular book of the Bible? Who is involved? What time period are we dealing with? What has happened just before this passage?

The book of John may be my favorite book of the Bible (if that’s allowed, haha). It covers the ministry of Jesus from a different perspective than the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke).

John 11 is such an interesting passage to me. It covers the death and resurrection of Lazarus.

So to set this up, let’s quickly go through what has happened to this point with Jesus in the book of John.

John highlights Seven Signs of Jesus in his gospel, which will conclude with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. What were those signs?

Changing water to wine (John 2: 1-11)
Healing the official’s son (John 4: 46-54)
Healing the invalid at Bethesda (John 5: 1-15)
Feeding the five thousand (John 6: 1-15, 25-69)
Walking on water (John 6: 16-21)
Healing the man born blind (John 9: 1-41)
Raising Lazarus (John 11: 1-44)

Obviously, as John points out at the end of his book, there were way more signs and miracles that Jesus performed in addition to the seven that are highlighted here. So why highlight these seven?

In short, John’s goal is to show his audience that Jesus is the Savior of the world they had been waiting for. John highlights that in John 20:30-31 when he says “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

So let’s pick up in John 11, which begins with Jesus receiving word from Mary and Martha that Lazarus was sick. Jesus hears this and says “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now, Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus very much.

Jesus and his disciples then stay two more days where they were before heading out to see Lazarus. Jesus had just been threatened to be stoned in Judea and now was planning on going back there to see Lazarus. Picking up in John 11: 11-27:

He said this and then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on my way to wake him up.” Then the disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.” Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep. So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem (less than two miles away). Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

“Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”

So, what stands out here to you? To me, it’s a few things:

First, who says the Bible can’t have a little humor? The disciples not understanding that Jesus was saying Lazarus was dead and Jesus having to point it out bluntly was pretty funny to me.
Why did Jesus wait two days before going to see Lazarus? Why did he wait until he had already been dead four days to go? Why did he go at all? We already know that Jesus didn’t have to be physically present somewhere in order to perform miracles. Well, he tells us why earlier in the passage when he says “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” He already knows he’s going to heal Lazarus. But he wants to make sure the disciples are there so that they will believe. He says “I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”
Why did Martha come immediately to Jesus but Mary remained seated in the house? I don’t know if I know the answer to this, but my guess is one of the reasons is that she was overcome with grief and remained in the house. Think about what Jesus is walking into. Mary and Martha know his power. But they think they’ve just lost their brother. It had to have been a very somber occasion.
Martha displays her faith in Jesus even when her circumstances (she thought) weren’t going the way she had hoped.

Let’s pick back up from John 11: 28-44:

Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there. As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!”

When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?”

Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

This is an incredible thing that Jesus had done, raising a man from death to life. There’s so much here that stands out but I’ll pick out one:

Why did Jesus weep? Have you ever thought about this? He obviously loved Lazarus and his family. But as we talked about earlier, Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead for his glory. Was he really sad over Lazarus’ physical death? In a way, I think yes. I think Jesus has great compassion for Mary, Martha and the others there who were in pain. He felt their pain, just as he feels and knows our pain. I also think he was moved and angry that death was in the world because of sin. And this miracle that Jesus was about to perform would help set off a chain of events that made the religious leaders determined to kill him. This was just days away from Jesus on the cross.

Many believed in Jesus because of the miracle he did for Lazarus but it came at a cost. Jesus had a target on his back as he entered Jerusalem in the week leading up to his death and resurrection.

But this miracle really drove home that he is, as he put it, “The resurrection and the life.” He has full power and authority over death. And he was exercise that power and authority days later when he was resurrected himself.

There’s so much here just in one chapter in the book of John. Pray that the Holy Spirit teaches you how to read the Word and absorb what the Lord has for you in it. Ask questions. Think about the context. And if you do those things, I think you’ll experience the Bible in a way you never have before.

May I have your attention, please?

God is trying to get the attention of our nation. The question we all must answer on an individual basis is: Has he gotten your attention yet through this pandemic?

As I sit here and gather my thoughts on what we’ve witnessed in the United States since the outbreak of COVID-19, my brain drifts back to the sovereignty of God. It drifts to the illusion that all of us fall victim to in our own lives….the illusion of having control.

Think about what’s been happening. Many of the things that have consumed our daily lives in America for years have been uprooted during the past few months.

That job that occupies so much time, energy and devotion in our lives? Many have lost that job. Trust me, I know.

Those sporting events, teams and athletes that we idolize? Totally put on hold.

Even something as seemingly simple as gathering together to worship the Lord in a singular location with other believers, something that we in the United States take for granted in a big way, was stripped away for many of us.

Some of us haven’t even been able to spend time with loved ones in months because we don’t want to potentially endanger those who may be vulnerable.

All of these things that were once a routine part of our lives that we didn’t even think about have been drastically changed almost instantaneously. Aren’t you grateful that we serve a God who never changes? Could it be that God is trying to teach us something through this pandemic?

This isn’t the first time a pandemic has swept the globe and it probably won’t be the last time. The loss of life that has been inflicted by COVID-19 has been tragic. But even if you haven’t known anyone who has contracted the disease or you haven’t experienced it yourself, this should be a time for deep introspection into your own life.

Have your priorities shifted at all through this? What has the Lord shown you during this time? I think about those two questions in my own life, and I come back to the word “control.”

As Christians, we always say that we believe God is in control. If you’re like me, you believe those words but are still guilty on almost a daily basis of trying to control as much as you can in your own life. I want the best for myself in my career. I want the best marriage that I can possibly have. I want to be able to make decisions that control which direction my life is headed.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’m learning — and I mean truly learning — is that when it really boils down to it, I don’t have control of much of anything. I’ve often been guilty of moving too fast in life, not taking the time to slow down and appreciate the many blessings that the Lord has given me in my life.

I hope that as we continue to move forward through this pandemic that I’ll grow in my appreciation of what the Lord has given me in my life and also realize that his grace is what sustains me. And he is the one who is truly in the driver’s seat in my life. All that we need to do is follow his lead.

What is the Lord showing you during this pandemic? If you don’t have an answer for that, maybe it’s time to slow down and shift your perspective. Ask God to make clear to you the message that he has for you.

Don’t let it be said of us that we got to the other side of this pandemic and remained unchanged.

Hamhuis not defined by his career but by his identity in Christ

For Nashville Predators defenseman and 16-year NHL veteran Dan Hamhuis, discovering what it meant to have a true relationship with Jesus Christ has laid the foundation for every aspect of his life.

Hamhuis grew up in a Christian home and regularly attended church throughout his childhood. Even when he left home to continue his hockey career at the junior level in Prince George, church was still a normal part of his life.

After being drafted by the Predators and beginning his first year of professional hockey with the Milwaukee Admirals in the 2002-03 season, Hamhuis found himself at a point of deep spiritual introspection. He had more freedom than he’d ever had before, being on his own in a new city that was far away from where he grew up. That presented challenges that allowed him to grow in his faith.

“The biggest transition for me was when I went to play pro hockey my first year in Milwaukee,” Hamhuis said. “That’s when it really struck me. Now I was living on my own far away. No one was going to know if I went to church or not. Up to that point, I would say I was religious in the fact that I thought going to church was what was important. I think it was in that year in Milwaukee I started to question like ‘Hey, no one will know if I don’t go.’ And I started to asking myself questions, important questions like ‘Why do I go? Why is this important to me? Is it important to me?’ And it was a perfect combination of a lot of self reflection and asking big questions. What’s my life purpose? Why would I want to believe in these things?

“Having our chaplain, his name was Iggy Cofaro, in Milwaukee kind of led me through those questions. He was patient but also direct with me in that, knowing how I grew up and that I needed to decide and understand this for myself. It was a year that really was transitional in my faith where I took it upon myself. That’s where my faith became my own, not something that I did because we just go to church every Sunday and that’s what my parents brought me to. I think it was in that year that I developed that personal relationship with God and understood more of what that looks like. I’m still trying to understand that more today, but that was really making it less religious and more of a relationship where things really changed for me.”

When you peel back the layers of what it means to be a professional hockey player, particularly at the highest level, it’s easy to see the outer layers of the fame and money that comes with the territory. However, there is more to it than that.

There’s lots of pressure in a win-at-all-costs type of business where the stakes and money are so high. And the swing in emotions throughout an NHL season can range from utter euphoria to complete devastation and everywhere in between.

Hamhuis believes his faith has helped him stay grounded through it all and has constantly reminded him of his identity in Christ.

“It’s been huge for me, and I think it’s helped me to actually play better too,” Hamhuis said. “Knowing that hockey is what I do and doesn’t define who I am. My Christian faith, my relationship with God, who I am in that defines who I am. That just takes a lot of the pressure off. Living and dying, the ups and downs of the hockey world, especially at the NHL level, the ups and downs are very high and very low. To be able to understand that I’m not defined by those things, I’m defined by a bigger thing out there, I think it allowed me to not get too high in the success and not get too low when things weren’t going well. It allowed me to play better. It took a burden off my shoulders. And it’s easy to say that. I still get caught up in focusing too much on results and what people are thinking, opinions of others. And when I do that, I just feel a burden growing on my shoulders. To play when I could find that balance of knowing that that’s not all it was about, I played free. I played light. I played my best hockey.”

We all struggle with different things in our lives, sometimes without even fully recognizing the depth of our struggles. One of the most challenging parts of staying spiritually engaged while being an NHL player is simply time…..or more specifically, the lack of it.

“There’s so many distractions, and not just the ones that you typically think of like road trips and bars, girls and that stuff,” Hamhuis said. “I feel like the distractions are more subtle and trickier to stay in the right mindset spiritually. Being busy. Being busy staring at your phone all day, not allowing time for that stillness is such an easy trap to fall into. I like to be productive. I find myself that that’s sometimes where I get wrapped up. It’s not a terrible thing, but it takes my mind. I find I lose my time for stillness and that reflection period for perspective.

“We’re fortunate to have really good chapel programs throughout the NHL. Hockey Ministries does a fantastic job, Professional Athletes Outreach, Athletes in Action…..there’s so many great resources for athletes that allow us to find a spiritual connection out there because they adapt to our schedule. Sundays don’t mean a lot in the NHL. We play games at any time of the day and any day of the week and any holiday so we have to find other times. Nashville has such a fantastic chapel program here with Pike Williams leading it since its inception in 1998. It’s great as an individual to connect and learn and be reminded of what the Bible teaches and what God is teaching us, but also it’s really encouraging to do that with other guys and understand that other guys are also Christians and have struggles and share in high moments, too. And then understand that there’s other guys on other teams that are also Christians. I find that that whole program is really encouraging.”

Our world today is a challenging one for many of us, particularly with the Covid-19 pandemic that has basically shut down the world as we’ve known it. However, Hamhuis is reminded that as followers of Jesus Christ, we can rest in the knowledge that God has a plan for it all and, most importantly, is still in control of it all. Just as he always has been.

“There is a lot of tough situations out there,” Hamhuis said. “We’re not doing what we’re usually doing and our routines, and I’ve really enjoyed the time to have time to be still and reflect. I think being a Christian throughout this has given me a sense of peace, a sense of comfort. When things aren’t going well, those type of words are kind of what you’re wanting and looking for. The Christian story and the relationship with Jesus, that’s what it is. I think it’s given me the ability to have a bigger-picture perspective of where we are going, not just the steps ahead of us. I like the idea of these times in this [pandemic] of maybe God is preparing and challenging and getting us ready for something that could be ahead.

“Just to have that confidence that He’s in control and He has a plan and whether it’s going to be through some difficulties, as Christians God has promises in the Bible that He’s always working on our behalf for good. Our definition of good is sometimes interesting. It’s not always material things. Sometimes it’s maybe restoring a relationship or building patience in us or building some sort of quality or fruit of a spirit that wouldn’t happen otherwise in our busyness. It’s certainly not always material blessings. Sometimes it’s the blessing of peace or a relationship or something that maybe is a little more unexpected or growth, mental toughness, resiliency. I think to have that perspective as a Christian, you start to look for those growth opportunities in the struggles because you have that trust that God has a bigger, better picture for us.”

Hamhuis trusts in that bigger and better picture. While realizing that being a Christian doesn’t make you immune to bad things happening in life, there’s a comfort level and a reassurance that this life is not the end of the story. There’s hope for tomorrow because we know who is in control of tomorrow.

So when things get tough, trust the Lord. When things are going well, trust the Lord. In all things, trust the Lord. And you’ll be amazed at where he will take you.

Any questions?

I feel like the passage in Luke 2 where we read of Jesus in the temple at the age of 12 often gets overlooked.

After all, Jesus hasn’t walked on water up until this point. There’s been no restoration of sight to the blind. He hasn’t even turned the water into wine at this point. However, I believe this passage sets the scene for how Jesus would come to teach others throughout his ministry.

Mary and Joseph were devout in their Jewish customs. During that time, Jews were required to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem at least three times a year for Passover, Pentecost and the Tabernacles.

In Luke 2:41-52, Jesus is traveling with his parents to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. After those days were over, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They were traveling back, presumably to their home in Nazareth, after the festival was over and did not discover that Jesus wasn’t with them until they had traveled a day’s journey.

Now, if you’re like me you’ve always questioned how in the world could it be possible to not notice your child isn’t traveling with you until you’ve traveled an entire day into the journey? Surely they would’ve noticed that sooner, right?

Well, you have to remember that back in those days you didn’t travel alone. Especially when the Passover Festival was taking place, it wasn’t uncommon for entire towns to travel together on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. So you’re talking about hundreds of people traveling together at that point.

Another important insight I’ve recently learned is that you were considered a man in the Jewish culture at a much earlier age. Jesus would have been right around the age where he wouldn’t have had to travel exclusively with the women and could’ve traveled with and been recognized as a man. That sounds crazy to think about for someone who was 12 years old at the time, but that’s just the way of the culture.

In Luke 2:46-50, the action picks up after Mary and Joseph have returned to Jerusalem and are searching for Jesus.

After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them.

Isn’t it interesting that the first recorded words of Jesus in the New Testament were of him asking a question in response to a question? How many times do we see that sort of an answer from Jesus as we read through the New Testament? A lot.

Growing up, I always thought that was strange. Our western, American minds are trained to search for a bullet-point styled answer. We want to know exactly what the answer to each question we have for God is and how we can immediately apply it to our lives. That’s not how the culture operated back in the days of Jesus.

When Jesus responds to questions with questions, he’s not being difficult. He’s teaching. He’s often getting to a much deeper point than the person asking the questions even realizes is there.

I challenge you to read through the New Testament and identify when Jesus responds with questions. What messages is he trying to get across? How much do his questions challenge you personally to consider what God is saying in your life?

In Luke 2, Jesus lays the foundation for how he’s going to teach throughout his ministry. It’s still incredibly effective more than 2,000 years later.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m always fascinated when I come across things in the Bible that are connected. I’ve come to find out, with the more that I read, learn and study, that pretty much the entire Bible is connected.

We’re going through a “Bible study” at Long Hollow Baptist Church with pastor Robby Gallaty that is essentially focusing in on how to read and interpret the Bible from an Eastern perspective. As Western, American citizens, we learn, read and interpret things much differently than people did in Jesus’ time.

There are all sorts of connections made, particularly by Jesus, to the Old Testament in much of his words in the gospels. We often fail to realize this because we don’t know the Old Testament like we should, and we also don’t really understand the culture or customs of the Jewish world that Jesus lived in. Those connections are called a “remez” and there are many of them that can be found in the Bible.

Matthew 27 is a very familiar passage for many of us. Jesus has been beaten, has made the journey to Calvary and is on the cross. Matthew 27:45 reads:

“From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

If you’re like me, for years you’ve just thought that Jesus was crying out to the Father on the cross because he who knew no sin had become sin for all of us. While that is certainly true and accurate, there was a deeper meaning to that phrase that his followers and other Jewish people around the cross at that time should have picked up on.

To understand that connection, you must first understand how the Jewish culture learned Scripture. Remember, there were no numbered verses of the Bible or even books back in those days. They learned Scripture in school and were so well-versed in it that they knew much of it from memory.

They would memorize Scripture by the teacher reciting a line of Scripture and then they would recite the remainder of that set of Scripture from memory based off of that. When Jesus said on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”, He was also making a connection back to Scripture.

If you go to Psalm 22, you’ll find that the first line of the chapter written by David reads: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”

Pretty interesting, huh?

Remember, Jewish leaders would teach by reciting a line from Scripture and the students would recite the rest from memory based off of that first line. If you read the rest of Psalm 22, I think you’ll be blown away.

It essentially describes the Messiah and what he’s to deal with in suffering on the cross. In Psalm 22:6-8, it reads:

“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: ‘He relies on the Lord; let Him rescue him; let the Lord deliver him, since He takes pleasure in him.”

Isn’t it interesting how that’s describing being “scorned by men and despised by people.” It describes the Messiah being mocked, just as Jesus was on the cross when he was told: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

In Matthew 27:42, the chief priests are mocking Jesus by saying “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.”

There are descriptions and connections to Jesus’ crucifixion all throughout Psalm 22, including in verses 14-16 that read:

“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet.”

I would encourage all of you to read the entirety of Psalm 22 yourselves and make the connections with what is happening to Jesus in Matthew 27. It’s truly one of those things that will absolutely blow your mind. The Bible is the living Word of God. Jesus knew it so well because he was the Word.

There are so many of these connections throughout the New Testament. I look forward to sharing more with you!

What’s holding you back?

What’s stopping you from sharing the good news of the gospel?

Is it fear? Feeling like you’re not knowledgeable enough to share it with any confidence? Do you just not know how to begin that conversation with someone?

All of us Christians have probably been there at some point in our walk with the Lord when we feel like we don’t know what to say or do when presented with the opportunity to share the story of Jesus.

However, I believe the formula for overcoming that and sharing the good news is available to us. We have to get into the word of God, trust in Him, communicate with Him and listen to how He responds.

When we read the Bible and dive into the word of the Lord with an intentional, genuine desire to draw closer to Him, we will not be disappointed. And because of that, we will become more knowledgeable and more confident in sharing our faith with others.

The Holy Spirit has a way at tugging at our heartstrings and giving us the right words to say when we trust in the Lord.

Jesus gave us a command prior to his ascension into heaven that is referred to as The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20, where that takes place, reads:

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus wants us to not only share our faith and lead others to Him, but He also wants us to make disciples. There’s a difference between being a believer and being a disciple. Coming to a saving faith in Jesus isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting line.

What steps are you taking to ensure that you are going and making disciples of all nations? When was the last time you shared your testimony of what Jesus has done in your life?

Take this as a challenge this week to dig into the word of God and draw nearer to him. And to any obstacle that’s preventing you from sharing your faith in Jesus, pray that He would remove that obstacle from your life and allow you to speak about him boldly and bravely.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins. He lived a perfect life that we couldn’t live and died a death we should have died. And on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered hell and the grave. If you’ll invite Jesus into your heart, confess that you’re a sinner and believe that Jesus is Lord and died for your sins and rose from the dead, you will be saved and will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

If you’ve never prayed that prayer or made that decision in your life, I pray that you’d be bold enough to do that today. Feel free to reach out to me to chat at robstanley10@gmail.com.

For those of you who are believers, allow God to remove those barriers from your life this week and learn to trust in Him and be confident to share your faith.

Just checking in

When is the last time you reached out to an old friend or acquaintance you haven’t talked to in a while and checked to see how they were doing?

It can be something that is hugely beneficial to not only the person you’re checking in on, but also to you!

I had a friend check in on me yesterday and it was just so good to hear from him and catch up on life. I believe God wants us to have relationships with people where we can help them in their walk through the daily grind of life.

Sometimes people just need to be encouraged. And sometimes by encouraging others, we find encouragement and strength out of that ourselves.

Hebrews 10:24-24 says:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Reach out and reconnect with people today!

Who is Jesus?

Have you ever heard people talking about Jesus and wondered to yourself “Who is he? What’s the big deal?”

That’s ok. You’re not alone in that by any stretch of the imagination. When you hear people talking about the “gospel”, here’s the basic gist of what that means:

In the beginning, God created everything in the universe, including the earth and all that inhabits the earth. Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God and ultimately disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is significant because it introduced sin into the world.

Because of that, everyone after that had to deal with sin. In order to live a perfect life and avoid the punishment of sin, which is death and exile from God, one would have to live a flawless life in accordance with God’s Law. However, no human ever could or will be able to do that.

That’s a pretty big problem, huh?

That’s where Jesus enters into the equation. He came to earth and was born in Bethlehem to a virgin named Mary. The Holy Spirit moved in her and Jesus was born. That’s what is celebrated at Christmas time.

Jesus came and lived a perfect life. He performed many miracles, including raising people from the dead, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and walking on water. He was the epitome of righteousness. He is the Son of God and he ultimately was betrayed by one of his disciples named Judas Iscariot to the Sanhedrin and was given to the Romans to be crucified on a cross.

He had done nothing wrong but willingly sacrificed himself after living a perfect life. Because of that, he took the place on the cross for you and I and died for our sins. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. He lived a life you and I could never live and because of his sacrifice, he provided a way for us to have a real relationship with God through him.

And because he is Lord, he rose from the dead three days later and came back to life. Shortly after that, Jesus ascended into heaven and he will come back to earth one day!

If you put your faith in Jesus and admit to and repent from your sins and confess them and your need for Christ, believe that he died for your sins and was raised from the dead and is Lord of all, you will be saved.

That means you will be a child of God and will be able to serve his will while you’re on earth and take the gospel to all nations. You will not be separated from God when your life is over in a place called Hell. You will spend eternity with him in heaven! It doesn’t get any better than that.

So hopefully this has helped some of you discover who Jesus is and why Christians believe what they believe. The most popular verse in the Bible, John 3:16, reads:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

What does it mean to have true faith?

What does it mean to have true faith and trust in God?

This question came to mind for me when I was reading in the Gospel of Mark. Let’s start with a little background information for context in Mark 11 and we’ll pick up with Jesus’ comments on having true belief:

As Jesus was leaving the town of Bethany to head back into the city of Jerusalem, which was nearby, he was hungry. He saw a fig tree in leaf off in the distance and went to find out if it had any fruit.

When Jesus got there, he found nothing but leaves because it was not in season for figs. He said to the tree, within earshot of the disciples, in Mark 11:14: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

The very next morning, after Jesus had overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves in the previous day, he and his disciples were walking along and saw that same fig tree withered from the roots.

Peter said to Jesus: “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

That’s where we will pick up in Mark 11:22-25 with Jesus’ response:

“Have faith in God.” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.”

That’s a powerful illustration of what true faith in Jesus can do in your life. Jesus said that if you truly believe that you have received what you’ve asked for in prayer, and do not have doubt in your heart, that it will be yours.

When you really study and analyze that, it should completely change the way that we view prayer. I think most of us view prayer, particularly when we are asking something of God, as something we HOPE that He will do rather than BELIEVING that he will do something.

There’s a major difference in those two thoughts. How many of you have prayed for something and hoped that God would respond? What kind of a difference would it make in our lives if we had the kind of faith to truly believe that God will supply us with what we need and what we ask for?

As followers of Jesus Christ, faith is really the name of the game for us. When you made a decision to follow Jesus, you put your faith in him and believed that he was the son of the living God who lived a perfect life, died for the sins of all, rose from the dead and will return one day.

From the world’s perspective, that probably doesn’t make a ton of sense. But from our perspective, it’s about faith and trusting in the Lord and believing that he is who he says he is.

Sometimes I think we all, myself included, unintentionally put limits on what we think God can do in our lives because our human brains simply can’t wrap our minds around how great his power truly is. But if we truly believe the same God who created the entire universe and everything in it and has performed countless miracles is who he says he is, shouldn’t it stand to reason that we can fully have faith to trust in him and watch him work in our lives?

I think we should all strive to get to the point in our prayer lives where we present our concerns and requests before God and truly believe that he’s going to take care of us and direct our lives to what we truly need.

Putting all of your faith in God means putting all of your trust in him also. The more we can adopt that all-in mindset to God and what he commands us to do, the more fruit we’ll see in our lives.

Love is always the way

Bullying is something that has gone on for ages, but it just seems like it’s more prevalent nowadays.

That may or may not be true, but I do know that social media has certainly made it more visible to the general public. Social media itself can sometimes be a cesspool where bullying is at the most extreme.

It breaks my heart to see some of these videos that are floating around out there of kids, or even adults, being bullied and harassed.

My first thought is always “How could somebody do this to someone?” And not only how can they do it, but how can they do it AND record it while it’s happening?

Here recently, though, I’ve been having a follow-up thought as well:

“Surely I didn’t participate in this kind of behavior when I was growing up……right?”

The fact is that I don’t specifically remember a time where I bullied someone mercilessly and intentionally, but I’m also sure there were times where I was bullying someone, maybe without even knowing what I was doing. Maybe sometimes when I even did know what I was doing.

Lately, when I hear of these instances or see these videos, I just can’t help but try to think about what that must feel like….To wake up and just dread going somewhere or being around a specific group of people because you’re either afraid of what they might do or say to you or that you’re unable to do anything about it. To feel like you’re all alone.

Like I said before, it’s just heartbreaking.

Admittedly, bullying has never really been something I’ve had to deal with or work through. It happened from time to time growing up through school, but for me they were isolated incidents and I usually dealt with them there in the moment. As old as this may make me seem, it was a different time.

I’m not naive enough to think that’s how it is for everyone. Bullying exists and it’s a problem. And it’s not just a problem that kids deal with either. There are adults around us all, maybe even some of you who are reading this, that have to deal with a form of bullying every day.

It’s one thing to recognize what bullying is and that it’s an issue. But what can we do about it?

I’d like to address three groups of people in order to try and answer that question.

If you are the one being a bully or are a part of a group being a bully……why? That’s probably the first thing you need to ask yourself. Why am I doing this? What purpose does it serve? Is it really worth making another human being feel this way?

Particularly if you claim to be a follower of Jesus and you are bullying someone, which does happen……why? In 1 John 2:9 it says: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.”

Jesus was all about love and kindness. If you profess to be a follower of him, it would stand to reason that you should strive to be the same way.

Secondly, if you witness somebody being bullied, lend a helping hand. That doesn’t necessarily mean go flying in there and physically fight off the bully, but it does mean that you can do what you can to stop them.

More importantly, it means making sure that the victim knows that they aren’t alone. That there are people out there who do care about them and who do value them. Sometimes standing up to a bully on behalf of someone else or befriending someone who is “uncool” isn’t the popular thing to do, but it’s always the right thing to do.

Jesus wasn’t about popularity. He did what was right. He healed the sick, ministered to the lost and hung around tax collectors, included women (which was abnormal at the time), gave his time to the poor and unclean. The least we can do is to be a friend, which is easy. And it could end up being one of the most rewarding things you ever do.

Finally, I want to speak to those who are being bullied. The simplest comfort I can give is that no matter how much it may seem like it, you are not alone.

There are people who care. There are people who you can reach out to. But most importantly, there is a Heavenly Father who knows you, loves you and created you.

There’s a passage in the New Testament that we call “The Great Commission” where Jesus said his final words before ascending into heaven after his resurrection.

It can be found in Matthew 28:18-20:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Those final words are just so encouraging to me. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus is always with you and will not leave you.

Bottom line…..respect those around you and treat them according to that respect. It’s easy to be a follower and give in to peer pressure and be a bully. Sometimes it’s hard to be a leader and stand up for and stand with somebody else.

Do the hard thing.