Category Archives: Lent

Chronicles, the 2nd

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If you recall, the first post in Chronicles of Calvary, is about Simon.

Simon was ordered to carry the cross of Jesus. You can read about him here.

Surveying the Cross” Simon of Cyrene – Daily Encouragement

Let’s move on to the second person in these Chronicles.

The centurion at the cross would have been the soldier in charge of the executions. It was his duty to make sure that all was in order and finally, that the prisoners would perish.

In Mark 15, the centurion at the crucifixion plays a prominent roll. Here are a few verses:

37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, c he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, d and Salome. 

41In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 

43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 

44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 

45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 

The Long Good Friday: The Story of Longinus the Centurion | The Inglorius Padre Steve's World

I bolded (is that the right word?) the verses that reference the centurion.

In 39, he made a proclamation. He was fortunate enough to be present at the most important moment in the history of the world. I think that he knew who that man was, hanging there on the cross.

Verse 45 tells us that he made a pronouncement. Pilate, the Roman ruler, wanted to know for sure, that Jesus had died. The centurion was responsible for that knowledge.

Isn’t it cool that we can learn from the centurion?

We can proclaim that Jesus is God’s son. He was divine and human while he lived on earth. That is information that we can confidently shout from the tallest mountain. Proclaim it today!

We can also pronounce that Jesus died…and is risen! Our faith is for nothing if Jesus never died. Because only in death, can he be risen. And that, is what Easter is all about.

Tomorrow’s post will compare the two thieves that were crucified with Jesus. God bless!

Chronicles of Calvary

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Springtime is upon us! Along with spring, the Easter seasoned has arrived.

What does Easter mean to you? Eggs? Ham? Going to church? Victory over sin?

Maybe all of these things. Easter, in general, is the celebration of Jesus being crucified and his resurrection from the dead.

As a bible-believing christian, Easter marks the central focus of my faith.

The Bible talks about the crucifixion of Jesus. There are some details but the entire picture is left for us to fill in.

This series will highlight various aspects surrounding the cross.

Chronicles of Calvary.

Locating Golgotha – TaborBlog

This is probably the hill where Jesus was crucified. It lies just outside of Jerusalem.

The hill is called Calvary.

The death of Jesus is the culmination of a series of events.

Think of a tapestry woven together with multiple threads. On there own, they may not be significant.

But when seeing all of these paths come together in sweet harmony, you can now begin to appreciate the importance of Calvary.

Here is an example. Enter Simon, the man who carried the cross.

Matthew 27:32, “As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.” NIV

Mark 15:21, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” NIV

Luke 23:26, “As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” NIV

Who was this Simon? He was the man who helped carry the cross of Jesus.

And that is our first Chronicle of Calvary.

My guess is that Simon did not know who Jesus was. Perhaps he had heard of him. We will probably never know.

But Simon was in the right pace at the right time. God needed Simon to carry that cross.

I think that Simon and his very short biblical appearance points to us.

  • God has a plan
  • We are part of this plan
  • God sees the whole plan
  • We only see a tiny portion of the plan
  • God has our part designed for us in this plan
  • We can do our part

And that is enough.

God will take care of the rest.

I hope you enjoyed this first Chronicles of Calvary post.

Stay tuned this week.

The Chronicles will continue.

Lent, pt. 40

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40 days already? That went fast.

I enjoyed the routine of blogging every night.

Now, I find myself asking what the next step is with this blog.

Do I continue daily? Weekly? Topical or impromptu?

thinking

In a larger sense, my relationship with God is like this blog site.

I can make little effort to contribute. Or, maximum work can be poured in.

Either way, I will get out of it what I put into it.

effort

I AM NOT saying that I can somehow earn a better position or standing with God by doing more stuff. That is not biblical.

I AM saying that I can grow and mature more if I work harder. That is biblical.

See the difference?

And that is what am taking away from this Lent blogging season.

I can put forth more effort to know God better. His Word is available and I can pray anytime, day or night. He is ready for me to find Him.

He loves me in obnoxious and ridiculous ways, that won’t change.

How I understand and receive that love can change.

Good night and find God in a new way this Easter season.

 

Lent, pt. 39

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If you remember yesterday’s post, I had gone to a men’s conference at church.

Today was the second half. It was really good.

There were so many morsels of truth that I will be mulling over the next week or so.

I want to give you one such morsel today:

There is power in proximity.

When you have spent time with Jesus, others are affected.

The opposite is true.

When you are with someone who has been with Jesus, you can sense the power.

So whether or not you are the one with Jesus, great things can happen.

Let me challenge you.

Spend time with Jesus. Let his love fill you. Change your life to fit into God’s desires.

Not only will you be different but the world around you will be changed as well.

 

Have a great night and see you tomorrow for Lent, pt. 40!

Lent, pt. 37

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Tests, Exams, Quizzes…it seems that every students hates them.

Today, I gave a quiz to my Chemistry students and a test to my General Science class.

test taking

I was bombarded with the usual excuses about not enough time, some students gone, etc.

But I was strong and confidently handed out the papers. It was fun. =-)

Part of Lent involves being tested. Many places in scripture reference tests, trials, or temptations.

I think that Lent can be a good place to go through these tough times.

We know God is gracious and faithful.

If we do fail, there is the safety net of grace to catch us.

I don’t think Lent is about making perfect people. It’s about making trusting people.

As we near Easter, remember that God does not require perfection of us.

He desires our trust.

Do you trust God? Do I?

Let your actions answer that one.

trust