GOOD OR BAD FRIDAY

I read something by a Tim Harlow that caught my attention. He said this is a most unusual weekend to be remembering Good Friday and Resurrection Day while in quarantine. Why? Because there was “only one other Easter that was like this, the first one.” On Good Friday Christ suffered and died on the cross. The disciples were afraid for themselves and soon locked themselves up in a kind of self-quarantine because of fear they would end up dead. Their Passover was ruined, and they were unsure what would happen next.

But while Christ’s death was terrible, cruel, and unjust there came from that darkness a wonderful bright hope. Why? Because that brutal wooden cross is where the vertical met the horizontal. God came down in a vertical way by sending His son Jesus to die on that cross for our sin. We who are horizontal now have the hope of forgiveness by having our sin paid for in full by Christ. That is what is “good” about Good Friday.  

Golgotha hill where it is thought Christ was crucified. Golgotha means “place of the skull” which is easily seen in the cliff with three holes in it. Pic taken 2011.

This is depicted clearly by the two criminals suffering on either side of Jesus. The one thief cast abusive insults at Jesus challenging Him to save them. The other robber rebuked the first reminding him to fear God because they were both guilty and deserved to die while Jesus didn’t. He then appealed to Jesus to remember him in heaven.  Jesus replied, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”  (cf. Mat. 27:44; Lu. 23:39-43)  

The Garden Tomb where it is thought Christ resurrected from. It is only a few dozen yards from Golgotha. Pics taken during our 2011 trip there.

The obvious implication is that the first robber rejected Christ and went immediately to hell to suffer for his own sins eternally. The other thief Jesus did promise would be with that very day in “Paradise” because Christ had paid for his sins in full as God required. Therefore, Jesus gave him His righteousness. In reality we are all like thieves who deserve to die a cruel death for our sinfulness against a holy God.  We could be cowering in quarantine. But wait, Christ died to remove our sin and if we repent and come to Him for forgiveness, He will give it. The question is, which thief are you?

Pastor Mark

• GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE 7 PM Pastor Chris speaking. Livestreamed only. Click here to watch: https://livestream.com/discoverybaptistgigharbor/events/9074975

• EASTER MORNING WORSHIP 10:30 AM Pastor Mark speaking on Slow to Believe  Livestreamed CLick here to watch: https://livestream.com/discoverybaptistgigharbor/events/9074981

QUARANTINING CREATIVELY

Mark: Nancy and I have been waking each morning hearing about the current and projected virus death rates and what we are to do to help stop the scourge. Most the advice largely focuses on being quarantined. Suggestions for what to do while confined are interesting since many normal recreational activities like going to the beach, watching a ball game, or walking in the park are now out. This means staying home. They have recommended buying more video games, watching movies, do puzzles, journaling, blogging, play instruments, reading, doing Duolingo, exercise, and so on.  There are concerns that if this persists there will be more marriage problems, people becoming fearful, and suicides. One positive result was more babies. So, what are we to do in confinement?

Nancy: In the early years of our marriage Mark served on a Coast Guard lighthouse station. Just three families lived on stations like that and generally locations for these lighthouses were somewhat remote. An interesting thing we learned very soon after we moved there--families either loved these assignments or hated them. Certainly, the setting could not be anything to hate; a spacious house on a private beach! What determined either "love" or "hate" of the situation boiled down to a degree of isolation with the family together 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week. In families where conflict and selfishness dominated a lighthouse assignment was the worst possible news and a reassignment request for polar icebreaker duty was soon applied for. However, when the tone of the family/couple was love and care for each other, then the isolation of lighthouse duty was heaven. Mark and I considered that time to be an extended honeymoon--we loved it!  Besides Mark's regular work cycle we filled our days with walks on the beach, bicycle rides, studying courses by correspondence, reading books that encouraged our spiritual growth and, yes, having a baby.

Mark: Good news! Due to the quarantine all our services are on Livestream and our bible studies are interactive now? Join any of these by clicking on which one you want in the list near the top of our main website www.discoverybaptist.org.  Men’s Discipleship is this Saturday 8-9 a.m. online.  I’ll see you guys online. I’ll provide the study and you provide the breakfast.:-)

Bad news! If you go by the church you will notice the lawns torn up badly. It is not the building project. Actually someone vandalized the lawns this week on purpose. Sheriff is aware. Deacons plan to clean it up this weekend.

Nancy and I have enjoyed being home, working on projects and just being together.  So now we’re going for a romantic walk…in our driveway. The pic below is not Bonnie & Clyde. They wore sun glasses.

Pastor Mark & Nancy

P.S. My son Caleb and his wife Christina in Ukraine have some unusual and rare tips on how to survive the quarantine. It’s worth the laugh.

CABIN FEVER & WHAT’S HAPPENING WEEK OF 3/28

Last Sunday everyone stayed home and our team broadcast the service on Livestream. It worked well and over 250 clicked to watch. Many clicks were likely several people indicating a lot of folks watched. This week the quarantine continues so we’ll worship again this Sunday on Livestream. Simply go to our main website www.discoverybaptist.org and click on Worship Service. There are links on the home page also for the following—Adult Sunday School, Ladies Bible Study, and Men’s Discipleship; details are there about the day/time to click in.

Being in quarantine may be strange for us but is necessary and biblical. The first isolation order in human history is in Leviticus 13 where God told Moses to deal with leprosy, a serious skin infection. Confinements of seven days were ordered to prevent further spreading. It is a good thing and a God thing.

I’ve been checking in with our flock, SALT leaders, families, and as chaplain checking on firemen at area stations. They are receiving calls from folks who have concerns. The firemen check them out, but, most do not go to the hospital.

When it comes to Sunday worship or bible studies, It is not the same watching Livestream or TV because we are not in the physical presence of God’s people to encourage each other (cf. Heb. 12:24-25). I always come away from being physically present at live worship or group bible studies with feeling blessed. But in some cases, we don’t have a choice. God can bless that solo solitude too because He is always there with us.

Remember the apostle John who said, he “was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet…” (Rev. 1:9-10) 

Historians tell us John was banished to Patmos by persecutors who unsuccessfully tried to boil him in oil during a time of violent persecution in the early church. Patmos is a small and forsaken rocky isle about the size of Vashon and located in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. It was no resort but a gloomy prison worse than Alcatraz. John may have been in a lonely cold cave most of time.  

The island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea area where the apostle John was banished during persecution for preaching the Word of God.

He was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” “Lord’s Day” was the name given for the first day of the week after Christ was resurrected. Later it became known as Sunday. Old John was on this lonely pile of rocks during these last days of his life. But he was not depressed, discouraged, disheartened, or down in the dumps. He was “in the Spirit.”  Wow! He was worshiping the Lord as the Spirit of God comforted him.  

Note John was not in bed that Lord’s Day morning. He was not in front of the TV, pursuing personal pleasures, or just plain checked out. He was “in the Spirit” in one of the most forsaken places on earth. In this context Christ appeared to him and gave him the most riveting book of the New Testament, the book of Revelation.

We may be vexed by the virus and confined to our quarters, but the Spirit of God is here with us on the Lord’s day. But are we with Him? After all, worship is the subject of the first commandment. Watch Livestream and worship even though we are separated. The Lord will lift up our spirits and bring great glory to Him which should result in joy to our hearts.

If you think it is difficult to quarantine 350 million people here, then try India where they are starting that now. They have 1.4 billion people or about four times U.S. population in one third the space. More of them may die from starvation than the virus. Pray for our contacts there attempting to reach people in Hinduism which has 330 million gods. I was once there and counted a few of them.

ANNOUNCEMENTS and NEWS   So far this week I have received communications from…

• A Christian school director in Bethlehem, Israel emailed thanks for my blog on the virus in light of Moses and the fiery serpents.

• Our flock is staying home and so far all are fine. SALT leaders are keeping touch with their groups and others around them.

• Our Moldovan pastor Vasiliy Kaletnik says they are fine but people could be fined up to $4,000 for being on the street (Average income is $300 USD per month).

• A friend in S. Chili reported they are having services in homes until the virus passes.

• My son Caleb in Ukraine reports this a special time of outreach while borders are closed.

• The Gustafsons report being fully supported but stuck in NY until borders open again to Ukraine.

• Our Middle East contact is in hospital with kidney stones. Pray.

• Men’s Discipleship study will now increase to twice a month (1st & 3rd Saturdays 8 AM) using new Zoom for discussion via internet. Pastor Mark will be leading us in 2 Timothy. Go to the church home page www.discoverybaptist.org and find the event you want to click on.

• Note that classes for ages under 18 are NOT public links and only visible to signed in Community members. Only the adult classes are listed on the main website.

• Weekly e-Bulletin can be viewed from the home page of either of our websites.

• Giving to God's Work is appreciated as we navigate this unique season of isolation. Give by mail or secure online giving at discoverybaptist.org/give. Thank you for your part in what God’s work at Discovery.