Imagine Jesus, walking throughout the countryside of northern Israel, in the region of Galilee.  Dust, heat, wind and sometimes rain.  His ministry had no headquarters or fixed address. The itinerant nature of His calling meant He was on the road, traveling from place to place as the Father directed.  Knowing the end goal was the cross, and the beginning was the baptism at the Jordan River, the middle was not mapped out specifically.

Can you see Jesus stepping out of the waters in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit lighting upon the Son of God like a dove?  With droplets dripping from His beard and hair, His homespun clothing saturated, Jesus emerged from the river and then what?

In Luke's Gospel, chapter four starts with these words:  "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days He was tempted [tested] by the devil..." (Luke 4:1-2a)  This new ministry venture began with a testing.  Now Jesus had lived 30 years on the earth, submitted to an earthly set of parents and learning under Joseph as an apprentice carpenter.  He had learned much about life, human nature, family, worship as a Jew. Leaving Nazareth, the home and family He knew and loved, Jesus set out for Jerusalem and was baptized under the ministry of John the Baptist.  With the exciting launch of His ministry with a baptism and then the heavens opening and God's voice of approval, how deflating to be led alone to the wilderness.

Somehow, God's plan was to allow the devil to tempt Jesus.  (Luke 4:1-13)  You can read that account and see how the devil found the most vulnerable and key areas of Jesus' identity and calling and directly attacked Him.  And you can discover how Jesus used the "sword of the Spirit, the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17) to defeat the lies and schemes of the evil one.

Maybe you are about to launch into a new season of your life.  Is God challenging you to step out and begin to serve Him in a new way?  Are you trudging through life and wondering if there is more to following Jesus?  Possibly involvement in your church, community or beyond?

If so, don't be surprised if a time of testing happens.  Doubts about God's call.  Financial challenges.  Opposition from friends, church members or even family?  The Holy Spirit often leads us into ministry through the testing grounds of such trials.  This prepares us for the real life challenges that ministry of the Gospel will throw at us. 

Pray and see what God would have for you! 

 

 

Celebrating Easter has been something my family has done since I can remember.  Easter egg hunts, candy baskets, stuffed bunnies and a new spring dress.  When I got married and had children, I carried on some of those traditions with our little ones. We would do a quick Easter hunt, then quickly get ready for the worship service.  Our church would have a special meal and often we would have a family gathering that evening or Easter Monday.  For a few years, we would pack up our van before church and then leave right after service to head to Alberta.  We would spend the spring break with the Selke family who lived in the Edmonton area. 

This past Sunday morning, our daughter-in-law prepared a special basket and hid little chocolate eggs around our house for Kaira (2 1/2 years old) to find.  The wonder in her eyes at the discovery of treats and her enthusiasm to find "more" was a delight to all of us!

I remember the first Christmas as a follower of Jesus Christ held special memories for me.  The familiar Christmas carols had personal meaning, the gifts and family time held more joy because I was celebrating the birth of my Saviour, Jesus.  I knew the story, but now it meant so much more!  And the first Easter, I tried to read the Bible passages about Good Friday and the death of Jesus.  I rushed ahead to the Resurrection accounts in the Gospels because I wanted to have the happy ending.  His death was important but so hard to bear!  How could an innocent man be so wrongly accused and not defended?  No wonder the daylight became dark for three hours when Jesus Christ hung on that cross!

But that amazing Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb before sunrise, still brings a thrill to my heart.  Their sorrow must have slowed their steps, dreading the task of preparing their Lord's body for a proper burial.  And when they approached the tomb, an angel greeted them.  They couldn't believe their eyes: the heavy stone was rolled away and this blinding light emphasized the fact that the tomb was empty.  Where was their beloved Jesus?   The angel told them the good news: "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?  He is not here. He is risen."  Confusion, chaos, doubt and lies filled the next hours and days as the missing body could not be accounted for.  In one Gospel account, Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus - in her grief she assumed He was the gardener - and was sent to announce He was alive to the rest of the disciples!

 The disciples experienced special appearances of the Risen Saviour in the days that followed.  Jesus appeared to them in the house they stayed at in Jerusalem, while they were still there for Passover.  He walked along the road to Emmaeus with some of Jesus' bewildered followers, then revealed His identity to them and ate with them.  A week later, Thomas encountered  the Lord and was given the opportunity to see the nail prints and wound in Jesus' side from the crucifixion.  

If we were to witness the execution of our hero, our Teacher, then see His burial in a tomb, would we expect to ever see the Son of God again on this earth?  Yet, the Bible has four accounts and historical records from other sources also to back up the truth:  Jesus of Nazareth lives.  

Here's an acrostic for the word GOSPEL.   

G - God's

O - Only

S - Salvation

P - Plan

E - Ever

L - Launched 

The Gospel is a biblical word that means "good news."  And the death and resurrection of Jesus is that good news for all of us.  We can believe and receive the death of Jesus in our place, the death that paid for our sins' consequences.  God made this way for us to be forgiven and made right with Him.  And His resurrection gives us proof that He is divine, eternal and the promised One.  This is the pinnacle of the Gospel, Easter Sunday.  

There is no greater event since the beginning of time.  

Along with the family dinners, spring decorations and new Easter bonnet, what does Easter mean to you?

 

 What was Jesus doing in His final week before the cross?

Teaching - Mark 12:1 "Then Jesus began teaching with stories..." Jesus was focused on His final sermons, parables and even conversations to impart closing words to the Pharisees, crowds and His disciples.

Healing - Matthew 21:14 ' "The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and he healed them." Jesus continued to extend grace, mercy and verify His identity by signs and miracles.

Fellowship - Mark 14:3 "And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table..." Jesus spent some special time with Lazarus, Mary, Martha and even Simon who had been a leper (healed?).  I'm sure the fellowship was for their benefit but also a comfort for Jesus in His last days.

Worshiping- Although no scripture that I found specifically mentions Jesus worshiping at the Temple, I assume He came to worship, as well as cleanse the Temple, teach, heal and proclaim the coming of the Kingdom! 

Preparing- Mark 14: 8 "She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time." Jesus was preparing Himself for the cross; and by divine coincidence, Mary pouring out her precious ointment on Jesus' feet was a prophetic preparation for Jesus' imminent death.  

Praying- John 17 is the classic passage of Jesus' prayer for His disciples, and for us, His future followers.  How beautiful to have a record of His actual words of prayer!  And the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane - the poignant pouring out of pain and drops of blood as Jesus wrestled with the cup of suffering.  

Submitting- Mark 14:18 "I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me."  Jesus knew and yet submitted to the Father's will that He be betrayed, beaten, mocked and ultimately executed on a Roman cross.  The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.

***** 

Jesus was doing the Father's will in everything. His intentional approach to every moment during his last days on earth speaks to me.  Am I using every opportunity to reach people, to listen to the heart of my Father, to pray without ceasing, to give my all?  

At the same time, He continued to connect with people.  How tempting it would be to withdraw, to process what He knew were His last days! Jesus continued to preach and teach.  He seemed to ramp up the intensity in confronting the Pharisees and opponents to His mission. 

Jesus also continued to invest in His disciples and spend time with those who loved Him and cared for Him.  Jesus laid aside His own inner turmoil to minister to those close to Him.  Knowing He was leaving them to carry out the biggest mission in history, the Lord Jesus must have felt the intensity and urgency of training the future leaders of His Church.  He made every moment count.

Are you and I follow our Lord's example in making our every moment matter for His cause? 

 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

 

  

 1 KINGS 19 - Elijah's Battle

 What an incredible manifestation of the power and authority of God!  Through a humble prophet who simply called on the name of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, God vindicated His name and the ministry of Elijah, His prophet.  

But the battle wasn't over.  Although the people who witnessed this divine fire were proclaiming "The LORD - He is God! The Lord - He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39), the king and queen of Israel were still functioning in their evil ways and had in no way shown repentance towards Jehoveh God.  Only by the power of God did Elijah travel to Jezreel, following King Ahab as he returned to Jezebel to report all that had happened on Mount Carmel.  Actually, by the Spirit of God, Elijah outran Ahab's chariot to Jezreel!

 The king told his wife all that had happened and her response was to send a messenger to Elijah:  "May the gods deal with me...if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them [the dead prophets of Baal]."  (1 Kings 19:2) Elijah was no fool!  He ran for his life.  He left behind his servant and went alone into the wilderness near Beersheba in Judah, the southern kingdom - a distance of about 100 miles.  

After facing down over 900 idol-worshiping prophets and King Ahab, calling fire down from heaven and orchestrating the murder of these evil prophets, why did the threat of Queen Jezebel terrify the mighty Elijah?

Some would say that any man would run from an angry woman! Her wicked scheming and manipulating controlled her husband and the nation of Israel - she wielded power that had kept God's people from fully turning back to Him.  

Not only the fear of Jezebel, but some scholars say that complete exhaustion overtook Elijah.  After the showdown on Mount Carmel, he was emotionally, physically and spiritually spent.  Even though God had prepared and equipped His servant for this huge spiritual event, it required all Elijah had in terms of strength and stamina.  

Another factor that may have played into Elijah's collapse in the wilderness was the incompleteness of his mission.  Could it be possible that Elijah hoped for a complete return of the people of Israel to worship the One true God, including King Ahab and Queen Jezebel?  Or maybe he expected God to smite the rebellious royal couple on the spot.  The huge disappointment that the battle wasn't over could have sent Elijah over the edge.

"I have had enough, Lord," he said.  Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." (verse 4)  Elijah somehow feels like a failure and wants to die.  In the very next sentence, the Bible records that Elijah lay down under a bush and fell asleep. The Lord allowed Elijah rest; then He sent an angel to bake some bread and give the prophet some water.  Just like by the Cherith brook, God provided sustenance and rest for Elijah. Once revived by food, water and sleep, Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb and sought shelter in a cave.  (The journey took 40 days and nights - 1 Kings 19:8)

God continues to meet Elijah where he is at by asking him:   "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (verse 9b)  This question reminds me of when God asked Adam:  "Where are you?" when he and Eve were hiding from God in the Garden after they had sinned.  God doesn't ask these questions because He needs to find out the answers.  He wants to know if we know where we are, or why we are running? Elijah expresses his feelings and reason for running: I have been faithful to You, but Your people continue to do evil.  They have rejected Your covenant, killing Your prophets. " I am the only one left." (verse 10 & 14)  I fear for my life!

*Just a note - Elijah had met Obadiah before the 3 1/2 years of drought, and Obadiah told him that he had hidden 100 prophets who had NOT bowed their knees to Baal (1 Kings 18:4 & 13).  Somehow Elijah had the misunderstanding that he alone was faithful to God.  How often do we feel all alone in our circumstances, that no one knows our troubles and no one cares?  Elijah found himself in that place even when the facts told him otherwise.

As the Lord hears Elijah, He knows how to encourage and renew His servant.  He reveals Himself personally.  Not in the wind and storm.  Not in the earthquake.  Not in the fire.  Remember that God had sent fire down a month or more ago on Mount Carmel!  No, God wasn't in these powerful demonstrations.  The Almighty was in the gentle whisper, the still small voice.

"Be still, and know that I AM God."  (Psalm 46:10a)

Then the very next thing God does is to give Elijah work to do.  He is to anoint Hazael the next king over Aram  (Aram is connected to Sidon, where Jezebel's father had been king).  He is also to anoint Jehu over Israel, to replace Ahab.  Finally, Elijah is to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.  

In short order, God has replacements for those who have done evil.  He would use both Hazael and Jehu to kill those who still remained in the land as rebels.  And He was providing Elijah a helper, successor to carry on the good fight.

 God also establishes that He had reserved 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal or kissed him!  (verse 18)  Without reprimanding Elijah, or condemning his belief that he was alone in faithfulness to the Lord, God gently but firmly guides Elijah back into active service.  

This same God can encourage you, establish you, bless you, lift you up from whatever circumstances have you feeling defeated.  God can and will help us fight the battle within!

 

 LUKE 9 - Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

As I prepare for the Holy week, my thoughts go to this scene that Luke recorded in his Gospel.  Jesus had been traveling, teaching, performing healings and all kinds of miracles.  Crowds were following Him and His popularity was growing immensely. None of these things distracted Jesus from the task He was sent to earth to accomplish.  Nothing sidetracked the Son of God from His divine assignment.

In Luke 9: 22, Jesus spoke of the events that were soon to happen: "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."  The words seem very straightforward and leave no doubt as to His coming demise. Later in the same chapter of Luke, Jesus again warned the disciples of His death:  "'Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you; The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.' But they did not understand what this meant.  It was hidden from them..."  Although we can read them today and see the meaning, the disciples could not grasp what Jesus was saying.  Denial, blindness, wishful thinking all play into the disciples' lack of understanding.

The prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 50 about the Servant, the coming Messiah.  His prophecy in verse 7b says, "Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame."  How does that connect to Luke's account of Jesus' life and ministry?  As Jesus was teaching, training and mentoring the disciples, His focus was on one thing: the cross.  In verse 51 of Luke chapter 9, Luke wrote:  "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."  

In Jerusalem, Jesus would face the worst and most intense season of His life.  The Jewish religious leaders, priests, scribes and Pharisees were waiting for an opportunity to accuse, charge and execute this threat to their popularity and power.  He sensed the time drawing near but did not skirt the city or avoid the dreaded cross.  Hebrews 12:2b says of our Saviour: "...For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  He had to bear sin and shame on our behalf, but as Isaiah wrote, the Messiah would not be put to shame in that He would be sinless and innocent.  He was willing to endure the cross.  He could see the joy on the other side!

Jesus, I can hardly think of such things, that You were willing to go to the cross for me!   How can I tell You how much I love You for taking my sin and shame on Yourself?  Your love and sacrifice are too much for me to comprehend.  Thank You! 

 

 

1 KINGS 18 - The Battle with Baal  

How long did Elijah wait in Zarephath, living on the good graces of the widow and her son?  Chapter 18 of 1 Kings opens with this time stamp: "After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah..."  God saw fit to keep His prophet hidden away from the heat King Ahab's anger until the time was right. During that season, I believe the Lord cared for Elijah's needs and strengthened him for the next steps of his ministry.  Not only did Elijah see God's hand at work to provide for himself, he witnessed God's miracles for the widow and her son.  God was equipping Elijah, establishing his faith even deeper and preparing him for the great contest on Mount Carmel.

The Lord told Elijah:  "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."   This was the dreaded confrontation, the inevitable meeting of the evil king and the prophet of God.  Did Elijah know how God would exalt Himself and bring Ahab to his knees?  All we as the readers of the account in the book of 1 Kings are privy to is God promised to send the rain.  When?  Why this showdown of the prophets of Baal and Asherah against Elijah, the prophet of El Shaddai, Yahweh, the God of Israel?

When King Ahab and Elijah meet, the king's anger has not subsided over time.  "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets (1 Kings 18:4), the king's anger was constantly fed by his wife's wicked schemes.  The years of drought did not seem to soften their hearts nor cause them to recognize God's sovereign power over nature and the whole world! Therefore, God arranged this meeting on Mount Carmel to settle the issue.

The prophet's reply to Ahab's greeting: "I have not made trouble for Israel...But you and your father's family have.  You have abandoned the LORD's commands and followed the Baals." Ahab's blame-shift doesn't stand and Elijah declares the king's guilt for having abandoned the Lord and worshiping idols.  Then the stage is set for the greatest showdown in biblical history:  Ahab is to assemble the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.  Elijah appears alone.  The people of Israel are given the challenge: who are you going to follow? "'How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.'  But the people said nothing." (verse 21)

As the idolatrous prophets bring the oxen and wood for the offering, Elijah gives the instructions.  "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD.  The god who answers by fire - he is God." (verse 24)

Talk about faith!  Elijah, whose name means "Yahweh is God", demonstrates all-in trust in God to do a miracle and send down heavenly fire to light the burnt offering.  All the prophets agreed to this plan.  For hours, the prophets chant, pray, call on Baal and invoke all manner of incantations, to no avail.  They shouted, danced and even slashed themselves to plead with their god.  While Elijah began taunting them, their frenzy grew! By evening, there had been no response from Baal or Asherah.  The meat laid upon the wood was dry and flameless.

With some theatrics, Elijah has some of the Israelites assist in repairing the altar, taking twelve stones symbolically representing the twelve tribes of Israel.  He has them haul up twelve jars of water to pour on the offering and on the wood, until a trench that had been dug around the altar was filled.  The odds were stacked against the God of Israel.  "At the time of the sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed:  'LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.  Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that You, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.'" (verses 36 & 37)

Fire immediately feel from above and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, stones and soil as well as completely dried up the water in the trench.

And shortly after, Elijah's servant spotted a small cloud on the horizon.

Rain was coming.

 

 

 Elijah-1 Kings 17

"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither drew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 

What an opener for the prophet Elijah to begin his public ministry!  As far as we read in Scripture, this is the first mention of Elijah, who ministered during the reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Ahab is notorious for being one of the most wicked kings, having married Jezebel who was also renowned for her evil plots and worship of Baal and Asherah.  (1 Kings 16:31-33) Among Ahab's rebellious and hideous sins, he set up an altar for Baal in a temple built in Samaria.  He also erected an Asherah pole..."and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD...than did all the kings of Israel before him."  (1 Kings 16:33)  God was bringing this drought as a judgement on these evil deeds.

The message Elijah had for King Ahab was so devastating that God immediately told the prophet:  "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan." (1 Kings 17:3)  Elijah obeyed!  His life was in imminent danger and God directed him to a safe place.

King Ahab's reaction isn't recorded, but implied.  At the beginning of chapter 18, three years had passed and God's Word had proved true.  There had been no rain in that time, 36 months!  This was already an arid land so we can imagine the desperation of a king whose people would be hungry, thirsty and unhappy.  His leadership was at risk and he needed to do something to keep peace and ensure his control of the throne.  Elijah would be to blame for these dire circumstances!

Meanwhile, Elijah hides in the Kerith Ravine. As promised, God provided through divine means: "The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook."  Where God guides, He provides!  But it couldn't have been all fun and games for Elijah.  He must have felt levels of anxiety.  Would King Ahab send armed men to search for him?  What about his family, friends, fellow prophets?  No one seemed to know his whereabouts and he had no way of communicating with them.  He must have felt alone.  He also had no way of hearing news and the waiting must have been agonizing!

"Some time later the brook dried up..." (verse 7a)  The drought affected all of Israel, not just where King Ahab lived!  This affliction impacted the righteous and the unrighteous and, Elijah's water source disappeared.  So God spoke to Elijah:  "Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there.  I have directed a widow there to supply you with food."  God provided by sending Elijah into enemy territory!  Back in 1 Kings 16: 31, we read that Jezebel, the evil queen, is from Sidon, the daughter of the Sidonian king, Ethbaal.  Elijah would be cared for by a heathen widow in the land of his enemy.  By faith, Elijah obeyed.

When Elijah arrives at the widow's home, he finds her situation as bad as his previous one at Kerith!  She is gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son.  She has enough flour and oil for one last loaf of bread and after that, she sees no hope for survival.  Elijah gives her hope through this promise from God.  "Don't be afraid.  Go home and do as you have said.  But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.  For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.'" 

The woman believed the prophet and did what he directed.  God's promise sustained the three of them for some time - we assume until rain fell again -  so up to three years. The widow from Zarephath had a miracle from the God of Israel - that had to impact her!

But tragedy strikes this woman at her most vulnerable point.  Her only son becomes ill and dies.  She blames the prophet.  "What do you have against me, man of God?  Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"  She acknowledges God and His prophet, but  she believes that her son has died because God is punishing her for sin.  Her fear of God was deep and she hadn't quite seen the mercy, grace and love of God, even though the miracle of limitless flour and oil was very real.  God shows the widow a personal act of grace by empowering Elijah to raise her dead son to life!

The woman declares by exuberant faith that she knows "...that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."  (verse 24)

I believe this miracle was for the widow and her son, as the results were shown in her faith.  God provided food on the short term, and also provided a means of support through her only son being restored to life to care for her in her old age.  But I also believe this miracle was for Elijah.  It had been almost 3 full years of no rain.  Elijah was hiding from the angry king in the land of Gentile enemies.  Through raising the widow's son from death, God demonstrated:

*God keeps His promises - He did not abandon the widow but provided for her as she provided for God's servant, Elijah.

*God has all power and authority - to stop rain, to provide food through ravens and widows, and to raise the dead.

*God uses His servants - even when they feel set aside from active ministry  (Elijah had been in hiding for years, feeling useless and afraid - how long, O LORD?)

*God was preparing Elijah for something big!

In the next blog entry, we'll explore what God was about to do through Elijah and how chapter 17 was truly a season for Elijah to grow in trusting his God.