pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June

June 28, 2017 “Heard”

Heard

Americans have a constitutional right to free speech.
Implicit in this right is the hope to be heard. Why would one speak if there is no hope of being heard?

A High School Revelation
In my junior year of high school, I was not a good student. I only studied what interested me—band and English. The rest of my classes were a waist of my 16 year-old time. So, I had to see the counselor. She was a nice lady and I enjoyed talking to her; I could really string her along and she probably knew what I was doing all the time.

The summer before I turned 16 I started seriously seeking God’s will for my life. I felt it had something to do with music and writing (band and English!) but I was sure the rest of it—chemistry, Algebra II, American History—had nothing to do with it. When I was blowing smoke about how I didn’t enjoy those classes, etc., the nice lady interrupted me and asked, “Well, Steve, what do you want to do with your life?”

In one of those moments one lives in for the rest of one’s life, I knew with exceptional clarity why I was on the earth. At the same moment I thought it and said it:

“I want to tell somebody something!”

We both sat back and there was a moment of silence. I remember nothing else about that conference but I have never forgotten that revelation.

A Course of Action
Now I had a course of action. It was simple. If I was going to tell somebody something:

  1. I was going to have to find something out!
  2. I was going to have to learn how to speak and to write.

That was my plan: learn important things that people needed to know and develop the skills to tell them what I had learned.

Though absolutely unspoken in this crucial scene, there was an expectation that I would be heard. If not what was the point?

All of Us
This isn’t just for me. All of us are called to tell somebody something—and we should expect to be heard! I see three “somebodies” for each of us:

  1. We need to speak to ourselves. Internal dialogue is a fact of life for each of us. We tell ourselves things all the time. We must be so careful to speak to ourselves with the voice of faith and not of fear, of righteous things and not rotten things. Why? Because we are heard—down deep where only our voice and the voice of the Spirit are heard.
  2. We need to speak to others. “We’ve a story to tell to the nations,” we sometimes sing and it is true. It may seem that we are not heard, but of this we can be certain—the Holy Spirit is anointing the ears of those we speak to as well as the lips with which we speak.
  3. We need to speak to God in praise, prayer and worship. The Lord loves the sound of our voice! Another song says, “He’s as close as the mention of His name.” He is our most devoted listener!

Think of the wonder of it:

  • The silent cry of the believer’s breaking heart echoes through heaven.
  • The tears we shed capture His attention.
  • Our prayers are collected for His keeping.

When we pray, we are telling someone something—The Lord Himself!–and we can be sure that we are heard!

Scriptures:
Psalm 6
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me in your wrath. Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked. My spirit shakes with terror; how long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me for your mercy’s sake. For in death no one remembers you; and who will give you thanks in the grave? I grow weary because of my groaning; every night I drench my bed and flood my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted with grief and worn away because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Psalm 10:16-18 NIV
The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Psalm 102:18-22 NIV
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord; “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord .
Isaiah 6:8-9 NIV
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people:
Acts 5:17-21
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.” At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are such a communicator Your friend John called You the Word! Through the power of the Holy Spirit You are heard throughout the world and it has been so since You walked this earth. When I speak Your Word, I will be heard! Like You said in your parable of the seeds and the soil that not everyone will hear but there will be some who will welcome my message to the changing of their lives. If I speak, I will be heard! May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight! Amen.

Song:
We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations
Words and Music: H. Ernest Nichol

1. We’ve a story to tell to the nations
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light, a story of peace of light.

Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright,
And Christ’s great Kingdom shall come to earth,
The Kingdom of love and light.

2. We’ve a song to be sung to the nations
That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
A song that shall conquer evil
And shatter the spear and sword,
And shatter the spear and sword.

Refrain

3. We’ve a message to give the nations
That the Lord who reigneth above
Hath sent us His Son to save us,
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.

Refrain

4. We’ve a Savior to show to the nations
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world’s great peoples
Might come to the truth of God,
And show us that God is love.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June

June 25, 2017 “Glorious”

Glorious

“Glorious” is easy to define and difficult to describe.
It means, “full of glory,” John’s famous testimony of Jesus. But what is glory?

  • The Hebrew words are “tip’ret” and “kadowd” meaning: “beauty; ornament; distinction” And “weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness”
  • The Greek word is “doxa” which “signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion.”

To be glorious is to be filled with beauty, distinction, honor, and significance.

Jesus, today, at this moment is glorious and worthy of our praise.
He is no longer pinned to a cross. The Lord is glorious on a throne of majesty, dominating Heaven’s architecture, the focus of thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly and an ever-increasing gallery of sanctified saints, witnesses from earth to His heavenly glory.

The Lord is glorious, bearing that glory in scars.
Look closely at His hands and feet and his riven side and you will see His glory, the glory of blood, innocent blood, shed for the sins of all of us, and the glory of nail-scars, wounds by which we are healed.

The Lord is glorious in majesty.
Here is a reason to play our instruments in a fitting and orderly way! Here is a theme for a new song and for an old song, songs for all the generations to sing. Here is a cadence to which we, as the Army of God, can march, singing into battle, “The Lord is Good and His Mercy Endures Forever!” Here is a beat we can dance to letting our joy overflow into witness. Because Jesus is glorious in majesty, we have to “make His praise glorious,” too!

The Lord is glorious in truth.
Opinions fly around like aimless insects, buzzing here and there. But His truth is marching on! He has never been wrong so He never has to amend His words! His truth is for all, no matter from what continent or climate, culture or circumstance, generation or gestalt. Read it. Believe it. Obey it. It works.

The Lord is glorious in love.
God is love, the Scripture says and Jesus has revealed the details of that love to us. The love of God is glorious in mercy, compassion, kindness, and long-suffering. It is also stern and demanding, full of justice and equity. The glorious love of the Lord is not always to be felt, but it is always there making all things work together for good to those who have covenanted with Him with this New Covenant in His blood. His ways are past finding out, it is true, but His love is not past finding; glorious it is and readily at hand.

The Lord is glorious in His faithfulness.
He is there for us because He promised to be. He is coming for us because He promised He would. Our joy is to seek Him now and to prepare to meet Him then. As we are faithful to Him we enjoy of a foretaste of what is to come. A trumpet will sound and we will be ready for a glory never before seen!

Jesus Is Glorious!
Splendor and majesty are before Him. Justice and peace are the foundations of His throne. A River of Life flows from a spring beneath that glorious throne. Let us enter that River today, ankle-deep with thanksgiving, knee-deep with praise, waist-deep with worship, and let us swim in the glorious grace of His fullness, a river indeed that one cannot cross.

Let us make His praise glorious—it is only right that we do so!

Scriptures:
Psalm 145
I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your Name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless you and praise your Name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; there is no end to his greatness. One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power. I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all your marvelous works. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, and I will tell of your greatness. They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; they shall sing of your righteous deeds. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is loving to everyone and his compassion is over all his works. All your works praise you, O Lord, and your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power; That the peoples may know of your power and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures throughout all ages. The Lord is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving in all his works. The Lord is near to those who call upon him, to all who call upon him faithfully. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and helps them. The Lord preserves all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.
Psalm 66:1-4 NIV
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.”
Isaiah 12:4-6 NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord , for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
John 1:14 NIV
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Isaiah 60:13 NKJV
“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.

Prayer:
A Song of Creation
The Book of Common Prayer
Invocation
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
I. The Cosmic Order
Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, O heavens and all waters above the heavens. Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, all winds and fire and heat. Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, drops of dew and flakes of snow. Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, O shining light and enfolding dark. Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, praise him and highly exalt him forever.
Doxology
Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, Praise him and highly exalt him forever.
A Song of Praise
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; you are worthy of praise; glory to you. Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

Song:
Glory to the Lamb
Words and Music: Larry Dempsey

Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
For He is glorious and worthy to be praised,
The Lamb upon His throne
And unto Him we lift our voice in praise.
The Lamb upon His Throne!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June

June 18, 2017 “Forgiven”

Forgiven

She was used to the company of men.
She could read their smiles. It is likely that some of the men gathered for dinner in the home of a Pharisee named Simon saw her come in. If they noticed her at all, they quickly turned their faces away; they did not smile at her. The man she wanted to see was a stranger among the smelly men reclining around the table laden with lavish food. The oil lamps sent wavering shadows here and there across the room, but from the man she came to see, a constant inner light seemed to glow from deep inside Him.

She had seen that light even in the bright sunlight on the Jerusalem streets. She had followed Him, welcoming the anonymity of the crowd. She held back, always in the second or third rank and always with her head and face covered, while her keen eyes watched Him closely.

In one glorious moment, His shining eyes met hers.
He looked deep into her heart, the way no man had ever looked at her. His unbroken gaze was like a torch shining into the dark cavern of her wounded soul. She tried to look away but she could not. Though she did not understand why, she knew this was a life-changing moment for her, that she could never be the same. She knew that her livelihood was now a thing of the past. She would find a way to live that would meet His approval; she didn’t know how but she knew she could and would.

The Smile of Jesus
As they continued to look at each other, a broad smile came across the face of Jesus. This thrilled her to the depth of her being. It was as if He knew what had happened inside of her, as if He knew of the shame that had suddenly overcome her, as if He knew of the choice she had made. It seemed He was saying that all was forgiven. For the rest of her life, she would make all her choices in the light of that smile—life was about pleasing Him, not others and not herself.

He went on this way; there were others to talk to, to touch, and some who needed the power of His gaze and the forgiveness of His smile. She seemed frozen to that spot, transfixed by the new life inside her. She forgot about her scarf and head piece, letting them drop, her face and hair shining in the sun. She breathed deeply looked intently at a future she had never imagined before.

A few hours later she heard that He was dining in the home of Simon the Pharisee, a home she knew well. Entering by the servant’s entrance she invaded the dinner gathering, her heart bursting with gratitude. Without hesitation she found her way to Jesus. At first, she stood behind Him weeping. Then she fell at His feet and began to wash His feet with her tears and lovingly dry them with her hair. She took perfume and anointed those feet, kissing them.

Recovering from the shock of this intrusion, Simon, knowing full well who she was, seized the moment to prove that Jesus was obviously not a prophet or He would know who she was as well.

With a parable Jesus gently instructed Simon and all the other proud sinners about the forgiveness of sins.

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven —
for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

So it is today. If our record of sins is large or small, if we have met Jesus eye-to-eye in faith and repentance, the record has been cleared, and we, too, must minister to Him. As we do, we too, can feel His smile.

Scriptures:
Psalm 104
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities; He redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness; He satisfies you with good things, and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. He made his ways known to Moses and his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. He will not always accuse us, nor will he keep his anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so is his mercy great upon those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. As a father cares for his children, so does the Lord care for those who fear him. For he himself knows whereof we are made; he remembers that we are but dust. Our days are like the grass; we flourish like a flower of the field; When the wind goes over it, it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures forever on those who fear him, and his righteousness on children’s children; on those who keep his covenant and remember his commandments and do them. The Lord has set his throne in heaven, and his kingship has dominion over all. Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding, and hearken to the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his who do his will. Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion; bless the Lord, O my soul.
Luke 7:36-50 NIV
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 11:4; 17:3-4 NIV
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'”… “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my Savior, Healer, Baptizer, and soon coming King, I worship You today! I marshal all my strength to this purpose. As I think of “the glory due Your name,” I must add my voice to that of nature and all creation in song of praise from creation to Creator. When I consider Your mighty throne, I join the songs of angels attending there, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” I hear the Song of the Redeemed, roaring from the heavenly gallery, as angels must fall silent. They cannot sing this song of thanksgiving for they have not known Your mercy as has the church. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Song:
Thank You, Lord, for Saving My Soul.
Traditional Chorus

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and so free.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer
For more on Pride: “The Invisible Mountain”

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 8, 2017

Nations

The Big Blue Marble
It is said, and we have seen the pictures to prove it, that from the surface of the moon the earth looks like a big blue marble. Imaginative computer artists have shown us what our world looks like from deeper in space—just a blinking dot of light. These realizations make us feel small and perhaps insignificant.

For the Christ-follower images of earth from space cause us to be even more amazed at grace. To think that God “out there” who made all of creation would take notice of each of us individually, seems completely out of the realm of reason—except for one image—that of a cross, empty now with no helpless victim attached, and yet full of meaning, telling us that God loves us.

“What is man that you are mindful of him, O Lord?”
The question has been around since people first sensed a connection between the glittering night sky and the stirring deep in the human heart that tells us we are not here by accident. The Good News is that God made the universe and us, too! There in the secret place He knit us together. It was not a meaningless hobby of His—it was a purposeful act of destiny for us.

  • God made us.
  • God loves us.
  • God has work for us to do.

What work could that be?

If God loves people, then He must also love nations.
Reading in the Old Testament, God’s concern for the nations of the world is clear. He raised the nation of Israel up to be a witness to the pagan, god-cluttered world of the ancients that there is One True God. This chosen nation would also bring a Savior to the whole world.

God loves people and God loves nations. The world isn’t a big blue marble to Him, nor is it a distant speck of light. He has invaded our space and is standing by. Today we must call upon Him while He draws near. We must love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.

We have a story to tell to the nations—His story—the narrative that gives life and the saga that rescues from danger.

No one else is appointed this task. Angels might have been excellent witnesses but that is not their job. The heavens are telling the glory of God yet it seems most people don’t understand the love of God that shines in the stars or reflects from the moon. People need faces and voices and hands that are tender.

And that is why we are here on this Big Blue Marble.

Scriptures:
Psalm 67 NIV
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways
may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O
God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule
the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 8:3-8 NIV
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
Mark 16:15-18 NIV
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of the Harvest. You have called the Church to speak to the world, to the nations of men, to the cultures of peoples of the Earth. Help us learn their languages so we can tell them Your story. Send Your chosen ones to the nations of this earth and to the islands of sea. Call each of us to go and to send. You gave us Your Holy Spirit so that we might be Your witnesses starting with our neighbors and our neighborhoods, extending to our towns and nations and to the ends of the earth. This we must do. In Your holy name! Amen.

Song:
We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations
Words and Music: H. Ernest Nichol

1. We’ve a story to tell to the nations,
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light.

Refrain:
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright;
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth,
The kingdom of love and light.

2. We’ve a song to be sung to the nations,
That shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
A song that shall conquer evil
And shatter the spear and sword,
And shatter the spear and sword.

Refrain

3. We’ve a message to give to the nations,
That the Lord who reigneth above
Hath sent us his Son to save us,
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.

Refrain

4. We’ve a Savior to show to the nations,
Who the path of sorrow hath trod,
That all of the world’s great peoples
Might come to the truth of God,
Might come to the truth of God.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

April 13, 2017 Judgment Halls

Trials

Irony of ironies
Jesus the Good, Jesus the Righteous, Jesus the Just—standing in the judgment halls of bad men, sinful men, and unjust systems both political and religious.

Has the world ever seen such restraint on the part of any defendant? Not only was He innocent of the charges made against Him, He commanded an unseen corps of warrior angels, ten thousand in number, ready to spring to His rescue with the slightest signal from their Master. But they were not given the order to rescue, to defend, or even to secure Jesus from further injustice. I am sure angel-heads shook in dismay. What was the Father’s plan? Why was such a thing happening before their eyes? If angels have ever breathed hard, it must have been then; angel-muscles rippling with angel-weapons tightly gripped and at the ready.

There was to be no rescue.
Jesus was taken before the religious authorities, Annas and his son-in-law, Caiaphas, the High Priest. The whole governing council of the Jews gathered for an illegal middle-of-the-night trial. Their witnesses could not get their stories straight as Jesus stood before them as silent as a lamb before the sacrificial knife. Finally He was asked to testify against Himself which he readily did:

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

There followed sudden cries of official outrage and the requisite moans grief that could barely mask their inner delight at His words. Tearing their robes in dramatic demonstration of their political advantage, they declared Him death-worthy, slapped Him around, taunted Him and sent Him to Pilate.

Before Pilate
The Roman governor had several official duties he would rather start his day with than another Jewish rabble-rouser, but he had little choice to go along with these fanatics in their bloody, arrogant (one God!) religion. His job was to keep them happy.

Weary from the abuse, the chains, and the lack of sleep, Jesus was dragged before Pilate. He could not have looked like much of a threat to Rome. Pilate tried to make sense of it but it made no sense at all. When accused by the Jews, Jesus did not answer. It was clear to Pilate the man was innocent of any crime against Rome. Pilate took Jesus inside away from the crowd and asked Him directly, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

A Different Kingdom
Jesus told Pilate about His Kingdom—it was of a different sort—a peaceable Kingdom of might and power and justice—not a Kingdom of this world—a Kingdom built not on lies or power but on truth. For ages we have been intrigued by Pilate’s answer, “What is truth?”

The Governor tried to release Jesus but the people would have none of it. The wanted His blood, even if charged to their own accounts. In an ironic act of blasphemy the Children of Abraham confessed they had no King but Caesar.

Pilate gave in to their demands and turned Jesus over to the soldiers. He went by the book ordering Jesus to be whipped. The soldiers were as creative as they were brutal. They put a purple robe on Jesus and wove a crown of thrones and rammed it onto His head so recently bloodied by the sweat in the Garden of Prayer.

Angels wept. The disciples hid. Pilate washed his hands. The rabid crowd raged.

The soldiers led Him away to be crucified.

Scriptures:
Matthew 26:57-27:31
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled… Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied… Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”… Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.
John 18:28-19:18 NIV
Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor…
Pilate … summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face.
… When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”…When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. … “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free…But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.” We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me walk worthy of You! My heart sinks at the thought of such injustice in the courts of men. You were not the one on trial that night and day—we were! Our sins were placed upon You. You drank all of the terrible cup of iniquity in the Garden. We could never atone for our sins so You atoned for us. You took the blows. You wore the thorny crown. You fell beneath the Roman lash—and all for love of us! Lord Jesus, help me walk worthy of You! Amen. (1 Thess 2:11-12 KJV)

Song:
He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels
Words and Music: Ray Overholt

1. They bound the hands of Jesus
in the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro’ the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, “Crucify Him; He’s to blame.”

Refrain:
He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

2. Upon His precious head
they placed a crown of thorns;
They laughed and said, “Behold the King.”
They struck Him and they cursed Him
and mocked His holy name.
All alone He suffered everything.

Refrain

3 When they nailed Him to the cross,
His mother stood near by;
He said, “Woman, behold thy son!”
He cried, “I thirst for water,”
but they gave Him none to drink.
Then the sinful work of man was done.

Refrain

4 To the howling mob He yielded;
He did not for mercy cry.
The cross of shame He took alone.
And when He cried, “It’s finished,”
He gave Himself to die;
Salvation’s wondrous plan was done.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

Monday, Bethany

Bethany

A Large House
It was a large house, signifying wealth, but it was also a warm and welcoming house, signifying wealth of a more substantial kind. Martha ran this house she shared with her sister, Mary, and her now famous brother, Lazarus. It didn’t matter that Jesus traveled in such a large company. Martha was always up to the task because she kept her focus on Jesus. Those fishermen could make do the best they could; Jesus was the one who mattered. He must be made comfortable. He needed his rest from these daily forays into Jerusalem.

On this night, Mary, Martha’s sister, the quiet one, suddenly rose from her accustomed position at Jesus’ feet. No one paid her any mind as she left the room or when she returned.

The aroma of the contents of a broken alabaster jar filled the room.
Few of the men noticed as Mary produced this jar of ointment, a concoction ripe with pungent scent. The men were busy talking, eating. Only Jesus saw her steal away to her hiding place, find her most precious possession, break the container and lovingly anoint his feet with the spice. But the aroma gave her away, pulling back her curtain of privacy and thrusting her to the public stage.

The other men were not pleased.
They rebuked her. This simply was not the best way to use this valuable commodity. It was worth a year’s wages to the common man. Once committed to this line of reasoning, an alternative use had to be proposed. Let’s see, ah yes, the poor, always a handy cause to plead to gain the Master’s favor. The air was heavy with the smell of the ointment and with anticipation of how Jesus would handle this foolish woman.

Around that table were men whose names would become known throughout the world for centuries to come. At this moment they were obscure little men with glimmers of greatness that only Jesus could see.

  • Among them was John, so filled with fun and free with emotion;
  • Peter, his opposite, so rough and full of pride;
  • Thomas whose knife-like mind always sliced away the non essentials in an issue;
  •  James, John’s mischievous brother, a “Son of Thunder” he was called;
  • Matthew the former tax collector;
  • the other Galileans, and…
  • Judas, who kept the money.

This was a diverse group, hand selected, not for what they were, but for what they could become, if they centered their lives on God. All were silent now, waiting for Jesus to answer their question. Mary had wasted a valuable resource, hadn’t she?

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said. “Why are you bothering her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.”

He went on to say that she had done what she could, that she had anointed His body for burial, and that wherever the Gospel is preached, her story would be told.

The men were ashamed. He had taken the woman’s side over theirs. But as they listened, something began to stir within them. It always did when He spoke. Soon, their embarrassment was forgotten and before long all but one was wishing that he had something valuable to pour over Jesus’ feet.

Scriptures
John 12:1-8; Mark 14:3-9
Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in the quiet moments of life, let me learn to sit at Your feet like Mary of Bethany. When it is time to work, let me learn to manage life’s kitchen like Mary’s sister, Martha. Through all of life, help me remember the tomb from which You called me, like their brother, Lazarus. The grave clothes gone, let me inhale the free air of grace that is Your presence. Above all, please be welcomed in my heart at all times, like the house at Bethany. All for You, Lord Jesus, All for You! Amen.

Song:
Broken and Spilled Out
Words and Music: Bill and Gloria Gaither

1. One day a plain village woman

Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris’ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Refrain 1:
Broken and spilled out Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

2. Lord You were God’s precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me The love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Refrain 2:
Broken and spilled out Just for love of me Jesus
God’s most precious treasure Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord You were spilled out and used up for Me
In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out And used up for Thee

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

April 8, 2017

Hope

Life, Heat, Hope
When the heat is on and life begins to boil, peripheral things vaporize and float away; only the solids remain. Hope is just such a solid. The last day of life before the week we call His Passion, Jesus could feel the heat increasing and His solid core of hope emerging.

It was the seventh day, the Holy Sabbath. Not a day for work but for worship and rest. We are not given details of how Jesus rested and worshiped on that particular Sabbath. It is not difficult to imagine that of all the psalms Jesus had memorized and prayed the one we call Psalm 42 may have been His prayer that Saturday. Like a wild deer pursued by frenzied hounds thirsting for a drink of water, Jesus wanted to spend time with the Father in prayer.

“The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Though He was a young man at the height of His physical strength, He felt the weakness of His humanity. No innocent man had ever endured the trials before Him and none would ever do anything like it again. He knew that his physical strength and emotional resources were insufficient for His assigned task. He sensed that a moment would come when He would have to throw Himself on the strength of the Father and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Garden of Prayer, Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Sanhedrin’s illegal court, the scourging, the cross, and the final raising of it to suspend Him between heaven and earth, all required the strength of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

On the Sabbath Day before all of these events started in motion, I imagine that Jesus sought to marshal every ounce of strength or every kind. As the humanity He took on Himself when He laid aside Heavenly Majesty wasted away, a firm hope deep within Him did not at all diminish.

The Coming Cross
When on the cross He would at last surrender His spirit to death.

  • All of the creation that He had made would erupt in protest: storm, wind, lightning, thunder, a quaking earth and a deep darkness at midday. There would be no shortage of power. No one was strong enough to take His life; He would give it.
  • At that moment the hands of God would reach into the Temple and rip the heavy veil from top to bottom. The promises of God would then flood out of that Temple never to return to a forced seclusion made necessary by sin.
  • Sin, wickedness, iniquity, corruption, hate, and violence would all be nailed to the cross, their power broken by the force of love and the power of hope.
  • On the third day after the cross Jesus would walk among people again leading a victory parade in spiritual triumph, having disarmed the devil and won the hoped-for victory.
    For now, on this Sabbath, Jesus worshiped the Father and rested in the Spirit. Hope was his pillow. On the morning to come an impromptu process, one planned since before time began, would start the events of His Passion in motion. Hope sustained Him through the passion week just as it sustains us today.

Psalm 42
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”… Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; … Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Isaiah 53:1-12 NIV
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.… After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my hope. You conquered life as well as death. You came into the world You made. You even came into the flesh You created in Your own image. The world did not conquer You; You overcame the world. The humanity You wore did not wear You down. You endured every temptation possible and never gave in. You never slipped; You redeemed the image of God in us. There was still one thing that You had to do. In Your innocence, You took our guilt. In Your holiness, You took our iniquity. In Your pain, You healed our sicknesses. No one has done what You have done. My hope is in You and it is sure. Amen.

Song:
The Solid Rock
Words: Edward Mote; Music: Wm. Bradbury

1. My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

April 5, 2017

Death

Death is not a terminus, that is, a final goal or a finishing point.  Death is a passageway.

Consider the death of Christ.
From the moment He could grasp the thought of it, Jesus’ appointment with the cross dominated His life on this earth.

  • The long years in the home of Joseph and Mary,
  • the days in the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth, and
  • the three and a half years of public ministry all led Him inexorably to Calvary.

Suspended there between earth and heaven by the cruel nails of our sin, Jesus declared “It is finished!”  Then He gave up the ghost and slumped in death, real death: no breathing, with blood no longer coursing through His body but dripping from His wounds.  He did not swoon; He died.  He was not drugged; He was executed.  Faithful friends took His lifeless body down from the cross, prepared it as best they could in the short time they had before the Sabbath, and placed it in a tomb.

It was finished.

But He was not finished.
Jesus’ death was not a terminus, a finishing point.  He descended to the place where those who were faithful to the Old Covenant waited for Him.  Each of their deaths was a passageway from earthly life to the place reserved for them called, Abraham’s Bosom.  In another spiritual location, Satan and his demons danced and celebrated their triumph over Jesus.  In the midst of their revelry, Jesus strode among them, shattering their noise to silence.  The only sound was the triumphal footsteps of the One who had died, but now lived again.

He demanded and received the keys of death, hell, and the grave from the fallen angel Lucifer and exited hell in absolute victory over all evil.  Jesus led captivity captive as He escorted the faithful from Abraham’s bosom to His Father’s presence in paradise.  Moses, Noah, Abraham, Samuel, David, and Isaiah were in that procession:

  • Moses realized the meaning of the lamb’s blood on the doorposts.
  • Noah saw the global saving grace of God in another ark; this one was a man named Jesus.
  • Abraham knew that God had indeed provided a Lamb.
  • Samuel could feel the anointing oil burning as he recognized the Lord’s Anointed One, The Christ of God.
  • David danced before His greater Son and the eternal Kingdom He was bringing.
  • Isaiah saw the scars of the suffering Messiah and knew he was about to enter the throne room of God he had seen centuries before.

Death is no terminus; it is a passageway.

  • Baptism brings another passageway into sight.  We are buried with the Lord in baptism and we are raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
  • We live a crucified life, dead to sin and alive to the Spirit of God.
  • Physical death is the passageway to life eternal, so we do not sorrow as those who have no such hope.
  • As we die daily in surrender to God, we are made alive in Christ.

The questions of Paul become our challenge in the face of the inevitable:

“O grave, where is your victory?  O death where is your sting?”

Death, you are not a finishing point, not at all!  When we meet you, we will simply go on from there!

Scriptures

Ephesians 4:7-10 NKJV
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:” When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended” — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Revelation 1:17-18 KJV
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
2 Timothy 1:9-10
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 KJV
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus You faced down our greatest fear—death itself! You seized that old lion by his beard and broke its neck. At Calvary Satan bruised Your heel and in his smoky domain You bruised that Serpent’s head. You disarmed our enemy, robbing him of his greates weapon against us—the fear of death. You reduced the end of life to simply the turn of a page in our story. You have made the passage ahead of us so that those who believe may follow You even there—to life eternal. You robbed death of its sting and plundered the grave of its victory. No one has done what You have done and yet when our time comes the hand we feel will be Yours. The face we see, the voice we hear, and the peace we find, will all be yours. Thank You, Lord. Jesus! Amen and Amen.

Song:
The Victor
Words and Music by Jimmy and Carol Owens

1. Swallowed into earth’s dark womb,
Death has triumphed, That’s what they say.
But tried to hold him in the tomb
The son of life Rose on the third day

Look! The gates of hell are falling,
Crumbling from the inside out!
He’s bursting through The walls with laughter!
Listen to the angels shout!

Refrain:
It is finished. He has done it Life conquered death.
Jesus Christ Has won it!

2. His plan of battle fooled them all.
They led him off to prison to die.
But as he entered Hades hall,
He broke those hellish chains with a cry!

Listen to those demons screaming!
See him bruise the serpent’s head!
The prisoners of hell redeeming,
All the power of death is dead!

Refrain

Look! The gates of hell are falling,
Crumbling from the inside out!
He’s bursting through The walls with laughter!
Listen to the angels shout!

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 30, 2017

Grief

Losses must be grieved.
The greater the loss, the more devastating the grief.  In His grace, the Lord provides a healing context for our grief. We learn about this from the Gospel narrative.

The long Sabbath day between the crucifixion and the first day of the week was a day of grief like no other. The anonymous faces in the Jerusalem crowds who had only seen Jesus or heard His voice grieved the loss of a hope, mild though it may have been, that Messiah would come and deliver them from the iron grip of Rome. Those who were once were blind, deaf, dumb, sick, and lame who could now see, hear, speak, work, and walk in fullness of health had lost their healer.  They must have grieved their loss even in their new found health.

Mary of Magdala was one of these.
She had been possessed by seven demons and had served at the pleasure of countless cruel men, yet the life she knew before Jesus was stark and empty.  Her grief at the loss of Him threatened to return her to that desolate state.  Grief compounded by fear would have made her a fountain or tears if she had had any tears left to shed.

The disciples scattered, each grieving in his own way.
James and John, the “Sons of Thunder,” were silent, unable to think, or to imagine life without Jesus.  Peter, the third member of the inner circle of the disciples, could not stop thinking, remembering his sniveling denials, trembling leaf-like before strangers and a servant girl, pleading no knowledge of the man on trial.  He, the boaster, the leader, the confessor, was now the broken, the liar, and the coward.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany
This family grieved the loss of a true friend and more than that, the loss of hope; His absence was more commanding than His presence had been.

  • Mary could still smell the aroma of the perfume on her hands from the alabaster jar she had broken.  Her premonition of His death did little to comfort her now that it had actually happened.
  • Martha thought of all the meals she had prepared for Him and the joyful way He had consumed her offerings.  He made a meal of life, living each day to its fullest.  The thought of never serving Him again, was almost more than she could bear.
  • Lazarus knew more than the others about where Jesus went when breath left His body.  He tried to imagine what Jesus’ entrance into Abraham’s bosom would be like—surely those dead and waiting there would live again—he had!

Mary and the Family of Jesus
Grief had touched the family of Jesus once before, when Joseph died.  When death claimed the man who helped Jesus grow to be a man, a craftsman, a businessman, a responsible and loving man who could shoulder a man’s responsibility, Jesus comforted the rest of the family.  Who would comfort them now?

Mary had lived most of her life treasuring things in her heart that most people never imagined.
She knew the awful prophecies of Isaiah about how Messiah must suffer and bear the sins of all.  She remembered the words of the old man Simeon at the Temple on the day that she and Joseph presented Jesus to the Lord, “A sword shall pierce your heart.”  On this Sabbath she felt the sharp blade of the sword.  Unlike the others, Mary’s grief was tinged with hope.  She had learned to listen carefully to the words of her Son and to remember them.  He predicted His death, surely enough, but usually with another prediction—he would come back from death in three days.  Even in her weakened condition, exhausted from the horrid spectacle of the trials, scourging, and crucifixion, this hope restrained her grief.  Perhaps she was the only one of His follower who rested any at all on that Saturday.

That Saturday of grief slowly melted into night.  The mocking sun, with it empty promise of light, retreated in shame beneath the western horizon.  The darkness somehow did not feel the same.  Perhaps tomorrow…

Scriptures:
Luke 2:34-35
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Mark 10:33-34
“We are going up to Jerusalem…and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
Luke 23:54-56
It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your redemption is so complete You even provide a context of hope in which we can grieve our losses. You give us hope as the antidote for our grief and as we focus on You the antidote takes effect and our grief is abated. Losses will come to us in this life, but You have walked this path before and even now You are our Companion-in-the-way. Many time in each our lives we feel like we occupy the days between the empty cross and the empty tomb, days of grief to be sure, but also days of hope. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Song:
O Sacred Head Now Wounded
Words: Bernard of Clairvaux; Music: Passion Chorale (Hassler)

1. O sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, your only crown.
O sacred head, what glory and blessing you have known!
Yet, though despised and gory, I claim you as my own.

2. My Lord, what you did suffer was all for sinner’s gain;
Mine was the transgression, but yours the deadly pain.
So here I kneel, my Savior, for I deserve your place;
Look on me with thy favor and save me by your grace.

3. What language shall I borrow to thank you, dearest Friend,
For this, your dying sorrow, your pity without end?
Lord, make me yours forever,a loyal servant true,
And let me never, never outlive my love to you.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 29, 2017

Atonement

Costs must be paid.
Something of value can only be purchased by paying the cost demanded.  Before wrongs can be righted, mistakes corrected, impacts countered, losses restored, damage repaired, deep bruises and broken hearts healed, and records cleared, the cost of these iniquities must be paid.  Sins demand atonement.

It was so during the trial, scourging, and crucifixion of Jesus.

  • When the whip repeatedly cut Jesus’ back,
  • when the sharp thorns in his mocking crown pierced His sensitive scalp,
  • when the fists and open palms pelted his face,
  • when His beard was ripped from His skin,
  • when the hammers drove the nails into His hands and feet,
  • when the soldiers hoisted the cross against the raging sky,
  • when the crowd made sport and hurled abuse at Him,
  • when all these things happened Jesus was paying the cost.

He atoned with His innocent blood for all the guilt of mankind.
Because of His atonement, life can be made good again, in a blessed foretaste today and with a bright future someday.  Because of Calvary

  • Wrongs can be righted.
  • Mistakes can be corrected.
  • The power of sin can be countered.
  • Things the enemy has stolen can be restored.
  • The damages of sin can be repaired.
  • The deep bruises and broken hearts can be healed and
  • The records of each sinner can be cleansed, replaced by the spotless account of the obedience of Jesus.

Jesus paid the full price for the sins of us all at Calvary.

There is something we must do.
If so, then why is there still sin and pain and suffering and sickness and meanness and anger?
It is not so hard to understand.  Each of us still has a free will.  Jesus atoned for us all; He paid the full price.   But there is something we must do—we must believe and receive.  As people choose to continue in their sin, evil continues its relentless assault on mankind.

The crucifixion of Jesus was the most vivid expression of God’s justice and mercy.  The sins of mankind are not abstract; they are real:

  • real cruelty and suffering,
  • real violence,
  • real hate,
  • real destruction,
  • real selfishness and real lies.

The mercy of God is just as real as His justice.  We see it at the cross.   When we call upon Christ in repentance and faith our sins are forgiven and cast away as far as the east is from the west. We stand before God as if we had never sinned—justified by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.

Breaking the Barrier
Just as the sins of mankind set up a barrier between people and their Creator, our personal sins separated us from our God.  At Calvary, Jesus broke the power of sin over people and He shattered the indictment against us by nailing it to His cross.  We now have access to God through a new and living way.

As forgiven and redeemed people, we must now walk in the mercy we have freely received.  We musts freely give of His grace, letting it flow through us in deeds of mercy and compassion, truth and justice.

The cost has been paid.  Let the redeemed life be lived!

Scriptures:
Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in … your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Psalm 103:11-12 11
…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Romans 3:23-26 23;  5:9-10
….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice … so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. …Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Prayer and Confession
From the Book of Common Prayer (adapted SRP)
Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God has mercy on me. He forgives me all my sins through our Lord Jesus Christ. He strengthens me in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keeps me in eternal life. Amen.

Song:
Jesus Paid It All
Words and Music: Elvina M. Hall

1. I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

2. Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

3. For nothing good have I Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

4. And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save, “My lips shall still repeat.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved