Kissed by the Spirit

“In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35 (NAB)

Helping the weak and keeping  the words of Jesus in our minds was the advice of Luke, who wrote the book of Acts. Luke said that Jesus taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive, but giving can involve things much greater than money. 

Our response to someone in the present moment might require the giving of our attention or our time, even when it’s inconvenient, which can be a greater gift than giving money. It’s easy to miss an opportunity that comes in the present moment, while we are driven to focus on where we need to go, what we have to do and who we need to see. In that driven state of mind, we might easily miss someone sent to us. 

The Spirit of God speaks to us through a series of moments throughout each day, sometimes by prompting us to notice someone who is otherwise, unnoticeable. God notices all people, and He desires to show mercy to each one, but He likes using people like us to do it.

A busy mother recently shared how she was on an errand in a grocery store with her young children beside her. Being pressed for time and checking her watch, an elderly stranger began to strike up a conversation with her. Her first thought was that she had no time for conversation, but then she took a moment to pause and give attention to her. She gave her time to listen to a kind lady who wanted to talk, and afterward, they were both blessed.

How often during a busy day, filled with errands and agendas, might we miss the person sent to us in a present moment? There will always be someone who we were meant to give something to, whether it’s our time, attention, a kind word or a gift. It’s what Jesus meant about reaping more when we give than when we receive.

Giving our time and attention to a person who is often overlooked could be the most generous gift they have ever received. Noticing those who usually go unnoticed, can bless them in a rich and lasting way. It’s all part of the lessons I’m learning through my visits at the Nursing home. 

One day last week while sitting at a table with the residents, one resident had his aunt visiting him. She bought him a can of soda from the vending machine, and then gave money to his friend who sat next to him, so that she could buy a can of soda too. A third person sitting with us already had their own beverage to drink, and I had brought a beverage from home. 

So, four out of five people sitting at the table now had beverages to drink, except a resident named Mary Beth, who was sitting next to me. As we were talking, she never asked for a beverage for herself. 

I couldn’t help but notice that she was left out, so I pulled $2 from my wallet and gave it to her, to buy herself a beverage. She was overwhelmed with gratitude over that $2, so much so, that she couldn’t stop thanking me for buying her a can of soda pop. It was as if I gave her a gift of great value. 

Although her gratitude seemed disproportionate to a small gift, it occurred to me that it wasn’t the money or the beverage that made Mary Beth so grateful. Knowing that she never receives any visits from family or friends, I think buying her a drink made her feel special in that present moment. 

That whole experience made me more aware of who is in my present moment, that might benefit from anything I can give, even if it’s only a smile, a kind word or a simple gift of a canned beverage. Like the stranger in the grocery store or any person who feels unnoticed, God sends them along our way, into the moments of our day, so that we can give them our time and attention in the spirit of God’s love.

Lord, remind us that it’s the little acts of kindness during the brief present moments of our day, that bloom into the biggest blessings for all. Amen

“Because he knows my name I will set him on high.

He will call upon me and I will answer;

I will be with him in distress;

I will deliver him and give him honor.”

Psalm 91:14-15 (NAB)

The words in this Psalm are spoken by the Lord, telling us if we know His name and call upon Him, He will answer and deliver us in the day of our distress. At the time the Psalmist was inspired to write this, he didn’t know the name of God or the name of the future Messiah. The Holy Spirit inspired David to write about a special name, which was not yet revealed. He had no idea that the holy name was “Jesus.”

God’s name has always been hidden throughout the history of the Old Testament. Moses heard the voice of God, and listened to His words in the flames of a burning bush, and on top of a thundering mountain, but God never revealed His name to him. When Moses directly asked God what His name is, He answered, 

“I AM who I AM.”

To this day, the most religious sects of Judaism consider it sacrilegious to say or write “God.”They refer to Him as the Most High or the Eternal One. In Jewish literature, His name is spelled 

“G-d”, omitting the middle letter, in reverence for the One who is too holy to write or even utter the word, God. They usually refer to Him as, “Hashem”, which means 

“The Name.” 

The Hebrew reverence for God’s unspoken name began in ancient Israel and remained a mystery for thousands of years, until the day something unprecedented happened. The “Most High” God visited a young Jewish virgin from Nazareth, named Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph. On that day the Spirit of Almighty God overshadowed her womb and she conceived the Messiah and Savior of the world, who is both human and divine. 

In one of the most incredible moments of human history, God revealed His holy, unspeakable name for the first time to that young Hebrew virgin girl. The angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that the name of the divine son in her womb is Jesus, pronounced “Yeshua.”

It’s the holiest and most powerful name in the universe, because it belongs to the second person of the Trinity. When God became flesh, He revealed His sacred name to Mary first and then to Joseph, second. It’s the name above all names, never revealed to Moses, or to the holy prophets of old, nor to any of ancient heroes of Israel, like David, Samson, Gideon, Joshua or King Solomon. 

It’s just like God to first announce the name of His only beloved Son, to a poor and humble young virgin girl in Nazareth. 

Since then, the name of Jesus has been revealed to the rest of the world. Jesus told everyone who believes in Him to ask anything in His name and He will do it. He encouraged us to keep asking, seeking and knocking in His name, because the bible says there is no other name given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Since that day, God’s name is no longer kept secret, and He doesn’t need to be called by vague titles like Hashem, I AM, Eternal One or the Most High. The name of Jesus is a gift to the entire world, and has been openly shared with all generations as well as those yet to come. Jesus stands ready to intercede for any person who calls upon Him, because He is the divine Mediator, the One who brings all of mankind back to His Father. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Jesus healed and delivered many people in the three years of His ministry, and those people had no profound or wise answers to give the Pharisees when they were questioned. They only knew that they were once blind, crippled, lame, deaf or spiritually bound, but were made whole by a man named Jesus. Knowing His name was enough back then and it’s enough for us today as well. 

The once nameless God who spoke to Moses in a fiery bush and a thundering mountain, has transcended Sinai’s stone tablets, putting His law in our hearts and His name on our lips. God is with us in our distress, when we keep His name on our lips. 

David didn’t know the name of Jesus, but it was revealed to us. Now we can trust Him to comfort, protect, heal, deliver, forgive, save and direct us, while blessing us with His peace, all in His name.

Lord, thank you for the precious gift of your name, Jesus. Invoking your name gives glory to God, showers us with mercy and brings a part of Heaven to earth. Amen

“And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark 5:34 (RSV)

In most gospel accounts of healing, a sick person was brought to Jesus, because their healing was usually initiated by friends or family. A paralytic had good friends, who made a hole in the roof to lower him down to Jesus, because of the size of the crowd. Parents brought their children to Jesus, or invited Him to come to their home to heal them. Everyone had someone in their life, who played a supportive role in their healing, which is what a faith community is for. 

It’s a blessing to have the support of family and friends, but there are going to be times in everyone’s life, when our problems still leave us feeling isolated or alone. The woman with the hemorrhage was completely alone, but determined in her effort to see Jesus and receive healing. Having no one to bring her to Him, she inspired herself, saying, “If I but touch His clothes, I shall be cured.” 

(Mark 5:28)

Scripture doesn’t explain her situation, or why she came to Jesus alone. We are only told that she suffered with a hemorrhage for twelve years, so she had to be physically weak. According to Jewish religious law, her condition would make her unclean to touch or be near. By all those factors, she was a stranger, alone, untouchable and very weak. As if that wasn’t enough, she needed to find a way to get through the dense crowd, in order to touch the edge of Jesus’ clothing.

She was different from the rest of the crowd, believing that she only needed to touch the fringe of His garment, to be healed. She had self directed faith, without a single friend or relative to help her out.

There will be times in our life that, although we have family and friends, we still need to exercise our faith alone. In those moments, we need to inspire and direct ourselves to trust in Jesus. We may need to go to church alone, go to the doctor alone, pray alone, have medical tests alone, or troubleshoot various problems alone. 

It is in those times, that we must speak faith to ourselves, by touching Jesus, which is the kind of persevering faith, that unleashes the divine power of God.

With all that she was dealing with, the woman could have easily allowed herself to withdraw and indulge in self pity. She could have prayed, but sat alone, waiting to see if Jesus would ever notice her, but instead, her actions initiated her miracle. 

The woman in this story pushed through a crowd, reaching out with all of her strength, and unleashed His power of healing, before Jesus ever laid eyes on her. 

One unnamed woman, caused Jesus to abruptly stop walking and look around. She touched the hem or fringe of His garment, and a surge of power went out from His body to hers. He turned to the crowd and asked who touched Him. When He met her and learned her story, He was impressed with her faith, calling her “daughter”, and telling her that her faith has healed her.

Jesus could feel power leave His body, but in His humanity, He had no knowledge of who touched Him. In His divinity, He knew that healing power went out from Him, at that precise moment. As I read this, it made me wonder how faith caused power to leave His body and heal hers. It’s amazing that it all started by speaking faith to herself. She had self directed, persevering faith which led to action, and unleashed the divine power of healing.

Maybe we should always be speaking faith to ourselves. Jesus called her daughter, though He wasn’t old enough to be her father. He was reminding us that we are all sons and daughters of our Father, in Heaven, who we pray to with confidence because He loves us.

Jesus praised her, which teaches us that even when we feel weak or alone, God’s love is enough for us. As we motivate ourselves with words of faith, we unleash His power to receive a miracle. Jesus is also saying to us, “Your faith has healed you, Go in peace.”

Lord, give us the courage to speak faith to ourselves, to continue to reach out and receive a miracle. Amen

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Jeremiah 31:3 (RSV)

God’s love for us is what motivates Him to remain so steadfast in faithfulness towards us, even when we are not. Everything God does for us is out of love. Jeremiah wrote so many wonderful scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

Just like Jesus, Jeremiah hoped to stir the hearts of people to return to God, but instead, both men suffered ridicule, public disgrace, arrest, and imprisonment. During Jeremiah’s time, the nation was in a crisis and God called him to speak His words to the people. He said things that were profound but also brought him to tears, which is why Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet.”

He lived during a time of political instability and extreme moral decay. His nation was under the threat of Babylonian captivity, and though his words were mostly ignored, the influence of his writing was much greater after Jeremiah’s death. Some of the most hope filled and beautiful verses in scripture came from this weeping prophet, whose tears bore much fruit later on.

God told Jeremiah that He loves us with an everlasting love. His book is a book filled with words of hope, promises of restoration, and descriptions of the complexity of human nature. 

God inspired Jeremiah to write about His unwavering love and good plans for each of us, saying “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) 

It was through Jeremiah, that God promised the Israelites, who lost their faith and turned to idols, that He would make a new covenant with them and renew their faith. God loves prodigal nations as much as prodigal children. How is such love and mercy even possible, considering the faults and faithlessness of His chosen ones? 

It’s possible only because God sees great worth and value in each one of us, even if we cannot see it in ourselves or others. He speaks to individuals for years in subtle ways, though it may not click within them until later in their lives. God keeps pouring His abundant grace upon us all.

(Romans 5:20)

It reminds me of what Jesus said in Revelation to one of the churches, “Your last works are greater than the first.” Our last works are wherever we are today in our present state. God doesn’t dwell on the past, He is the ever present God of today. There are people who once might have been apathetic or lukewarm regarding devotion to Jesus, but they have had a renewal of faith, so that their current faith and works are greater than their earlier days.

Other people may have spent an entire lifetime, having worked, served, and loved Jesus, faithfully throughout the years. Through many trials God has produced a spiritual endurance within them. Because of this, it can also be said that their last works are greater than their first. Whether we are life long faithful believers or re-committed believers, we equally receive His love, mercy and faithfulness, simply because God is good. 

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah, about how highly valued we are in God’s eyes. He loves us with an everlasting love, and we could never do one thing to earn that kind of love, because it’s unconditional. No wonder Jeremiah wept so much.

If we could fully understand right now, how much worth and value God sees in each of us, we would probably collapse, overwhelmed with awe at such love, and weep like Jeremiah. It’s never too late to become who God meant us to be or where God meant us to be. He is a God of fourth quarter victories and last minute turn arounds in all lives.

The only thing that keeps some people from understanding the His steadfast love for them is pride or self hatred. A minister who counsels hundreds of depressed people each year, once said that pride and self hatred are fraternal twins, which coexist and trap people, fluctuating between the two. 

Jesus, however, is a chain breaker, and He breaks through the lies of self hatred and sets  captives free from pride. God sees our worth and our value in ways that we cannot see in ourselves, and which no other human person on earth will ever see in us. 

Lord, we thank you and praise you for your steadfast faithful love and the great value and worth you see in every human being. Amen

“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

Then Judas, the one who would betray him,said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Matthew 26:22,21 & 25 (NIV)

As often as we have heard these scripture passages from the Last Supper, read every year at Easter,  it never occurred to me that all the disciples except Judas, called Jesus “Lord”. Judas called Him “Rabbi” or teacher, which indicates that Judas knew Jesus as a teacher, but not as his Lord. 

I recently heard a Christian speaker say that Judas had his Christology all wrong. He had three years to learn, but he never grasped who Jesus really was. Christology is the study of who Christ is. Jesus was both God and man, based on what He said, such as, “I and the Father are one”, or “No one takes my life from me, I lay it down.” 

When we believe Jesus is who He said He is, we can surrender our lives to Him, trusting that only good will come out of it. A speaker once shared a prayer that he wrote, calling it a daily prayer of Permission and it goes like this:

‘Lord, I give you permission today to use me in any way you desire, and please give me the grace to see your hand in action, so I can give you all the glory. Amen’

I really liked the prayer and on the Monday after Easter, I prayed it for the first time, before heading to the Nursing Home. That day I was sitting at a table with two people and five other residents came and joined us. One of them started sharing his faith in Jesus who gave him strength to recover from a stroke.  I shared a bit of my own life story of faith, and before I knew it, Jesus became the center of our discussion for most of my visit. A few people quietly listened, but most shared their own faith in Jesus. I could see the effect of that prayer of permission, which I prayed that morning. Not every person is at the same place in the journey of faith, but God is still drawing them. His grace certainly surrounded that table and He was glorified through the conversation about His goodness.

Many people are finding out that Jesus is more than a betrayed Rabbi, who suffered at the hands of evil men, and was executed. They are recognizing that Jesus is not merely a good teacher or a prophet sent from God. He is the divine Son of God who willingly offered Himself for us, and He lives to draw more people to Him each day. The cross reveals the relentless love of God for the world and His resurrection assures us of the life changing power that He has given us. 

 He was Lord at His birth and He is our Lord today. Augustine said that to fall in love with God is the greatest human achievement, and when we live in His love and truth, we will gladly give Him permission to use us in any way He desires. 

Lord, we worship you in spirit and in truth, as the Lord of life who loves us with divine, unceasing and ever merciful love. Use us in any way you desire. Amen

“The Lord inhabits the praises of His people.”

Psalm 22:3 (KJV)

One day someone appeared to Joshua, calling himself the commander of the army of the Lord. He bowed in reverence before the Heavenly visitor, who proceeded to give Joshua detailed instructions to follow, that would lead to the fall of Jericho. 

Those instructions involved marching around the city after positioning the priests to carry the ark of the covenant, with the military forces at the front and back of the line. They were told to march around Jericho once a day for six days in silence, but on the seventh day, to march around the city seven times and then blow trumpets and rams’ horns, along with loud shouts of praise to God.

Joshua led the people to follow the instructions and afterward, the ground shook and rumbled, then opened up and the walls of Jericho collapsed straight down into the earth. The city was in the hands of the Israelites and they won the victory, not by their might, but by obedience, in marching, praying, blowing trumpets, shofars and shouting loud praises to God. 

As strange as this story sounds, the excavations done in the 1950’s support the biblical narrative of the Jericho walls. Archaeologists found evidence of walls that collapsed straight down into the earth, instead of falling outward. Both the story and the remains of Jericho date back to around 1400 B.C.

The theme drawn from the Bible story of Jericho has always been that obedience and worship are the pathways to victory and of defeating our spiritual enemies, but there’s also a message about the variety of ways that God receives our worship. 

The Jericho march involved a prescribed number of days and times to march, having trumpets and rams horns prepared to blow at a precise moment, and the order to first march in silence for six days. All the while they carried the golden ark of the covenant, a relic and artifact representing God’s holy presence. On the seventh day, they erupted in loud shouts of praise, as the Heavenly visitor instructed Joshua and the people to do.

The Jericho march followed a definite ritual, and yet it shows us that worship is not limited to one form, but expressed in different ways. God cannot be put in a box, because he accepts all kinds of prayers, whether they are written or spontaneous, repetitive or spoken once, in silent, meditative reverence or accompanied by instruments of music and loud shouts of praise.

There’s no whisper too silent, and no shout of praise too loud, to please God when it comes from a sincere heart. Most people tend to abide by the type of worship of the particular custom they grew up with. Different customs use different expressions of worship, but whatever style we worship in, God always looks at the heart. Even Jesus pointed out that a person may do everything that seems proper, yet their heart could be far away from Him. (Matthew 15:8) 

Thank God for reading our hearts.

I have a friend whose priest recently corrected her for saying “Amen” too quietly whenever she receives communion. She felt reprimanded for speaking softly.

The other side of that situation is a Pentecostal church, whose congregation is so loud with shouts of “Amen” and “Hallelujah” that visitors frequently complain of it being too noisy for a church service.

To all those complaints, I would just say that God is not deaf, and He’s not nervous either.  He accepts praise and worship that comes from a sincere heart, and at any decibel level. The Psalmist wrote that the Lord “inhabits” the praises of His people. When we worship God, He draws near to us, and the walls of doubt and fear  seem to collapse. Whether our hearts lead us to worship in silence or with shouts of praise, all forms of praise bring God closer to us because He inhabits praise.

The story of Joshua reminds us that there is a time to be still and quiet before God, and a time to shout or sing loud praises to Him. Sincere believers will adjust to worship however their heart leads them to, and no one knows the heart of a person, but God. We can express love and praise to God in any form or decibel level and His Spirit responds by being in our midst.

Lord, We praise and thank you for the many ways to express our love for you, and that you look at the heart of every person. With that we say, Hallelujah and Amen.

“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

Matthew 27:66 (NIV)

The Pharisees feared the rumors of resurrection and asked Pilate to help secure Jesus’ tomb, so he granted their request to seal the tomb and appoint an armed guard at the entrance. After studying to learn what this “seal on the tomb” actually entailed, I learned the following:

They stretched a cord across the large stone which blocked the entrance to the tomb. Then they packed clay over each end of the cord, and pressed a wax seal over the clay, which was the seal of the Roman government authority. Finally, they posted an armed guard each day, in front of the tomb for 24 hours.

All these measures to guard the tomb, appeared to work until the third day, as Jesus predicted. On the third day of that Jerusalem spring morning, the earth quaked, the stone was rolled away, the cord was broken and all the wax seals crumbled. The armed guards fell into a deep sleep, probably anesthetized by angels.

Inside the open tomb lay nothing but the grave clothes of Jesus. That separate cloth that was used to cover His head, (sudarium) to hold the jaw closed, was lying apart from the 14 foot cloth (shroud) that covered both His head and body.  

(John 20:7)

There is no power known to man like the blast of resurrection power that resurrected the body of God’s son that morning. No government seals of authority, armed guard, or a massive stone could prevent a God of love from finishing His plan of salvation for us. 

The analysis of the shroud of Turin by forensic scientists, gives us a hint of that mysterious, powerful surge. Other bodies wrapped in grave clothes never left the type of image on a burial cloth as the shroud of Turin has. 

The burial shroud of Turin is the most researched artifact in the history of the world. Scientists all agree that the image was not a painted one, since there is no evidence of pigment on the shroud. The first carbon dating found it to be only 700 years old, but that first sample was taken from a tainted, frequently handled portion, which was patched after surviving two fires. The flax in the linen cloth was from first century Palestine. The coins placed over the eyes to keep them closed according to custom, date back to the time of Pontius Pilate. 

There are blood stains all around the shroud but the image was not made from blood. In one documentary, a scientist said it seemed as if a blast of ultraviolet light, of a single wavelength, projected from the body, outward, and onto the inside of the burial cloth. He describes the mysterious image as similar to an Xray, a photographic negative and a hologram, all merged into one. There is no technology that could recreate such an image today. 

The blood type on the cloth is AB positive, and while the bloodstains match a death by crucifixion and scourging, some questioned why the blood on the shroud remained red in color, since blood turns brown or black over time. 

Dr. Alan Adler, a hematologist, who studied the shroud, answered that question, explaining that a person who is tortured for many hours would release bilirubin from the liver, causing their blood to permanently remain red.

Whether people agree or not on the credibility of the shroud, all believers can agree that the resurrection of Jesus came from the same Source who once said, “Let there be light” and there was light. 

We thank God and celebrate the resurrection that changed the world, and brought forgiveness, hope and new life to every person who believes in His life, death and resurrection. The world has never been the same and lives are still being changed as a result of that empty tomb, 2,000 years ago. 

His resurrection opens doors in our journey of faith, since the source of God’s power that raised Jesus, also dwells in us. Any cord of fear that had a grip on us is now broken. The clay seals of doubt crumble into dust. Powers and principalities of darkness can no longer control us. The healing power of Jesus is for anyone who believes, and there is more power in His blood, than any authorities or words of wisdom in the entire world.

Since His resurrection, we continue to follow Jesus, who left His tomb, leaving His grave clothes behind. We leave our grave clothes behind by living in His resurrection power, until He returns again. 

Hallelujah! He is risen. 

Lord, thank you for our salvation and the resurrection power that brings us healing, deliverance and victory. We give you all the praise and glory. Amen

“From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Matthew 16:21 (NAB)

Today is the exact day that Jesus was crucified was April 3rd, 33 A.D. Historians, archeologists and astronomists have calculated the date based on historical and astronomical events, so today is a special day to be alive and to have the privilege of reflecting on His death.

When I was visiting the Nursing home two days ago, one of the Jewish residents asked me, “What is good about Good Friday.” I immediately thought of this meditation and so I replied, “Friday is good because Sunday is coming.” Without belief in the resurrection, our faith would be left with a void. 

Jesus described everything that would take place, being handed over to the chief priests to suffer and die, but that He would rise again on the third day. It doesn’t get much clearer than that. They listened and heard, but could not comprehend what Jesus was telling them.

Peter surely didn’t understand it, when he drew a sword at Jesus’ arrest, ready to put up a fight. Thomas never anticipated a resurrection, declaring that he would believe it when he feels the nailed prints in his hands. The disciples scoffed at the words of Mary Magdalene, who saw the empty tomb and the risen Jesus. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples didn’t know it was Jesus speaking to them until He broke the bread, and then their eyes were opened. 

Those who don’t understand why Jesus suffered on Good Friday, may ask what is good about Good Friday? It was a dark and sorrowful day, but it was good because Sunday is coming.

Faith does not rely on the senses, and yet we are all sensual beings. The bible defines faith as the assurance of things not seen, yet when it came to the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples needed to see, hear, touch and feel in order to believe it. 

Even after Jesus described His suffering and rising on the third day, they seemed to forget all that He said. I often wonder if they forgot because they were so traumatized after witnessing the torture that took place on Friday. 

If they had really remembered what Jesus said to them, they would have camped out at His tomb, waiting for Him to rise on Sunday morning. Instead, they forgot His words, panicked and then scattered, but their reaction was just as the prophet foretold, “Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered.” (Zechariah 13:7)

We have all experienced a dark day in our lives, like that Friday. Our hopes were crushed and sorrow overwhelmed us for some reason. On Fridays like that, we can forget what God ever said and feel like our faith is sealed away in a tomb. It’s why we were meant to rely on God’s promises and not our feelings. His words are always true, even when we don’t feel it. If we sum up all that Jesus said to us in one sentence, it would sound something like, 

“I love you, keep trusting in Me, I have good plans for you and will give you eternal life.”

Good Friday was not what most would call “Good”, but Friday is not the end of the story either. 

Our hope is in Sunday. There will be a final Sunday that comes one day, with a bodily resurrection of all who have died having faith in Christ, to rise and live eternally with Him. 

On that day, everyone will be healed and completely whole. We will see every loved one we ever lost and learn how God was loving us through all the Fridays of our lives. Whatever Friday is like for us today, it really is good, because Sunday is coming. 

Lord, whatever Friday brings, our hope is in you because we know that Sunday is coming. Amen

Happy Easter ✝️

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.”

Matthew 26:36-38 (NAB)

The garden is where we see the pure humanity of Jesus in raw form. Emotional pain reveals what we value most, from a human perspective. In the garden, Jesus was overwhelmed with emotional pain and desperately sought the support of His closest friends, but they were unavailable since they could barely stay awake.

The word Gethsemane, in Hebrew means, olive press. An olive press crushes the olives, to squeeze the oil out of them. In the garden, Jesus had everything squeezed out of Him, as He was crushed mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

There are times when we may  experience a Gethsemane in our own lives, either through some type of sorrow, affliction or a tragedy that we have no control over. It makes us feel emotionally crushed or squeezed, and Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to be squeezed like olives in a press. 

We cannot control the events that cause it, but there is always some insight to gain through our pain. Pain leads us to finding purpose, and purpose brings inner peace. 

My Gethsemane experience occurred when my adult son, Jon, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 2023. His life came to a crushing halt, by being physically and mentally disabled, living in a Nursing Facility ever since. 

He’s made some progress since his accident, but the entire event was a Gethsemane experience for both of us. For Jon and me, it was time spent in the olive press, only in different ways. Our time in the olive press produces a mysterious healing balm. I’ve found comfort through opportunities to bond with people who’ve suffered with a similar situation. If Jon is ever able to talk about it, he will have a good story to tell.

The oil produced in our garden has a twofold effect. It’s a healing balm that soothes the wounds in our soul, but it also drips onto others that we meet, who share a similar tragedy. 

At the Nursing home, I met the parents of a young man about my son’s age, who has been there just as long as Jon has. It seems that God brought us together, since we both had in common, adult sons in their early forties, who nearly died and sustained serious brain injuries. Both our sons have made some progress in their recovery, but still require long term care. We share a special bond as parents, having been in the mutual olive press, through similar circumstances.

Meeting Martha and Ray, Andy’s parents, gave me peace in knowing that God is so fully invested in our lives, that He would intentionally connect

us with others who share a similar tragedy. Jesus can empathize with every kind of pain known to man, and He will find a way to let us know that He feels our pain, by sending specific people to us in our Gethsemane.

One healing effect of the oil that is pressed out of us, is the peace of knowing that God loves our children more than we do. It helps me to accept the tragedy, trust God for further healing, and know that this is only a chapter in our lives, not the whole book. 

The garden of Gethsemane gives us a personal realization that God is love, and because He loves us, He not only sacrificed His Son for us, but shares a small taste of His suffering with us, along with the hope of resurrection. 

Remembering that Jesus told us to “let the children come to Him”, there’s a mystery of wisdom hidden in His words. He is saying to all parents, that it’s always best to entrust our children to Jesus, at whatever age they are. In the infinite wisdom of God, He uses every dire situation to draw our children closer to Him. 

Whether we are parents or not, strength comes through times of adversity, and adversity might occasionally become a personal Gethsemane. Any way we look at it, God loves members of our family more than we do, and His oil of healing gives us the strength to meet every challenge in the garden, as we learn to trust in His love. 

Jesus’ friends failed to stay awake with Him, yet His strength came from knowing that His Father loved Him, and that love enabled Him to move forward and face the cross. God didn’t remove the cup of suffering from Jesus, but Jesus knew that His Father would bring good out of the evil that was happening. Even if the cup is not removed from us, we can know that a good God brings good out of evil, to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

Someone once said that your pain can be either your prison or your platform. Our platform is used to share our faith with others, by touching and networking lives who share a common trial. Every type of loss becomes a lesson, that reaps inner growth. When we are pressed like olives, our oil of healing is poured out on others. 

Jesus didn’t ask much of Peter, James and John. He only asked them to “remain here and keep watch with Me.” We have a gift of empathy that we can always offer to someone. It’s the gift of keeping watch for them while they are going through an olive press. We do it by just being there and upholding them in prayer. 

When we thrive in unity, as God intended, empathy and comfort are gifts we give to those who are going through a Gethsemane. In this life, we see through a veil, but the Lord assures us that one day the veil will be removed and we will see everything clearly.

Lord, bring your healing balm to all who are pressed or grieving today. Strengthen us by your love, so we can empathize and comfort others who are also suffering. Amen

“Say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

Mark 14:14-15 (NAB)

Jesus celebrated the Passover each year with His disciples, using one of the upper rooms inside a large home in Jerusalem. He knew that it would be the last Passover celebration with His disciples, so He sent a message to the master of that house, asking where His guest room is, so that they could prepare it for the Passover.

The master, or owner of that large home in Jerusalem, most likely routinely rented out the 2nd and 3rd floor rooms for special occasions. I attached pictures, showing the upper room in Jerusalem, which historians agree to be the one that Jesus used.

The upper room is where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, shared Passover meals with them every year for three years, and is also where 120 of them gathered and were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. 

Life changing, supernatural events occurred in that same upper room. One of the most marvelous events was when Jesus entered that room in His resurrected body, and walked through the walls, instead of through the door.  (John 20:19)

Every person is the master of their own spiritual home, deciding to whom and to what they will give their space to. Whatever fills our minds most, whatever desires we yield to the most, and whoever or whatever we pay the most honor to, are the ones in our guest room. 

Jesus is asking for the place of honor in our guest room. Once we quiet the outside noises of the day, and silence the angry and confusing voices all around us, we might hear a soft, gentle voice asking us, 

“Where is My guest room?”

Mary was the first human person who welcomed Jesus into her guest room, which was  her womb. For us, the guest room is not a physical place in our body, but a spiritual one, within our hearts.

If an honored guest or a favorite celebrity came to stay in our home, we would prepare the guest room by cleaning it, putting fresh linens on the bed, and stocking the pantry full of food, so that our guest could dine in excellence. Entertaining a guest is more than giving them a room, but the time spent with our guest. We would not greet them, and leave them with a list of chores, as we run off. 

I can easily slip into a mode of treating Jesus more like a servant than a guest. Servants are those whose job is to please us, but an honored guest is someone we seek to please. Some days I’m handing Jesus a laundry list of prayer requests, then hurrying off to run errands and finish other obligations.

It’s an honor and a joy to have His presence in our guest room, even if nothing got done on our list of prayer requests. It’s about loving Jesus for who He is, and not for what He does for us, because that’s exactly how He loves us.  He wants us to keep asking, seeking and knocking on His door, but to remember that He is also knocking on our door, waiting to be invited in as our guest and dine with us. (Revelation 3:20)

Keeping Jesus as the honored guest and dining with us every day, leads to conversation that consists of speaking and listening. It’s the kind of prayer that deepens our relationship with Him. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant by dining with us.

The guest room in Jerusalem is the place where so many life transforming moments happened during the three years that the disciples spent with Jesus. I can imagine Jesus saying to us, during our hectic daily schedules, 

“I hear you and everything will be okay, just give me my guest room and come dine with Me.”

Lord, today as we invite you into the upper room of our hearts, we thank you for the honor of your Presence, as we dine with you each day. Amen