Our HOPE is in the LORD... remembering my brother Joe.

 I prepared this message for January 12, the first Sunday after Epiphany, which traditionally is celebrated as the Baptism of our Lord. (The scriptures posted are from the ESV.)

The Readings for the day were - Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 45, Romans 6:1-11, Luke 3:15-22.

Message:   Our HOPE is in the LORD… He is our Salvation!

Grace mercy and peace be with you today from God the Father who said, “I have called you by name, you are mine.” Amen.

The words for our meditation today come from these readings…  “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

“John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

There are events in life that can rock your world… one minute you have certain plans and the next everything is changed… the plans you have made don’t seem to be all that important… priorities are rearranged, and in all of that, you are faced with the discovery of what truly matters most in this journey we call life. Tuesday evening Marci was watching the news reports of the fires in California around LA. Horrible destruction … entire city blocks consumed by fire.. just a few stones and a few pieces of metal left behind. The fires were whipped along by 100 mile an hour winds. Embers and ash blew down the street consuming everything in their path.

Just a few days earlier, these people were just living out their lives, going about their work or play, doing what busy people do, sowing and reaping, some with the assurance of salvation, others without, but just living for today… paying bills, remodeling homes, planning for their future on earth. And in a matter of a few hours everything they owned was consumed by fire… house after house… entire neighborhoods…GONE… reduced to ash. Thousands displaced… without a home… and with nothing to salvage… it is just gone!  Amazingly, only a few people lost their lives. Certainly, everyone in those communities has and will suffer some loss. It will never be the same as it once was. It will take years to recover, or rebuild, but it will never be the same.
 

Jesus once said, “Store up treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy.” For those who have faith, the future will be hard, but they will endure because they know that there is more to life than what we acquire here on earth. They have faith in the promises of God, and have peace in the assurance of salvation, because they know that Jesus has paid the price for their sin, and when they die they will be with Him in His glory. My heart breaks for the loss that these people are suffering. My sister lives in Apple Valley on the other side of the mountains to the east of the fires. I sent her a text asking if any of her friends were affected by the fires. She replied that only people she knew were some fire fighters from her area who had been called up to fight.
 
Wednesday morning, we got a text message. My brother Joe had died in the night, unexpectedly. He is the one we have been praying for, who has been getting infusions to treat cancer. I hadn’t talked to him for a few weeks but was planning to give him a call this week, but I was too late. It is hard to process the fact that I will never see him again. He was planning to come out again to help me get more rewiring done in our home… (he was a very good electrician) … Last year in May, he had helped me get the wiring done between my house and the shed.  We had more projects that I had planned to have him help me get done. We were close and I enjoyed our conversations and he enjoyed helping people…  He would use his vacations to go on restorations after disasters with my cousin Larry and others from his church once or twice every year. He had been making time to do these things for several years. I had always thought of joining him but didn’t make it a priority, claiming I didn’t have time.
 
There is an old saying, “You will never find time… you have to make time… to do the things you want to do… and you will, if it’s important to you.” I could have found time or taken the time to join them, but didn’t, now I wish I had.
 
I have this comfort… I know with certainty that my brother is with Jesus Christ.
It is NOT because he was a great guy, or kind, or caring, even though he was all of those things, it is because he had FAITH. He was a baptized child of God. He believed that his sins were forgiven because of the death and resurrection of God’s very own Son, Jesus Christ.
That is what makes a person a child of God… FAITH. If you believe the promises of God for you … then you will receive the promise of God for you. Out of love for us God gives us the gift of FAITH, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And it is by faith that we are saved, NOT by our works, no matter how great they might be. Our works are a result of our faith. We show love to others because God first showed love to us.

Joe knew that God loved him and he shared that love with others. He used his talents to serve the Lord. On weekends he would help my cousin Larry rebuild old trailer homes for people who were homeless, so that they would have affordable housing. It wasn’t glorious work, but it was kingdom work. It was a way that they were able to share the message of salvation with those who might otherwise not know about Jesus.
 
Today we are celebrating the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus was baptized to sanctify baptism for us. Whereas John was baptizing people in a symbolic washing, for the forgiveness of sin. (He called on the people to repent, and as a sign of their repentance, John would baptize them in the Jordan River, urging them to leave their sinful lifestyles behind, and to strive to live their lives for the glory of God.) But Jesus was without sin. His baptism was for our benefit. When He was baptized, God the Father spoke, claiming Jesus as His Son, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on Him. Then He began His earthly ministry and His fulfillment of the plan of salvation, for which He had come into our world as a human being, which included His death and resurrection, by which He destroyed sin, death and the power of the devil.
 

As a means of grace, baptism now connects us to Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” We are unable to free ourselves from sin. Even those who were baptized by John were unable to become free of the burden of their sin. Sinful human beings are always sinning in thought, word, and deed. Good intentions aren’t enough. Our sins had to be destroyed and buried by the death and burial of Jesus Christ.
 
It is only through Him, by faith, which is given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are declared righteous in the eyes of God. The same Spirit who filled Jesus with His power at His baptism, fills us with His power at our baptism, to live for God, with the assurance of salvation.
This is the faith which guided my parents, my brother, and many others that I know, who are now living with God in His kingdom, in His glory, free from the cares of this life, free from sickness, or suffering, or pain. They are those who are enjoying the fruits of eternal life.
 
As I watched the reports from California, I have heard two different responses. Some are devastated, they have lost everything that they have worked for, they are without hope, they are broken, they are lost, they don’t know what to do, or what the future holds for them. And then there are others, who live by faith, who recognize that there is more to life than the stuff we accumulate in our lifetime on earth. They are grateful to be alive. They are trusting in God to provide for them and see them through this time of difficulty, but ultimately, their eyes are fixed on Jesus, and their end goal is to be with Him in heaven. They don’t hold on anything in this world very tightly, for they know that faith in Jesus is the only thing that they can take with them when they die.
 
Today we pray for the people of California, (and the other places throughout the world) that are experiencing suffering and loss as a result of fire, wind, rain, or even war. We are living in a world that is groaning under the penalty of sin.

Lord, we pray, that You would use these disasters, this destruction, this disruption of life that is a direct result of sin in our world to draw all people to seek You, to be filled with Your Spirit, to have saving faith in Jesus Christ, and the assurance of salvation and life everlasting with You in heaven. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.      

…
   

HOLY WEEK SABBATH - A DAY LIKE NO OTHER

THE EASTER VIGIL – A TIME OF WAITING

I listen to a song yesterday called "God Rested" by Andrew Peterson.
It made me think about this night in a different light... here we are celebrating Good Friday and waiting to celebrate Easter... but what really happened on the first Sabbath, that 'High Sabbath' when Jesus lay in the tomb? These are my thoughts of what that night might have been like. ....

Why am I anxious tonight?
Another Holy Week is coming to an end.
On Easter Sunday morning we will sing songs of praise, but right now I not feeling the joy.
 
What was it like on that first Sabbath for the followers of Jesus?
What was going through their minds?

    

Jesus, our leader has been crucified. How could we have let this happen?

    Our hope for Him to be the king now was crushed.

    Yet, the words He spoke at the Passover meal still lingers in our minds like a smoky haze.

    In a little while you won’t see me and then in a little while you will see me again.

It happened so fast.

    And Judas… how could he sell Jesus out? He was one of us. 

    For three years, we were all together, he was one of us...

        although he was strange at times, and really hated the Romans.

    But deep down inside, didn’t we all?

    

There may have been a few decent Roman soldiers, but very few…
    They mostly treat us Jews like their slaves.
    Every day they take what they want, or kill those who fight back.

The religious leaders hated Jesus. We knew it would be dangerous for Jesus to be here. 

    Ever since he threw the merchants out of the temple three years ago during the Passover.

    It has been risky to be here, but Jesus was determined to come. 

He even talked about being put to death. 

    When Peter told him not to talk that way, Jesus called him the Devil.

     

He said “I am the way.”
     “Follow me.”
     “Do as I have commanded you.”
     “Love your enemies.”
     “Do good to those who hate you.”
                

And now our religious leaders, our elected officials, have had him put to death.
      God’s chosen leaders…  The high priest and his family…
      Why couldn’t they see that he was God’s anointed one?
      Will they be coming after us next?

Jesus talked about the kingdom of God coming. Now Jesus is dead.

    How will God save us now?

    What will become of us?

    We believed in him. 

    How can this be God’s will?

    How can this be a part of God’s plan?

Confusion abounds, the disciples sit quietly in a state of shock trying to make sense of it all.

    O darkest night. O dread and fear.
    We followed the Lord, who is no longer here.
    He’s dead. It is not fair.
    Our righteous Lord; slaughtered on that cross over there.
    Nothing makes sense. Our minds cannot see.
    But He seemed to know that this is how it would be………………..
 
I know the outcome because it was recorded in the Gospels,

….but what was it like for them on that Passover Day?
    Waiting… worrying… overcome by doubt and fear…
    Truly the darkest night and day of their lives….
    The unknowing of what would happen next was the hardest part….
    Sitting, waiting…praying…bewildered…hoping…(a strange mix of emotions)…
    Shock and anger and shame and hopelessness
    Maybe even some stupid memories that brought nervous laughter.
    Satan was having a field day with these disciples.
    But not for long…
 
The resurrection was the last thing on their minds… (even though Jesus had talked about it)

So, I believe that on this Passover they sat in utter despair trying to sort it all out….
But totally blind to the truth of what was about to happen.

Peter Keyes … written 2015-04-04 edit-2024-03-30

BOLD Christian Outreach Reflections from Psalm 41

 Subtitle: Seeing the Easter Story in Psalm 41

Psalm 41:5–13 (ESV) 

5My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 

8They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 

13Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. 

        (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)

For those who walked with Jesus and were taught by Him for three years who witnessed Him hanging for life on the cross, there seemed to be no hope. Their dreams were crushed… all those plans of living in glory in Jesus’ new kingdom… were now nothing more than a foggy mist… how could this be happening? 

The Master, the Teacher, the most powerful person they had ever seen… had let Himself be beaten and nailed to a cross… surely, He could have done something to prevent this from happening… He had the power… why didn’t He use it? 

He had healed lame and blind and even raised up a girl who had died, and a young man who was about to buried, and even Lazarus who had been dead for over four days, whose body was starting to decompose. If He was able to do these things, surely, He would have been able to prevent the soldiers from arresting Him. He could have stopped this sham of a trial… but He let it happen.

The religious leaders gloated over their victory… They had accomplished what they had set out to do. They had plotted for a long time asking when, …”when will he die, and his name perish?” Finally, they had succeeded, for them it was accomplished. Jesus their enemy, was dying. He would be buried and His name would be forgotten and their lives would go on... having eliminated this threat to their livelihoods.

But God had a different plan! Jesus would raise again. His death was part of a greater plan! He died to pay a price, the price of sin, and rose to repay us for our sin against Him, but instead of revenge, we are repaid with forgiveness, mercy, kindness, and the love of God. Even those religious leaders were given the opportunity for forgiveness.

This battle wasn’t against us, but it was spiritual battle pitting Jesus the Son of God against Satan, the true enemy of God. Satan wanted to destroy the creation of God and turn every one of us against God. In the Garden of Eden, Satan succeeded in leading Adam and Eve into rebellion against God and as a result, we all were born as slaves to sin, unable to free ourselves from its bondage and the penalty of eternal death. 

To free us from this judgement of death, a righteous sacrifice had to be made, a sinless man had to die a sinner’s death. And that was God plan. By Jesus’ death, Satan’s accusations and hold over God’s creation was satisfied. Sin and death lost their grip and power over us. And on the third day, Jesus Christ was raised and Satan couldn't do anything to stop it. Satan’s power was destroyed. 

The scales of judgement were tipped in favor of Jesus Christ. His righteousness and death outweighed the penalty of the sins of all people in the world.

By faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are forgiven of our sin. We can now BOLDly proclaim that those who believe this promise receive this promise and their sin is forgiven, but those who reject this promise remain under the curse and punishment of their sin.

The last two verses tell us that Jesus would be and is raised to glory. Yes, the righteous Son of God will reign as our King in glory forevermore. Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen.

Written by Peter Keyes - March 29, 2024

IN THE FACE OF DEATH & GOOD FRIDAY

 
WHERE IS MY HOPE?      (a reflection on Good Friday)

Where is my hope when sorry comes,
    When grief, heartbreak, and loss become too much to bear,
        When words cannot express my pain,
            When the wind is knocked out of my lungs,
In gasps and sighs too deep for tears to fall?
 
A gasp…………………..then silence.
 

The shadow of death draws nigh,
    And the reality of life’s fragile existence becomes

        Eminently closer than I care to admit.
            There is no stopping its march

Death is but a breath away.

 
Another gasp….then silence.
 
Waiting for the next breath to be taken.

    Hoping it will come for we are not ready to let go.
 
Another gasp…………then silence.
 
Was this for our sake? An answer to prayer?
    Or an inward struggle to cling to this world?
        

Another gasp…………………..then silence.
 

The involuntary muscles are fighting for oxygen but are losing the battle.
    The breath given by God is leaving with the spirit
        And only the material corpse will be left behind.
 
Another gasp…………………..then silence.
 
Was this the last?
    Are there more to follow?

Another gasp…………………..then silence.

  
Christ our Lord came to this hour,
    But not just to die, but to die a sinners death.

        He was rejected, scorned, beaten, bruised, tortured, and humiliated.

Another gasp…………………..then silence.
 

Satan threw everything he could at Him.
    And He bore it willingly for our sake.

Another gasp…………………..then silence.
  
God loved us so much and desired to have us with Him
    That He sent His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ)
        Into the world to pay the price for our sin, 

Another gasp…………………..then silence.

 

Jesus came to set us free from our slavery to sin.
    His death on the cross paid the price and the debt we owed. 

        

Another gasp…………………..then silence.

   
For two days Jesus Christ clung to life,
    Enduring floggings and punishment, humiliation and abuse. 
        And then… at just the right time…

Another gasp…………………..then silence..................
 
            He bowed His head and let go of life.
 
At that very moment when Satan started to cheer,
    The earth shook and Jesus turned the tables on him.
        Satan’s powerful hold on God’s creation had been destroyed.

What a foolish being, ..."Satan did you not know?"

    Death cannot hold a righteous God.

 
“Oh death, where is your sting?”
    “Oh grave, where is your victory?”

God has led us through the shadow of death

    And taken away our fear of it.
 
The breathing has stopped….  My friend is gone.
 
I will not see him again on this side of heaven.
    Will I carry on without him?
        Will my pain turn into joy?
            Will the void be filled?
 
His pain is gone.
    He is with the Lord.
        Someday I will join him there.

In the presence of Jesus Christ,
    Who gave up His life
        That we might have life eternal with Him.
 
My hope is in the Lord!
 
He replaces my mourning with peace,
    My sin with His righteousness, and fills me with His love.  
 
By Peter Keyes    -  2011

 

The LORD will rescue me

 

The Lord Will Rescue Me                                                                             

I know the Lord will rescue me,

From sin and darkness set me free.

He will take my cold and hardened heart,

That was calloused from its very start.

Born of a spirit deep within,

A heart corrupted by the rule of sin.

Filled with anger, bitterness, and fear,

Afraid to let anyone get too near.

Attempting to build a wall of protection,

Just leading to more and more rejection.

Looking for refuge from my own personal battles,

Seeking for love and comfort and rest,

Chasing a dream without satisfaction,

Fighting for success and giving my best. 

The holes I dug just got deeper and deeper,

With no end in sight, was being buried alive.

Needing a place where I could feel safe,

Someone to trust and show me how to survive. 

These words to which I’d do well to cling,

A small and steady comfort they could bring.

“The Lord will rescue His people when their strength is gone.”

He will give them the hope in life to move on.

Surely, surely the Lord will come and rescue me.

His promises are true as you shall see.

Others have claimed, “You came to my rescue, Lord, You saved my life!”

“You have set me free from the burden of sin and strife.”

So with that promise, I too will trust, …THE Lord will rescue me.

Yes, Yes! I am convinced the Lord will rescue me!

Peter Keyes   3-22-2024

Behind the Veil ... the Hidden Glory of GOD

I was preparing for Transfiguration Sunday and thinking about Jesus' interaction with His disciples. Had he come in glory, his purpose on earth would have been misunderstood, even in humility, the people that gathered to Him often came for the wrong reasons. Jesus veiled His real identity until His mission was completed. The following poem expresses my thoughts regarding the veil...

Behind the Veil                                       

Jesus came from heaven above, with humility and love.

Setting aside His glory, to be a servant of the Father.
Behind the veil of a humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”
 
Just a boy is a little small town, playing with sticks and stones,
Was hidden God’s chosen in a plan to buy back His own.
 
His identity was kept a secret by his father and mother dear,
Until in His heavenly Father’s timing His true mission drew near.
For behind the veil of this humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”
 
To John the Baptist first He came, to restore the order of creation again.
 After His baptism in the River Jordan, nothing in the world would ever be the same.
On that day John heard the voice and was blessed to see,
Behind the veil of this humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”
 
They should have known those disciples three, 

that there was something special in this man to see.
But their minds were dimmed until the time was right, 

what was hidden from them in plain sight.
For behind the veil of this humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”
 
On a mountain top one day, the veil was pulled away.
They saw the glory of their Lord, but only for a moment before it, the veil, was restored.
What was this vision that they saw? A dream or something more?
 
This man, their leader, teacher, and friend…glowing like the sun,
Standing and talking with the men of old … Moses and Elijah,
“Can we just stay here and build tents for everyone?”
And then the voice from heaven claimed, “This is my beloved SON.”
Jesus the man, claimed as the Son of the One and only Great “I AM.”
 
Pondering all and filled with awe, they kept it to themselves what they saw.
Who would believe it if they were to claim…
Behind the veil of this humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”?
 
On to Jerusalem and a cross and death, all seemed to be lost when He took His final breath.
And then the veil in the temple tore… and Jesus the man was revealed forever more,
As the God behind the veil of a man, the One and only Great “I AM.” 

 

Death could not hold Him in, He rose and appeared to the disciples again.
Now… now the vision became clear, no longer did they need to live in fear.
For now, they knew and we do too. ….
 
That behind the veil of this humble man, was the One and only Great “I AM.”