JOIN US ON A SPECIAL HOLY WEEK JOURNEY

AS WE SPEND TIME WITH JESUS

Clifton Christian Church

Holy Week

April 5th-April 12th

Living Life To The Fullest During Chaotic Times

CHOOSE A TIME AND LOCATION

Sunday, April 5, is Palm Sunday and the day our Holy Week Journey will begin. Decide when and where you are going to spend time each day with Jesus. You may want a quiet, private time of prayer and meditation. Perhaps you will want to create a special time with your family as you discuss what you are reading. Have your Bible, pen, and some paper ready, maybe a cup of steaming hot coffee or a tall glass of iced tea, and you are all set!

READ, REFLECT, AND PRAY

Each day you will READ a short devotion and scriptures from your Bible. Then you will REFLECT AND PRAY on what you have learned about Jesus and yourself. You will also have space to WRITE down what comes to mind, perhaps as a written prayer to Jesus.

FASTING

On Friday we hope you will join together as a church family in a day of Fasting. The purpose of fasting is to take our eyes off the things of this world and instead focus on God through prayer. If you are new to fasting, be sure to check out FASTING FOR BEGINNERS. This article will an- swer your questions about how to do it properly and safely.

www.desiringgod.org/articles/fasting-for-beginners

GETTING STARTED

Holy week is usually a very busy week. The house needs to be cleaned for company coming in, Easter dinner has to be planned, and grocery shopping done.

However, this year it feels like Easter and the entire week preceding it has been overshadowed by world events. Church services are being cancelled across the nation, and everyone is weary after weeks of uncertainty. It seems Easter is fast approaching and we are not ready.

But perhaps this isn’t such a bad way to enter Holy Week—tired and unprepared, hungry for a new beginning, eager for the light of Jesus to shine in the darkness.

Each day will turn us from these chaotic times and focus on Jesus. One of our much-loved hymns puts it quite well:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face; And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of

His glory and grace.

Let’s begin walking together as a church family towards RESURRECTION MORNING!

Palm Sunday

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

READ

Our days can get so filled with work, projects, to-do lists, school activities, vacations, and recreational pursuits that we struggle to distinguish what we need from what we want. We are so used to having every-thing we desire at our fingertips, and if not, a quick click of the “buy now” button on the internet will have it delivered to our doorstep within a matter of days.

But for many of us, recent events have brought our busy lives to a halt. Routines are disrupted, work has been upset, and schools cancelled. New words in everyday conversation include “social-distancing” and “shelter-in-place”. Things we used to purchase easily have been harder to find and businesses we regularly frequented are now closed. Chaos is reigning in our lives, and each day is uncertain.

It’s easy to get caught up in what we want or think we need, not what we already have in front of us. The Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover Week were the same: they wanted a warrior king to come in, save them from their enemies, and make life peaceful for them. They didn’t stop to see what was right in front of them: the promised King that would come in peace and save them for all eternity!

Take a few minutes to read Luke 19:28-42 and Zechariah 9:9

REFLECT and PRAY

Take time today to examine your life. Really open your eyes and see what God has already given you. Give thanks to Him for providing your every need. Thank Him for providing what you will need tomorrow and in the days that will follow. Thank Him for sending Jesus to us!

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Monday: GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

READ

Watching the news reminds us daily how weak and frail we are as human beings. Our bodies are fragile, subject to illness, injury, famines, and ultimately death. Even the strongest among us is unable to fight off these things.

In Psalms we are reminded not to take our lives here on this earth for granted. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom is a capacity of the mind that allows us to understand life from God’s perspective.

Jesus understood this need to seek wisdom and often

left His followers to be by Himself so He could pray and

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meditate. Even on the eve of His death He withdrew to spend time with His Father. He knew as the end of His earthly life drew near, it was more important than ever to spend time in prayer.

Two ways to gain a heart of wisdom are to ask for it in prayer (Read James 1:5) and study and meditate on God’s Word (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

See what the Scriptures say about Jesus praying at Gethsemane:

Read Mark 14:32-42

REFLECT AND PRAY

Do you desire to understand life from God’s perspective? Do you have a special place for prayer? A special time for prayer? Are you reading your Bible on a regular basis? Ask God for wisdom to deal with the days ahead.

Tuesday: EVERYONE MATTERS

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in

Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

READ

There are so many things in this world that set us apart from each other: the color of our skin, the language we speak, our accents, where we live, our age, social and economic standing. We take pride in our appearances, our homes, our cars, the things we can afford to do. Sometimes we even consider ourselves better, more educated, or even more spiritual than others.

Jesus faced similar problems with the Sadducees and Pharisees. They thought they were the true spiritual authorities, not Jesus. Their pride blinded them to the truth. In the days before His death, they joined forces to rid themselves of this troublemaker and tried to have Jesus arrested. (Read Luke 22:1-6)

It’s easy to blame our current woes on certain ethnic groups or nations, but in the eyes of Jesus we are all the same. We are all created in God’s image. Jesus told us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31). He showed us the great love He had for every single person in the world by dying on the cross for our sins.

REFLECT AND PRAY In our suffering, loneliness, and pain we are all the same. We all need companionship. We all need help. We all need love. Is there someone you can help this week? Maybe a phone call or running an errand for someone? Does your pride ever keep you from asking for help?

Pray for God to show you ways to reach out to others this week and in the weeks to come. Ask Him for the help you need. Thank Him for loving us so much He sent his Son to die for us, no matter where we live or the language we speak!

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Wednesday: LET GO OF CONTROL

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give

you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

READ Wow, that’s hard to do! We love to be in control. We see ourselves in charge of our own destiny. Today, more than ever before, there are many things we can control. We can decide on our occupation, where we want to live, and be in contact 24/7 with our cell phones.

However, this sense of control is all too often an illusion. As we recently found out, a single virus is enough to quickly make us feel out of control. Many decisions are being made for us: where we can go, who we can see, what we can do.

Just as quickly, Jesus’s life was spiraling out of control. He was attacked by the Jewish leaders, betrayed by one of His closest disciples, arrested, and chosen by His own people to be put to death, all within a very short period

of time. Jesus could have stopped this from happening at any time, but He turned control of His life over to his Father. Jesus chose to let God’s plan unfold so we could have a hope and a future:

Read Matthew 26:47-56

We, too, have to let go of the control if we want to follow Jesus. He told us, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

REFLECT AND PRAY

Who or what is in control of your life? Perhaps it is the lure of a bigger home, a nicer car, or selfish pursuits. Be honest with yourself and identify the things keeping you from giving complete control to God. Ask Jesus to help you surrender these areas to Him so you can truly and freely follow Him. Thank Him for His plan for your life that is filled with goodness, happiness, and hope!

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Thursday: CHOOSE STRENGTH, NOT FEAR

FEAR

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every

situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

READ

Have you ever seen so much handwashing and sanitizing going on? It’s easy to see germs everywhere we look, on every surface, in the air we breathe, lurking around every corner just waiting to pounce on us. It’s easy to let the worry and panic creep in. There’s actually a lot of stuff around us that we could potentially worry about—unemployment, illness, our children’s future, our finances, and more. Yet most of the stuff we spend our time worrying about will never even happen. Worry is not our friend.

Corrie ten Boom lived courageously in the face of Nazism. She reminds us, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength.”

Jesus knew what was coming, but He was spending an evening with His disciples and looking forward to the future

when He would be with them again.

A Special Passover Supper: Read Mark 14:12-26

Jesus wasn’t looking forward to the coming events, but He didn’t let worry paralyze Him. He looked to His Father for the strength he needed to get through the coming hours.

REFLECT AND PRAY

Are you a worrier, living in fear, or looking forward to tomorrow with strength? Our future has been secured for us at the cost of Jesus’ life. Armed with the strength of this knowledge, we are free to serve others. One very practical way is to pray. Pray right now for every country and region and people group affected by the current virus. Also ask that the good news of Christ and His healing grace would go viral instead!

FAST Tomorrow we will fast together as a church family.

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Friday: IT’S OKAY TO MOURN

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep,

we may live together with him. (I Thess. 5:10)

READ

Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we think it should. We see our hopes and dreams slipping away, and we can’t do anything about it. Other times, life is taken from those around us, and we are left reeling. Life is often beyond our control, and we are helpless to do anything about it. It’s okay to be sad when these things happen. It doesn’t mean you are not strong in your faith. It means you cared deeply, loved deeply, and now feel that emptiness deeply. Jesus was brought before Jewish and Roman rulers, then the Jewish people, and the decision was made. He was to die. He was flogged, put on a cross, and left to suffer until the end. It wasn’t fair, and no one who cared for Jesus could do anything about it. It was a horrible day with a horrible ending. It was a time for mourning.

REFLECT AND PRAY

Slowly read Matthew 27:27-54 and feel the deep love Jesus has for us.

Today is the day Jesus died and his body was laid in the tomb. All the hope and promise His followers put in Him came to an end. Are you mourning losses in your life? Are there hurting places in your heart that never go away? Ask God to heal the hurts that no one sees. Tell Him how sorry you are Jesus had to die for your sins, but how thankful you are that He did. Thank God for putting His plan for your salvation into motion many years before Jesus was born.

FAST

If you haven’t yet started, begin your fast now. Skip meals or a planned activity and spend the time quietly with Jesus. Focus your hearts and minds toward Him and His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

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Saturday: KEEP THE HOPE

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives

and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26)

READ

It’s a quiet day today. Jesus is in the tomb. Not much is recorded in the Bible about this day. His followers are probably numb inside and milling about not knowing what to do. Read Matthew 27:57-66

We also often don’t know what to do when tragedy strikes. We go through the motions and do what we can to help, but that’s about all we can do. It’s easy to lose hope.

The story of the Bible is about a man named Jesus who entered a sick world, one infected with a terrible virus called sin. He encountered the same difficulties and trials we do, felt the same emotions we do, both happy and sad ones. He died a tragic, horrible death.

But Jesus’s story is not a story of death; it’s a story full of love and hope:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not

perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save

the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

REFLECT AND PRAY

Do you live in the love and hope and forgiveness and life and freedom of John 3:16? Are you free from the fear of death? Does the wonder of being loved like this shape your relationships? Do you live it? Is this your life? Is everything you do permeated with this verse? Ask God to show you areas in your life that you need to bring into line with this verse. Give thanks to God and Jesus for this indescribable gift!

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WRITE:

Easter Sunday: CELEBRATE!

"He is not here; He has risen!" Luke 24:6

READ

Today is a day to celebrate! Why? It’s a day of hope. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us, we can live forever, forgiven and free! After the darkness and death of Friday comes the light and life of Easter Sunday. He's alive! We’re forgiven, so let's celebrate!

We have chosen to surrender our fears, worries, doubts, and control to God. We can finally stop trying to make

things happen in our own strength, and trust that God is at work, even in the chaos of our lives. We will now find joy, peace, and hope for the days ahead. We can look forward to a future time when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev 21:24)

REFLECT AND PRAY

Take a few minutes to rejoice in the miracle of the Resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10

Now it’s time to live each day like Easter Sunday. You can live the joy of Easter every day as you learn to surrender to Jesus. You can lead a fruitful and triumphant life each and every day! Take time to thank God once again for the gift He gave us in sending His Son to us. Read Matthew 28:16-20 and then ask Jesus for ways to tell others who haven’t yet met Him about the incredible gift of salvation waiting for them.

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