Good Morning Love and Joy Incarnate! Huh? God is Love! Jesus is the Joy of our salvation. Love lives in us when we come to faith. Joy is a choice that becomes available as we choose to trust Jesus and not lean on our own understanding. It is a choice that is available because we trust Jesus no matter what. Jesus sends us to love as He loves us. That's agape, sacrificial, dying to self kind of love. That command is fulfilled as we actually go love like Jesus. That is incarnating His love. Today's devotionals are about Love and incarnating it as we go, love, serve, and bless from what we've been given, just as we are. God so loves you that He calls you by name and created you in His image to love as He has loved you, to bless as He has blessed you, and to grow more like Him as you do. That is the mission journey our church is on--living and loving more like Jesus and doing More in '24 as we continue to become like Jesus more in '24 and do His will more in '24. What's He encouraging you to do today to be and to incarnate love, healing, hope and joy? Offer yourself and what you've been blessed with, even your circumstances (good or bad) to God to be used for His glory and to bring His love alive. He does have some great plans just for you, just as you are for today and throughout this life. PTL! Go! Live and love like Jesus more in '24, even today! Amen! There is no fear in love. Love drives out our fear! As we dwell in God's love, He encourages, sends and delivers us from fear and evil. He corrects in love too--always. Listen to the voice of love. We are the Bride of Christ and love abounds and overflows. However, just like in marriage, we need to be all in and invest in our relationships. How are you investing in your relationship with Love, your marriage and friendships, our fellowship and in incarnating love to all you encounter. That's what God revealed to me to share today. What's he saying to you and what will you do about it, incarnater of Jesus and His love? May His love overwhelm and overflow you and us! Earnestly dwell in and incarnate His love today--always. Amen! Ask God to help you to seek and know Him and His voice and to follow and bring Him alive wherever you go today. he does have some great plans for you today! Amen! Know Love and bring it alive more in '24!
ODB:
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When she was struck by cancer, Elsie was prepared to go home to heaven to be with Jesus. But she recovered, though the disease left her immobile. It also left her wondering why God had spared her life. “What good can I do?” she asked Him. “I don’t have much money or skills, and I can’t walk. How can I be useful to You?”
Then she found small, simple ways to serve others, especially her home cleaners who were migrants. She bought them food or gave them a few dollars whenever she saw them. These cash gifts were small, yet they went a long way toward helping the workers make ends meet. As she did so, she found God providing for her: friends and relatives gave her gifts and money, enabling her to bless others in return.
As she shared her story, I couldn’t help but think of how Elsie was truly putting into practice the call to love one another in 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us” as well as the truth of Acts 20:35, which reminds us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Elsie gave because she received and was in turn encouraged as she gave. Yet it took little more from her than a loving, grateful heart and a readiness to offer what she had—which God multiplied in a virtuous circle of giving and receiving. Let’s ask Him to give us a thankful and generous heart to give as He leads us!
By Leslie Koh
REFLECT & PRAY
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What have you received from God? How can you encourage someone in a simple yet meaningful way today?
Dear Father, thank You for Your gifts in my life. Please give me a heart to love others just as You’ve loved me.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20), wrote the fourth gospel to show us that God in His great love gave us His Son to die for our sins and to give us eternal life (3:15-18, 36). This new life is characterized by love (13:34-35). Some years later, this same John wrote his first epistle, reminding believers that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). In language reminiscent of John 3:16-17 he says: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. . . . [He is] an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). John urged believers to put this love into action: “Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other” (v. 11 nlt). God’s love commands and compels us to love others (vv. 19-21).
K. T. Sim |
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UR: Serving Without Fear
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18 (NIV)
I was on a 24-hour train ride and decided to use the time for prayer. Despite the large number of people around, I managed to focus my thoughts by putting on my headphones, turning on some worship music, and closing my eyes. As I prayed, I heard the voice of God clearly saying one phrase that I will never forget: “Do not be afraid, child.” To my surprise, I responded, “I’m not afraid of anything. I am ready to follow you at any cost.” But as I continued to contemplate the meaning of those words, my eyes filled with tears. I realized that God had spoken to the very depths of my spirit, knowing all my problems and fears. I had been afraid of not living up to God’s expectations, of making mistakes as I tried to live in obedience to God.
As I have matured in my faith, I now know what it means to serve God out of love, not out of fear. I have tried to stop feeling unworthy. When I make mistakes, I find it easier to repent because I know God will forgive me, not reject or punish me. As a result, by relying on God’s love I have gained more energy, more joy, and have been able to serve God and God’s people much more effectively!
Today's Prayer
Dear God, help us to experience your love, which drives out our fear. Teach us to serve you joyfully. Amen.
CS:
TWFYT
Harvest:
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July 27 - Following the Voice of Christ
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Author Marilyn Heavilin offers five principles to remember as we seek to discern what words are God’s and what words are not:
1. Christ convicts; Satan condemns. Is the voice you are hearing condemning or simply lovingly convicting? “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Satan is the “accuser of [the] brethren” (Revelation 12:10, kjv). Heavilin writes, “When I hear the voice of condemnation, I try to remind myself that God loathes sin but loves me and would never declare me worthless. Then I give my favorite order to Satan: ‘Scram!’ It works every time.”
2. Christ clarifies; Satan confuses. Satan will try to confuse us with the world’s philosophy. He will try to twist Scripture: “That can’t really be what God is saying.” Our protection will be to seek God and to spend time in His Word. Heavilin advises, “Pray that [God] will give [you] a sound mind and protect [you] from confusion as [you] listen for His voice.
3. Christ confirms; Satan contradicts. God never contradicts His Word, the Bible. “Satan, however,” says Heavilin, “will arrange circumstances to look like we are experiencing divine intervention in an attempt to blind us to contradictions to God’s truth.”
4. Christ chooses; Satan captures. Satan delights in tripping us. When he comes to us, he will put subtle thoughts into our hearts that it is okay to do something we know is contrary to God’s Word. Christ chose us with no strings attached. His voice will be loving, pointing us to the truth.
5. Christ compels; Satan constricts. God’s voice will be constantly moving us forward, taking us deeper into our relationship with Him. It will compel us to seek truth. Satan’s voice will constantly put rebellious thoughts into our hearts: Is that what God really said?
Again, how do we discern God’s voice? Spend time with Him in prayer and reading His Word.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for Your loving conviction when Satan wants to condemn me! Thank You for giving me clarity when Satan wants to confuse me and twist Your words. Thank You for always confirming Your truth when Satan tries to contradict it. Thank You for always choosing me and loving me when Satan just wants to cause me to stumble. Thank You that I can always trust You to draw me closer and lead me more intimately into Your ways when Satan wants me to doubt Your goodness. Keep my focus upon Your beautiful face, Lord, so that I am not tempted to follow any voice that isn’t Yours.
--Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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- Praise God, who teaches you to pray “not as I will, but as you will” (Mt. 26:39).
- Thank God for his counsel as you set the Lord always before you, thus keeping you from being shaken in any circumstance (Ps. 16:7-8).
- Confess your struggle with God’s will when you are tempted to fail him as you see the world prospering (Ps. 73:1-22).
- Commit yourself to God anew today, knowing he holds you with his right hand, guides and counsels you, and will take you to glory (73:23-28).
- Ask the Lord for the assurance that whenever you come to him, he will never drive you away (Jn. 6:37).
- Pray that God’s kingdom will be advanced by your willingness to do whatever God may require of you and to do it joyfully (Acts 21:13-14).
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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.
Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here. |
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