The Dark Side of Sunday

It is Friday night. I just returned from attending an Easter cantata at a local church that begins in the fall each year preparing for a deeply impactful ministry to our community.

Through song and story, we walked through the life and ministry of Jesus’ here on earth. We remembered His birth, re-lived His miracles and life-changing teaching, reflected on His suffering, and rejoiced in His resurrection. Hope, amazement, anguish, sorrow, joy. All these emotions and more poured into a two-hour recounting of the greatest story ever told.

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As the story unfolded, several songs bridged the gap between the sorrow of the cross and the victory of the empty tomb. Here on the bright side of Sunday morning, we can see how the story of the cross turns out. We know that weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b) We know that their sorrow and loss did not last forever. We know that hope and joy was just around the corner.

Not so for Jesus’ disciples. That night over two thousand years ago, Jesus’ followers grieved on the dark side of Sunday.

Jesus had told them what was going to happen to Him. He had told them that he would suffer and die. He had explained to them that this was necessary. He had even let them know that He would come back. In spite of all this, His closest followers seemed to not really understand.

Perhaps they didn’t even begin to grasp the significance of Jesus’ mission. Perhaps they still thought that Jesus would one day fulfill the hope of Israel by becoming a king who would lead them to freedom from the tyranny of Rome. If that is what they were hoping for on that dark side of Sunday, they would not have realized that Jesus had taken onto Himself the brokenness and bondage of the world, so He could set His creation free from the tyranny of sin and death.

Maybe some understood that their Master and Friend had come purposefully to suffer and die so He could bring His people back to Himself. Perhaps they believed that He would rise again. Yet on the dark side of Sunday, they felt keenly a sense of deep grief and profound loss. We can understand that grief. It is the grief that mourns the passing of a loved one, even though we have hope that we will see them again someday in heaven. We know that death is not the end, yet we mourn the loved one’s loss in the here and now. Even those who have hope still mourn on the dark side of Sunday.

Then there were those, like Peter, who had denied that he even knew the One who was his dearest friend. He had left Jesus alone in His darkest hour. The fact that Jesus knew all along that he would do so was no comfort. On the dark side of Sunday, Peter carried the crushing weight of failure and regret.

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All those gathered together behind locked doors hid in fear of the Jews. Their Master and dearest Friend had just suffered the most brutal execution. For all they knew, they might be next. Numbed by the very thought of His suffering, perhaps they sat in silence. Terror lurked in the shadows on the dark side of Sunday. Fear stalked them in the night.

The dark side of Sunday is not a place anyone wants to stay. Thankfully, we don’t need to remain there. Yet on Good Friday, it might be beneficial to linger for a time in that place of sorrow. Perhaps we should allow ourselves to truly feel the weight of the sin and shame that Jesus took on Himself so we could be free of it. Give God time to impress upon us the extent of Jesus’ love—a love that led Him to lay down His life for you and me.

Jesus reaches out to each of us in the midst of grief and sorrow and loss. Let’s meet Him in a special way right here, right now—on the dark side of Sunday.

Not for Private Consumption

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“But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won’t wither, the fruit won’t fail. Every month they’ll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12 The Message)

In the last post, we left Ezekiel possibly scratching his head over the swamps that were left for salt. To his way of thinking, they may have seemed useless. We also saw that the “swamp places” in our own lives, while perhaps not pleasant or inviting, still have an important function in our lives. It is in our “swamps” that a lot of growth and purification happens. It is in our “swamps” that a lot of junk is filtered out of our lives. We need to value those “swamps”.

In today’s verse, Ezekiel comes back to look at the main River of Life. He comes back to look at the part that he saw as vibrant and exciting. What did he see?

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• He saw fruit trees.
• The trees had leaves that wouldn’t wither.
• The trees produced fruit every month without fail.

Why would there be so much abundance? Why so much life. Because the river that flowed from God’s sanctuary, from His presence, flowed to them.

What was the abundance for? Was it simply pretty to look at? No, of course not. Ezekiel tells us two important things about those trees.

• The fruit was for food.
• The leaves were for healing.

So it is with the abundant life that God desires to give to us. When His River of Life touches our lives, we live abundantly. We will produce fruit. We can’t help it, because the River of Life brings life.

Is God’s River of Life flowing through and into your life, producing fruit? Is the fruit God is growing in your life being used to nourish others? Is your life being used to bring healing to others? Or are you mostly just enjoying the fruit for yourself?

The life God gives is not just for our own enjoyment. It is intended to be used for the nourishment and healing of those around us. Let’s not hold back.

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Time for Reflection

• Ask God to open your eyes and see how He wants you to use the “fruit” and “leaves” He is producing in your life.
• Does He bring someone specific to mind?
• How does He want you reach out to this person who needs nourishment and healing?
• Commit to sharing some of the abundance of the heart that God gives you with the person He brought to mind.

What About Those Swamps?

As I read Ezekiel’s description of his vision, I notice that he is very detailed. In fact, all through the book of Ezekiel, we see that this prophet takes great pains to help those with whom he shares the vision picture what he sees.

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So I find the following bit fascinating.

The swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. They’ll stay salty.  

(Ezekiel 47:11 Message)

That’s it. Nothing more. Everything else is being touched by the River of Life. Everything else is becoming fresh. Everything else has abundant fish and trees and …LIFE.

Here is the same verse in two other versions.

But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will still be salty. (NLT)

 Its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. (NKJV)

Look at the words used here. The marshes and swamps would not be “healed” or “purified”. They would “still be salty” or “given over to salt”.

It is clear, at least to me, that in Ezekiel’s way of thinking fresh was good. Salt was bad. After all, in the passage we considered in the last post, we read,:

Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. (Ezekiel 47:9b)

What is Going On Here?
I admit that I am using a bit of sanctified imagination here, but please bear with me. I wonder if Ezekiel looked around him in his vision and saw abundant life springing up wherever the river went. Even the “Salt Sea”, which I understand to refer to the Dead Sea, became fresh when the River of Life touched it. Ezekiel saw this transformation. He saw life springing up where previously there was none.

Keep in mind that in Ezekiel’s day, they probably didn’t have the knowledge of how essential the wetlands are to the overall environment. To people of Ezekiel’s day, I suspect that swamps and marshes were essentially a worthless piece of real estate.

• It’s hard to travel through a swamp.
• You can’t drink the water in a swamp.
• You can’t graze sheep in a swamp.
• You can’t plant grain in a swamp.
• I’m sure there are other points I could add, but these are enough to give you the idea.

Ezekiel looks at the swamps and marshes and sees that they are not becoming fresh. I wonder if he scratched his head and asked, “Why doesn’t the river touch the swamps and marshes to heal them? Why aren’t they made fresh and useful like all these other places? Why are they left for salt?”

Perhaps we can find an answer in the next two translations.

But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. (NIV)

But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. (RSV)

These verses show that the swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. The will be left for salt. The are to be left for salt. This shows an intentionality in leaving those seemingly useless pieces of real estate in their swampy, marshy condition. There is a reason those areas are not touched.

Why Leave the Swamps Be?

The swamps and marshes, as we know now, are not dead and worthless. They actually do teem with life. True, it is not as easy to get around in the swamps. There may be more mosquitoes, crocodiles and poisonous snakes in a swamp. You definitely don’t want to drink swamp water.

The wetlands - the swamps and marshes -  serve an important function of a filter between fresh water rivers and the salty ocean. The life that abounds in both the rivers and oceans would be threatened if they came in direct contact. Swamps and marshes are necessary in an ecological sense. 

"Swamps" in Our Lives

In our lives, there are times and situations that are less than pleasant. They are challenging. They are difficult Sometimes, they are downright painful.

Sometimes we bring those situations on ourselves by choosing our own way instead of God’s way. I don’t think the swamps and marshes refer to those situations.

I believe that sometimes, God allows us to go through “swampy, marshy” areas in our lives for a reason. There are certain things that we will learn in our own personal “swamps” that we would never learn out on the broad freshwater river. Sometimes, in order for us to grow in some area, we need to pass through a “swamp”.

When we do pass through the “swamp”, we can be sure that even there, we find life. Even as we slog through metaphorical mud with metaphorical mosquitoes tormenting us, God is using those very things to grow us, purify us, and bring to us even more abundant life

A dear friend who grew up near the wetlands in coastal Georgia tells me that even though visitors to the area are put off by the smell that is unique to a swamp, those who grow up in the area come to love that very same smell. They come to embrace the very thing that puts others off. They know the value of the swamp.

Time for Reflection

• Are you passing through your own “swamp” right now?
• If you are, ask God what He wants to work in your life as you pass this way. Maybe He will let you know His purpose right now. Maybe He won’t…yet.
• Whether you get your answer right now or not, remember that God has His purpose for the “swamp”. He is always in the business of bringing life. Trust Him to bring that life to you…abundantly…even in the “swamp”. 

A Harley Junior Story Revisited

As Rachel and I read a devotional and Bible passage before bedtime tonight, we were asked to reflect on a time when we experienced God's protection. The story I shared was an obvious choice.

Harley Junior and I on a ministry trip in the mountains.

Back in August of last year, I wrote a post about a hair-raising experience I had on my motorbike several years earlier. As I reflected on that experience, I saw a parallel to situations we face in everyday life when temptation speeds our way, and we think we have no way out.

I think....hope...I have more readers now than I did back in August, so I will share the story again.

You can find the story by clicking this link.  Harley Junior and I Find a Way of Escape.

Live Free

Freedom is Precious

Freedom from things that hold us captive is a theme I hold near and dear to my heart. Perhaps this is because for many years, I lived the life of a captive. Oh, everything looked good on the outside. As far as people around me knew, everything was fine. I wore a carefully designed mask so no one could see the mess hidden behind it.

I was not bound by something obvious such as a drug addiction. I was held captive by self-hatred that I had allowed to take root in my heart. This self-hatred took hold of my thoughts until virtually all my creative capacity was taken up by dark, violent fantasies. Eventually, some of those fantasies started to show up in action and acts of self-abuse. I will not go into more detail than that. It is not needed, and I don't want to give glory to the Enemy.

I want you to understand something important. Although these patterns started when I was an adolescent, they continued and worsened for twenty-six years. For the final nine of those years, I was actually in a position of ministry. If anyone knows that someone in ministry can still have serious junk going on in their lives, I understand.

So You Think You Can't Tell Anyone

I have great compassion in my heart for anyone who is held captive. I am especially burdened for those in ministry who struggle in an area they think can't be shared with anyone else. Let me tell you, that thought is a lie. It is one of the primary tools our Enemy uses to hold us captive. I know how it works. I've been there. 

Praise God, I am not there now. I lived for so many years as a captive. I am so thankful that God lifted me up and is training me to be a conqueror.

That is the background for my very first ebook, From Captive to Conqueror. Inspiration for this book came when I ran across 2 Samuel 22 in my daily Bible reading shortly after God set me free from captivity. You can read that story in my post entitled "God Captures My Attention". I will not habitually use my posts to promote my writing, but I would like to share this particular ebook at this particular time. 

Would You Help Me Spread The Word?

From Captive to Conqueror  will be available for free on Amazon.com for a limited time between October 14-16. I hope that you will take advantage of this offer, share this post with your friends, and encourage them to pick up their free copy as well. You don't have to own a Kindle to read the book. All you need is a Kindle reading app that is available on many different platforms.

Why should you go to Amazon to get your free copy? 

• Perhaps you are in the middle of a struggle that holds you captive and are looking for hope.
• Perhaps you have been through such a battle in your past, and you would relate to how David saw God at work in 2 Samuel 22.
• Perhaps you have a friend or loved one who might be touched by God's work as described in this book.
• If for no other reason, pick up your copy because it is free. You never know when you or someone you love might need the hope they will find as they explore 2 Samuel 22.

Why should you help me spread the word? Simply because others who you know and I don't may need the hope for freedom that God offers. This little book is just my way of saying thank you to God for setting me free. It is my small way of sharing the hope I have. Let's work together to share that hope with others.

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From Captive to Conqueror
Available for free for a limited time.

October 14-16

Click picture to go to Amazon

My ebook, entitled From Captive to Conqueror will be available on Amazon.com on those dates for free. You can find out more about the book now by clicking the title above to go to the Amazon page.

This devotional book explores the riches of 2 Samuel 22. In this passage, we see a person who is struggling mightily in some area of life, and is losing the battle. We see that person finally call out to God for help. We see how God responds to that cry for help, rescues, restores, and equips that former captive to be a conqueror.

God used 2 Samuel 22 in a powerful way in my life. I trust He will use it in your life, as well as in the lives of others you know.

If you happen to miss the free promotion window, From Captive to Conqueror will still be available on Amazon for only $0.99. 

And the Hammer Fell

I was browsing through my computer files tonight when I ran across this piece that I wrote over seven years ago after a particularly moving Good Friday service. Although it is not the Easter season right now, the message is still and always a good one to remember.

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One Good Friday Night ...
During one particularly moving Good Friday service at the church I attend in Indonesia.  They did something I had never seen done before.  In the early part of the service, as the congregation sang, one man carried in a simple wooden cross that was about five feet tall.  He laid it down, propped up against the platform. The service continued.  

Which Way Is Up?

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When Rachel was about nineteen months old, I watched her do something rather interesting.  She loved to look at the pictures in her board books.  One book in particular got a lot of attention for a while.  The title of the book is “I Can…”  Each page shows a cartoon-like baby doing some action.  A single corresponding word is printed on the page.   

Have You Ever Had One of Those Days?

Have you ever had one of those days..? I have. I had "one of those days" today.

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Early Start Aborted

I planned to get an early start so I could get to the airport on time for an 6:20 AM flight. I loaded my suitcase on the back of my motorbike, only to find that I couldn't find my keys. I took the suitcase off the bike and did a quick search. Nothing. I tied it back on. I took everything out of my purse and backpack. Nothing. So I took the suitcase off the bike again for a second investigation. After searching for twenty minutes, I found the keys in the bag that holds my various chargers...in the suitcase, of course.

When I Am Weak ...

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When I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10b

There are certain times in life when this verse means more than others. 

• Times when schedules fill up
• Times when stresses pile one on top of the other
• Times when you don't feel well physically, and wonder how you can do all you need to do.

Right now is one of those times for me. A lot is happening this week including a medical visit to Singapore, catching up with some of my work responsibilities, as well as planning for my daughter's 7th birthday party.  And the list goes on.

God's Motive for Coming to the Rescue

Find on Amazon

After six posts about how temptation is very similar to an odd 6 foot tall feline who brings chaos to the home of a pair of bored kids, it is about time for something else. It is not an entirely different topic, though. 

Today, I'd like to share with you a chapter from my book From Captive to Conqueror, a series of reflections on 2 Samuel 22.   You can find two other portions which I shared in previous posts by clicking these links.  

• God Captures My Attention
• God Draws Near

In this chapter, a person who had been nearly drowning in stormy seas has cried out to God for help. God has heard and come swiftly and powerfully onto the scene.


And then ...

What the Cat in the Hat Teaches Us About Temptation - Part 6

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Hooray! The "cat" is finally gone! He packed up those "Things" and he took them away!

In case you have missed the previous Cat / Hat posts, we have been looking at the children's classic tale The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss to see what it has to teach us about temptation. What makes us vulnerable to it? What happens when we don't reject it at the start? How does giving in to begin with allow things to get out of control? Finally, we saw that all the warnings in the world cannot kick out the "cat" until we engage our will in the process. If you haven't read the other posts, you can find them by clicking these links.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

Let's see what happens now that the "cat" is gone.

Cleaning Up

OK, so the "cat" leaves, but there still is a major problem.  The house is a wreck.  Lives are in chaos. To quote the fish:

“This mess is so big and so deep and so tall.

We cannot pick it up. There is no way at all”

If we choose to let the “cat” stick around in our lives, we are ultimately responsible for the resulting mess.  Depending on how long we allowed the "cat" to stay, and how many "Things" he brought with him, that mess may be enormous. We may have lost much that is precious - family, job, health, dignity, joy, etc. We are responsible for the mess, yet we are unable to put things to rights on our own, no matter how hard we try.

At this point, Dr. Seuss’s story ceases to have any parallel whatsoever to dealing with temptation and it’s consequences in real life. In the story, the cat himself came back and cleaned up the mess he and his pals had made.  He cleaned it up so well that the kids’ mother had no idea anything had actually happened.  In real life, the Tempter NEVER comes back to clean up his messes. 

That is why we need Jesus.  He was, in fact, active all along.  He was speaking to us through the voice of the “fish” in our lives, through our own conscience and the warnings of others. He was the one backing us up when we finally took a stand to kick the “cat” out. He is the only one who can ultimately restore our lives, and bring order out of the wreckage.  

Some of the things we allowed the "cat" to destroy may indeed be gone forever. Other things that seemed to be a hopeless mess may be marvelously put right again. Either way, Jesus is more than able to restore us to a life of joy and peace in spite of those losses.

We cannot do it alone, although we do have to be actively engaged in the process.  No one can do it for us, although others may support us as restoration takes place.  We may be able to make some progress on our own, but ultimate, full restoration cannot happen apart from Him.  

The beauty of it is, Jesus is more than ready and willing to help us.  He constantly and earnestly invites us to allow Him to come in and begin the work of restoration that only He can do. 

 

So what have I learned from the Cat in the Hat and the Fish in the Pot?  Three things:

1. Listen to the “Fish” when he sounds the alarm that something is wrong.
2. Kick out the “Cat” whenever he shows up.  Decide ahead of time to do this.
3. Invite Jesus to live in the “house”. With Him there, we never face the "cat" alone.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

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What about you?

As we finish this series, have you learned anything new that might help you keep the "cat" from sticking around to begin with?

Do you find yourself longing for a "house" free of the "cat" and the chaos he causes? Have you looked at the mess and realized it is too big for you to clean up on your own? If you have questions about inviting Jesus in to restore your "house" and live there, please feel free to email me. My email address can be found on my About Me page. I'd be more than happy to hear from you.