"What About Wednesday?"

“And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.” Matthew 21:17 (Monday)

“…Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper”  Matthew 26:6 (Tuesday)

“Now on the First Day of the Unleavened Bread…”   

Matthew 26:17a (Thursday)

Today (as I am posting this article) is Wednesday of Holy Week 2016.  Wednesday, the middle of the week, hump day as many of us call it.  We often look forward to Wednesday because once it is done, over, out of the way, we know the weekend is not far off.  Time off to play, work in the yard, or just spend quality time with our families.  Wednesday!

I am intrigued by the last week of Jesus’ life.  The first day of that week, Sunday, Jesus was in Bethany had some of His disciples go into Jerusalem and get a donkey colt and bring it back to Him.  Jesus mounted the donkey and rode it into Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosannas, King of Kings!”  Sunday was a glorious day of uplifting Jesus.  The Gospel Mark in 11:11 states that Jesus went into the temple and after looking around, “He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.”    On Monday Jesus arose and left Bethany and headed back towards the city.  On the way He cursed the fig tree for it was without figs and He was hungry.  Arriving in the city entered the temple and cleansed it of all the buyers and sellers.  Then He went back to Bethany to spend the night.  On Tuesday He arose and left Bethany and found the withered fig tree on His way into Jerusalem.  On Tuesday Jesus taught on faith and had His Olivet Discourses on the way back to Bethany.  On Tuesday, also, Judas made his deal with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.  On Thursday, Jesus got up, it was the First Day of Unleavened Bread.  Jesus wanted to eat the Passover meal with His disciples, so He sent Peter and John into Jerusalem ahead of them to prepare for the meal.  On Thursday night they celebrated the Passover meal together.  Then Jesus went out to the garden to pray.  He was betrayed by Judas and arrested.  Early in the morning of Friday, Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin, tried before the Roman officials, and sentenced to die by crucifixion.  He was beaten, crucified, died and was buried in the tomb.  Saturday the tomb continued to be sealed and guarded.  On Sunday morning the first of the week, the third day since His death, the tomb was empty and Jesus is alive.  He has RISEN!!!

I hope you noticed something.  I skipped Wednesday.  Yes Wednesday, the middle day of the week.  There is nothing in scripture about Wednesday of Jesus’ last week before the crucifixion.  Nothing!  He went to Bethany on Tuesday night to sleep and the next thing we know it is the First Day of the Unleavened Bread, Thursday, Passover, and He is heading back into Jerusalem to celebrate this meal with His disciples.  What about Wednesday?  We don’t know, other than He was in Bethany.  Of course, many have speculated and I tend to also.

Many of you know the my mother died when I was 15 years old.  It was a very difficult time for me.  We had ended our time together in an argument.  The last words I ever said to her was in a screaming voice “I don’t care.”  I loved my mom and very very seldom did we fight, but that is how our life together ended.  Because of the winter weather, ice and snow, we had to wait several days before the funeral could take place.  The day before her funeral I spent by myself.  I did not want to be around anyone else.  God and I had worked through my anger days before.  I was at peace and yet wanted to be alone.  No one could possibly record or know anything I did that day, for no one was ever with me that day.

I have to wonder if on Wednesday, the middle of the week, the day before the plan of salvation would begin to unfold, the day Passover was to begin, before His arrest and death, before the suffering, before He was forsaken by His father, before He had the sins of the world poured into Him so that He could drink the cup of Redemption, before all of this, did He spend the day alone?  Not one Gospel records any activity that day.  Seeing all the detail before and after Wednesday that was recorded and we see nothing about Wednesday makes one wonder.  What about Wednesday?  I believe Jesus spent the day alone with His Heavenly Father in prayer and mediation.  That is just my take.

If I am remotely correct, what would that teach us?  Maybe as life changing, life altering, difficult situations begin to unfold in our lives, we put our hectic life on PAUSE, just for one day, and spend it with God alone.  Did you hear me?  Alone!!!  And when I say alone, I mean with God alone.  I believe that if we were to do that more often we would be better prepared to face what is ahead.

What about Wednesday?  It was a day Jesus was silent!  Maybe we could take a hint and do likewise.  Maybe we could rely on Him to prepare us for difficult times ahead instead of relying on ourselves only.  I believe Jesus spent silent time with His Father that Wednesday.  Just a thought to consider!

Blessings friends, 

Pastor Marty

Worship, Grow, Serve

Half Way There!

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives. Commit our works to the LORD and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:1-3

When I was in High School I ran track. I ran the 880 Relay and the 2 mile run. Of course, you had to practice and prepare before each meet so that you had endurance to make it the entire distance. Often you would shed some pounds to lighten your load (literally), but practice prepared you for the race. I can remember when we were in the middle of a 2 mile run finishing lap 4 (A 2 Mile run was 8 laps around a 1/4 mile track) I could hear my coach yelling at me, “Marty, you are half way there. You’ve got this. Don’t slow down!” What encouragement!

I want to encourage you today! “Folks! You are half way there. You’ve got this. Don’t slow down!” Oh, what am I talking about, you might ask. LENT!

Back on the 10th of February, Ash Wednesday, I challenged you to examine yourself during this Lenten Season. Examine your heart, examine your motives, examine your ways, path, journey with God. I challenged you to read and study and mediate on God’s Word more than ever during these weeks of Lent. I gave many of you a Cross and asked that you place it somewhere where you would see it daily. I am here today telling you that you are HALF WAY THERE! The Lenten Season, believe it or not is about half over. We are now heading very quickly towards Good Friday and then Easter Sunday.

Some may be saying, “Oh, but wait Marty, I forgot. I haven’t been very faithful in my reading, my study, my worship, my mediating on God’s Word. I’ve not examined myself in the ways I should, because frankly, I like many of those ways I’m living too much to give them up.”

Take heart folks, the race is not over. At many track meets my coach would tell me half way through the race, “Marty, you’ve got to pick it up. You are lagging behind where you need to be. You can do this!”

It’s Ok, the race is not over. You can still do what Solomon challenges us to do in the proverb above. We can plan in our heart our motives, our paths of righteous, committing our works to the LORD. We can still examine ourselves and put aside those things the HOLY SPIRIT is telling us is slowing us down, weighing us down, causing us to live worldly instead of righteously. There is still time. You can do it. We are half way there.

And when you establish your plans under the will of God you will begin to hear the Father say in your ear, “Child, you’ve got this!”

I remember one track meet I had, the only one my dad was able to attend (he surprised me), I ran the best time I had ever run in the 2 mile run. In fact, that time qualified me to attend the State Meet that year. But here is the thing I remember. I remember each lap I ran hearing my father yelling, “GO MARTY! YOU CAN DO THIS!” What encouragement for me to push forward and honor my father in his presence.

Folks, in this journey of life, not just this Lenten Season, but in all of life, your heavenly Father is calling out to you, His son or daughter, and is saying, “GO!!! You can do this. Your journey is not over. Commit your going to Me and I will establish your plans. GO!!!”

How wonderful it is to know your heavenly Father is pulling for you. The Hebrews writer pens: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith...” Hebrews 12:1-2a

So let me encourage you as you finish out this Lenten Season 2016 to finish strong. If you have been lax or “slow out of the gate,” it’s not too late. If you need to re-group, do so, and forge ahead. Every effort you place in your workout for God will benefit you in this run for the prize. PRIZE? Oh, yes, prize! When we finally do finish this race called life, our Father has the perfect prize for us, His children. One that will never end!!!

So folks, you are HALF WAY THERE! GO! DON’T GIVE UP! YOU CAN DO THIS!

Blessings my friends,
Pastor Marty.

Worship, Grow, Serve.

At The Cross

“...who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8

I usually begin thinking about my next Connection/Blog (pastormarty.blogspot.com) article the day after writing the current one. I look for experiences that week, events, writing on the church seasons, etc. This week was no different. I asked my wife on Monday night if she had a suggestion for this week’s article. She had none. So, when I went to bed I said, “Ok, Lord, I’d like some help with this one,” and the Lord did not disappoint. I just love how He works. Here’s what happened.

I woke up during the night, wide awake. I looked over at the clock and it read, “3:33.” Immediately this popped into my head, 3 crosses, 3 crucified, 3 days. It’s about the cross! I got it Lord. Thank you.

I handed out crosses on Sunday to my congregation and told them to put them somewhere they could see them daily. I challenged the men to make sure they did what I asked. Men tend to have the human nature not to follow through with those types of requests. I’m including myself in that statement.

Why point to the cross this Lenten Season? At HOPE Church we are preaching through the Seven Last Words of Christ from the cross. We are singing songs about the cross. Why? Because I believe many have forgotten the cross. Without the cross of Jesus Christ, there would be NO forgiveness of sin. He was the perfect Lamb of sacrifice for the sin of the world. In the Philippians passage above, Paul reminds us that Jesus was obedient to God’s plan of salvation, that being, death on a cross. Without blood sacrifice, there is no forgiveness of sin. Jesus Christ became that, by pouring out His blood upon the cross.

There were 3 crosses and 3 crucified that day. Luke 23:32 tells us that two criminals were sentenced and crucified with Jesus on the hill called the Skull. One of the criminals on His left, the other on His right. Here we see again the perfect plan of salvation offered from the cross. I will be preaching on this 2nd Word from the cross this Sunday (2/21/16). If you can join us for worship, please come, but if not, go to our YouTube page and view the sermon on Salvation from the cross. (go to: www.YouTube.com and type HopeEPC in the search box).

So the 3:33 on the clock gave me 3 crosses, 3 crucifixions, and 3 days. I’ve reminded us of Christ sacrifice on the cross. His obedience even to the point of death for our sin. Forgiveness and Salvation was rendered for those who would believe. But what about 3 days?

Yes, 3 days later Christ was resurrected and conquered death giving new life to all who would believe. Love it! That is fantastic! I’m so glad I will not experience the second death, that is, eternal separation from God. But that did not seem to be what God was saying to me. Then it hit me. Listen to the words of our Savior.

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory...” Luke 9:23-26

And there you have it. Oh, maybe you didn’t get the 3 days? The story of the cross begins on Good Friday with 3 crosses and 3 crucifixions. That story carries through 3 days later to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the story of the cross and for those who believe, they are to carry their cross daily and follow Him. It won’t be easy. In fact, because of the world, because of Satan, because of our fallen nature, it won’t be easy at all. But we must not forsake the story of the cross to gain the world. We must never be ashamed of the gospel, the story of the cross and ever have Jesus look at us and say, “I’m ashamed of you.”

I told my congregation they could put their cross in a place where others might see it during this Lenten Season. By doing so, it might spark a conversation. It might open a door to talk about the cross of Christ and what it means to you.

At the Cross, yes at the cross, salvation was poured out! Maybe, just maybe with you and I telling the 3:33 story, God will use us in leading someone to His cross.

Blessings my friends,
Pastor Marty.

Worship, Grow, Serve.

Lent 2016 Begins

Today’s the first day of Lent which begins with Ash Wednesday. First, what is Ash Wednesday and why celebrate it? Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and is the first day of Lent which is a 46 day period leading up to Easter. I’ll talk more about Lent shortly. What is the scriptural basis for Ash Wednesday? Many Old Testament scriptures are used to support the use of ashes in correlation with repentance.

Ashes were used in ancient times to express grief. When Tamar was raped by her half-brother, "she sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying" (2 Samuel 13:19). The gesture was also used to express sorrow for sins and faults. In Job 42:3–6, Job says to God: "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eyes see you. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." The prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance by saying: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26). The prophet Daniel recounted pleading to God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47).

Examples of the practice among Jews are found in several other books of the Bible, including Numbers 19:9, 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Book of Esther 4:1, and Hebrews 9:13. Jesus is quoted as speaking of the practice in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13: "If the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago (sitting) in sackcloth and ashes.”

So, ashes use on Ash Wednesday to begin the Lenten Season is for us to remember our mortality and need of repentance. Ashes are placed on the heads of believers in the form of a cross and the words of Genesis 3:19 when God says: “Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This passage is also found in Ecclesiastes 3:20.

Lent, as I mentioned above, is a 46 day period leading us to Easter Sunday. The 46 days are broken down this way. 40 days of Lent and 6 Sundays in Lent. In other words, the 6 Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday are NOT days of Lent. They are called Feast Days, days you celebrate the risen Savior. The other 40 days are fast days. The 40 days originated from the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and being tempted by Satan as recorded in gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These 40 days of fasting and prayer are to be used to reflect on your walk with Christ. We are to examine ourself and see where there is need of repentance, where our way of life can be changed for a stronger, more committed walk with Christ. This time has also supported the instruction of those who desire baptism and membership into the church family.

Some have asked me, “Is that a Catholic thing?” “Yes and No,” I say. Yes it came out of the early church, but no, it is not only a Catholic thing. Following the Reformation of the 16th Century, the reformers did not abandon ritual or feast day the Catholic church celebrated in Lent. If so, the Protestant church would have done way with Holy Communion and Baptism along with the other 5 Catholic sacraments. But instead, the reformers saw this 40 days of Lent as a significant time of preparation for our journey with Christ and felt it should be included in the Book of Common Prayer. Many churches since have embraced Lent.

I believe Lent can be a very significant period for all of us each year. Through days of fasting (you decide on that) and emphasis on prayers of repentance, we all grow closer in our walk with Him, our Savior and LORD!

This year at HOPE Church on the Feast Day of Sunday, we will be preaching on the 7 Last Words of Christ from the cross. Those words are: “Forgive, Salvation, Family, Forsaken, Thirsty, Finished, and Father...” Each Sunday we will focus on one of these words, study what it meant then and how it applies to us today.

Lent 2016 begins today, Wednesday, February 10th and ends on Saturday, March 26th. How will you spend these days of preparation? Will Lent 2016 look any different in your life than in years before? Will you examine yourself for ways to follow your Savior more completely? My answer to these last two questions is “YES.” I will be praying for you all that you too will say Yes!

Blessings my friends, 
Pastor Marty.

Worship, Grow, Serve.