The day after Easter, Resurrection Day, may we…
“Remember what you said to me, your servant—I hang on to these words for dear life! These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me.”
Psalm 119:48-49, Msg
Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus
Because he first loved me.
Thank You, Lord
In Jesus Name we pray and hang on to every word, Amen!
LIFE!
Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord she thought was dead
Was it a morning like this
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb
Bearers of news she would hear soon
Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice to feel You again?
Chorus:
Over and over like a trumpet underground
Did the earth seem to pound “He is risen!”
Over and over in a never-ending round
“He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Was it a morning like this
When Peter and John ran from Jerusalem?
And as they raced toward the tomb
Beneath their feet was there a tune?
Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice to feel You again?
Repeat Chorus Twice
Was it a morning like this
When my Lord looked out on Jerusalem?
He is risen!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
I arose just before sunrise singing this song and imagining what the women were thinking and feeling. And I praised God for knowing the whole story! My emotions of gratitude overwhelm me at times. I am that woman who must tell His Story “like a never-ending round”, HE IS RISEN!
“Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom;
Then I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. I cherish your commandments–oh, how I love them!–relishing every fragment of your counsel.”
Psalm 119:44-47, Msg
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You.
In Jesus Name, Amen
(Author of song: Sandi Patty)
“Let your love, Yahweh, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised…” Psalm 119:41, Msg
HE HAS!
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his on and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” John 3:16 Msg
“…Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted Your Word.” Psalm 119:42 Msg
HE DID!
“So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they greeted him with slaps in the face.” John 19:1, Msg
“Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for my only hope is in your laws.” Psalm 119:43, Msg
HE WILL!
As I read and meditate each morning, I sometimes entertain the thought of, “Oh, if only the Psalmist knew what was going to happen next! He would be more encouraging in his words and his crying out to God. But after today, perhaps he did know, with God’s heart working through him, as he wrote to foretell the coming of our Lord and Savior. Well, of course!
Jesus, God’s Son, came to seek and to save lost people. He came to serve, not to be served, teaching us the “full extent of his love”, by washing dirty disciples’ feet. He was mocked, tortured in the most cruel way by the invention of the Romans in charge at the time. But the Word was NOT snatched from us. He died. He rose. And He is alive today! AND He’s coming back for His own. Hallelujah!
“My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” John 10, Msg
YES!
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” John 1, Msg
Dear Heavenly Father,
On Christ the solid rock we stand, knowing that our salvation is true and eternal and cannot be snatched from us. Thank you! We praise You and are grateful for Your Word…You, becoming flesh and blood and moving into the neighborhoods. We love you back with all our hearts, minds and souls.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Our LORD and Savior, Amen!
April 18, 2014 Good Friday
Dear Heavenly Father,
Hallowed be Your Name! Blessed are You, dear Lord! Thank you for loving us so much that you stepped down from heaven to earth to save us. Thank you for becoming human enough to feel the beatings, the humiliation, the conflict, the torment and then the nails on the cross.
You had the power to stop it, to clinch Your fists, and shout, “NO”! But instead, You opened Your Hands for us, just as You had always opened your arms to little children who came to You…and You took the nails. You were lifted up, on splintering boards, for your final agony, for me, for my husband, our family, for our friends and our enemies. For all, once and for all.
“Thank you” seems so shallow and not great enough to tell you how more than enough You are to me. So, I will live to be what pleases You so I may do what reflects Your Glory, knowing my horrible debt of sin is paid in full, with an intense desire to show You my heart of deep gratitude. I won’t be perfect and I will mess up from time to time but my life is Your’s to do what You want.
May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in all the details from small to large, in our lives here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us THIS day a mind to remember all You have done for us. Yes, Lord, Yes!
And forgive us our sin as we quickly forgive the sin of others to us…and to You. Lead us not into temptations to judge, to doubt, to lose faith, to criticize, to be unloving, or impatient. Instead, lead us to “higher ground” thinking and behaving, with You living in us and us in You. Abide with us. May Your Holy Spirit guide us in all we do today and give us power to do what is right…even when no one cares or when no one is looking at us.
You have all power! You are God and we are not. We rely on You. All our trust is in You. So, please put Your power in us to do all that pleases You, makes You smile, brings You praise and helps others look to You, too, for their salvation. We praise You forevermore.
Bless all who reflect on Your salvation by way of the Cross today and then remember that in three days you rose again, defeated death, defeating the prince of darkness and that You are preparing a place for us…where You are…to live forever with You! Hallelujah! Blessed be Your Name!
How can I say thanks? With my life. Help us, Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen
“LORD, give to me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me.” Psalm 119:41, NLT
“Deflect the harsh words of my critics–but what you say is always good. See how hungry I am for your counsel; preserve my life through your righteous ways!” Psalm 119:39-40 Msg
“Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.” Psalm 119:39-49, NIV
No matter which translation or interpretation we read, the bottom line is God’s Word is Truth and it is complete. God’s Word makes us complete and righteous when we obey. But alas, we are human. God’s Word, manifested in His Son, our Deliverer and Redeemer from the debt of sin, provides for our salvation and our freedom!
God’s Word Became Flesh!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:1-5, NIV
Nothing else compares to knowing and following Jesus, God’s Son, with the help of the Holy Spirit! Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Yes, this is ALL I want, too.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your Son, Jesus, who came to earth to seek and save lost people and also to teach us to love by serving others. Thank you for the perfect example of what the Word teaches us to follow. You ARE all I want. Cleanse me, make me white as snow. Take away from me all that offends you.
I pray that You are all my brother wants some day and all that my family and friends want, too. I even pray for my enemies who criticize because of how little they know…bring them to You, Lord. Bless those who curse us. Keep us in alignment with Your will and purpose. Help us to “wash the feet” of those You have given us to serve. Just like Jesus.
In Jesus Name, Amen
“Reassure me of your promise, which is for those who honor you.” Psalm 119:38, NLT
The Psalmist is asking God to establish, or make a firm foundation of the Word, from God, in his heart. He wants confirmation and affirmation that this promise of God’s Word will always help him in good times and bad.
Confirm it; make it seem firm and true; let not my mind be vacillating or skeptical in regard to Your truth. This seems to be a prayer against the influence of doubt and skepticism. There are some whose minds are naturally skeptical and unbelieving, and for such people such a prayer is especially appropriate. So, the prayer is, that God would confirm his faith in that “word”… in that revealed truth…which was designed to secure the worship of God.
“Affirm your promises to me–promises made to all who fear you.” Psalm 119:38 Msg
This “fear” is a healthy fear of fully devoted followers of wanting to please God, to honor him in our worship to Him. We come in holy reverence with a desire to be all that would please God or make him smile as we live our lives in worship.
“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY?
We have the blessed assurance that God, through his Son, Jesus Christ has covered us, paid our debt of sin with His blood shed at the cross. He not only paid our debt in full, but erased all knowledge of our sin when we repent. His resurrection is proof of the forever defeat of the evil one who still tempts us but does not overcome us because of our worship and devotion to our Lord who saves. Jesus literally went to hell and back..for you and I. We are covered with grace, amazing grace, for every day of our lives! A thousand times we fail, but his mercy still remains.
WHY?
Because God loves us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into to world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him.” John 3:16-18, NLT
BE VERY SURE…
You may imagine a day of judgment where you’re standing outside the gates of Heaven in a really, really long line, and you’re slowly moving forward, one step at a time. As you get closer, you start to sweat and wonder, “Am I going to get in? Am I going to make it? Is God going to use a giant TV screen to show every dumb or evil thing I’ve ever done? Will my every sin be exposed?”
I have good news for you; it’s a promise of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus — his death and Resurrection — will not be judged (John 3:18).
Here’s the real picture: You’re standing in line waiting for the judgment. Jesus sees you and says, “I know you. We’ve been friends for years. You put your trust in me back in 2014 at Easter. Come with me. Get in the express lane. You get the fast track. You get to bypass the judgment.” Is that good news? Oh, yeah! (Excerpt from Rick Warren, “Can I Be Sure I Will Get Into Heaven?”)
Dear Heavenly Father, My prayer is one of simple, but extreme gratitude for Your forgiveness, grace and mercy. There are not enough words to express it, so hear it from my overwhelmed heart. May Your Holy Spirit express to You with words that are beyond me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
And I’m singing….
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long…
