Tag: bible

Stuck in Fear, Sent Out With Peace; Jesus Will Always Stands Among Us. John 20:19-23

John 20:19-23 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus among His Disciples

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “[a]Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins [b]have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they were in a very uncertain place cowering behind locked doors, fearing what the authorities who had crucified their leader would do next.

But locked doors couldn’t stop Jesus!

Nothing stopped Him from entering the house and re-entering their lives, proving Himself to be their Savior and their living hope.

He was able to be seen, heard, touched, known—and He approaches our lives in the same manner.

No matter where we are or what we have done, Christ can enter our lives—our sadness, our darkness, our fear, our doubts—and make Himself seen and make himself known, standing among us and calmly declaring, “Peace be with you.”

Maybe you’re a “doubting Thomas,” quick to question matters of faith.

To some degree, questions are good and healthy.

Thomas was straightforward with Jesus, essentially saying, I’m not going to believe in You unless I can actually put my finger in Your scars. 

Jesus replied to Thomas, All right, if that’s what it takes for you, here you are and here I am (John 20:24-29).

Jesus can meet us in our doubts.

Or maybe you’re a denying Peter, quick to renounce your identity in Christ and quick to feel condemnation for how you’ve messed up.

Jesus took Peter, who had questioned Him countless times but crumbled before the question of a servant girl, made him the rock on which His church was built (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus accepts us despite our very obvious shortcomings and uses our lives in transformative ways. Or perhaps you’re a disgraced Mary Magdalene, whose past haunts you, making you feel all unworthy of Jesus’ love and acceptance.

Yet God did not ordain Jesus’ first recorded encounter after His resurrection to be with just a Sunday-school teacher but with a woman who had a sordid past riddled with sin and had even suffered demon possession.

It was no haphazard coincidence that the first embrace, as it were, from the resurrected Christ was with such a person.

He offers this same redemptive embrace to us.

Jesus can get past locked doors; He can get through to hardened hearts. souls.

Through His death and resurrection, He was able to bridge the gap that sin had opened between rebellious humanity and a righteous God. We must receive the salvation He freely offers. It must be fresh in our minds each day.

Have you done this? Have you received Jesus unconditionally and unreservedly?

Do you embrace Him daily?

Do you rehearse His gospel to yourself each morning?

To trust in this way means we give ourselves to God in service.

We submit ourselves to His lordship as our Savior.

We take God’s promises to heart, and we take the salvation He freely offers.

With this belief, will you see that He stands beside you, offering you an eternal, intimate peace that triumphs over and transforms your sadness, your darkness, your fear, your doubts. Hear the risen Christ say to you, “Peace be with you?”

Stuck in their Fear – They Were Sent Out With Peace

On Easter Sunday Jesus’ disciples gathered in a room and locked the door. They were so afraid that the people who had killed Jesus would want to get them too.

But Someone came in anyway, as if the door weren’t even there! And the one who came in was Jesus! He said, “Peace be with you!” And he might well have meant, “Peace be with you, all you cowering, scared, door-locking disciples.”

Then he showed them his hands and side.

For on them were the scars of battle between life and death, between God and the enemy showing Jesus had taken everything the enemy could throw his way.

And yet, there he was, alive! “The disciples were overjoyed.”

Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you!”

He gave his followers a mission: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Where was Jesus sending them?

Luke 10:1-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Seventy Sent Out

10 Now after this the Lord appointed [a]seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money belt, no [b]bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a [c]man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in [d]that house, eating and drinking [e]what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet [f]be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

In their cowering state, into the world, where people live and die. Out into the world, where men and women are easily overwhelmed and defeated. Into the world, where it’s hard to experience true peace, where rejection may be cruel and the norm, where betrayal is a very real, potentially very lethal possibility.

The hardcore reality for Christians is Jesus doesn’t want his disciples hiding in locked rooms; he wants us out in the world with the message of life on our lips and acts of life in our hands, feet. And as we go, he says, “Peace be with you!”

On a scale of one to ten …

Called and Sent into the “plentiful harvest where the laborers are few”

Between …

Cowering behind “locked doors”

and

Moving freely among the “wolves”

How well do we Christians of the 21st century, handle this measure of reality?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Resurrected Lord, we stand cowering behind our 21st century version of locked doors, pray grant us your peace so that, in a world of violence, struggle, and death, we may confidently claim and put into practice the truth of your victory over sin and death.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God’s Answers for Life’s Challenges: Moses and Overcoming Inadequacy. Exodus 4:1-13

Exodus 4:1-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Moses Given Powers

4 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen [a]to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his [b]hand— 5 “that  they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you or [c]heed the [d]witness of the first sign, they may believe the [e]witness of the last sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [f]eloquent, neither  [g]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [h] slow of speech and [i]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [j]send the message by whomever You will.”

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Moses was from the Levitical line from Jacob, and was called to be God’s great prophet to Israel.

Set afloat upon the Nile River by his mother to protect him from Pharaoh’s wrath and lethal edict against the lives of the Hebrew children, he was found by the daughters of that Pharaoh and he was raised to be a Prince in their courts.

Driven out of Egypt by a murder charge, walked through the wilderness to the land of Median where he was the one who would lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, and became the nation’s renowned Lawgiver, at eighty years of age!

Kept by God in social isolation for half his life, he was in the despised vocation of sheep-herder, lived in the parched, arid wilderness, where his self-will was allowed to rest for 40 years, raise a family but still suffer as a broken criminal.

It was here that one day the fiery flame of the Lord met with him at the burning bush and Moses found himself being summoned by the God of His fore fathers, called out of comfort by his name to save God’s people from slavery in Egypt.

Before his intense training program, Moses thought He could do all things through his own strength.

But it was not until his will was built up in Egypt, torn down and crushed by the Lord in his own exile, his wilderness walk, that Moses had his earth-shattering encounter with God alone on Mount Sinai, Who announced, “I AM Who I AM.”

Moses… the former prideful prince of Egypt, became the most humble of men, due to his encounter with God.

He immediately recoiled from the enormous responsibility God chose to lay upon his shoulders.

How could a man that stuttered so badly and spoke so inarticulately be the chosen mouthpiece for the God of the universe?

How could Moses convey God’s orders to the great king of the earth?

“I am not a man of words,” he pleaded.

“I am not good at public speaking. I do not have a gift of the gab. I am not fluent in language. I find it difficult to get my words out and stumble over my speech – I am not an eloquent orator” – were his excuses.

Moses had not yet proved God’s sufficient grace.

He had yet to discover that His grace is perfected in our weaknesses.

Moses had not yet acknowledged the inexhaustible riches of God’s grace and His unlimited power to work in the lives of His people.

But God not only makes man’s lips and mouths. He makes the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and gives sight to the blind.

The Lord is the One Who possesses power over all the senses, attributes of men.

He is the One that created all things, and He is the One Who holds all things together. God is well able to equip His chosen vessel with the qualification and abilities needed to fulfil His heavenly instructions – for His grace, and His grace alone is sufficient, His strength alone which is made perfect in our weakness.

Claiming to have a speech impediment was only one of a number of excuses Moses gave to the Lord.

He was also concerned that Israel would neither believe him nor respect his word, and he begged God to send someone else who was more qualified than he.

He claimed that he would not be able to explain Who the Lord was to the people, and had to be told sternly, “I AM Who I AM.” Moses had to learn that God alone was the only answer to every single question and the provider for all we need.  

Believing in God and Our Overcoming Inadequacy

Exodus 4:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [a]eloquent, neither [b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [c] slow of speech and [d]slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now [e]send the message by whomever You will.”

Matthew 10:17-20 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

In our life of faith, there are times when God calls us to tasks that can seem beyond our abilities.

Like Moses, we might think we lack the skills or eloquence to do what God has asked.

Severe doubts and insecurities can grip our hearts, causing us to question whether we can truly serve God’s purpose.

When God called Moses to go before Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses hesitated.

He felt that he could not communicate the message well.

He may even have had a speech impediment.

But God said, “Who gave human beings their mouths?”

In other words, God is the one who equips and empowers the ones he calls. So he assured Moses that he would be with him, guiding his words and actions.

Just as God did not overlook Moses’ concerns, he also sees our severest doubts and knows our all too real limitations.

But God chooses us, imperfect as we are, to accomplish his plans.

And it is in our moments of weakness that God’s strength shines through. He deeply delights in using us to accomplish extraordinary feats for his glory.

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works  than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:10-15)

When we feel inadequate, remember our sufficiency comes from God alone.

He provides all the necessary resources, wisdom, and strength to carry out his purposes. We can always trust that God will equip us with exactly what we need, when we need, require it and he will never leave us to face our challenges alone.

We show in the words we speak that our hearts are in tune with God.

Jesus tells his disciples to worry not because they “will be given what to say.” (Matthew 10:19)

Sharing Christ is not simply a matter of thinking up the right words to say; we must allow God’s words to flow through us.

The lessons Moses had to learn are as relevant today as the day he was ordered to remove his shoes from on the holy mount of God.

It is never easy when the Lord says GO, for we often want to stay.

Nor is it easy when He instructs us to STAND STILL and wait, for too often we think we want to go.

But when our fleshly self-will has finally been broken by our gracious God and we can then unreservedly whisper, “Thy will, not mine be done,” as did Christ in Gethsemane… then as we open our mouth we will pray and speak the words that He Himself chooses to give us, and we all will finally discover His grace IS sufficient for His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast [a]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

British Theologian and Evangelist F.B. Meyer (1847-1929) summed up the attitude that each of us should have when God places a call on any of our lives,

“Cherish the lowliest thought you choose of yourself, but unite it with the loftiest conception of God’s All-Sufficiency. Self-depreciation may lead to the marring of a useful life. We must think soberly of ourselves, not too lowly… nor too extravagantly. The one talent must not be buried in the earth.”

John 16:32-33 New American Standard Bible 1995

32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Lord God, thank you for choosing us despite our weaknesses. Forgive our array of excuses, strengthen us to step out in faith to serve as you call us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Thanks Be to God! I believe Easter is never going to be quite done with me. John 20:17-18.

John 20:11-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in [a]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Stuck in Grief, Pulled Into Joy

Mary stood outside Jesus’ tomb, crying. Her Lord and friend had died, and a real and legitimate grief had come over her.

But Mary’s grief entombed her.

It blurred her vision so that when she saw the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, she assumed that someone had stolen his body.

And when she saw Jesus standing in front of her, she thought he was a gardener.

Unrecognized, Jesus, fully alive, faced a friend who was blinded by so much grief that she couldn’t see him.

Perhaps Jesus spoke Mary’s name softly, gently.

But he might well have said it forcefully to shake her out of her grief: “Mary!”—as if to say, “Get a grip on yourself! I’m alive! I’ve conquered death. I’ve broken its grip. Mary! Leave the tomb behind and come into the joy of new life!”

Sometimes grief or other harsh realities can overwhelm us so much that we forget Jesus is alive. But he has conquered death—our death, our loved ones’ deaths—and our future is safe in his hands.

We legitimately grieve the deaths of people we love, and we struggle with the cruelties of injustice and corruption in this world, but we do so knowing that our grief will one day turn to joy. What a thankful call to new thankful living!

Christ has risen, and one day he will return again!

Expecting Even More …

Yesterday Christians everywhere celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Some of us may have sang the words, “I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today” and in that moment of worship, our hearts resonated with every word.

Today, however, we’re back to school or work or at home facing the pressures of everyday life that we left when we each left our homes to go to our churches.

But with the long passage of time between the resurrection and now, the risen Savior may not seem nearly as close today, and little may seem to have changed.

We’re still faced with that lingering disease, that broken relationship, those same financial problems, or those hardships that come with growing older.

We hear about all the same issues as before being poverty and persecution, about war and conflict in so many countries, and we might just find ourselves asking, “Has Easter really made a difference? How has it changed me for the better? Has anything changed in the past 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection? Are things any better in the 21st century than they were in the first century?”

Though nations, technology, and social institutions have changed a lot since then, the human condition, our circumstances are still pretty much the same.

God’s image bearers are still addicted to sin, are still refusing to acknowledge that sin is the very severest of personal issues still confronting all of us today.

Jesus warned his followers, “In this world you will have trouble.”

But because he has overcome the world, we can have new life in him and peace in spite of our struggles.

We can believe despite of our present life circumstance and how we got to that particular circumstance through our life’s experiences, God is not done with us.

We can continue to strive beyond ourselves, to engage the kingdom of God in the place in life we find ourselves to enact God’s restoration in our daily lives.

We can in our full acknowledgement of the resurrection, share his love with others and look forward together to the day when the risen Savior will return!

For Christians, Christ’s triumph over death and sin is the very best news.

Jesus is risen!

God’s promises of forgiveness and new life for his people have been fulfilled.

But the resurrection means infinitely more than an empty tomb.

Mary saw that morning that the tomb was empty—and that was something she didn’t expect.

It was a shock to find that Jesus’ body was gone, and she thought it had been taken somewhere else.

Had it been stolen? Or had someone just moved it? She wondered.

Jesus’ response to Mary indicates that she found more at the empty tomb than she had even imagined.

Through her tears, Mary saw Jesus—risen and alive again!

But she didn’t realize it was him until he called her name.

That’s how it is for us too.

He calls our name too!

He calls us, and we go forth into those places of mission and ministry, we follow him and we glorify, and honor him as the One who has ascended to the Father.

As important as the empty tomb is to the Christian faith, we do not simply linger at the tomb and wonder what has happened there.

We listen to Jesus calling our name, inviting us into a new adventure that leads us to even more—to become witnesses for the risen and ascended Lord.

You are invited to follow the risen Jesus. In what ways can you do that today?

I don’t think Easter is quite done with me yet.

John 20:17-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I know what glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through at this time of year? This season of new beginnings.

So, I’m lingering here a bit longer.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me.

It’s a revelation.

A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within: I was an unwanted and heavily bullied human, no one wanted to be my friend.

Unwanted, heavily bullied and teased, no friends I could ever trust or count on.

But to Jesus … I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me.

It feels so personal.

Even though I know God so loved the world, He gave His son, it becomes very individual if we let it and if we live in it and out from it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I just opened my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb.

Matthew 28:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “[a]Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And I am tangling my thoughts around His words from Matthew 28 as six quietly and ever so subtly prayers, emerge into my resurrected spirit …

• “Do not be afraid,” – God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

• “I know that you are looking for Jesus,” – God, when my soul is searching, help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

• “He has risen,” – God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

• “just as he said,” – Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.

• “Come and see,” – Jesus, You had the angels invited the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself … You, Your Word, Your insights.

• “Then go quickly and tell his disciples,” – Jesus, I don’t ever want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted human whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be personal.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be relational.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be transformational.

And, above all, let this my miraculous Easter be fervently prayerful.

And may I rise from my circumstances to linger with Jesus a bit longer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Because God is NEVER done with YOU!

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Celebrate, We Certainly Will! “For He is not here; for He has indeed risen, just exactly as he said.” Matthew 28:6

Matthew 28:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “[a]Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Happy Easter!

The morning has indeed come – exactly as it has since the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth and gave his everlasting order unto the earth.

Early on that first Easter morning, just before the sunrise, some of the same women who had stood weeping at the cross quietly made their way through the narrow streets of Jerusalem to the garden where their Jesus had been buried.

Their eyes were heavy with tears.

Their whole world had come to an abrupt halt.

Their dreams had been shattered.

The one on whom they had placed their hope was dead.

They had seen it with their own eyes.

They had witnessed his crucifixion.

The jeers of the people who had told Jesus to come off the cross and save himself were still ringing in their ears.

Jesus’ friends had not understood his cry: “It is finished!”

All they knew was that their beloved Master and Teacher was dead.

The women were going now to embalm the body of their Lord.

They wondered how they would remove the large stone at the tomb’s entrance.

But as they got ever closer to the grave, one miracle followed another.

They found the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on top of it.

Why was the stone rolled away?

As scholars have noted, it was not to let Jesus out, but to show everyone else that he was no longer inside.

He has risen!

And that makes all the difference in the world.

In a world with so many cemeteries, where death always seems to have the last word and laugh, Jesus has conquered death. Knowing that changes everything.

Celebrate, We Will!

John 3:26-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves [a]are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the [b]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.  30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

“He must increase, but I must decrease!”

As we have just walked through the Easter season, looking at Jesus and His life, I find myself so often wondering what it would have been like for me to be there watching his life happen, watching this incredible drama unfold before my eyes.

We read through the length and breadth of all of Scripture and we glimpse into the amazing things about Jesus’ life and all that happened to those around him.

I get chills when I think about watching his display of love, grace, truth sharing, his measured obedience to whatever his Heavenly Father directed him to do.

So, each Easter season, I find myself in a posture of awe and wonder.

The hope-filled joy of knowing who holds the pen to the pages of my life and who walks alongside me through all my seasons. This my friends, is good news.

If you are like me, I simply love thinking of Jesus’s whole life, not just his years of ministry.

I can hardly imagine watching Jesus take his first steps as a wobbly toddler or watching him walk up to be baptized by John the Baptist or to see him feed the 5,000, or to have the honor of hearing Him teach the Sermon on the Mount.

All of these amazing things we hear and picture but wow, to actually see them in the flesh sounds like such a gift, a gift that I’d give just about anything to see.

And while that would be an amazing gift, I am ever so reminded that we have the greatest gift of living on this side of the cross.

This side of the cross allows his Spirit to live inside you and me, this side of the cross is where death has no more sting.

The gift of living on this side of the cross is a gift that we cannot overlook.

We have the Word of God in written form that at anytime we are able to dig into it to learn more about who our Creator is, what his son’s life was really like, and exactly why we needed a Savior to take our place.

It’s sitting in that awe and wonder that I am reminded of one of my favorite verses, one that has changed my life forever: 

John 3:30. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

These are seven life-changing, powerful, needed words spoken by John the Baptist.

These seven words continue to be a reminder to me of the gift Jesus is to all of us daily.

Because of Jesus and His life we are able to live our lives in the posture of decrease so that our lives increase in Him.

How amazing is that?

Our Heavenly Father sent His perfect, sinless son Jesus to come and take on the penalty of all we would ever do just so we would have the opportunity to be made right with Him and live eternally together.

This leaves me speechless!

Jesus had to come and take on all you and I would ever do so we could be eternally right with God forever.

He had to.

What a powerful, all-consuming love story this is and it’s freely offered to you and me and, without exception, the rest of humanity – for all the ages to come.

We get the choice to accept Christ and all His life was, is, and is to come.

Because, Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection is what tethers us all to eternity.

Without one part of it, there would be no opportunity to have the gift of grace and mercy.

There is no defeated grave without the cross.

The sheer magnitude of John 3:30  carries so much importance of who Jesus is and what His life means to us.

Everything He calls us to is so that our lives would be ones that soak up all of the goodness of God and all that He has for us, this means we have to decrease.

His life calls us to not be afraid to pick up our cross and follow Him.

It calls us to love Him more than anyone or anything and walk to always hand in hand with His spirit as we point others back to Him.

This is what an increase of Christ looks like in our lives.

When we die to self to make Him known. This is what we get invited into, and this my sweet friends is something to forever celebrate and celebrate we will!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us celebrate with Prayer,

Psalm 146 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Do not trust in princes,
In [c]mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to [d]the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps [e]faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord [f]protects the [g]strangers;
He [h]supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [i]thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
[j]Praise [k]the Lord!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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The Veil Was Torn: Our Long Awaited Reunion with Our God. Matthew 27:51

Matthew 27:50-54 New American Standard Bible 1995

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the [a]veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the [b]saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was [c]the Son of God!”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Welcome, beloved readers to this blessed gathering where we come together to draw nearer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are all united here today, not by chance, but by the divine will of God and His love that binds us together, a love so truly profound that it was manifested in the most extraordinary sacrifice known to mankind.

Our focus today is on the heart of our faith, the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We’ll be looking at the momentous events that took place in Matthew 27:50-51.

The scripture reads as follows:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

These two verses, though brief, carry a weight of significance that continues to shape our faith and our lives.

They speak of the moment when salvation was secured, not by our own works, but through the cross.

They tell the story of a world forever changed by the resurrection of Christ.

And, they serve to remind us of the scriptural promises fulfilled through these miraculous events.

In the words of the esteemed Charles Spurgeon,

“The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.”

This quote, my dear brothers and sisters, is a reminder that our faith is often forged in the hardcore crucible of trials and tribulations. But let us not forget, it is through these very hardcore trials we are all drawn closer to the cross, to the sacrifice made by our Lord, and to the promise of resurrection and eternal life.

As we embark on this sacred reflection, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we come before You today with humble hearts, thankful for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to the profound truths found in Your Word. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may gain a deeper understanding of Your love, Your sacrifice, and Your promise of eternal life. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Matthew 27:50-51 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Have you every pondered the reason that the first verse after Jesus’ death in three of the four gospels is the fact that the temple veil, curtain, tore in two?

Why is this so significant?

How does this apply to all believers today?

We are going to spend time studying the value and wonder of our great and victorious Savior whose death tears down the veil and makes us His own again. 

What Was the Veil?

When we first hear of the word veil, we may think about a bride or just simply a covering.

This curtain was established in the times of Moses.

It was intentionally placed to divide the holy of holies in the temple of God (The Tabernacle then). 

Exodus 35:25 says, “Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.”

The veil was in the temple where God dwelled among the Israelites.

The veil was the divider inside between the holy place to the holy of holies.

Only a high priest once a year could enter the holy of holies.

The veil was the physical symbol of separation caused by our sins.

The veil was said to be 60 feet high.

This would not have been easy to get to the top to tear down.

Behind the veil sat the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. The veil concealed the Presence of God. Two cherubs were woven into the veil.

The High Priest’s Privilege 

One time a year during Yom Kippur, one high priest would be selected to go into the holy of holies.

This was a great honor.

It could be a moment of life or death, as they would literally tie a rope around his ankle in case he were to pass away while in the presence of God. 

The priest offered sacrifices and gifts on behalf of the people to reconcile them to God. We know that based on the book of Hebrews that Jesus is called our High Priest. He fulfilled this task of Passover as our sacrificial Perfect Lamb of God. 

One Temple, One Way

There was one temple found in Jerusalem.

As we ponder this thought, that meant that there was only one veil.

One sin caused separation from God.

One veil symbolized that divide.

And one Savior Jesus came and made one way to heaven. 

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We have such a great hope today in Christ.

We do not have to be distanced or feel the need to hide in our shame.

Jesus has unveiled our faces, He has taken away the separation of sin and brought us all into His presence again.

He has sent us the Holy Spirit.

We now are Christ’s temples.

When He is in our hearts, we have security of heaven. 

1 Corinthians 2:1-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the [a]testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my [b]message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not [c]rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 [d]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

Understanding how the Old Testament is leading up to the New Covenant amazes us.

We gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our Savior’s completely intricate, yet straight forward plan of salvation.

We are reaffirmed that He has delivered us and we are His forever.

We are His bride and we are united with our Groom.

He has called us His own, given us the right to be co-heir’s with Him forever. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

How does knowing the veil was torn for you remind you of the great length Jesus went to in order to save you from your sins?

How does this compel you to live out of that confidence – the cross be our glory.

Salvation Secured Through the Cross

The cross, a symbol of our faith, stands as a testament to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is at the cross where we see the full extent of His love, a love so profound that it led Him to lay down His life for us.

This act of love, this sacrifice, is the bedrock of our faith.

It is the assurance of our salvation.

The cross is not just a symbol of death, but of life.

It is through the cross that we have been given the gift of eternal life.

Jesus, our Savior, bore our sins on the cross.

He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved.

He paid the price for our sins, a price we could never pay.

This is the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

Jesus Yields His Spirit

Matthew 27:50 Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan].

Now, let us turn our attention to the moment when Jesus yielded up His spirit.

This was not a moment of defeat, but of victory.

It was at this moment that the power of sin and death was broken.

Jesus, in His death, conquered death itself.

He secured our salvation, not through His death alone, but through His resurrection.

His resurrection is the assurance of our own resurrection, the promise of eternal life.

Our Long Awaited Reunion with God

Matthew 27:51 Amplified Bible

51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

The veil of the temple, torn in two from top to bottom, is a powerful symbol of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

The veil separated the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple, from the rest of the temple.

Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year.

The tearing of the veil signifies the breaking down of the barrier between us and God.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have been given direct access to God.

Hebrews 4:15-16 Amplified Bible

15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. 16  Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

We are reunited with God.

We can approach Him with confidence, knowing that we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

The earth quaking and the rocks splitting is a testament to the power of Jesus’ sacrifice.

It is a reminder that His death was not an ordinary death.

It was a momentous event that shook the world.

The cross, the yielding up of Jesus’ spirit, the tearing of the veil, the quaking of the earth and the splitting of the rocks – these are not just events that happened two thousand years ago.

They are truths that continue to shape our lives today.

They are reminders of the love of our Savior, a love that secures our salvation.

They are the assurance of our faith, the promise of our eternal life.

So, let us hold fast to these truths.

Let us confidently live in the light of the cross, in the assurance of our salvation.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

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My stinky sweaty dirty feet and your stinky sweaty dirty feet: Our Praying to Humbly Serve as Jesus did on this Maundy Thursday. John 13: 12-17

John 13:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and [a]you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Would you let Jesus wash your feet?

It is such a close, personal and an intimate act for someone else to wash them.

And it can be a deeply embarrassing one as well – who wants to submit their dirty, stinky sweaty feet to anyone else – who wants to offend anyone so much?

Isn’t it hard then for us to imagine lifting our filthy toes to the King of Kings?

None of us are the least bit worthy of his kingly care and royal attention; yet in Christ’s perfect love, he gives us nothing less.

Does your human heart struggle like mine to serve others humbly as Jesus did?

Matthew 20:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995

24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [a]life a ransom for many.”

On the Thursday before his crucifixion, Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room and taught us what it means to love and serve.

John 13:4-5 tells us Jesus got up from the supper table, removed his robe, then he slowly wrapped a towel around his waist, and he poured water into a basin.

Then, he knelt down, took water into his hands, he looked up at them, he began gently washing disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

We see a precious act of humble servant ministry modeled for us in this scene.

This was a household servant’s job, yet Jesus taught that to lead, teach, and sacrificially love others, we must take on a servant role with a servant’s heart.

John 13:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“If we know these things, we are blessed if we do them.”

It is such a radically different question we need to ask ourselves today as well.

Well, what is your best considered response? Do we actually authentically, know these things, truly want to know any of these things in these 21st century days?

We must understand what Jesus did for us to love and serve others well.

Fully God, Jesus didn’t cling to his divine privileges,

Philippians 2:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped,

“but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Jesus welcomes us through his grace and mercy, forgives our sins by his work on the cross, and washes us clean once and for all.

Then, daily, we get to walk with God in a brand new life as a follower of Christ.

As we learn his love, Jesus gives us the capacity to love and serve as He did.

Jesus wanted to ensure His disciples understood He was Teacher, Messiah, Savior, and Lord.

Soon, he would send them to tell the world the Good News that washed in the blood of Jesus Christ we could be made right with God once and for all.

He calls us to share this hope as his disciples today.

After washing His disciple’s feet, Jesus gave them a mandate, or commandment to follow when interacting with people.

The word “command” comes from the Latin word mandatum. 

A shortened form of this word is “maundy,” where we get the term “Maundy Thursday.” 

On this important day, he told his disciples (and us),

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).  

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

May this Holy Week remind us that we have a story to tell as we love and serve.

We get to testify how Jesus saved us and the difference he makes in our lives.

Like Jesus demonstrated, humbly serving others requires us to set aside status and position to love as He did.

From the most lavish to mundane, there are ways we can serve one another every single day.

A humble Christ-like posture and a willing heart are all it takes to respond to the needs around us.  

Consider spending unrushed time with a friend or family member.

Try cleaning up a mess you didn’t make.

Think of ways to bless someone or give above and beyond a typical donation, benevolence, or offering.

Serving might be costly, inconvenient, or messy at times.

It may even stretch us out of our comfort zones or require steps of faith.

Time and resources are precious, but as we learn to view them as gifts from God, sharing them with our neighbors becomes even more and more joyful.  

Look around you this week.

What is one act of service you can do that you feel is beneath your status or position?

How can you otherwise humble yourself like Christ – to love and serve others in your home, church, workplace, your neighborhood, and in your community?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, I am not worthy to be washed clean by you. Yet, as my King, you took the role of humble servant when you took my place on the cross. Teach me your love for others. Lead me to serve humbly. On this particular day that we call “Maundy Thursday,” teach me your mandate to love one another as you love me. It doesn’t always come naturally to me. Lord, you know that person I struggle to love today and those areas of service I tend to avoid. You know how stingy I can be with my time, money, and things. Help me to notice and listen to people this week and respond with Christ-like love and generosity. Make me aware of the needs in my church and community and stir my heart to act. With the love you have shown me, teach me to love others with a servant’s heart like yours. In humble servant Jesus’ Name, Amen

Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Seeking Authentic Transformation: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51

Psalm 51 New American Standard Bible 1995

A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when [a]Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For [b]I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You [c]are justified [d]when You speak
And [e]blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the [f]innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7 [g]Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
[h]Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 [i]Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create [j]in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew [k]a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will [l]be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, [m]open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
[n]Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in [o]righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then [p]young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Our devotional verses today comes from David’s song of confession and prayer after his multiple, grievous sins against Uriah, Bathsheba, and God are placed before him by Nathan – David had tried to be so clever but God misses nothing.

His sins were especially heinous because God had blessed David with an eternal deliverance, and given him the very highest responsibility as Israel’s new King. 

We serve a God of powerful transformations.

All throughout Scripture God takes those whom the world deemed the lowest, the hopeless, and the helpless and uses them to change the world.

You are not beyond transformation.

God longs to break off that which inhibits you from experiencing fullness of life.

He longs to heal you, deliver you, and set you free.

As humans burdened and suffering from both our sins and the fallen nature of the world around us, we are in desperate need of relational transformation.

We are in desperate need of help from a God who has the power to not just clean us up on the outside but to transform us at the core of who we are.

But this God doesn’t force transformation on us.

He works when we make space for him to do so.

If we are going to authentically experience the freedom, joy, and purpose that can only come from the inner working of the Holy Spirit, we must be those who seek transformation in our relationship with God, with all our fellow neighbors.

Psalm 51:10-12 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” 

Here in Psalm 51 David exemplifies the heart of one who seeks transformation.

He models for us a posture of humility that will lead to powerful encounters with God’s transformative love. He doesn’t sit back and merely live with that which plagues him but goes to God with his problems that he might be changed.

David begins as we all should in asking for God to do a mighty work in his heart.

And in this contrite act of asking God to create in him a clean heart, David opens himself up, leaves his throne so to receive the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

To receive transformation from God we have to come before him humbly and honestly that he might have all time, space, to do the impossible in our lives.

Often we spend a majority of our efforts trying to convince others and ourselves that we don’t need help.

We work tirelessly to build up a façade that we always have it all together.

We do everything we can to maintain a sense of control in our lives—even in regard to our spirituality. But in doing so we place appearances above reality.

We allow that which is destroying us from the inside to persist simply because we are unwilling to acknowledge that we have need.

It’s as if we deliberately tried to cover up an external wound with our jewelry expecting the surface-level beauty of something to contain the power to heal what’s underneath. We don’t need that which covers up. We need the healing that only comes from going with an honest, open heart to the one true Healer.

God’s heart for you and me today is that we would put down our guards, take an honest look at our hearts, and recognize our need for the truest transformation.

He longs for us to take a moment and call out that which is robbing us of the abundant life he so willingly died to give us.

Your God is willing and able to transform you.

That which has plagued you for so long will be healed and broken off your life if you will continually seek transformation from your merciful heavenly Father.

As we come to relive those momentous moments in the Upper Room, in the Garden of Gethsemane, moments of hardcore betrayal, witness the long and brutal march to Golgotha, watch as he is nailed, listen as he tries to speak his final words above the din of laughing mocking witnesses, may you experience some powerful transformation today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.

When we listen to the false witnesses, see Pilate wash his hands, may our life be forever changed as we spend time discovering God’s heart for transformation.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of seeking transformation. 

Allow Psalm 51:10-12 to be your model.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12

2. Take an honest look at your heart. 

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Where do you need transformation?

What lie, habitual sin, perspective, or fear is robbing you of abundant life? What’s chaining you to the backward ways, cares, and burdens of the world?

3. Declare your need for transformation in that area to God. 

Psalm 25:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been [b]from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

Tell him you need his help.

Ask him to come and do a mighty work in your heart.

Listen to whatever he would speak over you, and trust that he will transform you if you continually seek his help.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

We all have areas in which we need transformation.

We all are in need of God’s help.

Not one of us is perfect.

Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.

Rather than spending all our energy trying to keep up appearances with others, yourself, with God, devote yourself completely to living honestly and humbly.

Stop exhausting yourself doing that which is of no value and seek help.

If you will commit to seeking continual transformation, your efforts will produce life and peace rather than more burden.

May your heart be filled with hope as the Holy Spirit works in your life today.

Psalm 32 New American Standard Bible 1995

Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David. A [a]Maskil.

32 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away
Through my [c]groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Prayer of Praise for the Fearless Righteousness of Jesus This Holy Monday. Matthew 21:12-16

Matthew 21:12-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

Cleansing the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ [a]den.”

14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We know a lot about Palm Sunday and Good Friday, but what is Holy Monday?

On Holy Monday, Jesus went back into Jerusalem and cursed a fruitless fig tree, wept over the city, and in a fit of great anger entered. then cleansed the temple.

Ponder this succession of events, the King of the World comes in riding on a donkey in humility to repeated shouts of the most joyous Hosanna on Sunday.

Then, the very next day, in complete contrast to the previous day, our great Rabbi, High Priest, enters the temple the next day and turns over the tables.

Holy Monday reminds us of the true mission and the worthiness of our Savior.

He was faultless, he was sinless a perfect model of praise and worship and here the people had taken His house of worship and made it all about selfish gain.

In thinking about all of the legalism and hypocrisy the Pharisees had been partaking in, it mightily grieved a normally calm and evenly collected Jesus.

His people were supposed to love God with all of their heart, mind and soul and strength and to love Him, but He was instead betrayed, ignored as Messiah and would be chosen over a murderous criminal to take the cross a few days later.

There is a clear verse in Ephesians 4:26 that says, “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.”

Jesus was righteously angry, but his actions were not sinful.

It is hard to believe because we often like to take the love and compassion of Christ while ignoring His holiness and sovereignty.

Ponder this, He has gone into the place that was supposed to be His home, where God resided in the Holy of Holies, and observes the people were more interested in making a business out of His home-an obviously corrupt business.

They were taking advantage of God for personal gain.

They made it a place of robbery under the guise of righteousness.

They took away the attention and purpose of the Lord, and they prevented the people from connecting with Him and placed a unrighteous barrier in the way. 

We see this in the time when Moses brought the Ten Commandments down the mountain, and the Israelites had crafted the golden calf to worship as an idol.

Moses broke the commandments and went back up the mountain a second time.

As we pray about the righteousness of Jesus, we can thank Him for His holiness and his gift of forgiveness to those who believe in Him.

We, too, have made His house about selfish gain.

We have sinned against Him, and we deserve His wrath eternally.

Yahweh Tsidkenu: “the Lord Our Righteousness”

Jeremiah 33:14-18New American Standard Bible 1995

The Davidic Kingdom

14 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16  In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’ 17 For thus says the Lord, ‘[a]David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 [b]and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices [c] continually.’”

Do we ever find the book of Jeremiah too difficult to read?

It has many bleak passages about judgment and exile for God’s people, who relentlessly disregarded their covenant Lord.

The people were constantly unfaithful to their faithful God, Yahweh.

Today’s reading is set within that dreary context, but the content of the chapter is anything but depressing.

Though confined in the court of the king’s guard (see 32:2; 33:1), Jeremiah proclaims a bright future for the people of Judah.

God promises a future of healing and health, of forgiveness of sins, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The city will be restored for all nations to see, and it will be called Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness.”

Tsidkenu stems from the Hebrew word tsedek, meaning “stiff,” “straight,” or “righteousness.”

It occurs more than 1000 times in the Old Testament, translated variously as “right,” “righteous,” “righteousness,” “just,” “justify,” “declared innocent.”

It appears here in Jeremiah chapter 33 as Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness,” or “The LORD Our Righteous Savior.”

In this prophecy of restoration, we catch a brief but an exceptionally promising glimpse of “a righteous Branch from David’s line,” one through whom we are justified, declared innocent, made right with God through a coming Messiah.

Knowing that Jesus is your righteousness, live righteously today and always.

Gatekeeping the Love of Jesus

Matthew 21:15-17 English Standard Version

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”

17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Just one day prior, Jesus had entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey’s back and had been received with much acclaim. But not by everyone. The chief priests and Pharisees had no desire to welcome Jesus. They wanted Him dead.

Why?

Among other things, Jesus claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a, NLT).

The only path to God.

The religious leaders believed this to be blasphemous because the only path to God they knew was through keeping the Law. Jesus’ very existence threatened their authority and all the religious rules they loved to lord over other people.

Then we come to this day of Holy Week.

Jesus arrived at the temple and saw the outer courts filled with merchants selling sacrificial animals at prices only the wealthy could afford.

Even worse, because the outer courts were the only spaces where gentiles were allowed to enter and pray, all such opportunities for them to worship God were gone.

In His righteous anger, Jesus overturned the tables and drove the merchants out, declaring, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13, NLT).

Then we read:

“The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David.’ But the leaders were indignant” (Matthew 21:14-15, NLT).

This moment in the temple was a visible representation of everything Jesus had come to do — tear down every barrier that exists between us and God so literally anyone could approach Him.

But even seeing the healing miracles Jesus performed, the leaders still didn’t get it.

Rather than bending to the authority of Jesus, they chose to continue in their way. They were gatekeeping the sacred for purposes of their profit and benefit.

It’s here I pause and reflect: Have I been guilty of gatekeeping Jesus? Deciding (whether consciously or not) whose righteousness, who is worthy of His love?

While I’ve never been accused of sacrifice price gouging, I wonder how many people I’ve written off as being “too far gone” for God to save them.

How often have I looked the other way instead of acting with compassion?

How many opportunities have I missed to remind someone they’re loved by the righteous God of the universe?

How many times have my words or actions unintentionally reconstructed the very barriers Jesus came to demolish?

How many times have yours?

How many times have we decided the righteousness of God is not enough and severely discounted, severely misrepresented God’s righteous love for us all?

May this day of Holy Week remind us the love of God is for everyone.

No gatekeeping required.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Jesus,

We praise You for Your righteousness this Holy Monday. We could not be obedient to the law. We failed miserably. We could not even keep one command. However, You came, and in your faithfulness to Your Word and to us, You gave us new life and hope. As we reflect on Your anger that was perfect and righteous, help us to take our sin seriously. Enable us to be intentional to think about the ways that we have sinned against you by sins of omission and sins of commission. 

We have not followed You. We have turned to our own fleshly ways. We have committed spiritual adultery against You as our Groom. Please forgive us. Please help us not to stay there. Give us the conviction by Your Spirit, the foundation of Your Word, and the support of community to propel us into lives that fully honor You. Help us to look more like You, Jesus. Thank You for turning the tables that day. For giving us an eternal reminder that You flip our legalism and our deceptions on the ground and everything is leveled by the cross. All have sinned and fall short of Your glory. All deserve death and hell. But You came in Your holiness, and Your righteousness became our own. Thank You for Your great mercy on us. Thank You for being righteous for us and then placing it upon all who believe in Your name. Amen.

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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My Sacrifice for Today: A Prayer in Awe of Exactly Who Jesus Is This Palm Sunday. Hebrews 13:13-15

Hebrews 13:13-15 The Message

13-15 So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Life has a way of numbing us to wonder.

The weight of our “getting every little thing ready for Easter” to-do lists, the responsibilities that we carry, and the uncertainties around us can crowd our vision – they can, and do, suck all the emotional and spiritual wind out of us.

Leaving us physically, spiritually worn out, without anything to be in awe of.

Palm Sunday is an invitation.

A chance for us to wipe the fog out of our eyes, clear our vision.

To set aside the mundane and the urgent.

A chance to fix our eyes on Jesus, marvel once again at the wonder of the cross.

Hebrews 13:13-15 Easy-to-Read Version

13 So we should go to Jesus outside the camp and accept the same shame that he had. 14 Here on earth we don’t have a city that lasts forever. But we are waiting for the city that we will have in the future. 15 So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name.

Don’t miss this chance to reflect and refresh, really ponder the sacrifices made.

Don’t let the preparations, the celebrations, the family obligations, and religion distract from the deep darkness, and simple beauty that we are called to behold.

This day is a monument of the most important sacrifice made in the history of the world. Our God turned man gave himself over to the pain of being tortured, then gave himself over to death with one goal in mind; that we might be saved.

Who could imagine a God who holds all power of creation, all the power of love, of life and of death and life, to suffer on our behalf because he cares for us?

Why were we not utterly doomed the second we decided we did not need to trust our God (Genesis 3)?

After this ultimate betrayal by Adam and Eve, God had every single right to destroy his creatures and leave us to our own desires and our dismal fate.

Why did God enter the Garden at all knowing he had been totally betrayed?

Yet, He did come to the Garden, He did come searching, and He called to us!

We are undeserving of such love.

But in all of the rushing around, all the preparation and the doing, we forget.

We forget that we serve an abundantly good God.

Just the breath in our lungs we have been given today is a dispensation of grace.

Nothing we do can be sustained through us alone.

All things are made and given life through him (John 1:1-5).

John 1:1-5 Easy-to-Read Version

Christ Comes to the World

1 Before the world began, the Word[a] was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was there with God in the beginning. 3 Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without him. 4 In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world. 5 The light[b] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated[c] it.

The only appropriate response to such power, beauty, sacrifice, goodness, and grace is praise!

Only a heart full of pride would refuse to acknowledge the name that is above all names (Philippians 2:5-11).

Philippians 2:5-11 Easy-to-Read Version

Learn From Christ to Be Unselfish

5 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought.

6 He was like God in every way,
    but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit.
7 Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God.
    He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.
During his life as a man,
8     he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God,
    even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
9 So God raised him up to the most important place
    and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.
10 God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus.
    Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow.
11 They will all confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord,”
    and this will bring glory to God the Father.

This Palm Sunday, let’s try to set aside our agenda, our pride, and our self-reliance and lift up a sacrifice of praise to God, who by his immeasurable wisdom sent his Son Jesus in our stead so that we would not perish but be offered a grandest of all invitations into God’s forever family (John 3:16).

While we may not understand all of God’s ways because his ways are higher (Isaiah 55:8-11) we can trust that Jesus loves us.

Isaiah 55:8-11 Easy-to-Read Version

People Cannot Understand God

8 The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours.
    Your ways are not like mine.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways,
    and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.

10 “Rain and snow fall from the sky
    and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow,
    and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat.
11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth,
    and they don’t come back without results.
My words make the things happen that I want to happen.
    They succeed in doing what I send them to do.

Ephesians 1:18-23 tells us that Jesus came so we could inherit with him the same power that raised him from the dead and seated him at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 1:18-23 Easy-to-Read Version

18 I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. 19 And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power 20 he used to raise Christ from death and put him at his right side in the heavenly places. 21 He put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings. He gave him authority over everything that has power in this world or in the next world. 22 God put everything under Christ’s power and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ’s body. It is filled with him. He makes everything complete in every way.

This reality, along with our purchased salvation, should bring us to our knees.

Let us embrace a “change of pace” a holy interruption this Palm Sunday, filling our hearts and our souls with awe for the one who paid it all so we could be free.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 20 Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: A song of David.

20 May the Lord answer you in times of trouble.
    May the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from his Holy Place.
    May he support you from Zion.
3 May he remember all the gifts you have offered.
    May he accept all your sacrifices. Selah
4 May he give you what you really want.
    May he make all your plans successful.
5 We will celebrate when he helps you.
    We will praise the name of God.
May the Lord give you everything you ask for.

6 Now I know the Lord helps his chosen king.
    From his holy heaven he answered.
    With his great power he saved him.
7 Some give the credit for victory to their chariots and soldiers,
    but we honor the Lord our God.
8 They fall in battle, totally defeated,
    but we survive and stand strong!

9 Lord, save the king!
    Answer us when we call to you for help.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

Matthew 16:24-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then [c]repay every man according to his [d]deeds.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Peter had extraordinarily strong emotional ties to Jesus.

How could Jesus even talk of leaving and dying?

Didn’t Jesus know that Peter needed him?

Peter pulled Jesus aside because Jesus wasn’t talking like someone who had the world by a string.

But Jesus saw the world differently.

Losing life for the Lord’s sake was better than holding on to life in this world.

Peter needed a hardcore verbal slap in the face.

Jesus saw what Peter could not see: Satan was standing in Jesus’ way to bring Peter to the Father.

Like a cold glass of water thrown in the face of a sleepy person, Jesus had to rigorously, vigorously awaken Peter to kingdom things.

Peter was holding on to his life too hard without suffering for Jesus’ sake.

The cross was the only way to bring Peter to God.

By letting go of his life, Jesus gains for us eternal life.

Jesus was training Peter to lose his life for Jesus so that Peter could have a life that really honored God.

What are you, your heart and your soul holding on to for your own sake?

Maybe it’s time to give permission to your heart and your soul to finally let go of your worldly life so that Jesus can give you a true life that truly honors God?

Markers of Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Psalm 15 New American Standard Bible 1995

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may [a]abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
3 He does not slander [b]with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 In [c]whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But [d]who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He does not put out his money [e]at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

You would think the desire of every believer in Jesus Christ is to strive for spiritual maturity.

I can’t say for certain this is true of every believer, but at least I can hope.

If you are going to strive for maturity – and I trust this is your desire – doesn’t it make sense to know what it looks like?

After all, the old saying goes, “if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

For this reason, I want to suggest for you a target.

The target is simply five questions that will help measure how you are doing in terms of your spiritual maturity.

These questions are in no manner meant to be judgmental, but hopefully they will become stirring, eye-opening as we seek to continue to grow as believers.

What Does Mature Mean?

Philippians 3:15-16 New International Version

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

The word for mature here means complete in all its parts, full grown, of full age, or fully developed. The reference here is connected to the development of your Christian character. Looking at verse 15 closer leads to the first question.

1. Do You Have the Right Perspective in Life?

Spiritual maturity is about having the right perspective in life, and the way you think is evidence of your maturity in Christ.

Your outlook regarding the situations in life you face speak volumes as to whether you are approaching them from a place of maturity or immaturity.

However, it is not just about looking at life situations with the right mindset.

You must also view yourself from the right perspective.

This requires you to not just think about what you do, but who you are in Christ.

Too often in life we have the tendency to define ourselves by what we do.

It is very common to ask someone, especially when you first meet them, “What do you do for a living?”

While this is a good conversation starter, sometimes we can’t get past defining the conversation or ourselves in this fashion.

If you are going to have a mature perspective, you need to define yourself not simply by what you do, because that can change.

You need to define yourself by who you are in Christ, because that doesn’t change.

This doesn’t mean you have achieved all you are in Christ, but it does mean you are striving toward it.

The more you begin to see yourself and begin to define yourself the way God sees you, the more maturity you are developing.

2. Are You Holding on to the Progress You Have Already Made?

Philippians 3:15-16 New Living Translation

15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

This question comes from Philippians 3:16, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” 

Another measure of your maturity focuses on not just how you have developed in the past, but how you will continue to develop in the future.

Spiritual maturity is about learning and continuing to learn.

Growing and continuing to grow.

In other words, there is always going to be more maturity ahead of you.

If the ultimate goal is to be conformed into the image of Christ, we all have a long way to go.

That’s why in this life we are always striving but never arriving.

Maturity recognizes the progress you have made, holds onto it, and at the same time strives to continue forward.

3. Who Are You Choosing to Follow?

Philippians 3:17-18 New Living Translation

17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul gives an interesting instruction in verse 17.

I am not sure how often we think about this, but the people you choose to follow point to your level of spiritual maturity.

Who you choose to look up to as a role model or example to follow speaks volumes to how you are developing in your walk with Christ.

Paul encouraged the Philippians to follow his example and the example of others that live like he does.

This forces me to ask you the question, who are the people you are following?

The measure of the role model is not what they say, but how they live.

In short, their character absolutely matters.

To take it a step further, a person’s title or position does not automatically deem them worthy of being an example or a role model.

However, their character does.

Be careful who you choose to follow and make sure you consider those who truly display godly character.

If you are spiritually mature, you will stop making excuses for people’s lack of character and start holding them accountable for it.

This is real evidence of spiritual maturity.

4. How Do You Spend Your Time and Where Do You Devote Your Focus?

Philippians 3:20-21 New Living Translation

20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

You might be wondering what this has to do with spiritual maturity.

Quite possibly this could have everything to do with it.

Because as a believer you are a citizen of heaven, this means you have a sacred duty, a moral and an ethical obligation to the place where your citizenship lies.

When an Olympic athlete competes, they represent their country of citizenship.

They usually count this as an honor and for this reason they train hard because they always want to give their absolute best effort and do their country proud.

We are citizens of heaven, which means when we go out into the world and live, we represent heaven, and we too always need to ensure we are giving our best effort so that we can give all glory and honor unto God as His representative.

2 Corinthians 5:12-21 New Living Translation

12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us,[a] so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us.[b] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.[c] 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[d] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

For all of this to happen you must make sure that you are not getting entangled in earthly pursuits that only distract you from what God has called you to do.

In the time God has given us on this earth he has a purpose and plan for our life.

This means you must be selective in what you put your energy behind and make sure your goals, desires, and whatever you choose to pursue align with heaven’s goals and desires for your life.

The more you mature, the more you can make sure this becomes your primary focus, allowing you to block out all those other things that can distract you.

As you measure your maturity, consider closely how you will spend your time and what you focus on.

These two things will be big clues as to whether you are operating in spiritual maturity or not.

5. Do You Contend for the Unity of the Body of Christ?

Philippians 4:1-3 New International Version

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

When Paul was writing his letter to the church in Philippi, there was one bad situation he had to address.

There seemed to be a disagreement between two of the women in the church.

These women were prominent in the church, which is why their disagreement was causing a problem.

These women were considered dear friends, companions, women who contended with Paul for the cause of the gospel.

He called them co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul pleaded with them for unity.

Currently the church is filled with many disputes and divisions of various kinds, but where do you stand? Are you contending for the unity of the body of Christ? 

This was not only Paul’s plea, this was also Jesus’ prayer (John 17:21), so this is not something to be brushed aside or taken lightly.  

A person who is fighting and contending for the unity of the body of Christ is operating in spiritual maturity.

However, if a person is always divisive, destructive, or disagreeable, then they are not operating with God’s heart in mind and are clearly spiritually immature.

All I can say is please don’t be that person.

Concluding Thoughts – Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Matthew 5:13-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As I bring this to a close, how did you do with those questions?

Remember this is not about judgment but about trying to help us all become more mature in our walk with Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that the cry of our hearts would always be in this direction.

When it is, we are aligning with God’s desire and hopefully always growing and continuously imitating Christ, becoming the mature believers he wants us to be.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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