Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Mark 14:10-11 Betray – to expose to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy. The word brings to mind the worst possible connotation concerning someone’s actions, which may cause us to feel deceived, forsaken, abandoned or even jilted. These are ugly words that no one wants to think about or should need to deal with. Jesus’ darkest night, when He was preparing to die on the cross, was already heavy with pain, agony, misery and physical suffering. As if this were not enough, betrayal at the hand of a close friend reared its ugly head. Judas, one of his trusted disciples, betrayed Jesus with the most intimate of all signs, a kiss. Out of this act of betrayal, comes “The Judas Test.” At some point in our lives, we will all face “The Judas Test.” Someone will appro

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Luke 13:34 Gather – To assemble, congregate, or come together. How do we gather? Perhaps the most familiar gathering is one sung around Thanksgiving, “We Gather Together,” a Dutch hymn of thanksgiving celebrating a victory in battle. Here’s another gathering song, “Shall we gather at the river,” composed by Robert Lowry and sung at many gospel singing events. One last “gathering” for your thoughts, “We Gather together…Now please get Lost!” by author Diane de Groat. This interesting book is in the Berenstain Bears series. Jesus took another direction when discussing when and how to “gather.” His heart’s desire was to demonstrate the love of God to His Jewish family not only in Jerusalem but all over Palestine. The rejection of Jesus as Messiah was devastating; however it did not

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers. Mark 11:15,17 It’s Jesus! Look what He is doing! Why would he overturn the checkout line and drive out animals from the meat department? He just ruined the Temple Grocery Store! Jesus was the crowd’s darling after a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The noise had been deafening with children shouting, adults calling their Hosannas and everyone clamoring to get a view of the promised Messiah and coming king. Jesus was “The Man!” So…what just happened?   Jesus overturned the money changers’ tables, drove the animals out of the Temple and chased all of the merchants out of the sacred space. In short, Jesus just ruined any chance of

Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 (NIRV) May I have a cookie? I’m hungry. Please? As children, we felt as though all adults were programmed to say “No” to our requests. It was inevitable! We asked a question and the answer was automatically, “No.”   As adults, we tend to fall into the trap of expecting our Heavenly Father to say “no” to our requests. Consider our verse, if we want to be a disciple of Jesus…I mean…a real disciple, an honest disciple who is interested in growing and knowing Jesus on a deeply personal level, then… Are you ready? We must say “NO!” Did you hear that? We must say “no” to ourselves. Saying “no” is more than self-denial. It is more than not eating that second piece of cake or giving up a chocolate treat. Self-denial, or saying “no” to one’s self, is more like what Jesus did.  Jesus was God, yet He emptied Himself of the clai

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 A fortress was designed to protect even under dire circumstances. It was meant to be the last and most secure line of defense, regardless of the weapons and strength of any opponent. JRR Tolkien developed a story which followed the exploits of Hobbits, Men, elves and dwarves. Fortresses figured heavily into his massive tale. Helm's Deep was a valley in the north-western White Mountains of Middle-earth. Helm's Deep, with its fortress the Hornburg, becomes the refuge of the army of Rohan, the Rohirrim, under King Théoden, from assault by the forces of Saruman. Moses was probably the writer of Psalm 91. As leader of the Israelites during their 40 year travels toward the Promised Land, Moses was familiar with the need for protection from enemies. While needing physical protection and desiring

Red sky at night, sailors delight.   Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.   As strange as it may seem, there is truth in this mariners’ byword. Red sky at night – refers to a high concentration of dust particles indicating a high pressure or stable air is coming. Red sky in the morning – indicates that high pressure or good weather has passed, and a low pressure or storm is approaching. How we approach the storms in our lives indicates how we feel about Jesus and His ability to care for us. Jesus said: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”   Matthew 16:3 So…what are the signs of our times?   One word – trouble!   We could continue with fear, anxiety, hate…you get the picture.   The disciples faced a stormy evening in a boat and Jesus was asleep.   It had been a tiring day and they were rowing across the Sea of Galilee.   Suddenly, a violent storm threatened the lives of the disciples. A furious squal

“They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” Mark 7:7-9 “How can you suggest that we change our family tradition? We have always done it this way!” Does this have a familiar ring? Have you been accused of trying to change a family tradition? You may find yourself treading on dangerous ground. Traditions are…well, tradition! Who, day and night, must scramble for a living, Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?   And who has the right, as master of the house, To have the final word at home?   The Papa, the Papa! Tradition. Tevye singing in Fiddler On The Roof Jesus had some words about tradition when it conflicted with the commands of God. As a proper Jewish boy growing up in a Jewish home, Jesus learned all about tradition and it’s importance. God Hi

But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. Ezekiel 18:21 “In five hundred feet, make a right turn, then immediately move into the left turn lane.” We rely on our GPS for accurate directions while driving. Our phones have become necessary for traveling from one point to another. The use of paper maps has become a thing of the past. Poring over maps and directions prior to a trip has been replaced with, “Google, give me directions to …” Ezekiel was God prophet to Israel in matters of God’s directions to a nation desperately seeking God’s path and leadership. “Ezekiel, what about this issue? Are you sure this is what God wants? If I disobey, will my children be punished, also?” Questions, questions. And what was God’s answer? Here it is…”if…you…turn…you will not die.” The answer was actually a little more complicated, but the basic truth amounted

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. Matthew 9:15                                                                                             The disciples had no idea that Jesus was going to die. Jesus’ words concerning His death fell on sincere, but naïve ears. The disciples were not prepared to mourn the death of their friend and leader. Resurrection was not even a component in the crucifixion story. And now, Jesus was dead and the disciples were mourning. The phrase, “Mourning is part of life,” has an unearthly ring. Think about it, we mourn at the loss of something, such as life. The word life denotes movement, thought, and warmth. The words “mourning” and “life”…? Do they even belong in the same breath? Jesus combined our words. He found the common denominator between mourning and life. Would you like to hear the answer? Ok, here it is! Re

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3                                                                    “I’m pleading with you, don’t do it!” Do these words sound familiar? We have all used this sentence…probably with a teenager or adult child. Perhaps you used the sentence on a friend…maybe even a stranger. Daniel used these words with God. Can you imagine…pleading with God? Daniel was pleading for his people, the Jews. While in Babylonian captivity, Daniel was brought up to speed on the reason and length of the Jewish captivity. His pleading involved prayers and petition, while dressed in sackcloth and lying in ashes. All of this was done while fasting. Daniel was a court official…a rather high official. His powers were vast and far reaching. One word from his mouth could change the course of a country. He was The Man! However, Daniel used his words for more than changing a city or count

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 How does it feel to be free? Really free? Your sentence has been commuted and you are free to leave. Imagine with me…you’ve been imprisoned for years. You have no freedom to move about, or to make choices for yourself. Someone else has been in charge of your life. You eat, sleep, and even walk at the whim and decision of an official who delights in managing your life. Jesus came to free us from the prison of sin and death. By His death and resurrection, we have been granted release from the condemnation imposed on us. You may ask, “how is this possible?” Jesus made it possible “for those who are in Christ Jesus,” in other words, those who have accepted the salvation that Jesus has made available.  Lent is a time of leaving behind and preparation for Easter. We leave behind anyth

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25 The chorus goes, “God is so good. God is so good. God is so good, He’s so good to me.” The lyrics’ repetition may seem redundant or pedantic, however the message is life changing and restorative. Why is God good? The answer is never given, we are merely told that God is good. “For my own sake - Not because you deserve it, or have any claim, or that it would not be right to punish you. Not even primarily to promote your happiness and salvation, but for my sake.” (Albert Barnes) The fact that God blots out our sins is amazing. The reason? That’s even more wonderful. Just because He can and wants to do so. God formed a covenant with Abraham in which God Himself was responsible for all of the details. In the same way God forgives our sins, takes care of all of the details, and does it….just because He is God. No wonder we can sing, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sou

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2                                                                                                                                                             Thirst, hunger, cold, and wild animals. The wilderness is dangerous! Someone posted, “Don’t raise your tent and camp where there are boulders from rockfalls. Jesus was filled with the Spirit at His baptism. He was Spiritually full and walking on air, so to speak. One would think that Jesus should have gone into Jerusalem and began His ministry with a huge crusade, preaching to the masses, and witnessing the salvation of thousands! However, The Father…God, had another plan. Jesus was led into the wilderness. The Father led His Son into the wilderness…but why? The answer? Simply – to be tempted by the devil. Why would The Father subject His son to such treatment? Why the wi

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. John 2:19                                                                                                                       What? Did I hear you correctly? Are you saying that we can demolish our sacred Temple, and…and you will rebuild it in three days? Is that correct? The Temple leaders heard Jesus correctly, however their understanding was faulty. The words were accurate, but the context was all wrong. Jesus’ example concerned His body, while the Temple leaders were focused on their physical building. They heard right…but got it all wrong. We are over halfway through Lent, and I wonder how our understanding of Lent is going. Are we doing everything right while missing the point? Have we uttered the correct words while the meaning has been waylaid? “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” - Alan Green

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 “Things are not always as they seem” This wise saying was gently said to me as a child by my parents and then repeated when I was in school and college. It has served well to encourage me to look past first impressions, to think about what is being viewed and then, to be careful in the decision making process. Jesus’ appearance as a baby had been prophesied for hundreds of years, yet His appearance on the cross created turmoil for many of the religious leaders. “Is this man the Messiah?” “How can Jesus be the Anointed One?” These questions were circulated during Jesus’ lifetime, and continue to make the rounds in our enlightened lives. Our Lenten quest continues as we observe The God Man, Jesus, walking the long road to Calvary. As Jesus humbled Himself, so we must humble ourselves. But how can we become obedient to death?   We walk with Jesus as believ

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9                                                               My Father’s favorite words when seeing something new or expressing frustration were, “Well, I’ll declare!” We declare by saying something in a solemn or emphatic manner. Daddy was most certainly solemn when he “declared.” Our Lenten declarations flow from a heart longing to know Jesus in a new and deeper way. Fasting, prayer, service, and forgiveness declare our love for Jesus and our fellow Lenten travelers.  Perhaps the highest form of declaration is made when we declare that Jesus is Lord. This declaration is the basis of our Lenten Journey. How do you declare? With your mouth, you declare your love for Jesus. We journey toward the Passion of our Lord knowing that Jesus is Our Lord.   If you declare…you will be saved.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16                                                                                                                                                                     The Heavenly Council will come to order.   Is there any old business?   New business?   The council recognizes The King of Kings with an exciting proposal. Do you have a backup plan? --------------Well….No.  What will you do if your plan fails? -------------I am counting on success!  The plan must succeed! My meandering mind will occasionally try to understand how The King of Kings would come to earth in order to offer salvation and eternal life to mere humans. Why would God do such an unheard of thing? Why would He love me…SO much…that He would offer His life for me? We have just celebrated the birth of our King, and now we Lent toward ( move toward) His passion, suffering, death,

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17                                                                                                                                  I feel like singing!       During Lent?                                                  Yes, even in Lent!            Let’s Sing. We enter the sanctuary…quietly. The hymns are subdued. The Pastor’s sermons tend to be restrained, as if the sufferings of Jesus are our own. We look inward and recognize that change is necessary. Each week we notice that some of our members are losing weight through regular fasting. It has been a meaningful Lenten season as we experience growth in our Christian life. Yet…it’s been hard. Would it be OK if we sing?             During Lent?? Actually…Yes!    It’s OK, in fact, more than OK!    It’s a wonderful idea!    God rejoices over

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18                                                                         S uffering and Glory. Not words that occur naturally in combination nor in conversation. Suffering is an ingredient of our lives. We experience it frequently. We suffer from the hatred of others. We suffer from our choices gone wrong. We suffer for no reason, seemingly! It just does not seem fair! Yet, suffering is here to stay! We actually choose to experience the suffering of Jesus during Lent. Did you get that? We choose… Why would someone choose to participate in Jesus’ suffering?  Because Jesus was the suffering servant and we choose to remember His suffering; the hard days at the hands of the Pharisees, the periods of being alone praying on the mountains, and finally His suffering on the night of the betrayal and His crucifixion. We choose to participate in His suffering! Well

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5                                                                            All Day – a term for the entire day. All Day Long – a word picture of a day that seems to last forever. The 1962 movie, “The Longest Day” depicted the World War 2 Normandy Invasion, a day that seemed to last forever, and changed the course of a long war. Lent feels long and unending at times. We try…yes, we honestly try to do our Lenten duty. Pray, fast, pray more, try to reconcile differences with our Lord and others, pray even more, and look to the coming of Easter. And then we start it all again. Lent feels so long and unending. My hope…my desires…my belief…they are all in You, Lord! All day long. Help me as I look to you for your ways! Your paths! I need your truth, so please teach me. You, alone are God! You are my Savior! All Day Long

But I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. Psalm 62:5                                                                                                   “Silence is golden,” or so I have heard. How about this one…”Go where the silence says something good.” Another one is…”Next time you stumble upon a silent person, listen up!” And finally…”Silence speaks in vibes, not sentences.” Judging from these pithy sayings, silence may be more than golden, it just might be quite loud! How about you? How’s your silence? Do you allow silence into your life or do you fear silence? Silence can be a companion or an enemy…and you are the one to choose. We have just emerged from a time of, “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given,” and find ourselves propelled into Lent with, “let’s prepare…get ready…Easter is coming.” With so much in our collective futures, when will we find time to “stand silently?” We stand…silently be

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12                                                                                                         “We need to talk! May I schedule a time to talk with you, face to face?” Talking. It’s done on the phone, by video conference, through the screen door and even through hospital glass. However the best talking is done face to face. In person! Jeremiah sent an encouraging letter to the Jews in Babylonian exile. His words in shortened form were: Call, Come, and Pray. Today, we would say: Call, Come, and Communicate. In other words: Call on me, Come into my presence, and Communicate with me…let’s talk. Jeremiah’s words looked forward to a time when the Jews would return to their homeland and resettle Jerusalem and their other towns. In the process of returning, they were encouraged to Call, Come, and Communicate. God wanted…more than anything…to develop relationship with His people,

For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation]. Galatians 5:5 AMP                                                                                   The typing exam was brutal! We were all accomplished typists, at least that’s what our typing teacher told us. We were doing our best to display our competence while wondering how we would be able to complete the typing exam within the time limit. What was the exam? Merely retype a full page with no errors; no erasers, no marks, just a clean typed sheet, completed within a 40 minute time limit! Completion. It’s a process and a goal. We process through our waiting and look forward to the goal, the end. Now, how does that relate to our lives of faith? Lent is the process…the waiting period. We live each day in the knowledge that Jesus loves and lives in us. We endure hardships, we celebrate, w

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7                                                                                                 Fly fishers use lightweight flies made of fur and feathers. ... In essence, the line is what casts the fly. (Robinton, 2014) www.fix.com › blog › basic-fly-casting-techniques Casting a fly with accuracy takes skill and practice. It’s all about location if catching fish is the desired outcome. Anyone can throw a fishing fly into the water, however, in order to place a fly within the vicinity of a fish and hope for a strike, the fly must be in the line of sight of the fish. How do you cast your anxieties? Are you casting your anxieties or cares to the wind, so to speak? If so, the wind could blow those same cares right back into your face. You would be the recipient of the same set of cares. This could happen again and again if cares are thrown into the wind. Do you throw your cares to the ground? Cares have an amazing

  “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33                                                                                   Trouble! It seems to find a way into our lives…always present…never leaving us alone. We are beset by trouble on all sides. Running away does not work. Trouble is just as fast. Sidestepping? Nope! Trouble is an amazing dance partner. Not fun…but amazing! So, how do we deal with trouble? One method is the Bruce Wayne school of hard knocks. Alfred Pennyworth : Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up. Batman Begins (2005) - Michael Caine as Alfred Another method? How about… The Trouble with Peace, Orso struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only for his enemies, and his debts, to multiply. The old ways are swept aside, and the old leaders with them, but those who would seize the reins

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33                                                                                                     “There is nothing like looking if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien. Thorin said it…”There’s nothing like looking.” So…shall we go looking? Or…seeking? What are we looking to find? Well…let’s see, how about peace? Or joy? Perhaps a bit of love? OK, the secret is out, we are all looking…sorry, seeking. We all want to find something meaningful. Where is it? Lent could be classified as the great search…the great seek! Each year we take time to turn loose of some things in order to give our senses the ability to seek…but what? Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” The big seek is no longer a secret. Eve

You must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. Hosea 12:6 “Yes, you may go play, but remember, be home before dark.” Do you remember an older family member giving these words of instruction? My Mother was very clear in her instructions to a hardheaded little boy; however, my return home was often after dark. And as you can imagine, I was in trouble! Hosea spoke clearly to the Northern kingdom of Israel, “You must return to your God!” He gave no room for debate! His words rang with authority. Come back! Return! God loves you and wants a relationship with you! As we continue our Lenten journey, God calls to His own…His people, today; “Return to me!” Our journey takes us to the cross. We look forward with sadness, yet excitement. As the hymn writer said, “Jesus calls us o’er the tumult.” Are you moving with Jesus toward the cross? He continues to call… Return to me.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12                                                                                                                                                    “Daddy, why is lent so long?” This question is a common one from children as they experience lent and begin to understand the waiting process. How do we continue to be joyful and patient while waiting? During one Lenten season, the children in our church each made “Hallelujah” signs and hid them in the organ gallery, behind the pulpit area. Their involvement in lent, prompted an excitement not only in the children but in the adults as we saw the children grow in understanding of Lent and waiting. While we sang no hymns nor anthems with “Hallelujah”, we all looked toward the future with joyful hope…Hope for a day when the “Hallelujahs” would return! This is the Joyful hope of Lent, always looking ahead, patient in our troubles and faithful in our daily prayer life.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7                                                                                                     Watching is tiring work. Watching involves concentration and an understanding of what is being watched for! What exactly do we expect to find? During lent, we do quite a bit of watching and waiting. Jesus asked His disciples to keep watch with Him while He prayed prior to His crucifixion. His request was for the men to be vigilant, to be alert! We might tell someone, “Keep your eyes peeled!” During these 40 days of Lent, we watch and wait…and we learn. What do we learn? Perhaps the question should be, “what exactly do we expect to find, or to learn?  Do you watch and wait with an empty mind? Do you wait for Lent lessons to find you? Or….do you actively seek…do you watch in hope? Do you wait, knowing that God will hear your heart’s desires? So, again…what exactly do you expect…o

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning! Psalm 130:5-6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A soul waiting for the Lord is a soul resting in the Lord. --Condensed from "Soul Depths and Soul Heights", by Octavius Winslow, 1874. The watchman had the most important night duty in a walled city. His job? He protected the inhabitants from invasion by hostile forces. Working without night vision goggles, the watchman had to see everything on a dark night. He was on duty high on the city wall, viewing the approach to the city. Should anyone approach, the watchman immediately challenged the po