They all answered, “Crucify him!”
Ultimately, it was our sins that shouted “Crucify him!” that morning.
And when Pilate told the crowd “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” they answered “His blood is on us and on our children!”
All praise and glory to God, it is.
His blood covers us, forgives us, purifies us, so that the penalty of sin – death – passes over us.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
There are times when we are inundated, either with our own personal experiences or through the outside world, with so much that’s going wrong.
And when we enter into prayer it’s easy to jump right into those prayer requests, like we’re giving God our grocery list.
But prayer is so much more.
It’s sitting with and communing with our Heavenly Father.
Paul reminds us to pray with thanksgiving. In the Greek that word for thanksgiving means gratitude, or a grateful language, to God, as an act of worship.
Yes, we thank God for the things He’s done, but even more than that, we need to come to Him with an attitude of Thanksgiving. Of worship.
And that takes me back to the beginning. How do we pray with thanksgiving when everything around us feels like it’s crumbling? When all the world seems gray with empty shelves and unpaid bills and isolation and sickness and death?
How can we see the good?
We ask Jesus for His eyes. He sees the good, and when we see through His eyes we will see the good all around us – the things He’s done for us, the blessings we still have in the middle of it all, the beauty and kindness around us, like the kindness of a boy taking the time to stoop down for a minute to rid a yard of an ugly weed.
And when He fills our hearts with His goodness, we can sit in communion, with hearts of thanksgiving, in worship.
With Jesus’ eyes, the world will go from gray to living color and we will be overcome with thanksgiving, just like this man who is suddenly able to see the beauty all around him that was there all along.
Oh Lord, help us to see with your eyes…
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary (against them).
Now in the fourth watch of the night (3am-6am), Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.”
And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:22-31
The changing picture at the top of this page always has some sort of path or road which represents the paths we take in the changing seasons of our spiritual lives.
In this scene in the book of Matthew, we see Jesus telling Peter to come to Him on some undefined, invisible path on the water while the winds raged against them.
And Peter, precious Peter, has enough faith to step out of the boat and to actually start walking toward Jesus on this invisible path.
But halfway through, his faith moves from Jesus to the wind and the waves, and he begins to sink.
I can’t blame Peter too much. Being willing to walk on water is amazing enough, but he got out of the boat when the wind and waves were so strong they were tossing them around. And this was no gentle rocking. The word “tossed” means pain, toil, torment.
Just as Jesus called Peter to walk a path of faith, He calls us to come to Him, to focus on Him and not the pain, not the toil, and not the torment.
When storms come and the winds of circumstance come against us, we might not see a clear path, and that is when, more than ever, we need to look to Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, walk toward Him a path of faith.
Dr. S. M. (Shadrach Meshach) Lockridge served the Lord as a pastor from 1942 to 1993, and man did he love Jesus. In 1976 he delivered a sermon he called Amen. This is the powerful last six and half minutes of that sermon we know as That’s My King!
Let these words wash over you, and the gravity of who Christ is fill you with His peace, His strength, and His joy. If you’d like, you can listen to the entire sermon here.
Let’s worship…
That’s My King
My King was born King. The Bible says He’s a seven-way king….He’s the King of the Jews; that’s a racial king….He’s the King of Israel; that’s a national King….He’s the King of Righteousness….He’s the King of the Ages…..He’s the King of Heaven….He’s the King of Glory….He’s the King of kings, and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. Well….I wonder, do you know Him?….
David said, “The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply.
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings. He’s enduringly strong….He’s entirely sincere….He’s eternally steadfast….He’s immortally graceful….He’s imperially powerful….He’s impartially merciful……. Do you know Him?
He’s the greatest phenomenon that ever crossed the horizon of this world. He’s God’s Son….He’s a sinner’s Saviour….He’s the centerpiece of civilization….He stands in the solitude of Himself….He’s august….
He’s unique….He’s unparalleled….He’s unprecedented….He’s the loftiest idea in literature….He’s the highest personality in philosophy….He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism….He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology….
He’s the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion….He’s the miracle of the age…. He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him….He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour…… I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak….He’s available for the tempted and the tried….He sympathizes and He saves….He strengthens and sustains….He guards and He guides….He heals the sick….He cleanses lepers….
He forgives sinners….He discharges debtors….He delivers captives….He defends the feeble….He blesses the young….He serves the unfortunate….He regards the aged….He rewards the diligent….and He beautifies the meek……. I wonder if you know Him?
Well, my King….is the King….He’s the key to knowledge….He’s the wellspring to wisdom….He’s the doorway of deliverance….He’s the pathway of peace….He’s the roadway of righteousness ….He’s the highway of holiness….He’s the gateway of glory……. Do you know Him?
Well….His office is manifold….His promise is sure….His light is matchless….His goodness is limitless….His mercy is everlasting….His love never changes….His word is enough….
His grace is sufficient….His reign is righteous….and His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable….He’s incomprehensible….He’s invincible….He’s irresistible.
Well, you can’t get Him out of your mind….You can’t get Him off of your hand….You can’t out live Him, and you can’t live without Him….The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him….Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him….
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree….Herod couldn’t kill Him….Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him. Yea!!!, that’s my King, that’s my King.
Father…”Thine is the Kingdom….and the Power….and the Glory….Forever”….and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever…and ever…and when you get through with all the forevers, then…. AMEN!….AMEN!
Hello friends. I pray this finds you healthy and hopeful and full of faith. I want to post things to help keep you encouraged, and one of the most encouraging things I can think of is the video series The Chosen.
I’ve been doing my level best to let my friends know about it, and I want to share it with you.
The first season begins with the life of Jesus before he starts his ministry. You are right there with him as Jesus chooses his weary followers, heals Mary Magdalene, meets with a seeking Nicodemus in secret, and attends the wedding that makes everyone sit up and wonder who this man is that can change water into wine.
It’s unlike anything you have ever seen before, and that’s because it is completely crowdfunded (the largest crowdfunded media project ever) and was able to be made without the constraints of Hollywood.
And it’s absolutely free. Creator and director, Dallas Jenkins (son of Jerry B. Jenkins, who brought you the Left Behind series), is making all 8 episodes free (as it usually is) and fully available, with no restrictions, for the next couple of weeks through their free app which you can find on their website. It’s also on dvd and blu-ray, which include extras and the Christmas Special that started it all, and your purchase can help fund Season 2.
I hope it encourages you and keeps you focused on the grace and mercy of this Man who came to save us, to know us, to die and live for us, because His love chooses us.
Here’s the announcement made by Dallas Jenkins:
“In light of these challenging and fearful times, we believe the message and stories of Christ are more important and relevant than ever. Not to mention, so many of you are stuck in your homes for weeks, some with uncertain financial situations.
To that end, until the end of March, we’ve decided to make every episode of Season One of The Chosen immediately and easily accessible, completely free and without delay, all over the world. “The Chosen” app is already freely available in every country, but this initiative will make it easy to see every episode with zero restrictions.
Considering that streaming costs money, will this delay our momentum towards financing Season Two? Probably, although if you have the means to “pay it forward” to offset the streaming costs, that would be helpful. But there’s no obligation to anyone, and we believe our long-term goals remain safely in God’s hands.”
A couple of blogs ago I gave a link to the series, The Chosen.
This time I want to bring to you the short film that started it all.
Writer and director, Dallas Jenkins (son of Jerry B. Jenkins who gave us the Left Behind series and more), shares here the story of how God led him to make The Chosen through a short film (24 minutes) he made for his church’s Christmas Eve service. How at the moment he felt like a failure the Lord led him to depend on Him to make a series that is defying all odds.
The Christmas Eve special about the birth of Jesus is told from the perspective of the shepherds, one in particular.
Grab some tissue. And maybe share with your family and friends. I’m going to. Hearing all God did to bring it to pass, I can’t wait to see what He does through it.
Merry Christmas!
Not gonna lie, this Christmas has been a little bit more difficult than usual.
I’ve needed more recuperating/decorating/planning/shopping time from Thanksgiving to Christmas and had less; we’ve had a storm of things breaking down over the past 8 weeks or so, sometimes two things conspire to break down at once; we’ve had multiple plans change beyond our control; and this Christmas season has been one of those I miss, well, a lot. But I know I’m not alone.
The holidays are notorious for being stressful, wishful, mournful. We’re worn and weary. Family members can be difficult to deal with, and so can not having them with us. We can compare our lives to others and think theirs looks like a Hallmark Christmas movie or a Rockwell painting.
And then there’s the outside world with its constant fighting, crime, threats. I can’t read the news without seeing words like hostile, accuses, attacks, and my personal favorite – throws shade. (Where do people come up with these phrases?) So much pride, so much hate, so much despair.
With all that going on we can start to feel a little lacking in peace. In hope.
So where can we find hope? What exactly does hope look like?
Hope looks like this.
A young woman who humbled herself and answered the call of God on her life no matter the cost.
A young man who humbled himself, obeyed God, and married a pregnant woman.
And Hope Himself, The King and Creator of the world who humbled Himself, giving up all that was rightfully His – His throne, His equality with God, His divine splendor, His right to be treated like the King He was, and was born a helpless babe, for the joy that was set before Him…
And that joy was us.
To forge a relationship with us so that no matter what’s going on in our personal lives or in the world around us, He can be our Light in a dark and weary world, He can give us His peace that passes all understanding, and He can give us hope.
He calls on those of us who are weary to come to Him and He will give us rest.
I know firsthand that’s true. It doesn’t always come immediately, but if we keep seeking Him, it will come.
I was walking around the house the other day, and though I’m not normally one to spontaneously break out in song (the very next gift I’m getting after my crown is a beautiful singing voice), I suddenly found myself singing a song I hadn’t even thought of in a while. And it made me smile.
My Lord, my Heavenly Father, had heard my cries, seen my weary heart, and turned my focus again toward what’s important – my relationship with Him, my eternal salvation, my hope in the life of the One who came to save me and all this weary world.
It may not be a traditional Christmas song, but it embodies the spirit of it as much as any.
I hope you’ll come away from the stress of the season, from the world, from life and weariness, and embrace the Hope that was born that day in all humility for the joy of knowing you and giving you hope.
This time of year we start seeing and hearing scripture about the birth of Jesus, and if we’ve been a believer long enough, or even alive long enough, they’re probably all words we’ve heard before…
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12
As beautiful as those words are, as amazing and miraculous as those events were and what they still mean for us today, we might start thinking we’ve heard it all before and there’s nothing new to learn.
But that’s the amazing thing about God’s Word – it is chock full of buried treasure just waiting to be uncovered.
Rabbi Jason Sobel gives us an amazing jewel that I’d never heard before about Jesus’s birth and the significance of being wrapped in swaddling cloths.
The series Rabbi Sobel refers to – The Chosen – is an amazingly well-done show that portrays the life of Jesus and how He radically changed those who encountered Him.
I can relate.
Life is hard and I need God’s treasure, the seen and unseen. The treasure left for me in plain sight and the deeper, buried treasure that can only be found by those who are willing to hunker down and dig deep.
More than ever I want to go treasure hunting in the coming year. I want to continue encountering Jesus in new and precious ways so He can continue molding me into the person only He can make me to be.
I hope you come with me as we seek Him and His treasure together.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son. Please lead us in the coming year as we seek to know you on an ever-deepening level. Change us into the men and women you desire us to be, and may we bring you glory as we follow you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I was driving down the road minding my own business when a song I’d never heard before came on the radio. It grabbed my soul by the shoulders, shook it and said “get your eyes off the world, off yourself, and back onto the gracious, refreshing, life-giving, life-renewing Living Water of Jesus Christ.” Maybe it’ll do the same for you. God bless you today and always.
Holy Water
by We The Kingdom
God, I’m on my knees again
God, I’m beginning please again
I need you
Oh, I need you
Walking down these desert roads
Water for my thirsty soul
I need you
Oh, I need you
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
Like Holy water on my skin
Dead man walking, slave to sin
I wanna know being born again
I need you
Oh, God, I need you
So, take me to the riverside
Take me under, baptize
I need you
Oh, God I need you
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
Like holy water on my skin
(On my skin, on my…)
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really
Makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really
Makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really
Makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really
Makes me wanna change
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips (Yes, it is)
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
It’s like holy water…
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey
On my lips
Like the sound of a symphony
To my ears
It’s like holy water on my skin
It’s like holy water on my skin
It’s like holy water.
I am so blessed to be able to sit in church on Sunday and worship the Lord with some beautifully composed music and be fed by pastors who love the Lord greatly and study hard to bring us Bible-based sound teaching. During the week there’s a Bible study and home groups. My social media page is full of pastors and messages that remind me about God’s truths. I have at least 15 Bibles in several translations, and more faith-based books than I will probably ever be able to finish. On the internet I have access to teachings from some of the most gifted pastors and teachers from all over the world, countless commentaries, uplifting Christian music…
And I wonder how many other people are doing the very same thing Sunday after Sunday, week after week.
We are deluged with messages from and for believers of every type, for every situation, every level of faith, and every age.
So why does the church, at least here in America, seem more anemic and ineffective than ever?
Why do we live our lives largely indistinguishable from the world?
Why do we get up in the morning and still feel like we’re being sucked under the trials of life, wondering where the joy is we’re supposed to be experiencing? Why we’re not feeling like an overcomer? Why we aren’t living that life Jesus talked about when He said:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”
(John 10:10)
That question has a lot of answers, but I want to tackle just one right now. Could it be the thief is still working hard to steal, kill, and destroy as much of that abundant life as he can, and maybe he’s using busyness, even “Christian” busyness, to do it?
Could it be that we have so much all around us that we are kidding ourselves into thinking we’re living a Christian life that would lead to abundance without really living it?
Maybe all the doing – sitting in a seat on Sundays, singing along, having a Bible (and maybe even opening up from time to time), maybe listening to a Christian song every now and then or even reading a faith-based book, is causing us to think we’re accomplishing something.
But maybe all it’s become, if done in the flesh, in our own strength, is nothing more than a rote religion, or just another sort of self-help.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
(Galatians 5:22)
Jesus came to give us life, and when He went back to the Father He gave us His Holy Spirit to bring about the abundant life we desire and Christ died to give us.
All those things – the teachings, the worship (the music is not a warm-up concert for the pastor!), the studies, the reading, are all meant to draw us closer to Jesus as we walk through them with the Holy Spirit. He is the power in our lives. He will bring about the abundant life we all so desperately want.
We’re on a journey with Him to know God and love Him more, to grow in faith, not to just put in our time on Sunday morning. Walking with Him is not just part of our life, it IS our life.
God desires to do so much in our hearts, our minds, and in and through our lives, and He wants us to partner with Him – to seek Him, to know Him, to love Him – as we do those things.
Do we pray before going to church, asking and fully expecting to hear from God, to receive from Him what He wants to say to us? Do we use the time we sing together to truly worship the Lord, to enter into the throne room of God and praise and exalt Him and let Him prepare our hearts for His message? Do we pray for our pastors during the week, that He will speak to them as they prepare the teaching, and that He will speak through them on Sunday morning? Do we pray before reading God’s Word or other books, or before listening to teachings online?
Do we pray without ceasing, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to us and change us through those things?
Are we, the branches, clinging to the Vine, allowing Him to use all those things as nourishment for our souls, bringing its fruit in His time?
What all those things are meant to do, what they should do, is draw us closer to Jesus, reminding us of His love and grace and mercy so that we will continue reaching out to Him, reading and studying His Word and praying, inviting Him into every aspect of our lives. Inviting Him to leave no sin-stone unturned in the sanctifying of our souls. Inviting Him into every bit of suffering, every attitude, every decision, every joy.
Oh Church, we must leave the dead religion behind and get back to a living, breathing relationship with the One who died to bring us abundant life – to mold us into His image, to bring about the godly treasures we could never find in the world if we looked forever, and to be a light to the world.
Can you imagine if we invited the power of God into our lives every single day? If we let the Holy Spirit continually have His way in and through us?
If He changed the world with 12 men, what could He do with a nation full of Spirit-filled, God-fearing, mercy-loving believers?
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
.
Heavenly Father, thank you for not only giving us your Holy Spirit to be with us, but to indwell us. He is an amazing gift and we are so grateful. Help us to always walk in the Spirit, to breathe and live and grow and speak in the Spirit. Help us to cling to you through Him so that He might produce the fruit and gifts in our hearts and lives that you desire so that we, as your church, your kingdom, can be effective witnesses and bright lights to the world around us that’s so dark and seems to get darker every day. Help us to have wisdom and discernment to know how to live in this world, but not to be of it. Help us to glorify and magnify the name of Jesus. It’s in His precious name we pray, amen.