April 5th, 2023
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Celebrating Life!
Many years ago, at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, "I can't begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I just wept. I expressed anger and loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me, but nothing worked ... the loss was simply too great.
But 3 days after she received that message the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, "Mom, it's me." It's Clayton. I'm alive. Ruth said, I couldn't believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice and realized he really was alive. The message was all a mistake. She said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels because my son who I thought was dead was actually alive."
Holy week is a preparation of the heart for God’s most incredible demonstration of power and love ever known to man. Good Friday is the culmination of sorrow because we are reminded of the horrific sacrifice God made with the death of his perfect, loving Son. Jesus was tried in a kangaroo court and convicted of blasphemy and sent to the Roman governor to be tried and executed in the most torturous manner possible. The same crowd that had praised him as Messiah, a few days prior, was now crying out for his blood. “Crucify Him! Crucify him!” they screamed. Ultimately, Pilot, who admitted he could find no fault in Jesus, gave into the mob, washed his hands and sentenced an innocent man to crucifixion on a Roman cross.
Jesus was repeatedly beaten, flogged, spat upon and ridiculed as he carried His own cross up the hill to his own place of execution. We know that the beatings had taken such a toll that a man named Simon was pulled out of the crowd to carry it the rest of the way. They nailed his hands and feet to the cross and lifted him up to be watched and mocked by the crowd. After a few hours of miserable suffering, Jesus died, was taken down and placed in a borrowed tomb and left there.
His mother and most of his disciples watched this spectacle of judgement in horror. Some of them helped to take down his body and lay it in the tomb. There was nothing left for them to do but mourn. And mourn they did. Adding to their depression was the fear that, with the execution of their Lord, they might be next; so, they did their best to stay out of sight. All their hopes and dreams had been hung on that cross and were snuffed out with the death of the One they loved.
Easter is the BIG DAY! I prefer the title RESURRECTION SUNDAY! That following Sunday morning some of the women, who were followers of Jesus, went to the tomb desiring to anoint his body with spices and perfume to complete the burial process. It had been rushed because of the Passover which began the evening of his crucifixion. They hoped someone could roll the giant stone away for them but, were amazed to find it already pushed back. Once inside, they were stunned to see that his body was no longer there. Before the day was over Mary and the disciples, in separate instances would meet Jesus, face to face and realize that he had risen back to life!
The reaction of the disciples and Jesus’ family had to be at least as powerful as that of Mrs. Dillow when she received that phone call from her son. Except that she had only heard about her son’s death. The people who saw Jesus risen had watched him die and buried him in the tomb. Now, they could celebrate like never before.
You and I did not get the benefit of watching Jesus die and seeing him raised from the dead. However, those of us who follow him today had the experience of being dead in our sins and being raised with and by Jesus to a new life in Him. That is the powerful result of what happened on the Holy Week. When you and I receive that power into our lives, we experience Holy Week in person. He Rose so You Rose!
This Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, the church family will celebrate along with Christ Followers all over the world that Jesus conquered sin and death in His resurrection. But he didn’t just do it for himself. He did it for you and me. We will share another sermon in our “IN HIS STEPS” series with a message titled “Jesus Transforms Us From Death to Life” based on Romans 6:4-11. At our Sunrise Service Josh will present a message titled “New Creation" based on 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Our men will have a delicious breakfast for us and we will have inspiring special music and worship times. The 30 Pieces of Silver Offering is always a moving experience. I hope that you will be a part of this exciting Celebration of the King!
Celebrating Life with you,
Jon
Celebrating Life!
Many years ago, at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, "I can't begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I just wept. I expressed anger and loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me, but nothing worked ... the loss was simply too great.
But 3 days after she received that message the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, "Mom, it's me." It's Clayton. I'm alive. Ruth said, I couldn't believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice and realized he really was alive. The message was all a mistake. She said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels because my son who I thought was dead was actually alive."
Holy week is a preparation of the heart for God’s most incredible demonstration of power and love ever known to man. Good Friday is the culmination of sorrow because we are reminded of the horrific sacrifice God made with the death of his perfect, loving Son. Jesus was tried in a kangaroo court and convicted of blasphemy and sent to the Roman governor to be tried and executed in the most torturous manner possible. The same crowd that had praised him as Messiah, a few days prior, was now crying out for his blood. “Crucify Him! Crucify him!” they screamed. Ultimately, Pilot, who admitted he could find no fault in Jesus, gave into the mob, washed his hands and sentenced an innocent man to crucifixion on a Roman cross.
Jesus was repeatedly beaten, flogged, spat upon and ridiculed as he carried His own cross up the hill to his own place of execution. We know that the beatings had taken such a toll that a man named Simon was pulled out of the crowd to carry it the rest of the way. They nailed his hands and feet to the cross and lifted him up to be watched and mocked by the crowd. After a few hours of miserable suffering, Jesus died, was taken down and placed in a borrowed tomb and left there.
His mother and most of his disciples watched this spectacle of judgement in horror. Some of them helped to take down his body and lay it in the tomb. There was nothing left for them to do but mourn. And mourn they did. Adding to their depression was the fear that, with the execution of their Lord, they might be next; so, they did their best to stay out of sight. All their hopes and dreams had been hung on that cross and were snuffed out with the death of the One they loved.
Easter is the BIG DAY! I prefer the title RESURRECTION SUNDAY! That following Sunday morning some of the women, who were followers of Jesus, went to the tomb desiring to anoint his body with spices and perfume to complete the burial process. It had been rushed because of the Passover which began the evening of his crucifixion. They hoped someone could roll the giant stone away for them but, were amazed to find it already pushed back. Once inside, they were stunned to see that his body was no longer there. Before the day was over Mary and the disciples, in separate instances would meet Jesus, face to face and realize that he had risen back to life!
The reaction of the disciples and Jesus’ family had to be at least as powerful as that of Mrs. Dillow when she received that phone call from her son. Except that she had only heard about her son’s death. The people who saw Jesus risen had watched him die and buried him in the tomb. Now, they could celebrate like never before.
You and I did not get the benefit of watching Jesus die and seeing him raised from the dead. However, those of us who follow him today had the experience of being dead in our sins and being raised with and by Jesus to a new life in Him. That is the powerful result of what happened on the Holy Week. When you and I receive that power into our lives, we experience Holy Week in person. He Rose so You Rose!
This Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, the church family will celebrate along with Christ Followers all over the world that Jesus conquered sin and death in His resurrection. But he didn’t just do it for himself. He did it for you and me. We will share another sermon in our “IN HIS STEPS” series with a message titled “Jesus Transforms Us From Death to Life” based on Romans 6:4-11. At our Sunrise Service Josh will present a message titled “New Creation" based on 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Our men will have a delicious breakfast for us and we will have inspiring special music and worship times. The 30 Pieces of Silver Offering is always a moving experience. I hope that you will be a part of this exciting Celebration of the King!
Celebrating Life with you,
Jon
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BETRAYALThe Upward Look, by Jon Forrest Betrayal There is not a more bitter feeling on earth than the one that comes when the closest of friends or a family member emotionally stabs you in the back. When the one person who should have your wellbeing foremost in his/her mind turns on you and throws you to the wolves, the pain travels to the innermost part of your psyche. Such betrayal has led to lifelong vendettas that resulted in debris fields of wounded and wrecked lives. Lifelong wars have been fought by the closest of friends and relatives. Often, the ones who are targeted for injury by revenge are not the only ones who receive the devastation. Everyone around them is torn asunder as collateral damage. You’ve seen it; two siblings who refuse to speak for the rest of their lives over the division of their parent’s estate, or once best friends who now take every opportunity to tear down the reputation of each other. Such wounds spawn physical and emotional violence for a lifetime. They cause words that pour forth from the cesspool of nastiness that takes over the mind of the betrayed. There has never been a more bitter response to such betrayal as when the perception has been that one was betrayed, stabbed in the back, thrown under the bus or left holding the bag by our loving heavenly Father. Yes, there have been times when people have felt as if God turned his back on them. Where was God when my spouse got sick and died? Where was God when my mother’s boyfriend was molesting me or my siblings? Where was God when my child was struck by a car and killed? Where was God when I lost my job, my house, my car, my reputation and more? JUST WHERE WAS GOD in the most difficult times of my life? Does God betray his people when life goes sour? Jesus was betrayed into the hands of the evil religious people for crucifixion by one of his closest friends, Judas, and felt betrayed by his heavenly Father when he cried out from the cross, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” One of God’s greatest apostles, Paul, prayed three times that God would remove his (unspecified) thorn in the flesh, but God did not speak until the third time, only to announce, “My grace is sufficient for you!” However, neither Jesus nor Paul turned in bitterness to God. Jesus embraced his cross because he knew that God’s plan was to save the world by turning his back on his only sinless Son in order to make a way of escape from eternal punishment for their sins. Paul accepted God’s refusal to heal him for the sake of his own betterment to keep him from the danger of arrogance after taking part in so many supernatural visions from God. Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob experienced betrayal from his jealous brothers who sold him into slavery and pretended that his father’s favorite son had been slaughtered by a wild beast. When he continued to trust God and it seemed God was about to rescue him from his slavery, his hopes were continually dashed by set back after set back. He could have easily rejected God as unjust and a God who betrayed his faithfulness over and over. But, he didn’t let his faith waiver. He kept obeying God and serving with tremendous integrity and faith year after year, setback after setback, betrayal after seeming betrayal. But, when all was said and done, he learned that God actually had a plan to use him to save his people and to honor him in ways he never thought possible. If you think God is not there. If you think He has betrayed you. If you think God will never allow you to “catch a break,” just wait! He has plans for you that you do not know. He is watching you and protecting your eternal life! The day will come when the entirety of his plan will be revealed and you will know that God has had your back all along! This Sunday, Josh McVey will bring a message about the life of Joseph from Genesis 37 – 46 and Psalm 23 titled Rising from the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Plan to come and find comfort and encouragement from this message from God’s Word. Faithful with you, Jon
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WHAT TO DO WHEN THE SKY IS FALLINGREACHING OUT TO THE UNREACHABLEBRING THEM TO JESUSBETRAYALThe Upward Look, by Jon Forrest Betrayal There is not a more bitter feeling on earth than the one that comes when the closest of friends or a family member emotionally stabs you in the back. When the one person who should have your wellbeing foremost in his/her mind turns on you and throws you to the wolves, the pain travels to the innermost part of your psyche. Such betrayal has led to lifelong vendettas that resulted in debris fields of wounded and wrecked lives. Lifelong wars have been fought by the closest of friends and relatives. Often, the ones who are targeted for injury by revenge are not the only ones who receive the devastation. Everyone around them is torn asunder as collateral damage. You’ve seen it; two siblings who refuse to speak for the rest of their lives over the division of their parent’s estate, or once best friends who now take every opportunity to tear down the reputation of each other. Such wounds spawn physical and emotional violence for a lifetime. They cause words that pour forth from the cesspool of nastiness that takes over the mind of the betrayed. There has never been a more bitter response to such betrayal as when the perception has been that one was betrayed, stabbed in the back, thrown under the bus or left holding the bag by our loving heavenly Father. Yes, there have been times when people have felt as if God turned his back on them. Where was God when my spouse got sick and died? Where was God when my mother’s boyfriend was molesting me or my siblings? Where was God when my child was struck by a car and killed? Where was God when I lost my job, my house, my car, my reputation and more? JUST WHERE WAS GOD in the most difficult times of my life? Does God betray his people when life goes sour? Jesus was betrayed into the hands of the evil religious people for crucifixion by one of his closest friends, Judas, and felt betrayed by his heavenly Father when he cried out from the cross, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” One of God’s greatest apostles, Paul, prayed three times that God would remove his (unspecified) thorn in the flesh, but God did not speak until the third time, only to announce, “My grace is sufficient for you!” However, neither Jesus nor Paul turned in bitterness to God. Jesus embraced his cross because he knew that God’s plan was to save the world by turning his back on his only sinless Son in order to make a way of escape from eternal punishment for their sins. Paul accepted God’s refusal to heal him for the sake of his own betterment to keep him from the danger of arrogance after taking part in so many supernatural visions from God. Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob experienced betrayal from his jealous brothers who sold him into slavery and pretended that his father’s favorite son had been slaughtered by a wild beast. When he continued to trust God and it seemed God was about to rescue him from his slavery, his hopes were continually dashed by set back after set back. He could have easily rejected God as unjust and a God who betrayed his faithfulness over and over. But, he didn’t let his faith waiver. He kept obeying God and serving with tremendous integrity and faith year after year, setback after setback, betrayal after seeming betrayal. But, when all was said and done, he learned that God actually had a plan to use him to save his people and to honor him in ways he never thought possible. If you think God is not there. If you think He has betrayed you. If you think God will never allow you to “catch a break,” just wait! He has plans for you that you do not know. He is watching you and protecting your eternal life! The day will come when the entirety of his plan will be revealed and you will know that God has had your back all along! This Sunday, Josh McVey will bring a message about the life of Joseph from Genesis 37 – 46 and Psalm 23 titled Rising from the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Plan to come and find comfort and encouragement from this message from God’s Word. Faithful with you, Jon
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Thanks Jon! As always excellent thinking and writing!