Marci Alborghetti – Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy

“He Is Not Here; He Has Risen!”

April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 Jeff5 Comments

Today is Sunday, the fourth of April, 2021. The first Sunday in the season of Easter.

Resurrection Sunday

Peace be with you!

Day 23,033

46 days until our next trip to Glen Rose

Today, commonly known as Easter Sunday, is Resurrection Sunday, for that is what we celebrate on Easter. It’s not really about chocolate bunnies or even Cadbury eggs (which I did not buy yesterday, but I wanted to). It is about life; it is about new beginnings.

And, as a new beginning of sorts, the church that meets at Brandon and Kristin’s house will be meeting in person, with precautions in place, again, beginning today. It will be wonderful to take the Supper together again, which is the part I’m most looking forward to.

Speaking of that, C and I will need to stop by a store on the way in and grab some supplies for the Supper.

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I registered a 2.4 pound loss at the WW Workshop, which surprised the heck out of me! I was not expecting that. I thought I might lose a pound, maybe. So April is off to a good start, as I’m looking at being under 200 (they call it “Onederland”) by the end of this year. I would like to say that I want to be at goal by year’s end, but that is still 61.8 pounds away. I would have to average a loss of 2 pounds a week for the rest of the year to make that. However, I only need to lose 26 pounds to be under 200.

We also got S’s bed put together, yesterday afternoon, which, as promised, required no tools. Well, we did have to use scissors to cut some zip ties, but that was it. All we had to do was unfold the bed frame, insert the screw-on legs, flip the frame over, and plug it in. It’s one of those that raises and lowers, and it even vibrates! C and I may have to get one of those for ourselves! Hahaha!

Today, after our church gathering, we will have our traditional Applebee’s Sunday lunch. We plan to have steaks and corn on the cob (cooked sous vide) for dinner tonight.

The Texas Rangers continue to under-impress, as they lost big to the Royals again, yesterday, 11-4. This is causing some grave concern over pitching, already. The starting pitcher, Kohei Arihara, did not get the loss, as he was ahead when he left the game after five innings. The losing pitcher was Josh Sborz. Winning for KC was former Rangers pitcher Mike Minor. Why did they let him go?

One positive note is that Joey Gallo showed his formidable prowess as he clubbed a 450 ft home run, early in the game, to put the Rangers ahead 2-0.

The two teams will play again to day at 1:10 PM CDT, in KC, with Jordan Lyles taking the mound for Texas.

The Red Sox lost again to the Orioles, so both of my favorite teams are 0-2 on the season.

In the AL, we still have Baltimore, Detroit, KC, and Houston, as undefeated teams. In the NL, Philadelphia and San Diego remain undefeated. Boston, Cleveland, Texas, Oakland, Atlanta, and Arizona have yet to win a game. Washington and NY Mets have not played a game, yet, due to Covid. The entire NL Central division is tied at 1-1.

And that’s it for the norts spews.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
(Matthew 28:5-6 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
that today, I will get to celebrate with brothers and sisters, in person
that this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
for the admonition to allow You to touch parts of my life that remain in darkness
for the writings of Marci Alborghetti in Daily Guideposts 2021

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

The Easter season will go for fifty days and culminate in Pentecost Sunday. Throughout this season, we will “let the implications of the resurrection sink in deeper, inviting us to realign our worldview and conform our living to the reality that we have been raised with Christ to new life.”

The Easter season also includes the Ascension, which is called, in the book, the “wallflower Christian holiday.”

EASTER – DAY 1

INVITATION

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
(1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

I pause for a quiet moment to reflect on the new birth in Jesus Christ.

BIBLE SONG

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
(Psalms 118:1 NIV)

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
(Psalms 118:15-18 NIV)

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.
(Psalms 118:22-24 NIV)

BIBLE READING

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
(Matthew 28:1-10 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I enjoy the presence of the Lord, this morning (and I truly am), I take another look at these passages, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me, drawing me in more deeply.

It is definitely inspiring to read Psalm 118 in the context of the resurrection. “The LORD’s right hand has done might things! The LORD”s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” Jesus was, indeed, chastened severely, for the sins of mankind were placed on His shoulders. And while He died, it was only briefly, so it could truly be said that He was not “given over” to death.

Jesus, that stone that the “builders” (Pharisees and religious leaders) rejected, is now the chief cornerstone. “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” And, as other translations say, “This is the day that the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (118:24 ESV)

I have a slightly humorous visual of the angel sitting on the stone. Matthew says that the angel came down, “rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Perhaps I have never noticed that little phrase before. I can see the angel, bright as lightning, dressed in white, sitting atop the stone, kicking his feet back and forth, just waiting for Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, to arrive. Maybe even a big grin on his face.

And here, I believe, is a very important point. Why did the angel roll back the stone? It was most certainly not to let Jesus out! Jesus was already out! We already know, from passages that we will, no doubt, read in the coming days, that the resurrected Jesus had the ability to appear in the middle of a locked room. Therefore, He did not need the stone to be removed in order to escape the tomb.

The stone was rolled away for the benefit of Mary and Mary, and of Peter and John, who will arrive a little bit later. It was rolled away so that we could see the empty tomb.

“He is not here; he has risen.”

Perhaps the seven most beautiful words ever spoken!

Father, I praise You for this day, which You have made! I will rejoice and be glad in it! Thank You for the cross; thank You for the resurrection! Thank You for those seven words, which changed the world forever. Thank You for washing away, erasing, my sin forever. I confess my inadequacy, my unworthiness, my seeming inability to stop sinning, even in the light of such glorious truth. Strengthen me, Lord, keep reaching me and teaching me and enabling me to live righteously through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let today be another “new beginning” for me.

Risen Jesus,
no one saw it coming,
but your march out of the tomb has changed everything.
This day leaves me breathless in wonder -
death is conquered,
hope lives,
love wins, 
salvation is here!
Give me profound delight as I enjoy your resurrection life 
and deep devotion as I follow your resurrection way.
Christ is risen,
hallelujah!
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 45)

BLESSING

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’”
(Luke 24:45-47 NLT)

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.”
(Luke 1:68-75 NLT)

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:
“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
(Luke 2:25-35 NIV)

“Jesus, Lord, live in my always, so that someday I may rise to You.” (Marci Alborghetti, Daily Guideposts 2021)

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
(Hosea 10:12 NIV)

“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
(Matthew 13:23 NIV)

My Father, as I celebrate this joyful morning, I also acknowledge that there are parts of my life that, while they may not be “untouched” by You, are most certainly kept behind a curtain, so to speak. I have already asked for today to be a sort of “new beginning,” and I reiterate that, now. Tear open those curtains that “hide” (I am fully aware that I can hide nothing from You) the darker parts of my life. Plow my “unplowed ground,” and sew the seeds of righteousness in it. Let there be a harvest, Father, a “crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” All glory to You, Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit!

Lord, grant us all fellowship with our risen Savior, this morning! May Your presence be felt in every congregation and every household that is celebrating this day! Give us spiritual renewal and refreshment today. May Your Holy Spirit fill us to overflowing!

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Come To the Table

April 1, 2021 Jeff

Today is Thursday, the first of April, 2021. Maundy Thursday in Holy Week.

Day 23,030

Three days until Resurrection Sunday!

Opening Day is today! The Texas Rangers will face the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City at 3:10 PM CDT. Kyle Gibson will be starting for the Rangers.

I’ll update the pool situation, even though there’s not a lot of news. We are waiting on the insurance people to determine how much, if any, is covered by our homeowner’s insurance. Once we get that, then we will contact the person who gave us the estimate to get started on the work. I’m sure it will take a while, as he has a regular job, servicing our pool chemicals each week. We will have to give him some money up front, so he can order the parts needed. The biggest piece will be the pool heater. And, of course, we are hoping that there is no damage to the actual pool, itself. It doesn’t seem to be leaking anywhere, so that is good.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Your love
flows like a stream
into the ocean of your Grace.
Your love
encircles this world,
displays your faithfulness.
Your love
is patient and kind,
brings wholeness and true peace.
Your love
is all we desire
to heal our brokenness.
As all things pass
and fade away
love remains
eternally
(Author unknown, obtained from faithandworship.com)

O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
(Psalms 68:32-35 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

for the Holy Supper that we commemorate on this day
for the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world
that You do not scorn nor despise the suffering of the afflicted
for the Supper Table, where all are welcome to sit next to Jesus
for my daily bread

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

LENT – DAY 38

INVITATION

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(John 1:29 NIV)

I pause for a moment to reflect on the love of God, which encircles the world and displays His faithfulness.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
(Psalms 22:1-5 NIV)

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
(Psalms 22:23-26 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
(Luke 22:7-8 NIV)

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”
(Luke 22:14-22 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I take refreshment in His presence, this morning, I consider the passages above, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to me, however He desires.

This morning, I am drawn to the idea of praising God; “You who fear the LORD, praise him!” Why? “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one.” The Lord cares for the suffering and afflicted among us. “The poor will eat and be satisfied,” and “those who seek the LORD will praise him.”

I am fully persuaded that our God is able to accomplish this. We will do whatever we can, in human terms, to help, but our God will make sure that, someday, the poor will eat and be satisfied. Scripture warns us, over and over, that God cares deeply for the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, and I feel relatively confident that the myriads of people who claim the name of Jesus, and then turn around and scorn the needy, will be judged, somehow. Their salvation may not be in jeopardy (if, in fact, it exists at all), but I believe there will be some kind of consequences.

The one thing that I see in the Gospel passage gives me pity for Judas. We tend to be angry with him, and that is probably not wrong. However, Jesus’s statement at the end of verse 22 should send chills through anyone’s bones. “Woe to that man who betrays him!” Matthew, in 26:24, adds, “It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

There is a lot of speculation out there on how Jesus could have saved Judas, but Judas wasn’t willing and so on, and so on. But this speculation fails to take one important thing into consideration. This had to happen! It was part of the plan. Judas was in a no-win situation.

Father, I praise You, just as the psalmist tells me. I am grateful for the words that admonish me to fear You and praise You. I am also most grateful that You do not despise or scorn the suffering of the afflicted. I pray for people who do, just as I pray for the people who are the afflicted, who suffer. I lift up widows and orphans everywhere, people who have no one in their lives. May Your people rise up and care for them. I thank You for the faithful people who do this. There are some folks in my own mother’s life for whom I am eternally grateful and pray Your riches blessings upon them, for they give her transportation and company, as well as encouragement and blessing. May we all take lessons from such folks.

Lamb of God,
at the last supper you gave us the spiritual table by which you continue to communicate yourself and all your benefits to us.
May this meal nourish,
strengthen,
and comfort our poor,
desperate souls with your life-giving body and blood today and every time we gather around it.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 35)

BLESSING

In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
(Revelation 5:12 NIV)

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. . . . As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
(John 15:7, 9 ESV)

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
(Luke 22:14-15 ESV)

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
(Acts 2:42-47 ESV)

Marci Alborghetti, in today’s reading from Daily Guideposts 2021, brings out a very important thought. As Jesus sat at table with His disciples, He “knew that just as He would soon suffer alone, so would each of them in the coming days and years suffer alone.”

There are many, many people in our world today who suffer alone. These are they whom God does not scorn nor despise. And what we see at the Supper Table is “a place next to Jesus for everyone who at some point suffers alone.” Beautiful words worthy of pondering. Thank you, Marci.

Father, I praise You for the Table, where there is a place for all of us, next to Jesus! May this bring joy to my heart today, as we commemorate the “Last Supper.” May Jesus bring blessing and joy to His people today!

Lord, may You give me and all of Your children a deeper and richer understanding of the Gospel. May the love of Jesus flow from me to all whom I encounter today. May You give us all vibrant and living prayer lives. Help me to pray better and more often.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Hosanna!

March 28, 2021 Jeff

Today is Sunday, the twenty-eighth of March, 2021. Palm Sunday.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,026

Seven days until Resurrection Sunday. Holy Week begins today.

I will begin with my weekly WW report. I lost another .6 yesterday. Just a tad under what I was hoping for, but a loss is a loss. I am 64.2 pounds away from my goal weight. At the rate I’m going, It will be 2023 before I get there. Hahaha!! But you know what? There is absolutely no rush, is there? There is no deadline.

My current step goal is to get below 200 pounds. That could happen this year, but I’ll have to average better than .8 of a pound per month. But I’ve lost 10.4 pounds so far, this year. That’s an average of 3.5 pounds a month. If I keep that up, I will make it this year, maybe around November.

So, yesterday, C picked up a couple of sirloin steaks when she went to get groceries. I got this new sous vide cooker with my reward points from work (I hit a ten year anniversary last November), and was wanting to try it on steak. We cooked some chicken with it a week or so back, and that didn’t turn out great. Rookie mistakes, though, I think. Steak looked simple.

There were two steaks, weighing in at roughly a pound, total. About an inch and a half thick. I put them in a Ziploc bag (we don’t have a vacuum sealer . . . yet) and got as much air out as I could. I also found four frozen corn on the cobs, covered them with “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” spray, and put them in another Ziploc. Oh, I also sprayed the steaks with ICBINB and put “Seven” seasoning (from Saltgrass), as well as some onion powder and garlic powder on them.

I got this nifty plastic box for the sous vide . . . holds twelve quarts of water, and it came with a nice rack to put the food in, to keep it from floating. I put all of that in the box, which promptly overflowed because I had put too much water in it. It’s a learning process, you know. Based on the instructions that came with the cooking box, I set the sous vide for 129 degrees for medium rare, for one hour, and let it do its magic.

After an hour, I put the steaks in a hot pan, with just a tad of olive oil in it, and seared each side for a minute or two. Here is what I got.

Do I even need to tell you how delicious this was? Even the corn was cooked perfectly (although it could have been warmer). It was, quite literally, the best steak I have ever cooked. We already have plans to do this again, next Saturday.

Speaking of plans, we are starting to try to figure out what we are going to do for our anniversary vacation, this year. We thought about Cancun, we even thought about Hawaii (someday), but we have decided to do something drivable, this year, and put off anything involving flying until at least next year.

So Galveston is looking good, again. We’ve started looking at some beach houses, down there, and are finding some nice ones. Plus, I need to go back to Murdoch’s and get some Hawaiian shirts, since I can wear them again!

We have our Zoom church gathering in a little while, at 10:15. We’ll be starting with Psalm 20, this morning. So I guess I should get on with things. I’m sure we will have Applebee’s for lunch, and, since we had steak last night, I will make the traditional weekend burgers for S and me this evening.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

This new day You give to me
From Your great eternity
This new day now enfold
Me in Your loving hold

You are the star of the morn
You are the day newly born
You are the light of our night
You are the Savior by Your might

God be in me this day
God ever with me stay
God be in the night
Keep us by Thy light
God be in my heart
God abide, never depart.
(David Adam)

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah.
(Psalms 67:3-4 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

for my coffee
for the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world
for the King who comes in the name of the Lord
for the way Your Word is fresh and new every day
for the way music stirs my soul

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

PALM SUNDAY

INVITATION

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(John 1:29 NIV)

I’m pausing a moment to quietly reflect on the amazing truth that my sin has been taken away by the Lamb of God.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
(Psalms 22:1-8 NIV)

BIBLE READING

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.'”
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
(Luke 19:28-40 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord, I read through these passages again, allowing the Spirit to direct me to particular words or phrases that move my soul.

On the day that Jesus was crucified, at around noon, the sky went dark. It was, at the same time, the darkest time in human history, and the brightest. For while God incarnate was dying, hope for humanity was being born. Jesus, in an unthinkable moment, felt the presence of the Father being ripped from him. I can only imagine . . . actually, no I can’t . . . what that felt like. His cry, at the moment, only gives us a hint.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

There have been a few times, maybe just a couple, when I felt forsaken by God, but only for a moment, and that moment didn’t last very long. But it was the worst feeling I have ever experienced.

At that moment, on that dark afternoon, Jesus was utterly alone. And somehow, David was inspired to write that in a psalm several hundred years before it happened.

And just a few days earlier, crowds had lined the streets of Jerusalem, laid down palm branches in the road and shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Those same voices would, just days later, shout “Crucify Him!”

Despised and rejected. Forsaken by God; forsaken by His own people.

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Father, while I rejoice at the effects of that day, my heart fills with shame at my own treatment of the Son of God, the Lamb of God. For, while He took away my sins along with the sins of the world, somehow, I manage to continue to pile them on. Nevertheless, You keep forgiving, and I am grateful for this. My shame is turned into joy, as Your mercies appear, new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto me! “As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. 
May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, 
on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; 
for Yours are the kingdom and the power 
and the glory forever and ever. 
Amen.

Mighty God,
we look for salvation and security in many different places.
We confess we're tempted to seek out a pumped-up Savior of power who would flex rippling muscles.
Prepare our hearts to welcome our humble servant-King,
Jesus,
finding in him all we need for our salvation.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 30)

BLESSING

In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
(Revelation 5:12 NIV)

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
(Mark 11:9 ESV)

Marci Alborghetti has this to say in this morning’s reading from Daily Guideposts 2021:

“When He entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, almost everyone in that adoring crowd would soon need His forgiveness. Peter, who gleefully helped Him onto the donkey, would deny Him three times. Judas, part of the parade, would betray Him. The apostles, basking in His glory, would abandon Him. The crowds would ignore Him, some even screaming for His crucifixion.

“But . . . Jesus had done nothing to hurt those who would need His forgiveness. Quite the opposite: He’d done everything to save them, us. Yet He rode on, greeting them, knowing they’d turn on Him, knowing we’d continue to sin against each other and Him, already forgiving, always forgiving.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them,
“It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
(Matthew 21:4-17 ESV)

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.”
And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
(Luke 7:36-50 ESV)

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.”
(Revelation 2:18 ESV)

This is how Christ is introduced to the congregation at Thyatira in their portion of John’s letters to the churches.

“The eyes like a flame of fire burn as they penetrate. This is no casual survey.”

Jesus really sees into us as His burning eyes survey us.

The feet, like burnished bronze, “are solid and strong. They will not crumble under opposition.” Interestingly, bronze, an alloy made from copper and tin, has a higher melting point than either, thus being able to withstand the heat from the burning eyes of flame.

“He sees through all facades, evasions, masks, and fogginess – sees into contradiction, opposition, hostility, and indifference.”

While our initial response may be to run and hide, we need not do this. “There is mercy and generosity in the honest, unflinching gaze of our Lord. If his look burns, it is the fire of love, and it burns so that it may warm us.”

(From This Hallelujah Banquet, by Eugene H. Peterson)

My Jesus, I praise You for the way Your burning eyes of flame see into the depths of my soul. The initial reaction is to shy away, to try to hide, but we cannot hide, so there is no point in that. I humble submit to the examination of Your holy eyes, that You may see what needs to be cleansed within me, each day. I praise You for Your mercy and generosity, Jesus!

May I experience, today, and every day this week, Lord, fellowship with the risen King Jesus. May everyone experience spiritual renewal and refreshment this coming week.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:11 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Jesus Wept

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
(Psalms 143:8 ESV)

August 4, 2020 Jeff

Today is Tuesday, August 4, 2020. Peace be with you!

Day 22,790

Fifteen days until S’s birthday!!!

Speaking of birthdays, I neglected to mention that this past Saturday was my Granddaddy’s birthday. He would have been 106 years old.

Today is the Feast of Saint John-Marie Vianney, the patron saint of priests.

We finished watching I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, last night. The Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr. was identified, charged, convicted, and sentenced. It was very interesting and moving to watch as surviving victims were interviewed as the trial went on. He was over seventy years old when captured, so he was frequently described as a pathetic little man as his victims from the seventies wondered how the person they saw in front of them was the “monster” that had destroyed their lives. I really want to read the book, now. I thought I had it on my Kindle, but I don’t, so I’ll have to get a copy.

US cases of Coronavirus have taken a drastic downturn over the last couple of days. Yesterday’s new case count was only 48,622. As recently as Saturday, we had over 70,000. Not sure what that means.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
(The Jesus Prayer)

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
(Psalms 96:11-13 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

For Your mercies, O Lord, new every morning
For Your steadfast love, filling my soul this morning
That vengeance belongs to You, and not us
That I can direct my frustrations to You, and You change my heart
That You are teaching me to pray

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
(Psalms 143:8 ESV)

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!
(Psalms 106:48 ESV)

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
(Psalms 118:14 ESV)

And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
(Luke 6:19-26 ESV)

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalms 1:1-6 ESV)

 Glory be to God the Father, 
God the Son, 
and God the Holy Spirit. 
As it was in the beginning, 
so it is now and so it shall ever be, 
world without end. 
Alleluia. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. 
May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, 
on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; 
for Yours are the kingdom and the power 
and the glory forever and ever. 
Amen.

"Merciful God,
who sent your messengers the prophets
to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant us grace to heed
their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ
our Redeemer;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever.
Amen."
(The Divine Hours, The Prayer Appointed for the Week)

When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’ See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.
(1 Samuel 24:1-12 ESV)

“When it seems others are getting away with wrongdoing, we struggle with the injustice. But with God’s mercy at work in our hearts and the hearts of others, we can forgive as He’s forgiven us and receive the blessings He’s prepared for us.”

Xochitl Dixon, Our Daily Bread

I believe this to be a very important passage, and in our current day, it seems even more so. Over the years, I have grown to a point where I am hesitant to mock or criticize people in leadership positions, especially in the Church. It’s easy to make fun of people like Benny Hinn and Joel Osteen. But should I do that?

I find myself being too critical of management at work. I shouldn’t be doing that, either. If I have helpful comments, there is nothing wrong with that. But if my spirit is speaking in anger and frustration, there is everything wrong with that.

David had an opportunity to kill his tormentor. All he did was cut off a corner of Saul’s robe, and he felt overwhelming guilt just for that! David’s frame of mind would be good for us to adapt in our lives.

I have some things to ponder as I move forward in this day. Things that have to do with thoughts and words about people in leadership positions, from company level all the way up to world leadership.

As we have noticed in various Psalms, my frustrations need to be directed to God, not at human beings. He is the one with the power, and He is also the one who can mold hearts like He molds the course of a river. And He can be trusted.

Jesus wept.
(John 11:35 ESV)

I don’t usually like Marci Alborghetti’s readings in Daily Guideposts. Something has changed, though.

And today’s has brought tears to my eyes.

Marci walks. And when she walks, she prays. One of the things she does is to write Scripture on the back of her jackets. One of the Scriptures, the shortest in the Bible is John 11:35, above.

I don’t know how far in advance these daily readings are written, but they have to be written in 2019, because the book is available to purchase before the beginning of 2020.

This means that Marci (and Daily Guideposts) had no idea what the world would look like in August of 2020!

God works in mysterious ways.

Marci writes, “I pray visibly by writing Scripture with an indelible marker on the back of my jackets. One of my favorites, given the state of our world, is ‘Jesus wept.’ It’s also the Bible’s shortest passage, so it can be written in large letters on my jacket.” (Italics mine)

“Given the state of our world,” she wrote. At least last year, sometime. I wonder if she is reading this today.

Why did Jesus weep? We don’t really know for sure, but we can speculate. “For His friends, for the city He loved, for Lazarus, for Himself, maybe, because He knew He would soon suffer and die?”

Marci’s young godson asked her what “wept” means.

“‘It means to cry.’

“‘Was Jesus sad?’ he wondered.

“‘Yes, he was sad that people hurt each other.’ I explained.

“‘I’m sad when someone hurts my feelings.’

“‘But Jesus was sad when anyone’s feelings got hurt.’

“He looked at me with just one word, ‘Wow.’

“Wow, indeed.”

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”
(Luke 6:21-25 ESV)

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
(Luke 19:41-44 ESV)

Most of us can probably envision Jesus weeping today. But we’d best be careful of the reason that we think He is weeping. Especially if that reason involves our political leanings.

Because Jesus isn’t political. He is Jesus and His way is the only way. He doesn’t support Republicans or Democrats. Nor does He necessarily condemn either.

Jesus shows us the way, and the only way is to follow Him.

For the record, yes, I believe that He weeps today, over the state of our world.

O Lord, teach me to weep. Teach me to weep for the right reasons. Show me the hurt and the pain. Not my own. Compared to most of the world, my life is easy. And I’m grateful for that, yes. But let me not take it for granted, nor let me get too comfortable in it. Show me, Father, that I might weep with Jesus.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.