I will be out of town for the next 5 weeks. My original plan was to finish the upcoming House Church Seminar for Laypeople in Jacksonville, go to San Diego for the House Church Conference for Pastors, come back to Houston and preach on Sunday, and then depart for Korea on Sunday afternoon. But I could not get a ticket to LA, where Korean Air Line flights depart. The only ticket available on that day was for a flight departing in the morning. If I take that flight, I can't preach on Sunday morning, so there is no point in coming back to Houston. So I decided to go to Korea ...
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Day 5: Crucifixion and the Death of Jesus
Read: Mt. 27:27-56; Mk. 15:16-41; Lk. 23:26-49; Jn. 19:17-30.
Last Seven Statements of Jesus from the Cross
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
“Dear woman, here is your son,”
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“…so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ ”
Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” ...
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Day 4: The Betrayal
Read: Mt. 26:17-35; Mk. 14:12-25; Lk. 22:7-20; Jn. 13:1-38.
Living to treasure the glory of God in our hearts in order to risk our lives for the joy of others is the most worthy cause for our existence. But, the fundamental problem of a man is that the heart is twisted by the affection for the flesh. When our affection for life is satisfied by anything less than the glory of God, we are in danger of betraying the glorious splendor of His majesty. We are twisted and wicked when we become passively or intentionally become disinterested in the worship of ...
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Day 3: A Conspiracy Against Jesus
Read: Mt. 26:14-16; Mk. 14:10-11; Lk. 22:3-6.
Have we abandoned Jesus when He would suffer the most for us? To abandon a friendship is to thrust a dagger into the ribs and vanish. Judas was from the tribe of Judah, the same tribe of Jesus. Also, Judas was the treasurer of the group, the most trusted one, yet he betrayed the Savior. Also, Peter proclaimed, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away” (Matt 26:33). Yet, he denied the Lord three times. Max Lucado said, “Peter was loyal from a distance. He ...
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Although not as frequently as before (especially our first year of marriage), Gina and I still occasionally have arguments with each other. They are more arguments than all-out fights these days, but we still deal with them here and there. What I am slowly learning from our arguments is this: there are always two sides to an argument, and it is crucial that I really try to understand her side before I react. This takes time, patience, and humility – three things that I do not always have.
The same goes for you and your parent(s). It may not even be arguments – ...
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Day 2: The Question of Authority
Read: Mt. 21:23-27; Mk. 11:27-33; Lk. 20:1-8.
The chief priest and the elders challenged the authority of Jesus for doing “these things”: cleansing of the temple, miraculous healings, and teachings. They attempted to trap Jesus in His word to prove Him to be a false prophet. They asked, “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
Jesus answered their question by replying with a question designed to catch the interrogators in their own inconsistency. Paul said we were dead ...
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Day 1: A Monday House Cleaning
Read: Mt. 21:12-13; Mk. 11:15-18.
As the disciples were walking into the Temple, they were impressed with the building (Mk. 13:1). However, Jesus was furious over the scam that was being done on the holy ground through money-exchanging and livestock dealings. According to Paul, we are the Temple of the living God. Thus, we must allow God to do a house cleaning of our hearts.
I believe when we deeply search our hearts we will not only unmask but also clearly see the spiritual disorder. Psalmist said, “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine ...
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