Return of the Rooster and the Resurrected Jesus

The hay ride for Sam was not the only surprise I had late Friday afternoon. (Very Surprising Day) After we returned to the barn, I had the biggest surprise of all. 

A rooster was crowing in the chicken coop.

As you may remember, a hawk killed all of my roosters. (Over in An Instant) I found two big piles of feathers, both matching my missing roosters. There was a third pile of feathers that wasn't as big, but big enough to suggest a fatality. 

No roosters + big piles of feathers = dead roosters.

I counted the chickens Thursday night. Seven hens. No roosters. When I wrote about the missing roosters, there were still seven hens. No roosters.

Friday afternoon, I went to investigate the crowing. There, in all his glory, was the rooster that had hatched from an egg in my barn. (RIP Fred and Ricky) 

Once known as Rooster, his new name is Lazarus.

I don't know where he was when I was counting, but he is definitely in the coop now. Maybe he was hiding in fear of the hawk. Maybe he was sulking in the corner. Regardless, he's back, and I am the most surprised of all about it.

I renamed him in honor of Mary and Martha' brother, Lazarus, who was Jesus' friend. You probably remember this story. (Here's the Leanna Paraphrase)

Lazarus was sick, and his sisters were distraught. They knew he was about to die, so they sent for Jesus. 

"Come quick," they said. He was sad about His sick friend, but Jesus didn't come quick. 

Lazarus died. 

What no one knew was that Jesus didn't come quick because He had a wonderful surprise. 

When He arrived at their house, everyone was wailing and crying. They were all mad at Jesus. 

"Where were you when we needed you?" They didn't even want to talk to Him. 

That didn't bother Jesus. He knew about the surprise. He walked over to the tomb where his dead friend had been buried for days. 

"Come on out, Lazarus," Jesus called.

The people probably looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Yeah, right." 

All of a sudden, a mummy came stumbling out of the tomb. 

"It's Lazarus!" It wasn't a mummy after all. He was just wrapped up in grave clothes and couldn't get out. The people raced to him, unrolled him from the burial wrappings, and celebrated! 

Lazarus was alive! 

There were probably many reasons Jesus waited to spring His big surprise on Martha and Mary (and Lazarus), but I think he had one main reason.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He knew He would be crucified, buried, and rise again. He knew the resurrection would be hard to believe. 

If His followers had seen someone rise from the dead before, though, it might be easier. Jesus knew that the great joy of Lazarus' return from the dead would make up for the few days of grief his sisters had endured. So He did it. He waited until Lazarus was dead, raised him, and imbedded a memory in the minds of His followers. 

When they heard that Jesus had died, they wouldn't panic. They could remember Lazarus and hope. When they heard that Jesus had risen, they wouldn't be skeptical. They'd remember Lazarus and think, "Oh, yeah. I've seen Him do that before." It would help them believe. It would blunt their grief. It would ease their confusion.

He did it because He loved His friends and followers, and He knew His death would be hard. It was a complicated technique, but Jesus eased their pain, in advance, the best way possible. By showing them it was possible.

I saw that rooster (who didn't get raised from the dead, but was just hidden) and thought about Jesus. He showed us that He was able to do what must be done. He conquered sin and death, and He is still in the conquering, cleansing business.

Jesus has gotten lots of bad press in recent years, but He's still as nice, as victorious, as powerful as ever. 

The One who raised Lazarus from the grave can still change the course of a bungled life. 

He can still bring joy from sorrow. 

He can still bring victory from defeat. 

He can still handle problems and concerns as big as yours and mine.

Today, let's take our eyes off the worries of life and put them on the One who can handle it all. 

Cry out to Him for He is able.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die..." John 11:25-26 nasb

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P.S. - I had another surprise. My friend, Pat, has found me a new, young Americauna rooster! I'm about to have a very excellent addition to my chicken coop. Two good things have come from my one big sorrow. Thank You, Jesus and Your helper, Pat. 

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If you missed the stories the last two days, the links are embedded in the text. Just click on them.

#resurrection #Jesus #roosters #surprise #linesfromleanna

Sam the Snake Handler and the Big Adventure

"You want me to kill him?" Sam stood at the bottom of the stairs, and hollered up into the screen porch.

I was hard at work on Hosea, as I moved between multiple commentaries and my Bible, and typed as fast as I could. It took a few seconds to realize he was talking.

"Kill what?"

Kill this snake that's trying to get in your house."

"SNAKE?!!" 

"Shor' nuff. They's a snake down here climbing up this wall." 

I was out the door in an instant. Sam was right. A snake had started up a low brick wall on his way to terrorize me on the screen porch.

"Kill it." I was not as calm as these two words might imply.

"Well give me a stick and I'll whack it in the head."

I would much rather Sam kill a snake than for me to do it myself, so I handed him a 1"x 2" x 24" piece of wood I'd been saving for a craft project. He whacked away at the brick wall, but never managed to hit the snake. 

"Sam, you're missing the snake." I had forgotten about his very poor vision. He sees everything double, and he couldn't tell which snake was the real snake.

"Hang on. I'm bound to hit it in a minute." He pounded away, but missed every time.

"That's snake gonna bite you. I'll just shoot it."

I ran for the rifle, slammed the clip in place, and prepared to take aim. 

By this time, Sam was determined to kill the snake for me, so he gave another whack. He missed the snake again.

That was the final straw for the snake. He slithered off the wall and under my truck. It was truly amazing how fast a creature without legs could move. I was momentarily in awe. But then I remembered he was a snake trying to get in my house, and his legless running wasn't quite so awesome, after all.

"Back your truck up. That snake's done gone under it," Sam ordered me.

Just so you know, I was in a sun dress and flip flops. I was not at all interested in getting my bare toes near that snake, (which I would have to do when I got in the truck) but I ran for the keys. 

When I got back, the snake was no where to be found. "You chased it off, Sam."

"No, I didn't. That snake has crawled up in your wheel."

"No, it didn't." 

"Yep. It did."

I looked, from a distance, but didn't see the snake. Since Sam's vision is terrible, I didn't believe he could see inside my wheel, but he could. 

This might not have been the smartest move I've ever made, but I took a stick and poked around inside my wheel. The stick hit something soft and mushy and my stomach lurched. I had found the snake.

I made the snake mad with my poking, but he was determined to stay where he was, so I called The Hired Hand. I'd forgotten he was at the doctor's office with his daddy and couldn't come. 

"Just drive around the countryside for a while and you'll fling the snake right out."

That seemed like a reasonable idea, so I climbed in the truck and started backing up. I had a clear vision in my mind of driving down County Road 278 at 45 mph as the snake flew out of my wheel. Dogs and people would be so surprised to see the flying snake, and I would be free of him. 

I was so happy with my new plan.

I backed up as far as the cattle gap, but stopped when I heard Sam holler. "You've flung him out." 

That was not the plan. I slammed my brakes on and got out.

By this time, Sam had managed to step on the snake. There are a lot of things that would have been a good idea at this point, but what Sam did next was not one of them. He picked up the snake. In Sam's defense, he picked it up behind the head, but he thought he could squeeze the snake with his bare hand and choke it to death.

I was yelling, "Put it down, Sam. Let me shoot it."

"No. I've got it now." 

The choking plan did not work. Partly because Sam was laughing so hard at me. 

When he finally decided to put the snake down, he did another thing didn't seem too smart to me. He put his foot on the snake's tail, but left his head free to do all manner of snakey things.

At this point, the snake was furious. He got away from Sam for what might have just been a few seconds but seemed much longer. Since I was the one who had flung him out of the wheel, he came after me, sticking that snakey tongue out as he ran (if running is what you do with no legs). 

I did what everyone should do when a snake starts after them. I screamed and ran. 

You may not believe this, but it is true. As I was running, I thought, this is what we all should do when that serpent, the devil, starts coming after us with temptation. And it is. There's no need to stand around and let a snake bite you, and there's no need to stand around and let temptation overcome you. Flee.

Paul's instructions to Timothy came into my mind. "Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness." (2 Timothy 2:22) I hoped all the Hosea people figure this out while they're studying, so I sent up a little prayer for them, because I didn't have time to send a big one. (This all happened very fast.) 

"I got him." Sam laughed harder than I'd seen him laugh in a long time. He had stepped on the snake's tail again.

He had the snake in a manner of speaking, but the snake was now determined to have Sam. That snake struck at Sam's boot like crazy. Sam was so tickled, all he could do was laugh. Then, the snake struck at Sam's skinny jean-covered leg but he couldn't get his teeth through the denim. 

I thanked God for that, and stepped closer to warn Sam, but the snake turned and started striking at me. He'd have bit me, too, if I hadn't screamed and run. 

Sam was laughing so hard, he had tears in his eyes. While he tried to hit the snake with the 1x2, which worked no better than it had before, I ran for the pruning shears.

Together, Sam stomped the snake and I applied the pruning shears to his body. The snake was still writhing, but Sam pronounced him dead. I wasn't satisfied.

A wonderful thought popped into my mind, so I put the pruning shear blades around that snake's head and announced, out loud, "I am crushing your head like Jesus crushed that serpent the devil when he rose from the grave." And the snake's head split and he died.

That's just how fast Jesus defeated the serpent devil, Satan. He died on the cross, and the devil thought he'd won. When everyone least expected it, Jesus burst open the grave and came out in all His splendor. The devil's head was crushed under His feet, and He won the victory over sin and death.

We don't have to live defeated. 

That one quick crushing sealed the victory. We can live free, if we want to. So run when temptation comes your way, and embrace the One who rose again, for He is the Conqueror, the King, and the for-all-time Serpent Crusher, and (if you're willing) He has set you free. 

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise Him on the heel. Genesis 3:15 nasb

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P.S. The picture above is of a different snake that Sam killed. We got excited and forgot to get a picture of this one.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Importance of Purpose (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-importance-of-purpose.html)
#snakes #Jesus #crushedhishead

Holy Week Day 7: The Empty Tomb and the Resurrection

"Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.'" 

                                                                          John 20: 1-2 nasb

"Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb, And the two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in. Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb, and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there." John 20:3-6 nasb

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and was utterly stunned by the open tomb. The stone had been rolled away and the guards were gone. She jumped to the only logical conclusion. Someone had stolen the body and hidden it. 

She ran as fast as she could to find Peter and John and told them the same thing. 

Stolen the body? Why would someone do that? It didn't make sense. 

There might have been an inkling of the possibilities in the two men's mind. Could He had risen from the grave? Maybe, as they ran, they remembered what He'd said about tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days. Maybe they remembered Lazarus.

John looked in. No body. 

Proximity to a dead body would make them ceremonially unclean, but Peter didn't care. He needed to be sure. He plunged ahead and found the most wonderful news. The linen wrappings that had been entwined around the body were folded and Jesus was gone.

There was no smell of putrefaction. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of the spices used to anoint the body, still lingering in the fabric that had been wrapped around Him. 

If someone had stolen the body, they would not have removed the wrappings. That stack of fabric told Peter all he needed to know. 

This wasn't a grave robbing. This was a Resurrection!

Peter and John had seen a dead man come back to life and they KNEW it was possible. When Lazarus came forth from the grave, however, he still had the linen wrapped around him. This was something bigger that the raising of Lazarus.

Their beloved Jesus was ALIVE! He was up and on the move.

That empty tomb changed everything. Jesus conquered death and sin and set us free from its tenacious hold on us. 

His sacrifice paid our sin-price but His resurrection bought our freedom in this life and the one to come. 

As I rejoice today over the victory that has been won, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that I was bought with a terrible price. The cross is more than the ornament I wear around my neck or the metal adornment on my wall. The cross was a place of torture and pain beyond any I will ever know. It was a place of death and despair, grief and fear.

That empty tomb, though, is the place of victory and celebration. 

Joy bubbling like a fountain. 

Laughter and happy tears and dancing in celebration.

I'm so accustomed to His resurrection that it's easy to lose sight of the great miracle it is, but today, I'm praying we will all take overwhelming delight in what God has done for those He loves.

He came. He lived. He loved.

He sacrificed. He died. He rose again.

He did it all for you and for me.

He is risen and that one fact changes everything. Let's live in such a way that the world will know we serve a risen Savior. Alleluia!

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In case you missed part of this series:
Holy Week Day 1:The Scandalous Act of Love
Holy Week Day 2: The Betrayer
Holy Week Day 3: Instant Obedience
Holy Week Day 4: Jesus' Last Week
Holy Week Day 5: The Dark and Terrible Good Friday
Holy Week Day 6: The Silent Saturday
#emptytomb #resurrection #heisalive #linesfromleanna

Confessing Jesus before men: I am the resurrection and the life

And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB) 

"Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), and I AM the Good Shepherd.

Our topic for today is "I AM the Resurrection and the Life". 

I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies..." (John 11:25 NASB)

The context of Jesus' statement is critical for understanding. As John 11 begins, Jesus and His disciples received word that Lazarus, Jesus' dear friend, is critically ill. "This sickness is not to end in death," Jesus told them. The most important word in that sentence is end. The sickness might result in death, but it would not end in death. It was a critical distinction, but one the disciples may have missed. 

Jesus waited two days before leaving for Bethany. The disciples knew there was a plot to kill Jesus and begged Him not to go, but Jesus was adamant. "I'm going." By the time they arrived, Lazarus was already dead. Jesus had missed his chance to say goodbye, or so it seemed.

Martha charged out to greet Him, bristling with indignation. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus assured Martha, "Your brother will rise again." Martha responded, (Leanna Paraphrase) "I know all about that, Jesus. He'll rise again in the resurrection on the last day. I want my brother now." Mary and the crowds felt the same. 

"He opened the eyes of the blind. Couldn't Jesus have prevented Lazarus' death?"

Imagine the interaction for a moment. In my mind's eye, I can see Jesus smile and give Martha a hug. "Martha, my friend," He might have said, "I AM the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She nodded, "Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Christ."

Jesus could have prevented her suffering, but He did not.

If He had, Martha and the people present that day would have missed a miracle and an understanding of the most critical piece of Jesus' message. They would have been ill-prepared for the very near future. Because of Lazarus' death and the resurrection Jesus would bring, they would be ready to face Jesus' death. None of that preparation could come without the suffering of losing Lazarus.

Their pain had a point.

Jesus was heartbroken for what His friends were enduring. "Let's go to the grave," He told them. When he stood in front of the tomb, He instructed the people to "remove the stone". No one wanted to open the grave. Lazarus had been there for four days. It wouldn't be a pretty sight or smell. 

Jesus insisted and overruled the crowd. It was a good thing He did. With three words, Jesus changed the understanding of everyone present that day. "LAZARUS COME FORTH," He called. Lazarus, still wrapped in grave clothes, came forth.

What we often forget in times of heartbreak and tragedy is that the pain and suffering are never wasted. Like with Lazarus' death, the devastating loss can be used to prepare us for something that is to come. 

Without the lessons gained in sorrow, we may be ill-prepared for the next step in our journey. 

No matter what we face, the outcome is not the end, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we belong to Him, the promise of our eternal destiny changes what seems like the end of hope, the end of joy, the end of life into the end of suffering and the beginning of life. When our life on earth ends, our body may be nothing more than a rotting hunk of flesh. Our soul, however, is no longer bound to this earth. We go to live with Jesus in heaven, and it is worth the journey.

Are you walking through a time of trial? Take hope. Jesus has overcome the world. He has overcome suffering, pain, death and loss. 

He may not end your pain and suffering, but He will never waste it. 

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Our Father, give us hearts of endurance to persevere through hard times and the faith the lean on you in the good times and the bad. Use our suffering to make us more like Jesus and to glorify you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Maggie Finds a Field of Bones

Not long ago, Maggie the Wonder Dog and I were outside trying to do a little winter clean up outside. Maggie was sniffing every blade of grass, or so it seemed, when suddenly she lifted her head and caught an interesting scent. This was apparently the kind of scent that required the presence of her human, because she ran to me, bumped my leg, ran a few steps, looked back, and continued the process until I was on my way and following close behind. Maggie ran ahead, but every few steps she would check to be sure I was still enroute. There was no hesitation in her path. She had her scent and was following it. 

When she drew near the pasture that housed the pile of bones (above), she slowed down. No more than a few steps ahead now, she carefully approached the source of her scent. She walked round and round, occasionally stopping for an extra sniff or two. A large mammal had died and, in the natural order of the wild, had provided sustenance for carnivores through the recent winter chill. 

Maggie didn't seem to know what those bones meant, and approached them carefully. She would walk close, sniff, and jump back. The first time she jumped back, I laughed out loud. "Hey Maggie, you act like you've heard of Ezekiel's bones!"  

You probably remember the story of the valley of dry bones, but just in case, here's the brief version. Ezekiel had a vision and saw a valley full of dry bones. God said, "Ezekiel, can these bones live again?" Ezekiel was no dummy. He knew he was talking to God, who could do anything, so he wisely said, "I have no idea. You are the only One that knows!" God told him to prophesy to the bones, and, much to his surprise, the bones started rattling around, hooked up together with tendons, and grew some skin! All of a sudden, the valley of dry bones had turned into the valley of lifeless bodies! This was pretty amazing to Exekiel but what came next might have been even more amazing! God said, Ezekiel, prophesy some breath into these bones." After having just seen the bones hook together and get skin, Ezekiel didn't  hesitate a second. He started prophesying, breath came into those bodies and, suddenly they weren't lifeless any more. They were alive and an enormous army! 

God told Ezekiel that His people thought all hope was gone, but He wanted them to know that there is no situation so hopeless that God cannot breathe life back into it. There is no person so far gone down the road of sin that He cannot breathe life back into them and make a warrior in the kingdom of God. In fact, He said that He would do just that. He would breathe life back into the most hopeless and everyone would recognize that He had done it. 

The bones Maggie found have no hope of a new life, but there are some prodigals for whom I am counting on resurrection. Perhaps you know a few of your own. Just in case, remember Ezekiel's bones. The breath of the Spirit gave new life, resurected an army, and that army represented all the hope for which we long. 

"I will put my Spirit in you and you will live..." Ezekiel 37:14

Those very words come from God Himself, and they are a promise to which we can cling, so hang on tight to hope, and don't let go.