"Well Might the Sun in Darkness Hide"

It is now Day 2:
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus....With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.  He was accompanied by Nicodemus.... Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds....At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb.... Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there." (John 19)

I was thinking yesterday why the, "darkness over all the land," was only, "from the sixth hour...until the ninth hour."  Why was it not dark over the land for the entire 6 hours Jesus was on the Cross?  Could it be that as the hours passed, the intensity of the Cosmic "Struggle" greatly increased?  The Bible says that at some point in Christ's three day ordeal, "He went and preached to the spirits in prison."  Could it be that as the Enemy of our souls saw, "the spirits in prison," about to be liberated by the Blood, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, that every demon in hell, every principality, "spirits of wickedness in heavenly places," was summoned to the Great Battle of the Cross and the Grave?

Whatever all was in process in those six hours on His Cross, the battle, centering in Jesus, was an encounter which you and I can never begin to comprehend, so cosmic, so universal, such as described in Ephesians 6, "wrestling...against the despotism, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere."

    "Alas! and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die?
    Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

    The body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine-- And bathed in its own blood--
    While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.

    Was it for crimes that I have done, he groaned upon the tree?
    Amazing pity!  Grace unknown!  And love beyond degree!

    Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in,
    when Christ, the mighty Maker, died for man the creature's sin.

    Thus might I hide my blushing face while his dear cross appears;
    Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears.

    But drops of tears can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe.
    Here, Lord, I give myself away; 'tis all that I can do.
   
    Refrain:
    At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away,
    It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Christ Our Passover Is Sacrificed For Us"

"This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old.  Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight."  (Exodus 29:38, 39--NIV)

The Tabernacle represented the Presence of God in the earth.  Continual fellowship, the "Presence," etc., is represented in the commands for the Tabernacle, "Offer one in the morning and other at twilight....Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning....He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come....For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord.  There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory....  Then there is the Leviticus 6 command, "The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must never go out."  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle.

Today has been traditionally called, "Good Friday," the day in history when Jesus hanged on the cross for 6 hours, bearing unimaginable suffering for you and me.  He did this so that you and I could have the forgiveness of sin, "morning" and "twilight" fellowship, which God intended for all of us to be, "kept burning on the altar continuously; it must never go out."  This, my friend, is Eternal Life.  This is the "message" of Jesus to humanity; this is the message of the Bible.  I pray that today you take some time to further reflect on, "so great a Salvation." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, "....keep me near the Cross.....Bring its scenes before me."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Can God Really Spread A Table In The Wilderness?"

They spoke against God; they said, "Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?"  (Psalm 78:19, NIV)

When we look at the Cross of Jesus, how could one ever say, "Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?"  It should be written in our hearts and minds that He Who would be, "in Christ reconciling the world to Himself," He who has promised, "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.  [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!],"* will always Be our Faithful God.  We should never doubt this for at least one reason: Equal to what Jesus does for us, is Who Jesus Is to/in us, "....the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness...."*  God has demonstrated this to all who have put their trust in Him ever since the Garden. 

The Jews in the wilderness, "spoke against God," when they doubted His provision.  Verse 20 says, "Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed.  Can He give bread also?  Can He provide meat for His people?"  How often we acknowledge Jesus' faithfulness to His People, to us, yet when times are "tough," when finances are not what they used to be, there is that ghastly tendency to say, "Can He also?"  The key word is that dastardly, "also."  It is a, "Yes, He has done it before, but I'm not sure He will do it again."  There have been several "seasons" in our life when Sarah and I have not had a "regular" income.  This has been true over the last 10 years; each month's income has been different from the last.  There could be a tendency from time to time to ask the question of our text.  But how would we dare?  Our Lord Jesus Christ has been so very, "Faithful and True," in His provision.  Jesus is Our, "God (Who has always) prepare[d], "a table in the wilderness".  He is the same to you.

But there is more in our text for all of us.  Some have a difficult time accepting the love of Jesus, the forgiveness of Jesus.  Some bemoan their unworthiness, their sin, their lack of talent, etc., etc.  This is all rooted in the unbelieving statement, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness."  Yet how could you and I ever ask such nonsense?  Jesus affirmed us once for all in, "the Blood of His Cross."  He forgave all sin.  Jesus established us in the, "Household of Faith," the Heavenly Family, when He said, "This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  There is just never an excuse for us to ever doubt Jesus, of Whom it was once said, "He has done all things well," never a reason to doubt that Jesus will continue to be in us the, "Faithful and True."   

Last weekend we were a part of a seder.  What a great reminder that on that night, "the same night in which He was betrayed [Jesus] took bread, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you....'"  It was a Passover meal they shared that night.  It was a remembering, a remembering of the faithfulness of God to the Jews from that night of deliverance so long before right to that very moment, and we, my friend, can say right to this very moment.  There should never, ever be any doubt that, "God...can prepare a table in the wilderness."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You that You, "struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed."  Amen.
* Amplified Bible
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Two weeks from tomorrow we leave for Berlin and Bosnia.  We will so appreciate any prayers.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Every Day Is Beautiful

"Let God arise....Let the righteous...rejoice exceedingly....God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity....O God, when You went out before Your people,...the earth shook;...Sinai itself was moved a the presence of God....You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor....Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!"  (From Psalm 68)

This is a Praise-Him Monday morning.  It's cloudy here, expecting a rain/snow combination over the next 36 hours, but it's still a Praise-Him day. 

Everett Mitchell was a radio personality whom my family used to listen to from time to time.  His career spanned the 30s through the 60s.  I remember hearing him on the radio when I was a little kid in the 40s.  He would begin his show with, "It's a beautiful day in Chicago!  It's a great day to be alive, and I hope it's even more beautiful wherever you are."  The first time he used this greeting was in the midst of The Great depression; it was his prayer that he could bring a little cheer to those who were suffering so.  And, "coincidentally," the first day he opened his show with that greeting was on the very day the newspapers carried the news of the Lindbergh baby's kidnapping.  I can remember him once saying, "It's a beautiful day in Chicago.  There's snow, the temperature is 5 below zero, but it's a great day to be alive."  Yes, he was a Follower of Jesus, and this should be the life attitude of all of us.  Life, however, can greatly try such a life style.    

I encourage you to consider just some of the great reminders of Our Savior's love, provision, protection, power-presence demonstration, viz, "Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God."  Life is full of such examples of Jesus' faithfulness to His People.  I could recount so very many, but as the psalmist said, "Many, O Lord my God, are your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."

Beginning the day with the Psalms, indeed, any portion of the "God-Breathed" Word, will give your system a "jump start."  Now the more "spiritual" among us may not need such, but I for one do so greatly appreciate the daily, morning-fresh, "Words of God," which are nothing less than the "Breath" of our Lord Jesus Christ.  "Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, to Him Who rides on the heaven of heavens....Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds.  O God, You are more awesome than Your Holy places.  The God of Israel is He Who gives strength and power to His people.  Blessed be God!"

In, Jesus' Name, Amen.
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Please do remember us in your prayers for the upcoming mission, May 1-20.  Thanks.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2