The Story In His Word

May you know joy this Easter weekend . . . His Word tells the story . . . Shalom, Kerrie

Note: This may take some time to read . . . but the story of the week leading to the cross, as well as the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ bring power to those who choose to follow . . .

Matthew 26:1-2
John 12:1-8
Matthew 21:1-9
Mark 11:12-14
Luke 19:45-46
Luke 20:1-47
Luke 21:1-4
Mark 13:1-37
John 13:1-20
Luke 22:17-34
John 13:21-38
Matthew 26:47-75
Matthew 27:1-2
John 18:28-40
John 19:1-16
Luke 23:26-45
John 19:25-30
Luke 23:46-54
John 20:1-18
Luke 24:3-45
John 20:19-31
John 21:1-25
Matthew 28:18-20
Luke 24:50-53

Take Your Robe Off and Use a Towel

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist . . . (John 13:3)

A pastor friend of mine has had a difficult week. His teenage son was with the wrong people at the wrong time, arrested, put in jail, and now has to wait for his day in court behind bars. The teenager will be tried as an adult and faces a probable fifteen years in prison.

I know my friend's son did not think of the consequences for himself or his family. In fact, I am pretty sure that he did not understand the destructive impact that his actions would have on others . . . until now. The thing is . . . my friend has reached out to his son . . . serving him with compassion and complete love.

Serving those who don't deserve to be served produces a powerful message.

The words in John 13 paint the picture of service.

John reminds us that Jesus knew that he had authority over everything. And in the next sentence paints the picture of how Jesus used the unimaginable, all encompassing power . . . he took off his robe to serve. In the ancient days, the robe signified the power of an individual. Jesus was the honored Rabbi . . . the teacher . . . taking off the robe . . . was not done . . . but there was more . . . the unthinkable occurred . . . Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist . . . symbolizing the lowest ranking slave. Imagine how this messed with the disciple's way of thinking!

Meditate on this picture . . . put it in your mind . . . heart . . . spirit . . . think about it all day . . . let it change you . . . experience serving others in this manner.

Ask the Spirit to empower you to be able to take off your power and serve in humility and love.
Take off your robe.
Use the towel of service.
Learning with you to serve like Jesus,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Intentional

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people." Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, "Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial.(Matthew 26:1-12, NRS)

My schedule and routine are messed up after being sick. It has caused me to pause and realize that I need to be more intentional . . . again . . . apparently I am a slow learner. That said, the best way to be intentional is to imitate Christ. So . . . how are we to imitate what Christ did in the days leading up to resurrection?

Study today's scripture:
Christ tells the plan: "The Passover is coming and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
The chief priests and the elders of the people held a meeting: "They conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him."
Jesus goes to the house of Simon the leper:
"A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table."
The disciples respond to the woman: "They were angry and said, "Why this waste?"
Jesus responds to the disciples: "By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial."

The intentionality of Christ is remarkable. The details that mattered revolved around the big picture, which was to bring humanity into relationship with God. Christ knew the bigger picture required suffering, yet, He proceeded with the plan.

Christ, God with us, identified with humanity. Thus, moving forward is remarkable considering the overpowering stress that would occur from the weight of knowing about imminent agony and suffering.

Christ allowed a woman to anoint him with expensive oil, which was highly unusual. Even so, Christ intentionally used her actions as a way to teach the disciples. The disciples had experienced Christ's love for the poor and believed the woman wasted the costly ointment, thought to be spikenard, an expensive oil . . . about a years worth of wages . . . imported from India.

What is the lesson?
Christ followers intentionally count the cost of following Christ . . . there is a cost to being fully devoted . . . devotion to Christ may seem like a waste to some. Christ made the point that we are called to intentionally give of ourselves, being aware of the cost.

Intentionally follow Christ. . . as a fully devoted follower.
Seek the view of the bigger picture.
Live with purposeful intention . . . proceed with the plan as defined by the bigger picture.
Pay attention to the details that paint the bigger picture.
Learning with you to intentionally follow Christ,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Face Down

O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself. (I Kings 18:37, NLT)

Along the way in the journey of life I have encountered individuals who have extraordinary peace, contentment, and happiness, radiating from the inside-out. These individuals have entered into a deep relationship with God. Most of them have experienced some years of a spiritual drought because they were too busy to take time to pray . . . and then they experienced something so challenging . . . so difficult . . . that nothing and nobody could help them find a portion of peace, contentment or happiness . . . so they turned to God and learned that prayer brought them to Peace . . . Contentment . . . Love.

I have learned these individuals pray face down before God. The point is not the physical position, but that the whole being is fully engaged in prayer, the heart positioned toward God . . . fully devoted.

Elijah prayed with devotion rather than with desperation. Too often prayer comes out of crisis . . . "God do this one thing for me and I am yours." There is no doubt that Elijah had been prepared for the challenge he faced. In other words, previous discussions with God had led him to publically pray with confidence, almost as if to say . . . "I have done as you asked to prepare the people to be ready to see You . . . will you reveal Yourself?"

Surely, Elijah had spent time face down before God . . . in a posture of trust . . . because he had an unquenchable thirst for God . . . knowing God's love to be beyond reason . . . to be an unbounded love . . . that invites humanity into a participative relationship.

Meditate on the words that Daniel hears face down in prayer:
"Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!" As he spoke these words, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Now you may speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me." (Daniel 10:19, NLT)

Take time to pray face down: engage your whole being with your heart positioned toward God.
Listen . . . become stronger through the revealed love of God . . . receive courage . . . strength . . . peace.
Live in peace, contentment, and yes . . . happiness.

Learning with you to pray face down,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

The Element of Surprise

At the customary time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command (I Kings 18: 36,NLT).

Prayer can be filled with surprises. I have written about this before . . . but it seemed right to share today. Years ago our son, age three, had an eye disease that required radical surgery. We put it off as long as we could; however, the day finally came when we were told that he would lose his vision without the surgery. We made all the necessary arrangements for the surgery . . . and . . . the hospital arranged to fly a surgeon across the country to head the team that would perform the unusual surgery. Unfortunately, he had already had a simplifier surgery on his eye that had gone wrong and had made matters worse . . . so we were understandably nervous.

Our church actually made time in our services for special prayer for the surgery. Believe it or not . . . though we prayed for healing through the surgery . . . the next day it appeared the problem was gone . . . he never had surgery. In fact, sadly . . . there were a few of the members of the medical team that were a little cranky about the healing . . . after all they had put a lot of time and effort to plan his surgery. To this day . . . I can hardly believe that the healing occurred . . . but . . . it happened.

It seems to me . . . that we put prayer in a box . . . and really don't understand the power of prayer or how prayer changes ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes I wonder if we prayed more and worried less if the world would be completely different.

Elijah prayed with incredible faith. In the ancient days, names defined the essence of an individual's identity . . . Elijah stands for ‘Yahweh is my God.’ So, it makes sense that Elijah prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. He was not only identifying himself with Yahweh but all of the people, reminding them of their identity as covenant people of Yahweh. A covenant differs from the legalism of a contract through co-participation and the hesed, or union, of love.

God has made a covenant with humanity, with you and me . . . the covenant through Christ is a part of our identity. Christ, God with us, has revealed that He desires to participate in our life through an incredible power of love. Prayer is our way to communicate and commune with God in a way that is surprising. Prayer is never boring . . . it is just that we human beings can be so boring when we pray . . . we need to be ready for the element of surprise . . . the participation of God who has created the universe and cares about every detail of life through the power of love.

Refuse to pray boring prayers.
Talk to God . . . tell Him everything . . . then be quiet . . . trust . . . be ready for the element of surprise . . . for the power of God is greater than we can ever think, imagine or ask.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

Learning with you to be ready for the element of surprise,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

The Worst Is Yet To Come

He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood." After they had done this,he said, "Do the same thing again!" And when they were finished, he said, "Now do it a third time!" So they did as he said,and the water ran around the altar and even overflowed the trench.

An individual gave me a list of worries . . . real worries . . . hard things to face . . . health . . . finances . . . loneliness . . . real life challenges. The pressures of life increased after a trusted friend and counselor advised him to be prepared because "the worst is yet to come." Seriously, why do we human beings try to help people by telling them that life will get harder . . . who ever is encouraged by such incredible negativity? That said, life is hard . . . and, yes, life can become increasingly challenging . . . but . . . it is how we perceive and manage life that determines the outcome. We do not need to be ruled by circumstances, as difficult and challenging as they can be!

This is one reason that Elijah is such a great character to study . . . I mean the guy is outnumbered . . . he is facing some 450 prophets of Baal . . . and all the people . . . and the King who was looking to kill him . . . in an incredible drought and famine, a time where people were dying of thirst and hunger. At first glance, it would seem that the worst was yet to come for Elijah . . . something like a torturous untimely death. But Elijah sees through the situation . . . he understood his purpose was to help people see the presence and power of God.

So read the above verse and think about how Elijah lived his faith out loud. He built the altar with a trench around it.
Why? To catch the water? What was he thinking?
The land had dried up. They all were looking for water. No worries. . . he asked for water and drowned the wood with water three times. Think about what Elijah did. He used water when the people desperately needed every drop of the vital element of life.
Seriously, common sense would tell all of us that the worst was yet to come. We would want him to assess his situation and understand what he was facing. Elijah did not perceive life from circumstances or his abilities but from faith. So, he trusted God for the fire and rain. The worst was not to come . . . but the remarkable faith of one individual turned the circumstances of a whole nation upside down.

When you look for the presence of God . . . you see more in life.
Reformat your thinking from your circumstances and the possibility that the worst is yet to come.
Focus on God . . . become quiet . . . consciously refuse to think about the challenges and worries . . . breathe . . . be still . . . let go of every thought that does not belong . . . know God.
Thank God for being present. Sit and enjoy the presence of God.
Trust God rather than your circumstances or abilities.
"May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all" (2 Thessalonians 3:16, NLT)
Learning with you to see life through faith,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

The Detail of Twelve

He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,and he used the stones to rebuild the LORD's altar. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.(I Kings 18:31-32)

Let's be honest, we live in a world on high speed . . . there is more intensity in the average person's life than ever before . . . so much for technology making life easier. While the continual new hi tech devices have made an incredible positive impact in education, health, communication . . . it seems to me that we spend a lot of time with all sizes of computers, cell phones, handheld calendars, and whatever else is out there. The point is that instead of managing the details of our day . . . they often manage us. Scary . . . but true. We need to make a point of refocusing on what matters and what technology can do for us rather than let it manage our life. . . as with most details in life . . . there is a bigger picture.

Humanity has a history of missing the point. Take the number twelve . . . while it seems to be a really big deal number . . . the number twelve is a small detail compared to the bigger picture. Elijah rebuilt the altar with twelve stones . . . but that detail fits into a bigger picture:
Twelve pillars were built by Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:4)
Twelve spies went to . . well . . . spy . . . as all spies do . . . in the Promised Land (Num 13:1–16; Deut 1:23)
Twelve individuals from each tribe gathered twelve stones to remember Israel crossing the Jordan (Josh 3–4).
Twelve stones were attached to the priest's breast piece (Ex 39:8–14)
Twelve was a common measurement in building the temple and other various building projects, including the temple, involved numbers and measurements of twelve
Twelve district governors (1 Kings 4:7)
Twelve thousand horses (1 Kings 4:26)
Twelve disciples (Mk 3:14)
Twelve baskets of leftovers were collected after feeding five thousand people (Mk 6:43; 8:19)
Twelve individuals were to sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30)
Twelve tribes of the Dispersion were mentioned in James(Jas 1:1)
Twelve thousand people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed(Rev 7:5–8)
Twelve stars will crown the woman who gave birth to the child (Rev 12:1–2)
The last book of the New Testament records:
Twelve gates, twelve angels as gatekeepers, the names of the twelve tribes written on the gates(Rev 21:12); twelve pearls (Rev 21:21); twelve foundations with twelve apostles names(Rev 21:14); twelve thousand stadia square (Rev 21:16); and finally the tree of life will bear twelve kinds of fruit every month(Rev 22:2)

While twelve is a symbol of the tribes of Israel the bigger picture is restoration. The last reference of the number twelve says . . . "And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."

Sometimes we focus on details like the number, twelve . . . and we miss the point. The symbolism for twelve is so rich and has endured throughout history . . . as a promise of restoration . . . healing . . . the fulfillment of the promises to be fully restored in relationship with God.

Are you focused on the details today?
Refuse to let the little details control you.
Look beyond and see the bigger picture.
Seek to see what God would have you see.
Learning with you to refocus and see the bigger picture,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)