Matthew 21:1-16

Living Bible (TLB)

21 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, and were near the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of them into the village ahead.

² “Just as you enter,” he said, “you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them here. ³ If anyone asks you what you are doing, just say, ‘The Master needs them,’ and there will be no trouble.”

⁴ This was done to fulfill the ancient prophecy, ⁵ “Tell Jerusalem her King is coming to her, riding humbly on a donkey’s colt!”

⁶ The two disciples did as Jesus said, ⁷ and brought the animals to him and threw their garments over the colt for him to ride on. ⁸ And some in the crowd threw down their coats along the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them out before him.

⁹ Then the crowds surged on ahead and pressed along behind, shouting, “God bless King David’s Son!” . . . “God’s Man is here!” . . “Bless him, Lord!” . . . “Praise God in highest heaven!”

¹⁰ The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

¹¹ And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth up in Galilee.”

¹² Jesus went into the Temple, drove out the merchants, and knocked over the money changers’ tables and the stalls of those selling doves.

¹³ “The Scriptures say my Temple is a place of prayer,” he declared, “but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

¹⁴ And now the blind and crippled came to him, and he healed them there in the Temple. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and other Jewish leaders saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the little children in the Temple shouting, “God bless the Son of David,” they were disturbed and indignant and asked him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

¹⁶ “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Didn’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘Even little babies shall praise him!’”

Go in peace  while faithfully serving the Lord. 

Rev. Marcia Davis 

Good morning, Beloved Family:

As we prepare ourselves for next week, which is called Holy Week, I want us meditate on today’s scripture passage. What kind of love does this? The love of God is so overwhelming. Thank you for your great mercy, Lord. 

Hebrews 9:1-15 

Living Bible (TLB)

9 ^1-2 Now in that first agreement between God and his people there were rules for worship and there was a sacred tent down here on earth. Inside this place of worship there were two rooms. The first one contained the golden candlestick and a table with special loaves of holy bread upon it; this part was called the Holy Place. ³ Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was a room called the Holy of Holies. ⁴ In that room there were a golden incense-altar and the golden chest, called the ark of the covenant, completely covered on all sides with pure gold. Inside the ark were the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written on them, and a golden jar with some manna in it, and Aaron’s wooden cane that budded. ⁵ Above the golden chest were statues of angels called the cherubim—the guardians of God’s glory—with their wings stretched out over the ark’s golden cover, called the mercy seat. But enough of such details.

⁶ Well, when all was ready, the priests went in and out of the first room whenever they wanted to, doing their work. ⁷ But only the high priest went into the inner room, and then only once a year, all alone, and always with blood that he sprinkled on the mercy seat as an offering to God to cover his own mistakes and sins and the mistakes and sins of all the people.

⁸ And the Holy Spirit uses all this to point out to us that under the old system the common people could not go into the Holy of Holies as long as the outer room and the entire system it represents were still in use.

⁹ This has an important lesson for us today. For under the old system, gifts and sacrifices were offered, but these failed to cleanse the hearts of the people who brought them. ¹⁰ For the old system dealt only with certain rituals—what foods to eat and drink, rules for washing themselves, and rules about this and that. The people had to keep these rules to tide them over until Christ came with God’s new and better way.

¹¹ He came as High Priest of this better system that we now have. He went into that greater, perfect tabernacle in heaven, not made by men nor part of this world, ¹² and once for all took blood into that inner room, the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on the mercy seat; but it was not the blood of goats and calves. No, he took his own blood, and with it he, by himself, made sure of our eternal salvation.

¹³ And if under the old system the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of young cows could cleanse men’s bodies from sin, ¹⁴ just think how much more surely the blood of Christ will transform our lives and hearts. His sacrifice frees us from the worry of having to obey the old rules and makes us want to serve the living God. For by the help of the eternal Holy Spirit, Christ willingly gave himself to God to die for our sins—he being perfect, without a single sin or fault. ¹⁵ Christ came with this new agreement so that all who are invited may come and have forever all the wonders God has promised them. For Christ died to rescue them from the penalty of the sins they had committed while still under that old system.

Go forth with grateful hearts filled with joy and thanksgiving. What an awesome God we serve. 

Rev. Marcia Davis

Editor’s Note: Today’s amazing image/artwork entitled, “The Mercy Seat” was created by Hope T. Langley. 

Good morning, Family:

This morning, I woke up sing the old praise and worship song “Be Glorified.” My greatest desire is for God to be glorified through my life. 

1 Corinthians 10:27-33 

Living Bible (TLB)

²⁷ If someone who isn’t a Christian asks you out to dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is on the table and don’t ask any questions about it. Then you won’t know whether or not it has been used as a sacrifice to idols, and you won’t risk having a bad conscience over eating it. ²⁸ But if someone warns you that this meat has been offered to idols, then don’t eat it for the sake of the man who told you, and of his conscience. ²⁹ In this case his feeling about it is the important thing, not yours.

But why, you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks? ³⁰ If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? ³¹ Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. ³² So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles or Christians. ³³ That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.

Go in peace, while praising, serving and glorifying the Lord.

Rev. Marcia Davis

Good morning, Family:

I promise I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. Last weekend, beginning last Friday, was so busy. I graduated from college/university this weekend. I was surrounded by my family and friends and I was just so very happy. 

I’m so thankful for all that God has done. I am grateful to have completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Now it’s time to move on to obtaining my Master’s Degree in Counseling. 

God has been, and continues to be, forever faithful. The love of God still takes my breath away. 

1 John 4:7-16

The Message (MSG)

God Is Love

^7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

^11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

^13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

I love you with the amazing and everlasting love of the Lord. 

Rev. Marcia Davis

Good morning, Family:

I pray that your day is filled with joy and thanksgiving. I also pray your for protection and safety, for those that are facing difficult times in their lives. I pray that if you are in a dangerous or abusive situation that God would provide a way of escape. May God’s heavenly angels protect you and may the blood of Jesus Christ cover you. 

Please know that God is always on your side and so am I. 

Psalm 91

The Message (MSG)

91 ^1-13 You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
    spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.
    I trust in you and I’m safe!”
That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
    shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
    under them you’re perfectly safe;
    his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
    not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
    not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
    drop like flies right and left,
    no harm will even graze you.
You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
    watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God’s your refuge,
    the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
    harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered his angels
    to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
    their job is to keep you from falling.
You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
    and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

Good morning, Family:

Happy Wednesday to you all. I pray that your day is filled with joy and expectancy, as you anticipate what glorious ways God will manifest himself to you today.

Today’s devotional is a little different. I’m going to share the lyrics to my favorite song.

Phil Wickham is an incredible writer and an amazing worshiper. His song, Living Hope, is a celebration of the finished work of the cross and the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is indeed our eternal Living Hope. 

Listen to this amazing song and read the lyrics below. Keep the words close to your heart. Always know that I love you with an amazing Love. 

Rev. Marcia Davis. 

LIVING HOPE

Songwriters: Phil Wickham / Brian Mark Johnson

Living Hope lyrics © Essential Music Publishing, Bethel Music Publishing

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Jesus, Yours is the victory, whoa!

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Jesus Christ, my living hope
Oh God, You are my living hope

Good morning, Family:

I greet you this morning with the amazing and complete loving work of our Lord and Savior.

I encourage us all to stay strong, in our fight to lift Jesus high and to continue to be his witnesses until he returns. We have a powerful and angry foe that will do whatever it takes to make us stumble and lead us astray. Glory to God, we have the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies to protect and keep us, until we get to see Him face to face. 

The Good News is that Satan has lost the war and Jesus has won all those who have called out and believed that he is the Son of God. Our job, as believers, is to continue to share and spread the Good News, the best news ever, of Christ’s salvation, with those that are lost. 

Revelation 12:9-12

The Message (MSG)

^7-12 War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying,

Good morning, Family:

I am always amazed at the majesty, beauty and greatness of our God. The God that created the earth, sky and see also took time to create you and me. Not only did he create us, but after doing so he said that we were good. 

Then, I think about how much God loved us, knowing all that we were and are capable of, as we were born into our sinful nature. Oh, but the sweet wonder of a loving, powerful, as and redeeming God. My soul begins to swell up inside of me as it recalls how good God has been. 

This weekend, I challenge each of us to think of the many ways the wonders of God has changed our lives. I would love to hear your testimonials. Your words will bless and encourage others. 

Exodus 15:11

Who else is like the Lord among the gods? Who is glorious in holiness like him? Who is so awesome in splendor, A wonder-working God?

Go in peace, while praising and serving our Wondrous God.

Rev. Marcia F. Davis

Good morning, Family:

Today, we continue our series on Miracles, Signs and Wonders. Today we talk about the magnificent holiness and glory of God. 

Now, let me say this. God is 100% pure holiness. God’s holiness and glory is not diluted by anything. Because of the richness of God’s holiness, we as humans have to approach God in a special way. 

In Exodus 3, when Moses was standing near the burning bush, God commanded him to remove his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy. 

In Exodus 33 Moses asks so see God’s glory and this is God’s response:

Exodus 33:17-23 

Living Bible (TLB)

¹⁷ And the Lord had replied to Moses, “Yes, I will do what you have asked, for you have certainly found favor with me, and you are my friend.” ¹⁸ Then Moses asked to see God’s glory. ¹⁹ The Lord replied, “I will make my goodness pass before you, and I will announce to you the meaning of my name Jehovah, the Lord. I show kindness and mercy to anyone I want to. ²⁰ But you may not see the glory of my face, for man may not see me and live. ²¹ However, stand here on this rock beside me. ²² And when my glory goes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed. ²³ Then I will remove my hand, and you shall see my back but not my face.”

So many people are casual with God, but if there was true understanding of the character and nature of God, I believe we would approach life as a believer differently.

Seek the Lord while he may be found.

Rev. Marcia F. Davis

 

 

Good morning, Highly Favored Ones:

I pray this morning greets each of you with love, joy, hope, and knowledge that God has designed you for a special holy purpose.

Family, as we continue this week, on the series of miracles, signs, and wonders, we pause today to reflect on the miracle of sanctification.

Is God leading you to a higher place of living, talking and walking in your daily life? We grow in our sanctification every moment we decide and make a godly choice.

How are we living when no one is watching? Would God be pleased? Living a pleasing life, to God, means that our entire life is now an act of worship. Our lives should be a sweet love song to God. No, we are not perfect, but sanctification is the process of preparation for holiness. 

To be sanctified means to be set a part for a special or holy purpose. Let’s read today’s scripture:

2 Timothy 2:20-26 

Living Bible (TLB)

²⁰ In a wealthy home there are dishes made of gold and silver as well as some made from wood and clay. The expensive dishes are used for guests, and the cheap ones are used in the kitchen or to put garbage in. ²¹ If you stay away from sin you will be like one of these dishes made of purest gold—the very best in the house—so that Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes.

²² Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts.

²³ Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish arguments, which only upset people and make them angry. ²⁴ God’s people must not be quarrelsome; they must be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong. ²⁵ Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them, they are more likely, with God’s help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. ²⁶ Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan’s trap of slavery to sin, which he uses to catch them whenever he likes, and then they can begin doing the will of God.

Go in peace, while serving and praising the Lord. Let joy be your handmaiden and peace be your constant companion. 

I love you with the amazing and everlasting love of God. 

Rev. Marcia F. Davis