Palm Sunday

     In Mark 11:1-11  We read about Jesus entering Jerusalem on what became known as Palm Sunday during the week of His crucifixion.

     As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden…”When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it.  Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.  Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”  “Hosanna in the highest!”
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple.  He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

     Jesus the Son of God entered the Temple as a somewhat notorious carpenter from Galilee. He looked around at everything, taking it all in.  The Temple would have been crowded with people who had come to make a Passover sacrifice. There would have been the buzzing hum of the crowd,  punctuated by the cries from  the moneychangers.  Lambs bleating.  Smoke rising from the sacrificial altars.  
     When Jesus, the Son of God, entered the Temple,  there were parts of it that would have been barred to him.  Only a person making a sacrifice could be admitted into the Court of the Priests, and then only to sacrifice their lamb.  The person would then be pushed aside to give room for the next person to make their sacrifice.  But Jesus, who was Himself the lamb, did not bring a sacrifice, and so the Court of the Priests would have been closed off to Him.
     The most sacred space of all within the Temple, the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, was also prohibited to Jesus.  Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.
     Jesus entered the Temple and looked around and because it was late, He left.  And it was late.  The crucifixion loomed just a few short days away.  At Jesus’ death the Temple curtain in the Holy of Holies would be torn in two by the very hand of God, signifying that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
     Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on a lonesome cross, every one of us has access to the very heart of God.  We can fall into the embrace of a loving God through our forgiveness in Jesus.  Sometimes we like to think that God only sees our cleaned up church selves, but He also sees our Monday morning pre-coffee self, too.  He sees all the secret places of our heart.

  Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father - to him be glory and power for ever and ever!  Amen.   ~Rev.  1:5-6

     Won’t you allow Jesus in to the temple of your heart?  The time is growing late.

Palm Trees and Palm Sunday

     A few years ago Pat and I had the pleasure of going on a brief trip to Florida.  We left cold, damp NY and landed at the Miami airport shortly after a thunder storm had left the area.  It was clear from the moment we landed that we were not in Ny anymore.  The temperature was much warmer.  The air smelled fresh and clean from the recent storm, with a hint of salt.  There were pam trees growing everywhere.  Some were only a few feet tall and others towered over us.  
     As Jesus made His triumphal entry into the city of Jeruselem, the people broke off palm branches and waved them in front of Him.  Less than a week later these same people would gather to see Him crucified.

     The righteous shall flourish like the pam tree:  he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  ~ Psalm 92:12

     In Miami, I saw about ten palm trees on one city block that had tripod supports nailed into bands about seven feet up thier trunks.  I guess this was intended to help support them in hurricane force winds.  I wondered why more of the trees were not protected in this way.  Then I found out that the bands were unnecessary because palm trees are different from other trees.
     We have all seen nails and old clothesline wires sunk deep into the trunk of a maple tree.  As a palm tree grows it doesn't grow around the band - it breaks the bands.
          What is it about palm trees that make them so special?  A palm tree bends in a strong wind, but does not break.  A palm tree has a deep taproot that goes way down through the sands to find moisture far below the surface.  This helps a palm tree to flourish in the desert.  A group of palm trees forms an oasis which shelters other plants from the hot sun and helps to make each one stronger.  Unlike other trees, whose bark is vulnerable, the bark of the palm is meant to take abuse because it's life is on the inside.  The heart of the palm tree is alive.  As a palm tree ages, its fruit becomes sweeter.  Palm trees are evergreens and do not make good fire wood.
     Psalm 92 compares the righteous believer to a palm tree.  In the storms of life, like the palm tree, the believer bends, but does not break.  The Bible and prayer offer the believer a deep taproot that anchors him to God.  The bands of sin and death have been broken for us.  We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  Believers can provide an oasis of shade for those who are weak and hurting.
      Like the palm tree, the life of the child of God is within.

     Though the outward man perish, et the inward man is renewed day by day.  ~ II Corinthians 4:16

     Christ has removed our heart of stone and given us a heart of flesh.  As we mature in Christ, we produce sweeter fruit.  As a child of God, we will not suffer the fires of hell.  Like an evergreen, the child of God has everlasting life.

     After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice:  Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."  All the angels fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying:  Praise, glory, Wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Then on of the elders asked me,  "These in white robes--who are they, and where did  they come from?"  I answered, "Sir, you know."  And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple;  and He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;  he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  ~Revelation 7:9-17

 It is good to praise the Lord
 To proclaim His love in the morning
 And His faithfulness at night, because
 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. ~ Psalm 92: 1-2,12

Project 52: Details & The Great Auto Heist

         Here are my pictures for Details.  I am also sharing a seasonal, but funny story about an auto "theft" that has everything to do with God knowing the details of our lives, but nothing to do with the pictures.
     God always gives me a story.  The events in my life could not be made up - they are far too humiliating.
     I had gone to visit a friend at our local hospital.  I parked my car in the parking garage on the upper level in the open air.  As I was leaving the hospital and walking up the ramp, I noticed a young man standing by a sporty looking red car with a big black bra on it, a few cars away from mine.  At first glance I thought it was my friends son.  So I walked over in that direction.  As I got closer, I realized it wasn't him, but someone else.  I continued walking.  I glanced at the fellow again.  I noticed that he had a wire clothes hanger that he had flattened out and was inserting between the window and the door in an attempt to unlock the car.  I passed him and thought I should see if he needed me to call for help to get his car unlocked, when "Pop," the door opened.  
     I got into my car.  I thought, "Wow, that was pretty quick.  I could never have gotten in the car like that.  You'd think he had practice."  As I drove by on my way out, I saw him take his wire cutters off of the roof of the car and get in.
     I was halfway home when I began to wonder.  Was he stealing the car, or had he just locked himself out?  I felt really dumb.  I did not know what to do.  I decided to go home and ask my husband.  Forty-five minutes later, I ended up calling the Sheriff's Department.  I told them my story explaining that I am indeed a bit of a ditz who knows nothing about cars.  The officer laughed and took down all the information I could give him including a description of the young man and the car.  Red, sporty, big black bra.  No model, make, or clue.  I added, "I sure hope he wasn't stealing that car."  The kind officer agreed with me and assured me that he would call me if he had a report.
     I spent the next two days in fear that the Police for Stupid People would come arrest me, either for seeing a car theft in progress and being too dumb to know it or for seeing a guy who was locked out of his car and being dumb enough to report it.  The result is that I was never called, so I guess the car wasn't stolen.

     About two thousand years ago, the owner of a common method of transportation attempted to reclaim what was His and there were some questions then, too.
Luke 19:28-34
"Jesus...sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.  Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?" tell him, "The Lord needs it."
    Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "why are you untying the colt?"They replied, "The Lord needs it." "
      Apparently, Jesus had given them the right answer, because the disciples did bring the donkey colt to Jesus.  He rode it into Jerusalem fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.

     Here is what we can learn from this bit of scripture.  The disciples followed Jesus' instruction to "Go."  This is the same command that He gives us today.  He sent them to a nearby village.  He sends us to our homes and communities.  He said, "You will find a colt..."  Jesus knows the details of our life journey.  He knows what waits for us around every turn in the road.  The colt was tied, as we have been tied, perhaps not by a rope but by circumstance or sin.  The colt was one on which no one had ever sat.  This colt had an unbroken will.  Jesus said to "Loose him."  We receive freedom from whatever it is that binds us.  The disciples brought the colt to Jesus.  We are to bring ourselves and our loved ones to Jesus.  "If anyone asks..."  There will always be someone who will ask or question.  There will always be public opinion.  The reason He gave, "The Lord needs it."  Here is our purpose.  The Lord needs us.  He needs us to share our gifts and talents, to share our homes and lives, our prayers and thanksgiving.  The stubborn will of a donkey submitted to allow Jesus to sit on it and direct it by His will.
     I'm sure that someone reported the suspected theft of a donkey that day to a local police officer, I'm just grateful that it wasn't me.
     For more great pictures of details visit Darcy at my3boybarians.

Edited:  I took these photos with my kit lens.  I had read that if you take the kit lens off, turn it around and focus, that you can get almost the effect of a macro lens.  These are the first pictures I tried it with.  It does take some coordination.  You have to hang onto the camera with one hand and the lens with the other.  You also have to move in quite close.  Also remain steady.  Have a wonderful week.  I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.