Good Friday

Today is the day that Jesus was betrayed by a kiss. 



Handed over to the authorities.



Flogged, beaten, mocked, spit on, insulted, humiliated, abandoned and crucified.



He took the punishment that was owed to us all so He could have a chance to be with us.



Jesus, God made flesh.



God, our Father in Heaven did this to right the wrong we committed against Him in our beloved paradise.



What parent wouldn't do the same for their child?



If you want to know what Jesus truly endured for you, then take some time to listen.  Find a quiet place, close your eyes and open your heart to what you hear in this message.  Sermon: Jesus Died



If you're wondering how we got into this mess, check out the video.





 

Maundy Thursday

Today we observe Maundy Thursday.



It is the day that Jesus redefined love and service by washing the disciples feet.  

		"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
		I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
		I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
		Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

                               -John 13:14-17





It is the day that Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover Feast.

		"On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
		He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"
		So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
		When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve."

                               -Matthew 26:17-20





It is the day that Jesus gave us the New Covenant and Communion as a remembrance of Him.

		"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
		In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

                               -Luke 22:19-20





It is the day that Judas Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus.

		"Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
		And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus." - Luke 22:3-4  "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.  From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over." -Matthew 26:15-16 *As a side note, numbers and metal in the Bible hold meaning.  "The number thirty, being 3 x 10, denotes in a higher degree the perfection of Divine order, as marking the right moment." (biblestudy.org)  The meal silver is symbolic of blood.  The symbolism here is about blood money as well as this being the "right moment" for the shedding of Christ's blood.

It is the day the day Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. 

		They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
		He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
		"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
		Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
		"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

                               -Mark 14:32-36

Palm Sunday

The Easter celebration for Christians is much more than just Easter Sunday.



Our celebration started last week with Palm Sunday which marks Jesus entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus, who understood what was to come, was eager to make it to the city because "surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!"(Luke, 13:33)



The people however had other things in mind.  They wanted to make Jesus king and overthrow their oppressors.  Their thinking was only of earthly kingdoms.



Jesus entered the city on a colt, to cheers and cries of Hosanna.  The colt being a symbol of the humble King, fulfilling the prophesy in Zechariah 9:9 ;



                "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

                 See, your king come to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and

                 riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."



The palms that the people laid at His feet were a symbol of the countries riches, of great worth and of a gift from God.

                            



                               As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage on the Mount of Olives,

                               Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,  

		"Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.
		If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
		This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
		"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
		The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
		They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
		A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
		The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  "Hosanna  in the highest!"
		When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
		The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
		Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
		"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,'  but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
		The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
		But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
		"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?"
		And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

                                         -


Matthew 21:1-17

If you're in the mood...

to be completely amazed by God, then take a listen to these podcasts.  They are about the history of Christmas and I've never heard it like this before. 



Blew.My.Mind.



Just as a teaser: Did you know that there is a hidden message in Jesus genealogy? When you take the first ten names of Jesus' genealogy and write out the meanings of each name they spell out a sentence when put together.



Adam = Man    Seth = appointed    Enosh = mortal    Kenan = sorrow

Mahalalel = the blessed or praised One   Jared = shall come down    Enoch = teaching

Methuselah = (Meth)his death, (verb selah)shall bring    Lamech = despairing   Noah = comfort, rest

Man is appointed mortal sorrow, the blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the despairing comfort and rest.

Here are the podcasts.  They're short, only 26 minutes each. Check them out!

www.khouse.org

When was Jesus born?     

Listen to part 1



The Genealogy of Jesus.

Listen to part 2 



By what authority?

Listen to part 3



Salvation of the Gentiles.

Listen to part 4



Signs in the Heavens

Listen to part 5

A brief history of Halloween

Please check out these podcasts.  It's important, especially for Christians, to know what it is you're celebrating.  These are from Chuck Missler of Koinonia House.  Growing up we never celebrated Halloween and we knew why, from an early age.  We chose not to celebrate with our children.  I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, I'm just trying to present information so that people can at least make an informed decision.  Each podcast is short, only about 26 minutes long. 

What are the origins of Halloween?

Listen to Part 1 »

What does the Bible say about the occult?

Listen to Part 2 »

Is Halloween more than just putting on costumes?

 Listen to Part 3 »

Is there a fun side to evil?

 
Listen to Part 4 »

How does Saul and the witch of Endor relate to Halloween?

Listen to Part 5 »