Daily and Weekly Christian Inspiration
Having just returned from Israel I can testify HE IS RISEN! I have visited the tomb in the garden of the home of Joseph of Arimathea and praise the Lord I can tell you
IT IS EMTPTY!!!
We do not have to see to believe but it was an inspiring and awesome experience to visit that empty tomb.
John 20 :29 ….blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Join in anthem with all the saints throughout the world declaring this Easter Sunday
“HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!”
In the book of Genesis we read of Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac, his son of promise on the altar, if God required it of him. There follows I believe one of the clearest words of prophecy in all of Scripture looking forward to Calvary.
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide HIMSELF a lamb for a burnt offering.
Not only was God going to provide a lamb, He was going to provide HIMSELF as that Lamb.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.
Yes, there was a lamb that day provided to take the place of Isaac BUT what is more important to you and me today is there was a Lamb that was provided to take our place.
Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Genesis 22:11 Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place JEHOVAH JIREH
For further study during your Easter devotion time I Invite you to watch my short video on the fulfillment of the many prophetic types of Our Passover Lamb.
This coming week between Palm Sunday and Easter morning is known as Holy Week.
The most somber and reflective week on the church calendar. Perhaps the only time, during the year, that as believers we actually reflect on the awesome cost of our redemption.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1: 18-19 18
Surely we should all ask God, especially during this holy week, to take us back to the place where we first believed, to the foot of the cross. To the place where we can identify with His sufferings that we might be partakers of His resurrection.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1Peter 4:12-13
He was betrayed by a kiss, humiliated, spat upon, mocked, abandoned, not believed, wept in the Garden in prayer until he sweat blood, denied, lashed until He was almost dead, nailed to a cross which He had to carry, forsaken by His Father because He became sin for us, yet while hanging in excruciating pain between heaven and earth, He could cry out “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”
Are we willing to count and pay the cost to be His disciple? As we are admonished in Luke 14:27 “Whoever doth not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple” We must be willing to take up our cross daily and die to self if resurrection power is to flow through our lives.
The level of our meditative reflection during this holy week, will determine and intensify the fullness of our joy come Sunday morning when the stone is rolled away to reveal an empty tomb. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!
Today we had our beautiful marble foyer, which we thought was indestructible, torn up due to some visible cracks, but to our shock the foundational wood flooring underneath was rotten and collapsing right at the entrance to our home.
God used this as a window to my soul! How often do our lives look so beautiful and solid like this marble on the surface, until a few cracks right at the entrance of our conscience begin to surface? These cracks are a warning to dig deeper in our souls lest we also might find our foundation collapsing under the surface.
1 Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Dear Child,
Entering My presence with thanksgiving will build the faith you need to present your requests before Me, and without that faith it is impossible to please Me.
Without thanksgiving you will not have that ever increasing faith to believe that I am a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me.
Because thanksgiving brings to remembrance My faithfulness in the past and feeds your faith.
But ingratitude produces a complaining heart drowned in self-pity which will quench your faith.
An unthankful heart will be excluded from My presence.
In My presence is joy unspeakable and full of glory, a place you can only enter through the gate of thanksgiving! Child, be thankful!
Thus saith Papa
My Jehovah Jireh
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.
Counting our blessings and remembering His goodness and faithfulness in the past feeds and nourishes our faith BUT being ungrateful and complaining will quench our faith and gratify the weeds that the enemy has sown.
An attitude of praise is the result of a thankful heart.
Praise and thanksgiving are like Siamese twins i.e. they are inseparable.
Without thanksgiving we haven’t even entered the gate. Yet so often we try to offer praise in His court, and yet still find ourselves coldly on the outside. The only way into the warmth His presence is through the Gate of Thanksgiving.
So often we come to church with a heavy heart because of circumstances. But if only we would spend a few moments reflecting as we declare “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11 it would give us an appreciative and thankful heart and our attitude would change, preparing us to enter the gate and into His courts with praise. As the Word tells us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”Isaiah.61:3.
Please note that I did not say our circumstances would necessarily change, I said our attitude to the circumstances would change. We will no longer be under the circumstances because our sacrifice of praise will raise us above those circumstances, and we will find ourselves spiritually seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Then in His timing we will see victory because He can work with those who praise Him. A grateful heart is a soft, pliable heart in the loving hands of the Master Potter. But hearts become cold and hardened when we murmur and complain.
Yes, it is hard when we are burdened and we just don’t feel like praising God.
But isn’t that what a sacrifice is all about? Something that is costing you! What is the cost? An act of our will to choose to offer Him a sacrifice of praise even when we don’t understand the “whys?” We are actually saying with that praise, “ God, I don’t know the future but I do believe that you hold my future and I trust you with the outcome.” We call that faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him.
CHALLENGE: May we all grow to the stature of the faith of Job who declared “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:” Job 13:15
Page 141 “DEVELOPING A SECRET HISTORY WITH GOD”
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