Category: Spiritual Balance

Ascension Day: The Antidote to Post-Resurrection Letdown

I’ll begin this post as I did the last one: I’m sure most, if not all of you have experienced what I’m experiencing right now: a feeling of hanging in limbo. As though you’re unsure of your next move and have difficulty planning your days.

Then I listed some reasons why that could be happening and expanded on the stress and sadness our family is experiencing with my mother’s decline in health and her journey toward the end of her earthly days.

And that was before I was blindsided (the day following the post release) that the memory care home where my mother lives will be closing its doors at the end of this month. That means finding a new place for my mom, at a time in her life that another transition will be very difficult.

Thankfully, God in His infinite goodness found another place for my mom, through my mother’s primary caregiver. We’ve moved her this last Friday.

But the stress of calling hospice and her nurse practitioner and new nurse and making sure that’s all coordinated has added to the blah feelings; and, I am sure, at this point, that I’m dealing with some sadness and depression.

Grief.

 

And that just amplifies what I was already experiencing.

Post-Easter letdown.

Which really doesn’t need to happen.

The emotional, spiritual, and often physical investment of the forty days of Lent, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and then the rousing celebrating on Easter Sunday can result in a kind of letdown feeling. As though it all happened, and now it’s over, and a feeling of “what now?” niggles your spirit.

But should I really be experiencing that post-Easter letdown? If I’m experiencing it, I can only imagine what Jesus’ disciples were experiencing on an order of magnitude greater than my doldrums.

But if we look at what happened after the Resurrection, which we started to explore on April 19 post, we see that there was a lot happening between Jesus and His disciples. It didn’t happen the way we often envision it to have transpired.

And that’s where we’re headed in this post. On an eavesdropping and sightseeing walk with Jesus and His followers. Experiencing the far-flung emotions they experienced—the shock, dismay, wonder, giddy joy and thrill of their encounters and the final goodbye that drove them to praise and worship their risen Lord.

As we walk with them, we’ll better understand just how generous and loving and patient and kind our Savior truly is toward us. Then, and now.

 

And once we understand and appreciate that, we’ll also experience that wonder, thrill and praise-filled joy ourselves.

 

What transpired with the disciples between Jesus’ death and resurrection?

 As far as we can discern from the four Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we get a picture of a terrified group of disciples in mourning. Hidden away in abject fear of the Roman authorities and Jewish leaders, who the disciples believe will be tracking them down and crucifying them too. The Garden of Gethsemane shows them running, after Peter cuts off a temple guard’s ear when trying to defend Jesus. Once Jesus is arrested and taken away, the disciples make a getaway.

But at some point Peter and John follow the group. (I can see them trying to follow the crowd, undetected, in the night.) Because John knows someone there, they gain entry to the Jewish trial proceedings and eavesdrop on that event. That’s where Peter is when he’s accused by a servant girl of being one of Jesus’ followers and does what he swore he’d never do: deny knowing Jesus. And Jesus hears him do it.

Scripture tells us that Peter ran away and wept. Probably bitterly.

John must have stuck around for the proceedings, though, because we get some great details about what transpired. And he seems to be the only one of the twelve that has the nerve to follow Jesus to Golgotha and stand beside the wailing women to watch the crucifixion and Jesus’ death.

Judas goes out in the field to commit suicide over his betrayal of Jesus.

The women disciples, always faithful and seemingly unafraid, station themselves at the cross to be with their Lord and mourn.

After Jesus’ death, two Jewish leaders—secret followers of Jesus—step forward to bury Him in the tomb.

And then the Scriptures are silent on what’s transpiring for three days, although we do know that on the morning of the Resurrection, ten of the remaining followers are assembled together. I can imagine what’s going through their minds.

Agony.

Heartbreak.

Grief.

Disillusionment.

Terror.

Dread.

 

A what-are-we-going-to-do-now feeling.

Things didn’t go quite according to their plan. Jesus didn’t fulfill all of their hopes and dreams—of conquering the Romans and freeing the Jews from oppression. He didn’t do the conquering king thing, as they expected.

They left their livelihoods and families and dedicated three solid years of their lives to following Jesus, being taught by Jesus, watching Him work, heal, preach, and pray. Now, in one devastating twenty-fours, it’s over.

They’re demoralized, devastated.

And scared to death.

 

Ever feel like that? When all of your hopes and dreams, all you’d worked for abruptly ended, and you couldn’t see past your pain, fear and disillusionment to think straight. To trust that all is going according to plan or will be worked out.

It’s a sick to the pit of your stomach feeling that sucks the life out of you.

But bless Jesus’ always-perceptive, loving heart. He knows this anguish, and He spends forty days after the resurrection appearing to, speaking with, eating with, walking with and still teaching His followers.

And forgiving them.

 

What transpires during that forty days following the Resurrection?
  1. The first thing that happens is Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, who has gone with the other women followers to finish the anointing of Jesus’ body that they couldn’t do on Friday due to the approaching Sabbath, when all work was to cease for twenty-four hours.

Can you imagine this woman’s joy when she sees her Lord again? Pause for a moment and consider what might go through your heart and mind if you were in her shoes.

Shock?

Bewilderment?

Inexpressible joy?

Clearly, she and the other women are so excited that they hurry to find the other disciples, to let them know what they’ve heard and seen. And what do the eleven men think?

Unbelief. Because “[the women’s] words seem to them like nonsense.”

I can imagine the yelling and likely arguing that ensued. The anger at not being believed. The chastising and ridicule for such “nonsense” being spoken.

Ever have a heated discussion with someone that doesn’t believe you, or just dismisses what you have to say? It’s more than irritating. You feel patronized and belittled. It’s a horrible feeling.

But Peter and John must have a suspicion that what the women’s report has some merit, because they run to the tomb and take a look for themselves. Luke’s Gospel doesn’t say that what Peter sees immediately convinces him; it says he “wonders what has happened.”

 

  1. The next thing Luke recounts is that road to Emmaus encounter with two followers. The one we covered in the last post. Jesus teaches and opens their eyes to what the Scriptures prophesied about Him, reveals Himself to them, and then splits. Disappears, actually.

The two men are so overjoyed that they run seven miles back from where they had just come to tell the other disciples, who are likely chattering up a storm about the recent developments.

Can you imagine the two beating on the door to be let in and then busting out with what they experienced? How could you possibly contain yourself? The scene is likely happy chaos and breathless reporting.

 

  1. But before they can get out their fabulous story, the disciples burst out with their own revelation: “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

So somewhere in that time frame on that Resurrection Day, between the appearing and disappearing, Jesus has appeared to Simon Peter. Alone. And if you know your Bible stories well, you can guess—or already know—why Jesus must have done that.

With his denial, Simon had sinned grievously against his friend and Lord. Scripture is clear that he mourned his sin. Can you imagine doing this to your best friend and then having to live with the agony of regret for the rest of your life?

In God’s mercy, He doesn’t allow Peter to suffer. I don’t know what the conversation was; it was a very private interaction. Scripture doesn’t elaborate, but I can imagine.

Peter is likely shamefaced when Jesus appears to Him. Maybe he falls at Jesus’ feet, weeping once again. Maybe he collapses into Jesus’ arms. Maybe he begs for Jesus’ forgiveness.

Whatever happens, we know that Jesus forgives him. And their relationship is fully restored. And there’s nothing quite like a restored precious friendship.

And that’s exactly what happens to us when we repent to Jesus. When we acknowledge our sins and ask God to forgive us. He’s faithful and just to forgive them. Now. Just as He’s been doing for thousands of years.

What relief and joy Peter must have experienced at the restitution. Can you relate?

You feel clean, restored, refreshed. Your heart is unburdened. Life again has meaning and purpose.

 

  1. Then, while the Eleven and the other disciples are chattering about all that has happened, Jesus appears. Just shows up. No knocking on the door to be let in. He just materializes and gives them a familiar greeting, “Peace be with you.”

And wouldn’t you know it, even though Mary and Peter and those two Emmaus guys have already seen Him, Luke says, “They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.”

Maybe Mary and the women, and the Emmaus walkers and Peter weren’t startled, but I suspect they were. At least a little bit.

How could they not be? While Jesus is real flesh and bone, clearly something remarkable has happened to Him to allow Him to come and go in an instant, to appear and disappear.

Have you ever experienced something that seemed just too good to be true? Something you saw or experienced with your own senses, but you kept second-guessing yourself? You just couldn’t get over the fact that it happened.

Imagine seeing a once bloodied, broken and dead body come back to life, and you get the idea. And who can blame them? I’m sure Jesus’ ability to just come and go like that took some getting used to.

But Jesus gently chides them when He says, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

Jesus provides proof. The nail holes haven’t disappeared. The lance-caused side wound remains. He actually invites them to look and touch and see. To be convinced.

To fully believe.

But, because they’re so overcome with joy (Wow! It’s really Him, isn’t it?); and amazed (How could He really be alive and back in our midst?!), they still aren’t fully convinced. Meaning, they probably wouldn’t stake their lives on it as they eventually end up doing.

Again, in His love and patience, Jesus asks, “Do you have anything to eat?” When they provide him with a piece of boiled fish, He took it and ate it right there in front of them. To further prove his flesh-and-bones existence.

 

  1. Jesus reiterates to them that He told them all about this when He was with them those three years—the prophecies about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. He opens their minds to understand all that’s been written. He says,

“This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sin will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

 

And then he gives them another promise, and directions:

 

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

 

Power from on high? Who wouldn’t want to stick around for that!

 

Is there more in the forty days after the Resurrection?

In order to learn more about what transpires in those forty days, we need to jump over to the Book of Acts, where Dr. Luke expounds on the story.

In chapter 1 we read:

 

“After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

 

Verse six indicates by their question that they’re still hung up on the kingdom restoration to Israel thing, so He tells them, bluntly, that it’s none of their business when that’s going to happen. And then He tells them what they will be doing for Him:

 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 

In essence, He tells them that thy have a big job to do for Him. Others need to know about Him, and be offered salvation and restoration to God. And it’s going to be their responsibility to get evangelism kick-started.

 

Evidently that instruction comes on His very last day with them, after He led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, (as Dr. Luke reports in the last verses of his Gospel), when Jesus performs His final act upon the earth.

 

Jesus’ final act upon the earth—

Jesus has appeared. Jesus proves many times over—in front of a multitude of witness—that He was dead and is now alive.

He has forgiven. He has taught. He has given additional instructions. And now He performs His final, loving and encouraging act.

He lifts up His hands.

And blesses them.

 

What He said is not recorded, but we can be assured that His words were tender, loving, uplifting. Maybe something along the lines of probably the most famous benediction in Scripture:

 

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26)

 

Maybe He personalized it by saying “I bless you and will keep you. I will make my face shine upon you, and be gracious to you…”

 

But perhaps it was more personal. These are, after all, the closest and dearest, most beloved friends He had during His life on earth. The men and women He had spent an intense and busy three years with. The people He’d joked with, laughed with, ate and camped outside with. The ones who knew Him best.

At least as well as one can possibly know the One who is fully God and fully man.

And in the midst of that blessing, while He’s blessing them, Jesus is elevated into heaven. Slipping through what is likely a thin veil between heaven and earth; returning to the Father in glory.

The Magnificent Ascension.

He leaves them again, this time with that blessing on their hearts and minds.

A glorious memory of their Lord to take and carry with them.

 

Luke then tells us in his Gospel that after He disappears, His followers begin worshipping Him. And they obey His directions by returning to Jerusalem with great joy. Not just a little joy, or a general kind of joy, but GREAT joy.

Once there they head to the temple, where they continually praise God.

A jump over to the first chapter of Acts gives us the full picture.

While Jesus is disappearing into the clouds, the disciples stand staring up into the sky. I can just see all of them standing in a clump, mouths open, heads back, eyes fastened on Jesus, and then those clouds. Maybe they could still hear His voice through the opaque mist.

Luke says they “were looking intently.”

Can’t you just see them, heads bent backward; eyes straining to see. Maybe they’re waiting Him to come back down to the earth. After all, He disappeared once, and then reappeared and disappeared and reappeared. Perhaps He would do it again.

It takes two angels dropped down to earth beside them to get them to re-focus.

 

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into haven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 

That’s good enough for them. Nothing like a couple of suddenly-appearing guys dressed in bright white to get your attention. The disciples hit the road and head back to Jerusalem. To wait, as their Lord instructed.

They’ve learned well enough now to believe and to trust, and do as they’re told.

And do it with praise and worship in their hearts and on their lips.

 

What does this story have to say to us?

This is an amazing story. A true and living story.

It’s not a story of an indifferent God who put in His ministry time, suffered, got the reparation job done and then promptly returned home.

It’s the story of a loving God. A compassionate God. A God who seeks, and takes the first steps to forgive and restore.

A God that loves and longs to bless us!

The crushing pain and devastating loss at the crucifixion has been lifted and erased. There is no more sorrow. Only joy and worship and forward-looking living.

Jesus’ physical presence will soon be replaced with His spiritual one. The One that’s busy in the world right now—working, teaching, healing, saving, and leading.

Just exactly like the physical Son did while He was on earth.

 

I would caution you to not let your imagination run amuck, in haste to fill in what isn’t said in Scripture, but can you see yourself in this story? Can you hear Jesus’ words and actions; imagine yourself as a disciple?

Let me provide a few questions to get you started.

 

Invitation—
  1. Close your eyes and imagine all that Jesus said and did during that forty days. Imagine Him blessing His follower friends, and then imagine Him blessing you.
  2. When was the last time you asked Jesus for His blessing upon you and your life? Upon your day; upon a significant moment in time.

Take the time to do it right now. Lift your hands to the heavens to receive the blessing. And praise and worship Jesus for giving it. Rejoice, just as the disciples did that day in Bethany and Jerusalem.

  1. Spend a moment considering the characteristics that mark the disciples at this moment in their lives, at the end of Luke’s gospel and the opening of Acts.

They praise.

They worship.

They obey.

And then ask yourself: How much of my day, week, year, or life is or has been marked by praise?

If you’re lacking that component in your life, begin today.

If you’re not sure how to praise, ask the loving Savior to show and lead you.

If you need forgiveness, repent and ask Him to forgive you.

If you’re on the outside of that disciple circle looking in, and want to know how you become a part of it, take the steps needed to break through the circle.

Acknowledge that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. The Messiah, who took upon Himself the sins of all mankind, suffered and paid a penalty that you owed.

Ask Him to forgive you of your sins. If you aren’t sure what they are, ask Him to reveal them to you. He will.

Tell Him you want to be a follower, a child of God.

Ask Him to send the Holy Spirit to inhabit your heart so you are counted as one of God’s children.

Then offer praise and worship to the One who restores you from death to life and prepares a place for you to live in Heaven. The One who has given you hope and a future.

 

And rejoice!

 

Why are we looking at the Ascension right now, this long after Easter.

Because this Thursday, May 13, marks Ascension Day, the commemoration of the end of Jesus’ forty days son earth following His resurrection.

Consider it anew and what it means for you.

NEXT WEEK: We’ll continue the story with a look at Pentecost—the event that initiated the age of the Church. We’ll celebrate the anniversary.

Until then, praise, worship and obey.

Blessings,

Andrea

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

 
Andrea Arthur Owan, M.S., A.T., R., is a health and fitness pro, speaker, award-winning inspirational writer, memoirist, and senior-ordained chaplain (IFOC). She helps people thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually and recover from grief, loss and trauma.

When Dreams, Hopes, and Trust are Shattered

HAVE YOU EVER desired something so strongly you believed without a doubt it would happen, or that you’d most certainly get it? Have you ever been so convinced of something that you just knew it had to be true without question?

Have you ever placed so much trust in someone that you had unshakeable faith that they were who they claimed to be?

 

And how did you feel when your hopes, dreams and trust were shattered?

 

The Pain of Shattered Belief and Trust—

Having your trust and belief destroyed often causes the greatest emotional, spiritual and physical pain you could ever suffer. Living life sold out on a belief takes energy and time. When that belief is shattered, you’re shattered physically, emotionally and spiritually right along with it.

It sends you spiraling into grief and disorientation. It leaves you wondering if anything you ever did believe is true.

You don’t know where to go from here. You might be afraid to go anywhere from here, to take the next step forward. To keep on living.

 

That’s kind of how I imagine those two pilgrim disciples that had a visitor join them on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus three days after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Tired. Deeply grieved. Disoriented.

Afraid.

Until they have their eyes open by the very One they’re grieving over.

And everything in their world changes.

 

Re-directing your thinking—

Let’s take a brief look at this Road to Emmaus story, which you can find in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24.

The two poor, dejected guys are headed to the town of Emmaus, located about seven miles from Jerusalem. We aren’t told why they were in Jerusalem, but if they’re Jewish, I’m going to guess they had been there for Passover and perhaps were on their way home.

Based on what the text says they’re talking about—“talking about everything that had happened” about the crucifixion—it seems clear they were followers of Jesus, or were, at the very least, convinced that Jesus was The One, the Jews’ promised Messiah.

They knew about Him, believed in Him. Rejoiced that the Christ had finally come to break the Roman chains of bondage and set them free. To set up God’s kingdom on earth.

And now that hoped-for, arrived, believed-in Messiah is dead. And all those dreams and beliefs have been shattered.

But they’ve heard the story the women have started spreading around, that they’ve seen Jesus alive again. That He’s been resurrected. Clearly these men are confused.

Either way, they’re not sticking around to get the facts. (Probably their first big error—dejection, resignation and impatience.) They’re leaving Jerusalem, lamenting together on their pilgrim journey. No doubt commiserating and making their frustration and grief worse.

Then some stranger shows up on the road to sort of eavesdrop on their conversation. And then join them in the discussion. They don’t recognize Jesus because, as the text says, …”they are kept from recognizing him.”

They don’t see because—by God’s design—their eyes aren’t open to the truth. (That’s something to note as we continue.)

Jesus asks them what they’re discussing. The text then says that the two “stood still, their faces downcast.”

Look up the word “downcast,” and you’ll find a slew of depressing-sounding synonyms, like:

  • despondent
  • disheartened
  • discouraged
  • dispirited
  • hopeless
  • crestfallen
  • despairing
  • morose
  • wretched
  • sad
  • pessimistic

 

These two guys are in bad shape emotionally and spiritually. Sick at heart and in body.

And knowing the Savior, I can imagine He feels tenderhearted and compassionate toward them. But before He reveals Himself, He needs to give them a classroom and life lesson.

Just like He sometimes has to do with us. We need to have our ears open to listen well, to connect the dots, before our eyes can be opened to see.

But let’s do some eavesdropping ourselves by reading the text, right after one of the men, named Cleopas responds to Jesus’ question “What things?” with kind of a knee jerk response, giving the reader the impression that he thinks Jesus must be kind of dense if He doesn’t know or hasn’t at least heard about what’s transpired the last week.

 

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. (Notice they both reply to Jesus’ question. I can almost hear them saying it vehemently in unison, maybe waving their arms around for drama. Like, what’s wrong with you?) “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. Thy came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

 

Jesus listens. And then he chastises them for their ignorance; for their misinterpretation of why Messiah came and what He was to accomplish; their disregard for the prophets who foretold his coming and suffering. They’ve misread, misinterpreted, misjudged, dismissed or willfully altered the truth to fit their own, hoped-for narrative. Their conjured up Messiah was not the Messiah the prophets foretold. At least not on His first coming. The conquering Jesus will show up. But that comes later. After all of the world is told about Him.

Even with the stern lesson, Jesus still doesn’t allow them to recognize Him—until they convince Him to stay the night at the house they arrive at, and sit down to eat. It’s when Jesus breaks bread that their eyes are open, and they realize who He is.

But as soon as they do recognize Him, he disappears from their sight.

At that point they’re ecstatic.

 

Have you ever been so excited and pumped up at a revelation about something or someone that you can’t contain your joy? Well, that’s how excited they are—that the Scriptures suddenly make perfect sense, and with their own eyes they have seen the risen Lord! Their beliefs, hopes and dreams have been restored!

I can only imagine what seeing a dead body come to life and walking around must do to your brain and emotions.

 

Cleopas and his buddy didn’t eat. They hopped up from the table and sprinted the 7 miles back to Jerusalem, to meet with the Eleven remaining disciples and tell them all they’d experienced. And to confirm what the women had seen. Since Simon Peter has already been face-to-face with Jesus, I’m sure he’s told the others about it. But this is just another eyewitness validation that it’s true.

The fact that Jesus was dead, buried and resurrected.

And now they understand: Jesus is their hoped-for Christ.

He just didn’t meet their expectations the first time around.

That happens a lot with false and misguided expectations.

 

When false expectations are the reason for our shattered hope—

And isn’t that what often happens to us?

Maybe we misinterpret intentions and blame the fallout of those misinterpretations on another person.

Maybe we let our agenda get in the way of truth, or obstruct it entirely.

Maybe we’re the ones who willfully ignore the teachings and signs and set ourselves up for heartbreak and failure.

We can really do a lot of damage to our lives when we head down our own Emmaus paths, giving up. Downcast head and eyes. Doubting the facts. Losing faith in something or someone we should have given the benefit of the doubt to.

We need to be on the lookout for those times. Snuff out the doubts before they fester or take root.

This story is wonderful, because Jesus could have let Cleopas and his buddy wallow in turmoil, let them, somehow, figure it out on their own. Stumble along until they came to believe the “rumors.”

But He didn’t. Instead, in His great mercy and compassion, Jesus met them on the road and opened their eyes and hearts.

And He’ll do that for us too.

 

But even though He’ll come to us in our frailty and weakness, there is something to be learned and nurtured from this story.

As Christianity.com points out as to the question of why Jesus waited to reveal Himself to them,

“Many scholars believe this parallels the discernment process for many of us. Sometimes, when we cannot understand something, we gather information. Then it must settle within our hearts. Only when we have fully ‘digested’ what we’ve learned, allowed it to sink in, does the truth come out.”

And why Jesus waited until the meal to open their eyes may have something to do with who He is, and the setting. He often didn’t preach until after he fed people; and often a relaxed setting, like a meal, can warm and open people’s hearts to hearing and understanding.

And Jesus does call them “foolish” and “slow” to understand Scripture. It sounds harsh, but it’s true and needed to be said. know I’ve been foolish and slow on many occasions.

Jesus wants them to have discernment. And He wants them to have faith.

Having faith in the right Person and having the right hope is like a precious jewel we need to hang onto, even when life’s circumstances and events tempt us to throw it away.

It’s a gift we must never take for granted.

And we need to exercise it in every area of life. We need to earnestly seek Him.

 

Invitation—

Is there an Emmaus road you’ve been walking down—forlorn, questioning and dejected? Maybe it’s time that you ask Jesus to open your eyes to truth and run back where you came from. So you don’t miss the reunion and celebration!

Has Jesus been knocking at your heart’s door? There is no better time than the present to open up that door and invite Him in, to sit and stay with you—and open your eyes!

Until next week, pursue truth and keep your eyes up and on the final prize!

Blessings,

Andrea

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

 
Andrea Arthur Owan, M.S., A.T., R., is a health and fitness pro, speaker, award-winning inspirational writer, memoirist, and senior-ordained chaplain (IFOC). She helps people thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually and recover from grief, loss and trauma.

What Does the Cross of Christ Mean to You?

(This blog post is based on recent messages given by Parkside Church pastor Alistair Begg.)

 

How much does the Cross of Christ mean to you and your faith?

Not the trauma Christ experienced on it, but the cross, and what was accomplished there.

Your answer might divulge whether or not you comprehend what happened and the end results.

Your answer might divulge whether or not you are a true Christ follower.

 

The danger of focusing on the cross’s physical trauma—

When reading about the physical punishment Jesus endured before dragging his cross to Golgotha and being nailed to it to die, there’s no doubt the punishment was brutal and gory. Anyone with a speck of imagination could conjure up the slick sweat, the slashed flesh and exposed muscle, the streaming blood.

For centuries artists have tried to depict it, often with devoted and pained followers kneeling around the crucified Christ in the artwork. The art often projects deep spiritual agony of the devotees, the horrified countenances of the gathering crowd.

They seem stirred by the ugly scene. And often that’s what stirs us too. Often, that’s the only thing that stirs us.

We dive head first into the passion of Christ’s suffering; we feel the profound emotion. We can really get wrapped up in it.

But when we do this, we’re at risk of getting too involved in the passion itself. We identify Christ as the perfect sufferer and extend Him sympathy for that. And we miss what He says to the wailing women and gawkers. (There are always those types that relish watching an execution firsthand.)

Jesus looks at them from the Cross and says, “Don’t weep for me.”

 

Jesus wants something greater from us than our sympathy.

He wants us to acknowledge exactly what was going on and why it had to happen.

He wants something far greater from us. The Cross demands it.

 

What does the Calvary Cross demand from us?

Jesus doesn’t want our sympathy. That falls short of what the cross calls us to do.

Jesus wants our love and devotion.

That’s what the Cross, and what was accomplished on it, demands.

 

The Gospel writers and the epistle writers don’t focus on Jesus’ suffering. They don’t elaborate on the agony. They avoid any vivid descriptions of the suffering Jesus.

What they all emphasize is the sacrifice required for the world’s sins—yours, mine, everyone’s sins since time’s beginning—in order for us to be reconciled to God, have a personal, loving relationship with Him, and have a living hope to enjoy Him for all eternity.

The culminating goal of Christ’s crucifixion is atonement for our sins.

As Pastor Alistair Begg says, that no matter how long we live or how many good deeds we do “We can’t make amends for [our sins]. We can’t establish our own righteousness or our own atonement.”

We can never pay the expected price.

But Jesus could, and He did. It’s what He was born to do.

Make atonement.

Atonement accomplished on the Cross. Proof the debt for our sin was paid. The glorious Resurrection three days later the proof that He was who He claimed to be.

 

We don’t fall in love with Jesus and follow Him because we feel sympathy for Him. We fall in love with and follow Him because of who He is and what He accomplished on the Cross for us.

It wasn’t His suffering that saves us. It’s His sacrifice.

As Pastor Begg emphasizes, the solution to the world’s dilemmas is solved on that rough, ugly Cross.

 

At this point in your life, are you still asking Jesus to prove Himself to you?

If you are you’ve missed the sacrificial message of the Cross. The sin-debt-paid-in-full message.

The “It is finished,” message.

You’ve missed salvation.

Jesus has already done all He needed to do to prove Himself. He won’t need to do anything else, even if you ask.

 

Don’t the good parts of Christianity—the love, the justice, the mercy—save?

The good parts of Christianity—the mercy, the justice, the generosity, the love—are great outward manifestations of a God and Jesus-loving faith. Our faith calls us to do and demonstrate them.

But those good works count for zero toward salvation. No one can do enough good works to get to salvation on his own.

It takes that Cross of Christ to make it to, and over, the finish line.

 

The danger of removing the Cross as the centerpiece of Scripture—

There’s a church in San Francisco, which I won’t name. It’s a famous church, in a mainline denomination now hotly arguing internally about how they’re going to split over differing issues. A divorce for irreconcilable differences.

In 1967 the lead pastor in this church decided to remove the Cross from the sanctuary. He said he did it “to send a message of inclusion and love and to open his sermons and services to all.”

No doubt he thought he was being loving, kind, thoughtful and inclusive. Open-armed and open-doored. But I think he missed the real message of that Cross he thought others found unappealing, creepy and offensive.

And I’m wondering if in the process He missed Christ.

Or robbed the people who need it most from the salvation message the Cross declares.

 

To a true believer and follower of Christ, the Cross gives the deepest message of love the world has ever known. Removing it from the centerpiece, and along with it all that was accomplished that earth-shaking day on Golgotha, might prompt condescending sympathy from the masses but a convenient dismissal or avoidance of the truth.

Removing the Cross guts our faith.

We need the Cross because it is the stabilizing structure that supports our faith. The trellis supporting the vine branches. Without the trellis the vines collapse.

Without the Cross, our faith crumbles and disintegrates.

 

Yes, I know that throughout history the Cross has been used as a symbolic weapon to promote and do unspeakable things, causing many to be repelled by it. And for those horrors, Christians need to apologize and, if possible, make amends.

But those events do not change the facts of salvation truth.

The salvation truth is open to all and everyone who comes to the cross to confess and lay their burdens down there.

Let His breath be in your lungs!

Come to the Cross, and then worship Him!

 

 

 

 

Invitation—
  • Are you moved more by Christ’s suffering than the end result of the sacrifice? If so, turn your attention to what the Cross really means for the world. For you. Ask the Lord to reveal that truth to you. Let Him call you to faith and convince you.
  • Have you been trying to earn your way into Heaven with good deeds? Do you believe that’s what gets you there? Realize that you can never do enough good deeds, never measure up to God’s standards and Christ’s righteousness. Lay your good deed list down and kneel at the Cross. Find salvation and righteousness there.
  • I encourage—implore—you to stop holding Jesus up as only a good man or a wise prophet, and go to Him in repentance and faith.

 

Days before His sacrificial death, Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they rejected Him.

Do not let Him weep over you.

NEXT WEEK: I’ll provide you with a couple of resources to learn more about this marvelous story of redemption and hope!

Until then, sing hallelujahs to the King as we celebrate Palm Sunday and walk toward Calvary and the Cross.

Blessings,

Andrea

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”


Andrea Arthur Owan, M.S., A.T., R., is a health and fitness pro, speaker, award-winning inspirational writer, memoirist, and senior-ordained chaplain (IFOC). She helps people thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually and recover from grief, loss and trauma.

5 Steps for Spiritual Health and Renewal

I’ll begin this blog post with the same question I asked last week: Does your spiritual life feel non-existent, bland, or in dire need of a spiritual revival?

Then I went on to discuss how living solely on daily devotionals can cause your spiritual life to degrade to blah.

But what else might be missing in your spiritual life? How can you improve your spiritual health and be renewed?

That’s what we’ll look at today.

 

Feeling Disenchanted with your Christian Life?

Many Christians find their initial fervor in the faith wanes after a few years, and their hearts feel a little dulled. If you find yourself facing that dilemma, rather than just consider it normal, or trying to brush it aside, or convincing yourself that your spiritual life is really okay, you should ask yourself the following questions:

 

  1. Are you consistently listening to or watching good, solid Bible preaching? The kind that challenges and stretches you; reinforces your faith. Gets you excited, or even convicted.

Just as daily physical nourishment is required for good health, you need to feed yourself with the solid word of God for your spiritual well being. No offense to the power of positive thinking crowd, but that kind of preaching doesn’t delve deeply enough into the meat of the gospels. The whole Bible. Find a good Christian radio station to listen to, a television or streaming program with strong, biblical preaching to watch.

 

  1. Do you have a circle of strong Christian friends you fellowship with regularly?

Iron sharpens iron, and this fact can’t be missed, or dismissed. Even Jesus had his twelve and then his inner three, although the joke is that He had Peter, James and John follow Him around because they were the most likely to get in trouble, and He had to keep an eye on them.

Belonging to a solid, Bible-teaching congregation is critical to spiritual health. Find one and become an active participant.

Find a Bible study group and be sensitive to others that you feel connected to. Seek them out. Join them for coffee or lunch. Get your hearts knit together. You don’t need an army of them. Two or three friends that stick together, lift each other up, make you feel safe and blessed are what you need.

I wouldn’t be able to survive without mine.

 

  1. Have you been baptized?

Getting Holy water dribbled on you as a clueless baby is a lot different than taking the full plunge in front of witnesses as an adult.

You’re making a statement, a formal commitment to Jesus Christ. Proclaiming yourself to be a follower. It’s a serious matter and incredibly joyful and freeing event.

Your church doesn’t submerse? It doesn’t have to be the Jordan River. Ask a pastor to join you and some friends in a backyard pool.

 

  1. Are you partaking of Communion?

Every time you gather with other believers to profess Christ’s body and blood given in sacrifice for Christians, you are remembering the Lord and what He has done for you, and everyone else gathered there. It is a community event. It means you accept Him as your groom as He proposes to you, His bride.

It is also a time of introspection, since no one should come to the Lord’s Table without a repentant heart.

And let me go out on a limb here and say that I believe it to be perfectly acceptable to pour yourself a small glass of grape juice, (or wine), and snag a small piece of bread or a cracker (as a side note: the bread Jesus used would have been unleavened, not some fluffy loaf we think of), open your Bible to the passages on the Last Supper or verses remembering that event, pray fervently, and partake of Communion on your own.

Or ask a friend to join you. My husband and I and another couple did just that a couple of weeks ago, as we sat in our living room watching a live stream worship service that included Communion. The pastor encouraged it. And it was a particular joy to celebrate it with dear friends in this continued COVID distancing.

 

I know. I’m going to get some flack on that one, especially from denominations that believe only a priest is allowed to bless the elements, and that they must be properly blessed before consumption. If you are horrified at what I’ve said, please leave a comment and tell me why you believe that to be true. And please back it up by Bible references, not extra-biblical writing.

 

  1. Finally, do you have an active prayer life?

After reading and studying His word, this is the primary way to connect with the Savior.

There is nothing like reading Scripture, praying it, praying for yourself, others, the body of Christ, your leaders, your neighbors, your friends and your enemies. And seeing those prayers answered, whether yes or no. It’s life changing. Like walking with God in the cool of the day. Pouring your aching heart out to Him. Getting down and dirty and honest about your life.

It’s how life is won—on your knees.

It gives you unexpected revelations, opens your eyes to truth. Helps you recognize and utilize God’s life-giving power.

It helps you understand just how deeply and profoundly and unconditionally you are loved by the Creator and Savior.

 

Invitation—

If you’re not using any of these steps to strengthen your spiritual life, I invite—and encourage—you to start now. You can jump into all five of them with both feet, or tread more slowly, selecting one or two to incorporate and pursue. But do pursue them!

And if you have another discipline that helps you strengthen your spiritual life, please share it with us in the Comments box.

And if you don’t yet have a relationship with the Savior and would like to know how to have one, text me at 520-975-6109 and leave a brief message. I’ll be in touch. Or email me at:

 

andreaarthurowan@gmail.com

 

Easter is a marvelous time to commit your life to Christ!

 

NEXT WEEK: As we approach Easter, we’ll look at the importance of the Cross. Without it, there is no Christianity.

Until then, take the next steps to deepen and solidify your spiritual life.

Blessings,

Andrea

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, jut as your soul prospers.”


Andrea Arthur Owan, M.S., A.T., R., is a health and fitness pro, speaker, award-winning inspirational writer, memoirist, and senior-ordained chaplain (IFOC). She helps people thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually and recover from grief, loss and trauma.

Devotionals: Do You Live on Spiritual Sound Bites?

Does your spiritual life feel non-existent, bland, or in dire need of a revival?

If you answered yes, one possible reason is that you’re trying to live and nurture your spirit only on daily devotionals—hyper-short, spiritual sound bites that are really nothing more than soul snacks.

It’s become more and more of a problem as we’ve taken the easy way out and become a society of sound bite snackers, a reflection of our current bent in society—microwave and fast food, snippets of entertainment, 15-minute news shows (after you account for the incessant, interrupting commercials), Facebook tidbits, Twitter feeds, and out-of-context, twisted quotes.

And through all of that, statistics show that we’re becoming more disengaged, lonely and frustrated with life.

And our souls are taking a beating for it.

 

What’s the Problem with Daily Devotionals?

Nothing.

And plenty.

Don’t get me wrong. I like devotionals and even get paid to write them. But they can’t sustain you spiritually, and they shouldn’t be a substitute for nurturing yourself with larger, more satisfying and sustaining meals of full Bible reading and in-depth Bible study.

Devotionals simply don’t—and can’t—provide the deep, sustaining nourishment your spirit desperately needs.

It’s like our physical bodies that need to be fed more complex meals to grow and flourish—proteins, carbs, high quality fats. And even if you do choose to snack your way through the day with complete proteins, good fats and complex carbs, you wouldn’t stay healthy very long if you limited your daily snacking to one, fifteen-minute snack and nothing more.

The same can be said of devotionals. While they may help you focus on a single topic and give your soul a little satisfying taste or sample of God’s word, it’s not long before your soul is famished and craving nourishment again.

In order to have a rich and deep spiritual life, like well-nourished and tended soil a healthy plant flourishes in, you need a better, more soul-nourishing sustenance than devotional snacking gives you.

 

Another problem with a devotional is that the Bible verse associated with it is too easily forgotten. And the verse is often not connected with the broader context of the passage it was plucked from.

You miss deeper meanings. You miss full understanding. You miss the life-giving, life-changing, life growing “meat.”

It’s also like joining a group of people who’ve been in deep conversation about a topic for a while and having to quickly get brought up to speed with the discussion by asking the others what you missed, in order to hang in with them as they chat on. You get the elevator speech, but you usually never feel as though you’ve fully connected to the discussion.

 

Devotionals + More Nourishing Spiritual Food—

If you want to get to know something or a subject well, you spend time reading about it, researching it. Mulling it over. Going to source material to study it from eyewitness accounts.

If you want to get to know someone well, you spend time with her; get to know her intimately over tea, telephone conversations, heart-sharing moments. You ask her questions about her life history, her likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams. You watch her as she interacts with others. You listen intently to what she says and how she says it.

Like our ancestors knew a hundred years ago, you sit on the front porch with a friend and enjoy an iced tea or checkers and chat. Cell phone off or put away.

 

Love Devotionals?

If you love using devotionals, keep using them. But consider them snacks, short pick-me-ups in your day, not the main course. They’re appetizers for a larger, more satisfying fare—the whole word and picture of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Living off devotionals is spiritually risky. But there are rich, eternal rewards for taking time to immerse your mind, heart and soul in God’s word

Don’t miss out on the five-star meal!

 

Invitation—

Turn the devotional snack into a meal by opening your Bible and reading the entire chapter the verse was taken from. Learn the context, the before and after. The bigger picture and deeper meaning.

It’s good soul food.

 

Remember: Living on devotional snacks leaves your soul anemic and sick. If you want to have a satisfied soul and healthy spiritual life, dig in to the whole word of God, every day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT WEEK: More encouragement on how to have a richer spiritual life than daily devotionals can give.

Until then, make time in your schedule for enjoying the spiritual appetizers AND the main course!

Blessings,

Andrea

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, jut as your soul prospers.”


Andrea Arthur Owan, M.S., A.T., R., is a health and fitness pro, speaker, award-winning inspirational writer, memoirist, and senior-ordained chaplain (IFOC). She helps people thrive physically, emotionally and spiritually and recover from grief, loss and trauma.