Freely Receive, Freely Give

 

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:1-10  (NRSV)

 

“There are no free lunches!” I often hear this common expression in my daily life. Because I grew up in a merit-based society, I was taught to work for what I want to achieve. Study diligently for good grades, work hard for high wages, and dress to impress were some of the expectations set before me.





Yet our Father in heaven offers a totally different standard. God freely gives us the best gift in this world — God’s Son, Christ Jesus. People like me, and perhaps like you, who were taught to earn and not merely receive, have a tendency to try to earn everything — including our salvation.



 We may think that we need to be good, kind, pleasant, and charitable people. Yes, we may be good people according to this world’s standard. But one sin makes us sinners, and so we can never be good enough. Even so, God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. God gave the one Son to make all of us sons and daughters.

 

]The Author - Steffanie Berlian Simatupang (Jakarta, Indonesia) - from The Upper Room

 

Thought for the Day - I can offer the gift of Christ to someone today.

Prayer  -   Dear God, thank you for your grace that saves us. As we freely receive it, help us freely give by praying for and serving others. Amen.

Prayer focus - Workaholics - no time for God and family

“Let God Bless You”

 

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;    their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

¹⁰ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!     2 Corinthians 9:6-15  (NIV)

 

Late one night, standing on the platform waiting for a subway, I was approached by a homeless man. With no sign of the train, I turned an ear to hear his story — the same story I had heard from many who live on the streets of our city: drugs, crime, the loss of a loved one, and a life in disarray. He was just looking for some food. We had a light moment laughing about our favorite sports teams, and I felt moved to help him. As the train pulled in, I handed him more money than he might usually see, knowing it was enough to get him into safe, clean lodging around the corner. He was shocked at the gift, and I was shocked at the phrase that came from my lips: “Let God bless you.”

As the train pulled away, the meaning of that moment hit me. In that instant, God had brought two paths together — one where a blessing was needed and one where many blessings had already been given. I am incredibly thankful for the blessings of my life. But in that moment, I could see that I had been blessed to be a blessing, just as Paul had told the Christians in Corinth. Faith turns our hearts to God for blessing in our most dire moments. But that same faith can lead us to approach life with open eyes and open hearts to bless others.

 

The Author - Robert T. Rupp (Illinois, USA) -from the Upper Room

Thought for the Day - God’s blessings should reach beyond us to others.

Prayer

O God, giver of all good, use us to convey your blessing to our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Prayer focus - Those on the edges of society

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” -Psalm 68:4-5

God’s Kindness

 

 
³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

 

My Father Is A Christian My father is a Christian;
He leads our household well;
With instruction from the Bible,
Right behavior he'll compel.

Yet he steers us with compassion;
His gentle love is true;
He conforms to our Lord Jesus,
So we know just what to do.
He teaches us with purpose,
Guides us in all Godly ways,
So we will take the right path,
And serve our Lord with praise.

I'm glad you're a Christian, Dad;
You help me see things clearly.
I'll always look up to you,
And love you very dearly.
- Joanna Fuchs

 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  - John 3:16 (NIV)
 

My Dad was 87 when he died. He loved God, and he loved people. I miss the kindness in his eyes and his voice, his gentleness and care. He made me feel valued and important. It wasn’t always this way. When I was 30, he apologized to me for showing more attention to my brothers than to me when we were children.

I had felt rejected and unimportant. Since then, God used my dad in wonderful ways to show me love. He became more attentive to me; he listened well, showing an active interest in my life. He was caring and kind and corrected me in a very loving way. I experienced healing and a sense of being greatly valued. I no longer felt worthless. Through my dad,





I came to understand the kindness of Jesus. Jesus demonstrated great love for people, especially the outcast and unpopular. He refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery. He searched out the demon-possessed. Jesus brought light to the darkness; and he calls us to be people of light who bring healing, love, and acceptance to others.

 

The Author  -  Sue Bond (Western Australia, Australia) from The Upper Room

 

Thought for the Day - God brings healing and restoration.

Prayer    Dear God, may we be filled with your love so that it flows from us to those in need. We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to call you father, saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”* Amen. *Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV).

Prayer focus   Those whose parents show favoritism

“The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.” -Proverbs 23:24

Returning From Exile

Read Jeremiah 29:1-14

The Lord proclaims: When Babylon’s seventy years are up, I will come and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.  - Jeremiah 29:10 (CEB)
 

For much of my life as a believer I have heard Jeremiah 29:11 quoted: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). I have been comforted by the words but have not really thought about the context in which they were expressed. This was God’s reassurance to people in exile. Because of the people’s unfaithfulness, they were taken to Babylon, where they would stay for decades. Then God would bring them back to the Promised Land.

 Knowing the context makes this verse even more meaningful to me. When I sin, discipline may come in the consequences I suffer. Or I may be “exiled” from the comfort of close relationship with God. But I know God’s faithfulness, and I know that I, like the Israelites, will be brought out of my exile as I recognize my waywardness and return to God.

The Author - K. Jackson Peevy (Alabama, USA) from The Upper Room

Thought for the Day

When we turn from our sin, God faithfully restores us.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy. Teach us to seek righteousness and to repent when we fall short. Amen.

Prayer focusFor a penitent heart

The Gardener

John 15:1-5

15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.
15:2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
15:3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.
15:4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden.  - Isaiah 58:11 (NRSV)
 

Gardening is my husband’s favorite hobby. He especially loves bringing home sick or dying plants that his co-workers have thrown away. He nurtures them by giving one extra water, another fertilizer. He trims off diseased leaves. Over time, he carefully restores these withered brown plants to life. Sometimes they even surprise us with blooms. I used to grumble about the ugly plants cluttering our windowsill. Then one day as I watched my husband working with these sick and dying plants,


I saw instead Christ’s hands gently caring for me. I was broken and sick when Christ took me in. Many of us are. But he provides each of us what we need to grow. He doesn’t care if we are sickly. He restores us to life, abundant life. Christ sees the promise in us when no one else does, and through his tender care, we can bloom.

 

The Author - Heidi Gaul (Oregon, USA) - from The Upper Room

 

Thought for the Day - I will allow Christ to tend to my spirit today.

 

Prayer - Dear Sustainer of life, thank you for seeing beyond our brokenness. Feed us your word to make us strong, and trim off branches that don’t bear fruit for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Prayer focus - Bearing your fruit by building others up

 

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”” -Luke 11:13

Rock In A Storm

 

Psalm 57:1-3

When David fled from Saul into the cave.

¹ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

² I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[c]    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

The Lord is . . . my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  - Psalm 18:2 (NRSV)

 

We were climbing a mountain in Washington’s Cascade Range. The weather was calm, we were below snow level, and the summit was within sight. Suddenly, at about 7,500 feet, we encountered a fierce wind that made movement difficult and dangerous. Clutching our jackets and trying to protect our eyes from blowing debris, my climbing partner (who years later became my wife) and I crawled behind a large boulder. The rock offered protection until we could resume our climb to the summit, where the air was clear and calm.

 Our lives often follow a similar course. Challenges and uncertainty may suddenly arise, frustrating our plans and disrupting our journey. Unemployment, loneliness, and illness may confront us when we feel least able to cope. However, when difficulties and peril surround us, we can take shelter in the rock that is the Lord, knowing God hears our prayers and offers refuge for us both on this earth and for eternity.

 

The Author  -  Robert Boertien (Oregon, USA)  - from The Upper Room

 

Thought for the Day  -  When fierce winds buffet us, God is our rock and our refuge.

Prayer

Dear Lord, we thank you for being our rock during the storms of life. We pray that we may be a blessing to others in need. Amen.
 

Prayer focus  -  Those who feel overwhelmed by life