Spiritual

Alot of things have been going on in life lately.  I haven’t been directly experiencing anything too crazy… except for normal life, which in a sense, always has its fair share of chaos. But I have been witnessing many storms happening to people very close to me. And because of the way I am wired up, I feel very deeply for the circumstance, the pain, the fear, the doubt, whatever emotion is joining that experience.  I want to help, I want to be there for the people, I want to lend a helping hand.  But in these certain situations, the distance is a little too far to stop by and drop in to help.  So it leaves me feeling a little helpless. Which in reality, it is not my fault if I cannot be there to chip in. It is a blessing to love to serve and love to help out, but I can’t take that to a whole other level of obligation.  If I believe God’s power is as mighty and powerful as God’s word and the truth I believe says it is, I have to believe in that power in situations where I feel helpless also.  Ultimately I have nothing to give in and of my own power.  My own strength, my own love for people, and my own servants heart belongs to the Lord.  So out of a position of gratitude, honor, and praise to the Lord I can sometimes be of help to people.  But I forget sometimes the best thing I can do is pray. Pray for them, pray with them, pray about them… Prayer is powerful.

So if God is the perfect peace in the storms of the Bible, he can also be the perfect peace in my life and the lives of those …

Our theme for the month of March is PEACE. Peace is the state of tranquility or serenity. Peace is the freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety or an obsession. Peace can also be a state of mutual harmony between people or groups especially referring to personal relationships. But is this really all that peace is…a state of mind, a freedom from the difficult things of this world? So how do you find this peace of mind, how do you get your mind free from distraction, how do you move through challenges and sorrows to a place of peace?

“The biblical concept of peace is larger than that and rests heavily on the Hebrew root “slm”, which means “to be complete” or “to be sound.” The verb conveys both a dynamic and a static meaning”to be complete or whole” or “to live well.” The noun had many nuances, but can be grouped into four categories: (1) shalom as wholeness of life or body (i.e., health); (2) shalom as right relationship or harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant (see “covenant of peace” in  Num 25:12-13 ;  Isa 54:10 ;  Ezek 34:25-26 ) and, when related to Yahweh, the covenant was renewed or maintained with a “peace offering”; (3) shalom as prosperity, success, or fulfillment (see  Lev 26:3-9 ); and (4) shalom as victory over one’s enemies or absence of war. Shalom was used in both greetings and farewells. It was meant to act as a blessing on the one to whom it was spoken: “May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and victory.” As an adjective, it expressed completeness and safety. In the New Testament, the Greek word “eirene” is the word most often translated by the word “peace.” Although there is some overlap …

Last Friday, I had the privilege of seeing the movie, Risen.

Risen is absolutely fantastic-a must see movie!  This movie is the story of Roman military tribune, Clavius, played by Joseph Fiennes. Under the authority of Pontius Pilate, he is commanded to undertake the greatest manhunt in human history – the search for the missing body of Jesus Christ. This movie is told from the point of view of a skeptic and his search for truth.  Clavius becomes an investigator who searches crime scenes and interviews eyewitnesses and followers of Jesus. At one point in the movie he is confronted with the question…. You have seen and yet still struggle to believe, what about all those who have NOT seen who struggle to believe? He is challenged to make a decision for himself. One of my favorite quotes was when Clavius was talking to Mary Magdalene and she said “ You’re looking for something you’ll never find. Open your heart and see.” Clavius was looking for the physical body of Jesus after he had been crucified and had risen……Clavius would never find the body but when he opened his heart he saw something that changed his life for eternity.

One of my favorite places to go for movie reviews is Plugged In. Here is a portion of what Plugged In says about the movie: “Clavius is a man hardened by a lifetime spent doing the bloody bidding of his betters. And that, we see, has taken a toll on his soul. In a telling, poignant scene with Pilate, the Roman prefect asks the weary soldier what he wants in life. The man’s first responses are general and perhaps a bit worldly: “Power, wealth.” But then Clavius gets more personal, even confessional. “Family,” he says. “A place in the …