Spoiler Alert – He Lives!

I have two word phrases today:
~ Good News: Something or someone pleasant, fortunate, or otherwise positive. In Christianity, it is the message of Jesus Christ concerning the salvation of the faithful (as elaborated in the Gospels). I love that definition – that means we can wake up each day, and EVERYDAY, with GOOD NEWS!!

~ Spoiler Alert: In a discussion or review of a film, book, television, movie, drama, etc., it is a warning that an important detail of the plot development is about to be revealed.

This photo is of the front of a birthday card I received: "Spoiler alert -- the hero comes back to life". Hilarious! And that's the truth. The guy in the book store has the Bible in his hands -- and the message he's hearing is the Hero – Jesus, rose from the grave and LIVES! The inside of the card said, "Happy Birthday and many happy RETURNS! I loved it when I received it, and I still love the message today, this day after Easter. Spoiler Alert again....There's even more to this "happy ending". Those of us who claim Him as our Lord and Savior will really live forever and ever because our HERO paid the price for us to spend eternity with Him. Now, that's REALLY GOOD NEWS!

I felt that Easter Spirit in church with my Frisco family yesterday. We sang, raised our hearts and hands in joyous praise as we couldn't contain our gratitude for what this day brought us. It meant spending ETERNITY with our Savior. The diabolical plot against our Lord was spoiled by His resurrection and now we can look forward to this Easter joy FOREVER!

It really is a phenomenon that from 12 ragtag men: fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, and a doctor exponentially multiplied to billions of followers throughout the ages. How incredible it is that Jesus never wrote a book yet there are more books written about Him than any other subject in the world. He never composed a song, but there is more music written about Him than any other subject in history. Jesus never painted a picture or carved a sculpture, but there is more art paintings and sculptures made about Him than any other subject in history. Jesus never traveled more than 100 miles from where He was born, and yet, there are followers of Jesus in every nook and cranny of the planet.

The HERO mentioned on this card, really is about GREAT NEWS. It's great news because, when it's understood, we are radically transformed by such indescribable love, peace, joy and so many other benefits that cause us to have a full, vibrant, abundant life on this side of heaven......AND BEYOND!!! Jesus defeated death so we don't have to fear it. We can be certain of our future in heaven, but the best part is while we are still here, God gives so much purpose to our lives.

I don't know who your hero is, but mine still lives.....He walks with me and talks with and tells me I am His own. He lives. He lives. Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives......He lives within my heart!

Passion Week -- Holy Monday

At this time in March, last year, I was inquiring about a Holy Lands trip. The "inquiring" became a PASSIONATE “YES, I'm going!" and soon I made my full payment for the trip. That full payment changed my life forever. I was THERE where my Lord walked, taught, healed and most importantly became my Savior. He made full payment for me by sacrificing His life on Calvary. I believed that with all my heart, and I gave Him my heart when I was 8 years ago. He paid my debt that He did not even owe.

Passion: strong and barely controllable emotion; the suffering and death of Jesus.The focus of Passion Week is the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and the events that led up to it.

The first day of my arrival to Israel, I posted this: "I walked today where Jesus walked and felt Him close to me". That trip created a real, live and in color “YOU ARE THERE” moments to that song “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” I believe I was there, because Jesus had you AND me in mind as He hung on the cross. From the moment I sat foot in Israel, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and awe that I was treading on the land of my Lord. My PASSION for Jesus was so enriched as I witnessed, through many tears, the awe-inspiring scenery and landscapes, breathtaking seas, opulent churches and holy sites where He had been. I know I didn’t have to go to Israel to know He lives in me, but there I felt a tangible connection with those women at His tomb -- "I know He lives!" My spiritual eyes saw Him there, but even better, I see Him every day, right here in Frisco, TX or wherever I am – in His creation, in His Word, in YOU. Holy Week, also known as Passion Week will never be the same for me.

Today is Holy Monday of Holy Week. At the heart of our faith is the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This week, I'll be purposely posting to remind us of what this week looked like. We’ve read those stories in the Bible and. we’ve heard many sermons and messages about the events, but have we sincerely pondered and noticed ALL that Jesus accomplished in this one week? He was on purpose with every act, healing, and teaching. If we knew it was our final week of life, wouldn’t we be taking care of “loose ends”, giving family and friends some of our wisdom from life, encouraging and giving clear thought-out messages to encourage them to carry on? If He knew He would soon lay down His life for us, then wouldn’t He make sure that everything He did was for our good to be used as visual references for us to follow?

Holy Week began yesterday, Palm Sunday, when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, with crowds cheering for Him, but He already knew it would be the toughest week of His 33 years of life -- when the cheering crowds became jeering crowds.

According to Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19, Jesus had gone to Bethany and returned to Jerusalem today. Imagine his thoughts about what He was about to face and then, casually coming upon the shameful practices at the Temple. Greed had altered the character of the Temple. He was so passionate about His Father’s House of Prayer being abused. Cleansing the Temple was a scene of chaos, but those who had needs knew what the Temple was for. First, the blind and lame came when they heard Jesus was in the Temple. As the children saw Jesus standing there and teaching, they began to shout again, “Hosanna, to the Son of David.”

I mentioned about my Holy Lands trip and the full payment I made to ensure my trip was “locked and loaded”. I think about the full payment Christ made for you and me. “He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. Now I sing a brand new song “Amazing Grace”. Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”

I pray that my words awaken you with the desire to consider Christ’s journey to Calvary throughout this week and mostly, I pray you open your heart and mind to THE ONE – who loved you enough to give His all for you. On this Holy Monday, He cleansed the temple. I pray that He cleanses and purifies our hearts and minds so that we are more like Him – in our thoughts, our words and our actions.

How About a Life-Changing Walk With Jesus?

I saw bunnies still scampering about yesterday, but these ones weren't leaving Easter eggs. The Easter baskets have been put back into storage until next year, but the crux of the whole matter of Easter celebrations is still burning in our hearts. We are still in awe of this most essential, absolute reason for our faith. Our Lord LIVES!

Remember the disciples who were returning home to Emmaus from Jerusalem after the crucifixion and the "supposed" resurrection of the Lord (Luke 24:13-35)? The women reported that angels at the empty tomb told them He was alive. But they thought those women were "seeing things". The reports of the empty tomb confused them, but that Easter Sunday afternoon, Jesus met up with them. He encouraged them and explained to them the message of the resurrection, and reminded them of His promises to them, but they didn't recognize Him until He went home with them and broke bread, blessed it and gave it to them. They had seen Jesus do this when he fed the five thousand and the four thousand and in the Upper Room. Their eyes opened and they recognized Him. Then He disappeared.

It was then that they said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”

Their hearts burned within them when He shared scriptures with them. And that is my prayer, too. That my heart would burn within me at the reality of His unfailing Word and that I would be stirred by His presence in my life daily. Don't you love it when you've read or heard a scripture many times, but then all of a sudden we read it or hear it explained again, but this time it's like a light comes on and we finally "get it" -- just like those disciples realized it was Jesus in their midst. Suddenly God is revealing that scripture to us in a new way and it's His perfect timing for "His Word to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway."

Perhaps, if we continue in this magnificent truth of our Risen Lord on a daily basis, our hearts will continue to burn with faith, His love will flow from us to others who need an encounter with Him, and we just may be His hands extended to them. We are those disciples on the road to Emmaus, living our lives in the real world, walking along with Jesus who is always there accompanying us on the road, whether we recognize Him or not. He listens to us, and understands us, because He became like us. He gets us. Are you confused, hurting, perplexed or need advice and wise counsel today? Maybe it's time to go for a life-changing "Walk With Jesus" today.

His Tomb Became a Delivery Room -- Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Up until his last day on this earth, my Sweetheart and I were uncompromising and unwavering in our faith and belief that he would be healed. But on that day, I had a sense of "knowing", it was time for him to get to go home. So, on that day, I leaned in close to him and said, "Baby, I'll be okay. Why don't you push and go on home? Push, Baby, Push!" I was his Midwife, our bedroom was his Delivery Room and he did push through heaven's birth canal to his healed and whole body and life in his Home Sweet Home in heaven.

I heard a message this week about our Lord's resurrection that brought that memory back to me. The Apostle Peter said in Acts 2:24 "God raised Jesus up, loosing the PANGS of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." That word, "pangs", is associated with labor and childbirth, so on that early "3rd Day" morning (probably 12:00 am -- God could no longer allow His Son to be in that tomb one more minute), so He must have said "It's time to get the SON up!" That tomb became the Delivery Room for the Son of God. Can you imagine that tomb was about to explode because of the POWER that was getting ready to burst forth. Notice that scripture again...."because IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE for Him to be held by it."

My Sweetheart doesn't live on this side of heaven any longer, but because of our Lord's death and resurrection, he LIVES in heaven. Best of all, our Lord LIVES, and SO DO I. I still have breath in my lungs. My heart still beats and God has brought ME back to life. Everyday is a new, bright resurrection morning, because of Christ's death, burial and rising to live forevermore. Only God can bring life out of a season of death. God just can't leave death well enough alone, can He?

Perhaps, today, you are still living in the ashes of remorse, brokenness, depression, and a tomb is holding you back. You are still alive. Go ahead and put your hand over your heart. If it's beating, God has a destiny and mission for you to fulfill. You could have been born sometime in history, but you weren't. You're here and now and the resurrection power of Jesus Christ can live big in you. Let Him turn your tomb into a Delivery Room to your new life today!

#HeLives

And They Lived Happily Ever After

I don't like movies that leave you hanging, or have a disappointing ending. I LOVE the happy ending ones! I'm quite sure that the movie my Life Group and I are going to see tonight will have a happy, encouraging and uplifting ending. We're going to see "Miracles From Heaven". I'll give you a movie review tomorrow!

Speaking of endings…..this is Tuesday of Holy Week aka Passion Week – when we journey toward the ending of Jesus' life on this earth. We're moving toward Holy Thursday (the Passover, Last Supper, Jesus washing his disciples feet) and then on to Good Friday, when He was tortured, suffered and died). As despicable as it was……we can still REJOICE. It's really good news! We know the end of the "movie". Our Champion, Jesus Christ wins on Resurrection Sunday aka Easter……so, we win!

Right now, life may be tough for you. You might have some health issues, or experienced the recent loss of a loved one. There may be strife in your marriage. You might not have enough money to make ends meet. But, DON"T lose hope! Just when you think the "movie" could get no worse, our Champion will be there because HE LIVES!

And in the end, we win in a big way. There will be no more tears. No more mourning, or pain or even death, but life eternal. Everlasting. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah destroys the enemy once and for all. Just hang on. The end of the "movie" -- the last chapter recorded for all to read is such a "and they lived happily ever after" ending. No, actually, it is THE BEGINNING! God wins and those who love and believe in Him will live with Him forevermore! Oh Happy Day!

Spoiler Alert

Day 287 of Photo Inspirations -- Spoiler Alert
I was just getting ready to file the sweet birthday cards I received for my birthday and I saw this one again:  "Spoiler alert -- the hero comes back to life".  In case you don't get it, the guy is in a book store and has the Bible in his hands -- and the message he's hearing is the Hero -- Jesus rose from the grave and LIVES! The inside of the card said, "Happy Birthday and many happy RETURNS!  I loved it when I received it, and I still love the message today.

The fact is Christ's resurrection changed everything for all of us.  Spoiler Alert again:  Those of us who claim Him as our Lord and Savior will really live forever and ever because our HERO paid the price for us to spend eternity with Him.

It really is a phenomenon that 12 peasant fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, a doctor exponentially multiplied to billions of followers throughout the ages.  It's amazing that Jesus never wrote a book yet there are more books written about Him than any other subject in the world.  He never composed a song, but there is more music written about Jesus Christ than any other subject in history.  Jesus never drew any pictures or sculpted any sculpture, but there is more art made about Him than any other subject in history.  Jesus never traveled more than 100 miles from where he was born, and yet, we can find followers of Jesus in every nook and cranny of the planet.

The HERO mentioned on this card, really is about GOOD NEWS.  It's not bad news. It's actually GREAT news!   It's great news because, when it's understood, we are radically impacted by such indescribable love, peace, joy and so many other benefits that cause us to have a full, vibrant, abundant life on this side of heaven......AND BEYOND!!!  Jesus defeated death so we don't have to fear it.  We can be certain of our future in heaven, but the best part is while we are still here, God gives so much purpose for our lives.

I don't know who your hero is, but mine still lives.....He walks with me and talks with and tells me I am His own.  He lives.  He lives.  Salvation to impart.  You ask me how I know He lives......He lives within my heart!

Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow

Day 95 of Photo Inspirations -- Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow

At church yesterday morning (Easter), we sang the beautiful chorus:  "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.  Because He lives, all fear is gone.  Because I know, He holds the future.  My life is worth the living, just because He lives."

As we sang, I remembered this date....5 years ago, April 5th, 2010.  I was working in a closet at a home where my sister-in-law and I were getting an estate sale ready for a client.   I received the phone call I had been waiting for, except I didn't get the news I had hoped for.  My daughter was at home with her daddy when the doctor's office called to give the report of the results of the recent bone biopsy that was done.  Subsequently, they called me.  Alone in that closet, I was jolted when I heard the report.  "He has Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma Cancer -- metastasized."    I couldn't hold back the tears, but then, getting a grip -- I hastened home to be with my Love.  That day, our unplanned Faith Journey would begin.    During that Easter season before us, we embraced the cross of our Savior who bore the stripes for our healing like never before.  We were committed to trusting in God's faithfulness.  And, the prayers we prayed for God's wisdom and guidance, as well as our family's unwavering faith, tenacity and joy, was well intact the next 7-1/2 months until His total healing came when he graduated to heaven.

As I sang that chorus, I realized that I had never sung those words with more fervor as I sang them yesterday's Easter morning.  Without a shadow of a doubt, I KNOW I have this strong, tenacious faith because I knew then, and I know now, that He who holds tomorrow, has held me in a tight grip since that day, April 5th, 2010.

The final verse of that song goes like this:   "And then one day, I'll cross that river.  I'll fight life's final war with pain.  And then as death gives way to victory.  I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives."  That was my Sweetheart's reward for His faithfulness in his own faith journey.  No question in my mind at all -- he is living in the lights of glory and he is face-to-face with our King of Kings -- and he is proclaiming to all of us:  "I LIVE, because He LIVES!!  He really LIVES!!"

I imagine that some of you who are reading this post today are facing insurmountable questions and concerns, and I assure you "Because He lives, you, too, can face whatever the future holds.  Make a decision, today, to hold fast to His love, mercy, and infinite wisdom.  Embrace the cross and the empty tomb -- that guarantees victory for your todays AND tomorrows.  He really LIVES!