Monthly Meditations with Dr. Michael L. Hargett, Sr.

“SUNDAY IS COMING” GOOD FRIDAY April 10, 2009 Luke 24:1-5 1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? I t's Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter's denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Jesu...

In fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 62:11 & Zechariah 9:9), Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds lined the street shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." (Psalm 118:25-26) They placed palm branches and robes in front of Jesus. This was particularly disturbing to the religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus. They demanded that Jesus silence the crowd, but he responded that even if the crowd were silent, the stones would cry out. The events of the next week would forever change the world. Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd welcomed him as a king. By the end of the week they were demanding his death. His followers abandoned him in fear. None of his close followers had really understood the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week until after Jesus returned. They had all expected Jesus to be an earthly king, but God had given them something so much better - an open door into a Kingdom that would never end. Palm Sunday, in ...

Revelation 21:3-4 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Do you know anyone that does not want the best? We are constantly trying to obtain the best things in life. We want the best cars, the best homes, the best spouse, the best family, we even want the best pets. But the best is yet to come. A woman once went into the marketplace, looked around, and saw a sign that read, "God's Fruit Stand". "Thank goodness! It's about time!" the woman said to herself. She went inside and she said, "I would like a perfect banana, a perfect cantaloupe, a perfect strawberry, and a perfect peach." God, who was behind the counter, shrugged and said, "I'm sorry....

Matthew 10:29-30 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Before starting Saturday Worship Services at a local nursing home, I received a note that someone needed to see me on the third floor. It turned out to be Tom! I remember him because he would always lead us in the old Hymns. He has a deep bass voice that would light up any room. I had not seen Tom for over a year. In fact, I thought he had passed on home to glory. I did not even know where his room was. Nonetheless, I made my way up to his room after services and to my surprise and delight there he was! He explained that he had become bed ridden since the last time we saw one another. He said that he prays for me and Pastor Ewing every day. He said that the Lord had put me on his mind and he wanted to see me because the message I brought last year was still with him and h...

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV) 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." During these last days, you must continue to trust in the Lord. Your hearts (roots) must be firmly planted and deeply rooted in God’s word. You must strive to allow His word to grow in you as the Holy Spirit grows in you through the stream of His Love, Grace, and Mercy. Wherefore you shall not fear when trails and trouble comes your way. Your life will continue to be enriched, not matter the trouble. Through it all you will not be anxious or allow the weeds of the world to cut you off from the source of everlasting life. Always be fruitful in the world through the word of God. Be like the tree planted next to a stream, stand ...

1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I am in the midst of transitioning from a military career of over 25 years as I am retiring in June. With the Lord’s blessing I have worked my way through the ranks and have achieved a position and education that I never dreamed of. I am building a computer recycling and web hosting business. The business is not making a profit right now, but we are growing. My wife, Cheryl is pregnant and we are expecting our fifth child in May, a month before I retire. Naturally, I have been a little troubled with my transition. But walking above the troubles around just as Peter was walking above the rough seas. But like Peter I was feeling anxiety beginning blowing all around me and they began to set in. A few weeks ago, I prayed to God and asked why did the economy have to tank now? I have sent out many resumes and have had no repl...

1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I am in the midst of transitioning from a military career of over 25 years. I am retiring in June. With the Lord’s blessing, I have worked my way through the ranks and have achieved a position and education that I never dreamed of. I am also building a computer recycling and web hosting business. The business is not making a profit right now, but we are growing. My wife, Cheryl is pregnant and we are expecting our fifth child in May, just a month before I retire. Naturally, I have been a little troubled with my transition. But God has me walking above my worries and troubles just as Peter was walking above the rough seas. But like Peter I began feeling a little anxiety beginning to blow all around me and my worries began to set in. A few weeks ago, I prayed to God and asked why did the economy have to tank ...