Pentecost, The Shift to the Spirit

The single most important event after the coming of the Lord Jesus is His sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is where the shift to true reality begins for each of us. Spirituality is the ultimate reality. It is the Holy Spirit who brings our minds, our hearts and our spirits into spiritual reality, our personal alignment with the Lord Jesus. Here is where the Lord Jesus establishes a personal relationship with us by entering our hearts…

Resurrection 20a Time to Get the Job Done

The four Gospels present the many appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection. In John it was first to Mary Magdalene at the tomb and then to ten disciples, then later to the Ten plus Thomas, then again to the disciples by the lake (Jn.20-21).

In Matthew it was first to both Mary and Mary Magdalene and then to the 11 disciples commissioning them for mission (Mt.28).

Mark records three, the first of which is to Mary Magdalene, the…

Resurrection 20 Time to Get the Job Done

The four Gospels present the many appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection. In John it was first to Mary Magdalene at the tomb and then to ten disciples, then later to the Ten plus Thomas, then again to the disciples by the lake (Jn.20-21).…

Resurrection 19 Holy Week, It's What Resurrection People Do

We are preparing for a celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Jesus is risen and we know it. But it is not enough to believe it. That's just the beginning. We have to live the Resurrection. We are a Resurrection people. Not a moment passes by that He is not with us. The faith that He had to go to the Cross was the faith it took to be resurrected. And the Lord Jesus' faith is His gift to us. We carry it wherever we…

Resurrection 18 Holy Week

Millions of Christians throughout the world are being made aware of the last days of Jesus' life on earth this week. An impressive modern version of those days was presented last Sunday night on live TV, “The Passion.” It took place in New Orleans. Add to that past spectaculars built around the life of Christ and those moments within them that zeroed in on the Cross, that unjust physical suffering Jesus endured for broken humanity. This week lots of special…

Holy Week, Why We Have It

Millions of Christians throughout the world are being made aware of the last days of Jesus' life on earth this week. An impressive modern version of those days was presented last Sunday night on live TV, “The Passion.” It took place in New Orleans. Add to that past spectaculars built around the life of Christ and those moments within them that zeroed in on the Cross, that unjust physical suffering Jesus endured for broken humanity. This week lots of special…

Resurrection 17 Who Says We're All Not Prodigals?

When Jesus said He was giving Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt.16:19) they were keys to unlock the hearts of people hardened by self-centeredness, pride and fear. He was not starting an institution but a family of unlocked hearts who would help others with locked hearts to be freed. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Gal.5:1).” When Peter recognized and said to Jesus by faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the…

Resurrection 16 In a Perfect World.......

In a perfect world...sure, we all have ideas what that would look like. There would be no conflict. No need for security, it's built in. All your out-of-sync physical and emotional needs would be met because you start out being perfect. Relationships between men and women would result in having no pain and perfect children in harmonious families. Hobbies, inventions, vacations and discoveries (would they be necessary?), all exciting and life…

Resurrection 15 How's Your Air Conditioner Working?

Our air conditioning went out and we're getting prices for a new system. It ain't cheap folks! But, like all these kinds of situations, there is a spiritual parallel and I believe the more we think spiritually about our experience day by day, the more the Lord can use us while we are on the way.

Just what does an air conditioner do? An air conditioner keeps us cool, circulates, filters and dehumidifies the air, reduces the…

Resurrection 14a Have You Got 'It'? You Betcha!

What makes a person appealing? What about them draws attention? You hear someone say, 'They've got it.' What is 'it'? When you start trying to explain about 'it' the result is usually a pause because the non-verbal has overtaken the verbal. But one thing is for sure, the 'it' is real. Judges watching people perform on stage are looking for a performance-'it' that will cause them to say “They're really good. They've got 'it', which means…

Resurrection 14 Fever! Do You Have a Fever?

Folks, it's all about you. In a political season when the heat is turned up there's a virus that spreads across the land and fever results. The rhetoric flies about like bees around a disturbed hive, and it is so easy to be distracted by it all. But disciples of Jesus have a double calling in spite of the fever—-first, to look up and then to look around you. If you got the meaning of the medium being the message and that Jesus is the…

Resurrection 13a Trump: Medium or Message?

While I was thinking about the emergence of one boisterous candidate, the 'Trump phenomenon,' on our present political landscape, I was reminded of a Canadian professor of English named Marshall McLuhan. He was considered the major prophet in communication theory in the '60's. His books radicalized (and still do)the teaching about the impact of media on society. One person called him “The High Priest of Pop Culture.” He coined the phrases…

Resurrection 12 Consistency, A Sign of the Resurrection Life

If you want to get a feel for the resurrected life of Jesus, get into His parables. When He says for instance, “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” it is His parables that get us started. In the first one we covered, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, it became obvious that Jesus was a man of the heart who saw the hearts of all mankind in need. Beaten down by robbers and passed over by the religious establishment there were no…

Resurrection 11a Politics and Headlights

Last year my car's headlights were dimming due to the pounding they get from driving through years of sand, dust and air pressure. I went to the car dealer and they put the headlight lenses through a cleaning process. They shone bright again. Our personal headlight is our relationship with the Lord Jesus. What can happen to His light in us is that it can dim if we let the cultural wars wear down the lenses He made in us to let Him shine…

Resurrection 11 Passion, Are We Breathing Spiritually?

It's been reported in the media that a certain quarterback has turned 40. Will he or will he not retire? He's too old to keep on playing. What's interesting is the context in which we view people. In sports you are decrepit when you reach middle age. Now think of business. You really are just getting under way when you're 40. In politics 40 is too young to be mature enough to be in office. Pick any profession and its context…