Responsive readings were read. Hymns were sung. A passage from the Old Testament was read followed by one from the Epistles. Then it came time for the Gospel reading. The Pastor who was preaching that evening came up to read the account of the disciples encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24. As he began to share the account, the room of 700+ people became whisper-quiet. He spoke the Word of God with an authentic intensity & with passion. My heart was so moved by the way this Pastor spoke the Word. It was gripping my spirit. And it had grabbed the complete attention of the whole room.

There was one other thing about him speaking this Scripture that made a huge impact on me and I hope to never forget. He wasn’t reading the 20+ verses of Scripture to the congregation; he was reciting them from memory. In fact, every time this Pastor preaches, he memorizes the Gospel lesson for that day. This wasn’t something he did to impress a large group of Pastors and leaders – this was his normal practice.

For me, this was the highlight of the whole evening; even more than the songs I got to lead. Even though my only response was listening, there was something very worshipful about hearing the Scriptures “read”. I think God was honored by the love and respect that was shown to the Word that evening.

One of the accessories God told Moses to make for the Tabernacle was a golden lamp stand. When finished, it was to be placed in the Holy Place. The Holy Place was an enclosed section of the Tabernacle where only priests could enter. This was not the place where animal sacrifices or offerings were made. Everything in the Holy Place, the incense, the table of the Presence and the lamp stand, were not used to minister to the people, but to God Himself.

Besides being created for everyday worship, the Tabernacle was also designed to show us a prophetic picture of Jesus. Psalm 119:105 says:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

We also know from John 1 that the Word of God is not a book, but the Word is a person; Jesus Christ Himself. I believe that the lamp stand is a beautiful prophetic picture of the Word of God – Jesus.

In Leviticus 24, God gives these instructions:

The LORD said to Moses,  “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.  Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD must be tended continually.

Part of the worship that happened in the Holy Place was the continuous burning of the lamps on the lamp stand. Just as the lamp gave light to the Holy Place so the priests could worship, the Word Himself must be given our utmost attention when we worship. Without Him, we worship in the dark.

It seems like our world is shaking; politically, economically and spiritually in some places. At the same time, some people in the Church are abandoning the Word because they think it’s out-dated, irrelevant & offensive to the 21st century social structure. God says in Hebrews 12 that everything that can be shaken will be shaken. If we want to be unshakable, then we must be anchored to the Word. If we say we stand for Jesus, then we must stand for His Word. If we claim Jesus is our foundation, then we must build our lives on the Word of God. We can’t separate the two because they are one in the same.

Because so many have dishonored the Word, I believe God is deeply touched when we honor it. Singing isn’t the only way we can worship when we’re at church. Whether we’re reading it or just listening to someone read it (or recite it!), we have the opportunity to worship when the Word is presented. Let’s honor God by esteeming His Word and letting Him burn bright in our churches.

Feel free to leave a comment below to start some conversations

After those brief moments of awe, I remembered that I was wearing my sunglasses. I immediately took them and was amazed. What seemed like the most colorful & vibrant view I had ever seen paled in comparison to what it looked like now. The colors were richer, the sun was brighter & the whole landscape looked more alive. Same scene. Same view. Just no sunglasses.

Exodus 33 & 34 tell us that when Moses met with God, his face radiated the glory of Lord so much so that when he came down to tell the Israelites what He had said, they were afraid because Moses’ face was shining so brightly. Moses ended up putting a veil over his face when he met with the people, but always took it off when meeting with God.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:13-18:

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Moses could reflect the Lord’s radiance only because he saw the Lord’s radiance. We too can only reflect what we see. The brighter we see it, the brighter the reflection. Like Moses, the more glory we see, the more glory we radiate.

I believe all of us wear many pairs of sunglasses; each stacked on top of the last. When we look at God we see beauty, brilliance, majesty, glory and so much more. But all that we see is just a small portion of how beautiful He really is. When I look back over my life, I can point to a handful of times when one of may pair of sunglasses was removed. I was looking at the same God, but suddenly He became clearer, more beautiful & more glorious to me. He never changed; I did. Maybe this is part of what Paul meant in the passage we read earlier when he said that we “are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory”. As we grow, we see more and more of the glory of God. Or we take more and more pairs of sunglasses off.

This is one of the reasons worship is so important. We spend so much of our time looking at ourselves. But worship is when we take our eyes off of ourselves and look at God. The more we worship, the more pairs of sunglasses fall off and we see more and more of who He is. And the more pairs of sunglasses that fall off the more we worship because when we catch glimpses of God’s beauty & glory we can’t help but be amazed. What a wonderful cycle!

Do you want to see your friends, family & neighbors come to Jesus? Do you have a heart for God’s mission? Do you want to be used as a witness in your community? Do you want to be a “city on a hill” and a “lamp on a stand”? Allow God to draw you into deeper times of worship. Allow Him to remove another pair of sunglasses. The more glory we see, the more glory we reflect. The clearer we see Him, the clearer others will see Him in us.

Though on this side of heaven we will probably always “see through a glass dimly”, there’s much more of God’s brilliance that He will allow us to see.  Ask Him to take off another pair of your sunglasses; God loves to show us more of His glory.

Please feel free to leave a comment below to start some conversations

The woman written of in the gospels who anointed our Savior was just an ordinary woman. However, her expression of love is legendary.

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Luke 7:37-38

This scene painted in Luke 7:37-38 (see also Matthew 26:1-16, Mark 14:1-12 & John 12:1-11) awakens a feeling in me, best described as “gently radical.”

During this time in history women kept their hair pinned up. Paul even goes so far to say in one Epistle that a woman’s glory is her hair. Yet, humbly she departed from the culturally accepted thing, took her hair down and used “her glory” to serve Him tenderly.

The radical offering of pouring out a year’s worth of wages onto the feet of the object of her affection is riveting. Recently, I heard a speaker discuss this passage. He stated that the average annual wage today in his area of the United Sates is about $50,000 — he asked the audience to imagine the idea of $50,000 being spent in just a few minutes blessing the Lord. Seems absolutely extreme doesn’t it? Yet, His forgiveness compelled her heart to pour out such an amazing gift! Resonating with me, that great forgiveness begets deep gratitude.

I find it irresistible that she preaches without out saying a word — preaching with tender kisses and extravagant fragrance! Over the years as I am brought back to these passages about the woman (or possibly — women) anointing Jesus I have always focused on how she ministered to me and how she ministered to the people who witnessed the event, and Jesus’ response to her and those around them. Until recently I never really considered how these moments had also ministered to the Lord.

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” John 12:1:3-7.

This passage finally “clicked” for me. While Christ is hanging on the cross taking in His last breaths — He is inhaling the scent of the expensive perfume that Mary anointed Him with. In those last breaths what He smells is the fragrance of her love, sacrifice and devotion.

As I take in the aroma of this picture of love, it struck me in a whole new way again… how true it is, that we love because He first loved us. This love of hers is only made possible because of His love, sacrifice, and devotion for her and all of His children. Including you and me. My heart longs to be the kind of woman who uses all that I have to serve Christ. I am grateful that in Christ this is a possible dream.

In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, He brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life…“ 2Corinthians2:14-15 (Message)

May the air around you fill with the fragrance of love and life everywhere you go.

Please feel free to leave a comment below to start some conversations

It seems to me that God likes numbers. He likes them so much He even named a whole book after them. In fact, I think He likes certain numbers better than others. I know the Bible says that God doesn’t show favoritism (Romans 2:11), but numbers like 3, 7 & 40 seem to get special attention.  There’s another number we find in Scripture that holds great significance, especially in our current season – the number 8.

In the books of Exodus & Leviticus, God told the Israelites to hold certain feasts & to perform certain sacrifices throughout the course of the year. One of those was called the Feast of Firstfruits. Basically, God told the Israelites that every year they were to take a portion of their crops that sprang up first and wave them before the Lord as an offering. It was almost like an advancement of praise as if to say, “This little bunch that I’m holding in my hands is just a taste of the provision that’s coming because I trust You. Lord, I give you the first fruits because I know the harvest is going to be great!” Ever year this happened on the day after the Sabbath – the 8th day.

Fast-forward a few thousand years. Jesus had just died on a Friday afternoon and was laid in a tomb. The next day was Saturday, which was the Sabbath. Because there were strict laws concerning what you could or couldn’t do on the Sabbath, the women had to wait until the next day to go to Jesus’ tomb – the 8th day. On the very same day that all of Israel was waving the first fruits of their crops before God as an offering, Jesus was rising from the dead. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20:23:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

The 8th day. A day of new life & renewal. A day of resurrection & re-birth. A day when Jesus made all things new.

I would like to share something on a personal level. I believe renewal & resurrection is coming to my home church, come2go. I’ve been feeling it for months and now more than ever we’re starting to see the first fruits of it. People are coming alive, being set free from addictions, coming to faith and being drawn into service. I look at these first fruits as a promise of what is to come. If the first fruits are this wonderful, the harvest is going to be unbelievable.

Maybe you’re feeling or seeing the same in your church, your home group, your workplace or your family. Or maybe you’re praying for the first fruits to come. Or maybe you’re tired, worn out and deep down in your heart you don’t think that God will do something extraordinary in your church – maybe the church down the road, but not yours. God is a God of new life, resurrection, re-birth & renewal. God is a God of the 8th day!

Plant seeds; water them; watch them spring up. And when they do, let’s be like the Israelites and present them to the Lord. With excitement, expectation & celebration let’s worship and praise Him in advance for the harvest that is going to come. Whatever first fruits you have, let them drive you to worship the God who provided them and all the rest that are coming. If the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents, we should to.

Celebrate the 8th day.

As the whipping started to take place, the whole room erupted! People began cheering and shouting and praising God. The room got so loud I could barely hear the music for my cues! The people rejoiced as they watched the suffering of Jesus.

I grew up with Good Friday being a very solemn day. My parents told us to stay inside the house between Noon & 3pm. The services at church that night were very solemn and reflective. I think it’s important to solemnly reflect on Jesus’ suffering & death. He suffered so much for us; we should never forget the pain He bore-both physically & spiritually. In one sense it was the saddest day in history. But in another, it was the most joyous. There’s a breath-taking scene portrayed in Revelation 5. Verses 11-14 says:

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing. “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

This picture initially seems kind of odd doesn’t it? Jesus, the conqueror of sin & death, being seen as lamb that looked dead. But to the Jewish people, the Messiah being portrayed as a lamb that looked like it was slain had great significance. Not only were lambs the daily sacrifice at the Temple (Exodus 29:38) they were also the sacrifice for the Passover. The Jewish people associated lambs with sacrifice.

We’re currently in the middle of Holy Week with Good Friday just around the corner. Many churches will read from Isaiah 53, which prophesies about Jesus’ suffering & death. Isaiah says that Jesus would be like a lamb in verse 7: “He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  When he first sees Jesus, John the Baptist declares Him to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Paul calls Jesus our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Peter calls Jesus a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:19). I think God is trying to make a point here! If we are going to see Jesus for who He is, we must see Him as the sacrifice for our sins. This may seem elementary, but it’s the foundation of God’s redemptive love – He did what we couldn’t. He took our punishment so that we could be saved. Salvation is cause for great rejoicing!

I think that’s what was in the congregation’s heart when they cheered at the sight of their Savior being whipped. It wasn’t insensitivity to His suffering; it was appreciation for His work. Jesus will forever be known as our sacrificial lamb. Just as in Revelation 5 all of heaven joyfully worships the “Lamb Who was slain”, I think we too should add some joy to our Good Friday. After all, that’s the day we were redeemed. That’s the day of the greatest act of love the world has ever seen. That’s why Good Friday is good.

I think the cross can be the place where tears of sorrow & tears of joy meet.

Please feel free to leave a comment below to start some conversations