Mr. C's Blog

Today's Scripture

“Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered - to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ 

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.’”  Revelation 5:11-13

Today's Prayer

Thank God today that He alone is worthy of all the honor and glory! Praise Him today that He is a risen Savior and through Him we can have life and have it more abundantly. 

 

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Today's Scripture

“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’” Lamentations 3:20-24

Today's Prayer

Thank God today that His mercies are new every morning. Thank Him that even in the darkest times of our life that God is faithful!

 

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Today's Scripture

“Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?

My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:1-5, Psalm 22 

Today's Prayer

Pray and thank God for His sacrifice and His willingness to be abandoned Thank Him for the hope He brings even on the darkest days. Ask Him for the faith to trust Him during dark times knowing that a resurrection Sunday is coming.

 

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Today's Scripture

“Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, ‘You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.’

‘No,’ Peter protested, ‘you will never ever wash my feet!’ Jesus replied, ‘Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.’ Simon Peter exclaimed, ‘Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!’ Jesus replied, ‘A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be

entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.’ For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, ‘Do you understand what I was doing? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message.  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.’” John 13:1-17

Today's Prayer

Thank God today for the servant leadership that Jesus demonstrated for us by washing the feet of His disciples shortly before His death. As Jesus stated earlier in His ministry, He came to serve. Thank you Jesus for showing us how to serve and how to love. Lord, help us today to do the same for others. Lord, help us to show others who we belong to by showing our love for each other.

 

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Today's Scripture

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Today's Prayer

Thank God today for the power of the cross. Specifically, thank Him for resurrection power that is in our lives. The power that not only saved us but gives us what we need daily to overcome any obstacle or circumstance in our lives. Pray and ask God to give you the courage to turn over those worries that have been consuming you, recognizing that resurrection power is greater than anything you are facing.

Additional Devotion for Today
"When Jesus Shows Up"

 

Easter is such a reminder of the hope that Jesus brings. If we could define hope Biblically, we would say it like this: “The confident expectation of what God promised, and its strength is in His faithfulness.” These last twelve months have been tough.  Hope has been hard to find. At the very first Easter, hope was hard to find as well. It was especially hard to find that Friday and Saturday after Jesus had gone to the cross. 

Can you imagine how the followers of Jesus must have felt that Friday afternoon when Jesus was crucified? Their Messiah and leader appeared gone. When hope seemed out of reach, Jesus showed up at the right time. When Jesus shows up everything changes! That is still true today.

I want to remind you this Easter how Jesus showing up changes everything with three reminders. 

1)     Jesus shows up in places of sorrow.

On that first Easter Sunday morning, Jesus met Mary Magdalene on her way to the tomb. Once she realized who He was, her tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. You see Jesus is not only a powerful God, but He is also a personal God.  For those of you who are experiencing sorrow today, Jesus wants to do the same for you.

2)     Jesus also shows up in places of fear. 

That first Easter after the crucifixion, the disciples were hiding in a room afraid that the ones who killed Jesus might be coming for them. Suddenly, Jesus appeared to them in that locked room. These scared followers would soon be transformed into those who would turn the world upside down. The first words Jesus spoke to His disciples in that room in John 20 verse 19 were: “peace be with you.” Do not miss this! The one thing they were lacking was the very thing He offered!! Do you need His peace today? It is there just for you and me.

3)     Jesus also shows up in places of doubt. 

Thomas was one of Jesus followers that was not in the room when Jesus first appeared. He had doubts and needed to see it to believe it. I think Thomas wanted to believe but he needed to see. His faith needed more evidence. In Chapter 20:26-29, Jesus shows up again and gives that evidence to Thomas. Jesus wants to meet us in a place of doubt. 

Our prayer is that this Easter you might take a step towards Jesus and experience His hope! In evangelism circles, we have asked a question for years that goes like this: “If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?” Nothing wrong with that question, but maybe we could ask it differently this Easter. 

What if we asked instead: “What if you did not die today and go on living the same exact way for years to come with no real purpose and not experience His hope or peace? Just go through the motions and miss out on the best that Jesus for you.” Jesus is bigger than our sorrows, our fears, and our doubts today. 

Jesus did not just conquer the grave on Easter and forgive our sins. Although, that is huge!!! Jesus did all of this to bring life where there has been no hope. Would you reach out and claim that hope today?

We leave you with Romans 5:5 today. “There is a hope that does not disappoint.” His name is Jesus!

 

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