Coming to the Still Waters

The " pickle " of life continues with our passage today.  The only great thing about this " pickle " is that getting " tagged " by one of them is blessing rather than a curse.  You want to get tagged out in this " pickle " by a certain one of the players.  Pilate will have an intimate conversation with Someone he really doesn't know and Barabbas will watch that Someone take his place on a cross.  This is one of those times I wish I could have a conversation with Barabbas after he was released.  Did he just respond like Pilate and walked away from Jesus or did it change his life forever?  I guess we won't know until we get to heaven.  Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 18 and verses 33 through 40 which read, v.33 - Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" We move into a tremendous conversation between Pilate and Jesu...

I used the above picture to explain some hermeneutical principles in relationship to the Scriptures.   God is pointing all of time in the direction He has chosen.  The near sight is the history of the Old Testament which leads down the barrel to the far sight as the history of the New Testament and the first coming our Messiah, Jesus Christ.   Beyond the barrel and before the target is a gap of time which we are in right now called the "church age."   The target is the Day of the Lord, the second coming of Christ, and the new heaven and earth.   We look back at the Old and New Testament and research who wrote what we are reading.  We discover who they were writing to, the original audience, and why they wrote it like they did and this usually leads to an application for that time.   Now that we have the proper context, we bring that application forward to our modern time to apply a new application in line with the ol...

We venture into Peter's second and third denials today.  A sin left unconfessed grows on purpose.  As the weight gets heavier, we will either run to the One who can relieve us or run away from Him seeking distance and the comfort of others who are doing the same.  Maybe we can identify with Peter who ran away for a time from Jesus but ended running back to the One he called Master.  He ran away from Jesus after the third denial out into the night but later we will see this same Peter at the break of the day that Resurrection Sunday morning running to the tomb to find it empty.   Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 18 and verses 25 through 32. v.25-27 - Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.  So they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it, and said, "I am not."  One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not ...

Something I have notice in myself and also listening to many other preachers during this time of empty pews is our "tone" has changed in front of the camera only.  I feel myself being more tense and less tender with my voice. I believe the people in the pews tenderizes our messages because as you are giving the sermon you are receiving various forms of feedback. The search team I am coaching and myself at this time are watching many sermons of possible candidates but they are also preaching to a camera and empty pews.  Many sound a little harsh but then if we can go back a couple months and pick up another sermon, they are more warm in their delivery.  So it effects us when there are very many and also when there are very few.  I was also able to view a sermon of the founding pastor of 50 years of the church that I am serving as an interim.  He has passed but his influence is still here in a very positive way.  The warmth of his voice was very ev...

It is amazing what you can come up with to eat when you are distanced from your spouse for 3 weeks so far.  Stephanie always prepares enough food for me when she visits her parents and I just "plug and play" the packages from the freezer to the pan but with the virus and protection I'm venturing back to what my mom taught me so many years ago.  A huge thanks to my Stephanie and my late mom for being so good to me in so many ways.   Today's Wednesday in the Word covers the 1st trial of Jesus found in John chapter 18 and verses 12 through 24.   v.12-14 - So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. The mob has come to the garden and Jesus is arrested after a couple showings ...

What you are seeing is the screen shot of our community Good Friday service ZOOM style.  I have always had a heart to bring together the churches of the community that are gospel minded to join together for worship.  Good Friday and Thanksgiving are those times of the year that it is most plausible.   I had conversations with others about some churches coming together but it didn't look like it would be a reality until the virus hit.  The virus put us all online and using video conferencing and so when Tony said let's do this, it came together.  8 local churches are represented in the screen shot.  Tony is a godly man who was raised in the community, works in this community and loves Washington County, Maine.  He was the moderator of this event but he really is the glue God has placed here to see things like this happen.  I am so thankful for the Tony's of this world. The video has 2600 views so far on Facebook.  It was recorded b...

Jesus would be "arrested" in this passage but He was not "busted."  The players of this scene come thinking they are in control but a careful reading shows us who is really in control and also leading into suffering.  We are in a time of suffering.  Are we leading?  Are we pointing to the One who has the ultimate plan in place for all time?  Does this current suffering make us think beyond the inconvenience of being "sheltered in place"  to the place we will be for all eternity?  For God's children, it is to be more desired that what we have at the present. Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 18 and verses 1 through 11, which read, v.1 - When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Jesus has finished His prayer to the Father for Himself, His disciples, and all believers.  Jesus basically say...

Another COVID-19 Sunday at Machias Valley Baptist Church.  The angle is different on this video because I'm looking at an IPAD camera filming a live feed.  I do like this shot because of the messaging behind me.  We need to reminder ourselves that Jesus is risen and though we suffer at times in "this age" there is "that age" to come promised by Him where no sufferings abide. Next Sunday is Resurrection Sunday or more popularly known as Easter Sunday and we will observe it the best we can over our online channels.  We will speak of our risen Lord and the gospel message.  There will probably be more people who will hear the gospel than ever before because almost every church is utilizing the internet during these times.  I hope it can keep up with us and all the traffic it will receive next Sunday morning. I am looking forward to Resurrection Sunday but I am really looking forward to what I will call "Reunion Sunday."  I don't know when that...

Maine has issued a "stay at home" for the month of April.  The President has extended the 15 days to another 30 days.  No time such as this for the last 100 years so lets see how we will handle it in light of history.  I pray we do well. We finish the prayer today.  A question of life is, "Why am I here?"  What is great is the Bible gives us the answer for the Christian.  Jesus will actually say it two or three times in this passage of scripture.  We do many other things in "this life" but one thing is supreme because our focus is on "that life."   Let's find out what that one thing is. Today's Wednesday in the Word is covering John chapter 17 and verses 20 through 26.  This is Jesus' prayer to the Father prior to heading to the cross.  He has prayed for Himself and then for His disciples and ends with praying for all believers.  That's us so let's listen in. v.20, 21 - "I do not ask on behalf of these al...