Monthly Archives: March 2018

“Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine; living with Jesus a new life divine; looking to Jesus ‘till glory doth shine, moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine. Moment by moment I’m kept in His love, moment by moment I have life from above; looking to Jesus ‘till glory doth shine; moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine”.

“God is so good! “Never a battle with wrong for the right, never a contest that He doth not fight; lifting above us His banner so white; moment by moment I’m kept in His sight. Never a trial that He is not there, never a burden that He doth not bear; never a sorrow that He doth not share, moment by moment, I’m under His care. Never a heartache, and never a groan, never a teardrop, and never a moan; never a danger but there on the throne, moment by moment He thinks of His own. Never a weakness that He doth not feel, never a sickness that He cannot heal; moment by moment, in woe or in weal, Jesus, my Savior, abides with me still”. Thank you, Lord!

Alas! And did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die! Would he devote that sacred head, for sinners such as? Yes he will! He sure did! Thank you, Lord! You died to save a sinner like me. Help me Lord, to never take for granted the sacrifice you made for me.

“Was it for crimes that I have done, he groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree. Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut its glories in, when God, the mighty maker, died for his own creature’s sin. Thus might I hide my blushing face, while his dear cross appears; dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears. But drops of tears can ne’er repay, the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away; ’tis all that I can do”. Lord, because of all that you have done for me, I give myself to you and commit myself to serving you only, but, I cannot do this alone in my own strength, so I am trusting you to lead me and to guide me along the way, and I am confident, that if you are leading me and I am obedient, I will never stray. Thank you, Lord!

Today is Maundy Thursday, a day when we are called to serve. Will you answer the call today? Jesus our king starts the last supper, by washing his disciple’s feet. How will you and I be of service today?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be living examples of Jesus by being humble. Jesus was humble to the point to death. Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer Judas. He was humble enough to wash Peter’s feet, Peter who would deny him. Would you be humble enough to those who are plotting evil towards you, to those who would deny knowing you, and wash their feet? John chapter thirteen reminds us of Peter’s astonishment, when he asked Jesus if he was really going to wash his feet, but Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will. For, unless I wash you, you will have no part with me”.  That was an act of love, a love that we fail to see until after we have done wrong and asked forgiveness and we are forgiven, until we realized that Jesus had to die on the cross, so that we might be forgiven. Jesus said, Not my will Lord, but Thine be done! Let us also be humble and do good and forgive, not of ourselves but for the love of God. Humility is the first step to spiritual cleansing.

What is the cross that you are carrying this week? How heavy a burden is it? I want to challenge you as I will challenge myself, to lay down your cross at Jesus’ feet and carry the cross of someone else.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all aspire to be like Simon of Cyrene, who saw Jesus struggling under the weight of his cross and offered to help. Imagine the relief Jesus felt, if only for a little while. We may not be able to carry the load for someone else all the way to Calvary, but, if only for a little while, we could bring some relief to someone else, I am convinced, that Jesus will take our load and carry it all the way to Calvary. He did it before and he could do it again. “At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith, I received my sight and now I am happy all the day”.

Not my will Lord, but Thine be done! Luke 22:42

We have a Savior who comes to us not only on Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, or Christmas day, but whenever we truly believe and call upon his name, he is there. This week as we celebrate Holy Week, let us begin each day saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest”. My brothers and sisters in Christ, let this serve as our plea for help, let this be for us our ardent pleas to God, to come into our hearts and renew right spirits within us. Let us not forget the reason why we observe this week; how agonizing it was for Jesus who said, “Not my will dear Father but Thy will be done”. All that he endured, he did it for us, so let us laud and magnify his name, saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, to be with us always. Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!

A HAPPY AND BLESSED PALM SUNDAY TO ALL OF YOU.
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and marks the start of Holy Week, the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, saying, ‘Hosanna” Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Matthew 25:10

This passage should be troubling to all of us who are getting ready, and more so, for those of us who have been meaning to go and buy some oil, but keep putting it off. My brothers and sisters in Christ, have you ever thought about where you might be or what you may be doing when Christ returns? Will you return from wherever you are, and whatever you were doing, only to find that you are too late for the banquet? Scripture tells us, that, “Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later, the other virgins arrived and said ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ but he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you’. My friends let us ponder this….

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3

Lord, I want to live my life as if I am expecting you to show up today. If there is anything in my life that is preventing me from living the life I desire, please remove it. I want to be ready. I want to hear you say, “Come my child, sit down and eat”. Lord, I believe, that everyone who is prepared and waiting for your return will be rewarded, and I don’t want to be left out. Lord, I may not always walk in the right paths, I may not always say what is right, or do what is right, but you always lead me back to the place where I belong, and that is why I try every day, to live my life expectantly, listening for your voice, as I know that you will call your sheep by name and lead them out. Help me, Lord!

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. Luke 12:35-36

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in evil times, and therefore, we should be living in a constant state of readiness. Despite all that is happening around us, we could be hopeful, because we have something good to look forward to – Jesus’ second coming. But, are we ready? Scripture reminds us, that, we should always keep our lamps trimmed and burning, waiting for our Master. Make no mistake, he will return, we may not know the day nor the hour, but he has given us instructions to watch and pray; he has given us all assignments, and, while some of us have started, some are lagging way behind. Where are you? What have you been doing in preparation for the Savior’s return? Are you like some who say, they have been hearing of Jesus’ coming a long time, and therefore have time? Tomorrow is not promised to anyone of us, we are walking time bombs, now is the accepted time, tomorrow, may be too late. Be always dressed and ready for service, so that if the Master knocks on your door this moment, you could bid him enter in. WATCH!

“Sometimes I hear strange music, like none I’ve heard before, come floating softly earthward, as through heaven’s open door. It seems like angel’s voices, in strains of joy and love; that swells the mighty chorus, around the throne above”. Can you hear it too?

“O sweet unearthly music, heard from a land afar, the song of heaven and homeland, through doors God leaves ajar. Now soft and low and restful, it floods my soul with peace, as if God’s benediction, bade all earth’s troubles cease. Then grander than the voices, of wind, and wave, and sea, it fills the dome of heaven, with glorious harmony. This music haunts me ever, like something heard in dreams, it seems to catch the cadence,  of heavenly winds and streams. My heart is filled with rapture, to think someday to come, I’ll sing it with the angels the song of heaven and home”. I am soo excited! I want to be ready!

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