Day 37- The Lost Coin

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables that all illustrate the same thing.  God loves us, God desires that we repent and draw near to Him, and that with God we always have a second chance, and we are ALWAYS on our first try!  Be WIDE OPEN to the message of Jesus that God's love is limitless for those who need it and desire it.  We just need to submit to His will and follow His Son.  Read the Parable of the Lost Coin below.  Have the angels rejoiced over you being "found?"  

Luke 15:8-10  (NIV)
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one.  Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me;  I have found my lost coin.'  In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Day 36- The Next To the Last Supper

Mark 14:1-9 (The Message)

 In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said.

Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.

But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."

My old friend Curt Cloninger, the amazing actor and interpreter of scripture, calls the meal Jesus is eating in the scripture above "the next to the last supper."  In Curt's brilliant one-man play entitled Witnesses, he plays a fictional character (Abe the Banana Man) who was present at this meal.  He used to be unable to speak, he tells us.  In fact, he points out, almost everyone there (in Curt's version) was a used to be.  Simon (their host) used to be a leper.  Bart used to be blind.  Lazurus used to be dead!  Curt points out that Jesus most likely ended the party during His speech praising the woman who had anointed His feet with perfume, because He once again announced that He would soon be dead.  The whole evening must have been indicative of the highs and lows of that last week.

We all used to be something before Jesus got hold of our hearts.  Some of us still are things that we would rather not be.  Holy Week is a wonderful time to let Jesus make you a used to be again.  He will- if you become WIDE OPEN to the grace he offers you.  Honor Him this week (and every week) with your very life.

Day 35- Surely God Is With Us

Ever wonder what it was like to be with Jesus that last week in Jerusalem?  Before the dinner in Bethany, before the footwashing, before the Last Supper and before the arrest?  Read the words below.  They capture many of the emotions that must have been present that week with both the followers and the enemies of Jesus.  Be WIDE OPEN to the message.  At what moment would you have realized that God had come to earth to dwell among us?

Surely God Is With Us   by Beaker and Mark Robertson  (The Jesus Record)

Well, who's that man who thinks He's a prophet?
Well, I wonder if He's got something up His sleeve
Where's He from? Who is His daddy?
There's rumors He even thinks Himself a king
Of a kingdom of paupers
Simpletons and rogues
The whores all seem to love Him
And the drunks propose a toast


And they say, "Surely God is with us.
Well, surely God is with us."
They say, "Surely God is with us today!"


Who's that man who says He's a preacher?
Well, He must be, He's disturbing all our peace
Where's He get off, and what is He hiding
And every word He says those fools believe
Who could move a mountain?
Who would love their enemy?
Who could rejoice in pain?
And turn the other cheek?
And still say, "Surely God is with us,
Well, surely God is with us,"
Who'll say, "Surely God is with us today, today!"


They say, "Surely God is with us
Well, surely God is with us"
They say, "Surely God is with us"


Blessed are the poor in spirit
Heaven belongs to them
Blessed are those who make peace
They are God's children
I Am the Bread of Life, and the Way"
You hear that Man, believe what He says!


Tell me, who's that Man, they made Him a prisoner
They tortured Him and nailed Him to a tree
Well if He's so bad, who did He threaten?
Did He deserve to die between two thieves?
See the scars and touch His wounds
He's risen flesh and bone
Now the sinners have become the saints
And the lost have all come home


And they say, "Surely God is with us (Surely God is with us)
Well, surely God is with us,"
They say, "Surely God is with us today!" (Today!)
They say, "Surely God is with us
Well, surely God is with us"
They say, "Surely God is with us today"

Holy Week

Happy Palm Sunday!  I hope you will join me for the last 6 days of Lent, leading us to Easter.  This week we will look at scriptures that describe some of the events of Jesus' last week of humanity.  We will travel to the cross, and then celebrate the resurrection of our LORD.  As you go through this week, I hope your hearts and minds will continue to be WIDE OPEN to what God has to say to you.  Peace be with you.

Day 34- The Triumphal Entry

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, a celebration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers and praises of the crowd.  According to to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, the crowds shouted things like "Hosanna" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"  It was a glorious day.  Here is the account from the gospel of Luke:

Luke 19:28-40 (New International Version)


The Triumphal Entry
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
They replied, "The Lord needs it."
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

It is hard to believe that less than a week after such an entrance those same people would be shouting "Crucify Him!"  This Lenten season we have spent much time seeking to praise God and lift high the name of Jesus.  But we too often turn our backs when times get tough.  In what ways do you turn your back on the Messiah, despite the fact that you love Him?  Have a blessed Palm Sunday, and prepare your heart for Holy Week.

Day 33- A Prayer of Submission & Hope

When Moses asked God who he should say sent him to save the people of Abraham, God responded tell them "I AM" sent you.  Yahweh is the "I AM," the God who was and is and is to come; the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  I am none of those things, and neither are you.  We are but tiny parts of God's plan, like so many before us.  When John the Baptist was asked if he was the promised Messiah, he replied, "I am NOT...but there is one who will come and reveal everything God has promised."  We, like Moses and John and Peter and so many other giants of our faith, are NOT.  But we know the great "I AM."  As you pray the prayer today, be WIDE OPEN to the fact that God is God...and you are NOT.  Open your hearts that God might use you so His will can be accomplished on this earth.  Submit yourself so that Jesus might have His way with you and that you might quit trying to have your way with Him.  Only then can His light shine its brightest.  Only then can Jesus truly be the hope of the world.  Let us pray:

Loving God, today I turn my life over to You.  My skills, my failures, my sin and my joys all belong to You.  I recognize that my life is not about me, but it is all about You.  I realize that I sometimes like to play god, but that I am NOT..You ARE!  Help me to understand that Jesus did not die on the cross so I could accomplish some political agenda or achieve some lofty position on this earth.  Jesus died for my sins, because I am a sinner.  Jesus gives me grace so that I might offer love and forgiveness to others, especially to the "least of these brothers of mine" who are in need and to the lost who think themselves to be beyond His grace.  In the words of King David, himself a sinner of great magnitude, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with in me, so that I might serve You."  Use me, and I will give you the glory.  Remind me daily that I am NOT...but I know I AM, and that together we can offer hope to a hurting world.

                                   

                                            In the name of the great I AM,

        Amen

Day 32- The Prayer of Saint Francis

Pray this incredible prayer penned by Saint Francis of Asissi.  Don't just read it; PRAY it!  What would it mean for your life to become "an instrument" of God's peace?  What does it mean to know that "in giving we recieve?"  Pray for Jesus to enter your life in new and excitng ways.  Pray that you would be WIDE OPEN to being so full of Jesus that this world seems like a foreign place to you. Who can you bring light, peace and joy to today?

Day 31- Prayers of Intercession

Pray for the people in your life;  Parents, friends, teachers, co-workers and everyone else you need to bring before God's throne.  Pray for them by name and by need.  Pray for places like Haiti and Chile that have so many needs.  Pray for the people who cause you the most tension and grief.  Be WIDE OPEN to the needs of everyone around you, and bring them before the Creator.  He already knows before we ask, but we must ask anyway on behalf of others and in the name of Jesus.  And be sure to thank God for the work He is already doing in the lives of those you pray for.

Day 30- A Chat With Jesus

Have a heart to heart chat with Jesus.  Pray to be closer to Him.  Pray for wisdom and strength to let Him be in control in a world that demands you take the power.  Understand that your relationship with Jesus is not based in anything you do, but in His grace and forgiveness.  Be WIDE OPEN to not only talking to Jesus, but to listening for "the still, small voice of God" in the silence.  And be sure to praise God for the blessings you see in your life everyday!

Day 29- The Prayer of Jabez

The prayer of Jabez, from 1 Chronicles 4:10, can be found below.  Read it.  Then pray it.  What would it mean in your life for God to "increase your territory?"  What would it mean for God to bless you with a task to do, with a mission for Him?  How would your life be different if God were to "bless you indeed?"  Be WIDE OPEN to the things Jesus is trying to show you, that you would know God's hand is with you.

This Week- Acts of Prayer

2 Corinthians 6:11

Each day of this week you will be given an Act of Prayer to participate in.  Pray the prayers and consider the questions with passion and conviction.  Be WIDE OPEN to the fact that you are talking with YAWEH, the creator of the universe, and your ABBA (Daddy) all at the same time!  Share these moments with Jesus, and remember Him each day as we continue the march to the cross.

Day 28- Acts 2:42

Today I invite you to "soak" in one of my favorite scripture verses.   This description of the early church is THE definition of radical, world changing Christianity.  We cannot do it alone.  Are you WIDE OPEN to living in community with other believers?  Are you sharing your spiritual journey with people who love you, challange you and support you? 

Day 27- He Reigns!

Today, proclaim the Glory of the LORD!  No matter who you are or where you are, be WIDE OPEN to the fact that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that Jesus reigns!  "Death is ended; it is swallowed up in the victory of the cross and the resurrection."

Day 26- The Thief

Jesus was WIDE OPEN to forgiving the thief on the cross next to Him- the one who professed that Jesus was King.  Do we live in such a way that people know that Jesus is king of our lives?  Watch, listen, read and think.  Be stirred.  Confess.

Day 25- Jesus' Blood

Listen to the song and read the words on the screen.  Then listen again with your eyes closed.  Be WIDE OPEN to what Jesus has done for you, no matter who you are or what you have done.  "Jesus' love never failed me yet..."

Day 24- Secret Ambition

Watch.  Listen.  Become WIDE OPEN to the reason Jesus came to die...for you.



SECRET AMBITION by Michael W. Smith
from the album I 2 eye

Young man up on the hillside, Teaching new ways
Each word winning them over, Each heart a kindled flame
Old men watch from the outside, Guarding their prey
Threatened by the voice of the paragon
Leading their lambs away
Leading them far away

Chorus:
Nobody knew His secret ambition
Nobody knew His claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the Holy Veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called His name
(But) Nobody knew His secret ambition
Was to give His life away


His rage shaking the temple, His word to the wise
His hand healing on the seventh day, His love wearing no disguise
Some say Death to the radical, He's way out of line
Some say Praise be the miracle, God sends a blessed sign
A blessed sign for troubled times

Chorus:

Nobody knew His secret ambition
Nobody knew His claim to fame
He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
He tore the Holy Veil away
Questioning those in powerful position
Running to those who called His name
(But) Nobody knew His secret ambition
Was to give His life away


no, no, no, no
I tell you nobody knew,
untill he gave his life away

Day 23- Creed

Watch the video.  Read the lyrics.  Be WIDE OPEN to the message.


CREED-  Rich Mullins
from the album A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band

I believe in God the Father

Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried


And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man


I believe that He who suffered was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and on the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning
To judge the quick and the dead of the sons of men


And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man


I believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it


I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church
The communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends


And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
I did not make it, no it is making me
I said I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

This Week- Musical Adventures

Each day this week you will be presented a song to focus on.  I will provide the video and the lyrics; you provide the interpretation.  I suggest that each day you view the video and listen to the words, then read the lyrics, and then watch it again.  Think about what the song says to you about your faith, your God, and your Savior.  Should the song be familiar to you, be sure and keep your heart and mind WIDE OPEN to hearing something new.  Enjoy this great music, and have a blesses week as we continue our adventure towards the cross and the resurrection!

Day 22- In It, Not Of It

Today's "words to soak in" come from John Fischer's 1988 book Real Christians Don't Dance (Bethany House Publishers). The words are intended to challenge believers to see our place in this world in a whole new way.  Make yourself WIDE OPEN to not only the words of Christ, but the message behind the words.  Have a blessed weekend.

The Ins And Outs Of It
"In it, not of it," the statement was made
As Christian One faced the world, much afraid.
"In it, not of it," the call was made clear,
But Christian One got something stuck in his ear.
"Not in it, or of it" was the thing that he heard.
And knowing the world was painfully absurd,
He welcomed the safety of pious retreat,
And went to the potluck for something to eat.


Now Christian Two, he knew what to do,
He'd show those fundies a thing or two!
How will the world ever give Christ a try
If we don't get in there and identify?
So "In it, and of it," he said in his car,
As he pulled in and stopped at a popular bar.
"I'll tell them the truth as soon as I'm able
To get myself out from under this table."


Now along comes Christian Three jogging for Jesus,
In witnessing sweats made of four matching pieces.
His earphones are playing a hot Christian tune
About how the Lord is coming back soon.
"Not in it, but of it," he turns down the hill
And stops in for a bite at the Agape Grill.
Like the gold on the chain of his "God Loves You" bracelet,
He can have the world without having to face it.


While way up in heaven they lament these conditions
That come from changing a few propositions.
"Not in it, or of it," Christian One thought.
But who is the world will know that he's not?
"In it, and of it," thought Christian Two.
But who in the world will know that he knew?
"Not in it, but of it," thought Christian Three.
But who in the world watches Christian TV?
And Jesus turns to Gabriel, shaking His head.
" 'In it, not of it,' wasn't that what I said?"

Day 21- Love One Another

Jesus calls upon us to love everyone, including those people we may not like very much! 
1 John 4:7 reminds us that if we don't love, we don't even know God.  Jesus said that others will know that we are His disciples by the way we love each other.  So today, show love to someone with whom you have issues.  Be it a co-worker, a neighbor, a sales clerk, a sibling or a spouse, give them a smile and friendly greeting.  Wish them a blessed weekend.  Help them to become WIDE OPEN to the love God has for them by showing them the love of Christ.  They may not deserve your love, but that is the beauty of God's grace- none of us get what we deserve.  We get love instead.

Day 20- Freak Someone Out!

Today's Act of Service will give you a glimpse into the world we live in.  It will require a bit of bravery on your part.  Stop by your local grocery store.  Wait until you see someone who may need help carrying their groceries, and then offer to carry some of their bags.  Almost certainly you will be told "no."  They may look at you with fear and uncertainty.  In extreme cases they may even call for help.  We live in a world in which random acts of kindness and service are so out of place, so foreign to people, that they strike fear in their hearts.  Become WIDE OPEN to this fact;  understand that it is only by living life with a servant's heart that we can change this.  Be aware of every opportunity to serve others.  Remember Jesus said if you want to be great you must first become a servant.  Keep trying and see if anyone will let you carry their bags!

Day 19- Do Matthew 25

Jesus taught us in Matthew 25 that whatever we do to the least important people around us we do to Him as well.  Do something today to reach out to "the least of these brothers of mine."  Donate food to a food bank or a soup kitchen.  Donate clothing to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.  Go visit a sick friend or relative.  Be WIDE OPEN to showing God's love to those who need it most, and at the same time bringing praise and glory to the Christ.  It's always better to be a sheep than a goat...

Day 18- A Letter of Forgiveness

Many of us struggle with forgiveness.  Write an e-mail or a letter to someone you know asking for forgiveness or offering forgiveness.  It is entirely possible that you will need to write this letter to yourself, as we often have to let ourselves off the hook before we can truly offer grace to others.  Make sure that your offer is not conditional, but that it is made with your heart WIDE OPEN.  Remember, there is nothing you have done that made God love you less- offer that same kind of love to someone who has hurt or wronged you.  Let go- and let God!

Day 17- Random Act of Kindness

Do something nice today for someone you know. As you go through the day, be WIDE OPEN to the opportunities God has for you.  Serve them in some way that is meaningful, but don't make a big deal out of it.  Do something you would not normally do.  Show them God's love through your actions. 

This week- Acts of Service

For those of you who may not know, Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent, and therefore not counted in the 40 days of this adventure. Each Sunday I will provide you with the theme of the week to come. This week, each day I will present you with a brief, simple act of service through which you can praise God by serving others. I hope each reader will find themself WIDE OPEN to these opportunites to draw closer to Jesus as we continue our walk to the cross. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

Day 16- Blessed Are the Merciful

Open your heart and your spirit- WIDE OPEN, of course- to these words of encouragement and inspiration from some very wise men (such as Saint Francis, pictured).  Live your life mercy-filled.

And what does the LORD require of you?  That you do justice; love mercy; and walk humbly with your GOD.
                           -Micah 6:8

You should not let a single person in the world, whatever sin that person may have committed, come before your eyes and depart without having found mercy with you.  And should that person not ask for mercy from you, then you must ask it of him.  And were that person to come to you a thousand times, continue to love them so as to lead them back to the right path.  Always have compassion, for all of us have sinned.
                                                               -Saint Francis of Assisi

I will be my brother's keeper, not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness, I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom, I will learn to help him stand
And I will, I will be my brother's keeper
                                                               -Rich Mullins/Beaker

Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.
                                                               -C.S. Lewis

The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry; the coat that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.
                                                               -Saint Basil

Day 15- Quaker Communion

When Jesus was with the disciples in the Upper Room, He broke bread and drink wine with them and told them that from that day forward each time they did that they should remember Him.  The Apostle Paul later began the Sacrament of Communion based on the events of that night.  I love sharing the eucharist with my church family, but in my days as a Quaker I also learned that Jesus was imploring us to to think of Him EVERYTIME we sit down to eat (in fact, Quakers believe communion with Jesus can take place anytime in any situation, should you be willing to be still...).  Bread and wine were not a special meal; they were part of every meal! The message of the Lord's Supper is not found in the elments; it is found in the remembering. So today, I invite you to turn one of your meals into a time of personal communion with the Christ.  As you eat, whatever you eat, remember His body that was broken for you.  As you drink, remember the blood that was spilled for the forgiveness of our sins.  Share your thoughts with the people with whom you are eating.  Be WIDE OPEN to the realization that Jesus is always present, and always loving us- a fact we far too often forget to remember. 

Day 14- A Guided Meditation

Read the guided meditation written below, or better yet, ask someone to read it to you.  Close your eyes and soak in the the things the meditation asks you to visualize.  Move slowly.  Be WIDE OPEN to what Jesus has to say to you in these moments.  Remember this quote from Richard Foster as you begin:  "Our adversary (Satan) majors in 3 things:
-noise
-hurry
-and crowds.
If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness' he will rest satisfied."

Get Behind Me

A Guided Meditation

Stop!  Slow down!  Take a breath.

Recall the events and activities that have filled your week so far.

How much of that time has been spent doing good for others?

How much of that time has been spent doing things for your own

personal pleasure or gain?

Now imagine you have arrived at a peaceful place.  It is a place you know well, a place you love.  You are sitting and resting.  Jesus approaches you.  He sits with you.  He begins to list all of the activities and events from your week.  He takes your hand, looks into your eyes and says "Get behind me."

Now think again of your busy week.  Only this time, imagine that you are following Jesus as He leads you.  Have your activities and choices changed?  Are there things you did or said that you do not want Jesus to see or hear?  Turn to Jesus.  Ask Him what things in your life you need to change so that you may follow Him more closely.

Ask for guidance and courage to follow the Christ.  Ask for direction, that you would know what path to follow.  Tell Jesus you seek to go where He would lead you in life.  Understand that you cannot follow when you are leading... 

Get behind Jesus.
Be still and know that He is God.

Day 13: Salt Of the Earth

Get some salt.  Taste it.  Read the scripture below from Matthew 5:13.  Now taste the salt again.  When people "taste" you do they get the "flavor" of Jesus?  Salt changes the taste of everything it touches.  Do you?  This world we live in is in need of change.  Are you an agent of change for Jesus?  Or have you already been "trampled underfoot?"  Are you WIDE OPEN to letting God use you to bring a better "flavor" to this world?  Pray this simple prayer:  God, make me salty; make me an agent of change in your world.  Amen

Day 12- The Rock of Ages

Today you will need to leave the friendly confines of your computer table and go outside for a moment.  Find a rock.  Any old rock will do.  Hold it in your hand.  Think about how it feels.  Think about how solid it is.  Think about how old it could be.  Try to break it; go ahead, give it your best shot!  Strong, isn't it?  Remember that Jesus is your rock.  He is strong.  He is the same today, yesterday and forever.  He has always been; He always will be.  Be WIDE OPEN to the fact that Jesus, the Son of God, came to die for YOUR sins.  Pray that it is upon the "Rock of Ages" that you will build your life.  Keep the rock by your bed to remind you each night how much Jesus loves you!

Day 11- Sing Praise!

Today's Act of Worship is simple and basic- shout for joy to the Lord!  Sing praises to Him!  But since not everyone can sing, try this.  Shout out to God by reading aloud Psalm 100.  Read it with gusto!  Read it with your heart WIDE OPEN!  Praise God!

Psalm 100 (New International Version)

A psalm. For giving thanks.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 
 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and not we ourselves ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.