THE TEN WORDS

Posted by & filed under Religion, Uncategorized.

Have you ever tried to earn something that was meant to be received as a gift?

For many people, that’s how they see the Ten Commandments, or the “Ten Words” as they are called in Jewish tradition. They see them like a ladder to climb in order to reach God. But what if the commandments were never meant to be a ladder at all?

This Sunday, we continue our 12-week journey through THE STORY: How the Bible Explains Everything with Part 5: “The Commandments.” We’ll be in Book of Exodus 20:1–21.

So far in THE STORY, we’ve seen:

  • The Creation – God made a good world and created humanity in His image to live under His loving rule.
  • The Catastrophe – Sin spread, judgment came through the flood, yet God preserved a remnant in mercy.
  • The Covenant – God walked the blood path alone, promising Abraham that He Himself would secure redemption.
  • The Crossing – God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea and defeating Pharaoh’s army.

Now we arrive at Mount Sinai. Redemption has already happened. The people have already been rescued. And then — God speaks. Before a single command is given, God says: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Ex. 20:2)

Grace precedes law. Rescue comes before rules. That changes everything.

In Sunday’s message, we’ll explore three divine purposes behind the giving of God’s law:

1️⃣ To Remind Us of His Saving Grace

God did not give the law to slaves trying to earn freedom. He gave it to a redeemed people learning how to live in freedom. The Exodus (grace) came before Sinai (law).

2️⃣ To Restrain Us by His Covenant Love

The commandments are not prison bars — they are guardrails. They teach us what it looks like to love God and love neighbor. As Jesus later summarized, all the Law and the Prophets hang on those two great commands (Matthew 22:37–40).

3️⃣ To Reveal Our Need for a Holy Advocate

The thunder at Sinai terrified the people. They knew they could not stand before a holy God on their own. They needed a mediator. The law exposes our need for One greater than Moses — our Advocate, Jesus Christ.

Sinai was never the final destination in THE STORY. The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrews 10:16). The law written on stone points forward to the law written on hearts through Christ and His Spirit.

How to Prepare for Sunday

📖 Read Exodus 19–20 slowly and carefully.
🔎 Notice what God says about Himself before He gives commands.
🙏 Ask: Do I see God’s commands as a ladder to climb — or as a covenant to cherish?
👥 Talk about it with your family or Community Group next week after hearing the sermon.
⛪ Come ready to worship.

The commandments do not save us — Christ does. But the Christ who saves us transforms us from the inside out.

Join us Sunday as we continue THE STORY.

THE EXODUS CROSSING

Posted by & filed under Religion, resurrection, worship.

Have you ever felt trapped?

Like your past was chasing you… and your future looked impossible?

That’s exactly where Israel found themselves in the book of Exodus — standing between Pharaoh’s advancing army and the waters of the Red Sea.

This Sunday, we continue our 12-week journey through THE STORY: How the Bible Explains Everything with Part 4: “The Crossing.”

So far, we’ve seen:

  • In The Creation, God made a good world and created us in His image — but sin entered and fractured everything.
  • In The Catastrophe, judgment came through the flood — yet God preserved a remnant and showed mercy.
  • In The Covenant, God walked the blood path alone, promising Abraham that He Himself would secure redemption.

Now we come to the moment when that covenant promise begins to unfold in power.

After 400 years of slavery in Egypt — just as God foretold — the time for deliverance arrived. The Exodus story is not just ancient history. As the Bible Project has said, “it is the most referenced story in the Bible. It shapes the Bible’s entire view of reality” (Bible Project)

But here’s the real question: What does a 3,500-year-old rescue mission have to do with your life in 2026?

Because at some point, all of us stand on the shore of our own “Red Sea.”
A crisis we can’t fix.
A past we can’t outrun.
A future we can’t engineer.

And we discover something humbling: If God doesn’t move, we’re not going to make it.

The Exodus wasn’t just a miracle for Israel. It’s a pattern, a preview, a picture of how God saves. And this Sunday, we’ll see how this dramatic crossing points beyond Moses to someone greater.

We’ll discover three powerful pictures in Exodus 14 that reveal Christ as our ultimate Redeemer: Our Mediator, our Way, and our Risen Savior.

To prepare your heart for Sunday, I encourage you to read Exodus 12–15 this week. Don’t just skim it. Enter the story. Notice the Passover. The pillar of cloud and fire. The fear. The crossing. The victory song on the other side. Then come ready to see how this story whispers the name of Jesus.

Here’s how you can prepare:

📖 Read Exodus 12–15 before Sunday.
🔁 Ask: What does this show me about how God saves?
👥 Talk about it with your family or Community Group after hearing the sermon.
⛪ Come expectant to worship the God who still makes a way.

The Crossing is more than a miracle story. It’s a preview of the greater Exodus found in Christ. And the question we’ll wrestle with together is this: Are you still standing on the shore in fear…or have you stepped forward by faith into God’s deliverance?

Join us Sunday as we continue THE STORY.

THE STORY

Posted by & filed under Religion.

Every one of us is trying to make sense of our lives.

Why are we here? Why does beauty exist alongside so much brokenness? Why do we long for justice, love, and meaning — and yet struggle with guilt, suffering, and death? Scientists search for a “Theory of Everything,” a single explanation for how the universe works. But even the best equations can’t tell us why the human heart aches for hope.

That’s where the Bible comes in.

Beginning February 1, we’re starting a new 12-week sermon series called “THE STORY: How the Bible Explains Everything.” This series is a journey through the grand, sweeping storyline of Scripture — not just isolated Bible stories, but one unified story from beginning to end. From the first words of Genesis to the final vision in Revelation, we’ll see that the Bible is telling one coherent, life-changing story about God, humanity, and redemption.

Each week, we’ll explore a major turning point in that story:

  • #1 The Creation (and the Fall) – Genesis 1-3
  • #2 The Catastrophe (Flood) – Genesis 6-8
  • #3 The Covenant (Abraham) – Genesis 15
  • #4 The Crossing (Exodus) – Exodus 14-15
  • #5 The Commandments – Exodus 19-20
  • #6 The Conquest – Joshua 21-24
  • #7 The Crown (David) – 2 Samuel 7
  • #8 The Captivity (Exile) – 2 Kings 24-25, Daniel 1
  • #9 The Christ  – John 1:1–18
  • #10 The Cross (It’s empty now) – Mark 15-16
  • #11 The Church – Acts 2
  • #12 The Consummation – Revelation 21

This isn’t just history. It’s our story. The Bible explains why the world is both glorious and grievous, why we feel both dignity and shame, and why Jesus stands at the center of all human history.

We’ll begin with Genesis 1–3: “The Creation (and the Fall).” In this opening message, we’ll discover that we were made on purpose, in God’s image, for relationship with Him — and we’ll also see how sin fractured everything. If we don’t understand the beginning, we won’t understand ourselves, our world, or our need for a Savior.

Here’s how you can get the most out of this series:
📖 Read the upcoming Scripture before Sunday.
🔁 Read it again afterward and reflect on what you heard.
👥 Bring your questions and insights to your Community Group.
⛪ Make worship a weekly priority so you can follow the whole journey.

Come be part of the journey through THE STORY — the true story that explains everything, and invites you to find your place in what God is doing in the world.

The Joy of Generosity: Why We Give

Posted by & filed under Religion, Stewardship, Weblogs, worship.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NLT) “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Generosity begins in the heart. Paul reminded the Corinthian believers that true giving is not driven by guilt or external pressure but by a willing, joyful spirit. God not only delights in cheerful giving, but He also promises abundant provision for those who give out of love and trust. The principle is clear: when we give generously, God supplies generously, not so we may store up for ourselves, but so we may continue to meet needs and bless others. Our giving reflects God’s character, who is Himself the greatest Giver. As we give with open hearts, we participate in His work and demonstrate our faith in His provision.

As we approach the end of the year, a season synonymous with giving, let’s look at three powerful opportunities to embody this cheerful generosity within our church family and the world.

1. The Benevolence Fund: Caring for Our Own

Our commitment to one another is a tangible expression of Christ’s love. The Benevolence Fund is vital, serving as our immediate resource to help members and regular attenders facing physical or financial crises. So far this year, we have been blessed to help 16 people or families, distributing a total of $9,200 to meet needs ranging from emergency housing to utility assistance.

Unfortunately, our fund is running low at the very time of the year when needs are often the most acute. Please prayerfully consider making a special contribution to the Benevolence Fund this coming Sunday, November 23rd. You can give online easily using our Church Center app, or in person by using the giving envelope in your bulletin.

2. Christmas Mission Offering: Reaching the Nations

Every Christmas, we take a special offering to advance the Gospel globally. This year, we will receive this offering on Sunday, December 21st. Half of this offering goes directly to the International Mission Board (IMB), supporting their global work, and the other half supports our other dedicated international mission partners.

This year, our focus is on helping Isaac and Felicia Castro, who are faithfully serving in Pachuca, Mexico. They urgently need a reliable vehicle to conduct their ministry—transporting supplies, reaching remote villages, and moving safely within the city. They estimate they can purchase a suitable vehicle in Mexico for around $8,000.00.

Remember the reason for the season: it’s Christ’s birthday! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior than by sending His light to the nations? Let’s partner with our missionaries and be exceedingly generous in our international missions giving.

3. Our “It’s Time” Generosity Initiative

Finally, let’s not forget the enduring commitment we made to our IT’S TIME three-year generosity initiative. This effort represents our over and above giving—the resources dedicated not just to maintaining our ministries, but to expanding our capacity and future vision.

Through IT’S TIME, we are funding our vision to strengthen our community engagement, elevate our ministry capacity, and fearlessly lay the foundation for our future growth. God is calling us to invest ourselves and our resources in greater levels of commitment to saturate Rocky Mount, Wilson, and the surrounding areas of Eastern North Carolina with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the year draws to a close, please prioritize fulfilling your commitment to this transformative, long-term vision.

Let us be the cheerful givers God loves. Whether it’s caring for a local family, equipping international missionaries, or building for our future, every act of generosity is an act of worship that declares our complete trust in the One who has already provided us with everything we need.

IT GRIEVES ME TO CONSIDER…

Posted by & filed under Current Affairs, Religion.

It grieves me to consider that on this 24th anniversary of 9/11 that terrorism is not only a foreign enemy, but it is us. Evil is among us. It always has been. But today it feels more obvious.

In recent days, we’ve heard news of school shootings in Minneapolis, MN and yesterday in Evergreen, CO. We’ve seen videos of the brutal murder of a young Ukrainian woman traveling on public transit in Charlotte, NC and the assassination of Charlie Kirk while speaking to college students at Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. It occurs to me that such evil is happening every day around the world, but we’re not always aware of it. But God is. He sees it all.

Yesterday morning, I posted this devotion I wrote from Isaiah 6:1. It seems appropriate to post it again:

THE TRUE KING IS STILL ON THE THRONE

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1 ESV).

Isaiah carefully dates his vision to “the year that King Uzziah died” (ca. 740 BC). Uzziah had reigned for fifty-two years, bringing prosperity and stability to Judah. His death marked the end of an era and the beginning of uncertainty for the nation. Yet in this moment of national mourning and political instability, Isaiah was given a vision of the true King. He saw the Lord seated on heaven’s throne, sovereign and exalted, His glory filling the temple. Earthly kings come and go, but the eternal King reigns forever. The apostle John later declared that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ (John 12:41), and John’s own vision of heaven in Revelation 4–5 echoes Isaiah’s. The contrast is clear: Kings die, worldly kingdoms fall, yet the Lord reigns forever.

Where do we place our hope when earthly leaders fall or circumstances shift? Isaiah reminds us to lift our eyes from the passing thrones of this world to the eternal throne of heaven. Our security is not in human leaders, nations, or political power—all of which can vanish in a moment. Instead, our hope is in King Jesus, who sits exalted above all powers and authorities. When we feel shaken by loss or change, we can be assured that the Lord remains “high and lifted up,” reigning with wisdom, power, and holiness. Like Isaiah, we are invited to behold the King and respond in worship and obedience.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we lift our eyes to Your throne today. Comfort the families of those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. Comfort us too in our grief for we feel it too. Help us not to be fearful or overcome with anger at the evil in our world, but to overcome evil by proclaiming the gospel all the more. Help us to remember that You, O Lord, remain sovereign and will one day return to judge all things and make all things right. Teach us to trust not in the things of this world but in the eternal reign of King Jesus. May our lives reflect confidence in His rule, and may we join the heavenly chorus in declaring, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

THE DANGER OF COMMUNICATION: ANGER

Posted by & filed under Discipleship, Family.

Family Talk Series | Sunday, August 3, 2025 | Ephesians 4:25–29

Let’s face it: every family deals with anger. Whether it’s a sharp word spoken in frustration or a cold silence that lingers after an offense, anger touches every home. But it also touches every church family. In fact, one of the greatest dangers to our communication—both at home and in the body of Christ—is not simply anger itself, but unresolved anger.

This Sunday at Eastgate, we’ll be continuing our Family Talk series from Ephesians 4 with a message titled: “The Danger of Communication: Anger.” We’ll look at what the Bible says about how to handle anger in a way that doesn’t tear down, but builds up. The apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:25–29 are deeply practical and profoundly needed for every believer who wants to grow in love and unity—whether in their marriage, with their kids, or in their church family.

The truth is, anger isn’t always sinful. God gets angry and His anger is always righteous. As Christian counselor David Powlison wrote in his book, Good And Angry, “Anger done right is a great good.” But let’s be honest: our anger is often far from righteous. It bubbles up when our expectations are unmet or our rights feel violated. Left unchecked, it grows into bitterness and resentment. And when anger simmers beneath the surface, it becomes a dangerous threat to the unity God calls us to protect.

That’s why Ephesians 4 tells us to:
– Be angry, but do not sin.
– Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.
– Give no opportunity to the devil.
– Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths… but only what builds up.

Paul isn’t just giving us advice. He’s showing us how to control our anger as members of one another in Christ. Anger may be an emotion we all feel, but by God’s grace, it doesn’t have to control us. In Christ, we can learn to avoid sinful anger, address it quickly, and recognize the danger it poses when left to fester.

Here’s the good news: God doesn’t just tell us what not to do with our anger—He shows us a better way. He’s given us His Spirit to empower us to respond with grace, self-control, and truth in love.

Maybe you’re struggling with anger right now. Maybe there’s someone you’ve hurt with your words—or someone who’s hurt you and you’ve been holding onto resentment. Don’t miss this Sunday. It’s a chance to take a step toward healing, toward forgiveness, and toward stronger relationships.

Join us this Sunday, August 3rd, as we learn how to deal with anger in a way that honors Christ and strengthens the relationships that matter most. Whether you’re single, married, raising kids, or part of the larger church family—we all need this.

See you Sunday!
– Pastor Gary

New Series Begins This Sunday: “FAMILY TALK”

Posted by & filed under Discipleship, Religion.

“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 ESV).

What if the goal of communication wasn’t just to be heard—but to become one?

This Sunday, we’re launching a new 4-week teaching series called “Family Talk.” In a world where communication is often loud but shallow, where misunderstandings can divide families and churches, we’re turning to Ephesians 4 for a better way. The apostle Paul shows us how our words, when shaped by the gospel, can actually build up the body of Christ and bring unity to our homes.

Whether you’re leading a family, growing in marriage, raising kids, or simply trying to live at peace with others, this series is for you. Paul’s wisdom applies to both our family and our church family, reminding us that communication is more than just talking—it’s about growing up together into Christ.

This Week’s Message: “The Goal of Communication: Oneness”

When we think about communication, we usually think about getting our point across or feeling understood. But God’s goal is higher: oneness—being united in heart, mind, and purpose through Christ. In our first message, we’ll be in Ephesians 4:1–3 and 15–16, where Paul outlines what communication looks like in the Spirit-led life.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

  1. We can bear with one another in love.
    The tone of our communication matters. Paul reminds us to walk in humility, gentleness, patience, and love. In a world quick to criticize, gospel communication “puts up with” one another, not with gritted teeth, but with grace.
  2. We can speak the truth to one another in love.
    Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth is hollow. But truth spoken in love is healing. Paul calls us to be eager to preserve unity by lovingly speaking truth, not to control or condemn, but to build trust and maturity.
  3. We can build up one another in love.
    Our goal isn’t to win arguments—it’s to grow together. When Christ is the head and love is our motive, every conversation becomes a chance to encourage, strengthen, and edify one another.

Join Us

Let’s commit together to make oneness the aim of every conversation—at the dinner table, in small groups, or across the pew. Because when our words reflect Christ, they don’t just make noise—they make peace.

So read Ephesians 4 and prepare your hearts and minds for this Sunday’s message. See you at either 9:30 or 11am! Bring someone with you. Let’s grow together in love.

DON’T MISS THE FINAL MESSAGE ON KINGDOM LIVING!

Posted by & filed under Discipleship, Religion.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” — Matthew 7:24 (ESV)

After sixteen weeks of walking verse by verse through the greatest sermon ever preached, this Sunday we’ll hear Jesus’ final words in the Sermon on the Mount. If you’ve journeyed with us from Matthew 5 through 7, then you’ve already sensed the power and weight of Jesus’ words as He describes what it looks like to live under His rule and reign.

This week’s sermon will be the conclusion of our series, Kingdom Living: A Study of the Sermon on the Mount. And I don’t want you to miss it.

Why? Because this final section of Jesus’ sermon (Matthew 7:21–29) might be the most piercing of all. In it, Jesus warns of the danger of mere lip service and religious pretense. He contrasts true disciples who build their lives on His Word with those who settle for appearances—and end up with spiritual collapse. This is where the Sermon gets deeply personal. And it’s where Jesus gives both a sober warning and a loving invitation: Come to Me. Hear My words. Do them. Build your life on Me to stand through life’s storms.

Over the past four months, we’ve seen how the Sermon on the Mount turns worldly values upside down. We’ve learned what it means to be poor in spirit, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and to love not only our neighbors but our enemies. We’ve been taught to pray for God’s kingdom to come and to seek first His righteousness. We’ve discovered that kingdom living means pursuing God’s approval rather than man’s praise, trusting God for provision, and walking the narrow path of obedience.

And perhaps most importantly, we’ve been reminded again and again that the Sermon on the Mount is not a checklist to earn our way into the kingdom—it’s a description of how those who belong to the kingdom should live.

As D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it: “We are not told in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘Live like this and you will become Christian’; rather we are told, ‘Because you are Christian, live like this.’”

Jesus is calling us to a counter-cultural life that is radically shaped by His kingdom values. As John Stott described it, the Sermon is “the most complete description anywhere in the New Testament of the Christian counter-culture.” And that culture is one of righteousness, peace, mercy, purity, and obedience—not powered by human strength, but by grace through faith in Christ.

Throughout the Sermon, Jesus teaches us about the kingdom’s blessings (Matt. 5:1–12), its righteousness (5:17–48), its priorities (6:1–34), and its pathway (7:13–29). It’s a comprehensive discipleship manual for every follower of Christ. And it climaxes with a call to action—to build our lives not just on hearing, but on doing the words of Jesus.

So this Sunday, July 13th, we’ll ask: How can we have real assurance of our place in God’s Kingdom? Jesus gives three answers in Matthew 7:21–29 that will help us examine the foundation of our faith and the fruit of our lives.

If you’ve been following along, don’t stop short of the final word. And if you’ve missed a few Sundays, this is a great time to jump back in. Jesus ends His sermon with power, clarity, and authority, and we all need to hear it.

Let’s finish strong together. Invite a friend. Bring a Bible. And come ready to respond to Jesus.

Sunday, July 13th
Final Message in the Kingdom Living Series:
“Assurance in the Kingdom” (Matthew 7:21–29)

See you then,
Pastor Gary

REMEMBERING A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT LOVING OUR ENEMIES MEANS…

Posted by & filed under Religion, Weblogs.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45 NLT).

As I was studying for this week’s sermon for our Kingdom Living series from Matthew 5:38-48, I remembered a great example of what loving our enemies really looks like. The example came from someone we met on a mission trip we made to Uganda in 2017. One of the highlights of that trip was being able to meet and work with five pastors from one of the United Nations refugee camps located there. A little known fact is that Uganda has the most compassionate refugee policy in the world, welcoming refugees from surrounding African countries like Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, and Burundi. The five pastors that attended our pastor’s training conference have all planted churches in one of these refugee camps. Being refugees themselves, they have now become the ideal pastors to help other refugees in Uganda.

One of the refugee pastors was Byamungu Emmanuel. He was a refugee from the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. Nearly his entire family was murdered when the Hutu majority systematically killed over 800,000 Rwandans from the Tutsi and Pygmy Batwa people groups. Over a 100-day period in 1994, it is estimated that 70% of the Tutsi population and 30% of the Batwa were killed. Many of the survivors fled to Uganda. Emmanuel was among them.

When I heard Emmanuel explaining his reason for being a refugee, I asked him to give me his testimony. I asked, “How did you go from having your family murdered to becoming a Christian pastor?”

After hearing his amazing testimony, I asked him to please write it down for me in his own words. The following is what he wrote:

“I am called Pastor Byamungu Emmanuel and this is my testimony before I got saved. I was born on March 8, 1988 and I grew up in the family of non believers but I grew up in that situation knowing nothing about salvation and how a person can get eternal life.

This is what happened to me in 1994 during genocide that took place in Rwanda. My family was completely destroyed from my grandfather and many of my relatives and I remained with only my mother and my sister who is now staying in Kigali. My mother was shocked and  she remained with mental problem after the murders. I grew up with a spirit of revenging to those who had killed my family and relatives. I joined primary school and then after I joined  secondary school but my plan was to join the army so that I can revenge to those who had killed my relatives. I couldn’t study well because my heart was broken. My mission of joining the army failed because after I received the call from someone whom I didn’t know before, telling me to go to Kampala to look for a good school (University). I had sponsorship when I was in senior six but I didn’t think that I have to study even University because what was in mind was only revenging.

I obeyed the call and to went to Kampala to look for the good school. When I reached in Kampala, my plan was to study the law but I didn’t realize that I had joined Bible school. I found my self studying God’s word which was not even in my thoughts.

Day by day transformation took place in my life. No one preached to me the Gospel. What I know and what I believe is that the Holy Spirit touched me in the way I didn’t expect but I allowed Him to take control in my life. After reading Romans 3:23, I was convicted that not only those who killed my relatives are sinners but even me too am a terrible sinner and again the Bible tells us even to love our enemies. To understand this was very had to me but slowly by slowly, God changed me in His own way.

I spent there 3 years in the Bible school and before my graduation I went back to Rwanda. I called my mother and sister and I began to teach and tell them how God had transformed my life. They were amazed because they saw me with a heart of forgiving others. I preached to them and told them how Jesus took away our sins and put them on the cross so that we can get eternal life. They received the message and believed what the Bible says but when I told them to forgive those who killed our relatives, to understand what I was telling them became hard for them. So I kept on praying so that God can change their hearts.

Later, they came to believe what I told them, so I called those who had killed our family to our home so that we could forgive them. Even though it was not their request of forgiveness but I called them and cooked for them and we shared food and drinks with them and I opened Romans 3:23, we all started crying and we forgave them and we also asked them forgiveness because we were in the process of revenging to them and on their children.

We embraced each other and I prayed for them and after 2 weeks, I went to attend my graduation. From 2010 to date, my Mum has been sharing with the so-called enemies what ever they have and  I am going on preaching the Gospel to those who are suffering in sinful life.

I thank the  almighty God who sent Jesus Christ to save me. By now I am a child of God, a new creation, no judgement is on me and I believe that Jesus Christ will not leave me. Glory be to Jesus who saved me and He has given me a beautiful wife and one daughter.

My hope is that Jesus Christ who saved me while I was a terrible sinner will not fail to save others through his powerful blood.”

– Pastor Byamungu Emmanuel, August 2, 2017 at Rutare, Uganda

Oh how I pray that the people of our country would learn of the racial healing and forgiveness that Pastor Emmanuel has experienced. The kind of healing and forgiveness that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

 

DAILY BIBLE READINGS FOR PASSION WEEK

Posted by & filed under easter, Passion Week, Religion.

Visiting The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

“And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer’” (Luke 22:15 ESV).

This coming Sunday begins what many Christians call Holy Week or Passion Week. It is called “Passion” week because of its connection to the Greek word πάσχω (pas’-kho), which means to feel heavy emotion or passion, especially due to suffering. This is the word that Jesus used to describe His coming crucifixion.

A wonderful way to remember Christ’s passion is to visit the Holy Land. I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel several times. In the attached photo, I’m visiting The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is the traditional location of the empty tomb. Here, I’m touching the Stone of Anointing, a slab of reddish stone flanked by candlesticks and overhung by a row of eight lamps. It commemorates the traditional place where the body of Jesus was laid, anointed, and prepared for burial.

But you don’t have to go to Israel to remember Christ’s suffering and resurrection. In fact, all the church buildings, slabs and memorials added through the ages by well-meaning church folk can be a distraction. I’ve found that reading the Scriptures that describe the Lord’s final week leading up to the Cross, the Tomb and the Resurrection to be just as moving and beneficial to my spiritual life. With this in mind, I offer this daily reading plan for Passion Week for your edification.

  • Palm Sunday – The Triumphal Entry. Read Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.
  • Monday – Clearing the Temple. Read Matthew 21:10-19; Mark 11:12-18, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-22.
  • Tuesday – Teaching in the Temple. Read Matthew 21:23-24:51; Mark 11:27-13:37, and Luke 20:1-21:36.
  • Wednesday – Resting In Bethany. Read Matthew 26:1-16 and Mark 14:1-11.
  • Thursday – Last Supper & Gethsemane. Read Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-23, and John 13:1-30.
  • Good Friday – Trial & Crucifixion. Matthew 27:1-56; Mark 15:1-41, Luke 22:66-23:50, and John 18:28-19:37.
  • Saturday – In the Tomb. Read Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42.
  • Easter Sunday – The Resurrection. Read Matthew 28:1-13; Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-31.

In addition to the daily Scripture readings, you might want to watch my daily video devotions for Passion Week. These were originally in recorded in 2020 as Facebook live events, so they’re pretty unprofessional. But the content is there and hopefully it’s beneficial and encouraging. You can follow this link to watch them:  Passion Week Devotions.

There are two weeks recorded in the Bible that the Lord inspired its writers to make daily diary entries. They are the seven days of creation and the seven days of Passion Week. In the first week, He made the world, and in the second, He brought our redemption. God must have thought these two weeks important enough to keep a journal…

… And one worthy of our reading and meditation.