Tag: Rev. Dr. Ken Crawford

Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened.   
Luke 24:1-9 NLT

 

 

 

“Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

The last part of Isaiah contains what are often called the Servant Songs. Jesus claims several of these songs for his self-identity. The early church claimed several others, quoting them to define Jesus’ ministry and understanding them as prophecies of his coming. Not only were these words of prophecy inspired by God’s Spirit, but the Spirit also empowered Jesus as God’s servant to bring justice and display God’s mercy. The work of Jesus is rooted in the work of God’s Spirit in prophecy that foretells his coming, in his conception, at his baptism, at the start of his ministry, in the words he spoke, in the joy he experienced, through the power that raised him from the dead, and the gift he poured out when we came to him in conversion. The ministry of Jesus is so tied to Jesus and his work for us, that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another comforter,” like Jesus himself that Jesus would send when he returned to the Father. The work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are joined inextricably in God’s dance of grace that brings us life, hope, and justice!

O Father,
how can I ever fully grasp
the gift of the Spirit
dwelling in me?
I realize that the Spirit
is a bond that I share
with Jesus himself,
the power of the Lord’s
presence in my life.
Thank you for this grace, Father,
thank you for this gift, Lord Jesus,
and thank you for
your abiding presence, O Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name I thank you!
Amen.

… While we wait for the blessed hope —
the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us
to redeem us from all wickedness
and to purify for himself
a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:13-14 NIV

Some of the most basic and forward looking statements about Jesus are made in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters are devoted to help pastor and mature churches in difficult places. They are incredibly practical, but also are rooted in the work of Jesus, his divinity, and his faithfulness. We are waiting for the Faithful One! We trust that he will come for us because of what he sacrificed to redeem us. While we wait, we honor his mission by being a people eager to do what is good, showing in our lives that he is our Lord.

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
“But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand
of the Mighty One and
coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:64 NIV

O God,
I find myself waiting for Jesus.
Because he is coming for me,
I know my life has direction
and meaning even
on those days that are long,
hard, and seemingly fruitless.
Fire my heart to wait longingly
for Jesus’ glorious appearing
and stir my desires
to only want
what is good and holy.
I want to see you!
But, dear Lord,
I also long to be like you!
In the glorious name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.

 

Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
Proverbs 20:22 (NIV)

Revenge is Satan’s way of destroying both the innocent and the offender. Once vengeance becomes the motivation, the wounded party can suddenly be swept up in rage and hatred. This poison spreads to everything the vengeful person touches. On earth, we can see that we will never find perfect and complete justice, no matter the “goodness” of the judicial system in place at the time. But God will not only bring justice; he will deliver us: deliver us from the hands of the oppressor and deliver us from the poison of hatred.

Forgiving Lord,
God of all justice and steadfast love,
I ask you to be at work in the
justice system of my land.
Make it more equitable and true.
Expose those who buy and sell
justice and remove them from power.
Deal with the violent and
the oppressor with your hand.
Please Lord,
by the power of your Spirit,
stir me to forgive others
and to wait on your justice.
Guard me from the poison
of an unforgiving and vengeful heart.
May my attitude, behavior,
and response to those who wrong me
help lead them to know
your Son as their Savior.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch.

The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do you have that palm branch, dad?”

“You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today.”

The little boy replied, ” Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!”

Find a church near you to attend this week.
You would not want to miss out on the Good News!

Make every effort to keep the unity
of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to one hope
when you were called.
Ephesians 4:3-4

Make every effort! Why is this effort so necessary? Well, there are many reasons, but the one that the Holy Spirit points us to in this passage is this: we all share in the same Holy Spirit, who is spiritual DNA that connects us together. The Holy Spirit is at work to create the unity and harmony necessary to help us function together as the bodily presence of Jesus in our world. For that to happen, there needs to be a unity that includes peace. A body can’t function when it attacks itself or won’t communicate between its different parts. So we must all, individually and collectively, “make every effort” to preserve what the Holy Spirit has built and is working to hold together. To do less is to rebel against the work of God!

Father, thank you for
brothers and sisters in the Spirit
who are as close,
and sometimes closer,
than blood relatives.
Please work on my heart
to value the unity the Spirit
has established and to work hard
to keep that unity so that
we may display the character
and compassion of Jesus
to those around us.
In Jesus’ holy name,
I ask for this grace.
Amen.

Beyond all question,
the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Why would Jesus do it? How did he do it? How was he “God with us” and still in “human flesh”? We cannot fully comprehend it, but he was! The Son of God was also Jesus of Nazareth, born and placed in a manger and crucified on a cross. But he was raised from the dead and shown to be God’s Son with power. He was seen by angels, both on earth after his resurrection and in heaven at the throne of God. He has been preached and believed on by people all over the world. The glory that he has he will one day show and share with us. Understanding godliness begins with Jesus!

Holy and marvelous God,
your plan to redeem and
save a sinner like me,
along with those like me
all around the world,
is incredible.
Your love that led you
to such sacrifice is
beyond comprehension.
I thank you for this
overwhelming grace.
I ask you to forgive
me of my sins.
Please empower me
with your Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead
so the mystery of your godliness
may be seen in my life today,
in my family,
among my friends,
before my co-workers,
by those with whom I encounter,
and especially in the
presence of my enemies.
In Jesus’ mighty name I pray.
Amen.

My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
Psalm 71:8 (NIV)

Our mouths can be physically filled with wholesome food or junk food. We can also choose for our mouths to be filled with praise for God and his loving grace or our mouths can spew garbage. Our daily conversations can be about many things and speak to many different people about many different subjects. Or… we can choose to declare the greatness, majesty, and splendor of our heavenly Father all during our day. Why don’t we choose to praise God with our mouths and tell him of his greatness and let others know of his grace as we go about today’s activities?

Holy and marvelous Father,
you are God of all creation
and also God of all grace.
Thank you for your kindness
shared with me in Jesus.
Thank you for your powerful
victory over death when you
raised him from the dead.
Thank you for your patience
with me as I sometimes stumble,
but am always desiring to more
perfectly reflect the character of Jesus.
Please help me, O Lord,
to profess and to show my
love and admiration for you
all during this day. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.