Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 99

Easter Sunday

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in [s]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her. ~ John 20:1-28 (NASB)

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Praise God for His mighty work of salvation!

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

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Waiting For The Word

Lent Day 40: Holy Saturday

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. ~ John 19:38-42 (NASB)

Lord, today is the day that Jesus lay in the tomb all day. He had suffered by physical torture and even more by being separated from You as He carried all our sins on the cross. His disciples and His enemies were convinced that “It is finished,” which Jesus cried out on the cross, meant Jesus’ ministry had ended with his life. They were afraid and doubting, but they didn’t know that Sunday was coming. Praise You, I know Sunday is coming. I know that as sad as today is, the joy of tomorrow will be greater. Let me remember today Jesus’ sacrifice and free me from the bondage of sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

photos by:


Ian W Scott &

tamburix

It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming

This video reminds us that what happened on Good Friday, when all hope was lost, is only part of the story. Sunday is coming!

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istolethetv

Lent Day 39: Good Friday

14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. 17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” 25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. 31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” ~ John 19:14-37 (NASB)

Heavenly Father, how Jesus suffered for my sins! Most of us could not survive the beatings and torture, but the worst thing for Jesus was His separation from You. When He took on my sins and the sins of the whole world, He was separated from You—forsaken by You. That caused Him far greater pain than the physical torture. I am awed that You and Your Beloved Son love me enough that You willingly offered Jesus and He willingly offered Himself to take on my sins, to bear the punishment that should have been mine. There is nothing I can do to express my gratitude for this great gift. Help me to live my life to Your glory, to spread the Gospel to everyone I come in contact with, and to let my light shine so people see it and glorify You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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istolethetv

Lent Day 38: Maundy Thursday

14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. 21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. ~ Luke 22:14-23 (NASB)

Lord, Jesus participated in the Passover meal, His Last Supper, with His disciples—even Judas, who betrayed Him. At that time, He instituted Holy Communion, telling His disciples to eat the bread (His Body) and drink the wine (His Blood) in remembrance of Him. As I partake of Communion each week, Father, help me to remember that it is not simply a long-standing ritual of the church, but a sacrament instituted by Christ Himself to bring us closer to Him, to symbolize our communion with Him, to remember His love and sacrifice. May those things happen every time I participate in the sacrament. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost, now and forever. Amen.

photos by:


Waiting For The Word &

Waiting For The Word

I’m a Lily

One of my Facebook friends posted What flower are you? When I saw there were only nine questions, I took the quiz. And guess what? I’m a lily!

You are artsy and elegant. Your imagination allows you to place yourself in other people’s shoes, which allows you to easily understand and sympathize with those around you.

I don’t know about the “artsy and elegant” part, but the rest of the description rings true.

Growing up and through college, I always went by Lillian. Sometimes my family called me by my full name, Lillian Ann—Lillian for my paternal grandmother and Ann for my mother. Those two were loving, kind, and wise ladies, so I have always been proud of my name.

After Jack and I had been dating a while, he started calling me Lillie. Soon just about everyone else started doing the same. Although some of my family still call me Lillian, most people think Lillie is my given name.

Jack spelled my nickname Lillie. Years later, he said he wished he’d spelled it Lily. Now, this quiz tells me I’m a lily.

And of all the lilies, the Easter lily is particularly significant. According to Aggie Horticulture:

For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life – the spiritual essence of Easter.

History, mythology, literature, poetry and the world of art are rife with stories and images that speak of the beauty and majesty of the elegant white flowers. Dating back to Biblical lore, the lily is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. …

Often called the “white-robed apostles of hope,” lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s agony. Tradition has it that the beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ’s sweat fell to the ground in his final hours of sorrow and deep distress. Churches continue this tradition at Easter time by banking their alters and surrounding their crosses with masses of Easter Lilies, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope of life everlasting.

Image from Wikipedia

Lent Day 37: Wednesday in Holy Week

11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. 13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. 15 No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. 16 Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 17 [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.] 18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. ~ Luke 23:11-25 (NASB)

Heavenly Father, I read how the crowd called for Jesus’ Crucifixion and condemn them for killing the Son of God. I sometimes think somewhat better of Pilate because he didn’t want to crucify Jesus. However, he failed to stand up for right and allowed himself, the powerful ruler, to become a pawn of the crowd. What he did was worse than the crowd because he knew Jesus did not deserve to die, but he ordered the Crucifixion so the crowd wouldn’t harass him. At least some of the crowd probably truly believed that Jesus was a heretic deserving of death. As wrong as they were, at least they acted out of a mistaken belief rather than acting directly counter to what they knew to be right as Pilate did. Others, though, probably went along with the crowd just to avoid being different and perhaps criticized or ridiculed. Guide me when I am tempted to go along with the crowd rather than stand up for what I know is right. Lead me always to do Your will, no matter what it costs me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lent Day 36: Tuesday in Holy Week

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, 64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” 65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming. 66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” ~ Luke 22:63-71 (NASB)

Lord God, we condemn the Sanhedrin for their treatment of Jesus, but they couldn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God. That claim sounded like heresy to them. Would I have recognized Jesus as the Messiah if I lived when and where He was on earth? I want to believe that I would, but the claims would have sounded preposterous. People who lived in Jesus’ time had a hard time accepting Him for who He is, but I have no excuse. I have two thousand years of historical fact, witnesses, and Your Word. Keep my eyes and my heart open to Jesus. In His name. Amen.

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tamburix

Lent Day 35: Monday in Holy Week

39 And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. 40 When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? 53 While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.” 54 Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. 55 After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. 56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. ~ Luke 22:39-62 (NASB)

Heavenly Father, Jesus trusted You and prayed for Your will to be done even when He knew what it would cost him. The disciples thought they could be strong, but they couldn’t even stay awake with Jesus while He prayed. Peter denied he even knew Jesus, whom Peter already had proclaimed as the Christ. Jesus had warned Peter that He would deny Him, and Peter was positive he never would deny Jesus. It’s easy for me to wonder how the disciples could not stand up for Jesus—after all they had known Him and lived with Him for three years. However, even though I know the story doesn’t end here—I know Easter is coming—I deny Christ. I don’t say I don’t know Him, but I deny Him when I decide I’m too tired to spend time in Your Word and hurry through a quick prayer. I deny Him when I know what I should do and  don’t do it or when I know what I shouldn’t do and  do it. Help me to boldly proclaim Christ as Lord and make the time to spend time with You and Your Word. Never let me deny Jesus by my words or by my actions. In His Name. Amen.

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jezobeljones

Palm Sunday

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “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.’”

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 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!”

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” ~ Matthew 21:1-16 (NASB)

Heavenly Father, Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly as prophesied in the Old Testament. The priests and scribes couldn’t understand why the people honored Him or why Jesus cleaned the moneychangers and sacrifice vendors out of the temple. In their hollow religiosity, they thought Jesus was being sacrilegious and couldn’t believe that He had the power to forgive sins. Help me always to remember that Jesus is Your Son, of the same substance as You, the Second Person of the Trinity. Let me glorify Him and You in all I do. In His name. Amen.

photo by:


Waiting For The Word