Walking to the Empty Tomb

Well, it is another week of Coronavirus Closures. We have been out of church for a month now and it is still as odd a feeling as it was week 1. In spite of the closures, we have been able through the benefits of modern technology to worship "with" our church. Most odd of all was today, Easter Sunday, as we watched the video of the message. Easter Sunday is usually a highlight of the entire year, as we have very special music and perhaps a cantata. Attendance is usually quite high. The message is powerful. It is indeed a service to look forward to. Today, attendance was low -- 5. We had special music -- via video. The message was indeed powerful. Most/best of all, the tomb (as it has been for almost 2000 years) was still empty.

The truth is that Easter is not about church, as important as church is. Easter is not about special music, as moving as it may be. It is not about see friends and guests at church, though that is indeed a blessing. It is not even about the message itself. Easter is all about the truth of the resurrection. Through the resurrection we have the promise/guarantee of new life in Christ, a life that is eternal. 

The Weight of the Cross

The Power of the Cross

There Rose a Lamb

Resurrection Hymn

I was able to watch a couple of wonderful messages this morning about the resurrection. We seldom take time to reflect on the great truths of the resurrection and all that is made available to us through the resurrection. With the Coronavirus Closures, there is not much more that we can do, so let's pause and consider all that Christ has given us through the resurrection.

Walking through Unique Times

Okay, so this has gone from "different" to "like nothing we have ever experienced" fairly quickly. A LOT of small and medium-sized churches are getting into the world of video, whether live-streamed or recorded and uploaded. It does open up the opportunity to minister during these challenging times, but it is just not the same. One of the most wonderful parts of the body of Christ is the privilege of fellowship.We can utilize the various social media platforms to communicate with others, but it is just not the same. Eventually, this to shall pass and we will have the ability to gather together with our church family. Let us not take that time and that opportunity for granted, but rather let us take full advantage of all that the church has to offer.

During this downtime, what have we done to improve ourselves or our position. One of my projects that has been pushed off indefinitely (until now) is dubbing VHS tapes onto DVD. I have numerous  VHS tapes of school programs training sessions, ball games, and the such that are only taking up space on a shelf or in a box and so it is time to convert them and do some spring cleaning. There are other types of cleaning that need done, but my job continues even in this unique time, so I need projects that do not necessarily need direct attention. And then there are the regularly scheduled maintenance visits for the house -- HVAC system, pests and vermin, etc. How are such appointments kept when social distancing is demanded? Some of the visits can be made, but others are indefinitely postponed. Even those that are kept as scheduled are accomplished differently than they used to be.

And then there is the (faux) racing. Many of the major racing series are still racing, howbeit utilizing digital means combined with fancy computers, steering  wheels, and pedals. It is intriguing, but not quite the same a the genuine event. I suppose it is better than the alternative -- no racing of any form whatsoever.

And yet, Romans 8 makes it clear that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. He has loved us, He does love us, and He will love us...COVID-19 or not.

Walking through Uncharted Territory

I started this earlier this week.

Today is Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Just think, only one week ago life was still moving ahead in a normal fashion.We went where we wanted, when we wanted, to do what we wanted. Calendars were still packed full of events and the future held numerous scheduled activities. And then life (as we are accustomed to it) came to a screeching halt. Now, not only are pressing engagements canceled or postponed, future events are uncertain. Baseball season will begin as newly scheduled; however, the schedule has not been set. Racing will take place -- some time, some where. Churches will congregate once again -- at a future date.

And now we face uncertainty. We know that life will return to normal, but that may indeed be a new normal. We often talk about resilience, specifically the resilience of the American people, but we are facing something that may change how we see and interact with others. The face of education may change as EVERYONE becomes a cyber-student. We may realize that activities that dominated life are not quite so important after all. Innumerable small businesses may face extinction if they are forced to go long without regular foot traffic. Large corporations that have been teetering financially may finally be pushed over the edge into the abyss of bankrupt, closed businesses.

And yet, through all of the uncertainty and restlessness we can rest in the fact that our God is still in control. He did not forget about us nor is He neglecting us. If He ever was sovereign, He still is. If He is sovereign over anything, He is sovereign over everything. There is no middle ground; either He is God or He is not. If He is (and He is), then we can trust him fully to do what is best and we can trust that He knows what is best far better than we do. We see things from a very limited perspective and with a self-focused viewpoint. God sees things in such a way that He is able to see the beginning and the end. As the creator of the universe, He is well able to manage it.

We have a tremendous opportunity during these challenging times to rightly represent Christ to the world. People are feeling as if life has been poured into a blender and many are wondering if it can be put back together. It is sort of like Humpty Dumpty -- not even the kings horses and men can fix this. However, the King can indeed fix it. We may not know what will happen tomorrow, but we do know who controls tomorrow. We need to trust Him that He will do what is best and that He will provide for His people and protect them, even during trying times. Life will resume, in some manner at some time. When it does, we will be able to see that God is still God and that He never ceased being God.

Walking in Kindness

I was reminiscing the other day, thinking back to thoughts from previous life. I often saw what I call "unintentional rudeness," those instances when one is so focused on self that they ignore the way their actions impact others. It might be something as simple as going through a door and letting it close on the person behind you. Quite simply, it is living a life that is inconsiderate. If I am to live a life that reflects the person of Christ, I need to be aware how my actions impact others; I will be aware of the consequences of my actions, I will live with others in mind.

When I practice the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23, (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.) I will consider how my life intersects with those around me. Christ lived each day with a focus on others as He looked ahead to the cross. His was not a life of comfort and ease, nor was it a life pushing for personal success. His was a life dedicated to meeting the needs of others, even at His own expense. When I truly follow His example, I live to meet the needs of others; however, I can only meet needs that I am aware of and I will only be aware of other's needs as I make those folks important in my life. Even "strangers" become important when I realize that my life impacts theirs, even in ways that may seem insignificant to me. Hence, the idea of unintentional rudeness. I do not need to go out of my way to be rude, I can do that with no thought at all. Likewise, I do not need to take drastic detours to be kind to others; I can demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit without radically changing what I do. What I need to change is the focus of my life and the reason I do what I do. I need to be others-focused and live to represent Christ in a world that desperately needs to see him.

As I walk through each day, I need to avoid unintentional rudeness and live a life that is indeed considerate to those around me. I need to see people and I need to see their needs. It may cost me a couple of minutes here and there, but the rewards far outweigh the costs as I represent Christ by living for others. In this world, that kind of behavior stands out and it may open a door to share the gospel Christ with others. 

Walking Day After Day

My, how quickly time goes by. Just yesterday (Jan 1) I thought that I might make posts each week. Obviously that did not happen. I do, however, want to do more posting this year. So, here goes.

As I look back on the week, the first thing that comes to mind was the Sunday morning message at church. The last two messages really were a blessing to the heart. Pastor preached about being involved in the ministry and then about staying true to the faith. You can find the message on youtube or on SermonAudio. I would strongly recommend viewing/listening.

Next I think of work and the boxes. The first thought that comes to mind is the necessity of everyone doing their job and not leaving their work for someone else to do. When we only do some of what is expected of us, someone else needs to pick up the slack. Basically, we are asking them to do their job and some of ours. We need to do our job in such a way that we can assist others as much as is possible.

On to today, Valentine's Day. While the focus is obviously on those that we love here, any discussion of love must include the love of God. He not only declared His love for us, He demonstrated it. And not only was it demonstrated, it was shown in a manner that revealed the depth of His love -- He gave His Son to die in our place. No greater love has ever been shown. He who had no sin died for those who are defined by sin. That indeed is love.

Meandering into 2020

By now 2019 is in the rear view mirror and 2020 is in full view out the windshield. Wouldn't it be nice to see what lies around that first bend in the road? My, how quickly and how much life can change in a short period of time. Some of the changes are welcomed and others are avoided, but change is inevitable. When change comes, it is comforting to remember that we serve a God who doesn't change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we are confronted with the unexpected and possibly frightening, our omniscient God knows exactly what we are facing and He continues to provide and protect.

As we enter 2020, there will be numerous allusions to (clear) vision and seeing things clearly. We live in a world that desires clarity and yet chooses to ignore/reject Biblical insight. So many see the Bible as just another book or maybe a book of fables and tales; some even see it as a book of lies and falsehoods. All because they willfully reject fact that God gave us His word that we might now Him and what He expects of us.

Moving into the new year, may we each commit to be students of the Word, students who read, student, and put into practice the principles of the Scriptures. It is not simply to be an academic pursuit, but to be our passion because we have a love for God and the things of God. It is imperative that we accept the gift of eternal life as described and prescribed in the Bible if the book is to become real and alive to us. The Bible is more than another textbook, but is indeed God's personal message to us. As we live each day of the new year, God's Word has the principles that we need to guide us day by day. If we are going to see clearly and live biblically in 2020, we need to know what God has to say and be willing to do what He says. The only way that we can accomplish that is if we make the Bible significant and treat it so. And so, a commitment is needed, a commitment is needed to God and His word and a commitment to humble obedience. He loves us and deserves our faithful service. 

Walking (running) through the Calendar

Well, it is once again Christmas day and I have again been slack in writing on this wonderful page. But, today is a new day and I shall type.

Think of all of the reasons that people celebrate Christmas and all of the "reasons" for Christmas that are given:.

• It is a time for family.
• It is a time of giving.
• It is a time of new movies (if Hallmark or Lifetime are to be believed).
• It is a time to "believe" -- though I seldom, if ever see an object of belief with that statement.

So, Christmas is once again upon us and it is indeed a great time of year, The decorations, the chill in the air, the sales, the special Christmas Eve and Christmas church services...it is indeed a wonderful time. But what exactly is it that makes Christmas special? 

John 3:16 tells us clearly that God gave and that He gave a gift so far beyond what we could have ever dreamed of. He gave us the means to have our sins forgiven and the means for us to have eternal life with him. We were condemned by our sins and sentenced to hell and He saw our need and provided the way for our salvation.

Now we celebrate Christmas and set aside this time to remember the birth of the Savior and also to recall that the reason He came was not to make life better, but to die that the price of our sins might be paid. He paid an incredibly high price, a price that His love made acceptable.

We also have many other gifts from the Father: health, family, church, and so much more. If we took the time to enumerate and to give full description, we could have a post that would take quite some time to read and even more to actually digest. He has blessed us so greatlly and yet often we do not take time to give Him the thanks that He so greatly deserves.

And so again, why do we celebrate? Because God sent His son to be born and later to die for us. Thanks be to our Father for His blessings to us.