“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”” -Mark 9:35

Anyway

In His Time

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” -Matthew 7:7-8

Thought for the Day

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”

 Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

                                                         

And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that  I did not run or labor in vain.” -

Philippians 2:14-16

Are you listening?

What a Difference! from The Upper Room

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 

6:1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
6:2 For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

 Acts 4:12

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.

January 13, 1982, was the darkest day of my life. After 35 years of self-centered living and countless poor decisions, I found myself standing in my barn on top of a bale of hay, with a rope around my neck.





Just before I stepped into oblivion, I heard a still, small voice ask, “What about your three sons?” In an instant, God used the thought of my children to show me that I could not turn my back on life.


January 14, 1982, found me in the science classroom of a teaching colleague who was a Christian. We talked, and I called on Jesus Christ to save me.



That day, I became a new creation. In time, I attended a Walk to Emmaus spiritual-renewal program, and eventually I began the process to enter professional ministry. I retired from teaching, and on July 2, 2006, I gave my first sermon in the wonderful country church where I am privileged to serve as pastor.



 No matter how badly we mishandle our lives, God does not forget us. God’s love and forgiveness are always available to give us a new start.

 The Author -Alfred A. Jaeger (New Jersey, USA) - The Upper Room

Thought for the Day

One conversation can transform a life.

Prayer

Loving God, help us to reach out to those who need to know that they are loved and that their lives matter. Amen.

Prayer focus -Those considering suicide

The greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
13:3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
13:4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant
13:5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
13:6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV)

 On my wedding day, our pastor surprised me by beginning the ceremony by reading 1 Corinthians 13, which had not been included in the rehearsal the night before. Maybe the special occasion caused me to hear this text in a new way, for I remember coming away with new insight. I had always heard these words as overly sentimental and associated the word love with romance. I realized that nothing in the Corinthians passage suggests such an understanding. The Bible relates love to the self-giving behavior of God.

As a recent seminary graduate, I had studied faith extensively, especially its role in salvation and the Christian life. I had always thought faith was the premier power at work in the world. That day, though, I heard that the greatest of the three eternal attributes is love. What a wonderful way to begin a marriage! Without the wooing of God’s love, I would never have come to faith in the first place. Without the love of my future spouse, I would never dream of making a lifelong commitment. And certainly, my love for our daughter these past 25 years has caused me to behave in ways I would not previously have imagined. I’ve come to see that love is the key to Christian living because when we love, the image of God is strongest in us. The Author Earl T. Dickerson (Kentucky, USA)
The Upper Room blog

 

Prayer

Merciful God, help us always to remember the power of your love. Amen.

“[Treasures in Heaven] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Matthew 6:19-21

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” -Amos 5:14-15

Psalm Prayer," based on Psalm 137 and adapted by Jerry Oakland

O GOD OF ALL TIMES AND PLACES, of all peoples and nations,
though our lives are filled with moments of misery,
days of despair,
periods of pain,
times of trial,
years of yearning,
we pray for your comfort and strength on each day of life's journey
as we walk in the light of your enduring grace.

Just Pray

 Pray without ceasing.

- 1 Thessalonians 5: (NRSV)¹⁵ See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
 

Mary was sick, and her condition seemed hopeless. Suffering from tuberculosis, she had become frail; most everyone felt she was near death. Even her mother had called family members to come to have a last visit with Mary before she died. When we went to pray for her, my faith was shaken. Even as we prayed, I didn’t believe her situation could change; I thought we would be called that same night to be informed of her death. One month later, Mary was still alive — no better, but no worse. At church one morning I noticed Mary’s mother crying.

 I was touched and began to ask God what to do. I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to visit Mary again to pray for her. I hesitated because her situation seemed hopeless; everybody knew she was dying. But God said in my heart, “Just do it.” So I obeyed. I went to Mary’s house after the service and prayed, even though I didn’t hold any hope. I “just did it.

”Two months later, I heard a knock at my door. When I opened it, Mary walked in. Her appearance had changed so much that I didn’t know it was she until she introduced herself. Mary is evidence of God’s power to heal. When you feel God’s prompting to pray, do it.

 

The Author Joseph Thomson Alum  (Nairobi, Kenya)

Thought for the Day

When God calls you to do something, just do it.

Prayer

God of miracles, open our eyes to see your works, even in situations that seem impossible to us. Amen.

Prayer focusThose living with chronic illness