The Giving of Life, Part 1‏ - Bruce Wells

How many of us aren't familiar with the miracle of a blood transfusion? It's the method of transferring blood from one person to another. Through this physical process there is literally a transference of life. Recognizing this physical phenomenon, we shouldn't think it strange that blood should be associated with spiritual life given to us through the atoning death of our Lord Jesus.

LIFEBLOOD

Life--that mysterious quality which science has never been able fully to define--immediately brings to mind the blood. This vital fluid courses through the flesh of us all, bringing the food and oxygen which sustains bodily functions. The blood also fights disease that enters the body and assists in getting rid of waste products.

In an average human being, it circulates twice every minute. As the heart pumps the blood through the network of arteries, capillaries and veins, every cell in the body is continually supplied and cleansed. No part of the flesh can live without being in contact with this Red Stream of Life!

Truly it is amazing!

Though medical research has probed deep into its mystery, there is still locked within its elements a secret known only to the Creator. Yet, whatever remains hidden it is clear that the blood is the essential ingredient of physical life. In a very real way life becomes visible through the blood.

We can understand then the Bible's speaking of "blood of your lives" or "lifeblood" (Genesis 9:5; 1 Chronicles 11:19; Isaiah 63:3). The phrase "born of bloods" conveys the same idea of human life (literal translation of term in John 1:13; and Acts 17:26). There are rare occasions when the words blood and life can be used interchangeably, as in Leviticus 19:16 when we are told to "stand against the blood" of our neighbor. Here blood clearly refers to the man's life, and is so translated in some versions (RSV, NASB).

In the same vein, since the heart is the center of the blood circulatory system, it becomes the ideal example of life. The term is used in this way hundreds of times in the Bible to designate the total personality of man.

Because of this it can be said that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts (Matthew 15:19); sinners should rend (tear) their hearts (Joel 2:13); we must believe with our heart (Romans 10:10); or God will take away the stony heart and give a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19).

Dr. Christian Barnard, who, in 1967, performed the first human heart transplant in history, tells of one of his heart-transplant patients asking to see the removed organ. Dr. Barnard had hospital staff bring the large bottle from the lab where the old heart had been placed. As the man looked at the big muscle which once pumped life through his body, the famed surgeon suddenly realized that this was the first time in human experience that a person had ever seen his own heart.

It was indeed an historic moment. But for the patient the sensation must have been even more moving, for the old heart was worn out. Had it not been replaced, life would soon have been extinct. After a long pause, the grateful man looked up and said, "I'm glad that I don't have that old heart anymore."

Certainly, we are no better than our heart, whether it relates to the body or the soul. Where the heart is weak and the blood diseased, life is in danger. But where the heart is strong and the blood is pure, life is full of health and overflowing with joy. This is what Christ wants to give to every person.

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus. ---Robert Lowery

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QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

Why is there a natural relationship between life and blood?

What does Paul mean when he prays that Christ may dwell in our heart? Ephesians 3:17.

What is a true heart according to Hebrews 10:22?

The Unity Of The Faith

By Pastor Andre Butler

The phrase "unity of the faith" implies that the faith is defined by its unity. Christianity is supposed to bring about unity. Before you were saved, you lived in a world that was splintered, a world that was fighting against itself. When you became a Christian, you were born into a family that is supposed to be unified.
The word "unity" means oneness, and in this scripture we see that God wills that the church, indeed, the Body of Christ, becomes unified. How are all of us--from different backgrounds and with different ideas and different walks of life--supposed to be unified?

This happens when we grow up spiritually, when our love walk has developed to a place where we are able to be in unity with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Now they may do things we do not like--they may get on our nerves or stab us in the back--but when we have grown spiritually to the point of loving our neighbor as Christ loved us, we will be able to stay in the oneness of the faith, which is unity.

Every person has a human body. If you do not have a human body, you do not have a legal right to operate on this planet. When one part of your natural body fights against another part of your body--and that actually what happens when people have certain diseases--the body can no longer be effective. In fact, the body may no longer operate. Likewise, the body of Christ cannot survive when its members are fighting one against another. It is supposed to operate as one. There should be no schism, no division, in the body.

It is not the will of God that there be so many denominations in the body of Christ that you can't remember all the names. It is not the will of God that this denomination fights against that denomination. It is not the will of God that people within the local church fight one another. No, God's plan is that the body be one. And since that is true, it is important that we do what is necessary to keep ourselves unified, to operate as one.

The Body of Christ is a big Holy Ghost gang. We are to be unified when we go before the world. If Satan wants to pick off one of us, he has to deal with all of us. First Corinthians 12 says that if one us suffers, we all are suffering; if one of us is rejoicing, we all are rejoicing. When the world sees believers, God's desire is that they see us all walking in unity, prospering in every area of life, and producing for Him.

Jesus intends for our unity to be not only a spiritual reality but a literal reality--something people can see. When this is the case, it will cause them to not only believe in God, but in His son Jesus Christ. Our unity is a sign and a wonder to the world.
Scripture Of The Day: "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV)

Resurrection Wounds

Devotional By Bishop Vashti McKenzie



“When he had said this he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” John 20: 20


In the movie Madea’s Family Reunion, a song sung by Rachael Ferrell and lyrics by J. Carlock goes something like this: “As time passes they begin to multiply adding up secretly like the rings of an old oak tree; there are wounds in the way; some old, some new all stifling debilitating and cruel and some are passed down from elder to youth – they don’t belong to you.

As time passes, they begin to accrue, a strange sort of value; some you don’t think that are worth holding on to; cause you don’t want to change who you are: there are wounds in the way”
There are times in our lives when we have allowed our wounding to get in the way of our living. Jesus did not allow his wounds to get in the way of the resurrection.

John’s gospel indicates that Jesus met with his disciples after the resurrection. Initially, he had sent them news of the resurrection and now he comes himself. The disciples were locked behind closed doors perhaps to encourage each other, pray or develop a new strategy to do damage control of the horrific events on that fateful Friday. Wounds tend to do two things - they will either cause you to hide or try to hurt someone. Hurt people can hurt other people.

Although the disciples were on lock down, Jesus appears to them and shows them his wounds. Some scholars in a majority opinion believe that Jesus showed his wounds to prove that he was the same Jesus that hung on the cross and rose from the grave. The wounds proved that he was who he said he was. He was the risen Christ and not an impostor. The wounds were the evidence, the tell tale signs of the resurrection. They were validation of his life and teachings. The wounds spoke of the resurrection: Jesus is not just a good guy, another prophet or teacher, but he is the Son of God who said he was going to suffer and die and said he would rise on the third day.

His wounds were the fulfillment of what Isaiah spoke as in he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity. Jesus bore the marks of his affliction and ours in his body. Flora Slosson Wirellner writes that showing the wounds were acts of mercy- swift acts for friends who were confused, who misunderstood those struggling to understand what was happening.

The resurrection did not blot out the wounds, erase the wounds, and reverse the wounds. Jesus rose from the grave in spite of the wounding with the scars and the sores that were produced by the hurt and pain of a brutal public crucifixion. The wounds themselves are a sign of healing - scabs formed over the abrasions where his skin was scraped off as he stumbled along the apian way carrying the cross. The wounds were a sign of healing – the lacerations where his flesh had been torn open by the leather whips. Penetrating wounds from the spear in his side- the clots that had formed over the bleeding holes in his hands, and feet that indicated healing. Like stretch marks on a woman’s belly show the at one time new life stretch the skin to its breaking point but now healed the scar remains.

Jesus showed his wounds. They identify him with the human condition. God fully entered into our daily life through his son; entered into the daily injustice and pain of exclusionary idioms– he passionately carries our wounds in his body and longs for our healing. The wounds remind us that God, through his son Jesus Christ, will never ignore or negate nor minimalize the human condition. He will never be beyond our reach or cry. Jesus suffered for us then and suffers for us now.

Jesus shows his wounds – they more than validate his resurrection. He also demonstrates that in spite of all that happened to him on Calvary – he did not let his wounds get in the way.
The wounds of his descend did not prevent his assent; the wounds of his demise did not get in the way of his come back; the wounds of his downfall did not prevent his uprising. The wounds from his humiliation did not prevent his elevation; the wounds of his agitation did not get in the way of the wounds of his motivation; the wounds of his crucifixion did not get in the way of his glorification. The wounds did not get in the way.

It is an encouragement that as we celebrate another resurrection Sunday, to never let our wounds get in the way!

Scripture Of The Day: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was brused for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5v

EASTER: DAY 47

SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 47 (Easter Sunday)
WHY DO YOU LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD? HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!

Colossians 2:13-15

You were dead because of your sins and
because your sinful nature was not yet
cut away. Then God made you alive with
Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

He canceled the record of the charges
against us and took it away by nailing
it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed
the spiritual rulers and authorities.
He shamed them publicly by his victory
over them on the cross. (NLT)


MEDITATION by Connie Kennemer


A stunning poem, Jesus of the Scars, written by Edward Shillito, has both haunted me and helped me. As the Lenten Season reaches its climax today, two lines of this fine work capture the mystery and the marvel of the resurrection:

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak; They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne... (emphasis added)

And stumble, he did. This was anything but a coronation scene.

As a child raised in church, I was uncomfortable with the crucifixion and all the gore it entailed. Ashamed to say it, I just didn’t have the stomach for it. The resurrection represented God’s victory over sin through the death of his Son and I believed that. But for years, I struggled to embrace the cruel period between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

If we were privy to the conversations of those who walked with Jesus—disciples, friends, family, his mother—might we not hear strained emotions that match our own? I think so. If this was the greatest spiritual victory in the history of the world, few saw it coming. Good Friday was coronation covered and victory veiled.

Four years ago, my husband and I lost our only son, Todd, to suicide after his brave and belittling battle with bipolar disorder. Rex and I were shocked and confused. I wonder if Jesus’ followers found themselves in a similar state of shock following the crucifixion. I get their panic reaction. I wanted to bolt—to run—as well. And I, too, detected no immediate evidence of God at work. I saw what everyone else saw: defeat and despair.

But three days in the grave changed everything! God lives beyond time and calendars. Three days were enough to shame Satan and remind him that he is no match and no threat to Almighty God.

Todd’s death is still our greatest and deepest wound…but we are inching past the “three days.” Our current reality painfully speaks of new life and weaves threads of redemption. We continue to see traces of Todd’s legacy in the lives of those we influence, grieve with, and mentor in this peculiar place full of broken minds and broken hearts. Few here see hope on the horizon. Fewer still know that victory has already been secured and the enemy defeated.

As followers of Christ we all live with the wounds, the thorns, and the stripes of sin’s curse. But we are also living on the other side of Good Friday.

Today is Resurrection Sunday and we are compelled to proclaim publicly—it is finished. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!


REFLECTION


Where in your experience have God’s ways been shrouded?


How has the Holy Spirit revealed his presence in life’s chaos?


Take time today to celebrate and commemorate Jesus’ conquest over sin’s curse.

HOLY WEEK : DAY 46

SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 46 (Holy Saturday)


Matthew 27:39-42

People passing along the road jeered,
shaking their heads in mock lament:
"You bragged that you could tear
down the Temple and then rebuild it in
three days—so show us your stuff! Save
yourself! If you're really God's Son, come
down from that cross!"

The high priests, along with the religion
scholars and leaders, were right there
mixing it up with the rest of them, having
a great time poking fun at him:

"He saved others—he can't save himself!
King of Israel, is he? Then let him get
down from that cross. We'll all become
believers then!” (The Message)




MEDITATION BY Tim Roehl


The crowd at the cross watched the most important event in human history,
and almost everyone missed the point!

It makes me ask, “How can people be so close to the cross…so close to Jesus’ saving sacrifice that fulfilled prophecy; reconciled sinful humanity and holy deity; defeated sin, death, hell, and Satan; and opened the door for us to have an eternal abundant relationship with him…and wind up walking away from him?”

I’ve met many people over the years who did the same thing. My heart has ached when I saw them profess a desire for God, but then resist truly surrendering to him.

This passage gives us clues to why this happens; it boils downs to our
expectations in our encounter with Jesus. In essence, we have some “hoops” that Jesus has to jump through in order for him to be worthy of our trust. We say with the crowd at the cross, "Show us your stuff…we’ll all become believers then!”

So what do these hoops look like? I’ve heard many say…

"I need to feel that God is real.”

"If Jesus answers my prayer the way I want, when I want, then I'll believe."

"Well, God knows my habits and beliefs, and he is love, so he understands."

"If Jesus proves that he is going to provide my needs, then I can trust him."

For many, God is only worthy of trust if these conditions are met. All these hoops are smoke screens for unwilling hearts. Every proof Jesus needed to provide was accomplished on the cross…and in failing their “tests,” he passed the only test that mattered for our salvation. I wish I could say I’ve never been guilty of trying to make Jesus jump through my hoops—putting my expectations on him instead of humbly meeting his. However, I’ve done that more than I want to admit.

Today, as you reflect on the crowd at the cross and become part of that crowd, consider the expectations you place on Jesus that hinder your commitment to him. Don’t make him jump through your hoops. Cross the bridge he’s made with that cross.




REFLECTION


When you think about expectations and making Jesus jump through hoops, what personal experiences come to mind?


What unfair or false expectations might be holding you back from truly experiencing what Jesus has done for you on the cross? As you identify them, lay them down at the cross and humbly receive what Jesus has for you.


Who can you encourage at this time and tell them how Jesus has worked in your own life?

HOLY WEEK: DAY 45

SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 45 (Good Friday)


Mark 15:33-39

And when the sixth hour had come, there
was darkness over the whole land until
the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour
Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,
lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me?" And
some of the bystanders hearing it said, "
Behold, he is calling Elijah." And someone
ran and filled a sponge with sour wine,
put it on a reed and gave it to him to
drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether
Elijah will come to take him down."

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed
his last. And the curtain of the temple was
torn in two, from top to bottom. And when
the centurion, who stood facing him, saw
that in this way he breathed his last, he said,
"Truly this man was the Son of God!" (ESV)


MEDITATION BY Darren Prince


In our journey to encounter Jesus through the season of Lent, we come at last to his final moments on the cross. And even though we knew where this path would lead us, we find ourselves startled by it once again: stunned to see a tortured, bloodied Savior breathing his final breath alone. Agonized. Abandoned.

If anyone ever mistakenly thought that following Jesus was a journey of self-fulfillment, they’d do well to take another look at Christ on the cross. There, in his final hours, he is crucified, mocked, and left for dead.

Far from what the political pundits had predicted or feared, the Triumphal Entry on Sunday takes a sharp turn into the darkened hours of Friday. Rather than a coronation, he is taunted, spat upon, and crowned with thorns. Who could have expected that his finest hour would be his loneliest? And what does it mean to encounter the Messiah who is crying out, “My God—why have you forsaken me!”

This is the mystery of Christ’s work on the cross proclaimed: that in his hour of abandonment, he became our sin and suffered its brutal consequences. In his moment of separation from God the Father, our gateway to relationship was kicked wide open. His scream of loneliness, deservedly ours, becomes the victory yell that heralds true encounter. The curtain of the temple is ripped in two. The people of earth are reunited with the One who inhabits the Holy of Holies.

This scripture appropriately captures humankind’s two most likely responses. One person mocks Jesus’ helplessness, “Let Elijah pull him down!” It’s tempting to keep Jesus’ desperation for God at arm’s length, lest it hit too close to home—a little humor to put some distance between Jesus’ self-emptying surrender and my own consuming loneliness.

But another, the centurion, is stunned into immediate belief. He hears the Son cry out for the Father and instantly realizes what he’s witnessed. You can almost hear him choking out his proclamation of faith: “Surely, this man was the Son of God!”

With the reality of Christ’s work on the cross before you, which response is yours? You’ve come this far in the journey toward Easter—is this the encounter you hoped for?




REFLECTION


Slowly read back through the events of Good Friday in Mark 15. As you consider this day, what are you drawn to? What are you challenged by?


Read over Psalm 22–the psalm Jesus was likely quoting in his final moments on the cross. How does this psalm inform your understanding of Christ’s experiences on Good Friday?


Consider the two responses offered by the bystander and the centurion in Mark 15. How are you similarly moved to respond?

HOLY WEEK: DAY 44

SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 44 (Maundy Thursday)


Matthew 26:36-42

Then Jesus went with them to a garden called
Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here
while I go over there and pray.”

Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,
he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he
said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay
here and vigil with me.” Going a little ahead, he
fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is
any way, get me out of this. But please, not what
I want. You, what do you want?” When he came
back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep.
He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a
single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t
wander into temptation without even knowing
you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is
eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s
another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping
by the fire.” He then left them a second time.

Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other
way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm
ready. Do it your way." (The Message)


MEDITATION BY Szabolcs Kerekes


Imagine that you are on a road. You are a disciple who in the present walks toward Easter, just as the disciples walked with Jesus toward his suffering.

Read the passage from Matthew. Be silent in your heart. Do not try to analyze the words, but let them in.

Imagine these words as a mirror that showed something within you.

Stay in silence for a few minutes.

What did you see in yourself? Speak to Jesus about it.

Think of Jesus as a human and identify yourself with him. Jesus was a stranger among his people. They didn’t even notice him. On a long road, you are transient in this world, looking for your true home.

Jesus was born as an infant. He was a baby in body and in soul. He studied at a synagogue, learned a profession, and grew and developed through stages just like us. Though he was God’s son, he learned trusting obedience through good and bad experiences, just as we do.

In this story, he enters into a place of total loneliness and darkness. Even his father abandons him.

Similarly, you will experience loneliness and darkness sometime on your path. This part of the Gospel is not only the story of our salvation, but also his story of pain and suffering. He was alone in darkness.

Read now the story again.

You are a child of God. The story is a mirror in which you can see yourself at a point in your life whether or not you already entered that time of loneliness and darkness.

Read the passage.

Be silent in your heart. Do not try to analyze the words but let them in.

What did you see about yourself? Speak to Jesus about it.

Hold these things dearly, deep within yourself.




REFLECTION


How do you relate to Jesus being human?


What loneliness or darkness have you experienced that you know Jesus understood and carried you through?


Who in your life needs to know about Jesus' pain and suffering? How can you encourage them?

HOLY WEEK: DAY 43

SCRIPTURE READING - DAY 43


John 13:4-5

…[Jesus] got up from the table, took off
his outer robe, and tied a towel around
himself. Then he poured water into a
basin and began to wash the disciples’
feet and to wipe them with the towel
that was tied around him. (NRSV)


MEDITATION BY Jenny Jack


I am comfortable with God as judge. I’m comfortable with God as comforter. I’m even comfortable with God who laughs and weeps and sings. But I have a hard time understanding the God who kneels down and serves.

What is it about this concept that is so contrary to what I think God “should” be like? What is it that is so difficult to let him get down and clean the dirt from beneath my toes, and then respond to the invitation to do the same for others? Doesn’t he want me to strategize, to work hard, and to change my little corner of the world?

For Maundy Thursday in 2008, a group of us offered free shoe shining on the main pedestrian street in Glasgow—we thought actually washing people’s feet might be a little too much for strangers on the street to agree to! With each pair of shoes to be shined, there was a body and a soul attached, and an interaction that took place. One of the guys would kneel down on the concrete and prepare his kit, while the receiver would cautiously place a foot on the stool. This one sheepishly hid his dirty soles beneath the chair until the last moment; that one confidently placed his feet in tennis shoes on the stool. One sat down and told the story of her 80+ years; another looked desperately for anything that wasn’t a pair of eyes to look at. One little girl even got her rain boots shined. Many were delightfully surprised that folks from the church were offering to serve them. All were moved in some direction through the interaction that took place.

It struck me that the disciples must have felt something akin to these emotions. We know how Peter felt, but what about the others? What did they feel when Jesus exhorted them, “If I, your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14), thus instituting the act of service as a core value for those who follow him?

I think it is easy for us today to say with Peter, “You shall never wash my feet!” Not because we don’t think we need it, but because we fear it. Our feet—and the hidden closets of our souls, for that matter—are cracked and dry, with dirt and grime caked into them, and we don’t want him to have to wade through all that junk. It’s easier to create strategies, to form ideas, and dream dreams than to look the God of the universe in the eyes when he kneels down to serve us, or to obey his command to look one another in the eyes and serve each other.

Before we get to any of our agendas, let us be willing to wrap the towel around us and serve…to look for the ones in front of us, and invite them to encounter the God who kneels down.


REFLECTION


What are the cracked and dirty places that you find it difficult to let God cleanse?


Take a moment to just be open to him in one of those places.


How is he inviting you to serve someone today?