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     A LENTEN FAITH JOURNEY (A Forty Day Devotional)  Timothy W. Ayers  Published by Lilyputian Press  Copyright 2019 Timothy W. Ayers      As most of us know, the Forty Days of Lent do not include Sundays. There are no devotionals for Sunday. The readers of this Lenten devotional book should be attending their local church. If you do not have a local church then please talk to the pastors involved and seek out a fellowship. I am always glad to speak to those who have questions about my church, First Baptist, or any other. As the Apostle Paul said in the book of Hebrews, "Forsake not the gathering together" (10:25). If you do then you will miss the opportunity of Our Lord speaking to you in His word, through His Holy Spirit and through other believers. Lenten Devotionals Devotional 1: Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 6 "Repent and Be Saved"  How often have we heard that word "repent?" Most of us tie it to some television evangelist that we accidentally passed while remote surfing. Some of us understand in more of the biblical aspect of repenting from sin. Honestly, what does the word mean? In its purest sense it means to change your mind. That is, to turn 180 degrees from the things that keep you from being a fully devoted follower of Christ. That's radical but then again Jesus was radical and the things he preached were radical. If we hear His words and believe them then we begin to live out a new paradigm. We turn from what we used to do and we turn towards what God is calling us to do. As an artist and a teacher I've learned that symbols allow students and me to put a visible hook in the air that gives us a memorable start date. When lent comes we desire so deeply to start on that journey of change but like every journey it needs a first step.  Traditional churches through the ages have used ashes placed on a person's head or forehead as a symbol to the start of Lent. It means more than just the start of Lent. Ashes are a sign that a person has internally and externally chosen to follow Christ and turned from their former life.  For example, Tamar, who "put ashes on her head, and rent the long robe which she wore; and she laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went" (2 Samuel 13:19) demonstrated a visible sign of repentance. We no longer "rent" our clothing, that is tear them, but ashes placed on the head is still common amongst Christians. In the book of Nehemiah it says that the Jews "assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with ashes upon their heads" before the prophet Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:1). When Jonah preached in Nineveh the pagans repented then put on rough sackcloth and ashes on their heads (Jonah 3:6–10). In the New Testament Jesus says that if all the sinful cities of the past had seen the miracles that he performed they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. You may not attend a church regularly or your church may not hold an Ash Wednesday service. You may not have an opportunity to join in a corporate expression of repentance and symbolic ashes but the purpose of this devotional is help you find a way to express it no matter what your situation. In our village of East Aurora, NY, most of the local churches have an Ash Wednesday service but you may be unable to join a corporate setting.  If that is your situation then gather large fireproof bowl, a piece of paper, pen and matches. Write on the paper the wrongs you have done before God that you are committed to change. Place the paper in the bowl. Set it on fire (do this safely please). Once the ashes have cooled dip a finger in them and make a sign of the cross on your forehead. In doing that you have fulfilled the intent of ashes and repentance. After anointing yourself with the ashes read the following passage out loud.  Psalm 51:1-4, 10-15 KJV Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou might be justified when thou speak, and be clear when thou judge.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.    If you would like help with a prayer use the one following or simply talk to God. You'll find He loves your words and responds to them every bit as much as a pastor or priest's.  Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and turn my life over to you. My act of outward repentance is the symbol of the ashes. Remind daily of my commitment to become a full devoted follower of You. I ask today that you create within me a new heart and renew the joy of my salvation. In Christ's name, Amen.   Lenten Devotionals Devotional 2 Thursday, March 7 "One Foot After the Other"  It was a long, uncomfortable walk through the halls of NeCaHi as our high school was affectionately known. My feet seemed to fall into puddles of mud that held them as I attempted to raise my shoe for the next step. Each footprint I left on the highly waxed floor with my boots covered in dried potter's clay dust showed both my progression towards doom and vast distance ahead. I desired to walk out the front door but inside me I knew that wasn't what I had to do. I had to face the principal. My cold, sweaty hand turned the knob of the office door. "Hi, this is Tim Ayers, the school's 3D art teacher here to see Mr. McClure." The feelings of foreboding may have been a residual sprinkling in my mind from when I attended the same high school and upon rare occasion had to visit the Principal, the same principal. Although I was now a fully paid (not much back then), full-time teacher I still had not adjusted to being on the teacher side of the red pencil.  Fear, foreboding, anxiety about the future is a real experience for each of us every day. If my walk were taking me to a hearing that would put me in jail I would be so tense that I would most likely toss the proverbial cookies. If it was a walk to a doctor's office where I am going to hear my cancer is terminal then I am sure I would need support under each arm to get me there. Heading towards an assured, miserably painful future is something I pray that each of us avoids. If it happens to me then I pray I can face it like Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark Chapter 10 verses 32-34 it says (in KJV): "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again." The cross is now central in His mind. What does Jesus do? He set's His face toward the Hill of Golgotha, Skull Hill, and takes a step. He faces the journey straight on. Jesus also takes the time to explain the horror scene that will unveil itself.  Sometimes talking about the impending doom helps us see it as no more than an event in the journey of our lives. When I found out my father was dying I moved back to Pittsburgh to be near him. Each mile I drove there on my eight-hour move was difficult. I had his last months to enjoy but I knew where the journey ended. Talking it out with my brothers prepared me for the inevitable. Was that what Jesus was doing? Yes, even He prayed that this cup would pass from Him. It would be a painful, humiliating and degrading end. Jesus also knew He had to prepare his disciples. If you read the verses immediately following you get the impression that the disciples really hadn't gotten the point. They were as sensitive and mature as the kid who asks his dying brother if he could have his bicycle.  But, Jesus wants you to get it. This Lenten Devotional Book will help you walk those final steps with Him. Try to identify his journey by remembering and feeling your difficult walk to a foreboding meeting. Feel the pain and frustration of our Lord as He takes that first step towards the cross. Breathe in that long, draw of air as you gird yourself towards your goal. As you pray remember that you have already taken your second step on the journey to spiritual renewal. As you pray thank God for that horrible walk you had to make towards foreboding news because now you can feel what the Lord of the Universe felt. Pray today in your own words. Ask the Lord to reveal some of the agony and humiliation to you. Feel His pain. Then thank Him for doing it for you.  Lenten Devotionals Devotional 3 Friday, March 8 "What Does It Take To Start a Spiritual Journey?"  In the last devotional we see Jesus taking His first step toward Jerusalem and the cross but there was an important event that happened just prior to it. If this hadn't happened then possibly Christianity would not have happened, there would certainly be no Catholic church, no Pope, no Methodist, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ or Baptists. I am also sure that potluck dinners would never have been invented.  Jesus gathered his disciples on the shoreline, asked them a question and then a second question. The first attracted their attention and the second saved their souls from eternal damnation.  When we started our own personal spiritual journey it was a moment that we can look back on, a hook in the air. Maybe it was in a foxhole. Possibly in a cancer ward. Many start the journey on a church camping trip. Some people start it around mom's deathbed. No matter where or how clear the memory, it is the start of the journey that you continue even today at this very moment.  It was that second question's answer that was the foundation of our faith, Christianity, and all the denominations in between. How would you answer that second question found in the following passage? Read the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-19. "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  So, who do you say that Jesus is? Once you answer this the rest of the test or rather life itself starts to make sense. If I said, "Give me a five word description of who Jesus is," what would you write?  Great man and good teacher? One of the ascended masters? An angel here from heaven? A deluded, misled, lunatic human? True God of True God? Son of God not God? Beautiful myth used for teaching? Lord and Savior of us all? The Son in the Trinity? Christ the Son of God?  Which ones or one would you say? Before we go any further, at sometime in my life I believed every one of those on the list. My journey led me make an answer. I answered the same as Peter that He is the Christ, the anointed one from God, the Son of God, and the second person in the trinity. When I did that my journey took off. Allow Jesus to ask that question of you. Hear His voice asking, "Who do you say that I am?" In your closing prayer talk to God and give Him your answer. If you answered like Peter for the very first time then you have a job to do. You have to tell someone. Email or call your pastor and if you don't have one email Pastor Tim Ayers at timothywayers@gmail.com because we have a celebration to plan.  Lenten Devotionals Devotional 4 Saturday, March 9 "Profit and Loss"  When I was growing up the biggest question around this time of the year was, "What did you give up?" All of us knew we were referring to our Lenten duty of giving something up as an act of sacrifice. I always had a smart-alack answer. I said, "I'm giving up fish on Friday." It earned me a giggle from the girls, a smack on the back from guys and a smack upside the head from the nuns.   It doesn't take kids long to figure out that they need to give up something that sounds like a sacrifice but they wouldn't miss no matter what. One young man may have outdone me with his Lenten sacrifice. I asked him and he said he gave up board games. Here is kid that carries a DS in his school bag, has Wii on a big screen TV at hom,e and computer full of old video games. It sounds like he gave up something substantial except he only played board games at camp and his grandmother had sold the camp. I gave him an A+ for being able to give-up something that sounded like it would be painful but really wasn't. I love how one kid described lent. He said, "That's when we have to eat only cheese pizza on Fridays." Church attendees fall into two schools of thought generally. One is the "I have to give up something" and the other is "That is a stupid, man-made rule and I am not doing it." Growing up Catholic I had a tough time giving things up. We didn't have a whole lot to begin with. After I became a Christian (that born again thing and trust me it's true) I threw off the yoke of Lent and giving something up. I had evolved. I knew better. I can read the Bible and there is no Lent in the Bible.  It has taken years for me to come back to the traditions of the ancient churches and look at them once again. So, lets you and I take a completely fresh look at the topic of giving things up for Lent. Everything we know about it we have put into the little trash can on the screen in our heads. Why give stuff up? The Scripture says nothing about it so we have to go to Church Tradition. Oops, not much there either. We could look at Facebook or Google search comments but if that doesn't confuse us then I don't know what will. Here is what we know. It was a man-made "rule" or "suggestion" that church members give up something at Lent to signify Christ's 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness when he was offered all the earth if He just bowed down to Satan. The other reason was help us identify with the sacrifice of Christ.  I often wonder how giving up candy, meat or pizza will help me identify with the anguish, torment and crucifixion of Christ. There is no comparison BUT it is a useful tool. Let me explain.  If you have kids or grandkids then you pick something that you can give up and use as a sacrifice to God. Maybe you decided on playing Wii on Friday nights. Yep, put that bowling league on hold for a few weeks. When it comes to that regular Wii gaming time the whole family gathers together to read a portion of the Bible. Keep it short because they will tune it out. Make it fun. Turn the portion into a reader's play. Have one of the kids act it out as you read it.  By doing this you can accomplish the true intent behind giving something up. It is done as a sacrifice, it is done so we realize the torments of the cross and it is done to bring us closer to God. Making Lent a time for your family to remember is more valuable than giving up board games, chocolate or pepperoni pizza.   A good passage to begin with because it has contemporary news that goes along with it is Matthew 16:24-28.  "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."  After you read this, and I again suggest a contemporary version like The Message, ask these questions of your family.  1.We've all seen the news that 1% of Americans have most of the money. What do you think Jesus meant when He said that gaining all the games, cars, clothes and friends in the whole world was not good if you did not end up in Heaven?  2.Are these 1% of Americans unable to go to Heaven? 3.Do you think that the wealthy people give to charities? 4.Jesus said, "If any man, woman, girl, boy would deny themselves and take up my cross then they are following me." Do you think us giving up something for Lent is "denying ourselves" in some small way? 5.Do you feel better about your Christian life since we started our Lenten Sacrifice?  Lent is all about sacrifice so we can identify with the suffering of Christ. As the Apostle said in Colossians 1:24: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:" Our small sacrifices during Lent are all part of filling up the sufferings of Christ. So, a bunch of guys in pointed hats came up with the idea of Lent and giving things up but they also came up with a wonderful tool to teach our families and us about being a part of and identifying with the sufferings of Christ.   Pray for the ability to see more ways to teach your family about the good things that come from small sufferings.   Remember that Sunday is not included in the Forty days of Lent. There is no devotional for Sundays. On Sundays, listen to the message in your church, live out the truth that you hear and apply it to your life.  Lenten Devotionals Day 5 Monday, March 12 "Have You Ever Seen God?"  As you read the following passage from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 17 and verses 1 to 9 take notice of how the disciples reacted as they saw the Son in all His glory and heard the voice of the Father. "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."  What an experience that must have been! I don't personally know anyone who has seen God in all His glory. I've read about those who say they have but I don't know anyone. BUT I do know thousands of people who have seen, felt or heard Jesus Christ. That got your interest, didn't it? Let me explain. We, who believe in Christ as our Savior (Christians), immediately become a member of the Body of Christ. We are called the Body of Christ and that body should operate as fluidly as a ballerina. Unfortunately we operate more like the teenager that hits a ten-inch growth spurt. We are awkward and gangly. Our coordination hasn't caught up with our size. The Body of Christ is not a fluid piece of physical art floating through space and time BUT we can still get the work of the Kingdom done by working together.  When a group of Christians or even a single Christian extends their hands, love or compassion to help another human being it is the same as if Christ had done it. In that small way people get a glimpse of God. It certainly isn't the same view that the disciples had but it is still a picture of Jesus.  On this day in Lent (or tomorrow or the day after) take a moment to show someone at work or someone in your neighborhood that the Body of Christ is still operating. Do something good for a person who needs it. Say something encouraging to a heart that is broken or bruised. Take a cup of the Lost Canvas' special brew to a lonely person. Be the Body of Christ.  In your prayer time, pray for that person you have talked to about their special pain. Pray that they see the hand of Christ on their lives.      Lenten Devotionals Day 6 Tuesday, March 13 "Just a Little Faith"  Mustard is a favorite of mine. My mother thought I was crazy when I ate mustard and lettuce sandwiches. To this day mustard is still my spice of choice. Mustard has been around for a long time. Prepared mustard dates back to the early Romans. They would grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste.  Really it is not much different from the mustards we can buy in our grocery stores.  To Christians it is a prominent reference to our faith. The seed exemplifies something which is small and insignificant, which when planted, grows great in size. In days past Popes and Kings had their own mustard makers that lived in the castle or Vatican. Jesus referred to the mustard seed in Matthew chapter 17 verses fourteen through twenty. The gospel writer reported it this way (KJV). "And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." This was not a good day to be a disciple. How would you like to be reprimanded by the Lord for your obvious lack of faith? The reprimand would sting but to have it done so publicly would have had a double sting to it.  When I read this passage I sensed frustration eking out of Jesus' words. We need to remember that these were the last days of Christ before His crucifixion. He had to prepare His disciples for the coming task of establishing the church throughout the world. They were as ready as a football team on the first day of practice. I sense frustration but I also know that God knew they would not be ready. Why would He be frustrated if He already knew the disciples would not be prepared?  Every parenting class I have ever taken and even in the book I co-wrote with Dr. Charles Sell, PowerDads (Servant Publications), there is always one key instruction. We need to let our child know we are disappointed in their action (but never with them as a person) and let the sting of that statement sink in. After that we love them and teach them how to properly handle the situation. This is precisely what Jesus was doing. It was so recent after the Transfiguration that one would expect that the disciple's faith would be strong but it wasn't. Their faith needed to grow and expand for the cross and the grave loomed gloomily and heavily upon their future. What about us? Is our faith strong enough to handle the storms of life? Most likely not. That's okay though. Many times the storms of life crash on the shores of our journey so we can learn faith and trust in our Savior. Faith comes by testing and trust comes from learning that God is there with us in the midst of the storm.  Don't get gloomy because you feel like you aren't faithful enough. Remember this is a journey and with each step you take God is building your faith and trust so when the time comes you will have faith the size of a mustard seed. Doesn't sound like a lot, does it? Remember that faith that size can move a mountain. What mountain in your life do you want moved?  In your prayer time ask God to increase your faith. You may not like how He does it but He will answer.  Lenten Devotionals Day 7 Wednesday, March 13 "Do You Have Wax In Your Ears?"   "Do you have wax in your ears?" was my mother's line. Every time one of us five boys would ignore a direct "suggestion" we could expect that question to come next.  It really isn't that I have wax in my ears. It is more simply that I wish the cracks in the foundation of my faith and the clouds that hang over and dim my Christian life weren't there. I don't want to know the bad. I prefer to think of myself as more together than I really am. I hear it the first time. I just don't want to hear it. If my mother were riding herd on the disciples she would have asked them if they had wax in their ears. They couldn't hear the message that Jesus was pounding into them. He said it over and over again and they didn't hear it. In Matthew 17:22-23 Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  The scripture goes on to say the disciples were exceedingly sorrowful. This was the second time He told them He was going to be killed. That part was sinking in but somehow they missed the end of that statement "and the third day He will be raised up." We know they didn't hear it because after His crucifixion they ran and hid. To them it was all lost but that was about Friday. The wax build up in their ears prevented them hearing the part about Sunday. How about you? Do you live your life in the gloom of Good Friday or have you experienced the power of the resurrection? Author and speaker (and all around funny guy) Tony Campolo tells the story of a message given by the pastor in his church. It was entitled "That Was Friday But Sunday's Comin'." The title alone should be enough to give us hope for the future but so often we dwell in Fridayville. We leave the power to change our lives and our future hanging on a cross. Our journey doesn't end at the cross. To be more accurate I would say that our journey begins at the cross.  That is exactly why this set of devotionals was made available. We need to live in the shadow of the cross to understand the price of our salvation but we must live with the power of the resurrection coursing through our veins.  We just finished the first week of this Lenten Faith Journey. Where does the road lead? Jesus told us "and the third day He will be raised up." We are heading towards the empty tomb and the power of the resurrection. As the Apostle Paul said, "keep pressing on." What is on your heart to pray about or who is on your heart to pray for? Get still and quiet. Listen to His voice then pray with the resurrection power that flows through your veins.  Lenten Devotionals Day 8 Thursday, March 14 "Are You Childlike?"  "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:1-5 Most Christians can point back to different events in their lives that pushed them down the road on their journey to Christ. This verse was mine. I wasn't especially a very Christian person in my life. In fact, I was a lot more New Age in my thinking than I was a Biblical thinker. I did all the yoga stuff. I even tried to cross my legs behind my head. I just wish now I could cross my legs. I was a vegetarian and I wore bell-bottoms that came around the corner a half an hour after I did. All those things crumbled one night. I was sleeping but I had a dream. I still remember this dream. I can still see it in my mind.  I was standing at the bottom of a winding staircase watching Jesus walk down the steps holding the hand of a small child. I looked up at Him and said, "I am ready to go with You."  Jesus said, "Unless you become as this little child, you will never get into heaven." Then He turned and walked back up the steps.  I woke up and was totally, completely indignant. Who did He think He was telling me what I had to do to get to Heaven? I ate seaweed for Heaven's sake. I gave to the poor. I helped out at homeless shelters. I named my dog after Hindu deities. He was telling ME that I couldn't go to heaven? How about you? What are you trying to do to earn your way to Heaven? Our Journey towards the cross should help you get all that in perspective but first you have to figure out what Jesus meant when He said we had to become like little children. Ask God to give you the simple faith and trust of a little child. Let your prayers be filled with the desire to be as a child once again.     Lenten Devotionals Day 9 Friday, March 15 "Do We Have Guardian Angels?"  "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." Matthew 18:10-11  When children tell me they are afraid of the dark at night I can identify. They tell me that because I'm a childrens writer who wrote a lot a scary, pre-teen novels. They were meant to show tweenies that there are rational reasons behind the events that give us irrational fears. When kids tell me they are scared then I appeal to this verse and to the concept that there are Guardian Angels watching over them. Is it only children that have guardian angels or is it every "child" of God? Do you have one? I've heard some people claim that they are wearing out their guardian angel. I can understand that. There are times when I think mine is just plain tired. Yet, this verse says that our angels always see the Father's face. That means that when you face a problem or a situation you have someone alerting the heavens and that means that God knows what is going on in your life. And God is there with you. I recently had a friend go into for surgery. She had had a brain tumor a few years before that had left her partially immobile on her left side. The Sunday before our church gathered to pray for her. Prior to that I spoke at the service about not everything that looks bad is bad. God has control and He can make something good come out of even brain surgery.  The second surgery removed the tumor on her brain successfully. I got a call from my friend two days later. She was alert and chipper. There was something even better in the report. Her formerly immobile left side was showing big improvements. She was lifting her arm and walking without a cane. God was there in the operating room. Her guardian angel was there as well. Sometimes we just need to know that God is within us even in the storms of life. Pray today that God would surround you with His angelic forces in a time of deep need.   Lenten Devotionals Day 10 Saturday, March 16 "Lost and Found"   Have you ever been lost? I mean so lost that you are forced to ask for directions even if you are a man? Or so lost that you are praying for someone to find you? After my open heart surgery I decided to take a trip to the grocery store to pick up the things I needed for a healthier lifestyle. About half way through the store I started to get ill. My heart rate had risen to over 200. I discovered later that 200 beats per minutes was very high, so high that that the Hulk turns into the Hulk, all green and musclebound, at 200 bpm. I was green but not musclebound. I got lost in the store. I was confused. I had that image of being that little old man stuck inside the Walmart forever because he couldn't find his way out. I was lost and I needed found. I was praying to be found or for someone to just come up to me and ask if I was alright. I've been lost physically while driving. Now I use a GPS to make sure that doesn't happen again. I've also been lost spiritually. Like a lost puppy I trailed behind many different world religious philosophies in search of finding myself. I have to say that I was at least smart enough to search in a warm climate like Florida. My problem was that I was searching for me. As long I am searching for me then I will remain lost. We don't get found until we take the hand of someone who knows the way and has chosen to come find you.  That's what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 18 verse 11. He said, "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." He came searching for us. Many people have stories on how Christ found them. Some are dramatic and some are pretty ordinary. People have been found after they've been lost in drugs for years. Many people were like me, lost in my own search for God. It makes no difference if your story is dramatic or not. In fact, you may not have a story yet. Your story could be that you were feeling a little low on Hope and decided to read a Lenten devotional and it happened. Jesus can meet you anywhere or anytime.  Jesus also said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock." Maybe right now is the time you open the door in your prayer time and He finds you. It is easy to do. Just close your eyes and open that door in front of you. Jesus is there. Take His hand and He will guide you to a more abundant life.   Lenten Devotionals Day 11 Monday, March 18 "Drifting Out to Sea"  In Matthew 18:11-24 Jesus tells one of the best-known parables. We call it the Parable of the Lost Sheep. I barely need to say much about it. You have seen the pictures somewhere on the wall of some church that depicts Jesus with a little lamb across His shoulders. The passage reads, "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Do you know what it is about? It is about you, me and everyone else reading this Lenten Journey. We have strayed at some time in our lives. Maybe that is why you decided to read this devotional. You feel like you drifted away or moved a little to the left or to the right. You didn't do anything horrible. You haven't killed anyone or you haven't done evil deeds. Yet, you feel like you've been drifting slowly but surely each day a little further and a little further from shore.  I saw that happen at the ocean once. A woman fell asleep on her raft on a calm day but the water's current was carrying things out to sea and not towards the shore. She woke up when the lifeguard's boat pulled next to her. By then she couldn't even see the shore. For many people that is exactly how their spiritual lives feel. They really aren't doing anything wrong but they are snoozing as the pressures and the enticements of the world carry them out to sea.  Maybe that's where you are. You haven't done anything wrong but you can no longer see the other ninety-nine sheep. You've drifted away from God or at least from His influences in your life. You tell yourself that you would feel like a hypocrite if you came back to Him and asked for His forgiveness and help. You expect punishment for ignoring God. Yes, that is how we think about it.  Instead you need to reach back into the vaults and do a Google Image search of your brain. You will see that picture of Jesus with the lamb on His shoulders and that big smile on His face. Jesus says He will rejoice when we return. How long have you been drifting at sea? How long have you been lost in the wilderness? The Shepherd is coming and He will place you on His shoulders and take you home. When you get home then the Shepherd rejoices over you, yes you, the lost sheep. That is how truly special you are to God. Think on that for a few minutes. You are so special that Jesus would risk His life (in fact, lose His life) to find you. In your prayers run to Him once again.   Lenten Devotionals Day 12 Tuesday, March 19 "Seeking Reasons Not To Believe"  "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."Matthew 19:1-6 The Pharisees in this passage were the big muckety-muck, religious leaders of Jesus' time. The Pharisees often sent students and other religious leaders to Jesus with trick questions. They wanted answers to questions that would trip Him up. Their questions were much like the joke question we ask, "Have you quit beating your wife?" The religious leaders were looking for reasons to condemn Jesus.  We have it today as well. We have men and women in the ministry who are there for their own reasons. It might be power or sin. It could be tradition in a sense that their daddy was a deacon and therefore I am a deacon, too. Don't be surprised when a religious leader falls. Some truly belong to Christ and are weak and others truly belong to themselves and use the church as their own small sandbox. It's okay, though. Churches are places for sinners just like you and me and them. We all need to find the Savior. The Pharisees had their own reasons for sending out the "trick question" troops. They were seeking a way to have Jesus put to death. They tried to do it under the blasphemy clause (if you say you are God or equal to God then we have to put you to death).  I sometimes laugh because if they had understood all those scriptures they memorized they would have known that the Messiah was coming to offer himself as one sacrifice for the many. Jesus was headed towards the cross as part of His own plan.  If there is anything we need to learn on this Lenten Faith Journey then it is that Jesus was born to die. It was the plan all along. No one could hurry it, no one could stop it and no one could cause it. It was His plan to die for you.  In your prayer time today thank Him for His unwavering march to the cross to redeem us. Lenten Devotionals Day 13 Wednesday, March 20 "Accusals"  Have you ever been accused of something you didn't do? It is so frustrating because the truth is that to some people you are guilty no matter what. If you're accused you must have done something. I've been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Most likely we both have. The trouble is that no matter how hard you try to prove your innocence you can't do it. Why? The other side doesn't play with facts. They use lies and false perceptions. The accuser will get people on their sides who will defend that they are right even when the facts show your accuser is wrong.  Jesus answered the question right in the passage from yesterday. "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:1-6. Sometimes though there is something else going on. Sometimes there is another spiritual plan in the works. I remember the story of Joseph (the Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph) and how his brothers threw him into a pit to die, then sold him into slavery before he landed in jail. He was forgotten in prison until the day God's other spiritual plan was ready. Joseph then rose to the number two spot in Egypt. When a drought hit the land Joseph had prepared Egypt for the hard days ahead. Joseph's brothers hadn't prepared. They traveled to Egypt to get some government assistance which Joseph gave. As their story ends, the brothers realize that Joseph has the power of death or life in his hands over them.  Joseph's words to them hold a great truth for every one of us. He said, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good." Let me put it another way. God's plans don't do things to you. God's plans do things for you. When I was accused I weathered it until His true plan was revealed. Lent is here to help us find the reasons behind the hard times and discover the pathway to the strength God has for us. Today in your prayers forgive those who have wronged and accused you because what they meant for evil, God meant for good.   Lenten Devotionals Day 14 Thursday, March 21 "At 491 I Lose It"   "Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." Matthew 18:21-35  Forgiveness is never an easy thing. My first read on these verses said that I only had to wait until the four hundred and ninety-first offense then I could pounce with all holiness and righteous indignation behind my action. Unfortunately, I was wrong. That isn't at all what Jesus meant. The phrase seventy times seven in Christ's day meant the same as infinitely. My hopes for retribution are dashed. Then again had I really thought about it I would have realized that forgiveness is a "forgive and forget" process. God says He places our sins in the middle of His back where He can't see them. If you were to say to God, "Remember when I sinned against You?" He would answer, "I distinctly remember forgetting that." Therefore if my friend or enemy sins against me then I forgive and forget. That means the next offense against me is simply number one. They never get a chance to accumulate.  I guess this Lenten season I need to forget. And forgive. Let's pray together. Father, forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. Amen.  Lenten Devotionals Day 15 Friday, March 22 "Eternal Life, Here. Get Your Eternal Life Here"  "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life" Luke 18:18  We are two weeks into our devotionals. By now you may be asking that question. What do you have to do to inherit eternal life? Or more simply put, when I die how do I assure myself that I will be in heaven and not hell?  Now, no matter what you believe about Hell we can all assume it is not Heaven. Heaven is a place where Jesus went to prepare places for us so it will certainly be more comfortable than hell. Hell never has a good description or a comfortable one. It is never described as a place where you and your friends are going to party. So, I am chancing that Heaven is the better of the two options.  What do I need to do on earth to get to Heaven? Good works. I can do lots of good for the world. Will that do it? Let's read Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Just when I thought I had the answer God shoots that one down. If my good works won't do it then what will? If I look at verse 8 then I get a hint. "For by grace are ye saved through faith;" Grace means gift and faith is as action word so I guess it is saying that God gives me the gift of faith that I need to place in Him. But what do I place my faith in? That is what the journey is all about. You have to figure that one out on your own. In your prayer time put your faith where you have learned it should be.    Lenten Devotionals Day 16 Saturday, March 23 "A Blind Man Sees The Truth"  "And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, 'Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.' And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, 'Thou son of David, have mercy on me.' And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' And Jesus said unto him, 'Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.' And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God."Luke 18:35-43  What a wonderful story. At first glance I see it as the miracle of healing a blind man. That is true but there is a step deeper that we need to go. There is something hidden inside the story that has a greater meaning to our lives.  There are times in our lives when we are blind to truth or even to reality. We don't see it simply because we look right past it. The blind man saw something many did not see and some refused to see. When Jesus walked by our blind friend yelled out, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." Seems like it is an innocuous title for Jesus except that this was a title reserved for the Messiah. While others chased after Jesus because he would make water into wine, bread multiply and withered limbs grow strong, our blind friend saw Him for what He was. He realized that Jesus was the Christ. His appeal for mercy was based on his belief that this was truly the Son of God.  The blind man made a mistake when requesting that he receive his sight. He stood before the Savior of the Universe, the Creator of all and he asked for something as temporary as the ability to see a flower bloom in all its rich colors. The blind man knew who he was talking to but he asked for so little. Jesus responded and said, "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee." The easy thing for God to do is to heal the blind but the true miracle is that this blind man's sins were forgiven and he received the free gift of eternal life.  A time comes to every life where we have to decide if Jesus is the Christ. Our Lenten Journey can help you make that decision. Today pray "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." He will.   Lenten Devotionals Day 17 Monday, March 25 "Have Lunch With a Sinner"  "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, 'That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner." Luke 19:1-7  Today is Monday and a day for the Lenten Lunches. Join others who are sinners just like me and like you. Come have lunch with sinners.  "I can't go to church because: 1. The roof will fall in 2. I've done too many wrong things 3. I did something horrible 4. I'm a sinner  Choose your number. People say "I Can't go to church" to me all the time and then I tell them about Zacchaeus, our very short tax collector. Jesus never did what the religious leaders expected of Him. As you can read, Jesus eating with a sinner truly upset the pompously pious patriarchs of that day. Why? I can still remember the day that a few of the elders from my first church pulled me aside. I had developed a friendship with a well-known "radical" Christian who had "progressive" leanings. Today, that man's books can be found in every bookstore and his teachings are well received by many denominations. There is an entire new church movement that he is partially responsible for. In other words, I think I chose a fairly good person to be my friend.  This is not to say that he wasn't a sinner. At least, not any more than you and I are sinners. It is what was said to me about my friendship that still rings in my ears. The elders said, "If you lie down with dogs you will come up with fleas." That is exactly the inference the religious leaders made towards Christ. It is as if they said, "Well, if he eats with sinners then he, too, must be a sinner." If I were Jesus I would have rolled my eyes at that one. Jesus is on his pathway to the cross for the purpose of dying as a sacrifice that will forgive mankind's sins. The church leaders of His day were criticizing His desire to reach out to sinners. Fortunately for all of us, Jesus did reach out to the sinners of His day. Then He stretched out His arms across centuries to extend that same friendship to us. Yep, we are sinners. There is no doubt about it but He has already paid for those sins. If we accept His payment for our sins then, in many ways, we are like Zacchaeus and Jesus wants to come to our houses.  This story illustrates another good point that Christians need to understand. We need to extend our friendship beyond our church friends and take some time to develop relationships with those who are "sinners." Just do what Jesus did—eat with a sinner. Pray for a friend that you know is not a believer. Make a lunch appointment with them.  Lenten Devotionals Day 18 Tuesday, March 26 "He Seeks You"   As Jesus sat with Zaccheaus having a meal He said these very informative words, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) That sentence hits me hard. All I can think of is that the Creator of the Universe cares enough about me that He seeks me out after I strayed from Him. Maybe you don't see it that way. Possibly you are angry with God over the loss of someone you loved. You could be angry with God because others have more than you. Hey, people get angry with God. I certainly have in the past.  I can remember sitting on the edge of my bed and screaming at Him. I was angry and I wanted God to do what I wanted God to do. I wanted my way even with the Lord of Heaven. I screamed, yelled, threw a fit and then screamed some more. Like any loving Father, God listened. He did not get upset with me. I wasn't the first one to scream out to Him in anger. I would not be the last either. He was patient. We all get angry with God. That anger can drive us away from Him but we can be assured that He seeks after us. If you are still running from His salvation or running from a deeper relationship with God then stop for a moment. Look behind you. God is there. You may feel like you are alone but you're not. God is there. We just need to be still. When we are still then the words of Psalm , "Be still, and know that I am God:"  can begin their work. It tells us to be still and know that He is God. You have to quit running in order to be still.  Today, be still.   Lenten Devotionals Devotional #19 Wednesday, March 27 "What do you mean, I'm not sick unto death?"

"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." John 11:1-4

     There are always two perspectives on any crisis. There is mine or ours which is filled with panic and worry. Then there is God's. He knows what is going to happen. He knows how He has prepared us. He knows all this but unfortunately we don't. I am good in a crisis. I usually get angry, get sick at my stomach and then take a nap. When Lazarus got sick and Mary and Martha called on Jesus then did the right thing. Waited on God. When Jesus didn't show up they reacted like all of us would react. They got angry. It's been said that 90% of atheists are simply angry with God. By denying His existence they are teaching God a lesson. In their heads they are saying, "I'll teach You to mess with me. I'm going to tell everyone that You don't exist." Somehow that is supposed to hurt God's feelings. Somehow it is supposed to make God text that one of His BFF's is mad at Him. What should I do, what should I do?  We keep forgetting that there is God's perspective on the situation and in that perspective we see the bigger perspective. To Jesus, Lazarus was not sick unto death. Death is something different to God. Death is when we are eternally banned from His presence. Lazarus was simply absent from his body for a while. Maybe that is the perspective we need to have on death.

When I lost my mother and father, I realized then that I would one day be re-united with them. Yes, they are absent from their bodies but both live on quite nicely in memories and mental pictures (my mother is even the heroine in my Best Speculative Fiction of 2017 novel, _Cruel Messenger_ ). Even in the worst of crises we need to try to see it from God's perspective. It really helps to get our heads on right.

    Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal His perspective on the problem you are facing right now.   Lenten Devotionals Devotional #20 Thursday, March 28 "Thick-headed Disciples"

"These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." John 11:11-15

     Excuse me for snickering but I sure do love the disciples. They are so much like me or should I say that I am so much like them. I am sooooo thick-headed at times. Sometimes thick-headedness isn't so bad. God can use that. I am sure it amuses Him when I completely run-off in the wrong direction with the wrong point taken from scripture. Like the disciples I would have taken Jesus' statement that Lazarus was sleeping in the literal sense. I would have been the first one to say, "Sleep is good for what ails us. The body needs sleeps to heal itself. This is good that Laz sleeps." Fortunately, for those of us who are a few cards short of a deck or couple crayons short of box, He explains in clearer terms. Lazarus was dead. I am sure this came as a shock. Imagine what went through their minds. Soft-hearted John would be concerned about sweet Mary and Martha but Peter would have been incensed that Jesus sat there for two days after He heard Lazarus was sick. Why in world didn't they hurry to Lazarus' side. Why didn't Jesus heal Lazarus from afar.  Again, that's all from our perspective. The disciples could not see the greater lesson that they were about to experience. Perhaps you are facing a rough spot in your life. You don't know why. You are trying to be faithful but you're weak. Guess what? If God is about to teach you a lesson in belief and faith it is because He knows you are weak in those areas. We might think of it as failing in our faith but if we do then we see it from our perspective and not His. When we begin to ride out a storm in life that is when God is preparing to teach us a great lesson.  Where are you weak in your faith? Ask God to reveal those areas and teach you the lessons that will strengthen it. When I faced my most hellish battle in ministry I wanted to pack it all in and quit. I was faithful and I believed. I just couldn't see where His lesson was taking me. Then it hit. I experienced what the Bible calls "perfect peace." That was God's lesson and His gift to me. Pray for Him to reveal what He is teaching you. In your prayer time today seek where God is leading you today and in the future. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #21 Friday, March 29 "I Think Martha Gets a Bad Rap in Sermons"

"Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." John 11:20-22

     I grew up Catholic and then spent a long-time with the Plymouth Brethren before my ordination as an American Baptist. In both of these liturgical and non-liturgical settings, I heard the classic Mary and Martha sermons. The big point, that is if the sermon had any point at all, was that Martha was always serving and never spent time sitting at Jesus' feet learning. Mary drank in the word. Mary worshiped the Lord. Mary was a disciple but Martha was worried about what people ate (yes, Martha was the first Baptist). You know what I say to those sermons, bunk! I don't know what bunk means but I am sure it means the same as poppycock (another word that I have no clue as to what it means). Just look at the passage. Mary was back in the house sulking. She was probably de-friending Jesus on her Facebook page. She was like a little spoiled girl who didn't get her way. She had her lower lip stuck out so far a bird could sit on it. Everyone knew Jesus was coming and they ran out to either chastise Him or just to see what He would do. Not Mary, she sat in the house with a bad attitude.

"Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Martha was going out to pick a fight with Him. Martha was there to tell it like it is. She starts out like she is going to scold Jesus but then this marvelous confession of faith falls from her lips. "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Even though she was flitting around making sure everyone got something to eat and enough wine to drink, Martha was listening. More than that, Martha was internalizing. Her brother was dead but Martha knew the power of God.

There is something else about Martha's statement that struck me. She was able to grasp that not all good things are in God's will nor are all bad things. She was willing to accept God's will no matter what the situation. Who approached this situation with the maturity of devoted follower? Martha. The next time you hear a sermon about the two sisters and about how perfect Mary was and how off-base Martha was then remember who faced Jesus with maturity and faith.

In your prayer time ask God to give you the special Spiritual Gift of understanding so you can see in between the lines of scripture.

### Lenten Devotionals

### Devotional #22

### Saturday, March 30

### "Let God Take Care of the Rest"

"Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said,"Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." John 11:38-44

    A long time ago, I heard Stan Farmer preach a sermon I will never forget. Stan had started His Mansion in New Hampshire to help young adults with a variety of problems. Stan is an old friend and a wise man. His sermon had a lot of impact. It was simple. He told the story of Lazarus. It was one I had heard before and even studied in Bible College. I knew the story but he pointed out something very poignant. He showed how Jesus used the surrounding people to roll away the stone. Couldn't Jesus have commanded the stone to roll? It would have made a stronger point and definitely better theater. He asked the folks standing nearby to remove the grave clothes. He could have done that with a little extra miracle. When God does a miracle He wants us to do what we can do and He'll take care of the rest.  This is an important lesson for us to learn. When we face a difficult situation, we need to face it with faith but we also can't be so frozen that we don't do what we can do. We need to take our steps towards the miracle and then trust God to do the God part. We can't do miracles but we can roll away the stone and unwrap the grave clothes To this day I remember Stan's sermon. To this day, I do what I can do and trust God to take care of the rest. Keith Green has an old song called "He'll Take Care of the Rest." You can find it on YouTube.  The song is infectious and it will preach the message better than I can.  In your prayers ask God to reveal to you the things that you can do then trust that He will take care of the miracle part.   Lenten Devotionals  Devotional #23 Monday, April 1 "Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart"

"Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was aSamaritan.

So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:11-19

    Sorry, no April Fools joke in the devotionals today.  One of the first things we teach our children is the magic words, "please" and "thank you." I can still remember the strongly emotional and sad day when my daughter had her fingers slammed in the front door and the tips were nearly torn off. Needless to say, I was distraught, beside my self and miserable. As the plastic surgeon worked on her fingers, the nurse would wipe Rebecca's tears and nose for her. Each time, like a brave, child soldier she would respond "Thank you." It breaks my heart even to this day to talk about that story or to even think about it. Instead of me teaching her the power of thank you, she instead taught me the power of a grateful heart for the little things as we face the big things in life.  In the scripture reading, ten lepers were healed but only one returned to say thank you. Why didn't the others return to say thank you. It doesn't really say but I think we have a clue in the Christ's response. He asked, "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" I imagine all ten were grateful to be healed but it seems that only one understood that his healing was done for the glory of God. Much like Lazarus was raised from the dead to display the Glory of God. This gives us a great insight into the purpose of miracles. Jesus did them to bring Glory to God.  As you approach Easter weekend, are you seeking His glory? Are you thinking of ways to tell others about the miracle that the Lord has done in your heart? It is time. We are on week 23 and there are only 17 days left. Just do what you can do and let God take care of the rest. Pray today that God would reveal that one person that you can invite to church. Then pray for them everyday between now and Easter.   Lenten Devotionals Devotional #24 Tuesday, April 2 "The Kingdom Is Within"

"Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said,"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." Luke 17:20-21

Years ago I read The Late, Great Planet Earth and was whisked up in the whole "rapture is imminent" movement. I still believe that to be true but I also believe it could be a long way off. It sounds dichotomous, doesn't it? I simply mean that no one knows when Christ will return and as much as I like end-times prophecy (my book The Sign of the End could be described as The Late, Great Planet Earth meets The DaVinci Code) I find it to be not nearly as important to my Christian walk as knowing the simple truth of this passage from Luke. The Kingdom of God is not something that I wait and pray for, it is something I am to be living right now. I need to be a child of the Kingdom right now. That all comes with a caveat.

How do we live like we are part of the Kingdom and it is within us? To do it we need to go to one of the most imperfect institutions on the planet: the church. Yes, the church is imperfect. It is riddled with failures and misguided crusades against so many things. We are drawn away from the center, the light of Christ. BUT as imperfect as it is, the church is where we must live out the Kingdom within. As we discover that the Kingdom is within us, we need places to serve, places to learn and places to love. We also need places to take people who have just discovered the Kingdom within. Even as messy as Christians are, we are still supposed to rally together to extend the Kingdom from within us to within our neighbors.

There is not a one of us in the church that can claim perfection. We strive towards it. Well, some people strive towards it. Others just think they already are there and it is their job to judge the rest of us. Some of us know we are fallen and failed creatures but that is what draws us to the Kingdom within. We want to know God and His power in a real way. We want to belong to God's Kingdom. We want to serve Him. The messy but mighty church is the place to do it.

Are you involved in a church? You need to be. It really isn't enough to say you are spiritual and that you do spiritual stuff. You need to do messy stuff that makes the Kingdom better. Take your Kingdom within, join to others who have the Kingdom within, and when you do, then we will see the Kingdom without come in the clouds with Glory.

If you are not involved in a church purpose in your heart to find one. If you are, get involved. Get messy. Today pray that God will guide you to the right church home.

### Lenten Devotionals

### Devotional #25

### Wednesday, April 3

### "A Childlike Faith"

"Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Luke 18:15-17We continue with Christ's journey to the cross.

Everyone's journey to the cross is different. I came by way of Eastern religions. In order for God to circumvent my preconceptions He needed to take a circuitous route around what I had come to believe. The story I am about to tell you is one I share rarely because it could be so easily misunderstood but here I am writing it down for the world to read. Lord, have mercy.

    My journey to the cross had two life-changing dreams. Yes, dreams. The kind that come at night when you are asleep. I usually don't remember things I dream but this one I remember to this day. Bare with me.  In my dream, I am standing at the bottom of a three-story high staircase and I am gripping a child by his hand. I look up and see Jesus at the top of the steps. He says, "Come to me." I go to take my first step when he holds out His hand to stop me. I am dumbfounded. I thought for sure that all my spiritual seeking was earning me a strong relationship with God. Then Jesus motioned for the child to come to Him. Which the boy did.  It was the next part of the dream that struck me. Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." That left me thinking for a long time. What had I missed? Why didn't Christ call me? What I missed was that I thought my intellect would lead me on the right path. I thought I could figure out the world and get it right. I was counting on the fact that I was smart. I was the noble seeker who was afraid to really find what I was seeking. It wasn't until I gave up trying to figure God out and accepted His free gift of salvation with a childlike faith that I found both salvation and the savior.  Journeys are strange. The great part about them is that God is with us every step of the way. Long before we come to Him, He is drawing us. What is your journey to the cross? If you are a little confused then take a step back and find that childlike faith within you. Trust that innocent heart to find the loving savior. In your prayer moment look back on your journey. Have you already trusted Christ? Are you ready to trust His work on the cross for your redemption? Make that next step in your prayer time.  Lenten Devotionals Devotional #26 Thursday, April 4 "With God All Things Are Possible"  "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 What a verse! Can you imagine if we actually lived like that was as true to our hearts as our self-doubts? So often we spend our time doubting if God can do this or do that. Why don't you take a few minutes to talk with God about Him aiding you in increasing your faith? After all, this is a journey. You need to take some steps of faith that will lead you closer to God and closer to having a God-sized faith.  Or maybe you are busy doubting that God would even care about your journey. Maybe, life has been so rough that you don't trust that He has your best interest in mind. There are a lot of maybes that have only one answer: faith. Let God do a work in you. Remember all things are possible to God. He controls everything and we need to align ourselves with His plan. Now discerning His plan isn't always easy but having faith in His guidance is that first step. Take it today.  Pray for Him to do something that will change your perspective by Easter. It is possible because with God all things are possible.  Lenten Devotionals Devotional #27 Friday, April 5 "How Would You Have Reacted To This Revelation?"

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again." Matthew 20:17-19

He told the disciples this before and they had no reason to doubt Him. This time Jesus stopped them on the way to Jerusalem, pulled them aside and said it again. It was important to the Lord that they understood that He knew what He faced but even more so that their was hope at the end.

In many ways this compares so well to our Christian life journey. There is a lot of pain as we travel the road and there is often more misery that we believe we can bare but in the end there is the resurrection. I believe that should be part of the message of Easter or at least an application of the Easter story. Our lives don't often go exactly as planned but when we pass through the difficult times we can see the hope at the end.

I have passed through several trying times in ministry. I cried. I prayed. I petitioned God. I asked why had this befallen me? I needed to look ahead and not behind. God had something special and good in store for me. Daily Christian living can be very rough, but we have the Easter story to remind us that even after the betrayals, the whippings, the condemnations and more we have hope that the Lord is rolling away our stones and the bright light of a promised future will be upon us.

Pray today that God will roll away the stone that blocks your eyes from seeing His goodness and mercy in your future.

### Lenten Devotionals

### Devotional #28

### Saturday, April 6

### "That's Not the Way It Is In the Kingdom"

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."

But Jesus answered and said,"You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

They said to Him, "We are able."

So He said to them,"You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."

And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:20-28

    This passage in Matthew was an epiphany for me. I kept seeing problems in the church and church leadership. I was so troubled by it that I was getting ready to walk away from ministry and the church. One day I had the opportunity to have lunch with Edith Schaeffer, the wife of one of my Christian heroes-Francis Schaeffer. I told her what was bothering me. I sensed her empathy for my pain and then she brought up this verse.  I have been meditating on the meanings within it for years. I am sure I will get more out of it as my journey continues but for now I take comfort in the fact that it led me to several conclusions about human desires, church leadership and the sinfulness of mankind. In the Kingdom we are not to be seeking our own self-gratification. In the Kingdom we shouldn't look to be the boss. In the Kingdom we are to serve and be humble.  Many churches and ministers have fallen because of this desire to be first in the Kingdom and not first in servanthood. We jockey from one lane to the other trying to win the fame and fortune race. That's okay in the world. That is expected. In the Kingdom, we aren't supposed to do it that way. In the Kingdom, we serve one another and lift one another up. At least, that's the way it is supposed to be.  Instead, though, we fail. We fall. We sin and we jockey for position. That is part of our fallen human nature. Which brings me to another point. That's why we are on this journey. We are seeking to be more Christlike and more Kingdom minded. Don't be too concerned when you see leaders who are struggling with their humanity. They are simply on the same journey as you. Pray today for the leaders in your church. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #29 Monday, April 8 "What Do You Want God To Do For You" Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. Matthew 20:29-34  I had only been a Christian for a few months when one of the guys I worked with invited to attend his Lutheran church's Wednesday night service. He said it really wasn't much like a Lutheran service but more of a Bible Study with prayer at the end. It was the same church that a famous rock star of the 50's an 60's attended. Both of those aspects appealed to me.  At the end of the service, I went forward to ask for prayer. I said to the pastor, "I want more control over my life." He responded, "No, you don't. You want God to have more control over your life." He was right. It is what I needed but I wasn't after what I needed. I wanted what I wanted. If Jesus would have asked me, "What do you want Me to do for you?", I would have said the same thing as I did that night in the Lutheran church. We never seem to ask for what is the best for our spiritual journey. We always want God to do what we FEEL will make things better.  Possibly it is time for me to go back to the Lord's Prayer and memorize those few words from it where we collectively say, "Thy will be done." I do want God's will for my life but I fear it won't be the same as what I want for my life.  On this twenty-ninth day of our Lenten Faith Journey, imagine yourself face to face with Jesus. He asks you, "What do you want me to do for you?" Spend the day figuring out exactly what you want Him to do for you. Pray for his will to be done. Then be ready to receive His answer for His will be done. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #30 Tuesday, April 9 "A Family's Influence"  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house " Luke 19:9  Theologically I do not believe that a whole household of people are saved because one person in the household is saved. What I believe is that this verse is a model. Once one family member comes to Christ then their influence sets the others on a similar journey. That is borne out in life and in experience. I can still remember when Fran walked into our church in Florida.  Hollywood Bible Chapel had started an Evangelism Explosion program after training with D. James Kennedy. Our program exploded. We were a soul-winning church. If you visited, rest assured an EE team would visit you. One of our teams went to see Fran and she accepted the Lord. Fran's life was difficult and her recent divorce had left her economically depressed. She had a son, Billy, that came to our youth group. I imagine it was more out of Fran's insistence than his own desire. I looked at Billy and I saw a suicide in the making. He was short and overweight. He lacked the finances that most of my wealthier teens had. He was picked on at school and most likely everywhere else. Billy did come to  Christ and that was the beginning of his own journey. A few weeks ago I was reading his Facebook page. He is planting his second church and they baptized a few dozen people at a recent service. Yes, his mother's salvation led to his and his salvation has led to multitudes more. Those who are coming to salvation in his church will influence people in their families and the cycle will go on.  Look around you. Who in your family needs to know Jesus? Pray for them. Pray for open doors to talk to them about Christ. Seek ways to invite them to your church. You don't have to use high pressure. Remember, now that you are a believer salvation has come to your household. Just relax and let Jesus make the opportunities to do what He wants you to do. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #31 Wednesday, April 10 "Lost?"  "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10  Our Lenten journey is almost over. If you started it and didn't know that Jesus had come to this earth for the purpose of dying on the cross then you should by now. His death on the cross was a substitutionary payment for your sins and mine. Our sins keep us from entering into the presence of God at our point of passing away. God permits no sin into Heaven. For us to be with Him there must be a payment. The Father's plan was to send His Son, Jesus, to this earth to seek out sinners and to sacrifice himself for our sins. When we accept Jesus' payment for our sins, we enter into a relationship with the Trinity. That relationship is the beginning of our journey.  Have you made that step of faith to trust Christ as your savior? If not, pray this prayer. Lord, I confess that I have sinned against You. I realize that I cannot be good enough to earn Heaven and that I need a savior to save me from my sin and eternal damnation. Today, I trust Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice on the cross that paid for my sins. Amen. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #32 Thursday, April 11 "But Mary Got It Right, As Well"

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said,"Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." John 12:1-8

    Yes, Mary may have been a little upset with Jesus when He didn't save her brother from dying and didn't spare them from the grief but Mary was the most intuitive of His disciples. She had set herself and her heart aside to worship Him as Lord and Savior. She understood when He said that He would be crucified. She believed it and she believed in Him. Her understanding of what He was about to do led her to a perfect act of worship.  As you look ahead to Good Friday you need to adopt Mary's attitude. Find ways to worship. Listen to music that puts Christ at the forefront of your mind. Read the Bible more and with more reflection. Pray the Book of Psalms out loud. Simply, worship Him. Get it like Mary did. Lenten Devotionals Devotional #33 Friday, April 12 "Warning: Resurrection Could Lead To Death"

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. John 12:9-11

     Lazarus escapes the clutches of death only to have a group of religious leaders plot to kill him. Why? He was a living example of the resurrection power that would begin a great religious movement. People in power don't want to lose it so they devise ways to eliminate the competition. Lazarus needed to be eliminated. Though scripture never reveals what happened to Lazarus, we do know that he was quite the topic of conversation wherever he went.  That is a problem with being a living representative of a living, risen Christ. You'll find it in your own journey. People will not like that you've changed. They don't want to be reminded that God has a power far greater than they ever experienced before. You will be mocked at times. You can expect ridicule, as well. This all comes with the job of being a Christ follower. Don't be surprised but never live in fear. Be bold in your faith because you are the Lazarus that walks in your circle of influence.  Lenten Devotionals Day 34 Saturday, April 13 "It's Sunday...But Friday's Comin'"  As a pastor and a preacher I've developed my own top ten of the messages I've heard preached by other men and women. One of my favorites, and it may be number one on my list, is Tony Campolo's "Its Friday...But Sunday's Comin'." Dr. Tony Campolo tells the story of a little preaching competition that he had with his pastor during services at the church where he attends. Dr. Campolo tells how he preached the perfect sermon, perfect in every way. He had taken the congregation to the heights of glory and the depths of despair. And as he sat down beside his pastor, Dr. Campolo patted him on the knee and simply said, "Top that." The older black pastor looked at him and said, "Boy, watch the master." It was a simple sermon, starting softly; building in volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely involved, repeating the phrases in unison. The sermon went something like this. It's Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter's denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord and they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. It's Friday; but Sunday's coming. It's Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, "Father, forgive them." It's Friday; but Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday's coming. It's Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that's because it's Friday, and they don't know it, but Sunday's a coming. By the end of the message the old preacher was simply calling out, "It's Friday" and whole congregation was responding, "Sunday's coming!" You heard the Palm Sunday story before and maybe you thought like I did that this is the exact opposite of the story of Good Friday. Because this was Sunday, Palm Sunday and Good Friday's coming. All the people were waving palms, throwing their cloaks, coats, wraps and Ralph Lauren sweaters on the pathway before Christ. It looked like someone had emptied the St. Paulies shed into the streets. People were cheering, "Hosanna, hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." The crowds ran to the palm trees and cut fronds from them and laid them before Jesus as he approached on a foal of a donkey. "Yeah, Jesus. You're the messiah. Yeah, Jesus. We saw you raise the dead. Yeah, Jesus. You've come to save us. Hosanna. Hosanna." But that was Sunday and Friday's coming. On Friday that same group of people would stand and scream, "Crucify him! Crucify him! That same group of people that yelled Hosanna would five days later scream out for his blood. They would scream out that he be nailed to a cross. Does that surprise you? Does that shock you? If you were a disciple like Peter, James, or John or the other nine wouldn't you be surprised, possibly shocked, certainly dismayed and discouraged? They shouldn't have been and neither should we because Jesus warned them and Mark recorded it in chapter 4 of his gospel. Jesus was teaching his disciples through parables, which are word pictures designed to teach a point. Mark writes in 4:3-9: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus warned them that this is the way it would be. He told them who He was. He revealed He was the messiah, the Christ. He cast out the seed that Messiah had come. He did miracles to prove it. But some people were like the hard ground in the pathway of a garden. These people were so hard, so calloused and so bitter to the truth that it would bounce off of them. The seed would lay on the surface waiting for Satan to sweep in and do everything he can to steal it away before it germinates, takes root and grows. In the crowd that formed around Jesus' triumphant entry there were Jewish religious leaders, Pharisees, who looked at what was going on, then weaseled their way up to Jesus and said, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!" These men hated him and they knew that if Jesus continued to live he would bring the powers of Rome down on their heads and with that their comfortable lifestyle, power and prestige would be gone. I can envision the Pharisees standing and watching. They knew they had to do something or Jesus would bring destruction on their way of life. You can almost hear Satan whispering in their ears with his venomous, sulphuric scented voice, "It's Sunday...but Friday's coming." There was another group who stood screaming, "Hosanna, Hosanna" on Palm Sunday. These were the ones that had watched and listened to Jesus. Some were even there when Jesus called Lazarus from grave. They watched as the stone was rolled away and the dead man came forth from his grave clothes. They may have seen him make dinner for everyone out five loaves and three fish. A few may have been to the wedding where he turned water into wine. They were shouting were great fervency, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." These people though were like the seeds that fell amongst the rocks. They sprouted quickly. They saw a miracle here and miracle there and believed this was what the ministry of Jesus was all about. They jumped on the bandwagon quickly but once the heat of the hot sun, the pressure of the Pharisees came upon them they withered. The religious leaders pressed hard upon their congregations. They lobbied and cajoled and threatened those they were there to pastor. Yes, on Sunday these folks screamed for Jesus the King and then on Friday they screamed for him to be crucified. Yes, I can almost hear the Pharisees saying to their congregations, "it's Sunday...But Friday's coming." Yes, on Friday you will not scream out Hosanna. On Friday you will not throw your coats at his feet. On Friday you scream "crucify him" and they will  rip his coat from his bloody and back and cast lots to see who would get it. It's Sunday now, congregation but on Friday you will do our bidding. It's Sunday but Friday's coming. There was a third group mixed into the crowd. They ran to the streets stripping off their coats, grabbing palms and throwing them at Jesus feet but they were like the seeds that fell among the thorns. The thorns or pressures of life grew up and choked them out. On Sunday they yelled, "Hosanna, hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." But that was Sunday. On Monday, the bills from the new Passover outfits for the kids and that great new bonnet for mom came in the mail. How was he going to pay them all and the mortgage and still buy food? Then on Tuesday, a Pharisee priest stopped by and said if they continued to follow this Jesus they would be excommunicated and shunned by their beloved fellowship. They would have no friends. They would have no center to their spiritual and social lives. They would be like outcasts. Then on Wednesday, as the family walked through the marketplace to get the supplies they needed for the Passover meal, they were ridiculed and mocked. They were called Jesus Freaks and people wouldn't wait on them. Finally, by Thursday when the good lady's husband came home early from work and said he had lost his job because his wife was at the Palm Sunday rally yelling out" Hosanna, Hosanna," she lost her cool. She couldn't take the pressure anymore. She was distraught. So when Friday came she was at the front of the crowd teaching her children a new phrase, no longer was she yelling Hosanna but "Crucify him!" I can almost hear the leaders in the community whispering behind the cheering crowds as Jesus rode down the street on the back of a donkey, "it's Sunday...but Friday's coming." But in that crowd there were people who heard the word and it transformed their lives. It not only transformed their lives on Sunday when they sincerely yelled, "Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." It transformed their lives on Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday. They saw hope and a future. They found relief and salvation in this man who was the Messiah. Then on Friday they saw him judged and tried before Pontius Pilate. On Friday they saw soldiers beat him with a whip and press a crown of thorns into his head until blood rolled like tiny rivers down his face. On Friday they saw him carry his heavy cross through town and up a hill known as Golgotha or the Skull. On Friday they saw soldiers rip his bloody garment from his body and cast lots for it. On Friday they watched as he was nailed to a cross. On Friday they watched him die a cruel death. On Friday their lives had been ruined. On Friday their faith had been stripped away from them. On Friday their trust and belief was rocked as they watched him placed into a tomb. On Friday they wept great, bitter tears as the stone was rolled in front of it. Yes, they were crushed on Friday. Hope was lost on Friday. Everything they screamed for on Palm Sunday was true but now their faith was pierced by the three nails and dashed on the sharp edges of his stony grave. On Palm Sunday they believed he was the Lord. On Palm Sunday they believed he came in the name of the Lord. On Palm Sunday they believed He was the Messiah. On Palm Sunday they believed everything they yelled as they cast palms at his feet. On Palm Sunday they believed it all as they stripped off their coats and threw them down for him to cross. But that was Sunday. Now, Friday had come and Friday it seemed as if it had all ended. Hope was lost. They stood around in dark rooms and hidden alleys talking and listening to one another ask, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" Another would ask, "Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?" Another would ask through a tear soaked voice, "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?" Yes, that was Friday. On Friday it seemed as if it were all finished. Then like the soft wind or was it a gentle breeze, a voice, somewhere from the sky or maybe from the corner or maybe from within, but it was a voice. A voice as powerful and as soothing as if it came from God himself. It was as if the voice of God whispered— "It's Friday...But Sunday's coming."  Lenten Devotionals Day 35 Monday, April 15 THE DAYS BETWEEN PALM SUNDAY AND GOOD FRIDAY  Sometimes it is easier to picture a sequence of events when it is placed in a story. Read along as one of the Pharisees makes a visit to Caiaphas.  That horrible day is over. The day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey and all those people threw palm fronds and cloaks onto the ground before him. They are still cleaning up the streets and it has been a few days. I say it was horrible because it was the day that we priests and scribes and rabbis realized that things had gotten out of hand. I spent a few days in the temple watching him before I finally went to Caiaphas, our high priest to see what could be done. I began pleading my case with Caiaphas. "I've been offended. This Jesus used inflammatory hate speech against us all.  Caiaphas asked for an example.  "First of all many of us have places of commerce or family member's with tables in the temple used to support their families. What they give back to me for procuring these tables is minimal but it helps to pay the bills. Then Jesus just strolls in like the temple belonged to his dad and pushed over the tables. Then he made the accusation that we were a den of thieves. Us, priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, rabbis, scribes, us--a den of thieves. Preposterous! He insisted it was God's house and that God's house was meant to be a house of prayer. For decades we've used it to assist people coming to pray and sacrifice by providing sacrificial animals, high quality meat products that were offered to God and other items blessed by the rabbis and priests."  Compare that conversation with the words written in Luke 19:45-48.  "And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him." I am sure Jesus made the scribes and priests very angry. Keep in mind that their power and prestige was at stake for them. They made decisions that were temporal rather than eternal.  What about your decisions? Do you decide on things based on what you will gain today or do you lay up treasures in Heaven? Reflect on yourself. Look to see if there might be a little of the scribes and priests inside of you.  Lenten Devotionals Day 36 Tuesday, April 16 "The Occupy Vineyard Movement"  Read Matthew 21:33-42. If you ever rented an apartment you know that there are strict guidelines as to what you can do and not do. Did these renters overstep? "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.  Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" Let's return to our Pharisee friend as he speaks with Caiaphas.  Caiaphas wanted to hear more. I went on, "Each day he spoke in the temple and we all were listening. Our scribes wrote down his every word. We were simply trying to protect our temple members from his errant teaching. So we kept good notes of his comings and goings and what he said." "He told this one story. It was a slightly veiled story in which he accused all of us of being like men who were leasing a vineyard. Jesus said we beat and killed the prophets who spoke for God. Now, when did anyone of us do that? We have not had a prophet for hundreds of years.  "This Jesus then insisted that we even killed God's son so we could continue exploiting the people. When did we ever kill God's son. The Messiah has not come yet. I am telling you he was inciting the people to riot. After Sunday's display we know how many disgruntled, angry, hate-filled people that follow him. If you remember they shouted 'Hosanna' and threw down palms before him as he rode in on a donkey. His disciples are as dangerous as he is. His hate speech has encouraged them on to soon attack us. I believe he must be stopped. Caiaphas said that this was still not enough. I opened my notes and then cited his next infraction. "Then he quoted one of David's Psalms that referred to the Messiah and told the people that we scribes, priests and rabbis rejected the Messiah. When did we ever reject the Messiah? Someday he will come, he will rule over this land and we await that. Unless, of course, he was referring to himself as the Messiah. If so, then he blasphemed." Was the Pharisee wrong? In some places he was incorrect but he realized the parable was about him and his friends. I think he was wrong in thinking there were enough true followers that they could incite a riot. Those who threw down the palm fronds were expecting a conquering Messiah. Jesus knew that they didn't understand that there had to be a crucified Messiah first.  The crucified Messiah came to reconcile us back to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus cannot conquer any part of our world unless we surrender that area to Him. What do you need to surrender today? Lenten Devotionals Day 37 Wednesday, April 17 "Not Everyone Loves a Sharp Dressed Man"  Let's continue with our Pharisee. The Pharisee looked Caiaphas in the eye and said, "Caiaphas, I am a strong secure man but in all my days in my ministry as a priest I have never been spoken to like this Jesus spoke to me. He actually turned to his disciples and told them to beware of us rabbis and priests. He said we walk around in our long, flowing robes and love it when people bow and scrape before us. I don't love it but I expect it. Not because of me but because of the office I hold. He went on to tell them that reserve the best seats in the synagogue for ourselves and that we covet the VIP invitations to all the big social and religious events. People want us at their social events so they can have the celebration blessed. It is our job to be with our people. We deserve these better seats and preferential treatment at events. We are, as you know, the priests of Jehovah. He spoke as if what we did for these people was not in their best interest.  "And Caiaphas, he could not stop there. He accused us of taking advantage of our dear widows to gain their properties. You know we care for the widows. We take their properties so we can care for all of them.  "Jesus was not finished with his hate speech yet. Then he accused us of making long, lengthy prayers that are not sincere but are simply a show before the people. We all know that the people are unable to pray on their own. They do not have our education or our training. They need us to be examples of piety and purity to them. I pray so they will know what a good and true leader I am." This was recorded in Luke 20:45-47. Let's read that. "Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation." No doubt that Jesus was telling the truth but quite honestly some people just don't want to hear it. The Pharisees and scribes liked their positions and they used their positions for financial gain. Sounds like some of our television preachers. I'm not knocking them. I rather like the medium myself. The problem is when we start to look at ways to scam those with the greatest needs. How do you see yourself? As we approach Good Friday, think about what people think of you and what you represent. The only God most people see is the one we reveal through ourselves. What kind of God do your friends see?  Lenten Devotionals Day 38 Thursday, April 18 "The Last Supper"  "And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke 22:14-20  Thursday night before the crucifixion Jesus celebrated the Passover with a Seder. It wasn't exactly like we find in our guidelines today. Jesus made some modifications to it that ushered in a new covenant. A covenant between us and God goes by His rules. He is faithful to his own covenant therefore we can trust it will come to pass. If God relied on me I'd get sidetracked by a piece of key lime pie. I like this arrangement. He is always faithful and I'm still progressing on my journey.  On this particular night, Jesus instituted what we refer to as the Lord's Supper, or communion or the Eucharist. It goes by many names but no matter what we call it, the Last Supper set a new covenant in place. God would now deal with the church as His chosen people. The Abrahamic Covenant would end with the crucifixion and the church would begin with the resurrection. The Last Supper instituted a visual and symbolic sign for all of Christianity. The church would "break bread" together as often as they met. The did it to remember that Christ's body was given for us and that He shed His blood for us. It is a very graphic image inside this simple action.  When you sit down with other Christians and you celebrate communion you celebrate this New Covenant that God has put in place.  Tomorrow is Good Friday but tonight sit with a simple piece of bread and some wine or grape juice. See them as symbols of what we will remember all day tomorrow.  Lenten Devotionals Day 39 Good Friday, April 19 "Why Was It Good?"     It has been a long journey for Christ. He knew this day was coming. He even asked for this cup to be taken from Him. Yet, he stayed on the path. His love for us kept Him on the path. There was no other way for Jesus to buy us back from the slave master of sin. He had to go to the cross. His love for us kept Him on the cross. Nothing on earth had authority over Him. He gave himself willingly to redeem us. It was His blood and His death that satisfied the Father's holiness. On this Good Friday, what does that mean to you? We've spent thirty-nine days attempting to identify with the Lord's journey to Jerusalem and to Golgotha hill. We felt His daily pains and have desperately tried to relate to Him as he was judged, scourged and then nailed to a cross. It was so much greater than we can identify with. On Good Friday, take some time to imagine Christ's agony.  Next, find a Good Friday service in a local church and attend. You need to be with others who are struggling to feel the weight of this day.  Pray with a friend, a pastor, a group of fellow believers or by yourself. Connect with the Father and thank Him for sending His Son to that horrible death for our sins.     Lenten Devotionals Day 40 Saturday, April 20 "What Happened On Holy Saturday?"   There is enough controversy over verses, phrases and translations that it would be best to leave that day alone but we can't.

So what did happen on Holy Saturday? In our physical world the disciples fled. They cowered and feared being found. The religious leaders remembered Jesus saying that He would rise again on the third day. They surmised that the disciples would raid the tomb and steal the body. In order to prevent this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees asked Pilate to post a guard at the tomb. The religious leaders remembered the statement, which is better than the disciples, but could not comprehend the possible miracle. That was in the physical plane that we all live in. The spiritual plane was completely different. This is where it is harder to understand but we will do our best to explain it.

##### Acts 2:31 "H _e, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption."_ Christ's soul was not left in Hades. Alright, what does that mean? As the scripture states Hades is the destination of souls prior to the resurrection. It was separated into two sections. One was for the non-believers and one was for the believers in the coming Messiah. Jesus announced to the lost souls what had taken place. He gathered the believing souls and ascended into their eternal home. That is the simplest way to describe it.

Christ also brought gifts with Him. If you have never studied Spiritual Gifts then that is something you need to determine to do in the next year. Spiritual Gifts are god-given abilities given to every believer for the supporting and building up of the church. If you have trusted Jesus as your savior then He has given you a spiritual ability. My gifts run in the verbal areas (evangelism, teaching, exhortation). If you are interested and your church is not teaching on Spiritual Gifts then you can find abundant and good information on the internet.

So His Saturday was quite full. What about your Holy Saturday? My suggestion is to get to bed early. Rise up the next day, put on your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it and attend a church service. Every church in Keokuk is having one, two or more services Easter morning. Join the celebration!

In your prayers today thank God for the Spiritual Gifts He has given you.

