On My Journey

Friday, March 21, 2014

Holy Friday

Friday, 21 March 2008

Holy Friday
Good Friday / A Very Holy Friday / Sabbath Rest At Sundown / 39th Day of Lent: 81st Day of the Year / Arrived At Calvary / Enter Into This Weekend

From the Word of GodNow I will relieve your shoulders of its burden; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. NLT Psalm 81:6

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. NLT Luke 23:46

Dear Father, please teach me, Your child, to pray in the words Jesus uttered on the cross--Scott Walker

Good Friday Prayer: Luke 23:53Father Everlasting, who has given us the fellowship of your Son, Jesus Christ, be near us in this hour of solemn meditation. May our heart be open to every hold affection and ready to receive and cherish every sacred memory and sacred impression.

Impress on us the power of death that this day commemorates, Let a portion of the Spirit that led our Savior to the cross descend upon us and fill our heart with love for you and our fellow humans, Here and now may every selfish passion and desire be quieted, and may the peace, that passes all understanding keep our heart and mind in Jesus Christ. Amen. Adapted from a traditional prayer.

Above Good Friday prayer source:
Praise and Worship Study Bible NLT

From: Your Higher Calling
Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. NLT Matthew 6:22
My "eye" is the way in which I perceive myself and the situations in my life. When my eye is focused on God and on the positive aspects of life, I open myself--mind, body, heart, and soul---to the indwelling light of God. By seeing circumstances with a positive eye, I can and do experience unlimited blessings.

Today, I choose to focus my eye on my health and on the many ways in which divine light works within my body. I see my body as a spiritual temple, filled with the light of God and infused with vitality, energy, and strength

I visualize divine healing light moving in and through every cell, tissue, organ, and system. With this focus, I maintain a positive outlook and have faith that lasting health is mine.

The light of God is always has been at work within me, and I am so grateful for this truth. I know that God's light is a powerful force of renewal and strength that is always available to me. I know too, that as I focus my eye--my faith, my thoughts, my perceptions--on God, I allow this powerful healing light to work in and through me, and I am blessed.

Confession from the booklet:I focus my spiritual eye on the healing light of God within, and I feel peaceful, strong, and whole.
On My Journey of Transformation: My Higher Calling
Focus is an important thing to do. That one thing attitude about what is the main thing in life. May we come up higher. May God allow us to see things more clearly. May we focus on the importance of life. May the light of God guide us with strength in what we should do.
On My Journey of Transformation:
King's HIGHWAY: On the Road to Calvary
I am still on the journey. I am at Calvary. The Day of Crucifixion and Burial is at hand.

I have not been feeling good through out this week. I have been coughing and coughing up stuff. My nose has been running. It hurts when I cough. But I am an overcomer.

I don't know how many times I have seen The Passion of The Christ since last Saturday. I watched bits and pieces of the movie while my stay in the Upper Room this week. I tried to watch the whole movie at home on Thursday. I watched it again on Friday morning in the Upper Room.

How real this event was. The passion that I see in The Christ. As I was reading scriptures Jesus showed compassion and was caring even to His last breath of Life on the Cross. We have a glorious King Jesus.
From my Book of Thanks and Blessing:
I am thankful for Good Friday. I am thankful that there is a Door of HOPE that brings SALVATION to those who call upon the name of Jesus to be saved. I am thankful that FAITH is what we need to do business with God.

I am thankful for the LOVE that God pours out to us in our times of need. I am thankful that DISCERNMENT is the spirit that guides my way. I am thankful for my holy temple that God entrust me with.

People may think they are doing what is right, but the LORD examines the heart. NLT Proverbs 21:2
Meditation Scriptures On The Holy Week:
The Burial according to John 19:38-42
John brings more out into the light of this account. Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Jesus. Joseph feared the Jewish leaders. Joseph claimed Jesus' body.

Pilate gave Joseph permission to take Jesus' body off the cross. Nicodemus came bringing about 75 pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes.

Together Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus' body in a long linen cloth with the spices. That was the Jewish custom of burial. The place of crucifixion was near by. There was a garden tomb.

It was Friday, preparation day before the Passover. The tomb was close by so they laid Jesus there. This tomb was new and never been used. There were guard stationed there.
Last Scriptures Meditation:
Holy Saturday according to Luke 23:56
I will post my Reflections: On Good Friday / Holy Friday on Saturday

What Special Day Is This?Over 2000 years ago the earth shook. Jesus Died on the Cross. It was a Good Friday. This is the Weekend Christians Celebrate. So Enter Into The mystery.

What Other Special Day Is This?
Flower Day / Full Moon Day / Single Parent Day

Reflections: On The Crucifixion and The Burial

Friday, 21 March 2008

Reflections: On The Crucifixion and The Burial
Both events happened on Friday. I wondered if Jesus got any sleep during this high point in His life. The Son of Man and Son of God being displayed as non human and killed because of what He said. I wondered how many people believed Jesus was the Son of God, after the signs and wonders on Good Friday.

The Crucifixion: 9 AM to 3 PM
After Jesus' two trials, He was continued to be beaten, mocked, laughed at and crowned King of the Jews. He was set to carry His cross to Calvary's Hill. Jesus could not carry His Cross as far as He could. Simon of Cyrene was force to carry Jesus' cross.

Jesus was on the cross for six hours. 9 to 3 PM. Jesus spoke while on the way to the cross and while on the Cross ministering to those in need until He breathe His last breath.
Question # 2 From the Book:King's HIGHWAY: On the Road To Calvary
When Jesus cried "It is Finished" from the cross what did He mean?
To be honest with you, the very first reaction to this question would be that Jesus said that the end of His life was coming.

But through the years of being a disciple of Jesus, I have come to see other things to what He meant by It is Finished! All that Jesus came to do was completed as the Father wanted Him to do on the cross.

Jesus entered into His Kingdom on the Cross. His coronation was done. Jesus defeated the Satan, Sickness and Sin on the cross. Redemption is our who are of the Lord.
The Burial: Before Sunset In A Empty Tomb
According to scriptures it took place during the afternoon before sunset, the Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea claimed the body and made arrangement for the burial. Nicodemus helped take the body off the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth.

Joseph and Nicodemus laid Jesus' body in the tomb. The women looked on, while guards was standing by the tomb.

There was people who cared for Jesus at the cross. And those who were in the middle, what in the expect? Who became believers?
On My Journey of Transformation:Some Reflections On Good Friday
Friday was the start of a good weekend that changed History.

As I think back over my scripture meditations and have been watching the Movie The Passion of The Christ, I have a new revelation about the Holy Week. All that Jesus went through to save humanity for sin.

Indeed there is no movie ever made or will ever be made of the Crucifixion of Christ that can capture what horror that was placed upon Jesus. The actual event can not be reproduce. It happened only once.

The passion that Jesus had... How He endured that harsh insults, beatings and punishment for some things that He said was the truth. He was on trial for saying that He was the Son of God. Still Pilate give the crowed Jesus to be crucified. The procedures were carried out.

Through all what Jesus went through He ministered and had compassion to people on His way to the cross and on the cross. By 9 AM Jesus was on the cross. He prayed. He spoke to those around Him.

Jesus ask the Father to forgive the people for not know what they were doing. He even thought about who would take care of His mother. He entrusted her in the hands of His disciple, John.

By Noon darkness filled the sky. I wondered what the people thought. Standing in the dark like night. Watching to see what would happen next?

There were people gambling over Jesus' clothing. There were some mocking Jesus and laughing at Him. I wondered if any one had a new mind set when the darkness came.

Through it all, Jesus was like a hopeless human being on a cross. He was treated like a criminal. Friends stayed near Him until the end.

As Jesus' died body hung on the cross, someone laid claim to His body. There was someone there to step in when things appear loss. God makes all things new again in.

I wondered, how many people who doubted, care to see the light that Jesus as the Son of God on that day? What actually were the Pharisees and religious leaders looking for from Jesus on the Cross? Was it for Jesus to come down?

About God the Father, through all that He allowed His Son to go through, Did God the Father watch on? Was His heart crushed and wounded by what He saw?

Or did He turn His back and not watch on? Was God the Father, relieved when Jesus said "It is Finished?" Did Father God and Jesus Reunite on Good Friday?
I wrote this down in the sanctuary
at Word of Life Church on Good Friday 7:01 PM
How it must have been then, the night that Jesus died---I cannot imagine the thought of such. I recall once, the though came to me while I was walking in the old house.

I was in between rooms. The thought entered my thoughts. My mind was at some thing that I cannot explain. I felt as though I was there at the crucifixion-- Hearing the news of His death. I was shock, I could not comprehend what come to my thinking.
I am thankful for Good Friday. I am thankful for all that Jesus did for humanity.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Reflections: On Maunday Thursday / Holy Thursday

Thursday, 20 March 2008

Reflections: On Maunday Thursday / Holy Thursday
Prayer Before Holy Communion : John 6:41Almighty God, we give you thanks that you have give your Son, not only to die for us, but to be our spiritual food and sustenance in the holy sacrament of his body and blood.

Teach us to consider the dignity of that holy mystery, and so to search and examine our consciences, that we may come holy and clean to such a heavenly feast, in the marriage garment your Scriptures require. Amen. Thomas Cotterill (1779-1823

Symbols of Worship: Bread and Cup
The bread and the cup are the primary Christian symbols of the body and blood of Christ. The bread also represents God's provision for his people (Exodus 16:4,15; John 6:35) . In the Old Testament, the cup occasionally symbolized salvation (Psalm 116:13) and wrath (Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15).

In Gethsemane, Jesus asked his Father to remove the cup of suffering from him (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). Jesus used bread as a token of his body as he shared the Last Super with the disciples (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19);

The cup, or chalice, is the vessel from which the wine of the Lord's Table was drunk. Christ declared the wine to be his blood, which was poured out for many to seal the covenant between God and his people (Mark 12:23-24). Together the break and cup portray redemption.

Above Source: Praise and Worship Study Bible NLT
On My Journey of Transformation:
King's HIGHWAY: On the Road to Calvary
With DISTRESS, SORROW, ANGONY, LONELENESS, Share his disappointment when he says, Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
Lord, Your own friend turned on You. That sounds terrible. Your friend sold You out for money. Friendship is worth more than money nor can it be bought. What a big disappointment to see a trustworthy friend turn his back on You.

Jesus, I have been aware that disappointments comes into our lives. It is a necessary thing that we must go through. Things don't come out the way that we have planned.

Being disappointed can lead to distrust in relationships. How to trust some one who be friend you? Building back up on what had fallen. Where do we start?

O Father God, I can see that disappointment is a part of life. We cannot always have what we want. I have had many many disappointments in my life time.

Help me to continue to not put my hope in people or in what I am doing. This leads to more disappointments in my life. Teach me to expect the best of others.

I have to lighten up on what my expectation on others might be. I have a sense on how some friends will react. Then there is others that may surprise me when I am blind sided.

Show me and others how to see with the eyes of discernment that disappointment will not be as bad as it seems. Guide us to rebuild on what we have been disappointed about. Grant us the will to forgive and forget what others do to us.
Father God, I am thankful that while I am disappointed, God is with me. I am thankful that I can get back up over disappointment. I am thankful that I can learn and grow from disappointments in life in Jesus' name Amen.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Reflections: On Holy Wednesday

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Reflections: On Holy Wednesday
A Prayer for Sharing in Christ Suffering: John 19:1-3Lord God Almighty, I thank you today for the privilege of being counted among those who have testified of you with their lives, of sharing the cup of suffering that Christ drank; and or rising again to life everlasting with him, in body and soul, and in the immortality of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Polycarp (second century)

On My Journey of Transformation:
Kings' HIGHWAY: On the Road to Calvary
With DISTRESS, SORROW, and ANGONY, Share his loneliness when he says, Could you to watch with me one hour?
O Lord, my imagination cannot begin to ponder what You felt like in the Garden of Gethesmane. It was a battle for You. You asked Your disciples to pray with You for an hour. You found them sleeping. What a let down.

The pressure that must have been on You. You were asking for Your disciples to pray with You for an hour. Hoping that the people close to You would be able to help in Your hour of need. How hurt You must have felt.

Loneliness can bring isolation and withdrawal from the people who are around us. The emptiness inside leaves a avoid. The thought----Does anybody care? Do they really care, Lord?

Lord Jesus,
There are times in my life, I have faced loneliness. There had been situations in my life that appeared to be as though nobody cared. What was I to do?

I can be in a crowd of people and still be lonely. I don't know how many times, I have felt loneliness. But God, You always are with me.

Those lonely times when I am not acknowledged or heard from by people. Others choose friends who are their "but buddies". This leaves loneliness and the feeling of being left out because I am not like them.

Do people care enough to do what is ask of them? Do what we go through have any value toward one another? Should what we go through be someone else's concerns?

O Father God, How important is it to believe that we are cared for by others? Our hurts and pain should be others concerns. Show us to see the concerns of others.

Help us to see, and not to put our eyes on our own needs. Teach us to look out for the interest of others. Use us to minister to one another.

When there is an emptiness inside of me there is something missing. Fill that avoid with Your goodness. Lord, I believe that You care for me. Amen.
I am thankful the I can never say that I am alone. Jesus is with me 24/7. I am thankful that prayer is a good weapon to use before the battle is fought.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Reflections: On Holy Tuesday

Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Reflections: On Holy Tuesday
With Distress and Sorrow...Share his agony when he says, Abba, Father, let this cup pass from me.

On my journey of transformation:
Entering Into the Suffering With Jesus
Distress, Sorrow and now Agony: Doing some things that we don't want can be a hard thing to do. But if we are willing, we can please God the Father by doing His will and not our own.

With all the pressure of agony coming in, we don't know what to do, but pray. Abba, Father! At times our bodies cannot stand the pressure. We tend to lose it what we need to do.
Abba Father, O LORD Jesus, Your names are priceless. There is no other name so wonderful to hear. There is power in Your names.

Agony covers over our emotions . We think that we cannot do what is asked of us. Words cannot be expressed what we mean. There is emotional stress that comes into our thinking. We feel alone and we think that there is nothing left to do

Daddy, do I have to do it? Please help me see Your will. Jesus, I don't know You bared what Father God gave You in that cup of suffering. You could not comprehend what was coming. You sweat what was drops of blood.

LORD God, there must have been some things that You saw the brought such agony to Your soul. O GOD. Abba Father, there have been things in my life when I did not want to do. Your Spirit gave me the will to do Your will.

Jesus, I don't know how You did it. You had a say so in the matter as well. You choose to do the will of the Father God. I thank You.

Jesus, You choose to preach and teach in the Temple each day. You were keeping steadfast to the cross to the finish line. You prepared Yourself. And then You had to walk it out not knowing what was to come, completely.
Abba Father, I thank You that You did not answer Jesus' request. You saw more than what Jesus saw. You gain much much more from not stepping in. Thank You, Jesus for not passing the cup by.

This may sound strange, Father God, but I am thankful for the suffering that Jesus went through. If He had not, we won't be able to share in His suffering. We would not be able to do call You, Father God, Abba Father.
Father God, You gain a family by sowing Your only begotten Son, Jesus. In the Garden of Gethemane the battle was one through prayer. Jesus, I thank You for focusing Your thoughts on the cross.

How our mind may think that it was a loss. I thank You Lord for paying the price and Your life that You laid down, so humanity would not be loss.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Reflections: On Holy Monday

Monday, 17 March 2008

Reflections: On Holy Monday
And with DISTRESS...Share his sorrow when he says, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death.

On My Journey Of Transformation:
Entering Into the Suffering with Jesus.
During this Holy Week, I continue on the King's HIGHWAY on the road to Calvary. I am using scriptures to fellowship with Jesus in his suffering. I have be watching some of the movie "The Passion of The Christ."

This is spiritual exercise is helping me visualize somewhat the suffering of Jesus. The actual suffering cannot be displayed in any movie shown. Jesus lived out the passion during the HOLY WEEK to the crucifixion on the CROSS.

O Lord Jesus,
How to carry sorrow that cannot be bore? You carried the sorrow of all sin of the world in which You never had sinned. O Lord, I don't know how You did it.

You know what anger is. You entered into the Temple and saw those selling and buying in Your Father's House. Your house is a House of prayer. You drove them out with Holy anger.

Lord, You have emotions. Feelings that come out, just as any human being. You have Holy anger that send out messages in good ways.

Lord, there had been times when I had sorrow that I could not bare. I did not know how to handle things. Grief and pain that came. There were times I get angry because I cannot do anything about it.

Show me and others to be angry and not sin. You are the example to follow. Having so much sorrow that Your soul could not handle such pain that went on in the mind.
O Father God, I thank You that there is good anger in our lives. I thank You that You do not put on us more than we can handle. I thank You that we can express our human nature to You in Jesus' name Amen.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Reflections: On Palm Sunday

Sunday, 16 March 2008

Reflections: On Palm Sunday
The Celebration Day of Jesus' Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem.

I had never seen what I learned in Church on Palm Sunday. What A Revelation! The manner in which Palm Sunday was all about. Jesus was on His way for His coronation on Good Friday. Jesus was crown King of the Jews and came into His kingdom on a cross.

I used my imagination to see what could have happened on Palm Sunday. I closed my eyes. I waved my palm branch. I welcomed Jesus into our midst. Celebrating the VICTORY. I see a new light.
On My Journey of Transformation: Entering Into the Suffering with Jesus
Share in Jesus' distress when he says, How great is my distress until it is finished.
Jesus, I cannot truly imagine how You must have felt during the Holy Week. You cried and wept over the City of Jerusalem before You entered in. You knew what was not there. And had to go through with what was to come.

You allowed me to experience a cry of some sort. The crying and weeping that I had as I was coming into the city of Jerusalem.

I did not know why I was crying. But You did. I saw five words from scripture come to pass from Romans 15:25 ...I am going to Jerusalem.

Help me enter into this Holy Week with the compassion on how You must have felt. Guide me into the passion, sympathizing in with what You went through to the cross. Show me things that I have not yet seen.

Lord, the distress that You were under. The pressure that You faced while You were in the Garden of Gethemane. The thought of going through such pressure...I cannot bare.

I have seen much much lesser of pressure than You had experienced during the Holy Week. You foresaw some things that had to be done and having to face the fact of doing it.

There was a time when I had a short glimpse that You actually dead on the cross. I could not comprehend what I had thought. It was thought I was actually there.

Lord my mind could not bare the thought. I had to compose myself from that though. My mind can only comprehend with the Father allows.

O Lord, allow me to see what I cannot see. There was more to what You went through in Your suffering. Allow me and others who are entering into this suffering see the passion of You, LORD GOD.

Father God, I thank You that You allow us to go through DISTRESS so that we can be changed. There is more to what we go through that we don't understand. O God, help us to face what we cannot understand as we journey to the CROSS day by day in Jesus' name Amen.
The following is from Pastor Brian Zahnd's Blog.
It's PBZ's PS

An additional thought:

Holy Week is the church calendar commemoration of the events central to the gospel.

(Remember, we are saved by events, not ideas.)

The purpose of Holy Week is to become sympathetic with Jesus.

sympathy
Latin sympathia: syn (together) + pathos (passion)

Sympathy is shared passion.

If we will fellowship with Jesus in his suffering we will share his passion.

During Holy Week step into the Scriptures and fellowship with Jesus in his suffering.

Share his distress when he says,
How great is my distress until it is finished.

Share his sorrow when he says,
My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death.

Share his agony when he pleads,
Abba, Father, let this cup pass from me.

Share his loneliness when he says,
Could you not watch with me one hour?

Share his disappointment when he says,
Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

Share his confusion when he cries,
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

If we can enter into fellowship with the human sufferings of Jesus, we can have authentic passion. We won’t have to resort to cheap gimmicks and appeal to the so-called "felt-needs" of human self-centeredness to generate excitement.

If we will fellowship with the sufferings of Jesus we will have the passion of a shared pathos. The fire that Jesus came to bring to the earth will be kindled in our hearts.

If we will walk with Jesus on the Via Dolorosa Road of Sorrow...We will walk with Jesus on the Emmaus Road of the Resurrection Surprise. And our hearts will burn within us...burn with holy passion.