April 5 Easter Sunday
Some Scripture References to the Resurrection of Jesus:
1 Peter 1:3 - Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Romans 10:9 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Luke 24:1-53 - Now upon the first [day] of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them. John 11:25 - Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: Acts 17:31 - Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
Romans 6:4 - Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
He Is Risen! Matthew 28:6
Luke 24:1-53 Details of the Resurrection of Jesus:
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Why?
WHY WOULD YOU PERISH IN TRESPASSES AND SINS WHEN THE HOLY GOD WHO LOVES YOU HAS MADE A WAY FOR YOUR ESCAPE?
More about Good Friday
April 4
More about GOOD FRIDAY
Scripture References:
Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, died on a Roman cross as recorded in Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:21-38, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:16-37.
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ—Summary:
The Jewish high priests and elders of the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of blasphemy, arriving at the decision to put him to death. But first they needed Rome to approve of their death sentence, so Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea. Although Pilate found him innocent, unable to find or even contrive a reason to condemn Jesus, he feared the crowds and let them decide Jesus' fate. Stirred by the Jewish chief priests, the crowds declared, "Crucify him!"
As was common, Jesus was publicly scourged, or beaten, with a leather-thonged whip before His crucifixion. Tiny pieces of iron and bone chips were tied to the ends of each leather thong, causing deep cuts and painful bruising. He was mocked, struck in the head with a staff and spit on. A crown of thorns was placed on His head and He was stripped naked. Too weak to carry His cross, Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it for Him.
He was led to Golgotha where He would be crucified. As was the custom, before they nailed Him to the cross, a mixture of vinegar, gall, and myrrh was offered. This drink was said to alleviate some of the suffering, but Jesus refused to drink it. Stake-like nails were driven through His wrists and ankles, fastening Him to the cross where He was crucified between two convicted criminals.
The inscription above His head tauntingly read, "The King of the Jews." On the cross Jesus hung for His final agonizing breaths, a period that lasted about six hours. During that time, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing, while people passed by shouting insults and scoffing. From the cross, Jesus spoke to His mother Mary and the disciple John. He also cried out to His Father, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
At that point, darkness covered the land. A little later, as Jesus gave up His spirit, an earthquake shook the ground, ripping the Temple veil in two from top to bottom. Matthew's Gospel records, "The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life."
It was typical at crucifixions for Roman soldiers to show mercy by breaking the criminal's legs, thus causing death to come more quickly. But this night only the thieves had their legs broken, for when the soldiers came to Jesus, they found Him already dead. Instead, they pierced his side. Before sunset, Jesus was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea and laid in a tomb according to Jewish tradition.
Points of Interest from the Story:
• Christian theology teaches that the death of Jesus Christ provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, thus making the crucifix, or cross, one of the defining symbols of Christianity.
• Although both Roman and Jewish leaders could be implicated in the sentencing and death of Jesus Christ, He himself said of his life, "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father." (John 10:18).
• The curtain or veil of the Temple separated the Holy of Holies (where the presence of God dwelt) from the rest of the Temple. Only the high priest could enter there once a year, with the sacrificial offering for the sins of all the people. When Christ died and the curtain was torn from top to bottom, this symbolized the destruction of the barrier between God and man. The way was opened up through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His death provided the complete sacrifice for sin so that now all people, through Christ, can approach the throne of grace.
Question for Reflection:
When the religious leaders came to the decision to put Jesus to death, they wouldn't even consider that He might be telling the truth—that He was, indeed, their Messiah. As the chief priests condemned Jesus to death, refusing to believe Him, they sealed their own fate.
Have you, too, refused to believe that what Jesus said about Himself was true? Your decision about Jesus could seal your own fate as well.
More about GOOD FRIDAY
Scripture References:
Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, died on a Roman cross as recorded in Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:21-38, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:16-37.
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ—Summary:
The Jewish high priests and elders of the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of blasphemy, arriving at the decision to put him to death. But first they needed Rome to approve of their death sentence, so Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea. Although Pilate found him innocent, unable to find or even contrive a reason to condemn Jesus, he feared the crowds and let them decide Jesus' fate. Stirred by the Jewish chief priests, the crowds declared, "Crucify him!"
As was common, Jesus was publicly scourged, or beaten, with a leather-thonged whip before His crucifixion. Tiny pieces of iron and bone chips were tied to the ends of each leather thong, causing deep cuts and painful bruising. He was mocked, struck in the head with a staff and spit on. A crown of thorns was placed on His head and He was stripped naked. Too weak to carry His cross, Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it for Him.
He was led to Golgotha where He would be crucified. As was the custom, before they nailed Him to the cross, a mixture of vinegar, gall, and myrrh was offered. This drink was said to alleviate some of the suffering, but Jesus refused to drink it. Stake-like nails were driven through His wrists and ankles, fastening Him to the cross where He was crucified between two convicted criminals.
The inscription above His head tauntingly read, "The King of the Jews." On the cross Jesus hung for His final agonizing breaths, a period that lasted about six hours. During that time, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing, while people passed by shouting insults and scoffing. From the cross, Jesus spoke to His mother Mary and the disciple John. He also cried out to His Father, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
At that point, darkness covered the land. A little later, as Jesus gave up His spirit, an earthquake shook the ground, ripping the Temple veil in two from top to bottom. Matthew's Gospel records, "The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life."
It was typical at crucifixions for Roman soldiers to show mercy by breaking the criminal's legs, thus causing death to come more quickly. But this night only the thieves had their legs broken, for when the soldiers came to Jesus, they found Him already dead. Instead, they pierced his side. Before sunset, Jesus was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea and laid in a tomb according to Jewish tradition.
Points of Interest from the Story:
• Christian theology teaches that the death of Jesus Christ provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, thus making the crucifix, or cross, one of the defining symbols of Christianity.
• Although both Roman and Jewish leaders could be implicated in the sentencing and death of Jesus Christ, He himself said of his life, "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father." (John 10:18).
• The curtain or veil of the Temple separated the Holy of Holies (where the presence of God dwelt) from the rest of the Temple. Only the high priest could enter there once a year, with the sacrificial offering for the sins of all the people. When Christ died and the curtain was torn from top to bottom, this symbolized the destruction of the barrier between God and man. The way was opened up through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His death provided the complete sacrifice for sin so that now all people, through Christ, can approach the throne of grace.
Question for Reflection:
When the religious leaders came to the decision to put Jesus to death, they wouldn't even consider that He might be telling the truth—that He was, indeed, their Messiah. As the chief priests condemned Jesus to death, refusing to believe Him, they sealed their own fate.
Have you, too, refused to believe that what Jesus said about Himself was true? Your decision about Jesus could seal your own fate as well.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Good Friday
April 3
Today we ponder the awful events of Good Friday...the apprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prayed, the betrayal of those close to Him, the mockery of a trial, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the grueling trudge to Golgotha bearing the cross, the crucifixion, the thirst, the parting of His garments, the piercing of His side. The death for you and me.
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4. Because of all Jesus bore on that Good Friday so long ago, no one can judge us. If we are washed clean in the shed blood of Calvary, we are washed white as snow. We are set free from sin. We are born again. We are made new.
In Joshua 24:13 we are told that we must, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” That doesn’t go down well with a people who think they are free. Americans are so accustomed to the liberties we are guaranteed in our Constitution that we have a difficult time discerning that vigilance on our part is necessary if we are to maintain them.
Our brothers who are citizens of nations where freedom is not an assured right along with life and the pursuit of happiness grasp much more fully than we do why the freedoms we enjoy are worth dying for. They see much more clearly what we are throwing away by our inability to discern the subtle changes that are occurring in our government that are encroaching more and more fully into our rights and freedoms.
And people who are not at liberty to worship God in the way that their conscience dictates can see far more fully than foolhardy Americans just how precious in the Constitutional guarantee that we may bow before our Creator in the way that seems right to us—or not bow at all if we are so blind as to believe He does not exist and is not worthy of our worship.
But, every person who is ever born will indeed serve someone. Free men in free countries may choose whom they will serve while men in bondage must serve the gods set before them by a tyrannical government, but all men will serve someone.
If we think we serve no one, we deceive ourselves because every person who is alive will serve either the Lord Jesus Christ or some demonic entity that presents itself as a god worthy of worship. And ultimately, for all eternity, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the eternal glory of God,” Romans 14:11.
Shall we judge other men? That is not ours to do, but we must indeed weigh and judge the evidence set before us regarding this matter of faith and in whom we shall place it, for the reality is that only God can keep the promise of Romans 14:4 that assures the believer that he shall stand on that Great and Terrible Day when all men’s works shall be tried by fire according to I Corinthians 3:13 which says:
“Their work will be shown for what it is, because that Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
There is no better day than Good Friday to consider the work of Christ on the cross and its impact upon men...upon you. There is no better day than Good Friday to lay down your burden of sin at His feet and to allow Him to place upon you the robe of His righteousness.
There is no better day than Good Friday to evaluate afresh the freedom He has given us and to embrace all its ramifications in not only our personal lives but in our interaction with those around us and in our exercise of our rights as citizens of a free nation.
Hold fast to Jesus now, so He can use you to stand for liberty in all its forms and so He can cause you to stand at His side when Judgment Day arrives.
Today we ponder the awful events of Good Friday...the apprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prayed, the betrayal of those close to Him, the mockery of a trial, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the grueling trudge to Golgotha bearing the cross, the crucifixion, the thirst, the parting of His garments, the piercing of His side. The death for you and me.
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4. Because of all Jesus bore on that Good Friday so long ago, no one can judge us. If we are washed clean in the shed blood of Calvary, we are washed white as snow. We are set free from sin. We are born again. We are made new.
In Joshua 24:13 we are told that we must, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” That doesn’t go down well with a people who think they are free. Americans are so accustomed to the liberties we are guaranteed in our Constitution that we have a difficult time discerning that vigilance on our part is necessary if we are to maintain them.
Our brothers who are citizens of nations where freedom is not an assured right along with life and the pursuit of happiness grasp much more fully than we do why the freedoms we enjoy are worth dying for. They see much more clearly what we are throwing away by our inability to discern the subtle changes that are occurring in our government that are encroaching more and more fully into our rights and freedoms.
And people who are not at liberty to worship God in the way that their conscience dictates can see far more fully than foolhardy Americans just how precious in the Constitutional guarantee that we may bow before our Creator in the way that seems right to us—or not bow at all if we are so blind as to believe He does not exist and is not worthy of our worship.
But, every person who is ever born will indeed serve someone. Free men in free countries may choose whom they will serve while men in bondage must serve the gods set before them by a tyrannical government, but all men will serve someone.
If we think we serve no one, we deceive ourselves because every person who is alive will serve either the Lord Jesus Christ or some demonic entity that presents itself as a god worthy of worship. And ultimately, for all eternity, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the eternal glory of God,” Romans 14:11.
Shall we judge other men? That is not ours to do, but we must indeed weigh and judge the evidence set before us regarding this matter of faith and in whom we shall place it, for the reality is that only God can keep the promise of Romans 14:4 that assures the believer that he shall stand on that Great and Terrible Day when all men’s works shall be tried by fire according to I Corinthians 3:13 which says:
“Their work will be shown for what it is, because that Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
There is no better day than Good Friday to consider the work of Christ on the cross and its impact upon men...upon you. There is no better day than Good Friday to lay down your burden of sin at His feet and to allow Him to place upon you the robe of His righteousness.
There is no better day than Good Friday to evaluate afresh the freedom He has given us and to embrace all its ramifications in not only our personal lives but in our interaction with those around us and in our exercise of our rights as citizens of a free nation.
Hold fast to Jesus now, so He can use you to stand for liberty in all its forms and so He can cause you to stand at His side when Judgment Day arrives.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Seeing the Works of God
Today we celebrate the last lovely event Jesus was able to share with His disciples, the LAST SUPPER. He sat at table and explained to them the events that were to transpire, the fact that He would be leaving them. They did not want to hear that He would die. They wanted Rome to be conquered and the Kingdom of God to be established in Jerusalem.
We are a lot like them. We follow Jesus. Some of us are as close to Him as the disciples were. We think we know Him and understand His purposes, yet we are taken by surprise when things don't go the way we anticipated that they would go.
May we, at those times, remain faithful, for the Savior who died for us, the Lord we serve, has a plan that far exceeds ours.
April 2
Seeing the Works of God
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord.... - Psalm 107:23-24
When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long as I could stand firm, the waves were of no concern to me. However, as I moved farther and farther into the ocean, I had less control over my ability to stand.
Sometimes the current was so strong it moved me down the beach, and I even lost my bearings at times. But I have never gone so far into the ocean that I was not able to control the situation.
Sometimes God takes us into such deep waters that we lose control of the situation, and we have no choice but to fully trust in His care for us. This is doing business in great waters. It is in these great waters that we see the works of God.
The Scriptures tell us that the disciples testified of what they saw and heard. It was the power behind the gospel, not the words themselves, which changed the world. The power wasn't seen until circumstances got to the point that there were no alternatives but God. Sometimes God has to take us into the deep water in order to give us the privilege to see His works.
Sometimes God takes us into the deep waters of life for an extended time. Joseph was taken into deep waters of adversity for 17 years. Rejection by his brothers, enslavement to Pharaoh, and imprisonment were the deep waters for Joseph. During those deep waters, he experienced dreams, a special anointing of his gifts to administrate, and great wisdom beyond his years. The deep water was preparation for a task that was so great he never could have imagined it. He was to see God's works more clearly than anyone in his generation.
God had too much at stake for a 30-year-old to mess it up. So, God took Joseph through the deep waters of preparation to ensure that he would survive what he was about to receive.
Pride sometimes engulfs God’s servants who have access to His great power, but when receipt of the power has been preceded by adversity, His child uses it with grace and gives all glory to Jesus rather than claiming it for himself.
If God chooses to take us into deep waters, it is for a reason; the greater the calling, the deeper the water. Trust in His knowledge that your deep waters are preparation to see the works of God in your life, to see His glory revealed in you and in your circumstances.
Again, the words of our Brother Hillman strike a profound chord in the symphony of our lives, for who among us has not suffered? Who among us has not been betrayed by someone we trusted? Who among us has not been penalized for wrongs we did not commit?
Who among us has not dreamed great dreams of personal achievement or of great works done for the Kingdom of Christ only to find our accomplishments to be among the mundane and inglorious deeds of ordinary men?
Should we languish in a prison of despair because the heights of glory we thought were to be ours have not been scaled? That’s not what Joseph did in his prison. Even though his brothers had sold him into slavery, even though Potiphar’s wife lied about him when he refused her favors, even though prison was his seeming reward for his faithfulness to the law of the Holy One, yet he abounded in faith; yet he remained faithful!
When we are hemmed in on every side by limitations not of our own making; when we are faced with consequences unworthy of our diligent efforts; when we are bound by chains of mediocrity when our abilities assured us acclaim would be ours, may we yet hold fast to the One whose Word, fulfilled in Christ, is “yea and amen,” II Corinthians 1:20.
We are a lot like them. We follow Jesus. Some of us are as close to Him as the disciples were. We think we know Him and understand His purposes, yet we are taken by surprise when things don't go the way we anticipated that they would go.
May we, at those times, remain faithful, for the Savior who died for us, the Lord we serve, has a plan that far exceeds ours.
April 2
Seeing the Works of God
From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord.... - Psalm 107:23-24
When you were a child, perhaps you may have gone to the ocean for a vacation. I recall wading out until the waves began crashing on my knees. As long as I could stand firm, the waves were of no concern to me. However, as I moved farther and farther into the ocean, I had less control over my ability to stand.
Sometimes the current was so strong it moved me down the beach, and I even lost my bearings at times. But I have never gone so far into the ocean that I was not able to control the situation.
Sometimes God takes us into such deep waters that we lose control of the situation, and we have no choice but to fully trust in His care for us. This is doing business in great waters. It is in these great waters that we see the works of God.
The Scriptures tell us that the disciples testified of what they saw and heard. It was the power behind the gospel, not the words themselves, which changed the world. The power wasn't seen until circumstances got to the point that there were no alternatives but God. Sometimes God has to take us into the deep water in order to give us the privilege to see His works.
Sometimes God takes us into the deep waters of life for an extended time. Joseph was taken into deep waters of adversity for 17 years. Rejection by his brothers, enslavement to Pharaoh, and imprisonment were the deep waters for Joseph. During those deep waters, he experienced dreams, a special anointing of his gifts to administrate, and great wisdom beyond his years. The deep water was preparation for a task that was so great he never could have imagined it. He was to see God's works more clearly than anyone in his generation.
God had too much at stake for a 30-year-old to mess it up. So, God took Joseph through the deep waters of preparation to ensure that he would survive what he was about to receive.
Pride sometimes engulfs God’s servants who have access to His great power, but when receipt of the power has been preceded by adversity, His child uses it with grace and gives all glory to Jesus rather than claiming it for himself.
If God chooses to take us into deep waters, it is for a reason; the greater the calling, the deeper the water. Trust in His knowledge that your deep waters are preparation to see the works of God in your life, to see His glory revealed in you and in your circumstances.
Again, the words of our Brother Hillman strike a profound chord in the symphony of our lives, for who among us has not suffered? Who among us has not been betrayed by someone we trusted? Who among us has not been penalized for wrongs we did not commit?
Who among us has not dreamed great dreams of personal achievement or of great works done for the Kingdom of Christ only to find our accomplishments to be among the mundane and inglorious deeds of ordinary men?
Should we languish in a prison of despair because the heights of glory we thought were to be ours have not been scaled? That’s not what Joseph did in his prison. Even though his brothers had sold him into slavery, even though Potiphar’s wife lied about him when he refused her favors, even though prison was his seeming reward for his faithfulness to the law of the Holy One, yet he abounded in faith; yet he remained faithful!
When we are hemmed in on every side by limitations not of our own making; when we are faced with consequences unworthy of our diligent efforts; when we are bound by chains of mediocrity when our abilities assured us acclaim would be ours, may we yet hold fast to the One whose Word, fulfilled in Christ, is “yea and amen,” II Corinthians 1:20.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Why Your Soul Needs Silent Wednesday
Why your soul needs Silent Wednesday by Dr. Jim Dennison
Today in Holy Week is often called Silent Wednesday. On this day Jesus did nothing recorded in Scripture. Why is that fact so relevant to your soul and mine?
I recently read a fascinating article in The Atlantic on the state of Christian music today. The essay reminds us of an era when Christians such as Bach, Beethoven and Tolkien shaped and dominated the arts. It notes theologian N. T. Wright's call for believers "to be at the leading edge of the whole culture."
Excellence to the glory of God is our Lord's expectation. (Tweet this) When God called the craftsman who would construct the first sanctuary, he "filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship" (Exodus 35:31). From that day to this, our Lord deserves and seeks our very best service and worship, our "utmost for his highest," as Oswald Chambers famously noted.
But here's the challenge: I so often fail to be all I can be and do all I can do. Like Dwight Moody, I am a leaky bucket needing often to be refilled. I need every day what this day in Holy Week offers us all.
On Silent Wednesday, Jesus apparently stayed in Bethany, a village two miles east of Jerusalem, at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Away from the crowds, he spent the day preparing for all that was to come. Such solitude with God the Father was Jesus' consistent pattern:
• "Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35).
• "After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone" (Matt. 14:23).
• "In these days he went out to a mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12).
• "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray'" (Matt. 26:36).
Clearly, Jesus knew he needed what only his Father could supply. By contrast, self-sufficiency is the great deception of our day. (Tweet this) Our churches reward what we do for God, not who we are with him.
This statement by Leonard Ravenhill has long convicted me: "No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere." He adds: "If we displease God, does it matter whom we please? If we please Him does it matter whom we displease?"
God is pleased when we make time to be alone with him. He empowers us to be our best when we seek and serve him in the power of his Spirit. If Jesus needed solitude with his Father, how much more do we?
Today in Holy Week is often called Silent Wednesday. On this day Jesus did nothing recorded in Scripture. Why is that fact so relevant to your soul and mine?
I recently read a fascinating article in The Atlantic on the state of Christian music today. The essay reminds us of an era when Christians such as Bach, Beethoven and Tolkien shaped and dominated the arts. It notes theologian N. T. Wright's call for believers "to be at the leading edge of the whole culture."
Excellence to the glory of God is our Lord's expectation. (Tweet this) When God called the craftsman who would construct the first sanctuary, he "filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship" (Exodus 35:31). From that day to this, our Lord deserves and seeks our very best service and worship, our "utmost for his highest," as Oswald Chambers famously noted.
But here's the challenge: I so often fail to be all I can be and do all I can do. Like Dwight Moody, I am a leaky bucket needing often to be refilled. I need every day what this day in Holy Week offers us all.
On Silent Wednesday, Jesus apparently stayed in Bethany, a village two miles east of Jerusalem, at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Away from the crowds, he spent the day preparing for all that was to come. Such solitude with God the Father was Jesus' consistent pattern:
• "Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed" (Mark 1:35).
• "After he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone" (Matt. 14:23).
• "In these days he went out to a mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12).
• "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray'" (Matt. 26:36).
Clearly, Jesus knew he needed what only his Father could supply. By contrast, self-sufficiency is the great deception of our day. (Tweet this) Our churches reward what we do for God, not who we are with him.
This statement by Leonard Ravenhill has long convicted me: "No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere." He adds: "If we displease God, does it matter whom we please? If we please Him does it matter whom we displease?"
God is pleased when we make time to be alone with him. He empowers us to be our best when we seek and serve him in the power of his Spirit. If Jesus needed solitude with his Father, how much more do we?
April Fools' Day
Today is April Fools' Day. The holy Word of God, the Bible tells us that "the fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God,'" Psalm 14:1. Let us not be among those who are so wise in their own conceit that they cannot see the hand of God in creation, in the breath we take, in the food we eat, in the power of His Holy Spirit in the lives we live.
Rather, let us be among those who declare with the Psalmist, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," Psalm 139:14, and "The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork," Psalm 19:1.
April 1
Preparing a Place
God’s purpose from all eternity is to prepare a family to dwell in the kingdom of God. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God is plotting for our good. In all the setbacks, He is ordaining the best for our future. Every event of our day is designed to draw us toward our God and our destiny. When people junk you in the pit (wrong you in some way), God can use it for good. When family members sell you out (betray you), God will recycle the pain. Falsely accused? Utterly abandoned? You may stumble but you will not fall. You will get through this!
Not because you are strong, but because God is. Not because you are big, but because God is. Not because you’re good, but because God is. He has a place prepared for you! -- Max Lucado (adapted from You’ll Get Through This)
Max Lucado has an amazing way with words. He uses the tools of his craft to formulate ideas that are designed to lift his reader above his circumstances into the Lord’s realm of Hope. The Bible, the Holy Word of our Living God does the same thing. In Romans 8:28, Paul states this truth very succinctly. Here he says, “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
We who believe and love Jesus are indeed called according to His purpose which is “that all men might be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth,” I Timothy 2:4. The heart of God weeps at the lostness of those who know Him not.
When men revile Jesus, when men terrorize the people of ‘the Book,’ when men cast aspersions upon those who do good work—even to the point of murdering them—the Almighty God weeps for their lost souls.
And what of those who suffer at the hand of unbelievers? What of those who are slain for their faith in Christ? Our God will take all the evil they have endured and turn it around for the good He has promised. If they don’t see their deliverance here—like the giants of the faith described in Hebrews 11 who were not rescued from their circumstances, they can still affirm as did believers of old, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
They can still know that they know that they know, as Max Lucado reminds us, God will get them through; God has prepared a place for them—and for all who trust in the name that is above all names, for all who trust in the name of Jesus.
Rather, let us be among those who declare with the Psalmist, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made," Psalm 139:14, and "The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork," Psalm 19:1.
April 1
Preparing a Place
God’s purpose from all eternity is to prepare a family to dwell in the kingdom of God. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God is plotting for our good. In all the setbacks, He is ordaining the best for our future. Every event of our day is designed to draw us toward our God and our destiny. When people junk you in the pit (wrong you in some way), God can use it for good. When family members sell you out (betray you), God will recycle the pain. Falsely accused? Utterly abandoned? You may stumble but you will not fall. You will get through this!
Not because you are strong, but because God is. Not because you are big, but because God is. Not because you’re good, but because God is. He has a place prepared for you! -- Max Lucado (adapted from You’ll Get Through This)
Max Lucado has an amazing way with words. He uses the tools of his craft to formulate ideas that are designed to lift his reader above his circumstances into the Lord’s realm of Hope. The Bible, the Holy Word of our Living God does the same thing. In Romans 8:28, Paul states this truth very succinctly. Here he says, “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
We who believe and love Jesus are indeed called according to His purpose which is “that all men might be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth,” I Timothy 2:4. The heart of God weeps at the lostness of those who know Him not.
When men revile Jesus, when men terrorize the people of ‘the Book,’ when men cast aspersions upon those who do good work—even to the point of murdering them—the Almighty God weeps for their lost souls.
And what of those who suffer at the hand of unbelievers? What of those who are slain for their faith in Christ? Our God will take all the evil they have endured and turn it around for the good He has promised. If they don’t see their deliverance here—like the giants of the faith described in Hebrews 11 who were not rescued from their circumstances, they can still affirm as did believers of old, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
They can still know that they know that they know, as Max Lucado reminds us, God will get them through; God has prepared a place for them—and for all who trust in the name that is above all names, for all who trust in the name of Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)