Lent 2020 Day 17 “Release Your Yesterday”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2095;%20Exodus%2016:9-21;%20Ephesians%202:11-22

Exodus 16:9-21

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” ¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of  the Lord appearing in the cloud. ¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” ¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a] for each person you have in your tent.’” ¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. ¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” ²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. ²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Let Yesterday Go

I’m exhausted. How does a good GOD let all this happen? Why does this have to be so hard? Why do I have to go through this desert of despair? Am I asking too much? All I want to do is take it easy. Haven’t we been through enough? If YOU have ever uttered these words YOU may be responding to echoes of the past and carrying around extra junk in YOUR trunk. One of the greatest challenges to our overall mental health and spiritual growth is the inability to build bridges and get over a scarcity mentality. Grumbling is born from judging what we are experiencing as bad or undesirable. We grumble when we cannot appreciate our present moment. Unfortunately complaining and grumbling leads us to play the blame game. Rarely do we see our role in our condition. In an effort to move forward I encourage us to let yesterday go. When I say “let yesterday go”, I am saying we cannot do anything about our past but we can make determinations about moving forward.

In the text from Exodus 16, The Israelites are mumbling and grumbling. Freed from their external captors they are still in bondage to their brokenness and addicted to complaining. All the while they were enslaved they complained. Now they are free and they complain. Sometimes you get what you want but don’t know how to handle it. Other times you get what you want but the responsibilities are more than you imagined. Due to their complaining, GOD responds by sending manna from heaven. Manna is hard to describe but it can be understood as a daily provision of just enough. GOD instructs the Israelites to get all they wanted but don’t store any for the next day. But like many of us who don’t trust easily due to past pain, we try to get while the getting is good. Past programming says the future is unpredictable so I better hold on to what I have. They stored some manna and it made them sick. The message here is to trust that the LORD will provide. By attempting to store manna it was trusting more in the provisions of yesterday than the provider of every day. When GOD gives an instruction we must trust that there is a plan. We may not see or understand the plan but that doesn’t mean its not there.

This Lent as we come face to face with ourselves, let us enter each day with a renewed awareness that GOD will provide. Let us trust the provider more than the provision. Manna was known as what is it. We may not have a name for how the provision is made but there is no doubt who the provider is. OUR GOD never runs out of creative ways to bless us.

Points to Ponder: What are YOU clinging to that is impeding YOUR progress? What is your image of GOD? How can YOU cling to an abundance mentality after a history of scarcity?

Palm Sunday 2019 “Needed By Jesus”

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29        John 12:12-16      Luke 19:28-40          Matthew 21:1-17
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A1-17&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+118%3A1-2%2C+19-29%2C+John+12%3A12-16%2C+Luke+19%3A28-40&version=NIV

Its Palm Sunday. We have arrived at the end of our 40 Days of Lenten Devotions. I am grateful for all who have followed or read these devotions over the last 40 days. I will continue to post up to Resurrection Sunday and then as the spirit leads.

Have you ever recognized the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Have you examined yourself honestly and recognized your blemishes and flaws. IN short have you ever in the presence of GOD felt, awkward, unworthy, even ugly? After forty days of reflecting and drawing closer to GOD, repenting of my past wrongs, I now see how much further I have to go. Whenever we draw closer to the light, we are able to see more details. We have a tendency to only see the gaps but miss the glimpses of grace and glory. What I am driving at is even though we may not yet be all we can be, after forty days of discipline we are better than we would have been. The triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey is an example of how GOD can use the ordinary to fulfill an extraordinary purpose.

In our text we have the Master preparing to enter Jerusalem for what would be the last time. He prepares by asking two disciples to run ahead and get a donkey and a colt to ride on. There is no indication that Jesus was anticipating the crowds gathering yet they did. As Jesus rides in on the donkey, a beast of burden, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in THE LAST WEEK, indicate there was another procession on the other side of town. The sense is Pilate was also arriving around the same time. The contrast between these two arrivals is stark. Pilate would have arrived with military guards on Stallions with pomp and circumstance and the show of power and authority was intentional, for all to see. On the other side of town, arriving through an olive grove on what would have been a side street, Jesus arrives, with a crowd that seems to gather and they start a commotion, shouting Hosanna. Now Hosanna literally means save us. As we say Hosanna today we will be saying save us. The question is, save us from what? From the oppression of external pressures? From sexism, racism, ageism, or any other ism? Or save us from what we have learned about ourselves over the last 40 days. How we can be cranky or prone to acting out on our worst desires? What are we asking to be saved from and saved to?

As Jesus arrives a few things come to my mind. First he chooses a donkey. Donkeys are low to the ground, they are generally, beasts of burden, and rarely have you ever heard that’s a fine looking donkey you have there. They may resemble horses but they aren’t admired of adored like horses. I believe Jesus chooses to enter like this and even say the LORD has need of the donkey to remind us, no matter how scarred we may be, no matter how ignored we may be, no matter what our past may be, The LORD still has need of us. GOD can use us no matter what we look like. GOD can use us despite the gaps in our life or the gaps in our teeth. The LORD has need of you.

Today and as we continue into this Holy Week, be encouraged. GOD can use you to do a mighty work for the kingdom. The challenge is for us not to simply get caught up in crowd celebrations because as we follow the story throughout the week, crowds can be fickle. One moment they cheer and the next they jeer. One moment they can say Hosanna and the next they say hang him up and kill him. Beyond the crowd check the core of your heart. Save us from us and from others. Live In Victory Everyday, Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG.

PRAYER: LORD you have revealed yourself in so many ways. Unfortunately our vision has been obscured and we have not noticed you. Open our eyes that we may see your royalty on a donkey. Guide our footsteps on the pathways that our praises are sincere and we resist the pull of the crowd.  Grant us courage and compassion. AMEN

Point To Ponder: How many times have we missed the presence of GOD in our midst because he didn’t meet our expectations? How will you look in the unfamiliar places for the faces of Yeshua in our midst?

Lent 2019 Day 39 “Broken”

 

 

Sat Apr 13

Psalm 42, 43, 137, 144

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Romans 11:25-36

John 11:28-44

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2042%2C%20Psalm%2043%2C%20Psalm%20137%2C%20Psalm%20144%2C%20Jeremiah%2031%3A27-34%2C%20Romans%2011%3A25-36%2C%20John%2011%3A28-44%C2%A0&version=NIV

^{Psalm 42:1} As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?

^{Psam 137:1} By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
    when we remembered Zion.
² There on the poplars
    we hung our harps,
³ for there our captors asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Where have we hung our harps? Trials and tribulations can take their collective toll on a people and soon they begin to forget who and whose they are. After enough pain it can appear that prayer is simply wishful thinking wrapped in an illusion of possibility somewhat like Santa Clause. When this begins to happen we may tend to forget or over-remember. When I say over-remember I am saying we can often glorify the past in such a way that it is altered. Today as we near the end of our 40 days of Lenten meditations, I challenge us to reclaim our songs of joy no matter what our situation.

Through these 40 days we have explored different facets of ourselves and of our GOD. We recognize the high level of commitment to consistency in service that GOD desires. We have challenged ourselves to be stronger and more resilient in the face of internal and external pressures. Today knowing that soon we will be eating whatever we want and freeing up some more time listen to your heart. Where is there a song of joy in your heart? A song that situations can’t take from you. A song that adds meaning to your misery. The senior saints of my childhood would sing, this joy that I have the world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away.

The Psalmist shares the predicament the Israelite community faced. Being in exile and often on the run they hung up their harps. The left their music makers behind. In other words they cried and gave in to the full expression of their depression. It can happen to the best of us. We get to thinking and forget to remember the powerful presence of our loving Divine Daddy. We can get into the woe is me and I can’t sing because there’s nothing to sing about. If you are here let me suggest you sing on credit. Sing not because of your situation but in spite of it. Sing because you know trouble don’t last always. Sing because over your head you hear the songs of the birds who sing even when they are caged. Sing because you know there is a GOD somewhere. Sing on credit, for in due season you will reap a harvest if you faint not.

PRAYER: LORD return to us the joy of our salvation we have so carelessly lost. In the midst of our pain erase our shame, and help us find our way back to you. Fix us where we are broken and heal us where we are hurting. continue to change our mourning into dancing we pray, AMEN

Point to Ponder: Write a song of defiant praise that you will sing in your most trying time. Encourage someone without judging them for needing encouragement.

 

 

Lent 2019 Day 38 “Hold Fast To Dreams”

Friday Apr 12

Psalm 22, 141, 143

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-13

Romans 11:13-24

John 11:1-27

^{Psalm 143:3} The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.
⁴ So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.
⁵ I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
⁶ I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

^{Jeremiah 29:4} This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” ⁸ Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. ⁹ They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Life has a way of knocking you off your feet. One moment things can be going well and the next thing you know, BOOM, you are knocked off your feet. The unexpected happens and now you feel like a motherless child a long way from home. Many people as time and technology progress feel less and less connected to the world in which they live. All the bells and beeps that surround us can become disconcerting. As we get older things that once happened through us begin to happen to us. We lose our sense of belonging. When this occurs we begin to long for the good old days. This mindset only exacerbates the disconnect. Langston Hughes writes, hold fast to dreams for when dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. It is to this life experience this text is directed.

In this text GOD inspires Jeremiah to prepare the people for being in exile. The Israelite community is exiled and being frustrated by living in a foreign land away from familiar surroundings, basically trying to figure out what to do. How can we find a home away from home. GOD instructs the Israelite community to settle down. Don’t spend all their energy trying to be where they are not. There is a tragedy and not being present. GOD is an ever present help in time of trouble. Knowing this we can know that GOD cannot be confined to any space or place. We know that the earth is the LORDS and all that dwell in it. So whether they are in Jerusalem or Babylon the Israelites can still be at home. And this is the message for us today.

Our situation may take a while to change in our favor. GOD doesn’t want us to be skittish even though we are scattered. It is the plan of GOD to prosper us, not just in the not yet, but right now. Knowing that GOD has a future for us adds meaning in the present moment. The plan of GOD to prosper us allows there to be a purpose in the midst of our pain. Hope has as much power in our present as it has for our future. Just think about what happens when a person is hopeless. When we give up hope it has implications right now. Hopeless people become dead people walking. No joy, no peace, no laughter, just a gnawing experience that steals all vitality. On the other hand people with hope can go through hell because they live in heaven. They know the kingdom of heaven is within and thus they learn to bloom where they are planted. Working for the best even in this foreign place means everybody can prosper.

As we near the end of this Lenten season, we may notice a desire to want to hang on to the sense of home we feel doing our devotions. I challenge us by saying it doesn’t have to end. Just because we change liturgical season doesn’t mean we have to change spiritual disciplines. And even if they have to change some, we must hold on to the hope that we can call on the LORD and be heard, when we call with our whole heart.

PRAYER: LORD help us to bloom where we are planted. As we experience exile let us also experience your presence and blessed assurance that we are not alone. Lead us Guide us, Direct us to export inner peace amid external chaos. Awaken the dead areas of our lives killed by despair. AMEN

Point to Ponder: In what ways have you experienced exile? How are you blooming where you are planted? Share what it means for you to prosper.

Lent 2019 Day 34 “Cracked Pots”

Mon Apr 8

Psalm 31, 35

Jeremiah 24:1-10

Romans 9:19-33

John 9:1-17

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+31%2C+Psalm+35%2C+Jeremiah+24%3A1-10%2C+Romans+9%3A19-33%2C+John+9%3A1-17&version=NIV

^{Psalm 31:11} Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶ Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.

^{Romans 9:20} But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”^[a] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Cracked Pots

An Indian proverb tells the following story. A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you”.  The bearer asked, “Why? What are you ashamed of?”  The Pot replied, “For these past two years I am able to deliver only half of my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value for your efforts”.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion, he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” At the end of the journey the bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

The Psalmist and the writer of Romans speak of broken pottery. The Psalmist says “I have become like broken pottery”. Someone reading this may agree. You look in the mirror and only see your flaws. You try being positive, but at your root there is a sense of unworthiness or even worthlessness. Like the reference in Romans you may be wondering why GOD has allowed you to be this way. What we miss when we choose to judge ourselves is the fact that we belong to GOD. We are the clay and GOD knows us and chooses to love us and use us as we are. Our life and light are only to be compared to OUR purpose. Every one is unique. Like the water bearer in our story, GOD can use cracked pots for GOD’S glory. Embrace who you are, cracks, worts, wrinkles and all.

Point to Ponder: How have you judged yourself too harshly? How have you overlooked opportunities to be a blessing due to not feeling worthy? Think on the possibilities that loving who you are as you are can turn cracks into carnations.

Lent 2019 Day 33 “Room To Breathe”

Sun 5 Apr 7

Psalm 118, 145

Jeremiah 23:16-32

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Mark 8:31-9:1

^{Psalm 118:5} When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.

Room To Breathe

Your back is against the wall. Your heart is beating fast and your breaths are shallow. There’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. FEar and trembling is a constant companion. What do you do? Your mind is filled with one simple thought, breathing room. You want to stretch. You want a minute to yourself and maybe then you can think of a plan. But you can’t find relief. Many people live in various manifestations of this scenario. Financially stressed from paycheck to paycheck working two jobs to make ends only almost meet. Can’t sleep without tossing and turning. Just a couple more dollars would help but then its always something to take them away. Flat tire. A CHild in trouble. You are hard pressed on every side and all you want is some breathing room.

The PSalmist describes the response that worked. I cried out to the LORD and the LORD brought me into a spacious place. The LORD knows just what we need and when we need it. A spacious place is provided as a remedy for being hard pressed. In a spacious place, one can breathe. In a spacious place, one can dream. In a spacious place, one can see all around them and chart a course in multiple directions. Spacious places provide options and choices. Trusting humans to provide this spacious place will only lead to disappointment. The only way out is to go into the safe place only GOD can provide. The safe place that takes away fear. The spacious safety of the arms of YHWH. The LORD is our helper. So when we are hard pressed we are not forsaken. We may be cast down but we are not destroyed. GOD provides room to breathe.

Point to Ponder: In what ways do you feel limited? What stressors are stretching you right now? What would a spacious place look like for you? Today be intentional about making a spacious place for others to experience GOD.

Lent 2019 Day 31 “Quilts, Puzzles, & Life”

Fri

Apr 5

Psalm 107

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Romans 8:28-39

John 6:52-59

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+107%2C+Jeremiah+23%3A1-8%2C+Romans+8%3A28-39%2C+John+6%3A52-59&version=NIV

^{Romans 8:28-29} And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Have you ever looked over your life and wondered how all the experiences have worked together? Have you ever reflected on the things that excite you and the things that ignite you and wondered how they fit together? Think on the times you felt most confident and compare that to the times you felt most incompetent. Does either experience totally describe who you are? Who GOD is?

I hold today that life with GOD can be like a puzzle. Every piece has its own distinct shape. Each distinct piece is like an experience in life. The first time you were teased and the first time you were treasured are both pieces of the same puzzle. the first tear and the first cheer are parts of the puzzle called you. The challenge many of us face is figuring out how each piece fits in with the other. Adding to the complexity of this particular puzzle is we don’t have an accurate picture of what the puzzle is supposed to look at. Paul the writer of this text, wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that we see through a glass dimly. Our picture is incomplete, unclear. This can be frustrating.

In our text today from Romans 8:28-39 we get a confirmation that every piece will fit. GOD inspires Paul to see and say that in All things works for the good of those who love GOD who have been called according to GODS purpose. All things work. Imagine all the parts of an engine laying on the ground. You know they came from the same engine but they are disassembled. Sometimes just knowing they will fit gives us a bit of confidence to keep working on it. We do not quit because we know in the end it will work out. And so it is with the puzzle of life. As we continue loving and living GOD helps to put together all the parts of our spiritual engine and puzzle. How does GOD do it we a times wonder.

In response to that the text goes on to say that nothing can separate us from the love of GOD. We find that we are more than conquerors through GOD who loves us. Things work together. As you go and grow through this day and Lenten season, may you can greater insight into how all you have been through has helped to equip you for where you are going to. GOD is constantly working on our behalf and it would be premature to let one experience derail our overall progress. Langston Hughes once wrote, “Hold fast to dreams for when dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly”. In that same way I say hold on to your love for GOD, for nothing can separate GODS love for you.

PRAYER: LORD strengthen us when the pieces of our life look like they don’t fit. Help us to not grow weary in well doing even when there is no confirmation that we are having any effect. Heal our brokenness born from disappointment and despair. Thank you for your never failing love. AMEN

Point to Ponder: What is your greatest challenge? Are there any pieces of your life that you have chosen to forget and leave behind? Is now the time to ask GOD to show you how it fits into the whole of who you are.

Lent 2019 Day 12 “

Sun 2 Mar 17

Psalm: 24, 29 pm: 8, 84

Jere 1:1-10

1 Cor 3:11-23

Mark 3:31-4:9

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+24%2C+Psalm+29%2C+Psalm+8%2C+Psalm+84%2C+Jeremiah+1%3A1-10%2C+1+Corinthians+3%3A11-23%2C%09Mark+3%3A31-4%3A9&version=NIV

^{Psalm 24:1} The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; ² for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

^{Jeremiah 1:4} The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” ⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

All Around

Where is GOD? When all the things we have beleived in are crushed and catastrophe is all we see, where is GOD? When we have done the right thing and sacrificed some things and helped the hurting and hungry and still find our selves unemployed, Where is GOD? OUr challenges and circumstances can become false gods in our lives. We can elevate our situations in such a way that we focus on our big our challenge is and forget how big our GOD is. The Psalmist reminds us that the earth and everything in it and on it belong to GOD. There is not a time or place when GOD cannot see our face. With this in mind we have an opportunity to know that GOD is not absent even when GODS presence is not apparant.  fear envelopesss

When Jeremiah takes his eyes off the caller GOD) and focuses on the called (Himself), fear envelopes him and excuses start to follow. He thinks of reasons he will fail and YHWH reminds him, I AM with you and I AM will rescue you, because you are never out of the sight of the I AM who knew you before you were born. Let us be reminded of this as we journey through Lent. Though it gets dark and difficult, though enemies gather around us, though doubt tries to disable us and despair tries to drown us, even if we fall GOd will rescue us. We can not fall in a place GOD is not.

Point to Ponder: Where is GOD when you feel distressed? How do you experience GOD in the midst of your disappointments? Live in such a way that on your darkest night there remains a light, dim as it may be, for GOD is there.

Lent 2018 Day 37 “Valuing Others”

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. ²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. ²² The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; ²³ the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. ²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. ²⁵ Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! ²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.[a] ²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up[b] to the horns of the altar. ²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;  you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 (NIV)

The Passover

16 Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. ² Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. ³ Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. ⁴ Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. ⁵ You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you ⁶ except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary^[a] of your departure from Egypt. ⁷ Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. ⁸ For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.

Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Valuing Others

“I got to take care of me, if I don’t nobody else will.” I’m looking out for number one”. “What’s in it for me”. We have all heard or spoken these sentiments. We live in an age, especially in the Western world where our self-interests are constantly placed above everything else. Our society seems to say, I only have time for you, if you have something to offer me. We build relationships and join organizations for the companionship or the contacts we can use to propel us into the life we want to live. Many people are dissatisfied with how their life is turning out and are in a perpetual pursuit of finding someone to satisfy our longings. As long as they feed us what we need emotionally we are right by their side. But the moment the relationship gets rocky we are ready to bail out. As natural an instinct, this may be, we are called to a higher standard. Our big brother Jesus leads by example in showing us how to interact.

Our text in Philippians 2, has Paul writing to the church at Phillipi. This letter to the church has a common theme of unity and humility. This is highlighted here in chapter 2 when Paul writes, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”  As believers who are united in Christ, we have the opportunity to draw strength from our relationship. Recognizing our connection to Christ can and should influence how we engage others in this world. Jesus is our example of how to be healthy in a community. Paul writes, In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: We are challenged to think like Jesus. Looking at how Jesus thought we see that Jesus knew he had it all but was willing to give it all away to help others. We are the recipients of the life that Christ lived. We who had nothing now have it all, because of grace. Knowing we have it all, knowing we lack nothing, knowing that no matter what is going on in our life, we are more than conquerors through Christ who saves us, knowing these things, we are called not to hoard it but to holler it. The Psalmist in Psalm 118 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” We are tasked to say something. This saying is not solely in our talk but also in our walk. How we live and love is a reflection of our response. Paul says that Jesus does all that he does in a way that should elicit praise from the people. Every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall confess that Jesus is LORD. Jesus is the ruler of all that is, was, and will be. Jesus is all we will ever need. When we value others we are witnesses that can encourage both ourselves and others. Valuing others blesses the giver and receiver. Psychologist show in many studies the mental health benefits of lifting others. If you want to feel better, help somebody.

This Lent as we encouraged by our unity with Christ and comforted by his love, let us also lift as we climb. Let us share what we have been freely given. By doing this it doesn’t run out for there is no scarcity in the CREATOR. By sharing we make a difference. Lift as you climb and all around you will be able to Live In Victory Every Day Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: What encourages you most about your relationship with GOD? What challenges have you encountered when you neglect others? What bridges can be built between you and those least like you? Are you willing to Value others above yourself?

Lent 2018 Day 29 “Upgrade”

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Isaiah 60:15-22

¹⁵ “Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. ¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. ¹⁷ Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. ¹⁸ No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. ¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. ²⁰ Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. ²¹ Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. ²² The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

John 8:12-20

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ¹³ The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ¹⁷ In your own Law, it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ¹⁸ I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” ¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ²⁰ He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him because his hour had not yet come.

Upgrade

Your phone is slowing down and the battery is dying faster. Your car has a new muffler you call, a louder radio volume. Your shoes have holes where once there were souls. You are going through the motions Sunday after Sunday but no new revelation for elevation has come your way in longer than you can remember. In each of these scenarios, I contend you may be in need of an upgrade. The time has come to address the situation and let go of that favorite shirt that started black and has faded to grey. The old ways which served you well, have now stopped yielding any increase. It feels like you are running in mud on a merry go round. You feel let down, forgotten, and blah.

Isaiah 60 addresses this feeling. The Israelites have been through exile and have returned to a mess. They look at their situation and get depressed all over again. Everywhere they look they see remnants of what was and is no more. The prophet communicates from GOD a message of hope. This hope and vision is of an upgrade. GOD says in verse 17: “Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood, I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.” When I read this I am challenged not to downsize my dreams to the depths of my dilemmas. I am challenged to believe that my opportunities can overwhelm my obstacles. Hope is a contagious thing. When we have hope it filters through our whole being. We see launch pads where once there were landing strips. We see gold where once we saw bronze. We see bronze where once we saw wood. This message is for every person who is feeling down, falling down,  or fearing disaster. Lift up your head, steady your spine and believe that the creator of the universe has no limits or boundaries. Just because you have fasted and prayed and you see no results, remember that words are like seeds, They grow down before they grow up. The deeper the root the better the fruit.

Lent is a season of an upgrade. As we are intentional about our spiritual journey we are able to see areas of our life that are in disrepair. We acknowledge our fragile moments have fractured our faith and are accountable. This Lent, GOD is saying to each of us through Jesus, I am the light of the world. You may have been in darkness, unable to see, but if you follow you will never be in darkness again. Follow me and I will give you hope. Follow me and you can have inner peace. Follow me and you will be inundated with light.

Points to Ponder: You are the light of the world, how are you shining? In what areas of your life are you in need of an upgrade? What does it mean to be a child of GOD and what are your responsibilities?