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"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then, those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people to be most pitied.'  1 Corinthians 15:12-19

If Christ is not raised, then nothing else matters. There is no other religion in history that makes the claim that its founder rose from the dead. This fact makes the resurrection the absolute centerpiece of Christianity. Without that fact, we are living a lie based on a hoax, and nothing we have ever done or said in the name of Christ matters. The question is either Christ was crucified and raised from the dead or he wasn't. The answer to that question has overwhelming consequences and implications for all of mankind. It is in fact, the most important question each one of us can answer and without believing in the resurrection, there is no hope. 

Because Christ rose from the dead, as he promised, we can be assured that what he said was true and who he claimed to be was true. We can rest assured that our sins are forgiven and that he still lives today and that because he was raised from the dead, we can rest assured that we will also be raised. 

The Romans performed innumerable crucifixions before, during and after the life of Christ, most of those long forgotten after they occurred. However, the crucifixion of Christ is vastly different than all the other crucifixions that took place, because of the resurrection. Immediately following Christ's arrest, the apostles deserted Christ and after his crucifixion believed it was over. Yet nearly all of these men died in the name of Christ and for their belief in the resurrection. 

Peter, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Simon and James were all crucified. Thomas killed by a spear, Matthew a sword and Thaddeus killed by arrows. All in the name of Christ and their belief that he had raised from the dead. The explosion of Christianity around the world since that time is primarily due to the first eyewitnesses which consisted not only of the apostles, but hundreds of others who saw him after he was crucified. They suffered because they saw and believed. 

The question for us today is do we believe as the apostles did that Christ died and was raised from the dead thus paying the price for our sins and the promise of eternal life? Without an answer to that question and without our acknowledgement of repentance and our promise of surrender to him, all other things are meaningless. We can be leaders in our church or teach Sunday school, but if we do not believe then it is meaningless. We can perform good deeds, save lives, help the needy and feed the homeless but without the resurrection and our belief that it happened, we have no hope. The reality is, it all comes down to the cross. Our lives may get sidetracked with many distractions that cause us to lose our focus and forget where our priority should be. It is because of the resurrection that Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth. He has authority over our lives, over death, over all living things. It is because of the resurrection that we now as believers have a mission to make disciples of Christ based on the authority he has over our lives. It is not an option nor is the resurrection just another tradition to be celebrated.

For it was on this day, that Christ died for the sins of all mankind. Allowing new lives to experience the resurrection power of Christ. We are no longer chained to the sins of mankind that began with the fall of Adam. Because of the resurrection, Christ lives with us today through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of the resurrection, the church has a witness to the world. Because of the resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life. And because of the authority of Christ, he has promised to be with us always through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that allows us to live freely from the chains of sin, sharing our faith and to totally surrender every aspect of our lives to him. It is because of the resurrection, that all things will be made new. The answer for all of mankind rests solely on what happened on Resurrection day and our response to that event. For if Christ is not raised, then nothing else matters. May we all live our lives each day with this simple fact in mind. It all rests on the Cross and His resurrection. 

"The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you." - Matthew 28:5-7

It was about ten years ago.  Micaiah and I had taken a trip together, and we were on our way home.  We got to the airport in Atlanta, and when we walked in and checked the monitors, we found out that our flight was delayed for an hour-and-a-half.

Now that’s not a big deal, except that we had a 50-minute layover in Houston.  So you can do the math, and figure out that we aren’t going to make it!

In addition, with the delay, our flight would put us into Houston around 10 pm.  I began to realize that it doesn’t look good, for us making it home tonight. 

I tried to prepare Micaiah a little bit, for what could happen.  “Sweetie, the flight has changed.  We’re going to have to wait here for a while.  And then, when we get to Houston, we may have to spend the night there.  We may even have to sleep in the airport.  But we’ll go, we’ll talk to the people at the ticket counter, and we’ll see what they can do for us.”  I just wanted to help prepare her a little bit.

Now - no kidding - I had a sense that in that moment, I had a choice.  Which I was really glad for that realization!  Because usually I make the choice, without ever realizing that I had one.

In that moment, God was merciful, and I sensed that I had a choice.  I could be really frustrated that we weren’t getting home that night.  And more frustrated that I had no idea what the next 12-18 hours were going to hold. 

Instead, I think I was encouraged; encouraged that my precious daughter was looking to me, to be her leader.

And instead, I could look at this, and say, “Y’know what, Lord, this is really going to be an adventure!  This is going to be cool.  I don’t know what you’re going to do.  We might sleep in the airport.  We might even drool on the chairs in the airport in Houston.  But it’s going to be an adventure!  And God, you are here right now.  And you are doing a good thing.  So Lord, we’ll just follow You, wherever You want to go with this.”

So we checked in.  We made our way all the way out to the gate.  And we stood in line, waiting there until it was our turn to be told our fate.

Now, the line is not long.  There are only about 5 people in front of us.  But the line is moving exceedingly slow.  Because everybody in that line has the same problem that I have.  And they need their whole world rearranged. 

Finally, we get right up to the counter, and we are next.  The attendant is there, and we are about to get something worked out.  Just then, she says, “I’m sorry, I’m going to need you to wait for a minute, because there is something that I need to take care of first, and the I’ll be right with you.”

Ok; so we will wait. 

So she picks up the intercom, and she broadcasts, “Malizzo; passenger Malizzo!”

I speak up immediately, “Hey, we’re right here ..!”

She says, “I’ve got you on the 7:30 flight.  You’re leaving in about 35 minutes.  Here are your tickets.  Here are your boarding passes.  You need to go right now.  I’m going to call them to let them know that you’re on your way.”  And off we went!

It was a direct flight.

We got home 2 hours before we would have gotten home otherwise, even though we had already missed the original departure time.

Our bags also made it home with us.  They had made it onto our flight.  That was the second miracle.

I journaled about all of this later.  And I journaled about it, not because I was so thrilled that we got home 2 hours earlier.  And not because I thought some real miracle had occurred.  Basically, we had an attendant who was very conscientious.  She worked very hard, and she did a great job for us, without us even asking.  That was a work of God, but it wasn’t a miracle.  She was just doing a great job.

But the reason I journaled, was because I had that sense beforehand.  That sense, that “Ok God, You’re here.  You haven’t forgotten about us.  This is Your adventure.” 

And then I got to see God take care of us.  And through that whole event, I got to be aware, “Lord, this is really great, because You are helping us; helping us to walk in eternity, right now.”

We are walking in eternity, all the time.  It’s just that, usually, I don’t realize it.

What started out as days spent at home has turned into weeks, months, and now a year. For me, this past year has been a time to reconnect with my family after an overseas move, a chance to settle in to a new home, and spend time doing all the things I normally love. However, lately something has felt off. Something is missing. I couldn’t figure out what. Did I need to join a new bible study? Should I start a new hobby or read a new book? It seemed like I had tried just about everything, yet nothing satisfied.

One day I was asked to do an announcement at church for Titus 2, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stretch myself and do something that scared me just a little. I went to church that next Sunday fully planning to pop in and give the announcement and then leave for many reasons, the most pressing was the uncertainty of being able to get my children to comply with wearing a mask indoors for an hour. (Anyone relate?)  As I walked into church that Sunday my heart settled. My soul lifted as I recognized God’s presence in that room. After spending months at my house, I was finally home.

Reflecting on this Sunday morning I have been reminded that we are not made for this earth. God has set eternity on each one of our hearts and given us an incredible gift to taste a tiny bit of what it will be like to live forever in God’s glory next to our brothers and sisters.

The following passage from Randy Alcorn’s book, “Heaven” perfectly sums up my experience in words far more profound and precise than I could come up with myself.

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). We may imagine we want a thousand different things, but God is the one we really long for. His presence brings satisfaction; his absence brings thirst and longing.”

I have been guilty of longing for this pandemic to come to an end and thinking, “if only I could go on a date with my husband inside a restaurant or put my kids in childcare at church, or send my kids back to school then everything will go back to normal and we will be happy.” The truth is, none of that will satisfy. We will only be satisfied in the presence of God. We can find this in our church when we feel comfortable doing so, but this is not the only place we can meet God face to face. We can experience His presence anywhere and my prayer for all of my church family is that you find His presence in the everyday, ordinary experiences as well as in fellowship with those God has blessed us with in our church body.

Whether you attend church in person, online, or lately not at all, I pray you find peace and restoration in God’s presence.  

North of Cimarron, tucked in next to the south side of the Valle Vidal and surrounded by Philmont Scout Ranch, lies the Elliott Barker Wildlife Management Area. At just over 5400 acres, it was purchased in 1966 to protect habitat for elk and deer. It was obviously named after New Mexico’s most famous conservationist, Elliott Barker. More on his life in another story.

The first time we visited this area, was close to 25 years ago. Patti and I were celebrating an anniversary and were staying in Cimarron. I recall vividly driving our old Ford Bronco up the rough, gravel road that leads to the wildlife area. In one stream crossing, the water was so high it came up above the hood of the vehicle.

The last time we had visited was about ten years prior to this trip. We had stopped at the end of the road as it headed into the Valle Vidal. My son, Canyon and I fished the small Ponil Creek leading out of the Valle Vidal. At the time it was an amazing fishery with and abundance of wild, brown trout.

This time, we were on another anniversary trip, so it was only fitting to make the trip up the canyon again. The journey begins a few short miles outside of Cimarron. County Road 204 heads north through private ranch land and the north side of the world famous Philmont Scout Ranch. The trek up the canyon is one of the most unique areas in New Mexico, characterized by large cottonwoods that line up along the creek bottom, historic ranches and abundant wildlife. On one trip up this canyon, we were forced to stop as a herd of elk numbering in the hundreds crossed the road. Five or six miles up the canyon, we entered the historic Philmont Scout Ranch. This area was the original headquarters and has a number of old log cabins that are still in use by the scouts today.

Once we got to the end of the road, we were surprised to see a large, No Trespassing sign where the trail used to lead into the Valle Vidal. A jeep was parked near there and a couple of mule deer hunters were next to it eating lunch. I walked over to the jeep and was pleasantly surprised to find a former game warden that we knew sitting there. After a long discussion and time of catching up, he explained that Game and Fish had lost the easement through that trail and it was no longer accessible to the public. Although, the Valle Vidal did start right next to the creek, the trail was now no longer public. At first, we were a bit dismayed but decided it was an opportunity to explore the wildlife area.

After heading back down the road, we found a sign that marked the location of a trail that lead to an area called Wilson Mesa. The first mile and half of the trail was really an old logging road that was extremely rocky, creating some rough hiking conditions. Originally our intent was to run this trail, but it became apparent that was not going to happen given the roughness of the road. As we hiked out of the canyon, we continued to climb in elevation. As we neared the ridge, our excitement level built as we could tell the country was going to flatten out and open up. This would provide some incredible views of this part of Northern New Mexico.

As we neared the top of the ridge, the road became less rocky as well and we would continue our run. About a ½ mile after reaching the top, I glanced ahead to see a small herd of elk including a nice bull and five or six cows crossing the trail in front of us. We both stopped and watched as the elk trotted across the meadow to the south. Another mile brought us to a small lake that was on top of the mesa. We were so surprised to see this amount of water up on top of the mesa. At this point, we had incredible views of Little Costilla Peak in the Valle Vidal and Baldy Mountain on Philmont Scout Ranch. To the north, were unobstructed views of the famous Vermejo Park Ranch and beyond that, the towering Spanish Peaks of Colorado.

After taking in the views, we noticed what appeared to be some downed structures on the west side of the lake and made our way there. The remains of about four or five old log cabins, corrals and other artifacts dotted the area. As I looked out across the landscape, I could not help but wonder how these folks survived so long ago in such a remote and often harsh land. The views alone were enough to make anyone live there, but this spot was 15 miles from Cimarron and required travel across some extremely rough country. And at 8,600 feet, winters would be extreme in this location. As we often reflect when coming across historic structures as this one, there is no doubt the occupants of these cabin were much hardier than those of us living today.

As we headed back down the trail, we decided to hike to a ridge that appeared to provide views of the Valle Vidal and Vermejo. After walking off trail, we jumped two nice mule deer bucks which bounded off through the forest.

This trip had originally been about a hike on the southern end of the Valle Vidal in an area we rarely visited. That access had been closed off and we were forced to explore a different opportunity. Our hike into the wildlife area was one of our most memorable, with solitude, incredible views and elk and mule deer. While our original plans were derailed, it turned into an incredible and memorable experience.

God’s plan for all of humanity was revealed on the cross when Christ gave all so that we may have eternal life. God’s plan is still hidden from those who refuse to believe or those who have not heard of Christ. Let us hope and pray for those who do not know of God’s glorious plan for salvation. Like our experience in Elliott Barker Wildlife Area, it will be an incredible ride.

“New Year, New Me!” How many of you have already given up on your New Year’s resolution? If you raised your hand, you are not alone! Studies have shown that 50% of adults make New Years resolutions but only 10% actually keep them. We live in a world that constantly encourages us to strive to better ourselves but rarely will we ever measure up. We are also constantly told to evoke the power of God to reach our specific goals, but is this truly biblical? Let’s explore this further. 

^“ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

Christ’s strength wasn’t just a vague force enabling Paul to accomplish whatever he desired. Instead, it strengthened Paul to be content in spite of the harsh difficulties he faced. He wasn’t talking about hypothetical goals, but about the very real adversity he faced on a daily basis.

Specifically, he was talking about his unfair imprisonment at the time of his writing to the Philippian believers. Here’s how he described it at the beginning of Philippians:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Philippians 1:12-14

Paul wrote that he could do all things through Christ strengthening him when he was in prison in Roman facing extreme oppression. And through his divine strengthening, He was able to look beyond his own suffering and rejoice in the ability to further share the gospel as a result of his imprisonment.

Paul never “became his best self”, nor did he strive to fulfill his own personal dreams. His delight was in extending the reach and influence of the gospel, and he labored to that end whether he was free or incarcerated. He was the benchmark of suffering for the sake of the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23–33), and he rejoiced in the strength Christ gave him to endure all of it.

As we are approaching a full year living through an unprecedented pandemic, looking at setting goals for this next year, I want to challenge you to spend less time looking inward and becoming your best self and to spend more time finding ways despite our circumstances to further the gospel message.