Ascension day

This last Thursday (5-14-15) signified a little-known part of the Easter season known as Ascension day, or the Feast of Ascension. (sometimes observed the following Sunday) Which signifies the day Jesus ascended into heaven after spending an additional 40 days on earth after the resurrection. Which is recorded in Luke 24:50-53. Which begs the question why do our traditions honor his birth, his sacrifice, and resurrection so freely and with such emphasis. Yet, we let the day where he officially took his throne in heaven go by without nearly as much notice. Are we trying to keep Jesus in the manger? Are we trying to keep Christ on the cross? Yet, are we trying to keep the Son of God out of the throne in of our lives? They are questions we would do well to consider. Do we really acknowledge Christ as King? Do we really recognize him as an authority over our lives as disciples? Can we truly call ourselves Christians if we don’t?

The final 40 days of Jesus time earth is one of the least documented portions of his life. (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:9-20, Luke 24:13-53, John 20:19-21:25) The accounts in Luke and John being the most compelling. Yet for the remaining 11 apostles it must have been the most eye opening time. The last 3 years of their lives must have come into focus during these days. The reality of the sheer power of God surly became quite undeniably real to them as they witnessed the impossible become possible before their eyes. All the things that they did not understand before must have become clear as they looked back on them in hindsight. All their preconceived notions were shattered and replaced with truth as Jesus explained how Old Testaments prophecies were fulfilled.  Most importantly what their role in the future church would be. How the responsibility of the gospel was now in their hands. How they had a purpose called the Great Commission.

If Christ is truly our king then we need to prepare ourselves to take up the mantle of the calling ourselves as a member of the body of Christ. Then again, maybe that is precisely why we want to keep Jesus in the manger, or on the cross. We want only the privilege of the gospel, but not the responsibility of it.  

The Visual PARABLEist

Living as Light

It’s better to light a candle, than to curse the dark. 

This is a saying I came across this last week. I was so struck by it that I made a drawing based upon it, which is posted below. It’s a saying that is certainly poignant in an age that is so very fond of complaining about everything that we see wrong in the world. Yet those same people seem so unwilling to do the tiniest thing to actually counter that wrong. Since actually lighting that proverbial candle involves getting involved. Where cursing the dark only involves criticizing people into doing the things we have no desire to do. All because we want the results without engaged effort. 

What we as believers need to remember is what Jesus said about that.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16 

Being the light is an active thing, not a passive thing, or a passive aggressive thing. Yet if we choose to condemn, and judge with impatience unkindness, rudeness, hatred, and anger we are being very passive aggressive. Which only adds to the dark since such unloving behavior violates the very truth that Jesus came to testify to. (John 13:35 & 18:37) In this age of many empty and fruitless words, perhaps its time for believers to say less and inspire more with actions and truth. (1 John 3:18) It is time for us to be the light that Jesus called us to be, rather than mere cursers of darkness as the Pharisees had been. 

The Visual PARABLEist

Why Lent?

     Many think of Lent as a Roman Catholic thing, but historically Anglican, Calvinist, Lutheran, Methodist, and some Anabaptist, and evangelical churches have also observed the Lenten season. While many of the Protestant denominations have backed off of that over the centuries, there has been some revival of the tradition in recent years. Like most traditions, its value lies in knowing the purpose behind the tradition and engaging it deliberately, rather than in a rote way. So today I offer you a summery of Lent.

    Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian church that covers a period of 46 days (40 regular days + 6 Sundays) which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter Sunday. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance, charity, and self denial. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting to emulate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation from satan. (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13) When engaging in a traditional food fast, participants would take Sunday's off to replenish their physical strength. (This is where the 40 + 6 comes in) However, contemporary believers often utilize a non-traditional fast of giving up a luxury. Many find this practice just as, if not more valuable in our spiritual preparation. Since our post-modern world offers so many more worldly distractions that interfere with our Christian walk. Plus it does not exclude those not in good enough health to engage in a traditional fast safely. 

     Keep in mind that Jesus taught us that fasting was a highly personal thing between the individual and God. (Matthew 6:16-18) So I would consider the practice voluntary, rather than a requirement. If one chooses to do this, one should consider the Biblical reasons for fasting, rather than do it because that is what you are expected to do at this time. Ultimately fasting is done as a way of disconnecting from the physical world, so that we may better connect with the spiritual one. There are four specific Biblical reasons to fast.

   1.) Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32) This is the only Biblically required fast, which served to purge ourselves of sin. However it is not considered necessary under the New Covenant because that’s what Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice brought us once and for all. Repentance could be substituted as a the New Covenant equivalent. 

   2.) Mourning (Nehemiah 1:3-4, Matthew 9:15) In times of intense grief one can seek the strength of God’s spirit to endure through fasting. 

   3.) To Petition God. (Ezra 8:23, Daniel 9:1-3) In times when we have big need of God’s guidance or favor, we can seek him through fasting.

   4.) Preparation for a mission. This is what Jesus did when he fasted for 40 days after being baptized by John. Which emulated the Israelites 40 year journey of preparation to the promised land. (Deuteronomy 8)  When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. -Luke 4:13-14

Calendar of lent 

Dates provided are specific to 2015. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the first day of spring. All the days of Lent are in relation to where Easter lands that year.

   Ash Wednesday (2/18) The first day of Lent, and derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" (based on Mark 1:15) or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Based on Genesis 3:19) Either way this sign of mourning is meant to remind worshippers of their sinful nature and mortality and thus, their need for a Messiah who can guide and strengthen their hearts to seek repentance. 

   Friday of Sorrows (3/27) A remembrance of Mary mother of Jesus, and the emotional turmoil that Jesus’ sacrifice caused her. Mostly only observed by Roman Catholics, and not other Lent observing denominations. 

   Holy Week (3/29 - 4/4) The last week of Lent before Easter, where a majority of the special days of Lent occur. Many churches that do not observe lent in full will still observe many of the days of Holy week.

   Palm Sunday (3/29) Represents Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. (Mark 11:1-11, John 12:12-19)

   Holy Wednesday (4/1) Represents the day Jesus was anointed with perfume, which may have served as a turning point for Judas’s betrayal. AKA Spy Wednesday (Matthew 26:6-16, John 12:1-11) 

   Maundy Thursday (4/2) Represents the last supper. (Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26)

   Good Friday (4/3) Represents the crucifixion and death of Jesus. (Luke 23:26-49, John 19:16-37)

   Holy Saturday (4/4) It commemorates the one full day that Jesus’ body lay lifeless in the tomb. (Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56)

   Easter Sunday (4/5) Represents Jesus’ resurrection. Not officially considered part of Lent or Holy Week, but what these special days prepares us for. (Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12)

Lent, as presented here represents the most common observation of the churches of the western world. However, there are many variations found around the globe. 

The Visual PARABLEist

Obituary of childhood

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. - Matthew 18:1-5

The obituary of childhood 

Author unknown

Updated by Ravi Zacharias 

In the 1950's kids lost their innocence. They were liberated from their parents by well paying jobs, cars, and lyrics in music that gave rise to a new term; the generation gap. 

In the 1960's, kids lost their authority. It was the decade of protest; church, state, and parents were all called into question and found wanting. Their authority was rejected, yet nothing ever replaced it. 

In the 1970's, kids lost their love. It was the decade of me-ism dominated by hyphenated words beginning with self. Self-image, self-esteem, self-assertion; which all made for a lonely world. Kids learned everything there was to know about sex and forgot everything there was to know about love, and no one had the nerve to tell them there was a difference.

In the 1980's, kids lost their hope. Stripped of innocence, authority, and love and plagued by the horror of a nuclear nightmare, large numbers of this generation stopped believing in the future.

In the 1990's, kids lost their power to reason. Less and less were they taught the very basics of language, truth and logic and they grew up with the irrationality of a postmodern world.

In the new millennium, kids woke up and found out that somewhere in the midst of all this change, they had lost their imagination. Violence and perversion entertained them till none could talk of killing innocence since none was innocent anymore. 

Are even children allowed to be like children anymore in this day of age?

If not what are the ramifications?

The Visual PARABLEist

parasite nation 

New Years?

We don’t normally see New years day as a sacred holiday in America. Which begs the question, how should a believer treat new years day. The obvious place to draw inspiration is how the ancient Hebrews treated the New Year. 

The Hebrews did in fact celebrate the New Year with a ten day festival called the Days of Awe. It begins on the first days of Tishri of the Hebrew calendar. Current Jews refer to it as Rosh Hashanah. (head of the year) However Biblical era Jews called it by, Yom Ha-Zikkaron  (day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (day of trumpets). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:23-25. The festival ended with Yom Kippur. (day of atonement) Which is described in Leviticus 16. 

This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and planning the changes to make in the new year. One of the ongoing theme of the Days of Awe is the concept that God has "books" that he writes our names in, writing down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. These books are written in on Rosh Hashanah, but our actions during the Days of Awe can alter God's decree. The actions that change the decree are repentance, prayer, and good deeds (usually, charity). These "books" are sealed on Yom Kippur. This concept of writing in books is the source of the common greeting during this time of “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

Among the customs of this time, it is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year. The Talmud maintains that Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and God. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible.

How will you spend your new years eve? In serious introspection considering the last year and what kind of foundation it will make for the next? Or will you, engage in empty celebration for celebrations sake?

Visual PARABLEist

The state of Shalom

You have probably heard of the Hebrew word Shalom, and maybe you have heard that it means peace. However, the full definition of the word Shalom designates being at peace with ourselves, health, wealth, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment, tranquility. In other words, whole in the spirit. The tradition of Shalom goes even further to describe how to achieve a state of Shalom that we all desperately crave.

1. Reconcile with God.

    We reconcile with God by first confessing. (1 Jn 1:8-10) Keep in mind that true Biblical confession involves more than mere admission to our wrongs. It is accepting what God says about sin is true. That it's harmful to self, others, and our relationship with the father. (Rom 6:23) After confessing, we must repent. (2 Cor 7:8-11) Again, true Biblical repentance is more than a change of action, but a change of heart.  Through repentance, we are saying that we believe what God says about holiness and righteousness is true. 

2. Reconcile with your faith Family. 

    Strangely enough there can be considerable conflict within a church. Much of it stemming from the diverse spiritual gifting, personality, maturity, and worship preferences of its members. While scripture reveals that diversity can be a source of great strength. (1 Cor 12:12-31, Rom 12:3-8) We must be committed to God's spirit, and the common good of his children for it to work. (1 Cor 12:7) However, it can become a great weakness if we are only concerned with our own good and try to force people to conform to us, rather than inspire people to emulate Christ. We reconcile, by confessing and repenting of our betrayal of the body of Christ through our selfish behavior, then seeking forgiveness from those we've wronged.

3. Reconcile with your Enemies.

    This can be the hardest point to live up to, for the sinful nature of the flesh compels us to hold onto hatred of those who hurt us. Especially, if these people are clearly in the wrong, yet have no desire to own up to that wrong. So it is no wonder that this point robs more people of the state of Shalom than any other. What we must remember is that forgiveness is about Christ-likeness, for he forgave all us undeserving people of earth. When we do the same, we are living up to the truth we hold sacred. In doing so we let go of the anger that grieves our spirit, which opens the door to forgiveness from God; which is crucial in reconciling with him. (Matt 6:14-15)

    FYI:  Forgiveness in no way rationalizes sin, or has to directly involve the offender. It only means letting go of that spirit of vengeance that was never ours to wield in the first place. (Rom 12:17-21)

    Remember, what Jesus reveled about the way that we treat others is a direct reflection on our respect for God. (Matt 25:31-45) So hopefully, you now realize that these three points are all intertwined enough that if we fail at one, we fail at them all. 

    If we truly commit to reconciliation as outlined here, then, and only then can we hope to reconcile with self and find peace, be at shalom. The sad reality of this is that many of us do it all backwards. We seek peace for and unto ourselves, and never consider how others fit into the picture, let alone God. The world around us even encourages this backwards approach. Yet, they are all wondering why their peace is so easily and continuously disrupted, and feel so lost, broken, and incomplete inside.

The Visual PARABLEist 

The Warrior's Way

The 7 ways of a Godly Warrior

A godly warrior must. . .

   1. Glorify God and God alone. (Ex 34:14, Ps 69:30-33, 119:9-16)

   2. Vanquish evil without resorting to evil. (Rom 12:17-21)

   3. Defend innocence. (Pr 24:11-12)

   4. Help and mentor believers, the lost, and broken. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

   5. Share their strength with fellow warriors, the lost, and the broken; just as God shares His strength with them in their battle with sin. (Gal 6:2, 1 Pete 5:6-7, 2 Pete 1:3-4)

   6. Emulate their master Jesus as a disciple. (John 14:31, 15:9, 

Matt 20:25-28)

   7. hold themselves accountable to the authority they wield, which is the sword of the spirit. (James 1:22-25)

A truly accountable warrior knows the sting of the authority bestowed upon them, and know not to use is hastily with the broken and lost. Warriors can lose their way when they turn on the innocent and broken as if they were evil. Making the lost feel utterly condemned and hopeless, rather than loved. Leading the broken even further astray by their judgmental attitude. (Matt 18:6-9) By engaging in such bad judgement they are defending evil, not destroying it. This ultimately happens when one chooses to glorify self, rather than God.

Remember, not all wars are fought on a battlefield. Not all battles are fought with literal weapons.

Don't hate the way of the warrior, hate the evil that distorts it into something selfish and wicked, which is all to common these days. 

Are you a Godly warrior, or just a squire?

The Visual PARABLEist