Holy Week Exercise by Jill Krueger Wagner

Yesterday our Sunday school class studied Matthew 11:16-28. In these Scriptures, Jesus was denouncing the Jewish cities for unbelief. He told them it would be better at the final judgment for immoral cities than for them because even though they lived by a moral code, they refused to acknowledge Jesus. We talked about how we as Christians are more closely aligned morally to the Jewish cities and how sometimes we, too, don’t live our lives in full repentance before Jesus.

I then passed out this exercise to be done this Holy Week because I do believe that sometimes we merrily go on our way thinking that we are pleasing to the Lord when we are in bondage to sins that don’t please him. What better time to repent and renounce our sins than the week when Jesus died to set us free from every habit that enslaves us? I pray you’ll find the freedom Jesus died to purchase.

Holy Week Exercise by Jill Krueger Wagner

Take some time during this Holy Week (at the very least 30 minutes) to get alone with God to honor what Jesus did on Good Friday. Read Matthew 26:57-27:54 to be reminded of what Jesus went through on that day. Thank Him for His sacrifice.

Ask Him to reveal to you in what area(s) of your life are still under bondage to Satan. Write the answer here.

Repent from whatever He reveals to you. To repent means to turn away from whatever is keeping you in bondage. Then ask Him how to gain victory over what He has revealed. Remember that the enemy comes to “kill, steal and destroy” but Jesus came so we “might have life and have it more abundantly.”  (I have found one book that has helped me in this area in “The Bondage Breaker” by Neil Anderson.)

Where are you when this happens? Can you avoid that place?

When does it happen? Can you preempt the attack in some way?

Is another person tempting you? Can you avoid them?

What will you do to avoid the situation?

What can you do or say to diffuse the situation?

Is there a Scripture you need to memorize to equip you to resist?

If you need support, is there someone that can help you? Ask them today.

After He has revealed a plan to you for victory, praise Him with at least one of your favorite songs, hymns or Psalm. Remember “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 …”you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

“Not This German Girl!”

By Jill Krueger Wagner

From the time I was a little girl I had a fascination with the Bible yet it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I actually ever read it. I’d heard that nobody’s education was complete without knowledge of the New Testament. So after Ray and Todd came to live with us I went back to church because, at that time, most moral people took their children to church to learn right from wrong. Common sense seemed to dictate that a child who every week got a lesson on morality would be better prepared to navigate the temptations of the world without being destroyed by them.

After reading the Word of God I became aware of just how sinful I was – certain I was headed to Hell because I learned that God’s standards were impossibly high and my life had gotten pretty low. This led to my “Jesus moment” when I was deciding between committing suicide and committing my life to God. Obviously I choose to submit my life to God and all went well, at first. My hunger for the Bible became insatiable. I loved reading the Proverbs – so black and white on morality. I also loved the Psalms – many of David’s woes and his response really spoke to me. But then…

I started reading the New Testament letters of Paul and I read these words, “Wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.” My immediate response was, “Not this German girl!” Those of you who are German know that a German submitting so just about anyone is highly unlikely unless they are holding a gun to your head. We are a hard-headed, stubborn lot. Add to that the fact that at the time my husband was not the loving man he is today. We fought pretty regularly and he could be just as stubborn and unreasonable as I was. He has a little German blood running through his veins as well.

So I made a decision – I could just do everything else in the Bible and just ignore that particular instruction, after all that was written long ago and things were different in the 1970s. 

Funny things started to happen. When I was disrespectful to Ray little things started to go wrong. When I insisted on my own way things really fell apart. At first I figured it was just coincidence – not at all connected but after a while I couldn’t miss the correlation. I started to wonder if God was trying to tell me something but, since I still wasn’t about to submit, I just ignored the facts and went about my not so merry way. Then finally Ray and I had a blow up – I wanted to go somewhere – he didn’t want me to go. I went. I ended up with a flat tire. Now I knew a lot of people in my home town but couldn’t get ahold of anyone and I sure didn’t want to change it myself. So I called Ray who came and changed it.

After that I heard that still quiet voice that every Christian knows is God say. “Are you ready to obey My Word or do you want to find out what happens after the flat tire?” I couldn’t deny that responses to my rebellion were escalating – each response was bigger than the last. I didn’t want to submit but I also didn’t want to see the next response from God. So the next time we had a difference of opinion I “submitted data” but then I submitted. Funny thing happened after that – Ray was less unreasonable – listened more to my objections offered in a more respectful way. He even changed his mind on a few things and let me have my way.

Now don’t get me wrong – I am no doormat – that’s not what God wants or requires but He does insist that wives respect their husbands (and that husband love their wives like Jesus loves the Church.) But He is a God of order and he likes things done a certain way – His way. And, trust me, “your arms are too short to box with God!”

  That’s the Reader’s Digest version of how I went from, “Not this German girl” to “Okie-dokie!”