Dear friends, 

With all that’s going on in our world these days, particularly with the Virus, we hear that we should maintain our distance from others to prevent its spread. That is good and wise advice to follow for the most part in this situation, but separation hurts.  Some of us - particularly those who live alone, hunger for the touch, the nearness and support of our loved ones.  

Today, I’d like to ask us all to think of that word - separation - in terms of the separation that Christ must have felt when He bore our sins on the cross.  Do you think He felt the loneliness we do when we lose that closeness with the ones we love the most? 

Here’s a poem that may help us to look at what God (The Father and the Son) suffered for us on that day. 

Separation 

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” 

The cry was heard from Calvary's tree. 

And as the cry rang out from Calvary's knoll, 

it was heard in heaven  

and broke the heart 

of the one that loved that pain wracked soul. 

When that cry rang out, oh the pain it brought 

to the Father who loved the Son he begot. 

But He could have stopped it. 

He could have released  

His Son from the suffering, 

– the pain could have ceased.  

He could have held that soul in His arms 

protecting Him from this terrible harm. 

It could have been that Christ felt Him there 

easing the burden, the sins he would bear. 

But the answer was "no" –  

release wouldn't pay, the price was still due - 

the price for salvation for me and for you. 

The only price that could save the lost  

was the separation of God on the cross 

from God in His heaven - the Father and Son 

to be torn from each other - a tearing of one. 

That day on the earth, the darkness that reigned, 

came not from the soldiers, came not from the pain. 

It came from God's heart tearing in two 

hurting much more than any could do. 

Loving so much, that it broke His own heart, 

The Son on the cross and the Father apart. 

Separation, 

The price that was due 

as God hung on the cross 

paying ransom for you. 

Diane Gruchow 

Revised Feb 2020 

The Trial - Easter

Dear Friends, this poem may be a bit unsettling to some of us, but I believe with all my heart that when we ignore or deny our Savior, we're no different than the ones that shouted "CRUCIFY!"  

But always remember that He died for each one of them, and Jesus died that we all might be forgiven, even for something like this.

            "What will you have me do with Jesus?" Pontius Pilot asked that day.

"What will you have me do with him?

I find no earthly fault in him.

What would you have me do with Jesus?"

The crowd cried out.

What words they shout.

They wanted blood.

CRUCIFY!

         

 As he washed his hands before the crowd.. Pilot gave an apt reply,  

I wash my hands of this man’s blood.  

I’ll not shed his innocent blood.  

It’s up to you to see him die.  

The crowd cried out.  

What hate they shout.  

They wanted death.  

CRUCIFY!  

And in the courtyard

          "Are you not a friend of Jesus?" the woman at the fire cried.

“Haven't you taught and worked with him?

And in the garden before you ran,     

I saw you as you walking by His side.”  

The man cried out

They heard him shout

"I know him not"?

CRUCIFY!  

   What will you do today with Jesus as now along life's road you trod?

Will you wash your hands of him?

Will you deny your love for him?

Will you ignore the Son of God?  

If we love Him not

If we serve Him not

If we deny His name

CRUCIFY!

The Road to Calvary

I wonder if Jesus were to think about that awful night when he was to die for the sins of all men, would He have had these memories?  Would these thoughts have run through His mind?

The night that Satan thought he had me, the night he planned his victory,

the night his servant Judas kissed me, began my walk to Calvary.

The 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?"

"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 

on that cursed redemption tree."

Diane Gruchow

The Road

I’ve traveled a long twisty road for almost 80 years now, most of it hand in hand with my darling, Ron.  The long road has left bumps and bruises.  It’s been full of rough and slippery spots, times of falling and standing, of skinned knees and broken noses, of rising and sitting, and of stumbling and running.  On this road I’ve met smiles and tears, pain and pleasure, hate and love, struggle and rest, sin and goodness, and sunshine and rain.

But we’ve always been traveling, never knowing what was around the next bend.  We planned, we hoped, we waited for the next clear view ahead, the next signpost that would tell us what to expect.  It hasn’t happened that way, and I certainly didn’t always walk on the easiest route.  Sometimes the road was rougher because of my own bad decisions.  Sometimes because of choices other people made, and sometimes, yes, because God determined that I should travel a different, a harder, piece of land.   

It could be that God wants us to build muscles for something that He knows we will face later.  Or because there were gifts He’d given us that we weren’t using, or there was someone along that rougher route - someone He knew we could help.   Or just maybe God wanted us to remember that we do always need Him.

But the beauty of the trek down this road is that we haven’t had to do it alone.  Even if we didn’t know it, we’ve always had a companion - the one companion who would provide all we needed to make the journey, to keep on going, to give us direction, comfort, healing and the assurance that there would be something beautiful at the end.

This companion directed our eyes to the beauty of our surroundings, the beauty of His creation, of His creatures.  He helped us to see those children who were walking without Him.  He reminded us that they were also His children, and they were there for us to love and care for as well.

This companion comforted us when we despaired, wondering if the pain and trouble would ever end, and assured us that - Yes, He knew what we were feeling.  And, always, one morning when our eyes opened, we would see the love in His eyes, the sympathy and care of His heart, and we would be able to get out of bed.  He was all we needed to heal our skinned knees - our skinned and broken hearts.

Now we’re traveling what we believe will be the last few miles of that road.  Our eyes are open, hungering still to see the beauty of this old world, but even more than that, to see our companion.

We want to look on his face, to absorb it, to mirror it, to know it!  We study his features, we listen to his voice, we try to inhale his words.  We wait!  We desire to know Him, and we’re not disappointed. 

He comes to us in the peace of the evening of our lives.  He greets us in the morning of each new day.  He speaks in the sunshine and the rain.  He sings a love song to us, and as we listen, we walk the road, turning another corner, moving on to what lies ahead.

I think we’ll just keep on walking straight into the arms of that companion who has been with us all along.  And then…..

May God grant me as many days as He has use for me on this old road, and may I continue in my quest to know more of the one who made me, who knew me better than I knew myself, and forgave me all my sins – OH Yes!  I’m forgiven and loved!

Happy New Year

My husband and I stopped doing the New Year’s Eve party thing long ago.  We generally make it an early evening – No silly hats or parties to greet the New Year – we get tired too early (and, funny thing, each new year has come in without us greeting it – it didn’t need our help.)

But, if we were celebrating anything on New Year’s Eve – these are the things I’d think about – things I’d remember – things I’d want to celebrate. 

I’d remember and celebrate certain things about last year.

·         Each day I was loved by our almighty Father God

·         There wasn’t a day when I really needed to worry - because I found that God was walking in each one of those days with me.

·         I had 365 days to use for his glory

·         And I discovered that, even with all the trials of the year, God was working things out for good.

So, let’s talk about each of these

We – each one of us, everyone is loved by the almighty God, and because He loves us, it doesn’t matter if anyone else does.  Sometimes we really don’t feel loved, do we?  Or sometimes the people who loved us deeply are on longer there.  But there is one who is there, who has always been there, one who does love us with a perfect love.

Because God is perfect, His love is perfect.  If you think of people in your past who have spoken words of love and that love was nothing but words, then you can see the difference in the love that comes from God. 

It’s a true love, a faithful love, a love that never fails. It never ends with just words. 

The Bible tells us in Lamentations 3:22 (ESV) – “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;”

That’s a beautiful thing to think about at the beginning of the year, isn’t it?

Next, let’s think about worry.  Well to begin with, worry is just a waste of time.

Do you remember the times when you’ve worried in the past and it did nothing to change the situation?  If you do, you’ll realize that worry is fruitless. – it does no good.  I’ll bet you can’t think of a single time that worrying helped 😊

Do you remember the times in the past that you’ve worried, and because of that worry you made yourself and your loved ones unhappy?  If you do, you know that worry is also destructive. 

Do you remember the times that you’ve worried, and that worrying caused you to lose sleep?  If you do, then you’ll know that worry is unhealthy. 

So why would we do something that is fruitless, destructive and unhealthy?  Especially when we don’t have to; especially when there is someone who can actually do something about the things we worry about.

That someone is God.  If we have faith in Him and His love, we can be sure that He has our worries in His almighty hand. 

Okey, next let’s think about all the days God has given us?  How have we used them?  Well - let’s not worry about how we used them last year because -

We have today. God has given us today.  The sun has risen.  Our eyes have opened.  We have breath and life.  That’s something to celebrate.  Now, how will we celebrate this gift - this day. 

What would it look like if we decided to give this day over to glorifying God?  Let’s think about what that could mean.   

The Bible tells us this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So, giving this day over to glorifying God could mean that a bunch of the old useless stuff filling our lives, our thoughts, and our hearts would be thrown out and filled with something wonderful – righteousness.

And lastly, today let’s celebrate by remembering that God is able – He continues to prove it.

That’s huge!  It wouldn’t be much use to depend upon a God who wasn’t any bigger or more able than we are, would it? 

Sometimes, we question whether God cares when things don’t go as we wish.  We question whether he is in control when our world seems out of control.  We question whether He is near when we don’t bother to even look for Him. And we question whether He is able, when we don’t understand His ways.

2 Timothy 1:12 (KJV) tells us. . .  for I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Have you ever heard the song – He is able.  It goes this way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhJlCJ8jkec

The New Year is just beginning – it’s a good time to remember that -

·         Our Almighty God loves us
·         There’s no need to worry – because God has those worries in his hands.
·         God has given us this day to use for His glory
·         God is able to do far more than we could ever ask or think.