Some Thoughts about Holy Week

This week we journey toward the cross and the empty tomb. Sometimes we might not let the events of Holy Week really sink in. So I’ve been working hard to read, study and be more aware of the special events during the week and the ultimate meaning of it all. I’ve come across several passages of scripture and had reminders from different friends about why we celebrate this week.

During my reading this week I was, of course, reminded that Jesus entered Jerusalem in a very unusual manner. Yet He was fulfilling prophecy as He rode in on a donkey. The streets were lined with people adoring Him with great shouts of praise.

I also noticed that in the Gospel of John, there are several chapters that record the events of the Last Supper and the hours after that meal, leading up to the betrayal. Jesus, in Chapter 17, is praying for Himself, but mostly for His disciples and believers who follow Him today. So, for the hours immediately preceding the betrayal, He is spending in prayer!

I was also reminded by Pastor James Macdonald that Jesus “took our place and suffered our punishment for sin. He became our substitute.” Macdonald also reminded me of the extreme punishment Jesus suffered. The flogging, a twisted crown of thorns, a scratchy robe, and a swollen and disfigured face is just beyond my comprehension. The pain of all of that was then finished at the cross. Macdonald explained “Someone had to pay. A holy God could not casually dismiss sin with a wave of His hand and the presentation of a hall pass. Holiness demanded that sin must be paid for.”

Pastor Travis Agnew wrote a blog post “The 7 Phrases from the Cross.” He points at this phrase “It is finished,” from John 19:30. Travis explained “Salvation’s work was done. It is finished. These are the greatest words I have ever heard.” He added, “Jesus’ atoning work on the cross was complete.” You have to understand that a huge price had been paid.

Thankfully, that is not the end. My good friends Stephanie and Bruce reminded me that after Christ’s resurrection He appeared to the disciples. His first words were “Peace be with you.” And then he said, “As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.” The disciples and now all believers have the job to spread the Good News of Salvation.

Be thankful that Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. I pray that during this Holy Week of 2018 that you will have an opportunity to share the Good News with someone! 

Remember…

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...


Chaplain Gray

Let Us Be Thankful

Hebrews 12:28
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

I came across this verse recently and stopped to think about all the reasons we can be thankful. Of course, we could go on and on, but here is a list of five reasons we can be thankful.

God answers our prayers. The Lord tells us in Isaiah 65:24 “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.” Jesus even said it where those around him could hear it, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here so that they will believe you sent me.” (John 11:41, NLT)

God provides for our needs. “Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10, NLT). The Lord was telling His disciples not to worry in Luke 12:31 (NLT). “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.”

He blesses us. David reminds us in a song recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT) “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6b (NLT) “Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” Paul finds contentment in the blessings he has received from the Lord. He says in verse 12 “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

He is the Lord Most High. In Psalm 100, a psalm of thanksgiving, verse 4 reads “Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.” In Psalm 7:17 (NLT) “I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” 


We have brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul did not know these, yet he was encouraged and thanked God for them. “The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.” Paul’s letters often included thanks for the brothers and sisters. “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” (Philippians 1:3, NLT).


This is what I know. Reading God’s Word constantly reminds me why I am to be thankful! Dive into the scriptures and I know you will soon learn of multiple reasons why you should thank the Lord. Our prayers should always include thanksgiving! 

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...


Chaplain Gray

Interceding for Our Nation

Our country is being held hostage by “fear”.
Somehow, we have disguised evil like laziness, abuse of power and profanity with terms like welfare, politics, and freedom of expression. Some are fearful of confronting those Goliaths. These problems of our society may be pretending to roar like a lion! But we all know who the true Lion of the Tribe of Judah is!!

His Word tells us to pray for all, to intercede on the behalf of kings and those in authority. Today, we’ll take a look at other instructions and model prayers so we can then intercede effectively!

With Humility
Solomon interceded on behalf of his nation in 2 Chronicles 6:12-21. In fact, when he began his prayer, before all his people, he bowed down, went to his knees and lifted his hands to the Lord. His posture of humility is a great example to us. The Lord responded and promised to “hear from heaven and will forgive their sins…” if His people will “humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways.”

With Certainty
Solomon also showed us that we are to intercede with certainty. He praised God for keeping His covenants and for His unfailing love. We know our awesome Lord is our redeemer, savior, our joy, and our comfort. In Psalms 107:2 the psalmist says “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.”

With Authority
We are also told to intercede with authority. Solomon called on God to “carry out the additional promise” He made to David. Daniel’s prayer included an appeal to God as merciful and forgiving. Elijah called on the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. Our prayers should be based on His Word, not on what we want.

With Clarity
Finally, Solomon prayed with clarity. He asked God to hear his prayers and to watch over the Temple day and night. Daniel asked God to “smile again” on Jerusalem. Jesus prayed with great clarity with His Disciples on the night He would be betrayed. So, yes, we need to pray clearly and specifically.


Our Appeal
On September 7, 1774, the Continental Congress first met at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Dr. Jacob Duche led the assembly in prayer at the very beginning of that meeting. Part of his prayer included this “look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American states…”

King David appealed to God, as we should, in Psalm 35:23 to “Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.” I believe that God will defend us if we will turn to Him! Are you ready to intercede with humility, certainty, authority, and clarity?

A Prayer of Intercession for Our Nation

Heavenly Father, you are our Sovereign Lord, our King of Kings! We humbly bow down to You, O Lord, for we as a nation have turned our backs on You. We ask You today for your forgiveness, for You are a merciful and forgiving God. You instructed us to ask you to contend for us, O Lord. When we stumble, steady us. When we face persecution, shield us!

You are our Redeemer, our Savior, our guide and our peace! You are our Joy and comfort; as the Good Shepherd, You protect us! Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today. Show us the right path and point out the road for us to follow. Turn our eyes from worthless things and give us life through Your Word! Free us from the bondage of fear that grips our nation.

You have said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Let that be our cry, O Lord. Shower down such blessings as You see fit. You alone are our Savior and Lord. Your unfailing love for us is powerful. Your faithfulness will endure forever.

We pray these things in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.


"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

The Good Shepherd - Part 2

I Know My Sheep and They Know Me


The shepherd played a major role in the celebration of our Lord’s birth. Have you ever thought much about why? Why the lowly shepherds? These men were low on the food chain. They weren’t exactly a town’s elite citizen.

However, these shepherds were the first to hear the Good News of Jesus’ birth. And with a choir of Angels!! What an honor. They hurried to see the child.

Today, I want to focus for a few minutes on the Good Shepherd. Isaiah described the care of the Good Shepherd in Chapter 40:11. “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” The Good Shepherd will be comforting, careful and gentle.

Jesus declared himself as the good shepherd in John chapter 10.

In verses 11-12 He contrasts the hired hand from a true shepherd. The hired hand runs when he sees the wolf. He’ll abandon the sheep and think nothing of the flock, yet the Good Shepherd ‘sacrifices his life for the sheep.’ 

In Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the Lost Sheep. He commits to going after the one sheep that wanders off and becomes lost. The Good Shepherd seeks out even those who were considered beyond hope. And He rejoices when he finds and recovers that one as well.

Our Lord knows everything about us and knows us by name. He desires a personal relationship with us. 

These words bring me great comfort!!! (John 10:14 )- I am the good shepherd, I know my own sheep and they know Me.

I want to encourage you to have hope! During stressful times there is no other place you should turn than to the Lord. I leave you with these words from Psalm 34:19-20…”The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!”


"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...


Chaplain Gray

Submission to God's Will

Then the LORD gave me this message:

 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.”

Jeremiah 18:5-6

I believe Jeremiah 18:1-6 is a great example of how we need to submit to God’s will. This is a familiar passage and provides a vivid image.

The Master Craftsman, during the creation of this vessel, found that the vessel was flawed. However, He didn’t throw the clay away. The Potter continued to work the clay, carefully and skillfully forming the exact shape He had in mind.

I wanted to know more about the potter and how he can so masterfully create such finely detailed vessels. This is quite a skill and it involves tremendous patience. For instance, before the clay goes onto the wheel, the potter must remove air bubbles. If not, during the firing process, there could be an explosion.

Then the clay is sealed to the wheel. It’s an important step. The clay has to be securely connected to the Master. Next, I learned that water is essential to the process. The clay constantly thirsts for the water to prevent from drying out and becoming brittle. While the potter works with the clay, he must keep it centered on the wheel. To accomplish this, he’ll apply pressure, sometimes in different directions. Yet, he’ll keep a hand on the clay! There are a number of instruments the Master can use to design the final masterpiece.

Our Heavenly Father, the Master Craftsman, is the potter and we are the clay. Job 10:10 says “You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. You clothed my skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together.” The Potter squeezes His clay, taking out imperfections so we won’t explode. Those air bubbles might represent anger, addictions or other issues.

The Potter provides His Living Water so we can be showered with His presence. He wants us to use the gifts He has given us to be what He created us to be. 

Watching a craftsman work the clay is indeed fascinating. A shape may begin to form yet the Master presses the clay to the wheel to skillfully begin again. He has power over the clay. This can go on and on. He works with tremendous patience. 

I’m convinced that we must submit to His Will. We are decorated with His love and grace. We are to trust Him when the heat is really on! We are His Masterpiece -  He loves us.

A popular song says “Take me and mold me. Use me, fill me. I give my life to the Potter’s hand.”

Important questions to ask yourself: Am I willing to truly submit to God's will? Am I willing to go through the fire knowing that I will shine and serve His purpose on the other side?


"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray