The Road to Calvary

Easter is coming – that glorious day, the day we celebrate Christ’s

resurrection.  

But today I’d like to talk about the time before that day.  This was the time of confusion, pain, suffering and sadness. 

Like so many times in our lives, before joy, there is pain.  And sometimes, before joy, there is a decision that must be made and a stand that must be taken. 

This is the way it was for Jesus. 

The steps that led Jesus, the Messiah, to Calvary began in the dawn of time when a beautiful angel decided he wanted to be God.  That angel, Lucifer, was so puffed up with pride that he no longer deserved to be in God’s presence.  He took others with him and a war began – the war between good and evil, between God and Satan. 

That fallen star, Lucifer, convinced God’s children, His perfect creation, to sin.  Just as Lucifer took other angels with him when he left God, so he took Adam and Eve with him into the darkness of sin. 

But God loved His children and designed a way to bring them back into the light.  That way was the road to Calvary - the dark, sad road that would, at last, lead to everlasting light – to salvation – to eternity.

This week we remember the final steps that Jesus took on that pitiful road.  We remember His entry into Jerusalem – Palm branches strewn on the road – people singing at the top of their lungs of the Messiah that they believed Jesus to be. 

Luke 19:37 tells us,

“ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

. . . As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 

Jesus felt sadness and deep sorrow for the city that was known as the “City of God,” sorrow for the people who expected a military king to rescue them from the clutches of Herod, instead of a heavenly King who would rescue them from the clutches of Satan.

During that week Jesus would gather His disciples together for the Passover meal and at that gathering He would give them instructions on how to love, not only each other, but all of the children of His Father. And Jesus would wash their feet to show them an example of what a servant should be like. 

Jesus would give them a supper to help them always remember what He was going to do for them very soon.  We celebrate that supper even today – it is what Christians call, “The Lord’s Supper.” 

And after the meal was over, Jesus and His disciples walked to a garden.   

This would be a garden of prayer and the garden of sorrow.  In that place the disciples would struggle with Satan.  Jesus asked them to watch and pray with Him, but Satan wanted them to sleep.  The evil one didn’t want them to see their suffering Savior.  Satan won that struggle and the disciples slept while Jesus sweat drops of blood, knowing what was in store for Him.  He prayed earnestly to His Father for Himself, for those disciples and for each one of us.

John records the words of Jesus, Jesus was praying for His disciples and He said to His Father,

“I pray for those you have given me.  They are yours.  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world.  I’m coming to you, Holy Father, so please protect them by the power of your name.  . . My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. . .”

Then Jesus goes on to say,

       “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . .  Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Think of that - He was suffering, knowing what was going to happen to Him, and He loved us so much that He took that time to pray to His Father for you and for me.

Then Jesus rose, woke His disciples, and went to the place that He knew He would meet the minion of Satan – Judas, who would betray Him. 

The most amazing thing happened there – We read about it in Matthew 28

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.

With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. . . .   Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Then the men in the crowd stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.  With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said,  . . .  “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

 . . . Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”   At that point all the disciples deserted him and fled.

And now on His road to Calvary.  Jesus would be tried - unfairly.  He would suffer great physical agony.  He would suffer the agony of separation from His Father, and He would die on that cross. 

Fortunately that was not the end of the story.  In a way, it was only the beginning.    

My words cannot express the suffering of our Savior, so I won’t try.  But my words can try to express the gratitude that I feel that He was willing to suffer for our sake, for yours and for mine. 

I tried to put my poet’s mind on what Jesus might have written about that road – the road to Calvary, and I wrote;

The night that Satan thought he had me,

the night he’d planned his victory,

the night his servant Judas kissed me,

began the road to Calvary.

Rough arms came, reached out, and seized me.

My dear friend drew his sword to fight.

“Put back your sword,” I said to Peter,

“It has to be this way tonight.”

Oh don't you think I could withstand them

without your help if I should try.

Oh don't you know ten thousand angels would be at hand

with just a cry.

And then I asked of those who seized me,

Why did you come with clubs and swords

while every day I sat among you

teaching in the temple courts?

And on those days did you arrest me?

No, now you come in evening’s hour.

For Satan's way is always darkness

and you -  by hating, give him power

Oh don't you think I could withstand you

at any time if I should try.

Oh don't you know ten thousand angels would be at hand

with just a cry.

But lead me on the way to Calvary.

We'll take the road together now.

I'll walk along - no need to drag me

for I won't use my heavenly power.

Oh I could call ten thousand angels

if I wanted to be free.

But my love for you will keep me silent,

until I die upon that tree.

My love for you is what will hold me

upon that cursed redemption tree.

Diane

All quotes from the New International 

Version of the Bible.  Poem by Diane 

Gruchow © 1997

A Senior Sings

This is Morris Ballinger and Mark Nikkel. Morris wrote the song. Beautiful - from the heart.

Who am I?

“If I were to describe myself today, I would say that I’m a loved and forgiven child of God.  You are too!”  That’s how I see myself most of the time. 

There are times, however. when I just see myself as old, broken, lazy, - oh so many things that are unattractive.  That’s one of the reasons I chose this topic.  It’s no fun to look in the mirror and see something you don’t like. 

So let’s look at who we Really are – what we could really see, if that mirror told the honest truth.  The first thing is that I’m an amazing creation from the mind of God!

Genesis 1:27  tells us that ". . .God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  and then Psalm 139:13-14 talks about how we were created.  "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."  and I love this part where the Psalmist is excited about God's work - "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Wow!  Now if I were to see me in the mirror like God’s word describes me – I’d sure end up smiling in that mirror.

Also - I’m a part of Christ’s body and He lives in me. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  And in Galatians 2, He says that, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This next description is exciting – I’m not just my body.  I'm a soul, meant for heaven - for everlasting life.   As it says in John 5, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."  and 2 Peter 1:10-12 tells us that “if we follow Christ’s example” we will  " . . .  receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

 
John 1:11-13
"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." 
Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
 
Wow!
So we’re God’s creation, a living soul.  And if we follow Christ, we are part of His body and a person who is destined for eternal life

Many times we define who we are, by who our parents were.  How about you?  When asked about myself, I might say, “I was raised by god-fearing parents”  Or I might say something else about my family.  But the truth is

I’m a child of the King! 

We should be happy with the “me” God made, because remember, He is the one who formed us.  The personality, the looks and the physical abilities that God gave you are just part of the “me” we need to be happy with.  God also want's to fill us with good things like Peace.  He told His disciples when he was leaving them.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you."  God's peace - not the world's.  

Of course there are things inside our hearts that aren’t “God given” in us – God calls that sin.  But we always need to remember that Christ died to pay for that sin. 

Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Please know that sin is what we’ve done, not - who we are, because we are children of the Most High God - His sons and daughters.  We are his creation.  We are part of His body and we are souls meant for eternity. 

So God gives to us, eternal life, sonship, a body, soul and spirit  – but he also takes from us – our past, today's pressure, and our sin.  I love the picture that we read of in Micah 7:19 

Speaking to God, he says, "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Amazing - God will tread our sins underfoot and throw them in to the deep sea.  He takes away our past transgressions.

That’s what He saved me from. – my past, the pressure of this life, and the price of my sins, and He gives me peace.. 

What does he draw me to?

Himself!

Who Am I?

It’s so hard to see the picture that the one who made me saw,

while fashioning my features in His mind.

It’s so hard to see His plans for me, His perfect will displayed

when I look in memory’s mirror,

and I find -.

a messy tarnished drawing that is filling up the space,

as sin’s dark, blotted shadows aim to cover up my face

and show to me a likeness of the sinful human race.

The image there can’t show God’s love,

and it overlooks His grace.

But I have a new and heavenly mirror

‘cause God paid sin’s penalty

And as I look into that glass

a different view I see.

The dark and blotted shadows

have been cast into the sea.

And in that glass I find that

Love

has taken them from me.

Now I faintly see the picture

that the one who made me saw

as He fashioned my own features in His mind.

I faintly see His plans for me. His perfect will I read

when I look into the love He left behind.

Diane Gruchow Feb 2014

All bible quotes either KJV or NIV

Elephants and Mosquitoes

Do you sometimes feel that life is what it is, and there’s nothing 
you can do about it? 

Sometimes the things that are out of our control in our lives are mosquitoes and sometimes, they are elephants.  When we used to travel with our kids, we’d laugh at the other vehicles on the road.  We’d get behind an elephant (a big RV or truck) or a mosquito might whiz past us making a terrible noise and irritating the daylights out of us (a fast motorcycle or car.) 

Think about our lives as a journey, and the paths that we take as the highway we travel. We meet both elephants and mosquitoes on our journey through life.

The elephants are like trials in our life that are so big they instill fear and discouragement in us.  They hinder our progress.  We can’t go on the way we were heading because we’re stuck behind them.  Major disasters, loss of loved one, loss of a job, illness and major pain or age are all like elephants that we confront on this travel through life.  They are all huge and hard to get past, aren’t they? 

Then think of the mosquitoes as the little things that we turn into big things.  That could be rudeness in others, irritating situations, people who keep pestering us or maybe even the weather.  Waiting – that’s a biggie for most people.  How about noise or a dull ache that won’t go away?  

Many times, when confronted with mosquitoes (irritations) we respond in anger.  Just as we slap at mosquitoes when they irritate us – we tend to do that to a friend or a spouse or someone near us – we want to stop the irritation so we may be rude to them. We may not slap them physically, but our voices do just that. 

When we have to face an elephant – a big disaster, death or illness, we know we can’t control it and we feel helpless.  And since we know we aren’t in control we find that we’re more apt to go for help – to God, or to friends.  Or maybe we learn to deal that elephant named trouble.  Or we may learn to be patient.  That’s probably the hardest thing to do.

   – not so with mosquitoes, we think we’re bigger than they are.

We act as if we can do something about them.  Little irritating mosquitoes – they bug us and cause us to sin even more than the great big elephant events.  That’s one thing I think we can all work on – trying to see why some things irritate us.  We can also look under the surface of our anger - to see if the cause of that is impatience, our pride or our lack of love for others.

The way we react to irritations shows where our heart is – I for one, need to look beyond myself.

But in the big and small things – God really does provide help and comfort.  Let's look at 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) and 2 Cor 1:3,4 (NIV) 

“Cast all your care upon Him for He cares for you.  

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  

And in our troubles, we learn patience – which is the most amazing attribute of God – Wow! How patient He is with us!   

So when the elephants – the big trials of life - block our way, slow us down and make us detour from the plans we have – let’s remember that God has plans for us as well.  We read in …

Jeremiah 29:11 - 12 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you

And when the mosquitoes (the small things) irritate us, let’s remember that’s what they are – small things.  

I wrote this little poem because sometimes it's easier to keep things in my head when they rhyme.

The simple route I’d planned to take

turns soon into a jumbled maze.

A detour sends me to the side

then twists in fickle random ways.

I thought I had the map prepared.

I thought I knew which way to go.

I thought the route I’d planned was best,

but now I find that it’s not so.

And now an irritation comes - 

mosquitoes - they exasperate.

They chafe and sting and make me mad.

They bother vex and aggravate.

I thought I had the map prepared.

I thought I knew which way to go.

I thought the route I’d planned was best,

but now I find that it’s not so.

Back on the road I’m making time

until I find I’m blocked behind

an elephant of mammoth size,

and there’s no way to pass I find.

I thought I had the map prepared.

I thought I knew which way to go.

I thought the route I’d planned was best,

but “Who,” I ask, “is in control?”

  

Do you sometimes think that you are in control of the trip – and find that you’re not?  Mosquitoes and Elephants come into our lives to help us see that we’re not in charge.  But they also help us to know we have to depend on the master planner, the master map maker, the one who made the road.

God bless your travels.

Diane

Hope in Troubled Times

Psalm 42 - As the deer   

These days we use the word “Hope” in such a different way than most of the Bible uses it.  We say, “I hope this will happen, or I hope I feel better tomorrow, or I hope we have asparagus for dinner” – I never hope that – but you see what I mean.

We use the word hope in exchange for the word “wish.”  But hope is defined in the dictionary as “looking forward with desire and considerable confidence.  Not just desire, but confidence as well.

God is our hope.  We have confidence that, with him in charge, things will always turn out for the best (not always as we wish – but for the best – God’s best.)

Hope is trusting that God means what he says.

There are many verses in the Bible that speak of hope. But Psalm 42 really spoke to me. It’s possible that the writer of that Psalm was talking for King David, or maybe himself, when he wrote -

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

“ My soul is downcast within me;

Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long “Where is your God?”

It sounds like this person was pretty miserable, doesn’t it?  His enemies oppressed him.  His body ached and he cried out to God.  As I was reading this Psalm, I thought – but I don’t have foes (enemies.)  I’m not in the same boat as this person.  And yes, I don’t have anyone trying to kill me or chasing me through the desert, but I do have things in my life that haunt me and cause me pain.

But I find that guilt, boredom, loneliness, weariness and worry – are all my enemies.  They try to destroy my faith in God. 

The writer praises God, calling him my Savior and my God and he says, “put your hope in God.” And then at the same time he says, “I’m downcast – I hurt.”  But the strange thing is that he also says to God,

“Because I’m downcast, therefore I’ll remember you.”

That’s different, isn’t it?  Sometimes when we’re downcast, we forget God.  But the writer says that’s WHY he remembers God – because he’s downcast.

And then I read something great – something amazing in that Psalm - the writer tells us that God sings to him of love.

 “By day the Lord directs his love,  at night his song is with me—“

God directs his love by day and sings His song at night.  Have you ever thought about that - God directing His love toward you, or singing you to sleep?  I hadn’t.

As we go on in Psalm 42 -- I love that the writer doesn’t pretend everything is okay.  He is honest with God and we need to be as well.  He asks God,

 “Why have you forgotten me?

But even with the downcast spirit, even with the question of “why have you forgotten me?”  He says he knows where his hope is and he praises God for it. In Verse 11 he says,

“Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

We can’t control most things in this life – but there is absolutely one thing that we can control and that’s where we put our trust and find our hope.

So when we look at it – we can say.  I have confidence in God.  Any confidence, or hope has to have a cause and God is the cause.

Sunday we sang the song and the words just sang out of my heart.  I changed the words a bit because it’s what I heard.

Be still, my soul;

the Lord is on your side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave it to God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul;

your God does undertake to guide the future as He has the past.

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;

All that’s mysterious, will be bright at last.

Be still, my soul;

the waves and the winds still know His voice. The one who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Romans 15:4

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

Heaven and Nature Sing

They do, you know – heaven and nature sing – nature tells of God’s power and his majesty, and heaven sings a ballad of God’s love for man.

When you hear a song, do you ever wonder why it was written?   I expect that the composer had something he wanted you to know or to feel – something he himself felt.

But - if we are going to feel it, it must speak to our hearts. 

Like for instance I have a favorite - a wonderful little song, called I’m drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed – it speaks of gratitude.  It touches my heart and helps me feel the gratitude that the author must have felt. 

Then in a richer vein, we listen to the majestic Messiah, by Handel.  It raises our eyes to the Glory that is God and we feel awe and reverence.

It speaks to our heart.

When God created the world, He put music into his creation: the song of the birds, the pounding roar of the waves, the whistle of the wind, the drum of the thunder, the bugling of the elk, the howl of the coyote, the purring of the kitten, and the song of the whales and the dolphin.  All creation sings of the creator.

Some music takes the composer a long time to complete.  The song we’ll be talking about today took forever.  It was started long ago and was never played until Jesus came to earth. 

One extraordinary night over 2000 years ago, the hosts of heaven rejoiced. 

They were getting ready to witness a special performance of a song, born in the heart of God, even before the world began.   

A virgin whose name was Mary, was privileged to hear the opening strains of the music when an angel told her that the Messiah was to be born, and that she would be the vessel used by God to bring His Son to earth.  The song that had been written eons ago would at last be sung.

God’s song, written for love of mankind, was named “forgiveness.”

But there’s more to come.  God knew the singers and He wrote the song.

And then on that wonderful opening night, the Baby - the King, the one who would be called, Immanuel, was born, not in a palace, but in a stable – a lowly stable. 

And when the curtain was raised, I believe God may have shouted, “It has begun!”  I picture showers of starlight dancing across the evening sky; each tiny bit of light singing “Glory, Glory, Glory to God in the Highest.”  Perhaps there were invisible angels, singing the song, flying in formation, accompanying the King to earth. 

The magnificent light show was seen by the shepherds, tending their sheep on the hills of Bethlehem.  They saw the angels – majestic heavenly beings - appearing in Bethlehem’s black sky.  Angel voices spoke the song.  They told the shepherds,

 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior which is Christ the Lord.”

With power and glory they sang God’s song - music falling down from heaven with the stars.  Immanuel is born, God is with us.  “Forgiveness is coming to mankind.”

Out on the hills of Bethlehem the shepherds watch the night. 

Light from a feeble campfire glows

on faces bearing earthly woes

and waiting for the light.

Then from the quiet

A chord resounds

and thunders ’cross the sky

A chord that sings of hope for man. 

A chord revealing heaven’s plan –

It’s music from on high.

The song was born –

Forgiveness came,

to sleep upon the hay.

Man need no longer be alone. The Son of God would make his home on earth with us that day.

The song –

the word of Life was sent

to rescue us from Sin

Heaven and nature joined the choir

Singing Glory, Glory ever higher

Salvation would begin.

And Jesus is the Song. 

Jesus is the Word. 

Jesus is forgiveness. 

Jesus is Immanuel – God is with us!

Yes, the song was born, He lived with mankind.  He suffered for us.  And He lives in our hearts today.  May you know the joy and peace that comes from the heart of God.

Do You Remember Christmas?

Do you remember Christmas? I do.  

My memories of childhood Christmas programs have lasted over the years.  They all blend together because they were very much the same year after year and I’m so grateful for that.  Repetition implants those memories in your mind.  This is a picture of the church I attended as a child and this poem is the picture I have in my mind of Christmas programs past and present.  I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

A little child, one Christmas Eve, climbed up the church house stairs

expecting sounds of singing and people saying prayers.

But when the door was opened, her heart jumped at the sight.

She stood there silent in the night.

Her eyes were diamonds dancing bright in wonderment and awe.

Stained glass windows glow with light from candles burning there.

The sights and sounds were rich and rare.

Pine bough fragrance filled the air, and this is what she saw.

Shepherds tending quiet sheep

spoke in whispers soft and deep.

Angel choirs began to sing

Hallelujahs to the king.

And nearby on a bed of hay

a precious tiny baby lay.

That night she learned of Jesus, in scene and verse and song.

She learned of God’s stupendous love that righted all the wrong.

She learned that Jesus came to this dark earth to save all men

as angels told the shepherds they’d find Him in Bethlehem.

She learned about the wise men from the east, who came so far

and how our God protected them while following the star.

The things she saw that Christmas Eve were only just the start

because those Christmas memories keep Jesus in her heart.

The time and place span miles and years, but the message is the same. 

And that magic night so long ago, with candles lighting row on row  

helps the memories remain.

 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  Gal 4:4-5