Z Bits of the Week

It has been several months since the Zbylot kids have written anything.  I finally sat down with them yesterday and they shared what was on their hearts.  It always amazes me what is inside of the them.  I only wish I could capture their face expressions, body language and tone of voice so that you could get the full effect of their personalities!  Evidenced by their words below they had a great time visiting the Nina and Pinta replica ships in Matagorda Harbor.  Scott was leading a Disciple Now so my sister-in-law and I took our kids for a weekend field trip.  We had a blessed time together.  Enjoy!

Concept of Majesty results in Authority Issues

While holding a garage sale today and tomorrow, I am taking advantage of the inevitable slow times by picking up my reading in the book God: Discover His Character by Bill Bright.  Read through the chapter on God’s sovereignty and just had to share this insight…

Reflections from Easter

My heart’s prayer over the last six weeks has been to prepare my heart for the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Beginning on Ash Wednesday this year I began a journey unlike any other I have experienced on any other Easter.

I told my children yesterday on the way home from church that my heart was prepared much more this year than any other year.  They immediately chimed in “Me, too!”  I asked them why and here are some of their responses:

“We read Amon’s Adventure.”

“We did the Passover.”

“We prayed more as a family.”

“We did Lent.”

I couldn’t have agreed more with their responses and not because of “the right answer,” but because of the sincerity of their responses.  They truly did have a different Easter experience this year.  

He's Alive and I'm Forgiven!!

Christ Jesus is Alive.  You will not find Him in the tomb.  Join me as I celebrate the risen Savior today!!!

Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18

 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. ⁵ So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.

   “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. ⁶ “He is not here, but He has been resurrected! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise, on the third day’?” ⁸ And they remembered His words.

 ⁹ Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. ¹¹ But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went home, amazed at what had happened. (Luke 24:1-12)

If you still have not given your life over to the God who gave everything He had to the point of death for your sins, it is not to late.  Take a moment today and offer your life, just as it is, to Him.  Christ did rise from the dead and He will come again.  Will you be ready this time?

My Heart’s Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you for completing what You started.  Thank you for inviting me to join You on this Easter journey this year in a new and more real way.  Thank you for continuing to love me even when I fall to temptation.  Thank you that you have forgiven all my sins and that You did not stay in the grave.  You have risen!!!  In Jesus Name, Amen.

JESUS ROSE -He's Alive_Don Francisco from nonebeforenoneafter on GodTube.

My Heart's Prayer:

Sabbath Day--I Will Rise Again

It is hard to imagine what the disciples, Mary, and all the other followers of Christ must have felt on that Sabbath day following Christ’s crucifixion.  Were they praying for a miracle similar to the one Jesus performed when He raised Lazarus from the dead?  Were they praying for protection as they were hiding from the soldiers? Were they remembering the last words He spoke to them at the Last supper (John 13-17)?  Were they praying that His promise to rise again would come true?  One thing we do know though is that, “they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).    While the Jews were hiding in silence behind closed doors continuing to be faithful to God’s commands of the Sabbath, the Romans were not at such peace. 

Good Friday

This morning as I rose refreshed from a good night’s rest I couldn’t help but think of the agony Christ must have felt on the night before His crucifixion.  Without sleep and communicating with His Father intensely forbid Christ thoughts of anything else but the task He had come to fulfill.  I cannot even begin to describe or explain the events of that Thursday night and early Friday morning.   

As we enter into this day with perhaps a vacation day attitude, may we not discount the work that Jesus was doing on our behalf this day over 2000 years ago.  May we take some time out of our day today to reflect on this greatest act of love.

Passion Week in the Gospel of John and The Last Supper

Today we enter into John’s account of the last days of Jesus on earth.   John’s account does not have any events that correspond with the other gospels and is quite short.  However, John spends much more time on the details regarding Jesus’ last hours with His disciples.  May we take a few minutes this morning to examine the words from John’s gospel in relation to the week leading up to Jesus’ Last Supper. 

John 12:37-50

Passion Week in the Gospel of Luke

(I deeply apologize for having incorrect links to the last five passages of Mark in yesterday’s blog, Passion Week in the Gospel of Mark.  They have been corrected.) 

Just two days left on our journey before our Lord celebrates the Passover meal with His disciples.  Tomorrow night, Jesus will sit amongst his beloved disciples and eat His last supper with them.  Today’s reading brings us to the gospel of Luke.  The reader will find not find any new material within the pages, but will find the same scenes recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Mark worded from the vantage point of Luke’s eyes.

Often times it is easier just to read someone’s thoughts instead of reading the Bible in thoughtful prayer and seeking what God wants to reveal to you.  So today I would like you to read for yourself the account in Luke instead of reading the accounts and my reflections.  After all this is your heart you are preparing and not mine.  As I did yesterday, I have posted all the accounts recorded in Matthew and Mark that correspond to the ones in Luke.  There are only three accounts not found in Luke that are found in Matthew and Mark: Primary Commandments (Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 22:34-40); Question about the Messiah (Mark 12:35-37; Matthew 22:41-46) and Persecutions Predicted (Mark 13:9-13; Matthew 24:9-14). 

Please do not let the familiarity of the scriptures take away from the Holy Spirit being able to reveal new truths to your heart.  We can read the Bible over and over again and still not know it all.  May we not take the same attitude of the scribes and Pharisees who thought themselves to be more righteous than others because of their knowledge of the word.  For it is not knowledge Christ wants us to have, but a closer relationship with Him that only comes through spending time in His word and in prayer.  May your time with Him today be sweet!  “Taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8)!!

Passion Week in the Gospel of Mark

Opening the Word this morning we continue our journey through Jesus’ last days here on earth and move to the gospel of Mark.  Immediately, Satan wants to take our focus off of the power of focusing our attention on preparing our hearts for Easter as he confronts us with the question: “Does the Bible contradict itself?  At first it appears that the writers of the gospel of Matthew and Mark disagree regarding to when the temple was cleansed and how the incident with the cursing of the fig tree appeared.  In addition, we will find out tomorrow and on Friday that Luke’s gospel only records the cleansing of the temple and John’s gospel does not include either.  So whose word do we take as the truth?  Matthew, Mark, Luke or John’s?  The answer is we do not take either of their word for truth.  We take GOD’s WORD for truth.  Believing that the Bible was written under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, there can be no errors or contradictions.  Not that we have to give an explanation or have a viable reason before we can take God at His word, one of the better explanations I have heard regarding this issue is the following.

Passion Week In the Gospel of Matthew

If you knew you were to die in four days, how would you live your life?  This is the question I asked myself regarding Jesus’ last days here on earth as the Son of Man in the flesh.  Please join me over the next four days as we read through each of the gospel accounts to see how Jesus spent His time.  Take some time to read each passage and then comment as to what the Holy Spirit is sharing with you about a particular one.  As we each share, may we be encouraged by one another in the work God did and is continuing to do through His Son.

Hosanna to the King

Triumphant Entry

 Please click the above link before we begin.

We have arrived at the week before Easter and I cannot help but reflect on the majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This lental season has been quite different for me than any other previous year.  I have intentionally tried to prepare my heart for the celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ instead of waiting for Sunday morning as I get dressed for service to prepare my heart.  As a family we have been reading through Amon’s Adventure and gave up watching television.  In addition I gave up something personal only to me and we will celebrate some of the biblical feasts this week that are found in the book Celebrating BiblicalFeasts.  But, as I sit here this Palm Sunday on the water of the Colorado River, ready to praise and lift up my King, I look back over the past six weeks or so since Ash Wednesday and cannot help but glorify my Lord.