“It is Hidden in the Savior’s Rejection by His Own”
Pastor Jacob Scott from Zion – Leeds is leading our Lent worship today.
Entries by Jen Olson
Sufficient Grace
Paul once experienced something I am not sure anyone else ever experienced. Paul got to go to heaven before he died. That’s right. He tells about it in the verses just before our text. He flashes back fourteen years. He tells of the time he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). This is a Jewish way of speaking.
Where Fears are Stilled
Have you ever been in the presence of greatness? That’s kind of hard to answer, isn’t it? I suppose it all depends on one’s definition of greatness. I could tell you I have been in the presence of greatness. I once stood next to baseball Hall-of-Famer Paul Molitor and held his cup of water while he signed his autograph for me. If you are not a baseball fan, you might not think Paul Molitor is all that great.
Epiphany Comes to Antioch
The celebration of Epiphany is really a localized event. What I mean is that there is a location that is associated with Epiphany. That place is Bethlehem. Herod’s priest directed the Wise Men to Bethlehem. The star in the sky stopped over Bethlehem. They found Jesus in Bethlehem. They presented gold, frankincense and myrrh in Bethlehem.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Armies!
Trivia question: What do the following actors all have in common? Groucho Marx. George Burns. Whoopi Goldberg. Morgan Freeman. Rodney Dangerfield. If you guessed that all these actors have portrayed God in the movies, you are correct. I think that is significant. The persons mentioned tend to be comedy actors. Each of their portrayals of God made God out to be a bit quirky, a bit silly, a bit of an oddball. In typical human and Hollywood fashion, it is an irreverent and unserious portrayal of God.
The Spirit who Gives Breath to Bones
Of all the stories recorded in the Bible, are there any more spectacular and spell-binding than when someone is raised from the dead? I remember Bible history class when I was a child in school. I remember how the stories of Jesus raising people to life really captured my attention. I remember how intensely I listened to the stories of Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter, and raising the widow’s son in the village of Nain, and I remember listening with rapt attention as Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend Lazarus and called, Lazarus, come forth! And out came Lazarus alive!
“Asking Thee to Watch and Keep”
One of the early lessons Christian parents teach their children is how to pray. We may take their little hands as they sit in their high chair and hold them together and teach them to say, “Thank you, Jesus, for this food. Amen.” Another time we teach them to pray is at bedtime. We teach them a “nighttime” prayer.
The Festival of our Lord’s Ascension
44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “This is what is written and so it must be: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
“Just As” Love
Have you ever been thrown into a situation where you are told to do something you have never done before without anyone showing you how to do what you are supposed to do? That can be very frustrating, can’t it? It works far better when someone shows you what you are being told to do. It works far better if someone shows you how to operate the machine. It works far better if someone shows you how to hold and swing the bat.
Well-Connected!
We are a culture that is obsessed with connections. And most of it has to do with that little thing we carry around called a smartphone. That phone is our connection to the world. It is our connection to family and friends. It is our connection to information. It is our connection to music. It is our connection to social media. Because of this, we are constantly after better connections, faster connections, cheaper connections, more powerful connections. For most of our younger people, they cannot conceive of living even one day without a wi-fi connection.
