“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,” ~John 3:14

If you have read a few of my posts during this Lenten journey I’m sure you’ve noticed that the music videos I have posted are different than my usual contemporary songs. I love old hymns as much as the new contemporary songs. Thank you for your support of this blog and my hope is that you strengthen your relationship with God or you meet God and decide to follow Him.

If you have the pamphlet I am loosely using for this format, “The Sanctuary For Lent 2018 by Katie Z.Sawson” today’s text is filled with a lot of information/examples that to be honest is a little overwhelming. In case you don’t have the pamphlet the author gives examples of the movie “The Matrix” specifically the character “Neo” along with the movie plot of the world being a constructed reality and humanity is plugged into a vast network and being used as batteries. *Video posted below under references. She also mentions “Nicodemus” speaking with Jesus in the cover of night. ”Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” ~John 3:1-2. Our verse for today comes later in the same chapter of John in verse 14; Jesus reminds Nicodemus of the Israelites when they were in the wilderness and how God dealt with their sinfulness as they spoke against God and Moses, *(Numbers 21) God sent poisonous snakes and many died and brought many to their knees in confession. The Israelites had not let go of their old lives that they had in Egypt when they were slaves to Pharaoh, God had a wonderful plan for them they just could not see it. God used the snakes as punishment and for healing because after the Israelites repented God did not remove the snakes, He made a way for them to be healed when bitten. “Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” ~Numbers 21:6-9. The snakes were seen as a sign of healing.

This past week has been reading about the wilderness (ours and the Israelites) and divine testing. We have read about the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness; the Israelites demanding God to act when they are complaining about eating the same food day after day, they were bored and tired of the same ole same ole and tested the Lord. We looked at our own lives and our actions of testing God. We looked about Jonah being defiant about going to Nineveh as God had commanded, he eventually went to Nineveh, probably smelling “fishy” but he did do as God had commanded. We also read about the Jewish leaders at the temple trying to test Jesus asking him “The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” ~John 2:18.

Believe it or not there is a common theme in all these stories and it is about accepting Jesus and obeying what He commands. No finger pointing, we are all guilty maybe some more than others but sin is sin…no hierarchy. The Bible tells us, “Do not test the Lord your God!”
Luke 4:12
Deuteronomy 6:16
Matthew 4:7

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are new and we are to put our old self away. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” ~2 Corinthians 5:17.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” ~Ephesians 4:22-24.

As this week comes to a close on the study of “The Wilderness and Divine Testing” I am reminded of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, we are to lift Jesus up; His crucifixion, His resurrection and His ascension. We can discover the power and strength to live a new life in God. I have learned this week that “testing” and “trusting” are very powerful action words and the importance using them appropriately. I have also reaffirmed that life is hard sometimes, I also know that I am never alone. Jesus is always with me. Asking for forgiveness is not easy, if it were more people would be doing it. It’s hurts and is very painful to admit our faults. It’s uncomfortable and yet the feeling of releasing the vile truths about ourselves is so very healing. Peace and strength and yes forgiveness can all be found in Jesus when we humble ourselves and seek forgiveness and repent of our sins. My prayer is that you experience God in your life today.

How does experiencing Jesus lifted up help you to live a new life?

Breath Prayer: Jesus, open my eyes. Jesus help me see you lifted up! ~Amen

~Blessings and Peace~

References:
https://www.biblegateway.com

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” ~John 2:19

Divine testing has been the topic of discussion for this week, we have read about the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness; we have read about the Israelites attempting to test God as they wondered in the wilderness, we have read in Luke about Jonah of the Old Testament and today in John we read about Jesus clearing the Temple as they were selling animals and exchanging money in His Father’s house. The Jews said to Jesus, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” ~John 2:18-19

Jesus was speaking about himself, although they did not realize or understand it at the time; Jesus was speaking of his own death and resurrection. Jesus was fully aware of the His purpose to be a ransom for all sin. He knew that salvation could only be done through His own death and that He could not ask the Father to intervene. Death would be conquered once and for all. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” ~Romans 6:10

One of the first Bible verses I memorized was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  It’s also one of the most familiar verses in the Bible that many people know. I was several years into adulthood when I really truly understood the depths of this verse. I grew up in church and attended a Christian high school and College yet the magnitude of what Jesus did for all people did not fully hit me until I saw the movie “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson. Jesus suffered for us, He took our place…it is unimaginable the pain and the suffering He endured. Nothing can comparable to what Jesus willingly did for me and you, and every single person! As I continue my Lenten Study and I appreciate and invite you to follow along. My purpose for doing this daily blog and discussion is two-fold, first to grow closer to the God of all creation and secondly, to share God’s love with everyone that reads my blog. It is tempting to get caught up in seeing how many views I get or how many likes I get for my posts and I have remind myself that this is much deeper for me than mere statistics.  Don’t get me wrong I love seeing people reading and liking my blog but the most important thing for me is sharing the love of Jesus, to be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block. I pray that your Lenten journey is life-giving and life-sustaining. Thanks for journeying with me.

What does it mean to you that Jesus willingly gave His life for you?

Breath Prayer: Thank you, Jesus!

~Blessings and Peace~

References:
https://www.biblegateway.com

 

“He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” ~Luke 17:6

The author of the pamphlet I am using as a guide makes an important statement about Christianity, evidence of it, our questions, our doubts and our faith. She stated, “If we waited until we had all the answers about Christianity, we would never actually be Christians.” Following and believing in Jesus does not mean you have all the answers. What is required is faith! Just as the verse tells us faith the size of a mustard seed is extremely powerful! We could spend years trying to validate ourselves and the Bible but to what end(?). Salvation is here now, free to everyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus called His disciples, “Come follow me!” ~Matthew 4:19

I read an interesting article while researching today’s verse and commentary. It is called, “What’s the Difference Between Doubt and Unbelief?” by Colin Smith. I will post the link below under references for you to view if you are interested. The article provides an outline of four separate views/perspectives about “doubt” and “unbelief.” They are:

1. You can’t have faith without questions.

2. You can only doubt what you already believe.

3. Doubt and unbelief are different.

4. You can help someone by discerning the difference.

God created us all unique and individual. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God gave each of us a specific purpose.Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

God loves us so much, He sacrificed His one and only son so we could be redeemed of our sins once and for all. Romans 6:10 “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”

Take the leap of faith! God is there waiting for you with arms opened wide.

Breath Prayer: Jesus, I believe, help my unbelief.

~Blessings and Peace~

References and additional resources:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-s-the-difference-between-doubt-and-unbelief.html%3famp=1

https://www.biblegateway.com

“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” ~Luke 11:29

Quick fixes! Our culture and generation often looks for the fastest way to do things and the fastest ways to get to places. Life is 24/7/365…there’s always something happening, always something to watch on TV, endless activities to fill our lives with stuff, random empty stuff. The issue is we are never truly satisfied, we place band-aids on things that require additional and extensive attention. The scripture passage for today reminds us of Jonah’s story in Jonah 3:10
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.”

The full passage of Luke tells us this,
“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
Luke 11:29-32 (https://www.biblegateway)

Jesus calls us to REPENTANCE in both scripture passages, he didn’t use a “flashy” miracle in Jonah and He is not giving us one today, He wants our hearts, souls and minds to be transformed through our repentance and devotion to living a life pleasing to God.

Our transformation is not a single session of Sunday morning church, it’s taking the Sunday morning church message and living into throughout the week and sharing the Good News of Jesus every day. *Sunday morning church is not the message, some are unable to make that service due to work responsibilities and such, wherever you get your message from, (TV; internet; bible study…etc) it is in receiving that message that God calls us all to put into practice in our daily lives. We are called to practice our faith every day.

What is one way you can put the message you receive into your week?

I am so blessed to be able to talk freely about my faith and to speak the name of God with friends and coworkers. It is a natural flow in ones conversations when God is an active part of your life. God is an intrinsic part of me so I don’t try to exclude or include Him overtly into conversations because He’s a part of me, with God I am nothing and incomplete.

I learned this Breath Prayer today at bible study and wanted to share it with you:
Breath Prayer:
Jesus Christ son of God *inhale
Have mercy on my soul *exhale

~Blessings and Peace~

“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. ~Matthew 4:7

I am a big fan of C.S.Lewis and this quote is from a favorite book of his, “A Grief Observed.” I have read it twice since 2012 after my mother passed away. I found much comfort in reading his words about losing someone special. When going through difficult times and nothing really makes sense the natural thing to do is asking a lot of “why” questions. When I was a child and did not really grasp the relationship between God and humans, I look back at moments in my life when I was completely “clueless.” I can remember a kind of “bartering” with God, asking God to help my softball team play well, asking God to help me play well and in exchange present some trade for “good behavior.” What a truly sad way of approaching life. I thank God for His continued “Grace & Mercy & Forgiveness” of my youth and misguided relationship with God. God is not a “fairy godmother” granting wishes. Prayer and a healthy prayer life is so much more than making requests of God, prayer is an opportunity to go before God and seek guidance and to gain knowledge. Bad things happen to good people as well as bad people; we are all God’s children, His creation and He loves each and every one of us. Sometimes it takes difficult situations for us to understand the depths of His live for us. I can tell you that I have a deeper appreciation and love for my mom now that she’s gone. Not that I didn’t appreciate her while she was here with me, I did! She was an amazing woman and I hope she knew just how much I loved her. I have learned so many lessons since losing her and grown in ways I never thought possible. A key factor is “trusting” God instead of “testing” God.

“God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn’t. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness-box, and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down.” ~C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

Today as you go about doing whatever it is that you do…take time to speak with God, speak from your heart and be open and receptive to the Spirit. And if the words are difficult just say “Jesus.” Take time to be “Holy.”

Breath Prayer: Jesus speak to me. ~Amen

~Blessings and Peace~

“Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.” ~Deuteronomy 6:16

IF THOU BUT TRUST IN GOD TO GUIDE THEE (Lyrics)
If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
With hopeful heart through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate’er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that nought can move.

Only be still, and wait God’s leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Keeper’s pleasure
And all-discerning love hath sent;
No doubt our inmost wants are clear
To One who holds us always dear.

Sing, pray, and swerve not from God’s ways,
But do thine own part faithfully;
Trust the rich promises of grace,
So shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need
The soul secured by trust indeed.

The pamphlet that I am using and the scripture verses covered have been telling us the story of the Israelites, following them from enslaved people in Egypt to God leading them to the Promised Land. Over and over we read stories of the Israelites testing God and complaining about their situation, even wishing they were back in Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh. We have read that God provided food for all the Israelites daily, free manna from Heaven and providing water to drink. And yet, the Israelites continued questioning and testing God.

When you are faced with doubt, what is a story of God’s faithfulness that you can turn to? My faithfulness story is Joseph. (Genesis 37-47)

Breath Prayer: My trust is in you Lord! ~Amen

~Blessings and Peace~

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” ~Matthew 4:5-6

Photo credit: slideplayer.com (Google Images)

There are times that words cannot adequately explain or tell a message but music can. I hope you find hope, strength and purpose through the songs/music I have included today. There is a paragraph from the guided pamphlet I am using that I want to share with you, it held great insights for me and I sincerely wanted to share it with you.  The quote is taken from page 21 of “The Sanctuary For Lent 2018” written by Katie Z. Dawson. “Some doubts lead us to ask questions and engage deeper, and some doubts erect barriers. In the wilderness test, the devil’s statement drips with the second kind of doubt. The tempter is asking Jesus to prove God’s Word is true by forcing God’s hand. There are always conditions to this kind of faith.”

Breath Prayer: Jesus open my heart to hear your Words. ~Amen

https://youtu.be/AflpKCF3BnM
~Blessings and Peace~

“In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.” ~John 2:14
  

The scripture verse for today tells us about the activities going on outside the entrance to the Temple prior to Passover, merchants were selling animals for sacrifices to travelers that could not bring an animal with them the Passover. The scene has been described in many versions of the Bible as a “den of robbers/thieves” in Matthew 21:13 NIV; KJ21; NRSV; ASV; EVS; KJV; and MSG to list a few. Jesus sees that the merchants are selling animals at a much higher price than needed, they are profiting off of the worship of others. Jesus takes a stand and brings attention to their wrongdoing by turning tables over and benches of the sellers and money changers. These individuals were diminishing the importance of Passover by making a profit off of people there to celebrate God. As we continue our journey through Lent, what lessons could we learn for the verse mentioned today? What about fasting and the Sabbath, are there any particular practices you do regarding either of these? I did some reading and research today regarding “Sabbath” and I quickly found out it is deeper than I am equipped to answer adequately all I can offer to you is my opinion and observation of Sabbath. I work every Sunday so attending church on Sunday mornings is difficult, I still practice a day of rest/reconciliation with God. In fact, God is part of my day, everyday. God wants to be invited and included in every single second of our existence! It’s important to set aside time for just God! I also must admit fasting is also something I feel inadequate to explain. What I can tell you is this, fasting is a personal act shared between you and God (secret fasting) Jesus says these words in Matthew 6:16-18 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”  Read more at:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/05/02/5-important-bible-verses-about-fasting/#CpOGPSclvUU7AC0F.99

My hope and prayer is that God is speaking to you, I am only a vessel wanting to spread the Good News of Jesus to all.  You are special and you are loved!  God Bless you as you continue your Lenten journey.

Breath Prayer: Jesus, take our greed and provide us rest.

~Blessings and Peace~


“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” ~John 6:35

During the season of Lent, people will often give up something important or significant so that they can focus on God and His plan for their life. Mine is a little odd, I decided to practice more optimism, the strange thing is I am fairly positive most of the time; however, God has made me aware of my “complaining talk.” It is usually harmless complaining but I don’t want to be a negative influence on anyone around me or to myself. There’s so many more things to be thankful for than the few things that are unpleasant.  I heard someone say this statement once, “No matter how bad you think things are for you, there’s always someone out there in the world who has it worse.” Life is tough sometimes and we have to make difficult decisions sometimes, truth is…we all are living better lives than we deserve. Meaning, we are all sinners, try as we do to do good, we still fall short of the glory of God as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Whenever we purposely deny ourselves the pleasures of chocolate, soda, desserts, wine, coffee and even complaining we are providing opportunities for us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us and we are provided with opportunities to draw closer to God.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ~Matthew 4:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%204:4&version=NIV

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” ~Luke 4:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%204:4&version=NIV

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Referencing the Israelites time in the wilderness)
Deuteronomy 8:3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Deuteronomy%208:3&version=NIV

The author, Katie Z. Dawson poses this question, “what does it mean for you to give something up during Lent?” For me, I feel more intentional about my words and actions. Also I’m reminded of all the blessings I have because of God’s love, mercy and abundant grace.

Breath Prayer: God of all creation, feed my soul. Amen.

~Blessings and Peace~

 

 

“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.” ~Isaiah 25:6

What a beautiful picture Isaiah paints for us as believers in the Lord. God serves only the very best of food and drink to His beloved, His children. As believers this is the feast we are longing for, the eternal feast that we share with one another in Heaven as we worship and sing praises to God forever and ever. The author of the pamphlet I am using as a guide suggests that we think of a meal that we have shared in with a large community. Every summer I am privileged to attend my family reunion with my moms family and relatives. I have been attending these reunions my whole life, as far back as my memory allows. My mom had a big family, she was 1 of 8 children, I have been fortunate to grow up close to my aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, grandparents and I can even remember knowing my great-grandparents. Every July we meet at a State Park and everyone brings food and we have a huge feast of all kinds of food, definitely all the country comfort foods like fried chicken, homemade noodles, rolls, desserts, salads, it’s an endless variety a favorite foods. Our family has not slowed in helping replenish the earth (lol) that’s for sure.  It’s more than a foodies gathering, it’s a time of reconnection and catching up and sharing stories, accomplishments and meeting new family additions. None of this will compare to the feast that God has planned for His children, for you and me! The church I attend has congregational meals from time to time throughout the year and it’s wonderful to share a meal with one another. Much like a family reunion, these meals are shared with my larger family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Imagine, one day we will all be dining together at Christ table sharing in the Feast of Victory! There is one other meal I would like to share with you, every week my church shares in communion of wine and bread, it’s an intimate feast shared with one another reminding us of the sacrifice that Jesus willingly made so we could be reconciled with God. His sacrifice on the cross paid the debt for all our sins. Nothing compares to the love that Jesus has for us. Always make room at the table for others and share the love of Jesus!

Breath Prayer: Jesus, open our hearts, set a banquet in our midst.

References:
Encountering God Through Art, Prophetic Art, “The Banquet Table” by Andrea Riley

~Blessings and Peace~