Matthew 27:32-66; Mark 15:21-47; Luke 23:26-56; John 19:17-42; Psalm 22: I am celebrating a victory! No not an earthly election, but an eternal one. On the cross Jesus spoke “It is finished”. Jesus’ followers were grieving thinking their leader’s life had ended. But in Heaven there were cheers! Jesus’ purpose was fulfilled. He had finished the course. He was battered and bruised, but what the devil thought was victory was really eternal loss. Even as Jesus was on the cross he had used the voices of the religious elite to taunt Him. “He could save others but not Himself.” “If He was the Son of God He could come down”. On and on their jeers went but what they could not know was that He was not doing battle with flesh and blood but against principalities of darkness. He was defeating breath by breath sin, death, and evil. He was on that cross winning though all around saw defeat. Only Heaven saw was what yet to come!
In Rabbi Jason Sobel’s teaching He said at the cross Jesus redeemed man from the curse. Sin had entered the world from the fruit of a tree. Jesus restored man from a tree. Thorns were the curse for man’s disobedience. The crown of thorns were worn and pierced His head yet the King of Kings wore them for us. The hand of woman was used to pluck the fruit, His hands were pierced for our iniquity. The side of the Savior was pierced as sign that the woman who was taken from the side of man was redeemed. Sin started through her but Jesus paid for that sin and every one after! This sinless Lamb of God was the sacrificial Passover Lamb who made the world right again.
Glory!!! Thank you Jesus!!!! Though our sins were as scarlet at the words “It is finished”, He made us white as snow! We have much to celebrate today! He is forever King. No election of man or ploy of the devil will ever change that. He is worthy of all praise!

Matthew 27:1-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16: Today we read some of the saddest pages in the Bible. Jesus is being tried by Pilate and beaten. I am sure the shouts of hosanna that rang out as Jesus descended the Mount of Olives is now a distant memory. The arrest came with a betrayers kiss and now the crowds are more like rioters as they shout “CRUCIFY HIM!” When Pilate tried to help them see that Jesus had done nothing to be killed for they hollered all the more. “Crucify” and then we find this verse as Pilate washes his hands of the situation.
Matthew 27:25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
The people could not have understood all they were saying when they said His blood be on us and on our children. Indeed they were the ones right then and there calling for His death, but that precious blood of Jesus was the one and only thing that could wash them white as snow for their sins. In their tradition there was a day they celebrated called the Day of Atonement. On that day the sin of the people was paid for by the death of an animal. The priest would prepare one goat to be sacrificed on the altar, but a second goat, a “scapegoat” was used by the priest to place his hands on the top of the goats head and symbolically place the sins of the people on him. A scarlet woolen cord would be tied to his horns and one was tied to the opening of the temple court. The goat was then taken out to the wilderness to a precipice and thrown down to its death. As the goat rolled down the embankment he was battered and bruised until it eventually resulted in his death. Then according to Jewish tradition the cord on the horns of the animal and the one at the temple miraculously turned from crimson to white signifying the forgiveness of sin. This practice stopped after the death of Jesus because the chords no longer changed colors. That is because the death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah paid our sin debt forever. His broken body and blood shed for us cleansed us and made us white as snow. Glory to the Lamb! Glory to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is worthy. His blood be on us and our children.

Matthew 20; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-19:27: Don’t you just hate it when people you know and love just don’t get it… I mean you pour into them, spend time with them, try to meet their needs and show the love and they just don’t get it! I can’t even begin to imagine how Jesus must have felt as James and John’s mom asked Jesus if her sons could sit on his right and left. Can you just see Jesus’ face? Were His lips narrowed as he bit on them trying not to say things that would not be helpful. Did His eyes narrow in frustration looking at her like “I can’t believe she is asking me this.” Or did He just shake His head a little as He said with love, this is not my decision to make. I know He thought you don’t know what you are asking because He said it out loud and in His heart He must have felt frustration because after all this time together not only did their mom not get it, but another passage confirms that the boys were fighting among themselves asking the same thing.
The real struggle was that their expectation was that His kingdom would be one of military might and here on Earth. Even today I struggle to totally understand it too. I have walked with Jesus over 50 years and I still struggle to understand. Yet I know this, to truly find favor in the Lord I must trust Him and serve others. I can’t expect to be in seats of honor or hold a special place up front. I need to be willing to wash feet and even potties if that is the need of the moment. As I do He is well pleased with me.
How about you? Do. you struggle to understand at time as well? Don’t get discouraged with yourself or others. Do what you know to do and when others aren’t getting it remember you and I are a little dull at times too. 🙂

John 7-9: In our passages today Jesus used three terms to define Himself.
I am Living water is how Jesus defines Himself. The festival of booths that the Jewish people were celebrating commemorated when Israel came out of bondage in Egypt. The people lived in tents during their wilderness wandering. The booths they lived in during the festival reminded them of God’s presence and provision during their wandering days. During that time God provided them water in the wilderness thus water is a portion of their commemoration. Jesus took that water and said to them He was the Living Water that if they came to Him they would never thirst again. He would fill them. He would protect, provide and be with them just as God was with them in the wilderness.
I am the Light of the World is another way Jesus defined Himself. He wanted them to know in the darkness that surrounded them if they followed Him they would have the Light of Life. Jesus alone illuminates the path that keeps of us sin, death, and the evil of darkness. Light is the only thing that dispels darkness and Jesus alone could and would save them. He alone sets them free! He whom the Son sets free is free indeed!
The last name Jesus gave was I am. He says it like this,
John 8:58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Of all of the other names we see Jesus defining Himself as none is more pointed to align Him directly with God than I Am. This is who God told Moses He was when He called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses asks who shall I say sent me? God said tell them I Am sent you. God then defines Himself as I Am that I Am meaning God is whatever and whoever we should ever need. He is the full sufficiency to fulfill all of our needs. Jesus is saying the same here. He is I AM.
Wow! That should be such an encouragement to us. That God is our provision, protection, His presence is with us, He lights our path to show us where to go and how and He is all we will ever need. My friend, that is great news for us today in every area and walk of life. If you have never believed and received Him, today is a great day to start! If you have believed Him for some time now it is a great day to remember exactly who you have faith in!!!!

Matthew 15; Mark 7:1-8:10: As I read the story of the woman who lived in Tyre I could not help but remember walking those same roads. There is an archway in the ruins of the old city along with as my daughter puts is “strategically places old rocks” that were once homes and dwelling places. In the story it talks about how Jesus was in one of these dwelling places when the people of the region realized He was there. They began bringing their sick and demon possessed. One lady came to ask Jesus to take the demons away from her daughter. Jesus’ response seemed at first heartless when He says to the woman that He came to the Children first meaning the Children of Israel. Yet she was persistent and not prideful asking again that Jesus at least give her the crumbs. In the end I think Jesus knew all along this woman as He said had great faith and that faith precipitated the healing of her daughter. When she returned home to the child the demon was gone.
I can’t help when reading this thinking of how many moms and dads of children adult and young adult spend countless hours on their knees begging God to help their children with an addiction or disobedience. I am sure they know Jesus doesn’t discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnicity. Jesus came for all. He came specifically to heal the broken hearted and to set the captive free. He is still in the business of doing that, but it does take faith. By faith God can and will do what only He can do. Today I kneel with you sister and brother in asking the Father to set your captive free and to give fresh hope and vision to your son or daughter. I pray He will place them in relationships that will foster freedom. I pray that the strongholds the enemy has on them are broken. I pray that they will want to be set free and that they will be able to get into programs that will facilitate this freedom. I pray for you sweet momma and daddy that you will know when your helping is hurting and when to say yes or no. I pray your heart will be encouraged and strengthened. By His grace and mercy I pray for healing for you all.

Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-17, 12:1-21; Mark 1:40-3:21; Luke 5:12-6:19: This morning my mom is having another biopsy. Though last Tuesday the doctor gave us a great report, on Thursday that doctor wanted more information so back to the hospital mom goes this morning.
As I read our passages today this verse jumped out at me.
Matthew 8: 2And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Over and over in these passages people were healed of their diseases. It took one thing to see these healing happen. They had to believe that Jesus would heal them.
Here is a confession. I have no problem knowing God can heal anything and anyone. The concern I often have is will He. You see Jesus’ power was not the problem. He could do anything including healing. The question is would He. As I have grown in my faith I know there are times that healing is not God’s plan. He can be just as glorified when the answer is no to my desires. He is still just as much in control and all powerful even when the answer is no. That is when I have to trust even more to know that He is still to be trusted for our best and His glory. In our passage today all of the people received healing, but I know there are people reading this that have heard the Father say, not this time. Sweet friend, please don’t doubt the Father’s power or His control. I don’t understand why He chooses what He does, but I know I can still trust His heart.
So today, no matter what they find I trust Him. I believe Him for healing and restoration of health! But if God chooses a different path I still choose to trust Him and to know He is good. The circumstance may not be good but He definitely is and for that I give Him praise.

John 3-5: As I read our scripture today I just stopped and was so burdened to pray for our nation.
John 3:19 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
As I read these verses I was hit by how dark so much going on in our nation is. Truth seems to be hidden by the spin and crazy of our media. Hatred is spewed from the mouths of people. Evil lurks as vandalism, steeling, and violence is abundant. Have you. noticed how many of these things happen in the dark? Thinking they are covered by the lack of light they commit things they would never do in the light where people can see and identify them. The enemy is having a hay day. Politicians set the example of unkindness, hurtful in rhetoric, belittling and then they wonder why we as a nation are off the rails.
It is time for some light!!!!! My prayer is that God would shine His light in the darkest of places. I pray that men and women will get fed up with the evil and make a hard turn back to truth. I pray that the enemy will be revealed for who and what he is. He is a liar and the father of lies. He is a destroyer of people and nations. He is a divider who longs to divide friendships, communities, nations and yes even churches. He is determined to make us enemies instead of brothers and sisters. Shine the Light on Him. Remember who your true enemy is and you be the Light bearer. Love in the face of hatred. Speak peace in the shouts of violence. Create space for people to be different yet loved. We are His Image bearers and by the Power of God we can speak life into death. May His light shine in our nation and specifically it shine through me. Please join me in praying for our nation that light will come from darkness.

Matthew 4:23-25, 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-39; Luke 4:31-44: Do you believe that Jesus still heals? In our reading today 3 of the gospel writers record how Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law. Immediately she got up and made a meal.(I have always said it had to have been cat head biscuits she made since she didn’t have time to prepare anything else.) She served the Lord and people from not just the little village they were in, but people from all over began bringing their sick and demon possessed. Jesus healed many of them and the demons were cast out. It stood out to me that Jesus didn’t heal all. I wondered if possibly it was because they didn’t believe He could or He would heal them. When we read about Jesus in Nazareth there were many there that did not believe and He did not do the miracles there He was doing in Galilee.
Which brings me back to my question, do you believe Jesus still heals? For sure He does not heal if we do not believe. However I know that for those who believe He does still heal! I have seen it with my own eyes. I sleep beside an answer to my prayers for healing each night as I marvel at how God healed Les from a major heart attack. At night sometimes I listen to him breathing and can’t help but break out in thanksgiving all over again. Yesterday my mom had the elders of the church come and pray over her and anoint her with oil. As she deals with a tumor that needs to be removed. She said, “I am doing my part and the Lord is going to do His part.” He may choose to use doctors or He may heal her outright. No matter what He chooses to do, she knows she will be healed. By faith she is believing God to be her healer.
Some of you may be saying, well what if He doesn’t heal her? Does that mean God can’t heal or that she just did not believe enough. The answer to that would be no. God absolutely can heal but sometimes it brings Him greater glory not to here on earth. Be assured though my friends, that she will be either healed here on earth or she will be completely healed in heaven. Either way healing will come and we are hoping that for a while longer it will be here on earth. Isn’t that really the ultimate healing though? To know no matter what you will be healed either here or in Heaven. That is why a child of God can have perfect peace even in the midst of the storms of life. My friend, if you don’t have this kind of peace please allow me to help you know how you can.

Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3, John 1:15-34: Does your faith produce action? In our passages today John the Baptist was preaching repentance then his instruction to the people was to produce fruit in keeping with that repentance. When they asked further here was the instruction.
Luke 3:10And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics3:11 is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
The idea of bearing fruit was followed up by Jesus in John 15 when He taught His followers to stay attached to the Vine and bear much fruit. That fruit is seen just as John described through actions. Feed the hungry, care for the hurting, cloth the naked, these are all things we can do, but can I add to the list? Speak words of kinds, give a blessing instead of a curse, pay for the groceries of someone who has lost a job, don’t say something on facebook that you know will be controversial or comment on someone’s statement that will cause discord. There are so many ways we can act out our faith that brings glory to God. Ask God to reveal to you how to bear fruit today. The end result is that people will not only hear your words, but see your actions and know your faith is real.

Esther 1-5: Esther is a book that does not ever mention God and yet He is all through it. From the selection of an adopted young girl raised to the pinnacle in the country her people had been taken captive to, the whole story reflects the sovereignty of God.
It is also about the faith of God’s people and the courage of a young woman who could have seen herself as a victim but instead realized God’s hand was on her and she was a victor. One of my favorite scriptures in Ruth is when faced with death and annihilation of her people her response is
Esther 4:16“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Such boldness and bravery did not come from this woman on her own. She knew through prayer and fasting to God she would do all she could do and He would do the rest. This my friend is that same “but if not” faith that the 3 Hebrew boys showed in Daniel when faced with being thrown into the fiery pit. It is the same strong faith shown by Daniel as he faced the lions. It is the kind of faith that would help the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. By faith Esther faced the possible death to bring life to her people.
My friend I don’t know what you face today but the same God that was with Esther is with you. His power is available to you! Pray, fast then step out in faith knowing that no matter what God has got you as well. Ask others to join you as you pray. Then be confident in the God who created all things for He is able to do as Ephesians 3 says more than you can dream or imagine according to His power.