REDEDICATION DEVOTIONAL 2014

1. REDEDICATION DEVOTIONAL 2014 WEEK 4 Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr.

2. Week 4 II CHRONICLES 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land

3. Monday April 14, 2014 Luke 12: 13-21 Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ 14But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ 15And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ 16Then he told them a parable:

4. ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” 18Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.

5. The sixth directive is for God’s people to turn from their wicked ways. Outside of horror movies and Stephen King novels we do not even use the word “wicked” anymore. "Wicked" meant evil, not just sinful. What is this evil that inhabits God’s people? Darwin is credited with the saying the first law of nature is self preservation. He does not say what the second is. It is self-indulgence and the root of our evil sinfulness.

6. Once we have our needs met we want to indulge ourselves. This is the curse of modern times. We want God to shower us with blessings that we keep to ourselves and for ourselves. It is the root of the vast inequities in our country and our world. It is the root of much sorrow. The parable of the rich man who was a fool is an illustration. He was rich already; He got more and only looked to indulge his self. Rich, or middle class, or poor American our wickedness remains the same.

7. He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today

8. .’ 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ 8Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ 9Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

9. The story of Zacchaeus is one that is helpful in not only understanding personal repentance, but institutional repentance. Zacchaeus knows it is not enough to stop defrauding people, and give to the poor; he must give back what he illegally took. He must also make up for the time they did not have that money at their disposal. He gives back four-fold. Companies and businesses that have thrived from illegal and unfair employment practices must make some restitution if they are to truly repentant.

10. So must we individually if we have acted wickedly to someone else. It is not only worth pausing now to consider what you might have done unfairly and unjustly to someone else. It is also to contemplate and what you must do to fully repent. More importantly the next time you are tempted to act “wickedly” consider the consequences of your actions and what acts you would have to do later to fully repent.

11. II CHRONICLES 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land

12. Wednesday April 16, 2014 Psalm 51: 1-12 Have mercy on me, O God,   according to your steadfast love;according to your abundant mercy   blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,   and cleanse me from my sin.

13. 3 For I know my transgressions,   and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,   and done what is evil in your sight,so that you are justified in your sentence   and blameless when you pass judgement. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty,   a sinner when my mother conceived me.

14. 6 You desire truth in the inward being;*   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness;   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins,   and blot out all my iniquities.

15. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,   and put a new and right* spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence,   and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,   and sustain in me a willing* spirit.

16. The final directive is in two parts. The first thing God promises is that He will “hear from heaven.” The second thing is that He will forgive our sin. Our greatest need is to know that God hears our prayers, our cries and our groans. Our second greatest need is to be forgiven by God. Since our world around us hardly recognizes sin, it is hardly a surprise that there is an equal failure to recognize our deep need for forgiveness.

17. As the people of God we do recognize that we may do misdeeds to each other, but one step further is to recognize how our mistreatment of one another is a serious sin against God. David had it right when he poured out his confession before God. He had done evil in the sight of God who had blessed and cared for him. David knew that in doing so he had shown disdain for God and that was not to be taken lightly. It is worth reflecting that it is not just the nature of our misdeeds, it is the disdain we show toward God when we do those deeds.

18. In reflecting on God’s second promise to forgive our sin, we look beyond our need for forgiveness to what God’s forgiveness does. David knows that it will do two things; give him joy and a willing spirit. In other words, the two primary inner cravings that we seek are only possible with God’s forgiveness. Or to put it another way, the pleasure we seek and crave is only satisfied when we are in right relationship with God.

19. Likewise our second craving to be of useful purpose and to be about meaningful activity is only possible when we are in right relationship with God. Only He can bring this about by forgiving us and in so doing He draws us toward Him. When God forgives it is not just a blessing thrown at us, but it is His hand surrounding us and pulling us toward life itself.

20. Maundy Thursday April 17, 2014 Romans 5:6-11 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God

21. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

22. On this night Jesus would have been arrested after having instituted the Communion Supper. Death would be the end of the betrayal. But between the Garden of Gethsemane and Calvary there would be horrific suffering. It is the suffering that we move too quickly past and push from our minds. It is the sacrifice of His only Son that causes God to go the second mile and heal us by reconciling us to himself. In our reading of the blessing we seldom consider how that blessing comes about. Paul in his letter to the church at Rome reminds them of the cost to be reconciled. We should meditate on this also.

23. Good Friday April 18, 2014 Luke 22: 1-23:49 22 Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus* to death, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

24. 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8So Jesus* sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ 9They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’ 10‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11and say to the owner of the house, “The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ” 12He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’ 13So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

25. 14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16for I tell you, I will not eat it* until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ 17Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

26. 20And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.*21But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ 23Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

27. 24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

28. 28 ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; 29and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, 30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded* to sift all of you like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ 33And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ 34Jesus* said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’

29. 35 He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ 36He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ 38They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’

30. 39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’*41Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]]*45When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’*

31. 47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ 49When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ 50Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’

32. 54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ 57But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ 58A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ 59Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ 60But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ 62And he went out and wept bitterly.

33. 63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ 65They kept heaping many other insults on him. 66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67They said, ‘If you are the Messiah,* tell us.’ He replied, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I question you, you will not answer. 69But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ 70All of them asked, ‘Are you, then, the Son of God?’ He said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ 71Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!’

34. 23 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus* before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’*3Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ 5But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’

35. 6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9He questioned him at some length, but Jesus* gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. 12That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

36. 13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’* 18 Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ 19(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ 22

37. 22A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ 23But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

38. 26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” 31For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

39. 32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus* there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ 34Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]]* And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah* of God, his chosen one!’ 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38There was also an inscription over him,* ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

40. 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding* him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?* Save yourself and us!’ 40But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into* your kingdom.’ 43He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

41. 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land* until three in the afternoon, 45while the sun’s light failed;* and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. 47When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’*48And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

42. Lest I forget Gethsemane Lest I forget Thine agony Lest I forget Thy love for me Lead me to Calvary

43. Holy Saturday April 19, 2014 Isaiah 53 Habakkuk 2 :20 Isaiah 53 Who has believed what we have heard?   And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,   and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,   nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by others;   a man of suffering* and acquainted with infirmity;and as one from whom others hide their faces*   he was despised, and we held him of no account.

44. 4 Surely he has borne our infirmities   and carried our diseases;yet we accounted him stricken,   struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,   crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the punishment that made us whole,   and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray;   we have all turned to our own way,and the Lord has laid on him   the iniquity of us all.

45. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,   yet he did not open his mouth;like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,   and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,   so he did not open his mouth. 8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away.   Who could have imagined his future?For he was cut off from the land of the living,   stricken for the transgression of my people. 9 They made his grave with the wicked   and his tomb* with the rich,*although he had done no violence,   and there was no deceit in his mouth.

46. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.*When you make his life an offering for sin,*   he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11   Out of his anguish he shall see light;*he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.   The righteous one,* my servant, shall make many righteous,   and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,   and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;because he poured out himself to death,   and was numbered with the transgressors;yet he bore the sin of many,   and made intercession for the transgressors.

47. Habakkuk 2:20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;let all the earth keep silence before him!

48. No one knows what happened on that Saturday after the crucifixion. There is some speculation about Christ going to preach to those who had previously died and were locked in "Sheol" or the grave; but at best it is speculation. The Scriptures are silent. It does not mean God was not moving or active during that time. It is like when medicine is taken or a wound is bandaged; we do not know when the healing begins we simply know at some point in the silence healing begins. The words of the prophet Habakkuk are wise. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” Keep silence for a few moments.

49. Easter Sunday April 20, 2014 Luke 24:1-7 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body.*4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5The women* were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men* said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.*6Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’

50. We come to the end of our meditations for this Lenten season. The angel’s question to the women is also a final question to us. If we believe the charge and challenge of II Chronicles 7: 14 and the resurrection, then can we really go back to the old way that we were in our faith before Lent started?