But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said,“TEACHER, rebuke YOUR followers for saying things like that!”
HE replied, “If they kept quiet,the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
Luke 19:39-40 ~ NLT~ (Habakkuk 2:11)
PALM SUNDAY toEASTER SUNDAY! What does your family do to make the most of this wonderful week? How do you make it special and different than any other time of the year? I fear many of us place more emphasis on CHRISTMAS than EASTER. For us, CHRISTMAS and EASTER ought to all be about HISbirth, death, burial, and resurrection. If you are a CHRIST–follower, I urge you to avoid making bunnies, peeps, and baskets the focus of this EASTER WEEK! Let’s emphasize JESUS & proclaim “HOSANNA! ~ Save Us!”
In the passage above, the Pharisees tell JESUS to keep EASTER a secret. If you read and listen to what JESUS said about this in Luke 12:8-9, then you will realize this is a very serious issue to our LORD and SAVIOR!
“And I assure you of this: I, THE MESSIAH, will publicly honor you in the presence of GOD’S angels if you publicly acknowledge ME here on earth as your Friend.” ~ The Living Bible ~ (TLB)
Listen to this same verse in THE MESSAGE BIBLE ~ (TMB):
“Stand up for ME among the people you meet and THE SON OF MAN will stand up for you before all GOD’S angels. But if you pretend you don’t know ME, do you think I’ll defend you before GOD’S angels?
Today, in church we sing the song, “Somebody is gonna praise HIS name” by PETRA. The lyrics state, “It will either be you and me, or it’s gonna be a rock or tree.” There is another great song that says, “Ain’t no rock gonna cry out in my place!” Do you struggle to share your faith in JESUS? FEAR NOT! ~ BE BOLD, BRAVE, & VERBAL! This is a great week to tell others about JESUS! They are wondering and listening. May JESUS and HIS HOLY WORD be on our hearts and lips every day this week! 😊
“And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her.” II Kings 8:6b NLT
RESTORED: My Story Isn’t Over Yet! ~As we prepare to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King on Monday, I believe we need to remember why, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan chose to set a day of celebration to honor the memory of the positive things Dr. King accomplished. He stood face to face with many who judged people merely by the color of their skin. This Baptist minister led peaceful rallies to raise awareness and make changes to a horrifying condition in our homes and churches. Many, in the name of religion, chose to cling to hate and violence in the name of their church and religious beliefs. This has always been an unbiblical, demonic activity. Martin Luther King’s life was taken, in 1968, by hateful people for his dream of love.
In our walk through THE WORD today, we revisit the woman from Shunem whose son was resurrected by GOD through Elisha the prophet. (II Kings 4:8-37) Having helped Elisha, her circumstances change as a famine hits the land. She and her family are forced to leave everything behind for which they had worked so hard. She must move to a foreign land for seven long, lean, depressing years. This happens through no fault of her own. She is a victim of these circumstances. It’s unfair!Why didn’t she quit?
Far too many of our friends, our children, and our grandchildren are overwhelmed by circumstances. Listen to this, “over one billion people struggle with mental illness.” Moreover, “there is a 56% rise in teen suicide.” Furthermore, “1.1 million people die by suicide each year.” https://projectsemicolon.com/about-project-semicolon-organization/
Each of us is created by GOD, in HIS image, for HIS purpose. As I read THE BIBLE, I see life stories filled with pain, anxiety, and despair. Yet, I find GOD’S redemption in JESUS weaved throughout each of them. HIS hope is real, & HIS help is on the way. ~ RESTORED: Your Story Isn’t Over Yet! 😊
APOSTASY ~ I love the story of Naaman’s healing. That’s what it’s labeled in most BIBLES with a subtopic above the passage. However, I think it should be called the healing Naaman almost missed because of his pride and Unrealistic Expectations. Do you see it? Naaman says, “I expected him to…” He absolutely had his own version of what his healing would look like, and when he did not get things his way… he left mad. He was ready to walk away from GOD because GOD did not do things the way he expected THE LORD and CREATOR of the UNIVERSE to do it his way!
Have your Unrealistic Expectations made you mad enough to quit your FAITH? All too often, we get offended by someone and quit. GOD has not failed us! JESUS CHRIST’S Blood still washes away all of our sin. His mercies are new every morning.
28 Then JESUS said, “Come to ME, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take MY yoke upon you. Let ME teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For MY yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
How often have we said or thought, “I Expected GOD to do something different!” I have spoken to so many people who have shared their “the church failed me” story. Others, tell me how one or a few people did something to hurt them, so they left the faith. Have you ever been there, or are you there right now?
Brother and Sisters, THIS IS ME!We left home to “serve THE LORD!” I expected to see GOD do great things everywhere we went. However, along the way some people got mad at me and told me to leave their church because they didn’t like my hair, my personality, my jokes, or my illustrations. What happened? I got mad at GOD because they didn’t like me. What have I missed because I let my Unrealistic Expectations get in the way? How many have we failed by not surrendering to GOD? LORD JESUS, please forgive us for our pride and arrogance. Thank you for YOURgrace and mercy through the pain, hurt, and self-pity. I love THEE, LORD JESUS! 😊PLEASE ~COME HOME!
Living in THE SHADOW of the CROSS
Blessings inCHRIST
Pastor Wes
I Peter 3:15
Keith Green sang it so well… “I don’t want to fall away from YOU!”
So Elishareturned to hisoxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. Hepassed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then hewent with Elijah as his assistant. ~ I Kings 19:21
Trust: No Going Back! Today, we begin to look at the end of The ProphetElijah’s work, and the beginning of The Prophet Elisha’s work. This changing of the guard should encourage and motivate us to renew our commitments to our own call. Do you remember when you first heard the life-changing truth of the GOSPEL? It was the moment when you realized you were bankrupt and had nothing good to offer GOD. It is in that moment when we receive the free gift of salvation through the marvelous work of JESUS on the cross. We come as beggars with nothing to give, and then we leave as children of the KING! We are filled with the SPIRIT to help us walk worthily in this new life. JESUS called this moment being Born-Again. (John 3:3)
As we consider The Prophet Elisha’s actions that day, I am reminded of Cortez choosing to burn the ships in which he and his soldiers had travelled. Cortez burned and sank these ships to inspire the soldiers to be fully committed to the mission ahead. Cortez and his army arrived with one purpose: Conquer the Aztec People. Burning and sinking the ships allowed no going back, no retreat, and no surrender. That is the very definition of commitment!
We are more than conquerors! Here’s what JESUS tells HIS followers!
23 Then HE said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be MY follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow ME. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for MY sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? Luke 9:23-25
Let’s recommit to that original promise we made: NO GOING BACK!
THE BOOK OF JUDGES! ~ FAILURE!Have you ever used a COMPASS CORRECTLY? In the northern hemisphere the needle of a working compass will always point north. If you are lost or confused on your journey, then a COMPASS will lead you in the right direction to get you where you need to go. You simply need to know where you are and where you need to go.
It may seem too easy. Of course, it should be. Before the nation of Israel had a king, GOD sent JUDGES or DELIVERERS to Israel to RESCUE the nation from the oppression and suffering they continually found themselves in because they failed to listen to GOD. It was a vicious cycle of disobedience, bondage, misery, liberation, and compromises. It is painful to watch as we read about them.
Do you remember, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson? Each of these BIBLE characters were renown throughout our Sunday school classes in years past. Each tale is filled with GOD’S rescue plan for the nation during the JUDGE’S reign. However, each shows a horrible weakness in the lives of those GOD called to be JUDGE. Barak’s failure leads to Deborah’s Song. Gideon’s Fear leads to GOD’S great victory.Samson’s pride leads to Israel’s fall. ☹
Despair naturally follows disobedience. It’s so much easier to follow the LORD. It makes us think, “Why didn’t they just do better?”“Why didn’t they just honor GOD and follow HIS rules?”Every day, I find myself asking as I watch people struggling to hold it together and look up: “Why don’t they just honor GOD and follow HIS rules?” “What’s wrong with them?”
Then, in my quiet time with GOD after days of busyness it hits me: “Why don’t I just honor GOD and follow HIS rules?” “Why don’t I meet with GOD more often and pray and read HIS WORD?” Henry Blackaby tells us that when GOD speaks to us, HE is inviting us to join HIM. Then, we must adjust our lives to follow HIS PLAN. Remember, your BIBLE is your COMPASS! 😊
Living in the Shadow of the Cross
Blessings inCHRIST
Pastor Wes
I Peter 3:15
A journey of EXPERIENCING GOD by Henry Blackaby & Claude King
4 “Listen, O Israel! THE LORD is our GOD, THE LORD alone. 5 And you must love THE LORD your GOD with all your HEART, all your SOUL, and all your STRENGTH. 6 And you must commit yourselves WHOLEHEARTEDLY to these COMMANDS that I am giving you today.
7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7
THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY! ~ LOVE & OBEDIENCE! I remember a time when people would start a job early in life, and they remained with the company for a lifetime. Our dear friend Caroline greeted people at Red Lobster for over 40 years. WOW! She was enduringly faithful!
It’s easy to be faithful when you remember your LOVE and your passion for someone or something. That’s why the BIBLE repeats the statement to LOVE the LORD your GOD with all your HEART. When we have your HEART; we have the very best of you! Right?Broken hearts are often marks of lost LOVE!
Our minds play tricks on us all the time. We wonder if someone is really a friend, or if they are really who they say they are. Your MIND is the battleground of future decisions. What you think is true determines many of your actions and choices. This is why the BIBLE tells us to LOVETHE LORD GOD with all your MIND! GOD knows our enemy is trying to deceive you!
We often lose perspective when we focus only on ourselves today. There is an eternity awaiting each of us. The decisions we make affect that eternity. That’s why GOD wants us to loveHIM with all of our SOUL for alleternity.
Finally, we should love with all that we have. We LOVE with our health, our finances, and our possessions every day. GOD wants each of us to love HIM with all of our STRENGTH. No holding back or holding out! EVERYTHING! {Including our computers, cell phones, tablets, and Social Media posts! 🙂 }
GOD gives each of us the perfect prescription to help us in all of these arenas: REPEAT! When we keep practicing the same thing perfectly, we get better with practice! Let’s practice LOVINGGOD and LOVINGothers! 😊
HOPE! She was born an illegitimate child at a time when the world considered those things taboo. In fact, as a baby she was beaten by the man who was not her father. In fear for the baby’s life, her mom put her up for adoption. She lived in an orphanage until she was eight years old. Finally, like the story of ANNIE, a wealthy woman came and adopted her. The little girl went to her new upper-middle class home. Sounds like a fairy tale. Not quite!
This little girl’s adopted mother was extremely controlling. She refused to let her husband spend any time with the little girl even though he showed her nothing but admiration. Whenever the little girl didn’t dry the dishes properly, sit properly, or do exactly as she was told she was locked in a closet for hours. It was an awful life. Not what anyone had HOPED for this little orphan girl…
Due to the brutal beatings as a baby, this little girl was diagnosed with Epilepsy. She experienced repeated Grand Mall Seizures & was given the most powerful drugs available to ease these violent convulsions. When she was finally old enough to work, her mom confiscated every paycheck. Her life continued like this until she was thirty years old. Years later, her life ended due to complications from Alzheimer’s with no memory of the painful life she endured. Surprisingly, her name was HOPE!
You see, that part of the story sounds all too HOPELESS! However, she married and had only one son. He was the joy of her life. Everything she did from that moment on was to be sure that her son had a better life. She was MY mom. I can still remember her banana sandwiches, famous goulash, & thick oatmeal. I still eat oatmeal like porridge because that’s how she made it.
The memory I cherish most is the time she went to church with me. She heard a message of TRUTH that penetrated her soul. She surrendered all that painful baggage to JESUS. Like a child, she let go of all those painful hurts & experiences. I was in high school when she was born-again! THE LORD took away her life of ashes, and gave her beauty & a future fitting her name ~ HOPE!
“And this is the promise that He has promised us…” I John 2:25a
POSSIBILITIES… Before we go any further, you need to know that I am NOT a mechanic. When I was a small child I helped my dad change the oil in the old car. He put the car on “jack stands.” He got two of those mechanic creeper things that you lay on so you can roll around under the car on your back, and we went to work. We rolled under the car to the drain plug at the bottom of the oil pan. He placed a big bowl under the oil pan. Then he showed me how to take out the drain plug to drain the oil. I was feeling very manly as a young boy. For a moment I thought I might grow up to be great mechanic…
But just then… it happened! The hot oil hit the edge of the bowl, ran at high rate of speed along the bottom of the bowl, and flowed all the way up the other side of the bowl. Next, the burning oil left the bowl and began looking for a place to land. Then, the imagined molten liquid landed on my face. It went in my eyes, up my nose, and in my mouth. My dad and I scrambled out from under the car, and ran into the house to get me fixed up. I was done! I vowed never to work on a car again!
Now, having shared all that… Cheryl’s power window died recently. The mechanic wanted hundreds (and a lot of them) to fix it. So, it occurred to me that I might be able to fix it. First, I prayed for the Lord to give me wisdom. Next, I went to the internet and started to learn: http://www.youtube.com is becoming my friend. I realized I might be able to do this. So, I looked for the motor/regulator unit online and found one for less than $60. I ordered it and replaced the part by dismantling her door and installing the new part. Amazingly, it works like a charm. PTL!
Years ago, I had a traumatic event happen that kept me from doing things that Godmight want me to do because I thought they were impossible. Then, I remembered the God’s Word says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) When I fail to trust Christin whatever I decide to do I am reminded that Jesussaid, “apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) I also recall the angel Gabriel telling Mary, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) My experience has caused me to wonder what else we could do if we trusted Godcompletely. What do you think? Has Godasked you to do something that you simply ignored because you’ve let your past experiences convince you that you can’t do it? Remember, we serve a great God, and He is the Godof promise&POSSIBILITIES…
Here are ten things I’ve learned after being forced terminated several times from churches for reasons like “we just don’t like you,” “we just want an old work mule instead of a stallion,” or “we don’t want the kind of people you’re reaching coming to this church.” To this day, I still don’t know what some of these phrases mean. Praise the Lord; I have never had to resign for “personal reasons,” even though some tried to “trick” me into saying it. I made it a point to spend my last minutes in each of those churches at the altar praying for revival to come to their community. So, if you’re like me (unfortunately there are many ministers today who are) I hope this comforts you and helps you grin a little more easily… (Oh, and for you terminators… this will probably ruffle your feathers just a bit… trust me: the Holy Spirit wants your feathers to be ruffled…)
SMILE ~ It’s been my experience {repeatedly 😉 } that you will survive the ordeal. It may not seem like at the time, but there will be a tomorrow… God is in control, and HE has a purpose for you.
BRUSH YOUR TEETH ~ Always leave with fresh breath. WHY? Everything is better with fresh breath! After all, you may have a wife like mine who will console you with a little huggin’ and kissin’, and believe me it’s one of the better parts of the process.
DRESS YOUR BEST ~ If you have honored the Lord through the process, then they haven’t beaten you. There is no reason for you to feel anything less than your best. Besides, some of those in the room are usually on your side secretly. You are not alone!
DON’T CARRY A TORCH ~ You may want to burn that bridge. It may seem like they deserve your worst, but don’t do it! It dishonors the Lord, and you will feel like crud afterward. Sorry about the word crud, but if you have been through this you have probably said or at least thought worse. Of course, I realize there are those who will quit reading right now, but they are probably some of the ones who told us to leave because they can’t handle honesty and transparency! (Yeah… I moved into a moment of therapy… sorry!) With that in mind…
JUST KEEP SWIMMING ~ Disney got this one right! Get up in the morning, get dressed, have a quiet time regardless of the way you feel. Make a daily plan of things to do and stick with it. Again, many of you may have never experienced the deep depression that comes from rejection, but for those of us who have… the hurt runs deeper than you can imagine. Just stay alive! I love the movie, Last of the Mohicans. Hawkeye tells his love to “just stay alive, I will find you.” Listen ~ that’s great advice! Keep your faith alive. God will not struggle to find you. He knows where you are even though it may not feel like it to you. When you hurt the deepest, keep running the race!
GIVE YOURSELF TIME & LOTS OF IT ~ The deeper the hurt… the longer the process will be. I know that SUPER CHRISTIANS aren’t supposed to let anything bother them. However, here on a little planet we like to call Earth, we’re still wrapped in flesh (sarks – for you fellow Greek-nerds)… You will fight this battle your whole life. God designed it that way! We’ve all heard… Here it comes… I have learned more from my failures than my successes. It’s a cliché, but I have found it to be true. Guess what? I am still learning more from failure than success!
PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE ~ Some people are going to like you… Some people are not going to like you… Some people who don’t like now will grow to love you… Remember, some people who like you now are not going to like you later. The prescription ~ Love JESUS! He is going to love you through it all… He has not given up on you, and you are not forgotten!
DON’T ASSUME YOU KNOW WHAT’S NEXT ~ I wish I had a penny for all my “ministerial friends” who thought I quit the ministry. In my last 8 month full-time senior pastorate/unintentional interim, I finished with a resume that looked like Swiss Cheese. I sent resumes all over the world. No amount of embellishing, redirecting, long references, or imagination could make it look better. So, I spent a year “out of ministry.” HOWEVER!!! God’s Word tells me that all of life is ministry. No matter what you do for work God never says, “Oh, you’re only a teacher, lawyer, plumber, office worker, or laborer. Maybe, one day I’ll put My call on your life again and make you as special as the pastor.” Just enjoy being who He created you to be. God’s Word says that He called farmers, carpenters, and others to minister for Him who were not “full-time Christian ministers.” Your source of income does not dictate nor prove your call as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Some of the greatest ministers I’ve met have never received income for their ministry. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly unto the Lord.” (Col 3:23)
LOVE YOUR FAMILY ~ They were with you as you walked into what you thought was going to be an amazing ministry opportunity. They endured the experience with you. They rejoiced in the highs with you. They are hurting through this process, too. They are the ones who will remain with you throughout your life. Love you spouse! You married your spouse for a reason! Adore your children. They are watching you to learn how to deal with adversity. As you pour out your broken heart to the Lord… they will watch and love you all the more!
BE ENCOURAGING ~ since you’re still reading this ~ you care! If you know someone who is in this place or has been in this place… HELP THEM… LOVE THEM… ENCOURAGE THEM… They are your brothers & sisters in Christ! Again, I am still bruised myself and I can almost hear my brothers and sisters who’ve never experienced this kind of hurt… thinking, “Oh, that could never happen to me.” Well, I sincerely hope not, but if it does get ready for the worst emotional roller coaster… Just keep breathing… scream occasionally! Pray without ceasing! It really does help!
Wes Frank is a lead pastor, teacher, husband, father, pet owner, college football fan, and so much more… He has been a youth minister, campus police chief, US Army Airborne soldier, land surveyor, general merchandise associate & greeter, aquatic maintenance specialist, alarm system consultant, sandwich artist, not to mention substitute school teacher…
readyforafreshstart 