Maundy (Holy) Thursday

The Last Supper is depressing if you think about it. It’s Jesus’s last meal before his crucifixion that he shares with his twelve disciples. In Matthew 26:26-29, Matthew describes the feast.

 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”” 

The feast of Passover is full of significance for the Christian faith. In this verse, Jesus tells his disciples to eat  bread and drink wine that symbolize his body and blood. If you ask me, it sounds a little like cannibalism. No one wants to think when they are taking communion that they are eating the flesh of man. But what makes Jesus’s flesh different from all other men’s? It is holy. Don’t worry, we don’t actually eat his body and blood during communion. It’s all symbolic.

So what’s the symbolism? Well, when we take communion, we are taking his body and blood so we are forgiven for our sins. This is why communion is such a big deal. It shouldn’t just be snack time during church, although the bread is pretty good, it should be a time of deep connection with the Lord. He is allowing us to be saved by taking the bread and wine that he has blessed.

Let’s connect this to our daily life. Okay, I know humans love their food, especially Americans. We have innumerable amounts of restaurants. It’s sad to say this, but sometimes the highlight of our day has to do with food. Don’t get me wrong, I love good food, especially sweets, but we need to think about why the Lord has given us food. He gave it to us to keep us living. Not everyone in this world is as fortunate as us to eat. I was talking to someone the other day who shared with me that when he was younger, he rarely had dinner. This guy grew up in a city and went to a good school. You never would have thought his mother couldn’t afford meals for him.

We are blessed with nourishment to the body. The least we can do is honor the Lord while we receive this blessing. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 11: 27-29.

” Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 

We shouldn’t eat or drink in an unworthy manner. If we do, we are dishonoring the Lord by taking his blessing for granted. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine so they could be saved from their sins. The Lord has given us food and drink on this earth for the same reason.

Challenge:

When you eat today, think about what it truly means. Don’t take the food for granted. Tomorrow, Jesus dies for our sins. We should honor him today while we eat by blessing the food and eating and drinking to glorify God.

Look back over these verses and think about what they mean to you. I suggest memorizing this verse:

1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

 

 

Feet Washing

Holy Week is a time of repentance and guilt until we are set free Easter Sunday. As for now, let’s focus on selflessness. Have you ever heard of a king who washes his followers feet besides Jesus? Before the Feast of Passover, Jesus took the time to wash his disciples feet individually, even when he knew one of them would abandon him. He dives on into the meaning of humbleness in John 13: 12-17. Take a look at this story. 

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13: 12-17 )

Would you ever wash the feet of a homeless person? I don’t think I would. I’m not saying you should either. The Lord tells us in this passage that you are no better than any other person on this earth no matter who they are. That’s some powerful stuff right there. 

Jesus tells his disciples that he has given them an example, an example on how to live. He tells them “you also should do just as I have done to you”. What has Jesus done for you? The list of gifts Jesus has given us goes on and on. Now, would you do any of that for someone who betrays you? 

Although he knew that Peter would forsake him, Jesus continues to wash his feet.  Throughout our life, each one of us forsakes Jesus. Even though we love Him, we neglect His example of putting others before ourselves. It’s easy for us humans to think highly of ourselves. Whenever you get a good grade or play well in a game, it’s hard not to think you are better than the person who didn’t. However, we must remember not to use our strengths to make others look weak, but use them to glorify God.

Another thing to keep in mind is just because someone doesn’t follow the Law of the Lord doesn’t mean they are less than you. A way to respond to their actions is by leading by the example of Christ. It’s not possible for us to follow The Law all of the time. That is why Jesus died for us. Remember today that Jesus humbled himself by dying for us. He gave everything He had to make sure that we are saved. 

 Challenge:

As we are getting closer to Good Friday, lets try to serve one another as Christ has served you. No, you don’t have to wash your friend’s feet, but do something that glorifies the Lord. Get the mail for your old next door neighbor. Give a smile to someone who hasn’t always been kind to you. Jesus served us knowing we’d betray him. The least we can do is serve one another. 

The Word:

Ephesians 6:5-7: “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of pleasing men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men”

Palm Sunday

By: Elle Smith

It’s Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week! Wait, what is Palm Sunday again? Well, I was asking myself the same thing earlier this morning so I looked it up. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter to honor Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem. According to John,  “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)

These people coming out to bless the Lord had seen him do miracles. They are running out into the streets exclaiming their praise for Jesus with palms. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t see people running down the streets this morning shouting “Hosanna!” or waving palm trees around. You’re probably thinking, Elle, it’s modern times sweetie. People of this age don’t do that. And guess what? You’re right. People in today’s world don’t go parading through the streets showing their praise for Jesus.

Just because you don’t go fanning branches of palm trees around doesn’t mean you can’t praise Jesus today. In fact, you can praise the Lord in so many ways without being like the people of Jerusalem. Since Holy Week has just begun, I think it’s imperative that we praise Jesus everyday this week like never before. He deserves our praise this week more than ever because He is about to go die for us. If one of your friends was about to give their life for you, wouldn’t you praise them in every way possible?

Praising Jesus could look like a lot of things. It can be as simple as getting enough courage to sing at a church service to leading a prayer before a big game. You can also praise Jesus by leading by example. In every situation this week, stop and think, what would Jesus do? I know. It’s kind of cliche, but it’s a good thing to think before you do something you’ll regret.

Take a look at this text from the Bible: “So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” (John 12:19) I challenge you this week to go after Christ. No matter where you stand in your faith with Jesus now, by the end of the week, I hope you’ll find yourself in a deeper relationship with Him. Evil gains nothing when the world chases Jesus.

Holy Week Challenge: 

Find a different way of praising Christ this week and do it everyday. If you’re stuck on what to do, here are some examples: 1) Thank Jesus after something good happens to you 2) Pray right when you wake up  3) Memorize scripture–look below for some suggestions

The list goes on and on. Pick something that you usually don’t do. I’m sure Jesus will appreciate it.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for another day on this Earth. You deserve much more praise than I offer to You. Help me this week dive deeper into my relationship with You. Let me praise your Name with everything I do. Amen. 

Suggested Scripture Reading for Holy Week:

Mark 11-16

Suggested Scripture to Memorize: http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2011/01/50-most-important-bible-verses-to/

He is Holy

As we venture into Holy Week, we need to decide what the word “holy” means to us. In church, the preacher always talks about how holy Jesus is. During worship, we sing songs with lyrics like “worship his holy name”. But have we ever sat back and thought about what holy means?

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, holy means “exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness”. To me, that definition is the epitome of holy. When you think about Jesus, do you consider him as “perfect in goodness and righteousness”? Well if you don’t, you probably should get on that. He is perfect. No one else is. That is why He is worthy of complete devotion. 

Let me ask you a question. Do you completely devote your life to God? Be honest with yourself. As hard as it is to admit, I don’t. I wish I did. As humans though, it’s hard to give over our lives because we are all self-centered.

Imagine a world with no one on it but you. You are all alone. You have no one to talk to or interact with. I would go crazy with boredom. Now picture a world with just you and Jesus. He is the only one you can talk to or interact with. Think about what’d you ask him. Y’all become best friends. Then he says to you, “give me your life”. You think, woah there, Jesus, no one said anything about giving up my life. He can tell you are a little frazzled and says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

What would you do if Jesus was looking you in the eye and said this to you?

I know it’s challenging to let go of all of the earthly desires. I personally struggle with it every single day. But when you are tempted to choose the desires of this world over Christ, think about how much greater Jesus is.

The Challenge:

Read this verse. Write it down. Think about what it means.

Romans 12:1-2: “So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. 2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. “

Jesus died for you. Did I mention He got nailed to a cross for you? And guess what? He volunteered. I bet you no other person you know would do this for you. Let God shape you. Let Him define you. Don’t try to please the people of this world because it’s just too hard. Not everyone on this earth is going to love you, but God will always love you unconditionally.

Prayer:

Lord, let me give my life completely to You. Help me let go of all earthly desires. Let everything I do be pleasing to You. Help me trust that You will give me everything I need to carry on in this life. Most of all, help me glorify your Holy name. Amen. 

Spread His Word

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

Read this verse. Read it again. Read it until it really strikes something in you. To be honest, after I read this verse, I felt a loss of empowerment. What I love to do is spread God’s word, but this verse made it seem like I was a little compared to the Lord. And you know what? I am. The Lord is mighty and holy. No one on this earth can even compare to Him. 

God chooses people in this world to spread His teachings. He chose Paul in the verse above, He chose me to write this blog, and He’s choosing you to do share His glory too. You might wonder, Well, I have no clue what I should do to spread His word. That’s alright if you feel this way. I did too for a while. 

We are going to do an exercise. Think of your three favorite hobbies. It can be anything from playing soccer to baking cupcakes. Mine were writing, baking, and photography. Now, within those hobbies, think of something you could do with them to glorify God. If you’re on a sports team, always have a positive attitude and make sure everyone on the team is included. If you love to bake, bake food for friends going through a hard time. If you love art, make art that reflects the Lord’s beauty in this world. Oh, I can’t forget about the hobby of social media. If you love Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, you name it, post Bible verses or experiences you’ve had with God to show others how great He is. 

Something that I find hard with all of this is staying humble. I’ll admit, sometimes I feel like I’m better than others because I’m doing something for God’s glory and the person next to me isn’t. If you find this hard too, it’s okay. Just remember that it’s the Lord working through you and not yourself. That’s kind of cool to think about. The most powerful thing in the universe is shining through you. 

Challenge: 

I challenge you this week to start spreading God’s word in simple ways. Take one of your favorite hobbies and use it to glorify the Lord. 

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, 

Open my heart so I will let You shine Your light through me today. Let me spread Your word not to glorify myself, but to glorify You. Amen. 

**This post was inspired by http://shereadstruth.com/2014/04/11/shesharestruth-1-corinthians-21-5/ 

Go to the website above to get more daily inspiration from #SheReadsTruth

 

Blessed with Sight

Photo: Deer Valley, Utah

Can you believe this sight? It sure took my breath away when I saw this. Let me ask you something. What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you see a sight like this? What I thought was, “Wow, God is good.” Then, I hurried and took a picture before the sun set behind the mountains.

Now close your eyes for a second. What if when you opened them everything was suddenly dark? Could you imagine not being able to see? You wouldn’t be able to see where you were going, what anyone looked like, and any gorgeous view like this one. Oh, and don’t forget that you wouldn’t be able to read this either. Let that sink in for a minute.

Life rushes past all of us and we all rush through life. No human on this earth stops and stares at every little detail in their day in awe of what God has done. I’m not saying that anyone should do that, but I’m saying we need to slow down and look at our blessings.

God has given each of us the ability to see. He didn’t give everyone on earth the ability to see, but he gave each of you reading this it. Do you ever think about why He made a person blind and not you? Each of us have been blessed with an incredible gift, but none of us ever look at it that way.

Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.”  

What part of that verse stuck with you the most? For me, it was “gaze upon the beauty of the LORD”. I don’t know about you, but those mountains in that picture look like the Lord’s beauty to me. The Lord has blessed you with sight because He wants you to see what beauty He has created. He begs you to let Him in so He can create that same beauty in you. I’m not saying God will make you more physically attractive or anything like that. What I’m saying is, He will shine His light through you so you can glorify Him. 

 

The 3 Part Challenge:

1) Write down 5 things that you always take for granted.

2) Over the next couple days, stop and stare in awe at the beauty the Lord has created on this earth. Whether it’s two little kids eating ice cream or a beautiful sunset in the park, give thanks to God for the beauty He has made.

3) Pray this verse to the Lord today:

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” –Psalm 119:18

Keep your eyes wide open as you read scripture. You’d be amazed at what you can get out of it.