The Via Dolorosa: A Journey of Hope

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JERUSALEM-MARCH 29 Catholic Good Friday – a group of actors presenting the crucifixion of Christ near Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old City, Good Friday March 29, 2013 in Jerusalem, Israel

“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

I walked the Via Dolorosa. The street was crowded with merchants and their wares. I imagined it was much the same when Jesus carried the cross through Jerusalem. In that moment, I reflected on the old rugged cross, the cross that carried my sin and yours, our guilt and shame, up the hill. Jesus took it all. He bore the abandonment of His closest friends. He was alone, rejected and betrayed. He knew beforehand everything that would happen. He knew how painful and humiliating it would be, but He did it for the salvation of the world. He truly was the God of the universe. He saw what was on the other side of the cross. As hard as it was, even though He was God, He endured the suffering so we could be with Him in heaven. He died for the forgiveness of our sins, and three days later He rose from the grave, victorious over sin, death and Satan so we could have new and eternal life with Him. What extravagant love! What glorious hope! What incredible peace!

Caught Off Guard

What difference does it make? Friend, it changed my life. God rescued me from the depths of my despair, despair caused from my bad choices, my self indulgence, my rebellion. Jesus met me at my point of need. I cried out to God, “I don’t want to go on anymore! I’ve made a mess of my life and I don’t know how to fix it!.” Then I heard a quiet voice in my ear, “Could you make it if I stay with you?” Those words caught me off guard. Shocked by the amazing love of God, I said, “I guess so,” and I picked up my Bible. Praise God I had a Bible! Every word seemed to jump from the page and into my heart. I wept. I prayed. I didn’t know how to pray. All I could say was, “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!” I was so thankful that the God of angel armies would rescue me! Oh friend, if you experience despair, anxiety, loneliness, addiction, rejection . . . , please know that God is bigger than any burden your bear. He can fix what you can’t and He is waiting for your call. I hope you will call on Him as I did. I am praying that you will have a glorious encounter with the Lord of Heaven’s armies. He is faithful. He loves you more than you can imagine. I am praying for you this Easter, that you will experience the amazing love of God.

Prayer

O God of angel armies, I pray for anyone reading this message that needs you today, that they would cry out for your help and experience your love, forgiveness and compassion. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.

Lent Reflections: Valuing God Over Worldly Pursuits

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When Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper for dinner, a woman (believed to be Lazarus’ sister Mary) entered the room with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus, which made others around the table indignant. “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Jesus said, “Leave her alone. . . She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial” (Mark 14:4-8). The disciples did not understand what was happening until after Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Shocked by Mary’s act, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

Judas Missed His Savior

Judas, treasurer of the disciples’ money, had his mind on worldly things. He walked with Jesus three years, but failed to grasp the depth of His ministry. Like the Pharisees and chief priests, Judas looked for a savior from Roman oppression, not a Savior from sin and death. People today are very much the same. They live by cultural standards and place value on work, goals, wealth, power, and possessions. Inadvertently, they choose stress and strife, fear and anxiety, over faith, love, peace, and joy. I hope this does not describe you. Oh friend, if you value anything in your life more than God, you jeopardize your relationship with Him. This season of Lent and Easter, humble yourself before your Savior and take time to be with Him, reading His word and spending time with Him in prayer.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, open our eyes that we might see you in our midst. Change our hearts to have a desire to serve you and others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Understanding Why Jesus Cursed the Fig Tree

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During the week before Jesus’ crucifixion, He was hungry. In the distance He saw a fig tree in leaf and went to find its fruit, but it was not the season for figs. Jesus said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11:14). It might seem strange that the Lord would curse the tree but He did it to make a point.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem, He entered the temple and began driving out those buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. He said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).

The temple was beautiful for all those who came to Jerusalem. However, the merchants saw an opportunity to provide travelers with sacrifices for the Passover and sold the animals in the temple courts. Like the fig tree, the temple was lovely on the outside, but the religious leaders permitted this merchandising and created a place for robbers instead of a keeping it a place of prayer.

Personal Application

This record in the Bible made me think about myself and the image I bear. Do I look good on the outside but hide disobedience and sin inside? Jesus accused the Pharisees of being whitewashed tombs. They appeared attractive on the outside but were full of dead bones and everything unclean on the inside (Matthew 23:27). Their hearts were not tender and pliable in God’s hands.

Prayer

O LORD, purify my heart and lead me in your ways. Convict me of any sin so I might confess it and be forgiven. You are my King and my God. I put my hope in you alone. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.

The God Who Sees: Hagar’s Story in Genesis

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God promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations, more than the sands on the seashore, more than the stars in the sky. Yet, after leaving their homeland in obedience to God, Abram and Sarai lived in Canaan for ten years. Still no children. Sarai began to doubt that she was the one to give Abram a son, and she gave her maid servant Hagar to her husband so he could build a family through her. Hagar became pregnant, but Sarai mistreated her so much that she fled into the desert.

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert and said to her, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the LORD told her to go back to Sarai and submit to her. He promised her that her descendants would be too numerous to count. Hagar was comforted and said to the LORD who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:1-13).

Does God Need our Help?

Have you ever felt like putting feet to your prayers, like God needs your help? I have. I learned He does not. He has a perfect plan and purpose. Sarai’s helping hand created more disfunction in the family than we can imagine, because Hagar’s son became the father of many nations, more numerous than can be counted. Yet, in Hagar’s despair, she found the “God who sees me.” Her story made me think of Psalm 56:8: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

Women in Bible times collected their tears in bottles during times of pain or loss, especially when their husbands were away in battle. They even showed their tears to their husbands when they returned how much they grieved in their absence. God not only sees our tears; He records them in His book.

However, the writer of Psalm 56 is not a woman. It is David, who was familiar with suffering from family dynamics and fighting in wars with the surrounding nations. He knew God saw his fear and sorrows. How great for us to know that our God sees us in our trouble and He never leaves us or forsakes us. He never sleeps or slumbers, but comforts us in our despair. He is close to us and available when we cry out to Him for help and strength.

Prayer

O God of Heaven’s armies, thank you for your faithfulness to Hagar and David and us. Thank you that we can trust you with all we care about. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.

Naaman’s Transformation: A Lesson in Faith and Humility

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Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. His name means “well formed,” but he had leprosy. Through him the Lord had given victory to Aram, and he was a great and valiant man in the eyes of his master. Yet, Naaman had this terrible skin disease. The servant girl of Naaman’s wife told her about a prophet in Samaria who could heal her husband. Naaman went to the king and told him what the girl said, and he gave him permission to go. So Naaman left and took with him gifts of gold, silver and clothing. When he went to the prophet Elisha’s house, Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Indignant, Naaman got back into his chariot and left. He thought surely the prophet would wave his hands over him and call on the name of his Lord. But to wash in the muddy Jordan? In his opinion, the rivers of Damascus were better waters. Why couldn’t I wash there? he thought. But his servants asked him, “If the prophet had told you to do something great, wouldn’t you have done it? Why not wash and be clean?” Naaman listened and washed in the Jordan seven times and was cleansed of his leprosy. He went back to Elisha and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel,” and he went home and sacrificed to the one true God (2 Kings 5).

What Moved Naaman to be Cleansed?

Anger and rage almost cost Naaman a life of more suffering. As leprosy eats away at a man’s skin, sin in the form of anger or pride eats away at man’s soul. People will take action when they are sick of themselves. Naaman was at this point, but he stepped out in faith, faith he borrowed from the servant girl and his own servants. He laid down his pride, humbled himself and stooped to wash in the Jordan. The results were amazing! Not only was he cleansed from his leprosy; he was made well with his soul. He accepted God’s way over his own way and returned to Aram a new man.

Prayer

O Lord of Heaven’s armies, thank you for your divine plan and purpose in our lives. Help us to humble ourselves and receive your extravagant love. And, Lord, help us not to keep it to ourselves, but to give it to others so they might receive your love too. In Christ’s precious and powerful name, Amen.

Building a Relationship with God Through Prayer

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Have you prayed faithfully for days, weeks, months, or years without answers to your prayers? Me too. One thing is clear, prayer is not about me. It is about my relationship with God. Reading the Bible over the years shows me a God who deeply cares about us and what happens to us. Prayer is about relationship. So if we want to be in relationship with God, it’s important to know Him and His character. The more we know God, the less likely we are to bring Him a laundry list or shopping list of things we want. I’ve been a mother most of my life and remember when my kids were young. They told me things they wanted and I often responded, “Great!” or “Those are good things,” but it didn’t mean I ran out to buy whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it.

How can we experience answers to prayers? Even though there are no instant solutions, we can use The Lord’s Prayer as our pattern to draw closer to God.

  • Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name: Recognize who you pray to. God is holy and we are not. His name is not to be misused but held in reverence.
  • Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven: Jesus told His disciples about His kingdom, that it is like a treasure hidden in a field that a man sold all he had and bought the field, like a pearl of great value, a refuge, a fortress. He said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
  • Give us today our daily bread: God provided for Israel’s daily needs in the wilderness. However, instead of people surrendering to Him for what they needed, they complained about things they didn’t have. God provides for us generously out of the riches of His glory. When we admit He is our portion, our inheritance, then whatever we receive is blessing.
  • Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us: How can we expect or receive forgiveness unless we have a spirit of forgiveness in our hearts? A life of forgiveness is also a life of confession and a call for God’s help.
  • And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: God does not tempt us, but we are led into temptation by our own sinful desires. Let’s ask God to guard our thoughts, attitudes, motives, speech, behavior and dreams. It’s a prayer He is ready to answer.

So we pray, wait and trust God. What do we do in the waiting? We keep surrendering, keep worshipping, keep serving, giving and trusting. And we praise Him when we are healed. We praise Him when we suffer. We spend time in His word, learning more about who it is we pray to, and we rejoice in the God who loves us.

Prayer

O Lord of Heaven’s armies, help us to draw close to you and seek your righteousness. Then whatever happens, we will love you and we will praise you and we will serve you. In Christ’s precious and powerful name, Amen.

Resisting Temptation: Lessons from Jesus’ Wilderness Experience

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Vintage illustration Milton’s Paradise Lost. Heaven rung, With jubilee and loud hosannas filled the eternal regions. Book III, lines 347-349

Immediately after John baptized Jesus, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where the devil tempted Him. After he fasted for forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. That’s when He was most vulnerable, and the devil saw his opportunity. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, ‘It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Then the devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so you will not strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'” The devil left Jesus and angels came and attended Him (Matthew 4:1-11).

Jesus responded to every temptation with God’s word. Jesus, the Bread of life, resisted the temptation to turn the stone into bread. The devil tempted Him again with verses from Psalm 91 saying the angels would hold Him up so He would not strike His foot on a stone. Jesus didn’t have to rely on the devil’s crafty misuse of Scripture; He had full access to the angels. And why would Jesus bow down to the devil to gain the whole world? That was already His.

The God of Angel Armies is on Your Side

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). The way out of your trouble is God’s word, as Jesus demonstrated. Friend, get to know God’s word. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. His word will come to you at just the right time in the circumstance that you need it. And know that an army of angels like the ones who attended Jesus are in our in our midst, even though we do not see them. They are ready to step into action. “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Prayer

God of Angel Armies, thank you for your protection and provision, comfort and counsel. Thank you for your mighty power to strengthen us in our times of need. In your precious and holy name, Amen.

Finding New Life in Christ: Hope for the Broken

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Have you ever felt as worthless as a cracked pot? I have, and I have good news. Our God makes all things new. Jesus said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5). He was talking about the New Jerusalem, but new and abundant, forever life begins the moment we believe that Jesus ransomed our souls from sin, death and Satan. Surrendered to Him, we can become the people He intended us to be. Friend, that is amazing good news.

As a potter works with clay, when he sees a flaw, he can rework it to make something beautiful. That’s what God does with us as we submit to Him. Isaiah said, “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of you hand” (Isaiah 64:8). Early life choices led me away from God and down a road of destruction. I faced failure, loneliness and despair. Fortunately, I had enough sense to cry out to God. I am so glad I did, and I hope you do too if you haven’t already done so. God said, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). I didn’t know how to fix the mess I had made of my life, but God rescued me from the wilderness I created, and He is still at work making me into the woman He intended me to be.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for those filled with anxiety, loneliness and frustration. Lord, calm their anxious hearts and love them as you have loved me. O my Savior, I don’t want anyone to leave this earth without knowing your amazing love. I pray that they trust you to look past their trouble to experience the new life you have for them. In Christ’s precious and powerful name, Amen.

Finding Hidden Treasures in Faith

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Red flowering poppies, yellow blooming field mustard and other wildflowers in the spring season.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).

I love to search for treasures whether it’s along a beach, or in tide pools, or antique stores. I look for treasure everywhere. The man in the verse above found a treasure in a field. He hid it again and sold all he had to buy the field so he could have the treasure. Jesus used this parable to describe what the kingdom of heaven is like. Imagine the wonder of it all!

Revelation 21-22 describes the New Heaven and New Earth, and the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven. The description is quite amazing. The things we treasure so much on earth are items of construction in the New Jerusalem. Twelve beautiful stones make up the foundation of the wall, and the streets are gold. The very best part of the Kingdom of Heaven is that we don’t have to wait for the New Jerusalem to come down out of Heaven. Abundant life begins the day we believe Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was for us individually, to take away our sin and give us everlasting life, yes, life without end with Jesus. In our death here on earth, we will change our location and join Jesus in paradise.

Friend, we don’t have to settle for our best life now. We can accept the love of Jesus, the greatest treasure and experience a life of love, peace and joy; a life of meaning, fulfillment and purpose. Jesus gave all He had, His life, so we could have this wonderful life. The man in the verse today gave all he had to get the treasure. Even though Jesus gave everything to give us this amazing life, we have a response as the man did in the verse. Mine has been to devote my life to serving Jesus and others by telling them about this wonderful life and the amazing love of God. What is your response? Friend, it is important how you answer this question. I pray you do not take the love of God lightly, but will offer Him a heart of praise and worship and thanksgiving that spills onto the people around you.

Prayer

Thank you, Father God, for examples in your word that explain what life with you is like. Help us never to take it lightly but to be devoted to you and to others. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.

Follow Me

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Silhouette of Fishermen on the boat in the lake at sunset

Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and He saw two brothers, Simon Peter, and his brother Andrew. They cast a net into the lake, hoping to catch some fish. Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). The brothers left their nets and followed Him. Jesus walked on a little further and saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John helping their father prepare their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their father and followed Jesus.

Without a clue of what their future held, these fishermen left everything to follow Jesus and became His disciples. Later they heard Jesus say, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). They learned the cost of following Jesus, but it became an adventure that changed the world. These rag-tag fishermen were eyewitnesses of Jesus healing the sick, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk and the lepers to be clean. They grew to share the gospel with Jesus.

Jesus Calls You and Me

How did you hear the gospel? You heard it because someone told you, and now it is your calling to go and tell others what God can do in their lives. The cost is heavy, but the benefits are eternal. Jesus said, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-38). I am glad someone told me about the amazing love of Jesus, and I want to share in the work. It means, however, that I must deny everything that is important to me to serve God and others. Don’t misunderstand me; I love my children and grandchildren. I want them to know Jesus in a personal way, and I pray for that. Yet, they do not want that today. I hope that will change. Yet, for now and forever I am committed to following Jesus

Oh friend, is there anything holding you back from following Jesus? The benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. Not only do you experience God’s love and peace and joy, others that you tell benefit too. I hope you will say “yes” to Jesus if you have not done so.

Prayer

Holy Father, I pray that you inspire and encourage us to make a difference in your kingdom. Empower us with testimonies that speak to people’s hearts for your glory. In Jesus’ precious and powerful name, Amen.