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Friday, November 24 2023
Thanks God I'm Forgiven! Proclaim that with much thanksgiving!
Updates:
We received sad news that Sarah's mom passed yesterday. Family was praying with her as the angels ushered her to Jesus' arms. Although they are mourning, they also are celebrating her delivery from pain and suffering and know they will see her again. Mom was longing and praying for this homecoming. Please Keep Sarah and her family in your prayers. Pray for wisdom as well for Sarah to choose well as she is scheduled to and wants to preach Sunday. (I'm ready to go if needed) Sarah's new address is Sarah Boyer 3072 High Hill Rd. Slatington, PA 18080 if you'd like to send a card.
Tomorrow at 10 we decorate the church for Christmas. We can use your help, even if for half an hour or so.
Sunday, we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and have our after worship brunch. Bring someone along! We will also be celebrating Althea Perry's 94th birthday with cupcakes during brunch. (Note: Advent is not a tradition observed by all EC churches and is not part of our EC tradition, although many churches do observe this Catholic and Lutheran tradition in preparation for Jesus' birth. So we have freedom to observe it if we desire and how we desire. Advent is traditionally the four weeks before Christmas. This year that means Christmas Eve we would light the 4th and Christmas candle. We decided to start a week early so that we have four weeks to prepare for the lighting of the Christmas Candle on Christmas Eve.) Sarah is planning to preach on our John 17 and 18 readings this Sunday. It will be helpful to prepare by reading them and remember we are trying to answer these three questions as we read through John: What's going on in this passage? What is God saying to me? What measurable action will I take in response?
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Good Morning Forgiven and Thankful Worshipers!
Sarah, we love you and know God is with you and has received your mom into His arms and healing love. Our deepest sympathies go out to you and your family. We are praying for you all! Shalom!
My grandmother passed on Thanksgiving day many years ago. Yes it was hard to celebrate her homecoming those first few years but what a better day than Thanksgiving to be reminded how thankful we were for our time together, her full healing in heaven, and for knowing we would see her again someday. Many of you are struggling through some hard holidays. May you know we are praying for you and God is with you. Open your heart and arms and receive His healing love and strength for the journey. God really does love you and is with you always. lean on Him and His promises! And reach out to a brother or sister in Christ to journey with you through your difficulty. We are family and we are here for each other.
There is much rumbling through my mind this morning and God sure has been speaking! Although our devotionals are a mixed bag today, He has been speaking through each one as I still myself at His feet, worship, listen and receive. I've been asking what He wants to share with you and I'm getting several different ideas. I think it best for you to engage with God yourself today as I'm sure He has a word or three for you as well. I do like ODB (below) with their thinking that He is worthy of all praise! Amen! Answer their questions as you offer yourself to God and receive His love. Maybe lift your hands in praise and tell Him how much you love Him. Then open your hands and receive His love, words, corrections, strength and wisdom. Then reach out and ask Him to help you bring that to life today to others.
See you tomorrow and/or Sunday! Have a blessed day and share some love today with much joy and thanksgiving! Be still and know how much you are loved and cared for! Amen! Here's a vocal blessing to end your time with God...The Blessing: The Blessing | Kari Jobe | Elevation Worship [LYRICS]
ODB:
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Many consider Ferrante and Teicher to be the greatest piano duet team of all time. Their collaborative presentations were so precise that their style was described as four hands but only one mind. Hearing their music, one can begin to grasp the amount of effort required to perfect their craft.
But there’s more. They loved what they did. In fact, even after they had retired in 1989, Ferrante and Teicher would occasionally show up at a local piano store just to play an impromptu concert. They simply loved making music.
David also loved making music—but he teamed up with God to give his song a higher purpose. His psalms affirm his struggle-filled life and his desire to live in deep dependence upon God. Yet, in the midst of his personal failures and imperfections, his praise expressed a kind of spiritual “perfect pitch,” acknowledging the greatness and goodness of God even in the darkest of times. The heart behind David’s praise is simply stated in Psalm 18:1, which reads, “I love you, Lord, my strength.”
David continued, “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise” (v. 3) and turned to Him “in my distress” (v. 6). Regardless of our situation, may we likewise lift our hearts to praise and worship our God. He’s worthy of all praise!
By Bill Crowder
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In what ways do you share your love for God with Him and with others? What might be standing in the way of your worship?
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Second Samuel 22 is nearly identical to Psalm 18, and the previous chapter (2 Samuel 21) provides some historical background for the psalm and the danger David faced. He’d gone into battle with his men when a mighty warrior challenged him (21:15–16). The text reads, “Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels [about 7.5 lb. or 3.4 kg] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David” (v. 16). David’s warrior Abishai intervened and killed the Philistine. David’s men then insisted that he never again go into battle with them “so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished” (v. 17). But who were the descendants of Rapha? They were exceptionally large warriors (vv. 18–22) whose size easily intimidated their opponents given the nature of the hand-to-hand warfare of the day.
Tim Gustafson |
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Friday, November 24 2023
Good Morning Thanks Livers! I'm thankful that I don't have to eat liver or gizzards, or scrapple, or garlic! I'm thankful for freedom to choose! I'm thankful that I git the best hot bacon dressing recipe from my grand mom! I'm thankful that we are able to arrange another day for family to gather. I'm thankful for technology that allows us to communicate across the miles. I'm thankful for cherry and peach crumb pies with vanilla ice cream. I'm thankful that sugar and calories don't count on holidays! Kinda sounds like a kids thank you list, huh? But God loves to hear our thanksgivings for every little blessing we receive. What are you thankful for? Check out our devos below as you sit at Jesus' feet and offer some thanksgiving in preparation for this day. Breathe out all the junk and anxiety this day may bring and rest in Jesus a bit as you turn off the noise, still your soul and refresh for a peaceful and joyful day ahead.
Keep in mind an pray for those who are struggling today. Yesterday at the Bread Ministry we got to pray with some for health concerns, missing family member sorrows of loss or struggle with personality clashes, and some needing some food and financial help. For some, holidays are not very much fun. Be thankful for what you have been blessed with and turn that sorrow into praise as you refocus on all the other many blessings you do have! God loves you, saved you, is with you and promises to provide His love, joy and peace as He helps you through everyday. Rejoice!
So, I am really thankful for all of you, the love of God and His forgiveness, and the opportunity to serve together! And I'm thankful for the ability and want-to to get some work done today before dinner later tonight and family brunch tomorrow. God is good--all the time! Amen! Hallelujah! PTL! Praying you all have a blessed day and that you have many things to be thankful about as you reflect back on today as you lay your head down to rest! Shalom!
Sarah's Blog and prayer requests:
Hi everyone,
I can only imagine how many of your kitchen will take on the smells of Thanksgiving soon, if they
have not already done so. Many of you are looking forward to time spent with family and friends.
Enjoying a good meal and then sitting back and engaging in conversation with family/friends, that perhaps
you haven't spoken to in a long time.
Thanksgiving - if you think seriously about it, should be celebrated every day of the year.....we do, have so much
to be thankful for. Even though we may experience times of difficulty, doubt, fear, illness, joyous times, seeing God
at work.....we need to always find at least one thing to say thanks for.
I want to share these thoughts with you, Thanksgiving is understanding that blessings are hiding all around us and
we must find and focus on them. It's the attitude of knowing we have a God in charge of all. It's the habit
of pausing to whisper "Thank You Lord" throughout the day. It's finding good times even in bad times and rejoicing even in sorrow. It's
noticing the color of flowers, the shape of clouds, the smell of fresh bread, and the comfort of a soft pillow at night
Thanksgiving is the opposite of grumbling, the antithesis of fault-finding, and the antidote for a complaining spirit. The
Bible tells us to replace "foolish talking" and "coarse Jesting" with "giving of thanks" (Ephesians 5:4)
Gratitude leads to "glad-itude". Counting our blessings is a positive step toward erasing our heartaches. The psychology of
thanksgiving comes from the very mind and heart of God who told us to be vigilant in thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) and "in everything
give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you' (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
So our lesson for life is learn to give thanks in the good times. AND give thanks in the bad times too, for that will make them better!
Try it.....and you will see!
Why not, before you begin eating your family dinner, Read Psalms 100.....and then give thanks for all the blessings, good and bad!
Prayers requested:
Harry (Pop) Waterman has asked for prayer. He is experiencing a lot of shoulder and upper arm pain. None of the rubs/medicine are
taking the edge off. So he asked if we could all keep him in our prayers for healing and strengthening....and that the pain subsides.
Take time to pray for one another - for the gift of friendship, for family both biological and church family.
Pray for our Sunday brunch this coming Sunday. Many of those that came to bread ministry today were invited. Pray that
they are interested in finding out more about Jesus.....and spending time being surrounded by His children that share His love.
May God bless you all!!!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Sarah
ODB:
A Thanksgiving Blessing
When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Luke 14:13–14
READ Luke 14:12–14
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In 2016, Wanda Dench sent a text inviting her grandson to Thanksgiving dinner, not knowing he’d recently changed his phone number. The text instead went to a stranger, Jamal. Jamal didn’t have plans, and so, after clarifying who he was, asked if he could still come to dinner. Wanda said, “Of course you can.” Jamal joined the family dinner in what has since become a yearly tradition for him. A mistaken invitation became an annual blessing.
Wanda’s kindness in inviting a stranger to dinner reminds me of Jesus’ encouragement in Luke’s gospel. During a dinner party at a “prominent” Pharisee’s house (Luke 14:1), Jesus noticed who was invited and how the guests jostled for the best seats (v. 7). Jesus told His host that inviting people based on what they could do for him in return (v. 12) meant the blessing would be limited. Instead, Jesus told the host that extending hospitality to people without the resources to repay him would bring even greater blessing (v. 14).
For Wanda, inviting Jamal to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner resulted in the unexpected blessing of a lasting friendship that was a great encouragement to her after her husband’s death. When we reach out to others, not because of what we might receive, but because of God’s love flowing through us, we receive far greater blessing and encouragement.
By Lisa M. Samra
REFLECT & PRAY
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When has an unexpected invitation encouraged you? What blessings did you experience?
Heavenly Father, may my invitations reflect a heart that wants to bless others as You lead me.
For further study, read Giving It Away.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Jesus’ instruction to invite the poor and the outcast to a meal (Luke 14:12–14) is something God wanted the Israelites to do. God commanded His people not to mistreat or oppress the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners living in their midst but instead to love them (Exodus 22:21; 23:9; Leviticus 19:33; Deuteronomy 10:19). Even as the Jews were blessed with material prosperity so they could enjoy the good life, they were commanded to be generous and share with others. They were to include the foreigner and the poor in their celebrations and feasts (Deuteronomy 16:9–12; 26:8–11) and to give a tithe to share God’s provisions and abundance with them (26:12). The Israelites were to treat foreigners as if they were native-born Jews and love them as they’d love themselves (Leviticus 19:34; 24:22; Deuteronomy 27:19).
K. T. Sim |
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UR: Many Thanks
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another. - Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV)
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. The weather here in Southeast Texas is usually cool, and the respite from work and the daily routine is always appreciated. Many years ago, I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I bought ingredients, prepped and cleaned silverware and cookware, and spent nearly an entire day making food. I managed to prepare the side dishes with careful attention to temperatures and instructions from family recipes. In the early hours of Thanksgiving Day, I dozed on the sofa while the turkey roasted. As a result, I overcooked the turkey, rendering it crispier and drier than I had intended. Yet my family was gracious and feasted upon the meal anyway.
I am grateful for the gift of my family members accepting my culinary blunders and personality quirks. The word thanksgiving is defined as “a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.” So recipes and meals aside, I plan to spend this Thanksgiving holiday simply acknowledging God’s goodness, offering thanks for all God’s blessings, including family, good health, and the gift of time spent together. As a Christian family, we should celebrate the bounty of mercy and forgiveness available to us all through Christ.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank you, Father, for your gifts of mercy and salvation. Help us to follow your example to forgive and love one another daily. Amen.
Wednesday, November 22 2023
Good Morning Thanks Living Brothers and Sisters in Christ! May God abundantly bless you as you share all the blessings He has given and choose to live life out of your true identity with contagious joy that flows from living life out of deep gratitude!
We had a great gathering to feast, celebrate and fellowship last evening at our Thanksgiving Eve Eve gathering. Today we get to share bread, God's love and blessings with our neighbors in need. Thursday and in some cases Friday or Saturday, we get to share family time and gather with much thanksgiving. Saturday we gather to decorate and prepare for our Sunday Brunch and Sunday we get to worship, celebrate, feast and bless. We have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings to share. I can't wait to hear the stories of what God did this week with, in, and around you and our gathering opportunities. Sunday at Brunch we will share some Kingdom stories of what God has been doing. Come prepared to share and celebrate with our brunch guests. Let us restart Kingdom stories Sundays during brunch. Our guests need to hear the Good News of what God is doing and see us celebrate!
Check out the devos below and talk to God as you pray expectantly and thank Him for all the blessings! Live thankfully every day. rejoice! Praise the Lord! Share your story and some Good News with some others the next few days! Shine Bright children of the Light! Shalom!
ODB:
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The first thing I noticed about the city was its gambling outlets. Next, its cannabis shops, “adult” stores, and giant billboards for opportunistic lawyers making money off others’ mishaps. While I had visited many shady cities before, this one seemed to reach a new low.
My mood brightened, however, when I spoke to a taxi driver the next morning. “I ask God every day to send me the people He wants me to help,” he said. “Gambling addicts, prostitutes, people from broken homes tell me their problems in tears. I stop the car. I listen. I pray for them. This is my ministry.”
After describing Jesus’ descent into our fallen world (Philippians 2:5–8), the apostle Paul gives believers in Christ a calling. As we pursue God’s will (v. 13) and hold to the “word of life”—the gospel (v. 16)—we’ll be “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” who “shine . . . like stars in the sky” (v. 15). Like that taxi driver, we’re to bring Jesus’ light into the darkness.
A believer in Christ has only to live faithfully in order to change the world, historian Christopher Dawson said, because in that very act of living “there is contained all the mystery of divine life.” Let’s ask God’s Spirit to empower us to live faithfully as Jesus’ people, shining His light in the world’s darkest places.
By Sheridan Voysey
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you focus on Christ today, rather than the world’s evil? How can you shine His light today in your neighborhood?
Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Light of the World who brings me out of darkness.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
As believers in Jesus, we’re to “shine among [nonbelievers] like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15) as we obey the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). Christ said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). He brought light into the world, yet many people still loved the darkness (evil) (3:19). Knowing He’d be with His followers on earth for only a short time, He called them (and all of us) to spread the good news of the gospel—to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). As “people of the light” (Luke 16:8), we have the Holy Spirit to help us “not run or labor in vain” (Philippians 2:16).
Alyson Kieda |
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UR: Praise God!
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. - Acts 16:25 (NIV)
I have usually made a point to arrive early to worship so that I have time to listen for God’s message for me. But then my church began playing praise music ahead of the service — music I am not familiar with and really do not enjoy. So I started arriving just prior to the sermon, thinking this is the only thing I need from God.
One Sunday the sermon was based on Acts 16:16-40. The story of Paul and Silas in prison spoke directly to my heart. Rather than dwell on their pain and suffering into the night, they began to pray and sing praises to God! That message had a powerful impact on me. Praise is a sign of love we can always offer to God, who is faithful, generous, and compassionate. More than that, praise is the affirmation of God’s love for us.
Moving forward, I began to join in every praise song, whether I was familiar with it or not. Later, I would search the internet for the less familiar songs so I could learn them. Now I don’t want to be late for worship because I don’t want to miss the songs of praise. Being present and fully prepared to participate is something I have come to value — and enjoy!
TODAY'S PRAYER
Heavenly Father, attune our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth. May we all find joy in praising you. Amen.
Tuesday, November 21 2023
Good Morning Very Loved, Loving, Becoming to God Becomers! I just can't get off that theme as we have been working on becoming all that we were created to be and be all-in working on our custom made and custom gifted to achieve assignments for God! What blessing and joy we can know as we live more fully like Jesus and go love better like Him! God loves us and calls us by name and sends us to love like Him! He loves us so much and desires for us to reach our fullest potential that he shows us refining, patient love too as we get pruned to produce more and better fruit. PTL! And thank God for our freedom to choose Him, His ways, His best and to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus. Check out our devos below and worship, adore and offer much thanksgiving! Also check out the praying a Psalm idea with Kim's Blog from harvest ministries below. See you today on Zoom Huddle and / or tonight at our Thanksgiving Eve Eve taco Tues celebration. Come and worship! PTL with hearts filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. Be ALL you CAN be!
Here's some prayer starters from Harvest Prayer that tie to our devotions today. How awesome is our God! PTL!
"Praise God, the One who is your "Light and Salvation" Ps. 27:1). Thank Him for shining His saving light in your darkness, Confess times when you've prefered to live in darkness of sinful actions and habits rather than in the light of Jesus. Commit yourself anew to living in His light. Ask God to surround you every day this week with His Light and Salvation. Pray for opportunities to spread God's light in the lives of family members and friends who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ask God to touch lives with the Gospel. Intercede for outreach ministries of your church and denomination. Pray for financial needs to be met. Ask that they will clearly show forth the light of the Good News through their ministries. [PTL for doing that already at St. Matts.] Ask that the love of Jesus will meet needs and sooth every hurting heart. Pray by name for someone you know who has yet committed to life in Christ. Ask God to reveal how you can be a spiritual help to that person. " Amen and ask God to show you who to invite OR BRING ALONG TO ONE OF OUR GATHERINGS THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND FOR COUAGE AND THE OPPORTUNNITY TO INVITE.
Pray with much thanksgiving and expectation for BIG GOD things and every little one too! he loves to answer our prayers from hearts filled with thanksgiving and love!
Kim's Blog: https://www.harvestprayer.com/creative-prayer-idea-a-psalm-of-thanksgiving/
ODB: Pronounce this Isaiah verse over you...He who created you...calls you by name...(read it all out loud inserting your name for Israel. Pronounce your prodigals returning!)
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As a boy, Ming found his father harsh and distant. Even when Ming was ill and had to see the pediatrician, his father grumbled that it was troublesome. Once, he overheard a quarrel and learned his father had wanted him aborted. The feeling of being an unwanted child followed him into his adult years. When Ming became a believer in Jesus, he found it difficult to relate to God as Father, even though he knew Him as Lord of his life.
If, like Ming, we haven’t felt loved by our earthly fathers, we may face similar doubts in our relationship with God. We may wonder, Am I a burden to Him? Does He care about me? But while our earthly fathers may have been silent and distant, God our heavenly Father comes close and says, “I love you” (Isaiah 43:4).
In Isaiah 43, God speaks as our Creator and as a Father. If you wonder whether He wants you to live under His care as part of His family, hear what He said to His people: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth” (v. 6). If you wonder what you’re worth to Him, hear His affirmation: “You are precious and honored in my sight” (v. 4).
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty of sin so that we who believe in Him can be with Him forever (John 3:16). Because of what He says and what He’s done for us, we can have full confidence that He wants us and loves us.
By Жасмин Го
REFLECT & PRAY
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What’s your experience of relating to God as a Father? How can you remind yourself that you’re precious to Him?
Father, I want to live each day as Your child, precious and honored in Your sight.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Twice in Isaiah 43, God’s precious people are commanded not to be afraid: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you” (v. 1), and “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (v. 5). The pattern of “fear not . . . for” followed by a divine action is consistently repeated in Scripture when God instructs His people not to be afraid (see Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10). To restrain fear, some promise, action, or truth about God is stated. Redemptive action (an act of rescue or salvation) comes into view in Isaiah 43:1. Though a tough path lay ahead for the Israelites (v. 2), their Savior would be with them (v. 3). God’s presence restrains fear (v. 5). How reassuring to know that regardless of where life leads, we needn’t fear. The psalmist said, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).
Arthur Jackson |
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UR: The True Gardener (BLOOM you children of God!)
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” - John 15:1 (NIV)
Every spring I anticipated the white and lilac blossoms of my wisteria bursting from the branches. I was always surprised by their beauty. But for the last two years my plants have had fewer blooms. Virginia Creeper vines were slowly strangling my wisteria. Every time my husband and I removed a vine, another one would take its place.
Similarly I have allowed my own circumstances to stifle my relationship with God — losing my son in a car wreck, caring for my mother as she slowly slipped away due to Alzheimer’s, and watching my husband struggle with cancer. I was trying to handle all of this alone and found it hard to give control over to God. Instead, I began questioning the challenges. Why was I experiencing so much heartache?
As time passed, I realized I could never bloom alone. I needed to remember the promise of Jesus. He is the true vine, and when we remain connected to Christ, we can find new life springing from heartache or despair.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Lord, help us to turn to you for help so that our love for you can bloom, bringing joy to our lives and glory to you. Amen.Charles Stanley: (Is this you? Bringing Jesus alive? Letting Jesus live and love through you?)
Monday, November 20 2023
Good Morning Thankful Children of God! Bow in worship. Lift hands in praise. Always be thankful! Amen! So what's on your gratitude list today? We do have so much to be thankful about! Tell God some of your thank yous today. And remember like when you tell someone why you love them, get specific with your thank yous as well. Why are you thankful? Why do you love God? There are countless reasons! And countless ways to worship our awesome God! Amen!
Below are some devotionals and thoughts that may spark some prayer, praise and thanksgiving as we prepare for a very busy week. Begin at Jesus' feet and allow Him to be your Lord this week. He has great plans for you that won't burn you out! Plans that will bring much joy too! Thanks God!
We are reading John 17 and 18 this week as we head toward the cross. Does it seem kinda weird to study the death of Jesus during the Christmas season? Why did He come? To die for us! Sunday we begin Advent with all the longing minor chord songs crying out from the longing for the Messiah to come. When He came there was great celebration but as He grew He was rejected and allowed Himself crucified. BUT GOD! That was His plan all along to allow us forgiveness and eternal life, if we choose. Dying to self and asking Jesus to be the Lord of your life is a sacrifice of praise that will always be received by God! PTL! In John 17:4 Jesus said that He brought God glory by completing the work He was assigned. Are you glorifying God? Are you working on completing your assignments? Are you pointing people to Him by the way you live and worship? Living Thankfully daily is a choice that allows others to see the joy of trusting Jesus and following Him and His ways!
You may struggle with letting go of things and trusting God. Check out the Upper Room below and the reminder that we are able to look back at hard times and see Jesus carrying us, leading us, correcting us and preparing us. PTL! Don't be anxious about anything is a command. Phil. 4:6 reminds us that in whatever difficulty we are finding ourselves, God is there and awaiting partnering with us so, "by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." AMEN! Thanks Lord!!!
Our Daily Bread reminds of the priceless joy we can choose and know by trusting God. Living thankfully leads to joy and more joy and trust that overflows in a life of peace and productivity. We get to and want to, out of deep gratitude to God, love on God and others and others are attracted to God through our thankful, joyful lives lived well. It's a great circle of blessings! PTL! Allow His love and your joy to overflow into much thanksgiving! Light up this dark world with joy in the Lord!
God created us for His purposes. We are custom made and gifted to accomplish all He has for us. PTL! Charles Stanley discuss today Gal. 5:22-23 and the fruit of the Spirit as God's presence in us in action. Many of you can name the fruit. Are they coming alive in and through you? Maybe one of those fruit are a word to work on next year? Love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are gifts the Holy Spirit brings to us as we produce good and lasting fruit that we are created to produce. God lives and loves through us as we grow in these and overflow these to others. Thank God for such marvelous gifts that start with sending His Son and then His Spirit and the free gift all can open, new life in Christ. Thank You Lord! Amen!
What an awesome God we know and love! Have a joyful, thankful, peaceful, love filled day of worshipful living in Christ! Shalom!
UR: A Letter to God
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6 (NRSVUE)
When I was a teenager my father died, my university admission was unsuccessful, and I barely had enough food to eat. I was overwhelmed and struggled to pray. So I wrote a letter to God, asking my heavenly Father to please take over. I read it a couple of times, tucked it into an envelope, and forgot about it. It seemed naïve and silly to me, and I wasn’t sure God would listen.
Years later, I found the letter, and I knew God had been aware of the sorrow in my heart all along. And as I looked back, I could see all the ways God had been present in my life.
Sometimes we feel so beaten down by our circumstances that we struggle to tell God how we feel. It doesn’t matter whether we write, mumble, or cry in God’s presence — God hears! All we need to do is give our burdens to God and leave them in God’s hands. When we worry continuously after handing our troubles over to God, we take back our burdens. It is important to trust God to handle our situation in God’s time and way.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Heavenly Father, hear the heart cry of those of us who are weary and in need of help and comfort. Amen.
ODB:
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On every school day for three years, Colleen has been dressing up in a different costume or mask to greet her children as they exit the school bus each afternoon. It brightens the day of everyone on the bus—including the bus driver: “[She] bring[s] so much joy to the kids on my bus, it’s amazing. I love that.” Colleen’s children agree.
It all started when Colleen began fostering children. Knowing how difficult it was to be separated from parents and to attend a new school, she began greeting the kids in a costume. After three days of doing so, the kids didn’t want her to stop. So Colleen continued. It was an investment of time and money at thrift shops, but, as reporter Meredith TerHaar describes, it brought a “priceless result: happiness.”
One little verse amid a book of wise and witty advice, largely by King Solomon to his son, sums up the results of this mom’s antics: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). By bringing cheer to all her kids (biological, adopted, and foster), she hoped to prevent crushed spirits.
The source of true and lasting joy is God through the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21; Galatians 5:22). The Spirit enables us to shine God’s light as we strive to bring joy to others, a joy that offers hope and strength to face trials.
By Alyson Kieda
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When has someone done something to bring you joy? What was the result?
Dear Father, thank You for giving me joy. Help me to spread it to others.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
While the sayings in the book of Proverbs aren’t always arranged in an easy-to-discern order, often themes unite sections of proverbs. Chapter 17 focuses on relationships. The writer warns against the damage caused by being vindictive (vv. 9, 13) or willfully stubborn (vv. 10–12), quarreling (vv. 14, 19), unjust behavior (v. 15), and misusing money (v. 16). Conversely, loyal and protective relationships are lifted up (vv. 17–18). Verses 20–22 focus on how our hearts can shape our lives and relationships. A corrupt or foolish heart brings trouble and suffering (vv. 20–21), while a “cheerful heart is good medicine” (v. 22). So perhaps verse 22 has in mind the joy and healing that healthy relationships can bring.
Monica La Rose |
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cHARLES sTANLEY:
Wagner's news:
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In our last update, we had quite a few prayer requests. Here are a few updates.
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We asked you to pray for Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW). The speaker spoke from his heart and his own experiences from his time at RVA to where God currently has him serving. It was awesome to see how God used him to speak to so many of our students. God was and is moving on campus!
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| This morning we heard the testimonies of eight students making a public declaration of their faith in Christ. Several shared how God did a significant work in their lives during SEW. It is always a joy to hear our students sharing how God is working in their lives and watching them point others to Jesus. It was extra special as one of the students being baptized was in our dorm just two years ago. Thank you for your prayers! |
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| We asked you to pray for our dorm boys and for dorm parents for terms 2 and 3. The boys are thriving and the 5 will become 6 starting in January. We are excited to share that a couple has volunteered to come to RVA for 7 months to cover our dorm. They already know some of our boys as they covered our dorm when we were in the States for Micah and Lynnsi’s wedding in May. Thank you, God for a great answer to prayer! |
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| Admissions and AP Calculus |
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| Missy was relieved to step out of the Admissions Office this past week as she completed the training for her replacements. The two people who will be working together are just the right ones for this time. There is also a really good coverage plan sorted out for the AP Calculus classes. We are thankful for God’s provision in all these areas…not just people who can fill-in, but people who will excel! |
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| We have been praying earnestly for our grandson whose scheduled arrival is early December. He has been very relaxed and was not really interested in turning around to prepare for his upcoming entrance into the world. We are thankful that the doctor was able to get the baby turned in the right direction this past week and we look forward to his arrival soon. |
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| A few remaining prayer requests |
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It is hard to believe that we will land in the States in just 10 days! We still have one BIG need. We are looking to purchase a mid-size, reliable vehicle, with good gas mileage, as we will be traveling many miles to visit with family, friends, churches and RVA alumni. Our son is currently using our car, which will cover our need, but then he will need a vehicle to get to work. He has decided that his dream vehicle is a Honda CRV (we’re not really sure why). All this is to say that we still need one more vehicle…either for us or for Micah. Please contact us if you have any good leads for us to explore. Above all, would you commit to PRAY with us for the right vehicle? We will need to find a vehicle by December 12.
Although our first month will be quite full with family time – new grandbaby and family Christmas, we are working on our schedule for the rest of our home assignment. Our schedule is wide open in January and February! It gets much fuller in the spring. Contact us directly in the next few weeks if you’d like us to come and share with your church or small group. We really enjoy sharing with smaller group gatherings, so feel free to ask about daytime or evening events during the week. We are excited to connect and share the exciting ways God is moving all over Africa. PRAY with us for opportunities to share what God is doing in Africa and around the world and why it is so important for us to be concerned about the unreached.
You are a blessing! Thank you for your prayers.
Brian & Missy |
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Don 
Monday, November 20 2023
Good Morning Glorifying God, Persevering Servants! It's worship day! Woo WHO! We get to gather, worship, pray, celebrate, learn, encourage and glorify God. We were created for His glory! We get to chose to bring Him glory as we hallow His name, persevere in faith and service to and for Him. What a wonderful life we have in Christ! or is it?
Check out our devotionals below as we think about God's refining love and sometimes hard journey of faith we endure. Can you see past the hurts and hardships and trust and praise God? He has great plans for you, us and all believers! Plans to prosper and not harm. We are promised an abundant life in Christ, but how does that work out in pain and suffering? God loves you--deeply and eternally! He has great plans for you that sometimes require His tweaking you. We live in a fallen world and are promised hard times. We are called to persevere in faith and glorify God through it all. Pruning and dying to--humbling self-- are never very pleasant. BUT GOD! And for His glory! When we are weak then we are strong in Christ! PTL!
Your will, Lord; your way! Have Your way with me and us! Thank You for loving us enough to correct in love, refine, prune and prepare us for Your best. Thank You for Your loving help and strength along the way! Thank You that we can know Your shalom in the storms and trials! Thank You for wanting the best for us and helping us to move towards it! Come! Have Your way with us and may we bring You glory and honor each step of the way! We love You and trust You! Help our unbelief and forgive our grumbling. No matter what we face, You are worthy of all glory, honor and praise! May Our lives be poured out for Your glory! We love you and desire Your best for us however You need to get us there! Come! You are our refuge and strength! We ask these things in Jesus' name and for His glory! Amen! Thank You!
This is the day the Lord has made and He made this Sabbath day just for us! PTL! Rejoice! Be refreshed and strengthened. And Come all you weary and heavy laden with hearts of worship and thanksgiving! What are you thankful for today? We will be digging down deep to offer deep thanksgiving and worship today! Come and celebrate our awesome God! Prepare your hearts for worship! Come, Just as you are to worship! He loves you and is waiting with open arms of love, healing and hope! Come!
Here's a song to help prepare the way for today: Phillips Craig & Dean - Come, now is the time to worship (with lyrics)
Charles Stanley:
ODB:
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Grainger McKoy is an artist who studies and sculpts birds, capturing their grace, vulnerability, and power. One of his pieces is titled Recovery. It shows the single right wing of a pintail duck, stretched high in a vertical position. Below, a plaque describes the bird’s recovery stroke as “the moment of the bird’s greatest weakness in flight, yet also the moment when it gathers strength for the journey ahead.” Grainger includes this verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth. Enduring a season when he was overwhelmed with personal struggle, Paul begged God to remove what he described as “a thorn in my flesh” (v. 7). His affliction might have been a physical ailment or spiritual opposition. Like Jesus in the garden the night before His crucifixion (Luke 22:39–44), Paul repeatedly asked God to remove his suffering. The Holy Spirit responded by assuring him that He’d provide the strength needed. Paul learned, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Oh, the thorns we experience in this life! Like a bird gathering its strength for the journey ahead, we can gather up God’s strength for what we’re facing. In His strength, we find our own.
By Elisa Morgan
REFLECT & PRAY
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Where are you experiencing weakness today? How can you—in that exact weakness—gather God’s strength for your journey?
Dear Father, help me gather my strength from Yours as I face what’s ahead in my life today.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Paul deliberately boasted about his many spectacular visions (2 Corinthians 12:1–7; see Acts 9:1–9; 16:6–10) to refute false teachers who said he wasn’t a genuine apostle because he didn’t have ecstatic spiritual experiences. Although such boasting was distasteful to him (2 Corinthians 12:1, 5), he believed it was necessary to deal with the misguided spirituality and pride of his opponents. He was given a “thorn in [his] flesh” (v. 7) so Christ’s power might be proclaimed (vv. 5–10). The word thorn was used for anything pointed, such as a stake, the pointed end of a fishhook, or a splinter. This implied that Paul had endured severe pain. We don’t know what the thorn was. Some think he had an eye affliction (see Galatians 4:15; 6:11) or a chronic ailment. But we know its intent: to keep him humble on account of his “surpassingly great revelations” (2 Corinthians 12:7).
K. T. Sim |
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UR: Parenting
God said, “I led [Ephraim] with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.” - Hosea 11:4 (NRSVUE)
I recall how excited my husband and I were when our sons took their first faltering steps as we led them by the hand. I also recall messy mealtimes as we fed our infant sons, with food ending up on our sons’ bibs, on the floor, and on us. My husband and I enjoyed being fully involved in parenting.
In today’s reading from Hosea, God is fully involved in parenting the Israelites. I envision God as a loving parent teaching Israel to walk, lifting them up in an embrace, and bending down to feed them.
What a beautiful and powerful image of our Parent God. We are God’s children, and God continually nurtures us with grace and mercy just as a loving parent does. When we stumble, God is there to pick us up and guide us. God leads us with cords of kindness and bands of love, embraces us, and feeds us lovingly and patiently.
The role of a parent never stops, even after the children have become adults and left home. Like human parents, our Parent God keeps guiding and directing us no matter how old we get. Let us be grateful children!
TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank you, God, for parenting us always. Help us turn to you as our main source of love and care. Amen.TWFYT:
Saturday, November 18 2023
Good Morning Worshipers, Warriors, Watchmen (and Women), and Workers! That is a prayer I have been praying over St. Matts for years. Praying for God to raise up worshipers, prayer warriors, watchman (and women) on the wall and harvest workers bringing the prayers to life. It's happening! PTL! Can you see it? All four of these are vital roles and assignments for our Good News Delivery Co. too. How is God assigning you and using you in these?
Today as I was re-reading our John 16 passage for this week I was reminded of Jesus teaching about praying in His name. (Next week we read Jesus' prayers in John 17) In the Old Covenant, people needed to go to God through a priest but in the New Covenant we are all priests of the Lord and as such have full access to God ourselves. How blessed we are! And what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Amen! Check out our devos below for more on prayer, your part and some things to pray about.
Everything of value in God's Kingdom and every good and sustainable work is birthed, informed and sustained in prayer. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer! God has some awesome plans for you and us awaiting being released in prayer. Some things are awaiting direction, informing, provision, correction that comes through prayer and processing with others. All things and workers need a prayer covering too. It can be hard but very rewarding and profitable work to be a prayer warrior and watchman in prayer. Then we get to worship, celebrate and thank God for glorifying His name and prospering His works as a result of our prayers! Keep plowing those fields in prayer and sharing what you are hearing!
Each of us and our fellowship is a work in process. We are directed in prayer and perfected through accountability and processing in small groups. Pray for God to raise up some more small groups in the new year, for some leaders to arise, and to help us help each other to hear God, process and even correct in love as needed. He has great plans awaiting releasing and empowering through prayer and processing and enacting through small groups. GO TEAM!!! Every time I think of you all and the prayers and workers and love, I thank God! He is leading us to some awesome fruit! Keep investing time, talent and treasure as God leads. It's time to sow lavishly in prayer, choices, actions and love! Day light's burning, Lighthouses! The harvest IS plentiful. PTL! Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more workers in to the fields and PTL for the harvest He is growing and preparing! What's your role in that? Some have been delineated here. Talk to Abba about that and process with some others! Then Go, love, harvest and make disciples of Jesus!
Here's some prayer starters for today:
"Praise God for the good gifts He gives to those who ask Him (Mt.7:11). Give thanks, even in the midst of pain all around, that God's gifts are good. Confess your lack of quality time with God in prayer (Rom. 8:26). Commit yourself to modeling Jesus' example of praying in solitary places (Mk. 1:35). Ask God to give you a real devotion to prayer--being watchful and thankful, making the most of every opportunity (Col. 4:2-5). Pray that your church members will give generously of their time and money so that pleas for more will not be necessary (2Cor. 9:6-7). [Pray for our members to bolster our general fund with year end giving] Pray that God will instill in Christians around the world the desire to pray fervently and faithfully (Prov. 15:8; 29). Ask God to use emergency or crisis situations in the lives of unsaved people to bring them to the foot of the cross. Pray for eyes to see how you can help in such situations." [Thank God for answered prayers and for all our prayer warriors] Amen!
TWFYT:
Charles Stanley:
UR: Work in Progress
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
One day I was walking down the street and passed a building site full of rubble. A sign at the site announced, “Work in progress.” The builders continued working according to the plan given by the architect, and eventually the building was completed. A couple of months later, I passed the building again. This time I was amazed by its beauty and marveled at the finished product.
We are also works in progress. We are God’s masterpieces; the Holy Spirit is shaping us according to the Lord’s design. At times we may appear unfinished from the outside, but the Holy Spirit is at work in us day by day. Ultimately, God, through the life-giving Holy Spirit, will bring to completion the good work that God has already begun in us. Keep believing and trusting that God will finish that work in us.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Loving God, thank you for sending Jesus into the world. Through your life-giving Holy Spirit, inspire us to be Christlike in character and mind. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.ODB:
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He did many things well, but there was a problem. Everyone saw it. Yet because he was so effective in accomplishing most of his role, his anger issue wasn’t adequately addressed. He was never truly confronted. Sadly, this resulted in many people being hurt over the years. And, in the end, it led to the premature close of a career that could have been something so much more for this brother in Christ. If only I’d chosen to confront him in love long ago.
In Genesis 4, God provides the perfect picture of what it means to confront someone’s sin in love. Cain was infuriated. Being a farmer, he’d presented “some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord” (v. 3). But God made it clear that what he brought Him wasn’t acceptable. Cain’s offering was rejected, and he was “very angry, and his face was downcast” (v. 5). So, God confronted him and said, “Why are you angry?” (v. 6). He then told Cain to turn from his sin and pursue what was good and right. Sadly, Cain ignored God’s words and committed a horrific act (v. 8).
While we can’t force others to turn from sinful behaviors, we can compassionately confront them. We can “speak the truth in love” so that we both become “more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 nlt). And, as God gives us ears to listen, we can also receive hard words of truth from others.
By Tom Felten
REFLECT & PRAY
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Why is it vital for us to confront others in love? How do you receive hard but helpful words?
Father, help me to have the courage to confront others in love and to receive hard but true words with grace.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Bible has much to say about anger. God warned Cain that anger is a response that must be reined in quickly (Genesis 4:7). The psalmist David warned, “Stop being angry! . . . It only leads to harm” (Psalm 37:8 nlt). Solomon, the wisest man on earth, likewise said that an angry man will do foolish things (Proverbs 14:17, 29). The New Testament warns, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you . . . for anger gives a foothold to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26–27 nlt) and “human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:20 nlt).
K. T. Sim |
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Saturday, November 18 2023
Thank God I'm Forgiven Friday! There is such a richness in this statement that flows to much thanksgiving and praise! What are you thankful about your forgiveness! Keep building those gratitude lists and using them often! He is so worthy of all praise and glory and honor! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Amen!
Here's a couple of different songs with the same title. Great songs to start praising with:
Praise the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q-IQ3DEVSI
Praise the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dy4MzNnQsw
Good Morning Spirit-Filled, Secure, Adventurers! Check out our devotionals below from which this truthful salutation springs forth and pronounce it with anticipation, praise and much thanksgivings! Read and meditate on the Eph. 1:3-14 passage that ties to Our Daily Bread. What's God revealing to you that leads to thanksgiving as you do? Read and meditate on our John 16 reading for this week. Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit, prayer in His name, and talks about His soon cross encounter. What lavish love He has shown to us! Yes Praise the Lord!
After Jesus' death and after His ascension to heaven the disciples felt lonely, afraid and uncertain until they received the Holy Spirit. As we follow Jesus we sometimes will encounter hard and lonely times too. But we do know God is with us and allowing things to draw us closer, stretch our faith, and prepare us for the new things He has. Check out the Upper Room and remember those new comers that are and will be joining us and go out of your way to welcome and get to know them. We know how to love each other well. Let us always do the same for those God is leading to our fellowship. And for those you already know well, you sense and know when something isn't right. Reach out in love, encouragement and prayer to those who are putting on a good face in their struggles.
The Word for You Today reminds us that we can sense and see God at work. God wants us to see and know that He is busy with and all around us and wants us to join Him. He doesn't hide from us even when we try to hide from Him. PTL! Ask God for a spiritual awakening today and pray for Him to "show you what He wants you to see, teach you what He wants you to know, lead you step-by-step in the path of His perfect will." He is pleased to answer that prayer. Keep your eye on Jesus and keep watch for God to be busy around you. have a ready and willing heart to respond as the Holy Spirit reveals. And keep growing into God's character which includes sacrificial love, compassionate help, and faithfulness. That leads to much thanksgiving.
God is leading us on a great adventure! Even refining and hard things can be an adventure as we keep putting our trust in God, keep our focus on Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way with us! PTL! We are secure in Christ! We have the Holy Spirit! We know God and He calls us friend! There is enough right there to thank and praise all day! And to keep us busy being about His business. PTL! We are so blessed!
May your day be filled with much thanksgiving, joy and peace! God has some great adventures awaiting!
Here's a song to end your quiet time with praise today! Praise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raFnjGVkHe8
ODB:
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“Christianity is not for me. It’s boring. One of my values I hold on to is adventure. That’s life to me,” a young woman told me. It saddened me that she hadn’t yet learned the incredible joy and excitement that comes with following Jesus—an adventure like no other. I excitedly shared with her about Jesus and how real life is found in Him.
Mere words are inadequate to describe the adventure of knowing and walking with Jesus, God’s Son. But in Ephesians 1, the apostle Paul gives us a small but powerful glimpse of life with Him. God gives us spiritual blessings directly from heaven (v. 3), holiness and blamelessness in God’s eyes (v. 4), and adoption as His own into the King’s royal family (v. 5). He blesses us with the lavish gift of His forgiveness and grace (vv. 7–8), understanding of the mystery of His will (v. 9), and a new purpose of living “for the praise of his glory” (v. 12). The Holy Spirit comes to live in us to empower and lead us (v. 13), and He guarantees eternity in God’s presence forever (v. 14).
When Jesus Christ enters our life, we discover that getting to know Him more and following Him closely is the greatest of adventures. Seek Him now and every day for real life.
By Anne Cetas
REFLECT & PRAY
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How would you describe the life of knowing and walking with Jesus? Who might God want you to share this with?
Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me and always walking by my side. You’ve given me more than I could have imagined. I love being known and loved by You and sharing You with others.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Paul delivers Ephesians 1:3–14 in the form of a doxology—or praise—to God. Paul, a Jew, writes to gentile believers in Jesus, assuring them of their adoption (v. 5) into an unparalleled inheritance. When he says, “we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ” (v. 12), he’s speaking of the first believers, who were Jewish. Yet he’s quick to include “you,” that is, the gentiles, who also believed (v. 13). And he gives us great hope: we’re “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (vv. 13–14).
Tim Gustafson |
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Charles Stanley:
UR: Lonely Hours
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. - Psalm 120:1 (NIV)
I had always wanted to travel and see other places. I got my wish when I married a meteorologist whose career took us away from our families to the San Francisco Bay area of California. We didn’t know anyone except the people my husband worked with, and none of them lived nearby.
With the cost of housing so high, we had very little money, and I had to find thrifty ways to keep our young son entertained. I took him to the park where he climbed on playground equipment, and we fed ducks in the pond. We rode our bicycles to church, the library, and the grocery store. We had fun, but I struggled with our limited resources and with loneliness. Although we joined a church, the members had known each other for such a long time that it was difficult to fit in as newcomers.
During the lonely hours, I called out to God in prayer, and I became so close to the Lord that I heard God speak to my spirit. Some people have doubted me when I say that the Lord speaks to me. I don’t hear audible words, but I hear God in my heart. As my relationship with God has deepened, I have come to understand that when we reach out to God in difficult times, we may receive a blessing we never imagined.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank you, dear Lord, for being with us when we feel alone and for answering our prayers in ways that we could not have imagined. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.TWFYT:
Saturday, November 18 2023
Charles Stanley:
Psalm 77
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.
1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan,
overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude
4 You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude
10 And I said, “This is my fate;
the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude
16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God,
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea,
your pathway through the mighty waters—
a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Upper Room: Serving with Love
The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
For several years, I’ve led a prayer group for mothers in my home. We meet in the morning, Monday through Friday. One day, a friend asked me to accompany her to an early-morning medical appointment. I truly wanted to go with her, but at the same time there were other considerations: the great distance to the hospital by public transportation and the relatively slow walking pace because of her need for a walker. Would there be enough time to get her to the appointment and still make it back in time for my prayer group meeting?
My desire to assist her proved far more important than any inconvenience. I asked the Lord to favor us with two gifts — wise planning and good transportation. We left quite early, our ride was on time, and she made it through her appointment successfully. Then I accompanied her home and arrived on time for the start of the prayer group.
That day, I was grateful that with God’s help I was able to perform two works of love that pleased the Lord.
ODB:
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Testimony time was the segment in our church service when people shared how God had been at work in their lives. Auntie—or Sister Langford as she was known by others in our church family—was known for packing lots of praise into her testimonies. On the occasions when she shared her personal conversion story, one could expect her to take up a good bit of the service. Her heart gushed with praise to God who’d graciously changed her life!
Similarly, the testimony of the writer of Psalm 66 is packed with praise as he testifies about what God had done for His people. “Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” (v. 5). His deeds included miraculous rescue (v. 6), preservation (v. 9), and testing and discipline that resulted in His people being brought to a better place (vv. 10–12). While there are God-experiences that we have in common with other believers in Jesus, there are also things unique to our individual journeys. Have there been times in your life when God has particularly made Himself known to you? Those are worth sharing with others who need to hear how He’s worked in your life. “Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me” (v. 16).
By Arthur Jackson
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you more readily share your experiences of God’s goodness with others? How have you been inspired to trust Him more when you’ve heard others share His awesome deeds?
Heavenly Father, I rejoice in the varied expressions of Your kindness to me. Help me not to keep these things to myself.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 66 is a worship song praising God for rescuing His people from an enemy threat. Though the specific circumstances aren’t mentioned, nor the author named, some scholars suggest that King Hezekiah wrote this thanksgiving song after God miraculously defeated the Assyrians in response to his prayer for deliverance (2 Chronicles 32:1–22; Isaiah 36–37). The offering of rams, bulls, and goats (Psalm 66:15) are what a king would sacrifice to God (see 2 Chronicles 30:24). The psalmist recalls the miraculous deliverances in their history—how God led them out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and into the promised land (Psalm 66:1–12). The second part of the song is a personal thanksgiving for God answering his prayers (vv. 13–20). The psalmist speaks of an important condition for answered prayer: “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (v. 18 nlt).
K. T. Sim |
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Wednesday, November 15 2023
Good Morning Connected Children of the Promise! Be still and know! Check out our devotionals below. God was busy threading them together with what His purposes are for you and us to enlighten, encourage, equip, and for using us today. Sit at His feet a spell and reload. Turn off the noise and ask for Him to lead you to His best and for help to release the good and better things that keep you from His best. Ask the Holy Spirit to light your path and for wisdom and courage to complete your purposes for today. Then go love the unlovable like Jesus did. Our call as a church and as people is to the least of these that God is drawing. Day Light's burning! Pray for BIG God-sized vision and trust and willing hands and feet. He does have great plans for you today! Reload, rejoice, get ready and go, cat, go!
Thank you for praying for our Finance Team Budget Meeting last night! Thank you to our team for seeking God and trying to be the best stewards while trusting God for the BIG thing that He wants to do. We know that where He guides He provides. It's obvious that we continue to operate with a deficit BUT GOD! We are asking that you suspend all giving at this time to Family Ministries, Benevolence, Outreach, Bread Ministry because these accounts are well funded at this time. Giving to those funds should be above and beyond your normal tithe since they are not funded by our church budget. Please focus on giving to and bolstering the general fund which pays for electric, heating, salaries and all the fixed expenses of the church. Even the rebuilding fund is good for awhile and the general fund could really use that giving. Thanks for understanding. We are trying not to cut and have cut the budget to bare minimum already. So, thanks for all your generous giving! Please help us bolster our main fund and if a need arises we will ask for your help. Also remember that you can designate that your church tithe would continue in your will. Thanks for being givers and great stewards. Just wanting to help direct your giving where needed most. Seek God and allow Him to direct your tithe and offerings where he is directing. He is our Provision, Portion, and Widom! Thank Him!
Charles Stanley
ODB:
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One weekend in March, I led a retreat on the theme of Mary and Martha, the sisters in Bethany whom Jesus loved along with their brother Lazarus (John 11:5). We were in a remote spot along the English coastline. When we were snowed in unexpectedly, many of the participants remarked how the extra day together meant they could practice sitting at Christ’s feet as Mary did. They wanted to pursue the “one thing . . . needed” (Luke 10:42 nkjv) that Jesus lovingly told Martha she should embrace, which was choosing to draw close and learn from Him.
When Jesus visited the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Martha wouldn’t have known He was coming in advance, so we can understand how she could have been upset with Mary for not helping with the preparations to feed Him and His friends. But she lost sight of what really mattered—receiving from Jesus as she learned from Him. Christ wasn’t scolding her for wanting to serve Him but rather reminding her that she was missing the most important thing.
When interruptions make us irritable or we feel overwhelmed about the many things we want to accomplish, we can stop and remind ourselves what really matters in life. As we slow ourselves down, picturing ourselves sitting at the feet of Jesus, we can ask Him to fill us with His love and life. We can revel in being His beloved disciple.
By Amy Boucher Pye
REFLECT & PRAY
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What distractions keep you from receiving from Jesus? How can you sit at His feet today?
Dear Jesus, thank You for loving to instruct me in Your ways. Help me not to get distracted by my activities, but to focus on You.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Martha and her siblings often hosted Jesus in their home in Bethany. When we first meet Martha, she’s busy preparing a meal for Christ and His disciples and is upset that Mary isn’t helping (Luke 10:38–40). In John 11, we learn of Lazarus’ illness, death, and resurrection; and we see the sisters’ reactions. When Christ says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live . . . . Do you believe this?” she replies, “Yes, . . . I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (vv. 25–27). The last time we see Martha, she’s again preparing a meal, but this time she doesn’t protest that Mary isn’t helping (12:1–2). Perhaps she’d learned the importance of the “one” thing (Luke 10:41–42)—listening to, learning from, and worshiping Jesus.
Alyson Kieda |
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TWFYT:
UR: The Power of Acceptance
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to [Bartimaeus], “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” - Mark 10:49 (NIV)
I often recall our eldest daughter’s deep emotional pain and disappointment when a group of adolescent girls rejected her. I suspect if one girl in the group had supported her, she might have been accepted by the whole group. Few of us understand the powerful influences that we can have, either for good or for evil, in group settings.
In Mark 10, we read the story of blind Bartimaeus, who was expendable in the crowd’s eyes. But when Jesus showed compassion and respect for him, others began to see Bartimaeus’s worth as well. Their rebuking tone changed to one of acceptance because of Jesus’ respect for Bartimaeus. They called to Bartimaeus, “Cheer up! On your feet! [Jesus] is calling you.”
It takes courage to accept and love those who have been rejected by society. But we are called to follow Jesus’ example of showing compassion for all. As we love those whom our peers deem unworthy, it will empower our peers to follow our example.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Father God, sometimes it’s not easy to accept and love those who are disrespected by others. Through your grace provide us with courage to love all people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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