Cross

Seasonal Changes

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments

Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. Psalm 119:89-90 ESV

If you live in the Northern States you have already seen the beauty of the leaves changing their Summer clothes for colorful Fall outfits. Apple cider and pumpkins fill the market shelves, but that celebration of the new season is mixed with a melancholy knowledge that Winter is not far away.

Some changes in life are eagerly anticipated, like weddings or the birth of a child. But when our child graduates from high school and sets off on their own, that happiness mixes with silent tears. It was no different for Jesus as He lived on earth. The joys and gifts of the Christmas story were quickly followed by Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt. His healing of the sick was followed by Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. But as Jesus hung on the cross and the most difficult hour of change was upon Him, He held on to words that never change. “I thirst”; “Why have you forsaken me?”  and “It is finished.” were all quotes from the Old Testament. Jesus was trusting in a word that never changes because He knew that in Heaven His Father’s promises would not fail Him. They would carry Him through death and the grave to resurrection. Unlike the falling leaves, God’s word never lets go. It stays attached to the heart of the Father forever. If there are circumstances that are changing your life forever, then hold onto the faithful and loving promises of God. He has you firmly held in the palm of His hand and He has promised that whatever may come in both life and death that He will never let you go!

Where is Our Treasure?

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

For where your treasure is. There will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 KJV

Did you ever wince when your pastor opened his message with this passage, because you expected him to ask for a financial pledge or special offering? Well I confess that I have! But the interesting thing about this passage is that Jesus was not talking about money. In fact, nowhere in scripture can you find Jesus taking up an offering. Instead we find our Lord multiplying bread, transforming water into wine and telling folks to stop worrying about the rat race. No – the treasure Jesus had in mind was the treasure He had when the Bible tells us that, “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame and is now set down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 12:2

When considering the subject of consecration, I love the hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be” because it gets very specific about what we are giving God and why. It is far too easy to just say, “I Surrender All” than it is to surrender some specific area that Jesus puts His finger on. Even something as insignificant as an extra five minutes of your time given for a friend may be what He asks from us today. Remember that when all is said and done that Jesus made you and I His treasure when He gave His life for us on the cross. Now He is seated at the right hand of the Father enjoying the riches of heaven. What may He be asking of us today? Where is our treasure?

I hope that this little presentation and my rendering of the old hymn may be a blessing to you today as you consider the cross and Jesus who is our greatest treasure in Heaven!

He Gently Stooped Low

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

He Gently Stooped Low

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. Psalm 18:35 ESV

While the ESV gives us the picture of a Mighty God who is gently on our side, the old NIV renders that same phrase as, “He stopped low. Like Gandalf entering through a Hobbit doorway, in the Lord of the Rings, Jesus had to bend low enough to enter our world through the stable doorway in Bethlehem. He went to begging blind men, destitute widows and outcast lepers. Jesus had compassion on hungry listeners and washed the dirty feet of disciples. Jesus’ right hand was both gentle enough to bless a child and strong enough to lift a paralyzed man to His feet.

And when His time came He carried the weight of His cross to the top of Golgotha where those gentle hands were nailed to the wood. Then as He stooped His lowest in death, Jesus reached lower still as we were falling deep into our sins, and caught us, raised us up and gave us the greatness of His salvation. Oh how mighty and gentle is our Jesus! He gently stooped low enough to save us and then shared His greatness with His children!