THE LORD'S DAY February 5, 2012

(Philippians 4:4-7) “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Dear Ones Who Live In The Peace Of God,

(Romans 5:1-2) “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

I well remember the days before my LORD saved me, the days when my heart was filled with roiling turmoil, like the sea in the midst of a great storm. I spent a great deal of time and effort in my attempts to obtain that mysterious peace. Virtually every day I would come home from work with a “splitting” headache, take a BC powder and lie down to get rid of that great pain in my head.

Why shouldn’t I be deeply troubled? I had read and understood enough of the Bible to know that God was angry with me because of my sins and rebellion. I knew I was justly under the wrath of God, which abided over my head like the sword of Damocles. I had a tremendous fear of death, for I knew I must stand before the Living God, which knowledge filled my heart with dread. Obviously I had no peace.

What a blessed difference took place in my life, when my LORD, in great mercy, saved my sinful soul and gave me eternal life. The Psalmist said, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8. Someone, such I, could tell the lost in vivid details how sweet the peace of God is, and yet my hearers would not really know what I am talking about. It would be like a young lad who had received a treat after Sunday school and then went home and told his family about the sweetness of that treat. The family might inquire of him if the treat tasted like ice cream. But the treat was not exactly like ice cream, so they said, “Did it taste like lemon bars? “No!” was his reply, “it was much sweeter than that. In near frustration, the boy said to his family, “Come with me now and I shall ask my teacher for a treat for each one of you and then you will know how it tastes!” So it is with the peace of God. It is so wonderful that I find it difficult to explain to one who is lost. I can only say, “O taste and see how sweet is the peace of God!”

One of the sweet characteristics of God’ peace is that it is eternal. When a sinner is saved by God’s grace, the LORD gives him eternal life and that life begins the moment he is saved. I have met a number of people who claim to be Christians and yet the think they can lose their salvation. This certainly does not gender peace in the heart of a believer. Such doctrine is quite the contrary. It makes peace be dependent on the believer and not on God. In fact, it is a great insult to the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider this for a few minutes please; If Jesus died for every one of your sins, how could you commit a sin that is not already under the blood of the cross? If you could sin-away your salvation it would mean that, even though Christ did die for your sins, his death on your behalf was not sufficient to eternally save you. Such thinking is blasphemous and has no place in the believer’s lexicon. This is so dishonoring to my LORD. If you are saved, you have the peace of God because you have been reconciled to God and now have peace with God. The war has ended, the battle is over. Christ is the Victory and you now have part in that victory. “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath com-mitted unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Amen and Hallelujah! Have a blessed LORD’S DAY.


I am yours in living union
with the Lord Jesus Christ,


Jerry H. Matson,
Ephesians 1:6

A spiritual thought for this LORD’S DAY; “Judge not Christ’s love by providences, but by promises.” Thomas Wilcox, 1622 – 1687.

THE LORD'S DAY February 12, 2012

(Matthew 27:61) “And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.”

Dear Ones For Whom Christ Has Tasted Death,

(Hebrews 2:9) “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

By reading the context of Matthew 27:61, you are given a picture which is filled with good lessons for the soul. We learn that Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, along with Nicodemus, made preparations to bury the body of their blessed LORD. We read in John 19:39, “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.” Nicodemus is the Rabbi who came to Jesus by night, but now at the death of the Saviour, he is greatly emboldened to declare himself to be a follower of the despised Nazarene.

We also see several women attending the burial of Christ’s body. Mary, the mother of the Jesus, had been committed to the care of John, the son of Zebedee. And I assume that when John took Mary to his home that his own mother also went with her son to be a proper hostess to Mary. The Bible tell us that two women named Mary remained after the burial, when all the others had left the solemn scene, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” sat down next to the sepulchre. I know not what transpired among these two women, but I feel certain there was much consideration of Whom it was that had be so recently put to death and buried. It was Jesus, God’s only Son, the Holy Lamb of God. Jesus, Who knew no sin, and therefore merited the right to the “tree of life”. But instead of eating of the fruit of the tree of life, He tasted death for all men.

Most of us, and perhaps all of us, will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But when we see Christ placed in that stone cold tomb, we take great comfort, for why should we fear to go when our Beloved has gone before us. Do I fear being in Heaven? No! Then why should I fear to let my body rest where Christ’s body was laid to rest. He rose up from that tomb after three days and I too shall rise shortly to answer His call to glory!

It should be noted that Joseph’s tomb was a new tomb. Never had any body been placed in that sepulchre. It was not like the cave in which Elisha had been buried. You remember (2 Kings 13:21) that some Israelites hastily put a friend’s body in that same tomb and when the dead body touched the bones of Elisha, the man was made to live again. This was not the case of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, His dead body did indeed come back to life. He was seen on numerous occasions by His disciples, but His resurrection was not the result of touching the bones of some great prophet. It was by the mighty power of God that Christ rose up from the grave. Amen!

We also see that the tomb was in a very rocky area. The tomb had to be hewn out of solid rock. No man could dig his way into the sepulchre in order to steal the body of Christ and make it appear that He has be raised from the dead. There is no natural explanation for the mighty act of our mighty God in order to justify sinners who would come to Christ for salvation. Christ did rise from the dead!

Sitting by the tomb of Christ, I also note that this tomb was borrowed. Jesus had no place to lay His head and that includes the place of His final earthly rest. Without the kindness of Joseph toward his Master, the body of our Lord would have been buried in the potter’s field. Matthew 27:7. Joseph gladly allowed His Lord to use his personal tomb in an act of spontaneous love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Speaking of the love which Christ’s disciples had for Him we see it manifested in the rich gift of 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes. John 19:39. And there was also the expensive linen winding sheet that was used to wrap the body of Christ. How blessed is it to see such expressions of love and gratitude being poured out on our LORD. O dear reader, please come with me an let us sit beside the sepulchre where Christ lay. O dear brother, dear sister, does not your heart move within your breast. Follow the example of the disciples and lavish your love on your Saviour. I am so baffled when I see one who professes to be a believer and yet is so stingy. I wonder if they have ever been like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, those two Christian women who sat by Christ’s tomb and allowed the Spirit free course in their hearts. I invite you this blessed LORD’S DAY, this day blessed of God above all the rest of the week, I invite you to come with me to the garden where Joseph’s sepulchre contains the body of Christ. Sit with me and listen to the voice of God in the stillness of that night when Jesus was buried to await the dawning of the LORD’S DAY, that glorious resurrection day which we celebrate with great joy. God bless you, my beloved. Amen.

I am yours in living union
with the Lord Jesus Christ,


Jerry H. Matson,
Ephesians 1:6

A spiritual thought for this LORD’S DAY; The first Adam sinned in a garden and ruined our nature; the second Adam slept in a garden and restored our loss.


PS: I have finally learned how to get sermons on the web site. Go to www.harbourlightbc.org and click on “Audio Sermons”. I plan to continue putting these sermons each week after they have been preached. I would like to have your feed-back.

God bless you.

THE LORD'S DAY February 19, 2012.

(Matthew 27:61) “And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.”

Dear Ones For Whom Christ Has Tasted Death,

(Hebrews 10:10-12) “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

Last LORD’S DAY I wrote to you concerning Matthew 27:61, where we read that “Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary” were “sitting against the sepulchre.” You may recall that all the believers, who had helped in the burying of the body of Jesus Christ, had left the garden and gone unto their own homes. Only these two Marys remained, and they were sitting next to the tomb. It is not hard to see why these ladies remained – they wanted to be near the One Who had loved them so that He even gave His life for them. No doubt, their thoughts were many and very deep. This is where I shall pick up for this wonderful LORD’S DAY,

In the Gospel of Mark we read the following description of Mary Magdalene; “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” Mark 16:9. I cannot help but notice that Mary Magdalene was the last at the tomb and then she was first at the tomb. This speaks clearly of her deep devotion to Christ. And, I could ask, “Is it any wonder?” This poor woman had been tormented by demons with no hope of redemption until the Saviour met her. Those who have been forgiven much, love much.

It was possible that Mary Magdalene was overwhelmed with the knowledge of sins which had so freely been forgiven her by the Saviour. Sitting next to the tomb, wherein lay the dead body of Christ, she well might recall her sinful past, understanding that it was for her sins that Jesus must die on that terrible cross. There are a couple of verses in Colossians that speak to this very subject; “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15. Hear the Word of our LORD saying to Mary’s heart, and to your heart, “having forgiven you all trespasses”! “ALL TRESPASSES” FORGIVEN! Not one ugly sin can raise its head in accusation against any of our LORD’S redeemed! O, how blessed is it to sit beside that precious sepulchre and muse on redemption!

But that is not all, for the Word of God also says; “…Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross…” I have read some commentaries that are not correct in their interpretation of these verses. Context is so important and I shall tell you the context of what our LORD is saying to His people. In the days when the Son of man walked on this earth, the Roman government would write out the charges of which the criminal was found guilty and that paper was nailed to the cross, over the head of the one being executed. Remember , this is exactly what Pilate did, “And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Mark 15:26. In Colossians, God tells us that the accusation concerning OUR sins were nailed to His cross, and it were those accusations that were blotted out. What some commentators say is that it was the Ten Commandments that was blotted out. This would be a contradiction of Scripture for Jesus said, “…Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” My dear friends, I broke every one of God’s Holy Commandments, but Jesus paid the entire debt I owed. My accusations have all been satisfied. The “offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” is all I need. It is so good for our souls to sit next to the sepulchre and muse on the work of the ONE Who lays in that tomb, or should I have said, “WHO laid there for three days and then was raised from the dead and now sits on the right hand of His Father in heaven, there to make intercession for all HIS redeemed! HALLELUJAH! What a SAVIOUR! Have a blessed LORD’S DAY.

I am yours in living union
with the Lord Jesus Christ,


Jerry H. Matson,
Ephesians 1:6

A spiritual thought for this LORD’S DAY; Man has done his worst, and now the nails have been extracted, and His body has been removed from the tree and placed in the tomb, where man can do Him no more harm.

The LORD'S DAY February 26, 2012

This message will be posted February 26, 2012.

THE LORD'S DAY

There is no 5th Sunday in February.