Sunday, June 30, 2019

The Daily Grace - Raise Your Hand



The St. Olaf Choir from Northfield, Minnesota, is renowned for making beautiful music. One reason for its excellence is the selection process. Applicants are chosen based not only on how well they sing but also on how they sound as part of the whole. Another reason is that all members agree to make the choir their first priority and commit to a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule.

One of the things that intrigue me the most about this choir is what happens during rehearsals. Whenever members make a mistake, they raise their hand. Instead of trying to hide the blunder, they call attention to it! This allows the conductor to help each singer learn the difficult part, and it increases the likelihood of a flawless performance.

I think this is the kind of community Jesus was establishing when He told Nicodemus that God sent His Son into the world to save it, not condemn it (John 3:17). Shortly after this conversation, Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman at the public well. He made it easy for her to admit failure by promising her a better way of life where she could enjoy His forgiveness (John 4). As members of Christ's body on Earth, we should not fear to admit our wrongs but welcome it as an opportunity to together experience and rejoice in the forgiveness of God. We can't put our sins behind us until we are ready to face them.

Today We Pray




Dear Lord, thank You that we do not have to be weighed down by worry. Help us to place our concerns in Your care so that we do not fear tomorrow. Lead me, Lord, and let your Holy Spirit guide me.

Let me do Your will in my every action, and know Your will, that I might do it. Help me not be deceived by false assertions or glib intelligence, by those who would excuse or promote sinful actions, by those who simply do not know; and above all, help me not to deceive myself. Guide me away from excuses and rationalizations when I have sinned, but into Your holy truth, that I might know my sin, and correct what I can, and ask forgiveness for what I cannot. 

Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praises; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless until it repose in Thee. Now to him who by his power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or imagine — to him be glory in the Church through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. By the grace and mercy of holy Christ, I ask this.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Jeremiah 15:16




The Bible is also our spiritual food. It gives us power and strength. It is because the content of it are the promises of the Lord, His Words and stories. Let us eat our spiritual food everyday like a solid food to strengthen us each day.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

The Daily Grace - A Worry List




I was worried about a few things as I sat in my car under a shade tree at lunchtime. Then a robin, with a fat worm dangling from its mouth, landed near my door and looked up at me. The robin was a vivid reminder to me of Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-26, "Do not worry about your life. . . Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Years ago, in an article in the Denver Seminary magazine Focal Point, Paul Borden gave some helpful suggestions for worriers:
Start a worry list. Write down what you're worried about. The bills. Your job. Your children or grandchildren. Your health. The future.
Turn your worry list into a prayer list. Ask the Lord to work in those situations you're concerned about. Pray specifically for your needs and depend on Him.
Turn your prayer list into an action list. If you have any insight that there's something you can do about your cares, do it. As we turn our worries into prayer and action, Borden says, "Paralyzing anxiety can be replaced by concern for the responsibilities of life".

What you have made a matter of prayer should cease to be a matter of care. Don't fret about the future or be consumed by cares. Instead, take all your worries and turn them into prayers. Why not start your list right now?

Today We Pray




Dear God, thank You for the love and the grace that You showered on me. Thank You for creating me in Your image and likeness. Thank You for making me Your temple.

Help me to choose to follow You, to live in a Christian way by caring for others. Remind me to consider always those less fortunate than myself, the oppressed, the prisoner, those who are not free to worship in public. Guide me always to seek Your holy will in all the events of my life.

Let me not forget my prayers as I go out into the world. Holy Spirit, be with me and let me praise You and remember You in my every action and thought, for the entire day long. In Christ's name, I ask this.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 1 John 4:4


We are greater than anything in this world. It is because we belong to God, the Creator of the Universe. We, believers, are of God and we belong to Him. We have already overcome the agents of the anti-christ!

Rise up O men of God! Because He who is in you is greater than Satan who is in the world. Satan is a person of sinful mankind. Defeat the enemy. Overcome the world. Fight the good fight of faith.

Friday, June 28, 2019

The Daily Grace - Rescued




A South African man surprised nine men robbing his home. Seven of the robbers ran away, but the homeowner managed to shove two into his backyard pool. After realizing that one of the robbers couldn't swim, the homeowner jumped in to save him. The Cape Times reports that once out of the pool, the wet thief called to his friends to come back. Then he pulled a knife and threatened the man who had just rescued him. The homeowner said, "We were still standing near the pool, and when I saw the knife, I just threw him back in. But he was gasping for air and was drowning. So I rescued him again".

In his letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul wrote of another rescue: God the Father had saved them from the domain of darkness. This rescue occurred at the death of Christ, but also at the Colossians' conversion. The imagery Paul used (1:12-13) suggests that believers have been rescued from the dark reign of Satan by being transferred as free people into the peaceable rule of Christ. By Jesus' death, believers become free citizens in the kingdom of light.

The appropriate response to such amazing grace is to show joyous gratitude by offering God acceptable service with reverence and awe (Heb. 12:28). Through the cross, Jesus rescued and redeemed the rebellious. His love would spare no pain to conquer death and win. God sent His only Son to die and to rescue us from sin.

Today We Pray




Dear God, today is a blessed beautiful day and I praise You for allowing me another day to be on this earth. I ask that You touch those whose hearts have turned cold and no longer care. I pray that they see Your way is the greater way. 

I thank You that I have the Scriptures to search and that they testify of Christ, for in them I can find eternal life. I thank You, Father, for the preservation of Your teachings through time, and despite the constant efforts of men to destroy it or change it, that through them I might find patience, and hope, and truth, and life. And having learned so much, I thank You that I can hear with my ears Your wonderful works, the testimony of the earth and the spirit, like a light shining in the darkness.

Now, to God the Father, who first loved us, and made us accepted in the Beloved; to God the Son, who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to God the Holy Ghost, who sheddeth the love of God abroad in our hearts, be all love and all glory in time and to all eternity.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 2 Corinthians 5:17

                                      

Once you are already in Christ, you are renewed. You are not your old self anymore. Your past is forgotten. You are a brand new you, a new version of yourself. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is already seated in the throne of your heart. The Almighty God is already ruling and directing your life. Rejoice and be glad! You are refreshed by God. Isn't that amazing? Start a new life today and smile! Jesus Loves You!

Thursday, June 27, 2019

The Daily Grace - No Drifting



At the end of one school semester, my wife and I picked up our daughter from her school 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. On our way back home, we detoured to a nearby beach resort for snacks. While enjoying our time there, we watched the boats at the seashore. Usually, they are anchored to prevent them from drifting away, but I noticed one boat drifting unhindered among the others - slowly and steadily making its way out to sea.

As we drove home, I reflected on the timely caution given to believers in the book of Hebrews: "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (Heb. 2:1). We have good reason to stay close. The author of Hebrews says that while the Mosaic law was reliable and needed to be obeyed, the message of the Son of God is far superior. Our salvation is "so great" in Jesus that He shouldn't be ignored (v. 3).

Drifting in our relationship with God is hardly noticeable at first; it happens gradually. However, spending time talking with Him in prayer and reading His Word, confessing our wrongs to Him, and interacting with other followers of Jesus can help us stay anchored in Him. As we connect with the Lord regularly, He will be faithful to sustain us, and we can avoid drifting away. What do you know about Jesus that keeps you wanting to be near Him? To avoid drifting away from God, stay anchored to the Rock.

Today We Pray



Dear Lord, I come before You today and I thank You for all the blessings that You have given me. Many times my life is so full of busy work that I neglect my relationship with You: for that, I am truly sorry. I know that You never neglect me, for if You did my very life would cease to be.

Grant me always a sense of eternity when seeking possessions, when dealing with possessions, and especially steer me away from the pride of ownership. For it is a temporary thing and filled with sinful pride, to think that I am elevated by what I possess: my money, my house, my appearance, my intelligence, my achievements—for all are things of this world. Turn my mind always to eternity and inhabit the forefront of my mind with the only true and enduring possessions I have: Your love, Your grace, and Your mercy.

Continue to pull me to Yourself, guide me in my journey, and hold me close in Your bosom until the day I come home to be with You forever. Be with me, and with those who pray with me, for although we are in different places around the world, we gather spiritually in Your name. May we feel your presence among us.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Hebrews 2:1

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 Because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past them and slip away. Listen carefully to those truths. It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard, which is the truth about Jesus so that we don’t drift off from it. This is a great way to be saved.

So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not be pulled away from the truth. And, the truth is, Jesus is the only way, also the truth, and the life. No one else can save you but only through Christ alone. Once you wholeheartedly receive Him in your life, you are saved.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Daily Grace - Hidden Mysteries



Most of what goes on in the universe we never see. Many things are too small or move too fast or even too slow for us to see. Using modern technology, however, filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg is able to show stunning video images of some of those things - a caterpillar's mouth, the eye of a fruit fly, the growth of a mushroom.

Our limited ability to see the awesome and intricate detail of things in the physical world reminds us that our ability to see and understand what's happening in the spiritual realm is equally limited. God is at work all around us doing things more wonderful than we can imagine. But our spiritual vision is limited and we cannot see them. The prophet Elisha, however, actually got to see the supernatural work that God was doing. God also opened the eyes of his fearful colleague so he too could see the heavenly army sent to fight on their behalf (2 Kings 6:17).

Fear makes us feel weak and helpless and causes us to think we are alone in the world. But God has assured us that His Spirit in us is greater than any worldly power (1 John 4:4). Whenever we become discouraged by the evil we can see, we need to think instead about the good work God is doing that we cannot see. Eyes of faith see God at work in everything.

Today We Pray



Dear Lord, there is a time and place for everything, as the saying goes. Grant that I may always desire to spend time in Your presence and to hear Your call. I want to know Your will in my life today.

I'm tempted to fear what I cannot understand or control. But, my security rests in You and not in what happens to me or around me. Help me to rest in Your unfailing love.

Bless all Your people and all your flock. Give Your peace, Your help, and Your love unto us Your servants, the sheep of Your fold. May we be united in the bond of peace and love, one body and one spirit, in one hope of our calling, in Your divine and boundless love.

Amen

Monday, June 24, 2019

The Daily Grace - A Firm Place to Stand



The historic riverwalk area of Savannah, Georgia, is paved with mismatched cobblestones. Local residents say that centuries ago, the stones provided ballast for ships as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. When cargo was loaded in Georgia, the ballast stones were no longer needed, so they were used to pave the streets near the docks. Those stones had accomplished their primary job - stabilizing the ship through dangerous waters.

The days in which we live can feel as turbulent as the high seas. Like sailing ships of old, we need stability to help us navigate our way through the storms of life. David faced danger as well, and he celebrated the character of God for providing him with stability after he had endured a desperate time. He declared, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit; out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Ps. 40:2).  David's experience was one of conflict, personal failure, and family strife, yet God gave him a place to stand. So David sang "a hymn of praise to our God" (v. 3).

In times of difficulty, we too can look to our powerful God for the stability only He brings. His faithful care inspires us to say with David, "Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us" (v. 5). When the world around us is crumbling, Christ is the solid Rock on which we stand.

Today We Pray



Dear Lord, let all who take refuge in You rejoice. Let us ever sing for joy. Let those who confess Your name raise up their voice, filling the air with glorious noise.

Sometimes there is something in my heart and I cannot find the words. Or sometimes, there are prayers I have wanted to pray and have forgotten. Come to me in Your Holy Spirit, Lord God, I humbly ask of You, and find the prayers of my heart.

Thank You, Lord God, for the gift of Your Spirit. I pray for Your help in obeying your will. In the name of Christ, I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Psalm 40:2

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God will always save us. Like, He will lift us out of the ditch and pull us from deep mud. He will always make us stand upon a solid rock to make sure we wouldn’t slip. He will steady us as we walk along.

Like an old hymn that says: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand - all other ground is sinking sand", we need not worry when we fall because He will make us stand up.

The Daily Grace - Walking on Water



When I learned to sail, I had to walk along a very unsteady floating platform to reach the little boats in which we had our lessons. I hated it. I don't have a good sense of balance and was terrified of falling between the platform and the boat as I attempted to get in. I nearly gave up. "Fix your eyes on me", said the instructor. "I'm here, and I'll catch you if you slip". I did what he said, and I am now the proud possessor of a basic sailing proficiency certificate!

Do you avoid taking risks at all costs? Many of us are reluctant to step out of our comfort zones in case we fail, get hurt, or look stupid. But if we allow that fear to bind us, we'll end up afraid to do anything. The story of Peter's water-walking adventure and why it supposedly failed is a popular choice for preachers (Matt. 14:22-33). But I don't think I've ever heard any of them discuss the behavior of the rest of the disciples. 

In my opinion, Peter was a success. He felt the fear but responded to the call of Jesus anyway. Maybe it was those who never tried at all who failed. Jesus risked everything for us. What are we prepared to risk for Him? As the famous Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing".

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Today We Pray



Dear Lord, I adore You as my true God, with God the Father and God the Son. I adore You and unite myself to the adoration You receive from the angels and saints. I give You my heart and I offer my ardent thanksgiving for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.

Thank You for the promise that You will never leave me. May the reality of Your constant supporting presence fill my heart with comfort, confidence, and courage. Do with me according to Your mercy and not according to my evil and wickedness.

Thank You for stretching out Your hand and saying, "Come". Help me to get out of the boat, knowing that it is totally safe to walk on water with You. I submit to Your will, this day and always. 

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Hebrews 13:6

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The Lord is always there in times of need. Do not be seized with alarm. And, do not fear or dread or be terrified. Take comfort and be encouraged that He is always there with you.

God is there, ready to help. So, be fearless no matter what. Do not be afraid of anything that a mere man can do to you. People can’t do anything to us because the Lord is our stronghold. He is the mighty and immortal one.

The Daily Grace - Serving Christ



"I'm a secretary", a friend told me. "When I tell people this, they sometimes look at me with a certain pity. But when they find out who I secretary for, they open their eyes with admiration!" In other words, society often defines some jobs as less important than others, unless those jobs happen to relate in some way to rich or famous people.

For the child of God, however, any occupation, regardless of the earthly boss, can be held proudly because we serve the Lord Jesus. In Ephesians 6, Paul talks to servants and masters. He reminds both groups that we serve one Master who is in heaven. So we need to do everything with sincerity of heart, integrity, and respect because we are serving and working for Christ Himself. As the apostle Paul reminds us, "Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not people" (Eph. 6:7).

What a privilege to serve God in everything we do, whether answering a phone or driving a car or doing housework or running a business. Let us work with a smile today, remembering that no matter what we are doing, we are serving God. Serving shows our love for God. Serve the Lord with gladness today!

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Today We Pray



Dear Lord, I want to serve You in everything I do. Help me, as I begin each day, to remember this. Blessed be my sovereign, Lord!

Do not allow me to be insensible to these daily mercies. Your hand bestows blessings; Your power averts evil. I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, the full warmth of faith, the cheering presence of our Spirit, the strength of Your restraining will, Your spiking of hell’s artillery. 

I pray to You, dearest Jesus, for all the graces I need to know You, to love You and serve You faithfully unto death, and to save my soul. Give me a tender and fervent devotion to Your sacred passion by which I was redeemed, venerating You each day in prayer. And, teach me how to unite sorrows and sufferings of my life with Your own.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Ephesians 6:5-6



 Servants, obey your masters with deep respect and fear. Be eager to give them your very best. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. Don’t work hard only when your master is watching and then shirk when he isn’t looking; work hard and with gladness all the time, as though working for Christ, doing the will of God with all your hearts. Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart, you must do what God wants you to do.

Respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.

Friday, June 21, 2019

The Daily Grace - The Challenge of Transition



After former professional athlete Chris Sanders suffered a career-ending injury, he told a group of military veterans that although he had never experienced combat, "I understand the pressures of transitions". Whether it's the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage, a serious illness, or a financial setback, every major change brings challenges. The former athlete told the soldiers that the key to success when you are transitioning into a new way of living is to reach out and get help.

The book of Joshua is recommended reading whenever we find ourselves in transition. After 40 years of wandering and setbacks, God's people were poised to enter the Promised Land. Moses, their great leader, had died, and Joshua, his assistant, was in charge. God told Joshua to "be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go" (Josh. 1:7). God's words of direction were to be the bedrock of Joshua's leadership in every situation.

The Lord's charge and promise to Joshua apply to us as well: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (v. 9). He is with us in every transition. God remains faithful in every change.

Today We Pray




Dear Lord, fill us with Your holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun, and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory, then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.

Keep us mindful that Your presence with us in times of temptation means that we need not fall. Give us the desire to seek Your way out so we can know the joy of living a life that is pleasing to You. Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness.

And finally, may the grace of Christ our Savior, and the Father's boundless love, with the Holy Spirit's favor, rest upon me, and all of us, from above. Thus may we abide in union, with each other and the Lord, and possess, in sweet communion, joys which earth cannot afford. This is all we ask, In Christ Name, we pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Psalm 46:1




God is a safe place to hide. He is always ready to help when we need Him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, and the tremors that shift mountains. He is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble.

When in distress, call on Him. Through every storm of life, He will be always by our side. Hold on to His promises. He will never let go of us.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

The Daily Grace - Learning to Love




Love does more than make "the world go round", as an old song says. It also makes us immensely vulnerable. From time to time, we may say to ourselves: "Why love when others do not show appreciation?" or "Why love and open myself up to hurt?" But the apostle Paul gives a clear and simple reason to pursue love: "These three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Follow the way of love" (1 Cor. 13:13-14:1). "Love is an activity, the essential activity of God himself", writes Bible commentator  C.K. Barret, "and when men love either Him or their fellow-men, they are doing (however imperfectly) what God does". And God is pleased when we act like Him. 

To begin following the way of love, think about how you might live out the characteristics listen in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. For example, how can I show my child the same patience God shows me? How can I show kindness and respect for my parents? What does it mean to look out for the interests of others when I am at work? When something good happens to my friend, do I rejoice with her or am I envious? As we "follow the way of love", we'll find ourselves often turning to God, the source of love, and to Jesus, the greatest example of love. Only then will we gain a deeper knowledge of what true love is and find the strength to love others like God loves us.

Today We Pray



Dear God, thank You that You are love and that You love me so much. Help me to love others the way Jesus showed us so that the whole world will know that I am Your child. And, open my eyes to behold Your gracious hand in all Your works; that rejoicing in Your whole creation, I may learn to serve You with gladness, faithfully managing your bounty; for the sake of him by whom all things were made, Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Help me, Heavenly Father, to stand up against sin, to resist whatever temptation I may encounter this day, in whatever form it may come. Your Word promises that you will provide a way out of any temptation. I pray to be able to find it and to have the wisdom to use it and to walk away when temptation arises.

All thanks be to You, O Lord, for You are a faithful deliverer. And, I can count on Your help in my time of need. All glory and honor belong to You, mighty God!

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 1 John 4:7


Love one another. God commanded us countless times in the Bible that we must never stop loving others. Even if they are unlovable, try your best to love them. Ask God for it to help you.

We are also unlovable, human as we are, we sin countless times too. But God still accepted us, who is the Author of Love. So, it is a challenge to have love for others no matter who are they and what they are. Be filled with His love so that you can love others.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

The Daily Grace - A Missing Sheep



Laura loaded a borrowed goat and sheep into a trailer to transport them to church for a rehearsal of a live nativity. The animals head-butted and chased each other for a bit and then settle down. Laura started for the church but first had to stop for gas. While pumping the gas, she noticed the goat standing in the parking lot! And the sheep was gone! In the commotion of getting them settled, she had forgotten to lock one of the latches. Laura called the sheriff and some friends who searched frantically along a stretch of businesses, cornfields, and woods during the last daylight hours. Many were praying that she would find the borrowed animal.

The next morning, Laura and a friend went out to post "Lost Sheep" flyers at local businesses. Their first stop was the gas station. A customer overheard them asking the cashier about posting a flyer and said, "I think I know where your sheep is!" The sheep had wandered to his neighbor's farm, where he had put it in the barn for the night. 

The Lord cares about lost sheep - including you and me. Jesus came from heaven to earth to show us His love and provide salvation (John 3:16). He goes to great lengths to seek and find us (Luke 19:10). When the sheep was found, Laura nicknamed her Miracle. And God's salvation of us is a miracle of His grace. The Good Sheperd gives His life for His sheep (John 10:11).

Today's Godly Reminder - Psalm 100:3

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Know this: God is God. Fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God. He made us; we didn’t make Him. We’re His people, His well-tended sheep. 

Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He takes care of us like a shepherd taking care of the sheep. We belong to His flock. How good it is that the Great Shepherd takes care of us.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

The Daily Grace - Look at the Tassels



Best-selling author Chaim Potok began his novel The Chosen by describing a baseball game between two Jewish teams in New York City. Reuven Malter, the book's main character, notices that the opposing player's uniforms have a unique accessory - four long ropelike tassels that extend below each teammate's shirt. Reuven recognizes the tassels as a sign of strict obedience to God's Old Testament laws.

The history of these fringes - known as tzitzit - began with a message from God. Through Moses, God told His people to create tassels containing some strands of blue thread and attach them to the four corners of their top garments (Num. 15:38). God said, "You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commandments of the Lord, that you may obey them" (v. 39). 

God's memory device for the ancient Israelites has a parallel for us today. We can look at Christ who consistently kept the whole law in our place and obeyed His heavenly Father (John 8:29). Having received His work on our behalf, "clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" (Rom. 13:14). Keeping our eyes on God's Son helps us to honor our heavenly Father. If Christ is the center of your life, you'll always be focused on Him.

Today We Pray



Dear Jesus, I give You my love without reservation. Your words are sacred and I aspire to live by them, this day and always. I glorify You for Your sacrifice of pain and death, made out Your love for us, that all who follow You might find salvation and eternal life.

Do not leave me without a portion of the blessed eternity. Grant also that I may follow Thy Holy example, that I may submit to the authorities placed over me. Grant me the clean soul, the simplicity of heart that makes us worthy of Thy love.

May God the Father bless us and take care of us. May the Holy Ghost enlighten us all the days of our life. The Lord be our defender and keeper of body and soul, both now and forever, to the ages of ages.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Hebrews 10:24




Let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another. Studying how we may stir up or stimulate and incite to love and do helpful deeds and noble activities. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on. In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good. We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Monday, June 17, 2019

The Daily Grace - Defeat or Victory?




Each year on June 18, the great Battle of Waterloo is recalled in what is now Belgium. On that day in 1815, Napoleon's French army was defeated by a multinational force commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Since then, the phrase "to meet your Waterloo" has come to mean "to be defeated by someone who is too strong for you or by a problem that is too difficult for you".

When it comes to our spiritual lives, some people feel that ultimate failure is inevitable and it's only a matter of time until each of us will "meet our Waterloo". But John refuted that pessimistic view when he wrote to followers of Jesus: "Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

John weaves this theme of spiritual victory throughout his first letter as he urges us not to love the things this world offers, which will soon fade away (2:15-17). Instead, we are to love and please God, "And this is what he promised us - eternal life" (2:25). While we may have ups and downs in life, and even some battles that feel like defeats, the ultimate victory is ours in Christ as we trust in His power. When it comes to problems, the way out is to trust God on the way through.

Today We Pray




Dear Heavenly Father, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. O Lord my God, I praise You for Your gifts to me.

The culture around us can seem so harsh and hard on people when they fail. Help me to show grace and patience. Because You have been gracious to me and have forgiven my sin.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within me all this day. And whatever I do in word or deed, may I do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. All praise to Thee, Eternal Lord, clothed in a garb of flesh and blood; choosing a manger for a throne, while worlds on worlds are Thine alone.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - James 1:5



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If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. 

If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him. He will not resent it. Just come and ask, don't hesitate to come boldly into His presence.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

The Daily Grace - Learning to Love




Love does more than make "the world go round", as an old song says. It also makes us immensely vulnerable. From time to time, we may say to ourselves: "Why love when others do not show appreciation?" or "Why love and open myself up to hurt?" But the apostle Paul gives a clear and simple reason to pursue love: "These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Follow the way of love" (1 Cor. 13:13 - 14:1). "Love is an activity, the essential activity of God himself", writes Bible commentator C.K. Barrett, "and when men love either Him or their fellow-men, they are doing (however imperfectly) what God does". And God is pleased when we act like Him. 

To begin following the way of love, think about how you might live out the characteristics listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. For example, how can I show my child the same patience God shows me? How can I show kindness and respect for my parents? What does it mean to look out for the interests of others when I am at work? When something good happens to my friend, do I rejoice with her or am I envious? As we "follow the way of love", we'll find ourselves often turning to God, the source of love, and to Jesus, the greatest example of love. Only then will we gain a deeper knowledge of what true love is and find the strength to love others like God loves us.

Today We Pray




Dear Heavenly Father, I give You thanks for Your holy name which You have caused to dwell in my heart. And, for the knowledge and faith and immortality which You have made known to me through Jesus Your servant. Above all I give thanks because You are mighty; to You be the glory forever.

Cleanse my humble soul of all corporal and spiritual stain. Grant that I may during this day walk in thy Word, and this night have a peaceful sleep, so that on rising from my humble bed, I should continue to praise Thy holy Name throughout all the days of my life, and that I be victorious over all the physical and spiritual enemies battling against me. Deliver me, O Lord, from all vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil desires. 

God of mercy, swift to help: as my lips pour forth Your praise, fill my heart with the peace You give to those who wait for Your salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. In Your Name, I pray.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Proverbs 12:18

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 There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword. Some people like to make cutting remarks. Rash language cuts and maims. But the tongue of the wise brings healing. The words of the wise soothe and heal. There is healing in the words of the wise. Sharp words cut like a sword. But, words of wisdom heal. 

Speak with love. Guard your words. Let it be a blessing, not a stumbling block. But, always speak the truth with care.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

The Daily Grace - Abba, Father



The scene belonged on a funny Father's Day card. As a dad muscled a lawn mower ahead of him with one hand, he expertly towed a child's wagon behind him with the other. In the wagon sat his three-year-old daughter, delighted at the noisy tour of their yard. This might not be the safest choice, but who says men can't multitask? If you had a good dad, a scene like that can invoke fantastic memories. But for many, "Dad" is an incomplete concept. Where are we to turn if our fathers are gone, or if they fail us, or even if they wound us?

King David certainly had his shortcomings as a father, but he understood the paternal nature of God. "A father to the fatherless", he wrote, "a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families" (Ps. 68:5-6). The apostle Paul expanded on that idea: "The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship". Then, using the Aramaic word for father - a term young children would use for their dad - Paul added, "By him, we cry, 'Abba Father' " (Rom. 8:15). This is the same word Jesus used when He prayed in anguish to His Father the night He was betrayed (Mark 14:36).

What a privilege to come to God using the same intimate term for "father" that Jesus used! Our Abba Father welcomes into His family anyone who will turn to Him. A good father reflects the love of the heavenly Father. Happy Father's day to all fathers out there!

Today We Pray




Dear Lord, open my eyes as I turn to Your word. I long to know You, to understand life, and to be changed. Examine me, Lord, by the floodlight of Your truth.

Our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in Your likeness and image.

I pray that I and Your whole church, the body of all faithful people, will know Your peace, and live in harmony and unity, one with another, in accordance with your wishes. This I pray to You, who lives and reigns forever.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - Romans 8:15

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This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

And so we should not be like cringing, fearful slaves, but we should behave like God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, “Father, Father.” God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.

Friday, June 14, 2019

The Daily Grace - Teaching by Example




While waiting for an eye examination, I was struck by a statement I saw in the optometrist's office: "Eighty percent of everything children learn in their first 12 years is through their eyes". I began thinking of all that children visually process through reading, television, film, events, surroundings, and observing the behavior of others, especially their families.

Fathers can have an especially powerful influence on their children. Paul urged fathers not to frustrate them to the point of anger, but to "bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). Think of the powerful example of a dad whose behavior and consistency inspire admiration from his children. He's not perfect, but he's moving in the right direction. A great power for good is at work when our actions reflect the character of God, rather than distort it.

That's challenging for any parent, so it's no coincidence that Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph. 6:10). Only through His strength can we reflect the love and patience of our Heavenly Father. We teach our children far more from how we live than by what we say. We honor fathers who not only gave us life but who also show us how to live.

Today We Pray




Dear Lord, may my life be so pleasing to You that You are pleased to have Your face shine on me. And as You graciously smile on my life, may I find someone today with whom I can share Your love through a smile. Thank You for the promises in Your Word that assure us You’ve planned our path and remain with us and for us, no matter what comes.

Work another miracle, a prodigy of grace. Make my soul a beautiful, living Tabernacle where You will ever dwell. Let me never leave You alone, but remind me to return hundreds of times in the day and have a word with You.

All through this day, O Lord, by the power of Your quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak, or the life I live. Let me be a channel of blessing to everyone today. This I pray, in Christ's Name.

Amen

Today's Godly Reminder - 1 Corinthians 11:1




"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."

This is Paul's words to the Corinth. Since Paul is a good and perfect example of a follower of Christ, he instructed them that they should imitate him like Paul imitated Jesus. We, Christians, should do godly things in this world. We should be the role models to the people of this world. 

Let our lives be a blessing to others. Let others see Jesus in you. Let us follow His ways and His examples on how He relate to the people. Be a blessing today by imitating Christ.