Prayer Vigil: From 3 PM Friday, April 3rd through 6 AM Easter Sunday, April 5th at Western Hills. Contact church office for sign up info.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
With his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
How often do you encounter a simple event that reminds you of something of far greater significance? Such was my experience today waiting for a routine blood test for an annual physical. This simple exercise caused a bit of a shudder, not for itself, but for my Savior. How must He have felt as He was awaiting His scourging? Blood tests such as mine are routine in the monitoring of one’s level of health. The brutality and blood-letting He experienced screened much more than medicinal issues. It totally eradicated the stain of sin and guaranteed an eternity with Him for all who genuine acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior . The healing on the other side of this Passion Week is well worth our meditation time at the Prayer Vigil.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
… and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you Mark 14:13
Here we are in the middle of Passion Week and I continue to marvel at how Jesus has a full command of all the details leading up to His Death and Resurrection. This verse shows the early stages which lead to the site of the Last Supper. Scripture doesn’t tell us if the two disciples that Jesus sent to find the water carrying man were puzzled, amazed or anxious about their chore. I would like to think that they expressed these thoughts much like the two on the road to Emmaus. Then again, isn’t there always a feeling of confidence when the Leader we choose to follow knows the way? The Prayer Vigil allows us the time to evaluate our adherence to His plans for our lives. May we seek Him with all of our heart.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16
Do you remember the song, “You gotta have heart?” It had a few bars that rang out with, ‘Miles and miles and miles of heart…’ That hyperbole carries even more validly as it describes the grace that comes from Jesus to us. As the blood from the heart flows through and belongs to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united with the Lamb. Here is the sweet communion between Christ and His church. It’s like the sap of the tree that flows from root to truck to stem to branch. It nourishes all along its way to the youngest and newest fruit. As we reflect with increased frequency how that life-giving substance, His grace, has impacted our lives, the sweeter our communion will be with Him. There’s nothing like a Prayer Vigil to spark the discoveries of His grace in our lives.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8
Today is the beginning of Passion Week. Believers, we must spend some time meditating on the sufferings of Christ. Today’s verse often confused me because it indicated that Jesus, the Son of God, had yet to learn all that I thought he knew by being God. Add to that conundrum, His suffering actually taught Him elements of obedience. How should we then approach suffering? If the Captain of our salvation was made perfect in suffering, shouldn’t we welcome the opportunities to walk with Him along the same path? Our Lord’s experience teaches us that suffering is necessary. Prepare yourselves to be joyfully surprised at the lessons that await you. Since He was made perfect in suffering, He can have complete sympathy with us. Let our griefs exalt us and our troubles lift us up. “If we endure, we will also reign with him.” 2 Tim. 2:12 Let the transformation of our minds towards suffering begin at the Prayer Vigil.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
… that whoever believes in Him… John 3:16
Here’s a challenge for you: read the gospel of John and notice how his style is frequently asking you to make a decision. Above is a phrase from the universally known John 3:16. Have you ever felt the inquiry contained in this verse? Did you ever want to raise your voice and respond, ‘Yes, I believe in Him.’? There are other such nuggets in this gospel, go dig for them. Do not accept this challenge as a school day assignment. View it as a delicious dialogue with the Holy Spirit. Devote some of your time in the Prayer Vigil to sampling the delights of God’s Word.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
… the love of Christ that passes all understanding Ephesians 3:19
When I was a child my heart was filled with anticipation for Christmas Day. The sweetness of the food was matched by a ‘seasonal buzz’, piles of wrapping paper and corresponding sibling energy. All of which set my adrenalin off the chart. Why is it now that some of those same exciting echoes resonate as I see the Easter season coming upon us? My focus is on the majesty from which Jesus came. Who can tell his height of glory? Who then can measure the depths from which he descended? No words can describe this expanse. His mission has been accomplished. His Resurrection has planted fertile seeds of a new anticipation. May our love and understanding continue to grow in this new garden. Consider nurturing your anticipation in the Prayer Vigil.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:56
What causes a Believer to flee from the fellowship of the body of Christ? A Believer may have been wounded by one of life’s inevitable dramas, the sudden loss of a loved one. Or perhaps it was a teaching that made him raw and defenseless in his own faulty reason that caused a panic in which he took to his heels. Or let us not forget the allurements of the present age – comfort without sacrifice or the whole bastion of ego-centric ideas that are ceaselessly dangled before us. As for Jesus’ disciples, they in cowardly fear of their lives fled from Him at the very outset of His sufferings. This is the frailty of all believers if left to themselves. Rise up and arm yourselves with the spiritual weapons to identify and repulse the Evil One. Such spiritual training is available upon enlisting in the Prayer Vigil.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Jesus answered..."So, if you seek me, let these men go." John 18:8
Notice the care that Jesus displayed even in His hour of trial toward his precious sheep! He resigns Himself to the enemy, but He interjects a word of power to set His disciples free. As to Himself, He is silent; but for His disciples' sake He speaks with almighty energy. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His Sheep. The Lord Jesus has drawn the cruel hunters upon Himself, making the most timid of His followers to discover perfect peace in His unbounded love. A deeper understanding and emotional connection to this sacrifice awaits you in the Prayer Vigil.
Some Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening” which is written by C.H. Spurgeon.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
When he came back, he again found them sleeping... Matthew 26:43
Did you ever wonder why Jesus kept coming back to his disciples when he was praying in Gethsemane? He couldn’t have been checking on his ‘body guards’ or playing the reverse role of a ‘summer camp prefect.’ Perhaps he was looking for some spiritual support – and was sadly disappointed. How many times have we been blessed by someone who appears at our side when we are most fragile? There are two lessons here: Never fall asleep on the job when someone needs your support. Secondly, the strength we can get from the Father never fails us in our moment of need. Discover these things in the Prayer Vigil.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to them. Daniel 10:12
I remember the political turmoil when one aspiring politician sought to ‘enlighten’ his audience with the news that it was he who invented the internet. While I am hardly deserving of geek status, I do admire the wonders of ‘wireless internet’. Believers, think of prayer in that context. And if you fashion yourselves as humble seekers, you will have the experience of being connected to God just as Daniel was in our verse today. You now have a new understanding of ‘wireless internet’. The more you use it, the faster it becomes and it never shuts down. Prayer as ‘wireless internet’ is a fitting approach to the Prayer Vigil which is now only 10 days away.
Monday, March 23, 2015
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed. Matthew 26:39
There are several instructive features in our Savior's prayer before He entered His hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from His three favored disciples. Our lesson here is to be diligent in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the church will not be sufficient; these are very precious, but the fragrance of heaven will be sweetest in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God's. This remarkable experience awaits you at our Prayer Vigil.
With his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
How often do you encounter a simple event that reminds you of something of far greater significance? Such was my experience today waiting for a routine blood test for an annual physical. This simple exercise caused a bit of a shudder, not for itself, but for my Savior. How must He have felt as He was awaiting His scourging? Blood tests such as mine are routine in the monitoring of one’s level of health. The brutality and blood-letting He experienced screened much more than medicinal issues. It totally eradicated the stain of sin and guaranteed an eternity with Him for all who genuine acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior . The healing on the other side of this Passion Week is well worth our meditation time at the Prayer Vigil.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
… and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you Mark 14:13
Here we are in the middle of Passion Week and I continue to marvel at how Jesus has a full command of all the details leading up to His Death and Resurrection. This verse shows the early stages which lead to the site of the Last Supper. Scripture doesn’t tell us if the two disciples that Jesus sent to find the water carrying man were puzzled, amazed or anxious about their chore. I would like to think that they expressed these thoughts much like the two on the road to Emmaus. Then again, isn’t there always a feeling of confidence when the Leader we choose to follow knows the way? The Prayer Vigil allows us the time to evaluate our adherence to His plans for our lives. May we seek Him with all of our heart.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16
Do you remember the song, “You gotta have heart?” It had a few bars that rang out with, ‘Miles and miles and miles of heart…’ That hyperbole carries even more validly as it describes the grace that comes from Jesus to us. As the blood from the heart flows through and belongs to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united with the Lamb. Here is the sweet communion between Christ and His church. It’s like the sap of the tree that flows from root to truck to stem to branch. It nourishes all along its way to the youngest and newest fruit. As we reflect with increased frequency how that life-giving substance, His grace, has impacted our lives, the sweeter our communion will be with Him. There’s nothing like a Prayer Vigil to spark the discoveries of His grace in our lives.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Hebrews 5:8
Today is the beginning of Passion Week. Believers, we must spend some time meditating on the sufferings of Christ. Today’s verse often confused me because it indicated that Jesus, the Son of God, had yet to learn all that I thought he knew by being God. Add to that conundrum, His suffering actually taught Him elements of obedience. How should we then approach suffering? If the Captain of our salvation was made perfect in suffering, shouldn’t we welcome the opportunities to walk with Him along the same path? Our Lord’s experience teaches us that suffering is necessary. Prepare yourselves to be joyfully surprised at the lessons that await you. Since He was made perfect in suffering, He can have complete sympathy with us. Let our griefs exalt us and our troubles lift us up. “If we endure, we will also reign with him.” 2 Tim. 2:12 Let the transformation of our minds towards suffering begin at the Prayer Vigil.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
… that whoever believes in Him… John 3:16
Here’s a challenge for you: read the gospel of John and notice how his style is frequently asking you to make a decision. Above is a phrase from the universally known John 3:16. Have you ever felt the inquiry contained in this verse? Did you ever want to raise your voice and respond, ‘Yes, I believe in Him.’? There are other such nuggets in this gospel, go dig for them. Do not accept this challenge as a school day assignment. View it as a delicious dialogue with the Holy Spirit. Devote some of your time in the Prayer Vigil to sampling the delights of God’s Word.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
… the love of Christ that passes all understanding Ephesians 3:19
When I was a child my heart was filled with anticipation for Christmas Day. The sweetness of the food was matched by a ‘seasonal buzz’, piles of wrapping paper and corresponding sibling energy. All of which set my adrenalin off the chart. Why is it now that some of those same exciting echoes resonate as I see the Easter season coming upon us? My focus is on the majesty from which Jesus came. Who can tell his height of glory? Who then can measure the depths from which he descended? No words can describe this expanse. His mission has been accomplished. His Resurrection has planted fertile seeds of a new anticipation. May our love and understanding continue to grow in this new garden. Consider nurturing your anticipation in the Prayer Vigil.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:56
What causes a Believer to flee from the fellowship of the body of Christ? A Believer may have been wounded by one of life’s inevitable dramas, the sudden loss of a loved one. Or perhaps it was a teaching that made him raw and defenseless in his own faulty reason that caused a panic in which he took to his heels. Or let us not forget the allurements of the present age – comfort without sacrifice or the whole bastion of ego-centric ideas that are ceaselessly dangled before us. As for Jesus’ disciples, they in cowardly fear of their lives fled from Him at the very outset of His sufferings. This is the frailty of all believers if left to themselves. Rise up and arm yourselves with the spiritual weapons to identify and repulse the Evil One. Such spiritual training is available upon enlisting in the Prayer Vigil.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Jesus answered..."So, if you seek me, let these men go." John 18:8
Notice the care that Jesus displayed even in His hour of trial toward his precious sheep! He resigns Himself to the enemy, but He interjects a word of power to set His disciples free. As to Himself, He is silent; but for His disciples' sake He speaks with almighty energy. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His Sheep. The Lord Jesus has drawn the cruel hunters upon Himself, making the most timid of His followers to discover perfect peace in His unbounded love. A deeper understanding and emotional connection to this sacrifice awaits you in the Prayer Vigil.
Some Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening” which is written by C.H. Spurgeon.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
When he came back, he again found them sleeping... Matthew 26:43
Did you ever wonder why Jesus kept coming back to his disciples when he was praying in Gethsemane? He couldn’t have been checking on his ‘body guards’ or playing the reverse role of a ‘summer camp prefect.’ Perhaps he was looking for some spiritual support – and was sadly disappointed. How many times have we been blessed by someone who appears at our side when we are most fragile? There are two lessons here: Never fall asleep on the job when someone needs your support. Secondly, the strength we can get from the Father never fails us in our moment of need. Discover these things in the Prayer Vigil.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to them. Daniel 10:12
I remember the political turmoil when one aspiring politician sought to ‘enlighten’ his audience with the news that it was he who invented the internet. While I am hardly deserving of geek status, I do admire the wonders of ‘wireless internet’. Believers, think of prayer in that context. And if you fashion yourselves as humble seekers, you will have the experience of being connected to God just as Daniel was in our verse today. You now have a new understanding of ‘wireless internet’. The more you use it, the faster it becomes and it never shuts down. Prayer as ‘wireless internet’ is a fitting approach to the Prayer Vigil which is now only 10 days away.
Monday, March 23, 2015
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed. Matthew 26:39
There are several instructive features in our Savior's prayer before He entered His hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He withdrew even from His three favored disciples. Our lesson here is to be diligent in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the church will not be sufficient; these are very precious, but the fragrance of heaven will be sweetest in your private devotions, where no ear hears but God's. This remarkable experience awaits you at our Prayer Vigil.