Spirit

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The human spirit. What is it? It is ours to control?

The human spirit. What is it? It is ours to control?

Luke 23:46 (NASB)  And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.  (NASB)

The final words of Jesus who is called the Christ, spoken from the agonizing death scene at Calvary, are addressed to His Father in heaven.  He summoned all the strength that remained in His human form to cry out with a loud voice, within the hearing of all those present that day.  Someone recorded His final words so that I can ponder their meaning today. Continue reading →

Finished

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It is finished

Notice that He did not say, “will be!” He said dear one, that “it IS finished.” The plan of salvation was finished at that moment on the cross of Calvary because the sin problem was taken care of.

John 19:30 (NASB)  Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”  (NASB)

Receiving the sour wine on the sponge raised to His mouth was the final act, which fulfilled the prophecies given in the Old Testament concerning His agony on the cross.  Now Jesus utters the words, “It is finished.”  What was finished?  To whom was this statement directed?  I believe that His words were directed toward His Father as were His very first words recorded at the outset of this ugly crucifixion event.  On that occasion, He asked the Father to forgive those who were nailing His body to the cross.

What is the “it” that He referred to here?  Surely it is the purpose for His life.  He is nearing the end and will soon take His last breath.  He is saying that the purpose of His life has now been accomplished.  The plan of God for His life, His reason for living, has been completed. Continue reading →

Thirst

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I am thirsty

I have to wonder if sour wine sucked into His mouth from a sea sponge atop a branch of hyssop was anything of a thirst quencher. Perhaps the thirst He was expressing was more about a spiritual desire for the sweetness of perfect union with His Father whose face was now turned away as Jesus “became sin for us.”

John 19:28-29 (NASB)  After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon [a branch of] hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.  (NASB)

Jesus knew what He was supposed to do.  He knew what His life was about.  He was not compelled to be on that cross, He knew He was there by assignment from His Father in heaven.  In fact, the purpose for His life was accomplished while He experienced the most horrible death ever endured.  He was the “promised one” spoken about in the Old Testament scriptures, and His thirst experienced in such agony was foretold in a prophetic statement in Psalm 69:21.

The sour wine near the cross was there as the chosen refreshment for the Roman soldiers.  Hyssop shrubs were a common hardy perennial herb, which grew about 18 inches high.  The soldier who responded to His words of thirst may have stripped the leaves and tiny, sweet-scented, purplish-blue flowers off the severed branch to turn it into a stick that would extend his reach.  Earlier, as the ugly process of crucifixion had begun, they had offered Him another wine that was mixed with myrrh, which is believed by some to have had stupefying effect.  He would not drink that wine, but now He takes the sour wine to quench His thirst and to fulfill the scriptures. Continue reading →

Why?

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Why have You forsaken Me

“Why have You forsaken Me?” It was true! In those moments while Jesus hung on the cross, His body suspended by nails, God abandoned Him, leaving Him to experience the agonizing death alone. The question that even Jesus needed to ask was “Why?”

Mark 15:34-35 (NASB)  At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  When some of the bystanders heard it, they [began] saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.”  (NASB)

 The cruel events on Golgotha started in the morning at nine o’clock and, by noon, a strange darkness had come over the whole land.  It was not an eclipse as it was the time of the full moon, but the sun was obscured, resulting in darkness, which did not hinder the mockery of the crowd surrounding the three crosses on the hill outside Jerusalem.

Jesus, suffering physical agony while struggling to breathe on the cross, was drawing inward as all the forces of His physical life were focused on the effort of drawing yet another breath.  Continue reading →

Care

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From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].

John 19:25-27 (NASB)  … But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”  Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”  From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].  (NASB)

The eyes of the Lord Jesus, through dirty sweat and crusted blood fell upon the figure of His distressed mother who was standing close to John, the disciple whom He loved.  He could see her suffering and He cared and He understood completely.

What was she thinking about?  Was she recalling the words of the angel Gabriel who told her that her body was to be the dwelling place of a child who was the Son of God?  Was she feeling less that blessed among women as she realized that she would not be spared the deliverance of her Son as Abraham had been?  She would have to endure the sacrificial death of the Son of promise, her Son… Jesus. Continue reading →

Decisions

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Which way will you choose - decision

One apparently withdrew in anger and disgusted resignation, choosing to die as he had lived… railing against those who would give him direction. The other faced death knowing that he had come to this place of punishment by his own doing. With an attitude of fear before the God who knows all, he asked Jesus to remember him in His Kingdom.

Luke 23:39-42 (NASB)  One of the criminals who were hanged [there] was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”  But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  “And we indeed [are suffering] justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”  And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”  And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”  (NASB)

Three crosses were raised and dropped into the holes in the ground that would keep them standing erect for all to see this cruel punishment they inflicted upon those who dared to live outside of the law of Rome.  Two of the three men whose bodies hung from those beams were criminals and were receiving a just sentence for their crimes.  One looked toward the future, which was certain death, with the idea that Jesus ought to get them out of the situation and help Himself off the cross in the process.  The other looked toward death with the fear of God which the Psalms tell us is the beginning of wisdom. Continue reading →

Forgiveness

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When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him

The first words of Jesus when this agonizing execution began were spoken within His own soul to His Father in heaven. They were words that spilled out of His mouth as He pleaded with the Father on their behalf.

Luke 23:33-38 (NASB) When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.   But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.  And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”  Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

The first words of Jesus when this agonizing execution began were spoken within His own soul to His Father in heaven.  They were words that spilled out of His mouth as He pleaded with the Father on their behalf.  Someone heard Him in order to record that statement but there is no mention of anyone paying much attention to it.  Apparently, none of them felt like they were doing anything that required forgiveness. Continue reading →

Kindness – A Good Rule

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Decide to treat all your neighbors with consideration and respect. Be a resident ‘ambassadors’ to help welcome newcomers as they transition into the community. Aspire to live by the Golden Rule.

Decide to treat all your neighbors with consideration and respect. Be a resident ‘ambassadors’ to help welcome newcomers as they transition into the community.
Aspire to live by the Golden Rule.

Today we often read about cyber bullies among young people, but bullying also plagues seniors.  The behavior being referenced would be incidents of name-calling, bossy behavior, loud arguments, snubs and aggression.

Causes and strategies
Fear can be one reason for bullying, says Renee Garfinkel, a Washington, D.C.-based psychologist who specializes in aging issues, but it’s also “that human phenomenon of the strong picking on the weak. It’s not a function of aging. It’s a function of pathology.” Continue reading →

Gambling

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Gambling destroys the work ethic. The core values of the work ethic are all part of the free enterprise system. Gambling corrupts these values and replaces them with greed and selfishness. Rather than depending upon hard work, gamblers depend instead upon luck and chance.

Gambling destroys the work ethic. The core values of the work ethic are all part of the free enterprise system. Gambling corrupts these values and replaces them with greed and selfishness. Rather than depending upon hard work, gamblers depend instead upon luck and chance.

“I hate casinos!” was my not at all wimpy comment while my coworker replied in like manner….. “I love casinos!”  We were not developing an argument, but clearly our opinions were far apart when it came to the issue of gambling.

It got me thinking……….  Why am I so opposed to gambling?

Go to any casino and you’ll see many gray heads at the slot machines and blackjack tables. Gambling has become a popular pastime for seniors who often have time to spare and holes in their lives to fill. Gambling, like many things in life, can become addictive and seniors who are bored or lonely may be more vulnerable to addictive behaviors. Continue reading →

The God Walk

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Here’s the thing… It is never too late to develop a personal walk with God and old age is as good a time as any to begin.

Here’s the thing… It is never too late to develop a personal walk with God and old age is as good a time as any to begin.

I grew up in the early 50’s and my parents like many of their friends believed in making it a practice to attend church as a family.  For them, church was a core item in our home and not an addendum that would be discarded by other distractions.  Quite the opposite… Other distractions were discarded or never considered on the basis of what they were learning and becoming as a result of their devotion to personal growth in their faith walk with God. Continue reading →