Good Friday & The Friendship of Enemies

   Each year as I reflect on the passion and sacrifice of Christ I am always amazed at how His Spirit teaches me something new about the greatest sacrifice in world history. Jesus went to a cruel death for me and for anyone who would trust in Him. Last night as I read the last supper passage of scripture from the gospel of John to my family as our evening devotion I asked a question to my kids. From everything I just read what spoke to your heart about what happened to Jesus? We discussed several things and then prayed and then to bed.


Today I attended a community Good Friday Breakfast in my home town. The minister who shared today did a great job sharing the early morning dealings with Jesus as they decided to crucify Jesus. As I listened and read the scriptures the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through a scripture as well. It was an unusual verse that slipped past me in times past.


Luke 23:12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies.


If you review the relationship between these two men you will see that they went through a power struggle. Basically in my opinion they both had big egos and wanted more power and because of that they were enemies over issues regarding the people under their jurisdiction.

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Luke 13:1

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. Acts 4:27

So in the final deciding moments over who would make the decision over what to do with Jesus these two enemies bounce Jesus back and forth and final a innocent man ( Jesus) is sentenced to death and two enemies become friends.

Jesus has a way of changing the most adverse circumstances around- even that of making enemies friends. Good Friday is only good for those who believe. On that original day that they crucified our Lord we find some of the most interesting things happening that are worth pondering. If the innocent life of Jesus could somehow bring  two power hungry enemies to place of becoming friends what could Jesus do in your life that is against all odds?

I leave you today with a few scriptures verses to ponder and a new and unusual video. It is from the perspective of one of the criminals that died with Jesus. Let your heart be filled with hope today that Jesus still can reverse the most unlikely situations and transform a heart at the last minute. He did 1981 years ago  on the day he died and He can still do it again today with you and your difficult situtation.

Psalm 2:1 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.

Vanished!

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

        Yesterday was a difficult day for many in our local church community. We had a funeral at 10 a.m. for a dear Saint of God who lived to age 83. She was loved and cherished by so so many. Then a few hours later around 2:30 I received a call from the Sheriffs Dept from a lady’s home who attends our church. The news was not good. I
was requested to come to the home of a mom who was being informed her son died in car wreck. Within minutes I was out the door on my way. The rest of the details have since become difficult for many to grasp and understand. Hunter was 18 and a great young man. The circumstances that led to his death at this point are not as important as the reality that Hunter is gone.

Hunter Perez

            Today was the day after his death. Many questions surround many in our youth group and most of our hearts. We got to meet Hunter about 6 months ago. He first came to Church to witness his mom get baptized into the Christian faith. A few weeks later he was at church 2-3 days a week. During that time, he was doing volunteer work to qualify for his high school diploma degree. Another long story, but it was good for all and Hunter was a great young man whose main transportation was his skate board.

            Hunter got to know my whole family and my youngest kids loved to talk with Hunter and my 11 year old son learned stuff about skateboarding from him.

         Now Hunter is gone, dead and beyond this life. But where is he? Many say after you die you just cease to exist. James in the New Testament poses a question regarding our lives and the aspect of how little control we truly have over our time and duration. We are like a mist or a vapor. Seen and then gone, never to be seen again by us on this side of life. Some of our lives go on for decades and a few even make it to a century. Many die within moments of life, others during childhood and then others from accidents, deceases and bad choices.

   Whatever the timing and regardless of the circumstances one question we all should deal with and that is the question of eternity. Our eternal home is based on our trust in Jesus Christ. With hope and encouragement I am glad Hunter was shifting gears and learning to understand His faith in Jesus. Within the time I got to know Hunter I asked Him if anyone had ever discipled him in the Christian Faith. When he told me not really, I asked if he wanted to start doing some bible studies to learn about his faith and grow in his knowledge of the Savior he claimed to know. With Joy Hunter said sure Pastor let’s do it. Below is a copy of the 4 sessions he had completed. He left them at church for us to review and never got to finish the next 4 sessions. But the 4 he did complete gives great evidence and hope to many young people who might not have this same hope.

            Did Hunter make it to heaven with Jesus? I believe the answer is YES. He left these bible studies behind at church the week before He died. He attended youth group on Wednesday night and the following Tuesday he and many others got surprised with news we could not comprehend. I also picture Jesus sending his Angels to escort Hunter from Fort Florida Road in Debary right into the presence of God. I am sure Hunter would like to share what he found out about God and heaven with those he left behind, but of course that is not part of the ability of those who die. If you were to die today do you know where you would go? Hunter knew God and wrote out the his answers and testimony in bible studies that gives assurance to me and many others that there is hope beyond the grave and that Hope is JESUS Christ risen from the dead.

If you wonder about your own eternal home then I invite you to go through these basic steps. Follow this link, pray and let me know if you decided to follow Jesus as Hunter decided. 

Hunters Bible Studies

Instant wealth without the Lottery?

Please note this  post is not about the lottery or making money or a business opportunity, but rather about Jesus!  I do not play the lottery or encourage anyone to waste their time or money on a random chance. In the gospel of Luke chapter 5 Jesus is teaching near the waters edge and the first disciples are being called out to follow him as well. I have read this bible passage before, but this time I saw something different. In this account we read about Jesus getting into a fishing boat belonging to Peter and pushing off shore to get some space away from the crowd.  Once Jesus pushes off shore a little he keeps teaching the large crowd from the boat.
       

After Jesus finishes teaching he asks Peter to go out into the deep waters.  “Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

    It is miraculous because they caught so much fish and almost sunk two boats trying to contain them. This is amazing to me because they walked away from the greatest catch  ever to follow Jesus. In verse 11 we read that “they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."

   We see are fisherman who had a long evening of hard work with NO CATCH. This was not a good business day at all for those fishermen who needed to go market, make a living so they could feed their families and perhaps employees. All this changed in a short amount of time when they obeyed Jesus as illogical as it sounded to Peter's ears. They have so many fish being caught that Peter calls for his partners to bring another boat to handle the catch. Before they realize it their boats are actually struggling to stay afloat because of the weight of so many fish.

 

       Emotionally it impacted their lives and especially Peter. Peter realizes he is in the presence of greatness and the divine Messiah. He is convinced through this encounter how sinful he is and completely humbles himself in the midst of fish, nets and other fisherman by falling on his knees before Jesus. I’ve got to imagine that the crowd on the shore is witnessing every bit of this adventure as well. For an exhausted fisherman who was working hard all night with his fishing companions this is a very humbling and divine encounter.

   This catch of fish is much like hitting the lottery. People play the lottery with the hope to win an instant large catch of cash to fill their lives with more than enough. Most people never win and waste millions of dollars on a system of chances. Yet in this account, these fishermen actually hit a bonanza of a catch as never probably experienced before in fishing history.  This catch of fish was likely so big that it could have put them over the top in their financial business lives above every fishing vessel in the area for weeks on end or longer.

      These fishermen hit the jackpot, yet they pulled up their sinking boats and LEFT EVERYTHING (a financial wealth of fish for market) to follow Jesus. Wow!! What should this tell us about following Jesus first and not be overly concerned with business above the clear instructions and directions of the Lord?  It does not mean we do not work or care and strive to succeed, but it does mean we listen and obey Jesus and follow him above all things first. If we do so, I believe the desire for the big catch (whatever that is for you) will fad away in comparison to the wealth of opportunity to know and follow the Masters plan for your daily life.  

Thank God that he can meet our natural needs in unorthodox and unusual ways if we will just keep listening and following our Master for our daily lives.  May we who call ourselves followers of Jesus continue to follow the real catch?

Businesses & Christmas Blessings?

   A few weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a group of ministry leaders over lunch. During the discussion, one of them mentioned an unexpected call from the bank offering him a lower mortgage rate as a good faithful customer. That conversation spoke of two things to me: 1. The banks have more bad customers than good ones and 2. Banks want to keep good customers and reward them before they look elsewhere and doing it during ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ speaks well to people. CHRISTMAS!  

   Yesterday, I received my own business offer to skip a monthly payment on my van for either December or January as a customer who has not missed a payment. It made me think of the mortgage offer of my colleague, as well as the blessing it was meant to be at Christmas time to help relieve pressure for faithful customers who might be feeling the pinch during the holidays.

   We see more needs and charity acts of benevolence during Christmas than at any other time of the year. Why?  Because many remember the most charitable act of all when God gave His only begotten son to be a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. At Christmas we remember a special baby born over 2000 years ago. This baby is the Savior, who was divinely incarnated into the womb of a virgin girl. Wow!  If this same act of God were to have happened today in a single woman many would try explaining it away with artificial insemination. God’s timing is always best.

Even in bad economic times those in business seem to be catching the spirit of blessing others even if it is only the faithful ones they bless.  I never see these offers in the spring, summer or fall and I believe this is all reflected because God gave His Son Jesus.  Blessing others with relief, charity and unexpected benevolence in the name of Jesus is what Christmas is all about. May we remind others now with unmerited acts of charity as we recall our unmerited salvation offer from heaven. Many today are hurting and jobless and will not likely be the recipient of a business blessing like noted above, but perhaps you could catch the purpose of Christmas and bless others as Christ has blessed you.

 Who do you know that you could bless with perhaps paying a power bill or filling up the tank of gas along with yours at the pumps? and then just saying: Merry Christmas!

May we all catch the Spirit of Blessing others as Christ is our Blessing to whomsoever would receive!  I received His gift and now let us give Him away and a blessing that speaks of Him.