Around 11 PM last night all our phones caught the same local emergency text: Tornado Warning – get to shelter now. And this morning we woke up to limited widespread damage.

Every year, during spring, we are repeatedly encouraged to be Storm Aware by being prepared & having a plan.

Jesus would look at this and say: Luke 12:54–56 (ESV) — 54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

How Spiritually Aware are we? Do we see the empty, dying souls all around us? Do we notice their Biblical ignorance and illiteracy? Do we even care?

As a restoration movement we are encouraged to speak only where the Bible Speaks. We are the people who call Bible things by Bible names. And by doing this we lead people closer to God.

So, would it surprise you to know that the word “Easter” does not appear in our Bible? That it was made up by an 8th Century Anglo-Saxon priest, Bede, who derived it from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre. Imagine that, if we wish someone “Happy Easter” we are invoking a fertility goddess blessing.

Friend learn to interpret the present time! Become spiritually aware instead of getting caught up in this world’s ignorance. Rather, without judging those outside (1 Cor.5:12) let us do what is right as we continue celebrating the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7; Mt.26:26ff) till He returns.

…He arose a victor from the dark domain,

and he lives forever with his saints to reign.

This is from a song in our hymnals that we often sing before the Lord’s Supper. It is one of my favorites to sing as it starts out slow and mournful, then when it tells of Jesus coming out of the grave it gets faster and joyful.

Jesus’ death was prophesied in the Old Testament. In Psalms it was said that His hands and feet will be pierced. Psalms 34 said not one of His bones will be broken.   The book of Isaiah described what would happen to Jesus. He was brought as a lamb before the slaughter.  His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man, his form marred beyond human likeness as he was spit upon and people hit him with their fists.

Jesus was flogged.  Flogging is done with a leather whip with sharp bones or metal objects on the end, used to rip or tear the skin from the body. Oftentimes this form of punishment caused death.  Isaiah 53 said he would be oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth.

We don’t like to think of the pain or suffering that our Lord and Savior went through but remember that He died on the cross for our sins, and by his wounds we are healed.

1 Cor 1:18   For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the Power of God.

Brothers and sisters, this morning when you take the Lord’s Supper remember what Jesus did for us. Realize that the pain and suffering He went through was for you. Jesus took up our infirmities; Jesus was pierced for our transgressions; Jesus was crushed for our iniquities.

…He Arose! He Arose! 

Hallelujah! 

Christ Arose!

When I was a little boy, I was taught the Golden Rule by my parents as: “do unto others as you wish they would do unto you”.  I learned this at a very young age, and it became a guiding principle for my life and how to treat others.  It really resonated with me.  I had no idea it was in the Bible until much later in life.  I often find myself considering this rule in my daily life and trying to understand what it means exactly.  I can find the Golden Rule in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark:

Matthew 7:12 (ESV)¹² “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Luke 6:31 (ESV)

³¹ And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Mark 12:31 (ESV)

³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Do you apply the Golden Rule in your daily life and relationships?  I really like the way Luke 6:31 distills the rule to its essence, treat others as you want to be treated.  I think the rule is more profoundly described in Mark 12:31, there is no other commandment greater than this! 

I also find it intriguing the way that James 1:19-20 describes the rule.  I think we can all easily understand and apply the rule as described in James 1:19-20.

James 1:19-20 (ESV):

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Always be humble and kind, you never know what others are going through.  I recently heard the Tim McGraw song titled “Humble and Kind”, it also resonates with me.  It seems the more I study the Bible the more I can find it everywhere. 

The Bible has many references to meditation. Most of them include the phrase “on His law he meditates day and night”.

In Psalm 1 we have the most comprehensive teaching on meditation. Here the psalmist describes the end of both the godly and godless paths – protection and destruction.

Psalm 1 (ESV) — 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Friend, why not take up the challenge? Regularly (day and night) find a quiet spot (Mt.6:6) and meditate on God’s Word (Josh.1:8), remember His miracles of long ago (Ps.77:10-12) and consider His works and all that His hands have done (Ps.143:5).

I am not sure if anyone missed Red’s Opening Day as much as I did, other than maybe the Ellis brothers. I really looked forward to going to the game with Chris and my two brothers, BJ and Josh. I miss the sounds of the game, the cheers from the fans, and the singing of the National Anthem. With no sporting events going on right now, we need a new anthem to get us through these difficult, uncertain times.

“I Have This Hope” by Tenth Avenue North

As I walk this great unknown
Questions come and questions go
Was there purpose for the pain
Did I cry these tears in vain
I don’t wanna live in fear
I wanna trust that You are near
Trust Your grace can be seen
In both triumph and tragedy

I have this hope
In the depth of my soul
In the flood or the fire
You’re with me and You won’t let go

But sometimes my faith feels thin
Like the night will never end
Will You catch every tear
Or will You just leave me here
So whatever happens, I will not be afraid
‘Cause You are closer than this breath that I take
You calm the storm when I hear You call my name
I still believe that one day I’ll see Your face

In the flood or the fire
You are with me and You won’t let go
In the flood or the fire
You are with me and You won’t let go

Lamentations 3:21-24

“²¹Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: ²²Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Jeremiah saw one ray of hope in all the sin and sorrow surrounding him. But God had promised future restoration and blessing, and Jeremiah knew that God would keep that promise. We know there is sorrow going on around the world right now. Trusting in God’s faithfulness day by day makes us confident in his great promises for the future. As Christians, we have hope in knowing that God’s unfailing love and steadfast mercy never fail.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are of the household of faith.  Galatians 6:10

And just like that…everything changed.  In what seemed like a moment but was a few weeks, the economy came to a halt, our jobs and schools changed completely, and society waits.  We have been given a cold, hard reminder that “we do not know what tomorrow will bring….we ought to say, “if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13, 15

When will this end and what will life be like when it is over?  No one knows and we know we cannot change everything; we can only change how we approach life.  It reminds me of the old serenity prayer, let me accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  

Our priorities remain the same.  Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment,” Matt 22:37-38. Let’s take this opportunity to spend more time in study and in prayer.  Join our worship services online.  Participate in one of our many Bible classes online through Zoom. 

Jesus also said, “a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Matt 22:39.  I’ve seen such an incredible outpouring of good deeds amid this pandemic.  People reaching out to others, providing food for those who go hungry, offering help in so many ways.  The needs will continue and will likely increase.  “Mister” Fred Rogers once said, “all of us at some time or other need help.  Whether we’re giving or receiving each one of us has something valuable to bring to the world.” That’s never been more true. 

Let us all continue to do the work of connection, of caring and of extending ourselves where it is not expected.  Try to check on or connect with someone each day.  Spend time in God’s creation.  Take a walk, sit on the porch, do something to get outside each day.  Take care of yourself physically, spiritually and emotionally.  Express gratitude each day for the blessings that we do have.

How can anything good come from a plague? One moment the first Christian family were happily meeting in large groups in Jerusalem, the next they were fleeing for their lives and meeting in small homes.

But nothing could stop these Christians. Instead of shrinking back into nothing, they took over the world. They very soon found out that there was nothing as contagious as the Word of God. Instead of holding this great gift for the world in neat little buildings God dispersed it throughout the world.

I imagine every dispersed family had a story to tell. And I don’t think these stories were pretty. Relational conflict can be directly tied to the amount of transitions we are going through. Transitional stresses like work insecurity, troubling adolescents, recent birth, midlife crises, recent death, retirement, sickness, and aging parents. And sometimes attitudes start to stink. Commitments move from solid to conflict or closed; information exchange moves from excellent to poor; self-disclosure moves from good to absent; criticism from low to very high; credibility from high to low; and members of a cooped up home can start to feel very lonely.

But Christians find a way back by strengthening their relationships with God. They learn to let go of the bad and to focus on the good. Friend, let the accusations of Satan shrink to nothing by focusing on God’s Word so that it may expand: Colossians 3:15 (ESV) — 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place-II Chronicles 7:14-15

Reading news about the daily increase in COVID-19 cases, the decline of the stock market, and the growing list of things that are closed quickly leads to discouragement.  It is easy to be overwhelmed by the flood of bad news.  Scriptures like II Chronicles 7:14 remind us that it is God who can heal our land from the virus plague we are living through.  We might begin to feel that we must cry out loudly to God for his deliverance, make great sacrifices of time and money, that we must somehow convince him to listen to our pleas for relief.  Constant, fervent prayer is certainly powerful, but it is not the volume of our cries that moves God.  Verse 15 says God is attentive to our prayer.  He is looking in our direction with his hand cupped around his ear waiting to hear from us.  He is ready to hear and then act to give us victory in this situation.

I find great comfort in the knowledge that God is carefully listening for my prayer to him.  He will do the right thing, always.  And, as he does the right thing, he has me on his mind.  He is working all things for the good of those who love him.  In the midst of struggle, it is enough to know that God is listening and will sustain me.  Take a moment today to share any fear or anxiety about Corona Virus or anything else with your loving Father.

Over the next few weeks all relationships will be tested. If we turn to God (faith, hope and love) we will grow, but if we turn to Satan (fear, guilt and anger) we will fail.

More important than anything I write below is that EVERYONE TAKE A “CHILL PILL” AND GIVE EACH OTHER GRACE. Being cooped up can lead us to say things we don’t really mean. But once those words are out there, they are hard to pull back. Make a covenant with yourself that until this confinement is over you will not raise your voice in anger or call anyone a bad name (Mt.5:23f).

Briefly then, here are the top five opportunities for growth or failure.

First, attempt to deepen your emotional communication. Set aside 30 minutes once a week for intentional sharing from the heart. It is important that no one disagrees or discourages the one sharing. This individual has just made themselves vulnerable. It is good to have a few questions to stimulate the conversation. For instance: What is your favorite memory of each person here? Or, if it is just between a married couple: What did you think when you first saw me?

Second, utilize touch. Social distancing does not apply in families. So, reach out and hold hands when praying. Give the hugger in your family all the hugs he/she needs. And, married couples, read 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 and obey – but don’t demand. For instance, wife don’t demand that your husband honor you (1 Peter 3:7) and husband don’t demand that your wife respects you (Eph.5:33). God commands us to do this. But it is something that must be given and not demanded.

Third, prioritize the significant people in your life by showering attention and gratitude. Utilize text, emails, phone calls, etc. to spread this beyond your immediate family to your church family. These are challenging times. There will be many tears before this is over. So, don’t miss opportunities to say: “I love you!” If you need a jump start, don’t see each other as you now are, but remember the first time your eyes fell on that precious soul. Rekindle through memory the emotions you had.

Fourth, daily communication. Set aside time throughout the day to communicate with God, your spouse, and your kids. For instance, pray every six hours (6 AM, Noon, 6 PM and before you fall asleep).

Fifth, exercise regularly and finances. Work for 25 minutes then get up and exercise, stretch, or just walk around for 5 minutes. And, finally, when it comes to finances, don’t break your budget. Make the budget the “bad person”. If you don’t have a budget, make one! Reach out if you need help to get started with this.

Friend, please give each other grace. This is a great opportunity to avoid toxic issues. Be patient with one another. Don’t blame each other. That will simply lead to a bad emotion and result in a deep root of bitterness in your soul. Forgive the past! And do not be anxious about the future. Our God has got this!