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GRIPPED BY

By Pastor Mark Anderson

On Good Friday our thoughts migrate to the cry of the people, "Crucify Him!"  Not even a week before the people cried out, "Hosanna!"  How could the tables turn so fast? The short answer is, Jesus disappointed them.  They were looking for a Jesus who would make their live easier here on earth. They wanted a Jesus who would protect them from pain, but He didn't even protect Himself from pain.  They wanted a Jesus who would force submission on their enemies, but instead He humbly submitted to monstrous treatment by those very enemies. They wanted a Jesus who would pray down God's wrath on others, but instead He prayed down God's forgiveness on everyone.

What "kind of Jesus" are you looking for?  Has He disappointed you yet?  Has He allowed your heart to be broken?  If God chose to change the world through the broken heart of His Son, why does it surprise us when He allows our heart to be broken. The world we live in does not understand or celebrate sacrificial love, but it is the way God chose to save us from our sin and from ourselves. Jesus was not a martyr but a willing sacrifice.  The Apostle Paul declared that Jesus "gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world..." (Galatians 1:4)

Let's take some time to reflect and rejoice in the sacrifice Jesus gave to set us free from sin.  Be baptized and publicly declare your faith in Christ's death and resurrection. 

It's good to be gripped by Grace!

Pastor Mark
Anchor Church

It Really is All Good

 

Life can be challenging, but God is always good. We are certainly living in "perilous times" (2 Timothy 3:1)—natural disasters, fires, global financial struggles, and political instability create an ongoing sense of uncertainty about what the future holds. Yet, as Christians, our hope is anchored in God and the blessed promise that this world is not our permanent home, but a brief stop on the way to a glorious Heaven.
 

In moments like these, it's reassuring to remember God's promise in Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
 

Indeed, it really is "all good!" Our hope is not found in the stock market, our jobs, or our government. Our strength and confidence come from Jesus Christ, who has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
 

So, take heart, and remember we are...
 

Gripped by Grace!
 

How is God’s grace sustaining you today?
 

Pastor Mark
Anchor Church

Ask, Seek & Knock

When I was in Bible College I sang in a Southern Gospel quartet.  One of the songs we sang was titled, "Just a Little Talk with Jesus." The final line of the chorus was "just a little talk with Jesus makes it right." While the song was kind of fun to sing, I've come to see that part of our problem as Christians today is this "little talk" mentality.  Jesus Himself regularly spent long periods of time in prayer, often all night long (Luke 6:12) and hours on His knees (Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:36-46).  The disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them to do miracles or walk on water, but they did ask Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1) Jesus promised us that "everyone who asks, receives, and he that seeks shall find and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:8)

The Apostle Paul made prayer a high priority in every church he planted. He wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for Kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."
Gripped by Grace!
Pastor Mark

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