To My Flock at Marion:

Showers of Hope

We have made it! The Lenten journey has ended, the time of walking with Jesus through the trials and tribulations of Holy Week are over; it’s time to celebrate Resurrection. I know that in this time of lock-down and despair in our nation we might not feel much like celebrating. There is sadness all around us. We can’t help but be grieved for the families and feel the sadness of so much loss. At the time when things look the bleakest is exactly when we need to be reminded of Resurrection Day. Our Easter scripture comes from John 20: 1-18. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb of Jesus to find that the stone had been removed from the entrance, so she ran back to tell Peter and the other disciples that someone had taken the body of Jesus. Mary was grieving; all that she could see and think of is death, the loss of a loved one. It was Easter morning but there was so much pain and anguish over the events of recent days that she was trapped in a cycle of grief. I think that all of us find ourselves in this same cycle. During this season of Lent, we have become accustomed to bad news and the sadness that has gripped our world. On Easter morning, we must shake ourselves out of this attitude and rejoice in the truth of the day. He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed.

From my devotional: We occasionally read moving stories of natural disasters where someone who was thought to have perished is found alive. What a moment! In the blink of an eye, sadness and despair are replaced with joy and celebration. From “death” to life is a moment never to forget, a moment to cherish forever. As amazing as such reunions are, they don’t remove the fact that a different separation awaits us all – the separation of death. And many live in fear of death their whole lives, just as many are living with that fear right now. But no one needs to live in such fear. The miracle of the resurrection we celebrate this Sunday means that an eternal reunion awaits all who die in Christ. As Jesus told His friends Mary and Martha, “He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live”. In our scripture from the gospel of John we see a dramatic change in Mary Magdalene. She goes from grief stricken and depressed, seeking to find the body of her Lord, to excited and ecstatic in the realization that Jesus is alive. He is risen! He is risen, indeed. Everything has changed. Everything is different. Despair has given way to hope, the hope of eternal life.

In 1 Peter 2:24 we read: He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. His wounds are our healing; his death is our salvation; his resurrection is new life for us who are healed. Our Lenten journey is ended, but not yet complete. Hopefully, we are being renewed to “live to righteousness”. This day brings showers of hope to all who have lost a loved one, and showers of hope for our own eternal life. I have two thoughts for this Easter Sunday. They come partially from my daily readings, but they reflect the heart that God has given me for the church and for the lost. A question, have you experienced showers of hope through faith in Christ? If not, I am sure that the world around you right now looks bleak. I invite you to celebrate two resurrections this Easter: Christ’s and your own. Jesus stands before you with His arms wide open, ready to accept you, just as you are. Because He lives, you can live eternally.

For those of us already secure in the arms of Jesus, it is time for our mourning to end; our Savior is risen. Some Christians, it’s been said, are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good. Let it not be said of us! This Easter is a day of rejoicing and of renewal. May it be a day of new beginnings as we who are healed make it our goal to die to sin and live to righteousness. This is our challenge as we continue toward our final resurrection. Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Believe it, and live it each and every day.

Reflect: Reflect on the new life you have in Christ.

Pray: Help me each day, Living Lord, to be your Easter follower, dying to sin and living to righteousness. Amen.

In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob

12 April 2020

Views: 10

TO MY FLOCK AT MARION

God’s Plan is Bigger Than my Plan

I hope and pray that all of you are well. I hope that everyone is reading their devotionals during this time of stress and separation in our nation. Today I would like to focus on the reading for Friday, the fourth week of Lent. The reading at the beginning is not Biblical, it comes from the Apocrypha, part of a collection of books written between the old and new testaments, not considered to be a part of God’s word to His people. I would like to focus on the reading that is included from the book, “With Burning Hearts”. It speaks of God becoming a child; Jesus the Savior of the world lowering Himself to become human and dependent on human care. It walks us through every step of our Savior’s life, all the way till His death. Let me quote the last line because it is important and something that I have preached often. At the very end of the story, He stands there looking at us, asking with eyes full of tender expectation: “Do you love me?” and again, “Do you love me?” and a third time, “Do you love me?”

How many times, especially during these trying times, have we, at least for a moment, felt sorry for ourselves? I know that I have. It’s hard to understand why God, who loves His people, would allow us, me, to go through such things. It is so easy for us to think that we deserve so much better. After all, we are basically good people, we try to do the best that we can, we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, so why aren’t things easier? It is so easy for us to forget that while God has a wonderful plan for every one of His children, His plan is all inclusive, and it cannot be all about us. Times such as these give us the wonderful opportunity to know this and practice it. A lot of our stores have made a time just for those of us who are older to shop. There were many good reasons for them to do this. First to protect those who are at higher risk from being infected with the virus, but there was another reason that I heard on the news. People were actually, pushing, and shoving the elderly out of the way so that they could get to the important items on the shelves first. This is a perfect example of a “me first” attitude that exists in our culture today. As Christians we are taught to look out for others especially the least among us. We are tested in this time of crisis, will we act like followers of Jesus and trust that God will take care of us, or will we act like the rest of the world, pushing the helpless out of the way to make sure that we take care of ourselves. It’s easy to act like a Christian when things are going well, but these are the times when our faith can shine through and we can truly be Christian.

God’s plan is bigger than my plan. God’s plan and purposes are right. We know this, but it is so hard to live this concept. Why, as believers, do we struggle so much over what we want, and feel like we need. There is a very simple answer but none of us really want to hear it or acknowledge it. We refuse to turn our lives completely over to God. I’m not saying that you are not a Christian, but what I am saying is that we have accepted Jesus, but we have not let go of our own will. We pray, “Thy will be done”, and then we go through our lives doing everything in our power to achieve our own will. In order to truly seek God’s will, we must first answer the question and answer it honestly. Jesus looks at us and says, “Do you love me?” What is your honest response? Quoting from the devotional our response must be like Peter, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” And then we leave it all in God’s hands.

Say the prayer: Gracious and loving God, give me the grace to put my expectations for life in your hands. Amen.

Your Pastor
Bob

March 29, 2020

Views: 12

TO MY FLOCK AT MARION

The Battle Is Not Yours

Exodus 14: 14 The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

This is a very stressful time in our world. We face challenges that might seem overwhelming. We must in these trying times learn to live as followers of Jesus. How do we do that when everything seems to be crumbling around us? I listened to a podcast with Max Lacado entitled, “Feed your faith not your fear”. With so much time on our hands we tend to gravitate to the TV and all that we see on it is news, mostly bad. This is a time when we need to practice self-discipline. We are not immune to the fear that is all around us, and if we allow ourselves to, we will succumb to the same fear that is gripping the world around us. I am not telling you that you should not stay informed and up to date in this time of uncertainty, but we do need to put some limits on how much we watch, and listen to, and not allow it to overwhelm and take control of our thought process. I believe that God has given us this time for a reason, and that we should make good use of it. Instead of watching so much news to try and find out what is going to happen, we should turn to the One who already knows. The scripture says, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future”. As God’s people we need to turn to His word, the Scriptures, and allow the truth of God’s word to change our thinking. We need to be in prayer, asking God for His healing mercy upon this world and listening for His direction. We, Christians, have a huge responsibility in this time of crisis. We must be a light to the hurting and unsaved around us. We need to allow God to calm us so that we can be a calming force in the world. When we talk to others about what is going on around us, they should be encouraged by our calmness and the hope that flows through us from our Savior. I believe that God has a mighty purpose in what is taking place in this world. I see it as a test, an opportunity, to be what God has called us to be, a light to the world. Easter is coming, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, wouldn’t it be wonderful if millions joined the celebration, for the very first time, for the simple reason that the church showed the strength and conviction that Jesus has called us to.

I will leave you with this poem of encouragement from Jody Diehl’s book The Heart That Loves Us.

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS

Through trials and tribulations, never fear or be alarmed. The battle is not yours, my child. I’ll keep you from all harm.

Give thanks for I am with you. I am always by your side. The battle is not yours, dear child. My loving presence will abide.

Though the enemy tries to buffet and even bring you harm; the battle is not yours, sweet child, so do not be alarmed.

Sing praises unto Me alone, for with Me the fight is won. The battle is not yours, dear child. I’ll hold your hand until it’s done.

I always have the final word. To victory, we will soar. With Me you cannot fail, My child, for the battle is not yours.

In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Your Pastor
Bob

March 22, 2020

Views: 10

To God’s People, My Flock at Marion

As your pastor I have been praying for God’s peace to fill you during this time of uncertainty. When we watch the news it can leave us feeling alarmed and worried about the circumstances that we are facing. Most, if not all of us, have never seen or lived through such a time as this. One thing that the news will not tell you is that God is still in control and looking out for His people. I am reminded of the stories of the early church. Many times they had to hunker down in their homes, unable to openly worship and practice their faith. I am always impressed by the fact that these limitations did not stunt the growth of Christ’s church but instead, it thrived and grew. I believe that we have that same opportunity to take advantage of the blessing that God has provided. Don’t get me wrong, this virus is an awful thing, but God can and will turn all things for good to those who love Him. We have an opportunity during this down time to practice our faith and be the Church, the body of Christ that God has called us to be. I urge you to call one another, text and email one another, use whatever means that are available to you in order to minister to and take care of your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a time to practice the disciplines of our faith. I find it fascinating and not coincidental that this is taking place during Lent. It seems that God is saying, be still and know that I am God. Sometimes, I believe that God puts us in a position where He can work on us. I want you to call me if you have a need, if you just need to talk, or want me to pray for you over the phone. I am looking for ways that we can connect but please always know I am praying for you and I hope that you will pray for me and for one another This will not last forever; we will worship together soon, but while we wait let us use this time to glorify God and to draw closer to Him. You will be hearing from me soon and often until we can gather together once again as Gods family.

In Christ’s Love and Peace
Your Pastor
Bob

Views: 13