Pastor Mark’s Easter Devotion

Posted on 2020-04-12 in BLOG, Devotions, Pastor's Notes, pastors pen | Tags: , , , ,

“Three Times”

“Remember how he told you…” Luke 24:6

Early, that first Easter morning, Luke records women, who were followers of Jesus, rose in the dark and made their way to the tomb. The women stumbled upon a stone that had been rolled away and a body that had mysteriously disappeared. Suddenly, two angels, gleaming like lightning, appeared and declared the unbelievable news that Jesus was alive. Then God’s messengers said, “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” Then we are told, “The women remembered his words”.

As I wrote on Friday, Jesus had been prepared for his death. But it is comforting to know that Jesus also tried to prepare his disciples for his death and resurrection. Three times, at various locations and hours, Jesus forewarned his disciples that He would be arrested, suffer and die – but on the third day be raised to life. On this Easter day, let us remember that Jesus also wants us to be prepared, whether tragedy or triumph. Today, as we center ourselves in Christ, and in his resurrection, no matter what comes, there will be ultimate victory.

It’s interesting that Jesus would speak of his death and resurrection three times. It is also interesting that three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus warns his 3 sleeping disciples. He tells them to pray and watch out for temptation. Jesus’ friends were never able to stay awake but it reveals the heart of Jesus. He wanted to prepare his friends for the events of the very near future.  

Even more personally, Jesus forewarns Simon individually. During the Last Supper, after a third discourse about washing feet, Jesus warns Simon that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat. What does “sifting” even mean? Perhaps we can replace the word, “sift” with the verbs, “pulverize” or “crush”. Understanding that Satan has the desire to “crush” Simon is a scary thought. Yet to know that Jesus wanted to prepare Simon, brings great comfort.

It should be noted that while Jesus was wanting to protect Simon, Jesus was preparing for his own “crushing”. You might think of the Garden of Gethsemane primarily as a place where Jesus prayed 3 final prayers to his Father- and that his sweat was like drops of blood. But going even further into the garden, reveals something even greater.  

Jesus gathered in the garden and prayed beneath the olive trees. Olive trees produce olives that when pressed and crushed, produce olive oil. Olive oil was used in anointing. Olive oil was used in anointing kings, anointing for healing, and other special purposes. Olive oil also represented light. Jesus was going to be the anointed King – and it would require a crushing on a cross. He would eventually be anointed King of Kings but it was going to take a mighty crushing in the process. When olives are crushed to produce oil, what process is involved? To extract all the oil from the olives, it requires the olives to be crushed 3 times. There would be three “crushings” required of our Savior – body, mind and spirit – a complete sacrifice to pay the price for sin.

Today is Easter day! May this knowledge of Jesus’ complete crushing and resulting resurrection protect and prepare us for whatever future we might face. May we remember that through his crushing and through his rising, he shines LIGHT upon this world.

So, let us shout three times. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Our anointed King LIVES! And He has CRUSHED DEATH FOREVER!!

Thanks Be to God!

Pastor Mark

 

    


Pastor Mark’s Daily Devotion, 3/18/2020

Posted on 2020-03-18 in BLOG, Devotions, Pastor's Notes, pastors pen | Tags: , , , , , , ,

 

“The Power of Praise”

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth…” Psalm 100:1

King David was a warrior. King David was a worshipper. David fought enemies, won battles and witnessed the glory of God. David also poured out his heart to God in song. He ministered to King Saul with his music. In good times and bad, David worshipped – and it gave him strength.

My favorite psalm is Psalm 100. Perhaps it is because my second grade Sunday School teacher, Nancy Ficken, motivated me to memorize this piece of scripture. Perhaps it is because it emphasizes worship and song. Growing up in a musical family – music has always been one of my key paths of entry into God’s presence.

Can you “shout joyfully” today as the Psalmist encourages? Perhaps you find this a rather difficult request facing so many future uncertainties. But think on this – there is great power in praise!!

David faced incredible adversity throughout his lifetime. He lost battles. He lost his kingdom. He lost his sons. He lost his health. He lost his reputation. Yet through all the uncertainty, he never lost his faith nor his heart for God. And without question, because we hold the entire Psalter of David’s sacred songs in our hands, we know he was rooted in worship and praise to God.

David directs us, even commands us in Psalm 100 to “Shout joyfully” to the lord. As that young boy, I memorized the opening words to the psalm, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…” Perhaps a small nuance in translation, but one could argue it softens the impact of David’s directive and could be quite significant, and quite important given today’s challenges. The Hebrew word for “shout” is “Rua”. If you read my first daily devotional, you might recognize this word. I mentioned the Hebrew word, “Ruah”, which means spirit or breath and refers to the Holy Spirit. “Rua” is the kind of breath or spirit we express – an energetic, enthusiastic expression – and emerges as a “shout”. And it is important to understand the key relationship between “Ruah” – the Holy Spirit and “Rua” – Shout.

  David hopes to create a picture in the mind of his readers using this word “Rua”. What picture comes to your mind when you hear the word “shout”? A shouting match with your kids? Shouts of the crowds at Seahawk games? Shouts across the political aisles? The picture for the people of Israel and appropriately for David, is one of a warrior standing over his enemy with a triumphant yell. I think of the young boy, David, standing over his defeated foe, mighty Goliath of the Philistines. As a contemporary picture, think of the final touchdown scored by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in which the running back, Damien Williams, after scoring, leans back and exerts a rebel yell from the depths of his soul, to the crowd acknowledging final victory over their enemy, the San Francisco 49ers.

Is that what we do on Sunday morning, when we sing songs in praise to God? Is that what you do in the shower when you wake up in the morning? Do we reach back, and find from deep within, a cry for all the world to hear? I assume we all tend to approach God with a bit more passivity and apprehension than where this psalm wants to take us. But what if we taped into this power of praise? What if we let it out and encouraged ourselves to let it go.  Know this for sure – this is a kind of spiritual exercise – taping into the power of the Holy Spirit.  One hint: If you begin to work up a sweat – relax – it’s holy sweat!!

Can you see Jesus? Give a shout. He is our warrior king, standing over our enemy. He has given us victory over sin, death and the devil. The cross is the stake in the ground reminding us of his triumph.

Let out a rebel yell today. In your car, in your closet. Give God your greatest ransomed, redeemed and resounding yell because of what Jesus has done and cry out, “Let’s GOOOOOO!”  Let the tension and stress out to God in praise. And let us put our stake in the ground against all fear. Lift your hands high in victory, looking heavenward and shout for joy.

Yes, in this world we will face crises, but we know where true power lies.

Let us worship the Lord with gladness and come into his presence with joyful songs!

In Christ, Pastor Mark

 

P.S. If you want to follow this reading with some other people shouting to God in worship, I am attaching a few links to some music that might be uplifting.  

Praise Music:

Worship the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:1-2

 

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Hillsong Worship Best Praise Songs Collection 2019 – Gospel Christian Songs Of Hillsong Worship

Hillsong Worship Best Praise Songs Collection 2019 – Gospel Christian Songs Of Hillsong Worship

Preview YouTube video Amazing Grace – Best Version By Far!

Amazing Grace – 

Preview YouTube video BE THOU MY VISION — My Favorite Irish Hymn! 🙂

BE THOU MY VISION — 

 

Pastor Mark’s December Newsletter Blog

Posted on 2019-12-01 in BLOG, Devotions, Pastor's Notes, pastors pen | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“The Glow Room”

I ripped and tore the sheetrock from the main wall in my living room last weekend. This was a project that I had studied, pondered and procrastinated for the last five years, but never actually pulled the trigger.
Suddenly as I pulled off a large chunk of drywall, a darkened space opened up. In the middle of the 23 foot wall, up about 6 feet, I saw behind open studs, a black framed, finished space. The space was 6 feet long, 8 feet high, and 2 feet wide. It seemed like a secret space.
 
What was it for? Why was this space buried behind drywall and paneling in the main room? A strange place to be sure. Was it originally built into the house back in the 1970’s or was it added later? There was no insulation between the studs that opened into the main room. A camouflaged door was created for access through the attic. Power was available and a large aluminum shade lamp with clamps rested on the floor.
What could this be? 
 
The following days, I discussed the space with friends. I took pictures and sent them to family. I even talked it over with the heat pump estimators who came to give bids on a new heating system for my house. Some people suggested that the open framing in the wall might have been intended for windows. After short discussions, everyone simply shrugged their shoulders and didn’t have any real ideas.
 
Finally, the third “bid” man arrived. (it’s always the third one right?) We first talked about the business of heating then I quickly turned his attention to “the space”. He looked, scratched his head and we climbed up into the attic. Suddenly he said, “I’ve seen this before. I’ve entered other people’s attic spaces where the owners are not even aware that there is a “space” finished in their attic with power and lights – fully enclosed.”
 
Then he declared, “It’s a GROW ROOM!” “Are you kidding me?” I said. He replied, “I’d bet money that it’s a grow room.” HUH!!  A secret place, laid dormant for decades, a dark space ready with power, and light, all ready for growth.
 
Why am I writing about this at Christmas? Let’s just say I felt inspired!
 
Over the decades, one could argue that Christmas has become a crazy time, moving at a frantic pace, over indulging on stuff that we don’t really need, while running on empty and finishing the race exhausted.  Have we forgotten about the “secret place”?
 
Maybe this year – we re-capture “the secret place”. Maybe this year we re-discover the secret place of Bethlehem, where Jesus entered the darkened world. The secret place that laid dormant for a thousand years; King David’s hometown.
 
This secret place that has, hidden in its name, a special meaning, ‘beth’…meaning ‘house’, and ‘lechem’…meaning ‘bread’. Bethlehem is God’s house of bread, the place that would provide the birthplace of the “bread of life” from which all the world might be nourished. Maybe we re-focus upon the dark, black space in which the shepherds lived – keeping watch over their flocks by night. And maybe we re-experience the power and light of the glorious angels declaring the great good news about a Savior’s birth.
 
Jesus was born in a dark, black, secret place, inhabited by animals and laid to rest on a bed of straw. God chose this humble, holy place for his Son, the light of glory to be born. And he chose this darkened world, in which he tore open the heavens and ripped open the skies that the King of glory would grow and generate power that would ultimately overcome sin, death and the Evil one.
 
Perhaps you find yourself in a darkened place this holiday season. Perhaps you feel hidden from the world and no one sees. Remember that God has chosen to do his greatest work in the midst of secret, hidden, darkened places.

The Lord sees you.

GOD IS WITH YOU!  

  In fact, that’s what this secret season is all about. EMMANUEL – meaning, ‘GOD IS WITH US’!  And God IS with us!!  Not only that, there is power with us, (the Holy Spirit)! And there is a lamp with us, (God’s Word). And there is the light, Jesus Christ himself is with us!
 
We live in a grow room. It can be very dark. But may it become a “GLOW” room. May the light of Christ grow and glow in our hearts this Christmas Season. And we re-ceive God’s Great Good News,
 
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that is for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
 
Merry Christmas!   Pastor Mark