Musings from My Sun Porch

               Recently, some friends and I visited a local Assisted Living facility.   We weren’t sure what to expect but went with the plan of singing hymns with the residents.   The hymns were a big hit, and even though we provided the words, many of them sang from memory.   It was evident that both the music and the memories brought joy to these elderly Saints.             Music has often been a subject of controversy in the Church.  Should you use instruments?  Should you dance in celebration?  Should you sing hymns or are the worship songs more appropriate?  Should music be a major part of our Worship?  Everyone has an opinion on most of those questions, and unfortunately, they are often cause for discord and sometimes even division within congregations.             When God talked abo...

                   When we were children, one of our biggest fears was that Santa Claus was watching and he might not like what he saw.   I recall one instance when my parent’s best friends and their children were visiting, and Santa Clause suddenly appeared in our kitchen window.   For that one evening and several days thereafter, we were the best-behaved children around, all because we knew someone was watching.   Several years later I learned that it was my Grandfather, dressed as Santa Claus, but I never forgot that moment of fear.             In today’s culture, it’s difficult to get far without someone watching.  There are ring cameras on our doorbells, security cameras in many buildings, including our churches, and then, there are all the cell phones that are constantly snapping pictures.  You can almost be certain that someone is always watchin...

                 On one occasion, Jesus said “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:57 NCV).   Sometimes I wonder if we have lost sight of what it means to do what is right.   Have we lost the zeal for integrity?   The news will tell us “yes”.   We have allegations of misdeeds on all parts of the political spectrum, totally senseless crime is rampant, and so many of the popular slogans continually tell us that it’s all about us.   Take care of Number One and life will be great!   Integrity seems to have been lost or ignored in our efforts to get whatever we want, be it fame, power, wealth, or social followers.               That’s a bleak picture that I’ve painted but don’t lose heart, there is still hope. There’s always hope when God and His Truth are at the center of our focus. So, what is integrity?   Some have def...

                 One final day in the last week of Christ’s life on earth:   Saturday.   It was the Sabbath, so there was little activity that day.   Christ’s body had been removed from the cross and placed in the tomb before the Sabbath began on Friday evening.   Then, everyone scattered.   We don’t know if they sought solitude to mourn in private or if they gathered to give comfort to each other.   We do know that the Disciples had all fled when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14: 50) and later they were in hiding for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).     We also know that even though Jesus had told them several times that He would be put to death but that He would rise on the third day (Matt. 16: 21, Mark 8:31 & Luke 9:32), they never fully understood that. So, on that fateful Saturday, all of Jesus’ followers were in mourning.   They experienced the grief of losing their teacher, their leader,...

                    For the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the last week of Jesus’ life.   We began with the Triumphal Entry on Sunday, then the clearing of the temple on Monday, the betrayal and teaching on Tuesday, the Last Supper on Thursday, the trial, and crucifixion on Friday, and finally, the Resurrection on Sunday.   We left out two days in that very important week:   Wednesday and Saturday.               Today, I would like to look at Wednesday of that week.   We don’t know a lot about what took place on that day.   Luke tells us: “Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each night he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mt. of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple” (Luke 21: 37, 38 NIV84).   When Jesus was arrested, He confirmed that every day He was teaching ...

              He is risen!             On that Sunday morning, when the women came to anoint Jesus’ body, the tomb was empty.   The stone had been rolled away and only strips of linen and two angels were there to greet them.   Immediately, fear overwhelmed them.   Who had taken His body?   Where had they put Him?   The angels’ response was probably a shock to them even though Jesus had told His followers several times that He would rise on the third day, they never really understood what that meant – at least not until that day.               Within hours, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, then to the other women, to the two on the road to Emmaus, and to many of the Disciples.   Over the next 40 days, Paul says that “he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.   After that, he appeared to more than ...

                 It’s Friday!   On this day, the Holy One was mocked, spit on, flogged, and nailed to a wooden cross.   On this day, He could have called 10,000 angels to set Him free, but He didn’t.   On this day, God turned away rather than watch His Son bare the sins of the world.   He could have put a stop to the whole thing, but He didn’t.   On this day, the Religious leaders of that time got what they wanted.   The threat to their power was done, or so they thought.   They could have examined the Holy Scripture and seen that this Man whom they despised had fulfilled prophecy after prophecy, but they didn’t.               It’s Friday!   On this day, the sun became dark, the earth shook, and the temple curtain split.   God was instituting the new covenant that He had promised.   On this day, Jesus cried “It is finished”! ...

                 On that fateful Friday morning, Pilate was faced with a quandary. The Jews had charged Christ with various crimes against the Roman government but as Pilate questioned Him, he found no basis for the charges much less an execution.   On top of that, Pilate’s wife warned him not “to have anything to do with that innocent man” (Matt. 27: 19b).               After repeatedly saying “I have found no grounds in Him for the death penalty” (Luke 23: 22b) and “I find no basis for a charge against Him” (John 18: 38b), he thought he had found a way out of this mess without creating an uproar among the people.   He was wrong!             The Scripture indicates that some custom had been developed, probably as an opportunity to placate the Jewish people who hated the Romans.   The custom called for the...