Tag: jesus

Praying for when we are tempted to think much too highly of ourselves: story of the tax man and the Pharisee. Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9-14 Expanded Bible

Being Right with God

9 Jesus told this ·story [parable] to some people who ·thought they were very good [were confident of their own righteousness] and ·looked down on [scorned; despised] everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the Temple [courts] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector [C despised by their fellow Jews because they worked for the hated Romans and were notorious for extortion]. 11 The Pharisee ·stood alone and prayed [or stood and prayed about himself], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—thieves, ·cheaters [evildoers; unrighteous people], adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week [C Pharisees commonly fasted on Monday and Thursday], and I ·give one-tenth of [pay tithes on] everything I get!’

13 “[L But] The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even ·look up  [L raise his eyes] to heaven. But he beat on his chest [C a sign of sorrow and remorse] and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was ·right with God [justified], ·but the Pharisee was not [L rather than that (other) man]. [L Because] All who ·make themselves great [exalt themselves] will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be ·made great [exalted].”

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.

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (also called the publican) is a surprising story full of plot twists and rich spiritual truths.

The meaning of Luke 18:9-14 is one that we shouldn’t ignore. 

The problem is we often miss the shocking nature of this parable because it’s become so commonplace. We tend to immediately associate the Pharisees with being self-righteous hypocrites and tax collectors as the model of righteous. 

But in Jesus’ day it was reversed. It was the Pharisees who were the models of righteousness and the tax collectors who epitomized sinners. When Jesus told this parable it was a shock to his audience and surely made a lasting impact. 

Let’s take a fresh look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector and see how the Luke 18:9-14 meaning applies to our life today. 

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a parable of two contrasting prayers from two very different people. 

Luke tells us up front:

“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable.”

This parable is about pride and humility. 

Now, the audience is likely expecting the Pharisee to be the prime example of what we would look like. After all, no one expected the low-life tax collector who betrayed his own people for money to be the prime example to follow. 

But Jesus is about to shock his audience. 

The Pharisee’s Prayer

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed:

“God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” Luke 18:10-12

Look very closely at this prayer that the Pharisee prayed, who’s he praying to?

He’s not praying to God, he’s praying to himself. 

The Pharisees considered themselves worthy of God’s grace based off their religious performance. They thought they earned the right to demean others and to make demands. And this prayer shows this self-righteous attitude. 

In Luke 18:11 he’s demeaning others so that he can elevate himself.

Even going so far to point out a particular person around him, the tax collector.

He thinks he’s better than them. 

In the next verse he reports all the wonderful things he does.

He fasts twice a week and gives a tenth of all he gets.

He’s showing off, bragging. 

The Old Testament Law only required a fast once a year.

But the Pharisees fasted twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

But really this is just a ploy to attract attention to themselves.

These were the days the market convened and many people came to town.

They were just showing off.

And the Pharisee in this parable is proud of his religious piousness. 

His entire prayer centers around how great he considers himself to be and how low class and terrible everyone else is, especially the traitorous tax collector.

If you count it up he uses the pronoun “I” five times in this prayer.

His prayer is all about himself.

The Tax Collector’s Prayer

Nobody in Jesus’ day would expect a tax collector to be the optimum example for anything good.

They were considered the lowest of the low. 

When the Romans invaded they set up a tax collecting system that leveraged Jews to collect taxes on their own people.

The deal was you sent Rome their tax and then you were allowed to keep an additional amount you chose to collect.

This lead to tax collectors getting rich by effectively stealing from their own people.

To say they were hated is too mild. 

But Jesus flips the script.

Look at the tax collectors prayer:

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Luke 18:13

His prayer is a stark contrast from the Pharisee’s prayer.

He stands at a distance and refuses to assume the normal posture of prayer of looking to heaven, as the Pharisee did.

The tax collector recognizes his unworthiness and is like a child who knows he’s in trouble and refuses to look his parents in the eyes. 

While the Pharisee used his prayer to beat down others, the tax collector beats his own chest, further showing that he fully understands his own sinfulness. 

And when the tax collector prays he doesn’t pray to himself, he prays to God.

It’s a simple prayer in which he recognizes his only hope is for God to save him. 

The Pharisee used his prayer to elevate himself as the righteous.

The tax collector used his prayer to humble himself as the sinner. 

In this parable Jesus describes two very different prayer attitudes.

At the temple, where he went to pray, the Pharisee felt right at home.

This was where he belonged, of course, and anyone listening to his prayer would be duly impressed, right?

But the Pharisee did not come to pray to God; he came to talk about himself.

He did not come to thank God for his grace, mercy, and forgiveness; he came to declare how glad he was that he was not like other people.

He followed all the prescribed religious duties and always gave a tenth of what he made.

Compared to others, the Pharisee seemed nearly perfect.

God had to be pleased with him, right?

Certainly he was much better than that tax collector standing “at a distance.”

But Jesus quickly set the record straight.

The Pharisee went home just as he had come, unrepentant and full of himself.

But the tax collector went home forgiven and justified.

What matters to the Lord is not how good we think we are, how much we give, or how ­often we go to church.

What matters is our prayer attitude—that we ­realize our need for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Only then will we be justified.

Before you approach God in worship today, or before you spend anytime with the Lord God at home, ask yourself, “What is my attitude before the Lord?”

Who Do You Relate To? 

We have a tendency to think higher of ourselves than we ought to.

We see ourselves through rose-colored glasses.

But the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector forces us to take off those glasses and see who we really are. 

So, who are you more like?

The Pharisee and his pride or the tax collector and his humility? 

The Pharisee’s Pride 

The Pharisee’s prayer is all about himself.

His pride oozes out of his prayer.

It’s plain to see that the only one he cares about is himself. 

And he gets exactly what he asks for. NOTHING. 

Look at your prayers.

Who are they about?

Who are they to?

Maybe they aren’t as obviously prideful as the Pharisee’s obnoxious prayer, but what are they centered around? 

I find in my life that my prayers tend to drift towards myself if I’m not careful.

I naturally head towards pride if I don’t set the course for humility. 

How about for you?

Is there pride seeping into your prayers? 

The Tax Collector’s Humility

The tax collector in contrast understood his sinfulness and unworthiness.

He understood that on his own he had no hope. 

The irony of the story is the Pharisee was in the same boat.

While he might look good on the outside he was just as sinful on the inside (Matthew 23:25).

Matthew 23:25 Expanded Bible

25 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You ·wash [clean] the outside of your cups and dishes [C for ceremonial purity], but inside they are full of ·things you got by cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves [L greed/robbery and self-indulgence].

The Pharisee needed mercy too.

But he couldn’t get past his pride to see his need. 

We all need God’s mercy and grace.

But unless we humble ourselves we will never see it OR receive it. 

Rather than justifying our sin and comparing ourselves to others we need to come to God with humility.

And when we do that God will not just forgive us he will exalt us. 

So, one final time.

Who do you relate to?

The meaning of Luke 18:9-14 asks us this questions.

Spend some time praying about how you can take the tax collector’s posture and rid yourself of the Pharisee’s pride. 


In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

Praise to the Lord of Love

Of David.

103 ·All that I am [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
    ·everything in me [L all my inward parts], ·praise [bless] his holy name.
2 ·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord
    and do not forget all his ·kindnesses [gifts; benefits].
3 He forgives all ·my [or your] ·sins [iniquity]
    and heals all ·my [or your] ·diseases [ills].
4 He ·saves [redeems] ·my [or your] life from the ·grave [L pit]
    and ·loads [or crowns] ·me [or you] with ·love [loyalty] and ·mercy [compassion].
5 He satisfies ·me [or you] with good things [L as long as you live; or according to your desires]
    and ·makes me young again [L renews your youth], like the eagle [Is. 40:31].

6 The Lord does what is ·right [righteous] and ·fair [just]
    for all who are ·wronged by others [oppressed; exploited].
7 He ·showed [revealed] his ways to Moses [Ex. 34:5–7]
    and his deeds to the ·people [sons] of Israel.
8 The Lord shows ·mercy [compassion] and ·is kind [grace].
    He ·does not become angry quickly [is slow to anger], and he has great ·love [loyalty; 86:15; 145:8–9; Ex. 34:6–7; Neh. 9:17. 31; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2].
9 He will not always ·accuse [charge; contend with] us,
    and he will not ·be angry forever [L keep watch forever].
10 He ·has not punished us as our sins should be punished [L does not act toward us according to our sins];
    he has not repaid us ·for the evil we have done [L according to our iniquity].
11 As high as the ·sky [heaven] is above the earth,
    so great is his ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
12 He has taken our ·sins [transgressions] away from us
    as far as the east is from west.
13 The Lord has ·mercy [compassion] on those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
    as a father has ·mercy [compassion] on his children.
14 He knows how we were ·made [formed];
    he remembers that we are dust [Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Job 4:19; 10:9; 34:15; Eccl. 3:20; 12:7].

15 Human ·life [L days] is like grass [90:5–6; Is. 51:12];
    we ·grow [sprout; flourish] like a flower in the field [Job 14:2; Is. 40:6–7].
16 After the wind ·blows [passes by], ·the flower [L it] is gone,
    and ·there is no sign of where it was [L no one can recognize its place].
17 But the Lord’s ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7]
    continues forever and ever,
    and his ·goodness [righteousness] continues to their ·grandchildren [L children’s children]
18 and to those who ·keep [observe; guard] his ·agreement [covenant; treaty; Ex. 19–24]
    and who remember to ·obey [L do] his ·orders [precepts].

19 The Lord has ·set [established] his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over everything [93:1; 96:10; 99:1].
20 You who are his ·angels [or messengers], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
    You are the mighty warriors who do what he says
    and who ·obey [listen to] his voice.
21 You, his ·armies [hosts; C perhaps the angelic army], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
    you are his ·servants [ministers] who do what he ·wants [desires].
22 Everything the Lord has made
    should ·praise [bless] him in all the places he rules.
·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] 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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Make Insight Your Priority! Pray for a Curious Mind. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. Proverbs 2:1-5

Proverbs 2:1-5 Expanded Bible

Rewards of Wisdom

2 My ·child [or son], ·listen to [grasp] what I say
    and ·remember [L store up] what I command you.
2 ·Listen carefully [L Bend your ear] to wisdom;
    ·set your mind on [L stretch your heart to] understanding.
3 Cry out for wisdom,
    and ·beg [shout out loud] for understanding.
4 ·Search [Seek] for it like silver,
    and ·hunt [search] for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand ·respect [fear; awe; 1:7] for the Lord,
    and you will find ·that you know God [the knowledge of God].

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.

A subtle, amusing illustration of a group of church elders, and Rabbi’s tired and weary from a lengthy two day discussion; Joshua before the Walls of Jericho.

Finally, one of them throws his arms into the air and suggests, “I don’t care how the walls of Jericho crumbled down. I move we have it rebuilt stone by stone and just make a resolution to take the funds from the facilities budget.

Most Sunday school students know who “broke the wall of Jericho” and what God said about it (see Joshua 6).

Yet, considering its subtle point, the illustration reminds us that our biblical knowledge is declining today even where church attendance may be booming.

Who is still curious enough to plumb the depths of the Word of God? Storing up God’s commands, turning both of our ears to his wisdom does not, nor will not, come naturally.

It takes a disciplined program of regular prayer, Bible reading and reflection.

Living as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must make an authentic effort to learn, learn from God’s Word—its context, his words and its covenant commands.

Wise living in our technologically complex, internet, AI, social media driven “no God allowed” education systems calls for serious reading of Scripture.

It requires our learning details about the life of Jesus as told in the gospels.

Learning what Jesus said and did will make us appreciate his ultimate sacrifice.

It will encourage us to imitate his life, de­voted to obeying his Father’s will.

A wise and curious heart and a knowledgeable walk are pleasant to the soul and will truly yield eternal blessings.

Can a true disciple in 2026 desire anything less?

Do we?

Human beings are naturally curious, but that God-given sense of curiosity does get cast off along the way to our adulthood when those responsibilities pile up.

As an adult, it may seem like you don’t have enough time to be curious – even though you do wonder about a lot of things. 

But God never meant for you to stop being curious. 

Proverbs 2 describes that someone who cries out for insight and searches for understanding, like a person seeking hidden treasure.

That shows the power of a curious mind at work as it seeks God.

Knowing God better only happens when you want to learn because you’re curious. Curiosity inspires you to ask questions instead of settling for easy answers, so you can keep right on learning more about God. 

A curious mind can strengthen your faith.

God invites you to seek, to search, and to discover.

He isn’t threatened by your questions, offended by your desire to understand.

When you wonder about God and his work in the world, you’re responding to an invitation God has already given you.

God wants you to keep seeking him, keep asking, no matter how long you’ve been in a relationship with him.

He encourages you to seek him, and promises that you’ll find him.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 Expanded Bible

10 This is what the Lord says: “·Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to [L Only after the seventy years of Babylon are filled will I visit;  25:11] you, and I will ·keep my promise [L confirm my good word] to ·bring  [restore] you back to ·Jerusalem [L this place]. 11 I say this because I know ·what [L the plans] I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have ·good plans for you [L plans for your peace/security], not plans ·to hurt you [L for your harm]. I will give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call ·my name [L me]. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me [Dan. 9:4–19]! 14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back from your captivity [restore your fortunes]. I ·forced you to leave [drove you from] this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have ·sent you as captives [exiled you],” says the Lord. “And I will ·bring you back [restore you]  to this place.” 

You can never stop being amazed by who God is!

So, keep your mind curious as you go through each day.

Read the Bible with a sense of curiosity, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what each passage means for you, and how to apply it to your life.

Pay attention to the world around you and notice the evidence you see of God’s creativity, order, and care.

Every time you find something that points you to the reality of God at work in your life – His love spread by faithful people, or something inspiring in nature such as a sunset or fish swimming, birds singing, butterflies fluttering around your backyard – let that motivate you to stay curious and to keep seeking God.

The more you seek God with an ever more curious mind and a devoted heart, the more you’ll be able to find him. 

Proverbs 2:3-5 also reminds you that seeking wisdom takes time and effort.

The passage tells you to call out for insight, to cry aloud for understanding, and to search for knowledge of God like hidden treasure.

Curiosity is active, not passive.

You have to choose to open your Bible instead of reading something that’s a lot less valuable.

You have to choose to listen to new information rather than assume you already know everything there is to know about something.

You also have to choose to reflect on what God might be teaching you through all of your daily experiences, and to keep asking God’s Spirit your unanswered questions until he answers them, in his timing. 

But all of your effort is worthwhile.

God promises that when you seek to learn more about him like you’re seeking treasure, you will find the knowledge of him.

You’ll find more than just facts about God, but a deeper understanding of who God is.

You’ll start to see God’s character more clearly and notice his faithfulness in new ways. 

A curious mind also keeps your faith alive when you’re dealing with challenges.

When a situation you’re going through doesn’t make sense, curiosity helps you ask better questions.

Instead of just asking why the situation is happening, you can ask what God is revealing about himself through it, and what you can learn through it that will help you grow spiritually. 

Seeking God day by day with a curious mind will always lead you to learn something new about him.

Even while you do, though, you’ll also learn how much there still is to discover.

God’s wisdom is infinite, so you’ll never reach the end of it.

There is always more to learn about God! 

Well, isn’t there?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Praying …..

Psalm 19 Expanded Bible

God’s Works and Word
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

19 The heavens ·declare [recount; narrate] the glory [C the manifest presence] of God,
    and the ·skies [firmament; dome; Gen. 1:6] ·announce [speak out] ·what his hands have made [L the works of his hands].
2 Day after day they ·tell the story [L bubble/pour forth speech];
    night after night they ·tell it again [L declare knowledge].
3 They have no speech or words;
    they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their ·message [L line] goes out through all the world;
    their words go ·everywhere on [L to the ends of the] earth.
·The sky [Heaven; L In them] is like a ·home [L tent] for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his ·bedroom [L wedding chamber].
    It rejoices like an ·athlete [strong man] eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·follows its path [L its circuit is] to the other end.
Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the Lord are perfect;
    they ·give new strength [T revive the soul].
The ·rules [testimonies] of the Lord ·can be trusted [are faithful/sure];
    they make ·plain [simpleminded; immature] people wise [Prov. 1:4].
8 The orders of the Lord are ·right [virtuous];
    ·they make people happy [L rejoicing the heart].
The commands of the Lord are pure;
    ·they light up the way [L giving light to the eyes].
9 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord [Prov. 1:7] is ·good [pure];
    it will ·last [endure] forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true;
    they are ·completely [altogether] ·right [righteous].
10 They are ·worth [desired; coveted] more than gold,
    even ·the purest [fine] gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the ·finest honey [L droppings of the honeycomb].
11 By them your servant is warned.
    ·Keeping [Observing] them brings great reward.

12 ·People cannot [L Who can…?] ·see [detect; L understand] their own ·mistakes [errors].
    ·Forgive [Clear] me for my ·secret [hidden] sins.
13 ·Keep me [L Restrain your servant] from ·the sins of pride [proud thoughts];
    don’t let them ·rule [dominate] me.
Then I can be pure
    and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 ·I hope my ·words [L The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [L be before] you.
Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [L and my redeemer].

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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Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. Do not let me quit on You! Psalm 138

Psalm 138 Complete Jewish Bible

138 (0) By David:

(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
    for you have made your word [even] greater
    than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.

4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.

7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!

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.

Most of us get excited to start something new.

Keeping that excitement in the middle of that project as it grows in complexity, is what potentially wears us down – then to keep on going and reach that goal of a finished product becomes less a priority and we put it away for another day.

Usually, there may be at least one unfinished project somewhere in our lives.

Undoubtedly, confession or no confession, many of us have too many to count.

God’s not like that.

He finishes what He begins, no matter how much time it will take.

That includes each of us.

Philippians 1:3-6 Christian Standard Bible

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[a] 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

He will ‘bring to an end’ – which is what ‘perfect’ means i n the Hebrew – work and labor which is about what His Plan desires from us to grow His Kingdom on earth, spread the Gospel, and He will not forsake the work He has started in us.

Of course, you can also highly desire those things outside of God’s will for you.

He does not help with those things, but works either around them, or though them, to bring you closer to Himself.

That is always His goal – to bring us closer to Himself, either here in this life, and certainly, in the eternal life.

God created humanity to labor in His Garden, harvest the first fruits of His love and when our work is accomplished on earth to go and live with Him in heaven.

Sin, because of our selfish human desires, complicated that original goal, but God has worked so His original goal is still possible – our eternal life with Him.

We are always major works in progress, but we will not be unfinished projects—because His love endures forever. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection shows that God keeps going in the middle of this project that is us seeing Him face-to-face.

You don’t have to worry – God will fulfill His purpose for you!

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – Psalm 138:8

Read Psalm 138:8: (Click on the verse to read it in various translations.)

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” ESV

What a powerful declaration!

The psalmist acknowledges that God has a specific purpose for his life, and he expresses his unwavering faith that the Lord will see it through to completion.

This verse reminds us; each of us has a unique purpose and calling in this world.

Our lives have meaning and significance in the grand tapestry of God’s plan, and because God’s great love for us endures forever, we can have confidence that faithfully, He will never forsake that sacred work He has begun in our lives.

It is important to note that God’s purpose for our lives may not always match up with our own expectations or desires.

Sometimes, we may face challenges, setbacks, or detours along the way.

But even in those moments, don’t worry, you can take heart in the truth that God’s purpose remains unshakable.

He is not limited by our circumstances or hindered by our failures.

In fact, He often works through them to shape you and me, teach us, and ultimately bring His vision of our future reality which is His perfect plan.

This past year I have wrestled with the idea that God accomplishes His purpose and His plan, His way, without my help.

I thought my labor was to help Him achieve His plan for me and my family.

But He clearly showed me that is not the case!

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing far more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

We labor in His fields tilling up those soils which are classed as impossible.

No matter how long it will take to do it, new ground will be made ready for planting, previously impossible will transformed into new opportunities.

Do you ever wrestle with this notion too?

Matthew 9:35-38 Christian Standard Bible

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[a]  disease and every sickness.[b][c] 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Do you find it hard to remain still, plant yourself in your brand new Lazy Boy recliner, as the God of the universe (Elohim) works out His purpose in your life?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ….

Praying …..

Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b]
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d]
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

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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Surly His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation forever to tell! Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1-3 Lexham English Bible

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12 Therefore, since[a] we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us[b], let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[c] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.

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.

Eyeballing The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

How many of us know and love the famous hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?

There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to many of the hymns we sing.

But this one strikes a particularly intimate chord, beckoning us to look up and out beyond our distractions, disappointments, and even our despair.

Not only is it calling us to shift our perspective, but to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord.

It is there that all of the cares of this world dim and fade in the light of His love and glory.

This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites.

I actually wasn’t exposed to it until a bit later in life, but it was so influential that decades later, I still have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it.

I was driving my car to Gatlinburg Tennessee when Michael W. Smith first shared a beautiful rendition of these beloved lyrics. 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

There is so much in our world that clamors for our attention.

In such a time of turbulent and volatile days as we are embroiled in right now, it is difficult to know exactly what or who we should be looking at or looking for.

Our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to be busy, and our constant pursuit of “happiness.”

All of which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and leaves us feeling lost, anxious, and hopeless.  

This is the slippery slope that can so easily lead us astray.  

Often, our distance from the Lord is not due to intentional rebellion but rather to a slow fading of affection.

As famously quoted by Corrie ten Boom,

“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

True satisfaction can only be found in Him.

Nothing else will ever satisfy. 

In preparation for sharing about this hymn in today’s devotional, I conducted a little research to learn more about its origin and authorship.

The hymn was penned by Helen Lemmel in 1922.

Her own words were inspired by the life and poetry of a female missionary named Lilias Trotter, who encouraged those around her to

“turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him… for ‘He is worthy’ to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Jesus was, is, and always will be the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires.

The God-shaped hole in each of our hearts will never be satisfied by the lesser things of this world.

The struggle truly is real.

The noise and allure of all that surrounds us will constantly bombard our hearts and minds. It will never go away while we remain in this fallen world. As such, it requires focused intentional effort on our part to break free of earthly bonds. 

But when we really think about it, the effort is so minimal.

All we have to do is look up and gird ourselves for what our Savior presents.

Just set down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze from the temporal to the eternal.

The Lord has already done all the hard work for us. 

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

The thing He is asking of us is to turn our eyes upon Him. As soon as we do, the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Hebrews 8:6-13 The Message

6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,

Heads up! The days are coming
    when I’ll set up a new plan
    for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
    I set up with their ancestors
    when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
    so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
    they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
    or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
    the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
    with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust. 

The New Covenant of Grace

I can still remember the first time I really understood the gift of God’s grace.

I had been used to the idea of “earning” favor and approval from people, and that extended into ultimately seeking that everlasting approval from God.

It was a familiar pattern: Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you are left with guilt and consequences. 

But grace is not like that.

It depends not on our performance but on God’s promises—sealed through Jesus. 

The writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, which was based on laws and rituals, with the new covenant of grace established by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The old covenant required continuous sacrifices for sin, but Jesus, through his sacrifice of himself once for all, has made it possible for us to draw near to God, being loved and forgiven. 

The new covenant means that we no longer need to fear God’s judgment.

We are invited into an intimate relationship with God, marked not by our obedience but by God’s perfect love.

No matter what our mistakes are, God’s grace is always greater.

This is the good news of salvation—the new covenant in our Savior Jesus. 

As we reflect on all this, let’s envision the freedom that comes with His grace.

No longer bound by old rules, we can live, love and move in His hope and peace, knowing God has established a new way for us to be fully loved and forgiven.

Do you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost?

If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or ease your worries?

I encourage you to take some time today to listen to the timeless truths of this hymn.

I pray it ministers to your aching or anxious soul as we finally lift our sin laden, sin poisoned human eyes to ultimately cast your gaze upon Him and Him alone.

And may we all remove our blinders to behold Him in His light, love, and grace. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares 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 into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person 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 pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

What’s in a name anyway? Therefore God has highly exalted him, bestowed upon him the only name that is above every other name. Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11 Modern English Version

5 Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, being in the form of God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
7 But He emptied Himself,
    taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
    and was made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in the form of a man,
    He humbled Himself
    and became obedient to death,
        even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God highly exalted Him
    and gave Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.[a]

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.

The famous passage about Christ in Philippians 2:5-11 is usually described as a “hymn,” and is usually taken to celebrate the inverted parabola of Christ’s descent from heaven, his incarnation as man, nadir of his death on the cross, followed by his return to heaven and exaltation to a position equal to or perhaps higher than the one he left.

The phrase “being in the form of God” is understood to be a reference to his pre-existent divinity, though scholars disagree wildly over how exactly en morphē theou would express that idea. Perhaps the commonest views would be that morphē somehow refers either to the inner nature of God or to his glory.

Christ made the decision not to exploit his pre-existent status—not to hold on to the equality with God that he had by virtue of being in the form of God.

Instead, he emptied himself of at least some part of his divinity and became incarnate as a man.

At the lowest point of his cosmic journey, he was crucified, as though of no more value than a slave.

God, however, raised him from the dead, and restored him to his former heavenly position and status.

The “name” given to him has been variously interpreted (Lord? God?), but there is general agreement Jesus now receives the worship to which only YHWH was entitled according to Isaiah:

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” (Is. 45:22–23)

In a very real sense the best summary of the message of the Bible and the most fundamental truth in this universe is simply this: Jesus Christ is Lord.

Most theologians agree that “the name” that Paul refers to in verse 9 can only be “Lord” (Philippians 2:11).

Here, the Greek word for “Lord” is kyrios, which is also used as the translation of God’s divine name, Yahweh, over 6,000 times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament)—the name that is rendered in most English Bibles today as Lord.

Paul’s implied use of God’s divine name emphasizes Jesus’ divinity, just after he has reminded us about Jesus’ humiliation during His time on earth.

Comprising four consonants (YHWH), Yahweh is basically unpronounceable in Hebrew—and purposefully so, for Jews did not dare take this divine name of God upon their lips.

Yet Yahweh, the indescribable God, came to earth as the incarnate Christ and revealed Himself to men and women.

He humbly went to the cross, and then He was raised to the highest place—His rightful place—and given this name “above every name.”

Says one commentator, “He has changed the ineffable name, into a name uttered by man and desirable by all the world.”

In the one who bears this name, God’s majesty “is all arrayed in robes of mercy.”

Old Testament prophecy reinforces this idea again and again.

In Isaiah 45, God gives a description that applies exclusively to Himself: “There is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me” (Isaiah 45:21).

Paul, once an aggressive opponent of Christ and His followers, applies this very description to Christ, making an impressive declaration of His deity.

He points out that Jesus has been publicly exalted to the position that was rightfully His even before He came to earth to suffer humiliation on our behalf.

He is now seated at the Father’s right hand.

His majesty is there for all who know Him as Savior to see.

His identity is unclouded and undoubted.

God is the only Savior—and Jesus is that Savior, of whom it was said, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Years after Paul first had his eyes opened to the truth about who Jesus is, we can still catch a sense of awed reverence and love in his words to the Philippians.

Jesus Christ is LORD.

He possesses the name above all names.

Paul never allowed familiarity with this truth to breed complacency about it.

Neither must we.

Pause now and allow each word to prompt you to an awed praise of this man: Jesus, the Savior of His people… Christ, the long-promised King… is LORD, the indescribable, revealed God. And you get to call Him “brother” (Hebrews 2:11).

The Higher Glory

We have been talking about having the mindset of Christ and following his example of ­humility.

When it comes to humility, no one can be humbler than Christ, who gave up his own life so that all who call on his name can be saved to have new life forever.

And because Jesus did that, God also raised him from the grave and “­exalted him to the highest place.”

He started out as the Son of God in heaven,

Then he willingly became a suffering servant who swooped down to the lowest of depths by dying on a cross for our sake. Then God reversed it all and swung Jesus upward to rule in heaven over everything.

The words Paul uses to ­describe this position have to do with the power of the highest name: “God . . . gave him the name that is above every name.”

And what is that name?

It is Jesus (meaning “Savior”), and it is Christ (meaning “Anointed One”).

Jesus Christ is the Lord, the sovereign ruler, over all things.

His name is so glorious the day will come when every knee will bow to honor him, every tongue will sing songs to “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is Lord of the cosmos.

All glory be to him forever and ever!

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

Psalm 19

For the Music Director. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
    and night unto night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech and there are no words;
    their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

In them has He set a tent for the sun,
5     which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
    it rejoices as a strong man to run a race.
6 Its going forth is from one end of the heavens,
    and its circuit extends to the other end,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    converting the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the statutes 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
    and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    yes, than much fine gold;
    sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is Your servant warned,
    and by keeping them comes great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
    Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be upright
    and innocent from great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in Your sight,
    O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

https://translate.google.com/

Bucket list Ultimate Adrenaline Rush; Being, Going, on an once in a lifetime Adventure with God. Psalm 139:7-12

Psalm 139:7-12 Modern English Version

7 Where shall I go from Your spirit,
    or where shall I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell at the end of the sea,
10 even there Your hand shall guide me,
    and Your right hand shall take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light shall be as night about me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to You,
    but the night shines as the day,
    for the darkness is like light to You.

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.

What’s a new adventure you hope to experience this year?

Is there a place you’re excited about traveling to visit, a new skill you’d like to learn, or a project or role you desperately want to start at work or at church? 

No matter what kind of adventure it is, you probably feel a mix of both excitement and fear because of all the responsibility, uncertainty involved.

The fear may be causing you to hesitate, but don’t let fear take over.

If you have prayed for God’s guidance to make the best decisions, and you sense God leading you to go on that adventure, you can move forward with confidence even while still feeling afraid. 

Psalm 139:9-10 vividly describes why you can be confident: God will go with you, God will be with you, God will shield you all time anytime and anywhere! 

There’s no time of day or night when God won’t be with you.

There’s no place you can go where God won’t be with you.

What are the five extreme environments?

Examples of extreme environments include the geographical poles, very arid deserts, volcanoes, deep ocean trenches, upper atmosphere, outer space, and the environments of every planet in the Solar System except the Earth.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/earths-most-extreme-towns

Psalm 139:7-12Expanded Bible

7 Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?
    Where can I ·run [flee] from you?
8 If I ·go [climb] up to the heavens, you are there.
    If I ·lie down [spread out; make my bed] in ·the grave [L Sheol; C the grave or the underworld], you are there.
9 If I rise with the ·sun in the east [L wings of the dawn]
    and settle in the ·west beyond [L back of] the sea,
10 even there ·you [L your hand] would guide me.
    With your right hand you would ·hold [grab; seize] me.

11 I could say, “The darkness will ·hide [cover] me.
    Let the light around me turn into night.”
12 But even the darkness is not dark to you.
    The night ·is as light as [shines like] the day;
darkness and light are the same to you.

As these verses point out, even if you leave as soon as the dawn of a new day or go somewhere far away like overseas, you will always still be in God’s hands. 

Adventures are vital for your spiritual growth.

Any trip or class you want to take, any professional or volunteer opportunity to serve in new ways, Acts 1:8 spread the Gospel to all points of a compass, is truly worth praying over and planning for the day God leads you to move forward.

Staying in your comfort zone won’t help you grow closer to God, but adventures will! When you step into an adventure, you realize you cannot do it alone, which motivates you to look for, seek after, God’s own presence to connect with him. 

An adventure stretches your faith so it can become more resilient.

As you travel somewhere new, you can see the vastness of the world God created and discover more about how unlimited God’s love and power are.

If you take on a new project at work, you can discover talents God tucked away inside you that never would have surfaced if you hadn’t worked on that project.

If you serve people, your neighbor’s, in a new way at church, you can experience the blessings of experiencing God’s love flow through your life in fresh ways. 

Whenever you start a new adventure – whenever you “rise on the wings of the dawn” – you can count on God to show up on time to meet you.

Wherever “the far side of the sea” is for you, you don’t have to worry about what might happen there, because God will go there with you.

An adventure may lead you to a new schedule or take you to a new place on a map, but God doesn’t just give you a schedule and a map and then leave you alone to figure it out.

These verses promise that God’s hand will “hold you fast.”

God isn’t watching you from a distance. 

God is walking beside you as your personal guide, no matter when and where you go. 

So, pray on an adventure with God sometime soon!

If you take a risk and feel like an impostor, don’t worry, because God will hold you fast.

If you start a new journey and feel afraid of what might happen along the way, God will hold you fast.

You can afford to be brave because you have your loving and powerful Heavenly Father right beside you.

Don’t let the fear of the “far side of the sea” keep you stuck on the shore.

The dawn is rising, and God is already there, waiting to guide you on a new adventure that will bless you!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider why it’s important to go on adventures and to trust God to go with you, reflect on these questions:

  • What’s one adventure (like a trip or a project) you’ve been putting off because of fear of what might happen if you moved forward? 
  • Looking back at a past challenge, how can you see now that God was holding your hand when you were in the middle of that challenge? 
  • In what ways do you find it easier to trust yourself rather than trusting God when your circumstances are comfortable? 
  • How does the idea that God will be there for you anytime and anywhere change your perspective on taking risks? 
  • What’s one step you can take this week to move toward the next adventure God is calling you to go on? 

Psalm 139:1-6 is a profound declaration of God’s complete and intimate knowledge of us.

The psalmist, David, acknowledges that God sees every aspect of our lives—our actions, thoughts, and even our unspoken words.

It is awe-inspiring to think that God knows us so thoroughly; not just the surface level but the innermost depths of our hearts and minds.

There is no place in our lives where God’s gaze does not reach.

This all-knowing nature of God reminds us that we cannot hide from Him, yet it also assures us of His constant presence and care.

This recognition of God’s omniscience invites us to approach Him with sacred humility.

We don’t need to pretend or hide parts of ourselves.

There is comfort in knowing that God understands us fully, even when we struggle to understand ourselves.

His perfect knowledge of us is an important reminder that we can trust Him completely with our lives. The psalmist’s declaration also shows us that God is actively involved in every detail of our lives—nothing escapes His attention.

This brings us (John 14:27) Shalom, knowing we are never alone in our journey.

“In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” ….

Praying …..

God’s Works and Word

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

19 The heavens ·declare [recount; narrate] the glory [C the manifest presence] of God,
    and the ·skies [firmament; dome; Gen. 1:6] ·announce [speak out] ·what his hands have made [L the works of his hands].
2 Day after day they ·tell the story [L bubble/pour forth speech];
    night after night they ·tell it again [L declare knowledge].
3 They have no speech or words;
    they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their ·message [L line] goes out through all the world;
    their words go ·everywhere on [L to the ends of the] earth.
·The sky [Heaven; L In them] is like a ·home [L tent] for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his ·bedroom [L wedding chamber].
    It rejoices like an ·athlete [strong man] eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·follows its path [L its circuit is] to the other end.
Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the Lord are perfect;
    they ·give new strength [T revive the soul].
The ·rules [testimonies] of the Lord ·can be trusted [are faithful/sure];
    they make ·plain [simpleminded; immature] people wise [Prov. 1:4].
8 The orders of the Lord are ·right [virtuous];
    ·they make people happy [L rejoicing the heart].
The commands of the Lord are pure;
    ·they light up the way [L giving light to the eyes].
9 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord [Prov. 1:7] is ·good [pure];
    it will ·last [endure] forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true;
    they are ·completely [altogether] ·right [righteous].
10 They are ·worth [desired; coveted] more than gold,
    even ·the purest [fine] gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the ·finest honey [L droppings of the honeycomb].
11 By them your servant is warned.
    ·Keeping [Observing] them brings great reward.

12 ·People cannot [L Who can…?] ·see [detect; L understand] their own ·mistakes [errors].
    ·Forgive [Clear] me for my ·secret [hidden] sins.
13 ·Keep me [L Restrain your servant] from ·the sins of pride [proud thoughts];
    don’t let them ·rule [dominate] me.
Then I can be pure
    and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 ·I hope my ·words [L The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [L be before] you.
Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [L and my redeemer].

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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I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make. I wish I could just see Jesus face-to-face. Luke 24:28-31

Luke 24:28-31 Amplified Bible

28 Then they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as if He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him [not to go on], saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening, and the day has just about ended.” So He went inside to stay with them. 30 And it happened that as He reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were [suddenly] opened [by God] and they [clearly] recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

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.

I often wish I could see better.

I wish I could see Jesus face-to-face.

I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make.

I wish I could see God’s power so clearly that I have courage to do what is right even when the risks seem immense.

I am reminded of a quote by Alister McGrath, who once said,

“Within each of us exists the image of God, however disfigured and corrupted by sin it may presently be. God is able to recover this image through grace as we are conformed to Christ.”

The two followers of Jesus in our text for today received the gift of seeing how the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to Jesus and his resurrection—and they even saw the resurrected Jesus himself!

What an miraculous day for them!

Ironically, just as they began to see that the person breaking the bread before them was actually the Lord himself, Jesus disappeared.

So they had to continue to believe and act faithfully even when they didn’t see Jesus face to face.

For all of us: We all have moments when we fail to recognize Jesus in our lives.

We get caught up in our problems and worries. We feel lost and hopeless. But Jesus is always there. He is always ready to reveal Himself to us.

All we need to do is open our eyes and recognize Him.

It’s about understanding: It is about knowing Jesus personally.

It is about having a relationship with Him.

When we recognize Jesus, we acknowledge His presence in our lives.

We accept His love and grace.

It’s about understanding: It is about knowing Jesus personally.

It is about having a relationship with Him.

When we recognize Jesus, we acknowledge His presence in our lives.

We accept His love and grace.

We commit to following His teachings.

This recognition brings us closer to Jesus.

It deepens our faith.

It gives us hope and peace.

We commit to following His teachings.

This recognition brings us closer to Jesus.

It deepens our faith. It gives us hope and peace.

It’s a joy to see those two disciples respond by making a faith-filled run back to Jerusalem to report to the other disciples what, who, they had seen and heard.

Truth be told, Jesus invites all of us who don’t see him to live in his presence anyway, as if he is with us, breaking the bread.

He does promise, after all, that he is with us always (Matthew 28:20).

And as we live in his presence, by the power of God’s Spirit, we can testify to the authentic reality of God’s new creation in us, launched with Jesus’ resurrection.


“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”

Praying ….

Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible

16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:

(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.

4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.

5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.

7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.

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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Praying and Preparing our hearts for Easter truth; Jesus Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those going to leave their cemeteries. 1 Corinthians 15:16-23

1 Corinthians 15:16-23 Authorized (King James) Version

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his .

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.

Each Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus from death to life.

We recognize His resurrection isn’t just a miracle for Him, it’s a miracle for us, too.

Because He rose from the grave, we will also rise.

Too often, though, we will miss the hope His resurrection and the celebration of Easter bring into our lives.

We will focus so much on Jesus rising from the dead that we will also forget to rejoice in what it means for us and our eternal futures.

Savior Jesus, the first to rise from the grave, freed from sin and death to live forevermore, is also the first in history to be raised to life in a glorified body.

As the Apostle Paul explained,

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).

In Biblical days, believers set aside the firstfruits of their harvest as an offering to God.

This act of sacrifice symbolized and consecrated the entire harvest to come.

Scripture records others being raised from the dead before Jesus, Colossians 1:18 describes Him as the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.

Those raised before Him eventually died again, but Jesus lives forever, never to die again:

“And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.”

Paul explains to us in Romans 6:9, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”

Jesus Is the Promise 

Because Jesus now lives in His glorified body, He is the promise of our own glorified bodies to come.

Through His life, His death, and resurrection comes the promise of a harvest of living souls who will also be raised from death to life.

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead—the Son of God who rose victorious from the grave, overcoming, destroying death, breaking its power, and conquering it forever.

The Apostle John wrote,

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5).

Jesus Defeated Death

Matthew 27:50-53 describes Jesus defeating death once and for all, as well as the extraordinary events that took place at His crucifixion and resurrection:

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

Although they would physically die again, they would live forevermore.

As 1 Corinthians 15:54 explains it, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”

Should Christians Be Afraid of Death?

While visiting an elderly member of our church, I read the passage in John 14:1-6 where Jesus promises to prepare a place for us.

When I was finished reading, she said she did not understand why it should take the Lord so long to get her place ready.

She added, “I don’t need anything fancy.” Instead of being afraid of death, she could not wait to be with the Savior.

But not every Christian faces death without fear.

Shortly before he died, my dad asked,

“Will God accept me when I die? So much has gone wrong in my life.” Someone else asked me, “Will everything be all right when I die?”

If you are afraid of death, be willing to admit it.

The apostle Paul calls death “our last enemy.”

We have been created to live.

It was the fall into sin that brought death into our lives.

It’s natural for us to want to live and keep on living.

So it’s also natural to fear death, which can be painful and a bit scary—even terrifying. But Jesus came to free us from sin and from the threat of death.

He gave up his own life for our sake, and then he rose from the dead, so “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Only the Lord can take away our fear of death.

We have the guarantee that even as we near death, we don’t have to be afraid because God will be there with us and will take us to live with him!

He said it Himself in John 11:25: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.’”

But also asked this ….

John 11:25-26 Amplified Bible

25 Jesus said to her, “[a]I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die.

Do you believe this?”

Psalm 27 English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet[b] I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire[c] in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
9     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look[f] upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for 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 sun’s light had failed, the whole earth became utterly dark, Jesus just cried out, “Father, I place my life in your faithful hands!” Luke 23:44-49 

Luke 23:44-49 English Standard Version

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about the sixth hour,[a] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[b] 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said,  “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.” 48 All the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to return home, beating their breasts [as a sign of mourning or repentance]. 49 And all His acquaintances and the women who had accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, watching these things.

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.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/darkness/

https://biblehub.com/topical/d/darkness.htm

What do you think of when you hear the word “darkness”?

What do children think of when they hear the word “darkness”?

Children often think of darkness as scary, and when they grow up most of them still prefer the light.

From Genesis to Revelation, darkness is whatever space, time, or reality is separate from God.

Before creation there was darkness “over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

In the last days, as described in the words of Revelation, darkness is one of the signs of separation from God.

When Jesus hung on the cross, darkness came over the land in the middle of the day, when the sun should have been at its brightest.

God had abandoned his Son, who was taking on himself all of the corruption and ugliness of the world’s sin and God’s awful judgment on it. As God had separated himself from his beloved Son, darkness descended and Jesus died.

Luke’s account of that day notes another amazing occurrence as well.

The curtain in the temple, which had long symbolized the separation of the holy God from his unholy people, was torn in two, miraculously, from top to bottom.

Our sin-generated separation from God was coming to an end.

That was good!

But it took an awful darkness to make that happen.

What is darkness scientifically?

Darkness travels at the speed of light.

More accurately, darkness does not exist by itself as a unique physical entity, but is simply the absence of light.

Any time you block out most of the light – for instance, by cupping your hands together – you get darkness.

What is the biblical definition of darkness?

If light symbolizes God, darkness connotes everything that is anti-God: the wicked (Proverbs 2:13-14 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7 ), judgment ( Exodus 10:21 ; Matthew 25:30), and death ( Psalm 88:12 ).

What are the three types of darkness in the Bible?

Three different types of darkness are outlined in the EXPLORE text: 

The darkness of shame and isolation, the darkness of enemy oppression and the darkness of hopelessness.

What does darkness represent spiritually?

Darkness, in a spiritual sense, is long associated with sin, despair, and also hopelessness, which seem to intensify under the cover of night.

The night, while a time for rest, frequently becomes a cloak for sin, as people believe their actions are hidden from sight.

Salvation brings light to those in darkness (Isaiah 9:2).

What does the Bible say about darkness?

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=darkness&version=AMP

The Bible tells us the Lord Himself created darkness and light (Isaiah 45:7) and that God is light with no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5).

Psalm 18:11 Amplified Bible

11 
He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him,
The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies.

Therefore, as the Creator, He holds sovereignty over His creation.

Although darkness is opaque to man, it is transparent to God (Psalm 139:12 ).

Light was conquering darkness.

How can we define darkness?

Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light.

Psalm 18:28 Amplified Bible

28 
For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

and his people would be together again.

A new creation was forming!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praying ….

Psalm 88 Complete Jewish Bible

88 (0) A song. A psalm of the sons of Korach. For the leader. Set to “Sickness that Causes Suffering.” A maskil of Heiman the Ezrachi.

2 (1) Adonai, God of my salvation,
when I cry out to you in the night,
3 (2) let my prayer come before you,
turn your ear to my cry for help!
4 (3) For I am oversupplied with troubles,
which have brought me to the brink of Sh’ol.
5 (4) I am counted among those going down to the pit,
like a man who is beyond help,
6 (5) left by myself among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave —
you no longer remember them;
they are cut off from your care.

7 (6) You plunged me into the bottom of the pit,
into dark places, into the depths.
8 (7) Your wrath lies heavily on me;
your waves crashing over me keep me down. (Selah)
9 (8) You separated me from my close friends,
made me repulsive to them;
I am caged in, with no escape;
10 (9) my eyes grow dim from suffering.

I call on you, Adonai, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
11 (10) Will you perform wonders for the dead?
Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)
12 (11) Will your grace be declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
13 (12) Will your wonders be known in the dark,
or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

14 (13) But I cry out to you, Adonai;
my prayer comes before you in the morning.
15 (14) So why, Adonai, do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?

16 (15) Since my youth I have been miserable, close to death;
I am numb from bearing these terrors of yours.
17 (16) Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me,
your terrors have shriveled me up.
18 (17) They surge around me all day like a flood,
from all sides they close in on me.
19 (18) You have made friends and companions shun me;
the people I know are hidden from me.

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I went to his tomb to look, talking to God, while waiting for Resurrection. Matthew 28:1-6

Matthew 28:1-6 Christian Standard Bible

Resurrection Morning

28 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.

5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

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.

That first Easter morning, the women were in for the surprise of their lives.

Instead of finding a sealed tomb, they had found an open grave, and an angel greeting them with the words

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

For them and for every follower of the Lord Jesus, life would never be the same.

The promised resurrection of Jesus from the dead altered the course of history.

The resurrection is God’s way of announcing our life does not have to be a one-way journey to the cemetery.

God is saying we don’t have to be stuck in our past.

The risen Savior has hit the delete button on our sins.

We don’t have to wonder who’s in charge, because this Savior has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

And we don’t have to wonder what’s ahead, because nothing

“will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Romans 8:38-39 Christian Standard Bible

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first Easter is a miracle that transcends our human understanding and shows God’s power at work in awe-inspiring ways.

The gravestone rolls away, not just revealing an empty tomb but tearing open the fabric of our reality. Jesus, who died through crucifixion and was entombed in a grave, is now resurrected – becoming a living testimony to the truth of his work as the world’s Savior.

Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest event in history, since it makes hope a reality for humanity.

It shows us that we truly can enjoy eternal life with God if we trust him.

Every part of the resurrection story from the Bible is full of wonder!

Let’s explore the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection so we can discover its profound significance and let the wonder of it draw us closer to our Savior. 

The Miracle of the Empty Tomb 

The Bible’s resurrection narrative begins with the discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb.

Matthew 28:5-6, an angel tells the women who are visiting Jesus’ grave: “‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

The emptiness of the tomb is not a void but a testament to the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead.

To embrace the miracle of the empty tomb is to step into a space where our finite understanding collides with the infinite power of God.

It requires us to shed preconceptions and enter with hearts open to the extraordinary.

Consider God’s words in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”

We should approach the empty tomb with a willingness to be surprised by God. 

The empty tomb echoes with the resonance of redemption so profound that it reverberates throughout all of history.

In Colossians 2:15, the Apostle Paul vividly describes the aftermath of the cross:

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

The empty tomb is the culmination of this triumph – a resounding victory over sin and death.

In Romans 4:25, Paul points out that Jesus

“was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Jesus’ empty tomb represents not just the absence of a body but the fulfillment of God’s promise to save humanity from sin.

As we ponder the empty tomb, we can let the reality of our redemption from sin fill our hearts with awe and gratitude. 

Jesus invites us to believe when we reflect on his empty tomb.

He challenges us to move beyond doubt and embrace a faith that transcends what our eyes can see. 

John 20:24-29 reports how Jesus’ disciple Thomas refused to believe that Jesus has been resurrected until Jesus appeared and gave Thomas the opportunity to verify that it was really him. 

John 20:27-29 records a conversation between Jesus and Thomas:

“Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We can’t physically see and touch the risen Jesus right now like Thomas did, since Jesus has already ascended to heaven.

But Jesus appeared to hundreds of different people during the 40 days he spent on Earth between his resurrection and his ascension (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Acts 1:1-11),

and his work from heaven as our living Savior is evident in each of our lives.

So, can we accept Jesus’ invitation to believe, with the confidence that God’s resurrection power is not confined to the past but is available to us now in relationships with Jesus?

Encountering the Risen Jesus

The heart of the resurrection miracle is our encounter with the risen Jesus.

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, John 20:20 says that “… The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”

His resurrected presence defied laws of nature, ushering in a sense of wonder.

We also connect with the risen Jesus through spiritual practices that help us notice his presence with us throughout each day, such as prayer, meditation.

Jesus is the same God who encourages us that when we seek him, we will find him.

Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 

Encountering the risen Jesus involves opening our hearts up to the miraculous.

It means looking for the wonder of God’s work in our lives with a strong faith that is ready to believe and trust.

That challenges us to suspend disbelief, set aside the limitations of our rational minds, open ourselves up to the possibility of a tangible encounter with Jesus.

Just as the disciples touched, beheld the risen Jesus, we can seek relationships with Jesus that are both personal and experiential. 

Psalm 34:8 urges us to: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

As we encounter the miracle of resurrection, we become hungry for closer relationships with him, eager to taste the goodness he can bring into our lives. 

Jesus’ resurrection isn’t confined to the pages of history.

It’s a present reality in our lives, because we can enjoy relationships with the risen Jesus right now.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells us:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Jesus is not any distant figure from history, but a part of the living God, who knows and loves us completely and wants to have a close relationship with us.

We can invite Jesus into the everyday moments and ordinary spaces of our lives.

We can do that by praying about everything, as the Bible encourages us to do in Philippians 4:6 – keeping a constant mindset of expressing our thoughts to Jesus, listening for his guidance, and relying on him to provide what we need. 

The resurrection gives us ultimate hope. That’s definitely something to celebrate by praising God!

In 1 Peter 1:3-4, the Bible declares:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”.

The resurrection assures us that we can experience eternal life with God because of Jesus’ redemptive work.

In John 11:25-26, Jesus talks with Martha and says: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus asks us the very same question: Do we believe this or dismiss this?

If we do, we can live forever with God.

The wondrous miracle of the resurrection gives us confidence that, when we implicitly trust Jesus, death is not the end but the gateway to everlasting life. 

So, let’s immerse ourselves in the Bible’s resurrection stories.

We can read the reports and imagine ourselves personally witnessing the scenes they describe.

As we engage our emotions with what goes on, we let ourselves feel the shock and awe of the experience.

We become humbled by the wonder of God’s work saving humanity.

We allow God’s limitless love to wash over us.

Let’s embrace the mystery of something that can’t be logically explained.

Not everything needs to be neatly explained.

We can let the unknown spark our curiosity and motivate us to keep seeking God every day through lifelong learning.

As Romans 11:33 points out, there is so much that is valuable to learn about God’s mysteries:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

While we can’t logically understand the miracle of the resurrection, we can find inspiration from it every day as we place our hope in Jesus.

Whenever we need to renew our hope, we only have to read the Bible’s stories of the resurrection to remind ourselves of its reality.

We also enjoy slow wonder walks in nature and let creation remind us that our Creator brings us renewal – daily sunrises, fresh rains, blooming flowers, and more.

The physical renewal we will encounter can inspire us with gratitude for the spiritual renewal Jesus gives us. 

In conclusion, the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection welcomes us into a powerful encounter with wonder.

It challenges us to consider the greatest event in history when God saved the world and proved that we could trust him completely.

explore the miracle of the resurrection, we open our hearts, minds to a deeper reverence for Jesus that inspires us to develop closer relationships with him.

We discover that God has given us ultimate hope!

As we encounter the reality of the risen Jesus in our lives, we’ll be so awestruck that we will exclaim along with Thomas in John 20:28: “My Lord and my God!”

So let’s celebrate today!

Will our church’s sing it out: “The King is Coming”

If you are not able to attend church, take some time to sing that Jesus is coming.

With Christians around the world sing,

Come, Thou Almighty King,
help us Thy name to sing;
help us to praise:
Father, all glorious,
o’er all victorious,
come, and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …

Praying ….

29 1-2 Bravo, God, bravo!
    Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
    in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
    Dress your best to honor him!

3 God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.

4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.

5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.

6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
    from which his power flows,
    from which he rules the world.

11 God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.

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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