RESURRECTION JOY

Today we visited our church from moons ago: in fact, it was 1991 and church then took place in a little elementary school before we progressed to a local community center.  Circumstance brought us to another place, but now, 20 years later (yikes!) we are back.  Twenty years later, the crowd has grown and the familiar faces aren't so familiar anymore, though perhaps time has costumed them, like me, with wider backs, jollier bellies and crowns of glory.  I was anticipating sneaking up from behind with a giggle into the ears of my old friends, but they no longer sat in the same approachable folding chairs, but sunk into a sea of stadium seating, if they were there at all.

Though saddened by the loss of intimacy, I was overwhelmed to see this humble little beginning now a big, Texas-sized, amphitheater, and I just thanked God for the many lives that have come and gone, just like mine, through the loving arms of Jesus-loving, people-caring folks like those at Calvary Chapel Houston. 

The pastor's teaching was entitled "The Door."  We who have come to that massive door in our lives, remember that it seemed so imposing, so closed, so limiting, so ominous, before we got close enough to hear Jesus' sweet voice beckoning for us to enter and soon we discovered it wasn't a door to shut us off, but one to show us the way, to enter in - a door to Joy, Peace, and Hope.  It was the mere veil that was rent in two at our Lord's crucifixion, torn so that we might HAVE ACCESS.  We who have entered through that door find a joy not subject to the vacillation of circumstance (as is happiness), a peace deep inside that no trial suffocates, and hope that this "corruptible will put on incorruptibility, this mortal put on immortality."

Hearing Ron illustrate his message with stories brought the gap of 20 years to nothing and it was like I hadn't been away that long at all.  I must admit I drifted off during a few stories, giggling (to myself), that I was so much like my mom, always looking for something poetic, the play on words - in fact,  I just googled the technique I'm thinking of, and ironically, it's an ACROSTIC, where the first letter of each line spells out a message and aids in memory retrieval.  In fact, according to Wiki, one of the most famous acrostics is Ichthys:

A famous acrostic was made in Greek for the acclamation JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S SON, SAVIOUR (Greek: Ιησούς Χριστός, Θεού Υιός, Σωτήρ; Iesous CHristos, THeou Yios, Soter — ch and th being each one letter in Greek). The initials spell ICHTHYS (ΙΧΘΥΣ), Greek for fish – hence the frequent use of the fish as a symbol for Jesus Christ from the early days of Christianity to the present time.

So I giggled to myself over the word JOY and every one of his points brought to my mind a message in the word Joy.

You go through that door when  
Jesus  
Overwhelms  
You.

Revelation 3:20 tells us that, "Here I [Jesus] am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Think of every single jot and tittle of His Word as a Knock.  When we hear knock, knock, knock in a car we know it's time to see a mechanic; so it is when the master of our vehicle knocks, pay attention.  If you hear that knock, get thee to Jesus.  Hence my next wandering thought was:

Jesus
Operates on
You 

When elaborating on Peace in John 20:21 "Peace be unto you:  as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you," I continued reading the next verse which said, "and when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost."  I immediately said,

Jesus
Oxygenates
You

then

Jesus
Opportunes
You

I couldn't think of any more O words though I pondered throughout the rest of the message.  Pulled out of my daydreaming by Ron's beckoning those who heard the Lord's voice to come forward for prayer, my eyes focused on a gathering crowd, around whom were gathered believing friends and deacons, with Pastor Ron on just a couple steps up before them praying in earnest and I began to cry as I felt like I was watching the miracle of birth.  The position made Ron appear as though he was the doctor receiving the child from the mother's womb, who had the assistance of the father and friends.....

and Jesus giggled in my ear:

Obstetrician.  I am the obstetrician for you.  You must be born again, but I am there, waiting to receive you into my arms.

And my search for O words was complete, except for one:

Other.  There are other doors the Bible speaks of:  the gates of Hades.  Those gates may look less Ominous, they may look more inviting, they may look like you can easily Open them, but you really don't wanna see what's behind those doors.  In fact, Proverbs 16:25 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

Don't be deceived.  This isn't harmless fun like the Price is Right, for Luke 13:25 tells us, "When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You (not Jesus knocking this time) will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'"