Easter – Live the Crazy Life

Keys to the Kingdom

March 27, 2024 No Comments

This is not your typical Easter message but one I think needs to be heard (or at least read). When I sat down to write this blog I wasn’t planning on it being about Easter. I was just thinking about this month’s post about the Kingdom of Heaven. But the more I studied this month’s verse the more God began to show me that it is about Easter; and God’s resurrection power and his triumph over death. The verse for this month is Matthew 16:19 which reads “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth will be loosed in Heaven” (CSB). It is probably a familiar verse to lots of us. It is also probably a confusing verse for lots of us, too (I include myself in that group).

To fully understand this verse you need to understand the context it was spoken in. Jesus is hanging out with his disciples and asks them, “Who do people say I am?” They give him a few different answers, like John the Baptist, or Elijah, even Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Jesus then asks them who they say he is. Peter speaks up proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah – the Son of God. Just two verses down we come to our verse for this month. Peter could only have the keys to the kingdom once he understood who Jesus really is. The saying “I will give you the keys” was a Jewish expression that signified the rising of someone to great authority and power. There is a prophecy in Isaiah that talks about Jesus being given the keys of David, and whatever He opens can not be shut (see Isaiah 22;22). We know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Kingdom that has no end. We also know that Jesus in his death and resurrection now holds the keys to death and hell (see Revelation 1:18). So the keys that Jesus is giving Peter here in this verse and then to all the disciples in Matthew 18:18 are the keys to eternial life. Peter and the disciples and even you and me (if you consider youself a disciple or student of Jesus) have been given the ability to help unlock eternal life for people by sharing the Good News and leading people to confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Are you starting to see how this lines up with Easter now?

Let’s unpack a few more words in our key verse to help us understand this better. We know the keys are figurative for power and authority, but what about this binding and loosing business? These two words were commonly used words in church lingo that referred to things that were lawful or unlawful for those in the church to do or partake in. They were medical terminology that meant what was lawful for a human body to do in a physical sense like food is lawful and even needed to sustain life, but certain foods were unlawful or poisonous leading to death. A person living around the time of Jesus would have understood this in the natural sense and been able to apply it to the spiritual sense. Think about all the laws that the Jewish person had to know and live by. The Pharisees and leaders of the Synagog were constantly declaring something lawful or unlawful. These words binding and loosing became Rabbinical idioms. Here is what they mean in the original greek. To bind means to declare, to be prohibited or unlawful, to put into chains. To loose means to unleash, let go, release what was once held back.

What I think this verse is saying first to Peter and then to all disciples in Matthew 18:18 is that we have been given the power to bind the enemy who blinded people from hearing and seeing the Good News. “For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.” (Amplified Version). When we are sharing the Gospel we have the authority to pray and bind this spirit that keeps people from knowing God. We can also loose the mind of Christ over them.

We have the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. It’s our ability to share the love of God with those who don’t know Him yet, in a way that compels them into God’s Kingdom through salvation in Jesus, and confessing Him as Lord. So as Easter approaches we who are holding keys to the Kingdom of Heaven should bind the god of this world, loosing souls to confess Jesus as Lord. That could be as simple as inviting them to church with you, or taking someone out to dinner with the intent to share the full Gospel story. However you do it, let’s walk in the authority we have, and bind doubt and unbelief and loose salvation for thousands this Easter.

Bible, Easter, Holiday, Uncategorized

The Simple Gospel

March 11, 2020 1 Comment

The Gospel was not something I heard much in my world. I mean, I was used to hearing other words like sharing your faith, living for Jesus. But the use of the word Gospel just wasn’t around much, until recently. I just finished a Bible study by Christine Caine (which I would highly recommend) called 20/20. It’s about how we are all seen, chosen and then sent. Hence the word Gospel being used.

But it also came up in two different books I am reading that are completely different topics, but both both about God. All this use of the word Gospel got me thinking. I mean I am a pastor and I do know what it means, but maybe I didn’t know ALL that it means.

I am sure you are familiar with the word Gospel used as in the 4 Gospels of Jesus. AKA Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And I am sure you have probably known the word Gospel in the sense to share the Gospel with someone. But could you say anything else about that word?

The word Gospel is a rather simplistic word. According to Websters definition it means: the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation, one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ also: : an interpretation of the Christian message. Ok simple enough.

Right about now I am sure you are thinking why is this woman writing about this? It’s common knowledge and so far boring. Stick with me.

The Gospel I believe is more than the definition above. It should be a way of life. The first definition is concerning Christ, the kingdom of God and salvation. Yes the Gospel is the road you take to find salvation in Jesus Christ. But from there it is how you conduct your life.

“I received Jesus Christ by faith in His gospel. And it was in and through this gospel that I saw God. In my seeing God through the eyes of faith, illuminated and bright with the gospel’s light, sin could no longer compare to the King of Glory. I’d laid eyes on Someone worth dying for because His death had both lifted my own and ensured that I would be able to die to all that kept me from Life.” Jackie Hill Perry author and poet.

Jeff Vanderstelt stated in his book Gospel Fluency, “The Gospel doesn’t just bring about forgiveness of sins and save us from Hell. The Gospel of Jesus Christ empowers us to live a whole new life today by the power that raised Jesus from the grave.”

Now those are definitions that can get a girl excited about the Gospel. And as Easter is approaching in a little more that a month from now, I am thinking what would it be like if I lived out these two Gospel truths. What would my life look like in a month from now if I lived each day fully aware of the big and little sins that steal my heart away from Jesus but knowing I had the power of God inside me to overcome every time they speak my name? What if I lived fully believing that things don’t have to be the way they are; that by the power of God I can remove idols like TV and Facebook and those things that I go to for attention or to simply turn my brain off? What if I said no to them and Yes to Jesus’s power?

What if I looked at those sins in my life I dare not mention on the internet -the things I keep hidden; knowing that they don’t have any real power over me because the resurrection power of Jesus lives in me?

What if I started sharing my faith with my friends and family not because I don’t want them to go the Hell (which for the record I don’t) but because they are missing life while they are living?

What if the Gospel, a seemingly simple and boring word, became to me and others who read this what it was always meant to be? A powerful, awe inspiring word that leads us to be amazed at a God who is so much bigger than we know.

Will you join me for a month? Will you ask God to daily show you how He wants you live this day in light of the Gospel of Christ? If you do, please share in the comments how it impacted you and others around you.

Bible, Easter, Uncategorized

A True Easter Celebration

April 19, 2019 No Comments

I normally try to post holiday ideas and celebration tips early so people have a chance to plan and tweak things for themselves. This, however, isn’t going to happen this year. I have heard it said that time moves fast as you get older; and while I know that isn’t possible I am feeling like sometimes it might just be.

I have struggled with Christmas and Easter for as long as I can remember. It seemed like no matter what I did, something was amiss in my celebrations. I have tried dozens of ways to make Easter feel weighty as in my mind it should. Yet, it always seemed like I missed the mark. As Easter pasts have come and gone, I would find myself thinking this holiday is the crux of my faith. Christianity would be nothing without the resurrection of Jesus from the grave, but my attempts to honor and celebrate this felt flat and lacked the sense of Holy wonder I was wanting – until now.

My family and I traveled to Israel this past fall, and the one thing I wanted to buy myself was a Seder Dinner set. My church had done a teaching on the Seder dinner years back and it had stuck with me. God’s timing is amazing. The women’s ministry in our church decided once again to do a teaching on Seder this spring. So with my new Seder plates and the teaching fresh in my mind, my family did our first Seder Dinner together.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was blessed. As we sat at the table with my husband leading and me and the kids repeating, the Holiness of the Easter season hit me. Out of nowhere I was moved to emotions. With tears in my eyes I sat at the table silently thanking God for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. My heart was overwhelmed at the goodness of God. How He knew our family needed this moment in the fall when I purchased the Seder set, and how we needed instruction on how to do the actual Seder, and most of all how we needed time in the busy Easter weekend to connect as a family and with God.

For those of you who don’t know what a Seder is I will offer a quick, brief explanation. It is the Jewish passover celebration. It is the dinner Jesus had with His disciples in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39 and John 13:1-20. It is a recounting of the story of Moses and the Israelites being freed from slavery (Ex. chapters 6-13).

For me it is reminding myself while I have never been an actual slave, sin in my life has held me captive in many ways. I am reminded of the power of the cross over sin and darkness. “There is a path to freedom” still echos in my mind as I type this.

Easter is forever changed with a truth I have always known and believed for years but is now etched on my heart in a new, powerful, love-filled-way.

Jesus is our Savior. He is our redeemer. In Him we are free. He alone can touch your heart to know truth at a deeper level. However you celebrate Easter, may this be the year that your celebration turns from tradition to heart felt knowledge. And a truth that will truly set you free!

Bible, Easter, family activities, family fun, Holiday, Uncategorized

Gearing up for Easter

February 26, 2018 1 Comment

Is there more to Easter than a church service, a bunny, egg hunts, and a family dinner? I know that theologically speaking, of course, there is. But when it came right down to it our celebration of Easter was not much more than that. A one-day celebration, if you could call it that, with a bunch of mixed traditions. As my kids grew older I wanted more from the Easter season. I wanted a rich understanding and deep connection with what Easter really means to us as Christ followers. I wanted it to be fun for my kids but not void of the gratitude and grace that Easter has.

As Pastors, church services are a given. I don’t think there was ever an Easter that my children were not in multiple church services, but something still was lacking. We read the Easter story. Watched cute movies about Easter. I even made a cake for the Easter dinner in the shape of a cross. Yet still, there was something in me that felt like we were missing the mark; maybe not all together, but we were not as close to the target as I hoped.

Then last year in a bible study I was involved in, the topic of prophecy came up – specifically the prophecies of Jesus. As I studied and read them, I began to realize I was not as familiar with them as I thought I would be. Sure I know the basics, but there were so many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His life, many I didn’t remember. And then it hit me. What if we took the month leading up to Easter (it helped that that year Easter was at the end of a month rather than the beginning or the middle) to read the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus? I knew my kids knew the story of Easter, but I bet they didn’t know how many prophecies that Easter alone fulfilled – not to mention Jesus’ life.

I decided that each day for the 30 days prior to Easter we would read an Old Testament prophecy about the life of Jesus. I bought foam shaped crosses and wrote the scriptures on them with a marker.

I had my husband, who is great at building just about anything I ask, to build me a cross with a stand. I then hammered 30 nails all around to hang the crosses on after we read the verses. Lastly, I looked up the New Testament fulfilment of the prophecies and wrote those scripture references on more crosses. I put the 30 New Testament Bible verse in plastic eggs.

On Easter Sunday we read the last Old Testament scriptures and hung up the last little foam cross on the big wooden cross.

My husband and I hid all the stuffed plastic eggs outside. We told the kids to go find them. They were expecting them to be filled with candy like they have been in the past, but as they opened them they were shocked to find more crosses with Bible verses on them. We told them if they could match each Old Testament prophecy to the New Testament fulfilment they would each get 30 pieces of candy.

They pulled out their Bibles and worked together to match each one. We talked about how Jesus fulfilling those prophies brings validity to Jesus being who He said He was. We talked as a family about the importance of His death on the cross, and how He was raised from death to life.

I know there is still more that God wants from me as I head into Easter season this year! And I am working to accomplish those things. But I know that helping my kids understand the connection of the whole Bible to Jesus is a huge part of that. And helping them realize that Easter is more than a holiday with candy, church, and family dinner is a starting point. I want my kids to grasp that Easter is what our faith is about – a Savior who paid the highest price imaginable to be able to spend eternity with us in Heaven. As I keep praying for them and me to understand this revelation deeper, we will continue to have family fun with our cross matching game.

Click here for Scriptures references I used.