IN-BETWEEN

This is the “in-between” day. Good Friday is gone. Resurrection Sunday is not yet. It’s still a good day to think about Jesus. Allow me to direct your attention to Philippians 2:5-8. It’s a familiar writing from the Apostle Paul and good for us to consider on this “in-between”day.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” Paul says.
What kind of mind did Jesus have? Paul tells us. Jesus left Heaven to become like us. He humbled Himself and became a man like us. He chose the role of a servant even though He was a king. He chose the most humiliating kind of death even though He was the giver of life. He thought of others rather than Himself.

Jesus told us that He came to serve, not to be served. That was His mindset. And Paul tells us we should share Jesus’ thinking. This “in-between” day is a good day for us to think about servanthood, humility and death to ourselves. It’s a good day to think about the mind of Christ and the pursuit of that mind for our own lives.

We spent yesterday thinking about Jesus’ death on the cross; it was a reflection of His mind, His thinking. We’ll spend tomorrow thinking of His resurrection and the power it brings to our lives. We could not celebrate tomorrow without yesterday. Yesterday could not have happened without this one who was “equal with God” making Himself of “no reputation” and becoming “obedient to the point of death.”

I wonder what things we could accomplish for the kingdom if we chose servanthood over reputation. What might God do with us if we were as willing as Jesus to endure our cross? Who might come to Christ if we chose to serve instead of demanding service?

Lord Jesus, by Your grace, bring us to the place where we want Your mind more than our own. Help us choose Your way, rather than our way. Give us humble, servant hearts. On this “in-between” day and every other day, allow us to live out “the mind of Christ.” Amen – Pastor John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River and our weekend Freedom Fighter contributor

Today’s Scripture: Joshua 10-12; Luke 1:39-56

Great Quote: “Study the Cross for no other sake than God’s sake, and you will be holy without knowing it.” -Oswald Chambers

Join us tonight for the KESWICK CELEBRATION CHOIR as they present “IT TOOK A MIRACLE!” 135-voice choir for churches all over the tri-state area. 7:00 PM in the Activity Center.

THE HEART OF THE CROSS

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6

Dr. Charles Stanley shares some powerful thoughts about the heart of the cross in his daily devotional, PATHWAYS TO HIS PRESENCE:

“Could not God have come up with a better idea for the salvation of man than the Cross? This question is sometimes posed during debates regarding the purpose for the brutal punishment Jesus endured at Golgotha.

Yet, apart from our human understanding, and in His infinite wisdom, God had a perfect plan for the Cross. The circumstances of the day were never out of His control or in conflict with His will. Instead, the Cross revealed WHO God is and WHAT He is like – compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.
(Exodus 34:6)

The Cross exposed Satan for what he is and, at the same time, took away his power. Though Satan’s final defeat will occur at the end of time, the Cross invalidated the need for physical payment for sin for those who would accept Christ’s ultimate atoning sacrifice made for all.

Finally, the Cross unveiled a new covenant relationship with God, which gives all people the opportunity to experience eternity through Jesus Christ. Matthew 27:51 tells us that at the moment of Christ’s death, the temple veil, (which allowed only high priests access to God) was torn in half from top to bottom. This act signified the beginning of a new type of access to God through Jesus Christ, our Intercessor. Was God’s perfect will carried out at the Cross? Even in death, His love was demonstrated to the world He created to receive His blessings.”

Take time to day to reflect on the what Jesus did for YOU on the Cross of Calvary.

Today’s Scripture: Joshua 7-9; Luke 1:21-38

Great Quote: Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.

Watchman Nee

CALVARY’S ANTHEM

Here is a powerful prayer from the book, THE VALLEY OF VISION – Prayers of the Puritans:

“Heavenly Father,

You have led me singing to the cross
Where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish, Where my mountains of guilt are leveled to a plain, Where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist, And are more in number than the grains of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary to destroy sins more than can be counted even by one from the choir of heaven.
You have given me a hill-side spring
that washes clear and white,
and I go as a sinner to its waters,
bathing without hindrance
in its crystal streams.

At the cross there is free forgiveness
for poor and meek ones,
and ample blessings that last forever;
The blood of the Lamb is like a great river of infinite grace with never any diminishing of its fullness as thirsty ones without number drink of it.

O Lord, forever will Your free forgiveness live that was gained on the mount of blood; In the midst of a world of pain it is a subject for praise in every place, a song on earth, an anthem in heaven, its love and virtue knowing no end.

I have a longing for the world above
where multitudes sing the great song,
for my soul was never created to love the dust of the earth.
Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor, I shall go on singing Calvary’s anthem.
May I always know that a clean heart full of goodness is more beautiful than the lily, that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day, that such a heart is mine when I abide at Calvary.”

Think about it as we approach Good Friday! Can you sing the anthem of Calvary today?

Today’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 4-6; Luke 1:1-20

Today’s Quote: There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.
C. S. Lewis

Three Easter events at Keswick:
Good Friday Service tomorrow at 10:30 AM – Raws Auditorium Keswick Celebration Choir Concert with 125-voice choir – 7:00 PM – Activity Center Easter Sunrise Service – 6:30 AM – Raws Auditorium

We’d love to have you attend. Call for information: 732-350-1187!!!

JESUS KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS

“It was through what His Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him – all things in heaven and on earth – for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet he has brought you back as his friends.” Colossians 1:20-21

We are at a cross-roads today in the church. In our desire to be “user-friendly” to get people into the church, many have opted to shy away from foundational truth because it might offend. We don’t talk about sin and its impact on our lives. We don’t talk about the cross because it might offend. We want people to feel good and feel comfortable so that we can draw them into conversation.

The Apostle Paul made it very clear: “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God … but we preach Christ crucified!” – 1 Corinthians
1:18,23)

Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, penned the words of this powerful
hymn:

Jesus, keep me near the cross —
There a precious fountain,
Free to all a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’rys mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

Refrain
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest, beyond the river.

As we approach this Good Friday, take time to reflect on what Jesus did for YOU on the cross. Let’s never forget the cross. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 1-3; Mark 16

Great Quote: Jesus appears to be holding out his hand to us even as he calls us. He tells us he will provide a bridge over the chasm if we will abide in him. We hear his words, but such language is strange to us, sounding like the dialects of many who have used us or consumed us and then left us along the highway, exposed and alone. We pull back. Many of us return to Vanity Fair and mortgage our heart to purchase more of what is religiously or materially familiar. A few of us arouse our spirit and take a step toward the chasm. Brent Curtis

MY SAVIOR’S LOVE . . . Please don’t skip over this because it appears to be JUST a hymn quoted . . .

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love ME, A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! how wonderful
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For ME it was in he garden
He prayed, “Not My will, but Thine”;
He had no tears for His OWN griefs,
But sweat-drops of blood for mine.

In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows
He bore for MY soul that night.

He took MY sins and my sorrows,
He made them HIS very own;
He bore the burden to Calvr’y
And suffered and died ALONE . . .

Alone! Alone! Hanging on the cross, listening to the cries and jeers from the crowd. And yet he cries, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And then the darkness comes. Horrible darkness. C. J.

Mahaney writes “an atmospheric confirmation of the judgment of God . . .

It’s a darkness you can feel. Even the sky reflects what is happening to the Son of God. Jesus is being made to drink from the cup which He had asked to be removed. He’s being made to experience the full fury of the wrath of God — the intense, righteous hatred of God for sin, a wrath that has been stored up beginning with Adam’s sin and extending to all of your sin and mine, and to all the sin to the end of world history.

The sinless One — innocent and holy Himself — is made the object of that vast and vile immensity of sin. This is His severe test, His cruelest and most demanding ordeal, a torment far beyond the pain of His physical suffering . . .”

And He cries from the Cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
“He who for all eternity has never been alone is now wholly abandoned. Such utter desolation has never existed before in all eternity, because infinite love and fellowship of the Trinity, which can never be broken.

But now the incarnate Son, must be forsaken by the Father . . . because the Father is holy, and there in the Father’s sight is ‘the most grotesque display of ugliness imaginable.’ It’s the monstrous sight of the unbounded totality of human sin resting upon the Son of Man.

Therefore that Man must be utterly removed from the presence of the holy God, utterly separated, as far as the east is from the west. Jesus doesn’t FEEL forsaken; He IS forsaken. In an unfathomable mystery, at that moment, as God’s wrath is poured upon Him as the substitute for our sin, Jesus is rejected by God, His Father turns away from Him. It isn’t a deceptive feeling — it’s reality . . .
Why alone? He’s alone so that we might never be alone. He cries out to God so that you and I will NEVER have to make a similar cry. He was cut off from His Father so that we can boldly say, “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.’ He’s forsaken so that we might be forgiven . . .

God, in abandoning His Son, is treating Jesus as a sinner so that He can treat you and me — who ARE sinners — as if we were righteous — all because of JESUS!”

from LIVING THE CROSS-CENTERED LIFE by C. J. Mahaney (Multnomah
Publishers)

Powerful words for you to reflect on as many reflect of the hours before Good Friday.

Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 32-34; Mark 15:26-47

Great Quote: Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all. William Temple

THE LORD STRENGTHENED ME

“And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”
Luke 22:43

This week marks the events that lead up to the Cross – the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday, however there is much that will take place in the next several days for us to consider.

Fast forward to Jesus and three of his followers going to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is wanting to spend time with His Father before the events leading to His death will take place. There, alone in the garden, he cries out to His Father. Alone. He checks on his three friends and they are asleep. The moment when Jesus is wanting his three friends, Peter, James and John, to stand with him, there they are fast asleep. There he is, our Savior – all alone.

But not really! His Father sends an angel to strengthen him. The Greek word here means to “impart strength; to empower someone; to fill a person with heartiness; or to give someone renewed vitality.” At the moment when Jesus was feeling so weak and alone, God sends an angel that imparts strength, empowerment and recharges Jesus, renewing His vitality with the strength needed to victoriously face the most difficult hour in His life!

And that is what He does for us when we are facing difficulties in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote these words in 2 Timothy 4:17 – “The Lord strengthened me …!” I love those words. When we are at our weakest point — when we feel like we cannot go another step – when we feel like crawling back into bed and pulling up the covers because we know what the events of today will be like – we can count on the Lord strengthening us.

Tonight we will drive back to Cressona, PA for the viewing of a dear friend who just went home to be with Jesus after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Just one week ago, we were in Cressona for the viewing of this lady’s son, who was killed in an automobile accident.

How does a family, a husband get through this time of tragedy and immense grief? How can Pastor Randy stand for hours at the casket of his dear wife? I can tell you that there is only one way – THE LORD WILL STRENGTHEN HIM! Everyone in this family, in their darkest hours of grief and pain, will experience the supernatural strengthening of our Savior.

What are you facing today? Do you feel all alone? Overwhelmed? My friend, be encouraged today – allow HIM to stand by you and strengthen you in your hour of need. – Bill Welte is the President and CEO of America’s KESWICK and the General Editor of the daily devotional REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE.

Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:31; Mark 15:1-25

Great Quote: The shop, the barn, the scullery, and the smithy become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! The “divine service” is not a thing of a few hours and a few places, but all life becomes holiness unto the Lord, and every place and thing, as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick. Charles Haddon Spurgeon

PALM SUNDAY

Today marks the beginning of the end that leads to the new beginning every one of us needs. Are you confused? It’s really a simple story, and it bears repeating.

This is Palm Sunday. It’s the day we remember Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem just a few days before His death. It was the beginning of the week. People proclaimed His greatness because they had seen His amazing works and heard His even more amazing words.

Palm Sunday was the beginning of the end. He offered more amazing teaching during the week. The disciples and Jesus shared a last Passover meal in what we call the Upper Room. Jesus taught them one last time. We call that teaching the Upper Room Discourse. That meal would take much of Thursday night as the end approached.

Then came Gethsemane. The disciples fell asleep. Jesus is all alone in His agony. Judas and the soldiers show up. Jesus’ predicted betrayal is now a fact. The end draws nearer.

The rest of Thursday night and early Friday bring the end closer. Mock trials, the conclusion determined before the trials, condemn Jesus to death. Many who were in the Palm Sunday Crowd singing Jesus’ praise now sing a new song. Crucify Him! Crucify Him! The end is almost.

Finally, Jesus goes to the cross and hangs there for six hours on Friday. He dies. Some of His disciples bury Him in a borrowed tomb. It’s the end! Or is it?

Sunday comes. The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive! With is resurrection comes the new beginning that we all must know. Because He lives, we can know new life, eternal life in the family of God. We can know freedom from the bondage of sin.

Today is the beginning of the end that really brings us to the beginning. I pray that new beginning is a reality in your life. I pray you’ll not just stand with Jesus on Palm Sunday, but that you’ll remain with Him when Good Friday gets here. I pray that you and I will know the power of His resurrection at work in our lives come next Sunday. – Pastor John Strain is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist of Toms River and our weekend Freedom Fighter correspondent.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 28-29; Mark 14:54-72

Today’s Quote: Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime. Martin Luther

HOLY WEEK
We stand on the threshold of what many Christians call Holy Week. I urge you to take time to read about the week; you can read Mark 11 through Mark 16 to get the big picture. It starts on a high note. It falls to the lowest of all notes before rising to the highest note of all–the Resurrection.

I ask you to think this weekend and next about the impact of this Holy Week on our lives. Consider your personal pursuit of freedom and what that pursuit would look like without the events of Holy Week. More than how it affects each of us, however, we need to focus on Jesus and what the week was like for Him.

His week went from affirmation to confrontation to desertion to condemnation to death and then life. That all happened in seven days! This one who is Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, experienced more in a week than we’ll know in a lifetime. He didn’t have to live through any of it; He chose to endure the week for people like you and me. He accepted everything that came His way for people who desperately wanted freedom from the bondage of sin.

Reflection on Jesus’ life during Holy Week is part of the reason Christians observe days like Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Resurrection Day. You can’t really enter into His life and suffering and death if you don’t take time to reflect and review what that week was like. This is a good week to take time to think. Turn your mind off automatic and think each day about what went on in Jesus life. Participate in as many special services as you can during the week.

How would you have responded on Palm Sunday? What would you have thought when He cleaned out the temple? Had you been in the upper room with the disciples on Thursday evening, would you have questioned your loyalty to Jesus like the disciples did? Where would you have been on Good Friday, standing at the cross with John or hiding with Peter? Would you have believed the account of the empty tomb?

Holy Week offers us a time to look at Jesus and to look into our own walk with Jesus. The six chapters of Mark that I’ve suggested you read won’t take you a long time. You might even want to read all the gospel accounts of Holy Week. Use this week to grow in your walk with Jesus. Let the events of the week remind you what it cost Jesus to buy your freedom. – Pastor John Strain is Pastor of First Baptist of Toms River and weekend Freedom Fighter contributor.

Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 25-27; Mark 14:27-53

Today’s Quote: The heart of Christianity is the bible, the heart of the bible is the cross and the heart of the cross is the very heart of God. Inscribed upon the cross we see in shining letters. “God is love”. The Lamb who died upon the tree has bought mercy from above. Anonymous

PETER PUT IN HIS PLACE

“Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”(Mark 8:33b)

Peter was my favorite of the disciples because I think God made me a lot like him. You know, the sanguine personality who can’t stand quiet so we do the thing at which we are the best, we talk. It has been said of this personality that we talk 15 minutes trying to think of something to say. We are fun to be around, sometimes, for a while, occasionally.

That was Peter; leading with his ready-aim-talk approach to life. It can get you to the head of the class and it can just as easily create embarrassing and awkward moments. This is turn can produce a life of emotional ups and downs.

In the story from Mark 8 we see evidence of those ups and downs. First Peter gallantly answered Jesus’ question about who He is, which resulted in a high five from the Savior. Immediately after that Jesus predicted His looming death only to be rebuked by the same man who just confessed that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Do you see this personality I have described?

Jesus’ response was interesting and thought provoking. He said Peter was thinking like man thinks, not like God thinks. He was accusing Peter of seeing things from a human point of view, not from God’s point of view.

I’m sure it’s not true of you but I have to confess that I make a regular habit of doing the same thing. My first reaction to situations is usually and unfortunately from a human perspective.

The big picture of what Jesus was saying was exactly God’s plan for the ages but Peter saw it from a human point of view. That will always get us in trouble.

We need to work at divorcing ourselves what our culture says, what our society thinks, what they are saying on television and writing in the newspapers and concentrate on seeing things as God sees them.

What is going on right now in your life that you are trying to get a grip on? Are you working at seeing it through the eyes of the one who loved you enough to die for you, cares for you and wants the best for you? — Walt Wiley is the President of WINNING WITH ENCOURAGEMENT and will be speaking for our Memorial Weekend Conference. Check out the website for information.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 22-24; Mark 14:1-26

Great Quote: We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them. Charles West

TOO GOOD TO PASS UP

Robert Hayes asked me to find this story yesterday and I thought it would worth passing on to you for today’s Freedom Fighter. There was no name attached to give credit, so if you have seen it and know who wrote it, kindly let me know.

Empty Egg Story

There is an interesting story of Philip, an eight year old, born a Mongoloid. He was in a Sunday school class with nine other children.
Never quite fitting in, he was accepted only peripherally. It was the Sunday after Easter that the Sunday school teacher decided to give the youngsters a very special assignment. He gave them little eggs. You have seen those little containers in which panty hose comes and it looks like an egg. He gave each youngster an egg and he said to the youngsters, “Go outside on the church ground and find some symbol of new life. When you bring it back, we will mix all of the eggs together and see what we have.”

And so they did. Each youngster taking their little containers shaped like an egg and finding something and putting it inside and then waiting to see what would happen. As they came back into the Sunday school class, the Sunday school teacher opened the eggs. In one there was a flower and everyone said, “Oh, wonderful!” In another they opened the egg and there was a butterfly. The children marveled. And in another there was a stone. Someone said, “A stone? What does that mean?

One little boy simply said, “Well, that represents new life to me.”

The teacher then opened another and in this one there was nothing. The children began to laugh and said, “Who did that? Someone didn’t follow the instructions. There’s nothing in this egg!” And the little boy who was born Mongoloid said, “Teacher, teacher, that’s my egg! It’s empty because the tomb was empty!” The tomb was empty.

Thereafter, only a few months later, little Philip died. At his funeral service his little playmates walked to the altar, each of them placing on the altar a little container shaped like an egg: each one was empty.
The promise of new life. It has already been done.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 19 – 21; Mark 13:21-37

Great Quote: Like Joseph storing up grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truth of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure. — Billy Graham