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Are We Like Peter? - Mark 14:66-72 By Pastor Lee Hemen March 27, 2011 AM There is a certainty and assurance that true Christians know and reflect in their lives. Others have noted the peace that believers display no matter what occurs in life. During the cold war a KGB agent for the Soviet Union had nearly beaten to death a young Christian woman. He warned her to never be caught again. Her crime was having a Bible study in her home and owning a Bible. Later, she was again caught by the same KGB agent. In disbelief he could not shake the peace that he saw in her face even after she was finally murdered by his squad. It haunted him from that day on. Later, he gave his life to Christ and had to escape Russia himself. How could that lovely young woman continue in her faith even after she was severely beaten and then later die for her belief? Faced with a similar situation we find Peter not only backtracking away from his friendship with Jesus, he flatly denies he ever knew him! ...

The Trial of Jesus - Mark 14:53-65 By Pastor Lee Hemen March 20, 2011 AM If we are lucky in life we will have the opportunity to meet someone who exemplifies what true heroism means. In a day and age where heroism is often defined by what one suffers through rather than the sacrifice of one’s life for another, we need to take a fresh look. The English word for hero was first used in 1387 and comes from the Greek meaning “protector” or “defender.” Originally, Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite at Sestos a town on Hellespont. She loved a young man named Leander, who lived at Abydos, a town on the Asian side of the channel. They could not marry because Hero was bound by a vow of chastity, and so every night Leander swam from Asia to Europe, guided by a lamp in Hero's tower. One stormy night a wind extinguished the light, and Leander drown. His body was washed ashore beneath Hero's tower; in her grief, she threw herself into the sea. Not exactly what we think of as a her...

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...

When We Fail at Prayer - Mark 14:32-41 By Pastor Lee Hemen March 6, 2011 AM Why is the Christian church a mere shadow of what it once was? Some think it is because we do not allow the Spirit of God to work. Others say we are not reaching out enough, witnessing about our faith here at home. While others believe that it is because the church has lost the aspect of being set apart from the rest of the world and has lost its holiness. I believe all of these have some validity, but at its core I believe that all of these things can be reduced to the fact that the church no longer prays as it should. A weak Christian faith or a weak Christian church is the result of when we fail at prayer. Here in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus during the last few hours of his life. As each moment draws him closer to his final act of sacrifice, we discover some wonderful truths for our lives. And there is no greater truth than the power of prayer. From when his own disciples asked him to teach them ...

Would You Betray Jesus? - Mark 14:27-31 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 27, 2011 AM She took an autistic friend to a high school football game. While there her friend began to speak with anyone she came in contact with, which wasn’t so bad because most could tell she was autistic. Things changed however when the girl began to talk with some of the more “popular” kids. They began to make fun of her. The scene soon deteriorated, but she stood back embarrassed and did nothing. Have you ever been embarrassed enough of someone to leave them to fend for themselves? Jesus told his disciples, during the Passover meal before his death that “a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32) The courage of his closest friends would fail him when they fled Jesus during his greatest trials. Peter one of Jesus’ closest friends denies him three times. Judas would betray hi...

The Final Passover - Mark 14:12-26 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 20, 2011 AM Meals are important. More than just a means of nourishing a person, meals serve as a means for families to draw closer, talk, and as a means of getting together. Meals have been used to bring about peace between adversaries, nations, and to secure better relations. The preparation can be just as important as the meal itself. What food is served, why it is served, the way and how it is served can carry with each task very important implications. The Passover is such a meal. The Passover meal is celebrated to commemorate the passing over of the angel of death during the time of Moses and the exodus of the Israelite slaves from their captivity in Egypt. God promised to spare the life of the firstborn of any household that had the blood of a lamb painted over the doorframe of the house. Every Hebrew was commanded by God to remember this incident each year with prayers, a sacrifice, and a meal. The meal ...

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 ...

A Wonderful Witness - Mark 14:3-9 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 6, 2011 AM What kind of impact does our Christianity have on those around us? If we were suddenly taken ill, would those we come into contact with on a daily basis miss us because of the witness we portray? We believe that faith in Jesus changes people, do we not? Yet, has our faith changed us to the point whereby we make any kind of spiritual impact on those around us because of it? I am not talking about being a good worker, showing up on time, being kind or being studious because even very ungodly people can do these things quite well. Do people actually see and hear Jesus in our attitude and actions, and as Paul told the Corinthians that “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” (2 Corinthians 9:13 NIV) Would others say that ...