John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

EASTER WEEK 2024...

"Without the belief in the Resurrection the Christian faith could not have come into being. The disciples would have remained crushed and defeated men. Even had they continued to remember Jesus as their beloved teacher, His crucifixion would have forever silenced any hopes of His being the Messiah. The cross would have remained the sad and shameful end of His career. The origin of Christianity therefore hinges on the belief of the early disciples that God had raised Jesus from the dead."

William Lane Craig

Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection, Moody, 1981. p. 116-117.

John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

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1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:3-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

Apostle Paul

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Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭32‬-‭33‬, ‭39‬-‭43‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

EASTER WEEK 2024...

“Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; he waited until one of them turned to him.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident

Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭32‬-‭33‬, ‭39‬-‭43‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left...

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

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Luke‬ ‭22:38-46‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

EASTER WEEK 2024...

“[The disciples] had been so eager to fight God’s war with man’s weapons, but they now fumbled with a more essential weapon—prayer.”

E. Earle Ellis, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1981), p. 257.

Luke‬ ‭22:38-46‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.” 

“That’s enough,” he said. 

Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 

He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

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Luke 23:26 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

EASTER WEEK 2024...

“…the bent silhouette of Simon from Cyrene trudging after Jesus made a striking profile for every disciple of the Savior. Jesus sovereignly created the symbol, even when he appeared most helpless. The image is sobering, because if we do not feel the weight of the cross, if there is no sacrifice, if there are no occasions of humiliation, we are not following Christ.”

R. Kent Hughes

Luke, vol. 2

Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

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Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

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2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

EASTER WEEK 2024...

“What a blasphemous affront to God to think that sin does not matter! What an outrage to imagine that we are good enough for God to accept us! What a cosmic affront to hold that there is any way apart from Jesus! What a slur to say that God does not care about us!

R. Kent Hughes

1 John‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

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1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Longfellow could take a worthless sheet of paper, write a poem on it, and make it worth $6,000-that’s genius.

Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth a million-that is wealth.

A painter can take a 50-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it and make it worth $10,000-that’s art.

But . . . God can take a worthless sinful life, wash it in the blood of Christ, put His Spirit in it, and make it a blessing to humanity—that’s salvation.

The Compass

1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. 

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

Apostle Paul 

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John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Therefore, a person should ask himself or herself, “Do I today have trust in Christ to forgive my sins and take me without blame into heaven forever? Do I have confidence in my heart that he has saved me? If I were to die tonight and stand before God’s judgment seat, and if he were to ask me why he should let me into heaven, would I begin to think of my good deeds and depend on them, or would I without hesitation say that I am depending on the merits of Christ and am confident that he is a sufficient Savior?”

Wayne Gruden

Theologian, seminary professor, and author

(Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine)

John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭11‬, ‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

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Psalms‬ ‭66‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (died 65 AD)

Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

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Psalms‬ ‭66‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.

1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

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John 16:33 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“He said not: Thou shalt not be troubled—thou shalt not be tempted—thou shalt not be distressed. But he said: Thou shalt not be overcome.”

Julian of Norwich (1342-1416 AD)

John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I (Jesus) have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

James‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

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1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Character is often revealed in how a person reacts to success. Especially the success of others!"

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

1 Samuel‬ ‭18‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. When Saul recognized this, he became even more afraid of him.

 Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

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Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“It is not kindness to tell patients that need strong medicine that nothing serious is wrong with them.” 

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)

Dutch-American Reformed theologian

Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” 

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

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1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬ [Jesus] personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

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James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"If you don't  bring your doubt to God, it will drive you from God."

Tara-Leigh Cobble

D-Group (Discipleship Group) International

James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

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Proverbs 10:9 (NLT)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"The true measure of a man is not found in what he does, but in the kind of person that he is."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. 

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. 

The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. 

The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

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1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

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