At worship this morning, I asked you all to keep some specific matters in prayer. Here they are:
After worship today one of you asked me if the prayers from the message would be on my blog, so here they are:
Prayer for someone who wants to experience the radical love of Jesus for the first time:
Heavenly Father, I want to know you. I want to experience your love today. I open my life and ask Jesus to come in right now. Forgive my sins. I commit to following Jesus and receiving your radical agape love right now. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Prayer for someone who already knows Jesus as Savior and Lord, but wants to recommit to a daily life of living out His radical love:
God, thank you for loving me. Today I commit to live a life of radical love, to love others in a radical, agape way, the way You love me. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me and Your Spirit to live in me. Thank You for loving me. Empower me to love others as You have first loved me. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 Reading for the Day: Mat. 13-14 and Acts 19-20 Focus on Acts 20:20b
Today's focus is one half of one verse: Acts 20:20b "I taught you publicly and from house to house." Pastor Dale Galloway calls this Paul's "20/20 Vision." The vision is to preach and teach the Good News of Jesus publicly--most likely in the marketplace, since there weren't any church buildings yet, and the early believers were already starting to be banned from synagogues; and from house to house--small group ministry! Every church that seeks to be effective in growing people past infancy in the life in Jesus Christ needs to have both a "public" preaching and teaching ministry AND home groups. Those home groups may be "official" as our L.I.F.E. Home Groups. They may also be formed in families, as part of missions teams, in informal gatherings of believers. The key will be that Jesus is lifted up, His word is taught, and people encourage one another to be and live more like Jesus. Reading God's word on our own is good. Reflecting on it, praying through it and living it out in community is even better.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your instructions that show us how we can grow as Your children and followers. Give me the wisdom to read Your word daily, to interact with other believers through the week, and to worship You with the whole body of believers on Sundays. Let me learn and live Your truth in the power of the Holy Spirit that You may be glorified in all I am and do. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matt. 11-12 and Acts 16-18 Focus on Mat. 11
I've always felt bad for John the Baptist. He grew up in the wilderness/desert (The Greek word can mean either) either by himself, or possibly with a group of Jews known as "Essenes." The Essenes were a group of ascetics. They wouldn't have been much fun at a party. John's ministry was equally serious. His one sermon was basically "Repent and avoid going to hell!" The highlight of his ministry had to be when Jesus came to him to be baptized. At some point after that John was arrested for telling King Herod that he was committing adultery by marrying his brother's wife. While John was in prison, he sent a group of his followers to Jesus with a simple question: Are you really the Messiah? John, and many others, expected Jesus to be a political leader who would overthrow the Romans and establish
Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending the right man to prepare the way for Jesus. John's humility and steadfastness are amazing. I pray that you will guide me to live my life with the same humility and steadfastness, and with great assurance because of Jesus' salvation in my life. Empower me today by the Holy Spirit to show others the faithfulness of John and the joy of Jesus. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matt. 9-10 and Acts 13-15 Focus on Matt. 9:9-13
Matthew 9:9-13 has always been one of my favorite Scriptures. Why? Because Jesus called the most unlikely guy in the world to be His disciple: Matthew. Matthew was everything a disciple is not: He was a traitor, probably a crook, undoubtedly hated by most of the people who knew him who weren't tax collectors. Yet, Jesus CHOSE him! Then, Matthew threw a party for all his friends. He wanted them to meet Jesus. As the party rolled on the Pharisees--the religious guys-- showed up and asked WHY? Why a sinner? Why does the "Master" eat with sinners? The short answer: That's all there are: sinners. The passage shows three kinds of sinners: The tax collector sinners, who knew they were sinners; the disciple sinners, who were already being transformed by Jesus; and the Pharisee sinners, whose chief sins were hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Jesus made it clear that He had come to call SINNERS to repentance. By God's grace, we who ARE sinners, have been called into God's family through the shed blood of Jesus. Matthew gives hope to all of us, because if Jesus could call Him, then Jesus can call us!
Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for having Jesus choose Matthew. Thank You for showing me in that selection that You have room in Your family for every, single one of us. God, forgive me for my sins, and fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit that I may live in humility and love toward everyone I know. May my life be blessed by You so I can be a blessing in Jesus' name to everyone around me. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matthew 7-8 and Acts 10-12 Focus on Acts 10
God knew Peter wouldn't be receptive to taking the Good News of Jesus to the Gentiles. Thus, He gave Peter a vision that would open the door to the task, and he repeated the vision three times. The vision was of "unclean" animals that God told Peter to eat. Peter was undoubtedly not the most devout Jew who ever lived. His work as a fisherman wouldn't have permitted that. Even though Jesus had pronounced all foods "clean" during His ministry on earth, Peter persisted in following Jewish dietary laws. We can be sure that Peter would have seen presenting the Good News to Gentiles--non-Jews--to be outside of what was right or acceptable. The vision, and it's repetition for a second and third time got the message across: God's salvation through Jesus is open to EVERYONE! That IS good news! Think about people in your life with whom you wouldn't ordinarily associate. Maybe there's a group at work or school who won't associate with you. That may be just the group with whom God is calling you to share the Good News. After all, no group is "unclean" to God. He calls us to reach out to everyone. Thank God for His inclusive love. Otherwise, we may be separated from Him, since most of us are "Gentiles" by birth. Take the time right now to ask God to open your heart to the "unclean" ones in your life.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for including me in the ones who are "clean." Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross for me, even though no one could ever deserve such a sacrifice. Use me today to show Your amazing grace and love to those around me that the world--and maybe even I--view as unclean. Let me see with Your eyes, and love with Your heart. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matt. 5-6 and Acts 7-9 Focus on Matthew 5
An interesting detail from the Sermon on the Mount is at the very beginning we're told that Jesus went up on a mountain. In other words, if anyone wanted to hear what Jesus had to say that day, they had to CLIMB a mountain. Sometimes Jesus is portrayed as "sweet and nice." Jesus was far from sweet and nice. He expected those who wanted to follow Him to make a serious commitment. Yes, Jesus healed those who had no commitment to Him. He fed the hungry regardless of their level of commitment to Him, but those who would be His disciples, His followers, He expected to "climb a mountainside," He expected (and still expects!) to press forward in Him. I once heard Tony Campolo say something like this: When we look back on this generation of Christians, (he made the comment in the 1980's) it will not be said that too much was expected of us, but too little. The New Testament Challenge is in keeping with Jesus' challenge for His followers to offer our best effort for Him. I encourage you to keep up with the readings, to be part of a L.I.F.E. Home group if you can and to be in worship every Sunday. Those aren't big commitments, but small daily commitments (such as climbing a mountain to hear Jesus!) added together over time make for a life of discipleship that deepens our faith, and increases Jesus' credibility to those around us who see us putting Him first.
Heavenly Father, I commit myself to putting You first in all I think say and do today! Fill me with Your Holy spirit that I may fulfill my role as a follower of Jesus--to love Him with everything I am, and to use all I have to help others know and love Him, too. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matthew 3-4; Acts 4-6 Focus on Acts 5
The account of Ananias and Sapphira has always impressed me. I don't know when I first read it, but I'm sure it was as a small boy. The passage makes it clear that honesty IS the best policy. Imagine the impact in our day if someone brought a gift to the Lord and because of not being forthright about it the Holy Spirit took the person out. It sounds so harsh. And yet, Ananias and Sapphira almost did something great. They sold their house and gave a lot of the proceeds to the work of the church. That would have been great. Their sin wasn't in keeping something for themselves, but in portraying to everyone that they had given ALL the proceeds to God. We're told that when the other believers found out what happened that great fear fell upon them. I'm sure it did! They had to examine their hearts and motivations. The purity of their hearts must have increased, as they realized that God took them seriously in ALL aspects of life. What area or areas of your life need to be purified by the Holy Spirit today? Lay them before the Lord, and ask for Him to renew you by the Holy Spirit. After all, He already knows what they are, and the blessing of having Him transform us may mean that our witness impacts others to trust Him as their Savior and Lord as well.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace in Jesus Christ that removes the penalty of sin, which is death. Let me be a light for You today, that others may be drawn to know and trust You. too. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010 Reading for the Day: Matthew 1-2; Acts 1-3 Focus on Acts 2
When I read Acts 2, I think about the many times I have travelled to places where English is not the primary language: Mexico, China, Thailand and Cambodia. While I speak enough Spanish to get by in Mexico, the other countries have presented a much greater challenge, because I can't even ask directions or say, "Have you ever heard of Jesus" in their languages. Imagine what it must have been like when people from dozens of countries, who spoke so many different languages were suddenly able to understand the Good News of Jesus in their OWN language! No wonder the folks in the crowd either thought that something strange was going on, or even that the apostles were drunk. What happened made no sense from a human perspective. Everyone there that day--including the apostles--KNEW they couldn't communicate with people from that many nations and backgrounds, but God opened a door by the Holy Spirit. God continues to do that EVERY day. As you finish your readings for today, take a little time and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and to give you the opportunity to break through barriers (they may not be language barriers, but barriers of prejudice, or background, or many others)so those around you at school, work, or out in the community will hear God's words in their language. Here's a prayer each of us may offer today:
Heavenly Father, fill me anew with your Holy Spirit that I may communicate the Good News of salvation through Jesus to all I meet. Let my thoughts, words and actions point to You. Use me, as you used the first apostles to tell those around them of Your greatness and salvation. This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
I'm passionate about Jesus, devoted to Nancy, Abby and Emmy, and live to see others know Jesus!
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