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Resurrection and Hope
Philip Jones • Apr 05, 2024
The Tham Luang cave rescue must have been a horrifying experience. In 2018, a youth soccer team went on a cave exploration and became stuck when heavy rainfall flooded the cave and blocked their exit. They were completely helpless and hopeless unless someone from the outside could save them. They were saved 18 days later, though two rescuers died.
This is similar to our own condition ever since Adam’s sin. We were hopeless to save ourselves as evidenced by Israel’s continued disobedience and failed leaders. Gentiles were no better, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). The cry of every person’s heart, whether they know it or not, is captured by the Apostle Paul’s cry in Romans 7:24, Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
We know the answer. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)
This is the hope of Easter. Someone from the outside, the very Son of God, came to our rescue. He faced sin and death, then rose victoriously from the grave. We now have a way out through Jesus.
We are living in a time of hope. Though Jesus won, we still experience the effects of sin. Our bodies break down. Evil still exists. Cancer strikes. Justice is missed. Creation trembles and shakes. We die.
Yet in all these things we have hope. Listen to the apostle Paul again: We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:23b-25).
Where do you need hope? Are you facing your own failing health or that of a loved one? Have you experienced a painful loss? Do you mourn for the suffering experienced by so many? Does the guilt of your own sin weigh you down?
Let the resurrection give you hope. Sin and death will not win. Because Jesus won, we can be certain that John’s vision in Revelation will happen. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)
Take hope, and pray with the Apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)
By Philip Jones
Philip and his wife Stacy have been attending Immanuel since 2015. They are blessed to be raising four kids. His passion in ministry is to help others follow Jesus through teaching, preaching, and personal discipleship.
When I was a kid, I didn’t like to sleep and wished I didn’t have to. I thought up a world wherein no one got tired or needed to sleep; everyone was just awake all the time. There was no nighttime, and instead, it was sunny all the time! The people in that world could work literally around the clock. Or, they could have fun all the time, constantly going hiking or traveling or hanging out with friends. I got stuck wondering how people would make plans. “I’ll see you tomorrow” just doesn’t work the same when there is no sunset, no evening, and no bedtime. While I don’t dislike sleeping the way I did when I was a kid, I’m still not a fan of resting. I prefer to be busy, and my mantra is “Work hard; play hard.” My need for rest is, in my opinion, one of the worst parts of being a human. Several years ago, I heard a sermon on Genesis 1 and 2. Genesis 2:1-3 says, Thus, the Heavens and the Earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, He rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating He had done. I had heard sermons about Jesus resting before. That made sense to me because Jesus was human, and humans need to rest. What struck me about the passage in Genesis was that God, who is NOT a human, chose to rest. It is important to note that the passage does not say that God needed to rest. In this passage, “rest” means He stopped creating. In a way, the last thing He created was the Sabbath, the holy day of rest, which is both a gift and invitation to us. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His. Maybe we secretly believe that everything will break down if we take a rest. When you find yourself thinking that, remember that even God rested, and nobody is more important for sustaining the world than He is. By Melissa Landon Schnell Melissa is an editor at Automation.com , a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, a cyclist, and a book lover. She lives in Lexington with her husband Daykin, dog Zoey, and cat Scooter.
This week week’s theme is “Don’t Judge by Appearance.” Recently I sat with my family, parents, and in-laws on a large outdoor lawn, next to a beautiful library and bell tower. We sat among a large gathering. Within that gathering was a special subset of people, wearing matching robes indicating the end of a difficult but rewarding journey. They were graduating from college. Despite the setting, impressive speakers on the platform, a grumpy and uncooperative bulldog mascot being carried around, and distinguished faculty nearby, the robed group in the front was the focus of the crowd. They were who we came to see. But our family’s focus was tighter still. Sure, we were happy for each graduate who walked across the stage. Our spirits rose for those recognized for completing a program specifically for students with special needs. We were especially excited for two young ladies who will forever have a special place in our hearts, because they were the devoted roommates and friends of the real star of the show - our daughter. Of course, if you had polled the crowd regarding who was the star, every single graduate would have received votes. But you know where I’m coming from when I say our daughter was the star of this show. God tasked Samuel with seeking out and anointing a different kind of star – a future king of Israel. God had narrowed the field to the sons of Jesse but didn’t tell Samuel which one. I don’t know why God didn’t simply say He had chosen David from among the sons of Jesse, but He didn’t. Maybe God wanted to teach Samuel, and us, an important lesson. After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these. Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” (1 Samuel 16:10-11 HCSB) Like us at graduation, Samuel had to watch a parade of minor characters until the real star arrived. Of course, God loved all the sons of Jesse, but He had a specific focus in this particular decision. …Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:12 HCSB) Do you ever feel overlooked when God blesses somebody else nearby? I would assume we all have at some point. But He did not leave any of us out of His story: But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8 HCSB) By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
This week week’s theme is “Don’t Judge by Appearance.” I am fascinated by space, planets, and stars, but a couple of enthusiasm levels short of those of you who own telescopes. If I hear that a meteor shower might be visible, I’ll dutifully go outside and look around, usually to no avail. Thanks to a heads up from a local TV weather personality I did once see two bright dots representing the international space station and space shuttle pass overhead. But two recent space-related phenomena were hard to miss. While not in the path of totality, our city recently witnessed a healthy dose of an eclipse (you might have heard about it). More recently we got an unexpected treat when a sun storm allowed people in unusual places to witness the aurora borealis (that’s the northern lights to us laymen). The northern lights were at first so subtle that I wasn’t sure I was seeing anything. The eclipse was the opposite. The sun is so powerful that, even when mostly obscured by the moon, we need special glasses to safely look at it. I wonder if God’s work in my life is like this. Sometimes it’s subtle and requires close attention to even notice it, but other times it’s so overwhelming that I can’t comprehend it without lenses like Bible study, prayer, and worship. When Samuel first saw Eliab, he thought he knew what he was looking at – a future king. But God had a different perspective: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7 HCSB) We should not judge God’s actions and love for us by whether we can see or understand them. Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For our ancestors won God’s approval by it. By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3 HCSB) Days may pass when I don’t think about the sun at all. I sometimes look out the west windows of my house and regret that I didn’t even notice a beautiful sunset until it was too late. But the sun will be right back. I just need to look in the right direction and be patient. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
This week week’s theme is “Don’t Judge by Appearance.” In my middle school, kids would regularly forget to bring their gym clothes to school. I don’t know how gym works now; it’s probably an app. I once forgot my gym clothes the day after a decree that henceforth, any kid who forgot his clothes had to sit in isolated timeout. Our timeout area was an upturned wooden scorer’s table in the corner of the gym. That day a kid named Steve and I got banished to folding chairs behind the scorer’s table. Probably because we were the first to receive the new punishment, the teacher forgot we were there. And there we sat while our classmates finished class, got dressed, and went to lunch without us. We knew the teacher would have wanted us to remind him we were back there, but in a passive aggressive ploy of tween revenge, we stayed quiet until the class returned. We got our “revenge” in the form of a private cafeteria lunch seating and a note explaining why we were late to our next class. We were proud of our scheming, but deep down it hurt that the teacher forgot all about us. When Samuel was seeking a future king, he saw Eliab and was impressed, but Eliab was quickly dismissed and forgotten. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 HCSB) The Lord rejected Eliab. And then he rejected Abinadab. And next it was Shammah’s turn: Then Jesse presented Shammah but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” (1 Samuel 16:9 HCSB) Similar results followed when Samuel saw other brothers, until finally he (and God) got to David. Rejection hurts, but the hard truth is that sometimes what we want is something God wants for somebody else. While this passage is mostly about the anointing of David as a future king, the following chapter mentions that Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah were with Saul on the battlefield. They got rejected for King, but they still had service to offer. Feeling overlooked? God hasn’t forgotten you. “For I know the plans I have for you” - this is the LORD’s declaration – “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12 HCSB) By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
This week week’s theme is “Don’t Judge by Appearance.” Thankfully we have mostly moved beyond the global pandemic, but for you younger readers I am here to tell you about a lesser outbreak that we endured in the 1990’s. I am talking about the scourge of the “magic eye” poster. For those who don’t remember, magic eye posters look like a very dense collage of random colors, but if you stare through them and try to focus your eyes just behind the surface (or just in front of the surface depending on who you ask – people would have passionate conversations discussing their specific magic eye process), an image will appear. You couldn’t go anywhere without encountering little clusters of people oohing and aahing over some poster. It was kind of like a pre-smart phone way of looking at a popular meme except you had to fight for it. People really got into it. Except me. To this day I have never seen an image in a magic eye poster. For all I know you people are just playing an extended, elaborate prank on me. I could pretend like it was no big deal to me, but the facts say otherwise. My underlying disappointment was revealed fifteen years later when an optometrist told me that my eyes had slightly different focal distances, and my very first question was, “Is that why I can’t do a magic eye poster?” What we can see depends on our eyes, but also our perspective. Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:11-12 HCSB) David was healthy and his eyes were beautiful; he probably would have been great at magic eye posters. But this story is not about what David could see, but about what Samuel could see in David when he looked at him through God’s perspective. I’m just going to have to trust all of you who tell me there are neat pictures in those frustrating posters. And when I find myself in difficult circumstances and struggle to see God in them, I’ll just have to trust Him when He says He’ll never leave me nor forsake me. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
This week week’s theme is “Don’t Judge by Appearance.” The television show Mad Men ended about nine years ago as of this writing. The setting is the world of 1960’s advertising. I like the show and believe it is very well-written and well-performed. Before you add it to your watch list, let me caution you that it is not a family-friendly show. Mad Men centers on a talented, charismatic, impulsive, and amoral man who happens to be good at advertising. Part of the fun of the show is watching creative teams develop advertising campaigns for 1960’s products (e.g. floor wax and photo slide carousels). One of my favorite scenes is when a prospective client is distressed by how his product is perceived by the public but is reluctant to change his campaign. The ad man says that change “can be greeted with terror or joy. A tantrum that says I want it the way it was, or a dance that says look, something new.” This was in the context of trying to influence public opinion. He went on to say, “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.” While this advice was given in the context of public relations, we can learn something from it. Do you ever feel like you and God have been having the same conversation forever? To be clear, this doesn’t mean that conversation is wrong or that you should stop. But if it feels stale, maybe it’s time to change the conversation. God told Samuel it was time to change the conversation. The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” (1 Samuel 16:1 HCSB) My understanding is that hollow animal horns were used to store anointing oil. God was asking Samuel to embark on a journey to anoint something, or in this case someone, new. My untrained theological read on this is that God wasn’t telling Samuel that it was wrong to mourn Saul, but that it was time to acknowledge that God had decided, and Samuel needed to accept it. We will all struggle to get over something life-altering that didn’t go the way we wanted. Such events are part of all our stories, and we for sure should lean on God to get through them. But maybe He’s saying it’s time to change the conversation, fill our horns with oil, and go. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
The Holy Spirit can speak to us at the most unexpected times and in the strangest ways. Recently, this happened while cleaning my shower floor. (I can explain.) If you’re anything like me, you enjoy having a clean and tidy home, but some weeks are crazier than others, causing us to put off some of the regular cleaning tasks. Whatever the reason (or excuse!), we may find ourselves lowering our expectations, perfectly content with things being “clean enough.” Evidently, I had allowed this to happen with my shower. However, the problem with my “clean enough” shower became evident last week when I turned on an overhead light that I seldom use. What I thought was a mostly clean and tidy shower was, in fact, quite a mess of soap scum and water stains! Embarrassed, I immediately got out my scrubber and went to work. At that moment, the Lord reminded me of a spiritual truth. What looks “clean enough” in the dim light of our understanding is exposed for what it truly is in the light of His holiness! We may feel that, compared to most, our lives look pretty tidy. We can often be content with our appearance of godliness when, in actuality, our hearts are far from Him. The Bible tells us, We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6a NLT). The truth is there is nothing we can do in our power and might to make ourselves “clean enough” before a holy and righteous God—but there is good news! When we trust in what Christ has done for us, we are gifted His righteousness and have the hope of eternal life. In Titus 3:5-7 we read that he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Through Christ, our gracious, loving, and merciful Father has made a way for us to be clean and brought near to Him—praise be to God! So, let’s shine brightly for Him in a lost and broken world that desperately needs to know this good news! By Jessica Fox Jessica is an early childhood teacher and pastor’s wife. She and Travis have been married for 23 years and attend IBC at Armstrong Mill with their children, Kaleb, Journey, and Sadie.
This week we’re looking at a chapter in the Book of Ruth. The building where I attended middle school was recently demolished. I happened to drive by it on a visit to my hometown and seeing it (or the remaining parts of it) one last time generated a flood of memories. Going to middle school was a big deal to me, perhaps because I had an elementary school teacher who made a big deal of the transition to get us prepared. Going into sixth grade I attended an open house with my parents. While students toured the building in groups, the principal spoke to the parents. Later my dad told me that the principal gave parents some advice about paying close attention to your child’s friends because of how big an influence they would be during this crucial stage of development. That I still remember this conversation over forty years later speaks to the impact it had on me. Fortunately for me, the crowd I fell in with was a group of good-natured doofuses which, if we’re being honest about middle school boys, was a win. Friends are going to be influential in our lives, so it’s important to find some who will do so in a positive way. In Ruth chapter four we get a glimpse into Naomi’s friend circle, and my conclusion is that they were a solid group… Then the women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel.” (Ruth 4:14 HCSB) It would have been nice for these friends to show up and simply be supportive and celebrate this good news, but they did more than that. They praised the Lord for the baby. The same Lord about whom Naomi had said this: “….No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” (Ruth 1:13 HCSB) Do you have any friends who are prone to bitterness and complaining? Sometimes we wallow in disappointment to seek attention and sympathy, like how pigs wallow in mud to seek relief from the heat. If we’re not careful we can get enough layers of disappointment caked on that we’re barely recognizable. In the book of Ruth there is a lot we can learn from the named central figures, but these unnamed women have a lesson for us too. If the tiniest of lights can transform a dark place, just maybe a small encouragement can sweeten a bitter attitude. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
This week we’re looking at a chapter in the Book of Ruth. At the end of the book of Ruth we learn that Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, which means “servant.” It is fitting that in the genealogy of Jesus, the greatest Servant of all, was a man whose name meant “servant.” I got all excited about how surely if Obed means “servant” that Obed must be part of the same word origin as “obedience.” Except the closest the internet could get me to that connection was that the Hebrew word for servant is “ebed.” Ebed is close to Obed but I could not figure out for sure that they are related. So, let’s just say that that the name Obed reminds me of our word “obedience.” (This is the beauty of being a devotion writer as opposed to a theology student.) If we are to live as servants of God (and for God), we must be obedient to the things He calls us to do. The book of Ruth gives us plenty of examples of people serving others. Consider these… Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, relocated his family to save them from a famine. The widowed Naomi released her widowed daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to go back to their own mothers to start new lives. Orpah and Ruth both initially declined the offer, but Naomi insisted they go. Orpah gave in and returned home, but Ruth would not leave her. (As an aside, I find it interesting to ponder that maybe Orpah wanted to go as much as Ruth but served Naomi differently by following Naomi’s wishes.) After Ruth refused to leave, Naomi honored her decision. Boaz was faithful to tradition/honor by giving the rightful first-in-line the option to buy Elimelech’s land. At the very end of chapter four, an unnamed group of women encouraged Naomi about what Obed would mean for her. As Christmas quickly approaches, we’re going to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about the gifts we’re giving to others. Giving is a form of serving others, and the foundation of serving others is this: He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39 HCSB) Who am I serving? To whom am I being obedient? By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey .
This week we’re looking at a chapter in the Book of Ruth. I disagreed with how something was done recently at our church. Don’t get nervous - I’m NOT going to say anything controversial. This thing I didn’t like was a very small thing. It was just one of those little things that made me say, “Huh. That’s not how I would have done that.” And then I moved on and everything was fine. No big deal. Except. Except that evening my wife told me a story about somebody who had been deeply impacted by something at church that morning. And yes, of course it was the little thing I didn’t like that had been so meaningful to them. Sometimes what we want isn’t the best for somebody else, or what goes poorly can turn in a positive direction. Naomi and her family had to relocate due to a famine. Then her husband died. Then both her sons died. Here is an example of her mental state when encouraging her daughters-in-law to leave her and return to their families: “…No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” (Ruth 1:13 HCSB) Now let’s skip to the end of the story, after Ruth refused to leave her, remarried, and had Naomi’s grandson, about whom this was said: “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him. (Ruth 4:15-16 HCSB) I would like to know what Naomi said after placing her infant grandson on her lap. I am guessing it was not about how bitter her life was. Not every problem is going to have a happily-ever-after ending. I am confident that Naomi still grieved the loss of her husband and sons alongside her newfound joy. But during times of suffering or disappointment, we should remember that the God who watched over Naomi is watching over us. Something we don’t want might be God’s way of revealing something unexpected to us or reaching somebody else. A difficult time can lead to a time to rejoice. And some things we will simply not understand. But we’re not alone. “…And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 HCSB) By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.
