April 14, 2022 www.PositiveChristianity.org presents Positive Daily Inspiration HOLY THURSDAY (Read the entire account of one of Jesus's most beautiful sermons during the Last Supper John 13 through John 16) 1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." John 14:1-7 Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is a service to commemorate Jesus' Last Supper and the beginning of the sacrament, the Lord's Supper. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, which means "commandment." Maundy Thursday is often called the day of Christ's great commandment. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34). Prior to breaking the bread with the disciples, Jesus washed their feet. Maundy Thursday worship services often include Holy Communion and sometimes foot washing as well. Jesus knew what was going to happen to him. As he ate with his disciples he said some of the most important things he could convey. If I knew that I was going to pass away tomorrow, and was having dinner with some of my closest friends - I would encourage those in attendance to listen harder to what I was going to say than ever before-- because this was not an ordinary evening. The message I would convey would not be ordinary either. Jesus said, John 13:31- "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify and in himself and will glorify him at once." This is reassuring the disciples that even know what seems to be coming appears terrible, the Jesus has completed his mission and that God knows this. Jesus did everything to the glory of God - God was glorified in Him. And God will not abandon Jesus God will also glorify, instantaneously at a time when the human sense it seems like the end. "Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you. "Where I am going, you can't come." Like a father in total love, he is spiritually holding her hand and saying this is the end of our daily association in the physical. But, he is also telling them that there is no death. He is saying that he is going somewhere, but they cannot follow yet*. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Jesus great commandment was given. Jesus says that if you are truly going to follow me as a Christian you must love all people, everywhere, every time without exception. When you become love like this, you become like Jesus and you worship God in the proper way, and all will know that you are a disciple of the living Christ. *Read on as Jesus talks about "can't follow yet," in John 13:36 and on into the 14th chapter it will be some of the most stimulating reading you have ever done, and it may change your life. One wise person joked, I love God; it's people that I can't stand. How can we love the creator and not the creation? How can we love music and not harmony? How can we love sunlight and not the morning? To be spiritually mature, we must truly follow Jesus in this Holy Thursday commandment. Second he taught by example. We must let ourselves down from our lofty perches, and seek to serve others. He gave an example of this when he stooped on the floor and started to wash the disciples' feet. What greater love than this! One of my favorite stories is of Teddy Roosevelt when he was running for president. One day on the streets of New York City he tipped his hat and bowed to a humble newsboy. The press, ridiculed him. How could a lofty president, of the greatest nation in the world, bow to a humble newsboy? He said to the press, I was bowing to the potential that I saw in the young lad. History has not recorded what happened to that newsboy, but I like to think that this brush with greatness - recognizing his greatness, changed his life. A brush with Jesus in prayer is always coming in contact with someone that recognizes our greatness, and someone that has unconditional love for us. It is right to lift up Jesus, and yet, he scolded us for it, he said why do you call me good only God is good. It is normal for greatness to not puff itself up, but rather to be humble and to seek to lift others up. Jesus did not want to be served but rather to serve. Every REAL great person that I have ever known has been the same. They are not inflated egos, but have become great, by seeing the greatness in others and lifting them. As God does, according to Jesus, SO MUST WE. We are not just to be seekers of love, but rather givers of love, unconditionally to those around us. Bible says that God is love, and if we are truly to worship God we must worship in love. How do we do this, one of the main ways is to be loving towards our neighbor. Our neighbor is defined as both the familiar person and the unfamiliar, the person that is easy to like, and even -our enemies. The hidden curriculum of life is soul development, to fully develop in a mature spiritual way we must be loving. We must allow a circulation to take place to all of humanity of giving and receiving. POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: Dear God, I am so thankful that You fill me with Your light and show me the way. You gently guide me so that I am sure and steady. You lead me to the place where I can be most helpful, and You remind me to be confident and stand firm once I am there. You direct my thoughts so that I am enriched by Divine ideas. And You help me use those ideas to enhance the lives of those around me. Dear God, here are my hands, my heart, my whole being. I want to be Your light and love in action. I am ready to spread goodwill wherever I am. In all I do, I trust in Your unfailing light - a light burning so brightly within me that it radiates out from me to embrace others with wisdom and understanding. Today, I feel guided by Your loving Spirit. In Jesus Christ's name … Amen POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I choose to pray for regularly of loving and I love it. POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." Lyndon B. Johnson _____ EASTER OFFERING: Instant online, or recurring monthly giving: http://www.positivechristianity.org/donatepc.htm By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387 Thank you! ___ NEED PRAYER? Reply - Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer. Television channels (Free Service): NEW Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity NEW Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch GOD BLESS YOU, Christopher Ian Chenoweth Reply - if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will pray with you daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer. GOD BLESS YOU, Make It a Great Day !_______Christopher Ian Chenoweth