Passion Week -- Holy Monday

At this time in March, last year, I was inquiring about a Holy Lands trip. The "inquiring" became a PASSIONATE “YES, I'm going!" and soon I made my full payment for the trip. That full payment changed my life forever. I was THERE where my Lord walked, taught, healed and most importantly became my Savior. He made full payment for me by sacrificing His life on Calvary. I believed that with all my heart, and I gave Him my heart when I was 8 years ago. He paid my debt that He did not even owe.

Passion: strong and barely controllable emotion; the suffering and death of Jesus.The focus of Passion Week is the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and the events that led up to it.

The first day of my arrival to Israel, I posted this: "I walked today where Jesus walked and felt Him close to me". That trip created a real, live and in color “YOU ARE THERE” moments to that song “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” I believe I was there, because Jesus had you AND me in mind as He hung on the cross. From the moment I sat foot in Israel, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and awe that I was treading on the land of my Lord. My PASSION for Jesus was so enriched as I witnessed, through many tears, the awe-inspiring scenery and landscapes, breathtaking seas, opulent churches and holy sites where He had been. I know I didn’t have to go to Israel to know He lives in me, but there I felt a tangible connection with those women at His tomb -- "I know He lives!" My spiritual eyes saw Him there, but even better, I see Him every day, right here in Frisco, TX or wherever I am – in His creation, in His Word, in YOU. Holy Week, also known as Passion Week will never be the same for me.

Today is Holy Monday of Holy Week. At the heart of our faith is the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This week, I'll be purposely posting to remind us of what this week looked like. We’ve read those stories in the Bible and. we’ve heard many sermons and messages about the events, but have we sincerely pondered and noticed ALL that Jesus accomplished in this one week? He was on purpose with every act, healing, and teaching. If we knew it was our final week of life, wouldn’t we be taking care of “loose ends”, giving family and friends some of our wisdom from life, encouraging and giving clear thought-out messages to encourage them to carry on? If He knew He would soon lay down His life for us, then wouldn’t He make sure that everything He did was for our good to be used as visual references for us to follow?

Holy Week began yesterday, Palm Sunday, when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, with crowds cheering for Him, but He already knew it would be the toughest week of His 33 years of life -- when the cheering crowds became jeering crowds.

According to Matthew 21, Mark 11 and Luke 19, Jesus had gone to Bethany and returned to Jerusalem today. Imagine his thoughts about what He was about to face and then, casually coming upon the shameful practices at the Temple. Greed had altered the character of the Temple. He was so passionate about His Father’s House of Prayer being abused. Cleansing the Temple was a scene of chaos, but those who had needs knew what the Temple was for. First, the blind and lame came when they heard Jesus was in the Temple. As the children saw Jesus standing there and teaching, they began to shout again, “Hosanna, to the Son of David.”

I mentioned about my Holy Lands trip and the full payment I made to ensure my trip was “locked and loaded”. I think about the full payment Christ made for you and me. “He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. Now I sing a brand new song “Amazing Grace”. Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”

I pray that my words awaken you with the desire to consider Christ’s journey to Calvary throughout this week and mostly, I pray you open your heart and mind to THE ONE – who loved you enough to give His all for you. On this Holy Monday, He cleansed the temple. I pray that He cleanses and purifies our hearts and minds so that we are more like Him – in our thoughts, our words and our actions.

And They Lived Happily Ever After

I don't like movies that leave you hanging, or have a disappointing ending. I LOVE the happy ending ones! I'm quite sure that the movie my Life Group and I are going to see tonight will have a happy, encouraging and uplifting ending. We're going to see "Miracles From Heaven". I'll give you a movie review tomorrow!

Speaking of endings…..this is Tuesday of Holy Week aka Passion Week – when we journey toward the ending of Jesus' life on this earth. We're moving toward Holy Thursday (the Passover, Last Supper, Jesus washing his disciples feet) and then on to Good Friday, when He was tortured, suffered and died). As despicable as it was……we can still REJOICE. It's really good news! We know the end of the "movie". Our Champion, Jesus Christ wins on Resurrection Sunday aka Easter……so, we win!

Right now, life may be tough for you. You might have some health issues, or experienced the recent loss of a loved one. There may be strife in your marriage. You might not have enough money to make ends meet. But, DON"T lose hope! Just when you think the "movie" could get no worse, our Champion will be there because HE LIVES!

And in the end, we win in a big way. There will be no more tears. No more mourning, or pain or even death, but life eternal. Everlasting. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah destroys the enemy once and for all. Just hang on. The end of the "movie" -- the last chapter recorded for all to read is such a "and they lived happily ever after" ending. No, actually, it is THE BEGINNING! God wins and those who love and believe in Him will live with Him forevermore! Oh Happy Day!

Holy Week -- a Time for Remembering

Just look at those amazing signs of Spring that celebrate this marvelous Holy Week aka Passion Week, the week just before Easter. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the sacred day that commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where He rode into town on a donkey as crowds of people joyfully lauded him and spread out palm branches in his path to honor his kingship. Unfortunately, those same crowds would, later in this same week, cry out “Crucify Him!” This is the week of remembering His love and great sacrifice for you and me.

On Palm Sunday, our congregation, symbolic of those crowds in Jerusalem, meets together in our Fellowship Hall and then we all process into the sanctuary carrying our palm branches as we sing praises to our Lord. This day marked the start of Christ's journey to the cross, and ultimately, His glorious resurrection. The very least we can do this week, in the midst of our daily activities, routines and responsibilities, is to make room for the magnitude of what this week means to us.

We ponder with heart-felt gratitude He Who knew no sin, He Who loved so unconditionally, He who paid the price for our salvation and enable us to live a life of abundance, and He Who offers live-everlasting to each of us. Over 2000 years ago, He went the distance and finished what His Father set out for Him to do. His arms are still open wide for us to come to Him, to know Him, to receive Him and for us to live our lives in honor of such great sacrifice.

I snapped these photos as I left Inverness Village where a dear friend is in Skilled Nursing care there. I took her one of the palm branches from the service earlier, and I also took her communion. She cried when she saw the palm branch. I cried with her. Though she couldn’t be at the service, she remembered what this day meant, and humbly, she embraced receiving the Body of Christ in communion. As I left her and witnessed the beauty of this Spring day that represents newness of life, I also rejoiced because of such love from my Savior. Our Lord is no longer riding a donkey facing a horrific death. He is our risen Lord and Savior, soon coming on a white horse as our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:11-16).

"You were worth dying for." -- Jesus