PERISHABLE THINGS

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that it was not with perishable things
such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from
the empty way of life handed down to you from your
ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect

Reflection:.


Silver or gold! Money, greed, having more, not having enough.
It is so very difficult for us to grasp the concept that these things
are perishable. Ultimately they are meaningless in our lives.
What makes them so perishable is that we can't get enough,
we are never satisfied with these things, they stand before us
and make us empty. These kind of very perishable things
so often make us empty and lonely.
Well if these things make us empty, What fills us up?
I have discovered in my life something that totally fills me up,
it is not perishable, and it is purer than silver and gold.
That which fills me up and gives my life meaning is Jesus Christ.
You know I can just hear the wheels turning now and you're saying
here it comes. Well I guess you're right this means too much for me
not to talk about.

I can emphatically state without any reservations that Jesus Christ fills
me up.  His life, his miracles, his teachings, his death, his resurrection,
and his promise of his return, is absolutely what gives me meaning in
my life.  All other things are perishable.

Now I know that some of you think this sounds like a sermon, or lecture,
or some kind of conversion process.  It is not!  It is, however,
my reflection. I am very simply passing along to you my reflection of what
gives my life real meaning.It doesn't make me better than you., As a matter
of fact it doesn't make me right. It is simply how I feel! And I want to pass
along my reflection of how I feel to you.

JESUS CHRIST FILLS ME UP!  JESUS CHRIST GIVES ME LIFE!

Prayer:

O heavenly father I have nothing but praise and thanksgiving to my heart
for you. Thank you Almighty God for not being perishable. Thank you.....
thank you for giving me life, filling my life, being in my life, and for being
the reason for my life. Thank you Jesus for what you have given to me.
AMEN!

LIFE'S MEANING

Scripture:

But as I looked at everything I had worked so
hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless--
like chasing the wind. There was nothing really
worthwhile anywhere.
Ecclesiastes 2:11, NLT

Reflection:

Solomon summarized all his attempts at finding
life's meaning as "chasing after the wind.
" We feel the wind as it passes, but we can't
catch hold of it or keep it. In all our
accomplishments, even the big ones, our good
feelings are only temporary. Security and
self-worth are not found in these
accomplishments, but far beyond them in the
love of God.
Think about what you consider worthwhile in
your life--where you place your time, energy,
and money. Will you one day look back and
decide that these, too, were a "chasing after
the wind"?

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

I'M RIGHT

Scripture:

People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD
examines their heart.    Proverbs 21:2, NLT

Reflection:

Do you know what I'm best at? I am so good at giving excuses.
I can have an excuse for almost anything that comes my way.
I have an excuse when I'm late, I have an excuse when I don't
have a certain task done, I have an excuse when I forget a birthday,
in other words, I have an excuse for everything.

But there's a problem here, I may think in my own mind that I
am getting away with something with all my excuses, but I'm not.
Because I happen to believe in a God that looks behind the excuses
to the motives of my heart.

I guess as I get older I have discovered that I have made certain choices
where the right action was very difficult to discern. Because I believe
that ultimately there is a bottom line to every decision I need to make,
this makes the decision even more important and much more difficult
to arrive at.

I've got to asked myself this question, "How do I arrive at this decision?
Well I have discovered that I can help myself come to a decision
by first identifying the motives I have in making a decision. And then
when I am able to specifically define the motive I simply do this;
WWJD. That's right I'm one of those guys who still ask the question
"What Would Jesus Do?" I also want to know would God be pleased
with my real reasons for making this decision. I have certainly discovered
that God is not pleased when we do good deeds and make decisions
only to receive something in return.

Yes I have discovered, in myself, that when I go to the above process
that I do make the right decision not only for me, not only for all involved,
but also to glorify God.

Prayer:

Oh Lord please continue to be the biggest part of my decision
making process. And to always ask the question "What Would
Jesus Do?" I realize Lord that by doing this it brings me much closer
to the "Right" decision according to your will.
Thank you God for being my God
in Jesus name   AMEN

I

STICKING CLOSE

Scripture:

There are "friends" who destroy each other,
but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24, NLT

Reflection:

Loneliness is everywhere--many people feel
cut off and alienated from others. Being in a
crowd just makes people more aware of their
isolation. We all need friends who will stick
close, listen, care, and offer help when it is
needed--in good times and bad. It is better
to have one such friend than dozens of
superficial acquaintances.
Instead of wishing you could find a true
friend, seek to become one. There are
people who need your friendship. Ask God
to reveal them to you, and then take on the
challenge of being a true friend.

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

WAKE UP

Scripture:

Lending to the Poor

35 ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty
among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner,
that he may live with you.
(Leviticus 25:35 (New King James Version)

Reflection:

I'm not a Roman Catholic, but there are many things in the Roman Catholic
church that I very much admire. I'm so very often impressed
with their liturgy, their high sense of worship, their dedication
to their faith, and their dedication to tradition.

One thing that I so admire is the Roman Catholic admiration for the
the Saints. As a Protestant I hold to the belief that we are all Saints as believers
in Christ. But I also believe, if you'll pardon the phrase,"some Saints are more
saintly than others". One of those Saints is St. Francis.

Lately I've been asking the question," What if St. Francis were here today"?
I am sure that if St. Francis were with us today, he would not so much condemn
us for our consumer-oriented materialism as he would weep over our failure
to see where life and love can be most fully experienced and actualized-
among the poor. He would not so much tell us that having things is bad
as he would tell us that giving what we have to the poor can bring us to God
and to the highest potentialities of our humanity.

For France's, being Christian was, above all else, being committed to and in love
with the poor. St. Francis found in the poor a special presence of God, and he made
loving the poor synonymous with loving Christ. He said: I love the poor, not because
they are poor but because Jesus is in them. Whenever I embraced them
I embrace our Lord. He really was convinced that as he embraced the poor
he embraced the Lord himself" he is really there". It made no difference
to him whether the poor were holy or Christian. Even among the most despicable
of them, Francis contended that he could experience Christ real presence.
To him Matthew 25:40 was to be taken literally

There is the story, while Francis was traveling by horse back down a lonely road,
abating Leper dressed in rags suddenly blocked his way. Lepers had always
been a repulsive sight to Francis. He became nauseated just being near them.
And there before him was a leper who could not be avoided.

At that moment Francis heard the words of Jesus resounding in his heart:
" as you do it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me!"!

St. Francis climbed off his horse and went up to the leper. He not only gave
him all his money but also gave him his clothes. Then, on impulse, he embraced the
and kissed him.

Climbing back onto his horse, Francis glanced down toward where the leper
had been to bid him farewell. Shocked, he realized that the road was empty.
The leper had vanished. All that Francis could conclude was that he who he thought
had been a leper had really been the Lord himself. What he had done
for that leper, Francis was convinced, he had done for Christ.

You see we do not need some wild eyed celebrity preacher or a so-called
Christian politician condemning us for our consumer orientated ways, as much as we need
such a wide eyed Saint pleading with us to find fulfillment and ecstasy in service to the poor.
We need this kind of pleading voice urging us " TO FIND THE ETERNAL IN
THE FACES OF THE OPPRESSED".

PRAYER:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

(there was a great deal of information taken from the book
"Wake Up America" by Tony Compolo)

ABOVE IT ALL

Scripture:

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness
before a fall.Proverbs 16:18, NLT

Reflection:

Proud people take little account of their
weaknesses and do not anticipate stumbling
blocks. They think they are above the frailties of
common people. In this state of mind they are
easily tripped up. Ironically, proud people seldom
realize that pride is their problem, although
everyone around them is well aware of it.
Ask someone you trust whether self-satisfaction
has blinded you to warning signs. He or she may
help you avoid a fall.

(Life Application Daily Devotion)

IS IT ME?

Scripture:

Mark 14:12-25

Reflection:

Let me ask you a question if I may? If you were with
your pastor and other church leaders and someone
said," one of you is going to betray their faith today,"
would you ask," Is it me?" I think I would be certain
I was doing the right thing and more likely ask," Who
is it, We are all faithful Christians."

So I wonder about the disciples, weren't they as
confident in their faith as I try to be? They were
apostles, after all. You would think they would have
whispered to each other." It's got to be Judas-he's
been acting funny." But their response is enlightening.
They didn't assume it was someone else. One by one
they said to him," Surely, not I?" (v. 19). Instead of
being weak in their faith, they were strong enough to ask
if they were doing something wrong.

If the disciples were willing to question themselves,
we would be wise to ask how we HOW WE CAN IMPROVE.
We need to listen with open hearts and follow the example of
Jesus Christ's followers at the Last Supper, asking,
" IS IT I ?"

Prayer:

Lord, show me where I need to improve.
Amen.

(The Covenant Home Altar daily devotions April 2012)

POINTING UP

"So stay awake... if he comes unexpectedly,
he must not find you asleep" (Mark 13:35,36).

The pastor of a large urban parish did a TV series
called "The Kingdom of God." Each week on the
morning after the show aired he would visit sick
parishioners in the hospital. On one such visit,
he received an unusually enthusiastic greeting
from a man who had been hospitalized for weeks.
Said the patient, "You'll be glad to know that we
all watched your program last night. There was
only one TV available in the ward, so we had to
decide by majority vote what programs we would
watch. During your time-slot, it came down to
'The Kingdom of God,' or 'American Idol.' You
won by one vote." Said the pastor later, "I thought
to myself that when we can beat 'American Idol'
with 'The kingdom of God' at, last, we're headed
in the right direction!"

"Don't ask me about what was, but what is to
come," the Apostle Peter told the early Christians.
He was pointing them in the direction of the
coming again of Christ. We present day Christians,
if we are true to our calling, are pointing in the
same direction.

ARE YOU POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION?

(The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)

HE'S ALIVE

I AM ALIVE!!!!!!

RESURRECTION SUNDAY!

Scripture:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish.
But have everlasting life.
God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through him might be saved.
(John 3:16-17)

Reflection:

Today's a celebration, today is a new beginning!
All the pain, all the suffering, all the degradation,
is over. Jesus Christ is risen from the grave.
Actually what have we experienced this past week?
We have experienced "agape", real love, the only love
God can give. This well-known verse in the Bible is
what Resurrection Sunday,(Easter) is all about.
It is so wonderful to believe that God loved us so much
that he literally gave us his son. The celebration of this date
represents a new beginning for me and for you. God
gave us his son out of pure love so that we can begin a new.
That is the supreme example of love. Jesus Christ sacrificed
his life on the cross for us. He went through all of this so that we
can be of forgiven people, so that we do not have to suffer for
our sins, so that we are people who are bonded to our God,
so that we can have eternal life with our heavenly father.
You see Resurrection Sunday is when I make my new years resolutions.
Because of what Jesus Christ did "my life becomes new".
And I resolve this day to be a better person, to be a better follower
of Jesus Christ, to serve others as Christ serves me, to love others
as Christ loved me. Today I bring hope back into my life!

PRAYER:

Our Heavenly Father, thank You for what You have done for me.
Through Your life, death, and resurrection, I have learned
the meaning of love,. Thank you my God for all that You give me,
for all that You have done for me, and for all You continue to give me.
Your grace and Your love abounds in my life, thank You for loving me Lord!
AMEN

THE DAY IN BETWEEN

Scripture:

Galatians 2:20


I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life
I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Reflection:

Galatians 2:20 best describes how I feel in what I term
the day in between. That is the day in between the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.

In a very real sense, I feel like I've just been crucified with Jesus Christ.
I feel like, to a very small degree, some of the pain, some of the suffering
and some of the degradation that Jesus must have felt. In a very real sense
I feel dead. But yet something is alive and in me today, I discover
that Jesus Christ lives in me, yes he now lives in me.
I now live by faith in the son of God, I have faith in Jesus Christ.
And what is the most exciting thing of all, is that my Savior loves me
and has given himself for me. That makes me special,
because today, the in between day, I realize in my heart, in my soul,
in my very being, that Jesus Christ gave himself and now lives in me.

Prayer:

My dear father I would like to take this opportunity to thank you
for my in between day. I want to thank you God, that today I realize
that you love me so much that you gave your son Jesus Christ for me.
THANK YOU LORD! Today I especially praise you and honor you
for what you have given to me. Thank you Almighty God for your
very special love to me.
Jesus name AMEN.

HE'S DEAD

Matthew 27: 28-56

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then
twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They
put a staff in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt in front
of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.
30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the
head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took
off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him
away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named
Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to
a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).
34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but
after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified
him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting
down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they
placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE
KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one
on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking
their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the
temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from
the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and
the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he
can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now
from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let
God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of
God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him
also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all
the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud
voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?”).[d]

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said,
“He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with
wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes
to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave
up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from
top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs
broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were
raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection
and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus
saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified,
and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

A SIGN

A SIGN FOR THE CHIEF PRIESTS

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:38

"And the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom." (Mark 15:38)

Reflection:

Very unusual things took place at Jesus'
death- the darkness, the loud cry right before
His death- and the temple curtain tearing in two.

God designed the place of worship for Israel.
The temple consisted of two spaces- one room
called the Holy Place where priests entered daily
to minister before the Lord, and another room
called the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies.
Here sat the Ark Moses built to symbolize God's
presence among His people. This Most Holy
Place was separated from the Holy Place by a
thick curtain. No one could pass beyond that
curtain into the Most Holy Place except the high
priest- and he could only enter one day out of the
year. This curtain symbolized the separation from
God which our sin has caused.

When Jesus died that curtain was torn in two from
top to bottom. This was God's sign to Jesus' greatest
enemies- the chief priests. On the cross they thought
they were right and had protected God's reputation.
Now one of their own priests standing in the temple
sees that great thick curtain tear in two. God was
telling the priests they had crucified their Messiah
and His Son. But they too had access to God now-
through faith in Jesus Christ.

The torn curtain shows that our sin no longer
separates us from our God. Jesus Christ has torn
that barrier apart and washed us in His blood by faith.
That means we are free to come before God without
fear or doubt.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for tearing down the barrier of
sin that separated us from Your heavenly Father. Keep
us always in this faith. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

A SIGN

A SIGN FOR THE CHIEF PRIESTS

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:38

"And the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom." (Mark 15:38)

Reflection:

Very unusual things took place at Jesus'
death- the darkness, the loud cry right before
His death- and the temple curtain tearing in two.

God designed the place of worship for Israel.
The temple consisted of two spaces- one room
called the Holy Place where priests entered daily
to minister before the Lord, and another room
called the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies.
Here sat the Ark Moses built to symbolize God's
presence among His people. This Most Holy
Place was separated from the Holy Place by a
thick curtain. No one could pass beyond that
curtain into the Most Holy Place except the high
priest- and he could only enter one day out of the
year. This curtain symbolized the separation from
God which our sin has caused.

When Jesus died that curtain was torn in two from
top to bottom. This was God's sign to Jesus' greatest
enemies- the chief priests. On the cross they thought
they were right and had protected God's reputation.
Now one of their own priests standing in the temple
sees that great thick curtain tear in two. God was
telling the priests they had crucified their Messiah
and His Son. But they too had access to God now-
through faith in Jesus Christ.

The torn curtain shows that our sin no longer
separates us from our God. Jesus Christ has torn
that barrier apart and washed us in His blood by faith.
That means we are free to come before God without
fear or doubt.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for tearing down the barrier of
sin that separated us from Your heavenly Father. Keep
us always in this faith. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

LAST LOUD CRY

JESUS' LAST LOUD CRY

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:37

"And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed
His last." (Mark 15:37)

Reflection:

Mark doesn't tell us Jesus' final words, only
that He uttered a loud cry and breathed His
last. Matthew does the same. If we want to
learn Jesus' last words we must turn to
Luke (23:46). But why does Mark choose to
leave out these final words of Jesus?

To all appearances Jesus had been a fake
and a fraud. After all, how could the Son of
God be arrested, beaten, flogged and nailed
to a cross? What King of Israel would allow
Himself to be mocked, insulted and spat
upon? Mark wants us to see that beneath
the blood, the sweat and the tears Jesus truly
is God's Son, the promised Savior and King
of the Jews. So He points out the unusual
circumstances surrounding Jesus' death-
circumstances which reveal the divine
majesty of the man wearing the crown of
thorns.

Mark began with the intense three hour long
darkness, and now presents Jesus' final loud
cry immediately before His death. What was
so unusual about this? Criminals who died of
crucifixion did not have the breath to cry out
in a loud voice- especially in the moment right
before their death. Yet Jesus cries out loudly-
and then dies.

In John's Gospel Jesus had told His disciples,
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because
I lay down My life that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My
own accord." (John 10:17). He laid it down for
you. And in three days He will take it up again-
for you!

THE PRAYER:

Lord God our heavenly Father, thank You for
revealing Your Son's divinity- even while He was
holding back His divine power to save us from
our sins. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)

CALLING ELIJAH

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:35-36

"Some of the bystanders hearing it said,
'Behold, He is calling Elijah.'" (Mark 15:35)

Reflection:

In the darkness the crowd hears Jesus cry out,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
They hear the Aramaic word "Eloi" and think He
is calling Elijah. They are thinking of a prophecy
from Malachi in the Old Testament, "Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the great
and awesome day of the LORD comes." The
bystanders wonder if Jesus is calling out for the
great prophet Elijah to come and rescue Him
from the cross.

Are the bystanders mocking Him again or might
they have another reason for pointing this out? If
it is just mockery then they think it's pretty funny
that Jesus is getting desperate for God to do
something to rescue Him.

But on the other hand, who knows what effect
these hours of unnatural darkness have had on
them? Luke tells us that after Jesus died, many
of these bystanders went home beating their
breast- a sign of sorrow and regret over what they
have done. (Luke 23: 48). Whether it was mockery
or genuine curiosity one of them ran up and gave
Him wine vinegar. Then they stood back to see
what might happen.

But Jesus wasn't calling Elijah- He was calling
out to His Father. But this time Jesus could not
call Him "Abba" or "Father", God had forsaken
Him because of our sins. But even though the
Father had turned His back against His own Son,
Jesus held on to His God, calling out, "My God".
Because God turned His back on His own Son,
we can be confident He will never turn His back
on us who trust in Jesus as our Savior.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for being willing to lay
down your life for me. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional).

MAN OF SORROWS

Christ is our Redeemer

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

He was despised and rejected — a man of
sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the
other way when he went by.
Isaiah 53:3 NLT

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and
shame weighed down, now scornfully
surrounded with thorns Thine only crown; how
pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse
and scorn! How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee,
dearest Friend, for this Thy dying sorrow, Thy
pity without end? O make me Thine forever;
and should I fainting be, Lord, let me never,
never outlive my love to Thee.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

A profoundly personal and awesome vision

Although Bernard was one of the most
influential Christians of the Middle Ages,
settling disputes between kings and influencing
the selection of popes, he remained a devout
monk, single-minded in his devotion to Christ.

In his own day Bernard was known as a
preacher and churchman; today he is
remembered for his hymns of praise. "O Sacred
Head, Now Wounded" comes from a poem
originally having seven sections, each focusing
on a wounded part of the crucified Savior's body —
His feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and
head. The text of this hymn compels us to gaze
at the cross until the depth of God's love overwhelms
us. Bernard's hymn pictures God's love, not as an
abstract theological statement, but as a profoundly
personal and awesome vision of the suffering Christ.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from The One
Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert
Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995).