MY PRAYER IS THAT THOSE WHO READ THESE WORDS CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.  EASTER IS NOT A ONE TIME EXPERIENCE.  THE PRESENCE OF THE LIVING CHRIST SUSTAINS US AS WE CONTINUE THE LIVING OF OUR DAYS.  EACH DAY WE HAVE THE BLESSING OF BEING AN EASTER PEOPLE.  THE PRESENCE OF OUR LORD FILLS OUR MIND WITH THOUGHTS THAT BRING MEANING TO OUR LIVES. 

THE APOSTLE PAUL SHARES WORDS THAT GIVE US INSTRUCTION AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF  OUR THOUGHTS:  “FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT IS TRUE, AND HONORABLE AND RIGHT AND PURE, AND LOVELY AND ADMIRABLE.  THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT AND WORTHY OF PRAISE.”

THE LORD’S PRESENCE WITH US ALSO EMPOWERS US TO SPEAK POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING WORDS.  THE PSALMIST DECLARED IN PROVERBS 12:25: “WORRY WEIGHTS A PERSON DOWN, AN ENCOURAGING WORD CHEERS A PERSON UP."

AS WE EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF OUR LORD, HE FILLS OUR HEART WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS.  EACH DAY WE COME IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED TO HEAR THE LANGUAGE OF GRACE.  AS WE SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF GRACE, WE WILL FIND OURSELVES WALKING IN THE FOOTPRINTS OF OUR LORD WHO WAS, AND IS, THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF COMPASSION. 

A TIME FOR SILENCE AND REFLECTION:
* SPEND TIME EACH DAY REFLECTING UPON WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE  AS AN EASTER PERSON.  ASK THE LORD TO FILL YOUR  MIND WITH THOUGHTS THAT WILL BLESS YOU, YOUR MOUTH WITH ENCOURAGING WORDS AND YOUR HEART WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. * 

RESOLVE NOW TO ATTEND CHURCH SUNDAY EXPECTING GOD TO  DO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE. 

THIS IS A SACRED WEEK FOR FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. IT ALL BEGAN ON PALM SUNDAY AS BELIEVERS ACKNOWLEDGED, BY WAVING PALM BRANCHES, THE BLESSINGS THEY HAD RECEIVED FROM BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.

I AM WRITING THESE WORDS ON MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK ENCOURAGING THE READER TO WALK WITH JESUS, FOCUSING ON WHO HE WAS, HOW HE LIVED, AND THE BLESSINGS HE BRINGS EACH DAY.

MONDAY: JESUS THE SAVIOR
MAKE TIME TO BE STILL AND EXPERIENCE THE AWESOME PRESENCE OF THE LIVING CHRIST. FOCUS YOUR MIND ON “JESUS THE SAVIOR.” RECALL THE WORDS OF THE ANGEL TO THE SHEPHERDS ON THE NIGHT OF HIS BIRTH, “FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.” REPLACE THE WORD “YOU” WITH YOUR NAME. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, MAKE TIME TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR “JESUS THE SAVIOR.” PRAY FOR THOSE WHO NEED THE TRANSFORMATION THE SAVIOR BRINGS.

TUESDAY: JESUS THE TEACHER 
JESUS WAS A GREAT TEACHER. HE HAD THE MIND OF GOD AND SHARED TRUTHS THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE THINK. READ THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. MATTHEW 5-7 (IF YOU DO NOT READ THE ENTIRE SERMON. READ THE BEATITUDES - MATTHEW 5:10-12. REFLECT UPON THE TEACHINGS THAT INTRODUCE US TO A WAY OF LIFE THAT, IF FOLLOWED, WOULD TRANSFORM THE WORLD. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, REFLECT UPON THE TEACHINGS YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM OUR LORD. PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE OPEN TO OBEYING HIS TEACHINGS.

WEDNESDAY: JESUS THE HEALER 
JESUS WAS A POWERFUL HEALER. HE HEALED THE BROKEN HEARTED. HE GAVE SIGHT TO THE BLIND. HE ENABLED THE LAME TO WALK. IN THE MIDST OF OUR PAIN, JESUS IS WITH US. READ MARK 6:29-34. PRAY FOR THOSE WHO NEED HEALING. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT BROKEN PLACES IN YOUR LIFE THAT NEED THE HEALING TOUCH OF OUR LORD. PRAY FOR THOSE WHO NEED THE LORD’S HEALING TOUCH.
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THURSDAY: THE LORD’S SUPPER
THIS IS MAUNDY THURSDAY. OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER WITH THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD AND THE DRINKING OF THE CUP. AS THIS IS DONE IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR LORD, THANK HIM FOR HIS MANY BLESSINGS.

FRIDAY: JESUS' CRUCIFIXION 
GOOD FRIDAY IS A TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR LORD KNOWS THE REAL MEANING OF SUFFERING. HE IS WITH US IN THE DARKEST OF HOURS. ON THE CROSS WE SEE THE SIN OF MAN. WE ALSO SEE THE LANGUAGE OF GOD’S GRACE EXPRESSED IN GOD’S LOVE. REMEMBER, WE ARE NOT ALONE IN SUFFERING. READ THE CRUCIFIXION STORY AND SPEND TIME REFLECTING UPON WHAT IT MEANS IN TIME OF OUR SUFFERING. MARK 14:12-26

SATURDAY: A TIME OF SILENCE 
HOLY WEEK SATURDAY IS KNOWN AS SILENT SATURDAY. THIS IS THE TIME JESUS WAS IN THE GRAVE. LET THIS BE A TIME TO FIND A QUIET PLACE AND EXPERIENCE THE BLESSING OF SILENCE. BE STILL AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIS PRESENCE AS PREPARATION IS MADE FOR A “GREAT GETTIN UP MORNING.”

SUNDAY: EASTER
HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! JOIN WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IN PROCLAIMING THE GREATEST MESSAGE EVER TOLD: “HE IS NOT HERE. HE IS RISEN!”  AMEN.

​SUNDAY IS PALM SUNDAY. IT IS A TIME WHEN THE PEOPLE OF GOD FOCUS ON THE ENTRY OF JESUS INTO JERUSALEM.  AS HE ENTERED THE CITY, “HIS FOLLOWERS WALKED ALONG, PRAISING GOD FOR ALL MIRACLES THEY HAD SEEN.” THE FOLLOWERS WERE NOT ABOUT TO BE SILENT AND FROM THEIR HEARTS CAME WORDS OF PRAISE TO THE KING OF KINGS.  “BLESSINGS ON THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. PEACE IN HEAVEN AND GLORY IN THE HIGHEST”.  

THE PHARISEES GAVE A NEGATIVE REACTION TO THE PRAISE, SAYING, “TEACHER, REBUKE YOUR FOLLOWERS FOR SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT.”  WE ARE BLESSED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESERVED THE RESPONSE OF JESUS TO THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS PHARISEES. REFERRING TO THOSE PRAISING HIM, JESUS PROCLAIMED, “IF THEY KEPT QUIET, THE STONES ALONG THE ROAD WOULD BURST INTO CHEERS”.

SUNDAY IS THE BEGINNING OF HOLY WEEK. IT IS A TIME TO “BE STILL AND KNOW THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.” IT IS ALSO A TIME TO ENTER INTO SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION AS WE SHARE THE BLESSINGS THAT THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST BRINGS TO US EACH DAY. I ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO READ THESE WORDS TO BE OPEN TO SHARING THE BLESSINGS RECEIVED FROM THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST.

THE ENTRANCE OF JESUS INTO JERUSALEM MOTIVATED PRAISE FROM HIS FOLLOWERS. MY PRAYER IS THAT THE PRESENCE OF JESUS IN OUR LIVES WILL MOTIVATE US TO PRAISE HIM FOR PROVIDING US A LIFE THAT IS FILLED WITH HOPE FOR THIS DAY AND ALL OF OUR TOMORROWS. MAY GOD HELP US TO FOLLOW OUR TIME OF QUIET REFLECTION WITH WORDS OF CONVERSATION, SHARING WITH OTHERS THE BLESSINGS WE RECEIVE FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE SAVIOUR INTO OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY. REMEMBER IF WE ARE SILENT “THE STONES WILL BURST INTO CHEERS.”  WHAT A SPECIAL TIME TO SHARE THE LANGUAGE OF GRACE WITH OTHERS.

READ AND REFLECT ON PALM SUNDAY AS RECORDED BY LUKE.  LUKE 19:36-40

OUR FATHER, AS WE PREPARE TO ENTER CHURCH ON PALM SUNDAY, PREPARE OUR HEART TO PRAISE YOU FOR THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. HELP US TO BE AWARE OF THE BLESSINGS THE SAVIOUR BRINGS TO US EACH DAY. TEACH US THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING WITH OTHERS HOW JESUS TRANSFORMED OUR LIVES AND GAVE US A HOPE AND A FUTURE. FATHER, MAY WE WORSHIP ON PALM SUNDAY WITH HEARTS FILLED WITH PRAISE TO THE KING OF ALL KINGS. AMEN.

“WHAT ARE WE GIVING UP?”

This season is a time when we hear conversations focusing on what we are giving up for Lent. Recently, a friend of my wife was in conversation with a group of ladies at her Vet’s office. The conversation turned to Lent and to the surprise of my wife’s friend those with whom she was conversing responded, “we've never heard of Lent. What is it?”

My wife’s friend, who is a follower of Jesus Christ, shared that she was giving up certain things that had the possibility of taking priority over her walk with the Lord. She then added, “when I consider Jesus Christ gave up His life for me, I must focus on what I give up that will enhance my walk with Him.”

We continue our journey to Easter morning. As we continue our journey to Easter, we must first go to the cross of Christ. We focus on the death on Christ and the giving up of His life that we might have life now and for all eternity.
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What about those thing in life that are hindering our walk with Christ? Could it be that our walk with our Lord would be strengthened through the giving up of jealousy, prejudice, pride, bitterness, self-righteousness, a judgmental spirit, a critical spirit? I would encourage each of us to give these up and take upon ourselves the spirit of Christ, the spirit of servanthood. I truly believe we will be blessed as others read in our lives the language of grace.

Read and reflect on Ephesians 6:10-20.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
OUR FATHER, WE GIVE YOU PRAISE FOR JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT HE GAVE UP THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A FULL AND MEANINGFUL LIFE. AS WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY TO EASTER SUNDAY, CONVICT US OF OUR NEED TO GIVE UP THOSE THINGS THAT KEEP US FROM BEING THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST YOU WOULD HAVE US TO BE. GIVE US THE COURAGE TO WALK IN THE STEPS OF JESUS THAT WE MIGHT TRULY BE LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.   AMEN.