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e-devotion · 11 hours
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Maundy Thursday of Holy Week
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Holy Week is a time to focus on God and His gifts to us.  Maundy Thursday is a special day.  It is often called Holy Thursday reminding us of Jesus’ interaction with His disciples as he instituted the Communion and washed their feet.
John 13:34  NLT
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 
Thursday of Holy Week is one of the best known of the week.  It is the first observance of the Lord’s Supper and the Passover with His closest friends.  Jesus shared the meaning of His blood and body that we continue to celebrate.  It is in Jesus’ body and blood that we find the forgiveness of sin and redemption.  
The conversations that took place around that table must have been amazing and powerful.  It would have been eye opening to be there.  
What would you do if you knew you had 24 hours to live?  Great question.  Jesus knew.  It was His last day.  This was His destiny.  He was willing to step in where we couldn’t go.  He was willing to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
John describes this last day in ways that the no other Gospel does.  Jesus told them what was ahead.  He was honest and strong.  He confronted the accuser.  He even gave direction to the disciples that included Peter denying Jesus.
Yes, this denial was something we still talk about today.  Peter, James and John were three of the closest to Jesus, and this day, Thursday of Holy Week, must have been very hard for Peter and all of the disciples.
May we know Jesus like they knew Jesus.  Just ahead is the cross, and around corner is the resurrection.  Past that is abundant life for us.  Thank you, Jesus, for this and more!
John 14:6-7  NLT
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
Easter is ahead.  The cross and the resurrection are the days we remember, celebrate and share.  Let’s get ready for Easter and Jesus!
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e-devotion · 2 days
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holy week meditations
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Holy Week reminds us of all God has done for us.  Take some time today to meditate on the first 5 days of Holy Week and what they mean for those who follow Jesus.
Day 1, Sunday.  Palm Sunday.  Jesus enters Jerusalem making his triumphant entry.  May we see Jesus as the King of kings and our gift from God.
Zechariah 9:9  NLT  
Rejoice, O people of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!  Look, your king is coming to you.  He is righteous and victorious,yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
Day 2, Monday.  Jesus turns over tables and clears the temple.  May we seek to worship in God alone and seek personal holiness.  
Luke 19:45-46  NLT  
Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
Day 3, Tuesday.  Jesus goes to the mount of Olives teaching some incredible truths of faith.  May we know and hold His righteousness and daily walk close to God.
Matthew 23:27-28  NLT  
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Day 4, Wednesday.  Scholars speculate that since we have nothing recorded for this day that Jesus and His disciples possibly rested this day.  May we rest, reflect and prepare for what is ahead.
Psalm 46:10  NLT  
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
Day 5, Thursday or Maundy Thursday.  Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s supper as well washed the disciples feet.  May we remember Jesus and celebrate His being fully God, fully man and sent to save.
Luke 22:15-16  NLT  
Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
We will reflect on the rest of Holy Week in the coming days.  The cross and the tomb are ahead.  We serve an incredible and holy Savior.  He was the one sent from the Father in Heaven who makes it possible for us to know God.
Easter is ahead.  The resurrection is something we have to treasure, and we prepare for Friday that holds power of the cross.  Let’s get ready to celebrate!
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e-devotion · 2 days
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more of Holy Week
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Holy Week moves toward Easter weekend, the cross and the resurrection  Palm Sunday leads us to see the passion of our hero, and the price He will pay for us.
Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week week finds Jesus teaching important lessons.  Here is part of the story that sticks out for me.
Remember that Jesus was and is God.  Jesus was also human.  Often that is what makes him stand out.  
Can you imagine the difficultly and power of the fist holy week?  Can you imagine being fully God knowing all that the coming days were going to bring?  Jesus kept on following the Father’s direction and helping others find faith.
On Monday Jesus went to the temple. 
Matthew 21:12-13  NLT
Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
That was a new happening.  Jesus hadn’t done this before.  Why?  The temple is always to be holy.  Make sure the place where we worship is special.  Too many people take advantage of it.  Jesus got angry because this was the wrong way to use the temple, and His life and work turned people to understanding that everyone has value.
Then on Tuesday of Holy Week Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  
Matthew 21:18-22  NLT
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. 20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
What you see on the outside is not always true.  Be careful.  It is easy to judge and get it all wrong.  He reminds us to be careful what we ask for.  Make sure your fruit is good and you are seeking the Lord.  Keep on praying.
Holy week reminds us of the importance of Jesus.  This week would change the world and us forever.  It has changed me.  How about you?  This week changed and shape so many lives and still days.
Take some time this Holy Week to focus on Jesus.  Jesus gave His life for us.  He taught what we need to hear.  Focus on Jesus as there is more to come!
Easter is ahead.  Resurrection Sunday is special.  But Friday is only a few days away.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 3 days
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beginning of holy week
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It is holy week.  That is the week that leads us to the horror of Friday’s crucifixion and Sunday’s resurrection.  We remember all of what Jesus has done for us.  His purpose was completed in the events of holy week.
That is why we spend the next 5 days examining different parts of the week.  Yet I first declare and remind each of us that God is good.  No one truly compares to Him, His love for us and the price He was willing to pay for our need and His desire to connect to us.
That fist Palm Sunday was the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king and a hero.  It must have been a situation of festive crowds and joy for so many.  Most likely the news got around town, and there were likely large crowds who came to see and even to celebrate Jesus.  Let’s remember.
Luke 19:36-38  NLT  
As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. 37 When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.  38 “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”
That entrance was one for a king, not a criminal.  The shouts of the crowd were reminders of a person who was highly respects, not one who is mocked.
They said “blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord”.  Their words spoke of peace and strength to their lives and to the nation.  And those things wee true because of Jesus.  
“As we wave palm branches in celebration, let us also wave goodbye to our fears and doubts, knowing that Christ’s triumph over death gives us hope for eternal life.” — Max Lucado. 
“As we carry palm branches in procession, may we also carry the message of Christ’s love and redemption to all those we encounter.” — Mother Teresa
Both quotes remind me that there was much more going on that Palm Sunday.  There is more going on for all of us as well.    May we be found praising God, grateful for His work in our lives and sharing His love for others.
Easter is ahead.  Sunday was special.  But Friday is only a few days away.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 7 days
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keep on praying
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This Sunday is Palm Sunday.  That is the Sunday before Easter that we remember the day that Jesus went in to Jerusalem and was celebrated by all the people around.
What seems weird is that just a few days later these same people were part of having Jesus put on the cross and killed as a criminal.  Again, the cross was not meant for Jesus, yet Jesus chose to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
John 12:13  NIV  
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
Make sure that you are preparing for Easter and thanking God for all He has done!
In the next few days I will be part of an Emmaus Walk, and I ask that you join me praying for each person that is on this special Walk.
There are many people I encourage you to pray for today and in the days ahead.  You fill in the list where God leads you as well.
Pray for …
Your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, those who are on your mind throughout the day, Those who have lost loved ones recently, those who are sick, the people who need to be saved, those in addiction… the list goes on and on… don’t forget to pray for yourself.  
Isaiah 55:6  NLT  
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Finally I ask that you pray for our upcoming mission trips and mission teams.  We have a trip to West Virginia in late April, and then I will be in Cuba for the FCA leadership training retreat at the end of April and first of May.
James 5:16  NLT  
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Easter is ahead.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 8 days
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Easter is about 9 days away.  We have so much to be thankful for.  It is a time of celebration, yet it was a time of crying and so much pain.
Can you imagine knowing what the cross was all about?  It was for criminals and not Christ.  It was punishment for a life of wrong doing and hurting others.  So, how could they justifying putting Jesus on the cross.
The first mention of the cross from Jesus might have seemed a little strange.
Matthew 16:24  NLT  
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
How do you take up your cross?  The people around Jesus might have been a little puzzled as to what Jesus meant by taking up their cross.  He never wasted His words.  But what was this about?
John 19:17-18  NLT  
Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
Then they saw Him.  They saw Jesus carry His own cross.  It was a horrible road, and it was a difficult thing to watch.
Move to the end of where He carried the cross and Jesus was nailed to it.  Can you imagine looking at the cross before when He was carrying it, and then looking at the cross when He was hanging on it?  That had to be confusing.
But there was a ready.  May we see the cross for how God uses it in our lives.  It is a place of guilt, shame and punishment.  But Jesus deserved none of that.
He deserved none of that until my sin was placed on Him.  That is until your sin was placed on Him.  May we see the cross as those that were present when it happened did.
Galatians 3:13  NLT  
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
1 Peter 2:24  NLT  
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
That is what Jesus did for us.  In the coming week may we really examine what Jesus did for us.  May we see the place of death as a place that brings us and others life.  May we not make it small and insignificant but mighty and a mark of who Jesus really is.
Easter is ahead.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 9 days
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what we might need
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This week is full of opportunities as well as well as preparing us for Easter.  It is full of all kinds of things from conversations, thoughts, struggles, emotions and even victories.  I look back to a devotion September of 2016. Here is that post:
Matthew 11:28-30  NLT
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Those words have been read, shouted and shared in so many places and in many ways through the years I have been a Christian, yet they hold truth that each of us need to be reminded of.  Don’t miss an opportunity to remind those around you of all God is for each of us.
SAFE PLACE
Our God offers safety to each of His children.  We are God’s kids because we are made by His and saved by Him.  Further, He offers shelter, warmth, safety and peace in His presence.  I hate to see people who live in places where there is no safety.  They constantly live in a mess and with trouble.  They live in fear.
With God faith replaces fear.  The first concept of these verses says “come to me”.  Come to God because He is our safe place.  I need that.  How about you?
BURDENS
We all have them.  Even daily we deal with little ones, big ones and all in between.  What are we going to do with them?  Alone we will sink.  With help we can do better.  With God’s help burdens change.  They might leave us.  They might stay but give us perspective.
God says that our burdens are His deal and not ours.  Literally exchange ours for His.  That is a big deal.  When we worry less, we will trust Him more.  I need that.  How about you?
TEACH US
There are many more points to these verses, but we can learn from God.  Just like the disciples learned from Jesus, we must learn.  We learn to deal with stress.  We learn to rest when most people are stressed.  His way, His plan and His burden is light.  He didn��t say easy.  
With God our lives are difference.  Our passion will be different.  Our path with be different.  Our purpose will be evident.  But until we find ourselves coming to God, we will not know His best and His will for our lives.  I need that.  How about you?
Easter is ahead.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 10 days
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the church and the Bible are relevant
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We are going through a series at The Community Fellowship about our core values, and this Sunday we discussed our core value of being relevant.
God is always relevant, but so many people say that is just not the case.  Our world needs hope and strength and life.  Those things can only come from God.  Yet people look to fill their lives with things that do not last, things that don’t give lasting hope.
That is why I believe the church and Christians have to make sure we are showing the world and sharing with all that God is love, and it is the desire of God to be in the world and to share how good He is.
Let’s talk about just one of those things.  The Bible is a great place to start as it is relevant to all of us and to all of life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17  NLT  
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Here are just a few ways that we the Bible being a place where God speaks.  He loves us so much and desires to give life and hope to others.  This is a gift from God.  It is relevant, and here is why…
The Bible relates to the spiritual aspect of life because in verse 15 it says the Scriptures are able to make you wise.  How wise?  All the way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ'
The Bible teaches us what to believe.  In verse 16 we learn that Scripture is useful for teaching.  Teaching the one who learns that the substance of life, all of life, can be amazing and a gift from God.
The Bible teaches us what not to believe.  Again in verse 16 Scripture is useful for rebuking those of us who need to be redirected.  We learn how we speak to wrong teaching.
The Bible teaches us how not to behave.  In verse 16 it says that Scripture is useful for correcting each person.  In other words guiding out of us the ways of the world and guiding us in to the ways and wisdom of God.
The Bible teaches us how to behave.  We learn in verse 16 that Scripture is useful for training in righteousness.  God gives us right ways and right responses in this world that seems to have forgotten what is good and right.
And finally, the Bible equips the Christian for every good work.  See verse 17 and know that this is what we are made for.
Ephesians 2:10  NLT  
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
I am grateful for the church.  But I am even more grateful for the truth God has given us all.
Easter is ahead.  Let’s get ready!
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e-devotion · 13 days
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it is about the cross
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Let’s end the week with some awesome verses.  We have been talking this week about the cross which is the central part of Easter.  Also the cross is a place of shame, sacrifice, love and hope.  That seems to be a bit of a strange combination that we all need to understand and to celebrate.
Last week we talked about prophecies of the coming messiah, and we will continue to think about the themes that go with our Easter celebrate.  So, let’s make a beeline for the cross.  
Talk about the cross.  Thank God for the cross.  Think about the cross.  Honor God by sharing about the cross.  Check out these verses:
John 8:28  NLT  
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me.
Lift up Jesus.  That is the main thing.  The main thing is Jesus.  The cross reminds us that the things of the world can bring us to see the main thing that God has given us.
Acts 5:30  NLT  
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.
His death is a fact of history and is the crux of our faith.  Honor and lift up the cross.
And my favorite verses in this set and e-devotion is the following.  Let’s continue to look toward Easter and know the mission and purpose of the cross!
Hebrews 12:2  NLT  
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
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e-devotion · 14 days
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Easter and His name
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One of the most powerful passages of Scripture in the New Testament is found in Philippians 2.  It points to who Jesus is and what He did for us.  
As we move forward in the direction of Easter there are so many points that we can make and some that stick out more than others.  But what we know and need to lift even more is the fact that Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves.
He is God.  He became the sacrifice that all humanity needed.  He took our failure and turned it in to His success.  He took our limits and changed everything for us.  What we have done to keep us away from God was removed by the only one who could do that, and even more.  
Take some time, in light of Easter, to acknowledge the place Jesus took.  He willingly did these things. 
Philippians 2:5-11  NLT  
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6  Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slaveand was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form,8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is the attitude we have to have.
This is the son of God, sent from God, sacrifice given by God.
This is the humble servant of Isaiah 52 and 53 that God told us about.
This is the one elevated for all to see, to embrace and to know.
This is the name, the person, the one we are all to confess about and thank God for.
This is Jesus that we celebrate all year round, but we move toward Easter when we remember once again.  Get ready.  Let’s celebrate Easter together.
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e-devotion · 15 days
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message of the cross
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Just a few weeks ahead is Easter, and this is one of the most important days in all of history.  It is also one of the days we must remember often.
What Jesus did for us on that first Easter is something we could have never done for ourselves.  It was on Friday that the cross became a symbol of the Christian life.  
Before Jesus the cross carried only shame, grief and punishment.  After Jesus the cross became a symbol of freedom and life due to the position and stains on the cross that Jesus was mailed to.  This historical happening is what the world needed and still needs.
Take a few minutes today to see how the cross intersects our lives.  This is good stuff.
Galatians 6:14  NLT  
As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 
The cross is the place where Christians find life and hope.  It was a pace where our sin and shame found an end.
1 Peter 2:24  NLT  
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.  By his wounds you are healed.
The sin and shame was placed on the perfect person, Jesus, who deserved none of it.  By His wounds and pain and punishment we find life.
The cross is a dividing line.  Here is the big word for today:
1 Corinthians 1:18  NLT  
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
Some will never understand.  Some will understand very well.  Some see is and call is foolish with no meaning.  Some find is giving power and strength and hope.
That is what Jesus did for us on the cross.  It is not foolishness.  It is life.  Praise God for what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Get ready for Easter.  It is not far ahead.
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e-devotion · 17 days
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why the cross
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Spend some time in the next three weeks thinking about what Jesus did for us that we could not do for ourselves.  And there are lots of things, many that we need to thank God for, many that people don’t recognize and eternal things that make a big difference.
Think about the cross.  There are outcomes that touch our lives and the lives of the people we come in contact with.  Here are just a few of those things, and this week we are going to talk about some of the things that happened because of Christ going to the cross.
Galatians 3:13  NLT  
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Jesus because of the cross took the punishment that the law called for.  He took the curse of sin.  He took our wrongs and changed our lives.
Ephesians 2:14  NLT  
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
Jesus gave us peace through His death on the cross.  We didn’t have peace because we were enemies of God, condemned because of sin and separated from God.  But peace really is brought to us because Christ connected us to God.
I John 5:6  NLT  
And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
No one else could do these things for us.  Christ took our wrong.  Christ gave us peace.  He was sent from God the Father to do just that.  And more.
May we praise God for the cross.  May we acknowledge what Christ did for us that we could not do for ourselves.
Easter is ahead.  Get ready.
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e-devotion · 20 days
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the suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53
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This week we have looked at prophecies from the Old Testament of the coming Messiah.  And today I bring that to an end with hopefully what is in known in music as a crescendo.  
That means a big finish.  Actually it means a gradual increase until the end when the loud music is on.  I most remember it as music that led to a loud and exciting end.  These verses I point us to today are just that.  It is the best, the most exciting, the loud finish.
I’ve left copied below Isaiah 52:13-15 and all of chapter 53.  Go read it, but I share some of the greatest pieces for me.  I remember first reading this in college when I was writing a paper.  It was awesome.  It was almost too much or overflowing.  So let me share just a bit.
Verse 14 His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
That is Jesus at the cross.  His death was to come.  These verses were written and shared long before the cross was even a possibility for the son of God.
Verse 2 There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
There would not be much about Jesus that looked extra special or drew people to Him.  But His life’s way, His words, His love, and all drew people to come and see and come and hear what God sent for us.
Verse 3 He was despised and rejected—
For us He was rejected.  Remember this was written before the original Easter and all that Jesus would go through.
Verse 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
Why did Jesus come to earth?  Why did God send Him?  It was your sin and mine.  My rebellion and disobedience and yours.  
Verse 6 (and all of it)  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
Once again God was going to provide.  Similar to the sacrifice of the Old Testament, but in the future it would be a one time gift.  Jesus was that gift for me, the sheep that went astray.
Verse 9 (and all of it, again)  He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
That is what was to come.  If you were reading or hearing what Isaiah wrote before Jesus, this would sound weird, but we know it as what actually happened.  The perfect one was given for those of us, all of us, who are imperfect. 
Verse 10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
Verse 11 And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous,
That is the real part.  It is all real.  It all became a reality, and I am grateful.  Yet it is hard to understand or to see lived out.  Can you imagine being there when Jesus died?
Verse 12 because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
That is Jesus who was and is the Messiah.  He was talked about long before He came.  Why?  Because of sin.  God knew that we needed a Savior.  He was willing to give His best, His son and in our place.
The prophecy from the Old Testament of the coming Messiah makes the reality of the New Testament even more alive.  May we understand the bigness, the crescendo, of Easter.
It is all about Jesus and what He did for us.
Again, below are the verses I am speaking of today.  Read and celebrate.  Get ready for Easter and the resurrection.
Isaiah 52:13-15  NLT  
See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him.  His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle many nations.  Kings will stand speechless in his presence.  For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.
Keep reading.
Isaiah 53:1-12  NLT  
Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.  He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.  And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.   We have left God’s paths to follow our own.  Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8  Unjustly condemned, he was led away.  No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.  But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. 10  But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.  Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.  He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.  And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.  He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Easter is ahead!  Let’s get ready for the resurrection. 
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e-devotion · 21 days
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favorite prophecy of Messiah
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This week we are looking at prophecies and promises from the Old Testament of the coming Messiah.  Today I share with you my favorite and maybe the most common or most well known.  It is ripe with meaning and pointing to what Jesus did for us.
It also gives us a great picture of Jesus’ place from the Father.  Read on and note the things about Jesus that stand out to you.
Isaiah 52:13-15  NLT  
See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw him.  His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 15 And he will startle many nations.  Kings will stand speechless in his presence.  For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.
Keep reading.
Isaiah 53:1-12  NLT  
Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.  He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.  And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.   We have left God’s paths to follow our own.  Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8  Unjustly condemned, he was led away.  No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream.  But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. 10  But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.  Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.  He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.  And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.  He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Now.  Right there.  Too much for one day.  Easter is only a few weeks away.  Jesus was sent by God, and there you have the prophecy and promises of His fully being man and how God dealt with our struggle with life, death and sin.
God gives us life.  One more day this week, and we will pull some of this a part.  I hope you marked the places that were strongest to you in these verses.  It is good.
More tomorrow.  Easter is ahead!  Let’s get ready for the resurrection. 
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e-devotion · 22 days
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more prophecy of the Messiah
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This week we are looking at promises from the Old Testament of the coming Messiah. Jesus.  His birth, life, death and resurrection are spoken of often before any of those things took place.
My payer is that we will prepare ourselves for Easter.  Look at the Scriptures that point to the coming of Jesus and meaning of the resurrection.  
2 Samuel 7:12-13  NLT  
For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 
Matthew 1 reminds us this is Jesus.  Keep reading.  
Isaiah 7:14  NLT  
All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
There you have Jesus born.  Literally God with us.  Keep reading.
Psalm 40:6-8  NLT  
You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: 8  I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”
The perfect sacrifice was Jesus and was why He was sent.  Keep reading.
Leviticus 17:11 NLT  
for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
That sacrifice was Jesus, but the power and forgiveness was found in His blood.  Keep reading.
Isaiah 25:7-8  NLT  
There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 8  He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockeryagainst his land and people. The Lord has spoken!
Death would not hold him, and His eternal life with change much.
There is more to come, and these verses point to the plan God put in place long before any of it happened.  That is the blessing.  That is why we prepare for Easter.  Celebrate.  Remember.  Prepare for more.  Easter is coming soon.
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e-devotion · 23 days
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the coming Messiah
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Easter!  Just ahead is the one day to celebrate the cross and the resurrection.  Literally this is the central truth of our salvation and the Gospel story.  We must not overlook it believing it is more important than Christmas.  
This week we are looking at five promises from the Old Testament of the coming messiah. Jesus, the one sent from God and set apart to change the world.  My payer and hope is that we will prepare ourselves for Easter through seeing the coming of Jesus and meaning of the resurrection.  
Isaiahwas written during difficult times for the nation of Israel.  God’s people wee being threatened by many enemies.  This prophet over and over warns the children of Israel about the consequence for their sins, but they continue to ignore the warnings.  The consequences come to pass.  The northern kingdom of Israel is destroyed by Assyria, and later the southern kingdom of Judah is conquered.  God’s people are sent into exile in Babylon. 
Despite these hardships and pain, the prophet goes on to speak words of hope and the promise of an eventual restoration.  This was for now, for God’s chosen people, but also for us.  Isaiah talks of restoration for the whole world, through the work of a Messiah, the soon coming of Jesus.
Isaiah 11:2-5  NLT  
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord.  He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.  4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5  He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.
That is where we find Jesus.  Not only did the people of God find one who would lead them to peace and safety.  But this Messiah knew their burden, their struggle and did something about it.
That is where we find resurrection truth and the Gospel.  We need Jesus.  The world needs Jesus.
Let’s tell the story of who brings righteousness.  He was sent for us, and Jesus the one who will forever remind us and the world that God alone is the one we should lean on and trust in of life, health, peace and so much more.
Let’s get ready for Easter and celebrate who Jesus is!
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e-devotion · 24 days
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get ready for Easter
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Easter is only four weeks away, and this is the one Christian holiday that we cannot overlook.  It is morning important than Christmas.  Easter and the resurrection are literally the central fact of salvation and the Gospel story.
This week we are going to take a short look at five promises in the Old Testament  of the coming messiah, the one sent from God.  My hope is that we will prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter all the while seeing the gravity and meaning of the resurrection.  
Watch how God has prepared us and the world for the coming of Jesus and His death.  But remember that He is also coming again.
Psalm 45:6-7  NLT  
Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.  You rule with a scepter of justice. 7 You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
The throne won’t be one that people expect.
The rule is unlike what others will have held.
The hating of evil and loving of righteousness is the same but stronger.
The anointing is something new, something eternal, and something that can never be erased.
This joy of the coming messiah is wrapped in the ugliness of sin and in the beauty of God’s unconditional love.  The gap between humanity and Father God was so real but so painful for God himself.  That is why Jesus was to come.
That is why Jesus came and that first Easter is to be celebrated again and again.  Get ready, and may we see the beauty that came from such a cruel cross and opened up a grave.  
This is the promise from God for us.  Get ready for Easter.
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