Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.22.09 in Devotional, Lent
“What is truth?” (John 18:38).Sometimes a question tells you all you need to know. With those three words Pontius Pilate revealed his own vacillating nature. Although he knows Jesus is innocent of any crime under Roman law, he dare not appear weak in the eyes of the Jewish leaders. When Jesus said, “Everyone on the side of truth l…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.21.09 in Devotional, Lent
“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (Matthew 11:2-3).Some people have trouble with the concept that a Christian could ever entertain serious doubts. But there are whole books of the Bible that deal with the i…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.20.09 in Devotional, Lent
“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matthew 5:30). If these words sound both severe and unnatural, then we have understood them correctly. Before saying anything to lessen their impact, we need to take them …
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.19.09 in Devotional, Lent
When I started this Lenten blog series, I knew that sooner or later I would write this entry. I knew it because Dudley, our three-year-old basset hound, has taught me so many good lessons.It is late at night as I write these words, and things are quiet in my corner of the world. I’m the only one awake at this hour. Marlene is asleep in our be…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.18.09 in Devotional, Lent
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).I submit to you that this is not a natural way to live. When we are insulted, our natural inclination is to return an insult for an insult. But Jesus chose another way…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.17.09 in Devotional, Lent
It is said that Bernard of Clairvaux in the 12th century first penned the words to one of our favorite hymns, O Sacred Head Now Wounded. The second verse speaks to the issue of our sin and the death of Christ:What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain;mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.Lo, here I fall…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.16.09 in Devotional, Lent
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).What do these words mean? The dictionary defines light as “a source of illumination.” That provides the key to our definition. To be the light of the world means illuminating the darkness so that others…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.15.09 in Devotional, Lent
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father” (Matthew 10:29). If you check your Bible dictionary, you’ll discover that sparrows were among the humblest birds in Bible times. They were considered food for the poor, and because they were so cheap, the poor co…
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.14.09 in Devotional, Lent
A few years ago a friend gave me a Civil War Cavalry saber as a gift. Until today I didn’t know much about its background. After checking the inscription on the sword, I discovered that it is a U.S. M1860 Light Cavalry Saber produced by Mansfield and Lamb in Forestdale, Rhode Island. During the Civil War the company produced more than 37,000 …
Posted by Ray Pritchard on 3.13.09 in Devotional, Lent
Years ago I knew a Christian counselor who often repeated one key phrase. “You’re only as sick as your secrets.” Then he would add: “If you’ve got a lot of secrets, you’re really sick.” When we sin, everything within us screams out “Cover it up. Turn off the lights. Bury the evidence. Destroy the tap…
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