Love is from God

 

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! 1 John 4: 7-12 The Message

Words from 2 Samuel

 

“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!

    Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

He is the God who avenges me,

    who puts the nations under me.

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

    I will sing the praises of your name.” 2 Samuel 22:47-48; 50

Be a Workman for Christ

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:14-15    

In this passage, Paul is writing to Timothy, reflecting on setting a high standard for ministry. Paul is calling Timothy to diligence as a worker or laborer. As a laborer, Timothy was being called to handle the Scriptures carefully and correctly, as a workman would handle the tools of his trade. Paul’s message to us is to be diligent to use God’s Word carefully and well in your ministry; that you will not be ashamed when you one day stand before Him.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, please give us the strength and assurance we need every day in order to present your word in ways that please you. Give us the words we need to share with others so that we may help them in ways that we may not even know.  Amen.

Laurie Schlitt (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)                       

Quilts

For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. The eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:13-16

My daughter and I get together for several hours each week to quilt. All our quilts are individualized and made especially for particular people. This week as I was quilting a wedding quilt for a family member, I thought about how far we had come on our quilting journey. I do not say these things to boast, but to show God’s guidance to us on the way.  We initially started with quilts for throws or for beds, but now we have ventured and learned to make much more. We make baby quilts, wedding quilts, quilted prayer shawls, fancy throws, children’s quilts, and quilts meant for wall hangings. Most recently, we have been asked to help those in mourning on the loss of loved ones, thus entering quilts and pillow tops made from the clothes of the person lost. We have made 4 quilts of valor for veterans we know, as well as patriotic prayer shawls for families of those in the military. Our creativity, bravery, and skills have been challenged all along the way. It seems that there is always a need we are told about or have seen in our daily interactions with those around us. We give away all our quilts with joy.

I am reminded that each quilt is uniquely different. It is like us. We are all special and unique. God had a plan for each of us before we were ever born. We look different, we act different, we think different, we each have special talents and gifts. We all have special places in our families, our homes, our work , and in our society.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us remember that we are all your children and are special in your sight. Thank you for the opportunities of sharing your love with others. Thank you for the peace that comes from knowing you are loved. Thank you for your guidance on our missions and journeys in life. Amen.

Nancy Hall

 

God Values You

If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?  And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15: 4-7.

I am fond of Jesus’ Parables. The Parables are wonderful stories for faith building, and especially for children. Most of the time, I view the world through children and their faith development. This is why I chose this Bible selection. This Parable tells about a shepherd who left his 99 sheep to search for a lost one (one who strayed away). He knew that the lost one was in danger. Each sheep is of high value, just as each of us is of high value and loved by God. When the shepherd found the sheep, he carried it home. In the same way, God rejoices when any of us are lost (strayed away) and we return to God. Each one of us is to be that shepherd and minister to those that have strayed and bring them back to God. This is a challenge for you to be a shepherd.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, give me the courage to be a shepherd and to share God’s love.   Amen.

Susan Taylor (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)

 

 

Switching On the Off Switch

Do not merely listen to the Word (planted in you, which can save you), and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it he will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:22-25

“After all, with God on our side, what could possibly be stronger? We can have the peace Jesus offers, IF we’re willing to accept it.” Lori Snyder included these words in a devotion and they got me thinking of how too often I switch on and switch off my acceptance of the peace that Jesus offers to all of us. Or, perhaps it’s not that I switch on and off my belief that Jesus the Christ is my Lord and Savior; maybe it’s that I don’t keep His peace at the forefront of everything that I do. I suspect that most people’s lives are similar to mine: Each weekday is segmented into pre-work time, work time, and post-work time. The pre-and post-work times are when I have the greatest amount of time to pray, read the Bible, reflect on all that God provides. But the eight hours of work time are often times chaotic enough that I lose focus of what’s truly important in my life: the peace that Jesus provides. Of course, I could logically argue that it’s not that Jesus’ peace isn’t still available to me during those eight hours, for surely it is; I’m just too busy to consciously reflect on that gift. But isn’t that the challenge that God puts before us? To make Christ a part of every minute of our lives, to have Him always at the forefront of our being; that’s the ultimate goal of being alive.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, hear my words of thanksgiving this day that you watch over me. Let me constantly find the peace attainable only through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. In His name I pray. Amen.

Greg Tubach (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)

Scripture with Earth Day in mind

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.  Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96:11-12

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." Genesis 9:1

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

(images shared by Donna Gustafson. Click on images to view larger)

Holy Spirit within you

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come over you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 

I am sure that the author of Acts did not know the United States, so he finished his statement to all people even to the ends of the earth. That is us! 

The minute you accept Jesus as your savior and ask forgiveness for your sins, you have the Holy Spirit inside you. You can say, “Thank you, God, that nothing will happen today that You and I together can’t handle.” Walk in love, live by faith. 

As witnesses (hopefully good ones) we go about our lives, going to school or work, being with friends and doing other activities, we represent not only ourselves, but our Lord. We want people to “read” us and see faith and hope and love. I know, sometimes we are tired or unhappy about some things, but we can call on Jesus for help. His Holy Spirit is in us. What a great companion we have with us every day. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, God Almighty, Giver of the Holy Spirit, thank you that nothing will happen today that You and I together cannot handle. Amen 

Sandra Hilsabeck

Words from John

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other. John 15:1-17 NIV

Resiliency and Taking Care of Oneself

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

I am part of a new team at work for resiliency. Merriam Webster defines resiliency as 1: an ability of something to return to its original size and shape after being compressed or deformed and 2: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change. Because of this assignment, I have been doing a lot of research and reading. I am learning about stress cycles. Personal monitoring of one’s own stress response. Making assurances for self-care. Sometimes, in this research if feels like I am being assaulted by buzz words.

Over the weekend, I heard a pearl of wisdom from a friend from high school “You picked the job you have because it came with a great benefits package. Take advantage of those benefits. Take your breaks, go to lunch, use your vacation.  Your company doesn’t expect you to be miserable.” Since Sunday, this has been running through my head on repeat. I wonder how I got to a place where I needed to hear someone say that out loud, “your company doesn’t expect you to be miserable”. Our leaders know that happy people do better work. And they expect us to recharge and renew so that we can be resilient – so that they can get the very best work from us. So why do we feel like the only way to show that we are “good” is to work all the time?

In looking for a quote similar to the pearl of wisdom above I found out that some countries have a national “Leave work on time day”. This initiative is supported by labor secretaries and coalitions for families, and by mental health boards the world over.  And yet, they have to have this day every year. We often need someone to tell us it’s good to have a life outside of our careers. Maybe you have a dynamic leader who not only encourages you to step away from work, but also models that good behavior. Maybe you have a loving spouse, who can tell when you have put in too many hours, and they preserve your personal schedule, or squeeze in time for something you love to do. Maybe you already prioritize your personal life as part of your work schedule. But maybe you are like millions of others who work until it is unenjoyable. Who feel like a break is a sign of weakness. Who fear that someone else will “get ahead” if they step away. Maybe, you have worked so hard to plan your course, they you have gotten out of step with God’s plans and hopes for you.

Prayer: God who knows the fears and dreams deep in our hearts, guide us toward resilience. Help us to rebound from the things that twist and bend us. Give us the courage and strength to take time for the things that bring us joy. Amen.   

Christi Moock   

My Personal Image of Jesus

“When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

When I was a child, my mother hung a picture of Jesus standing by a heavy wooden door with a little lamb cradled in his arms. I would sit on the back of the sofa so I could look Jesus in the eye, and talk to him. I told him everything and I had complete confidence that he heard me and understood how I felt. I had three brothers who often didn’t want to play with me and being a farm family, other children were not close. So I made Jesus my best friend. However, my father was hurt in a farm accident and we sold the farm and moved to Salida, Colorado. Here father healed and after four years we moved to a ranch in southeastern Colorado. It was twenty-five miles to town so at the age of 13, I again felt alone. My oldest brother started dating a Baptist girl who took him to church each Sunday. Mother insisted that he take his siblings, too. The Jesus I met at the Baptist church was very stern and had very strict rules to follow if one were to ever see heaven. Then graduation came and I was off to college. I left the Baptist Jesus behind and did not attend any church.  After college, I accepted a job at the hospital where I had trained as a Med Tech. There I met Noel who was serving a year long internship with the hospital chaplain. The Jesus Noel worshiped was like the Jesus I knew as a child, warm and loving. However, it took almost ten years for my image of Jesus to become a reality. That happened when I finally understood the role of the Holy Spirit. I believe that Jesus was born human but he always knew God had called him to be the person who would bring about God’s new covenant with mankind, i.e., he was to be the sacrificial lamb, without sin, who would offer himself to God for the sins of each of us. Yes, I see Jesus as the person who died so that when I die I will take a seat behind Him and enjoy his fellowship forever. I see Jesus as my traveling companion through life. Jesus is the father who kept me safe as a child and the mother who taught me the meaning of life and how to live it. I am his willing servant. 

Prayer: Thank you for giving us a “thirst” for you and setting us on our journey to claim the prize you made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We recognize that the prize of salvation and companionship was given at a great cost we cannot repay even if required of us. We know and willingly accept our responsibilities as your children. Help us to remain committed to this relationship throughout life. When we stray bring us back: for the only life we want is a life shared with you. Amen.

Noel and Jane DeKalb (reprinted from 2017)

Psalm 33

You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!

It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

Give thanks to the Lord with the harp.

Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument.

Sing to him a new song.

Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him.

For the Lord’s decrees are just,

and everything he does is fair.

He promotes equity and justice;

the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth.

By the Lord’s decree the heavens were made,

and by the breath of his mouth all the starry hosts.

He piles up the water of the sea;

he puts the oceans in storehouses.

Let the whole earth fear the Lord.

Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him.

For he spoke, and it came into existence.

He issued the decree, and it stood firm.

The Lord frustrates the decisions of the nations;

he nullifies the plans of the peoples.

The Lord’s decisions stand forever;

his plans abide throughout the ages.

How blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession.

The Lord watches from heaven;

he sees all people.

From the place where he lives he looks carefully

at all the earth’s inhabitants.

He is the one who forms every human heart,

and takes note of all their actions.

No king is delivered by his vast army;

a warrior is not saved by his great might.

A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory;

despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers,

those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness

by saving their lives from death

and sustaining them during times of famine.

We wait for the Lord;

he is our deliverer and shield.

For our hearts rejoice in him,

for we trust in his holy name.

May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord,

For we wait for you. Psalm 33 NET (New English Translation)

Words from the book of Romans

 

All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. 

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:22-28 The Message

Restoration

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Recently I read in the paper about the restoration of a hotel in the Haymarket. A new owner had planned to literally gut the building. Everything was to be removed, from floor to ceiling, room by room, all the furniture gone, the carpets, the wiring, the plumbing, the TVs. Staying previously at this well known chain was comforting, all the rooms looked alike (like hotel rooms), the conference area looked like many others in the region, and the restaurant served OK meals conveniently to the residents. But now, a new hotel was promised. Something totally different. Everything will be new with new themes, new suites, and new colors. It is to be something Lincoln has never seen before. 

As I researched restoration in the Bible, I thought of the hotel. But our restoration in Christ is so much more. We are new creations—the old has passed away, and the new has come. We are all unique, special beings, here to serve our Savior with our own individual talents. What a great hope, joy, and purpose has come into our lives and our hearts. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to be a new creation, to be able to serve you and do your will in our lives. Be with us during this Lenten time as we prepare ourselves for your service. Amen

Nancy Hall (reprinted from 2017)

“It might not be perfect, but it’s better than it was”

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

I have often been called an optimist, sometimes even an “eternal optimist”. I believe that most clouds have a silver lining. My cup is nearly always half full. I like to look on the bright side. We all know someone who is a pessimist to a varying degree. For them, every cloud may look like a tornado on the verge of destruction. Their cup may be drained and cracked. And they may never have even heard of the bright side. 

Several years ago I worked with a nurse who used to say, “it might not be perfect, but it’s better than it was”. She used this phrase for an amazingly wide variety of situations. Patients who had surgery and didn’t get 100% recovery, but had improvement. Women who left abusive situations and struggled to make ends meet as single parents. Changes to a workflow or process that didn’t fix ALL the staff complaints but saved time for the end user. 

With our work and life schedules the last few years I have used this phrase to give myself some grace. Dusting the piano. Cleaning out closets. Vacuuming the carpet in the boat every time we take it out. Decorating for the holidays. Weeding the flower bed. The chores and tasks that take time, and that might matter more to the individual doing the work than they do to those experiencing it. Using the phrase “it might not be perfect, but it’s better than it was” has helped with these tasks. Did I get the noxious weeds out of the flower bed but not every single dead leaf? Did I vacuum just the high traffic spots in the boat instead of the whole thing? Did I pull out a piece of damaged clothing for recycling instead of hanging it up when I did the laundry? All of these qualify as “better than it was”. All of these were times where I took action to make it better and gave myself grace from perfection.

Prayer: Loving God, there are so many times when things are better but not perfect. Help us to appreciate the victories. If we spend our lives waiting for perfection or only recognizing those infrequent moments when we achieve it, we will be greatly disappointed. Thank you for giving us the grace to be human. Amen. 

Christi Moock    

Words from John

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.  And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. John 15

Do Right

"You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 6:18a 

“But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers only, who deceive themselves.” James 1:22 

“But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed.” I Peter 3:14  

“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 

When our children were young, bedtime prayers were part of our daily ritual.  Many families repeated variations of this familiar bedtime prayer: 

            “Now, I lay me down to sleep,

            I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

            If I should die before I wake,

            I pray the Lord my soul to take.” 

I decided that this prayer was not appropriate for children.  After each of my children said their nightly prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and asking God’s forgiveness, I would conclude with the following prayer. 

“We ask God to keep you safe through the night and help you to do right tomorrow.” 

I sometimes wondered if my children understood the meaning of “do right.”  Parents and teachers often admonish children to “be good.”  Do children really know what it means to “be good”?  Likewise, do they understand what it means to “do right”? How do we know how to “do right”?  I believe that God’s love for us, and our love and appreciation for God will lead us to do what is right. It will lead us to spend time with God, and love others more.  Sometimes, we know the right thing to do.  The hard part is doing it.  Scripture gives us guidance in knowing ways we can “do right”. We know that no matter what, God is with us and forgives us when we fail to “do right”.  Lent is a time that we can focus on our relationship with God. 

Prayer: Dear God, help us to not grow weary in doing what is right.  Thank you for your assurance that you are always with us.  Thank you for forgiving us again and again.  Amen. 

Lois Poppe (reprinted from 2017)

Luke 24:13-35

 

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.  He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"  "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus."  He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Luke 24:13-35

The Cross is our Symbol

And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

Christians need nothing else to let people know we follow Jesus. The Cross is our symbol. It has been atop our churches for centuries.

When we follow the Cross of Jesus and deny ourselves, we follow his scriptures and see all people whom he blesses:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Matthew 13:2

Jesus went to the cross to die for us, all people, no exceptions.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come over you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Prayer: Dear Lord, please guide me daily, help me to follow you and treasure all people. Help me to be your witness each day. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Easter Monday

 

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. Philippians 2:8-9

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 1 Corinthians 15:20-21

Good Friday

 

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 12:40

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:6-10

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

Maundy Thursday

 

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:1-17