Cross

The World Stood Still

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The World Stood Still

He had walked on water

Given life to the dead

He had fed five thousand

With five loaves of bread

But on that day

When the world stood still

Jesus gave His life

At His Father’s will

Then while soldiers gambled

For the clothes He wore

His disciples hid

Behind locked doors

But by His cross

One thief believed

And Mary wept

As He struggled to breath

And the thunder roared

And as darkness fell

He cried out “Forgive!”

And the world stood still

photo of brown house near mountain

Photo by Janez Podnar on Pexels.com

 Biographical Sketch

Previously I served as a volunteer chaplain for more than twenty years at Allied Skilled Nursing in Scranton Pennsylvania. Last year my wife Nancy and I have retired and moved to Florida and are members of Generations Christian Church.  Together we have two sons, six grand-sons and one grand-daughter. Today I continue volunteering in three nursing homes in our new community.

Jesus is Not Under Quarentine!

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We can no longer gather at our church. Small group meetings have been cancelled. Our lives have been put on hold and one knows when this will be over. But as Easter approaches God’s word had good news for our souls: His answers to our prayers are not under quarentine!

God is neither limited in His ability to come to our rescue nor is He worried about how long our situation will continue. He wants us to be encouraged because just as the Roman guards could not prevent Jesus from rising from the dead so also no disease, no job loss or social upheaval can stop His work in our hearts.

No media reports, no public scoffing, no military attack can ever separate us from God’s promises. Jesus didn’t just suffer unjustly and helplessly die. No! But through the cross He defeated forever the one who brought death and destruction into the world and secured forever our freedom. No one is like Him because Jesus is not under quarentine!

All Things

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I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 ESV

To be entirely honest the disabling helplessness brought on by this Covid-19 crisis rubs me like an ill fitting pair of shoes. It is frustrating being cooped up at home with important questions like, “How can one tiny virus turn our world upside down?” and, “How the heck can you shop on line for bananas?” On top of everything else I also stupidly walked into a chair leg and hence now have a broken toe. This morning as I look out the window I realize that I can’t bring in the garbage can, can’t trim the small tree in our back yard or even water my flowers. If you are like me hearing that word; “Can’t – can’t – can’t” is like the annoying jingle of a television commercial. It isn’t that I couldn’t ask for my wife to wheel our trash can back in and water the garden; it is that right now I am dependent and I really need someone’s help.

That dependence is what Jesus was pressing for His disciples to understand as He prepared Himself for His own hour of helplessness. Less than 24 hour later His hands which had once cleansed the lepers, would be nailed to a piece of wood; His feet which had walked on waves would be unable to take a single step and His head that had been anointed with perfumed oil would bleed from the piercings of a crown of thorns. The creator of the universe would hang suffering and unable to move in front of all the world and there He show us the power of His love and give us His life for us so that we could say:

I can do all things through him who strengthens me Philippians 4:13 KJV

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