Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’

My Favorite Week

April 15th, 2011

It;s Friday and for those of you that don’t have that song still stuck in your head you realize that we are on the verge of one of my favorite weeks of the year.  It kicks of this weekend with what has been called Palm Sunday and then ends next week with the Resurection day on the Passover!  This is exciting stuff.

And so today I thought I would share one of my favorite verses and one of the verses motivates me to keep writing this blog.  When Jesus was entering Jersalem he was being praised by the residents there, much to the chagrin of the “religious leaders” of the time.  Take a look:

 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

   “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

   40 “I tell you,” he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:35-40, New International Version, ©2011)

What I love about this verse is that Jesus says hey if you silence them, even the stones will cry out and testify to me! That’s pretty powerful!
But why does that motivate me? As much as I would love to see stones literally praising him, I think that is my job to testify of his love and grace and mercy.
How about you, are you letting the rocks do your job, or are you keeping them relegated to a back up role?

Stuck On One Thought

February 7th, 2011

Wow What a game. I was thinking today I would write about the great Steeler comeback (FAIL), or the awesomeness of the commericals. However, outside of a devoted beaver, a epic theft sequence of some car, and the resurrection of grandpa thanks to some Doritos, there was just not much else there to write about.

So today, there is just one thing on my head. It was stuck there yesterday morning as I heard an outstanding lesson about the women at the well from John 4. The part of this that has stuck with me is the end of the conversation between the women and Jesus here:

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:25-26 (New International Version, ©2010)

Man, I just can’t this this out of my head. This dude Jesus, says that he is the Messiah, the Savior of the World that was predicted, and then those around him claim that again later in the chapter.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:42 (New International Version, ©2010)

This thought is so oustanding, so complex, so motivating and so uplifting, that this has just stuck with me for the last day. These words cannot be dismissed. There is something that you have to do with these words. Some decision must be made. Contemplate this and think about what you will do with these words.

The Ever Changing Schedule

December 13th, 2010

Wow!  The Government’s weather bubble around Chattanooga seems to have  fallen with the Metrodome’s roof and we have white stuff on the ground and a list of  closed schools and business that will wear out the scroll bar on your computer. I even received a phone call from my employer this morning – the first time in 17 years!

And since this is the busiest time of the year, all sort of schedules are being redone.  Final exams are being moved, Christmas plays and programs adjusted to later in the week.  Shuffling this from here to there, so we can work this in here.

Of course on top of it all is the general confusion about a 19 degree snow filled December day in Chattanooga.  That just never happens.

With all of this changing going on around, it’s always good to know this:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

Magic in the Air Today

December 9th, 2010

Well, don’t I feel like an historian, I forgot ( or I didn’t notice it again), that December 8, yesterday had a very remembrance event take place – the assassination of John Lennon.  Oh well, I still hope that you made a December 8th memory for yourself.  On with the show…

I have found myself singing some good old Muppet’s Christmas Carol songs this morning.  But these mostly lines from “One More Sleep”:

Tis the season to be jolly and joyous
With a burst of pleasure we feel it all right
It’s a season when the Saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive

However, I usually sing it like this

Tis the season to be jolly and joyous
Tis the season to keep love alive
It’s a season when the Saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive

Anyway, it is the season to be jolly and joyous because:

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:11-14 (New International Version, ©2010)

Man, that’s enough to make you joyous any day! So, I hope you are spending some time being jolly and joyous….

After all there’s only one sixteen more sleeps till Christmas

Yo ho yo ho Talk like a pirate day’s for me 2009

September 18th, 2010

TLAPD 2009

This was originally sent as a email on Friday, September 18, 2009  to the bible class I was teaching:

Argh me hearties!

Ahoy, ‘tis Friday, one day before speak like a scurvy pirate day, but I ain’t be passing by th’ opportunity t’speak wit’ ye buckos ‘n share Christ wit’ a wee flair.

Me hearties, the old salt was marked with the Black Spot. Avast, he was made to kiss the gunner’s daughter, and wast given a taste o’ ye cat o’nine tails. After the flogging he be left t’ dance with ol’ Jack Ketch.   Arr, he went t’ Davy Jones’ locker fer ye. But, he didn’t stay like buried booty.  Smartly, he didn’t stay in the bung hole.  No, begad he beat that ol’ scurvy dog th’ Devil and came back t’ life. – fer ye an’ fer me. Now you don’t have t’ be a bilge rat. You be as beautiful as th’ sea herself. Yo-ho-ho!  Forgiven, Shiver me timbers, Grab you bosun, alert the Cap’n, it be time for a shantey.

So heartly enjoy th’ day.

Remember t’ come out fer tavern on Sunday mornin’ after a great hour ‘o worship. Arrr, th’ speaker gunna be great. Aye, me parrot concurs.

Me must get back to swabbing the poop deck,

No quarter!

Jason

(if you be confused to parts of this email, be clicking your landlubber self to here for some translations: http://www.tide-mark.com/pirate_dict.html)

Romans 6:3-5

(Pirate Version)
3Or don’t ye be knowin’ that all o’ us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his Davy Jones’ treasure chest? 4We were tharfore buried wit’ him through baptism into Davy Jones’ treasure chest  in order that, just as Christ was raised from t’ went t’ Davy Jones’ locker through t’ glory o’ th’ salty sea-do ‘o a Father, we too may live a new life. 5If we have been united wit’ him like ‘tis in his Davy Jones’ treasure chest, we gunna certainly also be united wit’ him in his resurrection.

(New International Version)

3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.