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Go and Preach

10/30/2022

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         “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).  It’s the first line of the last words Jesus spoke on this earth.  Then he ascended to join his Father in heaven.  It was time for Jesus’s homecoming.  And it was quite a homecoming.  
          Where is Jesus now?  It says in Mark 16:19 that he’s sitting at the right hand of God.  John 17:5 also tells us that Jesus asked the Father to glorify him along with the Father and restore the glory he had before the world was.  He has been exalted.  It says so in Philippians 2:9-11.
          If you’re still a little fuzzy about the magnificence of our savior, Ephesians 1:19-23 spells it out quite eloquently.  For our purposes here Jesus is “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.”  We have a savior who triumphed over the grave, sin, Satan, flesh, and the world.
          What were his last words?  In three words, “go and preach”.  Why?  Just because Jesus left this earth to be with his Father doesn’t mean his ministry is over.  He has empowered us, his followers, to carry on his ministry.  A day will come when Jesus will ask us, eyeball to eyeball, “What did you do for my ministry?”
          Our part is to get the Word to anyone who needs to hear it.  Like Pastor Josh said in the sermon, “If all it took was a little water to save people, I’d buy a firetruck and go around and spray everyone I saw.  Wouldn’t you?  It takes more than just water to save people, though.  So do what Christ asked you to do, go and preach.  Get out and do something for Christ.  Talk to people, use the computer to reach people, sing hymns, pray, do whatever you can to reach people.
          Why is that so important?  It’s in John 12:32 where Jesus says that if he is lifted up then he can draw people unto himself.  It takes us to do the lifting, Jesus does the drawing.  It’s really quite simple:  Find a way to do your part so Jesus can do the rest.  Amen.


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Not so Secret...

10/28/2022

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         Once upon a time there was a man, a rich man.  He was a good man, too.  In fact, he was a Godly man.  Or so everyone thought.  He reasoned that because he was a good man that his goodness far outweighed his, let’s say, shortcomings.  He had done so much good and served God that it just wasn’t possible that he should come to no good end.
          Then the day came.  He died and passed from this earth.  Upon arriving in heaven, which was where he expected to be, he was shown into the great accounting room.  It was an immense room with files that reached up as far as the eye could see.  And they were standing in rows and columns all around the room.
          In the center of the room was a great table and someone sitting in a chair with such a tall back that he couldn’t see who it was.  “Welcome.” said the voice from the other side of the chair.  “Everyone comes here before their admittance.  You see, I much check my files and see if you have any unforgiven sins on your records before you are admitted.”  Just then beads of perspiration formed on the man’s forehead.  His heart began to race…Suddenly, he jerked awake.  “Thank God,” he said.  “I’m not dead.”
          This could have been David.  King David of ancient times.  Up until Nathan paid him a visit, David was certain that his “secret sins” were secret.  The story is in Second Samuel Chapter 12.  The prophet Nathan went to King David and told him a story about a rich man taking a prized ewe lamb from a poor man.  Reading the text is pretty dramatic.  Enough so that it infuriated David.  He wanted to go out and hang this rich arrogant man from the nearest tree.  The shocker was that Nathan pointed at David and told him that he was that man.  That’s when it dawned on David that the Lord sent Nathan to set before him his sin.
           “For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” (Luke 12:2) There is a day of reckoning that is coming for each and everyone on the face of the earth.  David, once his sin was set before him, was contrite.  The Lord had chosen him to lead Israel.  He had blessed him many times over, David had much to be thankful for.  And yet, he had backslidden.  Is there repentance for the lamb who has strayed from the fold and now, wants to return?  Isaiah 1:18 says to that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”.  David was like the prodigal son in Luke 15.  He had strayed but when he came to his senses, he returned to his God.  The proof of it is in Psalm 51.  It is a passionate plea for God’s mercy and grace.  Everyone one should read it.
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Do What You Can...Let God Make up the Difference

10/16/2022

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          “Do the best you can for God with what God gave you and God will make up the difference.”  A passionate plea from a passionate pastor.  It was delivered at the end of the Sunday sermon which was taken from Mark 15:40-47.  It’s a story about what was going to happen to Jesus’s body.
          Generally, after crucifixion, the Romans would let the crucified hang there as reminders of what happens to criminals.  Sometimes, family members might appear and, if they had the money, they would buy their family member's body for a family burial.  It wasn’t typical that a rich man would appear before Pilate and ask for the body of one who had been crucified.
          Joseph of Arimathea is that rich man.  He’s mentioned in all four gospels.  A look at Mark 15:43 states that he is an honourable counsellor.  Couple that with Luke 28:51 that states that he hadn’t consented (gone along) with the counsel decision to have Jesus put to death.  Those two things together suggest the Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin and Pilate probably knew him.
          As soon as Pilate established that Jesus was dead, he released his body to Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus joined Joseph, and together they prepared the body for burial (John 19:38-40).  Then Jesus was buried in a tomb fit for a king (Matthew 27:60).
          But Joseph of Arimathea wasn’t the only one there that followed Jesus.   Yes, Joseph was a disciple, believer, of Jesus’s even though it was in secret.  Think about it, though, how many in this day and time go to church on Sunday and never mention it at work.  How many hold on to all the things of this world and show up on Sunday?  How different is that from what Joseph was doing?
          There were others in attendance.  Not everyone abandoned Jesus.  Mark 15:40,41,47 says that others were present who watched what was happening.  They were still there when Jesus’s body was put in the tomb.  They didn’t have money or influence but they were doing what they could.  “It’s not about what I have but about what I do with my faith.  There’s something for all of us to do.” said Pastor Josh.  Which takes us back to the opening line, “Do what you can for God.”
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A Dark Day

10/9/2022

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          Mark 15, verse 33 says that darkness filled the whole land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour.  A look at verse 25 says that Jesus was crucified in the third hour.  Verse 34 goes further and says that at the ninth hour Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?”  After that he cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost (verse 37).
          Crucifixion, being nailed to the cross; first, the spikes are driven through the wrists into the crossbeam.  Now, remember that Jesus has already been flogged and made to carry his cross on the way to Golgotha.  Second, the legs are bent at the knees so the thighs will be made to carry the weight of the body once the cross is dropped into the hole.  Then, spikes were used to keep the feet in place.  Last, the cross was lifted up that Jesus was nailed to and it was dropped in the hole.  This occurred during the third hour of the day, around 9 a.m.
          Three hours later (the sixth hour) darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour.  Three hours of darkness in the middle of the day.  This is when Jesus cries to God and asks why He has forsaken him.  Jesus, much like the rest of humanity when they cry out, “God, why did this have to happen to me?” reveals to us in that moment just how real his suffering was.
          After that Jesus cries out with a loud voice and he dies.  The centurion who is most likely the one who nailed Jesus to the cross stops and thinks that this was truly the Son of God.  Okay, that’s a start.  He acknowledges that.  Did he go running off to the disciples and find out what he needed to do to be saved?  If he did, there’s no record of it.
          Pilate who knew Jesus was innocent executed him anyway.  As did Herod, too.  Did they have a change of heart?  There’s no record of it.  Pastor Josh summed it all up when he repeated a conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus.  “…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” (John 3:5,6)   

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A Real Enemy

10/2/2022

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          The Bible is the word of God.  First Peter 1:23-25 helps us to understand that.  Especially verse 25, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.  And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”   It would be safe to say that everyone knows that the Bible is called the Word of God even the ones who believe that God doesn’t exist.
          The Bible states early on that there is a devil called by other names such as Lucifer, Satan, and so on.  It doesn’t come right out and say that the devil is an angel although it is known that he fell from heaven (Luke 18:10).  And he is the cherub spoken of in Ezekiel 28:14,15.
          Isaiah 14:12-15 speaks of Lucifer’s fall from heaven and why.  His iniquity is one of pride because he believes that he will be above God.  From this an assumption can be made:  Lucifer has free will.  So does mankind.  Each man and woman has the power of choice.  They can either believe God or believe Lucifer.  It’s really simple when you get right down to it. 
          Mankind is locked into spiritual warfare and like anyone locked into a battle, preparation is necessary.  When people enlist in the armed services they go through rigorous training.  Why?  To be prepared for war AND to win.  Preparing for spiritual warfare is not that different.  Our enemy is not visible to the human eye but it’s still just as real.
          Lucifer, who wants to be higher than God, will use whatever it takes to become higher than God.  Peter said it right in I Peter 5:8 that the devil is a roaring lion looking for whom he can destroy.  Lucifer thinks so highly of his abilities that he tempted Jesus, our Savior, for forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4:1-11).
          To sum it up Pastor Josh once said, “You will not out scheme the devil.  Do and stand for what is right.  Stand in the grace and power of God.”
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    Linda Johnson

    Linda Johnson moved to Douglas County with her husband Tom 12 years ago after retiring from teaching. Following Tom's death in 2016, Linda began facilitating a grief support group called GriefShare through Sweden Church.​ She serves as the Sunday School teacher for our High School class. Her "Layman's Pen" articles are also published in the local paper, The Douglas County Herald. 

    Andrea Strong

    Andrea is Pastor Joshua Strong's wife. She also serves Sweden Church as Church Secretary, website administrator, and Sunday School teacher to the Intermediate Class.

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