Kissed by the Spirit

“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

“Only think of me when all is well with you, and please do me the great favor of mentioning me to Pharaoh, to get me out of this place.”

Genesis 40:14 (NAB)

Anyone who feels that life has dealt them many unfair and unjust circumstances, should read the life of Joseph. His hardships began when he was abducted as a teenager, thrown into a cistern by his own brothers, and then sold into slavery to Egyptian slave traders.

Joseph was then sold again to become a household slave whose master treated him fairly, until the woman of the house attempted to seduce him. When Joseph refused her, she falsely accused him of rape, and he was unjustly sent to prison, which was more of a dungeon in those days. 

Joseph was doing time for a crime he never committed, but his reputation among the jail guards and prisoners was stellar. While in prison, he developed friendships and earned respect. A prisoner, who was the former cupbearer to the king, was near the end of his sentence and soon to be released. Joseph asked him to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf, and he promised to do so. After being released, that cupbearer completely forgot about Joseph.

For days, weeks and months, Joseph was hoping and praying that the cupbearer would speak to Pharaoh on his behalf, but he didn’t. Years went by and Joseph never lost his hope because he believed in a God who never forgets anyone. Two long years later, Pharaoh had a disturbing dream one night and asked the cupbearer if he knew of anyone who could interpret dreams. He suddenly remembered Joseph from his time in prison, and told Pharaoh all about him. 

Joseph’s breakthrough moment finally came. Pharaoh required Joseph to tell him what he dreamed and then to interpret it. 

The Lord gave Joseph the details he needed to know so that he told Pharaoh his exact dream and what it meant. Pharaoh was impressed and freed Joseph, then promoted him to second in command over the entire nation of Egypt. 

One of Joseph’s predictions from Pharaoh’s dream was that a drought was coming, so he stocked grain for seven years and there was an abundance of grain for all of Egypt when the famine hit. His grain storage plan saved the lives of people from all the surrounding lands, as well as Egypt, during the famine. 

In Joseph’s life, we see hints of Jesus’ life to come. Through all the injustices, mistreatment and betrayal by his own brothers, in the end of the story, Joseph was the key to feeding the world during a famine. He had enough grain stored up to sell to all who came to Egypt. Jesus feeds the world today with Himself as He told the world that He is the living bread from Heaven. 

The years Joseph spent in the dungeon were not lost years, but years of preparation for a greater mission. Nothing is lost when we entrust our lives to God, because all things work together for the good to those who love Him.

Joseph was an example for anyone who was ever betrayed, falsely accused, unjustly incarcerated or those who feel forgotten. God always was, is and will be our greatest hope, because He never forgets anyone. 

Joseph shows us that we can trust God even when others disappoint us. Joseph was also very forgiving to the people who mistreated him. When Joseph reunited with his brothers and his elderly father, there was only love and forgiveness between them.

If we learn anything from Joseph, it’s that we don’t need an itinerary for our destination in life, when we know that God is our driver.

Lord, give us the patience to wait with faith and to trust in your perfect timing. Amen 

“When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Mark 10:14 (NIV)

We can tell a lot about a person by what makes them angry. Jesus became indignant when people stopped the children from coming to Him. There are a few times in the gospels where Jesus became angry enough to be described as indignant.

I looked up the meaning of the word to better understand it. To be indignant is to be irate, annoyed or outraged. The word in Greek translates “to shutter.”

He was so annoyed with the Pharisees, that He burst into a verbal tirade, that took Matthew twenty verses to record it word for word in his gospel, and we know that Matthew was very accurate. In that one rant, Jesus publicly called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs, vipers, blind guides, fools and greedy, self indulgent hypocrites. Matthew didn’t use the word ‘indignant’ to describe Jesus at that moment, as Mark did in his gospel, but it’s evident that He was. (Matthew 23: 13-33)

Another time that Jesus became indignant was towards the money changers in the Temple, as He drove them all out with a whip. Hypocritical religious leaders who misused His Father’s house made Jesus shutter with anger, but when the children were blocked from coming to Him that day, He became indignant towards His own disciples.

Parents brought their children to Jesus so that He could bless them but the disciples drove them all away. They treated children as if they were unworthy of the Lord’s time or attention, which was the opposite of what Jesus taught. He said that the kingdom of God belongs to children, and then He went even a step further.

He stood a child in front of Him and said, “Unless you become like a child, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven….and whoever humbles himself like a child will be the greatest in heaven.” 

(Matthew 18:3-4)

If it means that much to Jesus that we become as humble as a child, then there is a childlike heart of humility deep within all of us, or Jesus wouldn’t have told us to become like a child. He knows that it is attainable for us.

Although it’s easy for the child in us to get buried beneath the troubles and worries through years of adult living, Jesus is asking us to find our childlike heart, and hold His hand, so He can comfort and guide us in His pathway to peace.  

Isaiah described it beautifully saying,

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

 do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

The righteous right hand of Jesus is reaching out to us every day, hoping we will respond in childlike humility and trust. Whether it’s a scripture verse, a prayer or a childhood memory of faith, Jesus wants us to find our childlike heart that may be buried within us. 

When I want to stir up the child within me, I remind myself of a vivid dream I had at the age of five. I dreamed my elementary school was on fire. Everyone was panicking and running in all directions. As I stood in the school hallway, unsure of which way to go, someone took hold of my right hand and calmly walked me through the halls, around corners and right out the door. I remember being led out in such calmness, in the midst of the chaos all around me.

When I looked up, it was Jesus standing next to me, wearing a white robe with a blue sash, and holding my right hand, but He never said a word. The memory of that image became a life long lesson, to keep my hand in His, and He will be the calm in my chaos. As an adult, I need to remind myself often of that dream, which has remained in my memory like a gift throughout the years. 

The adversities of this life are like fires, and fire brings chaos, but if we can find the child within and trust Jesus to hold our hand, He is with us in the fire, and will calmly guide us to every fire exit.

The trials in our “school of life” are not meant to make us scholars, but saints. Each one of us has a childlike heart of humility buried deep within us, prompting us to trust by keeping our hand in His. Jesus never promised to put out all the fires, but He promised to walk beside us in the fire, and He calmly leads us to the fire exits. He is our calm in the chaos, as we like children, keep our hand in His.

Lord, we begin this Holy Week asking you to rekindle our childlike trust and humility, by keeping our hand in yours, and please bless all the children in the world. Amen

“Provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)

My mother passed away twenty years ago at the age of 92, but just five years ago, her good friend, Elsa, passed away at the age of 102. I learned of her death, too late to attend her funeral service, but her family recorded the entire funeral on YouTube. Each of her relatives gave a touching eulogy, and it was obvious that Elsa lived a very love and faith filled life for the majority of her 102 years. I say the “majority” of her years, because her childhood was cruelly interrupted by the holocaust.

What I remember most about Elsa were the numbers tattooed on her forearm. She grew up in Hungary, during WWII. When the Nazis took over Hungary, her family was taken from their home, and Elsa was separated from them. At the age of twelve, she was sent to a concentration camp, and became a number instead of a person, never to see her family again. 

I cannot recall the details of how Elsa escaped her captors and made it safely to America, but she later married and raised a family, settling in the Chicago area. She lived a long, good life, with those numbers permanently tattooed on her arm, a reminder that beauty comes out of the ashes, as she overcame the sorrowful time in a Nazi camp. 

I found it interesting that not one of her family’s eulogies made mention of Elsa’s time spent in the concentration camp. At first I was perplexed by their neglect of such a sorrowful phase in her life. Each eulogy described who Elsa was and what she meant to her family. Her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren all gave eulogies describing how much love and joy she brought into their lives.

Then it occurred to me that her early period of suffering was not disregarded, but the person she became had overshadowed the tragedy she overcame. During the years of her long life, her family celebrated who Elsa was and what she meant to them, which was greater than the tragedy of her early life. As I listened to the last and final eulogy, I felt hope that all people can become the person God intended them to be, which overshadows all sorrow.

In that moment I imagined Elsa and my mother together in heaven, joyfully reunited in a warm embrace.

The numbers on Elsa’s arm remind me of the ashes of mourning in today’s scripture, which God can turn into a crown of beauty and the oil of gladness. Sorrow, injustice and a spirit of despair can keep us too focused on the ashes, but God gives us immeasurable grace to overcome the most unimaginable sorrows. We have the potential, like Elsa,  to rise above our ashes and become a beacon of hope, love and strength for others. 

The cross of Christ reminds us of the ashes of mourning, symbolic of His suffering, like numbers tattooed on Elsa’s arm reminded her of a time of great sorrow. Everything Jesus suffered was for us, and later turned into a crown of beauty and a garment of praise through His glorious resurrection. 

Jesus is now our beacon of faith, hope, and love, who gives us strength to rise above the ashes. When we wear His cross, it’s a reminder of the grace and mercy that forever exchanged our ashes for a crown of beauty and a garment of praise. 

Lord, thank you for bringing beauty from our ashes, and give us the wisdom to know we are much more than the sum of our suffering, but made to reflect your love into the lives of others. Amen

“But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

1 Peter 4:13 (NIV)

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:17 (NIV)

It’s not a popular topic in Sunday sermons, and no one looks for suffering, but when life brings it, the answers are found in the inspired words of Jesus, and the writings of Peter and Paul. 

They tell us that when we unite ourselves with Christ, we share in His suffering, and when we share in His suffering, we will also share in the glory of His resurrection power.

The drive for success among our current culture, exalts the winners and high achievers, while those who suffer are pitied and thought of as unfortunate. The world celebrates fame, wealth, intellect, talent, athletic fitness and beauty as the goalposts of success, so it’s easy to become conformed to that mindset, and to interpret all suffering as failure.

Jesus said that His peace is not the kind the world offers, and His idea of success isn’t either. Success in His kingdom is not based on the world’s standards, but in being transformed to Heaven’s standards. Jesus taught the most paradoxical ideas, like the last will be first, and those who lose their life for His sake will save it for eternity. 

When we participate in Christ’s suffering, we also participate in His glorious resurrection, and are filled with His power. To combine suffering with power is the most paradoxical combination of all, and it is unique to Christianity alone.

Paul united his suffering to Christ, and his ministry was so anointed by the power of God, that he would merely touch a cloth, which was then brought to the sick and their illnesses were instantly cured. He never even saw the people who were healed. It’s the power that comes from Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. (Acts 19:12)

Paul had a ‘cloth healing ministry,’ but Peter had a ‘shadow casting’ ministry. Whenever he walked down the street, sick people would line up, lying on cots, and as Peter’s shadow was cast over each person, they were all miraculously healed.  (Acts 5:15)

We can learn an essential lesson from these amazing stories of Peter and Paul’s ministry. Both men suffered continual hardship, persecution and beatings. They each carried their own cross of suffering, while at the same time, were empowered to spread faith and healing to the world, in the power of Jesus’ name.

Our lives as believers will also include this odd combination of suffering and resurrection power. 

We may not have a cloth healing or shadow casting ministry, but we all have something that the Spirit of God is developing in us, to spread faith and healing to the world around us. It is achieved by uniting our suffering with Christ’s. It seems like a paradox, but His ways contain many paradoxes. 

God answers prayers, and we praise Him for it, but faith doesn’t deepen by getting all the things we ask for. Spiritual endurance and growth is most powerful, when we face the hardest times in our life. It’s what Peter and Paul were trying to tell us in today’s scripture.

The most difficult trials will be followed by resurrection power. I experienced it after caring for a terminally ill husband, and again in watching the effect of a motorcycle accident on my son’s life. It’s like a mini death, followed by a mini resurrection, that raises us up with renewed endurance. 

These cycles of life deepen our identify with Christ, and help us to discover the new way that His resurrection power is being  manifested. We can trust that God is always doing something new and wonderful, through the many mini resurrections in our lives. 

When we are overwhelmed with suffering, Jesus reminds us that we will go through similar trials as He did, since servants are no greater than their master. He also reminds us that we are His children, heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, united and sealed in His love.

Lord, we thank you that there will be a day when the troubles of this life cannot compare to the love, joy and glory to be revealed in you on that day. Amen

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (NASB)

Our capacity to find peace and contentment, depends on how we invest our thoughts. It’s what scripture has always taught, and can now be supported by scientific research. I like to summarize it by saying that investing our thoughts is like investing our money. If we invest our thoughts in negative, stressfull thinking, we will reap anxiety which is damaging to our body and soul. 

We need to pursue the state of mind that the heroes of the Bible had. If we invest our thoughts in gratitude, as they did, we will reap a spiritual profit in return. Who wouldn’t want to sleep peacefully during the storm, pray calmly in a lions’ den, sing praises in the fiery furnace and slay giants with a single stone? 

We can do it when we choose to invest in good thoughts. There is a way of uniting science and scripture to rewire our brain for the good.

God created our human bodies with chemical messengers to regulate our nervous system.

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter known as the “happy hormone.”It’s the brain chemical that brings us a sense of well being. Research found that when we intentionally think and reflect on good times, good people, and the positive experiences, past and present, we increase the production of serotonin, which has a significant impact on our overall sense of well being. 

Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone.” Thoughts that are  focused on negative, stressful experiences, increase the production of Cortisol throughout our bodies. Prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol disrupts our sleep patterns, suppresses the immune system, increases blood glucose and increases depressive symptoms.

Instead of taking a pill to block the Cortisol, we can choose to invest our thoughts on the good and the positive by producing Serotonin. How we invest our thought life determines how we maintain a sense of well being. 

God is the one who wired our bodies this way, and science happened to learn about it later. The bible tells us that scripture is “living and active” and pierces through the division of soul and spirit, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

If scripture has such an organic living effect on our soul and spirit, then it can also help our minds to overcome negativity and depressive moods. People have found that memorizing a scripture has helped them through difficult times. So, one way to invest our thoughts is in God’s living word. 

One of my favorite verses to dwell on in troublesome times is,

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

Our attitude is so easily affected by what we think or say to ourselves, but the Holy Spirit can  police our thoughts and lead us to a disposition of gratitude. He does it whether we invest our thoughts in scripture, or reading inspiring books, listening to Christian music, and hearing true stories of faith by Christian TV or radio. We can change our brain chemistry by finding the smallest positive things that happen during our  day, and dwelling on those things.

One day, after speaking to my son on the phone, I realized how dragged down he was while going through a divorce. I felt a knot in my own stomach from everything going through my mind. I tried to pray about it and leave it in God’s hands, which is easier said than done.

Later that day, I received a phone call from a friend who used to be my dog walker a few years back. She moved to California and I have not heard from her in four years. Her phone call was a surprise yet very therapeutic. We talked about her life, our pets, neighbors, current events and holding on to faith in God. 

Without sharing any of my problems, we shared an unusual bond that was different from the bonds I have with others. That phone call was like a healing balm from Heaven. Afterwards, I kept thanking God for her call.

After that, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude, which I cannot explain or put into words. I had a sense of peace and well being, in spite of everything that previously caused me stress. That knot in my stomach was gone as gratitude was overriding all the negativity. Somehow, that phone call triggered a sense gratitude which produced Serotonin throughout my body system. 

God knows that we are wired this way, which is why He inspired Nehemiah to say, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” 

Paul knew it when he told us to find anything worthy of praise or excellence to be thankful for. Brain chemistry works just as scripture declares, long before anyone knew what brain chemistry was.

Serotonin flows from happiness, and happiness flows from our gratitude. Gratitude doesn’t depend on perfect relationships, perfect health, perfect families or total financial security. It depends on how we invest our thoughts. Gratitude leads to confidence in a perfect God who is our steady anchor in an unsteady world. 

When things seem hopeless, we remind ourselves that God came through for us before, and we can trust Him to do it again. We focus our thoughts on anything good that happened in the past, even if it was a phone call in the past hour from a friend that day. 

Our true citizenship is of an invisible kingdom that cannot be shaken. It’s a Heavenly kingdom that dwells within all of us, giving us the resilience to do all things through Christ, who is our source of strength. We are unshakable, because Jesus is unshakable and He lives in us.

Lord, we thank you that science verifies what you have declared centuries ago. Help us to maintain an attitude of gratitude and to live in your peace today and always. Amen