Prestonwood | Sacrifice

Sacrifice

Apr. 23, 2011

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Saturday, April 23
Today’s Reading: Matthew 27:57–66

Prayer
Lord Jesus, may we who love You, trust You. And may we who trust You, depend upon You for our every need. Help us, Lord, to take our eyes off of the material things of this earth and to trust the eternal promise of Your Word. May we who live victoriously under Your great sacrifice be willing to make sacrifices as we wholly depend on You this Passion Week. Amen.

Devotional

I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world.
—Bill Bright, Founder, Campus Crusade for Christ

Not too long ago, our Pastor reminded the North Campus congregation of a simple principle from John 6, “Less is more when God is involved in the equation.” This principle, though foolish to the carnal mind, proves true throughout Christian history, as followers of Christ have emptied themselves of their trust in earthly pleasures only to find themselves filled with the joy of heavenly treasures.

Quite frankly, fasting fits perfectly into this spiritual principle. For when we empty ourselves of the sustenance of this earth, we then truly find ourselves filled with the Bread of Heaven.

I wonder how much we really trust Christ this Easter season. Do we love and trust Him enough to give up some of the pleasures of this earth that we so enjoy? Do we believe that He will fully sustain us when we sever our dependence on our supply and step toward the promise of His provision? Are we willing to do what Christ did with His life some 2,000 years ago—when He gave up something He loved for something He loved more?

Studying Matthew 27:57–66, we find the narrative of the burial of Jesus. I am amazed that, though His critics doubted Him while He was alive, Jesus lived in such a way that they feared Him when He was dead. In these Scriptures, the Pharisees call Jesus an impostor; yet, they are quick to gain permission from Pilate to have His tomb sealed and guarded. As much as they may have despised His message, they trusted His word, as He had promised, “After three days I will rise.”

Practice: Fasting
If we love Christ and truly trust Him and desire to live obediently, let’s take some time this Passion Week and intentionally set aside something or some things we love for the One we love more. As we fast, let’s allow the Spirit of God to fill us and to prepare us to, yet again, celebrate the victory we have in Jesus at Easter and throughout the year.