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The betrayal! - John 18:1-13 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 3, 2015 Did you know that Guy Fawkes (the namesake of the Guy Fawkes mask you see at every odd ball protest these days) was a traitor and betrayed his protestant homeland of England? He joined with Spanish Catholics in a miserably failed plot to assassinate King James and reinstate a Catholic king of England. He has since become a cultural figure of anarchy. He was and is no hero as some would have you think and in fact is a traitor and betrayer. Have you ever had someone you considered a friend betray you? It is a hard thing to live through. One of the men whom Jesus personally picked to follow him betrays Jesus to the Jewish authorities perhaps thinking he can force Jesus' hand in becoming a Messianic leader who would overthrow the Romans and the corruption. Instead greed gets the better of Judas and he receives 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal of Jesus. Here in John's gospel Jesus finishes his personal prayer...

Betrayal! - John 13:18-30 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 6, 2013 Treason used to be such a dirty word, but in our day and age some folks who betray their countries are seen as heroes and adulated by the mainstream media. I suppose it depends upon what your government is doing, but how do you feel when you are personally betrayed by someone you trust? What an awful feeling to have someone who is nice to you publically, but stabbing you in the back privately. As a pastor I have incredulously watched as folks tell me to my face that I could count on them no matter what and immediately do the opposite. And sadly actually think they are doing the will of God in their betrayal. This is nothing new, even Jesus faced betrayal by one of his disciples, one of the men he had chosen to follow him. Can you imagine being a friend, being seen as a confidant, doing the work of God, and then betraying the one God has sent into your life? This is exactly what occurs in the verses John shares with us next...

Jesus Is Anointed - John 12:1-11 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 26, 2015 When we graduate from high school we have a ceremony to commemorate the event; when we are married for a long time, live into very old age or have been at a job for a long time, folks usually commemorate the event; and when a ship is launched the event is commemorated as well. Here in John's gospel we discover Jesus being remembered by those who owed him so much, especially by one gracious lady. We do not fully understand the idea or the reasoning behind why folks of Jesus' day would anoint him. In fact, I would venture a guess that there are a lot of folks who do not even know what it means to anoint someone. Today we are beginning an entire section that covers the very last days of Jesus' life. Let's discover what it meant for Jesus to be anointed. READ: John 12:1-11 Good food and good company are two of the wonderful things in life. This is why Thanksgiving is especially important to me, because it al...

What’s so good about this Friday? – Matthew 27 By Pastor Lee Hemen March 17, 2013 AM It was early in the morning on Yom Shishi of Passover, when all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Yeshua of Nazareth to death. We bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. That sad little follower of Yeshua, Yudas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that Yeshua was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to us. He actually wept in our presence and whined, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” We retorted, “What is that to us? That's your responsibility.” So Yudas actually threw the money into the temple and left! Can you imagine? Then he went away and hanged himself. Good riddance, no one likes a traitor! We picked up the coins and agreed that was against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money. So we decided to use the money to buy the potter's field a...

Luke 22:1-23 – The Last Passover! By Pastor Lee Hemen March 10, 2013 AM People came into Jerusalem the same as they always had for the Passover. They hurried to their favorite places to stay, to celebrate, and to purchase foods for the meal to come. They had heard the rumors of Jesus being in the city. They had heard the stories or had participated in His triumphal entry. Perhaps He was the One they had been waiting for who would reign over them and throw off the yoke of Roman rule and their national humiliation. They could not understand that this would be the last Passover they would need to celebrate under the bondage of the old law. A new way had come. This indeed was the last Passover. The chief priests and teachers of the Law were wondering how they could thwart this perceived threat from Jesus. The people loved Him and people’s emotions always ran high during this holy time of Passover. They religiously clung to their old greedy ways and wanted the Romans to contin...

When We Abandon Jesus - Mark 14:42-52 By Pastor Lee Hemen March 13, 2011 AM It was a warm spring day and my parents had met some friends as we walked downtown. My father had picked me up and sat me on the hood of a car parked nearby. As they stood around talking, I fell fast asleep. I remember waking up and realizing that I was all alone. My parents and siblings were nowhere to be seen. I did the natural thing any four-year-old would do, I began to cry. A policeman was nearby and came over just as my father came running around the corner. They had thought I was still with them, forgetting that they had placed me on the hood of the car to keep me safe. Being abandoned as a preschooler is a frightening thing. Can you imagine being abandoned by your closest friends during a time of your greatest trial? Here, in Mark’s gospel Jesus finds himself in just such a situation. He is abandoned by his disciples. Let’s take a look at what occurs so that we can learn what happens when we...

Betrayal - Mark 14:1-2; 10-11 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 13, 2011 AM He had been a successful Army officer, capturing several enemy strongholds, and the decisive factor in the victories of several major battles. Yet, even though he was successful in battle Congress did not reward him as they had done others of lesser skill. After his wife died, suffering from war wounds, mounting indebtedness, and the care of several children the hero of so many battles turned betrayer to his nation. While he was able to capture enemy strongholds on the battlefield he could not conquer the enemy’s stronghold in his life. He fled after being discovered, and ended his remaining years living away from his native land. Benedict Arnold became synonymous with the moniker of betrayer. What causes someone to betray another? Disappointment, not being appreciated, or perhaps a false sense of self-worth can contribute to someone betraying another. In the gospel narratives we find one person who is ...