Four actions that Jesus did at Easter
By Levi Durfey, First Baptist Church
Jesus was a man of action, and he performed his greatest actions at Easter. What did Jesus do at Easter? Here are four of the major actions that Jesus did in the days leading up to Easter.
He Obeyed His Father’s Will Every sin carries a penalty of death (Romans 6:23). We cannot pay that penalty. But Jesus could. It would mean, however, that he would have to suffer and die on the cross. But even before Adam and Eve sinned and plunged the world into sin, God had a plan for saving people from their sin (1 Peter 1:1821). On the night of his arrest and trial, Jesus took his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. While there, he prayed, …O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39) This was a prayer of obedience. Jesus knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he also knew that it was the Father’s will for him to die for the sins of the world. So Jesus acted - he obeyed the Father’s will and… He Endured The Cross The Romans had no qualms about cruel and unusual punishment.
To them, a long and painful execution discouraged others from rebellion or crime. Crucifixion ranks as one of the most painful deaths one can experience. The victim was first stripped and beaten. Then he was nailed to a cross. His body was racked with muscle spasms, but to keep breathing, he had to keep pushing up with his feet. Death eventually came from shock, loss of blood, and asphyxiation. Despite this torturous death, Jesus did not endure the cross with bitterness and resentment, but with joy. The Bible says that he, “…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). Why was it a joy for Jesus to endure the cross? Because he knew he would achieve eternal salvation for all who believe in him! His joy came from his third action that he took at Easter. He Paid The Debt Of Sin How much is the debt of sin? Is it a million dollars? A billion? 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Murder - the debt is death. Adultery - the debt is death. The white lie you told this morning - the debt is death. The not-so-nice thought that you had about someone - the debt is death. We cannot pay the debt of sin ourselves, because the cost is too high. Imagine yourself trying to pay off a trillion-dollar debt yourself. You wouldn’t even
make a dent in that debt! So we need someone else to buy out our debt for us. That is exactly what Christ did for us. The penalty of sin is death, so he suffered and died in our place. He paid the debt. All we have to do is believe in Jesus and our account will be paid in full. Is the debt of your sin paid? Or do you keep trying to pay it off in installments? But did Jesus actually pay our debt? Yes, and he proved it by his fourth action. He Rose From The Dead Why was it necessary that Jesus rise from the dead? 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain…17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17) Sin is death. Christ had to do more than just die for our sins. He had to rise again from the dead to prove that he had conquered death. Otherwise, he would have been one more victim of a Roman crucifixion. But instead of a victim, Jesus became a victor. And when we align ourselves with him, we become victors as well. …Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54–57) Will you have victory over sin and death? You will if you place your faith in Jesus and the four actions that he took at Easter.
Prom 2021: A Rustic Romance
By Erica Verke and Jaelyn Quenzer
Dozens of people stopped in Friday evening for a meal of fried pollock, scalloped potatoes, green beans, a dinner roll and dessert put on as a fundraiser by the local Knights of Columbus.
The pollock were fried Friday when the local Knights of Columbus served up dozens of fish cutlets in the Fish Fry fundraiser Friday at St. John the Evangelist Church in Baker.
The Knights of Columbus offered up some sweets to go with the fish fry, including cherry pockets, cakes and other snacks.
Local Knights of Columbus fry draws crowd to church basement
By Brad Mosher
bmosher@countrymedia.net It was a successful cook out Friday, in more ways than one, in spite of being indoors. The fish were fried and it drew scores of people to the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church basement Friday, March 26, for an evening meal. The meal of fried pollock was cooked and served by the local Knights of Columbus in Baker which raised money for local programs. The rest of the menu included scalloped potatoes, green beans, a dinner bun and an assortment
of home made desserts such as cherry pockets and cake. According to one of the organizers, the fish fry would be only one scheduled for 2021. Wayne Mangold said that the event raised about $1,500 which will go towards the scholarship program for graduating seniors from the community. “We have been doing it for about 10 to 15 years now. We always try to do it at Lent,” he explained. “Usually, we do it three times a year. But this year, we are doing just one. “The first two were canceled because of COVID, but we thought the conditions were better so we gave it one shot. It was
pretty well received.” He was pleased with the response to Friday’s fish fry. “We had about 75 people. It was slightly better (than in the past) but it was a good turnout for us.” About a dozen members of the Knights of Columbus handled the fried fish meal and the kitchen clean up, with several of the wives helping with dessert dishes. In addition, the Catholic Daughters had a small bake sale at one end of the dining room, serving up a choice of preserves, cupcakes, biscuits and cookies. Among the choices were chokecherry and pear butter preserves.
The Rustic Romance themed prom was hosted this past Saturday, March 27. These decorations were light, romantic and had a beautiful garden feel. Students had a blast getting the opportunity to celebrate this event this year, especially since missing out on Prom last year. The candidates for Queen were Alissah Hickey, Bryce Shelhamer, McKenzie Davis, and Sydney Kirschten. The King candidates were Jory Miller, Nathan Hufford, Taylor Heaton, and Ashton Afrank. The Prom King was Nathan Hufford, crowned by Anika Ploeger. The Prom Queen was Sydney Kirschten, then crowned by the king. The “After Prom Party” started at 10 p.m. and ended at 2:30 a.m. Students had fun participating in a variety of activities and receiving prizes, all donated by local businesses in our community. Some of these activities included limbo, bingo, inflatable horse racing, cash grab tube, three-legged race and head and tails. Some of the awesome large prizes won were TV’s, a printer, Keurigs, $100 to senior attendees, and a $250 prize to one se-
Baker High School Prom King Nathan Hufford and Queen Sydney Kirschten. lected student. All attendees enjoyed these activities and were
so grateful to those that donated prizes for this event.
High winds, drought put region in elevated fire danger Staff Report Winds gusting to more than 70 miles per hour in the region are combining with Red Flag fire warnings to put area fire agencies on alert. The week started with fire warnings in eastern Montana as well as much of western North Dakota and South Dakota. North Dakota alone has had more than 121 reported wildfires in just the first three months. According to the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, the critical fire weather conditions were expected across southwestern and portions of south central North Dakota Tuesday afternoon through early evening. The combination of strong northwest winds with gusts to 50 mph and low relative humidity as low
as 16 percent will create dangerous fire weather conditions, put the western and southern part of the state in danger of wildfires, the NWS announcement explained. South Dakota already is burning, with high winds and drought conditions set the stage for the Schroeder Fire near Rapid City. In the space of just a few hours, the fire had consumed more than 1,900 acres and forced some evacuations. In eastern Montana, the region was listed as having elevated fire conditions Tuesday because of the gusting winds up to 40 miles per hour and very dry weather. The entire state was on fire weather watch Tuesday afternoon, but the only red flag conditions were just over the border in both of the Dakotas. The warming weather trend is predicted to continue through the weekend, with temperatures in the high 60s to mid 70s predicted through Sunday.