PASTOR’S PONDERINGS APRIL 2026

Pastor’s Ponderings –

From the words of the old hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns” –

“Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne;

Hark! How the heavenly anthems drown all music but its own!

Awake my soul, and sing of Him who died for me, and

Hail Him as thy matchless King thro’ all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o’er the grave,

And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save;

His glories now we sing, who died and rose on high, who

Died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.”

I hate to think where we would be without Easter.  I hate to think where we would be were it not for the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.  Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about that.  We live in victory because of Jesus’ victory.  However, there are many people who do not know that victory; and there are many others who are having a real hard time realizing that victory simply because life is very, very hard.  The struggles are great, and many times the end is nowhere in sight.  I have to believe the victory must be found before the struggle is over.  When the hard times are over and the struggles are past, it’s easy to see the victory.  But victory must come first in the middle of the struggle, when difficulty is at its peak, in order for Jesus to have the victory in our lives.  Usually, probably, maybe always, Jesus has to bring us low in order for us to let Him have the victory that He wants to have in our lives.  Has Jesus been trying to get you low in order that you would display Him as the victory in your life?  From the hymn “Sitting at the Feet of Jesus” –

“Bless me, O my Savior, bless me, as I sit low at Thy feet;

Oh, look down in love upon me, let me see Thy face so sweet;

Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus, keep me holy as He is;

May I prove I’ve been with Jesus, who is all my righteousness.”

So many times we want to show or prove we’ve been with Jesus.  We want the Lord to give us the mind of Jesus, and keep us holy as He is.  But the victory in that is so often found in the deepest of difficulties, in the most trying of times.  It’s hard to have one without the other – letting Jesus have the victory in our lives is letting Him take us through our struggles.  May we prove we’ve been with Jesus; may it be so evident to the world around us.  When Jesus is trying to get us low, time is best served on our knees.

To God be the victory,

Pastor Steve