Tom Rees, a pastor in Pennsylvania, sent out the following....
My prayer is that you might follow some or all of his suggestions and find that your celebration of the Resurrection is more blessed than ever before.
________________________
I invite you to join me on a week long journey that leads us from Palm Sunday to the Cross to the Resurrection. During this journey I encourage you to participate in any or all of these three ways;
1) Reflection on the Word:
Spend time each day reflecting on the events that happened during Holy Week through taking time in Bible reading and prayer. This is a great way to prepare our heart to re-discover of the amazing gift of new life that is found in Jesus.
Below you will find a suggested Scripture Reading Plan to help you.
The selected Scriptures are linked directly on line to BibleGateway and are arranged chronologically from the Gospels. Read as much as you can digest. Do not let it overwhelm you. Let God's word speak to your spirit.
1. Sunday, March 16
Matt. 20:17-34; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-43
2. Monday, March 17
Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15
3. Tuesday, March 18
Matt. 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46
4. Wednesday, March 19
Matt. 21:18 - 26:16; Mark 11:11 - 14:11; Luke 20:1 - 22:6
5. Thursday, March 20
Matt. 26:17-75; Mark 14:12-72; Luke 22:7-62; John. 13:21 - 18:27
6. Friday, March 21
Matt. 27:1-61; Mark 15:1-47; Luke 22:66 - 23:55; John 18:28 - 19:42
7. Saturday, March 22
Matt.27:62-66; Luke 23:56
8. Sunday, March 23
Matt. 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-6
2) Fasting:
Consider giving something up during this week in order to help you focus, and to humble yourself before God.
3) Fellowship:
I encourage you not to experience Holy week alone. Pray with your family or a good friend.Share your journey, read the Scriptures together and discuss things that God is teaching you.
_________________
Thank you, Tom, for your excellent suggestions!
Now, for those readers who live locally and are not part of another congregation, I extend an invitation to corporate worship.
At the Assembly we have these events planned for next week....Weds. Bible Study - cancelled
3/20 Thursday -
A showing - The Passion of the Christ, at 7 pm in the sanctuary
3/21 Friday - Communion Worship, 7 pm
3/23 Sunday - Christian Education hour in recess
Breakfast served in the Family Fellowship Center from 8:45 to 9:45 am.
(Donations accepted to benefit Youth Ministry and Speed the Light)
Resurrection Celebration - 10:15 am
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pour It On!
I love my wife. Serving her, caring for her, meeting her needs is no burden to me. I do not calculate whether we are 'equal' in our expression of love, or that I have 'done enough' for her, or if she owes, me something in return. It delights me to give her as much of my time, attention, and resources as possible! The simplest things - stopping by her classroom just to say, 'Hi' - figuring out what she would like for dinner and preparing it - greeting her when she is sleepy-eyed in the morning with a "Hey, Beautiful!" - provide me with more joy than I can tell. I do not believe that genuine love is about calculated benefits or minimum requirements. Love always appears irrational to those who view it from the outside.
I want to love Jesus in a similar manner, extravagantly and without calculation of personal benefit! A story in the Gospel tells about one woman's expression of love for the Lord that provoked a strong reaction. Take a look. "Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor."
They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me." (Mark 14:3-6, The Message)
When we devote ourselves to a passionate pursuit of Christ, we no longer think that we have 'done enough' when we go to church and/or give our tithe. We do not feel that we are entitled to some blessing just because we have completed some act of worship! We lose any sense of having a 'holy obligation.' Increasingly, our love for Him pulls us to extravagance, worshipping and serving for the sheer delight of giving ourselves to Him. In a recent conversation with some other Pastors, one of them mentioned meeting with a some couples who were preparing to leave the United States to 'bury' themselves in remote locations, far from convenience and comfort, to do missionary work. They are bright, skilled people who could enjoy great careers, make real money, and live safely and comfortably in an American suburb. Yet, they choose an entirely different way of life that appears terribly difficult to some of us. To them it is a delight. Why? No other reason than love! Some look at their choice and, like the men in the text above, say, "a sheer waste."
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, talks about the ways he has served the Lord and His Church. Some called him insane for what he put himself through in order to preach the Gospel. Remember the lengths to which he went? He traveled endlessly, was persecuted, beaten, rejected, thrown out of cities and towns, arrested, jailed, and eventually would be a martyr. Why? "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us." (2 Corinthians 5:13-14, NIV) John says, "We love, because He first loved us." Love begets love. Christ loves us, saves us from judgment and destruction, and sets us on a new course. And, we love Him in return.
So, Believer, have you experienced the love of Christ?
What kind of love are you giving Him in return?
Is it a calculated love that seeks to minimally meet His expectations?
Or is your love 'over the top,' extravagant, and irrational in the eyes of those who do not share it?
Jesus, in His own words, describes how we express love to Him while we are still in this world.
Read His words and then ask yourself, "How can I pour it on?"
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ "Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ " (Matthew 25:34-40, The Message)
I want to love Jesus in a similar manner, extravagantly and without calculation of personal benefit! A story in the Gospel tells about one woman's expression of love for the Lord that provoked a strong reaction. Take a look. "Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor."
They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me." (Mark 14:3-6, The Message)
When we devote ourselves to a passionate pursuit of Christ, we no longer think that we have 'done enough' when we go to church and/or give our tithe. We do not feel that we are entitled to some blessing just because we have completed some act of worship! We lose any sense of having a 'holy obligation.' Increasingly, our love for Him pulls us to extravagance, worshipping and serving for the sheer delight of giving ourselves to Him. In a recent conversation with some other Pastors, one of them mentioned meeting with a some couples who were preparing to leave the United States to 'bury' themselves in remote locations, far from convenience and comfort, to do missionary work. They are bright, skilled people who could enjoy great careers, make real money, and live safely and comfortably in an American suburb. Yet, they choose an entirely different way of life that appears terribly difficult to some of us. To them it is a delight. Why? No other reason than love! Some look at their choice and, like the men in the text above, say, "a sheer waste."
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, talks about the ways he has served the Lord and His Church. Some called him insane for what he put himself through in order to preach the Gospel. Remember the lengths to which he went? He traveled endlessly, was persecuted, beaten, rejected, thrown out of cities and towns, arrested, jailed, and eventually would be a martyr. Why? "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us." (2 Corinthians 5:13-14, NIV) John says, "We love, because He first loved us." Love begets love. Christ loves us, saves us from judgment and destruction, and sets us on a new course. And, we love Him in return.
So, Believer, have you experienced the love of Christ?
What kind of love are you giving Him in return?
Is it a calculated love that seeks to minimally meet His expectations?
Or is your love 'over the top,' extravagant, and irrational in the eyes of those who do not share it?
Jesus, in His own words, describes how we express love to Him while we are still in this world.
Read His words and then ask yourself, "How can I pour it on?"
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ "Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ " (Matthew 25:34-40, The Message)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Who, not what
If you want to irritate me, just start to 'explain' the difficult experiences that surround us. The preachers with booming voices who declared that the attacks that cost 3000 lives on September 11, 2001 were 'the judgment of God on America,' make me crazy. Are they so sure that they feel that they can speak for God? Those who tell me that a death from cancer is the result of a 'lack of faithful prayer' on the part of the extended family or church drive me to distraction. Did God speak to them in an audible voice to make His plan known? Those who are so certain they know intricacies of the will of the Lord are, to me anyway, often guilty of a terrible kind of arrogance. There is a phrase from the Word that comes to mind - "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." (1 Timothy 3:9, KJV) How can we, with our limited perspective, begin to grasp the complexities of the purposes of God?
With the writer of Scripture I declare with great certainty - "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV) Because I know the loving Father, I am able to relinquish the need to know the 'why' and live with the mysteries that surround me. I was privileged to stand with Gabby and her family as she made her way from earth to Heaven yesterday. The death of a young mother seems so pointless, her suffering so intense. There is a temptation to make sense of the ordeal with platitudes and simplistic explanations, but to do so, is to profane the holy! The truth is that what God is doing is shrouded in the magnificence of His sovereign will and may only become clear in eternity. Our faithful trust defeats the Enemy's attempts to make her death a source of disbelief and magnifies the glory of God.
I am learning to experience 'wonder' more often these days. I have lived my life as a practical man, valuing getting thejob done. I feel best about myself and life when a task iscompleted. It's not a bad trait and helps me to plow through a lotof work, but I am realizing that being so focused on 'work' can keepme from experiencing another dimension of life. I have spent so manydays of my 5 decades on this globe focused on planning the nextmeeting, solving the current problem, writing Sunday's sermon,making sure my family was fed, clothed, and housed -- that I missed much of the beauty of being 'in the moment.' More and more, it is enough for me to simply know, "God is here, with us, now!" The wonder of His Presence removes the need for control, for explanations.
Part of wonder is allowing for the unexplained, the mystery - living without the need to make God fit into our expectations, and loving Him in the bad times as much as in the good ones.Worship and wonder are closely related. We will sense God'sPresence more readily if and when we learn to 'wonder.' The dryness of much in the practice of Christianity is the result of reducing worship to theological concepts and empty liturgy, hurrying through the forms without allowing for the Spirit to touch us, trying to make the 'wonder-full' truths that the Bible tells using the stories of the works of God into neat packages of doctrine. Christians do not have much time for mystery these days.
We want explanations! We want proofs! We want to know howit works and what the benefits are! "Preacher," we demand, "get me saved. Make me good. Give me three steps to being better at ...." But life isn't that simple. There is an awesome mystery that God allows to exist around us which we can only appreciate if we will allow ourselves to wonder.Believer, surrender to the worship of the One who says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) Recover the wonder! It will cause you to serve God with morepassion, to love Him more deeply.
Ponder this passage as you move through this day.
Isaiah 29:13-14 (NKJV) Therefore the Lord said:"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me,And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people,
A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
_________________________
With the writer of Scripture I declare with great certainty - "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV) Because I know the loving Father, I am able to relinquish the need to know the 'why' and live with the mysteries that surround me. I was privileged to stand with Gabby and her family as she made her way from earth to Heaven yesterday. The death of a young mother seems so pointless, her suffering so intense. There is a temptation to make sense of the ordeal with platitudes and simplistic explanations, but to do so, is to profane the holy! The truth is that what God is doing is shrouded in the magnificence of His sovereign will and may only become clear in eternity. Our faithful trust defeats the Enemy's attempts to make her death a source of disbelief and magnifies the glory of God.
I am learning to experience 'wonder' more often these days. I have lived my life as a practical man, valuing getting thejob done. I feel best about myself and life when a task iscompleted. It's not a bad trait and helps me to plow through a lotof work, but I am realizing that being so focused on 'work' can keepme from experiencing another dimension of life. I have spent so manydays of my 5 decades on this globe focused on planning the nextmeeting, solving the current problem, writing Sunday's sermon,making sure my family was fed, clothed, and housed -- that I missed much of the beauty of being 'in the moment.' More and more, it is enough for me to simply know, "God is here, with us, now!" The wonder of His Presence removes the need for control, for explanations.
Part of wonder is allowing for the unexplained, the mystery - living without the need to make God fit into our expectations, and loving Him in the bad times as much as in the good ones.Worship and wonder are closely related. We will sense God'sPresence more readily if and when we learn to 'wonder.' The dryness of much in the practice of Christianity is the result of reducing worship to theological concepts and empty liturgy, hurrying through the forms without allowing for the Spirit to touch us, trying to make the 'wonder-full' truths that the Bible tells using the stories of the works of God into neat packages of doctrine. Christians do not have much time for mystery these days.
We want explanations! We want proofs! We want to know howit works and what the benefits are! "Preacher," we demand, "get me saved. Make me good. Give me three steps to being better at ...." But life isn't that simple. There is an awesome mystery that God allows to exist around us which we can only appreciate if we will allow ourselves to wonder.Believer, surrender to the worship of the One who says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9, NIV) Recover the wonder! It will cause you to serve God with morepassion, to love Him more deeply.
Ponder this passage as you move through this day.
Isaiah 29:13-14 (NKJV) Therefore the Lord said:"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me,And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people,
A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
_________________________
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Say it ain't so, Gov!
New York was shocked on Monday afternoon by the news that Gov. Elliot Spitzer was a client of a prostitution ring. A federal probe led to the conclusion that Gov. Spitzer was a regular customer, so-called "Client 9." So, what makes this story about the 'world's oldest profession' so shocking? The hypocrisy factor! The Governor had a reputation as "Mr. Clean." When he was the state's attorney general, he took on corruption and even prosecuted two prostitution rings in the city.
Believer, this story serves as a lesson for us. When we take the name of Jesus Christ, identifying ourselves as His followers, we also invite greater scrutiny of our lives. The Word urges us to "lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (Ephesians 4:1, NLT) Our sin need not be so sensational as the Governor's in order to disgrace our Lord. We need only to be unkind, bitter, or rude to cause others to remark, "and he calls himself a Christian?" A few years ago, there was a saying that made its way through churches and onto bumper stickers that offered a kind of feeble excuse for the sins of Believers: "I'm not perfect, just forgiven." So, is that true? Certainly. But, we who are marked by the Spirit as sons of God have an obligation to pursue holiness, to honor the One who is our Father. The way we live must be proof of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Habitual sin must be past tense so that we reflect the Lord's glorious goodness.
"So, Jerry, since I am prone to failure I guess the best thing is to keep my faith under wraps." Not at all! As imperfect humans, we live honorably when we live authentically and transparently. We do not pretend that we, by our own determination, can be better than we are; nor do we cover up our sins with 'holy talk' and elaborate religiosity. When we find that we have lived selfishly, or lovelessly, or lustfully, or greedily, or hatefully; in any way that is incompatible with our status as children of God; we admit it (confession), ask for forgiveness from God and others, and deal with it with the help of the Spirit to bring about genuine transformation. As the Word says, "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Romans 13:14, NIV)
Is there a hole in your integrity? Is some sin hidden away in your life that eats away at your peace with God, that brings guilt and shame to you when you remember it? You can be clean again! You can be free of guilt!
Remember King David's sin? He was devoted to God, so much so that the Word calls him "a man after God's own heart." But he sinned terribly - stealing another man's wife, plotting to have Uriah killed, and covering it all up with a quick marriage to Bathsheba. For a full year, he thought the murder and adultery a thing of the past, until the day that God's prophet showed up in court to tell a story. "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." David was furious. "As surely as the Lord lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man!" (2 Samuel 12:1-7, NLT)
David then sought a place of forgiveness, penning the words of Psalm 51, one of the Bible's most beautiful prayers of confession and contrition. Take these excerpts of David's prayer with you today and invite the Spirit to make your life a thing of beauty that reflects the glory of your Lord.
"Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:1-3, NKJV)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit." (Psalm 51:10-12, NKJV)
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17, NKJV)
Believer, this story serves as a lesson for us. When we take the name of Jesus Christ, identifying ourselves as His followers, we also invite greater scrutiny of our lives. The Word urges us to "lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (Ephesians 4:1, NLT) Our sin need not be so sensational as the Governor's in order to disgrace our Lord. We need only to be unkind, bitter, or rude to cause others to remark, "and he calls himself a Christian?" A few years ago, there was a saying that made its way through churches and onto bumper stickers that offered a kind of feeble excuse for the sins of Believers: "I'm not perfect, just forgiven." So, is that true? Certainly. But, we who are marked by the Spirit as sons of God have an obligation to pursue holiness, to honor the One who is our Father. The way we live must be proof of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Habitual sin must be past tense so that we reflect the Lord's glorious goodness.
"So, Jerry, since I am prone to failure I guess the best thing is to keep my faith under wraps." Not at all! As imperfect humans, we live honorably when we live authentically and transparently. We do not pretend that we, by our own determination, can be better than we are; nor do we cover up our sins with 'holy talk' and elaborate religiosity. When we find that we have lived selfishly, or lovelessly, or lustfully, or greedily, or hatefully; in any way that is incompatible with our status as children of God; we admit it (confession), ask for forgiveness from God and others, and deal with it with the help of the Spirit to bring about genuine transformation. As the Word says, "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Romans 13:14, NIV)
Is there a hole in your integrity? Is some sin hidden away in your life that eats away at your peace with God, that brings guilt and shame to you when you remember it? You can be clean again! You can be free of guilt!
Remember King David's sin? He was devoted to God, so much so that the Word calls him "a man after God's own heart." But he sinned terribly - stealing another man's wife, plotting to have Uriah killed, and covering it all up with a quick marriage to Bathsheba. For a full year, he thought the murder and adultery a thing of the past, until the day that God's prophet showed up in court to tell a story. "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." David was furious. "As surely as the Lord lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man!" (2 Samuel 12:1-7, NLT)
David then sought a place of forgiveness, penning the words of Psalm 51, one of the Bible's most beautiful prayers of confession and contrition. Take these excerpts of David's prayer with you today and invite the Spirit to make your life a thing of beauty that reflects the glory of your Lord.
"Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:1-3, NKJV)
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit." (Psalm 51:10-12, NKJV)
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17, NKJV)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Linchpin of Faith
On the past weekend, I was privileged to spend several hours with a family at the bedside of a young mother who is, to all appearances, on her final journey. She has fought a valiant battle with cancer, endured many treatments, kept her faith intact, given hope to those who come to comfort her, and now; is in the borderlands of this world and the next. Even for Christians, that frontier is a frightening place where both the living and the dying have to 'let go' and 'take hold' at the same time. There is letting go of all that is known and there is taking hold of the Promise. I cannot begin to imagine the bleakness of the prospect of death for those who have no hope of Eternity!
As I have grieved alongside of this family, I have turned repeatedly to the familiar words of Jesus, "let not your hearts be troubled, ... I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be with me." John 14. This morning I meditated on the promise that closes the first letter to the Corinthians. In the 15th chapter, the whole structure of Christian faith is anchored to the declaration - "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:19-22, NKJV) The context of that passage is a lengthy proof of the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who is then declared to be the Way for all those who live in Faith.
Having such faith does not make death any prettier! Jesus' own death, in which the Son of God 'in the flesh' identified Himself with those He came to save and serve, was a thing of horror. He dreaded the moment of being wrenched from life to death intensely, asking His Father if there might not be another way to accomplish the plan of Creation's salvation. But, He submitted Himself to death! "He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8, NIV) And, then He emerged from the grave as the Living Proof that Death, the final enemy of humanity, is defeated!
Believer, do not wait until you reach the frontier which the Bible calls 'the valley of the shadow of death' to secure your hope in the Living Christ. Begin to live in Resurrection Life, right here, right now. This is what those who are 'born again' (TFTD - 3/7/2008) do. They accept the Spirit of God and allow His life to become their life. They set their sights on the Heavenly Kingdom, letting go of the treasures of this world, to own those of God's kingdom. As we live, so we die. If we live in God's grace, we die in grace.
The family that invited me to walk with them on Saturday and Sunday knows great sorrow as they anticipate the years of separation. But they also know hope, the same hope that King David expressed at the time of the loss of his own son when he said, "His servants asked him, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:21-23, NIV)
I pray that you know this Hope, too. Here's a word from the Word, the same passage quoted above, but from The Message.
"If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years,
we’re a pretty sorry lot.
But the truth is that Christ has been raised up,
the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
There is a nice symmetry in this:
Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man.
Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ."
"Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage,
its destructive power.
But now in a single victorious stroke of Life,
all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Thank God!
With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground.
And don’t hold back.
Throw yourselves into the work of the Master,
confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
(1 Corinthians 15: 19-22 54-58, The Message)
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As I have grieved alongside of this family, I have turned repeatedly to the familiar words of Jesus, "let not your hearts be troubled, ... I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be with me." John 14. This morning I meditated on the promise that closes the first letter to the Corinthians. In the 15th chapter, the whole structure of Christian faith is anchored to the declaration - "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:19-22, NKJV) The context of that passage is a lengthy proof of the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who is then declared to be the Way for all those who live in Faith.
Having such faith does not make death any prettier! Jesus' own death, in which the Son of God 'in the flesh' identified Himself with those He came to save and serve, was a thing of horror. He dreaded the moment of being wrenched from life to death intensely, asking His Father if there might not be another way to accomplish the plan of Creation's salvation. But, He submitted Himself to death! "He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8, NIV) And, then He emerged from the grave as the Living Proof that Death, the final enemy of humanity, is defeated!
Believer, do not wait until you reach the frontier which the Bible calls 'the valley of the shadow of death' to secure your hope in the Living Christ. Begin to live in Resurrection Life, right here, right now. This is what those who are 'born again' (TFTD - 3/7/2008) do. They accept the Spirit of God and allow His life to become their life. They set their sights on the Heavenly Kingdom, letting go of the treasures of this world, to own those of God's kingdom. As we live, so we die. If we live in God's grace, we die in grace.
The family that invited me to walk with them on Saturday and Sunday knows great sorrow as they anticipate the years of separation. But they also know hope, the same hope that King David expressed at the time of the loss of his own son when he said, "His servants asked him, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:21-23, NIV)
I pray that you know this Hope, too. Here's a word from the Word, the same passage quoted above, but from The Message.
"If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years,
we’re a pretty sorry lot.
But the truth is that Christ has been raised up,
the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
There is a nice symmetry in this:
Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man.
Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ."
"Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage,
its destructive power.
But now in a single victorious stroke of Life,
all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Thank God!
With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground.
And don’t hold back.
Throw yourselves into the work of the Master,
confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
(1 Corinthians 15: 19-22 54-58, The Message)
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