Mark Your Calendars

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Important dates to remember.  Holy Week is almost here.

Sunday, March 25, 2018
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday commemorates the Messiah’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem to complete the work God the Father sent his Son to accomplish on earth.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,
“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”  (John 12:12-13 NLT)

Thursday, March 29, 2018
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper.

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed.  Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.  (Luke 22:7, 8, 14, & 15 NLT)

Friday, March 230, 2018
Good Friday
Good Friday is the day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord.

… He (Jesus) said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”  (Mark 9:31 NLT)

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)

Sunday, April 1, 2018
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is day we celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave.

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus.  As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”  (Luke 24:1-7 NLT)

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this…?” (John 11:25-26 NLT) 

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Preparing For Easter 2018

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Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death.

From the beginning, God’s plan was for Jesus to give His life in order to rescue His people from this evil world.

Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. (Galatians 1:4 NLT)

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save His people from their sins.  (Matthew 1:21 NLT)

Jesus died a painful, humiliating death for us.

17 They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. 18 Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. (Mark 15:17-20 NLT)

Jesus Predicted His Death.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. (Matthew 16:21 NLT)

Jesus suffered this agonizing death out of obedience to God the Father.

6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  (Philippians 2:6-8 NLT)

Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day.

He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. (1 Corinthians 15:4 NLT)

Jesus died so that we could live.

He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed. (1 Peter 2:24 NLT)

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT)

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  (Romans 10:9-13 NLT)

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 6)

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Paul’s Message of Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:1-7 (NLT)
1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.

 Sharing the good news of the Gospel.

  • Use words your audience can understand. Don’t try to impress them with fancy words.
  • Talk about Jesus and the things He has done for you.
  • Don’t intimidate or overpower your audience.
  • Keep your presentation clear and to the point.
  • Avoid using the tactics of a “used car salesman”.
  • Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about a change of heart.
  • Trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.
  • Adjust your message to match the maturity level of your audience.  

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 5)

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If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NLT)
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

  • God called you.
  • God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.
  • God chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
  • God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.
  • God has united you with Christ Jesus.
  • God made Christ Jesus to be wisdom itself.
  • Christ Jesus made us right with God.
  • Christ Jesus made us pure and holy.
  • Christ Jesus freed us from sin.
  • If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.

 If you only want one bullet point:

  • God does it all.  

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 4)

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The Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (NLT)

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

  •  The gospel is nonsense to the person who is rejecting Christ.
  • God transforms us by changing the way we think.
  • The Gospel is powerful to those who are being saved. It is wisdom.
  • “The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
  • The world will never know God through human wisdom.
  • Christians need to be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the fact that this message is offensive to some and nonsense to others.
  • The gospel is foolish to the person who is rejecting Christ.
  • When the Gospel is shared with those who have been called by God to salvation, the message makes sense. God opens their eyes. 

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 3)

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Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NLT)
10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

  • Christians are called to live in harmony with other Christians.
  • Christians need to be focused on Jesus Christ, not anyone else. 

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.  (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 2)

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Paul Gives Thanks to God

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (NLT)

4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

  •  Give thanks to God for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • God gives us every spiritual gift we need to carry out the plan He has for our lives.
  • God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
  • There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
  • God will do whatever He says He will do.
  • Together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory.
  • One cannot fully enjoy fellowship with Christ while living outside the will of God. 

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.   (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 1)

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Greetings from Paul

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (NLT)

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. 
2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

  • The church in Corinth was called to live holy lives in the midst of a sin-infested city.
  • We are called to live holy lives in the midst of a sin-infested environment.
  • We are called to experience God’s grace and peace while living in the midst of a sin-infested environment.

 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.                            (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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Happy Thanksgiving

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Come into His Presence with Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving             November 26, 2015

Let us worship and bow down.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:1-7 ESV)

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.

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Give Thanks to the Lord.  Thanksgiving 2017 (Part 6)

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The Lord is good.

Psalm 100 is a great Psalm for us to use when we want ideas of how to give thanks to the LORD.  This post will focus on Psalm 100 verse 5.

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5 ESV)

  • Give thanks to the LORD for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; (Psalm 136:1-3 ESV)

  • Give thanks to the Lord for He is faithful.

… the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.   (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 ESV)

  • Give thanks to God for His faithfulness endures to all generations.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. (Psalm 119:90 ESV)

  • Give thanks to God always and for everything.

… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20 ESV)

 

Remember to:

  • Give thanks to the LORD for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.
  • Give thanks to the Lord for He is faithful.
  • Give thanks to God for His faithfulness endures to all generations.
  • Give thanks to God always and for everything.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

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