Over the past several weeks, we have studied the life of Christ, considering various times and aspects of His life here on earth. I sincerely hope that we have taken the time to be amazed at the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Time and time again, he frustrated the leaders of His day and surprised the downcast with His love and concern. ...And that love and concern is still extended to us today. As the hymn declares, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” His grace is AMAZING, and may we never lose sight of that truth! May it always energize us for His service and may He always empower us to spread the Truth of the Gospel!
Though Easter has come and gone, our celebration of Christ’s life continues. Between the resurrection and His ascension into Heaven, Jesus appeared to many people. This week, we take a look at the special messages He had during those 40 days, what our living Savior is doing now, and some of the things he has planned for the future.
It is quite interesting to see what Jesus communicated during those last 40 days with His disciples, and how His instruction progressed as He prepared the disciples for His departure. You might say that those were the ultimate “40 days of purpose.”
Now, as we wait for His return, we are given hope. Though we face tough times now, His children have hope of eternal life. He said that He was going to prepare a place for us, and that He was coming back for us. As another hymn (by James Hill) puts it well, “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land, what a day, glorious day, that will be.”
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Easter and Hope
The Easter season is a unique time of the year. For some, it means buying a special Easter dress, or sharing a special meal with family. For the kids, it often involves an Easter basket filled with candy and special treats. At Dayton Center Church, it also involves our Easter Brunch, which many reading this will have already enjoyed. All of these things are good, but may we NEVER forget that the reason for our gathering(s) is the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For the Christian, Easter is a celebration of hope. And we sure do need hope today, don’t we?
But, what is hope? For some, hope is merely wishful thinking or a positive attitude. In this world, those things are hard to maintain. The economy is a mess. World events give plenty of reason for concern. Retirement account balances are only a fraction of what they were just five years ago. As a nation we are struggling, and the rest of the world isn’t faring much better. Surely, there is more to hope than wishful thinking or a positive attitude. Surely, that is not the kind of hope we are referring to with Easter.
Sadly, apart from Christ, there isn’t much more to hope than this. However, biblical hope is much greater than the hope this world offers! Biblical hope is a confident expectation that is grounded in God’s Word. Hope came in the form of a child, born of a virgin named Mary. This child was and is the Son of God, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, yet suffered and died on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for our sin. But, praise God, the story does not stop at the cross, or even in the grave. Christ arose! He conquered both sin and death! Because of this, we who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have the hope of restored relationship with God now, and an eternity with Him in the future! That, my friends, is true hope—hope that does not fail!
Christ offers hope, and now is the time to receive Him!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
But, what is hope? For some, hope is merely wishful thinking or a positive attitude. In this world, those things are hard to maintain. The economy is a mess. World events give plenty of reason for concern. Retirement account balances are only a fraction of what they were just five years ago. As a nation we are struggling, and the rest of the world isn’t faring much better. Surely, there is more to hope than wishful thinking or a positive attitude. Surely, that is not the kind of hope we are referring to with Easter.
Sadly, apart from Christ, there isn’t much more to hope than this. However, biblical hope is much greater than the hope this world offers! Biblical hope is a confident expectation that is grounded in God’s Word. Hope came in the form of a child, born of a virgin named Mary. This child was and is the Son of God, Jesus, the Christ. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, yet suffered and died on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for our sin. But, praise God, the story does not stop at the cross, or even in the grave. Christ arose! He conquered both sin and death! Because of this, we who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have the hope of restored relationship with God now, and an eternity with Him in the future! That, my friends, is true hope—hope that does not fail!
Christ offers hope, and now is the time to receive Him!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Mixed Responses at the Triumphal Entry
You’ve probably heard the idiom, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Perhaps you have even uttered this phrase a time or two. This familiar expression communicates frustration, lack of respect, or constant fault finding with someone or something that you are “always” around. What was once fascinating, exciting, or new has now become mundane, and the luster is gone. It is sad, but we can sometimes feel this way. However, brothers and sisters, it ought not be so with people. Even more, it ought not be so with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
When Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds gathered around Him, spread their cloaks and branches before Him, and shouted, “...Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9) These people were excited! They had seen Him perform miracles. Perhaps some of them had experienced His healing touch personally. They had heard Him teach, and they were amazed at His authority and His message. I am sure that they were all wondering what He would say and do next. They had a sense of who Jesus really was and is. The sense of wonder and amazement must have been thrilling.
However, Jerusalem (the religious and political capital of their day) didn’t seem to share this sense of excitement. Listen to their response / inquiry: “And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’” Really?! The city was shaken by the commotion of Christ’s triumphal entry, and all they could muster was, “Who is this?” They should have been rejoicing — the Savior was right there — but they missed Him.
Now, what about us? We pray in His name… we sing His praises, but has familiarity bred contempt? I certainly hope not! As you worship today, take time to be amazed and wonder at our Savior, Jesus the Christ!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
When Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds gathered around Him, spread their cloaks and branches before Him, and shouted, “...Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9) These people were excited! They had seen Him perform miracles. Perhaps some of them had experienced His healing touch personally. They had heard Him teach, and they were amazed at His authority and His message. I am sure that they were all wondering what He would say and do next. They had a sense of who Jesus really was and is. The sense of wonder and amazement must have been thrilling.
However, Jerusalem (the religious and political capital of their day) didn’t seem to share this sense of excitement. Listen to their response / inquiry: “And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’” Really?! The city was shaken by the commotion of Christ’s triumphal entry, and all they could muster was, “Who is this?” They should have been rejoicing — the Savior was right there — but they missed Him.
Now, what about us? We pray in His name… we sing His praises, but has familiarity bred contempt? I certainly hope not! As you worship today, take time to be amazed and wonder at our Savior, Jesus the Christ!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
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