My Friend in Jesus,
I must share this with you. When Marge breathed her last breath I was suddenly gripped with a grief deeper than any other before, even greater than the grief I suffered at 10 yrs. of age when my mother died.
I prayed the Lord would help me to gain a perspective of this experience in which what I was missing by her death to what Marge was gaining. Naturally we all suffer from the loss of a loved one. But I didn’t want that to be my focus stealing from me and others something that would bring a priceless joy and hope she has been given that we could now share together with her.
I was reading John 14 from “The Living Bible” words Jesus spoke to His disciples just before He was to leave them: “If you really love me you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father Who is greater than I am.” (Jn. 14:28 LB) THAT’S IT! It was as if Marge was speaking to me! All at once there came such peace and a joy flooding my spirit and soul! I can now share with her that Joy beyond all joys of going to the Father!! Since then I’ve thought of that show “The Price Is Right”, when one wins the “Big One” the winner dances up and down and runs around screaming with delight. Guess what? Everyone else in the audience is doing the very same thing: dancing up and down with the winner!! You would think everyone in the audience had also won. I choose to dance up and down with Marge for having won her contest of receiving the price Jesus paid for her grand entrance into her place already prepared for her. So....let’s all, each and everyone of us, start jumping up and down screaming our joy-filled delight with and for her because her win is ours, too! God will then be glorified. Amen?....AMEN!!
November 28, 2012
chuck (‘n marge)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Joseph of Arimathea and the Kingdom
Mark 15:42 and onward.
“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Counsel, who was waiting for the Kingdom of God.” This man’s hope drove him – a hope that the Kingdom of God would appear on earth. That desire was so intense that it drove him to do something that took more courage that I can imagine. That is, after a criminal died by crucifixion or any other means, the body, if not to be thrown on to a pile, is to be handed over to the family. Jesus has no family there – just Mary, and she was from Galilee. What could she do, in any case?
Whether Mary hoped to do something or not we do not know. What we do know is that a man named Joseph, a notable Jewish Councilman of Judea, stepped out and did a most amazing Kingdom-like thing. Before his fellow hateful Councilmen and before all Jerusalem, he determined to be the one to receive the lifeless body of the supposed terrorist, Jesus, and dispose of the body in some way or other. He had to obtain permission from the Roman official, Pilate. He did so without hesitation. I wonder what Pilate thought. He may have had some sympathy with Joseph because he could see no evil in Jesus.
Then he bought some linen cloth, and (it is hard to believe) “he took down the body” from the accursed cross. What a scene. This is something quite extraordinary. Joseph took the body of Jesus. If Joseph had hoped that Jesus would set up his Kingdom, what hope did he now have, because Jesus is dead! Evidently the compelling hope that the Kingdom of God would appear could not be squelched in Joseph – even though all the evidence before him should have shattered that hope. Jesus is dead!
Was Joseph burying a broken dream – an unfulfilled promise? We know not what prompted him to do all this.
As for us, we know that Jesus’ death was not the end of the Kingdom dream, but was absolutely necessary to bring about that Kingdom. We stand amazed at what this man did – in face of popular hate and vilification. Joseph actually embraced and identified with this suffering, dead Jew.
If Joseph did this driven by hope, then I should do so driven by the knowledge that the Kingdom is come, it is here, because of the finished work of eternal atonement wrought by Jesus Christ.
“Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Counsel, who was waiting for the Kingdom of God.” This man’s hope drove him – a hope that the Kingdom of God would appear on earth. That desire was so intense that it drove him to do something that took more courage that I can imagine. That is, after a criminal died by crucifixion or any other means, the body, if not to be thrown on to a pile, is to be handed over to the family. Jesus has no family there – just Mary, and she was from Galilee. What could she do, in any case?
Whether Mary hoped to do something or not we do not know. What we do know is that a man named Joseph, a notable Jewish Councilman of Judea, stepped out and did a most amazing Kingdom-like thing. Before his fellow hateful Councilmen and before all Jerusalem, he determined to be the one to receive the lifeless body of the supposed terrorist, Jesus, and dispose of the body in some way or other. He had to obtain permission from the Roman official, Pilate. He did so without hesitation. I wonder what Pilate thought. He may have had some sympathy with Joseph because he could see no evil in Jesus.
Then he bought some linen cloth, and (it is hard to believe) “he took down the body” from the accursed cross. What a scene. This is something quite extraordinary. Joseph took the body of Jesus. If Joseph had hoped that Jesus would set up his Kingdom, what hope did he now have, because Jesus is dead! Evidently the compelling hope that the Kingdom of God would appear could not be squelched in Joseph – even though all the evidence before him should have shattered that hope. Jesus is dead!
Was Joseph burying a broken dream – an unfulfilled promise? We know not what prompted him to do all this.
As for us, we know that Jesus’ death was not the end of the Kingdom dream, but was absolutely necessary to bring about that Kingdom. We stand amazed at what this man did – in face of popular hate and vilification. Joseph actually embraced and identified with this suffering, dead Jew.
If Joseph did this driven by hope, then I should do so driven by the knowledge that the Kingdom is come, it is here, because of the finished work of eternal atonement wrought by Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A brother reflects - night when ballots were counted
Dear Saints,
I have as most if not all of you been seriously stalking the Presidential campaign as it unfolds with earnest desires and prayers. I was viewing the election procedure Tuesday night with a growing uneasiness as “my” candidate began well but was fading as key states were being counted against him. Wearily I crawled into bed but got up hopefully at about 4:30 this morning only to realize “my” man was out of it!
A few days ago I was thinking what if the “other” candidate won, “How then shall I live?” As I sat there praying asking God that question it seemed He was revealing to me that I should keep on living as I have been: with hope, “by grace through faith” just as I did starting out on this wonderful journey.
But then, as I sat there watching the proceedings it suddenly hit me: “my man” didn’t win...you’ve gotta be kidding! This idea of living by grace through faith thing was to become my mode for living in whatever circumstance may develop from this election on! But then....while I was sitting there mourning “my” man’s loss I turned and looked out the window and saw this star in the eastern sky shining brightly. It was the morning star shining ever so brightly! It was announcing to the world that the dawn of a new day was approaching soon.
Looking at that star I began rejoicing! You know why don’t you? One of the names describing Jesus is our “Bright Morning Star”! Our world is a dark foreboding dismal swamp getting darker and darker. To the believer Jesus is our “Bright and Morning Star.” (II Peter 1:19, Rev. 22:16) He is shining brighter and brighter announcing the dawn of a New Day that’s coming soon! I decided at that moment I am going to keep looking up at that Morning Star no matter what develops around me inviting others to join me in that anticipation. So, Saints, that Star is still shining and will continue to become brighter and brighter until that sudden daybreak! “How then shall we live?” Live by grace through faith in the unfading hope that a glorious New Day is dawning...very soon
Charles E. Higgins
clerhig1@cox.net
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