Follow Me to the Cross (Good Friday)

The crucifixion of Christ is a life-changing event. It is the start of a new chapter of the story of Jesus. It is also a new beginning for many others.

• It was a new beginning for one of the two thieves hanging beside Jesus (Luke 23:43). 
• It was a new beginning for the saints that had previously died (Matthew 27:52). 
• The Centurion's eyes were spiritual opened as he glorified God and said, "This man really was righteous" (Luke 23:47)! 
• It was a new beginning for the disciples has they started a new chapter in their life.

Others looked on, some close and some far away, with amazement and wonderment in their heart of what has just happened. It was a significant event in the history of mankind that marks a new beginning for many, including you and me.

Today can be a new day for you as well. We often make "New Year Resolutions" January 1 but why not today? Consider a new start in your life, especially if you do not have a personal relationship with Christ. Don't wait until Easter Sunday to ask Jesus to come into your heart. Consider praying and asking Him today to forgive you of your sin and invite Him to live within you. Start this new relationship with Christ today.

Maybe you have a relationship with Christ but need to renew that relationship. Why not start today? Look for ways to strengthen your relationship with Him. Let today be a new beginning for you.

What I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying to me today is that it is a new day and God desires to do a new thing in the hearts of many.

Everyone has a story to tell. Start something new today that changes your story. A change that will add value to your story. And then tell someone today of His mercy and grace that has been applied to your life.

It is my prayer that God does something new for you today!

Friday is here but Sunday is soon coming!

Blessings,
Tim Lamb

The Lord's Supper (Thursday of Holy Week)

It is Thursday of Holy Week and Jesus is sitting with his disciples for the Passover meal. During the course of the evening Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. Then he did a very symbolic thing in taking a cup, probably pouring into the cup, thanking God for it and gave it to his followers. Another part of that passage of scripture tell us that Jesus "poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet" (John 13:5).

Today I encourage you to read the events that unfolded at the Passover meal between Christ and his disciples.  Notice how intentional Jesus was at the table.  The conversation and the actions he did were intentional.  Jesus had a mission to fulfill and in the last hours before his crucifixion he needed to make the best of his time with his disciples.

Life is short compared to eternity.  My prayer today is that I will become more intentional about my conversation with others.  I read recently where you should think about whom you are going to meet today and think about the questions that you may want to ask.

Most of us speak thousands of words a day.  One study showed that the human being on an average
will speak somewhere between 7,000 and 20,000 words a day.  That is a lot of words!

Who is it that you will fellowship with today?  Who is it that you will sat down for a meal with today?  What can you learn from them?  How can you be an encouragement to those you speak with today?

Make your words count by being intentional about your conversation.  And as Jesus probably poured into the cup as well as the basin of water at the supper table, I encourage you to invest encouraging words into the lives of others.  Pour into someone today words of encouragement as well as allow them to speak into your life.  At the end of the day you should be encourage and an encourager to others.

Thursday is here and Sunday is soon coming!

Blessings,
Tim Lamb

Scripture for today:  Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-23; John 13:1-30

FOLLOW ME TO THE TEMPLE

This morning as I continued my study, I looked into the records (the Bible) of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was possibly March 31, 33 A.D. and Jesus was spending his Tuesday in the Temple teaching and answering questions. Among those in attendance was not only the sincere who was searching for truth but also the skeptics. You know, the religious rulers of that day that questioned the authority of the Lord.

Conflict is escalating in the Temple and Jesus is answering each question presented to Him very carefully. In the middle of Jesus teaching about faith, he was questioned about taxes to Caesar, and who would be married to whom in heaven. None of the questions presented to Jesus was too much of a challenge. He had an answer for every question.

It is no different today. Many are asking challenging questions about the kingdom of God. However here are a few things I am reminded of in these passages of scripture:

         Faith in God will move mountains in my life

o   Matthew 21:22 CSB “And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

·                Un-forgiveness hinders our prayers

o   Mark 11:25 CSB “And whenever you stand praying, If you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that our Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.”

·                The greatest commandment is to love the Lord and the second is to love our neighbor as ourself.

o   Matthew 22:37-39 CSB “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

There are many other lessons to learn from Christ on this Tuesday, but the lesson that touches me the most is the lesson about the poor widow woman. Jesus looks up in the Temple and sees this “poor widow” dropping two tiny coins in the offering. Jesus’ eyes were fixed on this occasion and spoke,

“Truly I tell you, he said. ‘This poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all of these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:3 CSB).

On this Tuesday maybe God is speaking to you to give beyond your surplus. Look today for ways to bless someone, even if it means making a sacrifice.

Take time today to read Matthew 21, 22; Luke 20, 21, and Mark 11-13. Write down a few of the lessons that you learn from these passages of scripture.

Tuesday is finished and Sunday is soon coming!

Blessings,
Tim Lamb

The Day After Palm Sunday

“Palm Sunday” was a very emotional time for Jesus! Jesus entered Jerusalem, and multitudes that went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" But now it is Monday, and what will Jesus do?

On the following day Jesus entered the temple, and upon entering Jesus found things that was very displeasing. He states, "It is written 'My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves (or a hideout for robbers).'" This always seems to be the emphasis place on this scripture, as if we have bragging rights that Jesus would display his anger in the temple in this strange way.

But are we seeing too much of the wrong, to see the good? The wrong cannot be ignored, and Jesus did address the wrong at hand. But Jesus' main objective was to fulfill the will of the Father.

• There were blind and lame people in the temple, and He healed them (and),
• Jesus noticed the children singing praises to Him in the temple. 

In fact, the children were repeating some of the same praise that they had heard from the adults the day before.  The leading priest and the teachers in the temple wanted to find fault in the children by saying, "Do you hear the things these children are saying? 

Jesus answered, 'Yes, Haven't you read in the Scriptures, 'You have taught children and babies to sing praises' (Matthew 21:16 NCV)."

How many spiritually blind folks did you see yesterday in church?  Did you notice the children singing?  Did you notice the worship of those around you? Or did we just see the faults of others? 

For every fault we find in someone hopefully we find twice as much good. 

Today, look for the good in others. Find someone in need, and be a blessing. Find those that need encouraging, and offer a word of encouragement. You can make a difference in someone's life today, looking for the good and overlooking their faults.

Scriptures for today:  Matthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48

Blessings,
Tim Lamb