Good Friday 2013 Easter Week 5

Dear Father in Heaven. Thank You, dear Lord, for yesterday and for being faithful to us, thanks for watching over this line, thanks for the great services yesterday and a ministry team that is faithful to You and to ministry that You have trusted to us.  Thank You, Lord, for nineteen years of Carry The Light Ministry singing.  Thank You in advance for this day and all the blessings I know we will receive.  Please be with Bob and Peggy Everhard and thanks for taking such god care of them.   Thanks for watching over Patsy and Burt Emig, and we ask Your hand be on both of these wonderful couples.  Please be with Mike, Sterling, Doris, Ray, Margaret, and a host of others at The Bridges, and thanks for keeping the door open for us at The Bridges.  Please keep watch over all of Your children, and a tight hand on Curtis.  Help us today with our concert, and Lord, be with all pastors this weekend for thee are so many folks who only come to church on Christmas and Easter.  Lord, may all pastors preach the truth.  Please be with Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson and help her after she put out very strong offensive words about people from Perry County, PA.  Be with those who have been offended and help them to forgive.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Today this message is also going out to some of the members of the Museum of Bus Transportation.

Good Friday Morning on this the Best of Good Fridays.  Remember, God gives us 52 Good Fridays each year, but today we celebrate the Best of those Good Fridays.  Twenty years ago on Good Friday, my singing partner, Pamela Sue Bower, and I, after many, many long hours of practice, sang our first engagement at the Leader Nursing Home (now Manor Care) in Camp Hill, PA.  Led by God and inspired by The Brotherhood and The Couriers, we set out to sing one or two concerts at retirement homes.  Later we were joined by Joanne Fortney and sometimes her husband David, and even their two sons Artie and Sean.  Those little boys sang their hearts out on a song called "Can He, Would He, Did He?"  Dolores joined us at the piano a few years after we started and we worked in some live music.  God was and is faithful, even trusting us way back then to do His work.  We sang almost every Saturday each year until about two years ago when health had me cut our schedule.  We never had trouble getting bookings, not because we were good (we made a joyful noise) but because God opened doors and we never once asked for money. Sometime I need to write how it started, but I wanted to touch on it today as we give thanks to God as we start our 20th year today with the singing which today is just one part of Carry The Light Ministries.  About that same time, Jesus also started me writing daily messages.  For now I need to get going on the message of today.  Good Friday, The Day Jesus Died to take away our sins.  The Day Jesus Died so we might live.

Good Friday 2013, Easter Week Day 5

Brothers and sisters, thee is no way I can type in all the scriptures that you need to read for my message today.  Please start with Luke 22:47 through the end of Luke 23.  Then on Sunday read Luke 24:1 through Luke 24:49.  Thank you.

I talked to you about the upper room, and we had communion (the Last Supper).  I talked to you about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and about "Thy Will be Done".  Today we move on.

After Jesus was finished praying and was still talking with His disciples He was arrested, here is where Judas came up and kissed Jesus, his way of showing those that were arresting Jesus who He was.  Jesus made this statement, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  (Luke 22:48)

At this point, one of the followers of Jesus and more than likely one of the disciples, said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?"  One did strike a servant of a high priest, cutting off His right ear.  Jesus said, "No more of this!" and He touched the man's ear and healed him.  (Luke 22:50/51)

Now you will recall that Peter said that he would never disown Jesus, but Jesus said before the rooster crows you will have disowned me three times.  After Peter said he would not and he did.  On the third time The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him.  "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."  Peter went outside and wept bitterly."  (Luke 22:61/62)

After His arrest the guards would mock Jesus and beat Him.  Then he appeared before Pilate and Herod.  Jesus was asked if He was the Christ, and He answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I ask you, you would not answer.  But from now on, The Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."  The all asked, "Are you the Son of God?"  Jesus answered them, "You are right in saying I am."  (Luke 22:67/70)  So here is another place we find in the words of our Loving Lord Jesus that He is indeed both "The Son of Man" and "The Son of God".

After His fake trial and that is all it was, a fake trial, Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus and then sent Him back to Pilate.  Pilate and Herod, who were enemies, on that day became friends.  Pilate told the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, that He found nothing wrong with this man, but still gave Jesus over to the crowd after three times telling Him He did nothing to deserve being crucified.  (Luke 23:1/25)

As our loving Lord was led away to be crucified FOR OUR SINS for crimes that we did, Simon from Cyrene was picked on the way to carry the cross of Jesus.  Today, folks, today I want to tell you in my words we should be carrying that cross of Jesus and we should do it daily.  By carrying the cross, I mean we need to not just tell others the Good News about Jesus as He commanded us to do, but to be ready to die for Him.  Today all over the world we have missionaries and a lot of them over the years have lost their lives taking the Good News to all the corners of the world.  Let me now ask you this very simple question, this very, very simple question.  WOULD YOU DIE FOR JESUS?  Brothers and sisters, this has happened here in America.  If someone would say to you, deny Jesus as your Savior or I am going to take your life, what would you do?  I pray that I would have the courage to say at that time as I am saying right now ... "I love Jesus!"

Along the way to Mount Calvary where Jesus was put to death, women mourned and wailed for Him.  Jesus said to them:  "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, weep for yourselves and for your children."  (Luke 23:28)  As Jesus was put on the cross, two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  At the place called the "Skull" is where they were crucified.  One of the criminals was placed on the right of Jesus and one on the left.  As Jesus was put on the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."  (Luke 23:34)

Even at the lowest time for Jesus, the very lowest, Jesus, our Lord Jesus was asking God to forgive those who were killing Him.  This, brothers and sisters, tells me that as long as we come to Jesus, ask Him into our hearts, and be willing to work for Him as in our scriptures, He will forgive us.

Now Jesus also forgave one of the criminals.  One who sided with Jesus asked Him, "Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom."  Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  (Luke 23:42/43)  Now brothers and sisters, this tells me that the very first place Jesus went after His death, and even on that same day, was Heaven, or paradise, as Jesus called it.  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth," and Jesus never lied and He said TODAY meaning the day He was put to death.  I can picture in my mind, I really can, Jesus appearing before His Father in Heaven saying something that might go like this ... Hi, Father, I love You, would You please permit this man to come into heaven, he supported me on earth.  Then Jesus would say, I'll be back in a few short weeks, Father.  I love You, and God the Father might say, Jesus, You are my Son, whom I love.

Please, as You look over the scriptures, pictures these things.

It was about the sixth hour when Jesus was on the cross that the whole land went dark, and it remained dark for three hours.  The sun stopped shining and the curtain at the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT."  And He died.  (Luke 23:41/46)

A man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, asked for the body of Jesus.  His body was taken down and wrapped in a linen cloth and placed in a tomb.

Dear Father in Heaven, forgive me of my sins, and I pray today all on this line will pray for forgiveness, thanks for dying for me.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings, and if you wish, share this message.  God died for all of us, red and yellow, black and white, and all the mixes that now have blended.  The only one who was without sin died for all of us who have sinned, and folks, all of us have sinned.  Jesus loved and still loves you.  How much love does He have for us?  Just stretch out your hands to form a cross, that is how much ... "Jesus, born to die, so we might live."  Someone shout PRAISE THE LORD.

I love you all (pass it on.) Pastor Dan.