By Dee Ann Loving-Tackitt

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).

One of the most difficult questions Christians face is the problem of evil. If God is good and all-powerful, why does suffering continue? Philosophers such as A. N. Whitehead and Edgar Sheffield Brightman have proposed that God wants to stop evil but lacks the power to do so. While this may be an attempt to argue the problem of evil, it faces a significant biblical challenge: nowhere does God clearly reveal that He is powerless against evil.

The Bible’s teaching is that God is sovereign and powerful, even when His purposes remain hidden from human understanding. Today, we continue to wrestle with the mystery of suffering, but it never resolves that mystery by claiming that God is unable to act. In fact, the opposite appears to be true.

Consider the book of Job. Job repeatedly questions why he is suffering and seeks an explanation from God. God finally responds. He does not tell Job that evil exists because His power is limited. Instead, God points Job to the vastness of divine wisdom and authority over creation. The answer is not divine weakness but human limitation in understanding God’s purposes.

The same pattern appears in the life of Jesus. At His arrest, Jesus tells His disciples, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). This statement is significant because Jesus acknowledges that God has the power to intervene immediately. The reason God does not stop the crucifixion is not inability but purpose. God chooses to allow the suffering of Christ because it serves a greater redemptive plan.

This distinction is crucial. The Bible does not teach that God approves of evil or delights in suffering. Evil remains evil. Tragedy remains tragic. Yet Scripture repeatedly affirms that God can bring good out of even the darkest circumstances. Joseph expressed this truth to his brothers when he declared, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). The evil action was real, but God was still able to work through it for a greater purpose.

Paul Moser argues that if God were truly limited in power, one would expect God to disclose that fact clearly. Such a revelation would answer many objections people raise against God’s goodness. If God cannot prevent evil, then much of humanity’s anger toward Him would be misplaced. Yet Scripture provides no such explanation. Instead, the biblical witness consistently encourages trust in God’s wisdom, goodness, and ultimate victory over evil.

This does not mean Christians possess a complete explanation for every instance of suffering. We often lack a full theodicy, a comprehensive account of why God allows particular evils. The Bible itself acknowledges this limitation. God’s ways are frequently beyond human comprehension. However, ignorance of God’s purposes is not the same thing as evidence of God’s weakness.

Patience therefore becomes an essential Christian virtue. We naturally want immediate answers and immediate justice. We want God to operate according to our timetable. Yet Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God’s timing differs from ours. The fact that evil continues today does not prove that God lacks power. Rather, it may indicate that God’s redemptive purposes are not yet complete.

The Christian hope is not that God is struggling against forces beyond His control. The Christian hope is that God remains sovereign even when His purposes are hidden from us. While we may not understand why evil is permitted in every circumstance, the Bible never suggests that evil persists because God is powerless to stop it. Instead, believers are called to trust that God will ultimately redeem evil with good and bring His purposes to completion in the fullness of time.

Heavenly Father, We thank you for Your glory that never remains hidden from us. Give us strength to trust that You will redeem evil with good. Keep shalom in our hearts so that we do not need explanations. We simply need faith. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

Resource

Moser, Paul K. The Divine Goodness of Jesus : Impact and Response. Cambridge, United Kingdom ; Cambridge University Press, 2021. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?

When the Spirit Comes and the Church Goes…

Opening Scripture

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8 (ESV)

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After Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, the disciples entered a new and unfamiliar season. They were no longer walking beside the Teacher they loved, nor hearing His voice face to face. Instead, they were told to wait.

Jesus instructed them to remain in Jerusalem for “the promise of the Father,” assuring them they would soon be “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4–5). What they were waiting for was not clarity of plans, political restoration, or earthly power—but divine empowerment. The mission would continue, but not by their strength.

The Day Everything Changed

When Pentecost arrived, Scripture tells us the disciples were gathered together when “a sound like a mighty rushing wind” filled the house, and divided tongues of fire rested on each one of them (Acts 2:1–3). They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:4).

What began quietly in prayer erupted into public witness. The sound drew a crowd, and the miracle of many languages proclaimed a single truth: God was doing something new. The Church was being born—not by organization or strategy, but by the Spirit’s power.

Peter stood and explained that what was happening fulfilled the ancient promise spoken through the prophet Joel—that God would “pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:16–18). Sons and daughters, young and old, servants and free—this gift was no longer limited to a few. God’s Spirit was now being poured out on all who believed.

From “With” to “In”

This moment did not happen without preparation. Jesus had spoken often about the coming Spirit. He promised the disciples a Helper—the Spirit of truth—who would be with them and, soon, in them (John 14:16–17). The Spirit would teach them, remind them of Jesus’ words, convict the world of sin and righteousness, and guide believers into truth (John 14:26; John 16:8, 13).

Pentecost marks the shift from temporary visitation to permanent indwelling. Where the Spirit once came upon select individuals for specific moments, He now took up residence in every believer. The Church’s identity was no longer tied to a location or a leader walking on earth, but to the abiding presence of God Himself.

One Body, One Spirit

This gift was not limited to Jerusalem. As the gospel moved outward, the Holy Spirit fell upon Gentile believers as well, confirming that God’s promise extended beyond cultural and ethnic boundaries (Acts 10:44–48). Scripture declares that “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body”—Jew and Greek, slave and free (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Those who believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit, who became the guarantee of their inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Spirit did not merely empower the Church for mission—He united it, marked it, and secured it.

Living Clothed with Power

The same Spirit poured out at Pentecost dwells in believers today. We are not called to live the Christian life on memory alone—remembering what Jesus once did—but on power from heaven, alive and active within us.

The Church does not move forward by confidence in itself, but by surrender to the Spirit. We testify not because we are sufficient, but because God has made us His witnesses. Clothed with power, we live, speak, and serve for the glory of Christ who reigns.

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Closing Prayer

Father God,
We thank You for the promise fulfilled at Pentecost, when You poured out Your Holy Spirit and birthed the Church. Thank You that we are not left to walk this life alone or in our own strength. Clothe us again with power from on high. Teach us to listen, to wait, and to walk in step with Your Spirit. Make us faithful witnesses—at home, in our communities, and wherever You send us. May our lives give evidence that Jesus reigns and that Your Spirit lives within us. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our risen and enthroned King.
Amen.

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Bible Referenced

Acts 1:4–8
Jesus instructs the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father and promises power through the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses.

Acts 2:1–13
The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost with wind and fire, filling the disciples and marking the birth of the Church.

Acts 2:16–18
Peter explains Pentecost as the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that God would pour out His Spirit on all people.

John 14:16–17
Jesus promises the Helper, the Spirit of truth, who would move from dwelling with believers to living in them.

John 14:26
Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit would teach believers and remind them of everything Christ said.

John 16:7–15
Jesus explains the Spirit’s role in convicting the world and guiding believers into all truth.

Acts 10:44–48
The Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentile believers, confirming their inclusion in God’s redeemed people.

1 Corinthians 12:13
All believers are baptized by one Spirit into one body, uniting them across divisions.

Ephesians 1:13–14
Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who serves as the guarantee of their inheritance in Christ.

References

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Messianic Bible Study Collection. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983. Pages 160:5–6.

Longenecker, Richard N. “The Acts of the Apostles.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 231–352. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981. Page 271.

Why the Throne of Christ Changes Everything

“God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
— Ephesians 1:20–21 (ESV)

The resurrection proclaims that Jesus is alive.
The ascension declares where he is—and what that means for the world, the church, and every believer.

The reign of King Jesus does not end at the empty tomb. It moves upward—to the throne of heaven—where the risen Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, reigning, interceding, and securing the future of God’s people. The ascension is not a theological footnote; it is the crowning moment of Christ’s redeeming work and the hinge upon which Christian hope turns.

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The Ascension: From Resurrection to Enthronement

Luke describes the ascension of Jesus in Acts 1:9–11, where Christ is lifted up and taken from the disciples’ sight by a cloud. Two angels immediately reframe the moment: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go.” The ascension is not Jesus’ disappearance—it is his exaltation.

After his resurrection, Jesus declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). That authority is not merely promised; it is exercised. The ascension marks the moment when the risen Christ takes his place as the installed King over creation.

Paul describes this cosmic enthronement in Ephesians 1:19–23, proclaiming that God seated Christ “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Jesus is not waiting to reign—he is reigning now.

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Enthroned King, Present Lord

The throne of Christ reveals that redemption has moved from accomplishment to application. Acts 2:32–36 presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Psalm 110: the Davidic King exalted to God’s right hand until his enemies are fully subjected.

This kingship is not symbolic. Philippians 2:9–11 announces that God has exalted Jesus and bestowed on him the name above every name. His reign is already established, though not yet universally acknowledged. Resistance to Jesus, therefore, is not legitimate rebellion but futile denial—his authority is already settled by God.

To confess “Jesus is Lord” is to affirm that the decisive victory has already been won.

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Seated—and Still Praying: Christ’s Ongoing Intercession

Crucially, the enthroned Christ is not distant or passive. Scripture repeatedly insists that Jesus reigns as an interceding High Priest.

Romans 8:34 affirms that Christ “is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Hebrews 4:14–16 presents Jesus as the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens and invites believers to draw near to the throne of grace.

Jesus does not cease being compassionate when he ascends. The one who prayed for his followers in John 17 continues that priestly ministry in heaven. Whether understood as active petition, covenantal representation, or both, the biblical witness is clear: the throne of Christ is a throne of intercession.

Believers approach a living Savior who speaks on their behalf.

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United with the Ascended Christ

The ascension reshapes not only Christology but Christian identity. Paul declares that God has raised believers up and seated them with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4–7). Union with Christ does not stop at the cross or the resurrection—it extends into his exaltation.

Colossians 3:1–4 calls believers to orient their lives around this reality: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Even amid suffering, oppression, or weakness, believers belong to a greater reality already secured in Christ’s reign.

Christian hope is participation in the life of the enthroned Lord.

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What If Jesus Had Not Taken the Throne?

To imagine Jesus risen but not enthroned exposes just how essential the ascension is to Christian faith. Without the ascension, redemption would remain unfinished and the incarnation incomplete, leaving Christ’s saving work suspended rather than consummated. Humanity would have no glorified representative in heaven, no assurance that our nature has been welcomed into God’s presence. Christ’s victory over sin, death, and evil would remain a future hope rather than a present reality, and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit—sent at Christ’s behest after his exaltation (John 16:7; Acts 2)—would not occur. In such a scenario, the church would stand without its living and reigning Head, lacking the authority, confidence, and assurance that flow from the knowledge that Jesus even now rules from the throne of heaven. The ascension confirms that Jesus’ work is not merely past (the cross), nor only future (his return), but present. He reigns now.

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Why the Throne of Christ Changes Everything

Because Jesus is risen, death has been decisively defeated; because he is seated at the right hand of the Father, redemption is secure and complete. Because he reigns, evil’s days are numbered, and its power is ultimately limited, and because he intercedes, believers may draw near to God with confidence and hope. Because Jesus will return, history is not aimless but moving toward a promised and glorious end. The ascension, therefore, is not Jesus leaving the world but Jesus taking his rightful place over it, and to live as Christians is to live under the gracious rule of the King who reigns, prays, and promises, “Surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We rejoice over Your Son, risen and reigning Lord Jesus,
We confess that you, Jesus, are not only the Savior who died and rose again,
but the King who now sits at the right hand of the Father,
enthroned in glory, authority, and mercy.

We thank you that your throne is not distant or cold,
but a throne of grace—
where you intercede for us,
sustain us in weakness,
and shepherd your people with perfect love.

Help us to live as those who know where our King is seated.
Lift our eyes above fear, injustice, and uncertainty,
and teach us to seek the things that are above,
where our life is hidden with you.

Strengthen your church to trust your present reign,
to rely on your finished work,
and to walk faithfully until the day you return in glory.

Until that day, keep us anchored in hope,
confident in your victory,
and bold in love and obedience.

We pray all this
in the name of Jesus Christ—
our risen, seated, and reigning Lord.
Amen.

Scripture References:

Primary Texts

• Acts 1:9–11 – Jesus’ ascension and the promise of his return
• Matthew 28:18–20 – All authority given to the risen Christ
• Ephesians 1:19–23 – Christ seated above all power and authority
• Acts 2:32–36 – Peter proclaims Jesus exalted at God’s right hand
• Philippians 2:9–11 – The exaltation of Christ and universal confession of his lordship

Christ’s Ongoing Intercession

• Romans 8:34 – Christ interceding at the right hand of God
• Hebrews 4:14–16 – Jesus, our great High Priest, inviting us to the throne of grace
• Hebrews 7:25 – Christ always living to make intercession

Union with the Ascended Christ

• Ephesians 2:4–7 – Raised and seated with Christ
• Colossians 3:1–4 – Seeking the things above, where Christ is seated

Victory and Hope

• Colossians 2:15 – Christ’s triumph over rulers and authorities
• Revelation 1:17–18 – The living One who holds the keys of death and Hades

Theological Resources:

• Patrick Schreiner, The Ascension of Christ: Recovering a Neglected Doctrine, ed. Michael F. Bird, Snapshots series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), 88–89.
  (On the ascension as the climactic fulfillment of Davidic kingship and Christ’s cosmic reign.)
• Matthew Levering, Engaging the Doctrine of Jesus (and Mary): A Traditional, Historical-Critical, and Mariological Christology (New York, NY: Cascade Books, 2025).
  (On the exaltation of Christ within the breadth of classical and historical Christology.)
• Glenn D. Butner Jr., Christological Dogmatics: A Theological Witness to the Person and Work of Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2026), 256–257.
  (On Christ’s threefold office—prophet, priest, and king—fulfilled and expanded in the ascension.)
• Stavan Narendra John, Thomas F. Torrance’s Theology of the Ascension: A Constructive Account (New York, NY: Cascade Books, 2025), 50–51.
  (On the ascension as the necessary completion of the incarnation and the exaltation of human nature in Christ.)
• M. Ovey, “Ascension [and Heavenly Session of Christ],” in New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic, ed. Martin Davie et al. (London; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press; InterVarsity Press, 2016), 67–68.
  (On the ascension as present victory, the grounding of Christian assurance, and Christ’s ongoing heavenly session.)

Remembering Jesus in the Days Between Promise and Power

“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
— Acts 1:14 (ESV)

There is something holy about waiting.

Waiting strips away our illusion of control. It slows the body and sharpens the heart. And waiting—especially when God has promised something but has not yet revealed how it will arrive—often becomes the place where memory does its deepest work.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers were left with nothing but a promise and ten long days.

Ten days between miracle and mission.
Ten days between “You will receive power” and the moment that power arrived.
Ten days in an upper room, praying, remembering, wrestling, hoping.

Scripture tells us that about 120 believers gathered together during that time, devoting themselves “with one accord to prayer and supplication.” This was not passive silence or polite religious ritual. Their waiting was active, communal, and full of soul-work.

They prayed.
They searched the Scriptures.
They talked.
They made decisions—Peter even stood to address the need to replace Judas, guiding the group through painful reflection and practical obedience.

But beyond what is recorded, we are invited to wonder: What did they talk about when prayers ended and night set in?
What memories of Jesus filled the room when the oil lamps flickered low?
What stories surfaced again and again while they waited for the Spirit he promised?

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A Room Filled with Memory

If we could step quietly into that upper room, we might hear whispers of shared remembrance.

Someone would recall how Jesus welcomed them—not as servants earning favor, but as friends invited into his life. He didn’t simply teach theology; he walked with them, ate with them, noticed them. His presence created a space where people felt safe to confess fear, failure, and doubt.

Perhaps Matthew spoke of the day Jesus looked directly at him and said, “Follow me,” while everyone else still saw a traitor. Perhaps Peter sat silently, remembering the look Jesus gave him after the rooster crowed—and later, the breakfast by the sea where grace restored him more deeply than shame ever wounded.

These memories mattered. They were not sentimental nostalgia; they were the soil in which courage would grow.

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Remembering His Compassion

The disciples could not forget his compassion—it was impossible to miss. The Gospels describe Jesus being “moved with compassion” again and again, a phrase reserved uniquely for him. They had watched it happen in real time.

They remembered the crowds who were hungry, when Jesus refused to send them away and instead invited his disciples to participate in the impossible. They remembered children climbing into Jesus’ arms while adults looked on in confusion. They remembered the desperate mother who refused to leave, the leper who dared to come close, the weeping sister standing at a sealed tomb.

In the upper room, those stories would have sounded different now.

Jesus wasn’t just compassionate then—his compassion was the pattern they were being shaped to follow.

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His Tears, His Anger, His Courage

Someone may have spoken quietly about how Jesus wept—not privately, not behind closed doors, but openly. He cried at Lazarus’s tomb. He wept over Jerusalem. He allowed sorrow to be seen.

For men raised to believe strength meant stoicism, this would have reshaped everything.

They had also seen his righteous anger, his resolve in the face of suffering, his fear in the garden, his surrender on the cross. Waiting for the Spirit did not mean suppressing emotion—it meant learning how God meets us within it.

In those ten days, they were processing their own grief and confusion, measuring it against the emotional truth they had witnessed in Jesus.

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Remembering How He Prayed

Prayer filled the upper room because prayer had filled their years with Jesus.

They remembered mornings when he withdrew to pray while they slept. Nights when he prayed so long they struggled to stay awake. The longest prayer of all—the one he prayed before his arrest—ringing in their ears now as they gathered together.

He had prayed for them.
He had prayed for unity.
He had prayed for future believers they had not yet met.

Now they were doing what he had always done: turning toward the Father together.

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The Wait Before the Fire

Pentecost itself would bring wind, fire, and languages from heaven—the fulfillment of a feast that once celebrated the first fruits of harvest and now marked the birth of the Church. God would write his law not on stone, but on hearts alive with the Spirit.

But before the fire came, there was memory.

Before the power came, there was prayer soaked in remembrance.

The Church was not born from strategy or urgency, but from a people who knew Jesus—who had walked with him, watched him love, and learned how to wait together.

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An Invitation for Us

Their ten days become an invitation for us.

What if waiting is not wasted time?
What if remembrance prepares us for renewal?
What if the Spirit often comes after we sit long enough to remember who Jesus truly is?

As we wait—whether for direction, healing, clarity, or courage—we are not empty-handed. We carry the memories of Jesus with us, just as they did.

And perhaps, even now, he meets us in the waiting—quietly shaping us for what comes next.

Closing Prayer

A Prayer for the Waiting Place

Father God,
We come to You in the quiet spaces between promise and fulfillment,
between what we have seen You do
and what we are still waiting to see.

Teach us to wait as the disciples waited—
not in fear or passivity,
but in faithful prayer, shared remembrance, and holy expectation.

As they remembered Jesus together,
help us remember Him too:
His compassion that never turned anyone away,
His tears that revealed Your heart,
His courage that carried obedience all the way to the cross,
and His prayers that still surround us today.

Write Your Word not on stone, but on our hearts.
Meet us in our upper rooms—
in our questions, our griefs, our hopes, and our longings.
Prepare us for the wind, the fire, and the work You have already promised.

Until Your Spirit moves in fresh power,
keep us united, keep us praying,
and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

We wait with expectancy,
trusting that You are never late
and that You always come.

In the name of Jesus,
Amen.

Resources:

Brand, Chad Owen, and David E. Hankins. One Sacred Effort: The Cooperative Program of Southern Baptists. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005.

Bruce, Alexander Balmain. The Training of the Twelve; Or, Passages out of the Gospels, Exhibiting the Twelve Disciples of Jesus under Discipline for the Apostleship. New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1889.

Cavey, Bruxy, and Wendy Carrington-Phillips. “Adapting the House Church Model.” In The Church, Then and Now, edited by Stanley E. Porter and Cynthia Long Westfall, 153–155. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2012.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Messianic Bible Study Collection. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983.

Got Questions Ministries. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013.

Harvey, John D., and David Gentino. Acts: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Ministry, 2023.

James, Carolyn Custis. Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Currents of a Changing World. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015.

Story, J. Lyle. “Christology and the Relational Jesus.” American Theological Inquiry 1, no. 2 (2008): 100–101.

The grave was robbed of its finality. Faith is the finish line.”
— Pastor Burden, First Baptist Lubbock

That line stayed with me because it names a truth we live inside every day: the grave no longer has the last word, and yet faith still requires movement. Obedience alone does not finish the race—faith does.

2 Corinthians 5:7 — “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

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When Obedience Is Real, but Faith Wavers

I have always believed in God, and when life unsettles me, I turn to Scripture—not to question who He is, but to allow His Word to steady my faith. His existence, His power, and His sovereignty have never been in doubt. What is tested in everyday life is my trust in what He is doing when I cannot yet see the outcome. Scripture calls me to “trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding,” to acknowledge Him in all my ways, even when His paths feel unfamiliar (Proverbs 3:5–6). Faith teaches me to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), reminding me that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than my own, even when they confuse me (Isaiah 55:8–9). Weariness, unanswered prayer, extended waiting, and obedience without immediate fruit can cause faith to hesitate at the starting line—but it is there, in that honest space, that I listen for God’s voice in Scripture, just as the disciples believed Him, yet had to learn to trust His perfect way.

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READY: They Believed—But Were Unprepared

The disciples believed in God.
They believed Jesus was sent from God.
They even confessed Him as the Messiah.

Jesus told them—seven times—who He was:

• The Bread of Life
• The Light of the World
• The Good Shepherd
• The Resurrection and the Life
• The Way, the Truth, and the Life
• The Gate
• The True Vine

He also told them plainly that He would suffer, be crucified, and rise again.

They heard Him.
They followed Him.
They believed Him.

When the cross came, expectations collapsed. A suffering Messiah did not align with the future they imagined. Obedience had not prepared them for this version of faith.

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SET: When Everything Stops Moving

At the crucifixion, the women remained near the cross. The disciples scattered—not because they stopped loving Jesus, but because of fear and confusion. What they lost was not belief in God; what they lost was certainty that God was still in control. They locked themselves away, they waited, and they grieved. The cross felt final. Yet, as Pastor Burden so clearly named it, the grave was robbed of its finality!

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The Resurrection

After the resurrection, the women testified—and were doubted. Then Jesus appeared. He showed His wounds, invited their touch, and even ate with them, leaving no question that He was truly alive. What had once confused the disciples became unmistakably real: death had been defeated, and Jesus had risen in victory. Fear gave way to faith, and uncertainty gave way to conviction. In His great grace, Jesus did not rush them forward—He stayed. He taught them about the Kingdom of God, confirmed the truth of the Scriptures, and prepared them for the moment when they would go into the world proclaiming the gospel: that King Jesus is alive, reigns with all authority, and calls all people to follow Him.

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GO: When the Spirit Sends

Everything changed at Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came, Faith moved from internal conviction to outward action. Peter—the one who had denied Jesus—stood publicly and proclaimed the gospel. This was the moment the church moved from

ready…
through set…
to go.

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Faith Is the Finish Line

The disciples finished the race because they loved the risen Christ and were empowered by the Holy Spirit. They had no political authority, no social advantage, and no protection from suffering. Yet they went—because faith had crossed the finish line. The grave was robbed of its finality, and Jesus was revealed not only as Savior, but as King. Faith was no longer theoretical; it became active, embodied, and costly as they carried the gospel into the world—proclaiming that King Jesus is alive, reigns with all authority, and invites all people into His kingdom.

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Our Turn on the Path

We have faith.
Yet, we struggle to move when the path ahead is unclear. But the story of the disciples reminds us that God meets us right where we are! He teaches us. He waits with us. And when the time is right, He sends us. Because the grave is not the end. And faith is the finish line!

Send us, Lord—ready, set, and willing to go—wherever You lead.
We trust You.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Heavenly Father,
We come to You as people who believe—and yet still need You to teach us how to trust. You are faithful, even when the path ahead feels uncertain. Help us to trust You with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. In every step we take, teach us to acknowledge You, trusting that You are making our paths straight. When faith hesitates at the starting line, strengthen us to walk by faith and not by sight. When waiting feels long, remind us that Your ways are higher than ours and Your timing is perfect. Thank You that the grave has been robbed of its finality, and that through the risen Christ, faith helps us in our obedience. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

A reflection for Joanna Forbes and the Singing Women of Texas, West Chapter

Dear Joanna,
Dear Singing Women of Texas,

As I have been studying my Bible and preparing for a research project involving singing, community, and Scripture, I found myself unexpectedly pausing in gratitude. Before writing another note or chasing another footnote, I stopped to thank God for the sisterhood He has given me in the Singing Women of Texas. Your voices, your faithfulness, and your shared devotion remind me that singing is never merely sound—it is shared hope.

This pause brought me to Silent Saturday.

Holy Saturday is the day between promise and fulfillment, between the cross and the resurrection. Scripture tells us little about that day, yet it may be the heaviest of all. The disciples faced complete hopelessness after the crucifixion, experiencing God’s presence as a paralyzing absence. Everything they thought they knew about Jesus—about the kingdom, about hope—lay sealed behind a stone.

And yet, hope was already alive.

The sustaining hope of Christ was born in the moment of His deepest anguish—when despair reached its lowest depth and hope its highest peak. This paradox sits at the heart of our faith: hope does not rise from comfort, but from abandonment. God often acts most powerfully when He seems utterly silent.

Lamentations gives language to this experience. In devastation and homelessness, the lamenter declares, “This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.” Hope is ignited by remembrance—by calling to mind God’s character when circumstances scream otherwise. This sacred act of remembering mirrors what happens in us during Silent Saturday. Nothing changes outwardly, yet something is taking shape within.

And that shaping often sounds like a song.

The Song in the Heart

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:19 that Spirit‑filled believers are “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This verse has followed me closely. Singing, as we know so well, is not always audible. The melody begins inwardly—sometimes long before it can be voiced aloud.

Silent Saturday demands precisely this kind of singing.

There is no choir, no harmony, no triumphant refrain. Yet the heart carries a melody—a quiet prayer that refuses to die. Singing is not silent, and yet on this holy day, it is. The melody lodges itself deep within us, helping us pray when words fail. The song is not sung because circumstances invite it; it is sung because Christ is worthy, even when His presence feels hidden.

The new song is always born in the heart. Otherwise, it cannot be sung at all. The heart sings because it is overflowing with Christ. That is why all true singing in the church is a spiritual act—shaped by surrender to the Word, incorporation into community, humility before God, and careful discipline. These are not merely musical virtues; they are spiritual postures.

This is why singing together matters so deeply. It forms us.

As Bonhoeffer so beautifully taught, when the church sings, it is not offering performance but praise. On earth, our song is sung by those who believe; in heaven, it is sung by those who see. Until that day, we sing by faith—sometimes loudly, sometimes inwardly, sometimes with tears.

When the Silence Is Pregnant with Song

Silent Saturday does not deny grief. It does not rush toward resurrection. Instead, it teaches us to watch and wait with real hope, trusting that God has already been where we are now. Christ’s death assures us that no darkness is unexplored, no silence unmanned by God’s presence.

Because Christ has entered the grave itself, we are never alone in our waiting.

The inward song transforms Silent Saturday from mere mourning into active hope. The melody is quiet, but it is alive. The silence is heavy, but it is pregnant with song. God is working even when there is no sound.

And so, dear sisters, we continue to sing—sometimes aloud, sometimes only in our hearts—trusting that the God who placed the song within us will one day call it forth in full voice.

With gratitude for this sisterhood and hope that endures even in the silence,

Dee Ann

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
We offer You this silence—the waiting, the ache, the hope we carry unseen.
When words fall away, place Your song within our hearts.
Help us trust You in the quiet, remember who You are,
and wait with faith until joy breaks forth.
We rest in You. In Jesus precious name we pray,
Amen.

Matthew 21:12-13

by Pastor Dee

On Holy Monday, we follow Jesus into the temple courts, where He overturns tables, scatters coins, and confronts a system that had drifted far from God’s heart. Matthew tells us:

“Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money‑changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.’”
—Matthew 21:12–13 (ESV)

Jesus’ actions may seem startling, but they reveal a holy tension: righteous anger and merciful purification. His anger is not impulsive or petty—it is the holy love of God confronting whatever obstructs worship, burdens the vulnerable, and distracts God’s people from their true calling.

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The Cluttered Temple and the Cluttered Heart

Life becomes cluttered with distractions. Many of them are good things—work, family, responsibilities, even ministry itself. But good things can quietly overshadow what is best. Slowly, subtly, our hearts become like the temple courts of Jesus’ day: noisy, crowded, and spiritually unfocused.

We do not see ourselves among the merchants, yet we recognize the drift:

• Priorities become disordered.
• Busyness replaces devotion.
• Reputation outweighs righteousness.
• Ambition begins to define identity.

This is why Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is not just an event to observe; it is an invitation to inner renewal. As Mike Chung notes, purification is part of God’s loving discipline—a cleansing that rescues us from “an overzealous appetite for greed, ambition, prominence, reputation, and fame.”

Holy Monday calls us to open the doors of our hearts and allow Jesus to overturn whatever keeps us from loving God and others wholeheartedly.

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A God Who Defends the Vulnerable

The temple marketplace was more than commercial—it was exploitative. During Passover, poor worshippers purchased doves at unjust, inflated prices. The very place designed for prayer—especially for the nations—had become inaccessible to those who most needed God’s presence.

Jesus’ anger is not only toward corruption in worship; it is compassion for the poor.

Holy Monday reminds us:

• God defends the oppressed.
• He despises deceit and religious manipulation.
• Justice is an expression of His holiness.

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to protect the alien, the poor, and the overlooked. Jesus embodies this truth as He defends the vulnerable right in the temple courts.

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After Cleansing Comes Healing

Matthew adds a beautiful detail:

“And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and He healed them.”
—Matthew 21:14 (ESV)

Once the noise is cleared and the corruption removed, the temple becomes what it was always meant to be—a place of healing.

This sequence is deeply personal:

1. Cleansing—Jesus removes what does not belong.
2. Restoration—He heals what is broken.
3. Renewal—He restores our capacity for true worship.

This is the spiritual rhythm of Holy Monday: Jesus cleanses us, not to condemn, but to restore.

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Holy Monday Invitation

Today, let Jesus walk through the inner courts of your heart.
Let Him overturn what distracts.
Let Him cleanse what has become distorted.
Let Him restore what has grown weak.

And then—let Him heal.

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Prayer for Holy Monday

Heavenly Father,
Cleanse the temple of my heart.
Remove the clutter of misplaced priorities, selfish ambition, and quiet sins that dull my love for You.
Drive out anything that hinders worship, burdens the vulnerable, or keeps me from walking in justice and mercy.
Make my heart a true house of prayer—
a place where Your presence is welcomed,
Your Word is honored,
and Your healing flows freely.
As You once restored the temple courts,
restore me today.
Amen.

By Pastor Dee

Holy Week arrives like a sacred invitation, drawing us into the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry and inviting us to follow Him with deeper attention and tender devotion. It is a week rich with meaning, prophecy, and fulfillment. Palm Sunday stands at the gateway, not merely as a ceremonial tradition, but as the moment when Jesus steps into His identity as Israel’s promised King. What unfolds in Matthew 21:1–11 is both deliberate and divine, revealing a kingship unlike any the world had ever known.

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Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King (Matthew 21:1-11)

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]

“Hosanna^[d] in the highest heaven!”

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”🌿 Prophecy Fulfilled With Purpose

When Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, he highlights the intentionality of every move Jesus makes. The evangelist goes out of his way to connect the moment to Zechariah’s ancient prophecy, reminding the reader that the Messiah would come “humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” Jesus sends His disciples to retrieve the animals. He is the fulfillment of Scripture. He embodies the promised King in a way that is unmistakable to anyone familiar with the prophetic story. This intentional fulfillment reveals layers of messianic meaning. Jesus is declaring that He is indeed the Son of David, the long-awaited King who would come to restore God’s people. Yet He does so with a posture so unexpected—so gentle—that many failed to grasp the fullness of what was happening before their eyes. His kingship is real, but it is not wielded with coercion or conquest. Matthew wants his readers to see that Jesus’ authority is expressed in humility, and His arrival is the quiet unveiling of God’s redemptive plan.

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🌿 The Royal Donkey of Peace

The image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is often misunderstood in modern times, yet for ancient audiences it carried unmistakable significance. A donkey was not the mount of a poor man but the mount of a peaceful king. In the ancient world, rulers who approached a city for war rode a horse, signaling strength, aggression, and military intent. But a king who approached on a donkey announced a mission of peace and reconciliation. Zechariah had declared that Israel’s King would come this way, and Jesus’ choice of animal was a theological statement as much as a symbolic one. This also connects Jesus to the story of King David, who left Jerusalem on a donkey during Absalom’s rebellion. Zechariah’s promise that the true King would return to Zion on a donkey served as a reminder that David’s Son, the Messiah, would restore what had been broken. Jesus follows that very path. His entry into Jerusalem is not a political uprising but a peaceful reclaiming of His rightful rule. He brings peace between God and humanity, offering restoration, forgiveness, and the healing of fractured hearts and communities.

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🌿 The Cry of the Crowds: “Hosanna!”

As Jesus enters the city, the crowds respond in a way that reveals their recognition of something sacred unfolding. They spread their cloaks across the road, an act of submission historically reserved for royalty. They cut branches from the trees and wave them in celebration, echoing the joyful processions of Israel’s past, such as Solomon’s coronation and the Maccabean rededication of the temple. Their shouts ring with prophetic meaning: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The word “Hosanna” is a cry derived from Psalm 118, meaning “Save us, Lord.” It is both a plea for deliverance and a declaration of hope. The crowd may not have understood the full nature of Jesus’ mission, but they sensed that God was near and that the long-awaited King had finally arrived. Their voices rise in expectation, longing for salvation, and recognizing Jesus as the One who carries the authority and presence of God.

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🌿 Honor and Humility, Triumph and Tragedy

Palm Sunday contains a profound irony that Matthew’s Gospel does not shy away from. Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, honored as the Son of David and welcomed as King. Yet the humility of His arrival hints at the path ahead. The same crowds who celebrate Him will later stand silent as He is condemned, or even join the chorus demanding His crucifixion. The One hailed as King on Sunday will be executed under the sign, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,” on Friday. The juxtaposition of honor and tragedy emphasizes the kind of Messiah Jesus came to be. He is not a conquering military hero but the suffering servant foretold by the prophets. His victory will not be won by force but by self-giving love, and His throne will first be a cross. Palm Sunday holds together the beauty of His humble arrival and the weight of His sacrificial mission. His gentle entry on a donkey prepares the way for the redemptive power of His death and resurrection.

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🌿 A Kingship That Looks Forward

Palm Sunday is not merely the beginning of Holy Week; it is a glimpse into both past promises and future hope. The King who comes in peace will one day return in glory. Revelation describes Jesus’ second coming on a white horse, the mount of a conquering King who brings final justice and perfect peace. The humility of His first entry does not diminish His authority—it reveals the depth of His love. His second entry will reveal the fullness of His reign. Palm Sunday calls us to see Jesus as He truly is: the humble King who came to save, the suffering King who died to redeem, and the victorious King who will return to restore all things. As Holy Week begins, we are invited to welcome Him into our hearts with the same cry the crowds lifted long ago—“Hosanna. Save us, Lord.”

🌿 Why It Is Important to Worship and Understand Holy Week — The King Jesus Gospel

It is important to worship and understand Holy Week because this week reveals the heart of what the New Testament calls the King Jesus Gospel—the good news that Jesus is the long‑awaited King who has come to inaugurate God’s kingdom, redeem His people, and reign over creation with justice, mercy, and everlasting peace. Holy Week is not simply the story of our personal salvation; it is the unveiling of God’s covenant promises stretching from Abraham to David and from the prophets to the apostles. It is the moment in which God’s redemptive plan reaches its climax through the royal mission of Jesus Christ. Palm Sunday shows the King entering His city; the Last Supper reveals the covenant meal of the Kingdom; Good Friday displays the King laying down His life for His subjects; Holy Saturday holds the silence of waiting; and Easter morning announces the King’s victory over death and His enthronement as Lord. To worship during Holy Week is to declare with the early church that Jesus is not merely a teacher or healer, but the crucified, risen, and reigning King whose rule brings salvation to the world. Understanding Holy Week anchors our faith in the full gospel—the grand biblical proclamation that Jesus is King, His kingdom has begun, and all who follow Him are invited to live under His reign. When we worship through the events of this week, we align our hearts with the story God Himself is telling: the story of the King who arrived in humility, conquered through love, triumphed through sacrifice, and lives forever as the world’s true Lord.