Names of God: Jehovah-Tsidkenu, God our Righteousness

What does it feel like to be in God’s presence? Have you ever felt his presence in a moment in time?

It’s royal, God’s presence. Like royalty is present.

It’s soft, like a whisper.

It’s like a cloud comes over you, a cloud of God’s presence.

It’s like the moment in time slows down.

You become more aware of everything around you.

You’re encountering a different dimension, a heavenly dimension intersects Earth for a moment.

You feel a love come over you.

And you feel like you don’t want to move. You don’t want to leave.

It gets bright, even though I don’t see any light. I can tell with my eyes closed that it’s bright in here… there’s a brightness I can’t see visually, but it’s there.

It’s also intimidating, dare I say terrifying, when I realize, the environment has shifted, God is here.

For I know God is a consuming fire.

It’s also a burning, a burning light, a roaring blue flame, God’s Holy Spirit being present.

And it’s perfect love, a savior, who wants me and calls me. Like a voice.. calling me from far away. His presence draws me in.

Have you felt it? I have. And whenever I do, it makes life complete, brokenness, for a moment, becomes completeness.

That’s what we all long for, something better. A better country. A better place. Something beyond all this. We all long for it. This world doesn’t quite satisfy.

Never full enough, never happy enough, never high enough, never drunk enough, never quite enough… it’s just beyond us. Just beyond this planet.

The Infinite Creator, the living God is the only solution to the completeness we seek. He is our only hope, for the hunger and thirst we have for something greater.

We resist that. We struggle with that. And that’s ok. Because did you know, all the great heroes of faith, wrestled with God? When we struggle with who God is, when we struggle with what it means, and who Jesus is, that’s wrestling with God. It’s OK to wrestle, to struggle, to strive to understand. We struggle.

We struggle with holiness, with righteousness, with comprehending what a world without sin could look like. When we see God’s holiness, his righteous standards, we get upset. We get angry. Because we know we can’t reach it, we can’t touch it, we can’t climb to it, so we feel like a man in a hole 20 feet deep without a ladder to climb out.

We get confused, we think well, I have to try to make myself good enough to be with God. We try to do good stuff, to outweigh the bad stuff we’ve done. We try to climb the walls of the hole we find ourselves in but just keep sliding down in the mud.

But God says stop! Stop! Stop striving.

God says, “I have done it myself.” Instead of striving to do good deeds, to climb the walls of the pit to escape from sin, we must recognize our own inability. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

Even Job said, weary and afraid, wondering, “How shall anyone be made righteous with God?” (Job 9:2).

The Apostle Paul, before he became a follower of Jesus, was so proud of his self-righteous practices as a Jew, as a Pharisee, he did everything right, followed the law, fasted and prayed, memorized the Torah, and yet when he saw Jesus, he realized, all his efforts were dirty rags, like manure, filthy.

So we find ourselves lacking righteousness, don’t we? And God will by no means clear the guilty. In fact he says time and again in His word that we are found guilty before him, guilty of sin. If Jesus isn’t your savior today, you are still guilty, and you face a punishment more severe than you could possibly imagine.

Even the punishment for murder in this life is life in prison. But the punishment for our many sins, is permanent imprisonment in a place called hell, a place where we are tortured without end, day and night, without rest, without food, without water, and without any hope. Indeed, there is not a single positive emotion to be experienced in hell. Some of you are headed there today and I’m pleading with you, stop your march to hell, and turn to the narrow road to eternal life.

God’s word says the soul that sins shall die; and the wages of sin are death. (Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23).

You can pay for your sins with your own blood, in hell, but the life of the body is in the blood, and there is no life in hell, so there is no blood in hell either, be aware, you’ll have no blood there. Only sand. And it’s quite real. Quite real indeed. I’m sorry I’m just telling you what the Bible says.

And indeed as a pastor, as a teacher, I’m told in the word that if I fail to carry the gospel to those under my care with accuracy, that your blood will be poured over my head on judgment day, as a witness to me, that I failed you, failed to carry the gospel to you. So I take that very seriously.

Your blood can't pay for your sins in hell, the truth is your blood can’t pay off your sins in any way. So you’ll receive the permanent wrath of God in hell, as a permanent state for your soul to live in, consciously, for all time, each day, with new horrors.

Or you can allow the blood of another to pay your road home. The blood of a righteous man. But no man is righteous. Who could do such a thing? Could a sinner die for your sins? No, they can’t pay anything they’re in sin as well. They’re in the hole with us. But, one came, who is said to carry our sorrow and our burdens, and the guilt we carried, would be placed on Him. Could any man do this? No, only a God-man, the God-man, the living God inhabiting human flesh, born into the world, Jesus Christ, who being perfect, and never sinning once, became our spotless sacrifice, to offer his blood to purchase us from death, and sin, and hell. Praise the Lord.

We must repent, and put our trust in Jesus Christ, and what he has accomplished. God has paid off the debt. That’s the thing. We can’t fix it ourselves. We can’t do enough good things. We must stop, and rest, in Jesus Christ.

Yes, repent of your sins, yes, leave behind your old ways, but instead of trying to force that to happen by your own strength, stop and turn and see, only if cry out to Jesus Christ, then, then and only then, will He be able to do it in me. I can’t do it. Only Jesus can do it. So I will let Jesus do it. Surrender. Let go of your own efforts, put your faith in Jesus, throw off the old sins, and cry out to Jesus to make you new. That is the only hope.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet knew that. Israel had turned away from God. They hated God wanted nothing to do with God. Yet there was still hope. Even though Israel would go into captivity, be taken captive in Babylon, later, they would return to Israel, and God would bless them, and help them, and make them new. It says in Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23:1-8 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

    “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,

a King who will reign wisely

    and do what is just and right in the land.

6 In his days Judah will be saved

    and Israel will live in safety.

This is the name by which he will be called:

    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

7 “So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 8 but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

In verse 6, in the Hebrew, it means, Jehovah Tsidkenu, which means God our righteousness. God our rest. We find our rest from sorrows in Jesus Christ. Only in God who provides righteousness to us. We can’t earn it. We can’t force it to happen. We can only receive it through surrender to God. Submitting to Him, leaving behind our sins and putting our hope in Jesus. Then God becomes our righteousness. We become clean in His sight, because we have believed in Jesus. Jesus did it all for us. We just need to believe in Him. And live for Him. It’s just that simple.

There is no list of things to do to make ourselves right with God, God doesn’t desire sacrifice, but instead the sacrifice God wants us the sacrifice of a “broken spirit” and a  “contrite heart.” Let yourself feel sorrow over your sins, let yourself feel broken over the state of your life and how you’ve fallen short. Isn’t that a strange concept, that when we’re in godly sorrow, it’s a good thing, a godly thing because it’s bringing us to change moments, to repentance, to a new attitude, where we realize our need for Jesus the messiah.

Despite everything that had happened, how completely Israel had failed God. How they had prostituted themselves to foreign gods. How they had ignored God and his laws. How they had corrupted justice and mistreated the poor and needy, despite all that, despite all our sins, God says hold on, there’s still a hope and a future here. Hold on, there’s still a way for you, no matter how much evil you’ve done, there’s still a way out of the wilderness and onto the high road of victory, it’s in Jesus Christ the savior of the universe, if we will shut up, get out of our own way, finally surrender, let go of our pride, our ego, and put our trust in Jesus Christ and call out to Him, he will give us his own righteousness, and suddenly that impossibly high pit we’d fallen in, we find ourselves rescued, and out of the pit and on our way to heaven. Now we can always go back and jump in and often the enemies tries to tempt us, hey remember how cozy that muddy pit was, remember how there were no responsibilities and you could just sit there and feel sorry for yourself, so now as Christians, we must walk free from sin, in holiness ,in the fear of the Lord, knowing, that God expects us to walk as Jesus walked. God has become our righteousness, so now, we lives as slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). 

The Lamp under a Basket: How to be a Light-Shining Kingdom Agent

While I was on vacation in Cancun we were swimming in the ocean everyday and it was simply wonderful and beautiful and really fun. The first few days the waves were very low, you could just sit out there in the waters and it was so calm and peaceful. But then slowly a hurricane began forming south east of us, eventually named hurricane Ian, and we went out swimming the day before hurricane Ian would pass by us, and the waves had grown much stronger.

As I waded out in the water, the waves would crest and crash down into us, and the closer to the shore you were, the harder the waves would hit. But I noticed that as I got deeper and deeper out, at first it got harder and harder, the waves kept cresting and hitting me. I was in to my knees, then to my waist, and the waves were hitting harder and harder. I almost turned back because I thought the waves are too strong. But then I went in deeper to about the depth of my upper chest and shoulders. And as the waves came, they were just forming, and they wouldn’t crest and crash where they turn white, until after they got past me.

So I could simply float over the waves as they formed, because I was out deep enough to avoid the crest of the waves.

And I realized at that moment that this is the picture of the Christian life in regard to our relationship with God. If we have a shallow relationship with God, we barely pray, we hardly ever seek God, we read the bible very rarely, the waves of life will crash into us, we’re not in very deep, and those waves will threaten to knock us over and even drive us out of the water all together, away from God. But wise Christians then begin to fight for their walk with God, they push into prayer they push into bible reading and study, and church, and at first seems to get even more difficult. The pushing doesn’t seem to get anywhere and the waves hit even harder, because the enemy wants to prevent our breakthrough.

But wise Christians KEEP PUSHING into God, KEEP SEEKING God, and suddenly they breakthrough, to a deeper relationship with God, a more passionate intimacy, they spend hours with God, they fast and pray, they study the word diligently and their closeness with God is deep and powerful, and as the waves of life hit, and hit, and hit, they’re so deep out, the crests don’t harm them, and they float over the troubles as they come.

And that’s super important to understand in our parable today of the light under a basket, to live this out will seem very hard if your relationship with God is poor, but if your relationship with God is deep and intimate and close, this will just naturally happen as you lovingly obey the Father.

Our Parable today is from Luke 8:16-18. But the parable also appears in a brief format in Matthew’s gospel, as part of the famous sermon on the mount, it’s rendered like this: “Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

The parable also appears in the gospel of Mark, rendered very similarly to how Luke renders it, almost exactly the same, in Mark 4:21-25 if you want to take a look.

But we’re going to focus on the way it’s rendered in Luke, which is almost exactly the same as Mark, I think it’s likely that Jesus also made mention of this parable in the sermon on the mount, but later shared it as a separate parable to give further detail. So we’ll focus on the greater detail version for today.

It says this: “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” –Luke 8:16-18 NIV

I want to draw your attention first to something Jesus says here, he says be careful how you listen. Let’s talk about that first, then we’ll get to the light.

Why does this Jesus say this? What does he mean?

Well, think about it, when we study a particular portion of scripture, whether at church or by ourselves or at a bible study, how do we look at?

Here’s how I think we should look at it, then I’m going to show you how we shouldn’t listen to it.

1. This is God’s perfect timeless word – I need to see this as inspired of God, a gift from God, perfect and something of infinite value. That’s studying in faith.

2. This is wonderful, righteous, and true – I should see this as righteous, absolutely right, beyond human wisdom

3. This is command – I want to see this as a command to be obeyed in love

4. Believe it – I want to incorporate this into how I see the world, I want to incorporate this scripture into my own worldview, my personality, how I see everything and myself

5. Live it – I’m reading this scripture and immediately applying it to how I can live it out in my life, what does this look like in practice?

6. Urge to Share – Train yourself to find an urgency to share what you’re learning – immediately if I see something powerful in scripture, I think to myself, someone else needs to see this too. That urgency will grow in strength as you share and reshare it

7. This is who God is – big picture – I add the scripture I’m learning to my overall understanding of the picture I have in my mind and heart of who God is. How does this scripture either confirm or alter my view of who God is?

Now, here’s how not to respond to God’s word:

1. Responding in Emotion/Responding in the Flesh – Sometimes we see the scripture from a human perspective, we even get mad, or disregard it, we think oh that’s not right, I don’t want that to be so. We read it as a human.

2. This is suspect – As we read it, we think I don’t like what it’s saying there. And let’s all admit we’ve all done this from time to time we’ve read a portion of scripture and not liked it. Particularly if it upsets our moral compass, well that’s not loving, that’s not righteous, and instead we should let the bible correct us instead of trying to correct the bible

3. This is nice suggestion – 3 I think may be the worst danger on this list, I often catch myself doing this, I read something and think oh that’s nice, like with this parable today, oh let your light shine isn’t that nice, that’s nice, then move on. Wait a minute, that’s a command. It’s not a nice suggestion, like oh forgive your enemies isn’t that nice that Jesus did that, then move on, no, stop, that’s a command for you to follow.

4. Not incorporated into worldview – Sometimes we read it and we don’t put it in our worldview, we leave it on the page. No, apply it into your heart and into your brain as your attitude for life

5. Not Living It – Also a huge danger, one Jesus mentioned numerous times, Jesus said blessed are you if you hear my words and put them into practice. So often we hear it in church, think oh that’s nice, but we never apply it to our lives.

6. Lack of sharing – Most of us don’t share what we’re learning in church, but we’ve got to learn to do that, to have those conversations. I’ve caught myself doing that too, you leave church, and never talk about what you learned there, maybe at church you should sit down with family and have a time to talk about what you learned.

7. Refuse to adjust view of God – This is something I see with Christians caught up in theology, they refuse to adjust their view of who God is. They find a scripture that goes against their view of god, and instead of adjusting their view of god, they toss out the scripture and say no I don’t want that one, well you do that enough and you create an idol of god is that false and not resembling to the real living God.

Alright let’s move on to the top portion of the scripture, that says, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.”

Let your light shine, don’t hide it. What does that look like practically?

A perspective first from Irish Catholic clergymen John McEvilly who said, "These words have the object.. to stimulate the Apostles to shine as lights before the world, to enlighten the surrounding darkness, and impart to all the world the light of a holy, spotless life, and of pure teaching. As a city on a hill cannot be hid, so neither can the Apostles, from their exalted position, be concealed from the eyes of men; and, hence, their duty, to live so as to edify men. As no one lights a candle for the purpose of concealing its light, so neither did God constitute the Apostles as the lights of the world, in order to hide their light and detain the truth of God in injustice. Their duty is quite plain, viz., to diffuse this light far and near; to be deterred by no obstacles, in the free exercise of the exalted commission confided to them by God Himself, and to show forth the brilliancy of their virtues, and by their example to allure others to God." - John McEvilly (1818–1902) an Irish Roman Catholic Church clergyman

If we are shining our light toward others, they see it and hunger and thirst for a similar righteousness. They inevitably will thirst for Jesus Christ well, not inevitably, but hopefully.

As Christians, we should be going about our cities and our towns, among our families and our friends, wisely, discerningly, boldly, gracefully shining our light toward others.

And they will see the light. Most dwell in darkness, they have no light. The goal then is that the light would burn brightly in you, be seen by others, and then those people come to Jesus Christ, and a light bursts to life in them, and then they shine that light to others. And it’s supposed to spread that way, so eventually, even as a single Christian in a dark place shines their light, and others see it, and their candles catch fire as well, that this light would spread more and more, to new people everywhere,

And soon there are several Christians burning brightly, others see that light, come to Jesus, and they starting burning as candles as well.

Pretty soon you’ve got 10-15, then 20, then 30. And pretty soon there are a hundred, then 150, then 300, and eventually entire cities are burning brightly.

That’s really how it plays out.

So in a city like Owosso, maybe you have 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 people who have lit candles burning as they go about. The enemy is always seeking to stop people from coming to the light. Angels are assisting us in bringing people to the light of Christ, and that’s where you see the spiritual warfare, the cosmic battle taking place.

Some people come to the light, and catch fire, others refuse the light and the light is an offense to them. Others are drawn off by schemes of the evil one, they’re drawn to false light. Some candles burn out, and they drift back into darkness. Some put their candles under a basket, and the candle goes out, because they are not shining it out toward others.

A slogan in 12 step recovery is, to keep it, you have to give it away. A paradoxical statement, that one of the most powerful forms of spiritual growth is sharing the message of recovery with others. Particularly in 12 step groups, when someone gets inwardly focused, it starts to spiral, this spiral of selfishness that gets worse and worse, and pretty soon they are near relapse. And the solution ironically enough is to go work with someone else and help someone else, and that gets the selfish mind off the self and toward another, and it suddenly solves the internal crisis by replacing selfishness with selflessness. Quite amazing.

Unfortunately many Christians are deceived today, they don’t share their light like they should.

On a very practical level, then, how can we as Christians shine our light and not hide it under a bushel. The world, the media, the society around us is always trying to communicate the lie to us: Don’t share your faith. Don’t talk about religion. Keep your faith private. Keep it hidden behind closed doors. Don’t bring that into the public sphere.

Those are lies of Satan. Satan wants our light hidden under a dark basket. And what happens when we put a cup over a burning candle, the candle has no more oxygen to burn from, and it goes out.

One famous Salvation Army officer said that if the Salvation Army ever leaves the streets it will die of lack of oxygen. That if we start to hide away in our church buildings we won’t have any impact anymore and our churches will dry up and disappear. I think that’s true for any body of believers, not just salvationists. But it’s a good reminder.

So again what does that look like practically then for each of you? It’s being an agent of God’s kingdom, an angel, submitted to the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is the secret hidden in plain sight, the fundamental difference between a true Christian and a false convert, a true Christian is an agent of God’s kingdom, meaning very practically God is at work through them on a daily basis.

There are numerous people in this church, that I watch operate, and they are kingdom agents.

God brings them to the grocery store, and they run into an old friend. They recognize immediately in that moment, as the Holy Spirit guides them, this is a divine opportunity. And in the conversation that starts, the holy spirit brings up opportunities to talk about Jesus, talk about healing, invite to church. Boom, at God’s business.

God takes them on a walk, and they see someone who looks sad, God nudges them, pray for that person right now. In their heart they pray in that moment, boom, at God’s business.

They get a call from Lt. Justin, God inspired hopefully, hey can you go pick up this person here and bring them here, they say yes, I can do that, they do it, at God’s business.

God touches their heart while they’re at home to study a portion of scripture from Romans 9, and they flip open their Bible and start reading.

God touches their heart to attend church, they go, God touches their heart to attend an outreach event, they go.

That is the difference, that is a kingdom agent, one who is actively shining their light. And it’s not brutal, it’s not excessive, God is not a cruel taskmaster. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. But he has good deeds for you to do today, and you will do them in His power if you are of Him.

Shining your light then is to be a kingdom agent. And if you spend all day everyday doing whatever you want, and aren’t listening for God’s leading, then ask yourself, am I really a kingdom agent?

If you aren’t right now, that’s ok, repent, say God, help me to be very sensitive to your Holy Spirit’s leading, grant me new willingness and desire to live as a kingdom agent today, and forever, in jesus name, amen.

He will help you to live that way, as one who shines your light.

Lastly we do see a warning in this parable as well, usually all we see preached on is the first line, shine your light, but what about what comes right after, it says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

The majority of this parable is actually a warning for us from Jesus to remember, hey, anything hidden is going to come out on judgment day. Everything is going to come out on judgment day. Why does he say that right after talking about shining your light? Really interesting. He says then be careful how you listen. Are you listening as a spectator or as a participant? Amazing statement.

Then Jesus draws a hard line here, on the day of judgment, it’s going to be a hard line between those who had me as their savior and were really living righteously, and those who did not really have me and were not living righteously.

Whoever has will be given more, you really had Jesus as your savior and you really walked it out in your practice, you’re going to be heaped over with blessings and gifts, you’ll be amazed. A wonderful final union with Jesus Christ. Eternal life.

But for those who didn’t, even what little you have will be taken away, and you’ll be set out with those in outer darkness. What little you had will be taken and give to those who have the abundance. We’ve seen that in other parables as well, that concept of a hard line drawn between those who have and those who don’t.

It’s a good reminder for us today, abide in Christ, and live it practically, shine your light brightly, don’t hide it under a basket, because that basket will eventually put it out, no oxygen, the candle goes out. Share your faith! Share it! People need this message so badly! Get it out there, shine brightly, do so humbly, not with pride, but shine brightly

And recognize this as well, some will be angry at your light and rebel against it. Others will be drawn to your light and Jesus will then light their candle as well. Some will try to get you to hide your light because they hate your light, don’t do it, shine brighter, everywhere, in the real world! Shine bright and brighter! Don’t let the world trick you into hiding it! We can’t hide it, it will never be hid, shine brightly in the public world! The Lord is with you, causing you to shine brighter and brighter and his angels are helping as well to guide the light out to those who need it. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! God is greater!

Prayer Service Outline Format - Lent Stations Setup - 10 Stations

This is a setup for a 10 station prayer service for a church. Certain supplies are needed for each station. Supplies are listed under each of the headings for the stations. The goal is to draw closer to Jesus and live out our faith on a daily basis. 

1. The Birth of Christ 

Supplies: (plastic gift bags)
When we consider the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus, we often default to the most famous verse on the matter: Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

It’s a beautiful verse that speaks of hope and the promised Savior.

But today, let’s look at the book of John, and specifically, chapter one, verses one and 14. These verses say, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

They remind us of the magnitude of this moment in history. We already know that this wasn’t the birth of just any baby. This was the physical birth of the eternal God in the form of man. Jesus didn’t come into existence at the first Christmas because He has always existed.

He came for us. He came to save us.

Sit down and pray that God would help you understand just how amazing it is that the word of God himself grew in the womb of a woman and was born 2,000 years ago.

Thank the Lord for this amazing gift.

Then take one of the bags available, and sometime next week, fill the bag with food or hygiene products, and give it as a gift to a friend, a neighbor or a complete stranger, or leave it at someone’s door.

2. Jesus Loves Me – in Color

Supplies: Paper Pictures of the Cross and crayons/markers
Here you see blank white crosses. But God is a God of beautiful colors. In the past we lived empty, miserable lives, they were dull, gray-scale, sad. But then we came to know Jesus, and he made us alive. He brought color into our lives and it was beautiful.

At station two, sit down, and consider the various colors, and as you color your cross, let God speak to you about how he brought color into your life.

Red - In the Bible, the Hebrew word for red is Oudem. Its actual meaning is “red clay”. Many biblical names (Adam, Esau and Edom) are derived from this Hebrew word which means flesh.

Yellow - The second primary color is yellow. The counterpart of this color is also mentioned in God’s principle and in I Peter 1:7, God talks about trials and purging. (The trial of faith will be more precious than Gold and be tried with fire). Here the meaning is: yellow is associated with purification through difficulty

Blue - Blue is the third primary color. It spiritually signifies the Healing Power of God. It is the most sublime subject and color which biblically represents the Word of God. The very fact that the Sky is blue stands for the presence of Yahweh. God’s chosen nation Israel is also denoted as blue from the time of David.

Green - Green is obtained by mixing yellow (trials) with blue (Word of God). Therefore, the biblical meaning of the color green is immortality. (The leaf shall not wither (psalm 1:3). Green is also symbolic of resurrection which we see each Spring.

Orange - Orange is obtained by mixing red (flesh) and yellow (trials). The result is a color of fire which represents the Fire of God, deliverance and passionate praise.

Purple - Purple is obtained by mixing red (flesh) and blue (Word of God). The resultant color meaning in the Bible is royalty or priesthood.

Take your colored cross to remind you of God’s beauty in your life.

3. Turn to the Cross – Receive Jesus Christ
Supplies: Mini free-standing crosses marked with "grace" "blessing" and "courage and strength" 

The Cross

Where He who knew no sin,

Died that we may be free from sin.

The Cross

Where He was wounded for transgressions;

And bruised for our iniquities.

The Cross

Reminds us that at the end of that Holy Week

Jesus suffered death upon such a cross.

The Cross

His crucifixion was a despicable act of mankind;

Yet an act of incredible love by God.

John 19:25-27 - “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

Prayer:
Take time to prayerfully contemplate the cross.

Thank the Lord for the cross.

Consider how much it cost Jesus to do this.

Praise the Lord for His gift.

What message do you need to see from the Lord? What reminder do you need from the cross of Christ?

Take a Cross of “Grace” or Take a cross of “Blessing” or Take a cross of “Courage & Strength”

4. Waiting on God – A Candle to Celebrate
Supplies: Gift candles, one per person

Are you waiting on the Lord for an answer to prayer? Sit down and talk to God right now. What is a prayer request that you’ve been praying for a while that God is telling you: “I will answer! Wait on me!”

Seek God right now. What is he asking you to wait on? Then read these scriptures several times:

Psalm 27:14 - "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Isaiah 30:18 - "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

Prayer: “Father God, We trust you. We wait patiently on you. We wait humbly for our Master to act. We do not grumble or complain. We trust you completely. We love you. We know God you will answer, and we already see your answer coming, indeed it is here, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Take one of the candles home, and set it in a place where you’ll see it at home. When the day comes that God answers the request you are waiting on, light the candle to celebrate God’s faithfulness.

5. Light a Salvation Candle
Supplies: Tall candles (enough for the each person to light one)

We all have people in our lives that we desperately want to know Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.

Think about the person you would like to light a candle for. Consider the salvation of Jesus Christ. Then pick one or several of the following prayers and pray for that person.

Open Their Eyes and Minds Prayer

Mighty God, I pray that they may get to know you and know how great you are. Deliver them from the hands of Satan, who has blinded them from seeing the light of the Good News. Open their eyes to see your goodness. Open their minds to understand your sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ. Save them. Amen.

Experience Your Peace Prayer

Lord, My heart bleeds for my loved ones. They are entangled by sin. Their hearts are hardened. They take your love for granted. As our light and our salvation, Lord, save them. Let them understand the peace of Christ. Draw them close to you that they may experience your peace which surpasses understanding. Let your Spirit guide their way home. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let Them Look up to You Prayer

Jesus Christ, You laid down your life on the cross so that our sins are forgiven. You endured so much pain and humiliation so that we have eternal life. I pray that my loved ones look beyond this physical life, and see you in all your glory. Weaken their dependence on their power. Lead them to you. Amen.

Soften Their Hearts Prayer

Loving Father, I humble before you, asking for your help in bringing my unsaved loved ones to you. They are caught up in the world of sin. Soften their hearts to understand that you’ve paid the full price for their sins by sacrificing your only son. All they have to do is accept the gift of your forgiveness. Let them give up their worldly pleasures and seek your kingdom first. Let everything they do bring glory to you. Hold their hands to salvation. Amen.

Then Light a candle for your unsaved love one, believing God can do anything.

6. Fridge Magnet – Repeat
Supplies: Fridge magnets with encouraging scriptures on them

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” -Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

We as humans are stubborn and hard-headed. We need to hear and see things repeatedly before they work themselves into our mind and heart.

Prayer

O Lord God, we praise you that your word is powerful. It cuts down deep into us, bringing change and healing. Please God repeat your truth to us over and over until it becomes part of who we are, in our minds and in our hearts. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ask God which reminder he wants you to place on your fridge, then take it, and read it every time you open the fridge at home.

7. Bookmark
Supplies: Names of Jesus bookmarks (available online)

Take one of the bookmarks with the names of Jesus written on it. Sit down with the bookmark and contemplate who Jesus Christ is to you and to the human race.

Repeat each of the names of Jesus listed on the card out loud, thinking about what each means. Let God speak to you about who He is to you, for you, and for the world, for His glory.

Names of Jesus: Alpha & Omega, Immanuel, King of Kings, Light of the World, Morning Star, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Lamb of God, Savior of the World, The Good Shepherd, The Way, Lord of Lords, Anointed One, Bread of Life, Chief Cornerstone, Great High Priest, Heir of All Things, Holy and Righteous One, Lord of Glory, Messiah, Teacher, The Most Holy, The Truth, Word of God.

Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are our Lord, our God, our Friend, our Counselor, our Savior, our Master, our Brother, our Beloved, in your name we pray, Amen.

Keep the Bookmark as a reminder of who Christ is to you.

8. Jesus Fish – Glow Brighter
Supplies: Jesus fish key chains, glow in the dark

The Greek word for fish is "ichthys." As early as the first century, Christians made an acrostic from this word: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, i.e. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

The fish has plenty of other theological overtones as well, for Christ fed the 5,000 with 2 fishes and 5 loaves (a meal recapitulated in Christian love-feasts) and called his disciples "fishers of men."

Water baptism, practiced by immersion in the early church, created a parallel between fish and converts. Second-century theologian Tertullian put it this way: "we, little fishes, after the image of our Ichthys, Jesus Christ, are born in the water."

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, we thank you that you are our provider. Your multiplied the loaves and fishes for the five thousand, and similarly you are the bread of life, you are our provider. We trust you to provide for all our needs. Nothing we have belongs to us, it all belongs to you. We are little fishes Lord, after the image of Jesus Christ, born again of the Spirit, in Jesus name, amen.

Take one of the fish, as a reminder you a little fish of Christ, or take one of the glow in the dark key chains, to remind yourself that you glow in the dark when Christ fills you. Remember it all belongs to God. You are just a steward.

9. Body of Christ – Bread

Supplies: Bread or croutons

On the Thursday evening of Holy Week Jesus gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room. These croutons remind us of the disciples gathered in the Upper Room for the Passover and the Last Supper. Those persons gathered about the table found new meaning and purpose for their lives. As Jesus took a loaf of bread, the very basis of life, and shared it, He said, “As often as you eat of this bread, do it in remembrance of me.” The symbol reminds us that we are part of His gathered community in this world. The last supper Jesus shared with his disciples, indeed, we are part of today. The same is true of the call to ministry which we accept as members of His community.

Matthew 26: 26-29 - “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

Take a crouton and eat it to symbolize your part in the body of Christ. You are part of the family of Christ around the world. You are the hands and feet of Jesus.

Prayer - Dear God, we are thankful for the community which Jesus your Son brought into being. We ask that we have the continuing spirit to be faithful members of the community. Amen.

10. An Empty Grave

FINAL GREETING: The proof of the Resurrection of Christ is not an empty tomb, but an Easter people whose lives have been transformed and who love and follow Jesus.

Let's celebrate that with a responsive “Hallelujah!”

CHRIST IS ALIVE IN THE WORLD

Hallelujah!

CHRIST IS ALIVE IN ME!

Hallelujah!

THROUGH MY TEARS I WILL SEE HIS FACE

Hallelujah!

IN MY CONFUSION I WILL SEEK HIS GUIDANCE

Hallelujah!

IN MY SIN I WILL REPENT AND RECEIVE HIS FORGIVENESS

Hallelujah!

IN MY DEATH I WILL CLAIM ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM

Hallelujah!

7 Myths of Christianity Spread by the Lukewarm Church

 

Lukewarm Christianity is everywhere today. And with that comes a myriad of bad doctrines and misleading statements about Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the practice of our faith.

1. You can never lose your salvation - The quintessential lukewarm doctrine of the lukewarm church, receive salvation, then go do whatever you want, one and done, just like fast food, grab and go, get saved then go live however you want because hey, you can never lose it right? Let's restore the concept that falling away is real, and we must guard against it by abiding in Christ! 

2. Just Believe - The removal of repentance from the equation of salvation has been quite complete. Can you find a depiction of the gospel on a tract or graphic that includes repentance? Good luck. Let's work to restore repentance as something done in concert with faith.

3. Tithing is optional - a recent study showed that about 50% of pastors don't even teach or believe tithing is biblical, which is truly astonishing. But boy does this topic get people fired up. That's what happens when you hit someone close to their idol. The idol of course being money. Let's restore the reality of stewardship in regard to our finances, the value of tithing and giving offerings, not just 10% but above and beyond, which is the New Testament standard. 

4. Only Love - This false concept of love has gone so far in the wrong direction, you even have Christian rock songs that don't even call God by his name anymore, they just say "love." God is love, but he is much more than love, he is just, righteous, holy, a God of judgment and infinite power. When we over-emphasize love we create an idol of God that fits our preferences. Let's restore the concept that God came full of grace yes, and truth, and that God came not to judge the world but to save the world through Jesus (John 3:16) but remember to include the next verse which says, but those who do not believe in God's only are condemned already (John 3:17-18). 

5. Fear is bad - We've lost the concept of the fear of the Lord in our modern era. We think fear is mean and bad. But sometimes fear is a good thing. Not fear of man, but fear of God. To tremble before a holy God is wise, and the word says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Let's remember that the fear of the Lord is not only an Old Testament concept, but it says in Acts 5:11, "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events."

6. Only heaven, no hell (or neither!) - When is the last time you heard hell mentioned from the pulpit? And even further, many pastors no longer talk about heaven either, well people don't get that kind of thing, they want to talk about stuff in this place. A gospel without heaven or hell is not the gospel. Let's restore the preaching of heaven, the New Jerusalem, New Heavens and New Earth, as well as Hell, the eternal judgment, conscious eternal torment, both realities are quite real. 

7. Removal of Sin - many a modern gospel presentation goes something like this, well, you're hurting, you're lost, you can't find meaning so come to Jesus and he'll complete you. Fair enough, all that's true. But what's missing? Sin is missing. Sin is the reason Jesus died on the cross, to remove our sins. If we don't talk about sin, how can we preach the gospel of freedom from sin? Let's restore the teaching of sin as the issue which Jesus came to save us from.