Resurrection Sunday

Pastor Latt

GOD’S WORD: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

INSPIRATION: Ernest Gordon was a World War II prisoner-of-war who survived the horrors of the Japanese death camp by the River Kwai in Burma. In his book "Through the Valley of the Kwai", Gordon described how the unbearable despair of the death-camp was transformed into a spiritual triumph of a "Church Without Walls." The POWs were turned into slaves and forced to build a Railroad of Death for transporting prisoners to death camps and Japanese soldiers to the battlefront. These prisoners were tortured, diseased, starved and worked to the point of exhaustion. "Every man's hand was against every other's," wrote Gordon.

At one day's end, as the tools were being counted and the prisoners were about to return to their camp, the Japanese guard declared that a shovel was missing. He demanded to know which prisoner had stolen the shovel. "All die! All die!" shrieked the guard. He cocked his rifle, aimed it at the prisoners and promised to shoot them all. At that moment one Scottish soldier stepped forward. Standing at attention he calmly declared, "I did it." The guard viciously clubbed the hapless prisoner to death. When they returned to the camp, the tools were again counted, and no shovel was missing. That soldier sacrificed his life so that his companions could live.Christ willingly laid down His life so we may know God. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for His matchless love for you and His sacrifice on the Cross for your sins.

"Christ spoke of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness. And these are things I think we need to be reminded of again. He forgave as he was tortured and killed. And we could do with a little of that behavior." - Mel Gibson

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we have walked with you through the "way of cross" and we now realize that you are the only Savior of the world who is worthy to be worshipped and praised. We thank Thee for the spiritual blessings and lessons from your Words and transforming stories of faithful believers through these forty days of Lent season. Now we dedicate our lives into your hand. Help us to continue our daily lives with your love and power of resurrection in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Passion Week Devotioanl (40th Day of Lent Season)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Fourteenth Station – Here Jesus is laid in the Tomb

GOD’S WORD: “Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the Place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19: 40-42)

“Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12: 24)

FACT: They take the body of Jesus to its resting place. The huge stone over the tomb is the final sign of the permanence of death. In this final act of surrender, who would have imagined this tomb would soon be empty or that Jesus would show himself alive to his disciples, or that they would recognize him in the breaking of bread? Oh, that our hearts might burn within us, as we realize how he had to suffer and die so as to enter into his glory, for us.

INSPIRATION: A mother living in a tenement house went shopping for groceries. While she was in the store, a fire engine raced by. She wondered, "Is the fire engine going to my home?" She had left her baby asleep at home. Forgetting about the groceries, she ran toward home. Her building had fire hoses aimed at it.
It was burning like a matchbox. Rushing to the chief, she cried out, "My baby is up there." He shouted back to her, "It would be suicide for anyone to go up there now; it's too late."

A young fireman standing by volunteered, "Chief, I have a little baby at home, and if my house were on fire, I'd want someone to go up to save my baby. I'll go." The young fireman climbed the stairs; he got the baby, threw her into the rescue net, and just as he did, the house collapsed and he was burned to death.

The scene is 20 years later at a graveside. A 20-year-old woman is sobbing softly. Before her, at the head of this grave, is the statue of a fireman. A man stopping by asks respectfully, "Was that your father?" She replies, "No." "Was that your brother?" "No," she says. "That's the man who died for me."

PRAYER: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; Free me from my distresses. Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.” (Psalm 25:16–18).

Passion Week Devotioanl

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Thirteenth Station – Here Jesus is taken down from the cross

GOD'S WORD: Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed. (John 19: 38).

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9: 26)

FACT: What tender mourning! Jesus' lifeless body lies in his mother's arms. He has truly died. A profound sacrifice, complete.

MEDITATION: On that terrible Friday afternoon, Peter, John, Thomas, and the rest thought it was over. Jesus had failed. They had failed. Their dreams of the kingdom had failed. Everything they had hoped for was finished.

Two days later they were hearing crazy rumours about Jesus being seen around Jerusalem. Some women were telling wild tales about seeing and touching him. Was there no respect for the dead? Were they trying to add insult to injury? Would there never be an end to this taunting?
Some of them rushed to the tomb and found it empty. But that probably meant only that the Romans had taken his body and reburied it in a secret place. One thing they knew: death is final and irreversible. It was over. Nothing would ever be right again. Jesus was dead.

Then, in a room whose door was shut and secure, Jesus was standing before them! Could they believe their eyes? Had the rumors been true? Maybe they pinched themselves. But they weren't dreaming. He was there - alive and with them again.

Death wasn't irreversible after all. Neither, then, were their pain, unbelief, and fear final. Their crushing sense of failure could give way now to confidence. They could be bold in Jesus' name. When this startling understanding fixed itself in their hearts, the same men who had crept away from Golgotha in fear would stand in the streets of Jerusalem to preach that the crucified-but-raised Christ is the Saviour of All.

REFLECTION: I behold this scene at the foot of the cross. I contemplate touching, caressing his body. I remember all his hands have touched, all who have been blessed by his warm embrace. I pause to let it soak in. He knows the mystery of death. He has fallen into God's hands. For me. That I might love as I have been loved. I pour out my heart to the God of all mercies.

PRAYER: “Save me from bloodguilt, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:14–17)

Passion Week Devotional

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Twelfth Station – Here Jesus dies on the Cross

GOD'S WORD: “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.” (Luke 23: 44-46)

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

FACT: Between two criminals, a mocking title above his head, with only Mary and John and Mary Magdalene to support him, Jesus surrenders his last breath: "Into your hands I commend my spirit."

INSPIRATION: There is an old legend that takes us back in time and recounts the time when Jesus slips back into heaven after He had died on the cross and rose from the dead. According to the legend, the angel Gabriel met him. Gabriel frowned when he saw the marks of Jesus’ scars of His tortuous years on earth, especially the scars of His crucifixion.
Gabriel said: “Master, you suffered terribly for those down on earth.”
“Yes, I did,” was Jesus’ reply.

Gabriel continued: “Do they all know now about your live and your forgiveness? Have they all heard about your death and resurrection?”

“No, not yet.” Said Jesus. “Right now only a handful knows. Only a handful of people in Palestine know about my death and resurrection.”

Gabriel looked perplexed. “Then”, he asked, “Euh… How will everyone find out about your wonderful life and your sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection?”

“I have asked Peter, James, John and a handful of friends and followers to tell other people about it. And when other people hear and believe, they in turn will tell others. And Gabriel, by and by, the planet earth will hear the message.”

Still frowning, the angel responded: “But, hmmm, you know how people are on earth. What if they… What if Peter, James and John get tired? What is they tell the story and then the next generation gets all involved in other pursuits? What if way down in the 18th or 20th century, people aren’t committed any longer to your commission? Have you made other plans?”
The Lamb of God looked directly at the angel of God and said: “I have not made any other plans. I am counting on them.”

MEDITATION: I stand there, at the foot of the cross, side by side with all of humanity, and behold our salvation. I carefully watch and listen to all that is said. And then, I experience the one who gives life pass from life to death, for me. I console Mary and John and Mary. And let them console me. This is the hour to express the deepest feelings within me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, you have sent your Son Jesus Christ and died on the cross in my place. I am so thankful to you that all my sins have been washed away by your precious blood. Help us to remember this each and every minute so that I will be able to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to this world. In precious Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Seven)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Eleventh Station – Here Jesus is nailed to the Cross

GOD’S WORD: “Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him.” (Mark 15: 23)
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3: 14)

FACT: Huge nails are hammered through his hands and feet to fix him on the cross. He is bleeding much more seriously now. As the cross is lifted up, the weight of his life hangs on those nails. Every time he struggles to pull himself up to breathe, his ability to cling to life slips away.

INSPIRATION: There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won't matter how many times you say 'I'm sorry,' the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Jesus was nailed on the cross for our sins. Let us nail our sin nature on the cross with Jesus.

MEDITATION: I make myself watch the nails being driven through his flesh. And I watch his face. I contemplate the completeness of his entry into our lives. Can there be any pain or agony he would not understand? This is for me. Nailed to a cross to forever proclaim liberty to captives. What sorrow and gratitude fill my heart!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to realize each day about your crucifixion on the cross in my place so that my commitment will be renewed each day. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Six)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Tenth Station – Here Jesus is stripped of his garments

GOD’S WORD: “They took his clothes, dividing them into four shares. One for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.” (John 19:23)

“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for you whole body to be thrown into the hell.” (Matthew 5:29)
FACT: Part of the indignity is to be crucified naked. Jesus is completely stripped of any pride. The wounds on his back are torn open again. He experiences the ultimate vulnerability of the defenseless. No shield or security protects him. As they stare at him, his eyes turn to heaven.

INSPIRATION: "It Shall Not Hurt" (Mark 16:18). Rehna Sultana (name is not real) was a Moslem student. One day, she read a Christian tract in her dormitory, and accepted Jesus as her personal savior and became a Christian. Her father was an Islamic ruler, so she expected to lose her inheritance because of her conversion.

She was completely unprepared for what really happened: when she told her family that she had become a Christian and changed her name to Faith (not real name), her father exploded in rage. Her father and brothers stripped her naked and bound her to a chair fixed to a metal plate with which they wanted to electrocute her. Faith asked them to at least lay a Bible in her lap. Her father responded "If you want to die together with your false religion, so be it."
One of her brothers added "That will show that your religion is powerless." Although they had bound her, she was able to touch a corner of the Bible. She felt a strange peace, as though someone were standing beside her. Her father and brothers pushed the plug into the socket - and nothing happened. They tried four times with various cables, but it was as though the electricity refused to flow.

Finally, her father, angry and frustrated, hit her and screamed "You are no longer my daughter." Then he threw his daughter out into the street, naked. She ran through the streets, humiliated and in pain. Shaking and tearful, she ran to a friend. People looked at her, curious rather than shocked.

Her friend let her in, clothed her and gave her shelter. The next day, her friend asked neighbors what they had thought when they had seen Faith running naked through the streets.
"What are you talking about?" they asked. "The girl had a wonderful white dress on. We asked ourselves why someone so beautifully clothed had to run through the streets."
God had hidden her nakedness from their eyes, clothing her in a beautiful white dress. Today, Faith is a full-time evangelist. (A true story told by Rev. Paul Ciniraj).

MEDITATION: I pause to watch the stripping. I contemplate all that is taken from him. And, how he faces his death with such nakedness. I reflect upon how much of himself he has revealed to me. Holding nothing back. As I look at him in his humility, I know that this is for me, and I share my feelings of gratitude.

PRAYER: Mighty and tender God. You call us to conversion of heart. Free us from being stiff-necked people. Help us to hear your word and be changed by your word. Through your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Five)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Ninth Station – Here Jesus falls the third time.

GOD’S WORD: “We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and Yahweh burdened him with the sins of all of us.” ( Isa. 53: 6)

“There will be more rejoicing in heaven over the sinner who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15: 7)

FACT: This last fall is devastating. Jesus can barely proceed to the end. Summoning all this remaining strength, supported by his inner trust in God, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross. His executioners look at him as a broken man, pathetic yet paying a price he deserves. They help him up so he can make it up the hill of crucifixion.

INSPIRATION: Jesus came to church, dressed in rags today
No one recognized him, they told him "Go away"
They were oh, so worried, of what the town might wonder
And in anxiety and fear, they pulled their biggest blunder!

"Hide this man in the back, and pray the guests won't see"
"Jesus, Jesus", they called out, "Lord, hear our plea"
"The millionaire from town is here, and now this bum is too"
"Help us, help us, help us Lord, what ever shall we do?"

And as they led sweet Jesus, by the hand, way to the back
I saw a tear fall from his eye, for those now off the track
He came to search the hearts, you see, of those now in the pews
And in his heart he wept aloud, at how they spread "GOOD NEWS"!

No one said a word to Jesus, not one, all day long
They gathered round the millionaire, and helped him learn a song
And as they sang and raised their hands, praising King and Lord
Jesus sat there crying, at how he'd been ignored!

MEDITATION: I pause to contemplate him there on the ground. The brokenness that makes me whole. The surrender that gives me life. I pause to experience and receive how completely he loves me. He is indeed completely poured out for me. As I treasure this gifted experience, I express what is in my heart.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I believe and trust in you. Help my unbelief. Help me to turn to you more fully and me to accept the gift that you offer through your suffering on the way to the cross. When I trust in you My life has a sense of order. Help me to always be able to believe and trust in your manifestation of your salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Four)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Eighth Station – Here Jesus meets with women of Jerusalem

GOD’S WORD: A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children...For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23:27-28).

INSPIRATION: Anthusa lived from 330 to 374 A.D. in Antioch. Widowed at the age of 20, she is remembered for her influence in the life of her son, John Chrysostom, one of the greatest preachers and leaders of the 4th-century church. Her contemporaries described Anthusa as cultured, attractive, and from a wealthy family. Yet she chose to not remarry after her husband's death, deciding instead to devote herself to rearing her two children, John and his sister. Anthusa provided for John the ablest teachers. Her Christian example made such an impression on one of her son's teachers that he exclaimed: "What wonderful women are found among Christians!'" John later wrote that his mother not only taught her children to know and love the teachings of the Bible, but also that her very life was a model of biblical teaching.

A student of law, rhetoric and the Scriptures, John was ordained by Bishop Meletius and later became bishop of Constantinople. A zealous missionary himself, he inspired numerous others to serve as missionaries. And he always emphasized that a crucial factor to effective evangelism is for Christians to be living examples of Christ-centeredness. A lesson he had learned from his mother Anthusa.People are watching you to see if Jesus Christ DOES make a difference in your life. Are you setting an example to others? Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life and turn to the Lord and follow His example of goodness.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are truly honored that you consider us part of your family. May we never cease to be amazed by the extent of your love. Open our eyes that we might truly see the need of those around us. Guide us in knowing how to respond. Help us to be true support to those in need. We pray these in Jesus name. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Three)

Pastor Patt

Via Dolorosa – Seventh Station – Here Jesus falls Second time

FACT: Even with help, Jesus stumbles and falls to the ground. In deep exhaustion he stares at the earth beneath him. "Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return." He has seen death before. Now he can feel the profound weakness of disability and disease and aging itself, there on his knees, under the weight of his cross.

God’s Word: “Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings unpeace, and through his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

INSPIRATION: D.M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, "I don't like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and example." Stearns replied, "If I presented Christ in that way, would you be willing to follow Him?" "I certainly would," said the stranger without hesitation. "All right then," said the preacher, "let's take the first step. He did no sin. Can you claim that for yourself?" The man looked confused and somewhat surprised. "Why, no," he said. "I acknowledge that I do sin." Stearns replied, "Then your greatest need is to have a Savior, not an example!"

MEDITATION: I contemplate Jesus brought very low. As I behold him there on the ground, with all the agony taking its toll on him, I let my heart go out to him. I store up this image in my heart, knowing that I will never feel alone in my suffering or in any diminishment, with this image of Jesus on the ground before me. This is for me, so I express the feelings in my he art.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help us to know the heavy weight of cross you had carried and help us to realize your love for sinners. Heal our broken hearts with your wounds as you had promised in Isaiah. Help us to love more to you daily. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Lenten Devotional (Day Thirty Two)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Six Station - Here Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

FACT: Jesus' journey is at times brutal. He has entered into the terrible experiences of rejection and injustice. He has been whipped and beaten. His face shows the signs of his solidarity with all who have ever suffered injustice and vile, abusive treatment. He encounters a compassionate, loving disciple who wipes the vulgar spit and mocking blood from his face. On her veil, she discovers the image of his face - his gift to her. And, for us to contemplate forever.

GOD’S WORD: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself” (John 12:32)

INSPIRATION: A well-known physician had died. His widow, in trying to collect the money owed her husband, found that he had written in his record book with red ink across many names the words, "Forgiven; too poor to pay."
When she brought the book up to the courthouse, the probate judge asked:
"Madam, is this the handwriting of your husband?"
"Yes, sir, that is his writing."
"Well, then, it will have to stand."
"Forgiven; too poor to pay." Those words have been written over the name of every soul in the world who has come to the foot of the cross asking for help. Nobody that ever has been born has been rich enough to pay the debt of sin charged against us. It is a debt that we ourselves can never pay.

MEDITATION: What does the face of Jesus hold for me? What do I see, as I look deeply into his face? Can I try to comfort the agony and pain? Can I embrace him, with his face so covered with his passion? The veil I behold is a true icon of his gift of himself. This is for me. In wonder and awe, I behold his face now wiped clean, and see the depth of his suffering in solidarity with all flesh. I say what I can say, to express my gratitude.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to never take my faith for granted. Help me to remember what a great privilege it is to be invited to follow you. Help me to find ways to express my love for you in service to those in need. Foe this I pray in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Thirty One)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Fifth Station – Here the Cyrenaean helps Jesus carry the cross

FACT: Jesus even experiences our struggle to receive help. He is made to experience the poverty of not being able to carry his burden alone. He enters into the experience of all who must depend upon others to survive. He is deprived of the satisfaction of carrying this burden on his own.

GOD’S WORD: “As they led Jesus away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” (Luke 23: 26)
“No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15: 20)

INSPIRATION: David Brainerd, the famous missionary to the American Indians, proclaimed this truth throughout his ministry. He said, “I never got away from Jesus and Him crucified in my preaching. I found that once these people were gripped by the great evangelical meaning of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, I did not have to give them many instructions about changing their behavior.”

When Charles Spurgeon lay on his deathbed, he testified to a friend, “My theology now is found in four little words: “JESUS died for ME.” I don’t say this is all I would preach if I were to be raised up again, but it is more than enough for me to die upon.”

MEDITATION: I look into his face and contemplate his struggle. His weariness and fragility. His impotence. I see how he looks at Simon, with utmost humility and gratitude. This is for me. So I feel anguish and gratitude. I express my thanks that he can continue this journey. That he has help. That he knows my inability to carry my burden alone. I say what is in my heart, with deep feeling.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help us not to ignore your suffering. Help us not to be audience of the arena of the spiritual battlefields. Help us to face the spiritual war with faith as you had shown us on the way of cross. In your mighty Name. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Thirty)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa - Fourth Station- Here Jesus meets His Mother

HISTORY: Jesus' path takes him to a powerful source of his strength to continue. All his life, his mother had taught him the meaning of the words, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord." Now they look into each other's eyes. How pierced-through her heart must be! How pained he must be to see her tears!

GOD’S WORD: “This child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Reflection: “MOTHER”

I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.
I can teach you things, but I cannot make you learn.
I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you.
I can allow you freedom, but I cannot account for it.

I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.
I can teach you right from wrong, but I cannot always decide for you.
I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I cannot make you beautiful inside.
I can offer you advice, but I cannot accept it for you.

I can give you love, but I cannot force it upon you.
I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish.
I can teach you respect, but I cannot force you to show honor.
I can advise you about friends, but cannot choose them for you.

I can advise you about sex, but I cannot keep you pure.
I can tell you the facts of life, but I can't build your reputation.
I can tell you about drink, but I can't say "no" for you.
I can warn you about drugs but I can't prevent you from using them.

I can tell you about lofty goals, but I can't achieve them for you.
I can teach you about kindness, but I can't force you to be gracious.
I can warn you about sins, but I cannot make you moral
I can love you as a child, but I cannot place you in God's family.

I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.
I can teach you about Jesus, but I cannot make Jesus your Lord.
I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.
I can love you with unconditional love all of my life . . . and I will!!!
Always, Mom

PRAYER: All-knowing and ever-merciful God, you created mothers and you know their hearts. Grant them your blessings for their unconditional love to their families. (Remember and pray for your mother).

During this Lenten journey of discernment, help me to distinguish what is true, and grant me the strength to have my actions match my words. I make this prayer in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Nine)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa – Third Station – Here Jesus falls under the weight of the cross

HISTORY: The weight is unbearable. Jesus falls under it. How could he enter our lives completely without surrendering to the crushing weight of the life of so many on this earth! He lays on the ground and knows the experience of weakness beneath unfair burdens. He feels the powerlessness of wondering if he will ever be able to continue. He is pulled up and made to continue.

GOD’S WORD: “And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried”. (Isaiah 53:4)

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41)

INSPIRATION: A young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The young man was filled with relief. "Thank you Lord," he sighed, and he did what he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren't even visible. Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. "I'd like that one Lord," he whispered.

And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I thank thee for your love that you had carried heavy cross of mine on your back. You had fallen under the heavy cross and suffered pain in my place. Help me to realize each day about your unconditional love. In your mighty Name. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Eight)

Pastor Latt

Via Dolorosa - Second Station- Here Jesus carries his cross

HISTORY: At this station, Roman soldiers beat Jesus and crowned him with a crown of thorns and started carry the heavy cross on his back. Jesus is made to carry the cross on which he will die. It represents the weight of all our crosses. What he must have felt as he first took it upon his shoulders! With each step he enters more deeply into our human experience. He walks in the path of human misery and suffering, and experiences its crushing weight.

GOD’S WORD: "So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)." (John 19:17)
"And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:39)

MEDITATION: I contemplate the wood of that cross. I imagine how heavy it is. I reflect upon all it means that Jesus is carrying it. I look into his eyes. It's all there. This is for me. So I place myself with him in this journey. In its anguish, In his freedom and surrender. In the love that must fill his heart. With sorrow and gratitude, I continue the journey. Moved by the power of his love, I am drawn to him and express my love in the words that come to me.

PRAYER: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Dear Lord, grant me wisdom to understand your sacrificial love for me and for the world. Grant me also the strength of willingness to deny myself and to carry the cross every day as you did for me. In your mighty Name. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Seven)

Pastor Latt

History of Via Dolorosa
It is the most renowned route in the world situated at the Eastern section of the Old City of Jerusalem near the Lion’s gate. Along this path, Jesus took his last steps, bearing a heavy cross on his back and a crown of thorns on his head. The route is known as Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow. The route includes Fourteen Stations of the Cross. Each station marks an event that took place as Jesus made his way from the judgment Court to the crucifixion site.

“From the earliest of days, followers of Jesus told the story of his passion, death and resurrection. When pilgrims came to see Jerusalem, they were anxious to see the sites where Jesus was. These sites become important holy connections with Jesus. Eventually, following in the footsteps of the Lord, along the way of the cross, became a part of the pilgrimage visit. The stations, as we know them today, came about when it was no longer easy or even possible to visit the holy sites. In the 1500's, villages all over Europe started creating "replicas" of the way of the cross, with small shrines commemorating the places along the route in Jerusalem. Eventually, these shrines became the set of 14 stations we now know and were placed in almost every Catholic Church in the world.”

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Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross)
First Station- Here Jesus is Condemned to death

· Roman governor’s palace, site of the trial. In this site, the Roman governor put Jesus on trial and asked: “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Text for today
· Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:26)

Thought for today
· Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. (Matthew 5:11)

Prayer for today
· Dear Lord, take me along with you to this holy route you once walked to your death for me. Help me to see what once you did for love of me and for the entire world. In Your Name. Amen.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Six)

Pastor Latt

GOD’S WORD: "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations." - Psalm 98:1-2

"Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation." - Psalm 35:9

INSPIRATION: Christian recording artist Táta Vega found hope and healing from her painful past. At 15, she was raped and impregnated. Táta gave birth, then left home to go to California to be a movie star when she was 16-and ended up homeless. She was abducted, raped, and impregnated again; she became promiscuous and had several abortions and miscarriages; she married a man who introduced her to crack cocaine. When they finally divorced, Táta was left with a young daughter, Chloe, to raise alone.

Yet despite the pain of her past, today at age 48, Táta joyfully demonstrates how God's love finally brought the peace she so desperately needed. "If my story helps even one woman discover the awesome grace God pours out on broken, hurting people, then my experience has been worth it," says Táta.
God's transforming power turned her life around. She said, "I started to search for something spiritual to fill my void. I visited mediums and consulted Ouija boards. I talked to spirits in séances. I tried soul traveling and self-realization.

Meanwhile, I was in a band and we needed a guitar player. This guy, Jay Leach, from Wichita, Kansas, auditioned. And he was really different. We were all smoking and drinking and doing everything you could imagine, but not Jay. He had a Bible. We really liked his playing and asked him to join the band. And Jay said, 'I'm going to pray about it.' Pray about it? Was this guy from outer space? But Jay joined.

During the breaks when we were in the clubs, he'd be in the corner at a table reading his Bible. He never said a thing to put us down; he just lived his life the way God called him to live it. As I watched him, I realized he had something I didn't have. And it was appealing. Somehow, I don't know how he did it, but Jay got me to go to church. Easter Sunday, 1974, at this little church, I just started sobbing uncontrollably and asked Jesus to come into my life. Brothers and sisters, it's called 'redemption from the pit.' And it happens to people who turn sincerely to the Lord. Thank God for deliverance, for redemption from the pit!"

MEDITATION:Find, call, and bring lost sheep to Jesus Christ. The lost souls need our lips and life testimonies to see Jesus. They need our help and encouragements to open their hearts and minds to accept Jesus. Do one thing today for your friend, personal evangelism.

PRAYER: Thank God who has delivered from the pit all who trust in the name of Jesus! Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord for your salvation and your deliverance from sin.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Five)

Pastor Latt

GOD'S WORD: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” – Hebrews 12:28

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” – Colossians 3:15

INSPIRATION: Fulton Oursler was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893. He wrote plays and popular religious books, most notably “The Greatest Story Ever Told in 1949”. Dr. Oursler used to tell a story from his youth.

It was about Anna, a former slave who, after emancipation, was hired by the family for many years. She used to take care of him when he was a child. He remembered her sitting at the kitchen table, her hands folded and her eyes gazing upward as she prayed, "Much obliged, Lord, for my vittles." He asked her what vittles were and she replied that they were food and drink.

He told her that she would get food and drink whether or not she gave thanks, and Anna said, "Yes, we'll get our vittles, but it makes 'em taste better when we're thankful." She told him that an old preacher taught her, as a little girl, to always look for things to be grateful for. So, as soon as she awoke each morning, she asked herself, "What is the first thing I can be grateful for today?"

Sometimes the smell of early-morning coffee perking in the kitchen found its way to her room. On those mornings, the aroma prompted her to say, "Much obliged, Lord, for the coffee. And much obliged, too, for the smell of it!" Years later, after Fulton had left home, he received a message that Anna was dying.

He returned home and found her in bed with her hands folded over her white sheets, just as he had seen them folded in prayer over her white apron at the kitchen table so many times before. He wondered what she could give thanks for at a time like this. As if reading his mind, she opened her eyes and gazed at the loving faces around her bed. Then, shutting her eyes again, she said quietly, "Much obliged, Lord, for such fine friends."

MEDITATION: “Whatever we have, we have because God in his grace and generosity has given it to us. When we realize this, there comes into our lives a joyful gratitude for what we do have, and we are freed from resentment and anxiety over what we don't have.” – Ben Patterson

PRAYER: Are you grateful for all the Lord has done for you? Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord throughout the day for all that He has done for you.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Twenty Four)

Pastor Latt

GOD’S WORD: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

INSPIRATION: Katherine Hsu was born in 1914 in Fuzhou, South China and she counts herself fortunate for having been raised in a Christian home. From an early age, Hsu wanted to become a doctor. Growing up, she saw the devastating effects of diseases such as typhoid and diphtheria. Then tuberculosis took the life of a younger brother and sister.

Believing that being a doctor was "a great purpose for living," she prayed that God would provide a way, promising to make the practice a ministry without charge to her patients. Soon after that prayer, Hsu won a full scholarship to Peking Union Medical College, one of three applicants accepted. The more she studied the human body, the more she marveled at God's creation and worshipped him.

Because her siblings died from tuberculosis, Hsu made the disease her primary focus. Through the years, the Lord led her to Houston, Texas to establish a clinic in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

Today, her pioneered tuberculosis-prevention strategies are now replicated around the world. "This is not my own achievement, but what God has wrought by his mighty power," Hsu wrote in 1994 after receiving the coveted Distinguished Achievement Award from the 11000-member American Thoracic Society.

True to her word to God, Hsu has not charged a patient in more than 50 years. In addition, Hsu has used all of her medical awards to fund scholarships for students and missionaries. "What you cannot do, God will work out for you," Hsu says. "Then you become an instrument in God's will. That is a great privilege."

REFLECTION: It is when we are dependent on the Lord that He can work through us to do great things. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that when we are weak that He is strong and He receives the glory.

"You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you've got." - Mother Teresa

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Day Twenty Three)

Pastor Latt

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

INSPIRATION: A pastor visited me a few years ago, and he was in real turmoil. "I've been struggling to live a victorious Christian life for 20 years. I know what my problem is. Colossians 3:3 says: "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.' I've been struggling all these years because I haven't died like this verse says. How do I die, Neil?"

"Dying is not your problem," I said.

"Read the verse again, just a little slower."

"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.' I know, Neil.

That's my problem. I haven't died."

"Read it once again," I pressed, "just a little bit slower."

"For you have died--" and suddenly a light switched on in his understanding.

"Hey, that's past tense, isn't it?"

"Absolutely. Your problem isn't dying; you're already dead. You died at salvation. No wonder you've been struggling as a Christian. You've been trying to do something that's already been done, and that's impossible. The death Paul talks about in Colossians 3:3 isn't something God expects you to do; it's something He expects you to know, accept and believe. You can't do anything to become what you already are."

MEDITATION: Thanks to the incredible redemptive work of Christ in your life, your old self has been replaced by a new self, governed by a new nature, which was not there before (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your old self was destroyed in the death of Christ and your new self sprang to life in the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). The new life which characterizes your new self is nothing less than the life of Jesus Christ implanted in you (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4).

PRAYER: Pray God today for His power of giving new life for you. Give thank to God for His spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ. Pray also to God for new power to be faithful and courageous witness for Him.

Lent Season Daily Devotional (Twenty Two)

Pastor Latt

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15).



NSPIRATION: In 1789, fourteen-year-old John Marrant became a Christian through the preaching of Methodist evangelist George Whitefield. His family disapproved of his new faith and John left his home in Charleston, South Carolina and headed west. After only a few weeks on his own, he was seized by some Cherokee Indians and was condemned to death. "The executioner showed me a basket of turpentine wood stuck full of small skewers" recorded John in his diary. "He told me I was to be stripped naked and laid down in the basket, and these sharp pegs were to be stuck into me, then set on fire, and when they burnt my body, I was to be thrown into the flame, which was to finish my execution."


John immediately burst into prayer and the bewildered Indians called for their chief. John then began reading Isaiah 53 from his little Bible and then he preached the gospel. Many of the Indians were converted that day including the chief. John stayed with the tribe for the next two years and taught them how to follow the Lord.



PRAYER: No matter where you go, the Lord will be with you to watch over you. Today in prayer, give thanks to Christ that He has promised that He will never leave you.