“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
— Robert F. Kennedy
As a Christian I am always critical on myself. I am constantly making mistakes, regretting actions and promising never to do that again while constantly failing. I am hoping this blog will develop into an encouragement for others to let them know they are not alone in this crazy messed up world. We are one family in Christ. We may be nuts at times but if we constantly pray into the Fruit of the Spirit and encourage each other we may just see our family grow and exciting things happen.
The earth quakes The stone rolled away Guards on the floor He is not here says the voice Just go and see Grave clothes folded Joy in their hearts
Oh what a day The ultimate u-turn Grieving to jubilation For Jesus is alive He said he is going ahead to Galilee You will see him there How fast did your disciples run to get to you there
Prophesies fulfilled Evil did not win the day For death had to happen To set us free For we were dead to sin But Jesus cancelled our every debt So we can live with him
What a glorious day The ultimate price paid for us Because he loves us so No more tears No more death We live alive & free In Jesus victory
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Matthew 28:1-15 ESV
Did the disciples stay together The first Easter Saturday Hands in heads Stunned by all There master gone Dead Betrayed by one of their own Things spiraled out of control so quickly Dark forces messing with their heads
Why were the chief priests so scared A dead imposter needed a guard A stone barely moveable A man never to escape Seconds thoughts Guilt The magnitude of their mistake Burning on their hearts Was this jealousy or hate or prophecy coming true
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Matthew 27:62-66
Good Friday. The day every one that doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus asks what is so good about it? Stick around there are a few days left of the story.
The crowd that was cheering Only days ago Singing Hosanna Now are jeering Scoffing, mocking Calling for your death
Crucify they say Stirred up by the priests Oh what a threat You were to their lives They didn't care about God Just putting on a show
My voice of sin Is in the mocking crowd Do you look me in the eye As you pause with your heavy load I cannot watch this horrid scene And run to hide at home
As the day went black The sun disappeared It is finished your final breath As the tears from loved ones flow The curtain torn in two No more barriers between us
The toughest soldiers of them all Stirred, touched, amazed Surely this was the son of God Uttered from his lips Buried in a cave The stone to seal your grave
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:33-41 ESV
Maundy Thursday. Life is about to take a dramatic turn. From Hosanna’s on Sunday the Pharisee & Sadducee about to get their way.
The darkness surrounding They come with the guards An army at night Betrayed by a kiss From one of the twelve
It seems like the night Belongs to another The evil one unleashed His army of fear Spreading in the dark
Diversion & desertion Scattering believers Your alone in the darkness Still showing compassion Saying that this must happen
In front of the priests Accused,spat on Mocked by the ones Who know the word Not wanting to give up their power
Things will get worse As they get Herod & Pilate To do their dirty work The so called Pharisees Becoming the unholy of holy
The hour looks dark The outcome bleak Taking each day at a time It's hard to see the plan unfolding The ultimate sacrifice
In all the dark and chaos it is hard to see God’s plan. The darkest day yet to come, but hang on in there, the best is still to come.
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.'” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:43-72 ESV
Not sure about this part of the story. But Judas played his part. Betraying a friend. If only he knew and understood the truth. The day before it gets bad….
Why did you do it Did you not understand Really truly believe Understand your scriptures
Did you just want to be rich That can't be the case For you returned the money When it was too late
Did you just want to be free To see the Romans flee Were you looking for a solider Fighting to free you from tyranny
Did Satan just take over Or was he always there Whispering, deceiving you Just to get what he wanted
You know it wasn't worth it You questioned what you did By then it was too late You departed with your life
What are you worshipping or wanting out of life?
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Mark 14:10-11 NIV
The tree once so green Leafy and showy But producing no fruit Now stands withered Dried up,dead
Our lives can be a show Saying the right thing With our stage make up on Smiling and laughing Looking wonderful
Shakespeare can be jealous Of your show so bold But if underneath There is no fruit Your dry & brittle bones
So do not let your roots dry up Or let your soul become withered Drink & feed from the source Producing fruit all year round Tasty, good & honest
Feed your roots Have no doubt or fear Because God listens to every prayer Blessing the roots of all his people Giving them fruit to share
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. Mark 11:12-14 NIV
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:20-25
Jesus goes to the temple overturns tables and cleanses the building. In the background the chief priests and scribes hear the message and are seeking a way to kill him.
Dear Jesus, If my body is a temple to your Holy Spirit, please let me treat it that way. Clear everything from my being that is not of you. Overturn the tables of greed, anger,hatred, bitterness, jealously and envy that live inside me. Clear out all unforgiveness, selfishness and pride. Cleanse me as you cleansed the temple, in your last few days before your death & resurrection. Put my sights, mind, heart and being on you Jesus & nothing else. Let me be a house of prayer to you. Showing love, compassion to all I know and meet. Thank you Jesus for all you did for me and everyone the first ever Easter and always. Keep us in your armour. Amen.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Where did the crowd come from The day Jesus entered Jerusalem Back in the day There were no flashmobs Putting on a display No insta,Twitter or Facebook To check yourself into No tabloids or TV commercials To advertise the event Or any agent to take their cut From promoting you as their star
Did the crowd follow you from Bethany Where you did the impossible Raising your friend from the dead No tricks or magic involved No mistaking after 4 days Lazarus was dead Jesus spoke his words Lazarus was alive again Mouths wide open in surprise Tears of joy Astonishment to all those watching on
The crowd spreading the news All the good that Jesus did All the way to Jerusalem Stirring up all they met Breaking off branches Laying down coats For the king of kings Shouting Hosanna As he passes on his colt The party erupting along the way As the east gate he enters in
The crowd on this day With celebrations erupting Upsetting the priest's Looking on from the back Sneering plotting planning Quietly letting the party swing Getting ready to crash the mood As the week goes on Giving Jesus his moment Not wanting to be the party pooper That comes later on
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just 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 doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Mark 11:1-11 NIV
If COVID wasn’t enough to deal with. The world seems little of kilter once more. There appears to be diversion and judgement. Relationships tested and Racisim yet again rearing its ugly head. This doesn’t even touch on poverty and sickness.
I was wondering how to respond to this and this is what I came up with.
A heart like Jesus
Where do we get a heart like Jesus One truly of love & peace Forgiveness & patience A heart that never judges Leaves opinions Thoughts and views One that truly accepts We are who we are Whatever the difference Whatever the hurt A heart that restores relationships Building and not dividing Never blames Only loves What ever the cost To have a heart like Jesus
The prompt word for #rethinkcreativelentchallenge today is Bless
Lord Jesus Bless me today Refreshing me with your spirit Letting rain drops of heaven refresh this soul Pour out your peace Let me drink of your cup Refreshing water of life Seeping into my soul Change me and renew me Teach me to love like you Blessing others on this journey of life Feeling your presence as I go AMEN
