by George | Apr 2, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Good Friday
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Justin Holcomb, in an article called “What’s So Good About Good Friday?” says:
“… why call the day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday” instead of “Bad Friday” or something similar? Some Christian traditions do take this approach: in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or “Sorrowful Friday.” In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good” is debated. Some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins.”
Though we don’t know for sure where the term “Good Friday” came from, one thing is for sure, if not for Jesus taking our place on the cross, we would be hopelessly lost in sin.
Paul said:
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-14
This was a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy:
“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.”
Isaiah 53:4-8
So let’s raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving for the Savior who redeemed us by His blood!
“Man of sorrows, what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim
Hallelujah! What Savior
Stand unclean, no one else could
In my place condemned He stood
Now his nearness is my good
Hallelujah! What a Savior
Hallelujah, praise to the one
Whose blood has pardoned me
Oh what a Savior, Redeemer and King
Your love has rescued me.”
(“Hallelujah What a Savior” by Austin Stone Worship)
by George | Mar 22, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
A Cure For Distraction
“Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.”
Proverbs 4:25
When my kids were young, they liked to play video games on the TV in the living room. Things are not always quiet in the living room, especially with 4 kids and a dog.
When the one playing the game got to a crucial moment, invariably someone would say something or make a noise. “Uhhhh! You made me lose!” They had become… distracted.
God had given instructions to the children of Israel as they were going into the promised land.
“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Joshua 6:5
They were also commanded to not to take the”accursed things.”
“And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”
Joshua 6:18
The children of Israel did well going into Jericho. They obeyed. God gave them the victory.
Then came Ai. Small city.
Piece of cake, right?
Nope. They were defeated. Why? A Man named Achan got distracted. Lots were cast and they figured out it was him. He confessed:
“When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
Joshua 7:21
Instead of looking straight ahead, keeping his eyes on the goal, he looked down, or to the side, and saw “a beautiful Babylonian garment.” It may have been shinier and nicer than anything he had. Then he saw gold!
The wheels were turning in his mind. “No one will ever know!” So, he takes the items and hides them.
I won’t go into details here, but it doesn’t end well for him.
So, how do we keep from getting distracted? Solomon gives advice:
“Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.”
Proverbs 4:25
Also, Jesus showed us how to keep focused and not be distracted.
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
Let’s try to be like Jesus!
Stay focused on the goal!
by George | Mar 11, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
More Than Enough
Last time we were together, we talked about the freewill offerings the Israelites brought to be used in the construction of the Tabernacle.
In this chapter, we find out that the need was met, and then some! They actually brought too much!
Can you imagine this happening at your church? The deacons or ushers count the offering and bring a joyous report to the pastor. “The offering plates are overflowing!!!”
While that is possible, it doesn’t happen all that often.
In today’s reading, the Israelites brought more than enough for the construction of the Tabernacle. The report was brought to Moses, and the people were told not to bring anything else for the work.
God had enabled the Israelites to give an abundance of materials.
God gives us an abundance of love, mercy and grace.
Here’s just a few examples of the “abundance” of God.
“And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,”
Exodus 34:6
“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.”
Psalms 65:11
“They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.”
Psalms 36:8
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”
Romans 5:17
“But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-7
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”
Ephesians 3:20
Father,
You are truly more than enough! Thank You for showering us with an abundance of love, mercy, and grace. Thanks for giving us abundant life and answering our prayers exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. In Jesus Name amen.
