What About The Cross?

 
  The account of the last week of Jesus’ life is profoundly moving to those who read it.  The details of the events that take place are complex, and every moment is of great importance.  There are no insignificant actions and there are no unimportant words.  Anyone who reads the account, without a previous bias, must find it impossible to regard it as just another fictional story.  For even those who might approach it with skepticism, there is such an appealing testimony of the evidence, that it leads many to "doubt their doubts".
Consider just a few of the obvious details:
  Jesus, the friend of the friendless, was betrayed by a friend.  He had just dipped his hand in the same Passover dish with Judas before Judas immediately rose and left the group.  Judas went out, and it was dark. Very dark. Such a dark moment in history it was.
  It is doubtless that many of those whom Jesus had healed, or fed miraculously, were in the crowd that saw him crucified.
  He who had never ridiculed any man, was subject to intense ridicule by men who were themselves rough and cruel.
  He was given vinegar and gall to drink when he was thirsty - although he had offered living water to an outcast.
  Many of the same people who had hailed him as king on Sunday, were there when he was crucified within the same week.  We read that the crowd chanted, "crucify him, crucify him!"  We do not read that any in the crowd cried, "release him, release him!".   Pilate, the Roman governor, asked, "why?!  What evil has he done!?"  The crowd cried louder. The vote was not even close. There is no record of dissent.
  The one who was innocent was the one who was in the center between two known, and self-proclaimed, thieves.  They proclaimed their own guilt, while at the same time proclaiming Jesus’ innocence.  They knew the score.  Yet Jesus, being in the middle, was promoted as the worst of the three.
  One of the thieves who was guilty, and knew he was guilty, complained of his own deserved judgment.  Jesus, who was innocent, and knew he was innocent, forgave his accusers.


  Having started to consider this marvel of grace, I invite you to read for yourself the four accounts of his betrayal, sentencing, ridicule, and crucifixion in the gospels.  It is impossible to even think of writing in a blog the full account of the crucifixion and the resurrection and include the pathos in its detail.  Simply read what is written for yourselves.  I encourage you and challenge you.  Put the facts together. Consider the details.


Then we might ask ourselves some questions:
  You may ask yourself the question -- "if this is just a story, WHY would anyone make up a story like this?"
  Or further -- "If this is not true, then how did it remain a preserved account of fiction (so-called) for two millennia?" "If it were not true, and if it is simply a fable, why has it remained guarded, sacred, and unchanged?"
  Or try to answer the question in your own mind --  "If it is not true than why didn't it simply fade away as all other fiction or gossip or false advertising?"
  Ask yourself -- "Why has this account moved so many millions to weep, and to identify with Jesus, and share in it, as though we were somehow personally involved... we who live in such a distant time and place?" "How is it that this singular life in history still calls and draws people from every nation, language, color, and experience to Himself and we still respond?"  We are still drawn to this solitary life. We still walk in His steps.
  It simply IS true.  And we WERE involved.  We ARE involved.  It is the most horrific, yet the most glorious, event in history.  Heaven trembled and the sky darkened.  The earth heaved and shook in shame.  Graves opened and dead men walked.  They testified to the fact that THIS ONE, who had just died, would forever change the region of death and even the realm beyond.
  No other sinless One has ever lived.  No other sinless One has ever come with the sole purpose to live and give, to suffer and die.  It is the most powerful event in history and its effect reaches beyond the realm of time.  It reaches into the "forever of each and every one of us". 
  The cross on Calvary’s hill is the axis upon which the world turns.


  I have more questions in my mind:
  “If this account is not true, then how is it that so much effort and energy is expended on trying to prove it to be false?  Why would those who refuse to believe it, spend so much time and effort to dismiss it?  Why not just ignore it?  Why not just ignore those who are called Christians and let them (us) do their (our) thing?"  It appears to me that the antagonism against Christianity is one of the greatest testimonies to the truth of the birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and imminent return of Jesus Christ.  We are well beyond the time when we can ignore the antagonism of the spirit of "anti-Christ" in our present world and in our society and even in our neighborhoods today.


  If the cross of Jesus Christ was fiction or a non-event;
  If the resurrection of Jesus Christ was make-believe or wishful thinking;
  If the outpouring of the spirit of God on the day of Pentecost was an easily explained and isolated phenomenon;
  If Jesus' followers after his death were willing to also die for him, and yet the testimony they held is somehow a contrived story;
  If it is all fiction;  THEN why the contention and the continuous challenge to those who still choose to follow Jesus Christ?


  No, this is not a made up story. It is the factual account of the outpouring of grace from God to man. You and I are the reason for it all.  Those who refuse it will never be truly able to dismiss any event of the Bible as fiction or fable.


  WE . . . each and every one of us. . .believe it or not. . . will ever be forced to reconcile ourselves to the ONE who is the central character of it all.  Jesus Christ.  The Lord of Glory.  The Only Redeemer Ever.  The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  The perfect sacrifice.


  His life was not taken from him.  It was given by Him for our sakes.  Nothing!  no "reason", no explanation,  no wishful thinking,  can ever take away the truth of the greatest sacrifice the world will ever know.
  The cross on Calvary's mountain -- where the Only Saviour Ever gave Himself for the sin of all mankind -- will never be explained away.  Nor will it ever be possible to explain away the resurrection.  Nor will it ever be possible to pry the hope of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ from the hearts of those who have met Him in the kindness of his ministry, in the passion and fellowship of his suffering, in the glory of his resurrection, and in the joy of his salvation.


No one can remove the assurance of salvation from the soul that has tasted of this heavenly gift.

If Jesus were inclined to blog, here is what I think He would say:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you       falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

By the way, this is what He did say.  You will find it in Matthew 5:3-16.  He did continue to speak further, but if we can get this much, it will be a good start.  At least that is my opinion.

Blessings on you today.   D.J. Hilderbrand

Prayer

To the Church:  
   A praying church is a church with staying power. Nothing eternal can be achieved without spiritual intercession. To say that we live in important days, and that we are facing critical situations, both locally and worldwide, is an understatement. Our world needs us now.

   In the economy of God, the altar of sacrifice was the central and significant item of furniture in the tabernacle and the temple. Without it there could have been no worship of sweet smelling incense. God’s plan has always been the altar, and God’s program has always been prayer. We do not dare think that we have a better plan, or that we have a better program.

   Together, let’s renew our efforts and our zeal for the altar and for times of prayer. Come when you can. Pray as long as you can. Pray sincerely. Pray fervently. Pray for each other. Pray for our missionaries and pastors everywhere. Pray for our country. Let our neighbors, and those that pass by the church, see people coming and going at all times for prayer. Let them see the glow of God and the peace of His presence as we leave.

"Units of prayer combined, like drops of water, make an ocean that defies resistance." E.M. Bounds

pastor hilderbrand

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

Sorrow goes farther backwards than regret.
We all have regrets. I wish I would have. I should have.  If only I had done this or gone there, or said this. . .

Sorrow dwells longer in the past than regret.Sorrow builds a dwelling place in the past and says, "this is your address". Have all your mail delivered here on Regretful Lane in a house called Sorrow.

Sorrow also looks into your every tomorrow and reaches farther and farther into you future and begins to steal not only your past , but your tomorrows and tomorrow’s hopes.

Sorrow steals hope and preaches a continuous message:  "there will never be any change. Things will always be the way they have always been."

The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, commands. . . sorrow not. Concerning them which are asleep in Jesus, I would remind you of our hope.  Do not dwell in the ancient history of your lives or the lives of those you love.  Do not build a house of Sorrow on Regretful Lane.

I REMIND YOU OF OUR HOPE
OUR HOPE that is founded and anchored in the unchangeable, unmoveable, forever-settled promise of the Word of God. . .

I remind you of hope:  It is a hope of an assured future without regret, sorrow, or shame.  If you have been living on Regretful Lane, change your address.
 
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words
We shall FOREVER be with the Lord.

Honor in high places

I recently had a longing to hear the sounds of noble speech.  Too much of the current content of radio takes its toll on the human spirit.  I remembered listening and watching portions of the funeral service of President Ronald Reagan, so I went to "you tube"  and searched for Prime Minister Mulrooney from Canada.  I remembered listening to his tribute to our President.

 I watched and listened again to his uplifting and honoring message that day in that service where he elevated his friend -- our departed President.  Both the eloquent words and the dignity, as well as the marvelous voice of the Prime Minister were captivating.  So noble were the memories.  So honoring were the comments.  So encouraging were the images that were brought back to my mind.

I also remembered the Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher.  What a dynamic and forceful lady and leader she was.  On that day of the funeral she could not speak in person due to personal health issues.  She had taken the time, however, to pre-record a video of her tribute to her friend and compatriot -- our president.  The video tribute which was shared was astounding and outstanding.  I watched again that video which was played at the funeral.  It was a captivating memorial given by one great leader to another. 

I began to search for the evidence of why President Reagan was so honored by his friends, and even those who had been his foes in politics and on the world stage.  I watched his speech given in 1964 and another given at the Republican national convention in 1980.  I wished as I watched and listened. . . "is there anyone in leadership today that could, and would, stand up and communicate these same principles as he did?"

 I feel that his success was a composite of many good things.  He loved his country.  He had high morals.  His self-deprecating humor made you feel that you knew him personally.  He stood his ground on the issues that really mattered.  He called things like they were, and his enemies became his friends.  He was not afraid to talk about God and made frequent references to the Bible.  He was real. 

He fought against many of the precise issues that are again being dragged through the cluttered streets of our public forum today.  Government intrusion, socialism, over-regulation, spending, the economy, and etc.  I noticed however, that where he used the term "billions" we now use "trillions".
This blog really isn't about a man, however. . . it is about honor.  I pray that we haven't totally lost our sense of propriety and honor and Godly morality in the realm of our political leadership. 

It doesn't take much searching in the books of the Kings and Chronicles to see that God very much weighed and counted the actions of kings.  He saw the direction and measured the response of the leaders of nations.  He heard what was whispered in the bedchamber.  He knew what the thoughts of men were.  He still does.

There were times when God sent a prophet to face a king with correction and warning.  It may have been a story of a lamb to a king who had sinned.  It may have been a prophet with another copy of the Word delivered to a king who had burned the first copy.  It may have been the hand of God himself writing the summary of a kings life on a wall for all to see.  God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart.

May God give us leadership that is in tune and in touch with higher things; leadership that has a sense of what is noble and just and pure; leaders that are not afraid to humble themselves in the presence of God and humbly ask for guidance.  We need it so much today.

She took him to church and left him there

She took him to the house of God and left him there.

It doesn’t sound significant until you realize that it was not a "day care" we are talking about. Nor was it that he was left in church by accident as was one of my 5 brothers. (We arrived home after a Sunday night service and realized that my brother was forgotten on the pew where he had fallen asleep. A hasty trip back to church found him still asleep in the big dark empty church sanctuary. It was a good thing he did not wake up.)

Hannah left Samuel in the house of God at Shiloh on purpose. He had been the miraculous answer to this barren woman’s prayer request. He was the subject of a promise she had made when she prayed. "Lord, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you for as long as he lives." Quite a promise.

She was true to her promise when the Lord granted her request and blessed her with a son whom she named Samuel – "asked of God."

When the young boy was old enough to be separated from his mother, she dressed him in an ephod – a miniature replica of the priestly garment – and she took him to Shiloh and left him there in the house of God. Her covenant and intent was that he would grow up and serve the God who had answered her persistent, heart rending petition.

The marvelous part of the story was that she left him there – even though Eli the priest was old, had poor eyesight, was slow to hear the voice of God, and did not have control over his own boys. The sons of Eli were utterly profane. They were greedy and cared nothing for spiritual things. They were immoral to the max. This was not a warm healthy climate to grow a son. What an atmosphere in which to leave your miracle child.

Hannah left her son in Shiloh nevertheless. Even though the lamp in the temple had been allowed to go out. The oil ran dry and Eli was too old to notice and his sons did not care. Any spark of revelation or inspiration was gone from the house of God. Eli’s sons committed unspeakable, immoral sinful acts.

But Hannah left Samuel there. She did not "pull him out of church". She did not go searching for another place, another occupation, another situation where her son would find "more potential for growth". She had made a covenant with God and fully expected God to take care of her boy.

When she went up from year to year to worship, she did not take her son home with her. She left him there.

She did the right thing. It was in that dark temple in a rough time of history that the God, who had spoken to Samuel’s mother, spoke also to her son. The conclusion of the conversation and the fulfillment of the promise made to Samuel was that he would become a prophet and judge of Israel.

He would anoint kings. Kings were to wait for his counsel. When a king failed, he was the one to remove that king from his position. He would anoint David, ‘the man after God’s own heart’ to be the next king.

He would fight one military battle against the Philistines. He would need to fight only one, for God "thundered" and the enemy left, never to return during Samuel’s time of influence.

Too often we judge a situation by our own limited understanding and we do not give God a chance. Who knows how many young men or young ladies were destined to places of great influence, yet they were pulled from a situation that God himself had ordained for their refinement.

Let God lead.  It is often that God chooses to lead us in darkness when we need it the most.  I do not remember where I first heard or read the following quote --   "Do not doubt in darkness what you have seen in the light."  This quote is not original with me.  I wish I would have said it.  Logic sometimes robs us of a miracle. Our perception sometimes prevents the perfect will of God from being fulfilled in a life. What if Hannah had taken Samuel back home?

The Simple Grandeur of Christmas

The stable and the manger attracts the littlest children.  They crowd up and around the scene of Bethlehem.  It is familiar to most of us who are older.  It is new to many of them. 

Wonder and understanding are mixed together and easily accepted by even the smallest among them.  They have simple questions.  "What is a baby doing in a wooden box filled with straw? . . .  and why are the grown-ups standing there?"  "Why are they carrying sticks?"  "I wish I could have animals in my room like that."  "Let me hold the sheep."  "Can I pick up the camel?"  "I want the baby."  "Why is the star there?"

It is a simple story.  Is there anyone who wouldn't like a story like that?

Are the events which are involved in the incarnation of God in Christ Jesus simple or are they complex?

The adults crowd up and gather around the scene of Bethlehem.  It is familiar to many of us.  Wonder and understanding are mixed together and easily accepted by some, not accepted at all by others.  Some of us, perhaps, have learned too much of the wrong thing.  Or, maybe, some of us have forgotten too much of the right thing. 

We have either remembered, or we have forgotten that He is the source and the wellspring of all creation.  The heavens declared His glory long before the angels declared His arrival.  His written Word prepared the willing hearts for his coming.  The stable and the manger spoke with silent eloquence of His humility and approachability.  The invitation and attendance of the shepherds at His first crib revealed to them that they would soon be out of a job.  Their job was to raise sheep for the sacrifice. . . His purpose was to be the Supreme and final sacrifice. . . the Lamb of God which would take away the sin of the world.  Once and for all. 

It is story so simple and attractive that little children, and people of faith, are drawn to it.  "Read it to me again" they say.  It is a complex and grand revelation that the erudite are confused by it, and they stumble over it, and are offended by it.  It is a wonder of wonders.