Text Size: Zoom In

Personal Weekend Reflection

Photo by: Jannelle Dawn

On this Resurrection Weekend, I’d like to point you to a couple minutes of personally expressed Jerusalem-based thoughts that have been posted on our Day of Discovery Website. They’re meant for anyone who comes into this weekend with a respect for Jesus, but a question of what to do with those thoughts. Here’s a link to that video.

http://www.dod.org/findingpeace.aspx

By the way, if you’re not familiar with all that you can find on that Day of Discovery website I hope, when you get a chance, that you’ll spend some time there.

For instance, you can see this week’s program, the second in a 2 part series on, “What Jesus said About Resurrection” and you can also find there the first video in this series. Both together explain why, for a discussion on resurrection, we recently visited an Arab village on the east bank of the Mount of Olives.

On the other hand, if you want to catch up with or add to this weeks conversation on “Before and After” you can find it at this link http://beenthinking.org/2011/04/19/before-and-after/

May this weekend deepen our faith, and inexpressible appreciation, for the One who loves us more than we could ever imagine (Eph 3:14-21).

 


Vote on whether you think this post is something you'll be thinking about:
Vote This Post DownVote This Post Up (+24 rating, 26 votes)
Loading...
26 Comments »

26 Responses to “Personal Weekend Reflection”

  1. peterpugliese says:

    Mart,

    As I watched and listened to you spell out the simple message of the gospel I thought about those of us who are saved by God’s grace; we know His peace which passes all understanding. For those thinking about where they are and what it might mean for them to believe in the ‘Risen Lord’ my prayer is for their hearts to be open to receive Christ and not be hardened. To understand how and why God does what He does isn’t for me to figure out. To pray and trust that His will be done is a step of faith that often times conflicts with reason and logic. I bring this up as I think about my adult children, each one raised in the church, each one receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, yet each one on their separate journey without any clear spiritual direction apparent in their lives. For my wife and me to stand firm in our faith with the hope that our children see how much we value our relationship with Christ is something we desire. We can’t control the response; we can faithfully follow our Lord. There is a war that never ends and it’s a war for the hearts and minds of each person on this earth. As Christians we have the armor and the weapons to battle the enemy (Satan). Do we have the staying power to see our mission to its conclusion? Our victory is in Christ! As we reflect upon Christ victory over death and sin do we pray for His Spirit to change hearts? As I mentioned my family I think of so many others lost in this world and controlled by it. May the empty cross, and the empty tomb, open eyes to the presence of the ‘Risen Lord’ this Easter.
    Thank you for engaging us in a thought process that speaks to the heart. As you celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord may His victory resonate among you and your family.

    Pete

  2. Mart De Haan says:

    Pete, your thoughts are so meaningful. Thank you.

  3. oneg2dblu says:

    We as Churched Children, feeling family pressure, may even stand up and come forward, to the, Call to Salvation from a Pastor, but if it is not Christ Calling Us, but our only worldly response, is it not in vain…”Vanity”that we parade ourselves, and leave the church feeling as though “we have done the expected “right thing,” something to prove ourselves?
    Many this weekend will come foward, and many will not show their faces again until Christmas. Who are they really worshiping? As in the teaching of Our Daily Bread this morning, “Where are the other nine?”
    Is it a Worldly Recognition, putting on a good face for the family gathered, or is it a God-given Graced Calling Upon thier lives?
    My guess would be, if they walk away “Forever Changed,” in their Lifestyle, in their Words, in their Thinking, THEN, “Their Witwness,” becomes effective to the changing of others as well!
    The talk about whether they are Saved or Not, is not for us to decide, but BY Their Fruit, will can witness
    much!
    The Salvation Message Alone,should not be, All it is About, but, the Ongoing Desiring of a Relationship with Christ IS!
    We, the Children of God, when WE look at the Cross this weekend, WE SEE Relationship, with All Its Cost, Boldly Displayed!
    “May the God of All Creation, Call All His Creation, to Him this very Weekend, and may WE witness, “Thier Witness” in Our World! In the Holy Name, of Christ Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour! AMEN!”

  4. poohpity says:

    Mart, I watched the two part series on “What Jesus said about Resurrection” and I also watched “I Have A Song” and through them both have realized I am in “lose of Control” and feel so blessed to be there. Thank you for guiding our focus to be on the One who is our ALL!! Jehovah Shalom. I will be in quite reflection and appreciation of the ONE who has expressed His love in such an incomparable way. Thank you, Jesus!!

  5. poohpity says:

    not “lose of control” but “Lose control”.

  6. phpatato says:

    Peter

    I echo what Mart said. Thank you. I so often wish that I could put into words what my thoughts are. I for some reason, find it so difficult to do somehow. I so enjoy reading what everyone has to say. Thank you Mart for providing a way for that to happen.

    To each of you my brothers and sisters, may the hand of our Lord and Saviour touch your lives to Bless you and your families this Easter weekend.

    E mpty tomb
    A live
    S urprised
    T riumph
    E ternity
    R ejoice

    Pat

  7. SFDBWV says:

    “God is the Lord and He has revealed Himself to us; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.

    “God has shown Himself to His creatures. He has not disclosed His innermost being, for this innermost essence of God cannot be grasped by creatures. But God has truly shown what man can see and understand of His divine nature and will.”

    “The fullness and perfection of God’s self revelation is found in His Son Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the gradual and partial revelation of God in the Old Testament. Jesus is the only truly “blessed…who comes in the name of the Lord.”

    “The fundamental confessions of Christians about their Master is this; Jesus Christ is Lord.”

    “And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.”

    “By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus Christ cleansed the world from evil and sin.” “So the Son of God became man and took upon Himself the sins of the world and died a voluntary death. By His sinless and innocent death accomplished entirely by His free will, He made death to die and to become itself the source and way into life eternal.”

    “I am the resurrection and the life! He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” (Jn 11: 25-26)

    These are exerts from the doctrine of the Orthodox faith, they seemed to say better what I wanted to say.

    Steve

  8. oneg2dblu says:

    For the Christian who has the, “Living Holy Spirit,” within them, everyday is like Easter. Everyday we rise, He that is within us, rises also! Every day is a Son Day for us!
    Today however, is that “one day” where 2000 years ago, we find Our Lord, right in the middle of the Before and After. Our “not risen yet” Lord, lies completely alone and still, without even human breath to keep him company. He lies wrapped in grave clothes, On the Sabath
    where they will not even visit the tomb to embalm him, he waits. In the darkeneed sealed tomb, he waits. Guarded by Roman Soldiers who would risk their very lives to make sure, no one would disturb their Emperor’s Seal.
    Even His Church, even His Disciples, even the dark, unbelieving world waits on the next day.
    But, for this tomorrow, this “Easter,” that brings in the After, that Changes the Whole World,
    and makes Death, only a “awaitnig place” for those who would Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
    Our Only Hope,Our Only Lord, and Our Living God, who Lives within each of US, who will Believe and Obey!
    We have a Reason to Celbrate, “Happy Easter,” for He is Risen, and Saved each of US, to be with Him!
    Be Blessed, Gary

  9. florida7sun says:

    I was blessed by my daughter who wrote on her FB page this morning, “Easter proclaims that you can entomb the Truth but it will arise again!”

    Your testimonies and comments also bless my heart, as did viewing Mart’s presentation, “What Jesus said About Resurrection.” I have had the pleasure of knowing one of the commentators, Dr. Gary Habermas, for 30 years.

    Gary is further evidence that the truth cannot be entombed. An agnostic, researching Jesus’ resurrection, he came to a saving knowledge of Our Lord and Savior and has proclaimed His truth ever since.

    He truly has Risen. We have been Redeemed. He is our I AM. We have Security in Christ. Eternal life is assured. And, Now we proclaim the Truth through the power of His Spirit.

    Happy Easter. God bless you all, Ray

  10. SFDBWV says:

    Personal Weekend Reflections; all of my life I always felt some special electricity or energy in the unseen world around me on Good Friday. As if a great expectation or event was about to occur.

    I would feel compeled to concentrate or meditate on the event that was being remembered. Somewhere in the busy activities of life, some Good Fridays were not good at all in the events of living. Yet there in the mind was always the memory that something very special happened and will again.

    Saturday would come and I think about how the Christ descended down into Sheol and freed all the souls from the enemy. All the while His followers sat cowering in hidden places confused and wondered what would happen to them now.

    Sheol like I would suppose all the other levels of existence has not time restraints as we are to suffer in this one. So the understanding of Saturday and the length of time Christ spent in death are relative to that concept.

    I will admit Saturday always seemed very long as we await the coming of the dawn. I suppose it is how I feel about the things I pray for in life….it seems like a long dark wait before the coming of the dawn and the coming of the Lord and His light.

    A beautiful spring day in the mountains, 72 and sunny, with expected thunderstorms this evening.

    Steve

  11. BruceC says:

    I cannot comment on the video as I am on dial-up and it’s way too slllllooooooowwwwww.

    However my wife and I watched The Passion last night on disc as we do several times a year. And Good Friday we had a wonderful service at our church. We are very much looking forward to service today also.
    I arose at 3:00AM(nature call) and could not get back to sleep. Don’t know why. My wife says she thinks I am too excited about being with our brothers and sisters in Christ on this special day. She could be right.
    It strikes me at how God could allow the only Worthy One to suffer and die so brutally for we; the basically worthless ones. But then grace and the Father’s love takes over and by putting on the righteousness of Christ, the Father accepts us as “worthy”. What an Amazing Grace and love that truly is. Will any of us ever be able to truly fathom the depth of this? I think not! So let us serve and bask in its light and may we let that love reflect back out to the world.

    BruceC
    Soli Deo Gloria!

  12. Motorcycleminister says:

    Happy Passover/Easter…Mart, to answer the subject of your blog “Personal Weekend Refrlection”..This Passover week I reflect of when my grandfather, who came from Romania, conducted the Passover sedar in a very Orthodox style. I look at the pictures of my family, and reflect of my Jewish past. The many Jewish customs we did…In 1990 I accepted Jesus as my Messiah. This acceptance has made me complete as I now understand the meaning of Passover/Easter as Jesus has made me know. I can recite the “4 questions, the Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh….”at Passover knowing the importance of it all because of Jesus. Knowing what Yeshua has not only done for me, but what Yeshua has done for all of us who accept Him as Lord and Savior. So for the past 20 years, at my young age of 60, the acceptance of Yeshua as my Lord and Savior has been and continues to be a glorious Passover/Easter reflection. Continued Blessings to Mart, RBC staff, and all of you and your families on this site. With God’s Love, Barry

  13. SFDBWV says:

    Barry, it has been a while, good to see your still with us.

    Happy Easter Morning to everyone.

    Steve

  14. Mart De Haan says:

    Barry,

    Yes, as Steve as said, it is so good to hear from you today. Your family perspective– fulfilled in the Son of God tells the Story of all stories.

    Your comments remind me that yes, I do see the death of the Son of God in our place, and his bodily resurrection from the dead as bedrock to our faith. But I find my deepest convictions grounded in the way the Son of God also fulfills comprehensively the patterns of the law, writings, and prophets–like the Exodus and Passover.

    I know you’d agree that, in ways that could never be contrived, Israel’s Messiah, and our Savior, fulfills and personifies allusions to the goodness, wisdom, and love of God that are woven into the whole of the Scriptures.

    I’m overwhelmed by the way all creation, the trees of the Garden, the patriarchs beginning with Adam and then Abraham, the laws, cycle of feasts, priests, sacrifices, temples, servants, and kings of Israel (for mere openers) all end up finding fulfillment in the Son of God who died in our place and then rose bodily from the dead to confirm the victory.

  15. SFDBWV says:

    Mart, you are “right on” this morning…Amen to your comment.

    Jesus is the fulfillment of everything. Everything was made by Him and everything concludes in Him.

    Wet Easter morning….but no snow.

    Steve

  16. florida7sun says:

    Amen and amen. A beautiful rising of the sun this morning. He truly is the Alpha and Omega: I AM, throughout eternity, sufficient in everyway to meet all of our needs in Christ Jesus.

    Sunny with temperatures in the 90s. Last year Florida had the hottest year in recorded history. This year’s forecast is for a repeat with a more active than normal hurricane season.

    Ray

  17. Hugger4U says:

    Happy Easter to all here at ‘Been Thinking About’. May the Son shine on all of you bringing blessings of comfort and knowledge of the One who saves us, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

    Love and (((Hugs))),
    Linda

  18. Toml5169 says:

    Jesus is as alive today with His resurrection body, reigning in heaven but He is coming back. We will see Him in the clouds! Praise God; He is RISEN!
    Love in Him
    Tom

  19. poohpity says:

    Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

    “He is Risen” JUST AS HE SAID. Everything will be “Just as He said” While our words have motives and human reasoning, Jesus’s words are “Just as He said”. Those close to Him did not understand the full meaning behind everything He did because they looked at it all with human reasoning but because we have been given the Holy Spirit our eyes and ears are hearing and seeing the glimpse of what He has given us to understand with so much more to learn. Father, Thank you for this immeasurable gift of Grace and Love at such a horrible expense to Jesus. I am humbled and honored to receive it in Jesus name.

  20. poohpity says:

    The tomb is empty so we could be filled!!!

  21. Mart De Haan says:

    Pooh,
    That’s really good!!!! :-)

  22. scout1 says:

    Happy Risen Savior Day! Just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful day with our Lord.

    Lynda

  23. Regina says:

    Good Evening All

    Off topic here…
    Happy Easter! :-) I hope all is well in your lives. Had a phenomenal time with my church family today as we worshipped, praised and celebrated our risen Savior, Jesus Christ! Our Fine Arts Ministry performed an Easter play of the death and resurrection of our LORD. I sang in the choir, and was grateful to be a part of the presentation.

    Please keep me in your prayers. Having some valley experiences in my marriage (if I can call it that). My *husband (*he has never truly been that) wants me to suffer financially. Praying that the LORD will provide for my needs.

    Blessings to all,

  24. peterpugliese says:

    As today draws to an end we’ve celebrated the ‘Risen Lord’ and His victory over death all because of God’s grace upon our lives. He changed our hearts from hearts of stone to hearts filled with His presence through His Spirit in us. Today as we worshipped we were presented with the Living Christ! We were reminded of God’s love, and how He has made us new in Him. What do we do with what He’s freely given us? Do we share s the Living Lord with others, or do we contain and protect what God desires to be shared? Our Easter Sunday was spent with children, grandchildren, and friends. We feasted on the Easter meal, while enjoying the company of those around us. In this setting I realized how God in His providence brought us together. He did this with the disciples prior to the crucifixion, as well as disbursing them afterward, and then bringing them together after the resurrection. When we consider all of this occurring as it did do we praise God for His hand upon our lives as He goes about fulfilling His will in His time for His glory?
    I would like to share a story about our church and its relationship with a church in Sierra Leone Africa. We’ve had a connection with this church for some time, but a few months back the Pastor contacted our Pastor and asked if we could send someone to baptize new believers in Christ and could this be done during the week of Easter? Well we obliged the Pastor by obeying God’s call and sent a Pastor and Elder to this village in Sierra Leone. This Easter morning 190+ converts were baptized into the family of God. Contrast our church worship, our time with family and friends and how God is working throughout the world and give thanks for Him allowing us to witness the movement of His Spirit today, just as the disciples did some 2,000 years ago.
    Praise the Lord, He is Risen!

    [Please be praying for a family friend who is struggling with depression. She and her husband welcomed a baby boy into their family 5 weeks ago. Her struggle is a concern for family and friends. My wife (Marlene) will be spending time with her on Monday.]
    Thank you, Pete

  25. poohpity says:

    Pete, I will be praying for your friend, postpartum depression can be really severe. I pray she will seek help it is not a do it alone type of thing.

  26. peterpugliese says:

    Pooh,

    Thanks for praying.
    “Prayer is a mighty fortress, an energy that moves heaven and pours untold treasures of good on earth.”
    [E.M.Bounds]

    Pete

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.