Desert Religion (4/23/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Heb 3:12-19.

A number of years ago a man decided to put a gambling casino in the middle of the desert. The place only contained a gas station and a small grocery store. From this very small beginning, and with the help of legalized gambling in Nevada, Las Vegas has become an extremely popular vacation spot. It's a shame that gambling is the key to their success.

If you evaluate the amazing growth of Las Vegas, you very quickly see the human desire for bigger and more. The desire for gambling brought many people in, and the addition of entertainment increased its appeal. The desire for bigger and more spectacular forms of entertainment brought more and more people in. Hotels grew and expanded, and the city became very prosperous. They've even added "family" entertainment so the parents don't have to feel so bad about their gambling.

The flashiest and most exciting adult playground, at least from the world's perspective, was built in the middle of a desert. A place no one would have previously desired to visit, let alone live in, now has millions of visitors every year. Catering to human desires and weaknesses turns out to be very good for business.

Much of today's Church resides in the desert, in the wilderness of human compromise. The Jews left Egypt for the Promised Land and roamed the desert for 40 years because of their sin. They could have been in the Promised Land within weeks or months, but they grumbled and complained and never truly grasped the vision of Yahweh. Sadly, many Christians have settled for activity in the desert instead of entering the Promised Land of an ever-increasing depth of relationship with our Lord and Master. Too many churchgoers have settled for a religious experience instead of seeking the Lord with all their heart and entering into a beautiful and beneficial deeply intimate relationship with their heavenly Father.

We're proud of our denominational systems and precious buildings. We proclaim the glory of our programs and choirs and worship bands. It seems our ability to entertain and appeal to people's emotions is more desired than to teach them the truth of a more intimate relationship with Jesus. These desert things keep us occupied and somewhat satisfied for a while, but eventually their spiritual dryness leaves us searching for something more. Instead of asking and seeking and knocking to get more of our Lord, we choose to live in the desert in the midst of our false comfort.

Many immature Christians are very impressed and contented with this kind of church. The desert is their home, and they don't know there's anything else to be experienced. All the glitter eventually becomes old and stale. Disillusionment sets in, and the lack of substance leaves them dessicated. They're actually so dry a good wind would easily knock them over, but they believe they're in the place they belong. But Jesus said we're supposed to have rivers of living water pouring out of us if we would regularly partake of the Holy Spirit (John 7:38).

Heb 3:19 points out the very clear problem the Jews who died in the wilderness without entering the Promised Land had. "We see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." The word for unbelief could be anti-faith or unfaith. The implication is a stubborn refusal to believe or act in accordance with Yahweh's will or purpose. They denied Yahweh's truth. They stubbornly insisted on doing things their way. We continue to see this kind of behavior in churches throughout the world today. We proclaim that we're believers, followers of Jesus, yet many won't obey his commands and live in accordance with his Word.

A whole generation, except for Joshua and Caleb, rejected Yahweh's direction and guidance. After denying that Yahweh could give them the Promised Land, they tried to take it in their own strength. Similarly, we have many doctrines and denominational systems which rely more on human intellect and wisdom than on the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. Some even go so far as to deny that the Holy Spirit is even active anymore. How can followers of Jesus claim that the one sent to lead them into all truth is no longer active? Because they've also denied Yahweh's truth.

The Jews who died in the wilderness failed to enter Yahweh's Sabbath-Rest. True rest isn't about not doing things on a particular "set-aside" day. It's about getting into the presence of our Lord and enjoying the benefits of this kind of closeness with him. We're warned not to let "sin's deceitfulness" draw us away from his blessed presence. We're not Yahweh's chosen people because of any special designation we claim. We're his Chosen because we choose to follow him, obeying his commands and listening to the Spirit's voice for guidance.

When we substitute rituals or religious activities for rest, we're leaving our Lord Jesus out of what we're doing. Sabbath-Rest is only available through a solid relationship with our Savior. Heb 4:11 exhorts us, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Israel's failure, their disobedience, should serve as a very clear warning to us not to duplicate their sin. A life of solid obedience to the voice of our Lord is necessary for a true believer. Notice that putting forth an effort is required. There's no coasting or riding in on the coattails of Jesus. We must be dedicated and committed to putting forth a good individual effort.

We're supposed to show diligence in trying to enter Yahweh's rest. He never forces it on us, we must enter of our own accord. The faith it takes to get to this wonderful place of rest is diligent, it puts forth a strong personal effort. True faith isn't passive, it's actually very aggressive. It takes a good, concerted effort to continue to rely on and trust in and cling to Jesus. We're also to encourage each other so we don't end up with unbelieving hearts. This is strong language. We'd prefer to think we have doubts or insecurities, not unbelief. But unbelief is a serious sin, because according to Yahweh its root is an evil heart.

Unbelief isn't the inability to understand, but it's the unwillingness to trust Yahweh and his Word. It's a matter of our wills, not our intelligence. Unbelief is a rejection of Yahweh's truth because we'd rather believe something else. There are some spiritual things that unbelievers can't figure out because of their unspiritual minds (1Cor 2:14). But we're talking about willful disobedience, the stubborn refusal to believe or act in accordance with Yahweh's will and purpose. Unbelief is choosing to believe something else even after we've seen Yahweh's truth.

We can truly and fully believe Yahweh, yet occasionally be troubled by doubts. We can doubt and still desire to see Yahweh's promises come to pass. It's just that our faith is weak and struggling. Unbelief isn't weak faith, it actually sets itself up in opposition to faith. Remember, it's an act of our will. We all have moments of doubt because of our human weakness, but to choose unbelief means we prefer something over our Lord's truth.

C. H. Spurgeon once said: "The great sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is often spoken of very lightly and in a very trifling spirit, as though it were scarcely any sin at all. Yet, according to the whole tenor of the Scriptures, unbelief is the calling of God a liar, and what can be worse?"

When we fully trust in the finished work of Jesus we can enter his Sabbath-Rest. We're urged by our Lord to move forward aggressively, to fight to lay hold of all that our Father has prepared for us. This is even more important than taking a Sabbath Day. This is moving into a position of maturity in our faith and belief. This is moving beyond the childish teachings of rituals and learning to adapt our personal lives to our Lord's presence and activity. This is living each day in Sabbath-Rest, consciously working to draw closer and closer to our Lord each and every day.

Don't live in the desert. Don't let your religion be desert-based. Ask your Lord if the traditions you participate in are hindering your spiritual growth. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern what truly matters concerning your spiritual walk. Let him direct your daily devotions, not your printed materials. Come out of the emptiness of desert religion. Move away from any artificial spirituality. Check yourself out. Trust that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you any deficiencies that need to be dealt with. And ensure that you obediently move in the way you're directed to by your Lord.

We all need to evaluate where we are "in Christ." We all need to be helping each other keep moving and growing spiritually. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Unbelief is rebellion, actively working against Yahweh's Kingdom. It will leave you dying of thirst for a lack of living water. Come to the Jesus oasis and enjoy the cleansing and refreshing of the "washing with water through the Word" (Eph 5:26).

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Keep the Sacrifice of Jesus Visible (4/16/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Lev 6:8-13.

This passage explains the responsibility of the priests concerning the altar of burnt offerings. The fire was to be kept burning throughout the day, and the offering left on the altar through the night. Someone stayed and ensured the fire didn't go out. Verse 13, "The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out."

In the morning one of the priests had to remove the ashes. First, he would put on his priestly linen clothes and remove the ashes to the side of the altar. There are miracles reported during this process. At times the priest removing the ashes from then altar would report that the ashes disappeared when he shoveled them out. Now, this couldn't be a very nice job to do in your "dress" clothes, especially when they're made of linen. Then he's instructed to change before carrying the ashes outside the camp. The "other" clothes he put on aren't specified, but the root word means substitute. He couldn't wear his linen ones outside the tabernacle area.

This was probably the most visible process of the ongoing sacrificial system. Every day you could watch the removal of the ashes. Given that these ashes are taken outside the camp to a "ceremonially clean place," I'm sure you had to be careful about how closely you approached the priest as he did his duty. Every day the evidence of sacrifice for sins was seen by the people who watched this priest remove the ashes. Today we have crosses as symbols to remind us, but I believe this ongoing task was much more noticed by the general population.

Crucifixion was a strong symbol of Roman power. It declared the sovereignty of the Caesars over the known world. And yet Jesus submitted to it knowing he would establish his Lordship through his great sacrifice. A crucifixion was a total loss of power, an absolute degradation of humanity, and a certain tool of death. Jesus used it to point the way to salvation, to make possible the way of salvation. He put himself on display for all to see. His sacrifice on our behalf wasn't done in private, but in the most publicly degrading way.

It's in this display of sacrifice and human weakness that we learn what true power is. Jesus overcame every evil dominion, every evil power broker, and every evil ruler or leader. He was willing to embrace death on behalf of others knowing he would emerge as a glorious King. Just as the ashes are of the sacrifice were put on display every day, Jesus put himself on display for all to see. And in offering himself in this way, all power and authority shifted to his shoulders. Roman power may have still been in place politically, but the spiritual realm was now fully in the hands of our Messiah Jesus.

Our work as his disciples is to ensure that as many humans as possible know of his sacrifice on our behalf. Many people will mock us and call us fools, but that's what Yahweh has already told us would happen. 1 Cor 1:25 says, "The foolishness of Elohim is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of Elohim is stronger than man's strength." The least intelligent part of Yahweh is more intelligent than any human. The weakest part of Yahweh is stronger than the most muscle-bound human. Don't be swayed by man's ideas or opinions. Stay strong in presenting the answer to every man's sin problem.

Sin is the pervading and ongoing problem of all mankind. But we Christians have an answer to that problem. 1 John 2:2 says, "Yeshua himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world." Everyone, and that means every individual human on the face of the earth, can find release from their condemnation by accepting the redemption found in our Savior's sacrifice. No one's sin is automatically covered. They must seek the mercy available for themselves.

We do need to remember that every sin ever committed by every person who's ever lived will be punished in one of two ways. Either Yahweh's wrath will be satisfied when the unrepentant and unbelieving pay for their own sin in Hell, or his wrath is appeased by our receiving salvation because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. So we either accept that Jesus took the punishment we deserve by asking him to cleanse us of our sins, or we pay the price in full by our eternal separation from our Creator.

Atonement is best explained through the Mosaic sacrificial system. These sacrifices teach us that there's a way of escaping the consequences of our sin, allowing us to approach our heavenly Father. We learn that through the death of another, forgiveness is offered. Substitutionary death is what the sacrificial animals gave Old Testament believers. Substitutionary death is what Jesus offers to us now. His sacrifice is sufficient for every sin we ever commit. We don't have to keep offering another sacrifice each time we sin, we can keep receiving redemption and atonement from the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus (Heb 7:27). Now we must abide by 1 John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, Yeshua is trustworthy and righteous to forgive us our sins."

There are theological arguments about whether all sin is automatically forgiven by Jesus' sacrifice. Yes, the Cross has indeed atoned for all sin and met Yahweh's righteous demand for a blood sacrifice. But no one's sins are removed until they personally admit their human weakness and the necessity of receiving this free gift of salvation found only in Jesus' sacrificial death. The power to forgive all sin is found in what Jesus did in substitutionary death on our behalf. The receiving of that forgiveness only comes when a repentant heart cries out for mercy.

The Way of the Cross is the only means of bridging the deep chasm between our righteousness and Yahweh's. It's impossible to get to Heaven without divine help. People need to be reminded over and over and over again of this compelling truth. Yahweh has condemned the whole world, and judged us all to be wicked. He's absolutely just and right in handing down punishment for our sin. If we refuse his offer of salvation, we're rightly condemned and deserve eternal punishment. But Yahweh didn't leave us without a solution to our problem. "For Yahweh so loved the world" are some of our very favorite words, and they should be (John 3:16).

Our heavenly Father gave us a way to be freed from our condemnation. He gave us the solution to our sin problem. He gave us the way to live a better life, a way to receive eternal life. And it didn't cost us anything. We don't have to personally atone for our sins. We don't have to do penance to be accepted. We have to admit our sin guilt and then receive mercy and grace. Our pardon is just sitting and waiting for us to acknowledge that we've done wrong. Our pardon is already in place, awaiting our guilty plea.

Most humans look at justice as a way of being cruel and inhuman to others. Most figure that justice has to be hard, mean, cruel, demoralizing, and absolute. But Yahweh can balance his justice with his love perfectly. Our heavenly Father is absolutely in power over all mankind, yet he loves us so deeply that he made a way for us to overcome our sin. Yahweh isn't a human who will "exact justice" to appease his sense of betrayal or to get even for harm done. Our Father in Heaven is justice and truth and righteousness. He will do what's right for each and every individual human who ever walked the face of this earth, even if that means removing them from his presence because they refused to accept his pardon for their sins.

Mankind is so wrapped up with the things of this world that many have no clue where they're headed eternally. They haven't realized that where they're going they'll lose all power, money, and authority. They'll be spending eternity in a desolate place of absolute and utter destruction. They're ultimately trading a few years of being their own god for an eternity of suffering. That's why we need to keep placing the sacrifice of Jesus before their faces. We need to give them as many opportunities to receive Jesus as we possibly can.

We've been given a great gift. Yahweh wants to guide us to eternal peace and security. He wants to guide us to eternal riches beyond anything we can think or imagine. The Body of Christ must keep the sacrifice of Jesus in front of everyone's faces to ensure that they have every opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior. True disciples of Jesus don't sit back and savor their own salvation while ignoring the lost dying all around them. We use our gift. We speak of Jesus. We live as righteous followers of his Word. We put his Words into practice in our daily lives. We offer hope and peace to all who will listen.

We're not speaking condemnation when we tell of the possibilities of Heaven or Hell, but some people hear it in our words because they focus totally on Hell. It all comes down to how they receive our words of ultimate grace and mercy. 1 Cor 2:15 says, "We are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." Both the saved and the lost pick up the scent of Jesus on us. But now look at verse 16. "To the one we are the smell of death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life." To the ones who smell death when we share Jesus with them, what we're doing seems cruel and harsh. The scent they pick up will be based on their interpretation of what we speak. If they feel condemned for their sin, they smell some of the fire and brimstone awaiting them. If they smell Heaven, they enjoy life to life."

We can't quit speaking the truth about the sacrifice of Jesus because of anyone's displeasure with our words. We're not condemning anyone, we're showing them the path to complete and total peace. Be a good priest and do your duty. Keep putting the Cross in front of people's faces so they have to acknowledge it's place in their lives.

Blessings & Peace, Mike

He Is Not Here, He Is Risen (4/9/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Matt 28:1-10.

The words, "He is not here, he has risen, JUST AS HE SAID," form the core of our beliefs as Christians and followers of Jesus the Christ. Without the Resurrection nothing else Jesus did would matter. If there wasn't this return from the dead, we would only have a man with a wonderful ministry while he lived. All evidence within the New Testament points to the fact that the Gospel is about Jesus and his Resurrection. It's not the simplistic "follow the teacher and do your best and your life will be good" philosophy that is taught in liberal churches. You can't take away the Resurrection without radically altering Christianity and actually destroying its very identity.

Josh McDowell states: "after more than 700 hours studying this subject, and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, or it is the most fantastic fact of history." He also says he's unable to refute Christianity because he's unable to explain away that the resurrection of Jesus is a recorded event in human history, not just our Bibles.

The early Church thrived because the resurrection was more than just a point of belief. It was the basis of their faith. Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity. The "Christian" Church would never have begun without this marvelous event. The Jesus Movement would have fizzled out quickly after his execution if he didn't really rise from the dead and visit with his disciples. Rom 10:9-10 points out how important our belief in the Resurrection is. "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

When a modern church deemphasizes the importance of belief in the Resurrection they deny the validity of the Scriptures. Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his Resurrection matter. It's not just a story to enhance the legend. It's historical. We find the first century historian Josephus including the fact that Jesus rose from the dead in his writings. And it's remarkable because he was far from sympathetic to Christians. Josephus was a Jew writing to please the Romans. His inclusion of the Resurrection wouldn't have pleased them in the slightest. He would hardly have included it if it wasn't true There must have been some very compelling evidence to make him report it.

The meaning of the Resurrection is definitely a theological matter, but the fact of the Resurrection is a most definitely historical one. The nature of Jesus' resurrection body may be a mystery, but the fact that the tomb was empty is decided by historical evidence. We know more details about the hours surrounding Jesus' death than we do any other man in the ancient world. The solid and certain faith the early disciples walked in was founded upon their very real experience. Acts 1:3 says Jesus "showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive."

Luke used a powerful word for "convincing proofs." It means a demonstrable proof. These early believers had empirical evidence. They saw Jesus. They were convinced. In this time when people want proof, we have it. It's within the historical record, not just in the Bible. But what's in the Bible is superbly strong and capable of convincing anyone with an honestly seeking heart. Those who say Jesus is part of a fairy tale haven't seriously considered the evidence.

Listen to a quote from Professor Thomas Arnold, chair of Modern History at Oxford University: "The evidence for our Lord's life and death and resurrection may be, and often has been, shown to be satisfactory; it is good according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Thousands and ten of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece, as carefully as every judge summing up a most important case. I have myself done it many times over, not to persuade others but to satisfy myself. I know of no fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead."

Historical evidence for the Resurrection is stronger than for any other miracle recorded. But that doesn't save souls, faith in the Lord Jesus does that. In 1 Cor 15, Paul stressed that the Resurrection is vital to our faith, for without it preaching and faith are both in vain. Remember Rom 10:9-10, our faith should be grounded in the Resurrection. Let the whole world know that Jesus is alive! Let them know that his love overcomes all objections, tribulations, doubts, fears, and stubbornness when they truly give the truth a chance.

The concept that Jesus rose from the dead with a new body while his old one remained in the tomb is a modern notion. Jewish mentality would never have accepted this two body concept. They would have checked the empty tomb. So when the disciples began to preach the Resurrection in Jerusalem and people responded, and religious leaders stood by helplessly watching, the tomb had to be empty. The simple fact that the Christian fellowship, founded upon the belief in Jesus' Resurrection, came into existence in the very city where he was executed and buried is powerful evidence for the historicity of that Resurrection.

Blessings & Peace, Mike

Hosanna (4/2/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Luke 19:28-40.

Luke's is the only Gospel account of what we call Palm Sunday which doesn't use the word Hosanna. I couldn't find any scholarly opinions as to why that might be, so I came up with one of my own. Luke's Gospel is written primarily to the Gentiles, and Hosanna is a Hebrew word. It means "save now!" It's an exclamation of adoration concerning the return of the Messiah. It's all about Messianic salvation, and some Gentiles wouldn't know the background if they weren't acquainted with Jewish teaching. What we all need to recognize is that Jesus' time had come.

Jesus was giving his final notice to those who stood against him. He was telling them that he was carrying out his mission to its very end. He was challenging them to do their part. He entered the city of Jerusalem with the prophecy of Psalm 118 as his banner. He took verse 24 for himself, "This is the day Yahweh has made." He fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah about riding on a donkey. He was showing all who were interested enough to take notice that he was their Messiah, the long-awaited "hope of Israel." Jesus entered Jerusalem amid a mob of joyous people. They shouted hallelujahs and hosannas, rejoicing and believing that Jesus would make major changes.

But of course some of the fault-finding Pharisees in the crowd complained, telling Jesus to rebuke his disciples. They rejected Jesus before he even entered the city. But Jesus told them the occasion was so special that even the stones were ready to shout. Other places in the Bible talk about trees clapping their hands and nature responding to its Creator. Rom 8:19-21 says, "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of he who subjected it, in hope, that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Can you imagine how exciting it must have been to be in that crowd on that very special day? I bet even the most reserved one of us would have shouted at least a little bit. The feeling that day had to be contagious. I think it would have been hard to be a part of that crowd and not join in the shouting and praises. But we can't just be carnival Christians. You know, the one who enjoys all the fun, who gets caught up in the excitement of cheering for Jesus, but then has a hard time taking a personal stand for him apart from the crowd. In a crowd we can shout and cheer because it's safe, but even then some legalists will only complain.

How about us? How do we do when we're not around the other believers and the excitement? All too often we're very quiet without the parade passing by. In Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the adoring crowd makes up a very ragtag group. The lame, the blind, the poor, and children from all over Israel are there for the celebration of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. When a Roman soldier investigates the noise all he sees is a man riding on a donkey using borrowed cloaks for a saddle. It wouldn't have been a very impressive or dangerous sight to him, and not anything he would need to deal with at the moment.

But it was the best display the crowd could make. They were excited. They were deeply into this moment of celebration. But it's more likely that they were being led by a mob mentality than any real joy over the arrival of Jesus their Messiah. Many probably didn't know that Jesus was fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy. Many probably didn't have any understanding of the significance of what Jesus was doing. They were probably already excited about getting to Jerusalem themselves, and this was just an opportunity to let off some steam.

If only the Body of Christ would truly get hold of the JOY of the Lord. We could and would see great things happen for the Kingdom of our Lord if we did. We need to get the full and abiding joy of Jesus flowing from our spirits, to our voices, to the ears of the lost and dying all around us. We need some spontaneous expressions of joy and worship to catch their attention.

This "Palm Sunday" crowd was likely to have been cheering about the miracles Jesus had performed in the recent past. Many were likely to be celebrating his effective work on their behalf. Many were likely to have heard of his miracles and wonders, and maybe thought they could get in on the blessings, too. Many of the people shouting as Jesus rode by, humbly on a donkey, were hopeful of better days ahead. They were thinking about physical, economic, and political improvements, more than a spiritual Kingdom.

But let's reflect back on what little value all the applause and shouting has when Jesus stood before them as a condemned man. Remember, the very same excited and expectant people were bitter and disappointed just a few days later. The fickle mob joined in the cry of the day again, only this time it wasn't Hosanna but "Crucify him!" Multitudes seemed to approve Jesus and his mission on one day, but few were claiming to be his disciples shortly thereafter.

If we could show ourselves to the world as the joyful, singing, shouting, praising, servants of the Most High God; maybe more people would want to know what we have that makes things so much better for us. If our faces and voices and lives gave testimony of having a better life than the world can ever dream of, we wouldn't have room for the all the new believers who would start to storm our churches. If the joy of our Lord was truly our strength, we would be much more successful in spreading the Gospel and growing Yahweh's Kingdom.

It's not the mournful songs of suffering for the Lord which will win most people to faith and belief in Jesus. It's the hallelujahs of salvation and our spiritual freedom ringing forth into the air. Popular music, well-known tunes, have been used successfully in reaching the lost for many hundreds of years. Songs of joy and adoration and excitement and praise speak of how wonderful it is to be saved by our Lord Jesus. The Wesley brothers actually took barroom tunes and put Christian words to them so the people would be better able to sing songs of worship. They already knew the tunes so it was only a matter of learning the new and inspiring words.

John Wesley's "Directions for Singing" include: "Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength." This isn't about unreasonable or over-the-top excesses of emotion. This isn't about putting on a show to be noticed by others. look at our society. No one thinks it's odd when a stadium or arena full of people react very emotionally at a ball game, but being excited and showing inside a church is frowned on. I'd say it's very reasonable to react emotionally to the fact that our sins are forgiven. I'd say it should be expected that we'd react boisterously when the realization of salvation in Jesus dawns in our hearts.

What's wrong with feeling your religion in addition to believing it? Joy should be reflected in the songs we sing and the prayers we pray and the worship we offer to our King. If you're truly in communion with Yahweh, aware of his presence in your life and capable of understanding the difference he's made in your life by taking your sins away - then go ahead and show it. Why is it we're only supposed to be quiet and reserved about our religious expression? Are we a church filled with introverts or something? Go ahead and wear your heart on your sleeve, showing both your sorrow and joy when they're appropriate.

Even though many of the people in attendance on this day of rejoicing in Jerusalem didn't really understand what Jesus was doing, they were looking for a positive change in their lives and society. What are you hopeful for because of Jesus? What personal and societal changes would you like to see because of his ministry? What are you willing to do as his disciple to see these things come to pass? Don't be like the crowd who was hoping for their own miracle, be his obedient servant and do your part in the building and spread of his Kingdom.

When Jesus paraded into Jerusalem all the city was moved. Some were moved with joy because they were cheering for their long-awaited Messiah. Others, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, were moved with envy because of the attention and adoration Jesus was receiving. Are you moved with joy at the entrance of Jesus into your life or someone else's? Or are you moved with envy because Jesus wants to move in and change the status quo?

Celebrate his coming with shouts and praise. Jesus is absolutely worthy. He's our King and Savior, and he deserves all the honor we can give him.

Blessings & Peace, Mike