by Eron Henry | Feb 25, 2024 | Lent 2024
Jesus is God’s full and final revelation. God spoke to us in various ways in the past, but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son, whom God appointed the heir of all things, through whom also God created the world (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being and the radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3). He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). He is the ultimate and definitive expression of God’s truth and love to us. We do not need to look for any other revelation or authority besides Him.
Jesus is God’s absolute love. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16). God’s love is not based on our merit, performance, or condition. It is unconditional, unchanging, and eternal. God demonstrated love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God’s love is not a feeling or an emotion, but a decision and an action. God’s love is not a concept or a theory, but a person and a reality. God’s love is not a compromise or a concession, but a commitment and a sacrifice. God’s love is not merely relative, but absolute. It is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
God’s love is not impersonal or indifferent, but personal and intimate. It is not generic or uniform, but specific and diverse. It is not distant or detached, but close and involved. God’s love is not one-size-fits-all but tailored to each one of us. God knows us by name, knows our thoughts, knows our needs, knows our desires, knows our struggles, knows our joys, knows our sorrows, knows our strengths, knows our weaknesses, knows our past, knows our present, knows our future (Psalm 139). God loves us as we are, but God also loves us too much to leave us as we are. God loves us with a purpose, a plan, and a promise. God loves us with a grace, a mercy, and a forgiveness. God loves us with a challenge, a correction, and a transformation. God loves us with a calling, a mission, and a commission. God’s love is not static, but dynamic. It is not passive, but active. It is not abstract, but concrete. It is not general, but particular.
Jesus is God’s full and final revelation, God’s absolute love. He is the source, the standard, and the goal of all truth and love. He invites us to know Him, to trust Him, and to follow Him. He commands us to love Him, to love ourselves, and to love others. He empowers us to live by His truth and to share His love. He promises to be with us always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, we come before You today seeking Your love, which is the foundation of our existence. We recognize Jesus as Your full and final revelation, the embodiment of Your love, and the way, the truth, and the life. We acknowledge that He is the source, the standard, and the goal of all truth and love.
We thank You for the unconditional love You have shown us through Jesus Christ. We remember how You loved us before we knew You, and how You sent Jesus to die for our sins, making it possible for us to live with You in eternity. We are grateful for Your love that cannot be measured and that is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We pray for the wisdom to understand the depth of Your love, to open our hearts to Your tender embrace, and to allow Your love to fill every corner of our being. We pray for faith and assurance in Your unfailing love, for open hearts within us, and for the strength to overcome fear and anxiety.
We seek Your love to mend broken relationships, to bring comfort in times of grief, and to empower us in all that we do. We pray for Your love to guide and illuminate our path, to heal and transform our lives, and to be the driving force behind our thoughts, words, and actions.
We surrender ourselves to You, asking for Your love to be the source of our strength, joy, and peace. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus, who embodied Your love fully, and we ask that His love may be our constant companion, leading us to live a life that reflects Your love for others.
May Your love be with us, Lord, always, to the end of the age. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Feb 24, 2024 | Lent 2024
The New Testament teaches us that Christ is the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior, the Lamb of God, the Light of the world, the Bread of life, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. These titles and images express the various aspects of Christ’s identity and mission, but they also point to the deeper reality of who God is and what God has done for us in Christ.
By looking at Jesus, we learn that God is not a distant or indifferent being, but a personal and compassionate Father who cares for us and knows us by name. We learn that God is not a harsh or demanding judge, but a gracious and forgiving Savior who offers us mercy and reconciliation. We learn that God is not a rival or an enemy, but a friend and a partner who invites us to share in God’s life and mission. We learn that God is not a static or abstract concept, but a dynamic and living presence who acts in history and guides us by God’s Spirit.
By looking at Jesus, we also learn how to live as God’s children and disciples. We learn to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We learn to trust God in all circumstances, and to obey God’s will even when it is difficult or costly. We learn to serve God by serving others, especially the poor and the marginalized. We learn to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to share the good news of God’s kingdom with others.
By looking at Jesus, we ultimately learn to hope in God’s promises and to look forward to Jesus’ glorious return. We learn that God has a plan and a purpose for us and for the world that will fulfill in God’s own time and way. We learn that God has conquered sin and death, and that God will raise us up with Christ to eternal life. We learn that God will transform us and the whole creation into God’s image and likeness, and that God will make all things new.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we approach You in humility and with hearts open to Your infinite wisdom and love. We seek Your guidance and direction as we acknowledge the mystery of Your presence, not as a distant entity, but as a compassionate Father known to us intimately. We recognize You as the gracious Savior who extends mercy and reconciliation, a friend and partner who invites us into Your life and mission. We confess that You are a living and active presence, acting in history and guiding us through Your Spirit.
As we contemplate the image of Jesus, we pray for the strength to love You with our whole being, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to trust in Your promises in all circumstances. Grant us the courage to serve others, particularly those in need, and to share the good news of Your kingdom with those around us.
We take comfort in Your promises and look forward to the promise of Jesus’ glorious return. We believe in Your plan for us and the world, and we trust that You will fulfill it in Your own perfect timing. We rejoice in the knowledge that You have overcome sin and death, and we eagerly anticipate Your promise to raise us up with Christ to eternal life. We pray for the transformation of ourselves and all creation into Your image and likeness, and for the fulfillment of Your promise to renew all things.
Lord, help us to live out our identities in Christ, to stay connected and pursue You continually. May we be instruments of Your love and justice, reflecting Your goodness to a world that desperately needs You. We ask for the grace to reject sin and to show others the goodness of God. May we walk in Your light, confiding in Your unfailing love and faithfulness.
We lift up our lives to You, asking that You shape our identities and align us within Your Body. Help us to fulfill our divine assignments within the church and the world, and to align ourselves with the body of Christ in Jesus’ name. We pray for the strength to resist the enemy’s lies and to grow in the awareness of Your friendship and presence in our lives.
Grant us the strength to walk in righteousness through the power of Your Holy Spirit and to reject the comparisons and judgments of the world. We pray for the humility to see ourselves through Your eyes, recognizing the unique value You have placed on each of us.
Remind us of our identity as Your children, born of the Father, and of our holiness before You. We pray for the power to overcome the challenges of this life with the confidence that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.
Lord, we are grateful for Your unending love and for the hope You have given us. We pray for the strength to remain steadfast in our faith, to persevere through trials, and to trust in Your promises. We commit to live in such a way that reflects Your character and to extend Your love to all who cross our paths.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Feb 23, 2024 | Lent 2024
Have you ever wondered how God can love us so much, even when we sin and disobey God? How can God be so patient and forgiving with us, when we often take God’s grace for granted? How can God care for each one of us, when there are billions of people in the world?
The answer is that God is infinite. God is not limited by time, space, or anything else. God is beyond our human understanding and imagination. God is the source of all that exists and sustains everything by God’s power. God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
But how can we know this infinite God, who is so different from us? How can we relate to God and experience God’s love? The answer is that God reveals Godself to us through symbols taken from the finite. God uses things that we can see, hear, touch, and feel to communicate truth and grace to us. God uses creation, history, prophecy, poetry, stories, and most importantly, God’s Son Jesus Christ, to show us who God is and what God has done for us.
Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s infinite love. He is the Word made flesh, the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of God’s being. He is God in human form, who came to live among us, to teach us, to heal us, to die for us, and to rise again for us. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the bridge between the finite and the infinite, the mediator between God and humanity.
Through Jesus, we can know God personally and intimately. We can receive God’s forgiveness and salvation. We can enjoy God’s presence and peace. We can share God’s joy and hope. We can love and serve God. We can worship and praise God.
Prayer
Lord, we bow before Your infinite love, which surpasses all understanding. It is vast like the heavens above and deep like the oceans below. You are the source of all creation, the sustainer of all life, and the guide of those who seek You. We acknowledge Your patience and forgiveness, especially when we falter and stumble, yet You remain steadfast in Your love for us.
We confess our sins and thank You for Your mercy, which is new every morning. We recognize that Your love is not based on our actions but on Your unfailing faithfulness. We are grateful for Your grace, which is sufficient for all our needs.
We marvel at Your revelation of Yourself through creation, history, and most notably, through Your Son, Jesus Christ. His life, death, and resurrection are testaments to Your infinite love and the redemption You offer to all who believe in Him. Through Jesus, we find hope and the promise of eternal life.
We pray for Your divine intervention in our lives, seeking Your will to be done. May Your Spirit guide us in all our ways, leading us closer to You and helping us to reflect Your love to others. Grant us the wisdom to discern Your voice amidst the noise of the world, and the courage to follow where You lead.
May we embody Your love in our interactions with others, extending grace and kindness as You have extended it to us. Help us to be instruments of Your peace, spreading reconciliation and healing wherever we go.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Feb 22, 2024 | Lent 2024
Jesus came to earth not to glorify Himself, but to reveal the love and grace of God the Father. He often said that He did nothing on His own authority, but only what the Father showed Him and told Him to do (John 5:19, John 8:28). He also said that He and the Father are one, and that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (John 10:30, John 14:9). Jesus pointed away from Himself to God the Father, because He wanted us to know the Father’s heart and will for us, and to trust and obey Him as He did.
This challenges us to examine our own motives and attitudes. Do we seek to glorify ourselves or God in our words and actions? Do we follow our own will or God’s will for our lives? Do we acknowledge our dependence on God or rely on our own strength and wisdom? Do we reflect God’s character and love to others or our own selfishness and pride?
As followers of Christ, we are called to imitate Him in pointing away from ourselves to God the Father. We are to live for His glory, not our own. We are to submit to His will, not our own. We are to depend on His power, not our own. We are to show His love, not our own. By doing so, we will honor Him and draw others to Him.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we come to You in humility, acknowledging Your great humility as You came to earth. We thank You for Your humility, which is a reflection of Your divine nature and a model for us to follow. We ask that You would reveal to us any pride that may cloud our judgment and hinder our obedience to Your Word. Grant us the humility to emulate Your example, to point others towards You and to God the Father, to live for God’s glory and not our own.
Help us to understand that our worth is not found in our accomplishments or status but in Your grace. Teach us to live in submission to Your will, relying on Your power and not our own. Show us our dependence on You, so that we might truly reflect Your love and character to those around us. May we imitate Your humility by looking away from ourselves and directing attention to You and Your Father’s will.
We pray for the grace to turn from our selfish desires and to align our hearts and minds with Yours. Give us the courage to admit our mistakes and the strength to make amends. Guide us in our daily lives, helping us to serve You and to extend Your love to others. In all things, we desire to glorify You and to make Your name holy.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
by Eron Henry | Feb 21, 2024 | Lent 2024
God’s love is not limited by time, space, or any other dimension. God’s love is metacosmic, transcending all boundaries and reaching out to all creation. God’s love is revealed in the cross of Jesus, who embodied God’s reign and mission in the world.
Jesus lived and died for the sake of God’s vision of a new creation, where justice, peace, and joy prevail. Jesus also showed us God’s solidarity with our suffering, pain, and struggle against evil. Jesus did not shy away from confronting the powers of darkness but challenged them with the light of God’s truth and grace.
The cross of Jesus invites us to reflect on the depth and breadth of God’s love for us and for the world. The cross calls us to participate in God’s mission, to follow Jesus in His way of love, service, and sacrifice. The cross assures us of God’s presence and power in our lives, especially in times of difficulty and distress. The cross points us to the hope of the resurrection, the promise of God’s victory over sin, death, and evil.
Prayer
O God, our Heavenly Father, we come before Your throne of mercy and grace, acknowledging the boundless love that You have shown us in the person of Jesus Christ. We lift up our hearts to You, recognizing that Your love transcends all dimensions, extending beyond time and space to encompass every creature. We honor the metacosmic love that You have demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus.
We remember the crucifixion, where Jesus willingly laid down His life for the sins of the world, embodying Your love for justice, peace, and joy. We reflect on the depth of Your solidarity with all who suffer, bearing their pain and confronting the forces of darkness with the radiant light of Your truth and grace.
Lord, we stand in awe of the cross, a symbol of Your love that calls us to participate in Your divine mission. We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, living out His way of love, service, and sacrifice. In times of difficulty and distress, we find comfort in the assurance of Your presence and power, drawing strength from the cross and looking forward to the hope of the resurrection.
We trust in Your promise of victory over sin, death, and evil, confident that through the blood of Jesus, we are cleansed and set free from the bondage of our wrongdoings. We acknowledge the transcendent love that is ours in Christ, a love that surpasses all understanding, filling us with the fullness of Your grace and glory.
We pray for those who do not yet know the love of Christ, that they may come to understand the magnitude of Your love and be drawn into the warm embrace of Your saving grace. Grant us the wisdom to share this love with others, that they too may experience the profound joy and peace that comes from a relationship with You.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
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