My God My Everything

The word “holy” means to be set aside for God’s purpose. The Bible is holy, set aside to reveal the God we meet in faith. Baptism is a time of setting aside the people of God, adopting them into the Kingdom of God. Communion is a time set aside for the family of God to eat and rejoice together. The week from Psalm Sunday through Good Friday is likewise set aside for us as we journey with Jesus during His last week. This week is indeed holy, set aside for God to lead us down the path of pain and sorrow. But Friday is only the beginning. Remember Sunday is…

Passover was just days away and the disciples asked Jesus where He wanted them to make preparations for Him to eat the Passover. This was an important event and many Jews had been preparing for it for months ahead. “The meaning of Passover was explained in each synagogue and Jewish school, so that no one would be unprepared. As pilgrims streamed into Jerusalem, they noticed that every tomb near a road was painted with fresh whitewash, so they would know where the tombs were and would not accidentally defile themselves by brushing against a tomb.” (Blue Letter Bible) It was a festive time with many families gathering together. The whole…

As Jerusalem was filling with travelers preparing to celebrate the Passover, the small nearby town of Bethany was also filling with people. People who were wanting to see for themselves a man who had been raised from the dead. They were looking for living proof of this miracle. This crowd had heard that Jesus was there and they made their way to see not only him, but Lazarus as well. Some of this crowd may have participated in mourning for him when he died. Can you imagine the scene and the emotions? Only days before they were experiencing grieving and sadness, now they were going to the same place with…

Have you ever said or thought those words? It’s a very self-focused mindset that is fueled by greed and will prevent you from any thought of others. We see it every day in our society as people try to climb social and corporate ladders to obtain what we like to call the American dream. The responses to those words are what we use to filter our actions. We will do some pretty crazy things if we think we will benefit from them. Those crazy things start out as small compromises and build from there. Casting Crowns has a song called American Dream that depicts the deterioration of a relationship due…

When I was younger I had the opportunity to tour Europe for three weeks during the summer. While in Paris we walked through many shops and the vendors would spray perfume in the air as you walked by to draw customers into their areas. Some of the scents you would avoid and others were very pleasant. There was one scent that I really enjoyed and wanted to purchase. It was expensive, so I bought the smallest bottle I could find. The bottle had a unique design and it felt like a small treasure to me. I would only use it on special occasions trying to make it last. Years later…

In the continuing story of Jesus’ journey to the cross He is now back in Bethany visiting Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead. (John 12:1-11) Several people are in attendance and we get to see what motivated each of them to do the things they did. Martha had learned from the previous incident to serve out of selfless devotion to Christ. If you love Him, you serve others for His sake without complaining. Lazarus had become a living breathing witness for Christ and “on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.” Every time we encounter Mary in the Gospels, she…

The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead took place prior to the Triumphal Entry and Holy Week. To me, this story reveals one of the most touching moments of Jesus’ character. The characters in this story are so relatable and they are related. We can picture ourselves in those same situations through events that have taken place or are currently taking place in our own lives. Lazarus was a close and dear friend with Jesus. He had a personal relationship with Him and spent time with Him. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” John 11:5 Then illness came. With each day as his condition worsened,…

I’m a morning person. I love the quiet stillness that you can see and feel before the world starts it’s hurried pace. When I’m home, I take a moment and look out the window at the sleeping neighborhood. Often a few street lights are still softly glowing which adds to the peacefulness. Who knows what the day will bring. When I’m at our weekend home, I often sit by the river and listen to the birds as I watch the sunrise. The sky comes alive with color and light as the day begins. This view is especially beautiful on run days because I get full view of the changing scene…