Historically, Palm Sunday is a day of great celebration. We associate the day with Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as a king, with people waving palm branches in His honor and shouting Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! As you know the Gospel story takes a drastic turn during the week and the great proclamation and expectations on Sunday, changed to “crucify him” on Friday. What a sobering reminder of what can happen to people when you raise their expectations of triumph at the beginning of a week, and by the end of the week their hopes have been destroyed.
Historically, Palm Sunday is a day of great celebration. We associate the day with Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as a king, with people waving palm branches in His honor and shouting Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! As you know the Gospel story takes a drastic turn during the week and the great proclamation and expectations on Sunday, changed to “crucify him” on Friday. What a sobering reminder of what can happen to people when you raise their expectations of triumph at the beginning of a week, and by the end of the week their hopes have been destroyed.
The hope that Followers of Christ have, is based on Biblical principles and that is something different and very powerful that humanity cannot know by hoping in itself. How defeated, depressed, and obscure we would feel without the resurrection hope that fills us with expectation and trust. Biblical faith and hope rests on the trustworthiness of God to keep His promises––God is faithful!
What happened after Easter? After Jesus is resurrection on Sunday morning, the intensity of the modern church is eclipsed. We worship with great enthusiasm and passion on Easter Sunday. After service, we enjoy a great meal and fellowship with family and friends. When the meal and fellowship is finished, we get comfortable, and take a long restful, and well deserved nap. We awake and tell ourselves, Easter is over until next year; we did it! Monday morning we resume our daily lives and carry on as if nothing unusual or spectacular was taken place. How do we as followers of Christ, become so melancholy immediately following the greatest event in the history of humanity?
nherent in the call of God to all believers is the call to excellence. It has little to do with IQ, backgrounds, culture, past and present situations, or finances. It has everything to do with the individuals will: the will to be obedient, disciplined, and faithful—the qualities of the Spirit-filled life lived out through the template of Christian service and ministry. Jesus made us free to excel in all of life, especially in service and ministry. This is why He send the Holy Spirit!
God's Word has so many messages just for moms, messages for parents, and grandparents. History's most famous mother, Mary, Jesus’ mother was called to her task, just as all parents are called by God to their assignment. There are so many solid principles for parenting in the Bible. No parent can afford to not know them. If you're going to be a godly parent, be sure to be immersed in God's Word, fully committed, with a solemn resolve to the calling He has placed upon you.
This psalm, is attributed to David, was written “when he was in the cave,” fleeing from Saul. The psalmist cried to the Lord for help, for God was the only One he could depend on. David was utterly helpless before his enemies and no one seemed to care for his life