God Thought of You

I have a few Christian friends who are Jewish and I just love talking with them about their faith.  I like how they light up when they talk about how Christ is evident all throughout the Old Testament.  Some have parents who grew up following the Jewish laws and customs and then one day Christ was revealed to them.

I get excited about stories like that, but today's passage reminds me to get excited about mine too.  We serve a God who did not leave us out.  His grace extends to us, the Gentile.  When he chose to reveal himself to Abram, calling the Nation of Israel his chosen people, he thought of us too.

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

We definitely have reason to rejoice.  The hope of Christ is ours as well. Take some time today to thank God for seeing you.  His loving arm extends to all who will trust him and for that reason we should rejoice.


Read passage here Romans 15:7-13

Palm Sunday

Luke 19: 28-44

Though we may be familiar with the story of Jesus mounting a donkey and making his way through the streets of Jerusalem, have we truly considered the condition of his heart? As I read the words in Luke 19, I paused for a long time on the phrase, “he wept over it.” Though Jesus knew his ultimate destiny, the human piece of him likely could not be somewhat hopeful that the world would realize what they were doing and rest in the peace of the Lord.

The vision I have of Jesus weeping as he journeyed through the city is hard on the heart. His strength, grace, and peace were immeasurable, and his love for man unreasonable considering how they behaved, yet He

wept for them, knowing what they were missing. Jesus knew what was to come, but he rode into Jerusalem anyway.

According to: www.thisisyourbible.com, it is recorded specifically in the bible that Jesus wept twice, once when Lazarus died in John 11, and again in Jerusalem as he entered the city in Luke 19. Consider however, Hebrews 5: 7: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” His prayers were so sincere and intense that it would have been impossible to hold back tears. Isaiah 53:3 illustrates Jesus as “….a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.” Deep sorrow and suffering accompanied with heartache bring forth genuine, heartfelt tears. So even though there are only two times Jesus is recorded publicly weeping in the bible, understanding his heart clearly reveals frequent cries to God for the love, grace, and forgiveness of his people….that’s us.

Jesus prayed, pleaded, begged, and mourned for us. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Read/Listen to Luke 19: 28-44

Watch Music Video “By His Wounds” by Third Day     -It is intense, but real!

Psalm 104

Prayer Is Working Toward True Faith

It is impossible to comprehend the vastness of God, just as it is to wrap our minds around the vastness of the universe.

For example, the earth is part of the Milky Way galaxy, which consists of 1,200 billion stars. Our sun is just one of those stars, and is 93 million miles away from earth. The surface of the sun is almost 12,000 times greater than that of the earth, and the sun’s volume is 1,300,000 times the volume of the earth. That means if you had a pile of earths and dropped one into the sun every second, filling the sun would take 15 days.

Another way to look at it is the largest star we know is called Alpha Hercules. It is so large that 512 million suns or 670 million million earths could fit into it. If we take that same pile of earths and drop one into Alpha Hercules every second, filling that star would take 21 million years. Yet, when seen through a telescope, this gigantic heavenly body appears as a tiny dot of light.

As immeasurable to our minds as the universe is, God is greater. As immense as the cosmos expands beyond our understanding, so does the Lord’s power and might. As extreme as the blazing inferno of the sun and stars might be, the love of the Lord is even more intense. As human beings however, it is not possible to comprehend this level of deep, concentrated, unconditional love. That is where FAITH enters in.

Because God gave us free will, the actions we take, and things that happen to us because of the choices of others often cause hurt, anguish, or even years of emotional torment. We may continually ask “Where is God?” because it seems He has forgotten us. He is available. He is waiting for us to truly believe. The Lord of all creation, of the heavens and the earth is certainly bigger than any human sin or situation. We must however, demonstrate true faith to experience life with Him now, and forever.

According to gotquestions.org

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith has “belief in and devotion to God.” The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-faith.html#ixzz2cESd1j5i

Read/Listen to Psalm 104

Hebrews 1:1-3, 13; 8:1-12 - Jesus Serves in Heaven

Don't you love to read the words, "I will be their God, and they will be my people."  There is such comfort in these words.  Given the times we live in, and the newspaper and online headlines which shout that evil reigns, we know better.  As Christians, we know there is evil, that Satan is prowling but we also know that God is there for us.  He is as close as we allow Him to be.

Hebrews 8:10 (NIV)
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

When Jesus ascended into Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to us.  The Life Application Bible Notes lists four promises initiated by the Holy Spirit's presence in us.

1. Reminds us of Christ's words 
2. Activates our conscience
3. Influences our motives
4. Makes us want to obey

The fourth point is one I pray for often.  When I struggle with my desire for food and pray to "want to" practice good eating habits.  Any behavior I have a desire to change requires that I get my "want to" in line.  I want to do the right thing.  Do you struggle with your “want to?”  

Read Hebrews 1:1-3, 13; 8:1-12

Listen to Hebrews 1:1-3, 13; 8:1-12