John 12:27-28  27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

As we step closer and closer to the cross my heart becomes heavier and heavier.  My heart cannot fathom the troubled feelings Jesus held in his.

I was with my kids yesterday at a church gathering and we were singing songs with a video.  I couldn't bring myself to join the bouncy joyful song with words about Jesus dying for our sins.  I do not find joy in that at all.

I lament over the fact that Jesus had to die.  I cry that our souls are so bent toward sin that Jesus chose to sacrifice his life for yours and for mine.  He chose to die and overcome death so we might live.  I do not rejoice. I am humbled and thankful; not joyful.

It is only a few days before we remember his death.  As I walk this slow and painful path to the cross, I keep the hope of Easter in my heart.  I will mourn his sacrificial death but I will rejoice in his resurrection as well.

Even though I am distressed by his sacrifice, I am thankful and grateful for his willingness to give everything for me.  I am able to rejoice in the midst of sorrow because I know he overcame death and that the life he offered did not end on the cross.  In this I am able to shout Hallelujah!

Lord,

As we remember the journey to the cross this week, let us also remember the gift you offer to us through your sacrifice.  Open our hearts to receive your grace and mercy in ways and a depth we have never received before.  Help us share the story of your love so all may come to believe.  Amen.John 12:27-28

John 12:13 “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel!’”

My four year old does not remember the palm branches from last year.  He was a little disappointed when he discovered, last night, that we would be waving tree branches and not cheering with pompoms.

I always come to this celebration with heaviness in my heart.  I struggle to cheer and wave palm branches when I know what the coming days held for Jesus.  I shout “Hosanna!” and wave my palm branches but I am not simply exuberant and joyful with abandon.  I see no need for pompoms.

As we step into the Holy week we experience a myriad of emotions.  We celebrate the Passover, we hear about Jesus arrest and trial and we remember his crucifixion and death on a cross.  By this Friday my heart will be broken again for the suffering and death that Jesus had to endure; he chose to endure for me and for all people.

I cling to the blessing of this story.  I wait with expectation for Easter Sunday to celebrate with all joy in the resurrection and victory of Christ over death.

As we get ready to remember Jesus coming to Jerusalem let’s cheer for the whole story.  Let’s shout for the love and upcoming victory for Christ.  Maybe I should bring the pompoms after all!

Lord,

This week is a dichotomy for me.  I want to celebrate with my whole heart but the knowledge of your sacrifice keeps me from jumping for joy.  Help us move through this week receiving the love and mercy you hold for us.  Help us receive the message you would have us gain through this week of remembrance and celebration.  Thank you for redeeming us Lord.  Hosanna in the highest!  Amen.

Titus 2:1 “But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine.”

When I read this I had to stop right here and pray.  I have two messages this week about sound doctrine?  What am I missing?

What do I believe?  Is it based on sound doctrine or have I been led astray by the whispering lies of the world?  It is good to check our hearts occasionally with the help of the Spirit to make sure we are still on solid ground.

If you have ever hiked in the Rocky Mountains you know there are rocks in the paths that you cannot avoid.  Parts of the path are smooth dirt with a few pebbles but invariably the path includes boulders that must be climbed over, stepped on or gone around.

When I am stepping on these sections of boulders I am careful to check the solidity of the rock I am getting ready to put my weight on before I step onto it fully.  I do not want to be standing on a loose or unstable rock; falling is no fun.

As I study God’s word and strive to follow him more closely the journey is the same.  I need to check what I am learning and taking in.  I need to be careful that what I believe is solid and not unstable.  I do not want to stand on loose or unstable doctrine.

Here is what I believe: God loves us all.  He sent Jesus Christ to teach us and redeem us so we might live eternally with God.  Christ and his teachings are what I believe.  “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand...”

Lord,

Thank you for the call to search my beliefs anew.  Protect me, my family, all of us from false teachings.  Keep our feet on the solid rock of Jesus Christ so we are sure to be on a path of truth; a path of eternal love and life.  Amen.

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, my whole life long."

I love the message of this verse; I have known it for years and have clung to it during challenges in my life.

When I picture goodness and mercy I see myself walking on a sunny path that is surrounded by beautiful wildflowers and soft puffy white clouds in azure skies.  That is what mercy looks like in my mind.  As I turned this verse over in my meditation this morning a new view came to mind.

God’s goodness and mercy are always with me but if they follow me they are also behind me.  What do I leave in the wake of my journey?  As I move forward, striving to follow as a disciple of God, do I leave goodness and mercy for others or do I leave

brokenness and selfishness in my path?

The more I seek the Lord and his ways, I trust and believe I will dwell with him for eternity, for my whole life.  Now I also am aware that I need to strive to bring goodness and mercy for

others to follow as my legacy to the love I have for my Lord.  Goodness and mercy might follow me because I leave some as a trail for others to follow.

I can only hope for this.

Lord,

As I receive your gifts of goodness and mercy, help me open my heart to give those gifts to others as well.  Protect me from being a person of destruction and damage and guide me to be a vessel of mercy, bringing a piece of your kingdom to others each day.  Amen.

*this was originally posted last May, I needed to read it again for my heart and I trust it will bless you again as well.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.”

In Colorado, it is said, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.  What does weather have to do with this scripture?

Sound doctrine is not fickle.  It does not change and morph into something different.  Sound doctrine is solid and unwavering; unlike the Colorado weather.

I have seen many people with faith like the Colorado weather.  Most start out learning truth and striving to live life in God but, like scripture mentions here, they have itching ears.  The words and truth of Jesus are not always easy to follow.  People like easy; we are fickle, like the weather.

What myths have infiltrated and watered down the truth in your faith?  What myths have affected mine?

If we are unsure our faith is based fully on truth, we can turn to God’s Word to find out.  We can read the Holy Bible, we can pray to the one true God and if we are honest and earnest in our search for truth, he will be faithful and provide it for us.

Listen to the Spirit, seek the truth in his Word, and follow his command of love.  This is how we remain in sound doctrine.

Lord,

The information blitz never ends.  We find more distractions and untruths to make us feel good than ever before.  Help us see lies and discern truth.  Keep our hearts protected from destructive myths and practices; let them remain pure and only in truth.  I pray this through Jesus, our Savior.  Amen.

James 3:7-8 “For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue – a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

I have felt the poison darts from untamed tongues and I am certain my untamed tongue has shot a few poisonous darts as well.

When I read this passage I pictured a lion tamer in the circus.  They are in the ring with a whip and a chair, doing what they can to keep the lion in check.  They show the audience the control they have over the beast and by show time the whip is more like a reminder to the lion that they need to do what they have been trained to do.

If only our tongues could be trained and tamed so easily.  I am sure taming a lion is not easy but I am also sure taming the tongue is harder.  How often do we wish we could take a word or two back?

We cannot tame our own tongues and we are not able to withhold the deadly poison that drips from our tongues with our own strength.  It is only the guidance and taming of the Holy Spirit that can keep our tongues in check.  The Spirit is the lion tamer and as he works with us diligently, over time we learn to do what we have been trained to do.

Listen for the voice of our guide, our trainer, the Holy Spirit.  Allow him to tame your tongue.

Lord,

Heal the wounds caused by the deadly poison from my mouth; my tongue.  Heal any wounds I have from other poisonous tongues.  Let domestic animals remind me that you, through your Spirit, are able to tame my tongue.  Open my ears and my heart to hear and obey the teaching and guidance that you provide.  May the words of my mouth and the mediations of my heart glorify you today.  Amen.

Mark 7:1-2 “Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.”

We heard this message from the time we were small children: wash your hands before eating.

There are so many germs and bacteria around that it is important to our health to wash our hands before we touch our food.  When we sneeze or cough we need to cover our mouths; and not with our hands as I learned but with the inside bend of the arm to keep any germs off of our hands and reduce the spreading of them.

In this passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes.  He tells them that they hold to human tradition and abandon the commandment of God.  Is he saying we don’t need to wash our hands?  My kids would love that!

As he does so many times, I believe he is saying we need to keep our priorities straight.  It is good to wash our hands and dishes and food. Just make sure those things to not become more important than following the commands of God: Love God, love your neighbor.  In this practice our hearts become clean because in order to follow this command we must walk with God.

We cannot walk with God without being clean or being cleansed through his love.  As I wash dishes and hands and food today, I want to remember to come to him for a clean heart as well.  In this way, I can walk in Love.

Lord,

Help me keep the business of the day at bay and keep loving you and loving my neighbor in the forefront.  So often our priorities get twisted and you are no longer at the top.  Guide me today in all I do and say to keep you first.  I pray this through Jesus, Lord and Savior.  Amen.