Lasting Love

TITLE: Lasting Love
DATE:  November 6, 2019
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT: Luke 22: 63-64 – ESV -63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

You may know the hymn called: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.

 It is made more powerful when you know its story. The year was 1882 and George Matheson was engaged to a beautiful girl. That was the good news. But there was also some bad news. George had been having some trouble with his eyes.

He went in for a checkup and found out his condition was not a small matter easily disposed of. Indeed, he was informed that he soon would lose all of his vision.

There was no hope, nothing known to those days medical profession which could change things.

George was going to be permanently blind.

Leaving the office a shattered man, he knew where to find comfort....his sweet-heart would understand and would provide him a sympathetic shoulder. Insult was added to injury when she made the pronouncement, "I will not marry a blind man."
In his sorrow George wrote about God's greater love, a love which would never let him go.
It is hard to imagine a greater insult than that given to our hymnist by his fiancé.

It’s difficult to imagine, but it’s not impossible. That's because readers of Scripture have seen Pilate's soldiers, under the direction of Satan, dedicate themselves to insulting our Lord.

• When they should have been worshipping Him, they were spending their time mocking Him.
• When they should have sworn allegiance to Him, they said "many other insulting things to Him."

Times haven’t changed much over the centuries.

Satan is still encouraging people to say many .... insulting things to Jesus.' In the course of my lifetime I have seen

• the Redeemer banished from schools and
• history books are being rewritten to exclude the many blessings He has bestowed  upon our land.
• And now many denominations have stopped preaching that Jesus is the only way to forgiveness and salvation.

We, who know Him as Savior and Lord, must never turn our backs upon Him and all that He has done for us.

This s our time and our opportunity to share the Savior’s story with a lost world which so desperately needs to hear salvation’s story.

Or, in other words, it is our privilege to say thanks with our lives for a 'Love Which Will Not Let Me Go."

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may I never insult You, or the people that You have given Your life to save.  May I treat all with the same care and love that You have shown to me. Most of all help me remember that I can always turn to You in any adversity.  In Your Name. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html