​Palm Sunday!  I can't be with my wonderful church family today because I'm healing from surgery.  It's probably the first Palm Sunday in 20+ years that I haven't been behind a piano leading worship.  It's hurting my heart, but I know it must be this way.

Anyway, I'm celebrating with them at home.  I even stole a graphic I created for their powerpoint to use here.

I love my church, and I love the God of that church!  Today Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing full well what was coming, yet He chose to go anyway.  And as he entered the city, the people cried out "Hosanna!"

But what does the word Hosanna mean?

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek.  I’ll skip a bunch of information about translation and simply say it this way: The word we use for Hosanna (in English) is taken from a Greek translation of a Hebrew phrase, “hoshiya na.”   This phrase is only found in one location in the Old Testament--Psalm 118:25.  In that phrase it is the cry for help of “Save, please!”


Years passed by, and for reasons that I won’t discuss in this post, the phrase “hoshiya na” stopped being an impassioned cry for help and transformed into an impassioned shout of hope and exultation for the Jews.  What used to mean “Save, please!” gradually turned into “Salvation!  Salvation! Salvation has come!”


John Piper said, “The word moved from pleas to praise; from cry to confidence.”  I would add that it went from a cry for help to a cry of happiness."


In John 12:12, Scripture tells us, “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”


I personally believe that these excited Jews were screaming out a cry of confidence and praise that Jesus had come and His entrance into the city was going to bring about victory.  There’s so much to discuss in this passage, because some misunderstood his mission and thought that it would be to overcome Rome and free Israel.  But, regardless, I assure you that Jesus entered Jerusalem to victoriously win a war.  He came on a journey to face death by crucifixion and rise from a grave that could not hold Him.


Christ is our victory, and hearts cry when trouble comes should be to Jesus—“Hosanna! Hosanna!  Regardless of the circumstances, I know that Christ has come and brought in Him my salvation!” 


So, know that “Hosanna” is a cry of victory.  It’s a cry of assurance, and it’s a cry that can only be made to a Christ who has defeat our sin, and He has defeated death itself.  He’s alive today, and He’s already won the victory!  What a glorious Savior we have!
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My Facebook post from 03.16.2022...

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Anne L. de Stael once said that, "We understand death only after it has placed its hand on someone we love."

I think that's true.

My father continues to do fairly well, and he has made some cognitive improvements over the past couple of days. The journey continues to be almost overwhelmingly hard at times, but my parents built our family on a very solid foundation of faith and trust in God. My father's great efforts at the aforementioned are culminating now in my own life, and everything that he has ever taught me about having a faithful trusting of God's plan is bearing fruit. As God continues to gently guide my father home, He is also proving, time and time again, that our hope and trust in Him is not misplaced. God is also showing me more and more about the great worth of my relationship with my earthly father, the wisdom in his words, the lessons of his actions and the priceless gift to our family that he continues to be—if only for a little while longer.

In over 20+ years of ministry, singing or playing at 100+ funerals, losing friends and family—through all of that, I don't think I've ever fully understood death. I don’t claim to completely understand it now, but I have a much deeper and more grounded understanding of it today, as God has brought it to our very doorstep. It's an unwanted visitor, but death will eventually demand entry into all of our lives. It's painful; it's horrific, and the process of watching a loved one die seems to drain every ounce of strength and emotion from your soul. It leaves you totally exposed, and, often, it will make you feel inconsolable. Watching death, when it finally arrives, requires an abundance of things you may find scarcely provisioned in your life. Be ready, although I find it hard to believe you can really be prepared. It’s harder than you might imagine. 

No sermon prepares you for dealing with the death of a loved one, because no pastor has that kind of gifting. God's Word speaks of death and comfort, but simply reading Scripture alone will not bring peace. To understand death, and have a peace regarding the same, one must simply wade into it, much like you tolerate walking into a cold ocean, holding tightly to the hand of Jesus, as He guides you through a process that you don’t desire, don’t understand and one that causes for you a tremendous amount of grief and pain. It's a pain that can't be "preached" or "read" out of you; it's a pain that must be experienced to be understood. Moreover, we will most likely never understand the journey, and the pain will never fully depart our consciousness. Any words to the contrary are simple foolishness. But then there’s God…

As hard as this is proving to be, God continually shows up…

God shows up in short conversations with my father, conversations composed of very few words but literally drenched in an abundance of love. He shows up in a brief smile from my dad, as we reminisce about times gone by. He shows up where no words are spoken at all, and there is only the force applied by the clinching of his aged hand in mine. He shows up when that same aged hand refuses to let go of mine. He shows up as I listen intently to my father’s breathing in times of peaceful sleep. God shows up when my mother prays. He shows up when my wife prays. God is there, in the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, who comforts those who were previously inconsolable. 

John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” 

This verse reminds me that God, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my father’s own life, used my earthly father to teach me about faithfully trusting the God he loved. My dad prepared me for this very journey throughout his entire life, by pouring his own faith into me and living out that very example. And here, today, God, though the Holy Spirit, reminds me of His promises through the spoken words of my dad in years gone by. It’s as if the Spirit of God sits beside me whispering peace into my mind daily, reminding me of my earthly father’s words—reminding me that those are the very words and the very promises of God. The Holy Spirit does this, and it’s beautiful. 

An understanding of the death of a loved one cannot be taught. It can only be understood when Jesus, through the comforting of the Holy Spirit, stands beside you guiding you through it. I will tell you, it can be messy. Thankfully, God understands messy; He understands our grief and sorrow; He understands every pain; He allows grace for sleepless nights on a couch; He provides for us when mental exhaustion takes more than its fair share, and He is always beside us, through the presence of a Holy Spirit who never tires of holding the hand of a grieving son who, in many ways, already misses his dad.

​Insecurity drives damaging and even dangerous behavior.  Common personality traits of insecure people can be negative self-talk or self-depreciation, but insecurity can also manifest itself outwardly and into the lives of others.  It can reveal itself in jealousy, approval-seeking behaviors, bragging, flamboyant narcissism, competitiveness, obnoxious bullying, a negative mindset toward seemingly everything they encounter that is “not their idea” and outright aggression towards others.  Insecurity can often bring about unnecessary drama and toxicity into the lives of those who must engage with those suffering from this increasingly damaging personality trait.

But, how do we deal with this?  Should we deal with this?  

First off, we must call it out for what it really is—a problem, and in most situations, I would say that we should confront it.  The confrontation is hard, because it will most likely not be well received, and discussing it in a way that promotes peace, love and understanding can be difficult.

I’m not an expert at anything here, but my own research in both Christian-based and mainstream psychological studies has led me to the following conclusions: 


We Must Hear Them Out

Let the insecure among us talk, regardless of the conversation; give them space to breathe; and let them air their narrative.  Dismissing an insecure person could possibly make the situation worse and add to their own insecurities.  No one responds well to being “dismissed” from the conversation.  Instead, include them, but regardless of whether they venture into self-deprecation or extreme narcissism (or anything in between), the insecure elements should then be identified, examined and prayed over, and a decision should be made whether their actions are detrimental to themselves or others to a degree that they need to be addressed.  If they do, then address them.  Looking the other way may only serve to empower and escalate the same behavior.


Wait For The Right Time

The correct time to confront an insecure person may not be in the middle of a display of insecurity.  If emotions are running high, then it would almost always be more fruitful to wait to address your concerns with them.  I would say a private conversation, at least initially, is not only more productive but also a display of Christ-likeness.  Private conversations may lead them to open up and reveal some of the more relevant issues that are causing them to display a behavior that is damaging to themselves or others around them.  Addressing it publicly could be viewed as an attack and cause a bad situation to spin out of control.  The goal is to help, to heal and to unify.  If you’re going to address damaging behavior, be sure that you’re doing it at a moment when your own mind is calm, collected and seeking to understand and help. 


Understand the Process

Understand that you’re not their savior, and your confrontation of the situation may not be the counseling they necessarily need to hear.  You may not be the person God has called to counsel them through this difficulty and truly help them, but God has someone who can.  Point them in a direction toward people who can help.

Never have the expectation that calling out bad behavior will change it immediately.  There’s a process involved that is probably greater than your intervention.  Pray diligently that God would lead them to people who will genuinely understand, care and engage them with love and grace.  In turn, you show love and grace while the process takes place.  


Create Healthy Boundaries

Each of us needs to examine our definition of healthy boundaries, for our own happiness and personal mental health.  On the more docile side of insecurity—if an insecure person constantly seeks validation from you, this can distract you from things in your life that are more important.  Frankly, it can also lead you to develop a little of your own personal brand of narcissism, so be careful.  

On the more damaging side—if insecurity is leading someone to be personally aggressive towards you, or if they develop into a bully or narcissist, then you must examine how much of that behavior you intend to tolerate, based on your boundaries.  There’s a saying that “What you allow is what will continue.”  I believe this to be true in every sense of the word.  Don’t allow the insecurity of others to take command of your mind, your life, or your organization. 

If healthy boundaries can exist, then they need to exist. Determine your boundaries, and clearly communicate your boundaries and tolerances.    


Know When to Cut Ties

If you’re reading my blog, you probably identify yourself to be a Christian, and I hope you do know Jesus.  Scripture tells us to have love and compassion for others, even our enemies.  It’s hard for a follower of Christ to eliminate another person from their life, because we feel it violates our call to be Jesus to our world.  However, the sad truth is that there are people among us who are toxic, and they simply don’t want to be any other way.  When this is the case, there is a time to cut ties with them.  Even God, in Romans 1:28, gave some over to a depraved mind—those who thought the knowledge of God was not worthwhile.  Don’t pursue a relationship that is grounded in toxicity.  You don’t have to.  Pray for them, love them, but understand that there may come a time for you to move on.  

Luke 6:27-28 tells us, “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

• Love your enemies.  Insecure people are not necessarily your enemies, but their actions can be enemies to your peace or your family's peace.  So, answer the call of this verse by loving them regardless of their words or actions.  

 

• Seek open communication with them.  Communication that is designed to offer a genuine understanding of what their actions are doing to their own life or yours is important.  Don’t avoid them; instead, engage them in love.

 

• Be good to them in every respect.  Understand that calling out their behavior isn’t being cruel to them; it’s necessary for mutual understanding and trying to establish what kind of relationship you will have in the future.  If God has given us beauty for ashes, we should be able to return goodness for almost any negative action given to hurt or offend us.  Be good to them.

 

• Bless them and pray for them. Lift them and your relationship with them up to a God who loves them more than you do and as much as He loves you.  When they abuse you, pray for them. 

If all of the aforementioned fails to bring an understanding or change of behavior, then walk away.  We can’t effectively fight every battle that rages inside of another person’s mind, even if their own battles spill over into our personal lives.  And, do it all with a mindset of love, constantly looking for an opportunity to reconcile that relationship with the same grace that Christ has reconciled us unto God. 

Jesus Christ.

He is without equal. He is the pearl of all of Heaven, and His glory is made manifest in all of His creation. His name and title we are unworthy to even speak, yet this same magnificent Christ lovely kneels low to hear what can often be inaudible utterances of pain and grief in the life of His children—children who are often devoid of real joy.

Elisabeth Elliot has it right. “The secret of joy is Christ in me—not me in a different set of circumstances.”

As I studied Hebrews today, this thought occurred to me: Our definition of the joy of Christ is often horribly skewed. Horribly. Horribly skewed. When things are going well, Christ is viewed as good and joy is easy. It’s almost cheap. When life and circumstances take a darker turn, we fail to experience the same cheap and easy joy we thought we possessed previously. In those moments, joy becomes much more expensive, because the true currency of real joy is intimate relationship with Christ. When we “lose our joy” in bad circumstances, the truth may be that we never possessed it to begin with.

Real joy, the joy of the Lord, is not exclusive to only good times; real joy is all inclusive through good times and bad. There's moments that it can be harder to find, but the joy of the Lord is grounded in our recognition and relevant relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. Real joy cannot be culled or squeezed out of emotion, because human emotion is often the enemy of real truth.

For too many years I’ve seen church services and messages that try desperately to cater to the whimsy of human emotion, and the aforementioned can easily generate an emotional response in the moment. It can catalyze a situational joy, but sadly, that situational joy can be quickly fleeting when the individual is thrust out of church sheltered and planned environment of a church service and back into a world full of very real and ever perplexing evils. People can flood the altar, they can dance, scream and shout, and they can shed tears in response to the triggering of their emotions in the circumstance of a worship service, and then they can walk out of the front doors completely unchanged, still living a life without real joy—living a life where Christ is magnificent at church but almost undetectable elsewhere.  They may be living a lie.

My point?

We can’t place the foundation of our joy on the pedestal of a church service or a pastor’s message. If we can’t carry that same joy past the front door, through the gossipers and hypocrisy that can often be encountered on our way out of the church building directly following a service, then it may not be genuine.
If we don’t carry that joy into the parking lot, on our trip home and out into a world where pain and grief exist in great quantity, then we don’t possess the real joy of the Lord.

If the circumstances that invoke joy only revolve around a church service or an impassioned message, then we don’t possess the real joy of the Lord; instead, we are only experiencing a flood of deceptive human emotions that lead to no lasting change or joy when times become hard and the currency of real joy becomes tested beyond the boundaries of the church altar.

I’ve watched this very thing occur frequently for over 20 years—incredible church services, inspiring music and moving messages that often seem to generate more momentary emotion than they do relevant change—change leading to more intimacy with Christ, which, in turn, produces foundational joy in the tough times.

My friends, don’t pray for easier circumstances; pray for more Jesus. Don’t let Satan convince you that your alligator tears shed at the church altar on Sunday are sufficient to buy you joy through the succeeding six days, days which can be filled with bad behavior, faithless living and good feelings about a life unchanged by the Gospel while outside of the conditioned-air of a church sanctuary.

Jesus is looking for you, right now...

He’s seeking you out for a conversation regarding who inhabits the throne of your life. He’s offering to you more than eternal security from hell; He’s offering you grace and mercy for struggles and pain, a grace and mercy that embody the only place where real joy resides.

If the secret of your joy is a church service once a week, then your joy is not grounded in Christ, my friend, and it’s not real joy. Churches are easy to find, a real, relevant, life-altering walk with the Lord can only be found by digging deeper than momentary religious activity.  

Real joy is relational; it is not situational.  God's grace and mercy in your life  is not more dynamic in the event of a church service.  For the true child of God whose relationship with Christ is intimate and growing, real joy can be found anywhere and in any situation.  As I stated previously, it can be harder to find in difficult situations, but it can be found if the relationship is real.  Go to church, it's important, but build a greater relationship with Jesus than with the activity of simple church attendance, which can often stir emotions that are subject to change when we walk out of the church and into a world full of strife.  

Find Jesus. Find joy.

​Life is hard, but for those who really know the Lord, God’s goodness and joy can always be found. Always.

God’s call is clear; don’t allow your life to be conformed to a world of evil. Let your life become the “thusia,” or sacrifice, on God’s altar, and give Him everything.  Your engagement with our Creator in this manner will cause you to see the evils of this world with a clarity that those who simply practice “church-going” won’t see.  It will help to keep you in a state of non-conformity to the world you must live in, and it’s the first step toward the beautiful gift of transformation.  I call it a gift, because I think it is.  I'll explain that later in this post.  

So, let’s discuss a little more of this verse...

Romans 12.2 - …but be transformed…

The word transformed here is the “metamorphoó,” and it means “to be changed after being with.”  It’s the root of our own English word "metamorphosis."  Our own dictionaries define it well, “a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.”  Interestingly, the English language dictionaries also describe it this way, “the transformation from an immature form to an adult and mature form.”  It’s a conversion or alteration from and old “A" to a new and very distinctive “B.”  I like to call it a “renovation.”

Also important, the conjunction “but” is the word “alla.”  Here, this is a strong term of contrast that represents an abrupt halt and reversal from the negative command to “not be conformed” and to the positive command to “be transformed.”  It reveals how important this transformation is to God and should be to us.

As sinful people who tend to crawl off of altars of living sacrifice, the good news for us is that metamorphoó, or transformation, is in the passive voice and the present tense.

What in the world does that mean?  Let’s talk about the passive voice aspect first.

The passive voice here means that it’s something only God can accomplish, and we are only required to be passive (accepting of the process without resistance to it) as God undertakes the renovations (transformations) within us.  It doesn’t mean that we have no responsibilities in the process.  Our very first responsibility would be to stay on the altar and continue the surrendering of our life to God, growth in our relationship with Him, engagement with Scripture, dying to the old self, etc…. The One who will do this work within us is the Holy Spirit.

Look at the beautiful words of II Corinthians 3:18, which states, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

The outside force catalyzing this transformation is the Holy Spirit of God.  Hang on to the altar friends, because God will do the work within you.  Even more profound, He will continue to do it.

As I said before, transformation is in the passive voice but present tense.  Simplified, the present tense implies that this is not a one-time brush with God’s power that’s only for a moment and then He pulls away.  Instead, it’s a continual process, and often a very gradual process, that moves us from who we were to who God desires us to be.  It’s a lifelong journey, and the Holy Spirit will never retire from His transformational work within us as long as we walk this globe.  What an incredible promise revealed through digging into the Greek!  

So, we are to have non-conformity to the world and be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirt, as a result of our presence on the altar as a living sacrifice.  To many, this may mean a simple disengagement with worldly “things.”  Look at your life’s list of activities and mark through the bullet points that don’t glorify God.  Actually, that’s probably not a bad first step, but I think there’s much more to real transformation than that–much, much more.  Marking thought bad bullets points may deal more with our external behaviors than our internal nature, meaning that excluding them from that list may help in our transformation, but it will not, by itself, achieve true transformation.

The truly God-led alternative to our immoral behaviors is not as simple as replacing them with a shiny new list of moral behaviors, complete with boxes to check when we “perform” what we deem to be required.  Again, we love the “box-checking” method of tracking.  It makes us feel good.  Sunday School: check.  Worship attendance: check.  Tithing: check.  I prayed a little longer and missed the opening kickoff of the football game: check, check.  True transformation isn’t about checking boxes or altering our works to become more righteous.  Scripture addresses the filthy nature of our works.  With true transformation, our works will certainly be altered, but it will require more than a change in physical works.  If we have a genuine relationship with God, we can’t become more righteous in His eyes through activity, because He views us through the shed blood of our Savior.  

Real transformation is something much more.  It’s purposes have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus, the very same blood that makes us righteous in God the Father’s eyes.  It’s not a simple work of praying longer or attending church; instead, it’s the complex process of real internal change that can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit.  Real transformation is profound, so profound that we must be passive and offer no resistance to the process, as we are unable to work out any part of it in our own lives.  And, real transformation is life-altering, because it’s not a box-check that we may eventually become too distracted by the evils of the world to accomplish.  Instead, it’s a renovation of our core drive, a conversion of our baseline character and morals, a transformation of the way think and act and a rebirthing of the Lordship in our life.  Again, it’s more than works.

I would say the very best examples of what real transformation looks like can be defined by the fruit of the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:19-22 says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”

The Holy Spirit doesn’t replace our old list with a new list of works grounded in legalism; instead, He replaces it with beautiful things that are supernaturally birthed within us–things only God can bring about.  This is why I view transformation as a gift.  We can’t achieve it on our own, the Holy Spirit must enact it, and the results of the transformation are things of such extraordinary quality that we will wonder how we ever lived a day on this earth without them, and we hope our remaining days are full of them.

I’m going to end here for today.  I know we’re not moving very fast, but the depth of meaning found in Scripture should be given respect, and it should be given time.  

Let me say this, as well…. I recently received an email from someone who reads my blog, and they were very complimentary regarding the depth of the content.  They said that “they wished their pastor and Sunday School teacher went this deep.”  Friends, your pastor doesn’t have the time to go this deep during a Sunday or Wednesday service, and neither does your Sunday School teacher.  I would almost guarantee that your pastor breaks apart Scripture in this manner weekly, but there's only so much time to present a message.  I would hope your Sunday School teacher studies Scripture in this same manner, but I will almost assure you that your pastor does.  With that being said, know that it is our responsibility to grow in Christ, and that growth should inspire us to study Scripture in a way that can only be achieved through the personal sacrifice of our time.  You don’t need a theological library to research the text in Greek or Hebrew.  Honestly, you really only need a computer or your mobile phone.  The resources are there, but is your passion?  Don't blame your pastor for not being able to fit 10 hours of study into a 40 minute message.  And, don't blame him for the knowledge that you don't possess of Scripture.  You have a Bible, right?  

The longer I spend in God’s Word, the more desire I have to dissect it for it’s real worth and value to my life.  Let me encourage you to do more than read Scripture as a means to “check it off the list” for the day.  Let me encourage you to read Scripture without seeking a prejudiced message, or trying to find the perfect “cherry-picked” verse to fit nicely into the “hole" of your broken emotions or troubles.  Read Scripture for what it is, for the message it contains, and rejoice when it offends the fleshly nature we all hold so dear to our hearts.  When we become offended by God’s message, that means it’s finally talking to us in a way that we can understand, and it’s addressing our life, transforming our way of thinking and equipping us to leave a definitive mark for God on a world that is scarred by hatred, evil and rebellion.  Read Scripture for communication, absorb it into your soul and allow it renovate your old and build inside you something beautiful and new.