MARCH 2017 EDITION

Our Friday Morning Men’s Group watched an Andy Stanley video last Friday.

The show had an Easter theme.  It had the tag line:

”Jesus’ closest followers believed he was dead...and would stay dead.”

I guess I always knew that but never thought about it. The thought of Jesus rising from the dead never crossed their minds during that dreadful time after they saw Him breathe His last on the cross. All of their actions, post crucifixion, indicated that fact. Most of His followers went in hiding for fear of that, same death sentence would be their fate. Only a few of the women, who deeply loved Jesus, would venture out to finish the job of preparing Jesus’ body for burial, which was delayed by Passover. With the heavy load of embalming materials, the women  set out for the tomb, knowing full well that the body would have begun the process of decay, but they went out of love.

Here is the amazing thing. If they had completed the task, the entire world, from that day forward, would have been irreparably changed forever.  Our very measurement of the passing of time would be different. Some of our most noble efforts of architecture, literature, art and music would not exist. Many of the great institutions of charitable works would not be established. The valuation of human life and the dignity of men and women would suffer greatly. Although I will say this: “Both the valuation of human life and the dignity of men and women are once again under attack as the assault on Christian values has been raised to new levels in today’s culture.” For many of us, the hope of eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins would not exist and as Paul said in his letter to the Corinthian church: “And if Christ has not been raised , your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

There was a poem written some time ago, “If Jesus Had Not Come”, from which gives rise to many of the thoughts I mentioned. However, think about this: If Jesus came, lived thirty-three years, did and said some amazing things and then died, would we even know He existed at all? Perhaps, in some obscure history book, He might be mentioned as a noble man whose life and lessons might be instructive on how to live a good life like many other historical heroes both real and imagined. He even might be labeled a brave but fallible superhero soon to be forgotten.

However, here is the thing, when the women arrived at the tomb where Jesus was laid on Good Friday, His body was not there!. At first, they were dismayed and confused. They ran and told some of his followers that the body had been taken, still not realizing what had really happened. Only when the two Mary’s went back and encountered one they thought was the gardener who was actually and Angel of the Lord.  He told them the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. Shortly thereafter, they encountered Jesus Himself who instructed the women to go and tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee! 

Here is a poem by Cynthia Pearl Maus that comments on  “One Solitary Life”.

“Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, and that a despised one. He worked in a carpenter’s shop for thirty years, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college...He never traveled, except in His infancy, more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He had no credentials but Himself. While still a young

man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them betrayed Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed on a cross between two thieves. His executors gambled fo the only piece of property He had on earth, His seamless robe. When He was dead, He was taken down from the cross and laid in a borrowed grave through the courtesy of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone, and today Jesus in the centerpiece of the human race, and the leader of all progress.  “I am well within my mark when I say that all the enemies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that have ever ruled together has never affected the life of  man upon this earth like this one solitary personality. “All time dates from His birth and it is impossible to understand or interpret the progress of human civilization in any nation on earth apart from His influence. Slowly through the ages man is coming to realize that the greatest necessity in the world is not water, iron, gold, food or clothing...but rather Christ enshrined in human hearts, thoughts and motives.”

PRAISE GOD, CHRIST IS RISEN,..HE IS RISEN INDEED!

MINISTRY NEWS

I continue to facilitate the Friday Morning Men’s Group. We are discussing a series of Andy Stanley videos.

I meet with men individually for counsel and encouragement.

I am enjoying my role as volunteer pastor to the staff of Young Life in the Southeast Region, meeting with individual staff members also for counsel and encouragement.

I attended our 30^th annual reunion of my Young Life friends. Sadly we lost one of our members this year to heart failure. There are now eleven of us.

Blessing to you, my dear friends for making all this possible through your prayers, encouragement and financial support.