Faithfulness I can count upon

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Lent is a special season of the year that helps prepare us for the cross and the blessedness of Resurrection Sunday.  This year the 47 blogs I composed in the 6 weeks of Lent were a testament to God’s faithfulness.  I did not plan ahead each week as to which scriptures I would use as I did last year, when I wrote each day from the Psalms.  However, I let God direct me each morning to the scripture He had selected and the ideas He had laid on my heart.  I did not prepare them in advance, if I was having a busy week or busy day, but trusted God for enough time to write before I left the house each morning.  Some days I had to rise earlier than I wanted, but all was accomplished.  I have 2 scriptures that describe God’s faithfulness and my dependence upon Him for each day.

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.    
Lamentations  3:21-23  “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

I am feeling incredibly blessed to have experienced His faithfulness each day for 6 weeks in a very personal way that I can share with others.  I challenge you to step out in faith and trust something or someone to God today.  Then, step back and watch how God will faithfully answer.   It will be cause for great growth and rejoicing.

Praising God for His faithfulness and mercy,

Linda
 

HE HAS RISEN!!!!

       The angel said to the women, “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.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples:  ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’  Now I have told you.”    So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them.  “Greetings,” he said.  They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”  Matthew 28:5-10

      This is a wonderfully encouraging portion of scripture.  We see an angel encouraging and comforting the women,  then Jesus himself comforting them.  We see their supreme joy in learning that Jesus is risen and will appear to them in Galilee.    What is your response to Jesus today?  Are you filled with joy at his resurrection?  Do you want to run and tell others that He Lives!  Are you ready and willing to fall down at His feet and worship Him?

       Meeting Jesus demands a response. Hebrews 11:6 puts it this way: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  Will you respond to Jesus today in faith?  Will you respond to the statement -He is risen with  “He is risen indeed!”?   Claim the risen Christ as your Savior today.  Rejoice with believers today that He is Alive and claim your life anew in Him.

He has risen.  He has risen indeed!,

Linda

This is a hand cut tomb in the garden area near Golgotha and believed to be Jesus’ tomb. There is a large groove right outside the doorway where the stone to cover the entrance had once been.

Praise Him Today!!

Silent waiting for our Savior

       Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb of his friend Joseph of Arimathea.  Scripture gives us some hints as to what Jesus was doing between the time of his burial and resurrection.  There is a lot of debate by scholars on the subject but it is agreed that Jesus  was in Hades preaching and teaching.  Ephesians 4:8-10 speaks of Jesus descending and leading captives as he ascended into heaven.  1Peter 3:18-20 speaks of Jesus preaching to spirits in prison.

       Why is scripture basically silent on this period of time?  Probably because it is of little importance to us as believers.  The gospel essence is the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  His power over death is so miraculous and life giving that our focus needs to be on our redemption and His victory.  We also know that Jesus was always about His Father’s business.  “Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I , too, am working.”  John 5:17  God always has a purpose and a plan, and Jesus was always doing the Father’s work.  So on this silent day we can ask ourselves, Am I doing what God wants me to do?  Am I using the time God has given me to pray, study, witness and do good things for others?  Quietly think about God today as you prepare for Resurrection Sunday.   Know for sure the truth of Isaiah’s ancient words:    How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”   Isaiah 52:7

Blessings as we await His resurrection,

Linda

Friday-is Jesus your king?

      Good Friday is the day of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  There are so many thoughts and images associated with this day it is hard to single out one event.  As I was reading the events in the gospels, I was drawn to the sign they posted at the cross that told the crime of the accused.  All of the gospels say the sign read:  the King of the Jews in multiple languages.  When the chief priests objected that it should say this is what Jesus claimed, Pilate said “What I have written, I have written.” John 19:22   Perhaps Pilate was recalling his interview with Jesus held earlier in the day and recorded in John 18:33-37.  Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”  “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”  Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place.”  “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.  Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

      The Jews had looked for the Messiah to come as a conquering king to rescue and save them from their lives of oppression at the hands of occupying powers.  They had overlooked all the prophesies about the suffering servant Messiah who would come to save His people from their sins.  They were right that Jesus would be the conquering King but that is still future to us when Christ returns.  Revelation 17:14 “They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”  The Lamb of God is Jesus and when He returns He will overcome all evil.  When Jesus returns in victory Revelations 19:16 gives us this description “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”   Just as Jesus told Pilate, He is the king.   Philippians 2:9-11 describes Jesus’ true place before all humanity  “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  He is King Jesus!

Is Jesus your King?  Today is the day to proclaim Him as your king.  He came to seek you and save you and die so that you could know the Lord fully and belong to Him.    Let Him know of your love and devotion for this ultimate sacrifice.

I bow before you King Jesus,

Linda

Thursday-a day of comfort?

      During Holy Week, many things took place on this day in the life of Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus washed their feet before dinner, the Last Supper, prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, denial by Peter, the beating of Christ and many trials throughout the night.  What stood out to me as I looked at the scriptures of the above events was the amount of comfort that Jesus conveyed to his disciples.  After dinner in the Upper Room, Jesus spent time comforting the disciples about things to come.  Some of the most precious verses in scripture come from this talk Jesus had with them and eventually us as we read His words.  Jesus gave comfort and then went to the garden to pray for strength and comfort from his heavenly Father.  He needed to be comforted and strengthen to face the trials ahead.  He knew what lay ahead and sought renewal from His Father.  The portion of scripture I have chosen for today comes from the gospel of John and is well known for its comfort, especially as we lose loved ones in death.  I pray it will bring you comfort today.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”   Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seem him.”  John 14: 1-7

What comfort do I receive from Jesus’ words?  Jesus does not want me to worry about my future.   Jesus wants me to trust Him and believe His Word.  Jesus is preparing heaven for my arrival. Heaven is a real place.  Jesus will return.  I will be with Jesus in heaven.  I can and do know the way to heaven.  The way to heaven is through faith in Jesus.  Knowing Jesus = knowing God Himself.  Seeing and experiencing Jesus in my life= seeing and experiencing God.

May the comfort of Jesus’ words bring you peace and hope today.

Linda

Wednesday-rest and plotting

    The gospels are silent about Jesus’ activities on Wednesday.  They say he withdrew to rest.  It is understandable as Thursday Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, arrest and trials.  On Wednesday, the plot against Jesus is fully revealed and acknowledged by Jesus at the Last Supper the next evening.

“Then one of the Twelve- the one called Judas Iscariot- went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”  So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.  From then on Judas watched for  an opportunity to hand him over.”   The very next evening  Jesus gathered the disciples in the Upper Room for their Passover dinner and this next scene occurred.  “When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.  And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”  They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other,  “Surely not I, Lord?”  Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.  The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!  It would be better for him if he had not been born”  Then  Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”  Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”   Matthew 26: 14-16 and 20-25

      Have you ever wondered how Judas could have been with Jesus for 3 years and not understood His omniscience?  Jesus told of things to come, raised Lazarus from the dead, healed many and offered eternal life in His name.  How could Judas feel he could ‘get away’ with doing something, looking for an opportunity to betray Him, without Jesus knowing about it?  After all this time, Judas still did not believe Jesus was the Son of God.  He did not understand He had come to save and cleanse believers.  The disciples did not understand Jesus’ mission or purpose in coming and after Judas left them Jesus spent time trying to explain and reassure them of the future.  Judas was not included in that Upper Room discourse because he lacked the essential element needed-faith.  He did not believe Jesus was who He said He was.  Peter answered Jesus question as to who He was in Mathew 16:15-16  “But what about you,” Jesus asked.  Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  To be present with the Lord in the Upper Room, the disciples needed to have faith and Judas did not believe so he was sent away.

      What about you?  Who do you say Jesus is?  Is He your Savior and Lord or just a good teacher?  Do you think you can do things in silence and God won’t know? Judas was sent away from the inner group when Jesus revealed His true purpose and had an intimate sharing time with the disciples.  Would you be sent away or would you be invited to stay?  Know Jesus today and believe so you are  invited to be with Him now and for eternity.

Sitting at the table with Jesus,

Linda

Tuesday- parables

   

Western Wall is only remaining portion of the temple remaining today.

The gospels show us that Jesus was teaching parables and talking about the future in and around the temple area Tuesday and possibly Wednesday of Holy Week.  I chose a short parable from Luke for today’s passage but it appears in Matthew and Mark as well.

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  ‘I tell you the truth’, he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'”  Luke 21:1-4

Why do you think Jesus was teaching about giving these last days?  This passage speaks to us today as much as it did in Jesus’ day.  He was concerned about their heart attitude towards God and sacrificial giving.  Jesus knew the testing that was to come for his disciples and future believers.  He wanted them and us to look at a person’s heart and motives rather than the outward show of their actions.  It is not the amount that one gives monetarily or the amount of time spent in service but the quality of that gift.  Is it sacrificial?  Does it represent all that person can give?  We are not Jesus and can not know for certain what motivates a person’s giving.  This parable is a warning to us not to judge what we do not know.  We need to walk with grace in our hearts and leave the judging to God.   These verses from Ephesians describe the grace we have and the grace we need to give.  Ephesians 2:6-9  “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that  in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been save, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that on one can boast.”

Look for ways to express God’s grace today and be blessed by Jesus,

Linda

Below are the steps that led into Jerusalem during Jesus’ day by which they could enter or leave the city.  He walked these steps and talked with the crowds as they traveled to and from the city.