Countdown to Liftoff – Day 33

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“He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’ They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one living in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?'” Luke 24:17-18

The Mysterious Eavesdropper walked up to two people in deep conversation and said, “What are you talking about? And why so glum?” They stopped in their tracks, perhaps surprised that a stranger would interrupt their intense discussion. Or maybe they were shocked that someone could be so out of touch with the top news headline of the day.

Cleopas answered the question with a question of his own, and it was a funny one. It must have made Jesus smile a little bit. After all, Jesus was the only one living in Jerusalem who DID know exactly what was going on.

But Cleopas was right about one thing: Jesus was living. He had a real live body – He wasn’t a ghost or some kind of disembodied floating spirit, but a walking-on-the-road, engaging-in-conversation, fully alive person.

If you’re feeling downcast today, take heart.
Jesus sees you.
Jesus hears you.
Jesus is walking right there with you.
But don’t be surprised if He wants you to turn around.
Things are just starting to get good.

Countdown to Liftoff – Day 34

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“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.” Luke 24:13-16

On Resurrection Sunday, two disciples packed it up and left town. One was named Cleopas, the other unnamed. However, Cleopas’ wife, Mary, was one of the women at the crucifixion. It’s conjecture, but maybe the pair walking down the road to Emmaus was a married couple. It seems they stayed in Jerusalem for the death and burial of Christ, they stayed for the Sabbath, and then they decided to leave, just when things were starting to get good.

This reminds me of a time PB and I went to a Brewer baseball game.

Our team fell behind in the first inning and stayed that way through eight innings. Our two best hitters combined for one walk out of ten at-bats. It was a slow day at the diamond. By the end of the eighth, we were still down by one run and PB was getting antsy. He leaned in and whispered, “If we leave now, we can get a jump on the traffic.” The bottom of the order was due to bat in the ninth, so I reluctantly agreed and we beat the crowd out of the stadium.

Before we found our way to the car, the Brewers had two men on base. Before we left the parking lot, the game was tied. Before we left the city limits of Milwaukee, our pitcher mowed down the order in the tenth inning. And before we reached the suburbs, the crowd (the very same crowd we so cleverly beat out of the ballpark) was enjoying a come-from-behind victory. We missed it because we gave up before it was really over.

Sometimes we just quit too soon. There’s a win coming within minutes, but we throw in the towel, thinking it’s over, when in reality we are standing on the brink of something big. 

Cleopas and his companion almost missed out on the comeback victory. But Jesus listened in on their conversation and kindly walked with them in their sorrow and disillusionment. As the two disciples were desperately searching for truth, Truth Himself joined them.

There’s a saying, “It’s not over till the fat lady sings.”
It means that we shouldn’t presume
to know the outcome of an event
that’s still in progress.
We shouldn’t assume
that something is irreversible.
We shouldn’t give up on God’s plan, ever.
We shouldn’t leave the stadium until the last out.

Countdown to Liftoff – Day 35

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“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” John 20:28-29

After all his pretentious bluster about needing proof,
it seems Thomas didn’t need to put his finger in the nail holes
or his hand in Jesus’ side after all.

Jesus Himself was enough.

Instead of poking around in Jesus’ scars,
Thomas dropped to his knees in worship.

He didn’t miss out on any more visits after that.
Thomas was there at the ascension
and at the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost.

Tradition tells us that Thomas went on to be a missionary in India
where he established a church,
but was executed for his faith.
It is said he was stabbed in the side with a spear.

He never lived down his “doubting” label, which is unfortunate
since all the other disciples also doubted the women’s reports of having seen the risen Jesus.
There’s no doubt that Thomas was a strong believer
and God used him in mighty ways.

We have something those first disciples didn’t have.
A special blessing is given to those of us
who believe Jesus rose from the grave,
even though we’ve never laid eyes on Him.

For Thomas, seeing was believing.
For us, believing is seeing.

Open the eyes of our heart, Lord.

Countdown to Liftoff – Day 36

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“A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'” John 20:26-27

It was the 8th day after the resurrection, and the disciples were still holed up, hiding out behind locked doors. There must have been a lot of fear to keep 11 men inside a house for a week. (Can you imagine how it smelled in there?) Maybe they actually were in danger — the chief priests had paid off the soldiers to report that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body from the tomb (Matt. 28:13).

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) isn’t just a 21st century phenomenon. Thomas must have had a bad case of it, because he was with the other disciples this time around.

Jesus poofed in again, and He was looking for one in particular. He addressed the very statement Thomas made a week earlier: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Jesus offered proof followed by a command.

Stop it.
Stop doubting.
Start believing.

At some point, we need to quit messing around with looking for loopholes and testing for evidence. So let’s stop it. Let’s stop critiquing God’s Word and digging for error and raising our arrogant eyebrows with our defiant arms crossed. Let’s start putting some faith in something other than our own self-sufficiency.

Instead of doubting our beliefs and believing our doubts,
let’s start doubting our doubts and believing our beliefs.

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Countdown to Liftoff – Day 37

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“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. When the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he declared, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.'” John 20:24

It’s too bad Thomas missed out on Jesus’ appearance to the other disciples.
Where was he, anyway?
Was he emotionally spent?
Did he need some alone time?
Was he out picking up lunch for the other ten?
Checking up on his twin brother?

Imagine the disappointment, to learn the resurrected, glorified Jesus had stopped in and you missed it. We don’t know what took Thomas away, but we do know he came back. He was a hard nut to crack, though — eye-witness reports from ten of his closest friends wasn’t enough for him. “Doubting” Thomas was really more like “Defiant Skeptical Unbelieving” Thomas.

Because he stayed away
from his community of believers and fellowship with them,
he missed an encounter with the Risen Lord,
which fed his doubt
and made him demanding,
setting his own conditions
for belief.
Sound familiar?

Countdown to Liftoff – Day 38

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“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:19-20.

Have you ever been to a funeral and burial of a loved one and then three days later see that person walking around? Yeah, me neither. It must have been a little unsettling for the already jittery disciples to have Jesus poof into the room. Yet, the Master couldn’t stay away from His friends. He couldn’t even wait for them to open the door.

What was the first thing Jesus showed them? His wounds. Obviously, they were healed but the scars remained. Why? Wouldn’t you think a freshly resurrected body would be perfected, free from flaws? Ah, but it was perfect. Someday we will look on those same marks and give glory to God for what those beautiful scars purchased for us.

In the same way, our scars, whether they are physical or emotional, will not be marks of shame, but a testimony of God’s mercy and grace.

Our resurrected Savior has the power
to break into our locked up fears,
speak peace into our hearts,
and transform pain into glory.
Be overjoyed at this good news!

Surprise!

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Easter is the ultimate surprise party.

You know how it is when you’re throwing a secret party for someone. You spread the word but keep it on the down-low. Then the day comes when everyone gathers and quietly hides behind closed doors. Finally, the guest of honor arrives and when he walks in the room, everyone jumps up and yells, “Surprise!”

That’s what this Easter was like for me. I’ve been hiding out during Lent, being very quiet and shushing my friends in the room while exchanging knowing smiles. We knew it was coming. We knew He was on His way. Yet, the anticipation thrilled us to the bone. We could hardly contain our excitement or suppress our giggles.

In an earth-shaking twist, the Guest of Honor was the One who yelled, “Surprise!” and we all gathered around Him on Easter morning, rejoicing. “Hallelujah! Jesus! You’re alive!”

We’ve just spent the past 40 days of Lent preparing for this party. Why spend over a month getting ready for a celebration that lasts one hour? I think we should whoop it up for as many days as we reflected in the quiet.

The period of time between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension is called “Eastertide”. In other words, Easter isn’t over! This party is just getting started! Acts 1:3 says, “He appeared to them over a period of forty days.” Jesus kept showing up, surprising people over and over. Let’s show up, too, and allow Him to astonish us time and time again.

You’re invited to spend the next 40 days celebrating the Risen Savior! Join me for “Countdown to Liftoff: An Eastertide Party”. I’ll offer short daily reflections leading up to Jesus’ ascension to the throne.

Today is Day 39.
And counting.

Opening Day

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Opening Day of a new major league baseball season is a holiday in our house. It’s right up there with New Year’s Day and the first day of school as a “fresh start” kind of day. We wear our team t-shirts, eat hot dogs for lunch and tune in to see the first pitch.

I guess you could say Easter is the ultimate “opening day”. The stone rolled away and the tomb was opened. A man who was dead three days prior walked out of the dark cave and said, “Play ball!” Not really. I made that last part up. But “Go and make disciples…” sounds a lot like “Hey, team, go and take the field!”

The world has been closed up for a year, and although it may be too soon to fling wide the gates, we can at least begin the pre-game warmups together. This week I wrote a few thoughts on this:

“Play ball!” will be heard this week from many MLB home plates. Yes, please. Let’s play ball. Let’s all get back in the game.

If you need to stay in the outfield for a while, that’s fine. Just get back on the field. Hopefully, you’ll be able to join the team in the dugout soon.

It’s just that some of us have been trying to cover lots of positions and we’re getting tired. We need you back.

Sure, we’ve been dealt some curve balls and wild pitches, but standing in the box is easier if your teammates are with you, cheering you on. The stadium has been pretty quiet.

Sometimes it seems like there have been more strike outs than home runs, more errors than sparkling double plays, more losses than victories. There have been complaints about the uniforms, the schedule, the coaching. A few went to play for other teams. But thankfully, enough of us kept showing up to avoid forfeiting the season.

Hey! It’s opening day and I’m sensing something new! I can’t wait to hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. So lace up your cleats and grab your glove because we have a game to play. Please don’t sit this one out.

Relax, everything’s going to be all right;
rest, everything’s coming together; 
open your hearts,
love is on the way!
Jude 1:2, The Message

Adore

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The ACTS acronym has been around a long time. It serves as a method of prayer that includes Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. I remember learning this handy dandy prayer model when I was a kid. So it’s nothing new.

I’ve never had trouble coming up with things to confess — there’s plenty of fodder for that. Thanksgiving is easy — I just have to open my eyes and look in front of my nose. My prayers tend to lean heavy on the supplication side — there’s no end to the list of things I ask God for on a regular basis.

Adoration is my weak spot.

I can’t think of much to say.
“God, You’re adorable”?

According to the dictionary, to adore means to regard with the utmost esteem, love and respect; to like or admire very much; to delight in; to worship.

Perhaps we find it hard to compliment God because we aren’t very good at complimenting each other. We may think things, like “Wow, she looks really nice today,” or “Man, his guitar sounded so good this morning.” But we rarely voice those thoughts. Our inability to communicate admiration to each other transfers over to our relationship with God. “Nice sunset,” we might think, and go no farther. Maybe adoration is just voicing the thought, “I see that artwork in the sky, God. Great job! You really know how to mix the colors. I love the way You do that.”

Once when we were on vacation, we noticed a crowd of people gathering on the beach at dusk. Everyone set up chairs facing west, to watch the sky show. When the sun dipped below the horizon, the audience broke out in clapping and whistling. There was a standing ovation. Then they picked up their chairs and went home. That round of applause? I think it sounded like adoration.

So here’s the deal:

If I was at Menards and happened to see a certain HGTV decorating star, I’d go up to her and say, “I love your show! Your style is so warm and inviting and your creativity is so inspiring! I so look forward to seeing your designs each week! You are my favorite decorator!” (Yes, I would use all those exclamation points.) (And I would say “so” three times.)

If I was at the library and ran into an author I highly respect, I’d whisper, “Your books have meant the world to me. I admire the way your stories connect with life. You are so good at putting things in a way that resonates with me. I’m so honored to meet you and be able to tell you how I feel.”

If I had a backstage pass at a concert and had the chance to speak to a musician I’ve always loved, I’d say, “The songs you sing speak right to my heart. I play your albums all the time and know every one of your songs. I think you’re the best songwriter ever.”

See? That’s not so hard.

Adoring God is simply telling Him what we love and admire about Him.

“God, I love Your style, Your creativity, Your words, the way You touch my heart.  You are my favorite — the best ever, and I’m honored to worship You.”

Big hand-claps and hurrahs!
A standing O!
Adoration!

A.S.K.

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At the start of a new year, I like to ask God to give me a word to carry with me in the 365 days to come.
This year it went something like this:

Me: “God, I’m asking for a word for this year.”
God: “Ask.”
Me: “Umm, okay. Would You please give me a word for this year?”
God: “Ask.”
Me: “Again? Well, uh, a word for this year, please?”
God: “Ask.”

Then I got it.
My word for 2021 is ASK.

My verse for 2021 is Matthew 7:7.
Ask and it will be given to you;
Seek and you will find;
Knock and the door will be opened to you.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a call to get serious about prayer.
Give me a passage to study and I’ll dig right in.
Give me a class to lead and I’ll set up a schedule.
Give me a worship set to play and I’ll get to practicing.

But give me an hour to pray and I’m 😳

I’ve got a lot to learn.
I’m asking, Lord — teach me to pray.