Cross

On Monday Morning

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:38‭-‬39 ESV

And now it is Monday morning and the miracles, the drama with both the sorrows and joy of Holy week behind. What will we do with all that lies ahead?

What did the soldiers do who had guarded his tomb? Did Joseph of Arimathea open his shop, did Nicodemus go to the synagogue for morning prayer. And when His disciples and Mary, and Pontius Pilate woke to the same sunrise what thoughts passed through their minds?

Did they remember the earthquake and darkness? Did they speak of the tears, the gambling for the robe and the spear? Or will the shock, the amazement and the vision of angels on Sunday morning crowd out all other memories?

Or maybe some recalled His tenderness He touched one leper, stood in silent defense of the adulteress and raised a widow’s son to life? How often would they speak of loaves multiplied, waves stilled and blind eyes that could see? Or will we remember His words? Will their power still our seas, transform our ordinary moments and change forever the self seeking attitudes that govern our everyday lives? Will we be meek? Be listening? Wash feet? Give quietly to the poor? He died on Friday, rested on Saturday, rose on Easter Sunday and is now walking ahead of us on Monday. And more than all these, will we remember and take our own cross and follow Jesus Christ?

Alone With God

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But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6 ESV

Maybe the hardest part about real prayer is that no one knows about it except God. Jesus told us to be alone with God, but I hate to be alone. Didn’t God say, “It is not good for man to be alone.” But then God reminds me that Adam wasn’t lonely, and he wasn’t ever really alone. In fact, before he sinned, Adam was able to walk in the garden every day with God. But as God watched Adam sleeping, He decided that Adam needed another person to be with Him.  So that night, God performed the first surgery and He removed one of Adam’s ribs to form Eve as a helper who was made just for him.

Imagine Adam’s surprise in the morning when he woke up and there she was! Prayer that is alone with God is not lonely because in it we draw closer to God. He wants us to learn that we can be closer to Him than anyone else in the world. He wants to be our most intimate friend. Jesus tells us to spend time alone in our prayer closet so that when we open the door and step out, we can walk with Him all through the day. That special fellowship was made possible by another surgery that God performed. That surgery happened one Friday on the cross. There a Roman soldier thrust His spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water poured down. In that moment God forgave our sins, then while Jesus slept, God began to fashion for Him a people who would be made just for Him and to be with Him forever.

One Simple Miracle and Sunday Praise

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

As we get closer to Easter we need to remember what our faith is really about. Christianity is not about big church buildings, Christian concerts with special effects or elaborate social programs. Instead all that we are and everything we do is based on one single morning at a tomb. The body of Jesus was supposed to be inside it. The priests were counting on it because they had sent a guard. Pilate was sure of it because it was shut with a Roman seal. Even the closest friends of Jesus believed He would be there because they went with spices to prepare the body. And the grave was shut. The tomb was silent. The death from crucifixion was final….Until it wasn’t!

“You seek Jesus who was crucified” the angel said. “He is not here for He has risen as He said!” Matthew 28:5-6a And in that moment all History turned on the hinge of one simple miracle, an empty tomb and a risen Lord!

I loved this new release from The Weaver family in Pennsylvania. It is both simple and powerful- like that very first Easter morning!