R-CSI (Conclusion)

It was a long shot, but we had to consider the possibility that the death of Javier Cruz had been staged as a publicity stunt. The body was taken directly from the crime scene to the county morgue for autopsy, standard procedure in murder investigations. County coroner’s report listed causes of death due to blood loss from internal injuries and asphyxiation by being hung. Bottom line, Javier Cruz was dead.

During the next few days, “Javier sightings” became increasingly numerous, overloading the switchboard at precinct headquarters. It was impossible to interview everyone to determine if these sightings were credible. By midweek, the hottest trending topic on Twitter was a mass vigil in front of the vault at the Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Reports indicated several hundred to several thousand people were present.

In response to concerns from cemetery personnel regarding possible property damage, police were dispatched to disperse the crowd. They arrived to find people wildly excited, crying, laughing, and screaming, “He was here! He was here! I can't believe it! He was here!” Everyone reported that Javier had suddenly appeared and spoke to them for several minutes. Many took pictures or recorded video on their cell phones. However when they attempted play back, there was no image of Javier, only a bright light.

Later, on the evening news, a reporter interviewed Javier's associate leaders. They looked completely different now, confident, bold and elated. They reported Javier had definitely come back from the dead and was alive again. They intended to devote the rest of their lives to spreading Javier’s message of reconciliation and unconditional love from God to all people who would accept it.

The CSI unit continued to collect evidence for several weeks. We had no reasonable explanations for what occurred at the vigil event. While it might have been possible to assume that a few people had hallucinated and “seen Javier,” it was highly unlikely that hundreds of people at one time could have had a mass hallucination.

Both followers and family related they had seen Javier several times, were convinced he was alive again, and had no further interest in our CSI investigation.
Since we could not even be sure there was still a dead body to recover, we were forced to retire the case as open and unresolved….

Over 2000 years later, the most famous CSI case in history is still unresolved and remains open: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Based on references from ancient sources, modern scholars agree that Jesus Christ was an actual historical person who was crucified by Pontius Pilate between 30 and 36 A.D. In 1986, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article, “A Study of the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” which stated that the description of Jesus’ death was medically consistent with death by hypovolemic shock (extreme blood loss) and asphyxiation.

The unusual evidence of Jesus’ resurrection continues to present itself for investigation by every person today.  The apostle Paul best summed up this evidence in I Timothy 3:16.  He stated that beyond all doubt, the work of God as Messiah, which had been hidden for ages, was revealed when Jesus Christ appeared in human form. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus demonstrated He was the Son of God by performing many miracles and teaching about the kingdom of God. (Acts 10:38) Angels were present throughout His life and at His resurrection. (Luke 2:9-13; Luke 24:1-8) The message of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ is for everyone. (Romans 10:8-13)

Jesus was seen after His resurrection by His disciples, two followers going to a small town, Emmaus, near Jerusalem, a woman, and over 500 people at one time.
(I Corinthians 15:3-8; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:11-18)

Now the question is: What will you do with this evidence?

Come and join us for a special Easter celebration this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Enjoy the special production called, “The Victor’s Crown” as we investigate again the unique and compelling evidence for the resurrection of Christ.

Pastor Che

R-CSI (Part 2)

I was telling you about all the strange events that started happening on the Sunday that the body of Javier Cruz disappeared. Believe it or not, things only got stranger as that day wore on.

About 3 o'clock, Dayley, a homeless man well-known to precinct police came into headquarters with a wild story about seeing an alien from outer space. He appeared anxious and frightened. He stated that he had been sleeping in the cemetery when he was awakened by a very bright light emanating from some type of alien being he described as “at least 10 feet tall, and hovering just above the ground.” While he watched, it raised an arm-like appendage toward the vault holding the body of Javier Cruz and the heavy steel–reinforced gate automatically swung open. Immediately there was a huge burst of light from within the vault, and Dayley yelled, “When I saw that happen, I figured there might be more of them and I got out of there quick!”

We all listened patiently, although it was difficult not to snicker. Dayley typically is more drunk than sober. But he insisted that we fill out an incident report for him to sign. His parting words were, “I tell you I saw them. The aliens have landed.” Two days later we were shocked to discover that footage from the cemetery security camera corroborated at least one part of Dayley’s story: the burst of light from inside the vault. In fact the light had emitted some type of electromagnetic energy that apparently disrupted the camera’s functioning at that point leaving a blank picture. I don't mind telling you that discovery unsettled all of us.

One of our most difficult challenges was establishing a motive. Who would want to steal a dead body and why? Of course we needed to locate the associate leaders of Javier Cruz for questioning. Hopefully they would be able to shed some light on these unusual circumstances. We had a surveillance team covering the Cruz headquarters round-the-clock, but it remained empty. We finally located the leaders in a canyon residence just north of the city. Apparently the night of the murder they had all fled and gone into hiding, fearing for their lives.

We questioned each leader separately, and each one gave the same story. They didn't know anything about the break-in at the vault, and couldn't imagine any motive for stealing Javier's body. Apparently the woman who reported to police that she had conversed with Javier early Sunday morning, also communicated the same message to these leaders. They all stated they did not believe her story, and felt she must've been stressed and traumatized.

After advising the leaders to stay local for follow-up questioning if needed, we were getting ready to leave when one of them received a text message from two young men hired as bodyguards for Javier. The message was marked “urgent” and simply stated, “Javier was here and talked with us!”

We asked the young men to meet us at precinct headquarters. They were very excited, smiling and laughing. Hearing about the theft, they had visited the Memorial Gardens Cemetery to view the family vault for themselves. They returned by bus to their apartment on the upper west side of the city. At the bus stop, they were joined by a friendly man, walking in the same direction, who struck up a conversation with them.

The really odd thing about their story was that they talked with this man for over an hour before realizing he was Javier. They reported that he somehow “looked different, yet the same.” Actually it was things he said in the conversation that led to their conclusion that he was Javier. We repeatedly probed as to whether this could be a case of mistaken identity, but both men resolutely insisted that it was Javier. When we asked them where we could locate Javier, they replied they didn't know. One stated, “When our conversation ended, Javier said goodbye and just disappeared.”

After the first 24 hours, our investigation seemed hopelessly mired as we kept discovering increasingly strange and unusual “evidence” related to the case. Was it possible that Javier had not died, and perhaps the whole thing was a publicity stunt? (What do you think? What explanation best fits the evidence uncovered thus far?)

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. This is Palm Sunday and my sermon is, “The King of Glory.”

Pastor Che

R-CSI

(If today was 33 A D, a first-hand account might go something like this:)

I was the desk sergeant down at precinct headquarters early that Sunday morning when the earthquake happened. It was significant enough, probably a 5.5, but hardly devastating. True to form the board lit up with callers wanting to know the magnitude and epicenter, and of course I simply had to refer them to local television and radio stations.

But then the call came that I will never forget. It was a woman crying hysterically and screaming, “He's gone! He's gone! They've stolen his body!” I tried without much success to get her to calm down. It took several minutes, but I finally managed to obtain her location. She was calling from the northwest corner of the Memorial Gardens Cemetery, apparently at the site of a family vault.

Then I found out that it was his  body that was missing, Javier Cruz.; the internationally known spiritual philosopher who had managed in a few short years to start a religious revolution with his unorthodox ideas. While he had growing popularity among nonreligious people, who packed out auditoriums to hear him speak, most religious leaders considered him a heretic and took every opportunity to slam him in the press.

Over time sides became more polarized and then the inevitable finally happened. A group of religious extremists took it upon themselves to rid society of his dangerous new ideas. They raided Javier’s headquarters, overpowering his top associates who apparently managed to flee the building through a rear exit. They beat Javier beyond recognition and hung him from a tree in front of the building.

Some friends and family members who witnessed the event immediately called police, but told reporters that they took their time getting to the scene. Whatever the case, Javier was dead by the time they arrived. A private funeral was held three days ago. I'm not particularly religious or philosophical, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the publicity he attracted. The way things go these days I'm sure he'll soon be forgotten.

I dispatched a CSI unit to the crime scene and waited for their report. A few hours later they returned looking stunned. Several things at the scene did not make sense. For one, his clothes were neatly folded and set on a slab in the vault. Why would anyone want to undress a dead body before stealing it? The heavy steel-reinforced gate at the entrance to the family vault was swung open, but still locked, and there were no signs of forcible entry. Although the grass was damp from a slight shower, there were no footprints leading into or out of the family vault. No fingerprints were found on the gate, anywhere inside the vault or even on his clothes.

Investigators were struggling to come up with plausible explanations for the evidence gathered this far, or should I say the lack of evidence.  Not even the flowers or memorabilia left by admirers appeared to be disturbed in any way. This had to be the work of pros. But how did they pull it off? And why?

While we were still wondering about this, a police lieutenant called from the field. He had been approached by a woman, who identified herself as a friend of the family, and stated that she had conversed with Javier earlier in the day. He informed me, he was bringing her down to the precinct for questioning. I told him he should take her to County General and admit her to the psych ward. This was all we needed, a crazy on the loose! She must be traumatized and hallucinating. What type of useful information could we possibly get from her?

Imagine that you are this desk sergeant, and this is all the information you have. What would you think happened to the body? Who might have a motive to steal it? Who would you want to bring in for questioning? (Join us next week as this R-CSI continues to uncover more evidence.)

I invite you to our 9 AM or 11:00 AM services this Sunday where I will speak on the “The Overcoming Church.”

Pastor Che

Revenge: Sweet or Bitter?

The Romans perfected the practice of turning victory into a show of revenge. They called it the Roman Triumph, and it was a parade through Rome in which the victorious General, his troops and the spoils of war were greeted by cheering crowds. The spoils were not only physical treasures brought back from battle, but the conquered king, his family and nobles who were put on public display and humiliated.

Often, particularly when a rivalry is long or casualties are high, victors feel entitled to extract revenge to regain a sense of justice. History is full of examples. Recently secret documents from World War II were declassified and indicated that when the death camp at Dachau was liberated by battle weary US troops, they were horrified at what they saw. They lined up 75 SS soldiers who had surrendered and machine-gunned them down in cold blood. The event was reported to Gen. Patton who chose to dismiss all charges, apparently feeling justice had been served.

Revenge as a way to regain justice occurs on smaller scales as well. Recently, the History Channel aired a miniseries on one of the most famous revenge feuds of all time, the Hatfields and the McCoys. These two clans engaged in a cycle of killings, beatings and kidnappings over several decades in the late 1800s. What initially set it off? A disagreement about ownership of a hog!

But does revenge really reestablish true justice? The American Psychological Society Monitor recently reported that studies on revenge indicated that it made people more unhappy, not less so. Commonly, media interviews of relatives of murder victims who attend the execution of perpetrators indicate that witnessing the execution does not produce any satisfaction or relief. Rather than being sweet, revenge actually seems to be a bitter pill once swallowed.

Paradoxically, the way to celebrate a victory that seems to bring the most happiness to people, is to forgive those who have wronged them. Nelson Mandela is an excellent example. Imprisoned for 27 years from 1963 to 1990, he forgave those who imprisoned him.

The late Pope John Paul II is another example. After suffering serious gun shot wounds from an assassination attempt in 1981, he later visited his assailant in prison and forgave him face-to-face. The Pope said, “I spoke to the man as a brother whom I have pardoned.”

An important point to remember in both these examples is that neither man had been asked forgiveness by those who wronged him. They extended their forgiveness freely.

Why does forgiveness bring happiness where revenge does not? When we forgive, we are participating in the life of Father God. He is almighty and could have exacted revenge on us, but He demonstrated a better way to deal with injustice. He loved us so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us and show us His forgiveness. He tells us in Matthew 5:44–45, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on both the good and evil.”

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Our pastors Greg and Linda Wallace will be speaking. Pastor Greg’s sermon at 9:00 AM is “Ekklesia: People Called Out to Change the World,” and Pastor Linda's sermon at 11:00 AM is “Undone: Abandoning Ourselves to God.”

Pastor Che

Big Losers Wanted

Their names read like a capitalists’ list of Who's Who from the early 1900s: Alfred Vanderbilt, the heir to the shipping and railroad empire, Henry Frick, the Pittsburgh steel baron, J.P. Morgan the Wall Street financier and Milton Hershey, the chocolate manufacturer. They were some of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the United States and accustomed to going first class in everything. But they missed out on the most exclusive, extravagant travel opportunity of their day.

They had all booked luxurious accommodations aboard the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but for varying reasons beyond their control, they were forced to cancel their reservations. What undoubtedly felt like loss and disappointment at the time, turned out to be a huge win.

You've probably heard of Carl Lewis, the American track and field champion, who won a total of 9 Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 1992. However, he is most remembered for the hundred meter race he ran against Canadian Ben Johnson in the 1988 Olympics. Lewis didn't win that race. In fact, he came in second. But three days later Johnson tested positive for steroids, was stripped of his gold medal, which was then awarded to Lewis along with an Olympic record for the event.

We are all familiar with Jennifer Hudson, who was introduced to the American public on the third season of American Idol in 2004. She went on to debut as an actress in “Dream Girls,” winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for best supporting actress in 2006. And her first album garnered a Grammy in 2008. I think we can all agree she has been immensely successful, but did you know she didn't even place in the top six on American Idol?

All these people are examples of how losing sometimes is actually winning. When we look at life events from our perspective we see and feel our losses, but in retrospect sometimes we understand that our loss was actually a win. A young associate of mine here at HRock Church shared the following story with me.

He was getting ready to graduate and was offered an excellent training opportunity for a possible management position with a prestigious firm. At the end of his training he was actually offered a lucrative entry position. However, in praying about his decision, he felt he needed to refuse the opportunity.

He told me, “I was really disappointed and didn't understand why God would be telling me not to take a position that seemed tailor-made for me. However my refusal led to my career taking a different path, and 6 months later that firm downsized and the position was eliminated.” You see God knew that what looked like a loss was actually a win for that young man.

Did you know that God is looking for losers? Actually He is looking for big losers. He's looking for people who are willing to lay down everything they value in this life to win a life larger than anything they can imagine. Jesus tells us that if we are willing to risk or lose seeming opportunities in our lives at His direction, He will lead us into a life of abundance that is true winning.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM when we will have a special guest speaker, Brother Yun “The Heavenly Man.” Also, I will be doing a book signing for my new book, the Grace of Giving this Sunday.

Pastor Che