Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 53

Devotion for Monday in Holy Week

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. ~ Luke 22:39-62

Peter was one of Jesus’ inner circle, the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and one of the strongest leaders in the early church. Most of us would like to be like Peter. Yet when Jesus needed him the most, Peter denied Jesus—not once but three times! Even Jesus’ closest disciples failed him, but their failures didn’t cause the spread of the Gospel to fail. And our failures won’t, either.

Thank You, Lord, that You use people who fail You, broken people, imperfect people. I am broken and imperfect, and I fail You far too often, but please use me for Your glory. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Devotion for Palm Sunday

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold your King is coming to you,

Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David;

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;

Hosanna in the highest!”

When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

~ Matthew 21:1-16

Jesus rode into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey and proceeded to drive the moneychangers out of the Temple. He received adulation from the people, but He didn’t care that He antagonized the religious leaders. Those who exchanged money and sold animals for sacrifice were profiting from the people who came to worship and make sacrifices, turning the temple from a place of worship into a marketplace.

Lord God, give me strength and courage to be forceful like Jesus in standing for truth and righteousness. In His name. Amen.

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Devotion for Saturday after Lent 5

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

He is just and endowed with salvation,

Humble, and mounted on a donkey,

Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

~ Zechariah 9:9

As prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was hailed as a king. The King of kings, Lord of lords, and God of gods didn’t arrive mounted on a magnificent steed followed by magnificent armies. Even a donkey was a step up from His usual mode of transportation—walking. He lived humbly and simply, serving rather than being served.

Heavenly Father, give me the humility of Jesus. Make me a servant rather than one who expects to be served. Keep me simple and humble as Jesus. In His name. Amen.

Devotion for Friday after Lent 5

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.”

~ John 12:1-7

Judas asked a question that sounded righteous. Why was Mary so extravagant that she used all this expensive perfume to worship Jesus when it would have been better to sell it and give the money to the poor? But instead of being generous and concerned about the poor, Judas was really selfish and dishonest—he wanted to steal the money for his own use. Even if Judas were sincerely interested in helping the poor, though, Jesus is worthy of the very best we have to offer. Being extravagant in worshipping Him is never wasteful but always worthwhile.

Lord God, may I always give the very best I have to offer to You. You deserve the best of my time, treasure, and talent—even my very life. Here am I, Lord, a living sacrifice to You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Devotion for Thursday after Lent 5

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

~ Romans 8:18-25

We know our sufferings are nothing compared to the suffering Jesus went through on our behalf, but Paul tells us that our sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us. Whatever hardships we face in this earthly life will fade away when we see God in all His glory. His glory is beyond our human comprehension—certainly beyond our human expectation.

Thank You, Lord, for the glory that will be revealed to us in the great day of Jesus’ return. Maranatha, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!

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Devotion for Wednesday after Lent 5

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

~ Romans 7:7-14

The Law is spiritual, but in our flesh we can’t follow the Law. Sin comes in and corrupts the spiritual, and we are slaves to sin. Our sin nature is more powerful than the Law. Thanks be to God that His grace is more powerful than our sin nature.

Heavenly Father, I know Your commandments are holy, righteous, and good. I want to follow Your Law, but I fail—I sin. Thank You that the Blood of Jesus covers my sin and gives me Your righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Children should be loved, nurtured, and protected–not rejected, neglected, and abused.

Learn more in this short video.

Devotion for Tuesday after Lent 5

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

~ Romans 6:12-18

We usually don’t feel like “slaves of righteousness.” In spite of our best efforts, we find ourselves committing sin. But here Paul is talking about where our commitment lies. If we are born-again believers, we are committed to God’s righteousness. Though we may commit individual sins, we do not live lives of continual sin. We may succumb to sin, but we don’t have to let it rule over us.

Thank You, Lord, that I have been freed from sin and made a slave of righteousness. Forgive me for the sins I do commit, and guide me in Your way of righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Devotion for Monday after Lent 5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

~ Romans 5:1-11

We don’t like tribulations—sometimes we think if we are serving the Lord, we shouldn’t have tribulations. But James tells us to exult in our tribulations—not because we like the tribulations, but because of the results. Perseverance, character, and, ultimately, hope result from tribulation. And the tribulation that we experience will not compare with what Jesus went through for us or the glory that will come.

Lord, I don’t like to go through tribulation, but you use tribulation to build my character and give me hope. Give me an appreciation of the value of tribulation and help me to reap the benefits any time I suffer. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Devotion for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday)

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. ~ James 5:13-18

I am blessed to belong to a church that believes in the power of prayer, a church where the elders lay hands on the sick and prayer over them, along with a team of intercessors. I was healed of a neurological condition through the prayers of the faithful, and I’ve seen many others miraculously healed of a variety of ailments. God is God, and He alone is the Healer. He doesn’t answer every prayer for healing, but we are told to pray in faith.

Lord God, thank You for the healing You have manifested in my life. Thank You that we are told to pray for the sick and that the effective prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much. Give me faith to pray and expect miracles. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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