Christ Church Jerusalem

Holy Week 2023 Devotionals

Holy Week 2023 Devotional | Redeemer And Redemption Passover is the celebration of the founding of a holy people through an act of redemption. Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ Listen to this sermon and more on our podcast. Search for Christ Church Jerusalem in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. 2. Holy Week 2023 Devotional | Redeemer And Redemption Passover is the celebration of the founding of a holy people through an act of redemption. 3. Holy Week 2023 Devotional | Teach Your Children; But First Do! God told Israel to tell their children of the night of their redemption, when God spared all who put blood on their doorposts. But Israel hadn’t yet put blood on their doorposts. To tell of their redemption Israel had to actually obey God. 4. Holy Week 2023 Devotional | Saved by The God We Did Not Know Exodus is the story of identity. God reveals who He is, a nation is formed in th

Amos 8: Seek the Word of the Lord. Amos has shown how proud and full of self-interest Israel has been and continued to be.. They seek riches above charity, self above God. Amos declares that one day Israel will desperately seek after God but they will not hear God. For they will look to gods that do not live and live in disobedience to the Lord God in preference for their own lifestyles; and God will not forget their crooked and corrupt actions.

The Community of Forgiveness Following the resurrection, Jesus instructs His followers to reflect on the redemptive image of God and be participants in the activity of forgiveness. The new community of God will be a forgiving one and will share God's forgiveness to the broken world. Readings for 2nd Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a & 22-32, Psalm 16, John 20: 19-31 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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It’s an Earthquake | Rev. David Pileggi Has the resurrection of Jesus become an abstract doctrine for us, or something that we only mention at a funeral? Like Matthew’s earth-shattering account, let us refuse to domesticate that most important event, and let’s ensure that it shapes our lives and sends us fearlessly out into the world to make disciples. Readings: Resurrection Sunday Jeremiah 31:1-6 Acts 10: 34-43 Matthew 28:1-10 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Resurrection Sunday. Reuven Doron He is Risen! Who raised Jesus from the dead and why? Readings: Jeremiah 31:1-6, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 28:1-8 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Every Day is Good Friday | Rev. Bassem Adranly The cross is not just an event that happened at the end of Jesus’ life; it is the foundation of the Kingdom of God – a whole new heavenly culture. Carrying the cross is being willing to suffer, but there is suffering because of disobedience (like Adam) and there is suffering in obedience (like Christ). Every time we choose to deny ourselves and obey Jesus, we breathe God’s Life into a dying world. Readings: Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12; Psalm 22; John 18 1-19, 42. --- Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ Listen to this sermon and more on our podcast. Search for Christ Church Jerusalem in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

Palm Sunday - The Tale of Two Processions | Rev. David Pileggi Christ Church Jerusalem sits directly on the site of Herod’s palace where Pontius Pilate stationed himself every Passover. He came with his entourage of pomp and military power from the West to ensure that order would be kept when the Jewish passion for liberation was at its height, during this Feast of Freedom. Coming into Jerusalem from the East along the pilgrim’s route (up from the Jordan Valley) was Jesus of Nazareth who stopped on the top of the Mt. of Olives and wept when he saw the city. Which procession will we join? It might not be as obvious as we think. Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 & Matthew 21:1-11 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Amos, seeing the judgment of God, begged God to relent. And God did! Twice Amos begged for forgiveness and the relenting of God's judgment. But, as he sees God's judgment for the third time, the very people he is pleading for accuse him of fomenting rebellion. Why would they accuse him? Perhaps it is because he is being effective? Even though many didn't listen to him, and it was these that stood in opposition to him, perhaps some actually listened and heard the word of God. There are always people who will listen, and it is for these that we should pray and intercede--but also for those who do not listen, for it truly is the enemies of God that need him. And judgment will come.

I am the resurrection The gospel can be summed up in one sentence; Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection is more than an event, the resurrection is also a person. To know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him is to know and experience resurrected new life. Readings: 5th Sunday in Lent Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Amos tells us to seek God and live but so often we simply seek to live [in ease]. We live in nice houses, we eat nice food and enjoy our time of leisure and, in seeking to live, we forget to actually seek God. Now, there isn’t anything wrong with boisterous singing or sleeping in a nice bed, but Amos asks several hard questions of us: Are we forgetting that God will judge? Are we exploiting and harming those we oversee? Are we actually acting self-righteously, ignoring the injustice around us?

When The Good Shepherd seeks a shepherd after His own Heart. When the first king of Israel fails to obey the Lord fully, God seeks for a king after His own heart. David was anointed as a boy but needed to be raised up to be king. Through many trials David learned how to trust in the Lord and to Shepherd the flock of God. The great lesson in life is to become more like Jesus who is the Good Shepherd. Readings: Fourth Sunday in Lent 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Acts 20:26-31 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Gospel Change | Yoel Ben David In this talk Yoel explains what Gospel change is and how we can be transformed by it. As he goes through John 4, we discover the breadth, process, and power of Gospel change as well as how Jesus reaches down to the very bottom of our hearts. Readings: Third Sunday in Lent Ps 73:21-28, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Amos declared that the Day of the Lord would be terrifying. We’ve seen that Israel had turned from God to seek their own wealth, their own pleasure, and their own religion. Because they sought their own at the expense of those who were poor, the slaves, and the widows, God would bring His own justice upon Israel. So what should we do? Instead of waiting for the day of the Lord, seek Him now. Seek good and not evil, establish justice. What is good and what is justice? First of all, they are actions. If you can’t find God in your world, show Him to your world. Seek good and not evil and the Lord God Almighty will be with you. Seek justice and righteousness and God may even have mercy on us.

Born Again. Been There, Done That? The call of Abraham and his growing faithfulness provides the perfect context for the encounter that Nicodemus had with Jesus. This gives us a wider perspective about Jesus’ teaching on being born again and what it means to have eternal life. Readings: SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT Genesis 12:1-9 • Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 • John 3:1-17 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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 Listen to this sermon and more on our podcast. Search for Christ Church Jerusalem in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

26th February 2023. The Duel in the Desert | Rev. David Pileggi We see in the lectionary readings today that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness echoes the Garden experience and Israel’s 40 year sojourn in the desert. Although there are a number differences in these three accounts, the similarities are striking. We are attacked by the devil and seduced by our own human nature not only in our identity, fears and places of weakness, but also in the way we hear and understand the life-giving nature of Scripture. Today we learn and must remember that God allows us to be tested "so that it will go well with you.” (Deuteronomy 8:16) Readings: FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Deuteronomy 8 Matthew 4:1-1 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
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Transfiguration Sunday Title The Ineffective Knowledge of Jesus’ majesty | John Arnold During Epiphany we journey along with the disciples as they witness Jesus’ ministry. The first Sunday of Epiphany, Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptized and we have two major statements. “Behold the Lamb of God.” and “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The final Sunday of Epiphany we look at the transfiguration of Jesus. Once again, God declares, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” But God then adds, “Listen to Him.” Peter was one of three disciples who witnessed God’s declaration and saw Jesus’ transformation. As he approached his own final days on earth, he wrote those he loved and explained what it meant to “Listen to God.” All disciples can hear the Word of God through Scriptures, but to be productive and effective Peter delves into what it means to actually hear God. Readings Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you

Amos, The Burden of the Lord Chapter 3, God is never without a witness. Israel can see the natural ways of the world. Certain truths are known, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” So why is it so hard for them, and us, to see what God is doing? He has revealed the truth, both in history and in Scripture through the prophets. History shows both the evil and the good. We can see the faults of those who came before us and we can see those who stood out in history and stood for what was right. The God of the Bible is also the God of history–His actions declare who He is. And while God is a God of mercy, His actions also show that His roaring is not in vain. God will act powerfully in righteousness and justice! Perhaps we should consider how we stand out in history.

Chapter 4, Come to the house of God and offer your sacrifices. Bring your tithes and loudly proclaim your thankfulness to God. As if the Lord will listen to you while you transgress against Him. God sent Israel warnings through pestilence and famine. But what did the people do? There wasn't enough food for everyone, so the rich took what they needed while they oppressed the poor. We often don't heed the subtler (or even not so subtle) warnings of God. All of us should prepare ourselves to meet God because we will meet Him. But will He meet us and say "Well done, good and faithful servant." Or will He meet us with judgment for our sins?

Talkin’ 'Bout My Generation We continue our discussion of Matthew 5 as it relates to the followers of Jesus as a community. Ours sins are not just personal issues, but they affect others around us. Jesus emphasizes that it is not enough to adhere to the commandments externally, but obedience includes our attitudes, motivations and imagination. In the Great Commission Jesus tells His disciples to go and teach the nations to obey everything he has commanded. We must not water down His teaching in order to make discipleship less costly. Jesus’ challenge will surely animate many in our generation who are bored, discontented and find no purpose in life. Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 Matthew 5:20-37 Blessed by our teachings? Consider saying thank you with a small (or large) donation. www.christchurchjerusalem.org/donate/ 
This sermon is also available on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/christchurchjerusalem
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