Evidence to Behold

April showers bring May flowers. We are on the right track for lots of May blossoms this year, it seems. After several years of drought, hopefully we are starting out on a “normal" spring, if there is such a thing anymore. 

We are more than a month into spring and what a delight it is to see the flowering trees in bloom; the leaves coming forth from the tree branches; the bulbs in the ground bursting up into the season of new life; and the grass turning from brown to green!

We could be doubters, expecting none of the beauty our eyes behold, but God gives us evidence of hope everywhere we look.

During the time, after the Resurrection, when Jesus walked with His disciples on earth,  Jesus encouraged Thomas to put his finger in His wounds so he would believe.

“Then Jesus told him (doubting Thomas) “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” (John 20:29-31 NIV).

What a promise Jesus gives us all, if only we believe!

Heavenly Father, we thank You for filling our world with promises of hope. Everywhere we look holds evidence of Your creativity and glory! We thank You, God, for sending Your Son Jesus to show us how to believe in You. We pray in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Ah-Ha Moments

I remember when as a young adult I suddenly became aware that Jesus remained on earth for 40 days after the Resurrection. I don't know how I missed learning that before. Maybe I was daydreaming or whispering to my best friend in Sunday school. Who knows? But what a revelation it was when it finally registered in my brain. Jesus is really alive, walking and talking with the disciples and other believers, and unbelievers as well.

I love my Life Application Bible because as I was searching for Scripture to back up this revelation of mine, I found a chart that lists where in Scripture to find all the appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection. How cool is that! It's kind of like using Cliff's Notes. 

Well, back to the Risen Jesus. He met with His disciples most often; several times in various groups of 10, 11, seven while fishing, and 11 on the mountain. He met with Peter, His brother James, and Paul alone. Paul wrote about the Risen Jesus to the church of Corinth.

"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also," (1 Corinthians 15:3b-8a).

What a great truth we have to tell other non-believers, to help them understand how great Jesus is!

Lord God, we come to You still floating on the glorious Resurrection of our Jesus Christ the Messiah. We thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Teach us through Your Word, Lord. There is so much to learn from Your Scriptures. Continue to be with us as we follow Jesus' teachings. We are so thankful to have a relationship with You because of Your Son Jesus. We praise You for ever more. Amen.

Jesus Is Risen!

He is alive! What an amazing statement. Like our pastor said Sunday, "Wow".

We Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross. His body was laid in a tomb and three days later He arose! Jesus did just what he told his disciples he was going to do. And He fulfilled the prophecy of David in (Psalm 16:9-11 NIV): 

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Yes, Jesus lives within us, guiding us along a pathway that God has drawn for each individual. A path of life which leads us to Jesus.

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"  (Philippians 3:10-11 NIV).

Heavenly Father, We come in prayer still remembering the celebration of our Risen Lord. We die to our sinful natures so we can walk in the newness of life with You. We know Jesus has given us victory over satan as long as we seek You in our lives. We rejoice in the Name of Jesus! Amen.

Living Hope

The Cross at a Grand Teton church

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day Jesus washed the disciples' feet and shared the Last Supper with them. Maundy comes from the Latin word for command, referring to Jesus' command to the disciples to "love one another."  What a bitter sweet night it was. While the disciples were observing Passover and the tradition that has become communion, Jesus also confronted the one who was about to betray Him - Judas.

Jesus took the role of a humble servant by washing the disciples feet. The task of this holy leader became Jesus' way of teaching the disciples to love one another. What a powerful moment!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, " (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).

As Jesus talked with His disciples His soul was aching for all that He knew was coming: the betrayal, the denying three times, the separation from God that Jesus would experience on the cross, and the great love and hope Jesus was portraying during His final days.

Almighty God, we kneel before You in worship for the living hope You gave us through the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. As our families gather this Easter, help us focus on Jesus Christ who gave His life so we could claim living hope through eternal life provided when He obediently went to the Cross to save us. We are so thankful for Jesus. And we pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen .

A Week of Sorrow in Jerusalem

The Week of Sadness is upon us. We cannot jump ahead to the joyous day of Resurrection without first walking through a horrendously painful week of rejection and grief. Perhaps that is why we fill the days with bunnies, candy chicks, chocolate rabbits, colorful baskets and colored eggs. It is just too depressing to face the reality of Jesus' sacrifice, made for us.

But we must finish this walk with Him.

Yesterday Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to cheers of "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" He came to the city as a gentle and peaceful king just as Zechariah 9:9 predicted:

"See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the focal of a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9 NIV).

Today Jesus goes to the temple area, usually a place of sacred worship. Instead Jesus found a market of money changers with exorbitant exchange rates and salesmen anxious to make a big profit from Passover visitors.

"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of robbers.' The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him,  for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching," (Mark 11:15-18 NIV).

Jesus became angry but did not sin. 

Dear God, I humbly come before You, remembering Jesus' final week as a Man in Jerusalem. It breaks  my heart to consider the pain and suffering Jesus experienced because of my sin. Thank You, God, for sending a Savior who showed me how to love and to worship You. Be with me as I walk along side Jesus and remember all that He endured for me. Praying on my knees, Amen.

#1089 gds

Take Up Our Cross

Can you imagine being a follower of Jesus, for a couple of years, and learning and believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, then suddenly His message changes? That is how it was for Jesus' disciples. After learning about living a servant life of love and compassion for others, Jesus' message to the disciples changes from "repent and be saved" to an announcement that He will die and be raised again on the third day!

Talk about having your mind blown! 

"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life," (Matthew 16:21 NIV). 

My response would be like Peter's, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22 NIV).

How can this possibly be true? We are getting along so well! Our numbers are growing daily! 

Jesus calls Peter out for his human reaction and his thoughts as a man, not as things of God. Peter just wanted to protect Jesus from the terrible things He was saying would happen. 

Me, too! Jesus is my Savior. He is the perfect Man who is showing us how to live! How can we possibly go on without Him? 

But Jesus had a purpose to fulfill. He came to earth from Heaven to suffer the painful death on a cross so we would have eternal life with Him.

Oh, thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. Thank You for enduring the pain and suffering that was ours. As believers, we know this was the only way to save the world from satan. Help us be brave enough and strong enough to take up our crosses and follow You all the way to Golgotha. We praise You and worship You with our whole hearts. We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Open Our Eyes to Jesus

Still walking to Jerusalem with Jesus, there are people along the way who want to trip up Jesus' ministry. Even today there are people who want one more miracle and then they will believe. The Pharisees and others asked for miracles, but not so they would believe in Jesus. They already had seen enough of Jesus' miraculous acts to believe. Instead, their hearts were closed to believing in Jesus, the Messiah.

"Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."  He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."" (Matthew 12:38-40 NIV).

It is sad that there are still people who see all that Jesus did for them and they still don't believe. It breaks my heart when I hear of someone who doesn't believe. Most of my prayers to God are said for family and friends, pleading for them to know Jesus and experience a relationship with Him. I want them to know the blessing of walking with Jesus as a personal Friend and Savior.

In the scripture above, Jesus is saying that His resurrection proves to all that He is the Messiah they have been waiting for! Three days after His crucifixion Jesus came back to life, just as Jonah was given a second chance at life after spending three days in a big fish.

Thank You, God, for sending Your Son Jesus to give us all a second chance at life. We believe Jesus wiped away our sins when He died on the cross, then rose again on the third day. Lord, empower our belief so we can share our faith with others who need You so much. Walk with us, Jesus, as we remember Your last days on earth and the sacrifice You made to save us. We praise You and love You, Lord. And we pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Releasing Our Burdens

What is weighing you down today? Is it finishing your tax return; the heavy burden of concern over cancer in a loved one; struggles with a difficult child; financial woes as the stock market takes a dive; a past sin that remains in your mind, even after Jesus wiped it from your soul; concern over how to afford groceries this week; or a multitude of little things that keep handing off our shoulders. Stop a moment and take these words from Jesus to heart:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light," (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). 

I have always loved these verses. There is such peace within the promises of Jesus! Let yourself take a deep breath, close your eyes and rest in the Lord. Jesus promises love, healing, and peace with a relationship with God. He isn't saying there will be no trouble or work or struggles in life. Jesus says if we allow Him to walk with us (as if we shared a yoke with Him) the burden will never be too heavy.

Heavenly Father: we come to You today to drop our burdens and ask You to carry them for us. We are tired and weary and need Your rest. Lift us up, Lord, for we want to learn from You. Thank You for being gentle and humble in heart. We accept Your easy burden while we let go of the pains and struggles we have carried so long. Give us rest Lord, we pray in the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.