Though a thousand swear against it, Truth is not altered by public opinion, hatred, or denial! Truth is constant, abiding, and absolute. What do you believe is true about Jesus? That, friend, is critically important. Life depends on it!
It is interesting that those with stony hardened hearts ended up giving the LOUDEST and most accurate testimony about Jesus during awful final hours of His life on earth. In Mark's account of Jesus' trial and the torment that led to the Cross, the Truth prevails once again. Roman soldiers give voice to it, without realizing that their taunts and jeers are witness to the Truth! Mark 15:16-19 "The soldiers took him into their headquarters and called out the entire battalion. They dressed him in a purple robe and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they beat him on the head with a stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship."
Pilate, a man without much of conscience, posted a sign on the cross of Christ that read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." This was supposedly a written notice of his crime of sedition, but actually was a statement of the Truth!
The religious leaders whose envy and spiritual pride blinded them to the coming of their Messiah also became witnesses to the Truth. Standing at the scene of the Crucifixion, they mocked him saying, Mark 15:32 "Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross. . ."
My friend, He is not the King because I say so, or because you agree. He is the King because God declares Him the King of glory. Those words that mocked Him, that were hurled in fury and scorn, will echo as the Truth 'til eternity when (Philippians 2:10-11) "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Will you worship the King?
Would you bow your head in adoration and acknowledge He is the Lord of Glory?
This King, humbled Himself, willingly suffering terrible pain and loss so that we could be restored to the image of our Creator that our rebellion had stolen from us, so that we could once again love and be loved of our Father God. Commit your life to Him and become a willing witness to the Truth -- a Truth that prevails. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world. Hallelujah.
______________
Father God, many words flood my life claiming to bring me truth.
Many gods bid for my loyalty and devotion.
Holy Spirit, give me a discerning heart, a mind that can sort through
the competing ideologies of my world.
Help me to love You and to live in the Truth.
Lord, lead me to the Cross and let me see the Love that
revealed Himself there.
Take me to the Empty Tomb and cause me to rejoice
that the grave is not my destiny.
Then, lead me to a life of holy service that pleases
and honors You.
In the Name of Jesus, I ask this. Amen.
You're invited to be part of a service of Communion here at Washington Assembly, Good Friday, at 7 PM. On Resurrection Sunday, we will worship at 10:15 AM.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Descent Into Darkness
We all see things coming in our life that we dread, experiences that we know will be difficult. Last month, I faced surgery. I did not want to submit myself to the knife! I dreaded the pain, the dependence on others, the limits that came with the procedure; but it had to be done. So, I willingly set aside my preferences. I made the choice to take the pain to own my healing! Think of the choices you make to go through a time of difficulty to own a better outcome.
This is Holy Week, the time we remember, with gratitude, the Lord Jesus' willing to descend into darkness that was incomparably worse than any choice we make. He told His friends, "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matthew 26:2, NLT) He knew it would be terrible, and He was filled with dread, so much so, that He prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Matthew 26:39, NLT) As surely as He knew the Cross was His destiny, He knew the Resurrection was His hope. But, even with that hope, it was hard to go through the pain, the alienation from His Father that came with bearing my sin to reconcile me to my Father!
I want to encourage you to think long and deeply about His sacrifice, that it was not forced on Him, that He willingly embraced it for me, for you, because of love. (We will stand before the Cross on Good Friday evening in our Communion worship. You're invited to join us at 7 PM.) He made the choice to descend into the darkness, not for Himself, but for us. His loss was our gain. His obedience bought our salvation from sin, death, and Hell! He bridged the chasm that sin had carved between the Father and His Creation. Oh, praise Him! The Cross is ugly, but we must not rush past it to get to the Empty Tomb! The glory of the Resurrection morning only is meaningful because of Good Friday's horror.
Take encouragement from this, disciple. It may be that you are confronted with some very difficult choice in your life. You know the will of God leads against your desires. You know that the way He would lead you will take you through pain of self-denial, even death to Self. Will you do it? Will you willingly descend into the dark of that situation, so that He can lead you into the Light of His purposes?
The Word encourages us with this pattern.
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)
Look past the pain to the Glory! Grasp the promise of abundant life - presently and eternally - and present yourself as a 'living sacrifice.' My prayer for you is this:
"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV)
_______________
Jesus Christ,
I think upon Your sacrifice,
You became nothing,
Poured out to death.
Many times I've wondered
At Your gift of life,
And I'm in that place once again.
I'm in that place once again.
And once again
I look upon the cross
Where You died,
I'm humbled by Your mercy
And I'm broken inside.
Once again I thank You,
Once again I pour out my life.
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross, my Friend.
Now You are exalted
To the highest place,
King of the heavens,
Where one day I'll bow.
But for now,
I marvel at this saving grace,
And I'm full of praise once again.
I'm full of praise once again.
Once Again
Redman, Matt
EMI Christian Music Publishing
© 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)CCLI License No. 810055
This is Holy Week, the time we remember, with gratitude, the Lord Jesus' willing to descend into darkness that was incomparably worse than any choice we make. He told His friends, "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matthew 26:2, NLT) He knew it would be terrible, and He was filled with dread, so much so, that He prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Matthew 26:39, NLT) As surely as He knew the Cross was His destiny, He knew the Resurrection was His hope. But, even with that hope, it was hard to go through the pain, the alienation from His Father that came with bearing my sin to reconcile me to my Father!
I want to encourage you to think long and deeply about His sacrifice, that it was not forced on Him, that He willingly embraced it for me, for you, because of love. (We will stand before the Cross on Good Friday evening in our Communion worship. You're invited to join us at 7 PM.) He made the choice to descend into the darkness, not for Himself, but for us. His loss was our gain. His obedience bought our salvation from sin, death, and Hell! He bridged the chasm that sin had carved between the Father and His Creation. Oh, praise Him! The Cross is ugly, but we must not rush past it to get to the Empty Tomb! The glory of the Resurrection morning only is meaningful because of Good Friday's horror.
Take encouragement from this, disciple. It may be that you are confronted with some very difficult choice in your life. You know the will of God leads against your desires. You know that the way He would lead you will take you through pain of self-denial, even death to Self. Will you do it? Will you willingly descend into the dark of that situation, so that He can lead you into the Light of His purposes?
The Word encourages us with this pattern.
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)
Look past the pain to the Glory! Grasp the promise of abundant life - presently and eternally - and present yourself as a 'living sacrifice.' My prayer for you is this:
"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV)
_______________
Jesus Christ,
I think upon Your sacrifice,
You became nothing,
Poured out to death.
Many times I've wondered
At Your gift of life,
And I'm in that place once again.
I'm in that place once again.
And once again
I look upon the cross
Where You died,
I'm humbled by Your mercy
And I'm broken inside.
Once again I thank You,
Once again I pour out my life.
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross, my Friend.
Now You are exalted
To the highest place,
King of the heavens,
Where one day I'll bow.
But for now,
I marvel at this saving grace,
And I'm full of praise once again.
I'm full of praise once again.
Once Again
Redman, Matt
EMI Christian Music Publishing
© 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Doing the right things
Yesterday’s news brought the story of the arrest of a small band of men in Michigan who were planning to kill a police officer, then to engage in more violence at the funeral of the officer that would kill many law enforcement personnel. All this, they hoped, would spark a national revolution. They were reputed to be thinking this was part of the return of Christ, that they were, in their violence, preparing to be a part of His army of the Apocalypse. Whether the media got it right is always an open question, but the word, “Christian” figured prominently in every story. This comes hard on the heels of the ongoing headlines about the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests and the failure of church leaders to act decisively to stop it. How sad I am that the foolishness of sinful men darkens the glory of the Lord!
Let’s make it our prayer that nothing in what we say or do disgraces the Name of Jesus! The Hutaree (that what’s the men in Michigan called themselves) missed the message of hope in the Gospel in a big way. They ignored the clear call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked that is the true work of those who are in the Lord’s ‘army’ of righteousness. (See Matthew 25:34) My guess is that they let fear take over as the changing times made them feel insecure. So, instead of trusting God, they bought guns! What a tragedy in so many ways. I’m guessing that many of those priests who abused kids for their own gratification, somehow justified their perversion by calling it ‘love.’ Too often Church bishops covered up the sins of those pedophiles because they, too, thought it was the expedient choice.
Disciple, we must humble ourselves before the Lord, again and again. Nothing can replace transparency before God and others. If we are afraid, we need to acknowledge our fear, even if it makes us tremble and cry. In our weakness, we will find ourselves comforted, not by our own control, but by His promise. If we are struggling with temptation, we need not stuff our urges into some dark corner of our mind. Rather, we confess them to our Savior and a trusted confessor. In naming them, they lose power to overtake us. When we sin, and we will, we quickly repent and God promises that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. … My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 1:9, 2:1, NLT)
And, we must choose to do right things! No disciple can be passive. We are called to be passionate people in the service of the Lord. A person who actively engages in caring for others, who worships whole-heartedly, who is growing in faith; will be drawn into the beauty of holiness and thus, reflect the glory of Christ into the wider world.
Here are words from the Word. May they call you to do the right things, for God’s sake, today.
"If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God." (1 Peter 2:20, NIV)
"You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." (1 Peter 3:15-16, NLT)
"It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message! … So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it." (1 Peter 4:17, 19 The Message)
__________________
Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with holy fear.
I wanna take Your Word
And shine it all around.
First help me just to live it, Lord!
And when I'm doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to You.
Oh Lord You're Beautiful
Green, Keith
© 1980 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
Let’s make it our prayer that nothing in what we say or do disgraces the Name of Jesus! The Hutaree (that what’s the men in Michigan called themselves) missed the message of hope in the Gospel in a big way. They ignored the clear call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked that is the true work of those who are in the Lord’s ‘army’ of righteousness. (See Matthew 25:34) My guess is that they let fear take over as the changing times made them feel insecure. So, instead of trusting God, they bought guns! What a tragedy in so many ways. I’m guessing that many of those priests who abused kids for their own gratification, somehow justified their perversion by calling it ‘love.’ Too often Church bishops covered up the sins of those pedophiles because they, too, thought it was the expedient choice.
Disciple, we must humble ourselves before the Lord, again and again. Nothing can replace transparency before God and others. If we are afraid, we need to acknowledge our fear, even if it makes us tremble and cry. In our weakness, we will find ourselves comforted, not by our own control, but by His promise. If we are struggling with temptation, we need not stuff our urges into some dark corner of our mind. Rather, we confess them to our Savior and a trusted confessor. In naming them, they lose power to overtake us. When we sin, and we will, we quickly repent and God promises that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. … My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 1:9, 2:1, NLT)
And, we must choose to do right things! No disciple can be passive. We are called to be passionate people in the service of the Lord. A person who actively engages in caring for others, who worships whole-heartedly, who is growing in faith; will be drawn into the beauty of holiness and thus, reflect the glory of Christ into the wider world.
Here are words from the Word. May they call you to do the right things, for God’s sake, today.
"If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God." (1 Peter 2:20, NIV)
"You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." (1 Peter 3:15-16, NLT)
"It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message! … So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it." (1 Peter 4:17, 19 The Message)
__________________
Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with holy fear.
I wanna take Your Word
And shine it all around.
First help me just to live it, Lord!
And when I'm doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to You.
Oh Lord You're Beautiful
Green, Keith
© 1980 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055
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