Palms Up

Introduction-

Good morning,

Thank you for letting me into your home as we try to find what the new normal is for our lives right now.

Excited to see what the Lord can do with some willing hearts and His anointing.

Can I just say God’s has got this!

For all the hearts that are restless, the Lord wants to give us peace. The peace only He can give at a time of stress and unrest.

We do not have to go very far to be reminded that we are globally fighting the Coronavirus pandemic!

We have heard it in the news everyday for weeks.

We are now being asked to wear a mask when we are gathered tightly with people.

Some have shared with me, I don’t need to hear anymore about the Coronavirus for awhile - it is in our face everyday 24/7.

My wife has said that- she is considered an at risk person because of her treatments and low immune system. She is told right now to stay away from people as much as possible.

She has said to me… I want to hear about hope! I want to hear an encouraging word.

Sometimes, we just need to turn the news off awhile and get quiet with the Lord.

So here we go. Amen.

About a week ago, a dear sister and long-time friend sent me a card with a picture of a coffer cup on it- The wording on the cup said- “Coffee is always a good idea.” She sent me this particular card because she knows that I enjoy my coffee. She knew it would encourage me and make me smile. It would remind me of times when we were able to get together.

(Hold the Bible) I don’t want to throw clichés out but God’s has got this!

He gives us many words of encouragements as we face all sorts of trials in our lives.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

What you are facing, He does not want you to face by yourself.

We are moving into holy week. A week usually spent reading and teaching on the road to the cross.

A time leading up to the celebration of the empty tomb and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday

A time where believers rejoice because of the cross, because of the empty tomb, because of the resurrection.

We desire to celebrate. Worship is in our DNA.

Palm Sunday cannot be cancelled because we cannot worship together in a building.

Easter cannot be cancelled- All kinds of things have been cancelled lately, but Easter is not one of them.

Palm Sunday has already happened- Jesus has already triumphantly come and fulfilled the call of God the Father to be the redeemer for mankind.

Easter has already happened- No one will ever kill Him again, He will never be put in a tomb again. He does not have to rise again because He will never be buried again!

Amen! Amen! Amen!

That is how we should be approaching holy Week- a reminder of Jesus.

Prayer-

Father on this glorious Palm Sunday- The beginning of what we call Holy Week, allow us to sense your presence as we open up the Easter story. We rejoice that we have the empty tomb to celebrate and what that means for the believer, but today Father (Palm Sunday) as we take a look at Jesus journey to the cross, may we have a heart that is open and sensitive to the things that lead up to the resurrection so that we might get a new and fresh love at Jesus.

Luke 19:28-44 Read from Bible

Sometimes if we are not careful, scripture can lose its appeal to us because we are so familiar of a story or a text, we feel we know all there is to know.

I would hate to see that happen.

Cheers and jeers! One minute they are hailing Jesus as King and then a few days later, they are yelling to have him crucified and willing to let a murderer go free.

Luke 23: 18

“But the whole crowd shouted, away with this man! Release Barabbas to us. (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting crucify him! Crucify him!”

What in the world changed?

Their heart was not on the Lord, it was on what He could do for them.

The people wanted Jesus to meet expectations and Jesus wants so much more for our lives.

Jesus wants to do a new thing! We want Him to forgive us, but in actuality, He also wants to transform us.

A relationship is not often made in a storm, it is tested.