With one week left to live on this earth, and one day behind Him, Jesus steps into DAY TWO!

“The next morning…”                                       Mark 11:12

Friends, HE GOT UP!

If you and I were facing the last week of our lives, would we “Get Up?”

I have faced days where, like my Vlog from last week, the sun was shining the day before, and today the rain has come!  It feels cold, dark, damp and wet! I feel sad and alone. I had taken my first step, just as Jesus had, and I “JUST DID IT!” And today I am faced with weakness and discouragement.

On these days, more than any other, I must lean into Jesus harder than ever, and pull from His super-natural strength!  I must set my face to follow His example and “GET UP!”

Jesus faced the next day with RESOLUTE commitment and walked in it with INTEGRITY!

God knows our hearts. God knows our lives. He understands that some days are bright and sunny and easy to face, and some days are dark and rainy and difficult to face. He has walked in our shoes. He knows what it is like to “DO THE HARD THING” when we would rather stay in bed, and pull the covers over our head.

During those times, when we face those darker days, we must look to Jesus and follow His example and face the next morning with INTEGRITY!

“The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.”
Mark 11:12

Friends, Jesus, like us, felt hunger pains. Would He not have felt the pain and struggle to get up and face the day? Especially when He only had 6 more days left to live! Of course He would have, but instead of giving in to His feelings, He set His face resolute to accomplishing His Father’s Will!

Jesus walked in INTEGRITY!

He purposed Himself to face His last week here on earth accomplishing His Father’s Will. With solid INTEGRITY He taught God’s Truth, He set God’s example, and He demonstrated God’s compassion.

Jesus went to the Temple.
Jesus went to church!
If it was our last week to live, would we go to church?
We find it difficult to get to church when the sun is out and we have a tickle in our throat.
We find it hard to get to church if someone there has offended us, hurt our feelings!
We find it hard to get to church if an activity conflicts with the schedule.
Etc…Etc…Etc…You fill in the blank.

Jesus was faced with one week left to live and He went to church!

He first, set them straight!

“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out the people who were buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers,and the chairs of those selling doves.”  Mark 11:15

These were the people taking advantage of God’s people. The people who were making money off of those committed to God and the sacrifices He had asked them to make to Him. Jesus was calling them into accountability.

Now, we are not Jesus, but we can walk upright in His INTEGRITY and model Christ-like behavior for others to follow. While I do not recommend turning over tables at church, I do suggest going to church! We set the best example for others when we attend church regularly.

Just like Jesus, we can demonstrate to others where our heart lies. We can go to church when we feel like it and when we don’t. We can go to church when others are nice to us and when they are not. We can go to church first when we have another commitment and when we do not. We walk with the upmost of INTEGRITY when we go to church because we love God, and for no other reason!

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

Friends, I will be the first to admit to you that NO CHURCH IS PERFECT! I have dedicated the majority of my life here on earth to working in God’s church. But, I will also be the first to admit to you that God chooses to work through His church!

While the church is not perfect, GOD IS! If we are to walk like Jesus did, with INTEGRITY, then we must follow His example and go to church!

TRUTH BOMB

When we walk in Christ-like INTEGRITY, we walk securely.

“Whoever walks in INTEGRITY walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”                             Proverbs 10:9

The most secure path I have ever followed is to church! If I had only one week to live, I hope I would follow in the steps of Jesus and walk with INTEGRITY. I would go to church just like He did! I would use my God-given gifts, just like He did!

There is no perfect church! I have been in big churches and I have been in small churches. I have been in churches every size in-between. I have been in churches in America and I have been in churches around the world. No one church does it the same way and no one inside of those churches is ever perfect! But that’s not why we should go!

Do we go because they offer the sermons we prefer? Do we go because they play the kind of music we like? Do we go because their programs fit our needs? If these are the reasons we go to church, then we have missed the reason Jesus went to church!

He went to worship His God, His perfect God! He went to bless others and to use His God-given gifts to worship His God and to love others. And I believe Jesus went to church His last week of life here on earth, because that’s where He felt encouragement and support from God to complete His God-given task at hand.

Jesus went to church His last week of life here on earth to be in fellowship with God and others!

Some of the people loved Him and some of the people hated Him. The service may or may not have been to His liking. The instruments played may or may not have hit a sweet, harmonious chord that day. But He went to commune with His God and others.

Jesus got up, walked with integrity and went to church!

So, if I have only one week left to live on this earth, or if I have many, I’m going to church! I hope you do too!

Speak Truth Love