Monday, April 30, 2012

Two Services off to a GREAT Start!


Well, it's getting a little crazy here at Real Life as God moves and we work to be in step with Him.  We believe His timing is always perfect so we want to do our best to be ready when He is (even if we don't think we are!).  So I thought I'd give you some info on what's happening since we moved to two worship services on Sunday mornings, even though we've only got two weeks under our belt!
First of all, April set three new records for us!
  1. We set an attendance record on Easter weekend with 200 in attendance for both the Saturday night and Sunday morning service.  But even if you take either of the services (140 or 120) each of those was a single weekend attendance record!  
  2. We also finished the month (if you take out our Easter weekend attendance) with an average attendance of 84 for the four Sundays not including Easter.   That's the highest average weekly attendance ever at Real Life!  (Just FYI, if you figure in Easter we finished with avg of 107.)
  3. In addition, the last two Sundays of the month, our first with two services, saw attendances of over 90!  (93 on the 22nd and 97 on the 29th) That's the first time we've had 90+ two weeks in a row!  
It is clear that God is doing some great things here at Real Life in helping us connect with people so we might help connect them to Jesus and we're so excited about all He's going to continue to do here! 

Growth always means that there will challenges and changes.  I think the most obvious is that we need more help!  Two services means twice the work and we need YOU to step up and help share the load.  We need more (and more consistent) help with greeting on Sunday Mornings.  We need more help getting the place cleaned and ready each week for the services.  We need more willing to help bring breakfast/snack items for the services and more willing to support the church in any other way God leads, time - talent and treasure!  

Three new records set at Real Life  is just the beginning of what God is going to accomplish through His Church!  We're so excited about the future here at Real Life!

Why not join us THIS Sunday at either 9 or 11 and see for yourself what God is doing!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Making Sweet Tea and Observations

I like sweet tea.  No I am not from the South.
Glad that is out in the open!
I have been in the office all day prepping for Sunday, cleaning up my desk, tying off all the loose ends for this weekend and getting graphics ready for next weekend... which just reminded me of another thing I need to do!

So I am a little tired after the trip to Emporia last night to listen to my son, Trevor's, last Jazz Band concert of his freshman year at Emporia State University.  I need a little pick me up so I brewed some tea and in preparation for the hot elixir I dumped some sugar in the bottom of the gallon canister I keep it in.  When the tea was ready I poured it in and noticed something interesting.  The very hot tea which easily melted the sugar hadn't got to the bottom of the pitcher.

When I poured the hot tea in it melted a layer of the sugar on top which became like a sweet shield that kept the hot tea on top and let the rest of the sugar underneath intact.  I had to actually get a large spoon and puncture that shell in order to let the hot tea completely mix with the rest of the sugar so that it liquefied and and became "part" of the tea.

While sitting here I have been thinking about that sugar and how it protected itself from the hot tea.  I think I have acted like that sugar.  When presented with an "opponent" that threatens to destroy me I form a shield.  I let just enough of me get exposed so that the shell hardens and protects what is underneath.  I think I do that in my Spiritual walk too.  I have been burned by people, by trust, by my faith.

The problem is that this shell I have formed keeps me from becoming something better.  I insulate my self from the heat and then also from growth.  James 1 says that trials actually produce something good in us.  Like sweet tea, if I don't let the heat in I'm no good!  When the heat comes and I embrace it I can become something better than I would have without it.

So here's to a BIG cup of sweet tea and a little personal growth to boot.


AWAKEN - message links

Not sure what you did Easter weekend but here at the links to Real Life's Easter weekend service called AWAKEN, at the Civic Center on April 8,
http://rlccmsgs.blogspot.com/2012/04/awaken-part-1-easter-2012.html

and part 3 of the AWAKEN series on April 22, 2012.
http://rlccmsgs.blogspot.com/2012/04/awaken-part-3.html

God's best to you in your life as you follow Him!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Jesus Didn't Pray

I suppose the first thing that I should do is clarify the title of this post.  Jesus didn't pray... like we do.  In fact, Jesus prayers seem really strange to me.  So today I thought I'd work through His prayers and see what we might learn about prayer from the greatest pray-er of all time.

In Matthew 15 Jesus feeds the 5,000 + with just a small meal.  He does this by praying, well, to be precise the text says, "after He had given thanks..." So, we know He thanked God for what He had provided.  But I wonder how He prayed that prayer?  If it would have been you or me we might have prayed something like, "Heavenly Father, You know these people need to eat and You have provided only a small meal for one person.  There is not enough for everyone but I know You can do all things.  If it be Your will that these people eat please increase this meal somehow so that we could all eat and be filled.  In Jesus Name, Amen."

But did Jesus ever pray a prayer like that?  Did He ever question what God's will was?  Did He ever ask for things like we do?

Jesus did pray concerning God's will once.  It was the night He was to be betrayed.  He prayed that His Father find another way to pay the price for the sins of the world, but that ultimately the Father's will would be carried out.  He was basically saying, Father, this is going to be really hard.  If there is another way that would be wonderful, but I know that You brought me to this moment and that it has to be this way.  May I always do what You will.

Now, You may ask about the passage where Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray.  He instructs them to pray about God's will being freely accomplished here on earth as His will and reign are in Heaven.  That we ask God to provide for our daily needs out of His abundance.  That we remember to confess our sins and seek forgiveness for them even as we are given the strength to forgive others that harm us.  And that God help us to avoid temptations in our daily life and deliver us from evil or from the evil one (that's about protection).

But when Peter and John are on their way to the Temple to "pray" they meet a lame man on the way.  And here there is no record of Peter or John praying that God would heal this man.  Peter just says, we don't have money to give you but, get up and walk.  So even Peter doesn't seem to pray before He healed someone.

The fact is, Jesus was always doing the will of His Father.  Perhaps that is why we don't see Him praying like we would in these situations.  We are not told of His prayers before He healed someone.  When presented with a need Jesus simply touched, spoke, made mud or gave instructions and the person was healed.  We don't hear of Jesus praying that God's will would be accomplished or asking God what He wanted to happen in this situation.

In John 11 Jesus performs an incredible miracle, He actually brings Lazarus back from the dead after four days.  It was a shining moment for Jesus and the disciples as this event has to increase their faith in Him as the Messiah and Son of God.  And on this rare and special occasion Jesus prays.  Again we might expect to hear, "if it be Your will bring Lazarus back from the dead."  or "God what is impossible with man is possible with You."  But in this strange and wonderful moment Jesus prays His most awkward prayer.  "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Then, in a breath He simply says, "Lazarus!  Come out!"

So here's my prayer and my conclusion (to this point - I reserve the right to change my mind).  Heavenly Father, give me the boldness of faith to speak.  To put Your reputation and Your power and Your love on the line for the benefit of someone else that I do not have the power to help except to invoke Your Name and speak on Your behalf.  Do not let me be content any longer to pray in my home or office that You heal someone, but boldly speak to their illness or disease like You have already decided to heal them.  To put myself and Your power out in plain view so that when it is discovered that You had already healed them Your Name is honored and glorified among us.  God may You Name be praised and may you make us bold so that the whole world may know that You are God.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Even Starbucks Can't Make People Happy

Female Cochineal insects are flat and wingless
I wasted time while eating a salad for lunch by reading an article from Starbucks that popped up on Facebook about something called Cochineal Extract.  If you are so inclined to wasting time you can read the article for yourself here.  Anyway, turns out Starbucks has used this Cochineal Extract to color stuff they serve red.  It is a natural food colorant that is used pretty much everywhere.  Seen a red velvet cake?  You've seen Cochineal Extract at work.  Here's where it gets a bit interesting... only a bit, (pun intended and you'll see why in a second).  Cochineal extract comes from an insect by the same name.  The Cochineal insect is dried and then mashed to get the red coloring.  Now, before you get grossed out you need to think about all the other things that you eat and where they came from or what was crawling on them before it got to you.

Anyway, this is not about the bugs that color things so well.  Apparently some vegetarians were upset with Starbucks for using this cute little bug to color about four food items and two drinks.  And instead of simply not ordering the bug-colored offerings they launched an attack against Starbucks to force them to stop using this extract so they could enjoy the offered items without the guilty conscience that comes from bug consumption.

Well, Starbucks caved and is now implementing a plan to use another food and human-consumption-safe extract made from tomatoes - which are apparently fine to kill and mash because, after all, they have no feelings.  Anyway!  This is not what peaked my interest either...

No, what I was interested in was the fact that no matter what Starbucks (or any of us) tries to do someone will be upset.  See, I read the comments section of the post (which was far more interesting) to see how the general audience at Starbucks felt.  You guessed it.  Some of them loved it!  Yeah!  No more insect consumption!  And some of them thought it was just pandering to the vocal minority, Birkenstock wearing hip Seattle crowd.

So here's what I've decided.  I will never make everyone happy, nor with the church I lead.  So, I want to make decisions based on what I believe God is doing and the direction He is leading, as well as what the intended result is.  I want to be able to say that I did what I did because it was where/what God was leading me to.  The same for the church.  Our music is loud.  We offer free custom coffees.  We wear jeans and t-shirts.  Not because we think its the only way, but because we want to use whatever means we can to connect with people who are far from God so that we might have opportunity to connect them with their Savior who will absolutely change their lives.

I do what I do as a leader in Christ's church to connect with as many people as possible in order to share the Gospel with as many as possible.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

You've Got Mail

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - what a fantastic movie pair... I guess that's why my wife moved You've Got Mail to the top of our queue on Netflix.  Well, she also wanted out daughter to see it.  I supposes she's also put Sleepless in Seattle and Joe vs the Volcano on there too.  Anyway, we watched this movie the other night and aside from having to explain to our 16 year old daughter what AOL was and what life was like back in the "olden days" it was a pretty good evening.

It was so funny to see the two characters waiting expectantly for their computers to "connect" so they could log into AOL and check their mail.  Who would have thought we'd soon have always-on, high-speed connections to the internet and do nearly everything from our computers, online?  So fun to remember 56k dial up modems as I sit here at my desk at Real Life with my Cox Business High-Speed wireless connection.  That dial up noise is one thing I do not miss!

Well, back to the reason I brought all this up.  In the movie the two main characters are always waiting for their connection.  And in once scene Meg's character is waiting at a restaurant for Tom's character to show up only she doesn't know it's him she's waiting for.  And when he shows up she's mad at him.  Now, you'll just have to go rent the movie and watch it again, but it's really quite interesting - including the part where they finally meet in AOL chat and it's this really big deal.  Which is funny because my kids don't know what it's like to NOT have instant chat on the computer or their cell phones wherever they are.

Okay, so let's get to the point of all this.  I was reading today in John 11, you might know that as the chapter where Jesus brings Lazarus back to life after he's been dead for four days.  This was actually the chapter and story I taught on for our Easter services at the Civic Center that kicked off our AWAKEN message series.  But there is some other stuff going on in this passage that has to do with the religious leaders that caught my eye.

Jesus has just healed Lazarus and everyone knows it.  But the Jewish leaders have been looking for a way and time to kill Jesus.  So when they get the news that He's just brought a dead guy back to life they are furious.  In fact, they said to each other, "What do we do now" (verse 47) which is interesting in and of itself. What would YOU do if someone you knew just came back to life after four days dead?  I think I'd believe whatever the life-bringer said about who He was or what He was doing!  But that's not all just nine verses later as they talked they ask, "Do you think He'll show up at the feast or not?"

That last one got me thinking.  How often do I, or you, ask this question in our hearts?  Will He show up?  Every time we get into a difficult situation we wonder, will He show up this time?  Maybe He's come to your rescue before and so you wonder if He'll show up this time because you've done the same dumb thing He had to rescue you from earlier.  Do you think He'll show up when the doctor gives you the bad news?  Will He be there when the bottom drops out of your world?  What about when your kid gets in trouble and you don't know what else to do or threaten?  Will He be there then?  Will He show up when you're alone in your room, in the dark, and there is no one to stop you from carrying out your plan?  Do you think He'll show up in the middle of YOUR life and do something incredible?

You don't have to wait for your prayer to upload.  You don't have to worry if your phone has connection.  And God will never play games with you.  The Bible tells us He's there, always, like a super-high-speed connection that is never interrupted by the storms of life or power failures.  He's always there.  He will ALWAYS show up because He's NEVER left you.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't rely on your own understanding or wisdom or even eye sight, in all that you do acknowledge that He's God and He'll direct your paths.  He'll show up.  He'll help you.

You've got mail.  It's a message from God sent through His Son Jesus Christ that simply says, "Here I am, right where I've always been, waiting for you to open the door and let me in."  He will never leave you or forsake you, you'll never have to ask, "Will He show up?"

Monday, April 16, 2012

Changes Are Coming! Join Us!

I was reading today in John 9 about Jesus healing a man who had been blind since birth.  The interesting thing about this particular healing is that the man doesn't see his healer.  Jesus makes some clay on the ground and puts it on the mans eyes and then tells him to go and wash his eyes in a specific pool of water.  The blind man makes his way to the pool and begins to wash off his face and when the mud comes off his eyes he can see.  But since he could not see Jesus and is now not near Jesus is not aware of who healed him.  Later, he and Jesus meet up, and Jesus asks him if he believe in Him?  The man, still not knowing he was talking to his healer, says, "Point Him out to me so that I may believe in Him."  

It occurred to me that, like the man born blind, we all have had some experience with the Savior.  The problem is, most of us don't recognize Him, don't sense Him, don't know Him.  We receive blessing from Him, but aren't aware who the blessing is coming from because the Bible says we are all spiritually blind.  We are ever seeing, but never perceiving.  We can see the blessing, the miracle, the help, but we just aren't able to see where it comes from - that every blessing comes from the hand of God.

I think that passage, John 9:36 speaks directly to our role here at Real Life.  We simply want to point Jesus out to those who haven't recognized Him yet, so that they might believe.  And we want to do this over and over again.  Because His blessings are wonderful, but your life doesn't really begin to change until you recognize the healer - and believe in Him.  

So here is how we say we're, "pointing Him out."  We're helping every person possible find real life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  That's it.  We're not about a certain agenda or social activists, we want people to know Jesus.  When they do, the Holy Spirit will begin to convict and restructure their lives in obedience to Christ.  

And God is working and bringing those He chooses to hear the message of hope and real life in Jesus.  That's why we've decided to live up to one of our own ideals, to try anything and risk everything to win anyone to the One who can change everyone!   So beginning April 22nd Real Life will hold two morning worship services in an effort to be able to better accommodate the people that God is bringing and to see Him change even more lives!  

So join us this Sunday at either 9 or 11am and we'll worship the God who changes everything together!


Friday, April 13, 2012

"But He..."

I'm prepping for the message this Sunday and have decided to use Luke 8 as the main text for the message.  Specifically verses 49-56 which is where Jesus brings the dead daughter of Jairus back to life.  We'll also be looking at another passage in Luke 8 and one in Luke 7 both where the people involved thought there was no hope for their lives/situations.

In the Luke 8:54 passage Luke talks about how Jesus... wait, I don't want to give the whole thing away so I'll be a little vague... let's just say the people are laughing at Jesus because of what He said.  And Luke starts verse 54 with "But He" and it just struck me with such force.

But He.  If what followed those two little words was something like, "but He was wrong..." we wouldn't probably give it another thought.  But he doesn't.  What follows is something incredible.  I found another passage with those very words.  In Luke 4:30 Jesus has been preaching and the crowd becomes furious with Him and begins to press in and pick up stones to kill Him, "But He" walked right through them to safety.

Amazing isn't it.  You could add those two words to anything and completely change how you feel about the situation.  When the disciples where in the boat and it was sinking in the squall and they finally went to Jesus and said, "Don't you care that we are going to die?"  But He wasn't scared.  He spoke to the wind and waves and they calmed.

Maybe today you are worried about the storms that are being predicted for our area this weekend.  But He isn't worried.  There's never been a storm yet Jesus couldn't calm with a word.

Maybe you're scared because your marriage is on rocky ground and you don't know what the future holds.  But He holds the future.

Your job or car or kids are giving you all kinds of problems... But He is always steady and never shaken.

Whatever you're going through there's a "But He..." at the end.

Your spouse may walk out on you.  But He will never leave you or forsake you.
You may be facing a serious illness.  But He made our bodies and heals the sick.
You may think you'll never experience joy or peace in your life.  But He gives them freely to those who believe.
You may have had a horrible father who abused you and treated you terribly.  But He is kind and loving and always does what is best for you.
You don't know where you next meal is coming from.  But He does.
You don't know if you can make it to your next paycheck.  But He's already made a way.
You don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow.  But He holds your past, present and future in His hands.
You don't think you can ever be forgiven or accepted or loved.  But He already died for YOU.  But He already paid your price.  But He knew you and loved you in the middle of your sin... binge... abuse... addiction... pain... hate... fear...

You may not know what to do.  But He's got this.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Reflections on AWAKEN and the Future

Been trying to process last weekends services at the Civic as Real Life celebrated Easter and kicked off a new message series called AWAKEN.  It's funny how a moment or two can completely change your perspective and completely change how you view the future.  I thought AWAKEN could be a big weekend for us but I had no idea God wanted to bless it in such an incredible way.  I figured that we might have a total attendance for the weekend of maybe 150, boy was I wrong.

Some might say I didn't have much faith.  Maybe.  I feel better about saying I just didn't have a great expectation.  I thought we'd have more than normal but I was unprepared for the number of people who just continued to pour into the Civic Center Saturday and Sunday.  When it was all said and done we had counted 260 people between the two services and estimated about 60 of those Sunday had attended Saturday night.  So we had a total of 200 different individuals celebrate Easter weekend with us.

On top of that we were able to baptize nine people into Jesus Christ and who knows how many others God has been working on during the week!  I heard from so many different people, statements like, "If I would have known church could be like this I would have come a long time ago."  or "This is not what I expected church to  be like, I will definitely be back next week."  It was also amazing to me that people both nights hung around after the service was over and talked and ate and got drinks, like they didn't really want to leave!  What a grace soaked, Holy Spirit involved weekend!

Real Life exists to help every person possible find real life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  And since He is the only way to eternal life, real life, we want to make sure that everybody knows how to enter into that relationship.  See, it's not about us.  It's not about comfort.  It's not about getting our church quota in for the week or month.  Life is about connecting with people so we can have the opportunity to connect them with Jesus.  AWAKEN was just that, an opportunity to connect with people, but our ultimate goal is to help them see what life could really be like with Jesus.

So, aside from the things I could have done better, that will have to be improved on in the coming weeks and certainly if we do that again, here's what I think God was saying to me over and over again last weekend.  "Look at what could be.  See what I see."

I've been here since the beginning when less than a dozen people met in my living room.  We had big dreams.  But life and difficulties have a way of pounding some of those dreams down into more "realistic" hopes.  I thought God was telling me the possibilities are bigger than I have thought possible.  One of our Elders, Bob, said to me yesterday as we talked about the number of people who were there for AWAKEN, "...and there are a lot more people in El Dorado who aren't connected to Jesus."  The field is indeed large.  The harvest within that field could fill the Civic Center multiple times each weekend.  There is lots more to do.  And bigger dreams to be dreamed.

I was reading in John 7 today and the Holy Spirit just kept pounding me with the idea that God's time is always right.  He is never late.  He is never early.  When we try to rush Him we mess things up and end up falling on our faces.  When we are too late we miss out the full measure of His plan.  But when He acts and we respond on time He brings together our willingness and faith with His blessing and plan and the results are more and better than we ever imagined.

So here's the bottom line.  God's got a bigger plan for Real Life to continue to connect with the disconnected and share the hope of real life in Christ with those who are trying to find some meaning and hope in this life.  And when we wait and watch and pray, He will show us the right time and way to respond to all that He wants to accomplish through us for His glory.

Are you ready?  God's got more coming...

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Opportunity Knocks

One of the great movies of my youth was The Last Starfighter.  I have watched it many times and it's always exciting when I find it on Netflix and watch it again.  In one scene Alex Rogan is trying to make a decision when the trailer park manager gives him some sage advice, telling him essentially that when opportunity knocks you got to "grab it with both hands and hold on tight."  

Jesus was one of those opportunistic people.  Henry Blackaby says that Jesus only ever did what He saw His Father doing.  That's easy to figure out when a short, stuffed shirt tax collector climbs a tree to see you.  But what about when you're just taking a break?  

In John 4 Jesus has been walking and He sits down by a well in the afternoon while His disciples go into the town to buy some food.  While Jesus is sitting there a woman comes out to draw water.  Coincidence?  She didn't climb a tree.  She didn't ask Him to heal her or to be His follower.  Actually, she was quite shocked that He would even talk to her.  So how did Jesus know that His Father had appointed this meeting and that her heart was ripe for salvation?

Well, I'm not a super-scholar but it seems to me a pretty simple answer.  He asked.

Jesus should have sat by that well all afternoon and not seen another person.  History tells us that the women of the day would have gone early in the morning to get water, before it got hot.  So when she showed up to get water Jesus surely was intrigued (although He already knew what was going to happen).  But the women didn't ask Him anything.  She was probably very shocked to see Him.  It would have been strange enough seeing a man at the well, but the fact that He was a Jew made it even more odd.  So she keeps her distance and gets her water quietly.  

Jesus then asks her to get Him water.  Strange again.  By engaging with the woman, asking her questions He is able to get her to ask Him for the living water.  The opportunity presented itself and Jesus took advantage of it.  

It wasn't rocket science or some super-spiritual understanding.  He had a moment with a woman in a strange situation and He led her to the Truth.  She in turn led nearly the whole town to faith in Christ.  When opportunity knocks you've got to grab it with both hands and watch the Holy Spirit do what only He can do.  

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

AWAKEN this Easter with Real Life at the Civic Center

On Easter Christians around the world will be celebrating the life of Jesus - risen and new.  But did you know that Jesus wasn't the only one to raise from the dead?  There were many people Jesus raised from the dead in different circumstances and situations.  Can you imagine that moment when life and breath once again entered your body?  Your eyes burst open and your lungs filled with life-giving air, like coming up out of the water!  Did you know that dead bodies are not the only things that Jesus can AWAKEN?  Imagine that moment when you realize that your hopes are NOT dead yet.  Your dreams CAN come true.  New life can come to your relationships and you can AWAKEN to a life you always dreamed of but never knew you wanted.

Join us this Saturday, April 7th at 6pm and Sunday, April 8th at 10am for AWAKEN and see what God wants to bring back to life for YOU!
AWAKEN happens on Saturday and Sunday at the El Dorado Civic Center - 201 E. Central.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Don't Waste Your Time Dumping Perfume on the Dead

Have you ever said something like, "God, if you would just tell me what your plan is I would... (believe, follow, trust, obey)."  We think that if we knew what God was up to we would just follow Him and go along our merry way and everything would be roses.  But is that really the case?  Does knowing the truth actually make it any easier to follow?  To obey?  To trust?

Let me play this scenario for you.  A young lady is in love and her boyfriend beats her up.  He comes back later and apologizes and says he loves her and would NEVER hurt her and just wants to be with her again and so she lets him back in. Repeat the process.  Often, even though we know the truth, we chose to live as though it were NOT true.

This hit home with me this morning as I read in Luke 24 the story of the group of women who went to the tomb early Sunday morning.  Sometime between the setting of the sun on Saturday and it's rising on Sunday morning the women had mixed (prepared) a large amount of spices with which to pour over the decomposing body of Jesus.  They would have done this prior to His burial but it was so close to the beginning of the Sabbath that they could not risk it.  It was against the law to do any work on the Sabbath, let alone the fact that had they come in contact with Jesus dead body they would have been ceremonially unclean and so unable to celebrate the Passover, though I doubt that would have had much impact on their decision.  There was not much to celebrate on this Sabbath.

Probably, by candle light, either late Saturday night or very early Sunday they mixed the spices together, perhaps with water or olive oil and put the mixture in jugs to get it to the tomb.  But something very unexpected happens when they get there.  Not only are the soldiers who had been stationed there under penalty of death gone missing, but the stone had been rolled away and when they looked inside the body of Jesus was gone - only the linen wrappings that had encased His body had been left.  The wrappings, which they were going to use to hold the spices next to His body were laying, folded in on themselves as though whatever they had been wrapped around had disappeared, like popping a balloon encased in plaster.

If all this was not enough for them to take in they suddenly saw a man, glowing who talked to them about Jesus.  He asked them why they were looking for the living One among the tombs of a cemetery and then said in Luke 24:6 (MSG), "Remember how He told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?"  Then verse 8 tells us, "Then they remembered Jesus' words."

Jesus had been painfully clear on this point to both the women and the disciples and everyone else.  He would suffer.  He would be beaten and killed on a cross.  He would be buried and three days later rise from the dead.  He told them exactly what was going to happen, more than once.  And if that wasn't enough the disciples had all the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures which clearly pointed to the same set of events.  They knew the truth, but didn't live like it.

Jesus said that the words He spoke were truth.  I wonder how many other true things have been told us that we refuse to live our lives by?  For instance, the Bible says that we are MORE than over-comers - but we often act more like the overcome.  The Bible says we are FREE in Christ - but we live confined and condemned.  Jesus said we would have POWER through the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives - but we are weak.

What TRUTH have you set aside as you live your life?  Don't waste your time preparing spices to cover the stench of your dying dreams, hopes, relationships, walk in the truth of Real Life through Jesus Christ who forgives sin and restores hope and brings dead stuff back to life.