Tuesday

Each day between now and Easter Sunday I will post a Chronological Look at the Passion Week. Remember to stop in here every morning, pause for five minutes, and think upon what is happening on this particular day nearly two thousand years ago. Reflect, pray, get out your Bible, and then add your thoughts here in the comments. 

Look up scripture verses and share them. Write your prayers. Let’s bring to life again the week of Easter and thank Jesus for the most profound event to ever take place. His death and resurrection, which is the reason we have hope and a life.

Let’s get started:

Tuesday

On the way from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus cursed the fig tree, and He cleansed the temple in Jerusalem. Some religious leaders began to plot ways to kill him. That evening Jesus left Jerusalem, presumably returning to Bethany.

Okay, thoughts on this. Is it sometimes difficult to imagine Jesus getting really, really mad as in this scene? What would it be like if Jesus came into our church building/meeting today? Would He tear down, throw out and cleanse? Fascinating thoughts. 

Sunday's a comin'.... Hugs, Lynn

The Lamb and the Entry ~ Whoa!

Last week a wonderful friend of mine, Kathryn, sent me a book, Christ in the Passover. I am enjoying learning how the Passover customs and practices are fulfilled in Christ. Every day this week we are intentionally focusing on the Passion Week of Christ and Passover.

Each day between now and Easter Sunday I will post a Chronological Look at the Passion Week. Remember to stop in here every morning, pause for five minutes, and think upon what is happening on this particular day nearly two thousand years ago. Reflect, pray, get out your Bible, and then add your thoughts here in the comments. 

Look up scripture verses and share them. Write your prayers. Let’s bring to life again the week of Easter and thank Jesus for the most profound event to ever take place. His death and resurrection, which is the reason we have hope and a life.

Let’s get started:

Monday

The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, followed by His visit to the temple, and His return to Bethany. It was Nisan 10,  when the Passover lambs were selected. Likewise, the triumphal entry was the day when Christ presented Himself as Israel's Paschal Lamb.

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Okay, what Is Nisan and Paschal? What do you think it would have been like to be on the road, so excited that you believe the promised King is coming that you throw your coat ont he road in front of Him? What are your thoughts today on the entry. Do you know what gate He entered the city and why. What does that have to do with the return of Christ. So much to talk about here.

What are your thoughts today? I can’t wait to listen in and share this week with you. Love and hugs, Lynn

In Preparation of the Lamb

I love my Jewish heritage. No, I wasn't born a Jew but the King, through Jesus, the Lamb of God, adopted me. The legacy of the Jewish customs especially the Passover enriches our Easter experience.

Last week a wonderful friend of mine, Kathryn, sent me a book, Christ in the Passover. I am enjoying learning how the Passover customs and practices are fulfilled in Christ. This week begins the Passion Week and Passover as well. So let’s be intentional and focus on the events of Christ.

Each day between now and next Sunday I will post a Chronological Look at the Passion Week. I want you to be part of this experience. Stop in here every morning, pause for five minutes, and think upon what is happening on this particular day nearly two thousand years ago. Reflect, pray, get out your Bible, and then add your thoughts here in the comments. Let’s bring our community together and chat about what impact this week has on you.

Look up scripture verses and share them. Write your prayers. Let’s bring to life again the week of Easter and thank Jesus for the most profound event to ever take place. His death and resurrection, which is the reason we have hope and a life.

Let’s get started:

Saturday & Sunday

Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, arriving at Bethany six days before Passover, which was the Saturday before the Passion. Jesus was anointed at Simon the leper’s house. On Sunday, there was a great crowd that came to Bethany to see Jesus.

….

Okay, what is the scripture that places Jesus and Simon’s? What are your thoughts about the crowd? How would it feel to be there? What prayers to you think Christ spoke? Would you have been mad or fearful, like the disciples that Jesus wanted to return to Jerusalem?

What are your thoughts today? I can’t wait to listen in and share this week with you. Love and hugs, Lynn

The Intentional Marriage — Confrontation

Welcome to our video broadcast of The Intentional Marriage. Have your Bible handy because we'll be looking at Luke 12:11-12 as we explore how to speak the truth in love using prayer and preparation.

Thankful Thursday -

I'm so excited that Thankful Thursday is back here at Spiritually Unequal Marriage for the month of April. I put up my TT posts around 5:oo PM PT on Wednesday so the gals who live on the other side of the world, can join the fun while it's still Thursday where they live.

In April we meet here at Spiritually Unequal Marriage in May we are with Iris at Grace alone and June over at Laurie's, Women Taking A Stand.

Sometimes we spend a significant amount of time pouring ourselves into other people, writing on our blogs, teaching at church, just so that we might help one person discover what we already know..... That Jesus can change anything, redeem anything, save anyone. He can restore joy and purpose, hope and love.

Often we don't see the results from our hours of efforts. We never see the fruit. But on rare occasions God allows us to see what all of our writing, talking, working, serving has done for a single life.

This past week, I have receive not one but several emails from women who have read our book or who are regular readers here and they have shared with me and Dineen that our efforts are helping. They are finding hope, and a renewed strength to press forward in their marriage.

THAT is why I write. That is why I continue to share my story. THAT is what brings honor to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are wondering if no one reads your blog, no one cares about your life, no one responds to your efforts, I have a few words for you. 

You make a difference to someone. The enemy wants to discourage you. Reject that lie. You keep following the Lord's direction and trust Him to send that one individual who needs your words at that exact moment.

I'm so thankful that God started me on this crazy, harebrained journey called blogging. What a fantastic ride it's been. I would be the least likely of women to start a blog.... Go figure. God ALWAYS knows what He's doing though. I'm SO glad I follow Him.

What are you thankful for? Lynn

PS. If you missed my Go Ahead, Pray Really Big story about God answering the most fantastic of prayer requests in the most fantastic way, stop over to Laced With Grace today. Leave me a word here in the comments and one there too, if you can. 

 

 

Go Ahead, Pray Really BIG

A few weeks ago, I read the book, Heaven Is for Real. It’s a little boys astounding story of his trip to heaven and back. I read it in less than a day. I was thrilled, had goose bumps, wrangled with some the secrets he shared about the afterlife and I was flat out craving my heavenly home.

Thus begins a story in which I share with you one of the most astounding answers to prayer I have ever experienced. Join me today at Laced With Grace.

I still can't beleive it and it happend to me, Hugs, Lynn

 

Who Do You Trust?

A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!" They did it. The lake became smooth as glass. Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?" —Luke 8:23-25 (The Message)

I know this is a passage that we are all pretty familiar with, but for some reason (God’s of course) when I read it yesterday, the significance of its meaning hit me anew. When I looked up The Message translation of these verses, I knew God wanted me to talk about trust. I’d suspected this for about a week—just love how He brings things like this front and center in His time—just wasn’t sure about the how.

So let’s talk about trust—trusting God is our greatest challenge in the life. I believe it’s something you and I will grapple with on a daily basis for the rest of our lives. We begin to trust God in one area of our life only to find ourselves facing new challenges or an entirely different area of our life that we’ve yet to completely place our trust in God. It’s just the way it works. It’s our training ground. It’s how God works.

Trust isn’t easy though, especially when we’re dealing with the unknown. But that’s the whole definition of trust, isn’t it? Accepting the truth of something without evidence? (Heb. 11:1) Isn’t it about trusting God so completely that we know that we know that we know that whatever we are facing or will face, God is right there in the middle of it working for our good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose? (Rom. 8:28)

The amazing part of all this is Jesus is asking us to trust the truth. Want your mind blown away?

Jesus is Truth. (John 14:6) He is the ultimate and unchanging Truth, the most reliable Truth we have in our lives. We live in a world that loosely defines truth as whatever works in the current moment. The world’s truth is always changing and is completely unreliable. What may be true for one person isn’t true at all for another. What was true ten years ago, or even last year, for that matter, isn’t true today.

But Jesus is true for everyone, all the time. No matter what, we can trust Him for anything and everything in our lives and until we begin holding onto this, we will continue to be thrashed around by the storms of life.

What I love about this piece of Scripture is the clear example of Jesus in action. The rocking boat, the raging water, the rain and the wind are all the trials, challenges, struggles, bad news and set backs we will ever face in this life.

The disciples calling out to Jesus is exactly what we’re supposed to do in those storms. And just like then, Jesus is right here now to calm the waters, comfort us, and then challenge our faith, “Do you trust me? Can you trust Me more?”

This is His gentle rebuke when the boat rocks and we cry for help—His reminder that He’s always been right there. So what does He want us to learn?

Jesus wants us to know without out a doubt that He is the one in control. He wants us to stand boldly in that boat as the storms are about to hit and affirm that our Jesus is bigger than anything we will face. He is the one in control, and He wants us to trust His Truth above all else—trust Him above all else.

Then when the raging storms of life hit—and even the little ones—we’re sitting calmly in the boat of our lives knowing that we have nothing to fear. And sitting right next to us is Jesus, smiling at our trust in Him.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

A Community

The following was posted by my good friend, Dee, on our 1 Peter 3 Living group. I was moved by her invitation and want to extend it to all of you in this amazing community of believers who are waiting for the salvation of our spouse. 

So here is Dee:

John 3:16 is the most well known verse in the Word of God. It is the classic statement of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. This verse describes God's plan of salvation in simple but powerful words. This verse of Scripture also provides you with a prayer model to use in praying for the lost. It offers you vital truths that you can use to plead with God for the lost.

With the above in mind and considering the Easter season that we're in, I thought that John 3:16 would be an excellent verse for us to use to plead/pray/fast for the our spouses on the remaining Tuesdays of this month. (We fast and pray every Tuesday at 1P3)

This is a special time of the year - Jesus died for my husband - He died for your husband.  My husband doesn't believe this and I want that to change - the sooner the better!

So, would you consider making this your prayer and fasting focus on Tuesday for your spouses and the others in our group?

Who's in? 

Thank You Jesus - for what You did for all of us on that cross!  I pray that our men/women would not perish for not believing this powerful truth.  Lord, I cannot  even stand the thought of that -  No Lord, have mercy, show them the way, the truth and the life!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his  only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

I love our community of believers who are living to love Jesus and loving their spouse. I especially love all of you who are loving in extraordinarily trying marriages. If you are seeking a change in your life, join us for prayer and fasting this Tuesday. Start with a day -time fast. 

God honors a humble heart and LOVES to answer prayers for salvation. I will be also praying Romans 10:10 for my husband. What will you be praying. Have a great week. Hugs, Lynn

Weekend Devo — Precious Moments

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a friend's husband. He'd lived a full life, knowing his place in this world and especially his place in God's Kingdom. He'd lived for Jesus and impacted the lives of many.

What I loved most about this service was the stories shared about this man's life. Hearing them reminded me again of how those memorable moments are the ones we carry through our lives because they're steeped in love. And at our most difficult times, they can be what carries us though.

If I learned one thing going though my daughter's ordeal with cancer, it's that these moments are critical and precious. Grab them, treasure them, hold them close. They are the substance of our lives just as much as the trials we endure.

Together they build a complete picture of a life lived to the fullest. We need both. So laugh every day. Find a moment to be goofy with your kids. Tickle your husband and make him smile. Embrace every moment to the fullest.

Praying and believing,
Dineen

Prince Charming Is.... The Average Joe

Good Morning Everyone. Today’s post is just for the ladies. Sorry guys but if you read on I hope you feel affirmed.

Girls, yesterday I was listening to a radio program where the host was interviewing an author of a book titled, Average Joe.

This interview brought into sharp focus some facts that we, as wives, conveniently forget. The interviewer asked a question, “When you were a little boy, what did you dream about becoming when you grew up?”

“I dreamed like most boys, of spaceships, moon walks, of fighting fires and rescuing puppies, to be a doctor or policeman.”

Like many of our men, this author turned out to be “just” an Average Joe. A man, who loves his wife, dotes on his kids and pays bills regularly. On weekends, you'll find him fixing the leaky sink or helping the neighbors.

He surrendered his dream because he wants to do the right thing and provide for his family. He gets up every morning and pulls on his big boy pants and heads off to an average job where he feels unchallenged and unappreciated. He works hard and finds little satisfaction in his work.

He comes home and instead of appreciation and respect for this life he is living, we as women have our Cinderella Complex in overdrive and look to him to give extraordinarily more of himself. We expect him to meet every need and be the perfect parent and perfect lover and perfect “Prince Charming.”

Ladies today I want you to do what I did when I heard this interview. Put your Cinderella Complex in check. Truly look at your husband. See him through the eyes of God. Your husband loves you and the kids. He’s not perfect but, he is honest and he is trying. Trying hard.

Cut him some slack and tell him how much you appreciate what he does for you and the kids. Tell him you know he works hard and how he has sacrificed his dreams to do the right thing.

As the interviewer said…. We call him an “Average Joe” ... but God calls him extraordinary!

From one Cinderella in recovery to another, love on your husband with the love of Christ. It’s irresistible.

Be embraced by the King, Hugs, Lynn