Sarah Update below
Good Morning Different, Refined, Renewed, Redeemed, Focused on the Lord Worshipers! Amen! I awoke this morning thinking about being different. We talk about getting used to different and sometimes, how you guys persevere through a "different" type of pastor with a chuckle. I am so thankful for the grace you have shown to allow me to become who I am created to be and to work on doing the things I am created to do as God's sent servant to lead St. Matts. people through the Jordan to the Promised Land of God's abundant life in Christ contextualized for our gathered fellowship and to minister to those yet to come. Think about that...we are different in many different ways by the grace of God and He is using that to expand His Kingdom and to incarnate His love, Word, and hope to many around us. PTL! In Philippians 2 that we will study tomorrow, Paul asks, "Are your hearts tender and compassionate?" that flows from belonging to Christ, the comfort of His love and the fellowship we have in the Holy Spirit. I think that describes us! PTL! We are different from the world--united, kind, loving, compassionate, and focused on following Jesus together doing what we can with what we have been given. Amen! We are different from the world and different from what we were as His gathered Body just a few years ago. He has redeemed us and is refining us, renewing our thinking as we stay focused on Jesus and following Him! We were one way and now another and it's all because of Him! PTL! We are unique--different! What's God saying to you about that? Rejoice and keep focused on Him with a supple heart and willing feet to step into some new and different things He created us for. I am so encouraged by God and you, circumstances, and the new things He is stirring in you and us to try as we travel yoked to Jesus together. He really does have great, all be it different than what we could think or imagine, plans for you and us. PTL!
Many of us have and some of us are traveling through some very hard, refining, stretching things that have and are causing us to stay focused on our Redeemer and His plans. He is preparing us for some hard things to come and to make us usable for His plans. Charles Stanly talks about our being unshakable in these times of shaking. It is obvious that we are in a time of shaking...BUT GOD! Keep choosing trust and joy and just worship in the storms. He inhabits our praise, holds us in His strong right hand and is lifting us up out of the pit. Well, He wants to. Will you keep focused and invite Him into your journey? Someone will look at you in your storm grounded in God and say, "Well, that's different!" and possibly be intrigued enough to talk to you about your joy and hope. My Max Lucado calendar has this great reminder for today: "God's solution to any challenge is simply this: a grateful spirit. No mist is so thick that the sunlight of appreciation cannot burn it away." Amen! Praise today--always!
It can feel very different from what we are used to to praise in the deep valley. But doing so leads to a different mindset and frees us to let go, forgive, and choose to trust and walk with Jesus through whatever. He will redeem that and use us and our experiences to minister to others too. Shift your focus from grumbling, anger, fear, isolation to trust and the hope only found in Christ by praising. Try it. It's so unworldly--different from what we are used to and refreshing. I was one way and as I praised in the storm God led me to another and brought me joy and hope. Amen!
The Word for You Today continues the challenge to different things. There is so much noise, chaos, divisiveness being spewed about stirring us to hopelessness and fear and anger. Turn off that noise! Still yourself and know that He is the God who is speaking in a way that we can only hear as we quiet our souls. What is He whispering to you today? Be still and know! Ask Him to quiet your spirit and for the trust to turn off the noise and keep focused with open ears and hearts. He does have different plans for you to lift you out of the muck and place your feet on the Rock. Amen! Sarah Young reminds us that Jesus is calling you to come sit in His peaceful, loving presence. Will you? She reminds and maybe corrects me from using a bully pulpit or beating people over the head with God's Word and pharisaical demands. Please pray I never do that or to repent quickly if I do. God is Love. He speaks healing love over you. He is not demanding and sees you cloaked in Jesus' righteousness. He's whispering come to me you weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls. How different is that from what many have come to expect! "Be still in My love, Jesus invites, as you begin to remember and recount to Me your many blessings and you will find rest for your souls." Can you hear that inviting whisper?
Our bishop has reminded us from when Joshua was ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, to break camp. For healing and deliverance and revival there needs to be movement towards the new and different things God has planned. What camp might you need to break to be able to step out in faith into the overflowing Jordan and see God make a way through? Check out Our Daily Bread's reminder that we need to choose to step out in faith to experience the breakthrough and experience God's different plans. Try it. Our journey is one step at a time in faith with focused grateful hearts. We can walk on water if we keep our focus on Jesus! Man that sure is different! Yes we were one way, maybe even camped out in anger, fear, depression, hopelessness, confusion, but we can be another way and experience God's different and better plans by worshiping and taking that first step of faith. The parting of your Jordan awaits!
Oh my, God sure had a Word for me and you today, eh? What's He lovingly whispering to you today? Who might He be partnering you with in this journey? Remember all of Israel crossed the Jordan together. We not only need our Good Shepherd, but each other too. He leads us together beside the still waters and wants to restore our souls. He has something different ahead for each of us and for our Body. PTL! Be still and know and then go in faith as you step into your Promised Land. Amen! In Philippians 1 Paul said, "For me to live is Christ..." Yes! You can choose to be different! Allow Christ to live in your heart, lead you and live and love through you today! What love! Rejoice! You are made for such a time as this! It's time to live Christ!
Charles Stanley:
TWFYT:
SY:
ODB:
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The guest speaker spoke on the wisdom of trusting God and “stepping into the river.” He told of a pastor who trusted God and chose to speak the truths of the Bible in a sermon despite the new law of his land. He was convicted of hate crimes and spent thirty days in jail. But his case was appealed, and the court ruled he had the right to give a personal interpretation of the Bible and to urge others to follow.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to make a choice too—either step into the water or stay on the shore. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Now they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage and dangerously high. But they took that step, and God caused the waters to recede: “As soon as . . . their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16).
When we trust God with our lives, He gives us the courage to move forward, whether choosing to speak the truths of the Bible or to take a step into unknown territory. During the pastor’s trial, the court heard the gospel through listening to his sermon. And, in Joshua, the Israelites crossed safely into the promised land and shared about the power of God with future generations (v. 17; 4:24).
If we step out in faith, God will see to the rest.
By Alyson Kieda
REFLECT & PRAY
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When have you faced a frightening situation and were afraid to take the first step? How did God help you to move forward?
Dear God, I need Your courage. Please help me to step out in faith.
For further study, read When Fear Seems Overwhelming.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Crossing the Red Sea was the definitive miracle reminding the Israelites of God’s power: “When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord . . . [they] feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant” (Exodus 14:31). To encourage them to trust Him and their new leader, Joshua, God parted the Jordan River (Joshua 3:7-17): Joshua explained, “The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea . . . so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful” (4:23-24).
K. T. Sim |
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Harvest:
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September 7 - Discern the Times
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On face value, the Pharisees, Sadducees, disciples and others during Jesus’ time didn’t glean the true meaning of His acts and words. They couldn’t discern the spiritual times and the changes ahead for the world.
The Sign of the Times. . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew 16:2-4 “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
The Identity of Jesus. . . . . Matthew 16:13, 15, 17-19 “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” … “But who do you say that I am?” … “You’re blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”
The Betrayal of Jesus. . . . . . . . . . Matthew 17:22-23 “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.”
God won’t withhold wisdom when we ask for it. Unfortunately, many times we evaluate situations and Jesus’ words by the flesh and not by the Spirit. We need to analyze all things by the Spirit so that we can discern the times.
Lord, I repent! I repent for not correctly evaluating the signs of the times. I repent for every time I’ve applied my fleshly perspective to a situation, instead of Your Word. I repent for when I’ve used my authority in an unrighteous manner to influence people. I repent for any time I acted as a hypocrite. I repent for reacting poorly to Your communication and not seeing You for who You are.
I declare I will know the signs of the times. I declare I won’t be ignorant or a hypocrite. I declare my life will coincide with what You’re doing. I declare I will practice repentance and celebration of who You are. I declare when You share things with me, I won’t be emotional, but put my trust in You and align with Your will. I do ask You, Lord, for wisdom concerning every circumstance in my life and especially in understanding Your Word and the times. I declare I will have a deep knowing of who You are.
I thank You for answering Word-based prayer. I thank You that when I’ve thought, spoken, or done wrong, You’ve never abandoned me. I thank You I will be a bearer of Your truth and help others to rightly gauge the times, Your Words, and Your person. I love You, Lord.
--Adapted from Praying What Jesus Says by Natasha Miller. 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 as the one who protects you from life’s roaring waterfalls and waves (Ps. 42:7).
- Give thanks that even in the stormy times of life God is always near.
- Confess those times when you’ve questioned God’s presence or doubted his protection.
- Commit yourself to staying by his side no matter what comes your way.
- Ask God to lead and guide you through the stormy as well as the calm seasons of life.
- Thank God for the work and witness of missionaries around the world. Pray that they will go on the wings of a praying church back home.
- Intercede especially for world missionaries supported by your church.
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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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Sarah update:
Good evening, everyone,
I have a few things to share with you.....
Thank you to those of you who have been praying for Jameson, the 10 year old boy who was taken to CHOP because of a cancerous tumor at the base of his brain. ( I do apologize, that I wasn't able to get this prayer request out to all of you as I was not near my laptop, to access the whole warrior list. But to those of you who I was able to text, thank you very much for jumping on to this. And praying for Jameson.)
Jameson did have his surgery, and they were able to get all the tumor, the only place the cancer might have spread into would be his spinal cord. They will be checking into this within the next two weeks.
May we continue to prayer for his family and medical team and that there will be no impairments.
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Ruth Guldner has been dealing with COVID. She has had a couple of rough days with coughing and congestion, but yay God she is on the mend. May we continue to pray for her for full complete healing and strength returned.
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Continue to Pray for Josie's friend who is dealing with having to make some serious decisions regarding her cancer
treatment.
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Pastor Don has been meeting with several folks regarding the roof, and what needs to happen. Several folks on the Support Team has meet with Brian who is helping us to work on a new insurance policy. And we are grateful to those that have stepped in to help give guidance and direction with this situation. Continue to pray for the situation, and remember we all know that God is in control!
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We hope that you have a good weekend and look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday!
Blessings,
Sarah
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