DayBreaks for the Week of 4/21/24: Things that Go Bump in the Night

From the DayBreaks archive:

I used to not believe in monsters.  Well, let me clarify.  I don’t believe in the kind of monsters that have three eyes, breathe fire, and hide under your bed to grab your ankle and pull you down so that they can eat you.  But I do believe in monsters.

We live in a world that is truly characterized by darkness.  All one has to do is read the paper, look at the pictures, and you’ll see monsters staring at you from the pages or the TV screen.  Recently, the state of Florida and the nation grieved the deaths of two young girls who were abducted by malicious, vicious, brutal criminals.  You don’t have to look long or hard at the faces of Couey or Onstott and you’ll see a monster staring back at you.  Such things as happened to those young girls should never happen to anyone.  But they do, don’t they?

And not all monsters have faces.  With the death of my sister’s husband, who wrestled with a monster called cancer and lost, two young boys were deprived of the daddy who loved them.  And the boys had done nothing wrong, they’d not asked for this, nor did they deserve it.  And the monster of death has been loosed in their home with mortal consequences.  Now, when they hear the things that go bump in the night, who could blame them for not believing in monsters?  Death, disease, cruelty, human depravity, injustice of any kind – these and more monsters run amok, not just during the hours of darkness, but they can reach out and capture us at any time.  Yes, I believe in monsters.

Yet the book of Revelation pictures the great Slayer of dragons, who makes war on the beasts, and who defeats them.  God wishes to remind us that the monsters will all be captured, caged, and destroyed someday.  But not yet.  Oh, no, not yet.  “How long, O Lord?” my cry joins with that of the martyrs pictured in Revelation.  The only answer is, “Not yet.  But someday.”

Even things that go bump in the night will answer to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  For there is nothing that will not be put under his footrest.  And he will crush the head of the serpent in the great and glorious morning to come when monsters are no more.

PRAYER: Be our Protector and Defender, Lord!  We long for You to strike down everything that is opposed to Your rule! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 4/15/24 – The Cuddle Bunny Gospel

Psalm 34:11 – Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. Twenty-first-century America is truly a consumer society.  And what is the goal of life if you believe you are descended from monkeys and that the grave will be your final destiny?  To feel good while you can.  To grab the gusto.  To live life without limits.  To live with no fear.  To try everything at least once, and if it feels good, to do it again until it no longer satisfies and then find something else.  After all, you wouldn’t want to lay on your death bed wishing that you’d tried just that one more thing, would you?  Just missing out on one single thing could spell the difference between feeling like your life was complete and fulfilled or not.  What a terrible way to live! The real danger comes when the church starts to take its cues from the world around us, instead of the other way around.  When the church accommodates to a feel-good goal and it centers its existence on programs and activities to the expense of the truth, the church is, as Chuck Colson put it, “…in danger of trivializing the holy.” Russell Kirk said: “He who admits no fear of God is really a post-Christian man; for at the heart of Judaism and Christianity lies a holy dread.”  How are you doing in your own family about teaching your children to fear the Lord, as David said he would do?  How is your church doing?  Or do you only present the feel-good, warm-and-fuzzy cuddle-bunny gospel?  God is not to be trifled with.  He never was and never will be that kind of God.  When we only teach and preach a gospel that makes us feel good, that takes away any fear of God’s discipline on us as His children, we are in serious trouble.  Hebrews 12:6 (NLT) says: For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.  If God loves you, He WILL discipline you when you step out of His pathway.  He doesn’t do it to be capricious, but because He loves you.  And while it may not be pleasant, we can always know He has our best at heart. PRAYER: It is good to have a Father like You who loves us enough to discipline us when we need it.  Thank You for Your gentleness! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 4/8/24 – The Invulnerable City

DayBreaks for the Week of 4/08/24 – The Invulnerable City Sometimes it is hard to realize that nothing in this world lasts forever.  It extends all the way from nations, to love, to corporations, and even to our pets, whose mortality we don’t like to contemplate.  One of the mightiest nations in the ancient world was ancient Rome.  Their nation survived for nearly 1000 years from the time it was supposedly founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus on the banks of the Tiber, until it fell in 410 A.D.  One young man who had lived and reveled in the streets of Rome throughout his younger years became one of the greatest theologians in church history.  His name was Augustine, and after being told that the city of Rome had been sacked, he said, “All earthly cities are vulnerable.  Men build them and men destroy them.  At the same time there is the City of God which men did not build and cannot destroy and which is everlasting.”  Catastrophes are, well, catastrophic.  The fall of Rome was not only inconceivable to those who felt secure in the city and nation, but when it happened, it had to be one of the most terrifying experiences they ever lived through.  Their security was gone.  The enemy was not only at the gates but had burst through.  What would become of the inhabitants?  As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” but it turned out to be shocking how quickly it could fall. The kingdom of God – or the City of God as Augustine referred to it – wasn’t built in a day, either.  It is still being built.  It was established and founded by the Lord Jesus Christ who was God with us, who proclaimed “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”  We can forget, if we’re not careful, that we aren’t just Americans, or Canadians, or South Africans.  We are living stones in the kingdom of God that is here, now, living, and powerful.  Every nation that has ever been built up has been torn down.  And that’s the way it will be until the end of time.  At that point, after trampling all enemies and kings and nations under his feet, the Kingdom of God will begin in fullness and glory and timeless perfection.  There will be no generals or politicians who make strategic mistakes that will doom God’s kingdom.  You see, Augustine had it right: men cannot destroy that which God has decreed to be everlasting.  As frightening as this world gets sometimes, as terrified and insecure as we may sometimes feel, we need to be reminded that we aren’t citizens of this world in the ultimate sense, nor of a given nation or race.  We are destined for eternity and for an everlasting, invulnerable city. Daniel 7:13-14 (NLT) – As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. PRAYER: Lord, we look forward to the city not made with hands, in which righteousness dwells forever!  In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 04/01/24 – The Not So Helpless Jesus

From the DayBreaks archive: When thinking of the events of Holy Week, my heart runs to Gethsemane for many reasons.  To me, it was in that garden that eternity and human destiny was settled as it was there that Jesus gave the final “go-ahead” to the plan of the Father, and once the decision was made, there would be no turning back. One of the things that amazes me is the restraint of Jesus.  Peter, of course, acted out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear…but there was only one sword among Jesus and his disciples.  They were grossly outnumbered and certainly out-weaponed.  As a human, if I had been Jesus, I would have been very tempted to resist – to fight back.  But we are told that Jesus was calm and led silently as a lamb to the slaughter.  Some might think that he knew resistance would be foolish – that in the face of such numbers who came to arrest him, he was helpless. Let me challenge that assumption.  We are told in Scripture that Jesus could have summoned twelve legions of angels to come to his defense.  A Roman legion consisted of 6000 soldiers.  That means that Jesus could have summoned 72,000 angels (or more!) to come to his rescue!  Now the numbers would have been decidedly in Jesus’ favor!  But wait – there’s more to this.  2 Kings 19:35 – And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. Math is not my strong suit, but let me walk you through this.  Jesus could have called 72,000 angels.  The question here isn’t “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin”, but “How many humans can one angel slay in one night?”  We know that “the” (singular) angel of the Lord killed 185,000 humans in one night.  The math works out like this: the 12 legions at Jesus’ call could have destroyed 13,320,000,000 people in one night.  That’s right, 13.3 billion of us.  That many people have not lived on earth since the beginning of human history.  J Jesus was not helpless in the Garden.  Far from it!  Jesus, during Holy Week, was not at the mercy of the religious leaders or Rome.  We were at His mercy.  Had He chosen to bypass the agonies of the cross and return to glory, all He had to do was speak one command: “Come!”  What does this mean to me?  It speaks to me of His love that DROVE Him through the pain of the crucifixion and the cross.  It drives me to my knees in humility and gratitude and fills me with wonder at the restraint of Christ. PRAYER: Your reticence to use your power for your own benefit amazes me, Lord!  That you chose to go through all that you did rather than save your own life leaves me breathless – and eternally grateful!  In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/29/24 – More Beautiful Than I Ever Imagined

From Things Unseen, by Mark Buchanan: “William M. Dyke became blind when he was ten.  When he was in his early twenties and attending graduate school in England, he met the daughter of a British admiral, and they fell in love and decided to marry.  But before he agreed to give his daughter’s hand in marriage, the admiral insisted that William submit to what was at that time a risky surgery to restore his sight.  William agreed, but he also had a condition: he did not want the gauze removed from his eyes until the moment he met his bride at the altar.  He wanted her face to be the first that he beheld on their wedding day.”   “The surgery took place.  The wedding day was set.  William’s father led his son to the front of the church, and the bride’s father led her down the aisle.  As she came, William’s father stood behind his son and unwound the gauze from his eyes.  No one knew if the surgery had been successful.  When William’s bride stood before him, the last strand of gauze was pulled away, and he was face-to-face with his bride.  He stood there speechless, and everyone waited, breathless.  And then he spoke: ‘You are more beautiful than I ever imagined.”   “One day that will happen to us, only the roles will be reversed.  ‘Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror,’ Paul says, ‘then we shall see face to face.  Now I know (Him) in part, then I shall know (Him) fully, even as I am fully known’ (1 Cor. 13:12).  One day, the Bride of Christ, near blind now, will stand before her Risen Bridegroom at the Wedding Feast, and the veil will be removed, the scales will fall away, and we will see Him face-to-face and know Him even as we are fully known.”   “And he will be more beautiful than we ever imagined.”   There is a song that takes my heart and puts it in my throat every time I sing it, called “I Can Only Imagine”, by Bart Millard.  It goes like this: “I can only imagine What it will be like When I walk By Your side.   I can only imagine What my eyes will see When Your face Is before me, I can only imagine.   Chorus: “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall, Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.   “I can only imagine When that day comes And I find myself Standing in the Son   “I can only imagine When all I will do Is forever, Forever worship You… I can only imagine.”   Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!   PRAYER: Lord, how we long to see you face-to-face in our heavenly home! I long to see You in Your glory and for faith to become sight! In Jesus’ name, Amen.   Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/28/24 – The Fatal Fantasy

The Fatal Fantasy The following is from Christianity Today’s Easter in the Everyday series dated 3/27/24. It was written by Eniola Abioye: “We may note . . . that [Jesus] was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects— Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” – C. S . LEWIS, GOD IN THE DOCK We don’t get to pick the version of Jesus we will worship. We love him as he is. Anything else is idolatry. Anything else is fantasy. Anything else is less than what Jesus died for us to have. A man once followed Jesus, counted as one of his disciples. He was released to do works only Jesus could empower, and tasked with guarding the resources of their assignment. However, at some point on his three-year journey with the Messiah, he succumbed to the sickness of disenchantment. His life, which ended at Akeldama, or “the field of blood” (Acts 1:19) reveals both the limitations of our human perspective and Jesus’ invitation to complete trust. But let’s take a step back from the famous fatality of his story and observe the climate that seemed to surround him. How could life in proximity to the Source of all hope, all beauty, all joy, end with such anguish and despair? Could the poison of comparison have embittered his heart? Was his imagination captivated by a fantasy of a heroic monarch who would topple an oppressive empire? Did he see a disorienting contradiction in Jesus’ gracious response to Mary of Bethany pouring out precious oil to anoint his feet? Fantasy tethers a person to a false vision. It takes up the space faith and hope should fill. When things don’t go as expected, spirals of disillusionment and disappointment unfurl. Someone is to blame. Although it’s tempting to blame God for not bringing about the good we imagined, if we catch a glimpse of reality in the mirror, it turns out we are the ones yielding to the seductive call of illusion. When faced with the reality of Jesus, Judas’s allegiance to his own aims ended up blinding him, and he missed the story that he could have lived. Jesus stays away from our pigeon holes and boxes. He continually shatters our expectations. His kingship is established in truth and grace, not in meeting our expectations. He has an intention, a goal, a gravity in his every step and every decision. Grief, pain, confusion, unmet expectations, and unanswered prayers tend to reveal the depths of our hearts—do we love Jesus for who he truly is, or the fantasy we’ve created? Jesus was the King who toppled an oppressive empire, but contrary to Judas’s expectations that empire was not Rome, but sin, hatred, and, ultimately death. Jesus is not disappointing. He is the King who blasts our most exciting dreams to pieces and reveals a story rich with possibility, faith, and joy. In the story of Judas, we grieve the false promise of the flesh and our desire for worldly gain. We also lift our eyes from the fantasy we built for ourselves, toward the One whose life provokes us to desire things that are more profound, more beautiful, more authentic, and more enduring than our minds can conceive. When our fantasies shatter and we feel exposed, we can turn away in disappointment, or turn vulnerably toward Jesus and let his everlasting nature swallow up the make-believe and be our living, breathing, and resurrected hope. REFLECT: Identify truths about Jesus that you’ve found challenging to agree with or accept. What aspects of his nature have you wrestled with? Envision the impact on your life if you wholeheartedly loved Jesus for who he is. How would embracing and loving him authentically shape your daily experiences and overall perspective? PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for toppling the empire of death and sin. Help us to have clear minds and not fall for the fatal fantasies Satan throws our way. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple. The Fatal Fantasy The following is from Christianity Today’s Easter in the Everyday series dated 3/27/24. It was written by Eniola Abioye: “We may note . . . that [Jesus] was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects— Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” – C. S . LEWIS, GOD IN THE DOCK We don’t get to pick the version of Jesus we will worship. We love him as he is. Anything else is idolatry. Anything else is fantasy. Anything else is less than what Jesus died for us to have. A man once followed Jesus, counted as one of his disciples. He was released to do works only Jesus could empower, and tasked with guarding the resources of their assignment. However, at some point on his three-year journey with the Messiah, he succumbed to the sickness of disenchantment. His life, which ended at Akeldama, or “the field of blood” (Acts 1:19) reveals both the limitations of our human perspective and Jesus’ invitation to complete trust. But let’s take a step back from the famous fatality of his story and observe the climate that seemed to surround him. How could life in proximity to the Source of all hope, all beauty, all joy, end with such anguish and despair? Could the poison of comparison have embittered his heart? Was his imagination captivated by a fantasy of a heroic monarch who would topple an oppressive empire? Did he see a disorienting contradiction in Jesus’ gracious response to Mary of Bethany pouring out precious oil to anoint his feet? Fantasy tethers a person to a false vision. It takes up the space faith and hope should fill. When things don’t go as expected, spirals of disillusionment and disappointment unfurl. Someone is to blame. Although it’s tempting to blame God for not bringing about the good we imagined, if we catch a glimpse of reality in the mirror, it turns out we are the ones yielding to the seductive call of illusion. When faced with the reality of Jesus, Judas’s allegiance to his own aims ended up blinding him, and he missed the story that he could have lived. Jesus stays away from our pigeon holes and boxes. He continually shatters our expectations. His kingship is established in truth and grace, not in meeting our expectations. He has an intention, a goal, a gravity in his every step and every decision. Grief, pain, confusion, unmet expectations, and unanswered prayers tend to reveal the depths of our hearts—do we love Jesus for who he truly is, or the fantasy we’ve created? Jesus was the King who toppled an oppressive empire, but contrary to Judas’s expectations that empire was not Rome, but sin, hatred, and, ultimately death. Jesus is not disappointing. He is the King who blasts our most exciting dreams to pieces and reveals a story rich with possibility, faith, and joy. In the story of Judas, we grieve the false promise of the flesh and our desire for worldly gain. We also lift our eyes from the fantasy we built for ourselves, toward the One whose life provokes us to desire things that are more profound, more beautiful, more authentic, and more enduring than our minds can conceive. When our fantasies shatter and we feel exposed, we can turn away in disappointment, or turn vulnerably toward Jesus and let his everlasting nature swallow up the make-believe and be our living, breathing, and resurrected hope. REFLECT: Identify truths about Jesus that you’ve found challenging to agree with or accept. What aspects of his nature have you wrestled with? Envision the impact on your life if you wholeheartedly loved Jesus for who he is. How would embracing and loving him authentically shape your daily experiences and overall perspective? PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for toppling the empire of death and sin. Help us to have clear minds and not fall for the fatal fantasies Satan throws our way. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/27/24 – An Unexpected Gift

Is there anyone who doesn’t love an unexpected gift? It doesn’t matter much whether you’re already feeling on top of the world or in the deepest, darkest night of the soul, an unexpected gift lifts our spirits and cheers our hearts!

There is an event recorded in Mark 14 where Jesus received an unexpected gift. Those around him criticized the woman for her extravagant act of anointing him with costly perfume, but put yourself in Jesus’ place for a moment. He knew what was coming – an onrushing freight train of anguish, weariness, torture and death. Don’t forget – he was God, but he was also human, and his spirit was heavy, I’m sure.

Then, out of the blue, this woman anoints him. Listen to what Jesus says: She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. — Mark 14:8-9

We don’t have an exact chronology of how long before his arrest and trial this took place, but perhaps the fragrance of the perfume lingered on him in the garden, in custody, before Caiaphas and Herod. Perhaps as he walked the pathway to the cross the crowd could detect it. For Jesus, it was an unexpected gift of love and kindness, and I am confident it meant a lot to him or he would not have praised her so highly.

So, here we are, face to face (almost) with Good Friday. I am struck with two thoughts:

ONE: on Good Friday we all received the most amazing unexpected gift of all time: redemption from sin. It was not only an unexpected gift, but a totally undeserved one. How long has it been since you really, deeply received the reality of this gift of the Son of God who bore your sins so you could stand sinless before the Creator of the universe? How are you celebrating it?

TWO: the woman gave an unexpected gift to Jesus, and it moved his spirit. What gift are you preparing to give to Jesus today or this week? It will pale in comparison to the gift he has given to us, but just as the gift of the perfume moved Jesus to memorialize this woman’s act forever, your unexpected gift can also touch his heart.

What will you give him? Think about it. Pray over it. Then give it!

PRAYER: Jesus, there is no way we can ever thank you enough for your most unexpected gift and kindness toward us, but we pray that you will accept our heartfelt gifts to you this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/26/24 – Take the Time

I know that I’ve only been doing one devotion a week for the past few years due to the increased responsibility and workload I’ve taken on. But this week – often referred to as Holy Week – was always my favorite week of the year to preach when I was still a full-time pastor. As a result, I’m going to do a few more devotions this week.

Have you ever wondered why God left Jesus on the cross for hours before relieving his suffering? Clearly, God could have had Jesus crucified, shed blood, and ended it within a minute. But he didn’t. God is that way. He seems to never be in a rush about anything – not even when it comes to the crucifixion. I’m sure He has great reasons that maybe someday I’ll understand, but for now, I don’t understand it. All I know is that when God is doing something great, it takes time, and He doesn’t rush it.

Perhaps I don’t understand because we live in a break-neck speed world. News travels around the world in less than a second. We rush around like chickens with their heads cut off (and yes, chickens with their heads cut off can do that!) just trying to get to the next thing we have to do and then we repeat that cycle again.

If there was ever a time to slow down and take things in, it is this week. Not only was time changed by what happened this week 2000 years ago, but eternity itself changed.

Still, we rush through the familiar routines from Lent, through Palm Sunday, through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, silent Saturday, and we barge right into Easter Sunday at full speed. What a waste of the precious time God has given us if we fail to think deeply about the events of Holy Week.

Ann Voskamp recently wrote the following: “A person who is looking for something doesn’t travel very fast.  

“And I pause here. And my soul stills.  

“Those who aren’t looking for anything worthwhile, think it’s only worthwhile to travel fast.

“And that wide way beckons to the fast and the furious, to the hustlers and fear-mongers, to the big and loud, to the angry and soul-hungry and joy-malnourished. 

“But there is another way.

“Those looking for something sacred travel slow.

“Those looking for the holy linger.

“The way of genuine spiritual formation is slow. Taking the Way of Jesus takes time.” 

I beg of you to please take the time to look for something worthwhile in the historical events of this week. Look for the sacred. Look for the holy. Let it transform your heart and free your soul from the prison bars that hold you. Be free – free to take time to ponder the events of this amazing, wonderful week.

God is present in the events of this week. What a shame if we miss him because we don’t take the time to see His most majestic work on display.

PRAYER: Let us look for, and find, the Holy One this week. Keep us from hurry that we may linger at the foot of the cross and then at the empty tomb, awestruck. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 3/25/25 – The Lesson of the Thief

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^[1] – Luke 23:39-43

I don’t know about you, but in this verse, I find great reason for hope. Here was a man who had lived a criminal life. What his explicit crimes were are not mentioned in Luke, though some think he may have also been a murderer. Suffice it to say that he was not a good man and had not lived a good life.

Yet still, at the end of that day, the man’s soul was in Paradise with Jesus.

What did this man have to recommend himself to the Judge of all the earth? Nothing. He could not point to righteous deeds. He could not, it would seem, even point to a life lived while trying to be righteous and pious. He had nothing in his hands with which to stand before his Maker.

But he had two things, and two things only, going for him. Firstly, Jesus had given his word to the man about his destiny. And this is the Jesus who has never broken a promise.

Secondly, even as Jesus spoke the words of comfort, he blood was paying for that man’s sins – every single one of them. And with that, the man’s forgiveness was purchased.

I suppose that being Jesus, he had the right to save the man without shedding of his blood. After all, he had the right to dictate the terms of salvation, did he not? But he didn’t do that. He knew that forgiveness of sin required blood – His blood.

Maybe you are sitting there smugly, thinking to yourself, “But I’m a good man”, or “I’m a good woman.” Not you are not. You are not good. Romans 3:10b-12 puts it as bluntly as possible: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.

You are not good. I am not good. Not a one of us is. Jesus would himself refuse to be called good, saying only the Father was good. How dare we think we are good when Christ had to die for us!

I am a believer – have been for many, many years. But I know in my heart that I am still not good. There are too many kindnesses I have failed to show. I’ve been too selfish. I’m too prideful. My thoughts are filled with evil. I have not been kind when I should have. I am, bluntly, a sinner. But thank God, I’m like the criminal on the cross – an evil man forgiven by a gracious God who died for my every sin. That is the lesson of the thief on the cross: it is not good men or women who go to heaven, but forgiven men and women.

PRAYER: Holy Father, thank you for this lesson in humility and for your great forgiveness and grace that also saves us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

 

DayBreaks for the Week of 3/18/24 – Living in the Resurrection

From the DayBreaks archive, 2015:

John 11:17-25 – When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to pay their respects and console Martha and Mary on their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”  Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”  “Yes,” Martha said, “when everyone else rises, on resurrection day.”  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.”

This past week was not a really good one for several members of our church.  Two families lost loved ones from their extended family.  The cold, bony fingers of death were a little too close to home this past week.  I pray that they’ll be gone for some period of time.  Both deaths were rather sudden, and relatively unexpected.  But, when the Lord decides that our time is up, we must answer and we must go – no matter whether we are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, happy or sad – believer or unbeliever alike. 

I think that John 11 is my favorite chapter in the Bible.  The theological truths are profound, the human drama unrivaled, the full gamut of human experience, from life, to death, to resurrection, and the surprise of new life are on display.  Jesus’ compassion and his fury at death are equally visceral.  Jesus had already raised other people from the dead by the time the story of Lazarus takes place.  But Martha, bless her heart, still somewhat rebukes the Lord for dilly-dallying around instead of coming at first word of Lazarus’ illness, and then she confesses, when asked, that she believes he will rise again in the resurrection.  Was she being coy – perhaps hoping that Jesus would raise him?  I don’t think so.  I think she had no such expectation.  When confronted with death we are forced to become realists.  Death is as real as real as it gets.  That is, unless Jesus is there.

Jesus tells her an amazing truth: I AM the resurrection and the life….  He doesn’t say, “I will be responsible for bringing the resurrection someday.”  No, He’s far more than the power behind the resurrection.  He IS the resurrection.  The Resurrection was standing in their midst, eating with them, laughing with them, weeping with them, teaching them, living for them, dying for them, and then living again.

F. B. Maurice said that this story made him very sad.  How sad it is, he observed, that after 2000 years, the church has gotten most Christians only to the point to which the Pharisees got Martha: resurrection in the future, resurrection a week from some Tuesday.  Only a handful have ever gotten past that point and made the leap of faith that Jesus got Martha to make: the leap to resurrection now – to resurrection as the fundamental mystery of creation finally manifest in his own flesh.

Will we live in the resurrected body in the future?  Yes.  All, Jesus says, who believe in him, will live again.  But will we live in the power of the resurrection NOW?  Will we continue to be afraid, fearful and timid creatures with no power, or will we live in Jesus now?  (It’s the same as living in the Resurrection, since He is the resurrection!)  Jesus had no fear – he feared nothing and no one because He knew what it meant to be the Resurrection.  Nothing could hold him, nothing could stop him, nothing can ever diminish him.  May we learn the secret of living in the resurrection each day for the rest of our lives!

PRAYER: Fill us, Lord, with Your glorious resurrection power today and every day throughout eternity!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.