Happy Resurrection Day

Easter is here, but it is more appropriately named Resurrection Day.  This is the holy day of all holy days for it is the day in which Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  After being beaten and crucified a few days earlier, He was laid in a tomb, sealed in with a massive stone, and guarded by roman soldiers.  Even those closest to Him thought it was over.  But then as recorded in Matthew 28:1-10 (NIV):

 

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Without Jesus’ resurrection, Christianity would be pointless.  It would be and like any other religion where people worship a dead person.  However, the fact that He was seen by more than 500 witnesses, over a period of forty days proves makes convincing argument.  There are many other proofs, but that is not the point.  The point is He died as a once for all sacrifice for our sins.  He did that for you and me.    

John 3:16-17 (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Bible is clear that we are all sinners, except Jesus Christ, and it is only through His crucifixion and resurrection can you be saved.

Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)

²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Have you received Jesus’ gift of forgiveness for your sins?  The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

There is no magical incantation or super-secret ritual you have to perform, you just have to believe. Believe in who Jesus said He was and what He did for you and declare those things verbally, you are saved. 

If you have believed this way for the first time, welcome to the family.  If you have lost you’re way God wants you back.  We would love to hear from you.

For a great YouTube video of steps to faith check this link out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FI0rsEk_y4

May God bless you.

Pastor Steve

The Week before Easter

If you only had a few days to live, what would you do? Would you be with family, travel, make things right with someone, go to Disney, skydive, etc? That is exactly what happened to Jesus. He knew that He was going to happen to Him. So what did He do?

(This list is not to make light or distract from scripture in anyway)

• The next day He clears the temple
• He curses a fig tree on the way
• He refuses to answer the High Priest question “by whose authority are you doing these things?”
• Tells the parable of the Tenants.
• Tells the parable of the Two Sons.
• Tells the parable of the Wedding Banquet.
• He puts the Pharisees to shame in their entrapping questions of:
       o Paying taxes
       o Marriage at the resurrection.
       o What’s The Greatest Commandment?
       o Whose Son is the Christ?
• Talks about the widows offering.
• Speaks about the signs of the end of the age.
• Gets anointed by a lady dumping very, very expensive perfume on Him.
• Judas plans his betrayal.
• Eats His last meal.
• Prays for Himself (to glorify the Father), disciples, and all believers.
• Judas betrays Jesus.
• Re-attaches an enemy’s ear.
• Gets arrested.
• Gets abandoned by His followers.
• Peter even denies knowing Him.
• Rooster crows.
• Tried illegally.
• Beaten beyond recognition.
• Mocked, spit on, and pierced with a crown of thorns.
• Carries cross to His own crucifixion.
• Crucified (the most excruciating and brutal deaths)
• After 6 hours gives up His life.
• Causes an earth quake tearing the veil separating the Holy of Holies.
• Buried in someone else’s tomb that is guarded by Roman soldiers.
• and that's not all, it is really the beginning!

He knew that He had to finish what the Father sent to do, to bore the world's sins past, present, and future. A totally innocent man be crucified for our sins. While in the garden of Gethsemane He struggles with the gravity of what is about to take place in
Matthew 26: 47-56.

To be Continued...
Pastor Steve

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and those who have grown up in the church may remember acting out Jesus' entry into Jerusalem riding a young donkey while the people laid down palm branches and praised Him. The kids would all get a palm branch to wave around…

In the book of Matthew 21:1-11 (NIV) we see the event take place:

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

                        “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]
                        “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

          ¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
          ¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

But do we really understand the whole point to Palm Sunday?  The many followers in Jerusalem were praising Jesus, though not all, because they saw Him as the promised Messiah.  A few days later many of those same people would be cursing Him and demanding He be crucified.  So why?  What could He do in a few days’ time that would cause them to transition from love and hope to hate and disgust?

To be continued…

Pastor Steve

 

Legacy

This past week a friend of my wife and mine past away. He was in his early 50’s and as far as we know it was unexpected. Being in ministry, I have been to my share of visitations and funerals. Understandably we are sad when we lose someone that we care about because they leave a void in the place they once held. Sometimes we are relieved because they no longer suffer from pain and disease, yet there is still that void. Sadly, for some, we may even be glad they are gone because they may have been evil, such as Hitler, etc.

To me, I believe, you can tell a lot about the impact one has by the legacy they leave behind. How is the world a better place because of that person? I was at another funeral for a friend whose mother had passed away and he spoke about the “-“ in between the dates on the epitaph. The dash represents all that person has done in the time God gave them on earth.

 

At our friends funeral we spoke to a close friend and they said it took 30 minutes just to get in because of the number of people pay their respects because of the life he led touched so many in a good way. What an honor to have masses come to your funeral because of you made a difference in their lives.

 

What about you? How are we using the time God gives us here on earth? We are never promised tomorrow. 

 

• James 4:13-15 (NIV) says: Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead You ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

My prayer is that when I pass away that the world would be a better place because of what God was able to do through me. 

 

• John 3:30 (NIV) He must become greater; I must become less.” 

 

People would remember me as a man who loved the Lord and reflected Christ, was a good husband, father, relative, friend, Pastor, servant, etc. Without God we can do nothing and are nothing. Look at effect Christ had on the world. Look at what He did during His ministry while on earth. In three years He rocked the world. Through twelve ordinary, common, men He changed the world.

 

Now, what are you going to do while you’re here?

 

Pastor Steve

The Snow Flake

Just recently I was driving around and it began to snow. I love driving in the snow especially at night. With both of my boys, we played Star Wars and the snow looks like you're flying through hyper-space. Anyway I was sitting at a red light and was looking at the design of the snow flakes as they hit the windshield. Each flake was intricately beautiful and unique. It made me think about something my wife found inside a gift bag. It was a quote from and photographer from the 1920s named Wilson A. Bentley (The snowflake Man) that figured out a way to take a photo of snow flakes. Here is what he said:



The Snowflake Man
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."



If God put that much detail, care, and uniqueness in snow flakes, how much more did He put in you? Look at these versus to see how much God thinks of you:

• Psalm 139:13-14 (New International Version)
  
  13 For you created my inmost being;
  you knit me together in my mother's womb.
  
  14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
  your works are wonderful,
  I know that full well.

• Luke 12:6-7 (New International Version)
  6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies[a]? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
  


• Matthew 6:25-34 (New International Version)
  
  Do Not Worry
  25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
  28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
  
  

Whenever you can, take some time to look closely at a snow flake and consider how God created it for you to show His love and awesome glory.

Pastor Steve

Was it a Silent Night?

Every year at Christmas time we get our decorations out, start watching Christmas movies, and singing Christmas songs. One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Silent Night." I started thinking about the night Christ was born and all of the events surrounding it. I came to the conclusion that it probably wasn't a silent night at all. Let's take a look:

• Matthew 1:18-25 (New International Version)
  
  The Birth of Jesus Christ
  18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
  20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins."
  
  22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[b]—which means, "God with us."
  
  24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
  


• Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)
  
  The Birth of Jesus
  1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
  4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
  
  The Shepherds and the Angels
  8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
  13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
  14"Glory to God in the highest,
  and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
  
  15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
  
  16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

First, Bethlehem was packed and overflowing because of the mandatory census. This would have been equivalent to present day Time Square on New Years Eve. There were people everywhere plus animals. The noise from the crowds would have been tremendous.

Secondly, the shepherds were chillin by the camp fire outside of Bethlem when an Angel materialized out of nowhere and told them about baby Jesus. Then The Heavenly Host band joined him for a massive concert in the sky. Afterwards the shepherds headed into town to find Jesus.

Back in Bethlehem the crowds would have gotten stirred up because of the shepherds (who were considered scum and unclean) were talking crazy stuff about angels and a baby in a barn. The gossip would have been something to behold. Rumors and talk would have spread though town quickly. People would be out following a strange star that had appeared.

What about you? Would you have been looking for promised messiah? What about now? He was born to die for you and me. God had to have been sad knowing that He sent His son into a world as a sacrifice to save the human race.

With all that was going on, I really don't think it was a silent night at all, do you?

If you don't already know Jesus, this would be a great time to find Him. He always there for those who look for Him. For those of us that have already found Him, maybe it's time time to reconnect.

May you have a blessed Christmas,

Steve

Are you a Star?

When I was young, one of my personal Christmas traditions was to go out side late on Christmas Eve and look for the star that guided the Magi to Jesus. I would try to figure out which star it was. I would spend time thinking about it was like on the night of His birth. I think about the fact that He was born to die for my sins (everyone who believed). I would sing then Happy Birthday to Him.

• Matthew 2:1-2 (New International Version)
  
  The Visit of the Magi
  1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him."
  

I would try to figure out which star it was. I would spend time thinking about it was like on the night of His birth. I think about the fact that He was born to die for my sins (everyone who believed). I would sing then Happy Birthday to Him.

Even though we know Jesus wasn't really born on December 25 and the star was a one time event, I still do it. There are those who would argue about what the date really was and that it's wrong to celebrate it on that date. To be honest nobody really knows the exact date and it really doesn't matter.

I was re-reading the biblical accounts of Jesus' birth and God revealed to me that the star was not just a one time event. You see the star was there to signify the birth of our king and savior as well as to lead people to Him. Now, all Christians are that star. Wow! I never saw it that way before and I have read it many times.

• Matthew 5:14 (New International Version)
  
  14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

• Ephesians 5:7-9 (New International Version)
  7Therefore do not be partners with them.
  
  8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
  

By being that light it is our responsibility, as commanded by Jesus, to light the way for others to Christ, just as the star did back then.

• Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
  
  The Great Commission
  19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
  

Remember our sun is a star and look how it lights the world. So this Chistmas and every day go out and be the star Jesus intended you to be and help God make new stars.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Steve