Sunday, January 16th, the day that I got to see my only daughter get married, will go down in my memory as a “perfect day”! In fact, I have described it as a dream, a fairytale, the best day ever…She wore a beautiful white dress; they exchanged heart-felt vows, pledging their love to each other in a truly genuine ceremony that honored God and provided a small glimpse of the wonder of this idea of “two becoming one”. However, we all know that there is no such thing as “perfect” on this side of heaven. In fact, there were numerous little things that did not go “perfectly” that day, but I didn’t notice, or rather I noticed that they did not matter! As a person who struggles often with agonizing over the little things that go wrong, the question is, how was I able to see this day as “flawless”?

I can claim this for two reasons: The first is PRAYER. You see, I had numerous friends, family and other brothers and sisters in Christ praying for the details, the dynamics, and the actual event, and I am 100% sure that this is THE reason why things came together, and I was able to enjoy the moments. There is no way I would have made it without the prayers, support and helping hands that were provided to make this day “perfect”!

The second reason is ENCOURAGEMENT. Besides prayer, I am profoundly moved by the number of texts and words of encouragement that were sent my way. I have always heard that “joy shared increases” and that is exactly what happened. As people shared in the experience, it made the day all the more sweet! I literally smiled the whole day, even my tears were happy! As I reflect on this day, I am forever grateful for the prayers and people who helped make this day special for our family, but I am most of all thankful to God who “has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Almost every experience we go through has the potential to teach us something, and this wedding extravaganza is no different. In fact, there are a couple of significant life lessons I learned that I plan to put into action moving forward.

Lesson One: The power of praying for others can not be understated! In James chapter 5, this Biblical truth is clearly stated: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up… The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

As I write this blog, I have a 38 year old nephew, Zach Adams, who is fighting for his life at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. (please pray for his complete healing). There are believers all over the world praying for him. These prayers for his healing are offered by faith out of obedience to God, but they are also providing strength for his family in this very difficult time. Whether we are in a time of great trials or a time of wonderful celebration, the prayers of fellow believers are powerful and life-giving. This wedding experience reminded me once again that prayer is key, so I am more committed than ever to praying earnest, specific prayers for others because I know it works!!

Lesson Two: Intentional encouragement strengthens us exponentially. The writer of Hebrews brings this to light: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

When we as believers truly make encouragement a habit, it makes a significant difference in others’ experience of hope and joy. Whether someone is going through the worst of times or the best of times, the power of a word of encouragement or a tangible act of kindness makes the load lighter and/or brighter. God knew we would need each other which is why he modeled life in community and why he birthed the church. Just this one experience of a simple wedding truly reignited my belief in the importance of a community of believers. I felt hopeful as the day drew nearer because of the encouragement, and on the actual day, I felt a heightened sense of joy because of those who shared it with me! In the same way, the grief shared in a recent loss gave us strength to carry on. So whether it is during happy times or sad times, encouragement has power to lift the soul. My experience during this season has made me more committed than ever to live a life of intentionality. To take time out of my often “too busy” schedule to encourage and love on others who are going through some life event because I know what a difference it makes!

The wedding was “perfect”! . But not because all went down without a hitch but rather because of the prayers, encouragement, support and love of others in the body of Christ. “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Col. 3:14

PRAY FOR ZACH – take a look at these prayer bracelets https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbuTXIjk8X9EfptYHh-PrEQFUIUU3uhQKeSKJ6tZTsQG-4zw/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2zDeYXGBu1m4tG8SAb9BY9y13O_NB3M4RWBYkBgkA6nQx6VrIvffmHO4c

Have you ever felt underdressed for an event? You know you walk into what you thought was a casual affair and everyone is decked out in more formal attire and you just feel out of place? Or, what about not wearing a coat when the temperature is colder than expected? Being underdressed for certain occasions is not really a big deal, but what is a big deal is not being properly “dressed” for battle. If a soldier goes into battle with just civilian clothes on, he is not only “underdressed” but he is ill equipped. The apparel he wears is essential for his protection and ultimately, his success. But, you may be thinking this is all well and good for the soldier, but for the everyday person, the type of clothing we wear won’t make or break our daily life. But, I am here to suggest that what we wear does make a difference! In fact, we are in a battle every single day and what we wear to this fight is not only important, it is critical for whether we win or lose!

As I write this blog, I am coming off of a season where I was walking into a battle daily. Because of my years as a Christ follower, this should have been a piece of cake for me. I know God’s word; I teach God’s word; I have experienced the faithfulness of God, and I have years of “battle-fighting” under my belt, so nothing should have been a surprise or too much of a struggle. But it didn’t take me long to realize that I was NOT winning the daily challenges. I had days where I felt completely overwhelmed with the day to day decisions and other days where I couldn’t shake feelings of anxiety and depression. What had happened to me? I am usually a positive person, a person who lives in the confidence of who God is, but this was not how I was living. As you might guess, this battle I am speaking of was being fought entirely in my mind as I faced an unseen enemy, the father of lies who was throwing out all of the stops to stir up fear, discouragement, guilt, defeat…in me like I have never experienced! During this time, I had numerous friends speak truth to me, encourage and pray for me, but I simply couldn’t seem to crawl out of this darkness I was in. Until one day, it all became clear. 

The struggle I faced has been faced by Christians throughout the centuries and will continue to be a part of our earthly experience until Jesus returns. But thankfully, In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul gives a very clear plan for how to handle this inevitable reality. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 

This  passage is packed with powerful truths that can literally change our daily struggles to victories, but the focus for today, on the first day of 2022, is the point that I was missing, In order to win the daily battles, the key word is WHOLE armor of God. Paul mentions “whole”  twice to emphasize that we will NOT be able to “stand up” against the “devil’s schemes” if we are underdressed! This was my issue. I had been trying to walk through the season with only part of the armor on and I was simply unprotected. Each part of the armor described by Paul is there to protect the different areas where satan will attack. God has literally given us an arsenal to help us be prepared and equipped. Truth, righteousness, salvation, faith and the Word of God are all necessary if we are going to be successful in this fight!

I am guessing many of you can relate to the struggle I was in, and like me, you are ready for 2022 to be different. The question is: Where do we start? We begin with an acknowledgment that we can not do this alone. Our strength comes from the Lord, and it is His armor not our own that will get us safely through the spiritual war we are in! We then need to suit up by committing everything to the Lord through prayer. In fact, we need to see God as our commander who is ready to meet with us daily to give us the plan of action. Let’s don’t take another step without first consulting our leader!

So, this is how we will get through the days ahead, first, on our knees, and then we can “stand firm”. So, don’t be stressed in 2022!

Success is all in the way you dress! 

Joy. This short, simple word printed on Christmas cards, ornaments, plaques, shirts, plates and almost anything Christmas is possibly the most well-known of all Christmas “words”. Despite its simplicity, the word is anything but simple. Most people equate Joy with happiness, but in truth, joy is much deeper than that. Joy comes from the Greek word “chara” meaning a feeling of inner gladness. In other words, happiness despite what might be happening around us! 

With this definition in mind, isn’t JOY exactly what we need today? If we look around at our world, there are so many circumstances that can make us feel “unhappy”. For many, the holidays themselves are a time of loneliness or deep sadness. The loss of a loved one, financial distress, broken relationships, health worries… can make for a very joyless season. On top of personal melancholy, the state of our country and fear of the future can make us downright depressed!

We need a deep-down JOY, and this is actually what Christmas is all about. Let’s consider the “first’ Christmas to understand this word more fully.

Read Luke 2: 8-20

Jesus’ birth came after a time of silence in the Jewish nation. God had not spoken for 400 years. His last words were spoken through the prophet Malachai in approximately 430 B.C. and so while many had begun to “forget” about God, the devout continued to study the scriptures waiting patiently for God’s promise to be fulfilled. And one starry night in the little town of Bethlehem, the promise came to fruition. The shepherds were the first to learn of the great event proclaimed by angels: 

““I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” 

The good news was that God was no longer silent. The good news was that God had come to earth to reveal himself to man, the long awaited Messiah had finally come: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the [a]virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us) (Isaiah 7:14) The Good News was that man now had direct access to God through Jesus Christ. The savior would rescue, redeem and restore man’s relationship with God. And for all who trusted in Him, forgiveness, freedom and eternal life would be their destiny. This message was not just for the shepherds or the Jewish people; it was a message for all mankind. The reality of a savior who would set people free from the bondage of sin, remove their guilt once and for all and reunite them with the Father for all eternity is not just good news, it is the BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD. 

This is, indeed, a reason for GREAT JOY! 

No matter what you are experiencing this Christmas season, let the truth about what Jesus’ birth means cause you to “celebrate”! Joy is not based on our circumstances on the outside but rather on what is inside of us. Trust Christ; accept His sacrifice; claim His power and find true JOY! 

All around the world, the universal language is love. Every tribe, race, religion, culture, and people group “speak” this language. The human heart yearns for love more than any other thing. The theme of love is the message of countless songs, poems, plays, films, books, and artwork because love is the deepest desire of all human beings. In fact, if someone feels unloved or has trouble or loss in this area, it is almost incapacitating. Grief is most often tied to the loss of love and it can be a dark place. But, while loss of love can be truly crippling, finding love is a balm for the soul! If Christmas is about anything, it is about LOVE. It is about the GREATEST LOVE of all. Understanding the message of love represented through Christ’s coming to earth can turn a person’s world around. The powerful truth that God’s love is personal and free to all who will receive it has a restorative quality that nothing on this earth can match. In other words, an encounter with God’s love can mend a broken heart and satisfy a lonely soul. ONLY GOD’S LOVE breaks down walls, loosens chains and realigns a fractured identity.

The apostle John describes exactly what this love looks like:

God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (I John 4:9-10)

When you think about baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, the true picture you should be focusing on is grown-up Jesus on the cross. He didn’t arrive on earth just to form a small group, teach about the kingdom of God, make the lame walk and give sight to the blind, He actually came here to die. God’s love became visible through the death of Christ on the cross. Human love is wonderful but it can never take the place of divine love. God’s love saves us! It saves us emotionally, physically and eternally!

During this Christmas season, turn your eyes toward the reality of this amazing love and let it wash over you. The reality that you are wanted; you are accepted; you are cherished; you are LOVED!

One of the most amazing truths about God that is celebrated at Christmas is that he left heaven to come down to earth. The concept that God decided to make his presence among men is difficult for our minds to conceive. In fact, this is why so many of the Jews of Jesus’ day did not accept him as God because their minds could not comprehend this incredible truth, yet it was prophesied through the prophet Isaiah.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

While the attributes of God are many, in the end, it is his great love for his creation that is the most impactful. Think about this for a minute, when a father gets on the floor and plays with his son or daughter, the child experiences the father’s love and relationship in a tangible way. In the same way, the coming of Jesus was God getting on the “floor” with us so that we could experience his love in a personal way. But, God’s coming is much more than just him getting on our level. He came not only to be “with” us but to also deliver us from our brokenness. Immanuel, God with us, is truly a marvel and a picture of a loving God who went to great lengths to reconnect with us.

Digging Deeper 

Read Matthew 1:18-23 – This passage clearly explains the reason for the season. How does understanding the essence of these verses affect the way you approach this season.

December 1st has in many ways marked the been the beginning of the Christmas season in our home. One of our favorite traditions as a family when my kids were growing up was celebrating advent. Typically, we would get an advent calendar with little windows with verses behind them that we would open each day beginning on December 1 and ending on December 25. Through the years we added and/or tried different other advent activities to add to our celebration, but the “countdown” to Christmas day, Jesus’ birthday, was always an aspect that we didn’t miss. In many churches, Advent is a significant part of the Christmas tradition, but just like everything else, the secular world has also embraced this historically spiritual aspect of the Christmas season. Just a quick google search will take you to numerous different “advent” calendars or countdowns that have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Yet, sadly, many Christians (including me) also struggle to truly embrace the beauty and wonder of this glorious season because of busyness. But, this year, a series of significant events have led me to recommit myself to slowing down and reflecting on all that this season means. So, for the next 25 days, join me in a daily devotional journey as we reflect and make Christ the center of our Christmas season!

Reflection: The word advent means arrival but, specifically, it is a reference to the arrival of Jesus Christ into the world. The “Advent season” usually starts four weeks before Christmas and concludes with the celebration of Christ’s birth on Christmas Day. While many people celebrate Christmas with the buying of gifts and endless activities, the concept of advent is centered around slowing down and focusing in on the real reason for the season. The “advent” of the Messiah simply means that the God of the universe came to earth to show us the way back to him for one reason – LOVE! So this is where we begin. 

John 3:16-17 – “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Digging Deeper: Read I John 4:7- 5:4 – Identify all of the aspects of God’s love mentioned here. What truth from this passage can you apply to your life this holiday season?

As I sit here on Thanksgiving 2021, a year and half into the pandemic, I can’t help but be thankful for this scourge that has rocked our world for the past 18 months. I know that many of us recognize that the pandemic has brought some good into our world, yet finding the good in the dark cloud has not always been easy. This all changed for me, though, in an unexpected way this past week. On Sunday, November 14, we lost my father-in-law, Big O as he’s fondly referred to by his family, which has left a huge hole in our family. The morning after learning of his passing was filled with tears and sadness over the loss of this special man, but I also experienced another surprising feeling – gratitude!

You see, the pandemic created a new normal for my husband and I. That new normal was to take a weekly trip to visit his parents to check on them, buy groceries, and just spend time. Since they couldn’t leave due to their age and health situation, they required some attention. The trip typically took several hours a week between the 2 to 3 hour drive time and the visit, but the time spent with them was precious and worth it all. You really get to know people when you just sit with them consistently and regularly, when you ask questions and you listen, when you buy food and learn their routine. As I grieve the loss of this dear man, I am SO THANKFUL for the time that I got to spend with him and can truly see the silver lining in this dark cloud that has hung over the world. The pandemic “forced” us to change our schedule and be present and oh am I so grateful!

As I ponder what this year and half has meant, I recognize that I am a different person because of these weekly visits. What I learned through this experience is that there are no shortcuts to building relationships. It takes time, it takes sacrifice, it takes blood sweat and tears even sometimes, but the rewards from this type of consistent investment, cannot be overstated. In many ways, we were “doing life” with them much like a small group experience. We would share stories, jokes, prayer requests, and what the Lord was teaching us. With each visit, my fondness and connection to them grew and this was due to the regularity of our time together. In many ways, each week was an adventure because there were new stories to hear, new conversations to enjoy and new things to learn. Over and over again nuggets of wisdom came my way as I listened to their advice and watched the intentional way that they lived. I am not the same person I was a year and a half ago because these weekly visits refined me and helped define for me what matters most in life: Loving and being loved. While I always loved them, doing life with them deepened my admiration and filled my soul with something beautiful and the lessons learned are truly priceless.

It’s still difficult to call the pandemic a blessing, but if it hadn’t happened, I would not have made the weekly visits, and I would have missed so so much! My prayer for all those who are reading is to not miss the opportunities that come your way this holiday season and every season! Don’t underestimate the power of community. Listen to the stories, spend time focusing on people not things, and BE THANKFUL no matter what the circumstance!!

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

Time is a funny thing. You all know what I mean. You are sitting in a meeting, a doctor’s waiting room, a line of traffic, a boring desk job and the clock moves at a snail’s pace, and you feel like you have been there “forever”! Then, on other occasions you are sitting at the beach, at a family dinner, or some long-awaited event and in the blink of an eye it is over! When you are young you can’t wait to grow up and time feels so slow; when you are older, you want time to slow down and the birthdays to stop coming so fast! When you have little kids, they seem to grow up so fast, but once they are grown and gone, the days slow down as you look forward to seeing them again. Fast, slow, slow, fast, time is a funny thing.

A few things are true about time. The first is that unlike money, no one is making more time. This means we all have exactly how much time the Lord has given us to live. 24 hours, (1,440 minutes) a day. Also, we can’t get time back. It’s not like returning an item to the store and getting our refund. Once spent, time is gone. Another important aspect to time is that we have zero control over how much we have or the speed in which time seems to move; however, we DO have control over how we spend it!

This leads to an important truth about time; intentionality is key. I have heard many times that “if you don’t tell your time where to go, it will tell you”. For me, and I am sure many of you, you often get to the end of the day or week and wonder, where did the time go? What did I do? Being intentional with time means that you plan how you will spend your days. Now for a spontaneous, free spirit like me, this somewhat goes against my nature. I have for years lived a little more by the philosophy of “what do I feel like doing today?” Of course, work days are clear, but what about summer, weekends….Well, it has taken me a while to figure this out, but I have discovered that when I am intentional with my time, I find I am more fruitful and more fulfilled.

All of this musing, leads to a much more important question. What does God say about time? On the one hand, He is an advocate for planning, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ” Luke 14:28. The writer Proverbs says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Prov. 21:5) and in Ephesians Paul writes: ¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:15-16). I think it is safe to say that planning is important to God.

However, God’s teaching on time is more complicated than that because, of course, He is God and as the maker of time, He sees time differently. Peter writes, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” God’s view on time can not be defined in human terms.

In Matthew 6 Jesus’ teaches about trusting God for all our needs, wrapping up his message with an important truth: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33) Jesus is making an important point here: prioritize me first, and don’t worry about anything else. While this message seems to be about material needs, I think it also applies to our time.

Seeking God first is really the secret to time management for the believer, and Jesus is our model for this. In Mark chapter 1, we read after a night of healing and miracles in Capernaum, Jesus’ seeks the Father:

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”  And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:35-38)

There is so much to learn here in this short passage, but as I think about my time, the message for me is to not waste another day making my own plans without starting first with a conversation with the Maker of time. If this is the way Jesus lived His life, then I have no other option. I don’t want to get to the end of the day wondering where the time went and whether I accomplished anything of eternal value. I only have so much time to make an impact on this world for Christ, so I don’t have time to squander moments on unnecessary things. In my humanness, there is no way I will always make the best choice with my time, so if I am serious about living like Jesus, I need to follow His lead and consult the One who has a purpose for my days FIRST before anything else! Now, I am not suggesting that we throw out all of our planners and just go with the flow, but just like Jesus, may we be able to let God manage our time and be ready to “go on to the next towns..” knowing this “is why” we are here!

Ever since Elsa danced into our lives in Disney’s hit Frozen, people have been singing the song, “let it go”. How many times have you heard you need to “let go of your bitterness”, “let go of your fear, let go of your insecurities, let go of your need to control….. The challenge to “let go” is one that is a common encouragement for Christ followers, but why do we need to “let go” of some things? The simple truth is when we hang on to things like past hurts, worries about the future, lies about our significance…. our emotions and attitudes can become toxic. Like a disease in the body, these things can hang around and cause all sorts of havoc. So, the answer is to give them to Jesus. With open hands we surrender the things that we have been holding onto into the hands of the master. Jesus is strong enough, big enough, powerful enough and In Matthew 11, Jesus spelled out how we are to do this:

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Coming to Jesus, resting in His love gives us freedom from our burdens. We “let go” of the things that are heavy on us by transferring them to Jesus and we experience healing.

But wait! It is easy to see the need for “letting go” but let’s flip the switch. What if I told you that the key to finding rest is to “NOT let go!!” Consider for a minute you are in a lake and have lost your strength, someone throws you a life preserver and says “hang on”. This is clearly a time when you will agree that the answer is to “NOT LET GO.” From a spiritual perspective this concept is crucial. Sometimes in life we have things we need to let go of, but sometimes we have things that are surrounding us. (like the lake) These things can feel unsurmountable. In fact, they are things out of our control and we have only one choice. “Hang on”. You see, Jesus is our life preserver! In deepest valleys and darkest pits, He is our ANCHOR.

The writer of Hebrews explains it this way in his discussion of Jesus: 19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (6:19)

Jesus is our HOPE; he is the one we hang onto when life is tough, when things are simply too much for us to handle! This sounds good in theory but how do we do it? We do it by fixing our eyes (and our hearts) on him. To get practical, let’s take a look at a man who found himself surrounded by “water”.

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33)

This is a great story with lots of wonderful truths, but the main element I want to hone in on is verses 29-30. Jesus told Peter to “come” and Peter got out of the boat and literally walked on water! He was doing fine cruising along on the water as he walked toward Jesus until he looked around and saw the “wind”. As soon as he focused on the wind, he became afraid, but Jesus reached out his hand and caught him and called him out for his doubting. Now, none of us should blame Peter. I mean no one had ever walked on water before, but the key here was that instead of focusing on Jesus, the one who could calm the seas, Peter focused on the storm and in essence, let go of his “life preserver”. Let’s key in on one other important truth here and that is, when Peter began to sink, Jesus “immediately” was there to save Peter. He didn’t leave him alone in his fears and lack of faith; Jesus grabbed hold of Peter and brought him into safety! This is what it means to have Jesus as your savior. He pulls us out of the water and gives us solid ground to stand on! His purpose on this earth was to carry out the greatest rescue mission ever; all we have to do is grab his hand!

When we look around us, it’s easy to get discouraged by the “wind and waves” of life! Maybe you find yourself in an impossible situation and feel helpless and without hope. Maybe you are in a place where you are surrounded by circumstances and situations where you feel out of control! Maybe you feel afraid because you are focusing on the “wind and waves” and you are starting to sink! Maybe it is time for you to grab onto Jesus or rather let him grab onto you, and just “DON’T LET GO”!

Read Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, Acts 1:1-11

Today, all over the world, people are celebrating the greatest comeback story ever told – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!  Yet, this is not a story. It was a real event that literally changed the course of history and began a movement that has transformed the lives of billions of people during the past 2000 years. Without the resurrection, we have the story of great teacher who was falsely accused, and ended up dying on a cross. With the resurrection, He solidifies His teaching that He was not just a great teacher. You see, on numerous occasions, Jesus claimed to be God. (Mark 14:62, John 18:5-6, John 8:24, 28)  The Messianic title Son of Man and the words “I am” were known by all of the Jews as titles reserved for God Himself, so on the day when He rose from the grave, He proved this once and for all! No one has ever raised from the dead, it is not natural. Resurrection from the dead is a supernatural occurrence and reveals that Jesus is truly who He said He was. Not a great teacher, who did a lot of great miracles and died as a sacrifice, but THE RISEN LORD!  Because of the resurrection, we who believe in His name will also not die but will have everlasting life! (John 3:16)

While a resurrection from the dead can not be scientifically proven, if you put the case on trial, the evidence is so overwhelming that no one who gives it an honest investigation can walk away and deny its validity. In order to say that the resurrection did not happen, a person would have to deny evidence that is beyond explanation any other way. Thousands of skeptics have tried to disprove this event, and all who were honest in their evaluation of the evidence, came to one conclusion: It happened. When you come to this verdict, you have no other choice but to put your faith in Jesus as God and this in turn changes everything! You read His teaching differently, knowing that everything Jesus taught was God’s instruction for man. You desire to obey, knowing that what He did – dying on the cross for you – was done out of a great love for His creation. See, the reality of the resurrection makes everything make sense! 

All four gospel writers record the resurrection. Each of the writers gives the details of this event from different angles, but there is no debate on whether it happened or not! The Bible and history learned from extra-Biblical literature makes the case for the resurrection rock solid. First, consider the disciples. Remember yesterday they were hiding out, afraid to come out in public for fear of arrest, but after this day, they are completely changed. They go from fearful followers to fiery preachers almost overnight. They preach about the resurrection with such confidence that no warnings of beating, imprisonment or death can deter them. You see, something changed them and there is no other logical conclusion except that they must of come face to face with the risen Lord. When you have an encounter with the risen Lord, you are a never the same again! Then, there is Paul. Paul was a zealous persecutor of the early church until one day he meets the risen Lord. His whole life and mission changed on that Damascus road, and He boldly preaches and writes about the reality of the resurrection for the rest of his life. Also, Jesus’ brother, James, who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God before the resurrection, becomes a believer and important leader in the early church! (1 Cor. 15:5-7). Change like we see in these men is not natural. It is only possible because of something supernatural – A man rising from the dead! 

Another important aspect of the resurrection is the empty tomb. Unlike the majority of famous people throughout history, there is no grave to visit for Jesus Christ. A trip to Israel won’t take you there because the tomb was empty!  The Pharisees and religious leaders floated a rumor that the disciples stole the body, but think about it, these men were hiding out in fear just hours before the tomb came up empty. What would have caused them to come out of hiding, fight off a Roman guard and move a giant stone? It is not logical, and also doesn’t explain why almost all of them eventually died a martyr’s death. Why would they die for something they knew was a lie? Additionally, during the days that follow Christ’s resurrection, if they had stolen the body, the Romans would have found it and held it up for all to see. Jesus appeared to over 500 people after His resurrection. The gospels were written while these people were still living, so if the resurrection had not happened, someone would have said so, but that is not what happened. Instead, billions of people  have believed in the resurrection and have changed lives to prove it. Christianity is a movement that has been attacked throughout the past 2000 years, but nothing and no one has been able to stop it because the truth can not be silenced! It happened, and because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this world has never been the same! 

The resurrection was a miracle! The greatest miracle of all time and isn’t that what we are all longing for? A miracle? We want them to find a cure for this “silent enemy” which has attacked our lives. We are in the fight of our lives as we race for a cure, a vaccine, answers. We want our lives back, our jobs back, our peace back! This war we are in feels relentless and we wonder if we will ever win! But, wait, VICTORY is what this day represents! This one event was a game changer ending satan’s plans once and for all! Peter’s words are true: “God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.” (Acts 2:24). Death had no hold over Him, and it has no power over us who believe anymore. In fact, the power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us through the Holy Spirit! “ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Rom. 8:11. Because of the Spirit’s power, we can overcome sin’s grip on us. As we daily yield our lives to Him, we can experience victory on a daily basis!! I pray that we can truly understand the truth of what the power of the resurrection means! This prayer from the apostle Paul is my prayer for us as we face this pandemic: 

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. ²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Let’s rejoice; let’s celebrate; He is ALIVE and His Life gives us both abundant life on this earth and eternal life in heaven!

To God be the Glory; Great things He Has Done!