April 21, 2019

Archive

Empty tomb, Resurrection, Jesus is alive, Easter, Sunday Morning
silence, weeping, death, sadness, Holy Saturday, the end of hope

Saturday – The world will never be the same – Pt. 1 (He is dead)

He is dead. There is nothing in this world that is as sudden AND permanent as death. Many things happen quickly. There is also an abundance of things that are permanent. But the combination of the two is especially brutal. Death packs the two punch. It kicks you in the gut, removes all hope from your heart, messes with your mind - all while seemingly sucking the life right out of your soul. It drags you down, and you do…

Holy Week, Holy Week Devos, Good Friday, the death of Jesus, it is finished

Friday – It is finished. Amen

The word “amen” is often uttered after prayers to signify that it is over. It literally means; let it be true, or truly - and is intended to be used to express that the person who spoke the prayer believes that God has heard it, and He will answer it, according to His will. For 33 years, Jesus has been living a prayer. His every word, action, teaching and healing has been an offering to God, His Father, with whom…

Holy Week Devotional, Maunday Thursday, The Last Supper, Passover Meal

Thursday – A cup

A cup. Nothing that people hadn’t seen before, but tonight it meant so much more. A single, solitary cup, sitting in the middle of the table, surrounded by bread - and perhaps some grapes and olives - waiting to be filled. It was common for them to have bread and wine with every meal, they were staples of the time and place, and tonight would be no different in THAT regard. But there, in the middle of the table sat…

Wednesday – God’s anointed

He was just spending it with friends. His last day, the day before it all changed. Like the calm before the storm, Jesus is with His people, enjoying a meal and trying not to focus on what the next few days will bring. Perhaps there is even a smile, or a moment of laughter, as for one brief second, there is respite from His reality. And then, suddenly, it was time.  Mark 14:3–9 (ESV)And while he was at Bethany in…

Tuesday – truths from trees

Mark 11:12–14 (ESV)On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. He is yelling at a tree. He was…

Monday – Sometimes, you just have to weep

Yesterday there was a parade. Today there are tears. Yesterday there was a celebration. Today there is frustration. Yesterday he was their king. Today he is feeling the affects of being their God. The events of Monday - Wednesday of Holy Week, are not clearly defined by date or time, only that they happened - but this does not reduce their importance. In his version of the story, Luke tells us something that most of the other Gospel writers do…

Palm Sunday – The King has come

Mark 11:1–10 (ESV)Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send…

Restored and redeemed

I REALLY like sports. Like, a lot. On my phone, I have approximately 3 pages of apps, which I believe to be fewer than most people, but more than my mom. A few of them are on there, simply because I cannot delete them (Apple says so). Some of them are used for my biking adventures. Quite a few of them appear on there to help me manage the needs of HILLCITY. And the rest, they are there so that…

The answer of opportunity

I’ve been pretty open on this forum about my struggles with anxiety and unwanted thoughts. It is not a fate I would wish on my worst enemy, and it has greatly raised my awareness of, and empathy level for, those who struggle along with me. Over the past ten years, I have had WAY too many experiences and exchanges to share here - with people a lot like me - that have been uplifting, impactful, and inspiring, and have changed…