THE PATTERN OF THE CROSS – Part 2 of 2

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 5:16-18 NLT)

This upside-down pattern of the cross so contradicts the thinking and practice of the world that it creates an “alternate kingdom,” an alternate reality, a counterculture among those who have been transformed by it. In this peaceable kingdom there is a reversal of the values of the world with regard to power, recognition, status, and wealth. In this new counterculture, Christians look at money as something to give away. They look at power as something to use strictly for service. Racial and class superiority, accrual of money and power at the expense of others, yearning for popularity and recognition, these normal marks of human life, are the opposite of the mindset of those who have understood and experienced the Cross. Christ creates a whole new order of life. Those who are shaped by the great reversal of the Cross no longer need self-justification through money, status, career, or pride of race and class. So the Cross creates a counterculture in which sex, money, and power cease to control us and are used in life-giving and community-building rather than destructive ways. 

-- Timothy Keller (1950-2023) in “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism”  

#6422

A PALM SUNDAY JUXTAPOSITION

“Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” say, “The Lord needs it.”’… They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.”  (Luke 19:28-35 NIV)

After the donkey is delivered, we have a clash of two processionals happening in the city of Jerusalem at the same time. Passover is going on. The city swells by several times its population. And coming in from the west we have (drumroll)…  Pontius Pilot, riding in on a stallion, a war horse. Behind him would be all the Roman army in their regalia -- with all their armor, their shields, their swords, and their spears. They would be marching in step into Jerusalem from the west, because this was Pilot’s time to shine and exhibit power. It’s called the Roman Peace – the Pax Romana. You know how peace came? Peace came from fear. You’d better be afraid of the Roman Empire. And they were in town to make sure this crowd wasn’t going to get too rowdy.

Meanwhile from the east, down from the Mount of Olives comes Jesus -- the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But He’s riding on a donkey? What’s up with that? Where are His soldiers; where’s His army? Imagine, His followers were a bunch of rejected tax collectors, prostitutes, fisherman, a bunch of misfits, a bunch of people nobody wants or sees, coming into town shouting, “Hosanna.”

What’s going on with this? Well, Jesus is offering a different kind of kingdom and a different kind of peace. Jesus’s peace comes, not through military power, but through the power of love. And He is setting up this conflict, this clash, which starts off as a celebration. “When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’” (Luke 19:37-38 NIV)

Royalty was riding in. The problem is it’s coming in from the wrong direction, in the wrong way. The roman leader comes in from the west; Jesus comes in from the east. The east is where the sun rose, and a new kingdom was dawning in Jerusalem that day. They just didn’t know it. 

-- Pastor Wes Olds, from a sermon entitled “The Triumphal Entry,” part of a series called “Passion: Journey to the Cross” at Grace Church Cape Coral, Florida

#6337

THE BEATITUDES – A WINDOW INTO THE JESUS WAY

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-10) give us a window into the Jesus Way -- a way that runs against the grain of the world but leads us deeper into the heart of God. Jesus doesn’t begin His teaching with commands or demands. He begins with blessing. He names the overlooked, the weary, the humble, the hungry, and says, “You are seen. You are welcome. You are blessed.”

The Jesus Way is not about climbing higher but kneeling lower. It’s the way of poverty of spirit -- recognizing our need for God. It’s the way of meekness -- strength surrendered, not strength lost. It’s the way of mercy, purity, and peace -- living with a heart shaped by God’s compassion. And it’s the way of perseverance -- holding onto hope even when following Jesus is costly.

Walking the Jesus Way means trusting that God’s kingdom grows in unlikely places: in mourning hearts, in gentle hands, in those who hunger for righteousness, in those who choose peace over power. It’s a path marked not by self‑promotion but by self‑giving love.

During this Lenten season, look for one small way to embody the Jesus Way in your interactions.

Lord Jesus, teach me Your Way. Shape my heart to reflect Your kingdom -- humble, merciful, pure, and peace‑seeking. Help me walk in Your blessing and extend it to others. Amen. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6315

A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.

I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift from God, much needed in society. It is characterized by respect for quality and a yearning to use God’s gifts in a way that pleases Him.

There are certain things you can do that no one else can. Perhaps it is parenting, or constructing houses, or encouraging the discouraged. There are things that only you can do, and you are alive to do them. In the great orchestra that we call life, you have an instrument and a song, you owe it to God to play them both sublimely.

But there is a canyon of difference between doing your best to glorify God and doing whatever it takes to glorify yourself. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. The quest for power is childish. 

-- Max Lucado in “The Applause of Heaven”

#6305

EMBRACING GENTLENESS

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."  (Philippians 4:5 NIV) 

Pastor and author John Vawter once noted, “If we want to demonstrate the uncommon grace of Jesus to a world that worships power, we must set aside our combativeness to embrace gentleness.”

In a world that prizes dominance, assertiveness, and the last word, gentleness often feels like weakness. But Jesus flipped that narrative. He rode into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a donkey. He washed the feet of those who would betray Him. He spoke truth not with thunder, but with tenderness.

Gentleness is not passivity. It is strength under control. It is power under purposeful direction. It is the Spirit-led choice to respond with grace when provoked, to listen when others shout, and to love when the world demands retaliation.

Jesus’ grace is uncommon because it doesn’t play by the world’s rules. It doesn’t seek to win arguments -- it seeks to win hearts. And that kind of grace is only visible when we lay down our need to be right, to be loud, to be first and take up the Jesus way. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources

#6210

THE POWER OF GOD

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NIV)

When living in our own strength and “lofty speech,” as Paul puts it, it points people back to us. When we are owning our weakness and therefore dependence on Christ, God's power inherently points people back to Him. When Peter and John healed a lame man, and people stared in amazement, the apostles quickly redirected the credit to God. Peter asked, "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" (Acts 3:12)

When human power is displayed, it might impress people. But the gospel's call goes much deeper than mere admiration; it requires humility, amazement, and awe at a power from a divine source. Only God's power, revealed in us, can accomplish this. It liberates us from our weaknesses, equips us to do His will, strengthens us to become like Christ, and provides a powerful witness to those around us. 

“’Not by [your] might nor by [your] power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”  (Zechariah 4:6b)  

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6034

NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER

God works through weak and obscure instruments to do His work for Him. How often we look to the rich and famous to get the job done. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said:

“We Christians often quote ‘not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord’ (Zechariah 4:6b), and yet in practice we seem to rely on the mighty dollar and the power of the press and advertising and politics. We seem to think that our influence will depend on our technique and the program we can put forward and that it would be numbers, the largeness, the bigness that would prove effective. We seem to have forgotten that God has done most of His deeds throughout history through remnants. We seem to have forgotten the great story of Gideon, for instance, and how God insisted on reducing the 32,000 men down to 300 before He would make use of them. We have become fascinated by the idea of bigness, and we are quite convinced that if we can only stage, yes, that’s the word, stage something really big before the world, we will shake it and produce a mighty religious awakening. That seems to be the modern conception of authority.”

But as Jesus said, “What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15b). God does not look for powerful instruments but for instruments that can be wielded by His power. 

-- Adapted from “A Beacon in the Darkness: Reflecting God’s Light in Today’s World” by David Roper

#5868

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION IS THE BREAKTHROUGH

"If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. But He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."  (1 Corinthians 15:14-20 NIV)

Without the resurrection there is no gospel... The issue for Paul [in 1 Corinthians] cut to the center of the gospel: Quit preaching the forgiveness of sins if Christ was destroyed. Quit offering hope for a new life if Jesus is dead. Quit believing in eternal joy with God if Jesus was martyred and sent to sleep forever in the mists of Sheol. But, Paul proclaims, Jesus not only bled and died for sinners; He also rose again in victory and power. His offering of forgiveness carries divine authority. And of ultimate significance to us, His resurrection is the breakthrough, the pioneer work that leads the way. The same power that raised Jesus will raise us from the dead. If Christ is alive, as we believe, we too shall live... with our Savior.

-- U.M. Bishop Richard Wilke in “DISCIPLE: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study” 

#5578

THE TEMPTATION OF POWER

“But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible?  Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love.  It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life… The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led.  Those who resisted this temptation to the end and thereby give us hope are the true saints. 

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen in “In the Name of Jesus” 

#5298

FINISHING THE RACE - Part 2

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV)

The apostle Paul won the crown of righteousness because he finished well. The crown is awaiting all who are finishers. To finish the race means to be fully obedient to Christ all the days of my life. It means to humbly follow Christ and stay within the boundary lines He has set for us. It means to continue growing in purity of heart until the day I see Him face to face and become fully like Him (see 1 John 3:2-3). To finish the race means that I give myself fully to the work He assigned me so that when my life is done, I can say, along with Jesus, “I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do.” (John 17:4 NIV).

Many Christians are not finishing well. But the power of Christ is available to counteract the pressures of this rebellious generation. Even where there has been failure, even when we stumble, God is able to pick us up, grant forgiveness, and give new purpose and power for living.

Commit yourself now to the way of endurance and overcoming. Like Paul, be a finisher.

-- Adapted from Ken Radke in “The Race Set Before Us”

#5226

THE PROOF AND EVIDENCE

Jesus replied, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere -- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8 NLT)

On the morning of the resurrection, God put life in the present tense, not in the future. God gave us not a promise but a presence. Not a hope for the future but power for the present. Not so much the assurance that we shall live someday but that He is risen today. Jesus’ resurrection is not to convince the incredulous nor to reassure the faithful, but to enkindle the believers. The proof that God raised Jesus from the dead is not the empty tomb, but the full hearts of His transformed disciples. The crowning evidence that He lives is not a vacant grave, but a Spirit-filled fellowship. Not a rolled-away stone, but a carried-away church. 

-- Clarence Jordan in “The Substance of Faith”

#5072

A HUMBLE BIRTH

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:11)

Politicians compete for the highest offices. Business tycoons scramble for a bigger and bigger piece of the pie. Armies march and scientists study and philosophers philosophize and preachers preach and laborers sweat. But in that silent baby, lying in that humble manger, there pulses more potential power and wisdom and grace and aliveness than all the rest of us can imagine.

-- Brian D. McLaren


#4731

SEEKING GOD’S WILL

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”  (Philippians 2:13 NLT)

The first thing to do as you seek God’s will is to deny yourself. Examine your heart for any selfish or worldly motives -- come to the point where you are certain your only desire is to know and to do God’s will…

God will never lead you to do something that contradicts His written Word. If what you sense in prayer runs contrary to Scripture, it is wrong. For instance, God will never lead you to commit adultery, to steal, or do anything that goes against His biblical precepts. Watch for God to use the written Word to confirm what you are sensing in prayer. Don’t play games with God. Don’t look for a Scripture that seems to say what you selfishly want to do and then claim it is God’s will. That is dangerous. Don’t do it. 

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”


#4530

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

“Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!’”  (Matthew 8:24-27 NIV)

Answers create more questions than they eliminate. Every discovery opens the door to new possibilities. The crest of every hill reveals new twists and turns in the road ahead.

Take the Wright brothers, for example. Their primitive contraption lifted off the ground at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, and flew for a grand total of 120 feet in twelve seconds. During the twelve-second period, many questions were answered. But for every one that was answered, ten more were created. That’s why, after a brief celebration, the brothers went scurrying back to their bicycle shop. They knew their research was just getting started.

Likewise, the disciples learned something important about Jesus when He calmed the waters. But that information opened the door to a thousand new possibilities, and some of them were truly frightening. They knew that someone who possessed that kind of power could do anything at any time…

If your faith reserves have been depleted, maybe you need the kind of jolt the disciples got that day on the Sea of Galilee. Maybe you need to be reminded of our Lord’s awesome power.

-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus”


#4506

JESUS’ MODEL OF LEADERSHIP

Leo Durocher, a major league manager from several decades ago, had a saying. His motto for leadership was "Nice guys finish last." But, Jesus says: "The last shall be first, and the first shall be last." Our CEO's and executives spend fortunes on power ties, power lunches, and power broking. After all, power and control are what it's all about, right? But, Jesus says: "My power is not of this world... it comes from above." We believe leaders should have special parking places, the best seats at a banquet, the finest service at a restaurant. And haven't they earned those huge severance packages? But, Jesus says: "The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served... and to give His life as a ransom for many."

-- Copyright Eric Folkerth 1999. All Rights Reserved. (Used with permissions.)


#3956

TYRANTS AND SAINTS

God plays a great joke on those who would seek after power at any cost. As C. S. Lewis reminds us, with his customary humor and wit, “How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been: how gloriously different the saints.”

-- Kathleen Norris in the forward to Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

#3953

PRAYING FOR POWER

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be a stronger [follower of Christ].  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.  Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you yourself shall be a miracle.  Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.


-- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)




#3874

A PICTURE OF THE CROSS

It's the picture of violence, yet the key to peace.
A picture of suffering, yet the key to healing.
A picture of sorrow, yet the key to joy.
A picture of death, yet the key to life.
A picture of utter weakness, yet the key to power.
A picture of capital punishment, yet the key to mercy and forgiveness.
A picture of vicious hatred, yet the key to love.
A picture of supreme shame, yet the Christian's supreme boast.


-- Author unknown

#3827

THE POWER TO CARRY ON

Sometimes the power of prayer is the power to carry on.  It doesn’t always change your circumstances, but it gives you the strength to walk through them.  When you pray through, the burden is taken off of your shoulders and put on the shoulders of Him who carried the cross to Calvary.

-- Mark Batterson in The Circle Maker


#3539

THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31)

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, it wasn't dynamite, it was a dynamo! Dynamite makes a loud noise, kicks up a lot of dust, and it's over. A dynamo is a continual source of power. It builds and builds and builds, and the power never stops flowing.

-- Ken Hutcherson


#3452