Genuine and False

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, "Sir, did you now sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?" He said to them, "An enemy has done this." The servants said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?" But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." 

Here is the church--true and false converts sitting alongside one another until the fearsom Day of Judgment arrives when God will sort out the genuine from the false. It shold make us tremble at such a thought. Fear is a friend if it brings us in genuine repentance to the foot of the cross: "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6) 

Soul Search 

Do I have a healthy fear of God? How will this be evidenced when I am tempted to sin? 

Prayer: 

Father, make me wise with my eyes. 

Faith during these difficult times

Where to even start...

Let's start with my Faith...  it's always been what has carried me in life. Through all my trials and tribulations, through good times and through dark times. None the Less My Faith Is Strong! Even through this Pandemic.

I am a Technical Analyst at a Hospital, I am considered "Essential", which by all means, I consider myself blessed and grateful...  I'm finding that this "Stay At Home" Sheltering and staying away from my children and grandchildren are starting to wear on me...  I found myself praying over the anxiety that I am starting to feel from not being around family, worried for all my children and their personal health and my grandchildren's health. Family is everything to me...  So, I am trying to focus on our loving God and pray for peace of mind as He always tells us he is ready to give us, if we only focus on Him.

There are so many families that have lost so much more than I, family members, jobs, income, and normalcy of their lives. I will focus on praying for all affected by this pandemic.

Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones to the corona virus. Even as their hearts are breaking, we pray they would know your nearness and comfort. We pray that you compassion, Lord, would be felt through the Holy Spirit's ministry and through the ministry of friends and neighbors who come around them. We pray against despair; we pray new mercies every morning.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:6-7

 

Stay safe 

Love Others Like You Love Yourself

 

You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: 

"Love others as you love yourself." 

James 2:8 

We all know how to love and dote on ourselves. But if we want to fulfill God's grand plan for our lives, we need to follow the Royal Rule and consider the needs of others. We need to give generously (not just when we deem someone worthy). We need to forgive (even when we were clearly wronged). We need to avoid gossip and slander (speaking kindly even to the mean-spirited). So who needs your love today? 

Dear God,

Today I pray for my children, my family and friends.
I pray that they may experience your deep spiritual
understanding, strength,
endurance, and patience.
I pray that you can give them more knowledge of youself
during this difficult season.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

Give me strength and courage to pray for those around me who do not yet know your name

God still touches the lives of those who do not even heed his name. As with the Epistle Paul, it is not for us to pass judgment or rancor on unbelievers, but rather it is up to us to offer our prayers, our thanks, or goodwill to the Lord upon their behalf, so that each and every one might have the opportunity to find their own salvation.

Prayer

God Almighty, give me strength and courage to pray for those around me who do not yet know your name. For those who need your word Lord, help me turn them towards the light. Help me not turn them away with condemnation, but do your work in spreading acceptance and benevolence. Grant me God, the generosity of spirit and the kindness of heart, to help grow our congregation. Give me all this, Lord, so that voices of the many may multiply, and the psalms offered up to your name may grow. Amen.

Principle 7A Verses

1 Timothy 4:16

'As God's messenger I give each of you God's warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you." 

Romans 12:3

"Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right." 

1 Timothy 1:19 

"Cross-examine me, O Lord, and see that this is so: test my motives and affections too." 

Psalm 26:2 

"We can justify our every deed but God looks at our motives." 

Proverbs 21:2 

"A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences." 

Proverbs 27:12

"Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others." 

1 Timothy 4:16

"So be careful. If you are thinking, "Oh, I would never behave like that' -- let this be a warning to you. For you too many fall into sin." 

1 Corinthians 10:12

"Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late." 

Mathew 5:25 

"My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." 

James 1:2-3 

"A relaxed attitude lengthen a man's life; jealousy rots it away." 

Proverbs 14:30 

Forgiveness

Today, we read the familiar story of Peter’s denial. Each time he is asked whether he knew Jesus, Peter grows more vehement in his rejection of him. 

Peter who had earlier professed that he would lay down his life for Jesus is now scared off by a servant girl.

When the rooster crows, Peter remembers – the conviction in his heart is immediate. He weeps bitterly.

While the passage doesn’t mention it, Peter becomes the first great voice of the gospel. 

Underneath his mistake were the arms of Jesus. Peter allowed the conviction of sin to strike him and he allowed the forgiveness of sin to lift him up again.

I think of the verse: though he stumble, he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with his hand (Psalm 37: 24). That was Peter. And that was his faithful God.

Our smallest goof-ups and blunders and our biggest, darkest sin – none of it is beyond God’s redemption.

Bringing It Home

Do I sometimes feel like God can’t forgive me of a certain sin? Do I feel like even if God forgives me, I can’t forgive myself? What if God is telling me that the slate is wiped clean and that he has put a new spirit within me?

Lean In 

Father God, Thank you for your grace and forgiveness. I don’t deserve the second, third, sometimes hundredth chance you give me. You are faithful and you lift me out from the ashes and put a new song on my lips. Amen

It’s okay to share your heart’s burdens with others

Today's reading

The scene in today’s reading shifts from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane. The mood gets heavier and more somber. Jesus calls three of his closest disciples and summons them to pray with him.

While I’ve mulled over Jesus’ tribulation in the garden before, I’ve never dwelt on the fact that he invited his friends to grieve with him and pray with him.

It’s not like the God of this universe needed them. It’s not like he didn’t know they would be catching up on naps instead of praying.

Yet, by sharing his sorrow with them, Jesus was clearly demonstrating that it’s okay to share your heart’s burdens with others. Just because you have God in your life doesn’t mean you have to be poised and stoic and invulnerable. It’s okay to say, “Hey, would you mind coming along with me for this?” and give someone else the opportunity to pray with you and for you.

Jesus displayed a beautiful openness in inviting his closest disciples to come alongside him.

No, we don’t depend entirely on our loved ones. Nor do we act like faith erases them from the picture.

Bringing It Home

What am I trying to handle alone today? Has God shown me specific people I can share my heartaches and my dreams with? Am I willing to be invited into another person’s burden, even if it means sacrificing my time and my pursuits?

Lean In

Heavenly Father, Help me grasp the fact that asking for help or asking for prayer does not chip away at my faith. Help me to be humble enough to invite people I trust to come alongside me on my faith walk. Amen

Today's Prayer

Father, I don’t want to do life without depending on you. In you I live and move and have my being. I can’t stand firm unless I’m standing on the Rock that is higher than I. Thank you for being my Rock. Amen

Keeping Pace or Keeping Peace

Today's Reading

Luke 12:16–21
Parable of the rich man who stores up grain

No matter what you’re tempted to compare, there will always be someone with more than you, and there will always be someone with less. Whether you compare husbands or hair, there will always be someone else to envy and someone envying you.

So you have a choice: either keep pace or keep peace.

Comparison will tempt you to keep pace, to accumulate more. But the parable in today’s reading illustrates that accumulating more is a worthless pursuit if what you’re accumulating isn’t put to good use for God’s purposes. The wise choice is peace with what God has entrusted to you.

In some areas, he’s given you more than others—maybe you’re a talented singer or gifted writer. In other ways, you may come up short—perhaps you had a challenging childhood or disappointing marriage. But God doesn’t ask you to change what you’ve been given. He asks you to use what you’ve been given.

Whether a lot or a little, what you have is less important than what you do with what you have.

TRY THIS: We all have a surplus of something. Brainstorm one area in which God has given you a surplus and commit to one thing you can do today to better use it for him.