As 2013 is drawing to a close, I’m feeling reflective. I’m thinking about how there have been episodes of acute pain in my life this year. This is undeniable. But, thankfully, at the same time, there have also been moments of delightful bliss as well.
One of my blessings in 2013 is all of you, my beloved readers. I’m so blessed and humbled that you would choose to invite me into your house, in a way. It’s a tremendous gift to me, and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for that. I don’t know what 2014 holds, but I do know that I’m going to continue to write installments in this blog.
I’ll conclude with a Bible verse. 1 Timothy 1:17 says, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (NASB). Yes, amen! All the glory, honor, and praise goes to the spectacular God of the universe.
Talk to you all in 2014!
Kevin
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
My Christmas blog
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8-11)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)
“When I saw him [Jesus], I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!” (Revelation 1:17)
Merry Christmas to all!
Kevin
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8-11)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)
“When I saw him [Jesus], I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever!” (Revelation 1:17)
Merry Christmas to all!
Kevin
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Where is your hope?
One of the definitions that dictionary.com gives for the word hope is “a person or thing in which expectations are centered.” If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can inadvertently put your hope in the wrong thing. I think this is a common occurrence; it is certainly something that I struggle with from time to time in my life.
Let me give an example: I’ve gotten so swept up in the success that the Denver Broncos are having that I’ve had visions of Denver going all the way to the Super Bowl and winning. But what happens if they don’t? What happens if the defense is not strong enough to win a championship (particularly now that Von Miller is out for the rest of the year)? It’s easy for fans to put their hope in success for an NFL team, but that is much too unpredictable a source.
At this time of year, I think it’s easy to put your hope in the fact that you will get the perfect Christmas gift. But it may result in disappointment. You’ve asked for the hottest new trend or gadget, but instead you may get something that is a complete disappointment and it will ruin your Christmas, that is, if you have put your hope in that. Christmas gifts are great, but this is not where one should put their hope, either. They should only be the cherry on top, as it were.
As a single man, I naturally gravitate toward putting all my hope in the fact that one day I will get married. So I have another Christmas without a wife this year, what does that do to me emotionally? It does a lot if I’ve inadvertently put my hope exclusively in having a spouse. To be sure, a husband or a wife is a gift from God, but a finite human being cannot be your source of hope. The reason for this is because a spouse, no matter how wonderful, is not perfect and will let you down from time to time.
So where, then, should we put our hope? Most of you can see where I’m going with this, can’t you? The Bible gives us the answer in Psalm 42. The Psalmist is pouring out his angst to God. Perhaps he too put his hope where it shouldn’t be. But then in verse 5, we read, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Where should we put our hope? We should put our hope in the God of the universe. Anyone or anything else is completely inadequate.
Kevin
Let me give an example: I’ve gotten so swept up in the success that the Denver Broncos are having that I’ve had visions of Denver going all the way to the Super Bowl and winning. But what happens if they don’t? What happens if the defense is not strong enough to win a championship (particularly now that Von Miller is out for the rest of the year)? It’s easy for fans to put their hope in success for an NFL team, but that is much too unpredictable a source.
At this time of year, I think it’s easy to put your hope in the fact that you will get the perfect Christmas gift. But it may result in disappointment. You’ve asked for the hottest new trend or gadget, but instead you may get something that is a complete disappointment and it will ruin your Christmas, that is, if you have put your hope in that. Christmas gifts are great, but this is not where one should put their hope, either. They should only be the cherry on top, as it were.
As a single man, I naturally gravitate toward putting all my hope in the fact that one day I will get married. So I have another Christmas without a wife this year, what does that do to me emotionally? It does a lot if I’ve inadvertently put my hope exclusively in having a spouse. To be sure, a husband or a wife is a gift from God, but a finite human being cannot be your source of hope. The reason for this is because a spouse, no matter how wonderful, is not perfect and will let you down from time to time.
So where, then, should we put our hope? Most of you can see where I’m going with this, can’t you? The Bible gives us the answer in Psalm 42. The Psalmist is pouring out his angst to God. Perhaps he too put his hope where it shouldn’t be. But then in verse 5, we read, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Where should we put our hope? We should put our hope in the God of the universe. Anyone or anything else is completely inadequate.
Kevin
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Most Valuable Player
Congratulations to Peyton Manning on breaking the record for most passing touchdowns in a season this afternoon against the Houston Texans. Manning threw four touchdown passes today giving him 51 on the season, breaking the old record set by Tom Brady with 50 back in 2007.
I loved hearing CBS commentators Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts interviewing Manning after the game. Peyton displayed genuine humility, not taking the credit for himself, but deflecting the praise to everyone from his receivers to his coaching staff. He even made a joke that Tom Brady would probably break his record next year.
I’ve been a Peyton Manning fan for many years now, and so it is very gratifying to see Manning have such tremendous success this year (and it doesn’t hurt that he is playing for my hometown team the Denver Broncos). It is a pleasure to watch Peyton play the game.
Manning himself would probably spend more time focusing on the outcome of today's game itself. How Denver won the game, the fact that it was a complete team victory (37-13 Broncos), and how the Broncos are in the driver’s seat to have the number one seed in the AFC.
Kevin
I loved hearing CBS commentators Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts interviewing Manning after the game. Peyton displayed genuine humility, not taking the credit for himself, but deflecting the praise to everyone from his receivers to his coaching staff. He even made a joke that Tom Brady would probably break his record next year.
I’ve been a Peyton Manning fan for many years now, and so it is very gratifying to see Manning have such tremendous success this year (and it doesn’t hurt that he is playing for my hometown team the Denver Broncos). It is a pleasure to watch Peyton play the game.
Manning himself would probably spend more time focusing on the outcome of today's game itself. How Denver won the game, the fact that it was a complete team victory (37-13 Broncos), and how the Broncos are in the driver’s seat to have the number one seed in the AFC.
Kevin
Monday, December 16, 2013
The clutter of Christmas
When I look at all the activity this time of year, I have to admit that I’m concerned that a person can get caught up in what I’m calling the clutter of Christmas. By this I mean that a person can become so enamored with cooking Christmas meals for the family, attending Christmas parties, decorating the house with lights, finding the perfect Christmas gifts, and singing songs about Santa Claus that they effectively miss the real reason for this season. There’s nothing wrong with all the activities I’ve just mentioned, but far too many will neglect celebrating Jesus Christ in any way whatsoever.
The fact of the matter is God had a plan. He said through the prophet Isaiah that one day a child would be born who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). That’s Jesus, of course. But this same prophet, Isaiah, also predicted that there would come a day when Jesus would die a substitutionary death. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. It’s hard to watch. It’s brutal. It’s intense. But it’s a realistic cinematic depiction of Jesus’ suffering. At the very beginning of this film, the verse I just quoted – Isaiah 53:5 – is cited. This gives the viewer an important context. It explains that the suffering, bloodshed, and violence against Jesus wasn’t random or accidental; it had a clear purpose: it was for your sin and my sin.
Jesus was the only one qualified to pay the sin of the entire world. He paid our “sin debt” as Charles Stanley often puts it. The opportunity is now available, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, to have a right relationship with God. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life.” A person just has to put their faith and trust in Jesus. Incidentally, if you haven’t done this, I urge you to do so today. He will forgive you and cleanse you of your sins. He will make you a child of God. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
This Christmas enjoy the gifts, the food, the parties, the family get-togethers, the Christmas lights on the houses, the mistletoe, and so on, but don’t let the clutter of Christmas distract you. Make a concerted effort to celebrate Jesus Christ. Celebrate that He was born from the womb of a virgin, and that He died a terrible death out of pure love for you. Celebrate also that Jesus’ tomb was not the end; Jesus arose from the dead. He is alive!
Kevin
The fact of the matter is God had a plan. He said through the prophet Isaiah that one day a child would be born who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). That’s Jesus, of course. But this same prophet, Isaiah, also predicted that there would come a day when Jesus would die a substitutionary death. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. It’s hard to watch. It’s brutal. It’s intense. But it’s a realistic cinematic depiction of Jesus’ suffering. At the very beginning of this film, the verse I just quoted – Isaiah 53:5 – is cited. This gives the viewer an important context. It explains that the suffering, bloodshed, and violence against Jesus wasn’t random or accidental; it had a clear purpose: it was for your sin and my sin.
Jesus was the only one qualified to pay the sin of the entire world. He paid our “sin debt” as Charles Stanley often puts it. The opportunity is now available, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, to have a right relationship with God. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life.” A person just has to put their faith and trust in Jesus. Incidentally, if you haven’t done this, I urge you to do so today. He will forgive you and cleanse you of your sins. He will make you a child of God. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
This Christmas enjoy the gifts, the food, the parties, the family get-togethers, the Christmas lights on the houses, the mistletoe, and so on, but don’t let the clutter of Christmas distract you. Make a concerted effort to celebrate Jesus Christ. Celebrate that He was born from the womb of a virgin, and that He died a terrible death out of pure love for you. Celebrate also that Jesus’ tomb was not the end; Jesus arose from the dead. He is alive!
Kevin
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Some thoughts on the Superman sequel
I’ve been keeping an eye on the developments to the sequel to the “Man of Steel” (due out in 2015). For one thing, Batman will be in it! It will not be Christian Bale, unfortunately; it is actually Ben Affleck who will be the Caped Crusader.
When I first heard this news, I had serious doubts that Affleck was a good choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne. But the more I think about it, the more I think Ben has the potential to do a good job. I’ll give him a chance. Furthermore, last week, I heard that an actress named Gal Gadot was cast to play another superhero in this movie named Wonder Woman. I actually had never heard of Gadot until I heard her name for this particular casting decision.
As I think about all these new developments, I have to say that I personally think it is too soon to unveil these characters on the big screen. The Superman franchise was dead for so long and they finally were able to resurrect a new franchise with the thrilling “Man of Steel” movie. I’ve heard that one of the keys to a long running movie franchise is the quality and strength of the sequel. So why jeopardize it by having the sequel feature a new Batman, a new Wonder Woman, and whoever else they will ultimately showcase?
For example, consider if the film "Iron Man 2" had introduced Captain America and Incredible Hulk in the same movie. That would have been interesting, but it would have made the movie feel too full; plus, it would have been difficult to fully establish these new characters; finally, it would have ultimately distracted from Iron Man himself. That’s not how it was done. The filmmakers chose to give these heroes standalone movies.
In my opinion, they should have given Superman one more movie to fight evil alone, before introducing us to other heroes that he will share the spotlight with. My hope is that the gamble to introduce so many new characters won’t backfire and put the Superman franchise back on life support. Time will tell.
Kevin
When I first heard this news, I had serious doubts that Affleck was a good choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne. But the more I think about it, the more I think Ben has the potential to do a good job. I’ll give him a chance. Furthermore, last week, I heard that an actress named Gal Gadot was cast to play another superhero in this movie named Wonder Woman. I actually had never heard of Gadot until I heard her name for this particular casting decision.
As I think about all these new developments, I have to say that I personally think it is too soon to unveil these characters on the big screen. The Superman franchise was dead for so long and they finally were able to resurrect a new franchise with the thrilling “Man of Steel” movie. I’ve heard that one of the keys to a long running movie franchise is the quality and strength of the sequel. So why jeopardize it by having the sequel feature a new Batman, a new Wonder Woman, and whoever else they will ultimately showcase?
For example, consider if the film "Iron Man 2" had introduced Captain America and Incredible Hulk in the same movie. That would have been interesting, but it would have made the movie feel too full; plus, it would have been difficult to fully establish these new characters; finally, it would have ultimately distracted from Iron Man himself. That’s not how it was done. The filmmakers chose to give these heroes standalone movies.
In my opinion, they should have given Superman one more movie to fight evil alone, before introducing us to other heroes that he will share the spotlight with. My hope is that the gamble to introduce so many new characters won’t backfire and put the Superman franchise back on life support. Time will tell.
Kevin
Saturday, December 7, 2013
NFL news
I was saddened to discover that Gary Kubiak was fired from his job as head coach of the Houston Texans yesterday. It's not really all that shocking when you see that the Texans have lost a whopping 11 in a row! They currently sit at a record of 2-11.
This season has been surprising as the Texans were thought to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the year; instead they have endured a very disappointing season. I’m pulling for them to get it turned around and have a great season next year.
Kevin
This season has been surprising as the Texans were thought to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the year; instead they have endured a very disappointing season. I’m pulling for them to get it turned around and have a great season next year.
Kevin
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Why is the virgin birth so important?
Have you ever wondered why the virgin birth of Jesus is so important? This really is an essential doctrine of Christianity that sadly is not taught too often in churches today. The virgin birth is so vital that it has been endlessly argued, mocked, criticized, and laughed at by scoffers over all these centuries. But, once again, the question remains: why exactly is it so important? Let me attempt to explain it today.
In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and they lived in complete and utter bliss with God. But that all changed one day when they disobeyed the one prohibition God had given: He said not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and yet they chose to do just that (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:6). Ever since that event, all human beings are born with what is called a sin nature. You may be asking, "What is a sin nature?" In simple terms, this means that humanity is born totally selfish and with its back completely turned against God. It means that human beings have a natural inclination to run away from God and toward their own self-gratification.
The Bible teaches us that even after a person becomes a Christian, they retain their inborn sin nature (Romans 7:15-19). At the same time, the Christian also has the Holy Spirit indwelling them (1 Corinthians 3:16). This sets up an internal battle. In Galatians 5, we read, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (verse 17; italics mine). I say an enthusiastic amen to that! In my own life, even after being a Christian for decades, there are episodes where I have chosen sin over God. I wish this wasn’t the case; I want to live with spot or blemish, but sinfulness is still an undeniable reality in my life. Once again, this is due to my sin nature.
There was one person, however, who didn’t have to deal with a sin nature and that is Jesus Christ. Isaiah 7:14 reads, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” You've likely heard that important verse before, but fascinatingly, in the very next verse, Isaiah 7:15, we read that this baby born of a virgin will “reject the wrong and choose the right.”
Stop for a second and think about this question with me: who can honestly say that they always “reject the wrong and choose the right”? The obvious answer is no one. No one except for Jesus, that is. Because of the virgin birth, Jesus did not obtain the sin nature that is intrinsic to every other human. Jesus was able to live on Earth without being tainted by its sin because He was born from a virgin’s womb. Because of this, Jesus was the only one qualified to provide the “atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
Kevin
PS:
There’s one more very important point to keep in mind. Jesus “rejected the wrong and chose the right” because He was (and is) God. This will hurt your brain if you think about it too long, but Jesus’ life did not begin when He was born in a manger. Jesus existed before His time on Earth. In John 8, Jesus said He existed before Abraham. John chapter 1 says that Jesus existed with God in the very beginning, before the universe was created! Make no mistake: Jesus was and is fully God, and He took on human flesh when Mary gave birth to Him.
To be clear: there are not multiple God’s in Christianity; there is only one God (1 Corinthians 8:6); but there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, God the Father (Philippians 1:2), Jesus the Son (Colossians 2:9), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). No human being will ever fully understand the concept of the Trinity, but I take it by faith, as it is what the Bible teaches. In short, Jesus was the only one qualified to be our sin-bearer because He was God incarnate (or in human flesh).
In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and they lived in complete and utter bliss with God. But that all changed one day when they disobeyed the one prohibition God had given: He said not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and yet they chose to do just that (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:6). Ever since that event, all human beings are born with what is called a sin nature. You may be asking, "What is a sin nature?" In simple terms, this means that humanity is born totally selfish and with its back completely turned against God. It means that human beings have a natural inclination to run away from God and toward their own self-gratification.
The Bible teaches us that even after a person becomes a Christian, they retain their inborn sin nature (Romans 7:15-19). At the same time, the Christian also has the Holy Spirit indwelling them (1 Corinthians 3:16). This sets up an internal battle. In Galatians 5, we read, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (verse 17; italics mine). I say an enthusiastic amen to that! In my own life, even after being a Christian for decades, there are episodes where I have chosen sin over God. I wish this wasn’t the case; I want to live with spot or blemish, but sinfulness is still an undeniable reality in my life. Once again, this is due to my sin nature.
There was one person, however, who didn’t have to deal with a sin nature and that is Jesus Christ. Isaiah 7:14 reads, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” You've likely heard that important verse before, but fascinatingly, in the very next verse, Isaiah 7:15, we read that this baby born of a virgin will “reject the wrong and choose the right.”
Stop for a second and think about this question with me: who can honestly say that they always “reject the wrong and choose the right”? The obvious answer is no one. No one except for Jesus, that is. Because of the virgin birth, Jesus did not obtain the sin nature that is intrinsic to every other human. Jesus was able to live on Earth without being tainted by its sin because He was born from a virgin’s womb. Because of this, Jesus was the only one qualified to provide the “atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
Kevin
PS:
There’s one more very important point to keep in mind. Jesus “rejected the wrong and chose the right” because He was (and is) God. This will hurt your brain if you think about it too long, but Jesus’ life did not begin when He was born in a manger. Jesus existed before His time on Earth. In John 8, Jesus said He existed before Abraham. John chapter 1 says that Jesus existed with God in the very beginning, before the universe was created! Make no mistake: Jesus was and is fully God, and He took on human flesh when Mary gave birth to Him.
To be clear: there are not multiple God’s in Christianity; there is only one God (1 Corinthians 8:6); but there are three distinct persons in the Godhead, God the Father (Philippians 1:2), Jesus the Son (Colossians 2:9), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). No human being will ever fully understand the concept of the Trinity, but I take it by faith, as it is what the Bible teaches. In short, Jesus was the only one qualified to be our sin-bearer because He was God incarnate (or in human flesh).
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The miracles of Jesus
I once heard a preacher comment that Jesus was born like any other man and He left this Earth through death like any other man. I vehemently disagree with this comment.
To begin, Jesus’ birth was unlike any other in human history. Jesus was born of a virgin. Stop and think about that a moment. Mary gave birth to Jesus, but she didn’t get pregnant through sexual relations. How is this possible? Because with God the things that look impossible, humanly speaking, are very much possible. No one else can honestly claim that they were born of a virgin. But Jesus can make such a claim because His miraculous birth from a virgin’s womb is factual and true.
Jesus also didn’t leave this Earth through the avenue of death. It is true that Jesus died a bloody, torturous death on a cross. He died a death that was one of most violent deaths imaginable in that day (and it ranks high on the list in our day as well). But Jesus didn’t stay dead; Jesus literally and bodily rose from the dead.
Over the centuries, so many people have tried to explain away Jesus' resurrection. Some have claimed that Jesus somehow survived the crucifixion, but they don’t understand the brutality of a crucifixion. They don’t understand that the Romans would not be so careless with their victim. To the contrary, they would be thorough. They would be absolutely sure that their victim was dead and gone. The truth is, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is an undeniable miracle that has never been disproved by anyone.
Pastor David Jeremiah once stated that Jesus’ Earthly life was bookended by two miracles: Jesus was miraculously born from the womb of a virgin; and Jesus was miraculously resurrected from the dead. So in conclusion, this pastor that I mentioned at the beginning was wrong: Jesus wasn’t born like any other man, and He didn’t leave this Earth through death like any other man. Jesus is unique.
Kevin
To begin, Jesus’ birth was unlike any other in human history. Jesus was born of a virgin. Stop and think about that a moment. Mary gave birth to Jesus, but she didn’t get pregnant through sexual relations. How is this possible? Because with God the things that look impossible, humanly speaking, are very much possible. No one else can honestly claim that they were born of a virgin. But Jesus can make such a claim because His miraculous birth from a virgin’s womb is factual and true.
Jesus also didn’t leave this Earth through the avenue of death. It is true that Jesus died a bloody, torturous death on a cross. He died a death that was one of most violent deaths imaginable in that day (and it ranks high on the list in our day as well). But Jesus didn’t stay dead; Jesus literally and bodily rose from the dead.
Over the centuries, so many people have tried to explain away Jesus' resurrection. Some have claimed that Jesus somehow survived the crucifixion, but they don’t understand the brutality of a crucifixion. They don’t understand that the Romans would not be so careless with their victim. To the contrary, they would be thorough. They would be absolutely sure that their victim was dead and gone. The truth is, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is an undeniable miracle that has never been disproved by anyone.
Pastor David Jeremiah once stated that Jesus’ Earthly life was bookended by two miracles: Jesus was miraculously born from the womb of a virgin; and Jesus was miraculously resurrected from the dead. So in conclusion, this pastor that I mentioned at the beginning was wrong: Jesus wasn’t born like any other man, and He didn’t leave this Earth through death like any other man. Jesus is unique.
Kevin
Sunday, December 1, 2013
The God of the impossible
In the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, we read that an angel named Gabriel (verse 26) announces to Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (verse 31). The angel goes on to speak of how Jesus will be called the Son of the Most High (verse 32). God will give Him the throne of David and He will rule in a never-ending kingdom (verse 33). But Mary’s mind can’t think that far ahead. She’s still stuck on a question that she finally vocalizes. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin” (Luke 1:34)?
At this point, Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, but clearly they were not sexually active to this point. Mary says, “Wait a minute! Time out! A pregnancy is the result of sexual reproduction, and my fiancé and I haven’t done that. So how is it even possible that I’m going to be pregnant in the first place?” Gabriel answers that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” her (verse 35). He adds this in verse 37, “For nothing is impossible with God.” What a great verse! Mary responds with exemplary faith in God: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (verse 38). Mary replies, “You say that God has a plan, and that I have a part to play; count me in.”
Some people read this account and they come away with skepticism. They ask: “How can a virgin supposedly give birth to a child?” The answer is simple: because the God of the Bible is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37). I’m going to be saying more about this in later blogs, but I wholeheartedly believe in the notion a literal virgin named Mary giving birth to Jesus. Why? Because the God I worship and serve is an amazing God who can perform miracles that are humanly impossible. The Bible indicates that the Virgin Birth was a supernatural miracle from God.
Once again, I love Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). She could have said, “Before you go, I have a few more questions: first, what exactly do you mean that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” me? What am I supposed to tell my parents, or Joseph?” She could have asked for a detailed explanation, but she chose to put her faith and trust in God and His plan. I want to be like Mary. I want to trust in God, even though I still have lingering questions.
Kevin
At this point, Mary was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, but clearly they were not sexually active to this point. Mary says, “Wait a minute! Time out! A pregnancy is the result of sexual reproduction, and my fiancé and I haven’t done that. So how is it even possible that I’m going to be pregnant in the first place?” Gabriel answers that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” her (verse 35). He adds this in verse 37, “For nothing is impossible with God.” What a great verse! Mary responds with exemplary faith in God: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (verse 38). Mary replies, “You say that God has a plan, and that I have a part to play; count me in.”
Some people read this account and they come away with skepticism. They ask: “How can a virgin supposedly give birth to a child?” The answer is simple: because the God of the Bible is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37). I’m going to be saying more about this in later blogs, but I wholeheartedly believe in the notion a literal virgin named Mary giving birth to Jesus. Why? Because the God I worship and serve is an amazing God who can perform miracles that are humanly impossible. The Bible indicates that the Virgin Birth was a supernatural miracle from God.
Once again, I love Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). She could have said, “Before you go, I have a few more questions: first, what exactly do you mean that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” me? What am I supposed to tell my parents, or Joseph?” She could have asked for a detailed explanation, but she chose to put her faith and trust in God and His plan. I want to be like Mary. I want to trust in God, even though I still have lingering questions.
Kevin
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