Still Empty...

It's still empty!!!!
After thousands of years....
After thousands of people searching for Jesus' Body....

It's still empty!

God, Thank You- may we live a life worthy of what you have done and are still doing.

In His Dust,
DCC

EASTER SUNDAY... HE IS RISEN!!!

JUST.
AS.
HE.
SAID.

THE TOMB IS EMPTY !!!

Imagine the disciples the night before, finally passed out from exhaustion & grief... 

hoping to dream away the horror of the previous two days. 

To forget the faces....the sounds...the smells...

Mary's tears...

Jesus' Voice...

However, when Sunday came,

 they woke up knowing the events were not merely a bad dream.

Jesus had died.

Then, the news came.."HE IS RISEN!!!" -Matthew 26:a

"Death has a way of looking like it's going to win, 

right up until it doesn't" -Bob Goff

It does not come as a surprise to me that the disciples didn't believe the women's report that Christ had risen. Would you?

They knew that Jesus had been crucified. 

They knew he had been taken down from the cross and put into a heavily sealed and guarded tomb. Most of them saw it with their own eyes.

But now the women claimed He was alive and the tomb was empty! 

Had their exhaustion clouded the facts? 

No. The facts were and still are

....Jesus appeared to them. 

Their joy must have been unspeakable! 

I know it is unspeakable and indescribable by me, today, some 2000 years later.

All their hopes, shattered two days before, were restored in an instant. 

All their fears were now squashed.

"Heaven unplugged the grave's power cord, and you and I have nothing to fear.

Death is disabled." -Max Lucado

The future was suddenly taken care of.

and guess what...The same thing goes for each of us.
Easter blasts in and announces for every single one of us

Our own resurrection, and restored hope for the world!!!

Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again!!!

While in Israel a few years ago...Ray VanderLaan told us that he believes

 Jesus burst out of that tomb at one second passed midnight! 

I loved that vision....BOOM!

Easter-Where defeat meets Triumph--

Just. As. He. Said.

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!' ~John 16:33

God, Thank You for buying our ticket to back to YOU and back to our loved ones.

In The Name of our RISEN and LIVING SAVIOR,
DCC

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Tetelestai!

Just before dawn...Jesus goes on trial before Pilate and Herod Antipas.

He was scourged and beaten with metal and leather whips. He barely survived this...as most do not. He was spit on and made fun of- He was taunted and ridiculed with a crown of very sharp thorns- and yet, He still found it in His Heart to say, "Father forgive them...they know not what they do."

At exactly 9 am, they nailed Jesus to the cross.

"At noon the whole country was covered with darkness which lasted for three hours." Matthew 27:45 (The Light of the world is being crucified)

God said it would be just like this in the Old Testament book of Amos. “On that day…I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight….I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day.” Amos 8:9-10

After 6 hours of unspeakable grueling agony, at exactly 3 pm,

Jesus looks up at His Father, yells-

"IT IS FINISHED!!!" ("TETELESTAI") and dies.

"Tetelestai" is the Greek word for "It Is Finished."

When a servant was sent on a mission and then later returned to his master, he would say, "Tetelestai" which meant, "I have done exactly as you have requested or "the mission is now accomplished".

"Tetelestai" was also the equivalent of the Hebrew word spoken by the high priest when he presented a sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish.

"Tetelestai" was also,in a secular sense, the word used in the business world to signify the full payment of a debt. When a debt had been fully paid off, the document on which the debt was recorded was stamped with "TETELESTAI," which meant the debt had been "paid in full."

Which is what Jesus did for you and me when He paid the ultimate price for all of our sins.

One more thing..."Tetelestai" is in the perfect tense. This is very significant because the perfect tense speaks of an action which has been completed in the past with results continuing into the present. It’s different from the past tense which looks back to an event and says, “This happened.” The perfect tense adds the idea that “This happened and it is still in effect today.”

When Jesus cried out “It is finished,” He meant “It was finished in the past, it is still finished in the present and it will remain finished in the future.”

Finally on this Friday,

Jesus was placed in a strongly sealed and highly guarded tomb.

“The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29

"These six hours were no normal six hours. They were the most critical hours in history. For during those six hours on that Friday, God made it possible for you to know that: Your life is not futile. Your failures are not fatal. Your death is not final" `Max Lucado

Your face NEVER left the Mind or Heart of The Lamb of God.
and to this very moment.....still does not.

Tetelestai was for each you and me.

God, There are no words for the humility and gratitude I feel. I love you.

Humbled and grateful,

DCC

*post from 2008

Thursday of Holy Week...

1. In the evening, Jesus celebrates The Passover meal with his disciples. (He announces His Body and Blood as The New Covenant)

2. Late Thursday evening, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. (While His Disciples take a nap)

The word "Gethsemane" comes from two Hebrew words: Gat, which means "a place for pressing oil (or wine)" and Shemanim, which means "oils."

During Jesus' time, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher. Gradually, the slabs weight squeezed the olive oil out of the pulp, and the oil ran into a pit. There the oil was collected in clay jars.

The image of the Gethsemane on the slope of the Mount of Olives where Jesus went the night before his crucifixion provides a vivid picture of Jesus' suffering. The weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon him like a heavy slab of rock pressed down on olives in their baskets.
His sweat, "like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44) flowed from Him like olive oil as it was squeezed out and flowed into the pit of the olive press.

3. Sometime later Thursday night or Friday morning, He was arrested.
Peter denies Jesus three times and Jesus is questioned by Caiaphas the High Priest

"Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." -Jesus. (Luke 23:34)

God, Please forgive me.

In His Dust,

DCC

*Posted from 2008

Wednesday of Holy Week...

A recap of the week.....According to good Reverend Big Mike D....aka Mikey.

Me: Mikey, do you know the story of Easter?
Mikey: Yeth. Thith ith what happened... Sunday wath Palm Thunday.
Thursday was Palm Thursday.
Me: What?
Mikey: What!
Me: Then what?
Mikey: Friday....nuthin.
Me: really, Nothing on Friday?
Mikey: Right. Then on Thaturday...He got on a croth....
and hung there for three dathe.
Me: Can you believe He did that for us?
Mikey: No. I would not do that. Ever.
Me: Then what?
Mikey: Then He died. Then he busted out of the tomb and wath like, WHAT UP!?

Say what you will about Mikey's version of the week...He sure got the main point-
Jesus died for us.
Jesus rose for us.
Jesus is coming back again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now according to the Gospels on this day...

-Religious leaders probably continued plotting Jesus' death, and Judas agreed to betray him for thirty lousy pieces of silver.

I wonder...was He able to sleep at night? Was there a countdown in His head...did He keep asking what time it was? Did He have an appetite? Did He ever get frustrated, looking at the faces, He knew were about to betray Him?

It seems as if, He probably did what He always did...talked TO and ABOUT His Father.

His "face set like flint"towards Jerusalem- with your face in His Heart.

God, Thank You for what you endured for each of us. May we all be like children that know three facts- You died, You rose again, You are coming back.

In His Dust,

DCC

*last part posted in 2008

Tuesday of Holy Week...

1. Religious leaders questioned Jesus' authority,

but Jesus evades their trick questions and speaks the truth.

2. Jesus teaches in The Temple, telling parables and warning people

against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

3. Jesus predicts the destruction of The Temple and tells

His disciples about His future return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where did Jesus get His Authority? Great question...with an even more powerful answer-

But first, I have to share a little background info with you-
In Biblical times there were rabbis with authority and those without.

Rabbis with authority (aka Smikkah, Hebrew word for authority) got this authority, which was very rare, by two others with authority...

Jesus received His Authority from John the Baptist (1) and from God Himself (2). He said..."This is My Son...in Whom I am well pleased." This took place at His Baptism.

If a Rabbi had authority, He had "permission" to not only teach The Torah, but to interpret it as well. Matthew 7 records, "the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught them as One who had authority."

Which brings us back to the religious leader's question- Where did you get your authority?
The answer -His Daddy.
Which, come to think of it...is the same place we get our's.

The Rabbi, Jesus, is available to you, today.
Right now, at the Very Moment you are reading this.

God, Thank You.

In His Dust,
DCC

*Post from 2008

Monday of Holy Week...

What is going on in church this week???

Plenty! To understand, we will need to look back at what went on during this week so many years ago-
Jesus thoughts are not recorded during His last week. But according to the gospels, we do have some information about His actions during this time.
Scholars disagree over the specific days on which certain events took place,
but, to the best of my knowledge (along with alot of help from The Gospels and http:www.followtherabbi.com)

MONDAY

1.Jesus returns to The Temple
2.Jesus clears the Gentile courts of money changers and vendors
3.Jesus curses Fig Tree

I remember this day as the day Jesus got mad!

When Jesus "cleared the temple", it was not a fit of rage, like
I tend to have in back of a slow driver.
Jesus' anger was very deliberate.
Jesus did not sin in His Anger.

This is a foreign concept to me...anger without sin? I lost my cool just yesterday over some drivers who thought the speed limit on Broadway was 16 mph.

Jesus anger was righteous. He was furious because they were not only ripping off poor people...but were standing in the way of the Gentiles worshiping and knowing about His Father, God.

In my opinion..I think this is what pushed Him over the edge. Stopping people from worshiping His Father...or at the very least...learning more about Him.

Humbly today and this week..I will wonder...what does Jesus wants to clear out of my life...is it my lack of patience with drivers, (as I drive by with His Fish on the back of my Tahoe?) Or is it my attitude towards someone in my life, who I see as constantly trying to "diminish out my light." Maybe God is trying to clear out my impatience and my judgment of others- ouch.

What is He wanting to clear out of yours?

God, I'm sorry.

In His Dust,
DCC

*Post from 2008

Palm Sunday = Lamb Selection Day

Some things get lost in the translation- such as Palm Sunday.

This is the day Christians call “Palm Sunday.” However, it is much more. If you are familiar with the culture of Jesus' day, you will know it as Lamb Selection Day.
It was on this day The Lamb of God, born in the flocks of Bethlehem, who was sacrificed for all of our sins, entered the city. This would have been the same day the Passover lambs were being selected for each family group. (similar to how we go out and search for the perfect Christmas Tree.)
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet thousands of years before: “Say to the Daughter of Zion,‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna the highest!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The Jews would have seen a very obvious picture here- Jesus is proclaimed Messiah by the people, in doing so, they were selecting him as the Passover lamb to cover all the sins of the people for all time.
He was from the flocks of Bethlehem, as all lambs were required to be in that time. You see, early Christians understood this day (which we celebrate as Palm Sunday) as the day in which Jesus was selected to be our sacrifice.

So this Perfect Lamb waits again today....do you chose him? Thank You Jesus, for offering Yourself as the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins.
I choose You.

In His Dust,
DCC

*post is from Palm Sunday 2010

Rejoice and Weep...

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” Romans 12:15

If you want to measure how similar to Jesus you actually are....check your reaction when people succeed at something you are not able to do. Are you rejoicing for them...or are you secretly jealous?

OK, that one is fairly easy......but, how about your reaction if someone "gets what's coming to them."

Yeah....mine too.

J.B. Phillips says “Love does not gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live by the truth.”

Uh Oh.

God, Thank You for your patience.

In His Dust,
DCC

Viva Fiesta...

Fiesta began in 1891 as one-parade honored the heroes
from the Battle of San Jacinto & The Alamo

Today it has evolved to over 100 events celebrating the unique spirit of San Antonio.
Not to mention the economic impact of nearly $284 million dollars.
That's a whole lotta Cascarones....

Each and every event for 11 Days, is produced by a nonprofit organization.

Up to 3.5 million people attending the events
which include lots of princesses and giggles... Funny memories and messy floors...

And lots and lots of happy short people....

We have a royal celebration- a party with a purpose, if you will.
Keeping in mind the real royalty, is not here among us on stages with crowns and gowns...
but He is here. In the midst of merriment and tradition...of family and friends...

"On His Robe and on His Thigh He has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." ~Revelation 16:19

God, Thank you for traditions and friendships.

In His Dust,

DCC

Dog Gone It...

Unbelievable.

Lassie Swims Home....

Floating on by.....here he comes....alive and well....and wet....and wagging....in the middle of the sea. After a long three weeks...and a mean old Japanese tsunami.

Japanese Coast Guard found the dog on Friday.

Against all odds, the dog apparently survived by living in a partially submerged house that had been swept to sea. (Sure hope he got a break on the rent.)

What a great glimmer of hope.

This story reminds me....

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard,
so that we do not drift away." ~Hebrews 2:1

Drifting away happens to all of us....and when it does.....
God is waiting to pick us up...
and bring us to safety.

"Though he stumble, he will not fall, for The Lord upholds him with His Hand." ~Psalm 37:24

God, Thank You for offering Your Hand...at all times....no matter what.

In His Dust,
DCC

Where's Jesus...

I got a new app that the kids have been playing on my phone...

Fine, I may or may not have been playing as well...

Lots of familiar names and faces Jesus, Mary, Moses, David, The Lion, The Sheep, The Dove are all hiding in various places....

After many hours of playing this at the ball park the other day, Mikey asked me, "Shouldn't it be easier to find Jesus?" Me: "Ummmm....yes, yes it should and it is." Mikey: "Huh?" Me: "The object for anyone playing on my phone...is to learn to look for Him." Mikey: "Did you just make that up?" Me: "Yes, yes I did."

Where's Jesus in the picture of your life? I know that the picture might be crowded....hurried....scheduled.....chaotic.... Look around....Do you see someone? Anyone? Then you see...Him. He is right in front of your face.

God, Thank You for never hiding from any of us.

In His Dust, DCC