​3-31-21
This week is Holy Week, so I would like to take a particular event in Jesus' life this week and see what we can learn from it. Today's devotion is based on Matthew 22:1-14, "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."
Jesus, in knowing his arrest was getting close told many parables.  All of them were designed to warn the Jews that if they did not change their ways, their very beliefs, they would be rejected by God.  He wanted them, just as he does today, Jew and Gentile to turn to him since he is the promised Messiah.  There is no forgiveness, no salvation, no eternal life with God without believing in him.
Please join me in prayer:  Heavenly Father, creator, and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen, thank you for providing salvation for us through Jesus Christ, true God, true man.  Help us to stay in the faith through your Word so that we can live our lives in peace, knowing that we are clothed in the righteous robes of Jesus.  In his name, we pray.  Amen. 

​3-30-21
This week is Holy Week, so I would like to take a particular event in Jesus' life this week and see what we can learn from it. Today's devotion is based on  Matthew 21:12-14, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.”
While there is not much mentioned in the Bible about this particular incident during Holy Week, it has been used as the reason for not having church sales, and such in the church buildings.  It has also been used to justify what a person might call “righteous anger” for Jesus was clearly angry when he cleand the money-changers and sellers out of the temple that day.
Both of those are clearly a wrong application of the incident, for in the first, what was taking place by doing business in the temple did not allow gentiles to gather at the temple to worship God.  Making money had taken precedence over allowing others to worship God in the temple.
The second is that Jesus in his humanness was also sinless.  His righteous anger was truly righteous.  Our so called “righteous anger” is always tainted by sin for righteous anger cares about the other.  I would say that when we display “righteous anger” we are actually caring more about ourselves and our beliefs.  We can never act as Jesus did that day and not sin.  Thank the Lord that the only righteous one, Jesus, has clothed us with his righteousness.
It is my prayer today that the feet of God walk with you, and his hand hold you tight. May the eye of God rest on you, and his ear hear your cry. May the smile of God be for you, and his breath give you life. May the Child of God grow in you, and his love bring you home. (Robert Mann, 1983)

​3-28-21
This week is Holy Week, so I would like to take a particular event in Jesus' life this week and see what we can learn from it. Today's devotion is based on John 12:3, "Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."  
Since they reclined at their meals, people washed their feet which I am sure were pretty dusty after walking all day.  It was a simple act usually done by a slave. In this simple act, Mary washed Jesus' feet with some expensive perfume and then used her hair to dry his feet. Was this normal? It was not, for as we know, it stirred up some rather unkind remarks that evening
Symbolically, Mary points forward to Jesus' crucifixion and burial. More importantly, lavishing Jesus' feet with such a beautiful scent during this moment highlights the reality that he will always be a living Savior, rather than buried and forgotten.
The journey of passion this week heralds the coming of a new era of kingship that is precious, tangible, and shared with many. God comes to us day after day, in Christ, and works through us in his world as we serve, sometimes washing stinky feet, in response to his unconditional love, mercy, and forgiveness.
It is my prayer today that the feet of God walk with you, and his hand hold you tight. May the eye of God rest on you, and his ear hear your cry. May the smile of God be for you, and his breath give you life. May the Child of God grow in you, and his love bring you home. (Robert Mann, 1983)

​3-27-21
Today's devotion is based on John 12:14,15. "Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 'Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"
I love the way Jesus enters the city. He not only fulfills a prophecy about himself but sets a simple and powerful example to those around him. Jesus just gets about it. He knows what he has to do and keeps it simple. How good is it to know that no matter what, Jesus is still coming! He's on his way into our lives, our days, relationships, jobs, streets, and homes. And he brings the simple message of hope and love in partnership with his Father through the free gift of grace. Jesus comes to us every day.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Lord and king of simple, thank you for coming to me each day in grace. Amen.

​3-26-21
Today's devotion is based on Jeremiah 31:33,34, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Passover begins at sundown tomorrow. People who observe Passover tomorrow will be remembering the old covenant of the Lord. Under the old covenant, the Lord had Moses lead them out of Egypt toward Israel's promised land. The Lord told them to obey his commandments as a way of thanking him for his deliverance. Of course, they did not, just as we do not keep God's commandments.
When Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, he said that shedding his blood was a new covenant—something that had been anticipated by the prophet Jeremiah 600 years earlier. In the new covenant, the Lord would forgive everyone who had ever broken any of his commandments. He would forgive their wickedness and forget their sins.
You are living in the new covenant. The Lord has promised forgiveness for you through faith in Jesus regardless of how well you have kept the commandments. Let this assurance be your motivation for keeping his commandments, thanking him for delivering you from your sins.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Lord Jesus, thank you for your new covenant and for delivering me from my sins. Please help me keep your commandments this day. Amen.

​3-25-21
Today’s devotion is based on Hebrews 3:1, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.”
Today’s verse from Hebrews urges us to fix our thoughts on Jesus and acknowledge Jesus as our apostle and high priest. The word apostle comes from a Greek word meaning ‘a person sent out.’ This perfectly describes the ministry of Jesus in this world. He came with a message of good news, a message of salvation for all people, which is certainly something we can meditate on as we fix our thoughts on Jesus.
One part of the role of the high priest was to offer sacrifices to God. Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice: himself. During the Lenten season, this sacrifice is uppermost in our minds. We know that through this sacrifice, we are offered grace, mercy, and forgiveness. So, we can lift our eyes to Jesus, the apostle, the high priest, and the sacrifice.
Jesus, we ask you to help us to fix our thoughts on you so we may understand your sacrifice and what it means for us. Help us also to understand the enormity of your grace and mercy that we do not deserve, but you offer to us anyway. In your holy name, we pray. Amen. 

​3-24-21
Today’s devotion is based on 2 Corinthians 1:5, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”  
Today’s verse begins by praising God for providing comfort. Christians are not miraculously protected from troubles or trials in their lives. This was something that Paul knew well as he frequently suffered from persecution for his faith. He was sustained by his faith and the comfort of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells the people of Corinth that where there is suffering, there is also ongoing comfort that comes as a result of Jesus’ incredible suffering. This is the glory of Christ crucified, the glory of the cross. God does not see our suffering from a distance and leaves us to drag ourselves through it alone. Instead, God suffers with us; he carries us through hardship and shares his comfort with us.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Heavenly Father, gracious God, creator and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen; we thank you for your continual presence, particularly during times when life seems harsh and unfair. Help us to understand that where there is suffering, there is also comfort. Support us as we share your comfort with those in need. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

​3-22-21
Today’s devotion is based on John 7:12,13, “Some said, ‘He is a good man.’ Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people.’ But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.”
In today’s reading, Jesus attends the Festival of Tabernacles secretly. He knew the Jewish leaders were looking for a way to kill him. But it was not fear of death that concerned Jesus. He attended in secret because he still had much to do, and it was not the time for the leaders to silence him.
Fear itself did not dampen the discussions about Jesus. Fear did not stop those who thought he was a good man from praising him. Fear certainly did not stop Jesus from attending the festival or speaking in the temple. In our lives, we need to have no fear in speaking up for Jesus or in boldly proclaiming him as our Savior.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Heavenly Father, gracious God, creator and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen; thank you for the goodness you show towards us each day. We ask you to give us the strength to share your love boldly in your name wherever we see injustice, hurt or harm. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

​3-21-21
Today’s devotion is based on 2 Corinthians 1:3,4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
In this extraordinary year’s Lenten season, we remember the pain of Christ suffering on the cross. We will be led to the forgiveness of our sin and true peace by the suffering of Christ. We can put all our anxieties and troubles on him. You feel limited if you rely on yourself or focus on human actions. But the Scripture points out that Christ, who rose from the dead, is living with you now.
Jesus Christ understands and accepts all our hardship and suffering because he has experienced all kinds of unreasonable suffering. That is why we again receive hope to live during this Lenten season. Your prayer in suffering brings you to joy and peace by the grace of the risen Christ.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Heavenly Father, gracious God, creator and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen, thank you for sending your Son so that we can be free of your deserved wrath, for we are truly, poor miserable sinners.  Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you pour down on us every day.  Please help us to live better lives so that all we come into contact with will see your glory.  In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

​Today's devotion is based on John 12:24, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
Here in this verse, Jesus uses a rather beautiful image of a single seed of wheat becoming more than one seed after it falls to the ground, germinates, grows, and produces so much more. One seed is a sacrifice for ongoing life. Similarly, Jesus sacrifices his life for so many so that through him, each of us has life, like a field of wheat growing and ripening in the sunlight.
Please pray with me the prayer for today: Dearest Jesus, we humbly come before you today thanking you that your life, suffering, death and resurrection was all for us so we can grow in your presence. Guide us each day as we share your love through our service to those around us. Amen.