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In just a few days we will celebrate the one solitary event that distinguishes Christianity from every other word religion - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this miracle that is the pinnacle of a faith based on one's man finished work on the cross to save sinners. Because Christ rose on the third day, we too, as His followers, know that one day we will also rise and be present forever with our Lord and Savior.
Kay Arthur, international Bible teacher and acclaimed Christian author, has posted a blog on Holy Week that I wanted to share. According to Arthur, she wrote this blog help people remember the events that preceded the cross so we can better appreciate the significance of Resurrection Sunday. I hope this is a blessing as we contemplate all that Christ endured for our salvation. Please be sure to read the "readings of the day" that she notes at the end.
Holy Week
This is Holy Week, the week immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many churches as a time to remember the suffering and death of Jesus through various traditions and worship services.
We are often so focused on the joyful celebrations of Palm Sunday and Easter that we miss the suffering, humiliation and death that are all part of Holy Week. It is important that we place the hope of the Resurrection and the promise of newness of life, against the background of death. As you walk through the shadows and darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday, only then do you really grasp the horror and magnitude of sin and its consequences. Only then can you fully understand the light and hope of Sunday morning!
This week we’ll take a look at the events which led up to the death of Jesus.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross. It is an interesting day, the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as prophesied by Zechariah in chapter 9, verse 9. Entering in this way emphasized the humility that was to characterize the Kingdom He proclaimed. It was a festive time with a parade route strewn with palm branches and the crowds, who were in Jerusalem for Passover, waving palm branches and proclaiming Jesus to be Messiah.
The irony in all of this was that the very crowds that proclaimed Him king during the parade were mocking Him five days later. They had heard His sermons, been fed with loaves and fishes, were healed of their diseases and delivered of their demons. But as the week went on and things began to change, so did they. Their cries of “Hosanna” turned to shouts of a very different kind: “Crucify Him!”
Matthew 21:1–11
1. When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2. saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.
3. “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5. “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’ ”
6. The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,
7. and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.
8. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.
9. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!”
10. When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”
11. And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Readings for the day:
• Matthew 21:1-11
• Zechariah 9:9
• Luke 19:29-40
• Mark 11:1-10
Showing posts with label Kay Arthur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kay Arthur. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Safety of the Faithful
This past week I have been studying Psalm 4. It was written by David and it speaks of the reality of finding such peace in God’s presence that even when torn by physical and emotional pain, a person may still have restful sleep.
As I pondered this concept, I was reminded of a statement that Kay Arthur wrote in one of her books that dealt with the topic of why Christians suffer. She had said that Christians would do well to have the word “eternity” stamped on the inside of their eyelids in order to keep the proper perspective of life and all of its trials and tribulations. In reading Psalm 4, David sees past the temporal, past his enemies, past those that love only the good the world has to offer, and he rests in His God who makes him dwell in safety. What a marvelous spiritual truth to allow to captivate our lives and thoughts.
It is also worth pointing out that throughout the Psalm David repeatedly refers to the righteousness and holiness of God. In verse 3 he states, “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” Many people call out to God for help, especially during difficult trials but notice that God hears those that are righteousness. This calls to mind James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
God hears those that have made a decision to follow Him and forsake sin. And this really gets to the heart of the issue. God is first and foremost concerned with our sin not our circumstances. On the cross, Jesus defeated sin and its power to have dominion in our lives. God expects His people before they even call out to Him, to be leading lives separate from the world. This does not mean we are perfect by any means, but as John MacArthur likes to say, “It is the direction of our lives not the perfection.” If our lives show a pattern of worldliness in thought, deed, and action than how can God work His goodness and blessing into our lives?
David was able to pillow his head at night and say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” because in his life he was “offering sacrifices of righteousness to the Lord.” In fact, it was David in Psalm 51 who said about God, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.”
I think often as Christians, we can come to God with our requests and expect Him to fulfill them based on our terms. I try to remind myself that every time when I begin to pray to first confess sin and asked to be cleansed because if we are not seeking to be holy first than all else really does not matter. We serve a holy and just God who tells us in Matthew 5:48 that He is perfect and His desire is for His people to be perfect.
God wants us saved, sanctified, and filled with His Spirit. The circumstances of life are a distant second to this objective. This is not to say that God is not interested in our day-to-day lives and struggles. On the contrary, He tells us to bring our requests to Him, but if we are not seeking to become like Him than why would we expect Him to hear us?
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
As I pondered this concept, I was reminded of a statement that Kay Arthur wrote in one of her books that dealt with the topic of why Christians suffer. She had said that Christians would do well to have the word “eternity” stamped on the inside of their eyelids in order to keep the proper perspective of life and all of its trials and tribulations. In reading Psalm 4, David sees past the temporal, past his enemies, past those that love only the good the world has to offer, and he rests in His God who makes him dwell in safety. What a marvelous spiritual truth to allow to captivate our lives and thoughts.
It is also worth pointing out that throughout the Psalm David repeatedly refers to the righteousness and holiness of God. In verse 3 he states, “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” Many people call out to God for help, especially during difficult trials but notice that God hears those that are righteousness. This calls to mind James 5:16, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
God hears those that have made a decision to follow Him and forsake sin. And this really gets to the heart of the issue. God is first and foremost concerned with our sin not our circumstances. On the cross, Jesus defeated sin and its power to have dominion in our lives. God expects His people before they even call out to Him, to be leading lives separate from the world. This does not mean we are perfect by any means, but as John MacArthur likes to say, “It is the direction of our lives not the perfection.” If our lives show a pattern of worldliness in thought, deed, and action than how can God work His goodness and blessing into our lives?
David was able to pillow his head at night and say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” because in his life he was “offering sacrifices of righteousness to the Lord.” In fact, it was David in Psalm 51 who said about God, “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.”
I think often as Christians, we can come to God with our requests and expect Him to fulfill them based on our terms. I try to remind myself that every time when I begin to pray to first confess sin and asked to be cleansed because if we are not seeking to be holy first than all else really does not matter. We serve a holy and just God who tells us in Matthew 5:48 that He is perfect and His desire is for His people to be perfect.
God wants us saved, sanctified, and filled with His Spirit. The circumstances of life are a distant second to this objective. This is not to say that God is not interested in our day-to-day lives and struggles. On the contrary, He tells us to bring our requests to Him, but if we are not seeking to become like Him than why would we expect Him to hear us?
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Psalm 119 Challenge
At a recent women’s ministry meeting it was decided that all of us in the group would spend some time studying Psalm 119. You may be familiar with this Psalm as it is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. It is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" ("happy are those whose way is perfect"). It is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah, the sacred law.
According to Wikipedia, Psalm 119 is one of about a dozen alphabetic acrostic poems in the Bible. Its 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas of eight lines each, and in Hebrew forms an acrostic, with each stanza starting with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (alef, bet, etc.). Employed in almost every verse of the psalm is a synonym for the Torah, such as dabar ("word, promise") and mishpatim ("rulings").
The acrostic form and the use of the Torah words constitute the framework for an elaborate prayer. The Torah is held up as a source of blessing and right conduct and the psalmist pledges to dedicate himself to the law. What makes Psalm 119 unique is the way that these requests are continually and explicitly grounded in the gift of the Torah and the psalmist's loyalty to it.
As I researched this background and began thinking about all the marvelous truths that are within this beautiful Psalm, I came to the realization that genuine spirituality and Godliness is always marked by a love for and a delight in God's truth. The two are really inseparable, aren’t they?
Even just a cursory reading of the Bible will quickly showcase this relationship of a believer and his/her love for God’s Word. I Peter 2:1-3 says, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Jesus said in John 8, "He who is of God hears God's word," and in John chapter 14 he said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” Paul expressed a believer’s love for God's Word in Romans 7:22 "I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man." And Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."
So, it is no wonder that the longest chapter in the Bible deals with the believer and his relationship to God’s Word. It is the obedience to God’s Word that brings true happiness. This seems like a simple truth on the surface but I am always amazed at how quickly I fill my own life with things, often good things, which keep me from spending time in the Word.
The Bible is full of verses that speak of God’s faithfulness to us if we seek Him, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). In Revelation we read, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (3:20). Clearly, God is keeping His half of the equation but sadly, we do not keep our end all too often.
Of course, we need to realize that it is a spiritual battle to be in the Word and second, we need to commit ourselves to the study of God’s Word. This requires much prayer and discipline as we need to strip away things that may be taking our time from the Lord.
For the next several weeks, I am committing to studying Psalm 119 and hope to blog about my findings. If you read this blog regularly, will you also commit to studying this great Psalm with me?
If you do not know where to begin, start by just reading the Psalm repetitively each day and then begin making a list of key words or themes that you see repeating. Kay Arthur has a wonderful method of studying the Bible called the inductive study method. We have used it in our women’s bible study and I highly recommend it. While her approach is quite intense, the tools she provides helps you to customize her method to your liking. You do not have to do everything she says, but doing even one thing, will help you with your study and keep you immersed in the Word.
If you decide to study Psalm 119 along with me, please comment and let me know what God is teaching you.
According to Wikipedia, Psalm 119 is one of about a dozen alphabetic acrostic poems in the Bible. Its 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas of eight lines each, and in Hebrew forms an acrostic, with each stanza starting with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (alef, bet, etc.). Employed in almost every verse of the psalm is a synonym for the Torah, such as dabar ("word, promise") and mishpatim ("rulings").
The acrostic form and the use of the Torah words constitute the framework for an elaborate prayer. The Torah is held up as a source of blessing and right conduct and the psalmist pledges to dedicate himself to the law. What makes Psalm 119 unique is the way that these requests are continually and explicitly grounded in the gift of the Torah and the psalmist's loyalty to it.
As I researched this background and began thinking about all the marvelous truths that are within this beautiful Psalm, I came to the realization that genuine spirituality and Godliness is always marked by a love for and a delight in God's truth. The two are really inseparable, aren’t they?
Even just a cursory reading of the Bible will quickly showcase this relationship of a believer and his/her love for God’s Word. I Peter 2:1-3 says, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Jesus said in John 8, "He who is of God hears God's word," and in John chapter 14 he said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” Paul expressed a believer’s love for God's Word in Romans 7:22 "I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man." And Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."
So, it is no wonder that the longest chapter in the Bible deals with the believer and his relationship to God’s Word. It is the obedience to God’s Word that brings true happiness. This seems like a simple truth on the surface but I am always amazed at how quickly I fill my own life with things, often good things, which keep me from spending time in the Word.
The Bible is full of verses that speak of God’s faithfulness to us if we seek Him, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9). In Revelation we read, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (3:20). Clearly, God is keeping His half of the equation but sadly, we do not keep our end all too often.
Of course, we need to realize that it is a spiritual battle to be in the Word and second, we need to commit ourselves to the study of God’s Word. This requires much prayer and discipline as we need to strip away things that may be taking our time from the Lord.
For the next several weeks, I am committing to studying Psalm 119 and hope to blog about my findings. If you read this blog regularly, will you also commit to studying this great Psalm with me?
If you do not know where to begin, start by just reading the Psalm repetitively each day and then begin making a list of key words or themes that you see repeating. Kay Arthur has a wonderful method of studying the Bible called the inductive study method. We have used it in our women’s bible study and I highly recommend it. While her approach is quite intense, the tools she provides helps you to customize her method to your liking. You do not have to do everything she says, but doing even one thing, will help you with your study and keep you immersed in the Word.
If you decide to study Psalm 119 along with me, please comment and let me know what God is teaching you.
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Study of the Holy Spirit
The women’s Bible study that I have been attending for the past four years is embarking on a study of the Holy Spirit. We are using Kay Arthur’s inductive study book entitled, The Holy Spirit Unleashed in You as our guide. I am not sure if I have ever been more excited about a study than this one at this time in my life. Often the person of the Holy Spirit and His working in a believer’s life are neglected or misunderstood because His office seems mysterious to many believers and we tend to miss His functions when they are mentioned in Scripture.
In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is literally the Spirit of God. He is also the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son. As such he is personal and also fully God.
The Holy Spirit performs specific divine functions that I will be learning over the coming weeks and plan to detail in this blog. His main charter though, is to point men and women to Jesus Christ. There are many movements today that claim to be "Spirit-focused” that unfortunately elevate the Holy Spirit above Jesus Christ. I would suggest that these movements are not truly Spirit-led as anything the Spirit does always points to Jesus Christ. He always points us to forgiveness, to the cross, to the blood of Chris, to no condemnation. Why? Because Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
I hope you will continue to visit this blog in the weeks and months to come and share with me your thoughts on the person of the Holy Spirit and His working in your life.
In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is literally the Spirit of God. He is also the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son. As such he is personal and also fully God.
The Holy Spirit performs specific divine functions that I will be learning over the coming weeks and plan to detail in this blog. His main charter though, is to point men and women to Jesus Christ. There are many movements today that claim to be "Spirit-focused” that unfortunately elevate the Holy Spirit above Jesus Christ. I would suggest that these movements are not truly Spirit-led as anything the Spirit does always points to Jesus Christ. He always points us to forgiveness, to the cross, to the blood of Chris, to no condemnation. Why? Because Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
I hope you will continue to visit this blog in the weeks and months to come and share with me your thoughts on the person of the Holy Spirit and His working in your life.
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