prepare me... looking to Easter

This season is known as Lent. The days leading up to the holiest of days for those who choose to follow Jesus.

It is the cross and Christ. It is the resurrection of our Redeemer. Those are the events surrounding the one who loves us most and the gift sent from heaven for us and for the glory of God alone.

That is why I point us to David who says “create in me a clean heart”. I shared this message with our church, The Community Fellowship, yesterday noting that our perception of our sin, our connection to God and knowing God desires time with us.

He also desires to love us with His unending love and His great compassion. This is so good and so important, too.

Psalm 51:10-12 NLT

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Do you hear David’s heart? He had been confronted about his sin of adultery and murder, and David turns to God. He is seeking mercy not because he got caught but because he desires to know, please and stay connected to God.

This is a great prayer and desire as we prepare ourselves for Easter. Take some time today to think through, or even pray through, these thoughts.

Create in me a clean heart. Renew my spirit.

That is deeper than just forgiveness of sin. This is the connection to the one who he desires to know and to stay close to. David needed forgiveness and knew it.

Do not banish me from you presence. Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

This might not seems like much, but this is the biggest of all the issues. Being separated from the presence of God meant the absence of God’s glory, His voice, His guidance, His peace and more.

Restore the joy of my salvation.

It seems that joy is what will lead David, and lead us, to faithfully follow and obey God. Here is where I desire to stop and think hard about the power of following and knowing our God.

Seek Him today and let God create in you a clean heart!

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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