From Dusk to Dawn

Hallelujah! You who serve God, praise God! Just to speak his name is praise!
Psalm 113:1 The Message

Just to remember God is a blessing - now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God!

God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God, our God, so majestically enthroned, surveying his magnificent
heavens and earth?

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the forgotten who’ve been thrown out with the trash, seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best. He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah!

Psalm 113:2-9 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

          Forever, we will praise You for Your mighty works! For rescuing us from the pit. Let us never forget the joy of our salvation and all You have done for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

From a Dark, Rebellious Life

Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine.
Titus 2:1 The Message

2-15 Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.

But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.

Guide slaves into being loyal workers, a bonus to their masters—no back talk, no petty thievery. Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God.

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

Tell them all this. Build up their courage, and discipline them if they get out of line. You’re in charge. Don’t let anyone put you down.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to be people that You can be proud of, energetic in goodness. Correct us in Your love if we get out of line. We want to serve You in a good, pure life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Man Said So

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

This isn't my writing. It's an excerpt from a sermon preached by Reverend Alistair Begg. It is GREAT news for everyone, but especially for those who think they have to earn their way into Heaven. (We cannot.) This story from God's Word is irrefutable proof. Read on...

...without the preaching of the Cross, without preaching the Cross to ourselves all day and every day, we will very, very quickly revert to faith plus works as the ground of our salvation. So that to go to the old Fort Lauderdale question, 'If you were to die tonight and you were getting entry into Heaven, what would you say?'

If you answer that and if I answer it in the first person, we've immediately gone wrong.

Because "I", ...because "I" believed, ...because "I" have faith, ...because "I" am this,  ...because "I" am continuing...

Loved ones, the only proper answer is in the third person - because He! Because He! Think about the thief on the cross. What an immense (pause), I can't wait to find that fellow one day to ask him, "How did that shake out for you?!? Because you were cussing the guy out with your friend... You've never been in a Bible study and never got baptized. You didn't know a thing about church membership and yet, and yet, you made it. You made it!  How did you make it?!?"

That's what the angel must have said, you know, like 'What are you doing here?'

[thief] Well, I don't know

[angel] What do you mean you don't know?!?

[thief] Well, because I don't know!

{angel] Well, you know...were you (stuttering) did you... (pause) Excuse me, let me get my supervisor.

So they go get the supervisor angel.

[supervisor] Sir, just a few questions for you. First of all, are you clear on the doctrine of justification by faith?

The guy said, I never heard of it in my life.

[supervisor] And what about - let's just go to the doctrine of Scripture immediately...

The guy is just staring, and eventually, in frustration, he [supervisor] says, Then on what basis are you here?

And the thief said, "The Man on the middle cross said I can come."

Now, that is the only answer. That is the only answer. And if I don't preach the Gospel to myself all day and every day, then I will find myself beginning to trust myself, trust my experience, which is part of my fallenness as a man. If I take my eyes off the cross, I can then give only lip service to its efficacy while at the same time living as if my salvation depends upon me.

And as soon as you go there, it will lead you either to abject despair or a horrible kind of arrogance. And it is only the cross of Christ that deals both with the dreadful depths of despair and the pretentious arrogance of the pride of man that says, "You know, I can figure this out and I'm doing wonderfully well." No! "Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free, for God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me." (from Before the Throne of God) That's why Luther said that most of your Christian life is outside of you - in this sense, that we know we are not saved by good works, We are not saved as a result of our professions, but we're saved as a result of what Christ has achieved.

The Man on the middle cross said so.

Prayer:

Father, 

           O the beauty of Your Grace, the depth of Your love to provide salvation for us - to make the way when there is nothing we could do in our own self-righteousness to earn our way to Heaven. Thank you seems hardly adequate and yet, we are so grateful. Help us to ALWAYS be aware that it is You and Your work on Calvary's Cross that gives us access and entrance to Your presence. Give us clean hands and grateful and pure hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Alistair Begg - The Message of the Cross

Promise for Today - Remove the Stains

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Psalm 51:7-10

Shower or Bath? I can hear some of you now, Are you kidding me? You're discussing showers and baths for the Promise? Yes...Yes, I am.

Some like a good, hot shower. Others prefer baths. One might ask, What's the difference as long as we get clean? 

Well, I have noticed there is a difference - even between shower to shower. How's the water flow from the shower head? Is it hand-held or wall-mounted or both? Does it have a pulsating feature or not? And baths - how many different kinds of tubs have you seen or experienced? My favorite is the old clawfoot tubs - now if I had one of those, I might change my mind...

And some of the comments. 

Shower - I just like to stand there and let that hot water beat down on me. 

Bath - I like to sit there with the water up to my chin and let it just soak the stress away. Calgon built an empire on that premise. How many of you remember the ad slogan,"Calgon, take me away..." ?

The point is, we all feel better after getting in and getting clean from the grit and grime of the day. How much more so after being cleansed from the sins and stains of life? There isn’t enough soap or water or scrubbing to cleanse us from our sin and unrighteousness. But the promise is - whether we choose to stand under the flow of forgiveness or sink into the depths of His unlimited grace, we are washed clean – inside and out - by the Blood that flowed at Calvary.

Prayer:

Father,
           Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Choosing Holy

But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:10b-14 NLT

I met a friend for supper recently. Great girl - a LOT of fun. A Christian. She is working her way through some tough times, and doing a good job, too. She vented just a little about what she'd LIKE to do in a certain situation (and justifiably so in the flesh) but almost before she finished her own sentence, she half-grinned and said, "I know it's not the Christian thing to do." And as I laughed, she remarked, "But it sure would feel good." 

For the last 60 years, we've grown up in an era of "If it feels good, do it!" And we have heartily embraced it. No boundaries - nothing to fence us in. So much so that if something doesn't feel good, we just don't want to do it. We don't think we have to do it, and generally, there's a good chance that we're not going to do it. 

When my alarm went off this morning, I did not want to get up to go do what I had to do. I did not feel like it. I wanted to stay in bed... but I got up and made myself go take care of business. My flesh had already kicked in with hours I've worked vs. PTO hours, but I also knew I had a full workload waiting for me and...well, you know how it goes, so I disciplined myself to get ready and report for duty. Did I want to? No. I love my job, and the people I work with, but I wanted to crawl back into bed. THAT's what would have felt good... but it would NOT have been the right thing to do.

Every day, we're faced with decisions that have the same kind of outcome - doing what feels good or doing what is right and it all boils down to discipline. Back to the holy thing... we have to work at it. It would be easier on my flesh to do whatever I want to do rather than expend myself for something or someone else, but we're to "work at living a holy life."

We can't lead someone down a path that we've never walked. What good is knowledge or even wisdom if we haven't the discipline to walk it out? Does it feel good? Not always. But there is a Christ part of us on the inside that rejoices in doing something simply because it is right! That's what Jesus did. And we're to be like Him. 

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord... [emphasis mine]

So, even when we don't feel like it. Even when we don't want to...

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to see You, Lord. We want to be with You. We want to do the right thing. Help us to not forget that without You, nothing is good OR right. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Unite My Heart

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Psalm 86:11 NKJV

Unite my heart ... to me, that is a unique turn of phrase. In reading other translations, I saw it was synonymous with Give me singleness of heart and the one I like best, Give me an undivided heart.

For someone like me who is easily distracted (Oh, shiny!), I understand the passionate desire for an undivided heart. To be focused. A wholehearted commitment. Singleness of purpose. Or as The Living Bible puts it, May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name.

We can then recognize the theme of the first commandment throughout Scripture - You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, Luke 10:27.  We must make every effort to live our lives "with ALL".

Prayer:

Father,

           We pray according to Your Word, May every fiber of our being unite in reverence to Your Name. We want to love You, worship and serve You, and serve others with ALL. Help us, O Lord, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - In the Bloodline

He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done. 

2 Kings 24:9 KJV

Have you ever been told you look like your father? Or that you act "just like your father"? Is that a good thing... or maybe a not-so-good thing? Have you ever known families where the children all mimic the father's mannerisms and attitudes? That's exactly what we find in our text today and throughout the book of 2 Kings.

Is it a learned behavior or a generational curse? I don't intend to try to determine that here, nor will I address good fathering practice / bad fathering practice because those are rather apparent (no pun intended).

However, I will point out two very important Scriptures. Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. And the second is very similar - Colossians 3:21, Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

As a born-again believer, your Bloodline flows from the Cross at Calvary...the one brought about because our Father God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...who in turn gave His life so that we can be forgiven.

Prayer:

Father,
           By Your Grace, so let us continue our lives to do just as You have done - Help us to give freely of our love and our time and our provision to others. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

Promise for Today - It's Not that Bad

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living. 

 1st Peter 1:13-17 The Message

I was thinking about the toxicity of life and what could be done about it, when I remembered the parent's story of her teenagers still living at home who wanted to watch an R-rated movie. Mom said no. The teenagers began to whine and wheedle, "Oh, Mom, c'mon! It's not that bad. It only has a little cussing in it. And only one sex scene..." Mom said it would not be good for them, no matter how little it was. The teens wanted to argue about it, but Mom quieted them with a promise to sleep on it and let them know her final decision the next evening.

After school the next afternoon, the teens came home to the smell of fresh brownies in the kitchen. Oh, they were SO excited! Mom's brownies were the BEST! Before they took a bite, Mom said, "I want to let you know one little thing that's in there. I put half a teaspoon of dog poo in the batter, but it's only a little bit - less than half a teaspoon actually, so it's not that bad."

Nobody would eat the brownies.

None of us would, either, and yet we "eat" stuff day in and day out that is bad for us. Stuff that does NOT promote spiritual health and well-being. Think about it.

Quote from Alan Neel, "Discernment is a daily decision to determine what is toxic." Think about it. Let's remove the toxins in our lives; including the two-legged ones, too.

Prayer:

Father,
             Help us to see the true toxicity level of those things in our lives and give us the strength to cast them off and to not look back. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Get Understanding

They will answer, “We will come back, because you are the Lord our God. On hilltops, we worshiped idols and made loud noises, but it was all for nothing— only you can save us."
Jeremiah 3:22b-23 CEV

I don't know if you've ever done this before... I'm talking about trying to convince God why He should let me have my own way in something He knows is not the best for my life. In reality, I know it, too, or I wouldn't try to rationalize it.

However, the Truth is that more than likely, we will do it anyway, and try to convince ourselves it's all good...until it's not. You see sometimes, it's as though God says, "Go ahead..." He knows we're going to anyway. It's not His will, but just like a child, before we get understanding, sometimes we have to incur the consequences.

Oh, and there will be consequences! Christ has already paid the price for us, but if we don't come back at His invitation, there WILL be hell to pay. Literally.

Prayer:

Father,
          O that we would recognize the futility and the sheer stupidity of arguing with You over what is best for our lives. Just like Your Word says, our hearts are deceitfully wicked and will lead us astray. Apart from You we cannot know what is good and right and holy. Remove the blinders from our eyes, the hardness of our hearts and break our stubborn wills as we submit to Yours. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Follow Commands

This devotional was written by Pastor Alan Neel, senior pastor of Life Community Church, La Porte, TX

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Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:8-9

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS!

When God tells us to be strong and courageous, we need to immediately buckle our seatbelt and prepare our heart! God desires for us to lead great endeavors and have incredible victories. But, there aren’t legendary victories without legendary battles. [emphasis mine] 

The only reason God would tell Joshua to not be afraid or discouraged is because there were going to be many opportunities to be afraid and discouraged. Leading people through change is always challenging! If we freeze up, we keep everyone else from advancing. 

THIS IS MY COMMAND—BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.

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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your Word that always leads and guides us. Thank You for the promises that reassure us that You go before us and make the crooked ways straight, that You surround us on all sides. And for the armor in Ephesians 6 that teaches us how to be properly prepared for battle. Thank You that You have promised to always be with us and to never leave us. Thank You for the peace that comes with knowing that no matter where we are or what we face, You are Immanuel - God with us. Holy Spirit, help us always to remember that first. In Jesus' Name we pray.. Amen

Promise for Today - Even More So

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:5-10 NLT

If we want something badly enough, we are determined and insistent. Persistent. Downright tenacious in our pursuit. Or as the NLT states, we pursue with shameless persistence - what a great phrase! Shouldn't we be even more so when going after the things of God? Max Lucado expounds on this beautifully.

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From the NKJV Lucado Encouraging Word Bible:

Jesus used a parable to show them they should be persistent in prayer. He said that everyone who asks would receive.

I like the King James translation of Hebrews 11:6: “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”

Diligently—what a great word. Be diligent in your search. Be hungry in your quest, relentless in your pilgrimage. Let this book be but one of dozens you read about Jesus and this hour be but one of hundreds in which you seek Him. Step away from the puny pursuits of possessions and positions and seek your King.

Don’t be satisfied with angels. Don’t be content with stars in the sky. Seek Him out as the shepherds did. Long for Him as Simeon did. Worship Him as the wise men did. Do as John and Andrew did: Ask for His address. Do as Matthew: Invite Jesus into your house. Imitate Zacchaeus: Risk whatever it takes to see Christ.

God rewards those who seek Him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Can you think of a greater gift than to be like Jesus? Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits; God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death; God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenges. God wants you to have the same.

He loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

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Prayer:

Father, 

           We, too, want to be just like Jesus! Give us Your strength so we have the ability to diligently pursue Him. Give us the Holy Spirit so that we are focused and purposeful in our pursuit of all things Godly. Give us clean hands and pure hearts, Father, that we may fulfill Your plan for our lives in service to those You have placed within our sphere of influence. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Generations to Come

I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
Genesis 17:7 NLT

I had the privilege of attending a chapel service where my youngest granddaughter (almost 10 years old) sang as part of the Praise and Worship team. She loves to sing and I love it when she does. She can be quite dramatic when singing regular songs, but when she sings praise and worship, you can see the joy of the Lord in her eyes. It's an authentic relationship between her and Jesus. 

As I was thanking God for His faithfulness to my generations, I realized it was more than "my" generations (me, my children, their children). My granddaughter is actually the fifth generation in our line to worship God in song. What a holy legacy He has bestowed on us! And in talking with my daughter-in-love, I found that my granddaughter is also the fifth generation from her side to worship God in song! I'm not bragging or boasting - I am giving honor to Whom honor is due!

God is faithful to His Word in ways we can barely comprehend, but oh, that we would be that faithful! Beloved of the Lord, I want to encourage you to stand on His Word. Even if you are the first generation! Find the Scriptures that apply to your family, to your situations, to your needs, and thank Him for them. I'm not talking about name it and claim it, blab it and grab it. I'm talking about Taste and see that the Lord is good! Embrace His Word! In a world shaken by evil, the Lord is our firm foundation. His Word cannot be shaken. It will keep us upright. 

Psalm 102:18 tells us, This will be written for the generation to come,That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. Our generations yet to come...

Prayer:

Father,

         How do we fully express our gratitude for Your Word and Your faithfulness to our generations?  Help us to hide Your Word deep in our hearts that we might not sin against You. Give us ears to hear, hearts to know, and opportunities to speak Your alive and powerful words to our generations and all those who will listen and receive. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Of Equal Importance

Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38 NLT

I've read this Scripture hundreds of times. Many of us don't think we have a hard time loving God. I mean, how could we? He gave us Life! He sent His Son to pay off our sin debt. Paid in full - just like that, right? He's building our eternal home in His neighborhood so we can spend eternity together. The list goes on and on. But tonight, I thought about several other Scriptures as I was reading this. Particularly the passage in John 21 where Jesus asks Peter 3 times, "Lovest thou me?"

Upon looking a little deeper, we find that Jesus is questioning Peter with regard to agape love: pure, complete, and all-encompassing. Peter responded with phileo; the friendly, brotherly kind of love. Knowing the difference, can we still state as convincingly, "Yes, I love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind"?

What about John 14:15? Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments!" Do we?

Our Promise for Today is the first and greatest commandment according to Jesus. What about the second commandment He gives us in Matthew 22:39? Do you know what it is? His Word according to Matthew 22:39a, NLT - A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Loving our neighbor is equally important as loving God...with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our mind.

Gee, I can think of at least a few instances where that is NOT happening... Can you?

Prayer:

Father,
          Help us to see all of our neighbors with Your eyes and to love them with Your love and all of ours... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - The Crippling Rule of Man

One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!
But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
Luke 13:10-14 NLT

There is so much story in these short 5 verses. Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath and was moved with compassion at the sight of the crippled woman - just like He always was/is moved with compassion and healed everywhere He went. One would think that there would have been an uproar of praise as a result of witnessing the healing miracle! Indeed, there was an uproar, but of a different kind. 

The rules made by the leadership had been transgressed. The leader was indignant! And that sure translates to situations today. How dare we do God's work where it is not socially acceptable? How dare we speak His Name as sacred instead of as a swear word? How dare we attempt to fulfill the Great Commission outside of the church building where we might be seen and heard?

If we read further in the chapter, we realize that the Rule of Man would have been content for the woman to continue in her crippling bonds rather than make them have to acknowledge its crippling effect for its double standard. Do we allow ourselves to continue to be bound because of manmade rules and expectations? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Open our eyes to very clearly see Your Way, Your will. Give us the courage to stand against anything and everything that would dare to exalt itself against Christ. Give us a fresh anointing of compassion for those around us who walk crippled physically, emotionally or spiritually, so that we may lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Easter - Resurrection Hope and Life

Today's post features excerpts written by the late, great Billy Graham.

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“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:55-58 NKJV

Easter is a season of great gladness for those who know Christ. But for those who are without “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory” (2 Corinthians 4:6), there is nothing to rejoice over.

Jesus left us with the great hope and certainty that He is going to return to bring a new Heaven and a new earth where, we are told, there will be no more sorrow, trouble, or death for those who have believed and followed Him. There will be trouble, sorrow, and suffering for those who have neglected or rejected Him.

As Christians, our great task is to obey the command to tell the whole world about Christ crucified, buried, yet risen again. My prayer for you during this season of the year, when we meditate on our Savior’s great sacrifice for us on the cross, is that you will be filled with great peace and hope, because “He is risen!” That is the Good News.

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Prayer:

Father,

           This Easter, we pray a prayer from St. Joseph's prayer book: The resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of Your will and purpose for our lives. Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Until Easter and Beyond - Abide

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Kate Meyer is the counseling services manager of Hospice of Holland in Michigan.
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You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:3-4 NKJV

The tattoo on my wrist is a dumbbell with the word abide written on the bar. The word, written in Greek, is also the only part of the tattoo comprised of color: purple and green.

In the liturgical calendar, purple occurs during Advent and Lent. The color is tied to words such as mourning, waiting, and reflecting. Green, alternatively, is liturgically used to represent ordinary time, as well as renewal and new life.

So, when I look at my wrist, I am reminded to abide with God in times of mourning and in ordinary times. When things are great, neutral, or terrible. But, it is also a reminder that the ordinary times will come again; though the times of mourning and waiting appear to far outweigh the rest, we have strength to endure if we but abide.

Abide with God always. Even on this Holy Saturday, this in-between time, trust in God’s steadfast love that does not end in mourning. Rather, God’s steadfast love always, yes always, carries us through to new life. Abide with God and see.

Prayer: 

In all of my in-between times, God, I pray you strengthen me to but abide in trust of Your steadfast love. May I honor You by holding fast and resting in the assured hope of redemption. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - A Song Rises

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Rev. Melody Meeter - the director of the spiritual care department at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.

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I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning -Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
Psalm 130:5-6 NKJV

Down there in the pit, the psalmist is in despair, not only about his own iniquities, his weaknesses, his sins of omission and commission, but also about the iniquities of his people Israel. The individual sins are entwined with the sins of the nation. But it is also down there in the pit the psalmist remembers something else: “ … there is forgiveness with you,” and “with the Lord there is steadfast love,” and “with him is great power to redeem.” 

There is hope in the waiting for God’s redemption. Twice the psalmist repeats the phrase “my soul waits” and twice repeats the image of the soul waiting for the Lord “more than those who watch for the morning.”

As a chaplain, I get to wait for a little while with souls that are waiting for God to show up. It’s really dark down there. But in the very act of crying out, sometimes a light surprises—a healing, a surrender, a peace, a hope. The song rises.

Prayer:

Dear God,
                Grant us to see Your light though we may be in the depths. Grant us to feel Your steadfast love though we may feel unlovable. And grant us companions with us to wait for You in hope. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - Maundy Thursday

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Promise for Today.

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29 NASB

When I lived in St. Louis, I was privileged to sit under the teaching of a Rabbi, as part of the training for the staff where I worked. His lessons of Jewish culture brought a whole new understanding to several passages of Scripture. Because of it, Today's Promise is now one of my favorite passages.

The significance of verse 29 is this. Christ had already declared Himself the bridegroom back in Matthew, chapter 9. To be married in the Jewish faith requires two ceremonies; the kiddushin and the nisuin. Today, they do both on the same day. However, in biblical times, these were totally separate ceremonies, performed as much as a year apart. The kiddushin was the engagement - but far more binding than today's version. The kiddushin made the bride a legal wife, but without the mutual obligations being made complete. It was sealed with wine. 

During the time of the kiddushin, the husband would leave the bride to go build (or prepare) a place for his wife and future family to live. They would not be together until the house was finished and the father sent the bridegroom to fetch his bride. Then the nisuin would be performed and it, too, would be sealed with wine.

In John 14:2-3 NASB, Jesus declares, In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Read again Matthew 26:29, "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

It's Thursday of Holy Week - if we throwback to the original Thursday of Holy Week, we find Jesus proclaiming the kiddushin - providing the promise to His bride, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again..."

The question is - Are you ready for the nisuin? Revelation 22:17a-b, Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!”

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see You. Open our minds to know You. Open our hearts to say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come!" Create in us the heart of the bride awaiting her groom. Let us work to fulfill our duties during this time away from each other and let us watch for Your returning with joyful expectation! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

From Now Until Easter - Searching

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Susan Dorward, who has been a chaplain at ECCR for 11 years.
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23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

David wanted to analyze his motives and behavior, asking God to guide him and help him see what thoughts or actions may not align with God’s thoughts. Why would David ask God to do this? Because David knew that his way of thinking might cause a chasm separating him from God, and that was the last thing David wanted.

Many of us are motivated in Lent to ask God to forgive us for doing anything that has offended God. Sometimes, though, don’t our attempts at doing this feel more like empty rituals or dutiful prayers? We say a quick prayer and soon end with “amen.” Then, after the amen, how long do we usually sit around waiting for God to point out anything He found in His search? Do we do this because we are busy or because we fear what God will do after He completes His search?

David knew that he had nothing to fear in allowing God to search his heart. Not because he felt there was nothing offending there, but because he knew that our God is a loving, merciful, and gracious God.

Don’t be afraid to allow God to explore your heart, mind, and spirit. God loves you and longs for a closer walk with you.

Pause. Ask God to search you. Then, sit and wait long enough for God to point out what you need to see and work on. God will lovingly help you transform and will lead you along the right pathway, bringing hope and joy to your journey through life.

Prayer: 

Lord, 

        You know us better than we know ourselves. Search the deepest parts of our hearts for anything that is displeasing to You. Examine our attitudes and actions. Show us what needs to be transformed and help us to change it so that we will not only be closer to You, but will also be able to go where You lead us and do what You are calling us to do. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - Praise!

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Kathy Jo Blaske serving as a long-term care chaplain at the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

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1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1-6

Praise the LORD! Where?

“ … in his sanctuary.” Not in a bounded place, but wherever we experience God in life—as we gaze from our own yards into the heavens; as we walk barefoot along the shore of a lake; as we listen to a choir from pews or concert hall seats; as we pray in the solitude of our homes or sing in a congregation of worshipers. We praise God whenever and wherever our hearts are inspired to do so.

Praise the LORD! Why?

“ … for his mighty deeds, according to his surpassing greatness!” Praise the Lord for the rain, which nourishes the earth; for the wonder of a sunrise; for the cry of a newborn child; for the inquisitiveness of young children; for healing bodies through the medical community; for comforting hearts as the Lord works through ministers, priests, counselors, and friends.

Praise the LORD! How?

With a diversity of instruments! I’ve employed most of them: a trumpet graced my ordination service. And though 40 years have passed since then, I can still hear the melody of the oboe during productions of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” by the first church I served. Now, at the assisted living residences where I conduct worship, we are blessed regularly with harp and piano accompaniment, and frequently we welcome a cellist when he is home from college. I distribute tambourines on occasion to enliven our singing. Liturgical dancers have engaged worshipers. And, I, myself, have clashed cymbals during the singing of “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today!” (Praising God with a lute,[verse 3] however, remains on my bucket list!)

Praise the LORD! Who?

Everything that breathes is to praise God! Breath is a sign of spirit, of life. Let’s all take note of the goodness of God in our lives today. Let’s be instruments, ourselves, and praise the LORD!

Prayer: 

Give us pause, today, O God, to breathe in and out, to look, to listen, and so to notice and celebrate Your goodness. Move us to applause, to song, to prayer, to smiles, to words and acts of gratitude, which praise You with our whole selves. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - Look to the Hills

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Caryn Baham - a chaplain at Friendship Village of Schaumburg, a senior facility in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

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I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV

Though this psalm is not referenced or alluded to in the New Testament, it remains a popular psalm and has even been set to the glorious music of Mendelssohn’s "Elijah" and Leonard Bernstein’s “A Simple Song.” I think this popularity stems from the fact that we are all, in our own way, making a pilgrimage in this life. We all wonder what will come next, how we will deal with it, and when we will at long last reach that final summit that God has planned for our lives.

The psalmist aptly points out that “my help” comes from the Lord, who is not only mighty enough to make the heavens and earth, but also intimate enough to be called “mine.” Though I know not what the light or darkness I see ahead will bring, I can rest knowing that God will continue to watch over my life through eternity. This will lead me to continue to look upward, to acknowledge the source of hope and strength in my life, both now and forevermore.

Prayer:
 
Lord,
         May we ever look upward to the Source of our greatest strength and help as we journey through this life. Thank You for the promise that You watch over our lives, for the path You set before us, and for the guiding hand You offer every step of the way. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - Righteous and Merciful

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Darcy Lovgren Pavich, chaplain at Veterans Village of San Diego, ministering among homeless and at-risk veterans and their families.

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I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

Psalm 116:1-5

This is a song of gratitude and absolute awe and wonder. The desperation and brokenness experienced by the singer is a lonely and hopeless place. The exact causes of the suffering are unknown, but the anguish is very apparent. Something that is not so clear is that this is a request for mercy, not a simple request for help. Mercy, pardon, and grace are gifts offered to those who have found “sorrow and trouble,” usually by their own actions and choices. Self-defeat keeps them from feeling worthy, and so they continue to follow the pathway into deeper misery and darkness. The way out becomes obscured.

By grace, the word of a friend, the memory of another time, and a glimmer of light appears. A small crack opens in the walls we create, revealing an avenue to venture and a voice of prayer is found. The psalmist remembers a promise and prays: “I implore you. … I beg you to save me.” The prayer is not conditional. It is not “If you save me, I will follow you.” The prayer embraces the assurance that God will deliver salvation. The response to the deliverance is gratitude, a promise to continue to call upon the Lord, a promise to remember, and a wondrous understanding of humility.

The psalmist extols grace and mercy and is suddenly impacted by just how big this is. God is righteous and merciful. How is this possible? Righteousness is often synonymous with justice. Justice is more often associated with consequences and punishment and rarely associated with mercy, grace, and pardon. How great is God who unconditionally forgives, accepts, and restores one who is not righteous or just!

In our deepest, desperate moments of life, the Lord “inclines his ear” to our prayer, reaches toward us, and sets us free.

Prayer: 

Lord, 

         May we be humbled by Your mercy and set free to rejoice in Your grace. Direct this day in gratitude, for the blessings we have received are that we may be a blessing to others and a faithful servant in Your kingdom. Amen.

From Now Until Easter - Lamb Selection Day

From Ash Wednesday until Easter, I will post from Lent and Easter devotionals offered online. Today's post features excerpts written by Lori Wilkerson Stewart (M.A. in Journalism, Regent University) -  author of Promises for Prodigals.

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The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" 

John 1:29 NIV

...As Christians, we’re all familiar with Palm Sunday, but did you know that in the time of Jesus, the Sunday before Passover was “lamb selection day?” In other words, it was the day that Jewish families would come to the temple in Jerusalem and choose their “perfect lamb” for the Passover. Then, the family would bring the lamb home to live with them, knowing that within a few days, their new pet would be slaughtered for the Passover meal (Exodus 12:3,5,6).

So, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day, it was as if He was presenting Himself to the people and asking them, “Will you choose me?” And Jesus wasn’t just riding through the streets for attention, He had a destination. As the Lamb of God, could it be that Jesus was headed to the temple to present Himself before His Father and to be approved for sacrifice (Leviticus 1:3)?

As Jesus approached the city, His disciples “began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37). However, when the crowds joined in, the atmosphere changed and became more like a political rally. The people shouted, “Hosanna” and waved palm branches. In Death and Resurrection of the Messiah, author and minister Ray Vander Laan writes:

Hosanna meant “Please save us! Give us freedom! We’re sick of these Romans!” They waved palm branches, a symbol that once had been placed on Jewish coins when the nation was free. The branches did not symbolize peace and love, as Christians usually assume; they symbolized Jewish nationalism, an expression of the people’s desire for political freedom.”

And for the second time in Scripture, Jesus wept (Luke 19:41). The Lamb of God was there, the only One worthy to be slain for the sins of all mankind, yet the people only wanted a political deliverer.

What will your response be on Lamb Selection Day? Will you choose Jesus as your perfect Lamb? Will you believe in the power of the Lamb’s blood, which is able to take away your sins and make you truly free?
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Prayer:

Father,

           We choose Jesus as our sinless, spotless Lamb and receive His death on the Cross as redemption from all our sin. Help us to never lose sight of Your everlasting goodness and grace toward us. Keep our hearts ever grateful, Father. Thank You for everything. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen