If you are like a lot of people, like me too, you have made sure that your DVR is set to record “The Last Dance” documentary that ESPN is currently running on Sunday evenings covering the year that the Chicago Bills won their sixth championship.  There are all kinds of behind the scenes stories about Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and the rest of the Bulls organization.  Some of the things that we are finding out about the team are real eye-openers for most all of us.  I am pretty confident that if Jordan had not retired for those two years, the Bulls could have won 8 championships in a row if not more, but who knows.  Along with the documentaries, Chicago Sports Net has also been writing a series of articles giving even more insight behind the scenes of the players.  One of the articles was very interesting to me in that it talked about what the driving force is behind Michael Jordan and his success in basketball.  As I read the article, it became apparent that this drive did not apply only to basketball, but also to everything that he does.  He spoke of a continual drive and obsession to be the best at whatever it is that he is doing, and that this drive is unquenchable.  He said that he feels as though he can never get rest because he must be the best at everything and he cannot shut it off.  Currently he is the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA basketball team and they are not a very good team at all.  Friends tell of how it drives him crazy to see the way the players play and he goes into fits of rage because of their inability to play to his level nor commit to doing the same.  He is a loser as an owner and he simply cannot handle it.  Jordan said that he is looking for peace and rest and is hoping that he can find it soon; possibly in his 6 year-old twin daughters with his second wife.  He just wishes that he could turn it off so that he can rest.

Rest.  Webster defines it as “a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities; freedom from activity or labor; the repose of death (eternal or heavenly rest); peace of mind or spirit.  To be at rest is to be free of anxieties.”   It sounds as though for some, rest will only come at death.  Why is that?  Why is it that we cannot be free of anxieties?  Why is it that we cannot find rest?  Where are you looking for rest?  Psalm 62 starts with these words:  “My soul finds rest in God alone; …”  How did the psalmist do that?  How do we do that?  Many of God’s people sing this song, this Psalm, with the hope of fostering some kind of confidence in God’s care.   Perhaps if I sing it over and over again it will do something for me?  Perhaps this is a Psalm that people run to when they are faced with an obstacle that seems to be too much for them, or to send off people who use power, fame and wealth to oppress them.  Why is it that we are often tempted to do one of two things:  we either give up, or we seek security in something other than God?  You can almost see the struggle that the writer is experiencing as he writes this Psalm.  He starts off by making a declaration about God which sounds pretty good.  He says vv.1-2 “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”  His rest is in God; his salvation is from God; God is his rock and fortress and he will never be shaken.  Is that not what we all desire?  To be able to go through life and be able to say that and live it?   That would be awesome.  I will never be shaken!  Have you been shaken? 

The psalmist goes on to say in vv.3-4 that he knows his attackers and he knows their intentions.  He starts by asking ”How long will you assault a man?”  This has been going on long enough and he wants to know if they are going to give up.  He describes himself as a “tottering fence” that is about to fall over.  He says that his attackers are talking “smack” about him and out of the very same mouth they bless him, and they curse him.  That can take a toll on anyone.  Maybe he is tired?  Maybe he is confessing that he knows that he is in a weakened condition?  Maybe he is describing what he thinks that they might be thinking about him?  I don’t know for sure which it is, and it really doesn’t matter because at just the right time, when he is ready to give up, he is reminded of how he started this Psalm.  In vv.5-6 he proclaims again “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone, my hope comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  Earlier he said that he “will never be shaken” and now he is saying “I will not be shaken.”  He is right in the middle of it now.  This did not just happen.  As I have shared with many people who are trying to get victory over something, even though they might be doing better right now, they need to prepare for what is right around the corner.  Establish in your mind and heart what you are going to do when the next attack comes, and it will come.  The psalmist expands on that statement in v.7 when he says “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”  Isn’t it pretty cool to see that now he is ministering to other people?  He has seen the hand of God and the faithfulness of God and now he is cheering on other people to do the same.  Some of you find yourselves so deep in the anxiousness of the day that you can not possibly even think about being an encouragement to someone else.  I promise you that if you do what the psalmist is encouraging us to do, there will come a day when God will use you to encourage someone else.  Go ahead and pour out your heart to Him.  PRAY!!!  That’s what pouring out your heart to Him means; PRAY!!!  He is interested in hearing the cries of your heart.  Trust Him!

The psalmist now moves on to talk about, and state the facts about those who are attacking him.  He has just finished addressing his own soul and now he is moving on to the people around him.  He now wants to tell them what he has learned.  Vv.9-10 “Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed in the balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.  Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”    Lowly men, exalted men, it does not matter; put them together and they cannot out weigh God.  They are nothing.  The psalmist describes them as a breath.  Think about that this coming Friday night when we are supposed to get down to freezing again and go outside and give a big breath into the air.  Tell me how long you can “see your breath.”  That’s what the psalmist likens them unto.  They have no weight, they have no staying power, they are nothing!  Any human effort that does not arise from true faith has no lasting good.  Even if you accumulate a little wealth or a lot of wealth, do not set your heart on it.  It can be gone in a matter of a breath and when it comes to eternity it has no staying power. 

The psalmist goes on to say something like “If I said it once, I will say it again” in vv.11-12.  “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this:  that power belongs to God, and that to You, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.  For You will render to man according to his work.”  The psalmist is saying “you can take this to the bank”, the love of God and the power of God are certain and sure.  Also, a person’s work will show whether his faith is real or counterfeit and God will sort out who is who.  This is a reason for the believer to be confident, but it also serves as a warning to the non-believer. 

Who do you trust?  You or God?  Where are you looking for rest?  Money, power, the stuff that you have accumulated, or God? Where does your salvation come from?  All the good that you do and kindness that you show, or God. 

My soul finds rest for today, tomorrow, and all eternity in God alone!

May that be true of everyone of us! 

As I was thinking and preparing for this talk, I am reminded of all of the questions that are going around during this Covid-19 pandemic.  Questions like “Why would God allow this?” and “Does God even care about us?”.  “Where is your God?” and “If the God of the Bible is good, then why this?”.  Some of those questions are asked because people do really want to know and others are asked out of defiance at the God of the Bible.  Just this past week I was greeted by some pretty interesting and sad stuff on Facebook.  I was trying to encourage someone who was having a tough time with all of this isolation stuff and not being able to be free to do what he wants to do.  I mentioned that I don’t have the answers to why all of this is happening but I said that the will of God is for us to “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.”  I mentioned the grace of God and that He is sovereign over all of this and because of His grace we could rest in Him knowing that God has a purpose.  My desire was to encourage this person.  Another person decided that he would make a comment about what I wrote and he said that he was going to “take a pass on the grace of God.”   He went on to say that God “…is sitting in a chair with some popcorn laughing His a** off as we crumble so I’ll take a hard pass on His grace.”   Wow!!!  Someone else sent me a picture depicting Jesus looking over the earth with a vial in His hand pouring it out on the earth with the words “Have some coronavirus.  I love you so much.  LOL.”  Sobering!!  Is it any wonder that we find ourselves where we do today?

I could not help but think about that for the next couple of days and wonder what God might be doing.  The book of Habakkuk is only three chapters long.  We really don’t know much about Habakkuk but we can figure out that he is writing this short book during a time of Israel’s rebellion.  I want you to remember that Habakkuk is also a work in progress and he was asking many of the same questions that people are asking today.  He is not only asking questions, but he is also complaining a little bit too. The book starts out with the words “The oracle (or problem) that Habakkuk the prophet saw.” (v.1)  If you were to read the book, and I would encourage you to do that, you will come to the conclusion that Habakkuk was a spiritual man, he was a man who loved his people, and he was a man who desired the glory of God in all things.  If you look at vv.2-4 you will read Habakkuk’s complaint.  It is a complaint very similar to the ones that we hear today.  “How long must I call for help but You do not listen?” or “Why do You make me look at injustice?” or “Why do You tolerate wrong?“.  Habakkuk goes on to say that things are getting out of hand and the law means nothing and justice never prevails, and has even become perverted.  God, things are out of control and You don’t seem to care!!!  Does that sound at all familiar? 

The cool thing about this is that Habakkuk has just asked all of these questions and made all of these complaints and now God speaks through him to give His answer to Habakkuk.  Habakkuk knew something needed to be done.  He knew that God was the One who was going to have to do it.  But, he was not prepared for how God would do it.  It is sort of like this:  God, I know You are good, I know that You are sovereign and control all things, but I just don’t understand how or why You are doing it this way.  Look with me at vv.5-11  “Look at the nations and watch-be utterly amazed.  For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”  God goes on to say through Habakkuk that He is raising up the Babylonians who were ruthless and ungodly as they come and that they are going to sweep across the entire earth and swallow up everyone.  They have everything they need to do it and there is not another nation, king, or ruler who can stop them. 

Habakkuk simply does not understand.  Vv.12-17 he says I know that You are God.  I know that we will not die and that You have appointed them to execute judgement, but why?  How can You tolerate their evil?  How can You allow them to swallow up those who are more righteous than they are?  Will this ever stop?  Lots of questions.  Good questions!  Questions that you might even think deserve an answer, but Habakkuk pauses and says I need to think about this for a minute.  Habakkuk 2:1  “I will stand my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.”  It is almost as if Habakkuk pauses to take a walk on the city walls and look over all that is happening, knowing that this is the hand of God, and waits for an answer.  God does give him an answer and He tells Habakkuk to write it down.  God says that it will happen in His time and that there will be an end.  He says you can write it down because it will happen. 

God starts by saying in v.4 that man is puffed up.  Righteousness is not at the forefront of his mind.  He thinks that he has all the answers.  He thinks that he can figure it out.  He has got it all together.  God goes on to say “but the righteous will live by his faith.”  We as believers, the righteous, are to believe what God says because He said it.  God goes on to talk about those who are puffed up in vv.5-13 and all that is characteristic of them.  They are arrogant and never at rest.   They are greedy, they steal, they extort, they make people afraid.  They kill people and destroy lands and cities.  They plot and scheme to get more because they are never satisfied.  In the middle of all of this look at what God says in v.14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, s the waters cover the sea.”  Think about this in the midst of the mess.  God is speaking of His ultimate triumph.  We are told over and over again in Scripture that God will triumph and everyone and everything will bow to Him. 

Romans 14:11 “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knew will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”

Philippians 2:10-11 “…that 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.”

Revelation 7:9-12 tell us that people, who you can not even count because there are so many, from every nation, tribe, people and language will stand before the throne of heaven and praise God.

You can wake up in the morning and listen to the experts on the television try to give you all of the answers.  The president has a task force meeting every afternoon to update the American people on what is happening and what progress is being made and for many of us it is not happening fast enough.  The thing that is so radical in the midst of all of this is that the truth of the Word of God and His promises runs straight through all that is going on around us.  Do you as a believer understand that whatever the circumstances might be, it is immensely important that the right standing of a man or woman before God is established by grace through faith?  READ THAT AGAIN ! 

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH

You can listen to the experts and get all worked up because they seemingly do not have all of the answers, and yet they are the experts, but the righteous will live by his faith.  Christians should live by faith.  Who or what is the object of your faith?  This kind of faith that Habakkuk describes, and that that NT authors promote, is continuing trust in God, and clinging to His promises, even in the darkest days. 

God has ordained the end, but He has also ordained the means to that end.  The righteous will live by his faith.  Don’t forget that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth.  Look with me at Habakkuk 2:20 where Habakkuk after speaking of more of the disaster that is to come anchors himself to the fact of “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”  Look at that statement against vv.18-19 where God speaks of idols that cannot speak.  An idol that man has carved; his own idol from wood or stone and he says to that piece of wood “come to life’ or “wake up.”  What is that?  In the story of the mount of transfiguration in Matthew 17 the Peter, James, and John were enamored with the appearance of Moses and Elijah when the Father said to them “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (v.5)  In the same way God says to Habakkuk “Let all the earth be silent…”  Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”  Sometimes we need to shut our mouths, quiet our hearts, calm our minds and be still.  Do you really understand who God is?

Look at the progression of Habakkuk.  He has gone from questioning and complaining to thinking and listening and now we find him praying and singing.  Habakkuk 3:2 “Lord I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord.  Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”  Lord, revive your work and your church in the midst of all of this chaos and fear and worry.  God, whatever it takes, revive Your church for Your glory and the good of the people.  We might not think that it is good right now; we might think that there is a better way; but in Your wrath please remember mercy. 

What is your greatest fear?  What is it that you worry about?

Do we want God to be glorified?

Do we want the church to be revived?

Is God alone sufficient for you and for me?

V.6 says “He stood, and shook the earth; He looked and made the nations tremble.”  Sound familiar?  We have had earthquakes all around the world almost every day.  In the midst of the pandemic there were two terrible storms with tornadoes that swept across the “Bible Belt” in the southern states of the US.  Hurricanes, fires that rage out of control in Australia and in the western United States.  A virus that cannot be seen with the naked eye has stopped all commerce around the world and governments are scrambling to do something.  Do you suppose that God might be doing something?  Do you suppose that God might be on His feet and shaking things up a little bit?  I would encourage you to be like Habakkuk and go ahead and voice your complaints and questions to God.  He can handle it.  But then you, me, we all need to stop and think and listen and remember that “the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”   Don’t wait for everyone else to do it, you do it.  You start it.  And when you do it, remember that it is “the righteous who will live by his faith.” 

Know who you are and be sure that you have a right standing before God because of His grace through faith. 

Believe what God says because He said it!  You can trust Him!!!

Early this morning I was looking at a couple of devotionals and newsletters that I receive daily online and there are all kinds of articles about how we as Christians are to live in the midst of this pandemic.  Titles like “Stand Together Against Covid-19”, “10 Real Fears Surrounding Covid-19,” “What Are the Signs of the End Times and the Rapture?”, “29 Lessons for Leaders on How to Persevere During the Coronavirus”, “5 Ways to Share and Do Good During Covid-19”, and on and on it goes.  29 ways to persevere that “29 Lessons” could be the next one.  That is just one day of articles.  This obviously has everyone’s attention and even Christian authors are trying to come up with Scripture to give you a quick fix on how to make it through.  They are all trying to calm us and are doing their best to keep us from worrying, and yet there are 5 articles just this morning in my email inbox. 

This morning one of the devotionals referred to Matthew 6:25 where Jesus continues in His sermon on the mount and He says:  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…”  The writer went on to talk about not worrying.  Pretty simple, don’t you think?  Do not worry.  I have to believe that there are a few people reading this that have worried at one time or another.  Maybe you are in the middle of worry or maybe you are even overwhelmed with worry to the point where you are sick and almost not able to function.  Your countenance has changed and you are a totally different person right now.  Someone once defined worry to me as “assuming responsibility for something that God never intended you to be responsible for.”  Think about that.  If you are not responsible for the outcome of something, then what will worry do?  Does it now mean that you have a solution?  If you can do something about it, then do it.  Maybe you do not trust the One who is responsible?  Maybe you think that He needs help with how best to handle this situation?  Do you honestly think that there is anything that skips by God or is out of His line of sight?  Anything? 

Check out these verses:

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him…”

Job 31:4 “Does He not see my ways and count my every step?”

Jeremiah 16:17 “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from Me, nor is their sin concealed from My eyes.”

Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Jesus goes on to elaborate on that “do not worry” stuff in Matthew 6.  He tells us to look at the birds of the air, so do that.  Go outside and check them out.  They do not plant nor do they harvest it.  They do not store food away in barns and yet they eat.  God feeds them.  He makes sure that they have enough food.  Jesus asks if you worry, is it possible for you to add one hour to your life?  Go into your bathroom and look into the mirror.  Look at what is in front of you.  You do not look the same as you did 10 years ago, unless you have lots of extra money to make that change.  Now start to think about how you can add one hour to your life.  How did you do?  If you have come up with something, write a book and make lots of money because people will buy it.  He tells us to look at the lilies of the field so do just that.  Go take a walk outside or in your garden.  He says when we worry about what we are going to wear, look at how God clothes the fields with the beauty of grass and flowers and lilies and they had nothing to do with it.  I want to make a suggestion to everyone of you.  Go take a walk outside, or go outside and sit in your favorite spot.  Look around you.  Look to the sky and explain the sun and all that it does.  The seasons, the warmth, the planned orbit of the earth around the sun.  Did all of that really just happen by chance?  Take a look at the clouds in the sky.  I just read that the average cumulus cloud weighs 1.1 million pounds.  The average African elephant weighs 11,000 lbs so that means that the one cloud above your head is equivalent to a heard of 100 elephants.  Think about that!  This means that at any given moment there are millions of pounds of water floating above your heads.  God did that!  Now bring your eyes down to the ground.  Have you ever looked at the detail of a dandelion.  I hate dandelions, but look at the detail.  Look at the flowers in your garden or landscape area.  How does that happen?  Look at the detail.  You can mow off a dandelion today and there will be two more in the same spot tomorrow.   Look at the trees that are beginning to bud.  Some have flowers that are absolutely beautiful.  Some are these tiny little green buds that will produce huge leaves that will fall off the tree in about 6 months for you to clean up.  God did that!  Robbi has been planting her garden which she loves to do every year.  She goes out and rolls in the dirt, digs holes, puts this tiny little seed in the ground, covers it up, and in a matter of months that plant is producing ears of corn with countless seeds on it to eat.  Robbi planted the seed and cultivated the ground, but God made it grow. 

Jesus asks why do you worry?  Do you honestly think that the God who takes care of birds and plants and all kinds of animals will not take care of those that He created in His own image?  Do you honestly think that God will not take care of those who He loves so much that He sent His own Son to die for you and for me?  Do you think that there is anything that He has forgotten or that might have slipped by without Him knowing?  Colossians 1:16-17 says:  “For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Did you catch that?  All things, in heaven and on earth.  That’s a lot of ground to cover.  Who can possibly do that?  God can!  Visible and invisible.  Right!  Invisible?  Who can see if it is invisible?  God can!  Thrones, powers, rulers, authorities; including Putin, Kim Jong Un, Khamenei, Trump, Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell, the entire congress; God put them in place.  Everyone of them.  Not only was everything created by Him, it was created for Him and His purposes., and even though it might seem as though everything is out of control, the Bible tells us that He holds all things together. 

I like where I am at.  I might not like the circumstances that we find ourselves in, but I do like that I am safely in the hands of a sovereign God who knows all things and holds all things securely in the palm of His hand.  Jesus says in v.32 that it is the pagans who run after or seek all these things.  Does that mean that these things are wrong?   No.  Jesus does go on to say that your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  The “things” are not bad, but the pursuit, the running after, the seeking of them is.  If you think about it, when we seek after these things and put all of our energy into pursuing them only to then realize that we can do nothing about it, we worry.  Jesus says do not worry.  Do not worry about things that you have absolutely no control over.  Jesus told us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need so leave that in His hands.  Stop trying to take it away from Him because you can’t handle it. 

The cool thing is that Jesus not only tells us what not to do, He tells what we ought to do instead.  V.33 says:  “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Pursue, run after, seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first.  If you are going to put your energy into anything at all, put it into the pursuit of God.  We are told to do that all throughout Scripture and yet we forget or ignore it.  Why is that?  Why is it that we run after and pursue the stuff when we know that it is going to be difficult if not impossible to get it.  When we know that we are going to become weary and exhausted and we worry ourselves to death trying to do something or control something that we can do nothing about?  Jesus makes a promise to us.  If we will seek Him and His Kingdom and His righteousness first, He will give us the “things” too.  All of them!!!  He will give you things that you did not even know that you needed because He is the One who knows what you need better than you do. 

When you find yourself worrying, stop it.  But don’t stop there.  Stop worrying and start pursuing.  Look for the hand of God in all that is going on around you and stop worrying.  You know what?  If you seek Him first, He will take care of the “things” too.  That’s a pretty good place to be.  Ask God to give you the grace and strength to pursue Him and His righteousness!

We miss you and cannot wait to get together again soon.  Keep praying for and reaching out to each other.

Jerry & Robbi

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  What day was this that the psalmist was talking about?  What day is this day?  It might have been after a hard-fought victory as the army is coming back home.  A day when there was celebration for the victory over an enemy and the men are coming back home.  Remember that procession might have also included the bodies of those who were lost in the battle and those who were waiting for their man to come home were told of the sacrifice that he had made.  Either way, this was the day that the Lord has made.  It might have been the day at the Feast of the Tabernacles when Israel celebrated their deliverance out of Egypt.  What a day that must have been.  The Israelites talked about it with their children and their grandchildren.  This was the day that the Lord has made too.  It might have very well been the day that the temple was completed or the last brick was laid in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.  A day to have finally been home and secure.  Those were probably days of celebration; days that the Lord has made. 

Think about this verse and the entire chapter as prophetic.  Perhaps the psalmist was pointing to Jesus?  Maybe this was the song that the people sang as Jesus rode on the back of a donkey into Jerusalem; the day when hours later He would be crucified?   Perhaps this psalm was what Jesus sung with His disciples at the last supper?  Whatever the case, this was the day that the Lord has made. 

If you were to take a look at this Psalm you would notice that it begins with “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” and it ends with the very same thing.  Why is that?  Could it be that as we come to the end of the psalm that it is as though we are back at the first verse indicating that it is to be sung over and over?  I don’t know, but if that were the case, it probably indicates that there is something in the middle that the psalmist really wants us to know and understand.  So let’s take a look at it.

In vv.2-4 the psalmist says:  “Let Israel say…Let the house of Aaron say…Let those who fear the Lord say…”.  It seems to me that all of the bases are covered.  We have the public praise of the people as seen in Israel and we have the praise of the priests that consisted of chanted responses by religious professionals.  Those were both good, but the best is the praise that wells up in the hearts of those who fear Him and know Him; the redeemed.  Those who worship Him “…in spirit and in truth…” (John 4:23-24).

In vv.5-7 we could very easily see this as a picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  You will remember that Jesus was in great anguish because He knew what awaited Him in the next few hours.  He knew that He was going to be beaten and flogged.  He knew that He was going to be mocked and that people would spit in His face.  He knew all that men would do to Him, and He was in anguish, but He also knew that He would look in triumph on His enemies.  Twice He proclaims “The Lord is with me…”   This is the day the Lord has made.

In vv.8-9 the psalmist writes “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”  Again he writes “It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in princes.”  If you were to look at this in light of Jesus’ last day, was Peter the man that He could put His trust in?  What about Pilate or Herod?  They all sure came through for Jesus, right?  This too is the day the Lord has made.

Vv.10-13 picture Jesus hanging on the cross with many around Him scoffing and mocking and declaring Him a failure.  Three times the psalmist writes “…in the name of the Lord I cut them off.”   He must want us to get that because he repeats it three times.  There is power in the name of the Lord.   In v.14 He declares “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.”  The psalmist continues with a celebration of song and proclamation in vv.15-18 where he first celebrated the people who are redeemed and the power of the resurrection.  V.17 says “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”  He has been through a lot and has been chastened severely but he has not been given over to death.  Those are some pretty tough times.  Those are the times when you begin to wonder if God hears you, if He cares, if He is even there.  Some of you have been there.  Look at what happened next.  Vv.19-23 is his resolve to give praise.  He says to throw open the gates of the righteous, of which I am one and I will give thanks.  I will give You thanks and I will praise You.  Why?  Because this too is the day that the Lord has made.

After all of this, trying to express his heart as best as he can, the psalmist declares “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  The day of salvation!  Is that not we will all see one day in its fullness?  Jesus will come and we will shout v.25 “O Lord, save us…”  Hosanna means O save.  Look at what awaits us.  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  From the house of the Lord we bless you.  The Lord is God, and He has made His light shine upon us.  With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.  You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt You” (vv.26-28).  That will be the ultimate.  It will be a day when we will be complete and totally satisfied.  No more pain.  No more anguish.  No more stress.  No more death.  It sounds awesome!   This also is the day the Lord has made.

But what about now?  What about the stress that I am experiencing worrying about my loved ones in the middle of this Covid-19 pandemic.  What about the financial pressure that this is putting on my company, my employer, our economy, everything?  Our country seems to be on the verge of collapse.  What is going to happen if things don’t change?  What is going to happen if the wrong person is president?  What will I do if I lose my spouse or child to this deadly virus?  The psalmist closes this chapter with the exact same way that he started it:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”  In the middle of v.1 and v.29 is all of the stuff that is consistent with life.  The up’s and the down’s.  The hurt and the pain.  The good and the bad.  Scattered throughout all of that stuff are a couple of reminders that God is with us; that God is my strength and salvation; that I will not die.  But the real reminder for me is that this day, today, with all of its junk and difficulty, is the day that the Lord has made.  Yesterday was the day that the Lord made.  Tomorrow will be too!  There is not a day on the calendar that God has marked as a holiday where He is going to take the day off.  He has made this day and we are strongly encouraged, maybe even commanded, to rejoice and be glad in it.  Look to Jesus!  Hosanna!!!  O save!!!  Give thanks.  Why?  Because He is good and His love endures forever.

I want to encourage you to read that psalm and read it as though you’re in the shoes of Jesus.  Read as though you were David in the midst of his many struggles.  Read it as though you were writing it about yourself.  Give thanks!!!

Good morning everyone.  I hope you are all doing well.  Before we were forced to be apart we were putting a significant amount of emphasis on prayer.   The first several weeks that we started these devotionals we were also looking at what the Bible says about prayer.  We took a little break to look at a few Psalms and share the heart of David with you as well as to spend some time around the cross and the empty tomb over Easter.  I want to get back to our studies around prayer.  Yesterday when I was mowing at home I was praying as I have done many times previously and I was thinking about how we are able to talk to God anywhere and at anytime.  I was riding a mower while wearing a hat, a beat up old sweatshirt, some grungy old sweatpants, and my work shoes.  I did not fix my hair and I had not shaved in three days.  I was riding a loud mower and had grass and dust blowing all over me and I was praying.  Is God okay with that?  Shouldn’t I have cleaned up and made myself a little more presentable? 

Jesus talked about prayer many times and while preaching His sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:5-8, He talked about prayer.  Jesus said:  “And when you pray do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, Who is unseen.  Then your Father, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”  Not too long ago I read a devotional by Max Lucado titled “Prayers Don’t Get Graded.”  He says that Jesus downplayed the importance of words in prayer.  We have a tendency to do the exact opposite.  We think the more words the better.  I have often called that praying around the world, making sure the you get all of the missionaries too.  We also have a tendency to put emphasis on the appropriate “prayer language.”  Sometimes the latest prayer trend comes along and we hop all over it.  We try to make use of the holiest prayer terminology and hopefully people are impressed.  Sometimes we pray the very same prayer every day or before every meal, word for word, because we think the perhaps God forgot it since the last time you prayed.  Do you give any thought to what you are saying?  Jesus says in v.7 “do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”  I want you to know that there is not a panel of angels sitting in heaven with numbered cards waiting to score your prayers.  They are not there giving out “10’s” and letting you know that God will certainly hear your prayer because you did an awesome job.  Maybe you would grade your prayer as a “2” because you just can’t pray like so and so.  Your thought might be that angels give you a “2” and tell you to go home and practice.  Prayers are not graded according to style.  Prayers do depend on your style and vocabulary.  The power of prayer does not depend on you at all but rather on the One who hears the prayer. 

Public prayer was very important in the Jewish culture and it was said aloud in the morning, afternoon and evening.  Jews would stop whatever they were doing at a set time three times a day and they would pray.  Some would do it discreetly and others would stand on the street corners and pray out loud.  Jesus does not condemn public prayer because He did it Himself on different occasions.  The problem was that their motivation was that others might take notice.  Public prayer does have value, but there is something special about getting completely away from public view to be able to focus more intently on God. 

I want to share with you some of the shortest prayers in the Bible. 

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus shares the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.  Pharisees knew how to pray.  They had the right words and they were not afraid to let everyone know it.  The tax collector had probably rarely ever prayed but when he understood how desperate he was he simply said “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”   He knew his condition and he knew that only God could meet his need.  God was merciful to him.

In Matthew 14:22-35 the disciples find themselves in a boat during a severe storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee when Jesus comes walking to them on the water.  Peter sees Jesus and walks on the water himself out to Him but as he looks around at the storm he begins to sink.  Peter simply says:  “Lord, save me!”  Jesus saved him.

In Mark 10:46-52 Jesus is leaving Jericho and along the road there is a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus sitting alongside the road begging.  When Bartimaeus realized that it was Jesus he began to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  We are told that he shouted that over and over again until Jesus said “Call him” and he jumped to his feet.  Jesus asked him “What do you want me to do fo you?”  His simple response was “Rabbi, I want to see.”

Immediately he received his sight.

In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and while going through a small village He was confronted by ten lepers who stood at a distance and they called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  All ten of the men were cleansed and only one returned to give Him thanks.

In Luke 23:39-43 Jesus is hanging on the cross with two criminals, one on each side.  One mocked Jesus and the other said “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  Jesus told him “today you will be with Me in paradise.”

Good morning church family.  It was about 30 years ago that Psalm 27 became real for Robbi and I.  I rarely ever got sick.  I had just returned from a missions trip to Haiti and I just was not feeling well.  I figured that I must have had food on the trip that was not agreeing with me so I simply brushed it off; I brushed it off until after two weeks I could not move.  I was so dizzy that I could not open my eyes.  I ate nothing and I wanted help so bad but I also did not want anyone to talk to me or touch me.  Every time I opened my eyes everything was spinning.  I literally crawled from my bed to the bathroom and then would lay on the floor there until I had the strength to crawl back.  Robbi was begging me to go to the doctor but as always I refused.  I must have been really sick because I asked her to “please” take me to the hospital.  We went to the ER and after a series of tests they decided that I had a severe case of vertigo, however they wanted to do a brain scan.  (As you can imagine, that took them a long time because of the size of my brain).  They found a spot on my brain and their initial conclusion was that I had a brain tumor.  Some of you have been there.  Some of you have gotten that kind of message from the doctor that rocks your world.  That knocked us to our knees in fear.  Robbi had three children under the age of 10 and her husband who was seemingly perfectly healthy was now rendered helpless with the initial prognosis that he had a brain tumor.  My family doctor, who had just retired, served on the board of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and he made a call and told us that we needed to be there the very next day.  We packed our suitcases that very same day and planned to drive up that afternoon.  Before we left, we stopped by the school to say goodbye to our children and several friends showed up at the same time.  Everyone was concerned because Jerry, invincible Jerry, was not so invincible and the initial diagnosis did not sound too good.  There were tears and hugs and then someone gave me two Post-it notes stuck together with the first and last verses of Psalm 27 written out on them.  They remain in my Bible today. 

I have many times gone to that Psalm as a reminder of how dependent I really am on Almighty God.  I am always reminded of His faithfulness and His promises to me, and I rest.  Psalm 27 not only expresses David’s confidence in God in his immediate situation but it also cultivates that confidence for a wide range of life challenging situations.  David’s confidence is contagious and it is a blessing for us to know the we can trust God in all situations.

Psalm 27:1-3  “The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?  2. When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.               3. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

David covers all of the bases here in these three verses.  Whether it was yesterday, today, or tomorrow, David tells us that God shows up.  God is his light and salvation today.  As he looks back he can see where his enemies stumbled and have fallen.  Because of yesterday and today, David can now say that when tomorrow comes with its challenges, he will not fear and he will be confident.  Where does that come from?  Where does that kind of assurance and faith come from?  David has seen the faithfulness of God as he looks back on his life and then as he looks at today he rehearses the truth that God is his light, his salvation and his stronghold.  Look at your life and behold the hand of God.

David goes on to say that there is one thing that he desires.  Just one?  We all know that if a genie showed up and said that we have three wishes, the first thing that we would try to get is 3, 5, or 10 more wishes.  That’s the way we roll.  Do we realize what we have already?  David desires one thing.  Look with me at v.4  “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.  Do you know what comes with that?  Do you know the benefits of that?  All that David wants is the presence of God all the days of his life.  Does he not already have that?  Did not God promise to always be with David?  Does not God promise to always be with us?  So what is it that David really desires?  He says that he wants to dwell in the house of the Lord, he wants to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and he wants to seek Him in His temple.  I have thought about this and read about it and I have come to the conclusion that David’s desire is the presence of God as evidenced in true worship with the people of God.  The house of the Lord is where His people gather for worship.  The beauty of the Lord is evidenced in His Church, His people.  The temple of the Lord is wherever God is, wherever He tabernacles.  David’s desire is for the presence of the Lord  as evidenced in true worship with the people of God.  David knows that where God’s people are you will always find the presence of God, and that is exactly where David wants to be.  That is all that he wants.

What about all of the stuff that is going on around you David?  What about all of those who desire to hurt you or even kill you?  Why just the presence of God?  v.5 “For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling: He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”   David knows that the presence of God brings the protection of God.  He says “He will keep me safe…He will hide me…” and “I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.” (v.6)  David is very confident of this and is probably already writing the song, but he knows that there is no guarantee of a life without trouble. 

vv.7-12 is David going through the checklist in his own mind and for our benefit of just what his struggles might be.  It might get as bad as his father and mother forsaking him (v.10).  David says in spite of all of that (v.13) “I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  While I am still alive, while I am still walking this earth, I will see the goodness of the Lord.  David is confident of that.  Why is that?  Where did that come from?  How could he be so confident?  Go back to the first three verses of this chapter.  David has seen the goodness of God yesterday and today in his own life and he looks forward to what tomorrow will bring.  David’s desire was to continually abide in the presence of God and with His people.

I want you to know how much of an encouragement all of you are to me.  These are some strange times that we are living in.  God has given us each other to worship together and do life together and we are separated for a period of time.  I am so encouraged to hear how people are praying for each other.  I am encouraged to hear how people are reaching out to each other via phone calls, emails, or texts.  Your acts of kindness do not go without notice.  What many of you are doing puts on display the heart of God and I rejoice in that.  Keep loving one another.  Don’t stop!  I look forward to the day when we will meet together again just like David desired the presence of God in worship.  But the last verse of Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”  Wait.  Be strong. Take heart. Wait again.  Why did David tell us to wait twice?  Probably because he knew first hand how difficult that can be.  We do not like to wait, but perhaps God has us waiting so that we might be able to get a more clear picture of His hand at work in our midst.  We are praying for you and we miss you and we, like all of you, are waiting.

Jerry & Robbi

Good morning everyone.  How are you all doing?  Are you tired of all of this social distancing yet?  Do you actually miss being around each other?  Would it be okay with you if the traffic in Peoria was what it was before the pandemic?  Would you like to wait in line at the grocery store with a cart full of everything you want and without a mask on?  Have you had enough?  I think all of us can say that we have learned to appreciate what we had now that it is gone.  There is a song that I have heard that says:  “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what ya got til it’s gone, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot.”  (Yes, I actually like that song) 

I was reading Psalm 13 this morning and the writer has obviously “had enough”.  He is on the verge of despair.  Four times he asks God “How long”.  He obviously would like to know.  When you read verse 3 it is thought that maybe David was very sick and not feeling well at all.  While this verse could very well indicate that, it could also apply to a wider variety of circumstances.  Circumstances similar to what you might be dealing with.

Verse 1 David asks God if He will forget him forever.  For whatever reason David thinks that God has forgotten him.  Why would that be?  Perhaps he has been asking God to do something and God does not do it?  Perhaps David has not been listening to God and has been treating Him like a bellhop?  The only time that he talks to Him is when he needs something.  David was not a whole lot different from you and me.  Often times we only read the Bible when we are looking for a quick fix for something we need or an answer to our questions.  Sort of like a medical journal or even Google.  Sometimes we read the Word out of duty or obligation and do not spend time meditating and asking God to speak to me what He wants me to hear.  Is it any wonder that David, or you, or me will at times feel disconnected from God? 

Verse 2 David asks God how long He is going to hide His face from him.  Have you ever been there?  There are times when you cannot find God.  Job was there.  When Job lost everything his friends came to console him and then began to point out sin in his life.  Job got to the point where he was asking God for the opportunity to present his case and argument.  He wanted God to show Himself and that went on for almost 40 chapters and then God “showed up.”  Why did God “hide His face” from Job?  Why is it that God seemingly hides His face from you and me?  God made Job wait.  God makes us wait.  Who do we think we are to demand an answer or audience from God when we want to meet with Him?  He is God and we are not.  Psalm 46:10 tells us to Be still and know that He is God.  You cannot hear God?  Perhaps He wants you to be still.  Does it seem as though His face is hidden from you?  Be still.  Spend some time thinking about what it means that He is God.  The psalmist goes on to say that He will be exalted.  Why not start by exalting Him in the first place?

Verse 2 David goes on to ask how long must he wrestle with his own thoughts.  My own immediate answer would be something like how long do you want to stay in this state of mind David?  What is it that you are focusing on David?  Who is it that is at the forefront of your thoughts?  Stop thinking about yourself and your agenda.  Stop thinking about what you want and when you want it.  Start spending time thinking about God and His goodness, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His grace to you.  Start spending time thinking about all that you are thankful for and start thanking Him.  As I said earlier, He will be exalted so why not start doing that instead of complaining about you?

Verse 2 David now asks how long will my enemy triumph over me.  Who is his enemy? Who is your enemy?  The enemy here may very well be the one who gloats over the fact that David is struggling and discouraged.  This is the person who likes it when a follower of Jesus struggles and then asks why God would let something like that happen to you.  People who question the object of your faith and His faithfulness.  “Is your God really good?  Does He really care?  Do you really believe that?”  “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Been there?

In vv. 3-4 David is on the verge of giving up.  He is past the “how long” stage  is now down on the mat and awaiting “the standing eight count” to say that the match is over and the enemy is declared the winner.  Are you discouraged?  Are you down for the eight count?  Are you about to give up?   Check out the next word in verse 5.

“But…”  My dad always told me that when you use the word “but” you are basically saying forget everything I just said and now this is what I really mean.  This is a good “but”.  David has just got done telling us how he really feels.  He has told us about how discouraged he is.  He has told us about his struggles.  He has just told us that he is about to give up “But I trust Your unfailing love;…”  What did David do there?  Did he muster up some strength in his own being?  He was about to die.  He remembered a truth that He has known for so many years and that is the unfailing love of God.  Think about that.  It should not be difficult for you to do that, but if it is then finish that verse.  There is no better evidence of God’s unfailing love than in His salvation.  “…my heart rejoices in Your salvation.”  God saved you!  Did you hear that?  God has saved you!  Have you gotten over that?  Have you forgotten?  Do you fully understand what that means?  That truth hits David like a ton of bricks and he responds with verse 6 and says “I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.”  David has taken his focus off of the questions that he has been mulling over in his head.  David has allowed his circumstances to control his thinking.  David has allowed his struggles to bring him to the point that he is mentally and physically sick.  Our circumstances do not alter the character of God.

If you were to watch the news and allow your mind to wander, the first part of Psalm 13 could very well become your story.  Maybe you are already there?  Maybe you are already ill and sick and think that you are about to die.  Start singing!  Having a rough day?  Start singing!  Discouraged with all kinds of questions?  Start singing!  Some of you may be dealing with the loss of a job or a relationship, or even a loved one.  Start singing!  Just start singing and my prayer is that it will lead you to the point where you are singing your heart out at the top of your lungs because of God’s unfailing love; because of His work of salvation in your life; and because He has been good to you.  Listen to the music and start singing!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!  He is Risen!!!  There were so many things that I had planned for this day, Easter Sunday, hoping that it would be our first time back together but God has other plans.  I have asked “why” and wondered why God has not released the “pause” button on life as we knew it and I am sure that one day we will know.  I was up early looking through all of the channels to see what other churches are doing.  If you were to spend some time on the internet it is amazing how churches are able to use media and technology to put on a pretty good presentation for this special day.  My daughter attends and works at Brooklyn Tab in New York and they have been working tirelessly to provide something special for all to see.  They are replaying the Easter Pageant from 2019 and it was good to watch it again. 

I was flying a little low pondering what we might be able to do and God gave me something to read the other day and it hit me between the eyes.  In John 1 John the Baptist is having a massive baptismal service.  People are excited and John is preaching hell, fire, and brimstone messages.  It was so special that the religious leaders of Jerusalem sent people to ask him “Who are you?” and John said “I am not the Christ.”  His message was so powerful that they thought that he was the Christ.  They went on to ask him if he was Elijah or some other prophet.  Elijah was held in hight esteem by the religious leaders and many thought that the coming Messiah might just be Elijah come back to life.  Again they asked him “Who are you?” and John professed the words of the prophet Isaiah as a voice crying out in the wilderness “Make straight the way of the Lord.”  They wanted to know why he was baptizing in the Jordan River if he was not a prophet.  John the Baptist had everyone’s attention.  This was something that everyone was taking notice of and there was and electricity in the air.  Momentum is building and the day comes to an end.

The Bible tells us in John 1:29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.’”  Behold the Lamb.  Those three words hit me as I read that passage.  In the midst of all of this excitement, another day of baptizing and preaching, John proclaims Behold the Lamb.  The focus of all of the prophesies of Elijah and Isaiah and all of the other prophets is now centered on the Lamb.  Sure, there were lambs that were sacrificed regularly on behalf of the Israelite nation at the direction of God.  The sacrifice of the lamb and the blood of the lamb was what kept the death angel from entering the houses of the Israelites in Egypt.  It was the blood of the lamb that set them free.  It was the blood of the lamb on the Passover that atoned for their sins before a Holy God.  John the Baptist now says Behold the Lamb.  It is this same Lamb that we read of in Revelation 5 who is in the throne room of heaven between the twenty-four elders and the Father on the throne  and all living creatures, angels upon angels, and the elders are praising and saying with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”  Revelation 7:17 says “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide then to springs of water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 21:22-23 says “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the LordGod the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”  Revelation 22:3 says “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him.”  Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1 that we were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb…” 

Why a lamb and not a lion?  Have you ever thought about that?  Never in the New Testament is Jesus referred to as a lion.  In fact, Satan is called a roaring lion, but Jesus is always called the Lamb.  Jews were looking forward to the Lion of Judah who would come as Messiah to conquer the enemy and deliver them from oppression.  But John tells us to Behold the Lamb.  It was the blood of the lamb that delivered the Israelite nation from the wrath of God but they wanted deliverance from the oppressing nations around them.  They missed the importance of the lamb.

Behold the Lamb.  What is it that we are wanting deliverance from?  This pandemic is driving people crazy.  People are crying out for deliverance.  People who have not prayed in years are now praying and asking for deliverance.  Deliverance from what?  The virus.  I have mentioned this to all of you before.  This little virus that you cannot see with your naked eye has doctors confused, leaders of nations meeting around the clock, hospitals and nurses working tirelessly, and the economic markets in a frenzy while the Lamb sits on the throne.  Behold the Lamb.  Some of us are frustrated and worried and anxious about all kinds of things.  Even as Christians, we are prone to be anxious and worry.  We know that God is faithful.  We know that He loves us.  We know that He is in control of all things.  We know that He knows our needs.  We know that His timing is absolutely perfect.  We know that He always does what is right.  BUT, we worry.  Behold the Lamb.  This is not it.  This is not where it all ends.  I want to remind you that this Lamb, the Lamb that we are told to behold, He takes away the sin of the world.  Do you realize that?  Because of the Lamb you have peace with God and you are secure for all eternity.  There is nothing, NOTHING, that can separate you from the love of God!  Have you forgotten what Jesus has done for us?  Are you grateful for what Jesus has done for you?  Webster defines “behold” as “to perceive through sight or apprehension:  SEE.”  It goes on to define it as “to gaze upon.”  Behold the Lamb.  Gaze upon the Lamb. 

We have not been able to meet this morning, but what we can do, is together, Behold the Lamb.  My desire each and every time that we meet, whether it be on Sundays or Wednesdays, whether it be talking face to face or emailing and texting, is to point you to Jesus.  I want for each of you to experience Jesus in a new and fresh way every time we meet.  Not some new fangled way, but to somehow some way prompt you to Behold the Lamb.  Spend some time today as you watch the various programs and church services, videos and movies, gazing upon the Jesus of the Bible who died for you and now lives for you.  He is Risen, and He is coming again.  Behold the Lamb!!!

I was going to wait to do the last two statements of Jesus’ seven last statements from the cross until Sunday, but after reading the story this morning, I was once again reminded that on Easter Sunday He is no longer on the cross.  He is Risen!!!  While reading the account this morning I attempted to step into the shoes of some of those who were watching all that was going on.  Jesus has just spent last evening in Gethsemane with His disciples.  He is in great anguish and has just asked His Father if there was any other way of doing this, but he submits to the will and plan of His Father.  He continues in prayer while His disciples fall asleep and finally Judas arrives with a detachment of Roman soldiers and a crowd of people to take Jesus captive.  One of His very own disciples, Judas, one of those whose feet Jesus washed just yesterday, Judas, betrays Jesus to the soldiers by giving Him a kiss.  After a scuffle with a couple of the disciples, Jesus tells them to stop and reminds them that if He wanted to, He could call thousands of angels to deliver Him.  Jesus goes willingly with the soldiers and is brought before Caiphas the high priest and the religious leaders where He is falsely accused and ultimately accused of blasphemy.  Jesus is questioned again, struck in the head, slapped, mocked, and they even spit in His face.  All this time, Peter is watching from a distance.  Peter, the one who pulled his sword in Gethsemane and took of the ear of one of the soldiers, is watching and doing nothing.  And yet, Peter was busy.  He was asked three times if he was one of Jesus’ friends and all three times, he denied that he even knew Him only to hear the rooster crow and reminding him of the words of Jesus.  The long night has come to an end and after seemingly getting no where with Caiphas, Jesus is taken to the governor Pilate.  It is at this point where I want you to read the following passages.  Take your time, go to a quiet place.  Read it slowly and meditate on what you are reading.

Matthew 27:1-44

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And they bound Him and led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate the governor. 3 Then when Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”  11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered Him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of Him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!”  24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.  27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him.  32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry His cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when He tasted it, He would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over Him there. 37 And over His head they put the charge against Him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with Him also reviled Him in the same way. 

Luke 23:32-43

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide His garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over Him, “This is the King of the Jews.”  39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John19:25-27

but standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Matthew 27:45-47

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

John 19:28

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

Matthew 27:48-49

And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to Him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.”

John 19:30a

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,”

Luke 23:46

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” And having said this He breathed His last.

Matthew 27:51-56

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with Him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”  55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.    

I hope that you enjoyed these passages of Scripture.  You will notice that I have highlighted the seven last statements of Jesus from the cross.  I want to finish our devotional with the last two; “It is finished” and “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

Jesus has just received the sour wine to wet his lips and he proclaims that “It is finished!”  What is finished?  Jesus knew that He was suffering and enduring the crucifixion for a purpose.  He had said earlier in John 10:18 when talking about His life He said “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from My Father.”  These three words were packed full of meaning.  What was finished here was not only Jesus’ earthly life, not only the suffering and dying, not only the only payment possible for sin and the redemption of the world, but the very reason and purpose He came to earth was finished.  Jesus’ final act of obedience to the Father was complete.  The Scriptures have been fulfilled.  Jesus came here to die for you!  Jesus came here to die for me!  Jesus is the only sacrifice possible for the salvation of us all.  The wrath of God had to be satisfied and the only way that it could be done was by the Father sacrificing His Son for us.  God killed His Son on the cross.  God did it, not the Roman soldiers.  God loves us that much, so much, that He gave His Son for us.  IT IS FINISHED!!!

Shortly after that, Jesus says “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Jesus trusts His Father.  For the next several hours, He would be, for the first time ever, separated from His Father Who He had enjoyed for all eternity.  Jesus entered death in the same way that He lived each and every day of His earthly life.  He offered up His life as the perfect sacrifice and placed Himself into the hands of God.  Jesus uses the words of Psalm 31:5 when He dies as the innocent sufferer, trusting God for vindication.  There is no better place to be than in the hands of God.  One of my favorite verses is found in that same Psalm in verses 14 & 15 where the psalmist says:  ‘But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in Your hands.’ 

I trust you in everything; in times of happiness, in times of sadness, in times of rejoicing, and in times of distress.  What a message for us at this very difficult time of our lives today.  When you find yourself watching the news and hearing all of the statistics, where do you go?  When you hear of those who are at the highest risk, does the face of a loved one come into full view?  If you spend enough time dwelling on all of the news and the statistics, you will inevitably be driven to a very dark place where you will seemingly feel paralyzed.  Maybe you can imagine a little bit how the disciples must have felt as their leader and hope and friend was crucified.  They all went into hiding and were fearful for their own lives.  But Jesus!  But Jesus!! 

I want to once again encourage you to reflect on the goodness and graciousness of God to us.  He has done everything that needs to be done for you and for me.  Rejoice and be glad, because Sunday is coming!

Happy Good Friday!!!

Jerry

Good morning NWBC family.  How are all of you doing?  These are some really strange times and we find ourselves in uncharted areas, so that is why it is so important that we stay in touch with each other.  I was looking through Facebook and other things on the internet and have come across quite a few interesting quotes and “philosophies” about all that is going on.  Here are a few:

“They’re predicting this will be a rough week for America.  It was a rough week for Jesus too, but just look at the outcome.  Sunday is coming”

Speaking of how contagious the Coronavirus is someone wrote this:  ALSO HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS IS Kindness, Patience, Love, Enthusiasm, and a Positive Attitude.  Don’t wait to catch it from others, be the carrier.

There’s never a place where we’ll be that He’s not already there.

With church doors closed across the globe, it is time for us to show that the Church has never been about the building.  WE are the Church!

The biggest problem is not dying from a virus.  The biggest problem is dying without Jesus.

After the President’s news conference was over, one of the reporters made the observation that for the first time in our nation’s history we won’t be celebrating Easter. Well let me tell you one thing, he’s dead wrong. We might not celebrate what Easter has become in that there may be no new clothes bought for that Sunday. We might not hide and hunt eggs in mass quantities. We may not travel home to attend church with our family. We might not see some folks at our worship services that we haven’t seen since Christmas, but we’re going to Celebrate Easter. As a matter of fact, every Sunday is Easter Sunday. Every time we assemble for worship we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pilate couldn’t kill Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. You think the Coronavirus is going to stop Easter. More people this year will hear the gospel than any other Easter before.

Easter is not just about special programs. It’s not about the trumpet call or the mass crowds. It’s the fact that we serve a living Savior who is still transforming lives today. Easter is not only about His resurrection, but our ability to rise with Him. Easter is about the hope of tomorrow and the gift of everlasting life. Yes indeed, we will celebrate. We’ll celebrate what God did for all of us at Calvary. How? By remembering Him. By loving Him. By worshipping Him. By praising Him. Easter for us is everyday. Let the celebration begin.

There are so many more that I could share with you and perhaps I will as I come across them.  Perhaps you could do the same?  I really want to ask you to focus on what you have in Jesus.  All of this virus stuff can be pretty scary.  The fear of the unknown.  You may doing your very best to steer clear of any possibility of being exposed to it and yet somehow, one way it comes to your from door.  Don’t ever forget that if you are a child of the King, you are in the palm of His hand and there is no better place to be.  Death is scary.  Psalm 23 calls times like this      “…the valley of the show of death…” and yet it goes on to say that God is with me.  For a Christian, death is the entrance into eternity with God.  I have always found the following to be an interesting passage of Scripture.  Jesus is praying for believers in John 17:20-26 and is talking to His Father about His desire for all of us to be one and then He says that He wants those that the Other has given Him “…to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory…”.  Do you realize what Jesus is saying?  He is telling His Father I want____________ (fill in the blank) to be with Me where I am.  Where is Jesus?  He is seated at the right hand of the Father.  Where is that?  In heaven.  What do you suppose that will be like?  Beyond our wildest imagination.  How do we get there?  Unless Jesus comes back to get us, we must die.  What?  We must physically die.  That is scary.  That is not the way it was supposed to be.  Those of us who have loved ones that were followers of Jesus who have died are already with Jesus and it is awesome. 

My intention is not to be morbid, but to give you hope.  Sure this is scary stuff but to be absent from the body means that you are in the presence of Jesus and it does not get any better than that.  Live with hope.  Live without fear.  Live knowing that we will be together again for all eternity.

Well, that was my rambling before we take move on in our study of the seven statements that Jesus made as He hung on the cross.  As I said last time, His words are few, but they sure are deep.  Previously, we looked at the first four statements: 

Luke 23:34  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:43  “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John 19:26-27  ‘When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “here is your mother…”’

Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.   ‘About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” -which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”’

The passage that we are going to look at today is found in John 19:28  ‘Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”’

Hours earlier, Jesus was offered a drink vinegar, gall and myrrh which was usually offered to serve as a mixture to alleviate suffering, but Jesus refused.  Why?  Why did Jesus refuse the mixture?  This was one more mockery of Jesus in that the wine that they offered was mixed with gall which was a bitter herb that could even be poisonous and deadly.  This could have been an easy out for Jesus.  Just put Him out of His misery kind of thing.  Jesus bore the full brunt of the wrath of God and did not look to take the short-cut. 

The passage tells us that Jesus said this “…so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”  What Scripture?  Psalm 69:21 says:  “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”  The Psalmist goes on in the rest of the Psalm to call down curses on his enemies whereas Jesus did not do that,  but instead pray for mercy on them.  Jesus said that He was thirsty and He accepted the cheap wine to perhaps wet his lips.  This may not have only prolonged His life, but it also prolonged His agony.  Perhaps it was so that He would be able to cry out in victory     “It is finished” for all to hear.  This sour wine would have been the cheap beverage that the soldiers used to satisfy their thirst, but the thirst to which Jesus may have very well been testifying to must have been far more severe than anything that the wine could have satisfied. 

We are also reminded in this statement that Jesus was fully human as well.  He bore the weight of all of our sin in His body which was beaten, abused, spat upon and crucified for you and for me.  Jesus thirsted.  Are you thirsty to know the love and mercy and grace and peace that comes from knowing Jesus?  Do you fully understand and realize what He did for you and for me?  Once again I want to encourage you to spend some time reading the passages of

Scripture around the cross..Open your Bibles and read Matthew 26:36-27:56, Mark 15,

Luke 22:47-23:49, and John 18:1-19:37.  Read separately from each Gospel in separate sittings and meditate on it.  Imagine yourself in the shoes of someone at the foot of the cross who is watching all that is taking place.  May God use His Word to make you different in this time of turmoil around the world.