Read Matthew 27:57-66
He is dead. Hope is lost. Darkness wins. Or does it?
Saturday is dark but “Sunday’s comin”.
Read Psalm 16
Is He your hope when it is dark?
Focus on verse 10. The New Testament puts these words in the mouth of Christ as a prediction of the events coming on Sunday.
Read Acts 2:25-36
Go to bed early and rise early Sunday Morning to read Matthew 28.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Holy Week – GOOD FRIDAY
Today is the day in which we remember our Savior’s death. We no only celebrate our Savior’s death as a memorial as if He was only a martyr from some great cause but, rather, His death is “for our sins.”
Read Matthew 26:36-68
Meditate on your Savior’s love in His betrayal and arrest and as He stands before the Jewish council. Jesus had the power the whole time to stop this gross injustice, but He did not. If you think about it, even His dying for you is an injustice. A just man dies for guilty, condemned sinners. That’s not justice, but it is love. Now there is a sense where Jesus’ death satisfies the justice of God for our sin. Think of his love in these events in every footstep and accusation.
Read Matthew 26:69-75
How have you denied Him? What do you need to confess to Him? Now watch His love pay for your betrayal in these next verses.
Read Matthew 27:11-56
Stricken, smitten and afflicted
See Him dying on the tree
Tis the Son of God rejected
Yes my soul
Tis He, Tis He
In your minds eye, see Him crucified. See His slumped over, beaten, bloody body. See your guilt in the violence. See your freedom in His love.
Come tonight at 6pm or 7:30pm to Good Friday Services to remember your King and partake in Communion.
Read Matthew 26:36-68
Meditate on your Savior’s love in His betrayal and arrest and as He stands before the Jewish council. Jesus had the power the whole time to stop this gross injustice, but He did not. If you think about it, even His dying for you is an injustice. A just man dies for guilty, condemned sinners. That’s not justice, but it is love. Now there is a sense where Jesus’ death satisfies the justice of God for our sin. Think of his love in these events in every footstep and accusation.
Read Matthew 26:69-75
How have you denied Him? What do you need to confess to Him? Now watch His love pay for your betrayal in these next verses.
Read Matthew 27:11-56
Stricken, smitten and afflicted
See Him dying on the tree
Tis the Son of God rejected
Yes my soul
Tis He, Tis He
In your minds eye, see Him crucified. See His slumped over, beaten, bloody body. See your guilt in the violence. See your freedom in His love.
Come tonight at 6pm or 7:30pm to Good Friday Services to remember your King and partake in Communion.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Holy Week Thursday
Today is the day where Christians remember the “Last Supper” of Jesus and His disciples. The following passages describe the conversation at the table and after the meal. Listen to His voice in the scripture.
Read John 13
See the Service of your Master. How has he served you according to this passage? How has he served you in other parts of your life? Who can you serve today?
Read John 14
Where can you find Hope in this passage? Have you been quiet enough to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in your soul lately? How about now?
Read John 15
The most important thing in your life is abiding in the vine Jesus Christ. Are you getting your strength from him? Let His life flow in you, don’t suppress it.
Read John 17
Hear the conversation of the Trinity. Hear Jesus Pray for you as your priest.
Read Matthew 26:17-30
Prepare for tomorrow night’s communion service.
Read John 13
See the Service of your Master. How has he served you according to this passage? How has he served you in other parts of your life? Who can you serve today?
Read John 14
Where can you find Hope in this passage? Have you been quiet enough to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in your soul lately? How about now?
Read John 15
The most important thing in your life is abiding in the vine Jesus Christ. Are you getting your strength from him? Let His life flow in you, don’t suppress it.
Read John 17
Hear the conversation of the Trinity. Hear Jesus Pray for you as your priest.
Read Matthew 26:17-30
Prepare for tomorrow night’s communion service.
Holy Week Wednesday
On Wednesday, in the Passion Week of Jesus, the scriptures are silent. Because nothing is recorded, today’s devotion will not come from passion texts like the other days. It is often called “Dark Wednesday.” It seems that Jesus did nothing significant this day. It was a day after the day of controversy with the religious leaders and is possibly the day that Judas made the deal with the religious leaders to betray Jesus. Imagine Jesus for a moment in his humanity on this day. He knows the fate that awaits Him. He knows one of his best friends had betrayed him. This is a day of sorrow for him.
Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
This is an ancient prophecy of Christ’s life, character, and work. He was a man of sorrows (53:3).
He knows. He has suffered. Just like you….more than you.
Think about your Savior’s grief today. In your grief will you follow him to the cross?
Prepare to meet Him there today, everyday, and profoundly at Living Stones Good Friday services.
Friday April 10- 6:00p & 7:30p (Robb Campus)
Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
This is an ancient prophecy of Christ’s life, character, and work. He was a man of sorrows (53:3).
He knows. He has suffered. Just like you….more than you.
Think about your Savior’s grief today. In your grief will you follow him to the cross?
Prepare to meet Him there today, everyday, and profoundly at Living Stones Good Friday services.
Friday April 10- 6:00p & 7:30p (Robb Campus)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Holy Week Day 2- Tuesday
Day of Controversy and Parables
Read Matthew 21:23-24:51
On Tuesday of that first Holy Week Jesus was challenged and opposed by many who were threatened by His ministry. For today’s devotional there is a lot of Bible reading. Meditate on Christ and His responses to these religious leaders.
Read Matt. 21:23-46
How do these parables apply to you? Who are you in these stories?
Read Mathew 22:1-33
Just meditate on the wisdom of Christ and how he handles opposition.
Read Matthew 22:34-46
Today is a day to evaluate your obedience to Christ’s command to love. Who do you say Christ is? What are the areas where your life is not submitted to His Lordship?
Read Matthew 23-24
Meditate on Jesus’ disgust with Religion.
Prepare your heat for His return.
Read Matthew 21:23-24:51
On Tuesday of that first Holy Week Jesus was challenged and opposed by many who were threatened by His ministry. For today’s devotional there is a lot of Bible reading. Meditate on Christ and His responses to these religious leaders.
Read Matt. 21:23-46
How do these parables apply to you? Who are you in these stories?
Read Mathew 22:1-33
Just meditate on the wisdom of Christ and how he handles opposition.
Read Matthew 22:34-46
Today is a day to evaluate your obedience to Christ’s command to love. Who do you say Christ is? What are the areas where your life is not submitted to His Lordship?
Read Matthew 23-24
Meditate on Jesus’ disgust with Religion.
Prepare your heat for His return.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Holy Week Monday
This is the first in the series of blogs/devotionals for Holy Week. Throughout Holy Week in the Living Stones community we are going to spend each day with Jesus looking at what he did nearly 2,000 years ago on this same day of the week.
Read Mark 11:12-19
Mark 11:12-14
The fig tree is a metaphor for the nation of Israel. Jesus has come to his people, the nation of Israel, and looked for fruit, but has found none. Jesus came to the tree looking and was disappointed. It looked as though it were a good tree because it had leaves, but it had no fruit. If this tree represented your life would Jesus find fruit? Take a moment to examine yourself. Repent where appropriate and thank God for his forgiveness in Jesus.
Mark 11:15-19
As was customary, each Passover, the nation of Israel would make the trek to Jerusalem for the celebration in which they would bring a sacrifice for their sins. Upon arriving at the temple, the religious leaders would examine their sacrifice and deem it unworthy. They would then sell you a “worthy” sacrifice. And if you didn’t have a sacrifice, the religious crooks would jack the prices up and charge you an exorbitant amount to buy an animal. Imagine God’s thoughts about these practices as people are trying to worship God according to the Law and other people are taking advantage and hustling them for cash in their worship. We see in this passage, Jesus’ reaction to the blatant sin in God’s temple.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Now you are the temple. If Jesus were to enter the temple courts of your life, what would he find? What would he drive out? What would infuriate him? Would he find in your life that your temple is a house of prayer or a robbers’ den?
Read Isaiah 56:1-7 Jesus quotes this Old Testament passage about the true salvation to come. This salvation has it’s fulfillment in Christ and leads to true worship of all nations.
Today is about integrity. Is your life integrated? Or are there areas that Jesus needs to flip over tables and whip things out of you?
ACTION STEP: Focus on your integrity today. Everywhere you go seek to tell the truth. Everywhere you drive, drive WITHIN the speed limit. Meditate on the salvation you need in Jesus for your lack of integrity. Meditate on the integrity you receive from Jesus in his salvation.
Read Mark 11:12-19
Mark 11:12-14
The fig tree is a metaphor for the nation of Israel. Jesus has come to his people, the nation of Israel, and looked for fruit, but has found none. Jesus came to the tree looking and was disappointed. It looked as though it were a good tree because it had leaves, but it had no fruit. If this tree represented your life would Jesus find fruit? Take a moment to examine yourself. Repent where appropriate and thank God for his forgiveness in Jesus.
Mark 11:15-19
As was customary, each Passover, the nation of Israel would make the trek to Jerusalem for the celebration in which they would bring a sacrifice for their sins. Upon arriving at the temple, the religious leaders would examine their sacrifice and deem it unworthy. They would then sell you a “worthy” sacrifice. And if you didn’t have a sacrifice, the religious crooks would jack the prices up and charge you an exorbitant amount to buy an animal. Imagine God’s thoughts about these practices as people are trying to worship God according to the Law and other people are taking advantage and hustling them for cash in their worship. We see in this passage, Jesus’ reaction to the blatant sin in God’s temple.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Now you are the temple. If Jesus were to enter the temple courts of your life, what would he find? What would he drive out? What would infuriate him? Would he find in your life that your temple is a house of prayer or a robbers’ den?
Read Isaiah 56:1-7 Jesus quotes this Old Testament passage about the true salvation to come. This salvation has it’s fulfillment in Christ and leads to true worship of all nations.
Today is about integrity. Is your life integrated? Or are there areas that Jesus needs to flip over tables and whip things out of you?
ACTION STEP: Focus on your integrity today. Everywhere you go seek to tell the truth. Everywhere you drive, drive WITHIN the speed limit. Meditate on the salvation you need in Jesus for your lack of integrity. Meditate on the integrity you receive from Jesus in his salvation.
Holy Week
Today is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week -- the observance of the week (and all its events) leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It is a celebration that has been observed for the bulk of church history and is typically marked by a lot of special attention and reflection. I know what a lot of you may be thinking: "Don't we celebrate those things all year round? Shouldn't we be doing that already?" Well, if you tell me that you take copious amounts of time to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus all of the other 51 weeks of the year, then let me be blunt -- you're probably lying. I love you, but it's the truth. We all need a kick in the pants now and then (or all the time) and participating in Holy Week -- by consistently and intentionally focusing on Jesus -- is a good way to accomplish that task.
So... I'm going to post a blog EVERY DAY of Holy Week in order to help us reflect on Christ together. Each blog will include some insights and some personal action steps for you to take on your own. Please come back EVERY DAY this week and consider Jesus with me.
So... I'm going to post a blog EVERY DAY of Holy Week in order to help us reflect on Christ together. Each blog will include some insights and some personal action steps for you to take on your own. Please come back EVERY DAY this week and consider Jesus with me.
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