Dave Dishman

The early church in Jerusalem flourished. People sold possessions and shared with those in need. The apostles spoke daily, their teachings accompanied by wonders and signs from God. New followers of Jesus hung out, attended services together, and took turns hosting meals in each others homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts.

Turns out this was a special time for the newly forming faith. Persecutions later scattered these believers across the Roman world. But in the beginning, converts flocked to this happy and openhanded community.

How to build such a group today? How to develop a church that engenders curiosity among those outside the walls? One place to start is to ask the Lord for glad and generous hearts.

Happiness and magnanimity mark those who follow the Lord. Life brings turmoil, and our hearts bear the burnt. But the Holy Spirit generates an power that melts hard feelings into delightful and unselfish sensibilities.

I know I can use a dose of compassion and cheerfulness. Let’s pray for a glad and generous heart. Perhaps others will notice and grow intrigued by the One who creates such hearts in the first place.

Acts 2:42-47

Photo by Luisa Brimble

It’s tempting to curve my religion towards my own ends. I want God’s blessings, even if I don’t necessarily want to follow the ways of God. I hope to enjoy divine goodness on my terms.

A lady in ancient Israel had the same idea. She worked a plan to benefit her and her less-than-honest son:

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image.

Notice the problem? This woman dedicated her newly found silver (stolen by her sweet boy) to the Lord, but in the same breath commissioned a carved image. This in direct opposition to the commandment which states: You shall not make for yourself a carved image.

She borrowed this idea from the surrounding religions, hoping for a boost to set her ahead. But the law of Moses failed to register. Or, perhaps it seemed restrictive, outdated even. Regardless, she fashioned her own synchronistic religion. This woman spoke of the Lord, but failed to follow him.

I can live the same way. I mention God in my prayers while ignoring the ways of life found in his book. A bulging bank account or 401K replaces a carved image. It’s hard to depend solely on God, seemingly impossible in some ways. We all seek the crutches of this world—money, security, notoriety, success, and on and on.

Don’t miss the point. The Lord is clear—follow him first and ditch the shiny images. Make his ways your ways, and a flourishing live follows—even if the flourishing turns out different or harder than you expect.

Judges 17:1-6

Photo by Micaela Parente

The entire Christian enterprise depends on one event—Jesus Christ risen from the dead.

If Jesus was not raised, our faith is futile. If Jesus existed as only a profound teacher, then our hope is in vain. Jesus cannot be seen as simply a good moral teacher, since he claimed to be God. These assertions make him a liar. If he is not God but thought himself to be, he was a lunatic. If Jesus was merely a made-up character, then he’s exists only as a legend.

But historians point to Jesus. His teachings push away any idea of crazy. His resurrection proves that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh—the way, the truth, and the life—the one he always claimed to be.

As Paul taught, if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. If Jesus is not raised, religion is fruitless and Sunday mornings should be for sleeping in. Without the resurrection the Christian faith is a sad circus, an exercise in futility, a facade.

But Jesus did rise. Here’s Paul again: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Thank God Jesus rose. I have hope, you have hope, and our entire world now has hope. As the sun rises let us join believers around the world, and throughout the centuries, to shout the ancient call and response:

He Is Risen!

He Is Risen Indeed!

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 & 14

Painting: Alba de Resurrección (Dawn of Resurrection), by Joaquín Vaquero Turcios

In a stunning glimpse into a realm we comprehend dimly, Jesus turned to Simon Peter and said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.

Jesus pulled back the curtain. Satan makes such demands and God listens? Did Satan request access when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness? Or did he and Jesus have regular conversations?

I find this troubling—who else does Satan demand to sift?

Sifting wheat by hand involved beating, stomping or grinding. Satan beat on Peter, gleefully anticipating the collapse of his faith. Indeed, Peter failed the test. But Jesus pulled him back.

Which I find hopeful in the midst of this terrifying realization. Yes, Satan may sift. He loves to trigger failures of faith. Satan squeezed Peter until he denied Jesus over and over again. But Jesus restored Peter to a new life. No matter our sifting, or how complete our collapse, the Lord opens a way for our return.

Luke 22:31-34

Photo by Being Organic in EU