YES! Thank God I'm Forgiven and so much more!!! How about you? What are you thankful for this Friday? Where are you seeing God at work and responding to His invite to join Him? Who needs to hear your story of God's faithfulness, forgiveness, love, healing, help, and constant presence and provision?
Good Morning Loving, Hospitable, Praying, CO-Laboring Worshipers! YES! That is you and our fellowship! That is How the people that gather at the building called St. Matthew's are being viewed and experienced. PTL! He is hearing and answering our prayers, changing and using us and His love is becoming experienced through us! PTL! And it all began when we were forgiven and stepped into our new nature in Christ and responded to His leading us to our purposes. Amen!
Did you catch the thread through our devotionals today describing you and us? Say that salutation out loud and pronounce it over yourself and our fellowship. I am/We are loving, hospitable, praying, co-laboring worshipers! Amen! And each of us has an age-appropriate, ability-appropriate, faith-level appropriate, gifted and created appropriate purpose in God's Good News Delivery Company called St. Matts. What's your purpose and response? Some of you are pray-ers, funders, workers, helpers, teachers, and story sharers among many roles and purposes that allow our company to run like a well-oiled machine. As we continue to discover, step into, grow into our purposes we glorify God and people experience His saving love, hope and help and His fame is spreading! PTL! God IS Love! And Love lives in us and grows as we learn to live and love like Jesus as we were created and gifted to do! PTL!
We have so much to be thankful for this Friday and everyday! Let us continue to celebrate and worship God for who He is and all He is doing in, through and around us and for our salvation, new life, and our St. Matts. Faithful servants! Rejoice! Thank you ALL for stepping into your roles and allowing God to use and grow you! He does have great plans that are coming alive and growing! PTL!
Maxie Dunnam said, "Praying for people will bring you to love them. Loving them will lead you to serve them. Serving them will be the open door through which God can move in to save, heal, and make whole." Man, are we seeing that truth come alive as we allow God to grow and use us! PTL and keep at it faithful, loving friends! I can't wait to see what God will do next! And I can't wait to celebrate as you share what God is doing in, through and around you! Amen!
ODB:
|
For years, John had been somewhat of an irritant at church. He was bad-tempered, demanding, and often rude. He complained constantly about not being “served” well, and about volunteers and staff not doing their job. He was, honestly, hard to love.
So when I heard that he’d been diagnosed with cancer, I found it difficult to pray for him. Memories of his harsh words and unpleasant character filled my mind. But remembering Jesus’ call to love, I was drawn to say a simple prayer for John each day. A few days later, I found myself beginning to think a bit less often about his unlikeable qualities. He must be really hurting, I thought. Perhaps he’s feeling really lost now.
Prayer, I realize, opens ourselves, our feelings, and our relationships with others to God, allowing Him to enter and bring His perspective into it all. The act of submitting our will and feelings to Him in prayer allows the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, slowly but surely. No wonder Jesus’ call to love our enemies is bound up tightly with a call to prayer: “Pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28).
I have to admit, I still struggle to think well of John. But with the Spirit’s help, I’m learning to see him through God’s eyes and heart—as a person to be forgiven and loved.
By Leslie Koh
REFLECT & PRAY
|
|
Why is it important to pray for even the difficult people in your life? What can you pray for them?
Loving God, You know how I feel about those who’ve hurt or irritated me. Please give me Your heart of grace and compassion to pray for them, for You love them.
Learn how to deepen your prayer life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The challenging commands that Jesus gives in Luke 6:27–31 are clear: we’re to love, bless, and do good to others. By reading further, however, we see the rationale for these exhortations: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (vv. 35–36). When followers of Jesus “flip the script” on hate, abuse, and selfishness, they demonstrate their kinship to their heavenly Father whose care is shared without discrimination. Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1–2 carry the same sentiment: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Arthur Jackson |
|
|
|
|
|
UR: Hospitality
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:2 (NRSVUE)
I grew up in a society where people are often skeptical about entertaining strangers. Often, strangers inspire feelings of suspicion and fear. But God wants us to be kind to strangers, regardless of the assumptions of others or the stories that make headlines.
Hospitality to strangers links us with God and with others. It is a wonderful way of expressing and extending the love of God to the world. Some strangers may not know about the love of God, and as Christians we should look beyond the four walls of our local church and denomination to welcome them. When we show hospitality to strangers in our neighborhoods and welcome those who visit our home or walk past our street, we have the opportunity to entertain angels.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Father, encourage us to offer hospitality to strangers whenever we can. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
TWFYT:
LISTEN ONLINE
