Happy Monday on Tuesday! Holiday weeks always seem to mess with me and my schedule. How about you? Let's breathe out the junk and breathe in a fresh breath of the Spirit and worship! This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Why not plan to join us at 10 for Zoom Huddle? Great way to start this short week!
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Good Morning Focused, Persevering, Long-Haul Followers of Jesus! Amen! This life is filled with distractions, annoyances, ups and downs, yet God is with us redeeming whatever we go through for His glory and our good. Amen! Are you able to stay focused during the climb, the mountaintop, the decent and the valley and worship always? Knowing that all things are filtered through God's hands and He has a purpose or will redeem things helps us to growing trust and enabled to choose joy always. Thinking about the two major events of yesterday can have us approaching today from different perspectives, yet God is with us always. Maybe you are struggling with the things MLK Jr. was fighting for--freedom, unity and love. Maybe you are rejoicing for the new president, maybe very sad or maybe indifferent. Well, can you trust God no matter your heart attitude or mindset? Yes always! And He is at work and working ALL things together. Amen! He is the God who is playing the long game and we are His partners who persevere in faith focused on Him no matter what we face. May we always trust, worship and follow well. May we encourage and build each other up. May we be about our Father's business always. Keep these thoughts at the forefront and remember that you are custom made, gifted and placed for such a time as this. Focus on that and His plans for you and us and you will have little time to get off track, worry and fear, and be able to worship always. Amen! Help us Lord! Fill us! Forgive us! Focus us on you and may we always choose to trust and follow and worship You alone! Thanks! Amen!
My devotionals below flow through God's heart to yours and mine. He is always speaking to you in love and wanting to lead you to His best--always. Today is no different. So, turn off the noise and focus up as you spend some time abiding in Love today and allowing Him to live and love through each step of faith along the way! Begin with praise and then offer yourself as a sacrifice of praise. Amen!
Spend some tine with these devotionals and ask God to speak to your heat and inform your steps today. And worship for He is worthy of all praise, glory and honor and our obedience is worship too! Yes, PTL!
Chuck Swindoll
Sarah Young
Joyce Meyer
ODB
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The two men conquered human flight, but the Wright brothers’ journey to success was never easy. Despite countless failures, ridicule, money woes, and serious injury to one of them, the brothers weren’t stopped by the trials they faced. As Orville Wright observed, “No bird soars in a calm.” The idea, according to biographer David McCullough, means that adversity can “often be exactly what you need to give you a lift higher.” Said McCullough, “Their joy was not getting to the top of the mountain. Their joy was climbing the mountain.”
The apostle Peter taught a similar spiritual principle to the persecuted early church. He told them, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you” (1 Peter 4:12). This wasn’t a denial of suffering’s pain. Peter knew that hope in Christ grows our trust in God.
This is especially true when we suffer for being a believer in Jesus, as those early Christians did. Peter wrote to them, “Rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (v. 13). He went on, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (v. 14).
As the Wright brothers’ character was hailed by their biographer, may others see God’s loving character at work in us. He uses our adversity to raise us to new heights.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
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How have you suffered for Christ? How was He glorified?
Suffering tests me, dear God. Please grant me hope for Your glory.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The apostle Peter penned his first letter to encourage believers in Jesus who—because of persecution in Jerusalem (see Acts 8:1)—had been scattered throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Peter’s words still encourage suffering believers today. We’re not to be surprised when we face persecution because of our faith (1 Peter 4:12). After all, Christ warned, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Yet Peter tells us to rejoice when we suffer for being Christ’s followers (1 Peter 4:13, 16). We see this modeled by Paul in prison (Acts 16:22-25). God the Holy Spirit was with the early believers in their trials—and He’s with us in ours (1 Peter 4:14; see John 14:15-17; Romans 5:5). He comforts (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) and inspires His followers to persevere with rejoicing.
Alyson Kieda |
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UR: Peace Is Ours
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27 (NIV)
When our oldest son was 18 months old, he started biting other kids. No matter what I said or did, he kept doing it. I stayed away from playgroups to avoid incidents, and I was anxious even when going out to lunch or visiting friends. I would cry at night feeling like I was being punished. I felt like this phase would never end, but eventually it did.
It’s the same with life and what goes on in the world. When we dwell on current events, we lose our sense of peace and feel anxious. We forget that Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.” God doesn’t wait for the storms to pass before giving us peace. Christ’s peace is already here; it is ours.
The best way to keep the peace God has given us is to keep our eyes on God. How do we do that when we are bombarded with news of a world that seems to be breaking down? We read God’s promises and spend time getting to know the Prince of Peace. We can only put out what we take in, so let’s take God’s word into our hearts.
Today's Prayer
Father God, help us when we let difficult situations interfere with the peace you have freely given. Allow the Prince of Peace to fill us with hope, faith, and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
TWFYT
Harvest:
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January 21 - The Holy Spirit Brings Wisdom and Understanding
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And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
The same Spirit that descended on Jesus as a dove came to the early church in tongues of fire. With this visitation came new insight, strength, and understanding. The Holy Spirit brings clarity, not confusion. He offers discernment, not disorder. As He rests on us, He allows us to see God rightly, understand His Word, and look at the world around us through His eyes.
Holy Spirit, thank You for giving me understanding as I read the word of God, and for giving me discernment as I face difficult decisions or circumstances! Please help my church to be a place that is continually marked by Your wisdom.
--Adapted with permission from The Summit Church (thesummitchurch.org) we are inviting you into 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of this new year! Each day will focus on a different biblical attribute of the Holy Spirit.
The founding pastor of Summit Church is Bill Elliff, who is now the pastor Emeritus and serves on the Executive Leadership Team of OneCry (onecry.com). You can find one of Bill’s books, Simply Prayer at prayershop.org.
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Day 2 of the President’s First 31 Days: Join us in praying for the new President the first 31 days of his administration:
Pray that the Lord would give our president godly wisdom for U.S. Supreme Court appointments who would hold to the Scriptures and the U.S. Constitution in their decision-making.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy (James 3:17).
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Day 2 of the President’s First 31 Days: Join us in praying for the new President the first 31 days of his administration:
Pray that the Lord would give our president godly wisdom for U.S. Supreme Court appointments who would hold to the Scriptures and the U.S. Constitution in their decision-making.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy (James 3:17).
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