Hello Good Morning everyone! We were hoping to have Palm Sunday in the parking lot today but that changed again Thursday. It's ok! Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Passion week of Christ. We look back on what The Lord done for all of us and we are thankful for His redeeming power! Jesus knew his time had come and that he would give his life to pay our sin debt and the sins of the whole world, all past, present, and future sinners have the Lord Jesus to thank for this unspeakable gift of eternal life to all that will repent and trust in Christ name. I am thankful the Lord Jesus is still in the saving business today aren't you..? God is still at work. He is on His throne; He is not passive; The Lord is working all things together for our good. Amen! (Romans 8:28). You may say, "It seems like God has a funny way of showing us that all of this is for our good.??"
Listen to how the Psalmist described God's good work! Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Church, It should be that in this dark period of our lives that we are in, we would examine ourselves. We need to examine ourselves and get lined up with the Word of God! Warren Wiersbe said, "We live by promises, not by explanations." God says, Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Lets look at the Triumphal Entry this morning, Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
I want you notice something here in verse 8... In the Book of Mark chapter 11 the scripture says "Any many spread their garments.." In the Book of Luke chapter 19 the word says "the whole multitude began to rejoice and praise God.." In John's Gospel chapter 12 the bible says "much people.." But right here in the Gospel of Matthew, He says "a very great multitude" I believe there were in the crowd that day some of the people Jesus had healed. I am fairly certain there were in the crowd some of the thousands He had fed with just 5 loaves of bread and a couple of fish. Maybe there were in the crowd some who had seen many miracles that Jesus had performed. Surely there were many in the crowd that day who would have heard Jesus preach and teach before. Perhaps they had listened to Jesus and their lives had been changed. And yet, it is disappointing to me that only 7 days later as described in Mark chapter 15 "the multitude crying aloud" "Crucify Him" "Crucify Him" The people were crying "Hosanna" "Save us" "Save now" Now they cried "Crucify Him" I wonder what I would have done if I were in the crowd that day... When things don't go the way I think they ought to go, does it change me? When God is silent, do I rebel? When The Lord tells me "No" do I go ahead and continue with what I desire anyway? I don't just want to be part of the crowd, We shouldn't be ok with the status quo of our surroundings when God wants something better from us. This darkness we are living in from the virus should be a wake-up call for the world to repent and turn to Jesus and especially for God’s people to pray. God brings tough times into our lives not only to bring us back to him, but to bring us back to ourselves. We know better than to be just like "the multitudes". We know better than to be like the world. God has called us out of the world, to be a peculiar people! We are to be a people called by God's name! I heard a preacher say today... It was God that prepared that great fish to swallow up Jonah! Friends, God is in this! No matter how man may spin all the reasons why and provide solutions or blame each other, The Lord says he will not allow others to get His glory. Amen Let me ask you a few questions... How will you respond when Jesus comes riding humbly into your life? Will I recognize the time of God’s coming to me? Will you recognize and welcome God’s personal visit? Have you seen Jesus at Calvary and accepted Him as your Saviour? Michael Deutsch wrote in The Road to the Cross. "He is at once, a righteous God and a Savior. He is full of grace and truth. God is the just one, who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Do you see the holy love of God? Were God merely holy, we would have been destroyed. Were God merely love, the lack of discipline would destroy us. A holy God cannot disregard wanton rebellion and a loving God cannot disregard His children. But a God of holy love will do what no one can imagine." Christ like the Book of Hebrews says 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Thank you Lord for going to Calvary for a wretch like me! You knew us and we thank you Lord for loving the unlovable! 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Please remember our church prayer requests and all those listed in our church bulletin.
Pray for one another. Pray for our Nation and ALL people.
Pray for our military, their families and the churches missionaries all around the world.
Pray for our Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and First Responders.
Pray for all those in the medical field, hospitals and doctors offices as they provide patient well care and also to protect themselves.
Finally Pray for the lost, those seeking after The Lord today.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever. Amen
"Wherefore edify(encourage) one another..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 watching and waiting in Christ, Pastor Brian
Have a great day!
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