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

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 28, 2017

Submission

Human nature is strong. 
The will to survive is perhaps the strongest force in the human heart. In the garden called Gethsemane the battle between the will to survive and the demands of absolute love raged in the quietness of the night.

Before the soldiers broke the silence of that night with the sounds of sandals rhythmically pounding the floor of the garden and swords rattling in their belts, drops of blood fell to the ground, the telling residue of the silent battle of will against love.  This blood was not drawn by the blade, but by the bitter anguish of a soul in torment.  Jesus’ sweat became as blood as He faced the cup of iniquity filled to overflowing by all the sins of mankind, past and future.

  • Roman cruelty and religious bigotry were in the cup,
  • as was the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart,
  • the idolatry of the nations, including Israel,
  • the genocide of Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot,
  • the hedonism, racism, greed, and infanticide of America, and
  • the institutionalized hatred of radical Islam.
  • Our private little sins were there, too.

This bitter cup was abhorrent to Jesus. 
For more than thirty years He had lived a sinless life although beset by every temptation known to man. Now He must swallow all sin, taking into his human life the poison of the ages from Eden to the end of time.  He was God incarnate, the divine merged with the human.  In a mystery we cannot unravel in this life, Jesus had laid aside His divinity to live by the power of the Spirit in the flesh.  The Spirit of God had never failed Him:

  • Demons fled at the sound of His command.
  • Sickness, impairment, and disease vanished at His touch.
  • Lies and liars melted away at His reasoning.
  • Even the winds and waves obeyed Him.

On this night, in this garden, the will of the Father was not to deliver Him; it was the Father’s will that Jesus deliver us.

He asked His friends to watch and pray with Him.

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

They were unable to do as He asked.  Sleep overcame them. His prayer of agony echoed through the stillness of the olive trees:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Returning to the sleeping disciples, Jesus revealed the nature of the battle within Him:

“The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

His spirit was powerful, calling for Him to lovingly submit to the agreed upon plan from ages past.  But now, having entered willingly into time, in this moment the human will to survive was strong.  It was the last temptation He must resist.  He prayed the prayer of submission a second time, and then a third and final time:

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

This silent night was broken by the shouts of soldiers and followers, the greeting of one who betrayed and his kiss, the scrape of swords drawn from leather, the cry of a wounded temple guard and the amazement of all who saw the severed ear restored.  As soldiers dragged Jesus away and His friends scattered into the safety of darkness, the stillness beneath the olive trees returned as if nothing had happened there.

But something did happened there—the world was redeemed.

Scriptures:
Matthew 26:36-56
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them… “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed… When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people …Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him… With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You did not submit because of weakness. You said Your spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. This I understand. I have felt the failure of my human soul to follow the will of my human spirit. You had something to do that no one else in the world who ever lived could do. You did it. You drained the bitter cup of the sins of the world, taking all of it into Your sinless self. “Thank you” seems all too beggarly a word to use but I must express my gratitude to You for this. You did this for me as much as You did it for anyone. I submit to You. I know that my salvation is a gift that I could never earn yet something in me wants to serve You the rest of my days—starting today! Amen.

Song:
What Wondrous Love Is This?
Composer Unknown

1. What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

2. When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down;
when I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.

3. To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb, I will sing;
to God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM –
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
while millions join the theme, I will sing.

4. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and through eternity I’ll sing on

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 26, 2017

Restoration

Jesus and Violence: the Exception
When Jesus and violence meet in the Bible, He is usually on the receiving end.  There is an exception:  The cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem.

How strange to think of the gentle Jesus, whip in hand, driving out the money-changers, overturning their tables, and scattering their coins and goods to the mercy of the crowd.  Yet, that is what happened.  We must ask questions:

  1. Was this out of character for Jesus who is supposed to be meek and lowly?
  2. Why did the merchandising of “spirituality” upset Him so when the religious leaders stood by approving?

What was wrong with this corrupted system of “worship?”
When reading the gospel narratives we sometimes skip over the parts we don’t understand or find unpleasant.  Therefore, these parts of the story are forced from our memory as we ruminate on the gentle, compassionate, and friendly side of Jesus’ character.  Our reluctance to embrace the entire revelation of the person Jesus when He walked this earth does not morph Him into our image of Him.  He remains who He was and is.

Sometimes He got angry.

The full range of His character is so important for us to consider:

  • Note the times of discouragement when He was misunderstood.
  • There were times of grief when He wept openly.
  • Disappointment came when those closest to Him did not believe.
  • His biting anger against the religious leaders erupted from Him in the names he called them like, “snakes” and  “white-washed tombs.”
  • His unbridled joy is seen in the many parties and dinners He attended.
  • His delight in children is apparent as they must have squirmed into His lap for a hug.

But why this anger and violence at the Temple?

The Restoration of Worship
Sometimes one must destroy something once good but now corrupt to build something better. What Jesus was doing with the whip and the shouted quotation of prophecy was more than the purging of the Temple.  He was destroying the corrupted worship of men in order to restore the True Worship of God.

  • On the local scale, Old Covenant worship had been so thoroughly corrupted by wicked leadership that a totally new beginning was needed.
  • On the cosmic scale, the Old Covenant was about to be dismantled and the New Covenant erected in its place.  In 40 years or so, the Romans would do to the Temple  what Jesus did to the moneychangers.  Jesus predicted it that day.

The prophecy Jesus shouted as His violence against spun itself out was this:

“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.'”

A Covenant of Restoration
Indeed, true prayer for all nations is the essence of the New Covenant. Jesus’ ministry was and is to restore our relationship with God.   Jesus’ message while He walked this earth was the coming access to the Father each of us would have in prayer. Prayer is so much more than asking God for things.  Times of prayer are times of communion with God Almighty!  Without the atoning blood of Jesus, none of us could ever have communion with our Maker.  Our sins would consume us in a flash.

  • With the New Covenant there would be no need for the animal sacrifices—Jesus would be the final Lamb!
  • There would be no need for a building called the Temple—each believer in Jesus would be a Temple of the Holy Spirit.
  • There would be no need of an exalted priesthood.  With the New Covenant each believer is a priest unto the Lord.
  • There would also be no single race serving as a doorway to God. The church would be the “chosen generation” and the “One Holy Nation” on earth making the New Covenant House of God a place of prayer for all nations.

The violence meted out by Jesus was not out of character.  True Spirituality must never be corrupted by profiteering.  To do so is to grieve the Spirit and risk the anger of Jesus. (See Acts 5:1-11!)

May all our houses of prayer be suitable for all nations.

Scriptures:
Luke 19:41-48
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Mark 11:15-19
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area 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 would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 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.'”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, sometimes in the Bible we see Your anger. I see Your deep rage and sorrow at  scenes of injustice. The corruption of worship is a supreme injustice to mankind. Help me honor “Your Father’s House” as a house of prayer for all nations. Help me brook no prejudice there, no power-mongering leaders, and no profiteering of any kind. Instead, help me pray in Your Name and worship in Spirit and Truth. Your cross restored True Worship. Help the prophesy of the angel hosts be fulfilled in Your house—“peace on earth and goodwill toward men.” Amen.

Song:
Jesus Opened Up the Way
Words and Music: Eugene M. Bartlett

1. Jesus Christ the Lord opened up the way to glory
When He died to save us from our ruined state,
And He asks that we shall go tell the world the story,
How His blood will save them from their awful fate.

Refrain:
Jesus opened up the way to heaven’s gate
When He died on the cross,To redeem all the lost;
He prepared the roadThat leads to His abode,
’Tis a road marked by blood But it leads us home to God.

2. And the way is marked by the footprints of the Savior,
With His blood he made it, made it plain and straight;
If you walk that way, it will lead you into heaven,
Lead you safely into glory’s golden gate.

Refrain

3. Sinner, will you come and join in this heav’nly journey,
Walk the bloody pathway that the Savior trod;
Then when life is over and all the sheaves are garnered,
You will meet the Savior and be not afraid.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 24, 2017

Crosses

The cross of Christ changed the world.
As a gruesome but efficient means of execution, the Roman cross was well known before the time of Jesus. His cross was no different than those of the two thieves beside Him on Golgotha. The wooden spars that formed His cross are lost to history, burned as someone’s trash fire, no doubt.

The meaning of that cross has changed nations, one citizen at a time. This was more than an execution; it was a transformation. This thing of imminent death became the symbol of life everlasting. This implement of destruction became a tool of restoration.

On His cross Jesus conquered death by dying for our sins. He banished sickness by the means of injury—the Roman whip that slashed His back. He rebuked pride with a Crown of Thorns. He routed hate with His perfect love. He disarmed violence with His innocence and He frightened fear away with perfect peace. He ruined sin with His willing obedience.

No wonder we sing about His cross to this day.
It is clear why the writers of the New Testament made His Cross their story. It should not surprise us that the world tries another transformation, seeking to rob the Cross of its true power and make it jewelry and ornament for our vanity.

But the truth is still told everywhere. The Cross of Christ changes everything.

Another Cross
Jesus spoke of another cross, not the Cross of the Redeemer, but the cross of the believer. Jesus carried His cross once and for all. The believer must take up his/her cross every day. Following Jesus we must deny ourselves, delay our demands for gratification, and prioritize the work God has for us to do.

We will see the transformation.
Work becomes worship. Play becomes praise. Repose becomes Sabbath Rest. Life brims with abundance. We are rich because He was made poor. We are healed because He was wounded. We are delivered because He has overcome. We are safe because He defeated our foes. This daily cross we carry is not a thing of death but it is an instrument of life.

The Cross of Christ changes everything.

Scriptures:
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. … All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. … From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him — may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations… Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn — for he has done it.
Luke 9:23-25 NIV
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
John 19:17-18
Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others — one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
Colossians 2:13-15 NIV
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.
Galatians 6:14-15
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Prayer:
The General Thanksgiving
The Book of Common Prayer
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Your unworthy servants give You humble thanks for all your goodness and loving‑kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless You for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of Your mercies, That with truly thankful hearts we may show forth Your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to Your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Song:
The Old Rugged Cross
Words and Music: George Bennard

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 17, 2017

 

Brokenhearted

Broken bones will mend if properly set.
Broken promises can be renegotiated. Broken lives can be repaired in the office of the Great Physician; we see this all the time.

Broken hearts are harder to reach than broken bones.
What splint or caste is there to bind up the brokenhearted? People whose hearts have been betrayed, may never trust another negotiator. Wounded hearts may never press through the crowds to touch the hem of His garment.

The Wounded Healer
The story we tell the world is that of the wounded Healer. The One with His own broken heart who is able to bind up the broken hearts that come to Him.

In these weeks we contemplate the brokenhearted Jesus:

  • abandoned by most of His family,
  • forcefully taken to the brow of a hill in His hometown only to disarm the crowd simply by walking through them,
  • assaulted by the religious establishment,
  • weeping over Jerusalem,
  • receiving the kiss of His betrayer, and
  • hearing the footsteps of His followers fleeing from the Garden.

The taunts and blows of the soldiers bruised His mind and body, but His great heart was not broken by these injuries. Neither the whip nor the nails could wound His heart; they could only pierce the body His Father had provided Him.

His heart kept on beating.
Pain enough, these wounds, but His strong heart did not break—it had work to do. His precious blood must be pumped through these wounds and spill to the earth—a crimson stream of blood. The whole world would need this redeeming flow. His life must be poured out for all who will believe in the ages to come, so His heart kept on beating.

When the full price was paid, with His face ashen and drained of color, Jesus lifted His eyes to the Father. He had taken the full measure of wickedness into a sinless heart. It was done. “It is finished.” He was barely able to pronounce the completion of his task.

In a way that we cannot understand, His Father could not look anymore upon Him. For this Abraham and Isaac there would be no angel to block the thrust of the knife.

The heart of Jesus broke and He released His spirit to God, quoting a psalm He had learned as a child.

In that moment of brokenness all wounds were healed.
Until we are made like Him when we see Him as He is, we have the power to endure broken bones, promises, and lives. The Wounded Healer is our Physician. Jesus is the One who is anointed to preach this good news—He will bind up the broken hearted.

Scriptures:
Psalm 69 NIV
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. … You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. … I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. The poor will see and be glad — you who seek God, may your hearts live! The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.
Jeremiah 8:22 NIV
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?
Isaiah 61:1 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Matthew27:46 KJV
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
John 19:30 NIV
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Luke 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my heart has been broken, but never like Yours was broken. I have felt Your warm hands holding my heart at those times, shielding me from further injury, sustaining me with Your strength. I thought I would die, but You kept me alive. You let my tears flow just as your tears did at the tomb of Lazarus and on that hill overlooking Jerusalem. When my tears stopped, Your healing hands cradled my broken heart in love. You warmed my wounded heart with the Balm of Gilead and the healing began. In this life some wounds never completely heal. They leave behind scar tissue to remind us of Your touch then, now, and someday, when we see You as You are, the touch that will finish the work. Amen

Song:
I Must Tell Jesus
Words and Music: Elisha A. Hoffman

1. I must tell Jesus all of my trials; I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me; He ever loves and cares for His own.

Refrain:
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

2. I must tell Jesus all of my troubles; He is a kind, compassionate friend;
If I but ask Him, He will deliver, Make of my troubles quickly an end.

Refrain

3. Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior, One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus; He all my cares and sorrows will share.

Refrain

4. O how the world to evil allures me! O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me Over the world the vict’ry to win

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 16, 2017

 

Testimonies

A testimony is a story—a true story.
In court we have to swear that the testimony we are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. To tell a lie after such an oath is a crime called perjury.

A testimony is also a witness—a faithful witness.
The same oaths and principles apply to the words of witness as to the details of the narrative.

The Psalmists say things like this:

  • “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! (Ps 119:2 NKJV) and,
  • “Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.” (Ps 93:5 NKJV)

In this season of the year we tell and tell again the story of a death that gives life—the Jesus Story.

All year we celebrate the thrilling parts of the story:

  • the trio of songs from angels, shepherds, and wise men as they praised Jesus as a child,
  • the new wine at the wedding that moments before was just water,
  • the healings and deliverances,
  • the debates with the Pharisees when they never had a chance against Jesus,
  • the incredible personal moments He shared with individuals—Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the adulterous woman, Mary of Bethany,
  • the crowds that followed Him, hungering for every word of life and getting a miraculous lunch in the bargain,
  • the amazing impenetrable words falling to the foot of the mountain about a new way of living, a way peace and love that deals with turning cheeks, burdens carried the extra mile, and love and prayers for our enemies,
  • the transfiguring moment on another mountain when the veil of flesh that hid His glory fell for a few minutes as He spoke with Moses and Elijah,
  • His resurrection power at the tomb of Lazarus, and on and on the testimonies from the witnesses go.

These days it is time to speak of other scenes in the story:

  • His last meal with friends before His passion,
  • the passion with all its pain and promise,
  • the cross, the cruel crown, the nails, the spear, the storm, the shaking earth, and the silence,
  • the weeping women, and the faithful men, and
  • the borrowed tomb.

We will never know such rejection, such pain, but we seek in these weeks to identify with Jesus.

How can we do this?

We tell the story again and again because it is true. It is our sworn testimony. Even all these centuries later we, too, are faithful witnesses to its truth.

Scripture:
Psalm 119:121-144 NKJV
I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me. My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O Lord, For they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way. Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted For I longed for Your commandments. Look upon me and be merciful to me ,As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law. Righteous are You, O Lord, And upright are Your judgments. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights. The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live

Prayer of Confession:
The Apostles’ Creed
The Book of Common Prayer
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Song:
I Love to Tell the Story
Words: Kate Hankey; Music: William G. Fischer

1. I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
it satisfies my longings as nothing else could do.

Refrain:
I love to tell the story; ’twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

2. I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
the message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

Refrain

3. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 8, 2017

Innocence

Innocence can be shocking.
The preponderance of guilt in the world has conditioned us to expect hidden sin in everyone, to watch our backs in even the most polite company, and to suspect that what is going on is not what is really going on.

Then suddenly innocence appears before us:

  • A child with wide eyes and a wider smile, looking at us is if we might be innocent,
  • A pure-hearted person who without effort invites our trust,
  • A strong man who can weep without condescension for those who are weak,
  • A wounded healer whose scars can only be seen in kindness and strength.

The earth has seen such a shocking display of innocence before.

Jesus, the Innocent
Innocence came to the Temple as a 12 year old boy asking questions of the elders and giving answers to their questions. Innocence came to John in the Jordan, demanding to be baptized in repentance for sins he had not committed. John complied only when he understood that it was a baptism to fulfill all righteousness. Innocence was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit of God for more than a month of the most severe testing. Face to face with evil, Innocence spoke His Father’s words and a guilty devil had to slink away, defeated.

Innocence walked the earth in power and gentleness. Children came to Him instinctively, sensing without hesitation the warmth of His presence and the safety of His arms. The guilty shrank from Him, but not far. What remained in them of the Creator’s likeness drew them to proximity to the innocence they had long ago lost. Sinners found Him kind. Hypocrites found Him angry  with a whip or with stinging words, but His anger bore no malice toward them—only a commanding desire that the evil in them be stayed.

The brilliant found Innocence to be more so. The impaired somehow shared His strength. The lonely sensed He was a friend and companion. The abandoned felt as if they had been found. The blind could see truth in His voice. The deaf could hear life in His eyes. The sick found the strength to press through the crowd for a simple, healing touch. Soldiers could see the authority of Innocence. Politicians could see that Innocence was not fooled by the show.

Yet innocence could not restrain Judas in his scheme. The Temple guards muscled Him in the Garden and the guilty men who loved Him ran away. Innocence did not soften the bite of the nails in the Roman whips as they tore into the flesh on His back. Nor did it cushion the crush of the thorny crown they jammed onto His Head. The fists of His tormentors broke through His innocence and found their mark time and again. The insults of the crowd fell like cruel stones against His innocent heart as nails pierced hands that had never shed blood and feet that had never strayed.

And, most amazing of all, Innocence died.

It was not the end of the story, for Innocence would live again and Jesus the Christ would share His innocence with us.

Scriptures:
Psalm 26:1-8 NIV
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.
Psalm 19:12-14 NIV
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
John 19:16 NIV
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

Prayer:
(from the Book of Common Prayer)
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Song:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Words: Isaac Watts; Music: Traditional

1. When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died.
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

3. See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March

March 5, 2017

Forgiven

There is a deep healing in forgiveness.
In His home region of Capernaum, a crowd filled a house to hear Him speak of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps there were as many motives for being there as there were people: curiosity, despair, pain, desperation, boredom. Any crowd is a gathering of such emotions as well as one of names, faces, and stories.

Friends of a paralyzed man brought him to the door but not through it; it was blocked by people in the crowd, each one focused on his own situational paralysis with no thought for the invalid and his friends.

So they came through the roof.

This gained them the full attention of the Lord Jesus. He saw men of compassion, ingenuity, and organized strength. He saw their faith. He looked at their paralyzed friend and said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

That was nice but it wasn’t what they came for. They needed for Jesus to break the brokenness of their friend, to relieve him of his misery and them of their burden. The paralysis was real—it was present and unrelenting. Sins? Everybody had sins. Forgiven sins would not make their friend any lighter in their tiring arms.

He crossed a line.
Others in the crowd were surprised by the line this “son of Joseph and Mary” had crossed. Miracles were wonderful to see. They brought hope for more miracles and a faint confidence in the Jehovah they had heard about all their lives. But forgiving sins? That was a whole different issue. Miracles could be seen, like mental before-and-after-photos today. But sins, forgiven or otherwise, were spiritual things, blurry to the mind and invisible to the eye. Anyway, miracles were useful to people but sin forgiving was only God’s business and it was best left to Him.

“Which is easier,” Jesus asked, “To heal the body or to forgive sins?”

He had a way with questions that tended to silence the questioners.

“So that you may believe in me,” Jesus turned to the man on the mat and his friends still breathing hard from the work, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

He did exactly that, to the amazement of the crowd.

In this season of Lent, each of us tries to get to the real Jesus.  We need to touch Him, to see Him, and to be changed by Him.  We see His sufferings and beyond those we see His triumph–not just the crucifixion, but the empty cross and the forsaken tomb.

To look at the empty cross is like

  • Looking into the manger to see God in the flesh, or
  • reading the Gospels to see the Son of God at work, or
  • hearing the matchless music of His voice, or
  • beholding His glory in prayer and worship.

To do these things is to be changed. Not only are we forgiven—no longer guilty—but we are welcomed into His presence.

And we didn’t even have to come through the roof.

There is a deep healing in forgiveness.

Scriptures:
Mark 2:1-12 NIV
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
1 John 1:9-10 NIV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, all I have to do is believe in You, to somehow touch the hem of Your garment with my faith and repentance and I will be forgiven of my sins. Paralyzed by disobedience no longer, I can rise, take up my life and walk. As I walk in this amazing forgiveness today, help me also be a forgiver of those who have struck at me. My freewill offering today is one of humility, repentance, and thanksgiving. I will know your deliverance in my heart and see it in my friends. Amen.

Song:
The Healing Waters
Words: H.H. Helmar; Music: L.L. Pickett

1. Oh, the joy of sins forgiv’n, Oh, the bliss the blood-washed know,
Oh, the peace akin to Heav’n, Where the healing waters flow.

Refrain:
Where the healing waters flow, Where the joys celestial glow,
Oh, there’s peace and rest and love, Where the healing waters flow!

2. Now with Jesus crucified, At His feet I’m resting low;
Let me evermore abide Where the healing waters flow.

Refrain

3. O, this precious, perfect love! How it keeps the heart aglow,
Streaming from the fount above, Where the healing waters flow.

Refrain

4. Oh, to lean on Jesus’ breast, While the tempests come and go!
Here is blessèd peace and rest, Where the healing waters flow.

Refrain

5. Cleansed from every sin and stain, Whiter than the driven snow,
Now I sing my sweet refrain, Where the healing waters flow.
Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved