This month seems to have gotten away from me. Even this year is moving by quickly as we’re just days away from the half-way point of 2010. Where has the time gone?

Well, that answer is simple: its history! Even as time has passed by, we have eternity before us: an endless and timeless period that will encompass us whether we’re ready for it or not.

In all honesty, I wonder if I am prepared for eternity. Yes, my faith is in Jesus Christ and I believe He has saved me from my sins. That alone should be enough, but I also feel I have so much unfinished business to take care of before meeting my Maker.

Raising my kids, spending more time with my wife, telling others about Jesus, helping the poor, the afflicted and anyone else who crosses my path. So much to do; so little time to handle everything.

I know that I am not the only person feeling the way I do. On Monday mornings, I meet with 3-4 other men at 6:30 to fellowship, pray and read the Bible. Our discussions often take a life focus, trying to come to grips with how God’s people managed their lives thousands of years ago and applying those lessons to today.

It isn’t always easy because sometimes we just don’t seem to get it. Take for example Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes. Burdened for God’s people and wanting to do something about the holy city and broken walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah wanted to help. He sensed God’s leading and, spent months seeking God’s guidance before asking the king for a leave of absence.

The king granted his leave, but he could have just as easily cut off Nehemiah’s head for asking. In those days, the earthly kings of the east were as close to being all-powerful as any kings that have ever ruled, which meant that if you crossed him, you were a dead man.

But Nehemiah found favor and set off for Jerusalem and, despite much opposition and an ill-equipped workforce, managed to rebuild the wall. This man was not a builder nor were most of the people with him. Still, they trusted God and He worked through Nehemiah to accomplish great things.

I am glad God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Perhaps that describes you: someone who knows he or she cannot do the job at hand, but is trusting God nonetheless. If so, be prepared to be used by Almighty God in ways you never imagined.

Photo Credit: S. Sepp

Today’s post is #200 for this site, launched by me in November 2007. Though the domain name is now ten years old, Word Journey has covered Christian subject matter only since the time I took it over and changed its purpose. This website would be NOTHING without God’s guidance: all praise and honor are due to the Lord!

I also thank you, my dear readers, for following this site.  There is a small audience of regular followers and a whole bunch of people who happen upon this site when a particular article or topic catches their fancy in the search engine results pages. In any case, your visits are appreciated as are your comments.

I didn’t have anything special planned for this milestone post, but it certainly appears that God has something in store.

Are there stone walls in your life needing to be rebuilt?

Last night, I was reading the fourth chapter of my “Be Determined” Bible study of Nehemiah, a book written by Bible teacher Warren W. Wiersbe.  Corresponding with Nehemiah chapter 4, Wiersbe talked about the spiritual warfare the Jews of that time were experiencing. Their enemies certainly did not want to see the wall of Jerusalem built and did everything in their power to dissuade God’s people.

Sanballat a Horonite and Tobiah an Ammonite were among the leaders of the peoples occupying the land surrounding Jerusalem.  The city of David had been sacked, the temple destroyed, the walls surrounding the city had been burned and knocked down. Jerusalem was just a shell of its self.

But, some of God’s people were living there and Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer for the Persian king, Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1), was burdened for his people. So much so that he prayed and fasted for months before requesting a leave of absence from his position in order to help the people rebuild.

Once on site, Nehemiah was faced with an extraordinary challenge: how to rebuild the wall with fire damaged material and how to keep God’s people motivated. Of course, Nehemiah did not rely upon human methods to galvanize the troops. He invoked the name of the Most High God to help the Jews.

Nehemiah 4 presents a powerful picture of spiritual warfare, beginning with the very first verse:

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews….

It would have been one thing had Sanballat only been mad, but he resorted to ridicule in a bid to stop the work of God’s people.

Ridicule should be recognized for what it is: an attack by the enemy. Wiersbe noted that God’s people can hold up under physical assault, but it is often the words of opposition uttered that stop us. How many of us have backed off in the face of criticism? Admittedly, there have been times I have done the same.

The ridicule uttered including the usual name-calling, including “feeble Jews” and mocking their efforts with Tobiah saying in Nehemiah 4:3, “What they are building–if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” Ouch! True, even.

But Nehemiah would hear none of it. Instead of returning their volley he implored God, beginning in Nehemiah 4:4, for divine help.

Nehemiah 4:6 is where this chapter hangs and is the reason why I chose my title, “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

That’s it. They were subjected to the attacks of their enemies, took the matter to God and immediately returned to work. And that is how we should respond: we should leave the problem in God’s care and get back to work.

Of course, following their response, the attacks were mounted once again. And again the people cried out to the Lord. They also prepared themselves for battle and kept their ears perked for the sound of the trumpet. If the trumpet had blasted, they would have had to lay down their tools to take up their weapons. In any case, they were always at the ready for battle!

My, this sounds like something we should be doing today: reading God’s word, sharing the gospel message and doing the work of the Lord.

If we’re not facing opposition, could it be that our work isn’t for the Lord? Or perhaps our work has gotten so muddled over time no one can figure out the reasons why we’re doing it any longer.

One more thing for me to add before you head off and read Nehemiah yourself: oftentimes the opposition the Jews faced came from within. That’s right, some of their own people were compromisers and did what they could to stop the work, allowing fear to control the situation. Sadly, that reflects the way much of the church operates today.

We need to be of one mind when we set out to do the work of the Lord and be determined to accomplish what He has called us to do. Otherwise, the withering attacks of the enemy will keep us from our work, turning a sure victory into certain defeat.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11

I have been inspired to write this post after reading, “False Guilt and the Sympathy Card,” written by Christopher S. Esty. In his article, Esty explained in detail one of the tricks of the evil one which is to render your work ineffective, particularly when it comes to calling out sin.

Finding the article turned out to be providential as it served to remind me that spiritual warfare is intensifying as we near the return of Jesus Christ. I won’t repeat what Esty wrote, but I will share six schemes used by satan to thwart the Christian.

1. Tolerance – Similar to what Etsy shared, there is a strong movement in the world today which says that we are to be tolerant of others. In effect, if you criticize or express an opinion opposite of what others are saying, you’re considered intolerant or worse. Look closer and you will see that those who espouse this viewpoint are often the most intolerant of all: they would reject the prostitute, sexually deviant, murderer, thief or other sinner if that person’s sin came to their attention. “…and such were some of you.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

2. Fellowship – Our time with God is very important. Through prayer and Bible reading we speak to God and He speaks to us. But God hasn’t left us alone in this world. Importantly, He has given us brothers and sisters, people who are on the same journey as we are. Satan loves to divide believers and he’ll often erect some of the stupidest barriers to keep us from fellowshipping with each other. Sadly, we often fall for these schemes. (I John 1:7)

3. Fatigue – Our bodies need rest, something God permitted to help keep our pride in check. Yes, physical replenishment is the obvious thing here, but needing rest requires us to lay down our pride. How so? By realizing that we can’t and shouldn’t do everything by ourselves. Fatigue can come from illness, diet and overwork; the latter can be quickly remedied by allowing God to work through others to help you accomplish what needs to get done for Him. (Matthew 11:28)

4. Knowledge – I enjoy acquiring knowledge though I am in agreement with “…knowledge puffs up but love builds up.” Some believers are adverse to learning new things, considering knowledge to be the exclusive realm of the devil or this world. This thinking is wrong. Even Daniel and his friends learned the Babylonian system (see Daniel 10 and were “…trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.” Most definitely, Christians need to be rooted and grounded in God’s word first before learning the world’s nonsense. Okay, not everything is nonsense but as Paul put into perspective in Philippians 3:8, “…everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

5. Love – Satan frequently reminds of us of our sins and tells us that God doesn’t love us. This argument should be obviously false to us, but we often find ourselves laden down with guilt and shame. God’s Bible is a Love Story, demonstrating to what great lengths He has gone and will be going to redeem fallen man to Himself. Once we confess our sins, we need to stand on that forgiveness. In fact, God will forgive and purify you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

6. Pathways – Recently, I was watching cable news and the person interviewed was a bishop of influence, someone whose name would be recognized by the religious community. I am not sure how the question came up, but when asked if Jesus was the only way to heaven, he first skirted the question then answered emphatically, no. Liar! Jesus is the way…. (John 14:6)

These are only a handful of schemes the nefarious one uses to stumble, confuse or otherwise render the Christian impotent. Your personal awareness of these devices can help you become much more effective in your walk, waging war against principalities by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Did you know that God loves you? Do you fully comprehend what that means?

I will venture to say that many Christians don’t quite grasp God’s love for them. If they did, then their behavior toward themselves and others would be markedly different. Instead, some people seem unhappy with themselves, angry with the world or both.

Don't allow worry to rob you of your peace.

Admittedly, I’ve struggled myself to comprehend God’s love…sometimes I feel so separated from that love while other times I’m simply in awe that He is always faithful and merciful. That’s especially evident when I fall short; a too frequent occurrence.

We don’t deserve His goodness, yet he continues to bless us with what we need in this life. Certainly, there are many disasters, wars, pestilences and bad economic times to go around. Yet, through it all God remains faithful, a shining beacon in an increasingly darkening world.

I was reminded in a sermon recently that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” It is easy to choose fear, forget that He has empowered us with the gift of prayer, that His love cannot be contained and that we don’t have to worry ourselves crazy over anything.

Yet, we do worry which means we need to continually call upon God for His help.

In Luke 12:8, we’re told that if we confess God before men, then God will confess us before the angels. Conversely, if we don’t confess God before men, then he won’t confess us before the angels.

I don’t think this means that if we don’t always boldly witness for God that He’ll deny us as His sons. Sharing our faith overtly is important, as is living our lives as if God is working in and through us. I’ve seen lots of people share their faith, but when it comes to living lives pleasing to God, there is some sort of disconnect there.

Most definitely, live your life as unto the Lord and take advantage of opportunities to testify of God’s love to family members, friends, neighbors, strangers and others. Time is clearly short…we need to be more active in our faith.

One thing we “modern” Christians need to be mindful of is covetousness and how our possessions, position and power can get in the way of God working in our lives. In Matthew 6:19-21, we are reminded not to not store up our treasures here on earth. Instead, we should be laying up our treasures in heaven.

When we have our treasures in the right place, in the care of God, our fellowship with God benefits as we put everything in its right perspective. Moth and rust do consume much as do a collapsing economy. Those signs should serve as reminders to us that nothing in this life will last except for God and His faithfulness toward us.

See Also — God Is Always Faithful

Early this morning I was sifting through various websites when my eyes caught the title of an article written by Rebecca Barlow Jordan. “What Makes Your Heart Sing?” leaped out at me, especially the first line of the story: “Feeling cranky, tired, discouraged or edgy?”

Gee, how could she have known? I’ve been on edge lately, feeling discouraged and tired. Probably cranky too!

Seriously, I take my finding the article as an act of Providence, one where God allowed me to find and read what Jordan was sharing with her readers. I won’t rehash what she wrote, but I will tell you how it has already made a difference in my day.

I am about to embark on a business trip that will take me from my home in North Carolina to a small city outside of Detroit, Michigan. While I am there, I will be meeting with representatives of a company to see how they develop new products and will also test several products rolling out later this year.

The trip is paid for by the company whose automotive products I routinely cover. Nothing quid pro quo here, rather a chance for me to see up close and personal what they are doing. I look at this trip as a chance for me to gain a better understanding of the company and meet like-minded people.

Writing is one of my most passionate activities and it is also the way that I make money. Lately, however, it has been a challenge to write as well as to market what I do. I recently completed a project that I was hoping would bring in more customers, but has yet to do so. In the meantime my finances have been stressed and stretched, making it difficult for me to move forward.

In the midst of this very present battle, I’ve been calling upon God for help. My wife and I have been praying for guidance, believing that the God who formed the galaxies and hung them in place wants to intervene in our comparably simple lives. Jesus died on the cross so that we might have life…much of everything else created was for His pleasure and ours.

Oh, and if I need further encouragement I will share with you the following Oswald Chambers quote posted to Twitter just as I was finishing up this article: “If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.”

I sense a new song about to burst forth from my heart!

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth – 2 Timothy 2:15

Christians are required to handle the Bible with care. No, I don’t mean the physical Bible—you already have pages marked up, stained by coffee or torn—but the words found in it. I know that this is so because in Paul’s second epistle to Timothy he talks about workers who are approved and disapproved by God.

These are serious words by the apostle Paul that the Christian must understand—relying on a pastor, preacher or theologian to help you exclusive of your own reading and understanding of the Bible is dangerous. That’s how cults form, where churches begin to err, where believers stray.

I have been through my own toils and snares as a believer. When I was 18 I got “saved” and was soon pulled into a “fellowship” that turned out to be a cult. Unlike some cults, this one used the Bible to lure people in and ravage their souls. Thankfully, I got out nine months later but then I plunged into darkness for more than seven years.

The specter of that cult haunted me for years; even today I shudder at what I “learned” while there.

Upon returning to the Lord, I was ignorant or at least I held some common misconceptions about God’s love, grace and truth that took several years to work through. During that time I was caught up in legalistic teaching before gradually weaning myself away from that heavy burden.

It was when I began to study God’s word on my own—in the early 1990s—that I began to fully understand and appreciate who God is and what He thinks about me: love. I don’t always read through the Bible in a year every year as some people do, but this year I set out to step up my studying in order to hear more clearly what God has for me.

As we’ve heard the preacher say, “When you want to speak to God you pray. When you want to hear from God, you read the Bible.” Sure, we’ve heard God’s inaudible voice through others and probably have heard Him speak to our hearts about something or someone. But, the Bible assures us that what we believe is right as we test our beliefs against it.

A pair of Mormons recently showed up at our doors and my wife and I began to talk with them. As usual, they were nice but I must tell you that being nice isn’t enough to get anyone into heaven. When I pressed them about their Book of Mormon being “another testament of Jesus Christ,” one answered, “I know that this is true, because of the feeling I get inside me about the book.”

Feelings betray us and this man and his friend are deceived. Not in anger, but in truth, I said that what they believed was false and that by basing their lives on this falsehood they were on their way to hell. Soon thereafter the conversation ended…I wonder why?!

Seriously, believing something is so just because grandma told you that it was or your preacher said so isn’t enough. Like the Bereans, we need to be noble Christians and search the Scriptures to see if these things we’re being told are true – Acts 17:11

To do anything less is a travesty, something that could separate us eternally from God.

See Also — The Berean Call

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Make disciples, baptize them in the faith and teach them.

If you attended a church service this past Easter Sunday, you were in good company. Churches all across the land were packed as Americans partook in an annual rite of passage: hopping into church once a year in a bid to appease their consciences.

Now don’t get me wrong: I think that Resurrection Sunday is the perfect time to go to church because on that day preachers are given the opportunity to reach more people with the message of God becoming a man, taking our sins and nailing them to the cross.

By rising from the dead—the redemptive Easter message–He has shown us that death isn’t an end game, rather a passage to eternal life with Him.

Given that Easter messages (when properly taught) carry a profound and life-changing truth, some people’s hearts were pricked by the Holy Spirit, convicted of their sins and recognized their need for a Savior. Indeed, reports I’ve heard from some churches is that many responded to the salvation message, surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.

My own fellowship says that more than 100 people committed their lives to the Lord at a massive united service held at a nearby arena, numbers far beyond what I’ve heard of on any given Sunday.

No doubt, many people this past weekend were touched. No doubt, some of those who responded truly wanted forgiveness for their sins and have passed from death to life.

But forgive me if my personal feelings of unease seem to make me appear to doubt what happened. Truly, I believe that God moves in mighty and mysterious ways, saving all those who call upon Him.

What concerns me is what should always come later: did people in your church talk with each person after the service to make sure they understood their commitment to God? Were they given a Bible and additional instructions on how to seek God and fellowship with His saints? Did someone copy down a phone number, obtain an e-mail address or come up with some other way to reconnect afterward?

The challenging part is the discipling—helping new believers walk out their faith by offering instruction and guidance. That passage in Matthew is clear: make disciples, baptize them in the faith and teach them.

To do anything less is to fail at fulfilling Jesus’ command to the church—an altar call lays the foundation while the discipling builds the house (or church). If we aren’t actively following up with people the cults and those who teach a watered down gospel will. Making disciples is hard work, but it is work that must be done.

If you recently decided to follow Jesus, you need to do your part by praying to God, reading your Bible and seeking out a fellowship where God’s word is preeminent. Even if a church failed to follow up with you, you can still follow up with God. Ask Him to direct your steps. Psalm 37:23 says that the “steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord.”

Whether you are a man or woman, God is already leading and wants you to follow Him. It is up to the rest of us to help you grow in your faith.

See Also — GotQuestions.org: Why is making disciples important?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths alone by themselves, and he went away, wondering about and marveling at what had happened.
(Luke 24:12 | Amplified)

John 20 (NASB)

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.

So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.

The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.

For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.

And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

“If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Portrait Credit: William Hole

As we move through the church calendar, today is a significant day in Jesus’ final week before He was crucified.

Some Christians call this day “Maundy Thursday” which is also known as Holy Thursday, marking Jesus’ Last Supper and the washing of His disciples’ feet. According to GotQuestions.org, maundy is derived from the Latin word for command. In other words, Jesus gave the command that the disciples should love and serve each other.

Tomorrow is the most important day of the week, Good Friday, when Jesus went to the cross for our sins. That act, later followed up by Resurrection Sunday (Easter), bridged the vast chasm separating God and man, giving all who believe in the redemptive work of Jesus the promise of eternal life.

While hanging on the cross Jesus continued to minister to those in His presence. Despite having been stripped, flogged, scourged and beaten to a pulp, Jesus continued to reach out, uttering what are commonly known as the seven last words (phrases) of Christ before He gave up His life.

Those words were:

1. Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Translated, the phrase means: My God, My God why have you forsaken me? God the Father turned away from God the Son as Jesus bore our sins, a temporary move resulting in our Savior feeling that separation. Reference Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:1.

2. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Though being mocked by those who crucified Him, Jesus recognized that those carrying out the deed did not understand what they were doing. Reference Luke 23:34.

3. I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise. Spoken to the thief on the cross who recognized Jesus as His Savior. Even in His final hour, Jesus reached out and touched the life of a thief who repented of his sins. Reference Luke 23:42,43.

4. Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit. Jesus’ life was not taken from Him. Instead, He gave His life up and was in full control of the situation. Reference Luke 23:46.

5. Dear woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!” Jesus made sure that His earthly mother was cared for by committing her to His disciple, John. In those days women were fully dependent on men for their sustenance. Reference John 19:26,27

6. I am thirsty. Jesus was not only thirsty, but He was also fulfilling prophecy as outlined in Psalm 69:21. Reference John 19:28.

7. It is finished! Jesus’ suffering was over and the sin debt was paid. There is nothing that we can do to add to or subtract from what our Savior did for us on the cross. Reference John 19:30.

Truly, we serve an Awesome God!

Photo Credit: Vivek Chugh

Hosanna to the Son of David!

The most important week on the church calendar is upon us, Holy Week, marking the final days of Christ’s life on earth before He was crucified on Good Friday. I was calling this time period “Passion Week” until recently when I realized that the week preceding the final week of Lent has been given that title.

I’m not very formal in these matters, but I am grateful to God for what the week represents: redemption followed by resurrection.

As a Catholic youngster I remember going to mass and being given palm fronds to mark Palm Sunday. We used to bring them home and decorate the mantle or place them where we could see them for the next week. I don’t remember the fronds being around when Easter Sunday arrived, but I’m sure that we had them on hand on Good Friday. My mother, who was a non-practicing Quaker, probably threw them away as soon as they dried out.

In any case, when I grew up and came to personally know Jesus, I thought it was odd to have palm fronds to signify honoring God. Weren’t these the same people who later turned on Jesus days later by calling for Him to be crucified? How fickle.

Yes, that sounds harsh but I was a young believer with my head on Jesus’ bosom and quite drunk with the new wine. Later, and I’m not sure how much later, I realized how fickle I was. That probably had something to do with me serving God with not the purest motives or having some other thoughts that were not befitting a follower of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we need a good dressing down from the Holy Spirit to realize that we’re not “all that and a bag of chips” ourselves.

There are many different ways for the disciple to remember what Jesus did for them this week. Personally, I am comparing gospel accounts of the final week starting with Jesus asking for the disciples to bring Him a colt that had never been ridden upon.

In Matthew 21, two donkeys were mentioned while in the other gospels just the colt was mentioned. Skeptics love to pick “apparent” discrepancies apart, but I am satisfied that there were two donkeys present even though not every gospel writer shared that information.

If you enjoy apologetics (defending the faith), Apologetics Press is a good place to go for an explanation about these and other discrepancies. Personally, my faith isn’t shaken even if I’m not able to offer an explanation with confidence.

Beyond a comparative study of the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and later resurrection, I plan to take in a Good Friday service and, of course, Resurrection Sunday. Some believers hold Passover remembrances, others reenact the Last Supper with food fellowship and foot washings, while still others will fast and pray at some point during the week.

In whatever way you plan to mark the week, do so as unto the Lord. One year, our church showed “The Passion of the Christ” movie at a Wednesday evening service, while in other years I have viewed the “Jesus” film.

Consider bringing someone with you to a church event or service who does not know the Lord; some people won’t set their feet in church at any other time of the year, but they’ll do so at Easter and Christmas.

Happy Holy Week to you and yours!

Photo Credit: Daniel Cubillas