Holiday Christians

Written a few years ago:

Easter Recap
Our church had a great Easter Sunday this past Weekend. Our SONrise service began at 8:00am, and we had about forty minutes of worship and a devotional. The power of the Holy Spirit was so wonderful to experience. After our Son-rise service, we had breakfast which was followed by our Traditional Easter Service . We were wiped after yesterday but God was awesome, hearts were touched, mine as well.

In reflecting on what Easter means to me, I have come to the conclusion that even though there are those who come to our churches only on holidays like Easter it still gives us the opportunity to plant seeds in their lives. At first I used to be very judgmental towards them, but the more and more I have been reading and praying the more I see that it isn’t about church…its about daily life. Sure we could look down on the “occasional church goer, we could confront them, make them feel guilty about not coming; but what will that do? Maybe some would get that message, while most, if not all would never returm (or take years to come back)

Now I know going to church is important for spiritual growth, but it takes sometimes huge steps for people to even grow to that point. Many are still (to quote one of my favorite movies: What about Bob) baby steppin’ it. They haven’t quite gotten to the point of seeing the need for weekly fellowship with other believers. So in their baby steps coming to church even on a holiday is a huge step.

As Christians who are maturing in the faith. planting the seed is our part (not putting on a guilt trip)…the Holy Spirit does the work, we just need to be consistent in our ministry and in our lives. And therein lies the paradox sometimes. Our lives and ministry can’t be divided where one ends and one begins, they are the same, it’s just that the hours intersect between work and home and that makes the difference. But within those segments of our lives: work, home, leisure: is there consistency? I would say sometimes it’s a fifty/fifty toss up. But we certainly have room to improve, and within those improvements the seeds that the Holy Spirit allows us to plant are so much more fertile.

Of course three things that I have continually been convicted on are these:
1) It’s the Lord’s Ministry – not mine.
2) When Victories come – He gets the credit.
3) I need to be thankful in ALL things – even the rough times.

So the next time you start to get annoyed as we all sometimes do with the “Holiday Christians” remember your job is to plant the seed, let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Just be consistent in your faith journey and see what happens.
-Just a thought.(written and re-edited by me (scott strissel) taken from my web site on Xanga: Salarmy -2007)

March 31, 2013 1

Saturday in the underworld.

It’s Saturday. The day after crucifixion, Jesus’ death. Can you just imagine all of heaven, holding their collective breath? The Angels’ anxiously awaiting, anticipating what is to come? Did they know what God had in store for Sunday? Were they party to the entire plan? The hosts of heaven gathering at the tomb, gathering unseen among the disciples, who are in hiding. Imagine what is unseen in the spirit world, as Jesus descends into the deep, setting the captives free and unleashing redemption through the veil.

This Saturday lull before the storm of victory makes us wonder what the metaphysical world looked like on such a day. What battles were fought. The might of God unleashed on the fallen ones. How awesome the power of Christ would have been to behold…it would have probably killed us, who are human, to have witnessed this might. For even Moses had to cover himself in the sight of God…so too Elijah.

It’s Saturday, probably the day within the Resurrection story that the unseen and the hosts of Hell were shaken to the core by the Son of God. This epic battle…Satan standing no chance against his very own Creator. Death, though the gate by which Christ entered, had no more power on Him than all of the demons of hell…He was not their equal, He was so much more than created…he was Creator vanquishing and unleashing those imprisoned.

There is very little within scripture to tell us of what took place on Saturday, but if Sunday is any indication of what took place, all of the demons along with the father of lies himself must tremble with fear when they consider what is to come when Christ returns again.

It’s might be Saturday on this holy week, but resurrection is just around the corner…resurrection and victory for all who would follow after the Christ. For all who would identify with the cross will find an eternal hope and a resurrection unlike any other known in the universe.

March 30, 2013 1

One Day

One day
Life became
Death
Breath became
Stilled silence
Calm
Became storm
Whole
Became broken
Wounds
Became fatal
One
Solitary
Day
Sure Judgement
Became Salvation
Real punishment
Because absolute
Redemption

One day
Innocent
Became guilty
Perfect
Was painted
With the blood
Of others
The burdens
Of others
One day
Became everyday
Every promise
Every day hope
Every day
New life
Reborn
Reanimation
Of the dead

One day
Became
Our tomorrow
Instead of
Our past

One day
With Christ
Will open
Our hopes
Transform our
Brokenness
Restore our
Reflections
And make us
Complete
Again.

March 29, 2013 0

Portrait of Jesus

On the walls of our living hang pictures. Not just any pictures or pictures of people we don’t know but pictures of my family. My Mom and Dad are there, my Wife is there, my children are there and other extended family members. This wall is dear to me. Not because it holds up a portion of the house that houses my tv, but because within these pictures is captures a moment frozen in time. A moment in which my family are smiling, looking silly, perhaps with teeth still missing as kids, but moments that have come and gone. Sweet moments, joyous moments and I treasure them in my heart every time I see them.

Today is Good Friday. Probably not exactly a joyous moment when we reflect on Christ on a cross, bloody, beaten and dying. It’s not a pretty picture to behold. We probably don’t have pictures of Jesus this way on our wall, in full color naked and bleeding on the cross. Perhaps you have some crucifix’s a portrait or two that resembles his death on the cross, but I doubt that it’s an unedited portrayal of his actual death scene…which I imagine was extremely grizzly to behold. Yet there is something joyous within this moment in our Savior’s death. It’s not that He suffered, or that finally they caught those two criminals hanging there next to Jesus, but it’s the fact that sin and death were nailed to the cross with Christ.

Our sin, our eternal death was taken from us by Christ on the cross. With the shedding of His blood, which was perfect, we now can call on His name and our sinful ways can be atoned for. We have one who intercedes for us before the Father. This portrait is the best we have ever received…ever! Eternal life is ours, death conquered, and hope available to the entire world all because of Jesus.

My photos on the wall are awesome, I love my family and I love my kids…but this life we live has been extended and eternal life granted to us, including my loved ones because of what we celebrate today…Christ crucified.

Question: Do you identify with this crucified Christ?

I hope and pray you do, if not perhaps it’s time to consider what life is about, where you’re going at the moment and if there is meaning to what you are doing today.

March 29, 2013 0

The Biblical Twilight Zone…

My children got sucked in today by an old black and white television show. The show in question? The Twilight Zone. This morning before going to school, waking up with sleep caked eyes they flipped on the TV and they were drawn in. Not by expensive special effects or famous actors, but a well scripted haunting scenario. My kids journeyed with the characters on the episode identified with the actors as they uncovered a truth so hard to accept…they weren’t on Earth at all…they were someplace else.

To some degree the disciples had to have felt like actors on horrifying episode of the twilight zone. They had just finished their meal and went for a walk with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Imagine their tired eyes, filled stomachs and then Jesus tells them to sit at a place in the garden while He went up just a little further to pray. The effects of good food and the tranquil setting must have taken effect because the gospel of Mark records that Peter, James and John fell asleep instead of the Lord’s command of “keep watch”. They fall asleep, and sleep soundly as Jesus prays earnestly for His Father in Heaven to take the cup from Him (v36). Jesus displays his humanity in this moment, because He understood what needed to take place and His very human nature pleads for it to not take place.

Three times, Jesus comes to them and three times He finds them sleeping on the job. Jesus, in this difficult moment, tells them that they have to stand guard so that they didn’t fall into temptation because the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. (v.38) But because of their deep exhaustion they can’t keep their eyes open. In Jesus’ toughest struggle in his human existence, even beyond his temptation in the wilderness, His hand selected disciples couldn’t support Him in this trial. They fell asleep three times…I don’t believe in numerology but this repetitive notion of three is evident in the crucifixion story. Peter denies Jesus three times, the rooster crowed three times, the disciples including Peter, fell asleep three times and three times Jesus has to wake them up. Jesus in His death and resurrection took the span of three days. Post resurrected Jesus asks Peter how much He loved Him…you guessed it three times.

The Twilight Zone Moment:

After Jesus finishes His prayer conversation with the Father, He awakens His disciples for the last time and says, “Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayers!”(v.42) Here is when their reality is turned upside down. Within this very moment an alternative reality seems to present itself and it strikes literal fear in the disciples. One of their own, Judas enters the scene, and as a sign of identification places a kiss on the cheek of Jesus, as if to say ‘this is the one you want’. Peter’s eyes grow wide in surprise, as does James and John’s. How can this be? Why would Judas do such a thing? He was our brother! They all feel the bottom drop out in their stomach as this new reality sinks in. Peter reaches for his sword…where he got it, the Bible doesn’t say, but he uses it poorly it would seem as he slices off the ear of a servant to the high priest. I don’t think Peter planned to use it, his strike wasn’t premeditated but reactionary instead. This twilight zone will lead to an illegal midnight trial.

One can almost imagine the screen flickering in black and white as the camera zooms in on the actor and an expression of sheer disbelief and horror is magnified as the scenario is unveiled for the first time. This Maundy Thursday ended seemingly in a different dimension for the disciples. Way too much drama, too much loss, too little strength to do anything but sleep, cut off an ear and run away.

Don’t be too quick to judge though, perhaps if we were to place our feet into the disciples’ sandals for a moment without the foreknowledge that we have as we view this story from the outside, would we really have done anything different? Probably not.

Welcome to the Biblical Twilight Zone…Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Biblical Twilight Zone.

March 28, 2013 4

Homeboy vs. Hometown Riot

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV)
¹The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, ²to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

Jesus stood in front of those gathered together in the synagogue of His home town and read these words…then, glancing at everyone in the room who were listening he rolled the scroll back up, it was placed in its customary resting place, and he took a seat to teach on the reading. You can almost imagine the crowd gathered there in the synagogue waiting for this fellow resident of Nazareth to speak. What would He say, he’s just a stone cutter’s son, and how much scriptural understanding does He really have? In the back of the sanctuary a person coughed, all eyes trained on Jesus, hanging on expectantly for what He would say.

Then it happens, with scriptural intent Jesus, now seated, looks directly into the faces of the people and fellow teachers and declares; “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” And then He lays it out there in his teaching. He tells them, without flinching or hesitation that every prophet is rejected in their home towns and proceeds to give examples of this through Elijah and Elisha. His meaning strikes the congregation like an audible slap in the face. Since the people of Israel rejected their prophets and continued in their ignorance the prophets went to the gentiles instead.

A fellow Jew takes a step forward and yells in outrage “What are you saying?” “How dare You!” another screams, the color of anger red rising in his face. “Blasphemy” another calls out and is repeated like an echo in a cave throughout the room. The once docile crowd seemingly awakens from its sermoned stupor and like a crashing wave onto jagged rocks at high tide convenes on the cause of their anger – Jesus. And with murderous intent glinting in their eyes, they grab Jesus roughly by His cloak. The roar of anger reverberates off of the columns and ceiling as the crowds of neighbors, townsmen, and even those who had worked with Joseph and his sons including Jesus…they knew Him, and yet they knew nothing. Anger now brimming over like lava from a volcano, the hometown crowd hauls Jesus out with cries of blasphemy and curses. Their intent is to end the guilt and conviction they feel by ending Jesus’ life. But as they approach a nearby cliff, something remarkable happens. Perhaps it’s an unrecorded miracle because no water is turned into wine, nor is someone healed from a sickness, but it’s a miracle nonetheless. The murderous rioters or would be church goers who were intent on killing Jesus aren’t permitted to do the deed! It’s not time yet for Him to die, and this isn’t the place for His ultimate sacrifice.

Instead of falling to His death, Jesus walks through the crowd. Nothing more is said of this event except that He goes on His way (v30). Was Satan involved in this sudden murderous riot? Were the town folk prompted to respond this way by a spiritual battle unseen? Perhaps, but the focus still remains on Jesus here. He walks through the would be murderers from the cliff and continues on this path and mission of teaching, healing and changing lives. This act of the crowd is fulfillment of Christ’s words only moments ago “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” It wasn’t time yet for His sacrifice for the sins of the world. And so He moves on. Something to ponder here is if this event broke Christ’s heart. Were there tears in His eyes when He walked away from them, from His home? People He had known for years had just attempted to kill Him. His ‘old stomping grounds’ had become a hostile and uninviting place for Him, further reinforcing scripture that “He had nowhere to lay His head…”or call Home anymore. (Matt 8:20)

For us today, we may never face public riots for what we say for the sake of Christ. People might not be attempting to throw us from cliffs. But if we are to be followers and emulators of Christ we too must take bold stands and remain firm in them. Jesus said to His disciples and even now to us, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matt 16:24) In these words speaks of sacrifice, selflessness and purpose beyond our earthly lives. Jesus understood this measure of surrender, his purpose for being here on Earth and He gave himself completely to this task despite being rejected by the hometown crowd…how about you?

What is the measure of your surrender today?

(*My title isn’t meant to offend, please know I reverence Jesus and that of His life, and please don’t misunderstand my intent in the use of ‘Homeboy’)

March 27, 2013 1

Biting at the bit

I am standing over my Barbecue grill,
It’s a thirty degree day outside…
It’s balmy!
I saw a high school kid today
In a tank top and shorts
wading through two feet
Of melting wet, cold snow.
The flames on the grill
Pay no heed to spring’s
Faux weather.
They lick the coals,
Consume its fuel
And singe the burgers

making a hissing sound

singing praises along the way.
I am grilling,
We are biting at the bit…
That boy today,
Me at my grill
The children down
The street who are
Trying out still hibernating
Playground equipment.
Biting at the bit of spring
And by sheer will
Forcing these seasons
To turn itself
Winter’s white blanket
green and flowering
Fields…biting at the bit
And willing this spring to
To open up its doors

once again.

March 27, 2013 1

Treasure: Curses or Blessings?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21)

I can’t help but think of the original movie “Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Blackpearl” in which Johnny Depp plays Captain Jack Sparrow. His treasure is the Black Pearl and taking his rightful place as its Captain again…His antagonist is Captain Barbossa and the crew have been cursed by a pirate’s treasure so that they can never die but they cannot enjoy the pleasures of life anymore either. Their treasure in life has become their undoing and they are now cursed because of it.

Is it so far fetched to think that earthly treasure can be like this with us as well? No we may not appear as ghosts in the moonlight, but we may be ruled by our treasures. Just flip on the television and consider the numerous commercials that tell us we haven’t truly lived until we have the newest and best telephone, electronic device, car or job. Earthly treasure certainly has its trappings, its lures and its appeal doesn’t it?

Have you heard it said, ‘whatever consumes most of your time will consume you?’ Another word for our treasures could be the word ‘Idol’. If we become consumed with an idol in our lives, it dominates our time, and our attention then does it not take away from the time we should be spending with God? Don’t we see throughout the Old Testament that God is a jealous God who wants us to be completely sold out to Him alone? It literally breaks His heart when his people sell His love for cheap idols of this world that are temporal and will fade away. It’s like having the Hope Diamond yet trading it in for a cubic zirconia ring that was seen the on Home shopping network…it just doesn’t make sense!

Where is your treasure today? Are you investing your time and your passions on the Eternal or the temporal and Earthly? Have you been cursed by your possessions? Consumed by them? Don’t allow earthly treasures that are cheap and temporary to replace the love of God which is perfect, lovely and will last forever!

Truth be told, I have made this mistake countless times, it never pays off. Sure for a time we’re happy with our treasure, but over time it loses its shine and what we thought would bring us happiness leaves us with a vacuum in our hearts…and we’re empty. Eternal treasure will never leave us feeling this way! God will never leave us or forsake us, and His promises are always true, noble and priceless in value!

So what’ll it be? Your shiny new toy that will one day fail you, or God’s Eternal light which shines forever?

Where your treasure is…there your heart is also. Think on these things, and with the words of Jesus, “He who has ears to hear, let Him hear!”

March 25, 2013 1

How I Met Your Mother

How I met your mother.

No it’s not some cheap tag line to rope you into watching episode after episode of fail relationships.

This is truly how I met your mother. I have to thank my roommate in college for initially propelling me in the direction that I took that Spring Break. My roommate had signed up to serve at a Habitat For Humanity service project during Spring Break and I thought perhaps I should try it out as well. I really didn’t want to just lounge around for a week doing nothing, I needed to be busy and so I went to sign up for the Habitat for Humanity mission trip. I was excited, this was to be a great week of working hard and having fun with friends, but it was not to be. I had signed up a little too late and the team I wanted to go on was full up. Instead the campus Chaplin asked me if I would go on a different mission trip. The mission tripe he was proposing for me would be a trip to California to do some work on a Christian summer camp. I didn’t want to go on this trip and I recall being disappointed that I wouldn’t be going with my roommate and IF (a big if) I went I wouldn’t know anyone else on the team. I hadn’t had much luck fitting in at College. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my classes, had some great professors and the occasional co-ed sports events, but I just felt as if I didn’t belong on that campus. I wasn’t too keen on meeting up with the other members of this spring mission’s team and run the risk I would have to spend an entire week with people I just didn’t fit in with.

I gave the proposal some thought and reluctantly told the campus Chaplin that I would be willing to go, it beat staying at home or on campus doing nothing. The only catch is that I would have to raise some funds in order to go…so I began to collect funds from church, and friends, and but I was fearful because the time allotted to raise the money was drastically shortened due to my late addition to the mission team. I remember being over a hundred dollar short, having no money to my name, and thinking I would have to call the Chaplin and tell him thanks but no thanks. Then I received a call from him and he let me know that the rest of the funds were being covered and I should get packed up.

So the day arrived that we were to all meet in the student center on campus for our departing bus ride to the airport. I was still apprehensive of meeting new people; they were all stranger to me. I remember thinking, how will I ever fit in? But I packed up, and made my way to the lobby to wait. I took a cushioned seat that was blue in color that was near a television. As I sat there other team members arrived and also took seats as we all collectively waited for the bus to arrive. A romantic movie was on the smallish box television and I remember partly watching it out of discomfort amidst new people. I can’t remember if I struck up the conversation or the girl sitting next to me did, but we connected with a lot of commonalities and it was simply easy to converse with her. We didn’t stop talking until the bus arrived and even on the bus ride we talked about everything from books we loved to films to music…the conversation flowed simply yet fluidly and didn’t seem to be forced or awkward. It felt good! Part of my fears of fitting in evaporated in those short hours of conversation, from a plane ride to another van ride; we connected all the way and spent much of the week together. Things just clicked…little did I know that in just three short years she would say “yes” to a question that requires a lifetime commitment. It took me a while to woo, partly because school came first for her…not so much with me (but that’s another story).

I’ve heard it said of love that there is no such thing as soul mates…that many people could fit the bill in compatibilities within a relationship…perhaps that’s so…but not for me. Looking back at it now, I can’t help but think that the details of our journey had been preordained. I wasn’t meant to make it on the team that my roommate was leaving with. I don’t feel that it was simply a coincidence that though I was short of funds to make it on this trip someone came in at the last minute and covered the balance. I don’t find it coincidental at all that we connected from the moment we entered the first meeting place of our team. So many coincidences leave me blown away in the realization that we were meant for one another. Things didn’t just ‘fall into place’, things happened for a reason and in this case that reason was for me to meet your mother. And the rest is a sweet and blessed history, not perfect mind you, but it is sweet nonetheless. And in the words of Robert Frost, “And that has made all of the difference!”

March 25, 2013 0

Palm Sunday…Hosanna in the Highest!

The day had arrived for Jesus to announce to the people of Jerusalem just who He was.

His disciples were asked to go ahead of him to collect a donkey and so they did.

When He rode in a on donkey it would symbolize peace, not might, because to do so

He would have needed a Horse to symbolize His power.

Isn’t it interesting how the mightiest son of the One and only God came into the largest city

of God’s people, Israel, and He was rejected? Oh sure that day people gathered and placed

their cloaks on the ground for him and waved palm branches…but in the book of Luke

it records that when the city came into view Jesus wept over it. He then says, “If you…had only know this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you in on every side, they will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls…”(Luke 19:42-44)

Jesus weeps for them because they didn’t get it. They only saw Jesus as a political possibility, another warrior up-riser who could possibly rally the nation to rebel against Roman…but that’s not what Jesus came to do. He came to save everyone from their own sin, it was a much more important assignment than just freeing one nation, His message and purpose was to free the entire world. Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel and its people at that time didn’t get it…they missed the purpose, except for a handful of faithful disciples.

Don’t miss the purpose of Christ in your life today! Palm Sunday isn’t just about people lauding Jesus in the streets, Palm Sunday is the beginning of the recognition of just what Jesus came to do…to set the captives, you and me and everyone else…free!

Let’s boldly shout – “Hosanna in the highest” today and know why we declare His majesty!

March 24, 2013 1

Month: March 2013