Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 71

Devotion for Saturday after Lent 2

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” ~ Matthew 25:1-13

Especially when we are young, we tend to think that we have plenty of time to prepare to meet the Lord. Maybe we want to have some fun before we settle down, and our fun doesn’t glorify the Lord. Perhaps we have settled down and are giving our attention to making money and accomplishing our goals in life, and we neglect our spiritual life. Jesus tells us to be alert for we don’t know the day or the hour that He will return. We don’t know the day and hour of our own death, either. So whether He returns in our lifetime or later, we need to be always prepared to meet Him.

Lord God, let me get my spiritual life in order, so that whenever I stand before the judgment seat, I am ready. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Friday after Lent 2

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 24:36-51

When is Jesus coming again? When He lived on earth, He told us it would be “soon,” but soon on God’s timetable and soon on our timetable aren’t always the same. While we don’t know when He is coming again, we are to be ready. We can’t live our lives as if He isn’t Lord, then expect to change and be ready at the right time. We have to live in faith today, tomorrow, and always.

Almighty God, whenever Jesus comes, let me be ready. Empower me by the Holy Ghost to live my life in faith, doing what You would have me to do. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Devotion for Thursday after Lent 2

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. ~ Matthew 24:15-34

There’s a lot of debate about what will happen in the end times, but we know three things for sure: there will be a terrible time of tribulation; Jesus will come again in glory and power; His words will never pass away. The world as we know it will end, but Jesus will come for His people. The end will be a new beginning. Through it all, the words of the Lord will stand in truth.

Lord, keep me in Your Word so at the end I will be one of Your elect that You gather together. Give me a strong faith and an eternal perspective. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Wednesday after Lent 2

As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. ~ Mark 13:1-13

Jesus warned us that many will claim to come in His name but be deceitful. There is no other Christ but Jesus Christ. There is no other Lord but Jesus. If we look to anyone or anything else (money, government, a person) to save us, we will be lost.

Lord God, keep Jesus always before me and do not let me be distracted by the world. Nothing—loved ones, government, position/prestige, good works, or anything else—must take Your place in my life. Keep me focused on You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Tuesday after Lent 2

And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” ~ Mark 12:41-44

We get in a tight spot financially and may be tempted to withhold our tithe/pledge/offering. Surely God wouldn’t want us to give to church and come up short ourselves. That may sound convincing to our own ears, but it’s not Biblical. Here Jesus commended the poor widow for giving “all she had to live on.” She didn’t give a little of her resources or 10% of her income—she gave everything. It’s not likely that we will ever be in a position to give all our money to God’s Church. But what He really wants is 100% of us—our souls and bodies.

Lord God, forgive me for being stingy with the financial resources You have given me. I will give generously to the work of Your Kingdom. I will give You myself—my soul and body—to worship You, take up my cross, and follow Jesus. In His name. Amen.

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Devotion for Monday after Lent 2

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ~ Matthew 23:1-35

Jesus repeatedly said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” He enumerated the many ways these super-religious leaders put on a show of their religion without practicing any faith. We don’t wear phylacteries or have long tassels on our clothes to symbolize our piety, but we may wear cross jewelry more to look religious than to demonstrate our faith. We may put ourselves forth in leadership positions in the church more to be recognized than to serve the Lord. God looks at our hearts. He wants our religious symbols to symbolize true faith. He wants our service to reflect the kind of servanthood that Jesus practiced.

Lord, look into my heart and purify my motives. Give me true faith rather than a show of religion. Let me serve You out of love for You and my fellow man and not for recognition by men. When I stand before Jesus at the judgment seat, I want to hear those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In His name. Amen.

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Devotion for the Second Sunday in Lent

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord! ~ Psalm 150

We are generally good at supplication, and many prayer warriors are wonderful at intercession. God wants to know our needs and wants, and He wants us to intercede on behalf of others. But, oh, how He wants and deserve our pure unadulterated praise!

I praise You, O Lord, with words and worship. May I live my life as perpetual praise to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Devotion for Saturday after Lent 1

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” ~ Matthew 22:34-40

Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not to abolish them. He summed up the Ten Commandments in two simple commands: love God with your whole being and love your neighbor as yourself. If we love God and our fellow man, we will not worship idols or take the Lord’s name in vain; we will not kill or steal or do any of the other things the Old Testament tells us are sins. More than that, though, we will worship God passionately and not just go through the motions. We will go beyond not harming others and do good to them. Jesus didn’t tell us what not to do; He told us what to do.

Lord God, Jesus gave us only two simple commands, but I find them so hard to do. So many people are hard to love. Yet those people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it most. Fill my heart with Your love. Empower me by the Holy Ghost to love the unlovable. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Friday after Lent 1

Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; and the second and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. Finally the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.” ~ Luke 20:27-38

After we are resurrected, we will be like angels and sons of God. Our bodies may be different than the bodies we have now—certainly they will no pain or disability or illness. But whatever kinds of bodies we have, they will be live bodies, not disembodied spirits.

Lord God, You are the God of the living, and I know I will be with you in a resurrected body for eternity. Thank You! In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Devotion for Thursday after Lent 1

They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But He detected their trickery and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent. ~ Luke 20:21-26

Jesus knew the scribes and chief priests were trying to trick him with the question about taxes. If he said the Jews shouldn’t pay tribute to Caesar, they could take him before the Roman authorities and he would probably be put to death. If He said they should pay taxes, He would alienate Jewish followers who hated the tax. However, Jesus was too wise for them and asked for a coin to show that it bore the image of Caesar. That coin belonged to Caesar. However, every person is created in the image of God. If we bear His image, we belong to Him.

Father God, I am created in Your image and belong to You. I give my life to You to live as You would have me to live, to do Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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