Last year during my Easter Bible readings I got stuck in John 20 and blogged about the idea of faith as a journey. This year I am stuck in John 19, and the same idea is exploding off the page.

Nicodemus only shows up three times in the Bible. But those three appearances paint a beautiful picture of three phases most of us experience in our faith journey.

1. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. John 3:1-16. Nicodemus seemed to be fearful and skeptical yet sincere in his first encounter with Jesus. He asked questions and got answers. The answers included two of the most famous statements Jesus ever made: “You must be born again” and John 3:16. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, presumably so his peers would not know he was talking to Jesus. It’s OK if your faith journey is filled with questions and mixed with a little fear.

2. DEFENDING BUT NOT FOLLOWING. John 7:45-52. Some of the Jewish religious leaders want to kill Jesus, but Nicodemus defends Him by siting a legal loophole. At this point Nicodemus is still not following Jesus, but He is not against Him either. He’s in the middle. Some of you reading this might be defending Him, but are you following Him? Nicodemus is on a journey that will eventually take him to the cross. So are you, if you are really following Jesus.

3. RISKING ALL TO IDENTIFY WITH THE CROSS. John 19:38-42. Finally we find Nicodemus at the cross.That’s where all genuine faith journeys always end. If your faith is leading you away from the cross, you are on the wrong path. Peter and the big twelve are running and hiding, but Nicodemus is at the cross. By identifying with the cross, Nicodemus risked much more than his reputation. His job and his life were on the line. The cross is the point of no return.

Is your faith journey leading you to the cross? Are you willing to risk all and identify with the cross of Christ?

I have heard pastors and church people criticize The Bible Series on History channel. Not me.

Sure, there have been a few inaccuracies. In the Bible Series a lamb shows up on Mt Moriah, but in the Bible it was a ram. In the Bible Series King Cyrus fed Daniel to the lions, but in the Bible it was King Darius. And, of course, the Jesus in the real Bible probably looked more like an olive skinned Middle Eastern laborer than a white Midwestern alternative rocker.

So what?

I’m sure it was far less dangerous to work with a lamb than with a ram, and there probably was not enough time to introduce two kings during Daniel’s life so they merged events from the reigns of Cyrus and Darius. I have no idea why the Jesus actor is European. But, the point of God providing for Abraham and God protecting Daniel was loud and clear. And, so far, the New Testament scenes have clearly communicated the message of Jesus without compromise.

So, I’m not complaining or criticizing. Here are six reasons I’m glad The Bible Series is being shown, even though it (the TV series) is neither infallible nor inerrant.

1. People who don’t read the Bible are watching The Bible Series.

2. People who watch The Bible Series are starting to read the Bible.

3. Producers and entertainment power brokers who see the success of The Bible Series will be open to producing more of the same in the future.

4. People are talking about, tweeting about, and blogging about The Bible Series and Bible stories more than ever.

5. Families are watching The Bible Series together, and are discussing Bible stories.

6. It’s sure better than watching Swamp People, Celebrity Wife Swap, or 60 Minutes.

7. Because Samson and John the Baptizer have awesome dreads. (Number 7 is from my friend Neli Atiga in Singapore.)

Thank you Mark Burnett and Roma Downey for taking a risk and giving us The Bible Series.

This conversation happened a couple of months ago while visiting relatives in South Georgia. Cousins Ethan and Eli are eight and twelve-years old. They were talking to my sons James and Jonathan who are twenty-four and twenty-two. The idea of working in a candy warehouse was like heaven to the young cousins.

Eli, “James, if you keep working so much you will never find a wife.”

Ethan, “Eli, he’s got money, he’s got chocolate, he owns a candy store. Why would he want a wife? He’s got it made!”

Yep, when my sons go to work, they are like the proverbial kids in a candy store. Literally. Check out this video of the Candy Galaxy experts creating a candy buffet.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Two paths. Robert Frost wrote about them, and Kid President pep talked about them. (“Not cool Robert Frost!”) But what are the two paths?

All leaders have two options, two paths, two choices: faith or fear.

While reading the Book of Joshua recently, I noticed those two paths, and I prayed that I would never do what ten of the twelve leaders (spies) did to the people they were called to lead.

Caleb and his friend chose faith. The other ten chose fear.

Here’s Caleb’s summary. “My brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.” (Joshua 14:8)

Two leadership options:

1. FEAR. If we choose fear, we will cause “the hearts of the people to melt with fear.” As leaders we have the power to strengthen or to crush the hearts of those they lead.

2. FAITH. If we choose to “follow God wholeheartedly” then the people will follow our example and respond with faith.

Are you choosing the path of faith or fear? Are you following God wholeheartedly?

The Bible. I watched it last night on History Channel. I read it this morning in my favorite chair, drinking my favorite hot tea.

Today’s reading was about a young orphan from a despised ethnic minority who became one of the most influential leaders in ancient Iran. This leader was a female in a male-dominated society. The deck was stacked against her. But that didn’t stop God from changing a nation through Esther.

Here’s the story. Evil King Xerxes (more like a dirty old man than Prince Charming) throws a party to show off his trophy wife, Vashti. But Queen V refuses to play the game, so King X-man sets up the 1st ever Miss Persia contest to find a replacement queen. Esther, a beautiful young Jewish orphan being raised by Uncle Mordecai wins the crown.

Evil Haman, the “assistant to the national security adviser” is angry because Mordecai the Jew will not bow to him. So, Haman tricks the king into signing a law making it legal to kill and rob Jews for one day.

Uncle Mo convinces new Queen E to ask the king to spare the Jews. Esther explains the problem, that anyone entering the king’s presence without an invitation is usually killed, and Esther has not been summoned by the king in a month.

Uncle Mo’s response is the key verse of the whole book:
If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?

Esther overcomes her fears and convinces the king to help the Jews. The Jews survive, Esther becomes a hero, the king promotes Uncle Mo, Haman is killed, and they all live happily ever after – except Haman’s ten sons who are promptly executed (but we won’t see that on the Disney version).

Five leadership lessons from Esther’s story:

1. We don’t have to stick a fish on it. Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God, the temple, or worship. But God is obviously right in the center.

2. We don’t have to take the credit. Mordecai is the real hero, but Esther got the book deal. Being an invisible leader did not bother Mordecai. He was OK with Esther getting the credit.

3. We don’t have to have a righteous leader. The Jews were saved not because Xerxes was righteous, but because of a young orphan’s boldness, an old man’s wisdom, and a lot of prayer. Generations earlier, God blessed Egypt because of a slave named Joseph, and God blessed Babylon because of an exile named Daniel. Neither Egypt nor Babylon had righteous leaders, but that didn’t hinder God from blessing and protecting His people.

4. We have to defend life. God placed Esther in her position to stop the genocide. Standing up for life could have cost Esther her life. Like Esther, we must stand up for life – the life of the widow & orphan, those dying of AIDS in Africa, those starving in our inner cities, and the life of thousands of unborn who are slaughtered daily through violent abortions.

5. We have to keep listening. Esther listened to Uncle Mo even though she did not want to hear what he said and even though she was now powerful, rich, and famous. Unfortunately, many who get to the top stop listening to those whose advise got them there.

Green rivers, green beer, and goofy green hats, is that all there is to St Patrick’s Day, or is there more?

Fifteen hundred years ago Ireland was an idol-worshiping, slave-trading nation of savage pagans. In just one generation Ireland was transformed into a godly nation known for its scholars and missionaries. In his best-selling book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill writes that this national transformation was primarily the work of one man—Patrick.

When Patrick was a teenager in Britain, he was captured by pirates and forced into slavery in Ireland. During this time he had a life-changing encounter with the Lord.

After six years of cruel slavery, he escaped and returned home, but he soon received a divine call to return to minister to those who had enslaved him. In a vision, he heard one of his captors say, “We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and walk again among us.” Can you imagine being called to minister the love of Jesus to the very people who had enslaved you for six years? Patrick responded to that vision and returned to Ireland to preach the gospel.

Shouldn’t disciples make a positive impact on their communities? Is it actually possible to disciple a nation?

During his 30 years of missionary work in Ireland, Patrick helped establish more than 700 churches and schools and trained more than 3000 ministers, many of whom went as missionaries to Scotland, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Patrick’s schools became some of the most important learning institutions in Europe during the Middle Ages, but his ministry went beyond just church work. He also helped transform government and reform laws that brought the end of slavery in Ireland.

The real St Patrick did more than wear green hats, drink green beer, and sponsor parades. So, instead of merely wearing green, why not celebrate St Patrick’s Day the way Patrick would, by MAKING DISCIPLES?

Happy St Patrick’s Day.

Exerted and edited from WikiChurch.