The Velveteen Heart

The world is full of fakes, isn’t it? Photo filters create fake pictures. Social media promotes fake lives. We proclaim our hatred for “fake” — but do not realize that those fake things reveal our deepest longings.

The reality is:

We all want to look good.
We all want to enjoy new experiences.
We all want loving relationships.

But the road to that reality is really hard. We get tired. We look for short-cuts. We fail. We criticize others to make us feel better about ourselves. We filter out the things we don’t like and create our own fake reality.

Let’s take another approach – let’s do the hard things that lead us to real love and real life.

Have you ever read The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams? It’s a classic children’s book with deep truth about “becoming real.” Join me in the coming weeks, and we’ll let a child’s story and the light of Jesus show us the way to abundant life.

The opening scene of Williams’ classic story centers on a Christmas gift.

“There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid…On Christmas morning, when he sat edged in the top of the Boy’s stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming.”

There are a lot of things that begin “really splendid” in life, aren’t there? It doesn’t take long for the charming illusions of childhood to fade from sight. Williams portrayed it this way:

“…For at least two hours the Boy loved him, and then Aunts and Uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and unwrapping of parcels, and in the excitement…the Velveteen Rabbit was forgotten.”

Have you ever felt the Rabbit? Your dreams seemed to becoming true. Life looked quite splendid, and it all felt so good. And then you were sidelined, lost amidst the wrappings of life. I want to challenge you to hold onto the truths of Scripture that tell us “The end is better than the beginning” and God has “immeasurably more [for us] than we can imagine.”

What better time than the limbo week between Christmas and the New Year to start this journey toward the beautiful reality God has had in mind since before He spoke the first words of Creation?

The exciting truth we’ll explore in The Velveteen Heart series is that the crushing endings we experience in this life open the door for unimaginable, eternal treasures. Don’t miss out on this journey, sign up below.

WHY FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST HONOR JUNETEENTH

 GUEST AUTHOR: Shelley Brooks resides in Harrisburg Pa, and has for the past 38 years ministered to homeless and addicted women and children as the Director in a Christian Mission. Shelley also has pastored a small city church of wonderful believers going on 21 years and spends time publicly speaking and teaching.  She enjoys time traveling with her family and most of all- delights in her 8 grandchildren.

“Give honor to where honor is due- Proverbs 3:27”

Some families look to Memorial Day as a time to see local parades, shop the stores for sales; take a day to relax from work ,travel and make it a long weekend, or celebrate with a cookout and the beginning of summer.  Other’s take time during this day to pause and to remember.  To reflect.    To be grateful….

My father and mother were one of those type of families that would not let the day pass without putting flowers on many many graves (known and unknown).  We would hear pretty much the same stories every year about those that sacrificed their lives in order for us to be able to live as we do, today.  We would hear with gratitude in their hearts about our grandfather in World War I, our uncles and aunt in World War II, and my father’s time in the Navy as a very young man.  Over the years, those redundant stories became a part of my understanding of the tremendous sacrifice men and women made for our great nation.  My parents were also teaching me the importance of respect, thanksgiving, and honoring others.  May 30th, Memorial Day is a day to remember.  A day to honor those that sacrificed for your well-being today.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31.”

The same parents also shared the stories from scripture about a man named Jesus.  They told me that ‘whosoever believed in him, would never perish, but would have everlasting life’ (John 3:16) .  They shared about the good things that he had done like feeding the hungry, healing the sick, making the lame to walk.   He was an advocate, a teacher, the flesh of His father, who was our living God.  He was judged for spreading love and hope.  He was beaten and crucified, but little did those that wanted him dead know, Jesus was God’s only begotten son, and his purpose was to carry our sins with him on the cross to the grave, to conquer death, and offer eternal salvation.  He gave those who believed in Him freedom to live with him on earth and after death.  Our debt to sin was forgiven.  Our debt to death was paid.  We could forever be with Jesus in eternity.

What a wonderful honor it is to know and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. He sacrificed His life, so that I could live. He gifted me salvation.   We honor and celebrate Him through belief, obedience, worship and serving one another.  Through worship and praise we honor Him.  Through our obedience to love, we honor him. Through service to one another, we honor and glorify him.  This is our testimony to the world as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God.  If His name is lifted up (honored), he said, “I will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).  When we honor our Lord and Savior others will know that we are Christians by our love. (John 13:35)                                                                                  

He who the Son sets free, is free indeed  (John 8:36)

January 1, 1863, enslaved and free men and women of African descent gathered where they could, in churches praying and awaiting news that the Government of the United States had made the Emancipation Proclamation a law.  Slavery would be abolished in this nation.  At midnight all enslaved human beings in the south were legally free. This was called “Watch Night Service”, which still occurs throughout African American churches December 31  at midnight.  The state of Texas resisted the Emancipation Proclamation until some 2000 soldiers traveled to Galveston Bay, Texas.  “The army announced that the more than 250.000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree” (National Museum of African American History and Culture).  

This occurred on June 19, 1895. And for 157 years African Americans demonstrated their thankfulness that God had heard their prayers by honoring and celebrating June 19th or Juneteeth. 

 What human being wants to be taken from their family, their loved ones, their land…to be dehumanized, starved, tortured?  This is opposite of what we know of scripture.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release to those who have been imprisoned. (Isaiah 61:1).  

The prophet Isaiah spoke these words long after God had delivered the Hebrews from bondage and slavery at the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt (Exodus 9).  God had a plan and a purpose for His people. And to this day, those people still honor and celebrate their freedom from bondage every year with a Seder Meal of remembrance and a week of thanksgiving. The Jewish (Hebrew) people call this Passover.  The angel of death ‘passed over’.  They went from slaves to God’s people.  That is what, today Jesus does for those that accept his as their savior.  We pass out of ‘darkness, into His marvelous light’.  And we remember and celebrate his death and resurrection through the Sacraments of Communion.  

Americans, not just African Americans—followers of the hope found in Jesus Christ celebrate Juneteenth because it marked a day in history that emancipated slavery. It recognizes the contributions that slaves and free people made to the building of our nation in the midst of having absolutely nothing but faith in a man named Jesus.   It forces those of us, today,  that love. and worship. and teach. and preach the love of Christ… to LIVE it……just as Jesus commands of us…everyday…… with one another!  Whether it be in church, or a parade, or a sale at a local store, or just taking a moment…..to remember.  To reflect and to honor.

  Give to all persons therefore that which is due to them- tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to honor.  (Romans 13:7)

Celebrate Freedom and Build Unity

What is Juneteenth?

Do you understand the heart of Juneteenth? Most of us  do not. Many I asked said they didn’t know what it was – and others felt it was political posturing, divisive, or simply irrelevant. There’s much more to Juneteenth that we need to explore – it is a holiday with deep roots and the potential for beautiful fruit. Juneteenth celebrates freedom and presents us with a way to move toward racial reconciliation and unity in America. It is an expression of Maya Angelou’s famous words:

Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.

The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation – Union soldiers announced FREEDOM to African Americans in Galveston, TX. No one told the slaves that the Emancipation Proclamation freed them in 1863! 

Can you even imagine withholding good news like that? It compounded the evil of slavery – and attests to the words of Job, “Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. (Job 12:5 NIV)” 

Even if the ruling class was at ease in 1865, none of us in the world today can claim to be at ease. Racial tensions are at an all-time high. Trust between races is minimal at best. Juneteenth offers an opportunity to intentionally come together and celebrate what we, as a nation of diverse people, have in common: a love of freedom and a need for unity.

What does Juneteenth celebrate?

Juneteenth celebrates the progress made on the path toward freedom for all. It helps us understand our identity as a nation – our struggles, our mistakes, and our victories. We are better today than we were before. If we will walk forward in unity, we will become even better tomorrow!

On the journey to freedom, there has been and always will be barriers to tear down. As Frederick Douglas said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. In the fight for freedom, there have been many front-line wars: in education, employment, justice, and equal opportunity. 

Truth revealed in the battles gives us traction for continued progress. US District Judge Waites Waring moved us closer to unity with his declaration that “Segregation … can never produce equality.” And the great, black educator, Booker T. Washington illuminated our concept of success by stating, “Success is to be measured … by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.” 

The courage of freedom fighters, the wisdom brought to light, and the victories won are worthy of celebration. Focusing on progress and the truths that undergird freedom helps us all.

Hope & Healing in Juneteenth 

But the earthly realities of pursuing freedom reveal eternal truths we ought not overlook. Jesus came to set all men free from the effects and control of sin (Galatians 5:1), and He pleaded for unity among His followers just before His crucifixion (John 17). When we fail to share the Gospel – or fail to live in spiritual freedom – we are no different than those who withheld knowledge of the Emancipation Proclamation from the slaves.

Joining together to work toward freedom for all destroys sin, expresses love for one another, and builds unity. Celebrating our successes and shared goals unites our hearts and hands while reminding us that the battle we fight is not against each other (Ephesians 6:12)! 

Nothing epitomized Satan’s work more than slavery (John 10:10b). It stole lives. It killed hope. It destroyed families. Jesus said, “…the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.”  and that is what slavery did. But Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work (1 John 3:8). We have a part in abolishing that work. Only as we share the grace and love of Jesus can wounds heal, accusations cease, and shame banished.

We cannot change history, but we can seek to understand that the wounds of the past are wide, deep, and generational. The obstructions to freedom and unity come from sin, and fighting for freedom for all is a work of God, for God. He promised that if His people would humble themselves and seek Him, He would heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). We need healing in America. We need God’s help. The fight for freedom is an opportunity to come together for things we all believe in, freedom and unity!

Juneteenth presents us an opportunity to come together to share the grief of sin, reject its devastation, and commit to loving better today – and tomorrow. The foundation of Juneteenth rests solidly on God’s deepest desires: freedom and unity for all humanity. How will you celebrate Juneteenth this year?

Surprise Encounters

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

Surprise Encounters

“The instrument of death became a Tree of Life.” Isn’t that beautiful? I copied that sentence from somewhere, so I can’t attribute authorship, but God’s power to bring life from death is beautifully portrayed in those words. And isn’t that what Holy Week reminds us?!

Jesus is Life from death. He conquered the grave…He conquers the grave for all who believe.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

It is beautiful to watch the revelation of Life come into focus for someone. As a friend of mine says, ‘We all have a designer walk of faith.” As we walk through the Scriptures around Holy Week, we see that Truth unveils itself differently for each.

Yesterday we considered how some believers became locked in a prison of grief. Others worked through their grief…such as those who headed to the tomb to care for the body of Jesus. What a surprise awaited them!

“…very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared…” Luke 24:1

There in the shadows, fear, confusion, anger, hope and ultimately joy cascaded through hearts. Inside that sepulcher, angels sat…fully understanding and rejoicing in what had just happened…and probably puzzled at the dullness of the human heart. As the angels reminded the women of words Jesus had spoken…and as the women repeated the words to the disciples…unbelief still ruled hearts. Then, glimmers of understanding began to lighten the darkness.

On the Road to Emmaus, grief and confusion dominated the conversation until ‘a stranger’ expounded on the Scriptures that declared the Truth of the horrifying events. Then, as they sat to eat together, their eyes opened! “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures?” Hope and joy flowed from their conversation as they rushed back to Jerusalem.

The revelation of Jesus is always an act of mercy from the heavenly Father. Jesus taught that when Peter recognized Him:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”. Matthew 16:17

Jesus meets each of us when and where we are ready to receive Him. The message He first gave to the disciples as they cowered in the locked room is a message for you and me as well. His first words, were :

“Shalom Aleichem.” (Wholeness, peace, and well-being is His greeting. Then comes our mission… )“As my Father has sent me, even so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:19-23

That is a powerful mission. It is an impossible mission if we do not receive the Holy Spirit. Human effort accomplishes nothing. It is only the life of Christ, powered by the Spirit of God, that can walk on the hallowed ground of forgiveness. When we accept our part, the divine revelation of Jesus Christ can come to others. That is the high and holy privilege of every believer. Do you remember the prophetic words from Isaiah 53 shared yesterday?

“…when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Isaiah 53:10b

Receiving our mission gives honor and glory to Jesus…and fulfills the will of the LORD.

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

when you have encountered Jesus and felt your heart burn within you

if you are holding anyone back with unforgiveness or bitterness

how Jesus gives Shalom Aleichem in the midst of your troubles

The Waiting Room of God

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

The Waiting Room of God

Grief blinds and deafens the heart. Scripture does not record many of Jesus’ followers being at the Cross…but some were there. Others perhaps buried under confusion, fear, discouragement and deafening grief fled the scene of horror. Overwhelmed by a situation they could not control, Jesus’ followers found themselves locked in a prison of darkness. The truths they heard, the truths they believed were – for the moment – out of reach. Have you sat in darkness like that?

Take heart. Jesus anticipated that happening. Isaiah 53 speaks so beautifully of Jesus and His understanding of grief:

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not…Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Isaiah 53:3,10

Jesus told them that when He, the Shepherd, was stricken, the sheep would scatter. He is never surprised by our ‘failings.’ He is never discouraged by (or for) us. His faith does not rest upon us. Jesus knows the depths of despair will give way to unshakable hope. He knows the pleasure of the LORD will break forth.

I like to think that that evening, those who had been at the Cross found their friends and shared the passage Jesus spoke from when He was upon the Cross (Psalm 22). Throughout the horror of the Cross, the Living Word drew upon the written Word for comfort – and spoke from the words stored in His heart. We must do the same!

Fulfilling the Word compelled Jesus to His dying moment. The vinegary drink would have helped make His final words audible: IT IS FINISHED!

Jesus didn’t die as a martyr, He died as a victor…and knew it. But some of His loved ones were blinded by grief. The passage He quoted from is an imprecatory Psalm. Those Psalms beg God for justice…they cry out the grief that blinds to the One who heals. Those Psalms confront the evil, the wrongs endured, but ultimately they declare God’s sure victory. They take you to praise. In the dark waiting moments, consider the power of these words:

“But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth note the prisoners. Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

Psalm 69:29-36

Every disciple finds themselves in the despair of the ‘day after’ – in the darkness of waiting for God’s good plans to come into view. In Jesus, there is Light and Hope. May we be the disciples who speak the words of hope to the deaf and the blind!

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

if you are stuck in a time of darkness and waiting.

how Jesus is the Light you need in the midst of your despair and confusion.

someone you can encourage with Words of Life and light

Helpless in the Face of Horror

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

Helpless in the Face of Horror

Have you ever experienced a time of helplessness in your life? You saw a horror unfolding, but had no power to stop it. You witnessed injustices, but could not make them right. Or maybe you longed to remove another’s pain and suffering but could not.

At some point in life, we all have to face the reality that some things are beyond our control. We can’t fix everything. We can’t orchestrate the right outcome. For we control freaks, it is an awful feeling, a maddening, disconcerting, depressing fact of life! But let’s reframe that idea. What if reaching the end of our ability is where we meet God? What if helplessness is really the most powerful and purposeful revelation God gives us? The truth is that God uses difficult times to patiently lead us (often kicking and screaming) to humility.

And God never despises a humble heart!

Sin often catches us unaware…even though we launch it on its way. By the time we notice, it’s too late. When Judas kissed Jesus in Gethsemane, the power of sin rolled forward at break-neck speed. At the meal earlier in the night, Jesus had declared that He was about to be handed over for execution. He plainly stated that one of his trusted disciples would be the betrayer. Every disciple, including Judas, had asked, “I’m not the one am I, Rabbi?” Later, Jesus even told the disciples, “You will all fall away from me.” His words were inconceivable to them. We don’t comprehend our weakness until it stares us in the face.

Jesus understands it. “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” While Jesus wrestled before the Father in sorrow, Peter, James and John slept. At His point of greatest need, His closest friends were powerless to help. Only the Father above could give Jesus the help He needed. He poured out His heart with passion…and total trust in His heavenly Father.

While flesh fails in the face of grief and horror, surrender to the Father produces eternal victory. “Thy will be done,” are words of faith and power. Jesus was not helpless in the face of horror…He was fixed on the Father’s will.

In fact, Jesus declared that He could ask the Father at any point to save Him…to send Him legions of angels. But love kept Him on course. Love strengthened Him to walk through horror confident of the Father’s plan. Hebrews tells us ‘for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.’ Because of Jesus, that same focus can be ours.

After the Passover meal, Jesus had poured out His heart to the disciples seeking to prepare them for what was to come. He spoke of the future, of the coming Holy Spirit…of disciples doing greater works than Jesus Himself…of receiving ‘anything that is asked in His name.’ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” He encouraged. ‘Abide in my love, obey me.’ Then He said, ‘I tell you all these things, so you can love one another.’

Love is the power that removes the helplessness. We see what Love looks like as we watch Jesus in the trial and on the cross. We see His Love most clearly when we are most helpless.

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

When sin has taken you by surprise and left you helpless.

What makes love rooted in God’s will more powerful than any other force?

How do times of helplessness increase our understanding of agape love?

A Legacy of Love

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

A Legacy of Love

The Disciples thought they understood Passover. It was a tradition they knew well. During that final meal with Jesus, though, the fullness of their understanding expanded exponentially. What had been a commemoration became a celebration of God’s sacrificial love. The Scriptures eloquently say, “Having loved his own who were in the world, He loved them until the end.”

Nothing – not Jesus’ foreknowledge of the horror to come, nor the actual events – deterred the expression of His love.

This entire evening provides another feast for our souls. The Word declares that Jesus was agitated in spirit. But He remained on His mission as a servant of the Father above. During the meal, Jesus brought the symbolism of the bread and wine to a shocking reality: the breaking of His own body and the shedding of His blood to cover sin. He didn’t replace tradition. In fact, Jesus said as you do this in the future, remember Me. The revelations of Jesus build line upon line!

Before Jesus knelt to wash the disciples’ feet, we glimpse the heart that chooses surrendered service. Knowing His authority, where He came from and where He was going, the Master chose the lowliest of work for Himself. He could have delegated it. He could have demanded it. Instead, He performed it. That’s what secure love looks like!

That same evening, the disciples argued about who is greatest. They mumbled amongst themselves. Peter even debated with Jesus his need for washing and over-estimated the depths of his loyalty. Judas, possibly even deceived in his own heart, betrayed Jesus. Those are the actions of those not yet matured in love. Those are the actions of you and me.

Yet, as Judas departs, Jesus declares, “Now the Son of Man is glorified.” Jesus sees what is to come and declares it in the present moment. That often left the disciples puzzled…and we as well! But Jesus never faltered in His mission. He kept feeding and teaching:

‘A new command I give you. Love others as I have loved you.’

One of the most beautiful passages of Scripture rests here…John 17, Christ’s prayer for his disciples…for you and me. His love poured out even as He faced the darkest night.

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

What flows from you when you are faced with burdens and anxieties?

How Jesus has helped you find His Light when you were surrounded by dark.

How dark times have purified and deepened your love.

From Worship to Betrayal

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

Bringing purity to your faith

Jesus didn’t spend His last week waiting to die! He spent the week delivering powerful teachings we need to devote time to studying! Here’s a brief scan to make you hungry for more!

Every word Jesus ever spoke came from the Father, and these final instructions were the Father’s plea for people to have a right view of the Kingdom of God. Jesus began by casting a vision for the power of faith. The fig tree – a Biblical picture of Israel (of religion) – was revealed to be fruitless. Real faith casts mountains into the sea and sustains those in need. ‘All things are possible to those who believe!’ There is nothing we will face that faith in Jesus cannot overcome.

Throughout the week, Jesus used parables to sow seeds of faith…and reveal errors. Parables pierce hearts that are ready for Truth – but protect the un-surrendered from hardness of heart. The Song of Solomon oft repeats the phrase, ‘Awaken not love before its time.’ Jesus gave truth in parables so that only those whose hearts were ready would receive it.

Jesus shared stories of people who missed the mark with God. A son who promised to do what Dad asked, but did not; tenants who disrespected the Master’s messengers; and invited guests who had better things to do than go to the King’s celebration. The message was consistent and clear in all three, yet it bounced off the hard hearts of the Pharisees who resisted the painful truth Jesus delivered.

Finally, Jesus directly said, “You’ve gone astray. You don’t understand the Scriptures of the power of God.” And He began to detail the woes created by hard hearts. Jesus unveiled the coming end times still pleading in parables for true believers to be watchful (fig tree), prepared (ten virgins), invested (talents), and looking toward the final judgment (sheep & goats).

The Savior’s teachings are to us as well. Let your heart hear His plea and don’t respond like a Pharisee. Allow the wound to make room for the Truth…for the Healer…for Jesus.

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

Which parable do you need to dig into?

When or where you’ve lost of Jesus – even as you searched the Scriptures.

Ways your vision of Jesus has improved through hard times.

From Worship to Betrayal

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

Bringing purity to your faith

Jesus had cleared out the temple once before. At the start of His ministry three years before, He exploded on the scene with great zeal for His Father’s house. At the close of His ministry, following the Triumphal Entry, Jesus again went straight to the Temple. He was – and is – always about the Father’s business.

In the first cleansing, the Jews challenged Jesus to present a sign to justify his actions. They scoffed at His response of destroying ‘the temple and rebuilding it in three days.’ But in the following three years, God had validated Jesus’ ministry with signs and wonders, and this time, the religious leaders made no immediate response.

But Jesus knew their response would come, and He prepared His disciples by instructing them in the power of real faith as they walked toward the Temple. There, the religious leaders confronted Jesus with a challenge to His authority to disrupt religious activities. He responded with a question of his own. ‘Where did John the Baptist’s authority come from?’

The Pharisees hedging response revealed that maintaining the status quo mattered more to them than finding the truth, so, Jesus, said, ‘Neither will I tell you.’ Jesus never wastes time with hearts unwilling to submit to the Lord, unready to step into real faith. The power of God is open to sincere seekers.

It often takes dark times to inspire us to seek the Light of the World. When our lives shake with uncertainty, Truth that will stand the test of time becomes a treasure.

Dark times initiate heart cleansing – which is the temple of this age. Repentance – turning from our pride and preferences – renovates our heart so it can be a holy temple: a place to meet with the King!

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

Where you are tempted to choose the comfort of religion over the challenge of faith.

How difficulties have deepened and purified your faith.

Truths that will hold you fast in hard times.

From Worship to Betrayal

Following Jesus in His Last Week

Difficult times are the perfect backdrop for Holy Week. The first Holy Week followed a series of horrific plagues and began with God’s people fleeing in haste. As we enter into this holy time with hearts made vulnerable by the heartaches we feel, what a joy to remember we are on a journey to the Promised Land!

The Last Week Begins

Jesus headed for Jerusalem from Bethany. There, he had spent time with close friends who knew Him best: His disciples and Martha, Mary and Lazarus. The Friday before, in an act of love and possibly unconscious prophecy, Mary had ‘prepared His body for burial.’

In contrast to Mary’s loving act of devotion, the condemnation of Judas, declaring her worship as “waste,” cuts like a knife. Jesus felt both the warmth of shared love and the pain of betrayal. Neither determined His actions, they simply revealed the hearts of those who walked with Him.

As he descended the Mount of Olives, he paused and wept over the city below. He wept for the blindness that prevented true peace for the precious people below. Jesus descended the hill to crowds singing His praises, hailing Him as a King and welcoming Him.

The crowds thought they were worshipping Jesus – but really, there were celebrating their hope that Jesus would freedom from Roman rule. When He failed to deliver what they wanted, their worship switched to cries of ‘crucify Him.’

As you journey toward Resurrection Life, ask Holy Spirit to reveal:

Good things you desire that you might mistake for worship of Jesus.

Anything you prefer to the presence of God.

How unmet expectations and unfair trials bring eternal blessings.