What more can be said?

In all honesty, I don't know if I (Jamey) have the emotional energy to even contemplate the roller coaster that the last two years have been, or to try and provide some kind of "new" insight.

When my brother Bobby suddenly and unexpectedly left this mortal existence, many lives were turned upside down.

Not much has changed, has it?  Life is still pretty topsy-turvy, maybe even more so.   

In all honestly, I think I said all I could possibly say about this in my post last year so I am not going to go into any deep exploration here today.  That post can be read here:  March 2012

However, there is something profound in being proverbially "slapped in the face" so hard you can't really catch your breath.  A person is forced to stop and contemplate.  In that time, we are pushed to think, at least for a few moments, what this existence is really about.

Much of this kind of talk, and commitments to make real life changes, were heard in the days and weeks after Bobby's death.

There were exhortations during the funeral services to NOT respond to this ultimate wake up call, by simply pushing the "snooze button" and going back to sleep, especially when it comes to matters of life and death, heaven and hell, etc.   

I recently came across a verse that really kind of struck me regarding this topic, and it is a dire warning to those who work to "clean up" their spiritual house, only to leave it empty and ultimately more exposed to further devastation.

Matthew 12:43-45 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Now, I don't think this verse is intended to be taken as the foundation for building a Christian theology, and I realize it may not be particularly encouraging, but it remains a powerful caution to those religious and spiritually minded people who are unwilling to be fully submitted to God. 

We must be filled up with Christ for any change to be effective, particularly when it comes to being saved from the consequences of our sin guilt before God.  Trying to clean up our lives in our own strength is an errand doomed to failure.  

So, I would simply challenge all my family and loved ones to deeply and sincerely consider in your own hearts a few questions.  Have you drifted back into your old ways, of thinking, acting, responding?  Do the cares of this world push out considerations of the next life?  Are you living a life focused on self preservation, self satisfaction, self gratification, or whatever other selfish motive one can think of? 

I urge you to not let the warnings and the budding recognition of the temporariness of this life to go unheeded.  Don't let Bobby's early parting be in vain.  Make sure, today, that your eternal destiny is secure in Christ and in Him alone.  For only He is able to save to the uttermost, those who are dying. (Hebrews 7:25)

No other pursuit matters, ultimately and eternally. 

Passion Week

Monday--The Triumphal Entry

•  Read Mark 11:1-10 (story of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem)  So much to discuss here!  Again, Jamey does a phenomenal job of steering our family devotions, so I cannot say for certain what will come after this reading.  Some probable questions include the following:

• What Old Testament scripture foretells this event?  (Zechariah 9:9, also Luke 13:31-35 records that several weeks before the triumphal entry, Jesus himself had prophesied that he would come back to Jerusalem when the people were ready to say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."  The crowds did in fact say those exact words which they were quoting from Psalm 118:21-29)

•  What is the significance of the palm branches the crowds threw before Christ as he rode?   According to several of my commentaries, they were symbols of victory.  Solomon had them carved on the walls and doors of the temple (1 Kings 6:29), and in Revelation 7:9 people from every nation will again raise them in honor of Christ, but at the time of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, they were being raised for the wrong reason.

 The people indeed needed Christ to help them gain victory, but while they wanted victory over an oppressive Roman rule, He had actually come to give them a much greater victory, crushing sin and evil through His sacrificial death on the cross! (1 Peter 2:24)  

• Discuss the reaction of the people when they discovered that Jesus' goals were not in line with theirs.  (They went from saying "Hosanna"--literally meaning "save us now" to screaming "Crucify him!" in the space of one week.  Mark 15:13)

• Are we cut from such a different cloth?  Discuss the need for being so immersed in His word and His ways, that they become our words and our ways--lest we fall into the same pattern as these crowds.  (Read Matthew 6:10, Romans 11:19-22, 1 John 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15) 

• End with a reading of Psalm 22:1-29, a foreshadowing of Christ's own words from the cross.  How sobering to realize that even as the people were shouting His praises, Christ knew He was walking to the cross.

Tuesday--Humility

• Read and discuss Philippians 2:5-11.  Can you think of other verses about Christ's humility, or about the humility which should be seen in the life of a believer? (There are so many!  Here are a few--2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Peter 5:5, Ephesians 4:1-3, Proverbs 11:2)

• If there is one attribute I want to help my children develop, it is humility!  Humility toward God is essential for teach-ability (Proverbs 16:18, Isaiah 59:1-2).  Humility toward one another is essential for unity and credibility. (John 13:35, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:20)

• Jesus washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:1-17)  In verse 14, Christ commands us to wash the feet of one another.  In other words, "I have served you.  Serve one another!" 

• Many churches do a Maundy Thursday service, but it works better this week for us to hold a "Maundy Tuesday".  We plan to have a basin, pitcher, and towel available during this devotion.  We will end our discussion by having each person wash the feet of the person to their left--a symbolic act of love and service.  

• Encourage the family to continue in service and humility to one another during the remainder of the week, as Christ modeled for us all.    

Wednesday--Resurrection Eggs

• We traditionally use these eggs on Resurrection Sunday before the meal, but we plan to do something different that day, so we are moving this object lesson to this afternoon (group Bible Study is this evening).

• Take 12 plastic eggs, label them 1-12 with an indelible marker and place an object into each one.

• In the first, place a piece of bread. (Matthew 26:26)

• In the second, put a coin. (Matthew 26:14-15)

• In the third, put a piece of purple cloth (Mark 15:17)

• In the fourth, put a thorny branch (Matthew 27:29)

• In the fifth, put a thick piece of rope or knotted string (Mark 15:15)

• In the sixth, put a small cross (John 19:17-18)

• In the seventh, put some nails. (John 20:25)

• In the eighth, put a sign which says "this is the king of the Jews" (Luke 23:38)

• In the ninth, put a sponge. (Matthew 27:48)

• In the tenth, put a toothpick (representing a spear) (John 19:34)

• In the eleventh, put a rock (Matthew 27:59-60)

• Leave the last egg empty! (Matthew 28:6)

• Hide the eggs and have the children find them.  Have the children open the eggs in order from 1-12.  As they reveal the contents, have another person read the corresponding verse.  

• Rejoice in the empty tomb!         

Thursday--A Believer's Passover Haggadah

•  This is our first time celebrating a believer's passover meal as a family, so we are following a book called A Believer's Passover Haggadah by Hebrew Roots Press.  It contains the complete instructions for a passover meal, the script for the dinner, an explanation for each of the steps, and its meaning for the  Christian.  Here is the link for a similar resource (since I can't find a reprint of ours online) http://www.amazon.com/Messianic-Passover-Haggadah-Barry-Rubin/dp/1880226294

• Here is my shopping list for the meal (You should probably start preparing a few days in advance)--  Remember, in addition to these items, you will also need to cook a hearty meal as well – search online for popular passover recipes, or make something simple like Shepherd's pie.  

• Apples
  Chopped Walnuts
  Cinnamon
  Honey
  Grape Juice/Wine
  Horseradish
  Matzos (crackers – find in health food aisle or with crackers)
  Red Grape Juice/Cranberry Juice/Wine/sherry
  Fresh Parsley
  A boiled egg
  A lamb bone – cleaned and dried
  Haroset recipe
  You’ll need to make haroset – a sticky sweet mixture that represents the clay of the bricks made by the Hebrews in captivity in Egypt.
  This is a sweet mud like mixture:
  1 apple, grated
  1 teaspoon cinnamon
  2 tablespoons of sweet red wine or grape juice
  1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  1 teaspoon of honey
  Prepare all the ingredients and then mix together well. The resulting mixture should be lumpy and of a similar consistency to heavy oatmeal or moist stuffing. If you have a food processor, the easiest way to make haroset is to roughly blend it all at once, adding the apple at the end.
  
  Here is a link for free online instructions for a Believer's Passover meal that looks similar to the one we are doing--http://issuu.com/Vahva/docs/passover_liturgy 
    

Friday--Movie Night

• We plan to watch one of several movies tonight as a way of bringing deeper focus to the events of the Passion Week. 

• One possibility is a DVD called "The Story".  It is available from CBD for $22.  It is a musical retelling of the entire story of Scripture, from creation to Revelation, sung from the perspective of key Bible characters.  We love the CD!  (Great lyrics set to compelling music)  The DVD is visual interpretations of the songs.

• Another great choice is "The Gospel of John" movie.  It is the words of John, acted out.  Powerful!

• Third is one that we have not yet used with our children (and may never), but Jamey found it moving and recommends it for adults.  That is "The Passion" movie by Mel Gibson.  

Anyone who lives near me is welcome to borrow any of the books/movies/materials I have mentioned this month, if you want to use them on a different day with your family:)

Saturday--The Easter Story Cookies

• These cookies are to be made the evening before Easter, and here is the recipe!      http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easter-Story-Cookies/Detail.aspx

 Sunday--Resurrection Day!

What a delight to know that He is risen, just as He said!  Happy Easter!