Hello everyone,
Hopefully we’ve all had an uplifting and deeply meaningful Passover and Night To Be Much Observed. We fully understand through these annual reminders that we have been set on a new course away from the Egypt of our past. What a blessing! If Christ had not done for each of us what He did, the penalty of our sins would still be upon us. He had to die – there was no other way.
In Luke 9 and verse 22, Christ privately told His disciples that He would suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chiefs and scribes, be killed and then raised the third day. Then speaking of the same thing, He said this in verse 44, “Let these words sink down in to your ears, for the son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” It was no doubt hard for them to grasp considering all the miracles He had continually done in their presence coupled with their expectation of a restored kingdom. But Christ’s words would sink in, in due time.
One of the things that would sink in the most would be the example of Christ’s total commitment to what lay ahead. “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51). His time in Galilee was through and His eventual death in Jerusalem lay ahead of Him. So He steadfastly set His face to do what lay ahead. Other versions word it similarly but the gist of it is that He focused on what was ahead and boldly went forward. He was settled in His purpose, knowing full well what this course would incur. The impact of His words would result in His disciples/apostles soon following His example by setting their own faces to do their Father’s will.
Christ’s example was prophesied in Isaiah 50:5. “The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.” Christ let His Father’s words sink in to His humble mind and didn’t reject any part of it. “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”(Isaiah 50:6-7). How did Christ endure the spitting, the beating and the crucifixion? How did He set His face like a flint to stay the course? He did it just the way He said, “For the Lord God will help Me.” It was by faith, implicit trust in His Father. By faith He let God’s words become a part of Him and by faith He steadfastly set His face to do whatever task was put in front of Him.
The Days of Unleavened Bread remind us that we are to leave our sinful past behind and to walk in newness of life. We too must humbly let our Father‘s words sink in, not rejecting any part of it that doesn’t align with our own will. We too must steadfastly set our face to do our Father’s will. I’m sure we’ll be reminded of His will in various aspects of our lives during these days. Let’s faithfully let them sink in and steadfastly set our course to do them.
Have a great Sabbath.
Marshall Stiver
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We heard this week that the AIC Church elder in the southwest of England, Mr. John Terrett died on Tuesday April 19th. He had been suffering from Multiple Sclerosis for many years and earlier this week experienced a perforation of an internal organ. Please remember his wife Linda in your prayers.
Mr. Cliff Veal is currently in Madagascar for the Passover and first Day of Unleavened Bread. He visited the members in Rwanda on the way and spent last Sabbath with them. He will provide a more detailed report next week but did report two prayer requests. Rwandan member Kakuze Venancie was suffering greatly with gall stones and since his visit she had an operation to remove her gall bladder and it went very well. She is still in hospital and will probably remain there for about a week. Kakuze and family are very thankful to God’s people for the aid given which made the operation possible. Please continue to pray for her complete recovery.
The other prayer request is for the deaconess in Madagascar, Evelyne Rakotomalala. She is not doing well and is not seeing any improvement from the results of a stroke she had some months ago.
