The Garden Tomb - John 19:41

John 19:41

"Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid."

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Attached you will see a picture of the tomb that Kay and I visited in Israel.  It is indeed near the place called Golgotha (place of the skull) that people were crucified at in Jesus's time.  Whether this is the actual place where they buried Jesus' body, we don't know for sure.  But, it is somewhere in that area around Jerusalem and probably looked similar to this tomb.  And the important part of the story is that he was not there for very long - but that part of the story is for tomorrow.

Enjoy this Sabbath day of rest and get ready for a surprising turn to the story tomorrow.  Imagine the despair that the disciples were feeling on this day 2000 years ago, but rejoice in the privilege that you know how the next act plays out.  Finally ready your mind and spirit to experience this Easter in a deeper way than you have ever before.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

The Veil Was Torn - Luke 23:45

Luke 23:45

"Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two."

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As we celebrate "Good Friday" I thought about what this devotion topic should be for such a seemingly dark day.  As I read threw the story in Luke (and Mark) about Jesus' trial, beating, and crucifixion, I was reminded about the one phrase that occurs immediately after Jesus' death.  The phrase is "The veil of the temple was torn in two."

This is such an important event but seems to be given very little prominence in the story.  Jesus death and the tearing of the Most Holy Place veil signified that we were no longer separated from God and that we now have direct access to God through the blood of Jesus!  Before this only the High Priest, and only on one day a year, could enter the presence of God in the Most Holy Place in the template.  And the veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that this was God himself who opened up this access for us.  You can read more of the deeper meaning of this event in other New Testament books, such as in Hebrew 10:19-22 (copied below also).

So on this Good Friday, remember what our Savior did for us and how His blood washes over us and makes us clean.  And also remember that we now have direct access to God through our own High Priest - Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Take advantage of that direct access and share this truth with other believers so they can draw nearer to the Lord also.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

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Family Update:

Kay and I had two more Doctor consultations today and we are now set for her 3rd surgery on April 10th at 1:30pm.  We are praying and trusting that this will be the last surgery necessary, as any further surgery would probably need to be more invasive. 

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Hebrews 10:19-22

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

Thy Will Be Done - Mark 14:36

Mark 14:36

""Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.""

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Jesus utters these words when He is in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He is about to be betrayed.  We see Jesus in real anguish over what He knows He will need to face. His fully human nature knows the agony of the physical pain He is about to endure.  However the "God-Man" is also fully God and His divine nature knows that this is His Father's perfect plan and His will must be done. 

Whenever I read about the Garden of Gethsemane, I clearly visualize when Kay and I had the privilege of going on a Holy Land trip to Israel. The Garden of Gethsemane was the most spiritual and emotional experience that I had in Israel. Even today the garden has Olive trees that are dated to be over 2000 years old. It was very moving to be in the place where you know Jesus walked, sat, and prayed two millennia ago. 

As we progress further through Holy Week, today (Thursday) was probably the day that Jesus was actually in that garden.  I challenge us all to cry out to our "Abba" (Daddy) Father and thank him for sending his only Son to die and rise again, so that we can live with our heavenly Daddy for eternity.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!  

God's Favor Is Forever - Psalms 30:5

Psalms 30:5

"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life."

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"The Message" translation for this verse is "He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love".  I think it is important to note that even when God is angry with His people, His love still abides through it.  Yes, God will discipline his people from time to time, but His love is constant and will never waiver.

We can apply this to our human relationship also.  Yes, we are angry and disappointed with people in our life sometimes.  They may make poor life choices and they may even hurt us in some very deep ways.  Our immediate human reaction may be to be angry at them or to even hate them for a time.  But, we need to emulate the love of God and not allow those immediate emotions to affect our long term relationships. 

If there is someone you are angry with right now, pray to God that he would lift that emotion from your heart and replace it with unconditional love that can only come from Him.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

Have Courage - Joshua 1:6

Joshua 1:6

"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them."

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God gave Joshua a mission of getting a multitude of Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.  But Joshua knew just getting everyone across the river was only the beginning of what would be a long and impossible task without God's help.  God exhorted Joshua three times reminding him that God had promised Joshua's forefathers that they would inherit the Promised Land.

Can you imagine what Joshua must have been feeling at the time?  He was just about to take over for a "Legend".  How could he ever fill "the great Moses'" shoes?  Do you think he was afraid he would fail?  As Nelson Mandela said "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."  Just like Mr Mandela, I am very confident that deep down Joshua was scared to death.

As a teaching moment for Jake, he and I recently watched a classic old movie called "High Noon" starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.  Jake loves westerns and I knew he would enjoy this one also.  And even though this movie is now over 60 years old, the truths that it teaches on fear and courage are still relevant today.  For those of you who have not seen this movie, it is the story of Marshall Kane and some outlaws who are coming back to seek revenge on Kane and reek havoc on the town that the Marshall has just cleaned up.  The story conflict is that the Marshall has just gotten married, retired as a Marshall, and is headed out of town on his honeymoon.  Should he stay and protect the town, or should he turn tail and flee with his new wife?  I won't spoil the whole movie for you (you should see it yourselves - free on Amazon Prime), but the bottom line is that the town lets fear overcome them and none of them will be deputized and help the Marshall fight the outlaws.  The movie clearly depicts the Marshall as scared to death (he even writes his own will out before the fight), but he overcomes and conquers that fear in order to do the right thing.

We will all encounter fear at many times throughout our lives.  We need to face that fear and in spite of the fear still do the right thing.  And we believers have the same secret weapon that Joshua had, but that Marshall Kane might not have had.  We know that if we are following God's will and He is with us, that he will protect us and show us that there is really nothing to fear.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

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High Noon Trailer (1952)

http://youtu.be/537P7-IQWnU

The Triumphal Entry - Matthew 21:1-17

Matthew 21:1-17

"Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.' " So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord !' Hosanna in the highest!" And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' " Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise' ?" Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there."

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Today's passage is quite a long one but I wanted to include the entire section about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem which many Christians celebrate as Palm Sunday.  It is traditionally called Palm Sunday because as Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds through down their coats and palm branches for the donkey to walk over.

I will let the scripture speak mostly for itself today, but I will share one interesting item that our pastor mentioned in his sermon today.  He showed that in Exodus 12:3-7, the Passover festival really foreshadows the Holy week for Jesus.  The parallels in Exodus are that "on the 10th day, everyone was to take a lamb for himself", and then "on the 14th day, the whole congregation of Israel will kill it at twilight."  The time between Jesus' (the lamb of God that was slain) entry into Jerusalem and his killing and crucifixion was also 4 days.  Additionally in verse 7, it says to "take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and the lintel (top frame of the doorway).  This description also models how Jesus was hung on a cross with outstretched arms.  The Passover Lamb is just one of the many Types" of Christ" that you will see in the Old Testament.  For an explanation and example of other types of Christ, see this article:  http://www.christianlibrary.org/authors/Grady_Scott/types.htm 

So as we travel through this Holy Week, I would ask you to consider following along with what Jesus experienced during those days.  A good place to start this reading is in Mark 11 or Luke 19.  Enjoy the journey but as the trials of the week continue to build, remember that Friday is not the end of the story!

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!  

Honesty is the Best Policy - Proverbs 11:1

Proverbs 11:1

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight."

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My kids will tell you honesty and respect are the most import character values to me.  We have tried to instill these character traits into them for both Biblical and practical reasons.  Throughout our lives, we will make thousands of mistakes, but if you stay true to your core character traits than you can recover from almost anything.

Of course all of us (most importantly me), fall short of God's expectations in these areas quite regularly.  Honesty especially has not always been a core value for me.  As a teen, I put my parents through many trials for various reasons, but dishonesty (and selfishness) were really at the heart of most of them.  Even in my early twenties, I was not totally honest on a car insurance application and it cost me getting dropped by insurance carrier and having to pay several hundred dollars more in the end.  And even today I struggle daily, especially in business, about how absolutely honest and open I should be on things like how my team is achieving or not achieving its objectives.

These struggles in this world will never leave us, but it is clear that God desires that we are completely honest in everything - yes everything.  That means we need to be honest in our dealings with our family, our friends, our neighbors, other businesses, and in our place of work.  A funny example of this is an old Andy Griffith episode called "The Horse Trader".  I know you might be thinking Andy Griffith - a show from the early sixties?  What can that teach us today?  Well Rudy house rules have always been that there is no TV watching during the school week.  But we make some exceptions and one of those is some Andy Griffith family time.  And the messages that Andy teaches us are all true today, and he usually delivers them in a very funny way.  In this episode, Andy actually gets taught a lesson about the importance of honesty from his son Opie - kids often teach us adults lessons, don't they?  I know I had to clean up my life a bit when I had kids and even now they still convict me of short-comings and they also challenge me to grow.  

Anyway, this Andy Griffith episode is about roller skates and an ice cream cone, root beer floats, cuff links from George Washington, and a genuine Civil War cannon used in the battle of San Juan hill.  But rather than me explaining the whole plot, you can view it for yourself at the link below. The clip will start right at the pertinent scene and the segment is only a few minutes long.  A key point this clip makes is that even when we do mess up and are less than completely truthful, we can always rectify the situation and ask for forgiveness from whomever we have offended and most importantly from our heavenly Father.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

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Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/_7pITBRQTxE?t=19m10s 

You Will Be Hated - Mark 13:13

Mark 13:13

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake."

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It is a fact that millions of people have died throughout history for their faith in Jesus. I was reminded of this recently as I began reading a book called "Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe" by Anne Applebaum.  It has really opened my eyes to the extreme persecution that Christians suffered across all the Soviet bloc states of Eastern Europe, as well as in the Soviet Union itself. Christians were interrogated, tortured, imprisoned, and killed just because they were Christians.

Even today, Christians are being persecuted in countries all over the world including places like China, Russia, Iran,  and most Muslim countries.  Because we live in a country where we have religious freedoms, we often take for granted the privilege we have of worshipping openly.  We can go to church, listen to Christian music, read the Bible, and even pray in public.  However many of our believing brethren can not do any of these things without risk of retribution. 

Please consider adding the Persecuted Church to your prayer list and while you are at it you might want to thank God for the country we live in and the freedoms we enjoy. 

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!  

Help my Unbelief! - Mark 9:24

Mark 9:24 

"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

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This passage is from an encounter that Jesus had with a father, and his son who was possessed by an evil spirit. The man had brought the son to the disciples first to be healed, but the disciples could not heal him.  In the end, Jesus explained that this kind of spirit could only come out by fasting and prayer (The power of fasting and prayer may be a topic for future devotion).

But the focus for this devotion is on the man's unbelief.  The father admits that he was filled with unbelief and doubts, but even so, Jesus healed his son.  So even though the man had faith maybe the size of a mustard seed, Jesus responded to his need.

Our Lord does not require that we have a mountain of faith for Him to respond and act upon our needs and prayers.  We all have doubts in our lives but God calls us to push through those doubts, trust in Him, and ask him for what we need.  As you encounter doubts and roadblocks in your life, take your requests and lay them at the feet of Jesus, and see if he doesn't respond to you.  When Jesus answers your need, then your faith will grow even greater.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!    

Character of the New Man - Colossians 3:12-17

Colossians 3:12-17

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

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The other night, I was feeling a little down and overwhelmed by the world. There is a lot going on in our lives right now that not only is draining us physically but emotionally too. The kids' lives are very full right now, Kay's doctor visits and procedures are never-ending (tho we are in a small gap this week), and my job is extremely consuming as of late. 

So I went into our prayer room, shut the door, closed the blinds and got on my knees with God. After a good amount of thankfulness and repentance, I spent some time crying out to God asking for his guidance and praying that I would rely on Him more. During this time I asked God for answers and direction and that He would speak to me that night. 

I then sat down, opened up my iPhone Bible app, closed my eyes and scrolled through the books of the Bible, then the chapters, and then the verses. Then I touched a part of the screen and opened my eyes.  My finger was resting on the section heading titled "Character of the New Man" in Colossians 3. 

I believe God is reminding me that I am a new creation in Him, that I don't need to be overly concerned about the things of this world, and that I need to learn to rely solely on him.  I plan to spend the next few days meditating on these verses and letting that message permeate and wash over my heart. I would challenge you to read over these verses slowly and hear for yourself the promises, admonitions, and commands that God has for us.  I would also pray that you come to a deep understanding that you are a much-loved child of God and that He is all you need. 

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

Confess Your Sins - Numbers 5:7

Numbers 5:7

"Then he shall confess the sin which he has committed."

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Are you feeling distant from God recently?  Do you feel you have drifted just a little further away from Him and His plan for you?  Maybe you just need to draw nearer to Him and He will draw nearer to you (James 4:8)?  Have you been reading scripture and talking to Jesus recently?

But maybe you have been seeking the Lord and the distance is still there.  Well, another reason that you might be feeling distant or separated from God is an unconfessed sin.  Confession of our sins is a prerequisite for re-establishing intimate fellowship with our Lord.  Sin separates us from God and is a sign of unfaithfulness to Him.  Just as you would apologize to your spouse in order to get back in close fellowship with them, the same apology or confession is necessary with God.  God cannot tolerate being in the presence of sin, but luckily for us, Jesus paid the price for our sins as long as we confess and turn from them.

Find some quiet time today and spend that time in prayer asking God to reveal to you any unconfessed sin against Him or against one of His people.  As God lifts the scales from your eyes, confess and turn from that sin immediately and also seek out and ask forgiveness from any of God's people you have sinned against.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

Make Time For Rest - Mark 6:31

Mark 6:31

"Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile."

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Jesus gave this directive to go off and rest awhile to his disciples just after they had been on somewhat of a ministry tour. I am sure the disciples had been working long days, ministering to thousands of people, and probably not getting the rest they needed.  Jesus knew they had much work ahead of them and that the disciples needed to get their rest so they could finish strong.  Jesus knew that we are only human, we have our breaking limits and that we need to get regular rest.

I was going over my daily readings the other night when this verse really hit me. Personally my job is very time consuming and I probably put too many hours in and probably don't get enough sleep and rest (Kay would probably delete the "Probably"s from that last sentences).  ;)   Do you spend too much time on one aspect of your life at the expense of your physical needs and maybe your spiritual needs?  Maybe the different areas of your life are not balanced exactly how God would want them. I pray that we all will evaluate how we spend our time and make any adjustments to ensure we are taking care of our physical and spiritual needs.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

What is the Kingdom of Heaven? - Luke 17:20, 21

Luke 17:20, 21

""The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.""

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Our pastor preached on this verse yesterday and his sermon was titled "The King's Kingdom". He started off by  giving his definition of the Kingdom of Heaven which was: "God at work in and through me."  The points of his message were:

1) It starts with your heart (be careful not to think you know it all, that you are too wrapped up in emotionalism, or that your heart is divided in loyalty between this world and God).

2) You don't need to weed (be careful of false wheat that looks like weeds, but let God do the weeding)

3) You gotta sow it to grow it (you have to get out there and share the gospel - don't be discouraged by small beginnings)

4) It will cost you everything (as believers we need to jump in with both feet, but we should not see it as a sacrifice but as a privilege)

5) It's worth every sacrifice (Yes, you get eternal life with God in heaven, but you also get many personal treasures here on earth, and you get to be a first hand witness to the might works of God)

The final challenge to us was to listen to the Holy Spirit talking to you, and respond in obedience to those things that he is calling you to do.  So, let's not just go through the motions in life, but get out there, make a difference, and through God's power we can change the world.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

Love Makes Up For All Mistakes - Proverbs 10:12

Proverbs 10:12

"Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses."

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Human relationships are complicated. Wow, is that an understatement. As we get older, I think we all realize that it takes constant attention and effort for us to keep our relationship healthy and growing. Whether it is a business relationship, a friendship or a marriage, they all need care and feeding and lots of quality as well as quantity time. 

Kay and I went out to dinner last night with our good neighbor friends the Sanders. Over the past few years, both of our lives have become very busy in different directions and we just have not seen them as much. But our friendship is solid and we have put the quality time into it over the years, so we know that we can count on each other for anything. 

The key to relationships though is love and forgiveness. We all make mistakes in our relationships and the natural reaction to the offense is anger. But if we want to enjoy deep, lasting, and meaningful relationship, we must apply love not bitterness to these wounds we might receive. 

Let's all strive to respond in love in our relationships no matter what offense you feel may have been committed against you. And if there is someone you have not forgiven, call them today, tell them that you forgive them, and then start to repair your relationship.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

Who Should We Fear? - Psalms 27:1

Psalms 27:1

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?"

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Do you know that the Lord is your light and your salvation?  Do you realize how powerful our God is?  Is there anyone or any situation on this earth that we should be fearful of?

Deep down I think we all know these truths but I have to be reminded of them every day.  I may be anxious about finances, or I may fear making a friend upset with what I say?  I may be concerned about what someone at church thinks of my faith?  At times, I am even fearful that someone at work will expose my shortcomings and I might lose my job.

Are these fears warranted? ...not if we rest in the truth that God is indeed our light and he will illuminate the dark places and overcome our enemies.  His "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).  Take comfort in our advocate and protector and don't fear anyone or anything in this world.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory! 

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Family Update:  We have decided on one more surgery and it is now scheduled for April 10th.  We then see the radiation oncologist again on April 22nd.  The radiation treatments should start the week of May 6th (as long as Kay is all healed from the surgery) and last for about 4 weeks.  I am also squeezing in a trip to India leaving right after the oncologist appointment the evening of April 22nd and returning on May 1st.  Please pray for all of these dates to come together without any conflicts!