When God is Dead - Holy Saturday

The idea for this post occurred to me during the lowest point in my life, in a moment when God seemed to be gone, everything lost—Holy Saturday. I have never heard preaching on this subject, but there are powerful life applications for the believer.

As you read, forget your knowledge of the Resurrection, forget you know the end of the story, go to the upper room with the Apostles and imagine... because minus the physical horrors of the Cross, Holy Saturday, when Jesus' body lay in the tomb, is the darkest day in history.

The Apostle John and the women at the Cross heard Jesus utter the most heartbreaking lament ever spoken, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' Those words must have shaken His followers to the core. Had Christ been rejected by the Father? From their perspectives, it must have appeared so.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Holy Saturday

After the crucifixion and Christ's entombment, the Apostles hide. Having witnessed the trial and execution of the most powerful man on Earth, they held no illusions about their future or the fate. Peter, the bravest and most faithful among them, did not deny Christ without reason; the Apostles knew the brutality of the Romans. But worse, with Jesus gone, the men who cast out demons in His name, realized Hell was coming for them. Thus, they are defenseless, hunted, and terrified.

Judas Iscariot fell prey to the lies of the Devil and religious leaders. Despite everything, Judas was their companion, their friend, who betrayed them, as well as the Lord. When news of his suicide reached the upper room, they learned his body was hanging in Potter's Field, unattended, desecrated. For a Jew, this is particularly abhorrent. As the caretaker of the money, it is reasonable to assume Judas stole their funds when he left. His death destroyed all hope he would repent and return. Scripture says after the crucifixion, Christ's followers scattered, leaving the disciples with no one, and in the upper room they are broke, with a price on their heads, trapped, and mourning not only Jesus, but Judas.

Imagine their disillusionment. They gave up homes, business, and position in the community to follow Jesus. Scripture confirms their families thought they were crazy and condemned them for being irresponsible. On Holy Saturday, the Apostles faced the crushing possibility they were wrong and wasted three years of their lives for nothing.

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection a number of times, but His words remained hidden, as if He had spoken in code the Apostles failed to hear or understand. Pentecost had not yet come, so without Christ or the Holy Spirit, they existed in total darkness, without hope Jesus would return from the dead. This is demonstrated by their disbelief on Easter morning and Thomas' rejection of the testimony of the ten.

Holy Saturday buffeted the Apostles, forced them into doubt and reflection. By design, it brought them to the lowest point in their lives and prepared them for the work to come. Holy Saturday demonstrates what Christianity would be without the Resurrection—dead.

We all encounter Holy Saturdays in our lives. We face betrayal, the loss of our loved ones, and the devastating fears financial insecurity brings. Enduring the death of dreams, hopes, and aspirations, we curl up in pain, mourning, and condemnation. There is nothing fanciful about Saturday; the experience is brutal.

But take heart, Sunday is on the way, and there we find victory, new life, and resurrection! Praise God.

(Originally Published 04/23/2011)

30 Day Jesus Challenge - The Decision

It's New Year's Eve - a time when people take stock of their lives and decide to make changes moving forward.  Today, I challenge you to make the most important resolution you will ever make.  Come to Jesus.

God loves you.

Such a simple statement but it changes the world.  He loves you.  He wants you to accept His love, He wants you in His family.

Invisible Attributes of God - No Excuses

He will not force Himself upon you, He is a gentleman, not a stalker.  He does not capture you and hold you prisoner and force you to accept Him.  Because He loves you - He wants you to come of your own free will.

Simply, believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died to save you from your sins, pray it out loud, and ask Him to come into your life.

That's it.  There is no ritual, no church service you have to go to, no special ceremony.  Just believe, confess, and ask.

At the Foot of the Cross

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved. (Romans 10:1)  Faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17).

So today, do not harden your hearts it might be your last chance.

Pray - I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God and that he lived a perfect life.  He sacrificed Himself for my sin and on the third day rose from the dead.  I am a sinner that needs a Savior, please cleanse me of my sins and fill me with your Holy Spirit that I might be called a child of the Father.  In Jesus name, Amen.

30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 23 The Resurrection

He Is Risen!  Perhaps the most beautiful words ever written.  This Christ, who sacrificed himself for you, conquered Death, Hell, and the Grave and as the Redeemer, He lives!

Paul writes: 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  was buried, rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and was seen by Cephas, and then by the twelve. Then He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain to this present time, though some have passed away. Then He was seen by James and then by all the apostles. Last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born at the wrong time.

The Resurrection

Throughout this series, I've promised a one-minute devotional to introduce you to Jesus.  Every subject, every day of this series could have books written about it.  The resurrection is perhaps the most difficult to condense.  In the end, I'll let Paul finish it:

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Now if Christ is preached that He rose from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen.  If Christ has not risen, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain.  Yes, and we would then be found false witnesses of God, because we have testified that God raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ has not been raised.  If Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.  Then they also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

At the end, former atheist Lee Strobel explains how as an investigative journalist, he looked at the evidence and came to the only logical conclusion.  I hope you come to the same conclusion.

Pray - I believe that you Jesus rose from the dead and through faith in you I can also be a participant in this resurrection.

30 Day Jesus Challenge - Day 22 The Cross

"Except of course that a cross is always something more."  Diana Gabaldon, Fiery Cross Book 5 in the Outlander Series.

Yes indeed, a cross is always something more.  Paul writes in Galatians 5:11 that the cross is an offense.  The cross is the ultimate test of the man, the one who chose to hang on it, and the one who must decide if he accepts it.  There is no room for compromise at the cross, no wiggle room, no gray area.

The Cross

Brutal, violent, excruciating: we recoil in horror - in the reading, in the writing, in the listening, in the watching - no one is untouched by the Cross.  To the believer it is where we start the journey and ultimately where we end it, at the foot of the Cross.  Dr. Billy Graham, in this 3 minute video says it best.

Pray - Today, Lord I find myself at the foot of the cross.  I believe in you, I believe in your sacrifice.  Thank you for the cross.

What Trump and America Must Do Now

Abigail and Dolley readers at my core I am a peacemaker.  I take comfort in Jesus' words, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the Children of God (Matthew 5:9).  While I don't flee from conflict, I don't like it and I was in agony last night as I watched the debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

It was the worst of him and the best of her.  If I was an undecided voter and knew nothing of the candidates, she clearly would be my choice.  Sadly, Trump was at his bombastic worst; a carnal man, given over to a wild and uncontrolled tongue.  Smug and controlled, Hillary Clinton manipulated him at every turn and he went down a rabbit hole of reality TV.  What a disaster.

At the Foot of the Cross

My prayer today was that he humbles himself at the foot of the cross and cries for mercy.  We need mercy for our nation and this world; a Hillary Clinton presidency is the most severe judgement of our lives.  Trump must seek the Lord, he must give himself over to God's control, he must surrender himself, or we are doomed.

I call on my Christian friends to join a nationwide moment of prayer every day until the election.  The incomparable Diamond and Silk have set aside a daily prayer time at 11:21am EDT.  Mark this on your calendars, set a reminder for yourselves, pray as you would for a dying loved one for the stakes are inestimable.

Pray, 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Rules of Negotiation and Why they Fail in Church

One of the first rules you learn in negotiation is to find common ground with the other party.  Find areas where you agree and discuss your mutual objectives.  Then move the discussion to areas where the other party does not have a strongly held opinion and build on those areas.  You lose the person when you move into areas where they have firm opinions opposite from yours.  They shut down and stop hearing you.  In secular day to day negotiations and even political negotiations this is a good and solid way to do business, but it does not belong in the church.  There is no negotiations at the foot of the cross.

All Must Come to the Cross

You can not negotiate someone to faith and the saving power of Jesus Christ.  Real conversion requires repentance, real repentance only comes from conviction of your sins.  Thus, from a rules of negotiation stand point, only the Holy Spirit's influence can change the heart of a sinner comfortable in his own sin.

That is largely why the wide gate, seeker friendly churches have exploded in a spectacular bang of nothing.  This final church spoken of in Revelation 3 is the Laodicean, "Entertain Me" church which wears the face of Christianity but fails miserably in actual disciples created.  There is no conviction of sin, no repentance of sin, and no place for the changed heart and the changed man.

Turn away from those false churches, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and come to authentic live saving faith in Christ.