Friday, March 6, 2026

EmmDev 2026-03-06 [Moments with Mark] Simon, the Father of Alexander and Rufus

Simon, the Father of Alexander and Rufus

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). (Mark15:21-22)

Gospel Singer Ray Boltz wrote and performed the song below in the 80s. It beautifully imagines the back story of Simon of Cyrene...
You can listen to it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a92Nejt8BRA.

WATCH THE LAMB (Ray Boltz)

Walking on the road to Jerusalem
The time had come to sacrifice again
My two small sons, they walked beside me on the road
The reason that they came was to watch the lamb

And they said, "Daddy, Daddy, what will we see there?
There's so much that we don't understand"
And so I told them of Moses and father Abraham
Then I said, "Dear children, watch the lamb"

There will be so many in Jerusalem today
We must be sure the lamb doesn't run away
And I told them of Moses and father Abraham
Then I said, "Dear children, watch the lamb"

When we reached the city, I knew something must be wrong
There were no joyful worshipers there, no joyful worship songs
And I stood there with my children in the midst of angry men
Then I heard the crowd cry out, let's crucify Him

We tried to leave the city but we could not get away
Forced to play in this drama, a part I did not wish to play
Why upon this day were men condemned to die?
Why were we standing here where soon they would pass by?

I looked and said, even now they come
The first one cried for mercy, the people gave him none
The second one was violent and he was arrogant and loud
I still here his angry voice screaming at the crowd

Then someone said, "There's Jesus", I scarce believed my eyes
A man so badly beaten, He barely looked alive
Blood poured from His body, from the thorns upon His brow
Running down the Cross, falling to the ground

I watched as He struggled, I watched Him when He fell
The cross came down upon His back, the crowd began to yell
In that moment I felt such agony, in that moment I felt such loss
Till a Roman soldier grabbed my arm and screamed
"You, carry His cross"

At first I tried to resist him, then his hand reached for his sword
So I knelt and took the Cross from the Lord
I put it on my shoulder and we started down the street
The blood that he'd been shedding was running down my cheek

They led us to Golgotha, they drove nails deep in His feet and hands
Yet upon the Cross I heard Him pray, "Father, forgive them"
Never have I seen such love in any other eyes
"Into Thy hands I commit my spirit", He prayed and then He died

I stood for what seemed like years, I'd lost all sense of time
Until I felt two little hands holding tight to mine
The children stood there weeping, I heard the oldest say
"Father please forgive us, the lamb ran away"

"Daddy, daddy, what have we seen here?
There's so much that we don't understand?"
So I took them in my arms and we turned and faced the Cross
Then I said, "Dear children watch the lamb"
----------------------------------
I will be away next week - there will be no EmmDevs....

Thursday, March 5, 2026

EmmDev 2026-03-05 [Moments with Mark] The darkness continues...

The darkness continues...

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. And they began to call out to Him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spit on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. (Mark15:16-20)

I did a little bit of research. It turns out that it was common practice for the Romans to scourge or flog those who were condemned to be crucified. They did it to punish and humiliate, and it made their victims more docile when they crucified them. It also hastened their death on the cross.

Yesterday I commented on Pilate handing Jesus over for flogging and crucifixion. I attributed a degree of malice and pettiness to Pilate. I don't think the fact that flogging was "standard operating practice" takes away Pilate's guilt entirely because, after all, Jesus had impacted Pilate who then declared Jesus' innocence to the crowd. Pilate did nothing to protect Him or ease His burden.

The flogging was brutal. I won't go into the details, but it left the victims severely dehydrated, weak from blood loss and in absolute agony.

On top of that the whole company of soldiers gathers to mock Him. Much of this is the result of the charge the chief priests made, accusing Jesus of claiming to be "the King of the Jews." In the soldiers' eyes this made Jesus an "enemy of the state," and so they go out of their way to ridicule and mock.

Roman floggings were so severe that historians note that some did not even survive. I find it hard to fathom that after such a flogging the soldiers would gather, mock, spit, beat, ridicule and weave a crown of thorns. But this is another reality of our brokenness. We are capable of great cruelty which we dress up as "justice."

In Isaiah 52 and 53 we find a "servant song" which powerfully depicts the suffering the Messiah will go through.
In 52:14 we read:
"Just as there were many who were appalled at Him--
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and His form marred beyond human likeness."
Although I find it hard to stomach, Jesus' suffering here takes Him into the heart of human brokenness and cruelty...

And He enters it to rescue you and me.

Isaiah goes on to say:
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to His own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all. 
I don't think I can say it better...
I can only respond with worship and profound gratitude...

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

EmmDev 2026-03-04 [Moments with Mark] Humanity's Darkest Moment.

Humanity's Darkest Moment.

Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
"Crucify Him!" they shouted.
"Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!"
Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them.
He had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified. (Mark15:6-15)

There was a custom at Passover that Pilate would release a prisoner at the people's choosing.
Whether by accident or design, this was very appropriate for Passover which celebrated the release of Israelite slaves from Egyptian captivity. The rescue of someone who was imprisoned by the Roman regime would be a powerful message of hope.

Pilate had hoped it would be Jesus who was freed.
He knew the chief priests were envious of Jesus' influence, but I think he hoped that the crowd would vote with their hearts and free Jesus. Unfortunately the influence of the chief priests was strong enough to stir up the crowd and so their power to rescue Barabbas also became their power to condemn Jesus.

Dramatically, Pilate's appeal to Jesus' innocence, just seems to pour fuel on the crowd's fire and they shout all the louder. It is a sad feature of humanity that in our low moments we destroy the good and the beautiful - maybe because they are reminders of what we are not.

And so Pilate, in the face of inevitability, shrugs his shoulders and gives the crowd what they want.
Sometimes I feel sorry for Pilate - in order for God's will to be done, someone needed to condemn Jesus to death. The circumstances are such that Pilate makes a choice for the greater good. The life of one country preacher instead of riots and mass violence. But then Pilate does something that, in my evaluation, makes him as broken as the priests and the crowds. "He had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified."

Why have Him flogged?
He's already going to die an excruciating death (pun intended).
A Roman flogging was a terrible thing - many did not survive.
Why do that to Jesus?
I suspect this was Pilate's way of asserting his power, showing who was the boss and "putting the 'King of the Jews' in His place." I think Pilate was frustrated at Jesus' silence, His questions, His innocence. And, like the crowd and priests, he lashes out (pun intended) at the beauty and innocence of Jesus.

But in this darkest of human moments (a moment that we all, in some way, participate in) there is a glimmer of light... Barabbas, a guilty and broken man, is set free. He becomes the symbol of all of us. Although the brutality of broken humanity was directed at the sinless Son of God, He would set all of us FREE.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

EmmDev 2026-03-03 [Moments with Mark] Innocent and yet Accepting.

Innocent and yet Accepting.

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.
"Are You the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"You have said so," Jesus replied.
The chief priests accused Him of many things.
So again Pilate asked Him, "Aren't You going to answer? See how many things they are accusing You of."
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. (Mark15:1-5)

John tells the Pilate story in full detail.
Mark keeps it very brief.

In our last devotion we saw Jesus give a full answer to the question: "Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?"
Jesus' answer is clear, affirmative an unequivocal:
"I am (the Messiah and Son of God) and you'll see me return in glory. (And He quotes Scripture to back His claim.)"

In today's reading Pilate gets a much shorter and more cryptic answer.
"You have said it."
(In Greek it's just two words: "You" (emphatic) and "say" (present indicative))

What's going on here?
The difference is in the question...
Pilate's question is different: "Are You the king of the Jews?"

There's a vast difference between the two questions.
The High Priest's question is a religious one - a spiritual question.
"Are You the one sent by God to bring God's Kingdom here to earth?"

Pilate's question is based on the insinuations made by Jesus' enemies.
Mark lists them: the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin.
They've implied that Jesus is guilty of treason against Caesar.
They suggest that Jesus is trying to be "King of the Jews".
This is a political question and a positive answer would have been punishable by death.

But Jesus' kingdom is not an earthly kingdom - it's a Kingdom that is "not of this world" (as Jesus affirms in John's Gospel.)

So Jesus won't admit to a trumped up political framing of His mission and charge of treason.
He makes it clear that these are Pilate's words - informed by the chief priests and their cohorts.

When it comes to all the other accusations, Jesus simply remains silent.
His silence is eloquent - It indicates the baselessness of the claims but also recognises the hardness of their hearts. Nothing will change their narrative. It also indicates His submission to the Father's will and acceptance of His mission.

Mark tells us that Pilate is amazed by Jesus' demeanour.
From the other gospels we know that Pilate actually tries to intervene on Jesus' behalf.
And he attached a sign to Jesus' cross - "King of the Jews"

It is clear from all the gospel accounts that Jesus had a profound impact on Pilate.
We know that Pilate's wife even had a dream about Jesus and that Pilate actively defended Jesus at one point.
Jesus could have leveraged His influence on Pilate and turned the tables on the "religious mafia."
But He doesn't - He has a higher mission - A mission of love and sacrifice.
And so He asserts and establishes His innocence and lets them use their fabricated charges to have Him crucified.

Friday, February 27, 2026

EmmDev 2026-02-27 [Moments with Mark] In the Middle of the Brackets

In the Middle of the Brackets

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put Him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against Him, but their statements did not agree.
Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against Him: "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.' " Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"
But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.
"You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"
They all condemned Him as worthy of death.

Then some began to spit at Him; they blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!"
And the guards took Him and beat Him. (Mark14:55-65)

Between the brackets of Peter's denial we have a very different scenario.
The sinless Son of God is being tried in a kangaroo court of the Religious Mafia of the day.
And they can't even get their lies to stick...

So the high priest wades in.
He's the "big gun."
He'll make something stick.

His strategy is ironic.
He asks the most important question of them all.
"Are you the Messiah - the Son of God?"

I can imagine a goose-bumpy silence settling over the room.
A positive answer should be met with awe and worship.
Here it will be met with disbelief, judgement and a death sentence.

Jesus not only answers affirmatively, but explosively.
He answers using the "I am" formula and He follows that by quoting the enthronement prophecies of Daniel 7 and Psalm 110.
It's an announcement of impending judgement.
"Yes, I am the glorious Son of God and you will see how wrong you were"

While Peter ducks the truth and the disciples run away.
Jesus stands calmly before the council and,
as He makes Himself subject to this perversion of what faith should be,
tells the truth.

The consequences of this truth are devastating.
They condemn Him to the cross and mock and torture Him.

This is the full extent of His love for us...

PS: I like to use capital letters for divine pronouns.
It's not conventional, but it's my little subversive act of worship.
Today it was tough to put in the capitals.

They all condemned Him as worthy of death...
Then some began to spit at Him...
they blindfolded Him...
struck Him with their fists...
And the guards took Him and beat Him...

Oh how He loves us!


Wednesday, February 25, 2026

EmmDev 2026-02-25 [Moments with Mark] The opening bracket and closing bracket

The opening bracket and closing bracket

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
-------------
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.
But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.
When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them."
Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."
Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept. (Mark14:53-72)

Mark tells Peter's denial story in two parts...
I call them the opening and closing brackets.
These two parts give some balance to the story.

The opening bracket shows Peter following Jesus who is being taken to the high priest.
What is striking is that Mark says that Peter was following "Him", not "them."
It's a subtle nuance, but striking.
Although he had deserted and fled (after chopping off an ear) Peter is back to following Jesus.
Ironically Mark uses the same basic verb for "follow" here as he does when Jesus called Peter to "follow", but here he qualifies "followed" with "at a distance."

So there's a positive and a negative. Peter is following, but it's at a distance.

When we get to the closing bracket, Peter's "distant following" turns into a triple denial. And, as they say, "There, but for the grace of God, go you and I...."

We do need to note what comes between the brackets.
Jesus is placed before a "kangaroo court" and they can't get the evidence to stick.
So Jesus states His true identity as the Son of God, allowing them to make a charge of blasphemy.
So while Peter tries to follow but stays at a distance and then denies, Jesus springs the trap on Himself.

Two take-homes:
1. I'm comforted by Peter's humanity. I also try to follow, though sometimes at a distance, and sometimes I deny. We think that Mark wrote his gospel based on sermons by Peter. Peter found forgiveness and restoration and so there is hope for me too.

2. In spite of human failures (Peter) and evil's bungling machinations, Jesus was determined to save you and me, even to the point of springing the trap on Himself.



Tuesday, February 24, 2026

EmmDev 2026-02-24 [Moments with Mark] They fell asleep three times!!!

They fell asleep three times!!!

Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping.
"Simon," He said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Once more He went away and prayed the same thing.
When He came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to Him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. (Mark14:37-41)

Whenever I read the Gethsemane narratives I cringe over the disciples.
This is Jesus' toughest moment, but they're falling asleep.

I cringe because I'm scared that this might be true of me too.
- In a moment that I could pray, I fall asleep.
- In a moment I when could get up and be with Him, I turn over and go to sleep.
- In a moment I when could speak up for Him or someone in need, I hold my silence.
- In a moment when I could serve and step up, I bail.

If I were a gospel writer, I think I might want to gloss over the failure of the disciples. I would prefer to avoid the detail, but we are taken through this in a blow-by-blow account that describes how Jesus goes back and forth three times and each time they're asleep.
It is almost tragically comedic almost painfully ironic...
Almost...
But the truth is in Mark's pithy summary of their feelings "They did not know what to say to Him."

But there's hope in this heart-breaking illustration of human-failure.

Firstly, Jesus doesn't, after the first time, say "Humph, after all we've been through, they sleep and I'm left alone." Instead He encourages them, and urges them to lean into spiritual and not physical strength.
But they fail again and He comes back even a third time. This reveals His hope in us and His patience with us.

In the second place, His use of the word "enough" is powerful - especially when we see it with "The spirit is willing and the body is weak" and His coming cry - "It is Finished!" In our own strength we will fail and fail, but Ezekiel promised that we would be transformed - given a new heart of flesh instead of stone. Joel promised the Spirit. Isaiah promised a voice that would show us the way. Jesus is saying - "Enough of you struggling in your brokenness, the hour has come, here's my betrayer (another broken one) and I'm going to deal with this." And so Jesus opened the way on the cross and the day of Pentecost marked the coming of the Spirit who would strengthen our spirits. Instead of focusing on their failure, Jesus turns toward the hour of the cross, ready to accomplish for His weary friends what they could never accomplish on their own.

And so, instead of cringing when I read this passage, I have hope:
Hope that no matter how much I fail - Jesus will check in on me.
And that He has made a way for my brokenness to be forgiven and healed.

Friday, February 20, 2026

EmmDev 2026-02-20 [Lent 2026] The Heart of the Lent Journey

The Heart of the Lent Journey

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself;
it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John15:1-4)

This passage describes the heart of the Lent Journey.
While we may be pursuing goals, adding or subtracting from our lives, the heart of it is not the abstinence or the ticking of boxes. The heart of Lent is to be a branch connected to the Vine.
It is to remain in Him.

I'm world famous for coming up with good plans for Lent:
- "I'll get up earlier and read 3 chapters from God's Word."
- "I'll spend more time in prayer."
- "I'll cut sugar or stop shaving or cut social media"
- "I'll give more to charity or volunteer somewhere or deliberately do good"

Usually the plans are ambitious and enthusiastic and, because I'm pretty determined, I usually get them done. But the danger is that it has actually been more about ticking the boxes and achieving the goals (and the bragging rights) than it has been about staying connected to the Vine (Jesus) and remaining in connection with Him.

The other danger is that I can perceive these disciplines as a way of saving myself. But Jesus is clear, we're already clean because of the word He has spoken to us. We are clean because of the Gospel - we are saved by Grace, forgiven by Jesus and even our pruning is done by the Father.

The beautiful truth is that the Father is the Gardener.
If I stay close to Jesus and the Father, He will cut and prune and work in me.

Any "holy habits" or "lent disciplines" that I undertake are like tyre-tubes floating in the stream. We hang on to them and kick a bit but we are "carried along" by the stream of the Father's love and care - not primarily by our own efforts. Sometimes hanging on is hard and the effort shapes us and forms us, but the credit goes to Him.

So work hard in Lent - pursue God with all your heart - not your Lent Goals.
The moment it becomes more about the goals than about "remaining in Him" then reset.

A couple of years ago, I set up an ambitious set of goals for Lent.
To get it all fitted in I was getting up early, going to bed late and getting cranky when my rhythms got interrupted. I realised that while I was sincere, devoted, dedicated and sacrificial, I had lost sight of Jesus who just wanted me to bask in His love. I dropped the list and spent the rest of Lent doing only one thing: Remembering that I was deeply loved - just as I am. In other Lent Seasons, I've worked hard, but my eyes were firmly on Jesus and I grew significantly.

For this Lent - whatever you do - Remain in Him - it's the only way to bear fruit.

LENT PRAYER:
Lord, You love me and died for me.
You are at work in me.
In this Lent Season I really want to draw nearer to You.
I've set some goals, but I ask You to set the pace.
Give me the wisdom and passion to reach out to You with all I have.
But help me to be open to Your voice and course-corrections from You.
I want to bear more fruit for You Lord.
So come Holy Spirit and be my guide.
In the amazing name of Jesus.
Amen.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

EmmDev 2026-02-19 [Lent 2026] Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation

My friend, Andries Combrink, called Lent "a season of simple rejuvenation..."
This accurately captures my longing for this Lent in my heart and yours...

Isaiah 40 is a much beloved chapter.
Thematically it marks the transition where the prophecy moves from rebuke for rebellion and idolatry to a pronouncement of hope and restoration.
Historically it moves from Israel's exile in Babylon (and why it happened) and moves to the promise of a return.
Spiritually it describes the human predicament and exile in brokenness and offers us a God-given restoration!

This magnificent chapter offers hope, describes God, and invites us to a place of intimacy with Him. We're going to plumb its depths for the first few days of our "season of simple rejuvenation."

The chapter begins with assurance of Comfort...

Historically it addresses the consequence of their rebellion: Israel had ceased to rely on God and this led to a moral and spiritual breakdown that allowed a another nation to defeat them. But God has seen their brokenness. (They have received "double" for their sins - in Hebrew idiom this simply means "enough".)

God's love and the consequences for sin are difficult concepts to hold in tension until we factor in the dynamic of free will. Free will allows for wrong choices and wrong choices have consequences (that's what makes them wrong choices!) And God, who gives free will, also allows the consequences of wrong choices.

But God sees our pain - He wants to comfort and heal us.
And so begins the journey of restoration: Anticipated by Isaiah, inaugurated by Jesus and fulfilled at Calvary and the Empty Tomb.

CHALLENGE: Yesterday we confessed our sins. As you think through the consequences of our brokenness, ask God to comfort and restore you. Invite Him to begin a process of restoration in you over the season of Lent. Know that God wants to "Comfort" you.
"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.
"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins." (Isaiah40:1-2)



EmmDev 2026-02-18 [Lent 2026] Belated Ash Wednesday - Ash and Oil

Belated Ash Wednesday - Ash and Oil

Hi Everyone
Here's a belated Ash Wednesday Devotion...

Ash and Oil


A few years ago we woke up on Ash Wednesday to discover that we'd had a break-in and phones were stolen.
It made me think about Ash Wednesday in very different ways...

On Ash Wednesday we mix ash and oil and make the sign of the cross on our foreheads.

Ash reminds us of our mortality and is a sign of sorrow & repentance.
Oil is the symbol of Healing, Comfort, Blessing and Celebration.
And the Cross is the place of suffering but also redemption.

These symbols were very prominent for me as we navigated the robbery.

I thought about Ash as I processed the brokenness of society (crime and violence), as I heard a friend's painful story of disappointment and betrayal, and recognised my own impatience when trying to arrange replacement phones etc.

I thought about Oil (the symbol of God's tender Holy Spirit) as I received comfort, calm, wisdom and inspiration throughout the day. As I was able to push the bully of fear aside and recognise God's hand in a chance encounter with an old friend and the encouraging conversation we had.

Lent is about preparing to contemplate the wonder of the Cross.
Lent is about opening our hearts anew and afresh to God.

King David failed badly and sinned horribly.
As he drew near to God, he did so with sincere remorse, but also great hope.
He believed that Ash would be combined with Oil to bring healing.
While he feared that his sin was grounds to be cast out of God's presence, he believed that God could change his heart and transform his life.

As we look forward to Easter, we think of the One who was cast off and forsaken in our place so David and you and me could be made whole.

May this passage from Psalm 51 be our Lent prayer:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalms51:11-12)