“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ~Mark 14:32
Today, many people will be attending Maundy Thursday services at church. It’s a traditional service that portrays the events of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, and will usually include an opportunity to have your feet or hands washed just as Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. This service also includes sharing in communion with one another and the service ending with the details of events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. This is service is referred to as “Tenebrae” (/ˈtɛ.nə.breɪ/ or /ˈtɛ.nə.bri/[1]—Latin for “darkness”) it consists of liturgy and prayers of/for the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment and agony of the events and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day. This time of Tenebrae or “growing darkness” is a moving experience, an encounter with the passion of Christ.
The verse today takes us to Gethsemane, the garden where Jesus goes to pray and to seek God’s Will, His Father’s Will. Jesus goes off alone, into the wilderness of doubt, grief and longing. Jesus, while in the midst of His wilderness of His struggle He seeks to do His Father’s Will, knowing that He must suffer. Jesus openly expressed His pain and anguish with God and allowed God’s plan to be fully realized in himself.
Mark 14:35-36, “Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
When we take up our cross, we, too, accept whatever part we might have to play in the restoration of this world.
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” ~Psalm 118:22
The verse for today was referenced by Jesus in Mark 12:10, “Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Jesus was speaking in parables to the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders when he referenced the verse from Psalm 118:22. Jesus knew what the future held for him and that this parable foretells how His own destruction would establish the coming of God’s reign. The rejected stone becomes the foundation of God’s kingdom. It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus that we are able to be reconciled to God, Jesus who had never sinned took upon himself all sin in order to redeem us and bridge the gap between Creator and His creation. God’s response to Jesus’ crucifixion and the violence of the cross was an act of complete and absolute LOVE! Through being rejected Jesus, gave the rejected a place to belong. By Jesus giving up His life, He gave life to all. It is only through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are we given the opportunity to become children of God and heirs to the Kingdom. I used the word opportunity because we do have to make a conscious decision to follow and believe in God and in His plan for our lives. We choose to be obedient or not, we are all created by God for His purposes. We will all eventually believe in God and bow in His presence the only question is whether we do it now or later.
As I have been thinking about Holy Week and the lessons for this week I’ve been trying to gain a better understand of “The Wilderness and Restoration.” I am leaning into the idea of (my) wilderness being my life journey as I traverse through life. Just as the Israelites faced challenges every day and as Jesus was tempted by the devil, all life in the generalist of terms has challenges; difficulties, trials, temptations, loses, grief and expectations to name only a few; however, the Word of God is Power; Powerful; Life Giving; Life Saving! Every day is an opportunity for restoration and renewal. God is always available to us 24/7/365 anytime; anywhere for whatever…God is there for you and me, ALWAYS. I hope you are finding new ways to connect with God and to seek His will. You are loved, you are God’s created child, unique and wonderful.
What does it mean that Jesus loves those who will betray him?
Jesus is perfect love, He loves no matter what, His love is unconditional!
Breath Prayer: Gracious, Glorious God, teach me mercy. ~Amen
“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 wasteland.” ~Isaiah 43:19
The weather is always interesting at this time of year in my little corner of the world. Today is was sunny and the high temperature was recorded at 52 degrees and just 3 days ago is was 30 degrees and we received 10 inches of snow! Rain is in the forecast so hopefully the remaining piles of ugly dirty snow will melt. This is also an exciting time of year, the trees are budding, plants and flowers are pushing up through the soil, stretching towards the sun. It’s beautiful to see nature coming to life. As we progress through this Holy Week we can look to Jesus for new life, an emergence from our sinfulness into a life a forgiveness, mercy and grace all through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The words of Paul cone to mind, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19. What beautiful imagery, as the plants and flowers burst through the soil, they are a new creation, springing forth in vibrant colors and standing straight and tall…this is also what happens to us as believers at our moment of surrender to God, when we invite Him into our hearts and we accept Him as Lord and Savior. We are new, seeking and stretching to be closer to God. This season of Lent has been an awakening for me and a time of contemplation and in many ways I am finding myself stretching and reaching for more than the typical “give something up for lent.” This year I’ve have been blessed to attend a Lenten bible study that challenged me and my thought process of experiencing Lent in a new way. Sharing my thoughts through this blog has brought me true joy and the support I have received is humbling. The pamphlet I have been utilizing as a guide has been educational for me, I love the theme of the wilderness and how it has paralleled the wilderness journey of the Israelites and the devils temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. My devotional time has deepened and my thirst for the Word of God has been most satisfying. I’ve learned some self-discipline and self-awareness of where my life is at, where I want my life to go and how I might achieve these aspirations. I have truly enjoyed sharing my thoughts with all of you that have been faithful followers and to my new followers, I thank God for the opportunity to connect.
Our life experiences and our travels are a shining example of God’s extravagant love He has for each of us. None of our lives are exactly the same, just the way God had planned it to be, this is why I think it’s a great idea to talk with one another and seek commonality and collaboration in living the best life we can for God, to spread the love of Jesus, to show compassion and humility for one another. When thinking about this week and the experiences that Jesus encountered during Passover, many years ago, it is heart wrenching and unfortunately believable that people loved him one day and then a few days later, shout and demand his crucifixion. Jesus was called a teacher/rabbi one day and the next day a blasphemer. Jesus knew and accepted the consequences of reconciling humanity with God the creator. Sadly, the way people treated Jesus, all those years ago, we as a society have not changed all that much. This world is infected with sin and self, people judge with no evidence and people are often misunderstood for a variety of reasons, and rarely have anything to do with the situation or issue at hand, because it’s easier to cause harm than to create harmony. I don’t believe change will come from a big platform or by a national march or through boycotting, I believe the answers are so much more simple than all these methods and the advice has been around for thousands of years, and was spoken by Jesus himself, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ~Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31. It’s really that simple. I want to share a sentence the author’s pamphlet in closing, “There is so much life in this world that is just beneath the surface, ready to burst forth.” ~Katie Z. Dawson
“Where do you look for signs of life?”
Breath Prayer: Let this wilderness rejoice and bloom.
“Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’” ~Jeremiah 32:43
This is the beginning of Holy Week! This week “Restoration and the Wilderness” will be the topic of study and conversation. Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday and depending on where you live the weather could have interrupted your plans. I live in an area where we experienced a winter storm that dumped 10 inches of snow on the ground. Most church services were cancelled due to road conditions and snow removal. The author provides the story of Jeremiah, God had called upon him to bring a word of judgment against his own people. Jeremiah lived in difficult times and he witnessed the destruction of his nation. God calls Jeremiah to purchase a plot of land as a sign of its coming restoration. Jeremiah bought the plot of land even though it was a bleak and uninhabited piece of land but Jeremiah was obedient to God. God’s message was that the time of sorrow would not last forever.
As I am lamenting on the past few weeks and the week in front of me. I am reminded that just like Jeremiah and for the Israelites, times of sorrow do not last forever and that hope is alive! During the past few weeks we have read about the Israelites in the wilderness, Jesus in the wilderness and we have also looked at our own experiences of being in the wilderness. I have shared some of my sorrows with you and I think they are worth repeating because I have witnessed and experienced life beyond my sorrows. When my mom passed away, I was filled with anguish, anger, frustration and I thought my life was over. With time and support of friends and family the sorrows became less weighted on my heart, some of those old feelings surface from time to time, I think of them as windows to the past. I can look at my sadness and sorrows in the distance and I never want to chase them away because they are a vital part of my being. With great sorrow comes great joy! I believe that with all my heart. I loved my mom and the person she was and is; I don’t think I would have this new-found sense of self-awareness or self-resilience if I had not experienced such profound sadness of losing my mom. The same can be said of relationships that have not ended as I would have liked for them to, again I’ve learned lessons I’m not sure I would have grasped if things had been different. I used to think it was a lack of maturity on my part and I’m sure that played a role but overall I think I was not living authentically. I am currently at peace with my life and my life choices. I seek God’s direction for my life and my priorities have shifted, I now see life through a new lens, with more clarity and more boldness.
Are you facing challenges in your life right now?
Remember the words of David, Psalm 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” ~Psalm 30:5.
This week will be filled with a plethora of emotions from joy and celebration, to unbelievable accusations and falsehoods, leading to undeniable sorrow and guilt, all with the promises of redemption, restoration and resurrection! As we remember Jesus, His ministry, His teachings, His brotherhood and family, His companionship with His disciples; the temptations by the devil; the false accusations made out of fear and greed; His betrayal by Judas; His separation from His Father while on the cross; His death all leading to that Glorious Day of Resurrection! I’m emotional just thinking about all these things that Jesus willingly accepted because of His great love for each of us.
The author (Katie Z. Dawson) writes this, “When things around us appear bleak, we, too, can invest in the future we long for. In the midst of turbulent times, I’m choosing to invest in relationships with people who don’t look or think like myself, so that in humility, I can grow and learn and generate a compassionate heart.” I agree with this wholeheartedly!
Where are you being called to invest in the Kingdom of God?
Breath Prayer: Lord, bring forth all the good you have promised. Amen.
“They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway and they untied it” ~Mark 11:4
Today’s verse and subject of the past week has been “Providence” which is defined by Webster as “divine guidance or care.” It’s origin comes from the Latin word “providentia,” which means the ability to see something in advance; foresight, foreknowledge. The author of the pamphlet calls attention to Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22, which is the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, his one and his only son and sacrifice him. Genesis 22:2 “Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” As Abraham and Isaac made their way up the mountain Isaac asks his father “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.” ~Genesis 22:8. In this story, Abraham trusted God (divine guidance) and Abraham also knew God would provide, his faith was strong in the Lord, he trusted God to provide even if it meant sacrificing his son. He trusted God’ “providentia” meaning the ability to see something in advance; foresight, foreknowledge.
In the Book of Mark, Mark writes about the “Providence” of Jesus entering Jerusalem. People were excited and “many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” ~Mark 11:8-10. All this was spontaneous, not planned or choreographed. God provided and people worshipped. In Mark 11:1-6, tells us that Jesus sent two of the disciples to a village and they would find a colt tied which had never been ridden, untie and bring it here. All these things happened and they returned with the colt. Again, God provided. The two disciples experienced “Providence” they trusted in what Jesus had told them and they were obedient.
How has God provided opportunities for you to worship?
Have you every experienced, “this is never going to work?” And yet it does! Every day God is working in our lives, He is providing “Providence” showing and teaching us about “divine guidance and care.”
Breath Prayer: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
“And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” ~Mark 1:4
Today’s verse and writing by Katie Z. Dawson talks about the different roles we as believers take on. The story starts out telling us about John the Baptist in the wilderness. He was calling people to be baptized, calling for repentance and forgiveness. John explains his role in Mark 1: 7-8 “And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” He was talking about Jesus. Paul writes about the body of Christ with many members in 1 Corinthians and in Romans.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” ~1 Corinthians 12:12
“Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” ~1 Corinthians 12:14
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” ~Romans 12:4-5
The author provides a story about a small church losing some of its members due to their children growing older and larger churches often are able to provide more services geared towards youth. I can relate to this experience because my church has experienced long-term members leaving to go to another church due to activities that they provide. I loved how the minister/bishop responded to a church member that felt ashamed that families were leaving. He said, “Raising babies might be there small part to play and they could joyfully send those families to a place where other needs are met.” People leave churches for all kinds of reasons, it should not be looked at as if the church failed them. Sure, sometimes it is personal and even in those cases, we can and should still be joyful and pray for them to find what they are seeking. Churches are kind of like grocery stores, some like Wal-Mart since it’s usually a one stop to get it all; others may choose Kroger for food items and Target for clothing and household items; some like specialty butchers for meat. It’s about people making individual choices and often has nothing to do with something going wrong at the other places. As believers in Christ, and members of the Body of Christ, we need to and should rejoice that people are seeking God in REAL ways, churches like people are unique and are not one-size-fits-all. Our roles as believers is to lift one another up to God, our roles are to love, teach, accept, respect and pray for others. The writer says, that “churches and its congregation are vehicles for God’s redemption in the world.”
“Are you celebrating that role and playing it faithfully?”
“Are you able to say the world is a better place because of your church?”
“What is God calling you to do to prepare the way for Christ to enter the human heart?”
Breath prayer: Jesus, thank you for the role I can play in your world. Amen
The past week has been challenging for me, both personally and professionally. My father was hospitalized and was in there for three days, with complications due to his COPD and CHF. After a few days of rest he was feeling better and was subsequently released from the hospital. It is a long drawn out process getting discharged from a health facility. We finally arrived at my father’s home about 7pm. It’s always comforting to be back in your home. Within ten minutes we discovered there was no water! Even in the mist of this frustrating situation, I tried to remind my dad (and myself) things could be worse, the weather had been very warm 50’s so thankfully it was not due to frozen water lines. We had many things to be thankful for as well as feeling blessed. Not being very mechanically inclined, I called my brother seeking his expertise. I don’t tell my brother often that I love him or that I’m extremely proud of him. But I do! He has a huge heart, never met a stranger, strong, committed, faithful basically an all around good guy. My brother lives rather close to dad so he came right over. The temperature outside was cooling and the wind was blowing and it was dusk, my dad lives in a rural area so he has a well-house where the pump and other electrical things are located to provide running water. I was not much help but I did hold the flash light and operated the breaker box when needed. After surveying the situation, my brother was pretty sure what the issue was and he had an extra part that was needed at his residence. So he drove home to retrieve it, returned and changed out the parts only to find it was not the problem, rather it was an electrical issue with the smaller breaker box “thingy” in the well house. The well house is rather small and a confined space, my brother powered through the cramping of his legs and pain of his knees kneeling on the wood and concrete flooring. His fingers were cold from the dropping temperature and his hands and fingers were tired and numbing as he tried to thread screws that were smaller than the average house fly. After an hour or so, the parts needed would have to wait until morning when the local hardware store was open. What I found out later was that my brother after working 8-10 hours as a farmer, spent over an hour at dads he went home and worked on his sons truck for 3-4 hours to fix his heater. He told me he fixed it and got to bed around 1am. The next morning my brother shows up at dads at 8am, he has already purchased the needed part and was ready to tackle the job. He ran into another issue which required purchasing a new pressure tank but I’m happy to say that after about four hours my dad had water. The parts all came to about $200, it was inconvenient true enough but God made a way. These events helped me to realize in our darkest hours God is in control, He will make a way, and will never leave us alone.
So, after taking time away from work to be with my dad, I returned to work. I truly love my job and I work with some of the most authentic individuals I know. One of these magnificent coworkers accepted a job offer last week and his leaving us with open a void that will not be easily filled. He has been a mentor, counselor, supervisor and friend to me. I’ve worked with him for over ten years and I can honestly say I am a better person simply by the example he has been in the workplace. My job skills have improved and I have developed new skills sets as well. I would say that he has been the best boss I’ve ever had and I’ve been working for well over three decades. He’s a good boss because he sees a person’s capabilities and strengths, then lets them soar. He’s kind of a gentle giant, quiet and reserved but also strong, bold, and very authentic. He’s not about false praise or egos, what you see is what you get…all real, all the time. So, yesterday I receive a message from a coworker, it detailed changes happening in the near future. Honestly, I love my current schedule and had hoped nothing would change and even if it did it would be minor changes. That would not be the case, our office will be going from 4/10’s to 5/8’s; there will be a seniority bid for shifts and all will be effective near the end of April. The first words that came to mind that I shared with two confidential people in my life…”Well, it’s official my world is crumbling.” I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to do something! I had several scenarios flash through my head, all of them would only be harmful to me! It didn’t change my level a frustration but I was clear-headed enough to realize I will still be working at a job I love, I will still work with and around people who bless me every day. When we concentrate on the negatives in our lives it becomes a slippery slope down to the pit of self-loathing and self-destruction. I chose to not ride the slippery slope, I just stood beside it and contemplated “What is best for me to do?” I could have taken to social media and made comments and accusations, but to what end(?). Taking the high road is not for the benefit of others it is for “YOU” it’s self-preservation and in some instances the targeted individual(s) are effected only because they thought they would get a reaction from you and when it does not come into fruition, it eats them up inside. We could call it a win/win!
I guess writing this down was a twofold agenda, first for me to document the events and see them for what they were, LIFE! The seconds reason is for you, the reader…the receiver to possibly resonate with something that can give you hope when you feel hopeless, courage when you’re discouraged and faith when you feel alone. I want to remind you that we all need reminders that God’s love is unconditional and He is always available to us. This sounds cliché but when you done know what to do or what to say, JUST SAY JESUS! Life is a crazy, bumpy, unpredictable series of events, we can choose to accept them and learn from them or we can be miserable, make those around us miserable and join the club of self-loathing and self-destruction. I am not in any way, shape or form telling you life will be easy and fun all the time, it just isn’t but we have “HOPE” and “LOVE” through Jesus Christ.
Things to consider:
1. Choose a visual aide for yourself when you start to feel frustrated or tested. Once you have this mental picture you will be able to pull it from your memory bank and it will help you process. It makes no different what it is as long as it is helpful to you. I actually have a couple of images that help sustain me during difficult times.
2. Have a person you trust to share personal and confidential information with so that you can talk with when you seem irritated or frustrated.
3. This is actually the most important, trust in Jesus, accept Him as your personal Saviour. If you don’t know Him personally simple say a simple and direct prayer, “Jesus I am a sinner, save me and teach me your ways. Amen.”
Thanks for continuing to read to the end. I appreciate your support and I pray that God reveals himself to you in a very real way today. Below is a quote that explains how I was feeling this past week. Unfortunately I do not have an author or references for it.
“God look at me. I’m a mess. A mess that I can’t even deal with but I know you can. This can’t be life? This can’t be who I was meant to be? I don’t understand why certain situations get the very best of me. Lord look at me. Change me, fix me, break me! Do as you please, whatever you need to do. I just want to one day speak about this and feel nothing but love. Change me for I can see with your eyes and not mines.” “Change me….”
“He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas.” ~Psalm 78:15
Providence defined by Webster is “divine guidance or care.” It’s origin comes from the Latin word “providentia,” which means the ability to see something in advance; foresight, foreknowledge.
The reading from the pamphlet today focuses on God’s Providence. The direct and indirect ways He is shaping the future. There has been much debate of God knowing the future; God making the future events happen which all leads to the question “If God already knows, does “free will” actual exist?” My position of this particular subject is I believe both can be true. Since I am only human and not a learned Christian theologian I am at a disadvantage to say God does not really acknowledge “free will” what I can say with certainty is, I believe in God, creator of all things. God loves all of His creation and wants only the best for all His children. I know that I am nothing without God, He sustains me, loves me and forgives me of my sins.
The Bible gives us many examples of God providing water for people who are lost and struggling in the wilderness, to prepare them for the transformative work to come. Have you every thought about your actions or reactions to specific situations (?) you may notice that sometimes you know exactly what needs to be done? I have and every single time when I look back at my life and I have had experienced something similar before and because of that experience I am now more fully prepared to help others and even myself when there’s a need. I have found that in times of deep sorrow I am less likely to implode on myself because of lessons learned. I have experienced two devastating events in my life over the past decade and I look back and wonder how I made it through such dark and heart wrenching events. I never really imagined life without my mom, but she left this earth over five years ago. I was crushed, I went through all the stages of grief more than once and I’m still here. It was God’s unrelenting love that helped me. There’s so many things I had to learn because she was gone, now I’m stronger, wiser and more compassionate because of losing her. The other defining event in my life was the ending of a nearly decade long relationship with the person I loved and wanted to grow old with, people change and grow apart, I just didn’t see it happening. It took several years to even talk about it because it still hurt. It hurt because I wasn’t ready to let go and move on, over time things began to change and I could see more clearly that it had been for the best. I have nothing but fond memories and we both want one another to be happy. Yesterday would have been eighteen years, silly how some dates are forever etched into our brains. It’s true that time heals wounds. The reason I shared these two events was to let you know that even though these were difficult times for me, I have learned so much about myself, my world, and most importantly the people I love and care for. These were teaching moments in my life and my hindsight allows me to see God working in my life.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
James 1:2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
Bible examples of God providing water for people in the wilderness:
John 4:5-42 “Jesus talks with a Samaritan Woman”
Verse 7: “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
Verse 10: “Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
Verse 13-14: “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
1 Kings 19:1-9; 21:25-28 “Elijah Flees to Horeb”
Verse 6: “He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.”
Verse 8: “So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”
Exodus 17:1-7 “Water From The Rock”
Verse 5-6: “The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
Where has God provided in your life, and how did it bring change into your world?
Breath Prayer: When I am parched with doubt, God of Living Water, fill my cup.
“But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.” ~Leviticus 16:10 (NIV)
“But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.” ~Leviticus 16:10 (ASV)
Today’s verse comes from Leviticus chapter 16 which is titled “Day of Atonement.” The Day of Atonement as known as Yom Kippur, it is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. The significance of Atonement is for personal and national sins, fate of each person is sealed for the upcoming year. Yom Kippur 2018 will begin in the evening of Tuesday, September 18th and ends in the evening of Wednesday, September 19th. I would recommend reading Leviticus 16 if you have never read it, very detailed and interesting rules the Israelites had to follow for the atonement of sin as directed by God. God had provided a way for the Israelites to be reconciled to Him and to let go of the weight of their sins. The word “Azazel” in Hebrew scripture is literally “scapegoat.” The scapegoat would take the sins of the people into the wilderness where they were first removed from the community, and for forgiveness and they were forgotten. Later in the story, God provides the “scapegoat” 2 Corinthians 5:19, “ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And ha has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” In essence, our sins have been carried into the wilderness
I am reminded of this weeks concentration on “wilderness” and “providence” the scripture verse today tells us of wilderness, the place where in the Old Testament sins were carried away into the wilderness by a scapegoat and were not remembered by God. As Christians today we have the same assurances from God, and how interesting that Jesus went into the wilderness to prepare for His ministry and was tested by satan and was victorious. Jesus knew that His life, death and resurrection would fulfill the “Day of Atonement” as He knowingly accepted the role of “scapegoat” for the sins of all people and that once sins were confessed with sincere repentance would be remembered no more. If fact the Bible tells us in Psalm 103:12, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Everyday is a new day to start with a clean slate with a renewed spirit. The sins of yesterday once repented should not be carried into the new day. God does not remember our sins and collect them on a board, just as the song and the Bible tells us our sins are as far as the east is from the west, they are forgiven and forgotten. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” Question of the day: Is there a sin or mistake you are carrying with you?
Breath Prayer: Lord, I am a sinner, have mercy on me. ~Blessings and Peace~ References:
•https://www.biblegateway.com/passagesearch=Leviticus%2016:10&version=ASV
•https://www.biblegateway.com/passagesearch=Leviticus%2016:10&version=NIV
• https://www.google.com/search?q=day+of+atonement&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” ~Luke 15:4
Today’s verse is often referred to as “The Parable of the Lost Sheep.” In the reading of the pamphlet the author also tells us that is has also be referred to as “The Parable of the Incomplete Flock.” In this case, both titles are appropriate, sheep are flock animals and strongly gregarious; their natural inclination to follow a leader to new pastures; all sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock; sheep can become stressed when separated from their flock members; sheep can recognize individual human and ovine faces, and remember them for years; Sheep have good hearing, and are sensitive to noise when being handled; sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, with excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of about 270° to 320°, and sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads. Now you probably have gained more knowledge and insights about sheep you never intended to learn! You’re welcome!
The Bible makes references to sheep and shepherds as an example of believers and God. As a shepherd would leave his flock to go find the one missing sheep, God pursues His children, the believers. When we lose our way God opens pathways for our return.
John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—“
I also believe the sheep and shepherd example can be used to explain the relationship of church members (sheep) with the pastor of the church (shepherd) to show the relationship and bond that is between a pastor and their parishioners. It is not the sole responsibility of the pastor to ensure all members of the congregation are all flocked together, it is everyone’s responsibility. The church members form a family and provide support, guidance, care and prayers for one another. This may look different depending upon your individual church’s and its functionality but I would hope it is similar. As believers, we have a responsibility to seek out the lost or missing people of our flocks. We all have been blessed with unique spiritual gifts, whatever yours may be use it for God’s glory. Some people are great at sending cards or making phone calls, some possess great communication skills and can make others feel at ease, some have patience and compassion to listen when people need to be heard, this is a never-ending list I encourage you to use your gifts to spread the love of Jesus with anyone and everyone.
My church, my church family blesses me every single day. There are members that text me with words of encouragement, my input is requested for new initiatives and programs, I have participated in leading discussions and teaching a bible studies and in return I will seek out individuals who need encouragement, support or just to listen to them talk. It is a reciprocal relationship of give and take and to pass it on, never hold onto a blessing, there’s so much more joy in the process of continuing a blessing, keeping it alive in a sense.
The author poses this question? How has your faith community been strengthened by someone who was new to the flock?
There is much joy with new members coming into a community, it’s refreshing to hear new ideas and a sense of renewal within a group when someone new offers a different point of view or sees situations through a new lens.
Be aware of your fellow flock members and if one is missing tell the shepherd and in some cases you might assume the shepherd role to help find the one missing that has strayed away, to bring them home.
Breath Prayer: Thank you God, The Good Shepherd, help me to seek the lost. ~Amen.
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