This Week:
Tue:
10-11 Zoom Huddle. All welcome!
12-12:30 Zoom prayer for our trunk or Treat
Wed:
10-12 Bread Ministry
6-8: Dinner Huddle and Family Ministries
Friday
2 PM Package hot dogs for Trunk or Treat
4:30: Close 5th street and set up for Trunk or Treat. (we are permitted to use St. John's lot. Only cars being used for Trunk or Treat permitted on our lot
URGENT NEED!!!! We need at least four more cars from our church to have a good trunk or treat. Please contact Don or Sarah if interested. Expectation is that you provide some candy and the church will supplement. (we expect 800-1000 kids) I am buying more candy this week to help any that need candy supplied. Please we need you to make this outreach work! Thank you!
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I'm not sure because I really don't watch TV or keep up with the news, but I may have been triggered by that FB post I shared about yesterday. I do try to stay neutral while encouraging you to seek candidates that honor God and to pray for all to know God and follow His ways. (Check out Harvest prayer about that below). Anyway, someone said that the protester did not yell "Jesus is Lord" but something about pro life. Either way, Kamala mocked them. God does not approve of abortion. It's like when in the Old Testament days when people sacrificed their babies on the altar of Moloch. How many babies have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience, self serving and even for "freedom". Jesus is Lord! Amen! And God opposes abortion. Be informed in your vote and pray for the sanctity of life and for God's ways and candidates to be raised up and honored. May His Kingdom come and will be done and may we vote informed and well. Amen
(OKAY, enough of that...I'm shrinking back and turning off the noise. My heart breaks for this nation, our division, lies and deceit and ungodly choices. I want to focus on the souls God is giving me to lead to Him and disciple in His ways. Help me Lord. Turning off the noise is something I still need to work on!)
Good Morning Thriving from the Pit Followers of Jesus! Oh please Lord! Yesterday Sarah discussed how we all have faced and maybe are facing some pit of despair or another. We are or may be waiting on the Lord as we enduring some imprisoning circumstances. BUT GOD!!!! God is preparing, equipping and stretching us in many different ways to lead us to His best. Sometimes that stretching shows up as God teaches us to patiently wait on Him for His perfect timing or provision to come. So, how ya doin' with dat? How can we help each other to be more like Joseph or Job? "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Praise to the Lord!"
God created us and placed us where we are for such a time as this. We have potential and purposes to strive toward, chief of which is becoming more like Jesus--living and loving more like Him. Focus on that today, this week and for the rest of your life! You are made for such a time as this. What does God have for you today to shine His Light and make His love know. Who does he have for you to lead to Him. Yes let's commit to earnestly focusing on that! That's more than enough for today. You are saved, equipped, being prepared, empowered and sent to change the world one souls at a time. We all have age and circumstance appropriate purposes in His Good News Delivery Co. Focus on and work on that and find some partners to journey with towards that. That is God's best and why we are still here. May we focus on things above and earnestly pursue Him and His best. Yes, help us Lord!
Below are a few devotionals that thread through this. What's God saying to you? How might you pray, respond, serve today? He does have great plans for you to focus on. Turn off the noise and keep your eyes on Jesus! Amen!
Harvest Prayer:
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October 21 - DAY 25 OF 40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
Praying For Justice And Accountability In Government
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“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NIV).
Author, Steve Johnson, wrote an insightful article about the biblical role of government. Here are some excerpts from “What Is the Role of Government According to the Bible?”:
According to the Bible, “all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1). This means that it is God who has ordained the institution of government and that the role and purpose of government is mandated by Him. It is also important to understand that only God is sovereign, and the role of government is limited. This is because God has not only ordained the government but also the church and the family. They have their own authority structures and the state should only interfere in exceptional circumstances in order to carry out justice.
The essential role and purpose of government is to exercise justice. Government is to seek, serve, and promote the common good of the people, not the good of the rulers (Romans 13:4). It must promote and never prevent progress toward the peace and prosperity of the society. It is to preserve human dignity. Harm done to another person is a violation of human dignity. Although God has ordained government and its purposes it does not have the solutions for all the problems and troubles in society. Those who govern are fallible people just like us needing God’s wisdom just as much as we do.
Sovereign Lord, You have ordained government for the sake of justice for Your people so that we may walk humbly and in peace together before You. Help us to pray for our government officials more than we criticize them. Give us love for those who are not governing according to Your principles, and through our prayers, turn their hearts towards You. May our nation once again be a shining light on a hill for Your glory.
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- Ask God for biblical justice to once again rule in our nation.
- Pray for the eyes of those who have been deceived or blinded by the devil to be opened to the truth of His true justice.
- Pray that all people, including our government officials, will do justice through loving kindness and walk humbly with Him.
- Pray that all government officials will be held accountable and that those who continue to govern with evil intent will be removed.
- Pray that justice will be fair and equitable for all people in our nation.
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Upper Room: All-Embracing Love
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? - Romans 8:35 (NRSVUE)
One day in the grocery store parking lot I heard a young woman singing a song about God. As I listened to her singing, I became fascinated with her voice and how much love she put into each note of the song. When she finished, I walked over to her and asked her why she was singing that particular song. She smiled and said, “God loves everyone. You won’t see one person out here that God doesn’t love. That’s why I am singing.” Her answer surprised me; yet her words were true. When I left, I looked around at the people in the parking lot and thought of how God loves each one of them.
With so many painful events taking place in the world that divide and dehumanize, it is good for us to take a minute to realize that God loves each person no matter what they may be going through at any given moment.
Today's Prayer
O God, teach us to love as you do so that we can show love to all people. Amen.
TWFYT:
Sarah Young:
Charles Stanley:
