The Mocking of Jesus - Devotional # 2 Tuesday of Holy Week 2012

Mark 15:16-201

The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they ^*called together the whole Roman  cohort. They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They kept beating His head with a ¹reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they ^*led Him out to crucify Him.

The soldiers mocked Jesus because they did not believe that He was truly a King. They only recognized Caesar as their King and thought that it would be ridiculous that the man standing before them was also a King. But Jesus was a King. His kingdom was not of this world. His kingdom was also not like this world. The way heaven operates and the way the world operates are two different things altogether. However Jesus does not force his kingdom upon the world. He gives us his offering to follow Him and serve Him. These soldiers were not the least bit interested because their eyes were only set on earthly things. So they missed out on the greatest gift they could every receive. The gift of salvation which Jesus came to offer all who would put their trust in Him.

Gift Of Eternal Life
If someone gives you a gift,
you just say "thank you"
not "will you take it back if I don't do
everything you want me to"

God's gift is eternal life to those
who call and believe on Jesus' name
Eternal means forever,
it's not a keep and lose game

A gift is something you didn't pay for,
but someone else paid for it instead
Eternal life was paid for by Jesus
when he died and rose again from the dead

It's easy to receive this gift,
with no strings attached or terms of contract
The bible says just call upon the name of the Lord
and believe he died for you as a fact
The gift was very costly with the price Jesus paid,
but it is freely offered for us to take
To receive it just call upon the name of the Lord in faith
since your eternal destiny is at stake

Now it's up to you and the choice is yours
whether to accept or reject this gift of life for eternity
God loves you so much,
for you to accept it is his plea

Once you receive this gift
it can never be lost or taken away
It will last forever and ever
because it is eternal and will never decay

New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995, S. Mk 15:16-20

The Trial of Jesus - Holy Week Devotional # 1 - Monday April 2nd, 2012

The situation surrounding Jesus became more intense. He had won popular support from the people with whom He had ministered. The crowds around Him had grown so large that the Pharisees and Sadducee feared that they would lose the following of the crowds. They were concerned that they Temple tax business would suffer. They feared that this popular carpenter from Nazareth might replace them as the most popular of religions so they had to move quickly. After deliberating all night as to what to do, the Jewish leaders led him to Pilate to build the case against Jesus. Pilate tried to control the situation. He did not want a Jewish uprising to take place. So he decided to flog Jesus and release Him. He had hoped that by punishing Jesus, the people would turn against the Pharisees and Saducees, and demand His release. The outcome did not turn out the way Pilate had hoped. Dr. Thomas Constable writes this about the flogging: "There were three forms of flogging that the Romans administered. The lightest of these, the fustigatio, was a light beating that only hooligans experienced. The second, the flagellatio, was a severe beating that criminals who were guilty of more serious crimes received. The third, the verberatio, was the most brutal. The worst criminals including those sentenced to crucifixion underwent it.⁵⁶¹ Evidently Jesus received the first or second of these beatings at this time, namely before His sentencing. He received the third type after His sentencing (v. 16; cf. Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15)."

The entire episode was a charade. It was ridiculous before the sight of God. However, this only goes to display the depth of God's love for us. To not only send His one and only Son to die for us in our place, but to put up with great mockery and the blasphemy of man! Jesus truly loved us, He took the nails for us so that we might live. 1 John 4:9: "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him."

The Trial Of Jesus

Dot Wilson

After the blind were healed, and the crippled did walk,
Some men were jealous, and then there was talk.
This man, Jesus, the reason for fame?
The Son of God? What an outrageous claim!

He's just a man, watch him and know.
It's blasphemy, that's what! Arrest him! Now! Go!
Thirty pieces of silver bought Jesus that day.
Betrayed by a kiss, they took Him away!

They tried Him, they thought they had it down pat!
But some said He did this, others said He did that!
They finally agreed, they said with a nod.
He blasphemed when He said, He's the Son of God!

The custom of the day was to set someone free.
Pilate said, "This Jesus, is who it should be!"
The people said, "No, release Barabbas to us!"
They kept on until they raised quite a fuss!

Father God, thank you for sending your Son to die for us. Thank you for doing what needed to be done when we did not know what we needed to have done. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

⁵⁶¹ 561. Carson, The Gospel . . ., p. 597.

Tom Constable: Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible. Galaxie Software, 2003; 2003, S. Jn 19:1

Define "Religion" Please! - A critique of Popular Video culture.

A popular video floating around blogs and Facebook posts has been: "Why I hate religion but love Jesus". It is rapidly approaching 1 million hits around the world and has great appeal to the twenty-something world. It is extremely well done, and the speaker: "Jefferson Bethke" speaks with compassion for people turned off to religion.

I believe the popularity surrounding the video may stem from hatred of "religion" however the context of the our culture lends itself to be "anti-church". The years of 2000-2010 saw the rise of the "seeker service", "emerging church" and other such movements to expose the irrelevance of traditional church. While the movement had valid criticisms, the critique can be certainly declared to be over. Most traditional churches are providing "contemporary" services and youthful expressions of change which seem to be meeting that need.

My concern is that to the un-trained eye, "religion" can be equated to "church" (the Sunday morning experience). This is my modern day equivalent of "throwing the baby out with the bath water." An old expressions which means that there is much good in the dirty water you want to throw out the window.

Youth transition network did a study on High School Students the year after graduation and found these statistics: “An Assemblies of God study showed a loss of 66% of their students within one year of high school graduation.”

“A Southern Baptist transition project estimates an 82% loss of youth within one year of high school graduation.”
“Fifty to eighty percent of high school students walk away.”
“As someone who recognizes the importance of an ever-growing faith, especially during the college years, these are staggering statistics,” said Cyndi Forman, campus minister of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) of Georgia Tech and Emory University. “The statistics are sad, disappointing and dangerous, all at the same time.”

If this study remains true, twenty-somethings do not need reasons to not attend church regularly and maintain their spiritual life. In fact, they need to understand that these are the years in which they need the church the most. The early 20's are years of great change in a young adults life. They are years of new found freedom, and also years of experimentation and development. Without guidance, direction and encouragement, they can easily find themselves in a tail-spin into disillusion and despair.

For me, my college years were years of great transition, growth and dedication to the Lord. All of this was formulated in me by a great group of Christian peers, a Pastor in my life and involvement in social activities at my Church. My university education exposed me to many alternative philosophies and secular positions, however my church kept my feet on solid ground. I actually survived my college years with a bright outlook and a belief that I could make a difference in a dark world.

While there can be the presence of "religion" in Church, the Church is not religion. In fact, the video talks about the "four walls" of a church building. But the church is people, not a building. It is a family, it is a fellowship, it is as the Bible calls it: "the Body of Christ." The reality is that everybody needs a church home just as every family needs to be a home for it's members. In fact it is impossible to say "I love Jesus, but not the church", simply because the church is His body. Like it or not, when you walk away from the Church, you walk away from the visible expression of the historic Jesus. So our obligation to the Lord is to find a church and help make it a better place. A place where He is worshiped and proclaimed.

The local Church in your community does not start wars, it simply is a place where people can find comfort, encouragement, growth and even sometimes a warm meal. While people make mistakes, and Lord knows we do all the time in the local church, it is a place to find forgiveness and healing from a broken world.

There was once a sign out in front of a church which read: "Ch ch". What's missing? U R. Kind of corny, but appropriate for young people who are looking for an alternative to church but not realizing that they are the church.

You can watch the video here.

Clothing Matters: What We Wear to Church | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Clothing Matters: What We Wear to Church | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Making the Most of Christmas -

Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Even more so than tax season. Here are a few tips I have found that can make Christmas a better time for you if you find that you are overwhelmed with activities, shopping, budgets and people.
Spread your activities throughout the month

Take activities slow and enjoy them. Don't try to do everything at once. Remember, "less is more" at Christmas time.

Delegate items on your "to do" list.

Spend more time finding volunteers and coaching them through the holidays. You can't do everything yourself. Remember, that is what passing on traditions is all about.

Eat healthy food during the day.

You will need your energy for the long evenings. Sugar zaps energy from you. Remember: "All things in moderation". Save the treats for the evenings and try to limit them so that you can enjoy them more throughout the season. My reccomendation is to avoid alcohol altogether. Believe it or not, it does more harm than good, especially during the holidays when you think it is ok to drink. Fatigue, stress, depression and other holiday experiences are multiplied by alcohol.

Take time to stretch

Stretching relaxes muscles and increases blood flow. Get a good stretch if you have been sitting too long or getting ready for a long ride home.

Take time to be alone with God.

Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Christ, salvation, joy, peace and good will towards man. It should be a time of reflection, renewal and hitting the spiritual "reset" button. Take time to be alone. Read scripture. Think deep thoughts and recommit your walk with Christ. You will soon find that the holidays will be especially meaningful, fulfilling and heart warming once again. Here are some great passages to read throughout this season: John 1:1-5, 9-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Philippians 2:5-7; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Matthew 20:28

Merry Christmas from Pastor Vince and Family

The ones whom Jesus heals - Mark 5:21-43

Mark 5:21-43 records two miracles happening in one episode. The miracle of raising Jairus daughter from the dead and the Woman suffering with continuous bleeding. Both were in great need from the Lord and were looking for a miracle from the Lord. One was a "big shot" in the community. A religious leader, well know and probably very well off financially. The other was an insignificant woman. Perhaps with little or no friends or family because of her illness. The two characters paint a startling contrast in the story. Does God care more for the rich or the poor? For the popular or for the unpopular? Looking at these two stories declare an amazing "Yes!"


Note the contrasts in these two persons:

Jairus Woman:
Miracle needed Jairus :Resurrection Woman: Healing from bleeding
Position Jairus : Father, leader Woman: Random woman
Character Jairus :Well known Woman: Unknown.
Request Jairus : falling, pleading, public Woman: Secretly, hidden
Response Jairus :Jesus heals in secret Woman: Jesus heals in public
Result Jairus :Girl walks around Woman: goes in peace
Jesus said Jairus :"Don't tell anyone.." Woman: "Who touched me?"

God heals peoples secret pains and problems, at the same time he heals even people who's lives are very public. Jesus is not limited to space, time, celebrity status or insignificant people. Who is the one who has a problem is too big? Or too small? Jesus would go out of His way, or on His way to help you. He wants to do a miracle and answer the prayers of every ones walk of life, great or small, big or little. As Peter says: "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Jesus is only limited by those who do not ask, and do not have faith. Have you put your cares on Him today? Have you asked Him to help you in your trial? He is waiting for you to ask.

A disciple like that! That's what we need. Mark 5:1-20

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20

When I was in Israel last year I noticed that there was a Catholic church built over the sight of every major Bible story. So much so that my tour of Biblical sights quickly became a tour of strangely named Catholic churches. I told one of my Pastor friends that I bet there is a church where the "pigs rushed off into the sea", jokingly, just jokingly. And sure enough, there is a church built on that sight bearing that name. We didn't go see. I had no desire to see it.

It is obvious from this story that the peoples first thought about Jesus was that He was Satan himself. And that He was the one controlling the man called "Legion", for there were many demons in this poor man. They begged Jesus to leave the area, but Jesus told the man to stay and be a "witness" of His power in him.

I was quickly reminded of how many people fear Christianity because they see it as an evil or bad element of our society. This is true. Many people for whatever reason see our movement as the epitome of evil because we dare speak out about what the Bible calls wrong. Trust me, the more you follow Christ, it is just a matter of time before people start wondering if what you are into, is really a bad thing and not good for society.

Jesus did not do any miracles. No tricks, no schemes. He left only one man to be a witness.

This man:
Spoke truth
Presented his life as a witness
Stayed active in the community (The Decapolis of all places, that's downtown!)
Used the fact that he was well known as a testimony against his former lifestyle.
Never stopped talking about Jesus.

I think we need a few more good men like him, who are willing to be faithful disciples. Why don't we join him today?

Have a blessed day my friends

Pastor Vince