Jesus Came

by Tim Howard

Have you ever met someone who changed your life for the good? Someone, you can point to who made you a better person? Every individual I’ve had the privilege of knowing has impacted me on some level but there’s a handful of people who have influenced me greatly and are a part of my foundation. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t met them.  My wife is one of them… Because of her I have changed for the good and am a better man. Jesus, however, has altered the course of my life and profoundly changed me in ways I find extremely difficult to convey. I would be nothing if He had not come!

Jesus came to change people and it’s not because He doesn’t like who we are! He’s not mad, uptight or dissatisfied with us. It’s not because He finds us unappealing or distasteful but because He loves us. After all, we are created in His image. He loves us enough to accept us on the basis of who we have become, but loves us too much to leave us in our current condition.

When God created the world, everything was good. You can read about in Genesis chapter 1 and 2. We were designed in His image with the objective of having open communion with Him on a personal basis. Mankind, however, decided to rebel. From the beginning of time to present, people have wanted what they want, when they want it and how they want it. They have tried to make God into their image rather than accepting the truth. We are created in His image.

That rebellious streak has played havoc in relationships and created a breach in our communion with God. You cannot be self-centered, self-willed and selfish without causing damage. Relationship of all sorts will suffer. We were designed for good but damaged by evil.

We are all broken! We are all damaged! There is not one of us who has it all together. That’s why Jesus came! He came to help and to return us to our original status. Under all the damage and debris, there is an original you, who Jesus wants to restore.

This weekend Christians all over the world are remembering the crucifixion and celebrating His resurrection.

 As we celebrate this Easter season, God wants to give all of us a divine perspective and help us see from His vantage point.  Those who are receptive will see more than a man dying on a cross and hear stories about His resurrection. They will see a Savior who lived among us, died for us and walks with us to help us live life to it’s fullest. 

The Apostle John puts it this way: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. That’s Good News!

A Divine Perspective

by Tim Howard 

In two weeks Christians everywhere and Churches throughout the world will remember the crucifixion of Christ and on Sunday, April 1 they will celebrate His resurrection – And that’s not an April fools joke! Some may describe that era as the best of times and the worst of times while others may say it was the turning point in human history.  One thing is certain, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has caused centuries of controversy and a multitude of change.

When Jesus was crucified, He was put in a tomb. But when some women came to the tomb – The stone was rolled away! According to Luke 2:26 they were told: “He is not here, but has risen.”

Dying is not something people enjoy thinking or talking about.  When death comes knocking on a person’s door, he or she is more apt to resist it with tremendous vigor or deny it altogether – rather than openly embrace it with hope.  Even the Apostle Peter when Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be crucified – He vehemently refused to accept the truth.  We are told that he actually took Jesus aside and rebuked Him.  He emphatically declared: “this will NEVER happen to you!”

From a passage in Matthew 16, we discover that Peter didn’t fully understand the significance of Christ’s death and only viewed things from a human point of view. Peter focused on the pain, sorrow, hurt, misery and injustice, but he didn’t see Christ’s death from God’s vantage point. There is, however, a divine perspective!

God sees His Son’s death and resurrection as the beginning of something new and not the end of something old. It marks the end of religious duty and opens the door for authentic relationship with God. Death doesn’t have to be the last step on earth but can be the first step into eternity with God if you put your faith in His Son.  There is a future hope beyond this earthly life and the resurrection of Jesus is God’s gracious evidence to all of us.  It assures us that God turned the sting of death around and what once produced fear is now conquered by faith.

 The Life of Christ was full of teachings, miracles, words of encouragement and personal ministry, but His death was the ultimate statement of God’s love.  The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son to die on a cross for our sins.  Anyone who believes in Him will not only experience forgiveness from their sin but will receive an eternal inheritance as well. He loves all mankind and has a desire to relate to each and every individual. No one is exempt from His touch unless they reject Him.

As you celebrate the Easter season, God wants to give you a divine perspective and help you see from his vantage point.  Those who are receptive will see more than a man dying on a cross and listen to stories about His resurrection.

They will see a Savior who lived among us, died for us and walks with us to help us live life to it’s fullest. 

You Are Invited!

by Tim Howard

As I re-read the life of Christ this past week several things caught my attention. One of the interesting facts I underscored had to do with the way Jesus interacted with people. Even during His last week of life, before the crucifixion and resurrection, He never demanded anything from His followers nor did He seek to control their lives in a dictatorial way. In one of His darkest moments while in Gethsemane, He didn’t demand that His disciples stand alongside Him but merely asked them to join Him in prayer. No pressure, no pushiness and no strong-armed tactics. He simply gave an invitation.

In the early days of Jesus’ ministry He approached people and invited them to become His partners. He said in Matthew 4:19: “ … Follow Me, and I will make you into a fisher of men.” His promise to them had to do with transformation. If you follow me, I will make you, shape you and show you how to become a person who develops meaningful and lasting relationships.

Jesus is a different type of leader. He doesn’t merely talk about doing something but actually shows a follower how to walk and how to live a fruitful life. While many today wax eloquent in mere rhetoric and pontificate specific dogma that sways people, Jesus practiced a ‘Show and Tell’ mentality.

On that Friday when He was crucified He showed His love for us and on Sunday when He arose from the grave – He showed His power. Today Jesus tells us that there is power available to all who believe in Him.

Rom. 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. NIV

I am a follower of Christ because I accepted His invitation over 55 years ago. The road isn’t always easy for those who accept the invitation to follow Him because sometimes Christ leads those who choose to follow through darkness and difficulty. At other times He leads them into the unknown where uncertainty flourishes.

Regardless of the path, however, Barren or Fruitful – Dark or Bright – Mountain or Valley, God is using all things to shape, make, mold and prepare us for the destiny He has designed for us.

The invitation doesn’t promise a road paved with roses. Nor does it assure a life of ease but it does promise resurrection life and no one is exempt. All are invited.

Matthew 11:29-30, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep Company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." MSG

Celebrate!

by Tim Howard

Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because of Him – people are able to experience freedom, joy, peace, love and a future hope. He provides the power for people to live and is the foundation and focus of the Christian faith!  That’s a reason to celebrate this weekend!

The death and resurrection of Christ not only changed our calendar from B.C. to A.D. but also has the power to change your past, your present and you destiny – when you put your faith in Christ.

The Apostle Paul had a tremendous desire to experience the power of the resurrection and said: “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Phil. 3:10-11 NLT

Resurrection is the Power to cancel your past sins and failures. Paul in his letter to the Colossian people said that Jesus has “forgiven all our sins… and canceled every record of the debt we owe.” Christ did this through His death on the cross for those who would repent and turn to Him.

Resurrection is the Power to conquer your present problems and the challenges you face. We are told in the book of Romans that nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ. Since He is for us and not against us – we are more than conquerors. Check out Romans 8:35 & 37

Resurrection is the Power to change your identity and destiny. "When someone becomes a Christian he or she becomes a new person inside.  He or she is not the same anymore. A new life has begun." 2 Cor. 5:17 (LB)

Resurrection is the Power that reveals a God who is alive and actively involved in the universe. Across the world this weekend tens of thousands of people will remember and rejoice in a God who Was, Is and Will Be – He is Alive!

Today God wants everyone to experience the power of his resurrection and I have been praying for that to happen in those who live in Kings County – Our country  and the world at large.

I am a follower of Christ because I accepted His invitation over 60 years ago and began my journey back then. That being said, I have leaned that resurrection power doesn’t remove all difficulties and obstacles.

For every Sunday of rejoicing, there is a Friday of sorrow – Just like it was for Jesus. But for those who put their confidence in Jesus and rely upon Him for their daily existence – their Friday will succumb to His Sunday.

Pass The Chocolate

by Andrew Cromwell

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. A quick check of the Sunday ads or a run through your local department store will remind you of the fact. Virtually any calendar pronounces that April 5, 2015 is Easter.

But what is Easter, exactly? If you were a visitor from another planet who was unfamiliar with our traditions and was charged with studying the major holidays of the people of planet Earth, what would you conclude?

A study of the ads and stores might lead you to believe that the people of this planet believe in a mythical creature called the Easter bunny. This gigantic rabbit apparently loves pastel colors and promotes the purchase of new sets of clothing in said colors. He is further honored by the curious practice of painting white eggs in shades of pink, green, blue and yellow.  But it doesn’t stop there. People also buy massive amounts of chocolate and other sugary sweet objects and pack these candies into hollow plastic eggs. They then take these little balls of sugar and spread them around their yards. Next, they dress their children up in their new clothes, shove a plastic basket in their hand and engage their children in a kind of contest where the children collect as many of these colorful orbs as possible. The adults then watch as the children gorge themselves with the candy until their eyes roll back in their heads and their brains go into a overload involving many tears and stomach aches.

Perhaps that description of Easter is not too far off from the way many people celebrate the holiday (excepting of course that the adults are sneaking at least as much candy as they actually load into the eggs). There is little doubt that insofar as retail is concerned, Easter is simply another holiday that presents an opportunity to market and sell something to a willing general public.

But this version of Easter misses the mark. While there is nothing wrong with new clothes and coloring eggs, and certainly nothing wrong with consuming mass amounts of chocolate covered peanut butter, we are remiss if we fail to look deeper at the reason for this holiday.

Easter is marked on our calendar because it is the holiday that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As such it is a uniquely Christian holiday. As a matter of fact, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then not only would there not be a reason for Easter, there would not be a reason for Christianity altogether.

In all of human history, there is only one person who predicted their own death and resurrection and then actually followed through. This is the central claim of the Christian faith. Whatever other objections you might have to Christianity—Christians are jerks, church is boring, the Bible doesn’t make sense, etc.—you have to first and foremost wrestle with Jesus coming back to life after being dead for three days. The fact is there is a lot of evidence for this historical event.

Have you really wrestled with Easter? Have you investigated the claims that Christ made about Himself? Or is Easter to you still just a day of cute white bunnies and peeps?

What To Do During Lent

by Andrew Cromwell


Last week, on Feb. 2nd, the official Lent season began. It has become more and more popular to “give something up” for Lent, but many people are still unfamiliar with what exactly it is.


The Christian church began to recognize a special time of preparation leading up to Easter Sunday not long after Jesus was resurrected. Because Easter is the day we celebrate the greatest miracle in history — Christ raising from the dead — people began setting aside a few days to prepare themselves for worship on that day. By around 300 AD, that few days had turned into a 40-day season of fasting and prayer.


The period of 40 days is a very significant one in the Bible. A few examples include when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, when the rains fell during Noah’s flood for 40 days and when the disciples waited for 40 days for the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, but there are many, many more. The number 40 in the Bible is always used to designate a time of preparation or cleansing followed by a new season.  


So Lent is supposed to be a period of 40 days that is set aside for preparation for a renewed season of God’s visitation. It really is a shame that for many, the Lent season is merely the excuse for Mardi Gras. The whole idea with Mardi Gras is that you are sinning as much as you can before you clean up and get right with God during Lent. But this misses the whole point.


Lent is an opportunity to consciously set aside a period of time in dedication to God. While it certainly is possible — and advisable — to do this at any time during the year, there really is something powerful about knowing that many millions of people are doing the same thing all across the world during Lent.


What should you do? Many are fasting regularly and taking the time that they would have normally taken to eat, to instead seek God in prayer. This is a wonderful practice because we are exercising self-control over our body while reminding ourselves that God is our true source of sustenance. Others are restricting their intake of media and entertainment, because these things have frequently become such a distraction that we neglect our relationship with God and even with our families. The point is to restrict yourself in an area for the purpose of training yourself to be more like Christ (see 1 Timothy 4:7).  


There are many wonderful daily prayer guides available during this season, but one recommendation is the excellent “Seek God for the City.” We have copies available through our office or you can visit www.waymakers.org or even download their app for your smartphone.


So what are you doing for Lent? Maybe nothing yet, but I would encourage you to start today. Remember, the whole point is to get closer to God, so don’t make the mistake of just starving yourself and not seeking him.