DAY 25: Repentance 2 Chronicles 30:9

If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.

Let's say a friend lied to you and then said she was sorry. Would you think she was sorry if she turned around and lied to you again? No way, right? You now when someone's really sorry about something. Genuine repentance is more than just saying "I'm sorry." It means being willing to turn from lying or cheating or whatever to go in another direction- God's. That's what King Hezekiah wanted the Israelites to do. Repentance doesn't mean that you're suddenly perfect. Nobody is! But it does mean that you're back on track with God.

Thoughts?

DAY 24: Relationships Revelation 2:4-5

^4-5"But you walked away from your first love—why? What's going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall!
   "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.

When a couple first falls in love, they put a lot into their relationship. Sometimes after the "newness" wears off, they get lazy about doing things they once did to show how much they care, and they let other stuff crowd in. That's a critical point in the relationship. Jesus rebukes the church in Ephesus for forsaking their first love for him ( and probably for each other). And he tells them to do the things they used to do when they first started their relationship with him.

What about you? Do you take your relationship with Jesus for granted? How can you refresh your love for him?

DAY 23: Purpose Judges 3: 12-30

¹² Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^[a] 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

 ¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.¹⁶ Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[b] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. ¹⁸ After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. ¹⁹But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

   The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

 ²⁰ Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[c] and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. ²² Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. ²³ Then Ehud went out to the porch^[d]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

 ²⁴ After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” ²⁵ They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

 ²⁶ While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

 ²⁸ “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. ³⁰ That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Do you wish you could change something about yourself- make yourself taller, funnier, more outgoing? Maybe you suspect that God made a few mistake when he made you? NO WAY! Don't even go there, girlfriend!  As part of his perfect plan, God made each of us just the way we are. Take Ehud. Back then, being left-handed was considered peculiar or unnatural. Yet it was because he was left-handed  that he pulled his surprise attack on Eglon. God never makes mistakes and he has a purpose in how he made you- so quit being so down on yourself.

DAY 22: Purity Song of Songs 4:9-15

How delightful is your love, my

sister my bride!

How much more pleasing is 

your love than wine,

and the fragrance of your 

perfume than any spice!

Your lips drop sweetness as the

honeycomb, my bride;

milk and honey are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon.

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my 

bride;

you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.

Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates

with choice fruits,

with henna and nard,

nard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon, 

with every kind of incense tree,

with myrr and aloes

and all the finest spices.

You are a garden fountain,

a well of flowing water

streaming down from Lebanon.

I'm surprised my dad hasn't boughten me this shirt yet :)

Wow! They sure don't make them like this anymore! This guy is majorly  in love- deep, passionate, lasting, head-over-heels, till-death-do-us-part love. You can see that he absolutely adores his bride. And isn't that what every girl dreams of? Now if you look closely at the things he praises her for, you'll see that he virginity is one of them. He calls her a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain- and he loves that about her! While some people may put you down for waiting till marriage, the right guy- the one who really counts- will love that about you.

Thoughts?

DAY 21: Persistence 2 Chronicles 8:14-15

In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered. ¹⁵ They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

Oh persistence. We all know that there are many things which have been started but never completed. Sometimes it is due to a lack of funds. Other times it is simply because it was decided that they were too tough or taking too long. It ends up being a matter of diligence. How would you rate your diligence- the full-steam ahead quality you put into completing a task? For many of us (myself included), diligence depends on how interesting or fun an assignment is. The duller the task , the dimmer the desire we have to be diligent about doing it. The priest and Levites were diligent about their assigned duties-all of them. They didn't have to be coaxed, bribed or put on a guilt trip about them. They just did them. Diligence is a trait that a disciple of God develops to please him in everything she does.

Would you say that's your desire?

DAY 20: Peace Psalms 34:14

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

Hey ladies! 

Let's take a look at peace. I don't know about you guys, but when I think about peace, I think of it as something that happens when nothing else is happening. In other words, no conflict plus no worries equals peace. But the Bible doesn't tell us to sit around and hope for peace. It tells us to seek peace and pursue it. Do you want peace in your life and relationships? Do something about it. Be calm and patient instead of argumentative and angry. try to change a situation rather than complain about it. "Peace isn't for passivists; it's for activists." I wish I came up with that line but I've got to give the credit to the True images Bible :).

Go and be activists!

Anne

DAY 19: Patience Psalms 40:1-3

 I waited patiently for the LORD; 

   he turned to me and heard my cry. 

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 

   out of the mud and mire; 

he set my feet on a rock 

   and gave me a firm place to stand. 

³ He put a new song in my mouth, 

   a hymn of praise to our God. 

Many will see and fear the LORD 

   and put their trust in him.

Happy Monday Ladies!

Today's trait of genuine living is one thing I've always had trouble with, patience. It's difficult to wait. You might even feel like you're becoming an expert- waiting to get your license, waiting for results from tryouts, waiting for test scores :( ,  waiting for that certain guy to notice you ;) , waiting till your old enough to be independent. Waiting is even worse when you are stuck in a difficult situation- a slimy pit that you need help escaping. So what's the quick fix? Sorry, Charlie , you've gotta wait it out. God knows your situation, but he has something for you to learn in the process. So keep waiting and start learning. Your patience will be rewarded. Gauranteed.

Have a good one!
Anne

DAY 18: Obedience Jeremiah 7:22-23

 ²²For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them^(A) concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Happy "Friday, Friday got to get down on Friday"!

To you, is Christianity a "Sunday thing"? Do the drill: go to church, sing the songs, bow for prayer, say amen, endure the sermon... then do whatever you feel like doing the rest of the week?  God wants you to obey him in everything, all the time. He wants to have a relationship that affects you every minute of every day. And he makes this promise: When you walk in all the ways he has commanded you, it will go well with you because you walk together.

Have a good weekend!
See you all in a week!!!!!!!!!!

DAY 17: Love 1 Chorinthians 13:4-7

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

When it comes to being in love, what comes to mind? Long walks on the beach, moonlight nights, starry-eyed gazes? Love is far more than romantic feelings. Genuine love is a choice to act a certain way, regardless of how you feel. Love is patient when you're frustrated, kind when others are unkind. Love always seeks the good of the other person. Love doesn't get mad easily or hold grudges. Love is trusting, protective, hopeful and strong. Think you're "in love"?  Would your love pass this test? How about your love for your family and friends? True love is to love as God loves.

What do you all think?

DAY 16: Life John 6:66-69

 ⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

   ⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

 ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

You can look for it in friends. You can look for it in family. You can look for it in money, cloths, and nice things. You can look for it in beauty and in having others admire you. You can look for it in the success of being the best. You can look for it in drinking and drugs. You can look for a purpose in life that goes beyond today and reaches into the future and only find it in one place: Jesus.  He alone has the words of eternal life. Look for it in him.

Thoughts?

DAY 15: Joy Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26

²⁴ A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, ²⁵ for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? ²⁶ To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

When I first read this, the first thing that came to mind was, "God wants me to be a party girl!!!!!!!" tehehe What? That can't be! But it's true. He wants us to enjoy life, each and every day he's given you.  Ultimately, he wants us to find our joy in him. You see, all the good things that you experience come from his hand, and he intends for you to enjoy as gifts from him. He wants  you to celebrate the life that he has given you and to find your satisfaction in him.

What do you guys think?

DAY 14: Integrity Job 2: 7-10

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

 ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

 ¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

   In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

How do you act when things aren't going your way? Does your personality change or do you act the same regardless? When you have integrity, you do the right thing, even when you don't feel like it. After their children died and they lost just about everything, Job and his wife responded with two extremes. Job's wife advised him to curse God. But Job held on to his integrity and kept consistent, godly character even when life got hard. Which one are you more like Job or his wife?

What do you all think about the passage?

DAY 13: Humility Job 1:20-22

 

 ²⁰ At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

   “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
   and naked I will depart.^[a]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
   may the name of the LORD be praised.”

 ²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

DAY 12: Hope Hebrews 6:19-20

Well first off,  I would like to congratulate all of our TAG seniors for getting in and choosing their colleges for next year. COngrats to Erin for Appalachian State (Hot Hot Hot!), Christiana for VCU (ooga ooga ooga shaka, we are CAA rivals now!!), Lizzy for JMU (you are also now my rival especially when football season rolls around! :) ), and Jessie for Liberty (I can't wait to meet your husband :)). Your 18 years of schooling have paid off!!! 

ps. if if you click on the third Hot or Shaka, you will find a nice surprise!!!

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in order of Melchizedek."

OK, so today's genuine living trait is Hope. My Bible has a nice little blurb about our Bible verse that I thought I would share.... "Do you ever feel like you're a little boat, drifting all alone on the sea of life? Tossed about by the waves of friends, teachers, parents, teammates, and life in general? Do you wonder if you're doomed to go under or crash against the rocks? What you need is an anchor! And there's only one that's strong enough and secure enough to hold you. Place your faith in Christ, and you'll discover you have a hope that will anchor your soul- no matter how stormy life gets"

What are your thoughts?

Jesus’ Resurrection and Appearances: John 20–21

Happy Easter everyone!

The Empty Tomb

 ¹ Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”  ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

 ¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
   “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
 ¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
   Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
 ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
   She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
 ¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
 ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

 ¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

 ²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”    But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
 ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
 ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
 ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

 ³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe^[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

 ¹ Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.^[c] It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus^[d]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  ⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
 ⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
   “No,” they answered.
 ⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
 ⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^{[e] 9} When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
 ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

 ¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”    “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
 ¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
   He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
   Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
 ¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
   Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
   Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
 ²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
 ²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” ²³ Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
 ²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
 ²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

One of the verses I  like the most in this section is 20:29... Jesus is talking about us here! We haven't seen Jesus, yet we believe in him. That kind of faith really pleases the Lord.

Ever feel like you've blown it so bad you can't be any use to God ( i feel this way a lot!)> Said things you can't take back or done things you can't undo? Peter's been there too. In the hours before Jesus' crucifixion, when Jesus needed him most, Peter denied him 3 times. So did Jesus write him off? NO WAY!!  In fact, after his resurrection Jesus went out of his way to restore Peter and give him a special job. No matter how badly you've blown it, God won't write you off. Turn to him and see what he has in store for you too!!!!!

Jesus' Crucifixion and Death: John 19:17-42

¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

 ¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
 ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
 ²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
 ²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
   This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
   “They divided my clothes among them
   and cast lots for my garment.”^[a]
   So this is what the soldiers did.
 ²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,^[b] here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

 ²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^[d]

The Burial of Jesus

 ³⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^[e] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. ⁴¹ At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

I find this passage so applicable to my life right now. Let's say finals are coming up, or you need to memorize lines for the play and you have extra practices before basketball play-offs. Your parents expect you to keep up with your chores, babysit your little sister and be there for "family time". You can barely juggle all your commitments, let alone help out anybody else! You think you've got a lot going on- check out Jesus. On the cross, Jesus looked beyond his own pain and his own issues to make sure that his mom was taken care of. Let's just say it's a matter of priorities sometimes.

Jesus' Trial: John 18:19-19:16

The High Priest Questions Jesus

 ¹⁹ Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.   ²⁰ “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
 ²² When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
   ²³ “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” ²⁴ Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

 ²⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”   He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
 ²⁶ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” ²⁷ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Jesus Before Pilate

 ²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” ³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
 ³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
   “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
 ³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
   ³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
 ³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
 ³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
 ³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
   Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
 ³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
 ⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

John 19

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

 ¹ Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. ⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
 ⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
   But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
 ⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
 ⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
 ¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
 ¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
 ¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
   “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
 ¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
   “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
   “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
 ¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

    So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

Jesus arrested and disowned: Matthew 26:36-75

Gethsemane

 ³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them,“Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them,“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
 ⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.“Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?”he asked Peter. ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
 ⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
 ⁴³ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
 ⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

 ⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”^[a]
   Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
   ⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
 ⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

 ⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. ⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
   Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
 ⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.
   The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
   ⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[b]
 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”
   “He is worthy of death,” they answered.
 ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Peter Disowns Jesus

 ⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
 ⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
 ⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
 ⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
 ⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
   Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

After dining with the apostles, Jesus goes into a garden called Gethsemane. There he prays, asking God if it is possible to escape some of the suffering. As Jesus is leaving the garden, Judas comes with a great number of Roman soldiers. He kisses Jesus in order to show the angry mob which man claims to be the Son of God.

This passage shows the patience of Jesus. Even in these last intense moments of life, when he probably craves some kind of comfort or support, all he gets is more disappointment. Jesus' attitude was something that I found very interesting. Knowing everything He knows is about to happen to him, he is not distraught nor does he complain. Jesus was 100% man in addition to 100%... In order to communicate with us best, He became one of us. An died for us.

Thoughts?

Comfort for the disciples: John 14-15

Jesus Comforts His Disciples
 ¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

 ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
 ⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
 ⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

    ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” ²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
 ²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
   ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
   ²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. ³⁰ I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
   “Come now; let us leave.

John 15

The Vine and the Branches

 ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[d] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.   ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
   ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

    ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[e] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’^[f]

The Work of the Holy Spirit

    ²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Hey Ladies,


So like the title suggests, this passage is from when Jesus comforts his disciples. There are many uncertainties of the future, that can fill us with fear. But we can face our our eternal future with confidence, because we know we have our own rooms in our Father's house.


This verse always reminds me of how telling people there is only one way to God can seem offensive. But as we know Jesus was not worried about being politically correct when he made this statement.  Some people claim Christianity is unjustly intolerant toward other religions. Yet Jesus himself said he was the only way to God. Either Jesus is who he claimed to be OR he was crazy, OR, worse yet, a liar who fooled his closest companions. There aren't any other alternatives. Consider this- Truth is truth whether we choose to believe it or not, because God is truth and he doesn't change. Non- Christians aren't going to hell for believing in Mohamed, Buddha or some other religion. Lost people are going to hell because they are sinners (which we learn in Romans). Sin- not a faulty religion- is what  separates our lost friends from God.


What are your thoughts?