Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 69

Devotion for Thursday after Lent 5

Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ~ Mark 14:43-45

When we choose our friends, we choose people we believe will be worthy of our trust, people who will be in our corner. Jesus, who knew everything that ever happened and ever will happen, knew Judas would betray him, yet He called Judas as one of His twelve closest confidants. Not only did Judas betray Jesus, but he betrayed Him with a kiss, a sign of affection. Jesus chose that betrayal so the plan for our salvation could be carried out.

Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus accepted not only death on the cross but betrayal by one of the Twelve so that I could be saved. Give me a grateful heart and a desire to live my life for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotion for Wednesday after Lent 5

Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” ~ John 18:3-11

Peter responded to Jesus’ arrest in a human way. He responded with violence against one of the captors. He still didn’t understand that Jesus’ Kingdom wasn’t an earthly rule, and he was defending His leader. But Jesus told Peter to put his sword away; Jesus would drink the cup the Father had given Him. He knew He would be tortured and murdered, but He was willing to go through all that pain and suffering for us—to take away our sin and give us salvation and eternal life.

Heavenly Father, thank You doesn’t begin to express my gratitude for all Jesus did for me. With the aid of the Holy Spirit let me live my life to His glory. In His name. Amen.

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Devotion for Tuesday after Lent 5

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ Matthew 26:36-41

How often are our spirits willing but our flesh weak! We want to do God’s will. We want to spend time in prayer and devotion. We want to serve God above all. Yet we get bogged down in life and fall asleep or put something off for another day or take the easy way out.

Lord God, forgive me for the times I give in to my weak flesh. Empower me by the Holy Spirit to do Your will, to spend time with You in prayer and devotion, to serve You above all. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Monday after Lent 5

“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” ~ John 17:13-23

Jesus prayed to the Father for His disciples and for everyone who believes in Him through the disciples. That’s all of us believers. The disciples spread the Word to others who spread the Word to others who spread the Word—around the world and down through generations and years. Jesus prayed that we would all be one with Him and the Father, that we would be sanctified in the truth (the Word of God), and that we would be protected against the evil one. He warned us that the world would hate us, but through our unity with the Godhead the world will know that Jesus was sent by God and loves us. Are we living our lives to show the truth of the Word to the world?

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can be united with You and the Son. Empower me by the Holy Spirit to live my life in such a way that people see Jesus in me. In His name. Amen.

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Devotion for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday)

I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul will make its boast in the Lord;

The humble will hear it and rejoice.

O magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together. ~ Psalm 34:1-3

It is important to examine ourselves, confess our sins, and repent, especially during Lent. But we must never forget to praise and magnify the Lord, to thank Him for the many blessings He bestows upon us, and to glorify Him for His great power and majesty.

Almighty God, You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Creator and Sustainer of Life. We praise You for Your glory, majesty, dominion, might, and power. We thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Devotion for Saturday after Lent 4

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” ~ John 16:7-14

Jesus promised the disciples that the Helper, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit after He left. Even today, more than two thousand years after Jesus walked the earth as a man, we who are believers have the Holy Spirit living within us. How amazing to think that we have the Lord living in us to guide us and help us and lead into all truth!

Lord God, thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let me always recognize and follow His guidance in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Devotion for Friday after Lent 4

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. ~ John 15:1-11

It’s our fallen nature to want to be independent, to do everything ourselves, to stand on our own. But Jesus tells us we must abide in Him as a branch on the Vine. We can do nothing on our own—we must be attached to the Vine.

Heavenly Father, take away my desire for independence. Graft me as a branch onto Jesus, the Vine, and let me always abide in Him. Amen.

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Devotion for Thursday after Lent 4

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ~ John 14:1-10

How can anyone say that Jesus was a great teacher but not the Lord or that there are many paths to God? In this passage, Jesus told us positively that He is the only Way to the God—no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus the Son. Any other claim to be a path to God is a fraud, a lie, a deception.

Father God, Jesus my Savior, and Holy Ghost my Comforter, I give my life to Jesus for Him to lead me to the Father and for the Holy Ghost to dwell within me. How amazing that You love me so much that You want to live within me in this life and let me live with You in Heaven for eternity. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Amen.

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Devotion for Wednesday after Lent 4

Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too. ~ Matthew 26:31-35

Jesus warned His disciples that they would scatter when He was struck down. Relying on their own human strength, which always fails, they promised they would remain loyal to death. Although Jesus specifically told Peter he would deny Jesus three times, but He had said something very telling in His original pronouncement. He told the disciples that they would scatter, but that He would ahead of them to Galilee after He had been raised. He didn’t condemn them for what He knew they would do—He promised them He would be with them anyway.

Father God, You know my sins before I commit them. You know when I will turn from You and deny You by my thoughts and actions. BUT You are always ready to meet me with love and forgiveness when I repent and turn back to You. Give me strength to stay with You always and not scatter. Thank You for Your grace in the times I fail. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Devotion for Tuesday after Lent 4

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” ~ Luke 22:31-34

We tend to remember that Peter denied Jesus, but sometimes we overlook what Jesus said: that Satan demanded permission to sift Peter. Rather than refusing permission to Satan, Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail and for Peter to return to strengthen his brothers after his sifting. Sifting wheat separates the edible grain from the nonedible casing. Satan’s sifting, what most of us would call a trial, separated the useless, worldly attributes of Peter from the productive, godly attributes.

Heavenly Father, I don’t like to be sifted, but I need to be. Let my worldly thoughts, habits, and actions be carried away in the wind, leaving an image more like Jesus. In His name. Amen.

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