Today is the National Day of Pray. A day set apart to pray for our nation. Here is a link to the broadcast: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/events/2024_broadcast

Seeking, Trusting, Accepted, Strong in Christ, Faithful Followers of Jesus! We are at war and although it may feel like it's physical battles we face, we are also reminded that we are battling against principalities and powers in the spiritual realm as well. We battle on our knees, ask for help to stand firm and to walk through whatever God has allowed in His strength and with His peace. We persevere in faith no matter what. And seek to choose joy as we grow in trust. Being a faithful Christian can be one of the hardest things we face. BUT GOD! He is pursuing us and with us always! Amen! And He has great plans for you, us and the world. Love and Light are eventually victorious. Jesus has overcome the world, death and the grave. Amen. We know the Victor and He is in us. He is our Source and Strength, our Shield and Rock! Put on His armor today and battle for our nation, loved ones and all who will come. Stand firm and push through. It will be worth it. Seek God for who He wants to pursue through you and for who He has for you to invite along on your journey! We are warriors and overcomers in Christ! Amen! Seek first the Kingdom of God. Don't lean on your own understanding but acknowledge Him in all your ways. Run your race well and bring some along on the journey. God pursues all who will come with love and acceptance. He has great plans for you to be part of that. Turn off the noise and focus on Him! I'm praying for you and us. Check out our devos below and the thread through this.

Yesterday we had another great day of ministry at the Bread Ministry. Next week is donut day. Plan to join us and allow God to use you to minister to others and to be ministered to as well. Last evening two grand moms accepted our invites and joined us for our dinner huddle. Family Ministries connected to three grandkids who want to return. One of the grand moms is a bit out there and going through all kinds of family and health issues. I prayed with her during bread min and she brought her grand daughter. She heard all about God and His love and her grand daughter felt very much loved and accepted. Pretty cool! Pray for this family and for a future of hope and love for the grand kids. The other grand mom was really connecting with our discussions and her grand kids felt very loved and accepted and can't wait to return next week. I shouldn't have to say this because we are brothers and sisters but one of our conversation starting questions was about race. When asked, she told us how hard it can be to be black in America. Her young grandsons were bulled at school because of their race. She has experienced all sorts of discrimination. They all felt the love and acceptance last night of people who are loved and accepted just as we are by Jesus. Pray they continue to feel love, grow in relationship with us and God and that we get really good at loving and accepting well as God answers our prayers to become a house of prayer for the nations and sends in the harvest.

Here's something we will encounter more and more as we reach generations of confused and even former Christians and the lost generations: This grand mom opened the door to Jehovah Witnesses who explained things from the cult thinking and gave them false Bibles (which the grand sons are reading). Many are hungry for love, acceptance and Truth that we have. We gave her a new Bible for each kid and asked her to dispose of those false ones. I should have given her a Bible and will next time. Pray they return and are open to Truth and God's love with us. As we looked around the room there were only four of us from St Matts and at least eight adults not from our church. How cool is that as God brings in the harvest and we minister in Truth and Love. Questions are being answered. Love and Truth distributed. Acceptance is being felt without finger pointing. People are coming just as they are to this expression of church on Wed evenings. Unfortunately, next Wed. will be our last one for the summer. (It was almost too hot to even be there last evening and very uncomfortable but we pushed through and God moved! PTL!) We are praying for how God wants us to gather and continue ministry through the summer as we reach out to neighbors and in small and large group gatherings. How does God want to use you this summer? What are you planning? Who is helping you? Family Ministries plans to try to meet once a month this summer beginning in June and we are looking for different ways for the adult huddle to continue as well. Pray for dreams, visions, workers and God's plans to come to life. He is moving! PTL! God has great plans for us as we step out of the building in faith and follow Jesus and join Him in the new things he is doing. And He is doing some amazing new things with plans for more for us to discover. Seek Him with a heart willing to follow! We had church last night in a whole new way. Ten years ago none of us members could even have imagined that we would experience what we did last evening. Let us praise, worship, seek, plan and follow well! Amen! God is so good and faithful to answer these earnest, expectant prayers! We are seeing that already! PTL! What's your part? Who are your partners? Turn off the noise and follow God's shalom!

CS:

 

ODB:

A Creator We Can Trust God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. John 3:16 READ John 3:10-17 LISTEN ONLINE The “monster” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most widely known literary characters, captivating our cultural imagination. But close readers of the beloved novel know that a strong case can be made that Shelley actually portrays Victor Frankenstein, the delusional scientist who created the creature, as the real monster. After creating an intelligent creature, Victor denies him any guidance, companionship, or hope of happiness—seemingly guaranteeing the creature’s descent into desperation and rage. Confronting Victor, the creature laments, “You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph.” Scripture reveals how different the true Creator of all things is—with unchanging, tireless love for His creation. God didn’t create on a whim, but out of love created a beautiful, “very good” world (Genesis 1:31). And even when humanity turned from Him to choose monstrous evil instead, God’s commitment to and love for humanity didn’t change. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, God’s love for His creation was so great He was willing to give even what was most dear to Him—“his one and only Son” (John 3:16)—that the world might be saved. Jesus sacrificed Himself, bearing the consequences of our sin, so “that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (v. 15). We have a Creator we can trust with our hearts and lives. By Monica La Rose REFLECT & PRAY How does God’s commitment to His creation impact you? How can you respond to His love for you? Dear God, thank You for being a good Creator who I can trust.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT In John 3:10, we sense Jesus’ frustration with Nicodemus, who, as a well-educated Pharisee (“Israel’s teacher,” as Christ put it), should’ve understood the Scriptures better than he did. Nicodemus was also a member of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin (v. 1), which plotted to have Jesus arrested and executed. But we must give Nicodemus credit for several key points. First, he came to Christ with his questions (vv. 4, 9). Second, his dialogue with Jesus must have taken root in his heart, for later he spoke in defense of Christ when his colleagues were clamoring for His arrest (7:50-51). And third, he courageously identified with the Savior—at a time when the disciples had fled in fear—by joining Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus’ body from the cross and give Him a respectful Jewish burial (19:38-42). Tim Gustafson

UR: Source of Strength

But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. - 2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)

As I was growing up, my parents didn’t have much money, and we were always on a tight budget. Both my parents would wake up at 5:00 every morning and head to work. There were times when my dad wouldn’t come home for months. At an incredibly early age I was left with the responsibility of taking care of both my younger siblings.

I had to help my brothers pack their lunch for school, wait for them to board the bus, and then get ready for school myself. Arriving home after school, I would immediately rush to the kitchen and prepare food for my brothers because there were times when my parents would get home late. Some days I felt too tired to complete all these tasks, but I still managed not to complain and to help my parents all I could.

After one very hectic day, I was simply overwhelmed. My parents would always read the Bible to us, and that day I specifically remembered, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” I prayed and asked God for strength to continue.

Sometimes our responsibilities can overwhelm us and make us want to give up. It’s important to remind ourselves that God is here with us to give us strength and courage to persevere.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we ask for strength on the days when we want to give up. Keep us always aware of the hope and future you have for our lives. Amen.Harvest Prayer blogs:

May 2 - Peace in Strange Places

Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” (1 Chronicles 12:18, ESV) It was a tough time in Israel. In effect, it was civil war between those loyal to King Saul battling the young, but anointed David and his small band. One day, a group of warriors from Benjamin and Judah came to David’s stronghold to join him. David confronted them, wondering if they were for him or against him. It was at this tense point that the Spirit of God stepped in and spoke through Amasai. In that context of warriors signing up to do battle, the Spirit spoke a message of peace. The peace that Amasai spoke to David was not talking about war stopping in Israel. It was more about the peace that David had because of God’s presence with him, which then brought peace to those who allied themselves with David. It is peace in the midst of turmoil, not peace that comes from the absence of hostilities. It’s a peace we all need to discover. We so often feel that turmoil, conflict, or disorder is a sign that we have done something wrong. But we need to realize that these things are a part of what it means to live in this fallen world. Jesus, who modeled perfect peace for us, was so often surrounded by turmoil and attacks. He warned us that in this world, we would face tribulation. And yet, the peace of Christ comes to us regardless of the hectic, crazy world that surrounds us. For us, as with David and Amasai, we must pay careful attention to the Spirit who speaks peace in the middle of war. The peace of God is not a matter of withdrawal from life or the avoidance of conflict. It is watching to see where God is moving and going where God is going. Amasai saw through the Spirit that God was with David and his helpers and that this was where peace was to be found. Yes, there still was hard fighting ahead and a throne to be won for David, but the presence of God with him ensured that God’s peace would ultimately prevail. Lord, help me to want to run after you, seeking your face always. That’s where peace is to be found. Give me the strength to endure difficult times and to accept your peace while I am walking through those times. Help me to pay attention to the leading of your Spirit and to move always in your direction, being confident that your peace accompanies me on that path. --Adapted from Prayer, Peace and the Presence of God (A 30-Day Journey to Experience the Shalom of Jesus) by David Butts. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.

Prayer Points

Praise God for communicating with you in his inspired Word. Thank him for providing a “lamp to [your] feet and a light to [your] path” (Ps. 119:105). Confess any doubts you’ve harbored concerning the authority of God’s Word in your life. Commit yourself to treasuring the words of God more than daily bread (Job 23:12). Ask God to feed you spiritually as you look to his Word for guidance throughout this week. Think of one specific family. Pray that this family would set aside time every day for family devotions and prayer. Ask God to make this practice a blessing in their family life.

Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.