Oh Glorious Day!

March 31st, 2013 dsisler

It’s Sunday morning. Not just any Sunday, but Resurrection Sunday. Easter Sunday.

 

As a child I recall going to the cemetery on Easter morning for sunrise service. Later as an adult, Easter sunrise service was a highlight of the year. It was very meaningful and that single hour seemed more special than any other hour of service.

 

There are sunrise services each year at different locations here in Colorado that promise to be spectacular. Red Rocks Amphitheater hosts a service each year, as does Royal Gorge Bridge. These are always well attended.

 

Many mountain communities have their own services scheduled, as well as local churches. If you are looking for a sunrise service, here in Colorado or in your local community, I’m sure you can find one.

 

Maybe a cemetery is not the popular choice these days for sunrise service, but Easter Sunrise services certainly are.

 

Why do you suppose that is? For Christians, I certainly know. We see this morning as victory over death. As a reminder that Jesus rose from the dead on this day so long ago. And what a glorious day it is!

 

But what about unbelievers, what attracts them to these services each year? Perhaps something is missing from their life. Perhaps they are seeking peace, hope, anything.

 

The good news? Jesus can provide peace, hope, or anything anyone is seeking.

 

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. He is the All, the Bright and Morning Star, the Guardian of our souls. He is the Prince of Peace, the Word, the Everlasting Light.

 

He is the Hope of Glory, the Fountain, the Living Stone. He is the Mediator, the Physician, the Advocate. He is the Bread, the Spiritual Rock, the Lamb of God.

 

He is the Good Shepherd, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Counselor. He is the Door, the Alpha and Omega, the Chief Cornerstone. He is the Gift from God, the Messiah, the Redeemer.

 

He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

 

On this Easter morning, whatever it is you’re seeking, you will find in Jesus Christ. If you have any doubt, just follow the advice of the angel when speaking to the women in Matthew 28:6. “Come and see…”

 

Come and see what Jesus can be for you. Come and see what Jesus can do for you. You will never be the same.

 

For your personal reading, the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ may be found in Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; and John 20:1-9.

 

When the secular influence is stripped away from Easter morning, all that remains is Jesus and His resurrection. Jesus fulfilling all of my needs. Jesus accepting me for who I am. Jesus my Bright and Morning Star.

 

As for me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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The Wait

March 30th, 2013 dsisler

It’s the day after Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. Now the disciples and followers waited. Waited for the day they could prepare Jesus’ body for final burial. Waited for whatever might happen next. They certainly weren’t sure what was going to take place.

 

If you had been a follower of Jesus, what would you have felt on that Saturday after the crucifixion?

 

Despair

Hopelessness

Anger

Sadness

Disappointment

Helplessness

Uncertainty

Grief

Shock

Fear

Gullible

 

To be honest, these are all valid emotions. But how could it have come to this?

 

The followers of Jesus believed Jesus to be the Messiah! They believed God had sent Him to fulfill His promises! Why did God let this happen? How could He let this happen?

 

It was a sad day—how could they possibly know that this was part of God’s plan? How could they possibly know that Jesus would be alive the next day? How could they possibly believe that Jesus would be victorious over death?

 

Because they had seen it

They saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). They saw Him bring the Widow’s son at Nain back to life (Luke 7:11-15). They had seen Jesus raise Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-25; Mark 5:22-24, 38-42; Luke 8:41-42, 49-56). These were undeniable miracles. They knew it was possible.

 

Because Scripture had told them

The prophecies of the Old Testament gave them the hope that it was possible. Here are a couple of them.

 

Psalm 16:9-10 says, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” And we can be assured that the believers knew this because Peter used these very verses on the Day of Pentecost while discussing the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Isaiah 53 gives a description of the suffering Savior. Verse 10-11 says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify any, and he will bear their iniquities.” Paul points to this and other Old Testament Scripture in relation to the resurrection of Jesus when he states “according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:4)

 

Because Jesus told them

On at least two occasions, Jesus said He would rise from the dead.

 

Matthew 20:17-19 tells us, “Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’”

And also, John 2:19 says, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.”

 

These same promises are ours today. There is no reason to feel any of the emotions listed earlier in regard to your spiritual life. We have hope. We have a future. We have the promises of God.

 

We also know that Jesus was alive on Sunday morning. For that, we can rejoice and be thankful.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Calvary

March 29th, 2013 dsisler

The location: A rocky hillside outside of Jerusalem.

 

The characters: Criminals, Roman soldiers, scoffers, mourners, Satan, Jesus.

 

The plot: Destroy God’s plan to save mankind.

 

The scene: Crowds of people gather to witness the death of criminals. Men who had gone against the law. Two against the laws of man. One against the laws of God. At least this is what the crowd believes.

 

Other occurrences: Darkness covers the land for three hours; an earthquake; rocks are split in two; tombs break open; the curtain of the temple is torn in two from top to bottom.

The truth: Mary, Jesus’ mother, knew for certain this was God’s Son. A few of Jesus’ followers stood nearby and believed that Jesus was God’s Son. Upon seeing all that had occurred, a Roman Centurion confesses, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Jesus commits His spirit to His Father.

 

Our truth: Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God. The One who took our sin that day and bore it so that we might have forgiveness of that sin. Without Calvary, we would not have hope, salvation, or eternal life.

 

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

(Isaiah 53:4-5)

 

If you’d like to read the whole account of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial, you can find it in the following passages.

Matthew 27:32-61

Mark 15:21-47

Luke 23:26-56

John 19:16-42

 

We, as Christians, know this isn’t the end of the story. Victory prevails come Sunday morning. This day, Good Friday, is our day to remember what Jesus was willing to do for us. And I for certain can say, “by His wounds I am healed.”

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Remember

March 28th, 2013 dsisler

Two years ago, Mom and I spent a week in Daytona together. On one of those days, Mom and I went to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando. It was amazing. Our first “experience” was in the upper room.

 

A character playing the role of Jesus entered the room and spoke. He shared some of the teachings of Jesus and then led us in a special service. The special service we know as The Lord’s Supper or Communion.

 

I was drawn back in time and thought of the events that took place.

 

The upper room was prepared. 13 Jewish men sat at the table to observe the Passover Feast. To remember the events of that night long ago when the Hebrew Nation was released from slavery and allowed to leave Egypt for the first time in 400 years.

 

In the midst of the meal, Jesus instituted a special observance. The Lord’s Supper…His Supper.

 

This initial Supper is recorded in three of the four gospels. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22 give us the details of the meal and the context where Jesus first shared in this symbolic meal.

 

Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it. He then gave it to His disciples. “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then in the same way He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples. “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

In all accounts, Jesus tells the disciples that He would not eat or drink of this new covenant until He was with them in His Father’s kingdom, at the great wedding banquet.

 

There is one other location in Scripture where we find the account of the Lord’s Supper. It is in 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. The gospel of Luke and the 1 Corinthians passage give us six more words. “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Perhaps you’ve seen these words on the front of a Communion Table at the front of a local church. They are a reminder that we are to do this…in remembrance of what Jesus did for us.

 

A few other mentions of this remembrance can be found. They show us different names for this observance. Let’s see what they say.

 

Acts 2:42. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Here we see it called breaking of bread.

 

Acts 20:7. “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.” In this passage, the Lord’s Supper is mentioned as to break bread.

 

1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 21. “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” The Lord’s table is yet another reference.

 

Regardless of the term we determine to call our special time with God, we are called to proclaim the Lord’s death until His return, be reverent, to partake in a worthy manner, to examine ourselves, and to remember. (1 Corinthians 11:26-29; Luke 22:19)

 

What a special week. The week we remember all that Christ did for us. His teachings, His actions, His love. They all point us to the cross and empty tomb. Today is no different. During that holy week, on Thursday, He met with His closest friends and celebrated the Passover meal with them. Do you consider yourself a friend of Jesus? If so, won’t you join me this coming Lord’s Day to remember?

 

If you are not a believer, there is no better time than now to accept Jesus as your Savior.

 

I was introduced to a song this past Sunday that was sung during our Communion service that touched me. I’d like to share the lyrics with you (almost reminds you of Musical Musing in March doesn’t it?).

 

Carried to the Table

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me[i]

 

I would love for you hear this wonderful song. You can do so by clicking on this link. I pray that God will touch you today in a special way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b61xciKbreY

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] Carried to the Table, Leeland, 2006

 

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The Final Parables

March 27th, 2013 dsisler

Yesterday I started going through some of Jesus’ teachings during the week before His crucifixion and resurrection. He had so much to say to the crowds…and to us as well. Jesus shared six parables during that week and today, we’ll be looking at them.

 

The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)

Two sons…each asked to work in the field. One said no, and then later changed his mind. One said yes, but didn’t go to the field to work at all.

 

This parable was spoken for the Jewish leaders. They had rejected Jesus and His message. But those considered sinful and unworthy by the religious leaders had a better chance of entering the Kingdom. It was an attitude thing.

 

The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)

A vineyard was rented out to tenants. When the time came to collect the fruit, three servants were sent to collect and they were beaten, killed and stoned. Other servants were sent and treated in this same manner. Finally, the son of the landowner was sent. He was killed for his inheritance.

 

The servants in this parable represent Old Testament prophets and the son represents Jesus. Jesus was showing that the Jewish nation had rejected God’s Son and that the Gospel would be shared with Gentiles.

 

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14)

A wedding feast is prepared. The guests are invited. But no one shows. Again the invitation is sent. But instead of simply not attending, some of the servants are mistreated and killed. Enraged, the king sent his army, destroyed the murderers and burned their city.

 

The servants were once again sent out to extend the invitation, but this time to those who were on the streets…anyone the servants found. The wedding hall was filled with guests.

 

This parable again taught that the Jewish nation would not be the only people to share in the Kingdom of God. It would be open for any who might accept the Gospel and Jesus. Those who do accept this gift must mature spiritually. Through our maturity may we show that we are God’s people.

 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

Ten virgins with lamps and oil. Five had enough oil. Five were unprepared. When asked if the oil could be shared, they were told “no, go buy your own.” The Bridegroom arrives and escorts the five with oil into the wedding banquet. The other five were left outside, unknown by the Bridegroom.

 

This parable means one thing. That we must keep our minds on Jesus and must be ready when He comes. If you are not prepared or ready, you will not enter into the wedding feast.

 

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

One master, three servants, nine talents. One servant given five talents, one given two, and one given one. The master goes away and after a long time, he returns to settle accounts with the servants.

 

The servant with five talents gained five more. The master was pleased and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

 

The servant with two talents gained two more. The master repeats his message to the second servant.

 

The servant with one talent feared the master and buried the talent in the ground to keep it safe. The master was angered. He called the servant “wicked and lazy.” The servant was thrown outside into the darkness and the talent was given to the first servant.

 

As we are awaiting the return of Christ, we must not play it safe. We must be serving and diligent in all areas of our Christian walk. We can also see that we are to be faithful and good stewards of what is provided to us.

 

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another…” The sheep to His right and the goats to His left.

 

To the sheep He says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

 

And the reason? They had fed Jesus when He was hungry; quenched His thirst when He was thirsty; invited Him in as a stranger; clothed Him when He was naked; took care of Him when He was sick; and visited Him in prison.

 

The sheep asked when they had done this and Jesus replied that when they gave to anyone in need they had indeed given to Jesus. The sheep were given eternal life.

 

He then turned to the goats and said, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

 

Why? They hadn’t given to Jesus as the sheep had and since they hadn’t given to anyone, they were sent to eternal punishment.

 

Oh, how Jesus wanted them (and us) to understand that showing love to others in need is so important in the Kingdom. We must not sit by and watch as our fellow Christians suffer. If we can lend aid, we should do so.

 

Now this doesn’t mean that we can “earn” our way into heaven. No, we must give and serve without expectation of any reward.

 

I mentioned yesterday that Jesus was busy. He certainly was. Busy doing Kingdom work. God’s work. I pray that these parables will offer something for you today. These words spoken nearly 2,000 years ago can have such impact on our lives. Let’s listen intently to all that Jesus has to say to us.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

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