Switch Youth Group 2 Royal Rangers Faith Factory & Kingdom Kids 3 Mpact Girls Women’s Ministry Bible Connections 4 nor did he have the inner angst that coldly takes someone’s life even in this intense setting, he was just trying his best to defend his close friend. He knew Jesus didn’t carry a weapon and was defenseless, so he risked his own life to try to defend him. If only he would have kept that mindset when he followed Jesus into the courtyard where he betrayed him by denying his relationship with him to two servant girls. So, he stands up to the High Priest’s “servant” but shrinks before some servant girls - because that makes sense? That tells us what a spiritually charged night it was, “when darkness reigns.” Two guys, two failures, but there was a big difference between the two. Judas’ response to his own failure was suicide. In my experience, darkness is always reigning when there’s a suicide. When our minds cannot see any better choices, any alterna- tives to taking our own lives, darkness is indeed reigning, whispering, de- ceiving! Peter’s response was grief, deep inner regret that later led to repen- tance. That response brought about forgiveness and restoration by Jesus himself, a very different choice with a much better result. This time the light won out over the dark. The darkness was reigning in both cases, but it was their response that destroyed one life and redeemed the other. We have all made bad choices. We’ve all failed Jesus. But we can all follow in Peter’s footsteps to the cross to find forgiveness and restoration. The darkness can still be defeated! That’s the message of Easter and the resurrec- tion, because He lives, we can live a new life. “…when darkness reigns.” What omi- nous words! It’s part of a verse in the Bible spoken by Jesus during a dark night in a garden that eventually led to Christ’s bru- tal crucifixion. For just three words, they paint a scary picture of the dark conspiracy against Jesus, or as my grandson likes to say, “It’s huuugggge!” The setting takes place in the midst of two men’s well known failures, Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Judas has just sold Jesus out for thirty silver coins, or about $15. It was the price of a slave, which certainly was arrived at so that it would communi- cate their disgust for Jesus. I think it tells us of how little Judas was valuing Jesus at the time also. Certainly even today people reject him for even less. If you think this is bad, wait until I remind you that Judas’ sign for who he had just sold out was a kiss! What a guy! Peter’s response was to take out his concealed weapon, a sword that he must have carried with him when traveling through crime infested areas as a means of self-protection. When we think of a concealed weapon, we think small. My guess is that Peter’s sword was- n’t a heavy three foot model, but more of a compact length and weight like a dagger, but lethal all the same. Some think Peter was aiming for the guy’s neck, but missed because of the excitement and darkness, and took off his ear instead. My guess again is that he was not a trained fighter, Volume 23, Issue 2 March & April 2020 Hillside Highlights HILLSIDE ASSEMBLY OF GOD Pastor’s Pen: by: Pastor Paul Carlson Our Mission Statement: “Reaching out to connect people to God and to others.” Check it Out! March 15th: Missions Breakfast at Pound @ 8 a.m. Missions Banquet at Gillett @ 11:30 a.m. Gillett Egg Hunt @ Gillett Elementary School April 4th - 10 a.m. Pound Egg Hunt @ Coleman School April 11th - 10 a.m. Water Baptisms April 15th @ 6:45 p.m.
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Switch Youth Group 2
Royal Rangers
Faith Factory &
Kingdom Kids
3
Mpact Girls
Women’s Ministry
Bible Connections
4
nor did he have the inner angst that coldly takes someone’s life even in this intense setting, he was just trying his best to defend his close friend. He knew Jesus didn’t carry a weapon and was defenseless, so he risked his own life to try to defend him. If only he would have kept that mindset when he followed Jesus into the courtyard where he betrayed him by denying his relationship with him to two servant girls. So, he stands up to the High Priest’s “servant” but shrinks before some servant girls - because that makes sense? That tells us what a spiritually charged night it was, “when darkness reigns.” Two guys, two failures, but there was a big
difference between the two. Judas’ response to his own failure was suicide. In my experience, darkness is always reigning when there’s a suicide. When our minds cannot see any better choices, any alterna-tives to taking our own lives, darkness is indeed reigning, whispering, de-ceiving! Peter’s response was grief, deep inner regret that later led to repen-tance. That response brought about forgiveness and restoration by Jesus himself, a very different
choice with a much better result. This time the light won out over the dark. The darkness was reigning in both cases, but it was their response that destroyed one life and redeemed the other. We have all made bad choices. We’ve all
failed Jesus. But we can all follow in Peter’s
footsteps to the cross to find forgiveness and
restoration. The darkness can still be defeated!
That’s the message of Easter and the resurrec-
tion, because He lives, we can live a new
life.
“…when darkness reigns.” What omi-nous words! It’s part of a verse in the Bible spoken by Jesus during a dark night in a garden that eventually led to Christ’s bru-tal crucifixion. For just three words, they paint a scary picture of the dark conspiracy against Jesus, or as my grandson likes to say, “It’s huuugggge!” The setting takes place in the midst of two men’s well known failures, Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Judas has just sold Jesus out for thirty silver coins, or about $15. It was the price of a slave, which certainly was arrived at so that it would communi-cate their disgust for Jesus. I think it tells us of how little Judas was valuing Jesus at the time also. Certainly even today people reject him for even less. If you think this is bad, wait until I remind you that Judas’ sign for who he had just sold out was a kiss! What a guy! Peter’s response was to take out his concealed weapon, a sword that he must have carried with him when traveling through crime infested areas as a means of self-protection. When we think of a concealed weapon, we think small. My guess is that Peter’s sword was-n’t a heavy three foot model, but more of a compact length and weight like a dagger, but lethal all the same. Some think Peter was aiming for the guy’s neck, but missed because of the excitement and darkness, and took off his ear instead. My guess again is that he was not a trained fighter,
Volume 23, Issue 2
March & April 2020
Hillside Highlights
H I L L S I D E A S S E M B L Y O F G O D
Pastor’s Pen: by: Pastor Paul Carlson
Our Mission Statement: “Reaching out
to connect people to God and to others.”
Check it Out!
March 15th:
Missions Breakfast at
Pound @ 8 a.m.
Missions Banquet at
Gillett @ 11:30 a.m.
Gillett Egg Hunt @
Gillett Elementary School
April 4th - 10 a.m.
Pound Egg Hunt @
Coleman School
April 11th - 10 a.m.
Water Baptisms
April 15th @ 6:45 p.m.
Youth Group by: Pastor Jon
Matthew Henry said, “No man will say, ‘There is no God’
till he is so hardened in sin that it has become his interest that
there should be none to call him to account.”
At Switch Youth Group, we will be exploring the delusion
of atheism and why people ignore the mountains of evidence
supporting the God of the Bible, so that students will grow
confident in their faith and ready to share it boldly with others