Category Archives: Christianity

Every Saga has a Beginning

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Today is Easter Sunday.  Lent bagan 40 days ago, Palm Sunday was last week, 2 days ago was Good Friday.  Holy Week is about the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth.  Not too long ago – it’s been about 4 months – we celebrated the beginning of his life on earth.  Do you remember that story?

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, to be counted in the Roman census and taxed.  Baby Jesus was laid in a manger, shepherds came and worshiped, and the wise men traveled from afar.  They followed the star and brought gifts fit for a king.  Jesus was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Gold makes sense; no one would mind getting that present.  Frankincense is an incense, a sweet perfume.  It’s actually a resin, made from the bark of a tree.  Myrrh is very similar, but bitter.  It’s most common use in the first century was anointing the dead.  Gold is an awesome gift, perfume maybe, but… you wouldn’t give a newborn embalming fluid.

Once you know how the story ends, the beginning makes more sense.  In literature, it’s called foreshadowing.  Jesus was born to die.  He came to be a sacrifice.  The unusual gift brought by one very wise man reminds us what is really important about Christmas.  The gifts that were given to Jesus pale in comparison to the gift of Jesus.  Throughout his ministry Jesus understood his mission, even when his followers could not.  The disciples were told plainly that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by men, even that he must die.  Jesus told them, more than once, that he would rise again.  Eventually they were afraid to ask.

The real story of course begins before the incarnation and does not end with the crucifixion.  Today is Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.  That still isn’t the end of the story.  Jesus wasn’t just resurrected; he is the resurrection.  The story of God’s coming kingdom isn’t over yet.

It’s Friday; Sunday’s Coming

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Vocals are S.M. Lockridge, images from The Passion of the Christ

The Last Supper

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The banner at the top of this page is da Vinci’s portrait of the Last Supper.  Renaissance Christians knew that Jesus and his disciples were not white with brown hair and blue eyes.  They would not have been sitting in chairs at a table either.  Despite the cultural “anomalies” the most important things are still visible; Jesus broke bread and passed the cup.  That, after all, was the point.

This is Holy Week, the final days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus.  On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection, but these days between Palm Sunday and Good Friday are about remembering the last precious days that Jesus had with his closest followers.  This would be the last time they celebrated Passover together, and Jesus still had a lessor or two he wanted to share.  During the course of the meal, he gets up from the table and removed his outer robe.  He then ties a towel around his waist, kneels on the floor, and begins washing the disciples feet.  We know what happens to our own feet during the summer months, going about in sandals or flops.  Imagine wearing sandals everyday and walking everywhere you went.  He then asks if they understand why.  Jews did not wash feet; feet are unclean, both literally and religiously to the Jews.  He was their Master and Lord (and maker of heaven and earth) but he was humble like a servant.  If he then, he explains, is willing to wash their feet they should each be doing the same.  It is not a literal command to wash feet, but a lesson about humility and service to others.

Jesus broke bread to remind his followers that his body was broken.  The fruit of the vine in the cup reminds us that his blood was poured out.  He said that without taking part in his body and blood we had no part in him.  But if we receive the one he sends – the Holy Spirit – then we receive him.   And if we receive him, we receive the one who sent him – God the Father.  The Hebrews had been celebrating Passover since they were brought out of Egypt.  When the death angel saw the blood of the sacrifice it “passed over” that home, sparing the first born.  Jesus takes the elements of that meal, and gives them new meaning for his followers.  He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.  When God sees the blood of Jesus on our hearts, his judgement will pass over.

Tim Hawkins & Ergun Caner

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Tim Hawkins is playing this weekend in Lexington, KY at Northeast Christian Church.  I’ve seen a couple of his DVD’s and an old episode of Bananas.  Tim mixes stand-up comedy with parody rock and pop tunes.  He is classified as a “Christian comedian” but admits to not knowing exactly what that means.  For $15 you get a good solid two hour show.

Ergun Caner is preaching a weekend revival at Manchester Baptist Church in Manchester, KY.  Before Liberty Baptist Seminary, before the book Unveiling Islam, “Butch” Caner was the Youth Minister at MBC.  Tim Hawkins is a comedy by vocation, but I swear that Caner is just as funny.  He preached the Gospel from Galatians 6, and I enjoyed tonight just as much – and laughed just as hard.

One is a comedian, one is a professor of theology.  They both love God, life and family, and prove that God has a sense of humor.  He gave them warped minds and they’re using ’em.

Weather, Economy, and the Apocalypse

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The price of gas has passed $4 in many places, and some are predicting $5 across the country by Memorial Day.  The Consumer Price Index has risen 2.7% just this year.  Thunderstorms and tornadoes are occurring with incredible frequency in the United States, and it’s hard to miss the global increase in earthquake, tsunami and volcano activity.  So am I ready to predict the end of the world?  I suggest not starting an office pool.

The Apostle Paul expected the return of Christ in his lifetime.  You can almost feel a change in his attitude by the time of his final letters.  There is a noticeable “policy shift” if you know what to look for.  Throughout the ages people have predicted the day and date for the end of the world.  Statistically they have been wrong 100% of the time.  Are wars in the Middle East and earthquakes a sign the end is near?  Yes.  But in a greater sense, the end is always near.  The return of Jesus Christ is imminent; that means nothing else has to happen before his return takes place.  That doesn’t mean it will be this weekend – or this decade – however.  If I board a non-stop flight in Atlanta, then my arrival in (your favorite city here) is imminent.  The plane will not be landing anywhere else first.  The next stop will be at our destination.  What we know for certain by reading the scriptures is that Jesus’ return will come like a thief in the night.  What we know for certain is that we cannot know for certain when it will be.

Things will get worse before they get better.  Ralph Sexton Jr. predicted in the late 70’s that the price of a loaf of bread would be over $1.  People laughed.  When Israel became a nation in 1947 that was as good as handwriting on the wall for many Christians.  Yet Jesus did not return the next day.  Mikel Gorbachev turned out not to be the anti-Christ.  The 91′ Gulf War was not the beginning of Armageddon.   The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that it was neither Gog nor Magog (though not everyone agrees).

Today there are earthquakes and storms.  There are wars and rumors of war.  The end is near.  And if Christ tarries his coming another hundred years – or thousand – the end will near then too.  Don’t go around saying stuff that will make all Christians look silly this time next year.  Love your kids, read your Bible, share the Gospel – and go on with your life.  I wouldn’t recommend selling your house just yet.

Gideon Sunday and Mark 4

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Today was Gideon Sunday, at least where we live.  I wrote about the work done by the Gideon’s International last year.  I’ve also written before about sowing gospel seeds, based on the parable in Mark 4.  Just this morning I noticed a strong correlation between the two. Continue reading →

Blessings and Curses: Deuteronomy 28

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The last of the five books of Moses, Deuteronomy wraps some things up and reviews some others.  He knows that he will not be entering the Promised Land, and wants to encourage the Children of Israel one last time to remember God and keep his commandments.  Chapter 28 is in two parts; first the blessings for obedience followed by a list of curses for disobedience.

The first 14 verses of Deuteronomy 28 list the blessings for obedience.  In short, God will bless the land allowing it to flow with mild and honey.  Crops will fill their barns, grapes will fill their winepresses, children will be born and the nation will live in peace from their enemies.  They will be high and mighty over the other nations of the world.  Many more verses, 15 – 68, detail the curses God will bring for disobedience.   Continue reading →

Who Loves You?

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When I was a kid my favorite restaurant was McDonald’s.  When I saw a t.v. spot for the latest Happy Meal toy, there was nothing doing until I got one.  In time I had to decide between the Happy Meal and the Big Mac.  All through high school and into college McDonald’s was still my favorite, but during my college years I was introduced to Applebee’s.  I had a couple of friends that worked there at different times, and eventually I came to know pretty much everyone at our local restaurant on a first name basis.  At a different time in our life, my wife and I ate out just about every night and wound up at Applebee’s even if it was just for desert or to see our friends there.  We moved away, grew up a little bit, and now live about 45 minutes away from the nearest one.  Ruby Tuesday is now our favorite place to eat out.  We save it for special occasions, but their salad bar can’t be beat.  I’m a big fan of the bleu cheese crumbles.  We love Ruby Tuesday. Continue reading →

Where is God?

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Where is God? Lots of people have a take on where God might be. Atheists believe that there is no god of any kind, anywhere. Agnostics believe there may be a god or some type of higher power, but we either don’t know what that is or perhaps we cannot know. Deists believe the universe was set into motion like the gears of a clock, but that we are tiny and insignificant to such an omnipotent God. Then there’s New Agers, Scientologists, Oprah and so forth. Some spend their entire lives looking for God, but he isn’t hard to find. The truth is it should be hard to miss God. Continue reading →