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.

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

Mark 14: 10, 14

Mark 14:10  Judas struggled with the claims of the two kingdoms.  Either follow Christ as King and Lord even though it looks like things are going dreadfully wrong - or trying to figure it out for himself.

Mark 14:12.  On the first day of the feast.  The setting for more lessons about what Jesus came to do - establish an absolutely new thing on the earth - the Kingdom of Heaven with Jesus as king.

The disciples prepared the Passover.  Little did they know that the greater Passover was being prepared that will institute Christ's reign among all mankind. This Kingdom will be established, not on the blood of a lamb but on the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's son and Messiah.

I note that the disciples did not choose the place for the meal - Jesus did - but they played a key role in the Kingdom by doing what they are asked to do - and doing that as well as they could.  They prepared as best they knew how and obviously did well - making sure everything was there and in place.

Life in the Kingdom of Heaven is in reality taking one step after another in obedience to what the Holy Spirit desires.  It is not always logical, on our terms, but that should not daunt us.  Obedience is the hallmark of life in the Kingdom, not human logic that says yes or no depending on what seems right.

Signs of the Kingdom in Mark 14

Jottings on Mark 14 – reflecting on the Kingdom of God.

The events in this chapter delineate the fundamental truths concerning the Kingdom of God. In Chapter 13 Mark recorded Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom. In Chapter 14 he describes the narrative of how it proceeded, in stark detail.

V 1. Now. The climax is just ahead. The ultimate show-down between the two kingdoms, the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God.

V 3. First, however, I see Kingdom values in what happened in the home of Simon, the leper. I am trying to grasp what was happening here. Had Jesus healed Simon in the past? Probably so. At least, I am assuming that Simon was healed and pronounced clean in the way stipulated in the Levitical law. So the home was probably ritually clean even though it had a history of leprosy. A clear sign of God's grace at work. In any case, it was the home of a person who knew of the grace of God personally. Any leper who recovered was a recipient of God’s grace. So, was Simon not a thankful beneficiary of God’s grace, even if the details are not given?

Then enters this woman. John tells us she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Their houses were probably near to one another in Bethany, near Jerusalem. I can not recall that we have record of what Jesus may have done for Mary, except raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, perhaps. She loved Jesus dearly and hung on to his every word. As I read this, therefore, it does not appear that she is offering a thanksgiving sacrifice but an offering of spontaneous love for Jesus – not really knowing rationally what she is doing. It was the result of spontaneous, overpowering love.

But Jesus knew, and for him it was a word from heaven – he was being anointed with funerary ointment not after but before his death. Jesus’ Father in heaven moved Mary, I do believe, to do this utterly unexpected thing that defied explanation as an insight into what Jesus was about to do, pour out his life for sinners.

So what Jesus was about to do echoed the theme of Mary’s anointing – we stand surprised by that unfathomable gracious act, his self-giving to death that we might live, carrying our sins upon himself – making reconciliation with God possible and near. It is inexplicable but comfortingly true.

A word of wisdom passed on by Chuck HIggins

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm...and...at...other times He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

The Secret by Festo, submitted by the McJunkin's

THE SECRET

By Festo Kivengere
What is the secret of keeping zeroed in on Christ in the midst of everyday pressures? That’s a million-dollar question and a beautiful one. I wish I had a very simple way of telling you. The only way I know for a distracted mind to keep zeroing in on Christ is by the work of the blessed Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

How does he do it? Some of us think that it is by giving us more and more gifts. No, no, no. There is only one magnet which God uses, and the magnet is the Lord Jesus Christ. He can keep your attention when you are tending to wander. He can hold you when you cannot hold yourself. His love is stronger than death, and when it holds a poor man with a wandering mind and with tendencies to fall, that man, that woman, can stand through eternity.

That is the secret. The practical aspect is that I am not always full of love, not always seeing Him. I am many times thoroughly empty. But He loves to fill empties! All you need to do is keep open, that’s all. You keep open by admitting frankly how empty you are. This is where respectable Christianity fails. God does not deal with respectability. He deals with reality. Here I am with an empty heart, or with thoughts that have invaded the inner man and have interrupted the flow of the Holy Spirit. The Comforter is grieved; what do I do?

Go to the hospital. The hospital has one medicine: the love of Jesus Christ. His love breaks me, convicts me and releases me all at once. We Anglicans have a prayer in our liturgy in which we confess that we are “miserable offenders.” We forget that in the New Testament sense, you can weep and laugh at the same time. In other words, Christian repentance does not include a long period of remorse, being put into a sort of quarantine, before you come into grace. You turn from the sin which made you miserable and to the Lord all at once. Joy comes instantly. The two go together in one act. When you are explaining it theologically, it may give the impression that repentance starts a slow process called redemption while, in the meantime, you are left grieving. Not at all! Repenting without looking to Jesus is what Judas did. It turned him into a vacuum, into committing spiritual suicide.

Repenting which turns and sees Jesus is what Thomas did on that second Lord’s day (John 20:26-29). After bitter depression and a week of unbelief, he saw the outpoured love of the Son of God in the wounded hands reaching out to him. Repentance, forgiveness, faith and flooding joy came all in one breath: “My Lord and my God!” When I find I have not kept zeroed in, I turn from my sin or emptiness to the crucified Lord. Forgiveness and fullness come together.

A precious moment with Chuck and Marge,

A heart-warming letter from Chuck and Marge, dear brother and sister of many wonderful years.  Don Jacobs.

Dear Saints in fellowship....

Just a bit of news from Higgins’ Diggins. We do enjoy the lovely place God has provided for us these days of daily renewal. And, we desperately need such days which we receive as one of our Entitlements provided by God’s abundant grace.

Marge and I are suffering the deteriorating effects of our mortality for a while. Marge has been suffering from dizziness for the past 4 years and it isn’t improving in spite of her going to various Dr’s. She is now taking a therapy trying to find the reason for all this hoping this will make a difference. Since I can no longer drive due to neuropathy in legs and feet, in spite of her dizziness, she is my chauffeur and doing very well. If you know of any good “dizzy” doctors let us know!

As I have mentioned I have neuropathy in my legs and feet that began 30 years ago and has slowly increased. I need a walker to get around and am advised by the doctor I should be using a wheelchair later on. Don’t take all this as an organ recital but I’m like an old car with parts wearing out. The most I travel is now going either to the clinic or the Dr. Fatigue seems to take over in my daily routine. I am sleeping with the aid of equipment for “sleep apnea” starting 2 months ago. I hesitate to mention all this knowing as you are reading this you are saying, “I know what you’re saying. You’re not telling me anything.” It’s like the man in reply to the question, how are you, said “Well I’m better than I was but I’m not as good as I used to be before I got as bad as I am now. You know what I mean”?

But you know, through all this God is bringing us such a sense of His presence. I was going through a very dry spell. I didn’t know how to get through it. I opened a book recently I’ve treasured for the past 40 years. It’s written by Dr. Joe Church on the life of an African named Blasio, entitled “Awake”. He was wise during his short years about the way of repentance which burned on his heart. There was something Joe Church wrote about striving in the context of Blasio’s ministry as it referred to the brethren in their fellowship. As I read it, it seemed the Spirit said, “That’s you. You need to repent of that.” I knew what he was writing about because I’ve preached that...given testimonies of victory over that. But as one of the prophets said about straying Israel, “They have forgotten why they had repented.” I realized I had forgotten some very important issues. I had so many dreams of what I’d like to do when I retired. But, as I attempted to bring those dreams to pass I became dry....it was striving. You know, you can have the assurance of salvation without the joy of salvation. I was striving. As I repented in faith of that, the door to the joy of the Lord and the peace of Jesus opened and flooded my soul.... In short, I opened the door to Jesus, He came in and we supped together! You know how it is when you repent, especially from striving in the flesh, there is such a restful rest filled with joy. Praise the Lord!

We’ve been hearing from the politicians what entitlements we should abandon. It came to me that God seems to have an “entitlement” for every need we bring to Him. And, everyone of them is paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. What sense of security this brings us. We often wonder if perhaps the social security offered by our government will have provided enough before we die. Aren’t we privileged to be recipients of the Plan God has provided for our security that extends beyond the moment we leave this corrupted earth! That Plan has been signed by Jesus in His own blood...and has been confirmed by God raising Him from the dead.... giving us a Hope that is reserved for us in heaven! Politicians here make many promises that are impossible for them to fulfill. Nothing like God’s promises that are “yea and amen” forever. So, by His grace we are making God’s “say so” our “say so”. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, “we can even thank God in the midst of pain and distress because we share the lot of those who are living in the light.” (Phillips) I keep chewing on that to get all the juice I can out of it!

I’m sorry for such a long email. But, it’s been on my heart to do it. I bless each of you to the glory of God.

chuck

Charles E. Higgins

clerhig1@cox.net