Silence ~ Lent 2010

Later, Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus, because he was afraid of some of the leaders.) Pilate gave his permission, so Joseph came and took Jesus' body away. Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus at night, went with Joseph. He brought about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. These two men took Jesus' body and wrapped it with the spices in pieces of linen cloth, which is how they bury the dead. In the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb that had never been used before. The men laid Jesus in that tomb because it was nearby, and they were preparing to start their Sabbath day.

John 19:38-42 NCV

Buried in an empty, borrowed tomb, Jesus' body lay surrounded by darkness in the silence of earth. Separated from the Father by death, Jesus' body lay in the stillness. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and nothing more can be done but honor the Sabbath.

Scripture does not say anything about this Sabbath Day. We learn nothing more about Jesus on the day after His crucifixion. As His followers go about their worship this particular Sabbath, one can only imagine the many recollections and questions that filled their minds. There is silence in the Word of God on this day!

Our sacrifice of praise ~
In the silences of life, meditate on the assurance and the glory of God ~ because you know what tomorrow brings! ~dho

Confession ~ Good Friday

Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly the Man was the Son of God!"
Mark 15:38 NKJV

Today we must look to the cross of suffering that Jesus endured as a ransom for our sin.  Until that day, the Jewish people, the Chosen of God, worshiped Jehovah with blood sacrifices and burnt offerings.  At the time Jesus breathed His last breath and died, the High Priest sacrificed the unblemished lamb, preparing for the sin offering of Passover.  Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies to place the blood offering on the Mercy seat for forgiveness of sins. 

On this day, when Jesus died, the curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom.  The Scriptures do not say what happened to the High Priest or the blood of the slain Passover lamb. We are not told the thoughts of the High Priest who witnessed the torn curtain that represented a veil between sinful man and the Holy God.  Until this moment, the High Priest would have taken the blood sacrifice into the Holy of Holies as an offering for the forgiveness of sins for God's people, but now, the altar of the Lord was exposed.

These historic religious customs tell the God-story of Jesus, a Perfect Lamb slain for the forgivenss of sin.  The once veiled Holy of Holies, the Presence of God, is now revealed.  To all who seek a relationship with God, Grace is given through Jesus, the True High Priest.  What remains?  Our confession, "Truly the Man was the Son of God!"

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Who will you share the God-story of Jesus with today? ~dho

Betrayal ~ Maundy Thursday 2010

Maunday Thursday services celebrate the giving of the Lord's Supper to the Disciples of Jesus, but the evening of fellowship and teaching and prayer ends in betrayal.  As Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, leads the arresting soldiers to Him.  He identifies Jesus with a kiss ~ a kiss of betrayal.  Perhaps the ultimate betrayal always comes from someone close to our inner circle.

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man.  Seize Him and lead Him away under guard."

And when he came, he went up to Him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed Him.  And they laid hands on him and seized Him.
Mark 14:43-46 ESV

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Let your tears celebrate the Bread and the Wine ~ like Oswald Chambers wrote many, many times, "Be the broken bread and poured out wine." ~dho

Plot ~ Lent 2010

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put [Jesus] to death, for they feared the people.
Luke 22:1-2 ESV

These religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus, the Son of God, yet they feared the people.  How like them we are ~ plotting to have our own way, to do our own thing and do it the way we want.  How like them we are ~ choosing a path that does not give God glory and worrying about what "people" will think.

As Passover drew near, a very special time for remembrance, they were not preparing for their own feast, rather they were scheming to take Jesus out of the picture.  How like them we are ~ instead of preparing our hearts to celebrate the Risen Savior, we busy ourselves with Spring's garden needs, a new wardrobe, trips to the beach, gifts for Easter baskets, and Summer's plans. Today, the world still schemes and plots to take Jesus out of Easter, and we are its accomplices.

Our sacrifice of praise ~
In the busy schedules, remember Who this celebration praises! Put "Good Friday" and "Easter Sunday" back into your Spring Break. ~dho

Works ~ Lent 2010

We thank You, God, we thank You -
Your Name is our favorite word;
Your mighty works are all we talk about.
Psalm 75:1 The Message

Unfortunately, this does not often reflect our lives.  We simply do not talk about God's mighty works on a daily basis.  The world denies and contradicts the character of God, and we silently disagree.  The world boasts and mocks the holiness of Jesus, and we look down and away, quietly shaking our head in disbelief.  If our hearts are thank-full and our souls grace-full and our minds wonder-full, while the world continues to shun God, we should begin to speak about His mighty works ~ all the time!

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Tell someone of God's mighty works in your life ~ tell your God-story! ~dho

Encourage ~ Lent 2010

May the God of hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
Romans 15:13 The Message

I read a modern-day parable:
"Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting his tools up for sale.  On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, was marked with its selling price.  Set apart, however, from all the rest, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high - it was discouragement!

Someone asked the devil, "Why is that one priced so high?"  He replied, "Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest.  With it I can pry open a heart and enter, when I cannot get near with any other tool.  Once inside, I can lead the person any way I choose.  The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me."

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Encourage someone today!  ~dho

Expression ~ Palm Sunday

. . . the large crowd . . . heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, [and with] branches of the palm trees, went out to meet Him and began to shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. . .
John 12:12-13 NASB

Hosanna!, an expression of joy and praise for deliverance granted or anticipated,* was the crowd's chant as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that morning. Hosanna! was the word that meant, "Praise God and his Messiah, we are saved."* The Disciples and other followers still thought that the Messiah would be an earthly king; the week's events would soon reveal their confusion.  If we had stood along side the road, waving our palm branches, shouting Hosanna!, where would we be standing by the week's end?

Even believers, the very ones of us who profess the truths about Christ, discover places that merge with doubt and confusion.  We find our prayers answered in ways that differ from our hopes.  We meet circumstances face to face and waiver.  We seek more from the world but need more from the Messiah.  

As this Lenten series started with a Scripture in Hebrews, let's look at it again, see if we have learned anything about this sacrifice of praise.

Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in the working for the common good; share what you have with others.  God takes particular pleasure in the acts of worship - a different kind of "sacrifice" - that takes place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
Hebrews 13:15-16 The Message

Our sacrifice of praise ~
When we stand along side of the road today as everyday people pass our way, let's shout Hosanna! and mean it ~dho

Shout ~ Lent 2010

I'm ready, God, so ready,
ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
"Wake up, soul!"
Psalm 57:7 The Message

A few months ago I spent the better part of a day touring Daufuskie Island, just off the coast of Hilton Head, SC.  An island full of rich history and Gullah culture merging with renewal and preservation today, my thoughts were captured.  We stopped and toured a church still used today, very small by any of the standards of today's churches.  Out to the side was a small unpainted, wooded structure not bigger than an outdoor garden shed.  It was not original but a replica.  Above the door it read "Praise House."

The Gullah people used this little house as a house of prayer and praise.  Apparently, the prayers started quiet and as inspiration led, the prayers would become more intense, eventually becoming 'Praise Shouts'!  As I thought about that progression of the moving of the Spirit, I wondered how often is my soul moved to the point of Praise Shouts?  And when this happens, do I just contain the joy or does my response raise a tune of praise to the Lord?

Our sacrifice of praise ~
Psalm 57:9 msg, "I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets, singing Your praises in town and country."  Try praising God ~ in public! ~dho