HOLY WEEK: FROM HOLY MONDAY TO "SPY" WEDNESDAY

This entire Holy (or Passion) Week was filled with stunning events which have stood the test of time for almost 2000 years. For it is on this week, that Jesus first over turned the corrupt religious High Priest Annas' money tables in the Jerusalem Temple on Monday, to the teach of the Parables and more on Tuesday (see below).

On the day before the Passover of Holy Week, which the Lord Jesus celebrated with His disciples, the Gospel of Matthew records the betrayal of Jesus by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. This day of rest for Jesus in Bethany, also saw the woman anoint His feet with the expensive jar of Alabaster oil.

On Holy Monday: 

Cleansing of the Temple  (Matthew 21:12-13)

Then Jesus went into the temple [d]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

On Holy Tuesday: 

The Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-32)

Then on Holy Tuesday, some of these same priests tried to lay a trap for Him. 

Jesus dispatched them with ease and proceeded to teach on The Parable of the Two Sons, The Parable of the Two Tenants, and The Parable of the Wedding Feast:

 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants (Matt. 21:33-41)

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[c] to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 

Finally He sent His Son to them, saying, ‘They will respect My Son.’  But when the tenants saw the Son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill Him and have His inheritance.’ And they took Him and threw Him out of the vineyard and killed Him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will He do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give Him the fruits in their seasons.”

The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt. 22:1-14)

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for His Son, and sent His servants  to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again He sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared My dinner, My oxen and My fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’  But they paid no attention and went off, one to His farm, another to his business, while the rest seized His servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.  

The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then He said to His servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’  And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, He saw there a man who had no wedding garment.  And He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.”

ON "SPY WEDNESDAY"

JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (MATTHEW 26:1-16)

When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples,  “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,  and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him.  But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?  For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”  

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to Me.  For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me.  In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare Me for burial.  Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests  and said, “What will you give me if I deliver Him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray Him.

READ MORE ABOUT HOLY TUESDAY HERE FROM THE BOOK OF MATTHEW 

(CLICK) ON BIBLE GATEWAY

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

A PRAYER AT THE START OF HOLY WEEK 2021

Most Gracious God in Heaven, at the start of Holy Week, we reflect with great gratitude and sadness at what our rebellion, sin and iniquity led to on that Friday, almost two thousand years ago. On a hill far way, as the old rugged Cross exacted brutality and pain from the Suffering Savior, You brought one Final Atonement for all the sin of all the world, past, present and future.

Lord, Your Great Son, Creator of Heaven and earth, bore our sin and shame and carried our pains.  He was afflicted for the terminal illness of the consequences of our sins.  He was persecuted, flogged and then pierced through for our rebellion. He was crushed for all our outrageous iniquities. But by His Wounds, we were healed. By His Stripes He brought us the roadmap to redemption. By His Sacrifice, we were exonerated from paying a massive debt, for which we had absolutely no hope of even paying the interest.

Father, as the Lord Jesus set His Mighty Eyes towards Jerusalem and never wavered, may WE never waver from our commitment to serve, honor and obey You, as the Bride of Christ we have been set apart to be. 

May we, as joint heirs with Christ in the Eternal Kingdom, resolve to set our hearts in motion to love You with all our mind, body and soul.

May our feet be planted on the solid ground of the Gospel of Jesus and the Word of God, which stands forever in the Heavens. 

May our hands reach out and serve the least of these and never grow weary from doing good, from our homes to the hopeless. 

May our ears listen to the clarion call from the Word of Truth to be ye Holy, as YOU are Holy, so we will not stray from the narrow paths of righteousness. 

May our eyes see You in all creation as we worship You in Spirit and in Truth, as one day, even the rocks will cry out.

May our mouths proclaim the Salvation of the Lord, wherever we see the lost, hurting and those who need a hand up or a hope whispered. 

May the Sacrifice, which comes at the end of the week which changed the entire course of human history, not be trivialized but studied to show ourselves approved.  

May it be honored so that we do not grieve the Heart of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. 

May this same Sacrifice by the Good Shepherd Who rescued His wayward sheep, be passed down not just to generations not yet born, but the living who grew up in homes where the Name of the Lord is not well known or revered.  

Father, so, as we remember the Savior's suffering and persecution, may we as Christians, even venture to call our current sufferings - our jewels!

May we regard suffering for Christ a significant honor.

May the griefs we endure be the fuel for a life symbolized by perseverance.

May our sorrows and troubles be seen in light of Who He is and What He did for us, for on that great and glorious Day, when we see Him - face to Face - all things which are now murky as in a mirror, we shall see Him as He is - the King of Heaven and the Lord of all.  

For it is in His Mighty, Strong, Delivering, Powerful, Liberating and Excellent Name we pray - Amen and amen.

CONSIDER THIS: PLUMBLINE

 "I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness….Isaiah 28:17a

CONSIDER THIS: We should not miss what the Lord is saying both through Isaiah here…then Jeremiah….then Ezekiel…. and Amos! These Old Testament prophets were not just prophesying against wayward Israel or Judah! They are warning us today – 2600 years later! The Word of God is the Standard…or the Plumb Line, which is used in construction (in the natural world) to keep walls and buildings straight! Plumb line is Standard. God’s Plumb Line is Righteousness which only comes through Christ as Lord and Savior. If Jesus is not your Lord, the world will join you in equal justice on Judgment Day. The Measuring Line – used to keep things like bricks and mortar aligned properly – will be the yardstick of His Justice. Every Christian would be very wise to heed these words, from the Lord and adjust our thinking and lives, accordingly.

ACTION: Today, measure your own righteousness against the Holiness of God. that you may not lose rewards on that day. He has promised to hold His people to the Plumb Line of Truth. Remember this – “judgment begins in the House of the Lord”. We do this by reading the Word, in some form, daily and praying as much as possible, at all times during each day, of each week, of each month, of this and every year. While we may not see visible signs of immediate transformation, the daily washing of the Word, will happen over time, and bless those who obey it.

Oh Most Merciful Father, Maker of Heaven and earth and the One True Judge of all, help us to see ourselves in the Light of the purifying Word of God, that when we stand before You, on that great and glorious Day of the Lord, we will reflect the Righteousness of Christ, our Lord and Savior and found in Him. Lord, You are the Author of Truth and You will hold all mankind to the Plumb Line of that Truth. In our daily lives, from this day forward, may our every thought and action be in full alignment of this Word so that no fault will be found in us, on that Day. Be with us, guide us, direct us, teach us, let Your Spirit protect us and help us to take every thought captive that we can remain irrevocably surrendered to Your Will for our lives, each and every day, in Jesus’ Holy Name. Search every corner of our hearts, minds bodies and souls and if anything be found which is not of You, we repent of it and remove it from us as far as the East is from the West. We ask all of these things, now and forever, in Jesus’ Holy Name, amen and amen

CONSIDER THIS: FOUNDATION

 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock….Matthew 7:25

CONSIDER THIS: The psalm says “unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain…(Psalm 127:1)” Nothing built by this will stand on the Day of the Lord (the Day of Wrath). There is coming a day, when Judgment will rain down on this earth. The majority of people alive now and then do not believe it because they are under the same deception as those in the day of Noah, who perished in the Flood. The only house that will stand is the House of Faith…the House that starts in a redeemed, rejuvenated heart…a heart that has been changed forever by the cleansing Power of Jesus Christ.

ACTION: Today, write down a list of your beliefs, then search the Scriptures daily to see if ALL of them line up with the Word of God. If even the smallest one is off, surrender it to Him immediately, repent and ask forgiveness. Then watch our Heavenly Father lay the Cornerstone of True Faith, to then begin to grow us in wisdom and the joy of the Lord.

Oh Most Gracious God in Heaven, Thy Word is Truth, and it is the foundation of all I am, all I believe, all I want to be and all I live to be. Father, today, build on these strong pillars which You have embedded in my life that I will continue to grow in wisdom, discernment and the ability to anticipate not just what You would expect, but the pitfalls which lie hidden ahead, so that none of them will come nigh. Thank You, Lord for Your blessings on me. Thank You for delivering me, from the bondage of deception into the Glorious Light of Truth, in Jesus’ Strong Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: STEADFAST

 "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!…Psalm 57:7

CONSIDER THIS: The word “steadfast” means firm, established, accomplished or as the King James so beautifully says – “fixed”! To be and remain steadfast, there must be a solid 100% commitment to, for example, any relationship. Your relationship with God through Christ alone, is the only that with eternal significance. In most of our daily routines, we have margins for error. We are only human as Alexander Pope noted. But on this one – there is no compromise, gray area or middle ground. There is no mountain where God sits and the top and ALL roads lead to Him. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Jesus is the ONLY Way, Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Be steadfast. Stand firm in the Faith….at all times.

ACTION: Therefore, time for a reality check – are both your mind’s eye and your spiritual heart fixed on Jesus – the “Author and Perfecter” of our Faith? Is everything you do, daily, moment to moment, worthy of being His? Are you therefore, solidly steadfast in His Light, His Word, His Ways? Make this gut check a priority today and you will never regret a single moment of this self-evaluation. It will want to make you do as the Psalmist says – “Sing Praises”.

Oh Mighty Creator of the Universe, who is man that You are mindful of Him, and the Son of Man, that You delivered Him to be the Savior and sin-bearer, even though He was sinless from the beginning. We pledge, right now, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, to never waver from the Faith that found us in Christ. We will never be ashamed of the Gospel for it is the Power of God unto Salvation. We will never deny Christ, the Son of God and the Only true way to Heaven. We will not be moved from the firm beliefs that Jesus is Lord, the Bible is literal and true from cover to cover and all our sins have been forgiven because we have repented and placed our trust and Faith in Jesus Christ. Thank You, Lord for the ability to stand strong in Jesus and it is in His Name we pray, amen.

CONSIDER THIS: INDWELLING

 "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and He in us, because He hath given us of his Spirit….1 John 4:13

CONSIDER THIS: The word “dwell” here is also translated “ABIDE” – ‘menomen’ in the original Greek language. When you and I were converted from the kingdom of darkness to the Eternal Kingdom of God, in Christ, we were given a “Seal of Approval”, if you will. This seal is the Holy Spirit of God, the Restrainer, Counselor, Guide and Protector. He was placed IN us and we know it because HE IS ALIVE! He LIVES in OUR spirit and abides, indwells, continues to exist as the Agent of Christ.

ACTION: Our job this morning, even for mature believers, is to ensure we continue to walk in step with Him! If we do not, we will be saved, but barely. You cannot lose what you did not have. However, all reward will be lost. Ponder your walk in the Spirit this day. Are you in alignment with Him with Lord and the way to begin assessing the process is to examine all compartments of life. In the 21st century, as it was forever, people like to shut this off from God and give that one up…and so on. We either give all up or we are not in full compliance. Start the process now.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Spirit Who abides in us and is the guarantee that we are Yours forever. He is more than our security and reminder that You are God. He is there to guide, teach, convict, reveal and direct our paths in the way we should go. Lord, we also know that He is a gentleman and will not force His way on us, unless we allow Him. You are THAT gracious a God, that You allow us, at the risk to ourselves of being self- focused, to make the choice of how much of the God the Spirit we allow to rule our lives. Father, we aim to be 100% even though we are kidding ourselves and are more like 50% of less. Help us move towards that state of full commitment and begin today, in Jesus’ Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: PURIFY

 "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow….Psalm 51:7

CONSIDER THIS:  Several times in the Bible, the active verb “PURIFY” is used as both a plea (as in the above verse) or as a command (as in, for example, James 4:8). The latter implores us sinners to ensure that we have clean hearts, hands and minds before we present ourselves before the Lord. But the real purifying and cleansing of all the filth, scum, dross and slag of our lives is done by the Cleansing Power of the Blood of the Lamb. This supernatural red Blood from Heaven washes us as white as snow, to prepare us for the Kingdom. This is the general direction of the word. What about the specifics? How can we now apply this principle of purifying to our daily walk?

ACTION: The Action to take right now should lead us to look into the mirror of our soul, to see if we have areas in our lives which need to be exposed and cleaned out. Christians mess up all the time. We are human Do we need to be purged and purified of any shortcoming or sin today? I am sure we do. Confess it, repent, ask forgiveness from God and make it right. Most importantly, surrender each dark corner and crevice to the Lord, that He shine His cleansing light on our spirit-man and woman, and bring us closer to Him.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, We come to the Altar of Heaven and lay our burdens down right now. The burdens can be felt in our life because we have not given every aspect of our life over to You, even though we say we are Your disciples, followers and fully committed to You. We need the cleansing Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ in our lives. We need the Holy Ghost to come into every day corner of our spiritual rooms, chambers, closets, living areas and to first shine the light on our shortcomings, where we miss the mark and to then to let the purifying Power of God, to wash us as white as snow and then keep us that way, even if we may make the same mistake again. May we continue to have those occasions less and less as we grow in sanctification, by putting in the mechanism to reduce the incidence of sin in our lives, in order to grow closer to the praise and glory of Your Kingdom, in Jesus’ Holy Name, amen.

CONSIDER THIS: PRESENCE

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore….Psalm 16:11

CONSIDER THIS:  You know what blows a person away, the very first thing in the morning? It is waking up with the words “Coram Deo” in your mind and spirit after having a vivid dream about those two words several hours before! Coram Deo basically means to live your Christian life or walk IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD! AND you know what? In His Presence – He says in Psalm 16:11 “THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY”!  How do we LIVE in the very Presence of God, while on earth? We make sure we’re first saved. But more importantly, we love Him with every fiber of our being and SEEK HIM daily through prayer, conversation with Him, reading about Him, talking about Him.

ACTION: So today, make a conscious effort to see and lead others to experience His Presence by seasoning at least 30% of your day sharing about the Goodness of God. He loves you, or you would never be allowed in His Presence. So – talk about Him, shout His Name – from the rooftop if you have to! No matter how cold it is outside, if you’re driving to the store or anywhere, look around at the snow covered hills and frozen lakes and plains and marvel that you and I get to literally LIVE in His world and be a part of His Kingdom!! In other words, Love the Lord Your God -> 24/7.

Oh most Wonderful Father in Heaven, to You be all praise, glory, honor, wisdom, majesty and more. You are Sovereign and rule over all. You cause the winds to blow, the climate to change, the world to spin on its axis and the stars to shine by night. Where can I go and You are not there. Lord, on this day, a gift You, in Your loving grace and love for humanity, has given, I choose to love You with all my heart, mind, body and soul. Lord, above all, we who draw closer see things, know things and experience a new birth of freedom in Christ which we could have ever imagined possible, when we first started this journey. So Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing sinners such as I to live in Your Kingdom and delight in the Fullness of Your Presence, for the unspeakable joy that it brings us daily, and may it be so forever more, in Jesus’ Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: PROPITIATION

 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins…." 1 John 4:10

CONSIDER THIS: Propitiation is one BIG word! Also, it is one of the biggest original words in the Bible which is found nowhere else except to refer to this – the satisfactory self-sacrifice of our Loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! In fact, the condition of man was so bad, God the Father had to send God the Son to be the only perfect and acceptable payment for our sins – past, present and future – because that was the only satisfactory way for mankind to reconcile with Him.

ACTION: What are we willing to sacrifice to fulfill our end of this amazing compact/covenant/contract with Holy God? Whatever it is today, it MUST cost us something….because it cost Him EVERYTHING! Our self-check today is to examine the strength of our commitment to walk in the manner worthy of our calling as Christians. If there is something lacking here, let us then resolve to move to repentance and recommitment.

Lord, we are sinners who do not deserve Your Grace. Nothing which we can do, in our vile nature, nothing we can sacrifice come close to being acceptable to redeem us before Your Holy and Majestic Throne. How can the imperfect approach the Perfect. It was only when the Lord Jesus, the Ancient of Days, Who did not consider equality with You a thing to be held on to, stepped of His eternal Throne in Heaven, and willingly gave His Life on the Cross of Calvary as the payment for all sin, past, present and future, that You were satisfied with a Sacrifice for Sin. In this respect, we are to not just honor Christ’s willingly giving the human side of His Life but Your, oh Most High God, willingness to accept it, according to Your pre-ordained plan in Heaven. Thank You, Almighty God. Because of this, we can spend eternity in Your Presence, if Jesus is our Lord and Savior and the One Who stands before You as our daily Advocate, in His Name, amen and amen.

CONSIDER THIS: BOUND

"... for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound….2 Timothy 2:9

CONSIDER THIS: Many things in life can have us bound – both good and bad. The good ones are the ties that bind – love, family…relationships that are healthy and Godly. The ones which do not please God are the by-products of this evil world which can bind us to it: sin, self-gratification and Satan. But Scripture above says “HIS WORD is not bound“. This means the Bible is the opposite of the unlawful, illegal and unprofitable captivity of worldly sin!

ACTION: The question today is – are there any hidden ties which are stringing you along, for which you suffer silently? Well, the good news is that the Sharp Two-Edged sword of the Word of God can cut them right now. Everything we need to guide is in life is written down in the Bible for us. Nothing is stopping us from accessing this Truth.

Heavenly Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, thank You for the Holy Spirit- Your Spirit, Who abides in the very lives of those whom You have sealed until the Day of Redemption. Help us to cut our ties to this world, which violate Your Commands. Help us to strengthen the ties to Your World, Your Kingdom, Your Son, the Savior and to everything good and true and holy. Help us to be found firmly in Your Word, to the praise and Glory of Your Name and to our own edification, in Jesus’ Strong Name amen.

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CONSIDER THIS: BEHOLD

 “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age….Matthew 28:20

CONSIDER THIS: The word “BEHOLD” appears in the Bible (the universally accepted King James…and other versions) over 1320 times! The word means to fix your attention (eyes, mind etc) on something; to fix your eyes upon or to direct your fixed gaze to! The great John the Baptist said “BEHOLD, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world”. The brutal Pontius Pilate said “BEHOLD The Man!” Are you beholding the Man – Christ Jesus today? Is not just your Sunday gaze, but is your Monday-Saturday night gaze, mind, body, soul and every fiber of your being in the manifest presence of Jesus Christ and the Beauty and Majesty of Him Who sits on the Throne?

ACTION: Being in the manifest presence of the Lord – Jesus Christ – is only possible on this side of heaven, if one is filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means only one thing – a person’s sins are forgiven and we are born again. Therefore, since we have the Spirit of Christ in us through being redeemed/saved/rescued by Him, our only way to being found in His image is through knowing Him more and more each day. It is a process, a marathon and something which will take us right up until our final breath. This requires an intentional walk closer and closer to Him through reading and learning the Scriptures – the Bible and through daily prayer and devotion to Him, in thought, word and deed. The task today, if we have completely not gotten in the swing of it, the previous 22 days of the 31 days of Prayer, is to firmly set this goal before us and start moving the very next minute towards it. It is as easy as backing out of the driveway unto the street in the morning. It will require the foot on the gas pedal of active faith, from here on out.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, we pray that You firm up our resolve in this way, that we may not only know that we are saved and a follower of Jesus Christ, but we will know, for certain, that we are walking in His Will, but seeking His Presence in EVERYTHING we do each and every day, no matter how small or large we think the thing is. Lord, help us to be more like Jesus. We love, adore and glorify His Precious and Holy Name, amen and amen.

CONSIDER THIS: DOMINION

 "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace….Romans 6:14

CONSIDER THIS: God gave mankind “dominion” or rule, reign, authority, stewardship etc over creation after the Creation. Adam was allowed to name all animals, birds and such. That divinely-appointed dominion was replaced after Genesis 3 by the dominion of darkness which sin brought into the world, after Adam and Eve sinned again Holy God. Christ defeated the ruler of evil – Satan – on the Cross, yet those who call themselves Christians never fully grasp the true meaning and victory of their redemption. The reason – sin. Until you and I comprehend the TRUE measure of Grace TODAY, we will never gain victory over that which has caused us so much grief.

ACTION: Our Prayer today should lead us to seek to submit to the Spirit’s leading into all discernment and Truth.

Almighty God, King of Heaven and earth, the Lord Jesus – Your Son, reminded us many times in Scripture that He came to do Your Will….that it was not His Will, but that Your Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Lord, we have a problem submitting and surrendering EVERY corner of our lives to You and Your Holy Will for our lives. Today, Lord, may we search our very souls to see if there is something within us, which we are holding back, which right now, right now, in the Name of Jesus, needs to be let go off and given over to You and not reached for again, in Jesus’ Strong and Holy Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: LANGOUROUS

Be diligent and do not be lazy; be enthusiastic in spirit; be working for your Lord….Romans 12:11 (Aramaic Bible…Jesus spoke Aramaic!)

CONSIDER THIS: You almost never see the word “LANGUOROUS” anywhere, but we do what it means. In a land where celebrity, culture and entertainment triumphs uber alles (over all else), the word basically means to be “lying around, chilling (or chillaxing), and just being a leisurely state of mellow…..in a sense, of a little more than usual. For a country that has the well-deserved historical reputation of hard work and enterprise, however, Americans are surprisingly spiritually lazy! Some of it comes from human nature, whereby we feel we gave it all at the “office” so there is nothing left for God…the other part is lack of church leadership, as well as a “entertain me”/entitlement kind of mentality which is now church wide. None is a valid excuse. Spiritual Laziness is a blight on our souls and an unpleasant aroma unto the Lord. Isn’t it time, now, at the start of a brand new year to – CUT IT OUT?!

ACTION: God said “Act like men (and women)….of the Kingdom”! If you and I are serious about obeying God, we will obey these commands with DUE DILIGENCE and with ENTHUSIASM and be found WORKING for Him until we see Him in Glory. Jesus and the Father are constantly working. Less than 1% of Christians can be found even in their own community doing Kingdom work or loving on folks for Jesus. Re-evaluate this week, do a soul check and talk to a busy Christian friend about what you can do to help out.

Father in the Name of Jesus, the Bible tells us to be watchful and be on the alert and other such commands. Your Word tells us to be focused and diligent in seeking the Kingdom. That does not mean we are not supposed to have family and leisure or down time. However, Lord, it does mean, You want us to be mindful of what You consider important so we do not allow the fleshly, soft, comfortable and deceptive things in this world, distract us from what is truly important or capture our hearts so we end up with divided loyalty. Help us this week, the brand new week, to keep our eyes on the Prize, not the devil’s lies and to keep this verse in mind for the rest of this year that “The Eyes of the Lord runneth to and fro across the whole world in search of those whose hearts are loyal to Him”. May we be found in this way, in Jesus’ Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: ARISE

 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you….Ephesians 5:14

CONSIDER THIS: The word ARISE is all about Action. Used 35 times in the Bible, the word “ARISE” explicitly implies forward action with a positive bent. We see natural calamity daily – earthquakes, meteors, storms etc…what would it take for even the elect, who are called by His Name, to shake off the cobwebs from comfort in the church, to rise up and get moving.

ACTION: There is not time to waste. Let us awake from your self-induced sleep-walking through this life and wake up the Spiritually dead NOW. First, let us make sure that WE are in the correct lane and fully aligned with teh Spirit of God. Then, let’s pray for those spiritual lazing around, to get up and do something. Pray for these spiritual couch potatoes to get off the couch of comfort and join us in the marketplace of the Lord’s Work. Amen.

Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, we pray that we do not become so spiritually comfortable that we let our guard down and make ourselves an easy target for the evil one. Father, we pray that Your Spirit continues to pour His amazing power into us, day by day. We pray for many in your church and your body across the world, to join the warriors in the battlefield. Father, we pray for those who sit in the bleachers on the sidelines and do not get on the field. We pray Your mercy grace and longsuffering with them, that You will light a mini fire in their souls, so that a renewed passion will be kindled and all of us will rise up to the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in His Name I pray, amen.

CONSIER THIS: LONGSUFFERING

 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love…Ephesians 4:2

CONSIDER THIS: The word “Longsuffering” is from the original “makrothumia” which really means faithful Godly peace, calm and keeping a Godly head on, while evil abounds all around you. Christians and families who follow the Bible are under attack from governments and society worldwide, including here. It is Sodom and Gomorrah all over again…and again.

ACTION: Still, let’s pray to Abba, OUR Father, even as the scoffers’ father – the devil – is ramping it up in his last days. Let us pray today (and from now on) to stay humble; to stay encouraged because God has elected us and not man; and to stay focused ON ETERNITY WITH HIM. This will give us the endurance…i.e. the “longsuffering” attribute we need today. Finally, let us pray for our persecuted brothers in sisters in China, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and in the Americas.

Oh most Gracious Heavenly Father, in Jesus Precious Name, first of all we thank You that Your patience and love for us is beyond human comprehension as You await Your people coming to their right minds and obeying, walking, trusting and living in Your Word. Lord, we pray for the Hope and encouragement we find through Your Spirit, Your Word and the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for our brothers and sisters and their churches in the persecuted lands who are losing everything, including their lives, for the cause of Christ and worship of the ONLY ONE TRUE GOD IN HEAVEN and Your Son Jesus Christ. Strengthen these persecuted brethren against their enemies who are also enemies of the Risen Savior. Bless Your church across the world and in this country, that we may stand for Truth and Righteousness in Love, Faith, Humility and Power in Jesus’ Strong and Holy Name, amen.

CONSIDER THIS: LIBERTY

 "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery….Galatians 5:1.

CONSIDER THIS: No matter how many times, or to how many generations the concept of GRACE – the free unmerited favor and Gift of God – is explained, fleshly humans think THEY have not just the answers but the means to acquiring their own redemption or salvation! Because of this, they put themselves back under the bondage of Judgment by the Law!

ACTION: Hence, today, if you hear His Voice, repent and turn from your sins. Then, like a little child would, ask forgiveness….all the while both pleading and praising Him, that He gave you ALL – He gave you complete, unfettered Liberty and Freedom through Christ Jesus, the Lord!

Father thank You, thank You so very much for saving me from the bondage of sin which kept me away from You and my eternal destiny, until I encountered the liberating Truth of the Gospel. Praise the Great Name of the Lord, Who came to set the captives free, of whom I am one. I am eternally grateful that You pursued, rescued and personally grabbed me from the fiery pit, set my feet upon the rock and put a NEW song in my mouth, a hymn of Praise to our God. Bless Your Holy Name and hallelujah, praise You forever, Lord, in Jesus Holy Name, amen.

CONSIDER THIS: LEADERSHIP

 "Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…Matthew 20: 25-26

CONSIDER THIS: The model of leadership has been set for us by God Himself, when He gave up the eternal throne and poured Himself out, then lowered Himself to be born as a man. This is the epitome of Servant Leadership. Fast forward to today….for some reason, some of Christ’s under-shepherds, ministers and just plain Christians prefer to be served, in the modern church today….thereby seeing things differently than our Boss Jesus (in the above verse).

ACTION: The plan for today is to really search our own hearts and minds to see #1. if we even deserved the Blessings He has given us (NO, we don’t) and then, #2. why aren’t we then humble and obedient to be His True Servant as He stated? Contemplate this for the next several days and then journal your response by studying the Foot-washing Technique of the Lord Jesus and why He did what He did here.

Oh Most Gracious and Heavenly Father, we thank You for the Grace which sent Jesus to be our perfect model of excellence in Character, Humility, Love and Leadership. Help us to understand that to be like Christ is first of all to follow Him in obedience, submission and commitment to YOUR WILL, YOUR WAY and YOUR WISDOM….and not the wisdom of the world, which leadeth to destruction. Lord, help us to see this truth and to begin to readjust our focus from navel-gazing to Kingdom minded, in Jesus’ Strong Name amen.

CONSIDER THIS: LIFE

 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live….Deuteronomy 30:19

CONSIDER THIS: Within a 6 month period in 2012-13, two young women in their twenties, passed during an abortion – in Chicago and Maryland clinics respectively. It was obvious they did not choose wisely, as God told us to, through the Prophet Moses. Most of us will never go the route of these two unfortunate women, but we can still mess things up. We have the power with us to choose one or the other. Let us resolve to always promote the Cause of Life, as if it is second nature.

ACTION: Each January is Pro-Life month. The Sonogram machine has become the greatest friend to those who support the life of babies in the womb, from conception to birth and beyond. This month, let us pray for all those who have labored in the Cause of Life, from 1973 to present. Let us pray for the Crisis Pregnancy centers and all who mistakenly think that aborting that child is the best for them. They do not consider the consequences on their bodies and souls, years after that critical choice.

Our Father, You are the Author of Life, Who giveth breath and created every living thing. Father, for all the sixty plus million babies whose lives were sacrificed since 1973, and now inhabit an area around Your Throne in Heaven. Lord we pray for those who still labor in the fields of promoting the cause of Life and especially those who are on the frontlines in hospitals and crisis pregnancy centers and elsewhere, where the new technology of high definition sonograms leave no doubt that what was conceived is undoubtedly a living, breathing human life. Lord, when prospective mothers see that beautiful child, many change their minds and proceed to give birth rather than the alternative. Lord, just like how You change the hearts of those whom You call to repentance and salvation, we pray that not just technology, but that the Spirit of God will move in the hearts of more and more folks, so that eyes may be open, and an increasingly pro-life world will emerge. We ask all of this, in the Name of the Way, the Truth and the Life – the Lord Jesus, amen and amen.