Mark 11:9-11

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

 "Hosanna!"

 "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"

 "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. 

You, O Lord, are my Savior, my Conqueror, and my glorious King. Riding triumphantly into the temple of my heart, You captured me with affection. You didn't come galloping in on a high-powered war horse, but trotting on a poorlittle pony. You didn't come wielding a sword to subdue me, or with an army of men to drag me trembling through the streets. You came with gentleness, and seized me peacefully. Because of Your tender love and mercies I will not die a pitiful prisoner of war, but will live lavishly in Your everlasting kingdom. Recognizing You as the Prince of Peace on a pony, I exultingly salute You, and cheerfully welcome You into my heart and home. Never before have I received so blessed a guest. Establishing Your kingdom in the sanctuary of my soul, You have made Your light shine upon me, endowed me with splendor, and adorned me with glory. Crowning me with compassion, You have made peace my governor, and righteousness my ruler. Since You saved me, and settled in with me I am radiant and unafraid. My heart throbs with holy joy because One so great as You has come to dwell in one so weak as me, and brought such bountiful blessing with Him. Because You are my strength, my song, and my salvation, today and every day, I jubilantly join the celebratory parade of prophets past and present saints proclaiming, "Hosanna! You are the God who saved me! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Glory to Your name!" Amen.

Prepare for Palm Sunday by reflecting on the day Jesus rode into your heart. How did His arrival impact you? Are you in the celebratory parade of prophets past and present saints proclaiming loud hosannas?

Luke 9:51
 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Jesus, Name above all names, beautiful Savior, glorious Lord. I am awe of You and Your journey to greatness. I am deeply humbled and terribly convicted. You knew what was waiting for you in Jerusalem: betrayal, rejection, suffering and ultimately death on the cross; yet you set your face resolutely on the challenge and conquered it. Despite the anticipation and expectation of excruciating pain and suffering you quietly moved forward like an innocent little Lamb going to the slaughter, determined to become obedient to death to bring many children to glory. Forgive me for avoiding the difficult journey. Forgive me for all the detours I take in order to avoid betrayal, rejection, suffering and even death to self. Help me dear Lord, to choose the highway of humility. The voyage is excruciatingly painful but the destination is sweet. The journey is long - life long. I grow tired and weary from exerting my own energy. By Your grace and power, I will deny myself daily and take up my cross and follow you with steadfast determination to reach the goal for which you have called me. Let this mind be in me that was also in Christ Jesus ... that mind which focused on the glorious final destination in the New Jerusalem. Amen.

What detour have you taken to avoid the difficult journey to the Cross? Admit you've been looking for Easy Street. Then, turn around and determine to follow Him, no matter how painful.

Jesus said,"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Psalm 116:3-6

  The cords of death entangled me,
       the anguish of the grave came upon me;
       I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

  Then I called on the name of the LORD :
       "O LORD, save me!"

  The LORD is gracious and righteous;
       our God is full of compassion.

  The LORD protects the simplehearted;
       when I was in great need, he saved me.

Lord of Life, I praise and worship You with heartfelt devotion! Your works are wonderful! I will sing of Your love forever. The cords of death entangled me. Intertwined in a web of confusion, trouble trapped me and sorrow seized me. Unable to escape Satan's snare, choked by his charm and strangled by his shams, I was caught in his lies and left to die. In fearful desperation, I cried out to You, "O Lord, Save me!" In Your loving kindness, You came to my rescue and saved my life. I didn't deserve to be released, but because You are gracious You set me free. Unwrapped from the cords that entangled me, I'm free to stand up right and tell others the wonders of Your love. Lord, I will extol You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength because You have done great things for me! Joyfully, I'll offer You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving because You cared enough to save me from Satan's snare, brought me safely into Your home, and washed away all my fears with the crimson blood of Your Dear Son through whom I live and work and have my being. To Him who is seated on the throne of heaven, and to the Lamb, be glory and honor and praise forever and ever! Amen.

How will you worship God with all your heart this week for His wonderful work of salvation?

Zechariah 10:2

The idols speak deceit,
       diviners see visions that lie;
       they tell dreams that are false,
       they give comfort in vain.
       Therefore the people wander like sheep
       oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Glorious, Ever-living, Creator, You are highly exalted! No other gods can give us greater gifts. The gifts You give cost more than we could ever pay. You are able to do just as You please. You give us puffy clouds and warm sunshine; pouring rain and howling winds; blue skies and majestic mountains; rolling seas and roaring thunder; fruitful plains and dry deserts; fragrant flowers and gentle breezes. Instead of graciously accepting these pricey gifts, like spoiled, unappreciative children, we foolishly toss them aside without unwrapping them. Instead of longing for more of You, we wish for store-bought baubles made of silver and gold. Rather than seeking Your perfectly wise counsel, we seek the fabricated advice of fortune-tellers who offer us false dreams and little consolation. We are wandering like lost sheep without a shepherd, vulnerable to deadly attacks. Forgive us, O Lord, for senselessly trading Your eternal treasures for temporary trash. God of Angels, step in and take care of Your flock! Remove the idols that we've allowed to clutter the temple of our hearts. Replace the barefaced lies with Absolute Truth. It's time for a good housecleaning. Purify our hearts, sanctify our souls, and breathe new life into us. Open our eyes to see and appreciate the exquisite beauty of creation. Open our ears to accurately hear the reality of Your rich promises. Open our hearts to always believe You. Focused on You, we'll be a firm foundation for Your beautiful church by worshipping You above all the deceptive and unpredictable pleasures this world has to offer. You are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. Amen.

What have you exalted above the Creator in your life? Are you willing to give it up for Him? The consequences of clinging to your idols are severe. I encourage you to read Romans 1:18-32, and take time to do an internal housecleaning. 

Isaiah 53:6       

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all. 

Darling Lamb of God, You've carefully led us through Heaven's Gate to the flourishing meadow of rich, luscious life where the Son always shines warmly. Your gated community is a safe, secure haven where we can chew heartily on Your Word in the lush pasture of love and drink from the pure stream of Living Water. Living within Your limits, You faithfully take care of all our needs. There is no place on earth as calm and quiet. Yet, we all, like sheep, have gone astray at one time or another. Disgruntled with our lot in life, we've deliberately chosen to wander off in search of greener pastures. Beyond our safe boundaries, we live dangerously, making unwise and ungodly choices that damage Your sacred reputation. We take many wrong turns and end up in precarious situations. Lost and lonely, we're easy prey for wicked people hungry to devour our sweet hearts. Craving attention, we naively eat their poisonous lies and die. Rather than letting us perish in the grave, You lovingly look for us buried beneath the rubble of our wrecked lives. Voluntarily, You give Your life to save us. Though we've blatantly chosen to go our own way and do our own thing, You painstakingly, carry the deep gashes from our treacherous decisions on Your ripped, torn and crushed body fully accepting the blame for every wrong move we've ever made. How can we ever thank You for giving Your life to safely bring us back into the sheepfold where we can heal and once again enjoy the peace and protection of Your prosperous presence because of Jesus, the Darling Lamb of God who was slain. Hallelujah! Amen.

Consider how far you have strayed from the sheepfold of God and the awful trouble you've gotten yourself into. Then consider the wonder of the Darling Lamb of God who came to save you by taking on all of your iniquities. What does this mean to you? How will you respond?

John 10:9

Jesus said, "I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."

Jesus, Lamb of God, You are the Heavenly Gate! I exalt You and thank You for swinging wide the door of righteousness so that everyone who believes in You can come to the Father. Thank You for laying down Your life to make an opening for me to access my home in heaven. You are good and Your love endures forever! I sing for joy because You have done great things for me. You have led me from the broad road leading to ruin through the narrow Gate of Life.           Within the walls of Your gated community, there is safety, security, and shelter. Thank You, Father for saving me and sending me to Your unshakable kingdom where there is fullness of life. In the presence of Your majesty, I can graze on Your glorious grace day and night. Living within Your limits, my life overflows with mercy and love. There is no place in heaven or earth as peaceful. Thank You for leading me through the Heavenly Gate to a prosperous place full of rich, luscious life where the Son always shines brightly. I celebrate glad tidings of great joy because I have found You, the One Way to everlasting happiness. Today, I'll eagerly exclaim, "Look, here's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" so that those on the broad road to ruin around me will hear and be led through the Gate of Righteousness to the lush green pasture of Your eternal love. Amen.

Thank God that the Gate of Heaven has been open to you! Share the joy of your discovery with someone traveling the road to ruin.

John 1:29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus, Lamb of God worthy is Your Name! All power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise belong to You, the precious Lamb who was slain!

Your limitless love is too much for my meager mind to grasp! Globally, it has no boundaries. It extends beyond the barriers of my selfish little sphere to the entire world. Broader than my partialities and preferences, it's inevitably predestined for ALL people. No one - no, not one - is worthy of Your Holy Love. From the purist to the vilest, we stand equally condemned in Your most high and holy supreme court, utterly insufficient and speechless.

Shamefully destitute, our only recourse is to come to the foot of the cross where You, the unblemished Lamb of God, took on the imperfections and blame of the entire world, dying for the benefit of all mankind. Falling on our absolutely wretched faces, all we can do is cry out, thanking You for Your boundless mercy and unending grace freely offered to all who voluntarily come. Admitting our deficiencies, we reach out to You in sheer desolation, allowing Your precious blood to wash away our misery, guilt and disgrace making us at-one with You.

At-one with You, our consciences will be thoroughly clean and our hearts will be miraculously healed. Free from death and despair, we'll be able to live a radical life of love serving others for You. We will be Your instruments of peace. Enthusiastically and unashamedly, we'll see You and shout, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" People all around us will stop, look and fall on their faces, crying "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb of God who was slain."

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

What can we say to such magnanimous love? We are acceptable to God not because of our obedience, but because of the death of Christ. He came for no other reason than to take away the sins of the world. How will you respond to Him?

Jesus said, "Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7b

Jesus, Your Word is wonderful! Thank You for the sparrows You send to our windows in the spring to remind us that we're worth more than the birds of the air! Please don't let me feel discouraged by the darkness of shadows. Don't let my heart be lonely. Be my portion and constant Friend. You promise to constantly keep Your eye on me. Watch over me. Don't let my heart be troubled. Let me hear You tenderly say, "Don't be afraid, my child. You're worth more than many sparrows." Let me rest on the goodness of your precious promise where doubt and fear will cease. Lead me through the dark valleys by shining Your light ahead of me so that I can vividly see and follow You. Just as Your eye is always on the sparrow, watch over me at all times. Within Your sight and light, let me sing joyfully. When I'm tempted to fear, when storm clouds arise, when songs give way to sighing, and when all the hope in my heart dies ... remind me that I'm worth more to You than many sparrows. Draw me back to the Light and lead me safely until I reach heaven's gate where You'll welcome me home. Please dear God, take away my fears today in the name of Jesus. Amen.

God commands: Don't be afraid.
 

He promises: You are worth more than many sparrows.

Do you believe God? Will you rest on His promise today? You are worth more than many sparrows. He provides for them and will sustain you even more. Do not be afraid. Trust Him.

Isaiah 40:11

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
       He gathers the lambs in his arms
       and carries them close to his heart;
       he gently leads those that have young.

Good and Gentle Shepherd, So tenderhearted and compassionate, You certainly love Your sheep! You carefully lead us to the lush mountain pastures in our Bibles where we can graze to our heart's content on the fertile food of Your Word. Faithfully, You guide us through barren deserts to refreshing streams of Living Water to quench our dry and thirsty souls. Along the way, You protect us from animalistic humans who threaten to attack our character. Prone to wandering off, we slip into clefts of criticism and condemnation, plunge into ravines of rejection and ridicule, and sink deep into depressions of disgrace and despair. In our times of trouble, You never fail to hear our cry, find us and set us free. Your sheep are Your most prized possession! Bruised and bloodied from the fall, You meticulously bandage our broken hearts. Scooping us up in Your powerful arms, You hold us close to Your loving heart and carry us to safety. Resting in Your presence, we have nothing to fear. You are bigger than the people, problems and pressure pursuing us. Thank You dear Shepherd for diligently doing Your job twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out. Because of Your hard work I'm alive and well. I know from experience that danger lurks around the bend. It's crucial that I trust and obey You. Huddled in Your flock, there's protection, provision, and perfect peace because of Jesus. Amen.

Are you sticking with the Shepherd or have your wandered away from the flock? You are valuable to Him! He wants to take care of you, but you need to follow Him.

If you've lost your way and are stuck, cry out to Him. He'll find you right where you are, pick you up in His strong arms, and carry you close to His heart to the safety of His presence where there's protection, provision and perfect peace.

Psalm 85:8-9

I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
so our land will be filled with his glory. NLT 

Amazing, Loving, Wonderful King, You are beautiful beyond description! You display Your brilliance and glory radiantly in the rich colors of creation. Even though we ignore You, You faithfully bless us with Your prosperous presence each day. You're right where You've always been, doing what You've always done, creating spectacular miracle moments from heaven on high. If we would just look up to You, acknowledge Your greatness, and admit our stupidity, You'd forgive the foolish things we've done. Lovingly, You'd rescue us from death and destruction. You'd revive our stone-cold hearts with Your precious blood, giving us a fresh new start. Gladly, You'd restore our laughter. God of Help, I'm concerned for the impotent church that desires to reach lost people with pleasant programs and plans that exclude the Truth. If we want to live in the prosperity of Your presence, we must diligently study Your Holy Word, paying careful attention to what You say when we open our Bibles each day. Listening to You, we'll know right from wrong, never having to live foolishly again. Accepting and respecting Your authority, love and loyalty will miraculously come together. Goodness will bond with peace and our great land will be spectacularly display Your brilliance and glory because of Jesus. Amen.

Pray for revival in the church, and let it begin with you. Study God's Word daily so that you will know the Truth and obey it. Choose to live differently, wisely, brilliantly, according to God's Word so that His glory will shine through you, drawing others to Him like the rich colors of creation. 

Romans 1:21, 28-32

Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

King of Creation, Your invisible qualities have been clearly seen since the beginningof time. The heavens proclaim Your perfect nature. The skies display Your brilliant handy work. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make You known. Even though their voice is inaudible their message has moved through the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth. Everyone everywhere sees Your glory. There's no excuse for not knowing You. You, O God, deserve our praise forever and ever. Even though we know You perfectly well, we fail to accept and worship You as the One and Only True God. We pretend to know it all, but are really quite stupid. Foolishly, we've traded Your prosperous, pristine beauty for worthless, tarnished trash. We've shrouded the Truth with lies. Pornography, homosexuality, and adultery have become acceptable standards. We tolerate the killing of unborn babies, while viciously fighting to save animals. We cry out, "God bless America", but we've removed You from the classroom, the courtroom and the currency. We deny Your intelligent design, deliberately, spitting in Your face, as we invent new ways to ruin the rich life You intended for us. We're a nation full of senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless fools who expect blessing despite our defiant disobedience. Something has gone terribly wrong! This isn't the way You created it to be! Have mercy on us for disrespecting and desecrating your Holy Name, O God. There's no fear of Your sacred laws or holy judgment. It's a free for all world. Though Your Word is freely and readily available, it also freely and readily rejected. We've rebelled against You, our Creator, and we don't deserve to live. I'm thankful that Your Word convicts me of my wrong beliefs and behaviors. I want to relinquish my tarnished treasures in order to live happily in your beautiful, prosperous presence. By Your strength that's within me, change the desires of my heart and mind. With all due respect, I'll love and obey You, bringing honor to Your perfect nature, Jesus, my Creator King. Amen.

Will you acknowledge and cry out to God for the sin of our nation today? Will you pray for changed hearts and transformed minds? Will you admit and turn from your own wicked ways?

Leviticus 26:11-13

I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt so you would no longer be slaves. I have lifted the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk free with your heads held high.

O Holy One, I am mesmerized by Your greatness! Your power has left me speechless. Your love has taken my breath away. I'm awestruck by Your mercy and justice. Though You are preeminent and transcendent beyond my comprehension, I marvel at Your immanency. I'm flabbergasted that someone with Your prominence and power would leave the Celestial City to live with me. Did I hear You correctly, Holy God who rules the universe? You will not despise me? You will walk with me? You will be my God? I will belong to You? It's unfathomable that someone in Your eminent position would rescue a beat up, burned out, unkempt ragamuffin like me. Yet, by Your grace, You saved me and made my corrupt heart Your home. Possessing me, You placed me right in the middle of Your royal family with everyone else who doesn't deserve to be there. That's amazing! I cherish the distinguished position You've given me. Knowing that I'm loved by the greatest King of all time, I no longer have to hang my head in shame. Walking with poise and dignity, I'm free to follow You all of my days because I believe Your precious promises: You will live with me; You will not despise me; You will walk with me; You will be my God; I belong to You; and my burdens have been uplifted by the blood of Jesus, Your splendid Son. Hallelujah! Amen.

Do you believe the promises from the mouth of God? They're His gift to you. Write them on the tablet of your heart and remember them! It is imperative to believe the words of the King more than you believe anything else.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. In a great chorus they sang,

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty!

The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.

Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!"

Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven."

Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"

And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me." NLT 

Holy God, With all due respect and reverent awe I come into Your divine presence. Silently, I fix my eyes on Your inexplicable, splendor and majesty. High above the cosmic galaxies, beyond the stars and moon, is Your lofty throne. The earth and everything in it is Your footstool. Never ending fabric from Your robe flows seamlessly from heaven to earth. Jubilant angels harmoniously sing of Your holiness, while the entire world epitomizes Your brilliant glory. I shudder at the vision of Your unsurpassed excellence. Aware of Your magnificent holiness, I fall down in utter fear of You. Ashamedly, I admit that I've made many terrible choices and done a lot of awful things. I'm tarnished, broken and unfit to be in Your holy presence; yet, I too have seen and felt Your greatness. With a single merciful touch You blotted out my mistakes, forgot my failures, and removed my shame. Graciously, You asked me to clean up my act and represent Your heavenly kingdom on earth.  Please dear Lord, expand my view of Your dominion. Gasping at Your supremacy daily, I'll tremble in Your awesome presence, fearing You because You alone are the Lord God Almighty, and You alone are holy, holy, holy. No one else can touch my heart like You do. All glory, honor and praise belong to You, the Sovereign King, who reigns over all the earth from beyond the spectacular spacious skies. Hallelujah! Amen.

When we get a right view of God, we get a right view of ourselves. This helps us to remember that He is big, and people are little. Rather than living our lives to please people, we need to devote our lives to pleasing Him. Do you have a clear view of God's holiness?

Psalm 34:9, 11

Let the LORD's people show him reverence,
       for those who honor him will have all they need.

Come, my children, and listen to me,
       and I will teach you to fear the LORD. NLT 

Holy One of Israel, With all due respect I come to You, bowing down before Your majesty. Silently, I gaze upon Your mysterious, glorious presence.Approaching Your throne, with overwhelming gratitude I'm certain that You'll teach me to love and respect You. It is an incredible privilege to sit under Your divine instruction. Please give me a tender heart, a teachable spirit, and a yielded will to learn to properly honor and revere You above every other person or thing that exists. Admittedly, I'd prefer to learn in a comfortable, pleasant setting, but because of Who You are, I'm willing to attend the classroom of Your choice even if the conditions are rough and harsh. You know the best place to impart wisdom on me. Using the Holy Bible as my textbook, I'll learn of Your inconceivable love and Your holy anger. I'll understand that while You're compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love, You also punish the guilty. Love and justice are both expressions of Your holiness that I need to befamiliar with. O wise and wonderful Teacher, tune my ears to listen amidst all the commotion and confusion going on around me. Help me to remain poised and focused on the importance of each perfectly planned lesson. Empower me to tirelessly study Your Words every day of my life. Write them as notes on my heart so that I'll remember them through life's challenging tests. Above all, may I always keep in mind, that You are and have the Only right answer, JESUS. As I grow by grace, in the knowledge of Your holiness, I'll be eager to do Your will, Your way because I am respectfully Yours. Amen.

Consistent Bible reading is a tough assignment! You may need help with it. Ask someone to pray for you. Get a "study buddy" - a brother or sister you can meet with regularly to share the lessons you're learning in the classroom of your heart. In doing so, you'll be praising and honoring your holy God, blessing one another, and inspiring each other to persevere through the difficult tests.  Reverence is much more than sitting quietly in church, it includes doing God's will His way.

Matthew 24:3-8

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."

Lord, Thank You for preserving Your ancient words. When I come to You privately and revel in my Bible, You reveal incredible insights and instructions for interpreting the times I'm living in. Your Word warns me and tells me what to watch out for. Because Yourtrustworthy promises preserve my life and provide me hope, I don't have to worry. O Lord, Your Word is faithful and true. Knowing it keeps me from being deluded by a diluted "gospel." Because I delight in it, be gracious to me and give me discernment to understand Your teaching so that I will be able to detect such dreadful deceivers. Wars and rumors of wars are rampant. Nations are rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But, Your kingdom, O God, is an everlasting kingdom. One day all nations will fall beneath Your feet, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. Your unchanging Word, is my unswerving confidence. The earth may tremble and tumble into the heart of the sea, but Your Word, O Lord, will stand firm forever. When all I see is tragedy and sorrow, Your unfailing love will be my comfort and my strength. I will not perish when You are my shelter and my song. Righteous Lord, I ask that You equip me with farsighted courage to hold on to Your Holy Word because it will be my holy hope as the days get darker. With my eyes on You and my eternal destiny, I will be a levelheaded, clear-thinking, still-believing follower of Christ to the end bringing glory and honor to Your everlasting name. Amen.

God's Word warns us about the events we are witnessing. He instructs us to watch out and not be alarmed.

What are you doing to protect against deception? Do you know truth for yourself or are you relying on others to discern it for you, spoon-feed it to you, and protect you from error? 

What is your response to all the upheaval in the world? How will you "see to it that you are not alarmed?"  

God's Word warns us about the events we are witnessing. He instructs us to watch out and not be alarmed.

What are you doing to protect against deception? Do you know truth for yourself or are you relying on others to discern it for you, spoon-feed it to you, and protect you from error? 

What is your response to all the upheaval in the world? How will you "see to it that you are not alarmed?"

Romans 1:5-6

Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus,

Truly, You are the Son of God! Your generous gift of grace isamazing! It came to me in the promised gospel when You lovingly called my name. Gratefully, I acknowledged You, believing that You lived, died, and rose into heaven.

The moment I responded to Your call, You adopted and accepted me into Your family. You chose me to be a holy, pure and blameless ambassador, representing the kingdom of heaven to a helpless and hopeless world. Setting me free from evil and temptation, You put holy fear in my heart and insisted that I live within Your limits. Out of sincere respect and honor, I'll obey the parameters You set for me.

While I wait in the quietness of Your presence, teach me to be holy as You are holy. Search my heart and mind. Speak to me through Your Holy Word. Point out any wrong way in me. Immediately, I'll turn around and go in a different direction. Bless me with wisdom, knowledge and understanding of Your will and Your way. Then, I will make wise choices.

Thank You for calling me out of all the people in the world to belong to You. Gratefully, I accept the responsibility that comes with it. For Your name sake, I'll willingly follow the rules of Your family so that others will see You when they're watching me. Amen.

If you are a believer, you have a call and a task. God has called you to be a holy, pure, blameless ambassador so that you can truthfully represent His kingdom on earth. What will you do to develop holiness so that you can represent the One and Only True God to a watching world?

Take Time To Be Holy

William D. Longstaff, c. 1882

Copyright Public Domain

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.