Make Preparations

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Matthew 21:5

Getting your home ready for guests can create a sense of panic in even the seasoned host. The checklist can feel daunting from cleaning to decluttering to cooking, but the joy of hosting friends and family is worth all the preparations.

The root word of preparations is to “prepare”- a word that simply means to “get ready.” We get ready for a lot of things in our lives…marriage, vacation, work, school, retirement. Most people get ready for everything and anything except for the most important thing in life and that is to meet God. What are you doing to get ready for Him?

When Jesus entered Jerusalem in Matthew 21, it began His passion or the last week in His life. From His triumphal entry, which we commemorate on Palm Sunday to His resurrection on Easter Sunday, all the gospels devote a good deal of their time to this week because everything that Jesus had said and done up to this point had been in preparation for these events.

Consider how Jesus’ triumphal entry was a fulfillment of prophecy for the Messiah (Zechariah 9:9), how it was a declaration of Jesus’ Messiahship (Isaiah 62:11), how it drew the right response of adoration from His followers (Psalm 118), how it overlapped with the ritual of presenting the lamb for the Passover celebration (Exodus 12), and how it led to the cleansing of the temple prior to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God (Leviticus 22).

Many recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, but many missed the moment or fact that he had come. Even now, He’s trying to get our attention, but many of us are oblivious to Him or too busy getting ready for other things in our lives. Friend, King Jesus has come to bring salvation to you this day. Why not prepare your heart to receive Him?

Listen to the sermon series: The King Is Coming

Part 1Part 2

Ministry Update from Mark

A few weeks ago, I had a unique experience where I preached in Spanish at a night club in Little Village, a vibrant Mexican American community here in Chicago. This popular dance club by night turned into a place of worship and celebration of God’s goodness by day. I even heard that one couple in our congregation who met there some 30 years ago on the dance floor, were back for the first time on the “praise floor.” What an amazing experience for all!