OUR GREAT WEALTH

                                         

Merlin Carothers-  Regardless of how little money we have, we feel wealthy when we realize how valuable our faith is:

'Your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fire trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return." (1Peter 1:7)

   We should measure our wealth on God's scales. He knows how valuable faith is. Remember that Jesus had no home and no possessions, yet He could feed thousands of people, turn water into wine, cause fish to swim into fishermen's nets, and raise the dead. Surely we would prefer to have the wealth He had.

   Peter gave up everything to follow Jesus. What an honor it would be to know that God had chosen you to be a disciple. We too are highly honored! We are chosen to be God's children! We can walk down the street with the assurance that no matter what people may think, we are special. Both now and in eternity we have access to God whenever we want to talk with Him. What higher honor can anyone ever have? We are told:

"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Ps. 47:1)

   When I read that verse I feel triumphant because of what Jesus did for everyone who has faith in Him!

Our Prayer- 

   Father, we come to You for Your help in increasing our faith in and through Jesus, our Savior. Help us manage our lives with Christ's help, to increase our faith through trials and hard times. Help us remember that we are Your children, and that we are privileged to call upon You for help and guidance. No matter what others think, remind us that we have the high honor of speaking with You at anytime or day. We look forward to welcoming Him on His return to catch the believers away! We pray this in the name of Jesus, to honor Him, and to remind us of the saving faith He has graciously given to us. Amen

An Encouragement: "A continuous looking off to Jesus Christ crucified, and a steadfast dependence upon the Spirit of God to work in us the separating power of His death and to minister to us the quickening of His life, is the 'way of faith' in which Christ can be 'fully formed within' and the believer grow up unto the 'measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Taken from the Herald of His Coming paper- Mar/April 2025 pg. 6)

Church notes:  When We Don't Understand God

We ask- How long?

We're not to give up or be unbelieving, but trust His judgment and timing. He's righteous and already at work!  Silence of God is not His absence. He's doing something behind the scenes. Faith leans into God, trusting Him to understand our questions and needs. We're to trust God's character. We can't judge things by what we see, but have to wait and trust Him!

Hymn- #150 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

   The author of this hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. At age 16, he began teaching school, despite the paucity of his own education. He came to Christ at age 27 under the ministry of evangelist H. C. Morrison. But Chisholm's health was unstable, and he alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs, he discovered new blessings from God every morning. The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him: "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23). 

   Thomas later admitted there was no dramatic story behind the writing of "Great is Thy Faithfulness." While serving the Lord in Vineland, New Jersey, Thomas sent several poems to his friend, musician William Runyan, who was so moved by this one, that he prayed earnestly for special guidance in composing the music. Runyan was in Baldwin, Kansas, at the time, and hymn was published 1923 in Runyan's private song pamphlets.

   "It went rather slowly for several years," Thomas recalled. Then Dr. Will Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago discovered it, and would say in chapel, "Well, I think we shall have to sing 'Great is Thy Faithfulness." It became an unofficial theme song for the Institute; and when Houghton died, it was sung at his funeral. Still, it remained relatively unknown until popularized around the world by George Beverly Shea and the choirs at the Billy Graham Crusades.

ENCOURAGEMENT: "If we could see how much pleasure Jesus receives from watching us enjoy the gifts He sends our way, we would gain a clearer image of how much He loves us."

CHURCH NOTES:      FAITH

Faith worships and trusts God.
 We need to allow God to work in our lives.
  May we respond and not question Him, as He knows the past, present and future.
   Faith rests in Him and positions us to trust Him.
    We need to concentrate on Him, not the problem!

     Worship God, though things are not going well. Rejoice in the Lord!

      We are blessed! God is enough. He's on the throne!

 

THERE ARE NO CHAINS ON ME: Not Anymore!

  

  

Karen Girl Friday

"There was a time when I allowed things that happened to me to become chains. And even what I believed about myself formed chains in my life. Perhaps you are familiar with these invisible but weighty forms of chains—fear, shame, rejection, disappointment, guilt, and the past. 

We might carry chains for so long, we forget God meant for us to live in freedom.

But along the way, I encountered Jesus in a way that changed everything.

Yes, salvation gave me forgiveness of my sins. But Jesus also came to set captives free, heal broken hearts, give me a new identity, and teach me how to walk in the freedom He purchased for me. The things that once defined me no longer have the authority to determine who I am or where I’m going.

I’m not saying I never struggle. I’m saying my struggles don’t own me. My past doesn’t own me. My failures don’t own me. Fear doesn’t own me. Shame doesn’t own me. Sin doesn’t have the final say over my life.

Jesus does.

So let’s look at how Jesus breaks our C.H.A.I.N.S.

There are no chains on me because I've encountered the One who breaks chains. The Chain-breaker. Jesus Christ. 

C — Captivity Is Cancelled

What once held me captive no longer has ownership over me.

• Luke 4:18 — Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives.
• Romans 6:14 — “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (ESV)

I may have a history of bondage, but I have a present-day freedom through Christ.

H — Healed from Hurt 

Some chains form through wounds, rejection, disappointment, and painful experiences. Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sin; He cares about our broken places.

• Psalm 147:3 — The Lord heals the brokenhearted.
• Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” (ESV)

What hurt me doesn’t have to hold me.

A — Authority Has Changed

Before Christ, sin was our master. But Christ transfers us into a new kingdom with Him as Lord.

• Colossians 1:13 — “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (ESV)
• Romans 6:12–13 — Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body.

The enemy may still fight me, but he doesn’t have to win the battle. Jesus fights for me.

I — Identity Is New 

Freedom begins when we stop allowing our past to define us.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — A new creation in Christ.
• Galatians 2:20 — I am crucified with Christ.

 

I don’t have to answer to the name my past gave me. God has given me a new identity. I take my cue about who I am from the Great I AM.

N — No Condemnation

Guilt and shame can become invisible chains, but Christ has removed condemnation from those who belong to Him.

• Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)
• 1 John 1:9 — God forgives and cleanses us from unrighteousness.

Conviction draws me back to God; condemnation tells me to run away. I don’t have to live under condemnation.

S — Stand in Freedom 

Freedom is something we must intentionally walk in. We shouldn’t keep picking up the chains Christ has already broken.

• Galatians 5:1 — Christ set us free for freedom.
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 — “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (ESV)

Don’t go back to what Jesus brought you out of.

Jesus Sets Us Free

C — Captivity Is Cancelled
I was bound, but Jesus set me free.

H — Healed from Hurt
What happened to me doesn’t have to control me.

A — Authority Has Changed
Sin and Satan don’t own me anymore.

I — Identity Is New
I’m not who I used to be.

N — No Condemnation
My failures don’t have the final word.

S — Stand in Freedom
I’m going to walk in what Christ purchased for me.

Fear has no claim on me.
Shame has no claim on me.
Sin has no claim on me.
My past has no claim on me.
Condemnation has no claim on me.

#149 Hymn- All the Way My Savior Leads Me

When Fanny Crosby wrote, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me, What have I to ask beside?" She was expressing her own testimony of God's guidance. Even her blindness, she realized was part of His plan. Fanny was not totally blind. Even in old age she could discern day from Nights. But her vision was gone. Years later, Fanny viewed her blindness as a special gift from God, believing He had given her a particular "soul-vision" which equipped her for a special work. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me," she declared. "How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blind?"

ENCOURAGEMENT: "Jesus has provided for us through His Word. Every day, we can open the pages of our Bibles and find His greeting of love, expressed in various ways: letters, songs, poetry, historical accounts parables and more."

CHURCH NOTES: The Best is to Come!

Come and receive by faith- God will fill your mouths!

We need Him to help us, that's for sure!

God has plans in a winter season to break up fresh ground

He's writing history through our testimonies.

Don't harden your hearts. God knows us and wants to build a relationship.

We're to celebrate what He's called us to do.

Look for what He's done, and be ready to come into His future plans!

WHO'S ON THE THRONE?

 WHO'S ON THE THRONE by Mary Carothers 

   "What I want to share this month is really directed to those who are born again in the Lord. With those who have been lifted our of Satan's kingdom of darkness into God's Kingdom of Light and Love; where Jesus is King (see Colossians 1:13).

   At the very center of our being, Jesus is to be enthroned, signifying His Lordship over our hearts and lives. But too often we allow Him to be lord over certain areas--while holding back parts we do not want to relinquish to God.

   We may allow Jesus to be lord in other areas of our lives, but cling to the right to choose our own friends and relationships, regardless of the Bible's command to not be unequally yoked with those of the world.

 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV) says: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Satan? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

   When Paul used the word yoked, he was using it in the sense of being joined together with, committed to, or under obligation to someone who does not belong to Christ. He was not saying that we should not speak to or associate with people of the world -- we would have to leave this world to do that (see 1 Corinthians 5:10). He meant that we are not to hold them close to our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard you affections. For they influence everything else in your life." The enemy relentlessly tries to entice our affections away from Jesus. He really doesn't care who or what takes Jesus' place -- just as long as he can succeed in dethroning Christ.

   It can be with someone we live with or are friends with. It can be success in business, achieving skill and recognition in sports, academics or some other area. It is even possible for us to allow our ministry -- whether singing, preaching, writing, pastoring, teaching or whatever -- to gradually become more and more important to us than our Lord for whom we minister.

   Another area we often want to control is entertainment. It's okay to have fun. God has given us the ability to enjoy ourselves. But we need to ask ourselves some questions such as, "Does this bring glory to the Lord?"

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

   Some other questions might be, "How important is this to me? Do I care too much about it? If I had to give this up, how would I react?" Remember, whatever we give ourselves over to, that is what becomes our master and we become enslaved to it (see 2 Peter 2:19). The good news is that Jesus came to set us free from bondage (see Luke 4:18). Then we, like Paul, can say, "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

   Jesus encourages us in Matthew 26:41 to watch and pray so we won't fall into Satan's temptations. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us "to be alert and on guard." Why? So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:11). 

Let's keep Jesus on the throne of our hearts and lives."

Our Prayer-

   Father, please help us recognize what may turn us away from focussing on Jesus! Make us alert to the devil's schemes, so we can outsmart him in his determination to get our eyes off Jesus and onto worldly things. Set us free from bondages that keep us from having freedom in our spiritual lives. In the name of Jesus we pray for Your help!  Amen!

Some Encouragement:

Jessie Penn-Lewis-"By faith in the risen Christ we walk on with Him, refusing all temptation to look within or turn back upon yourself at all. Let His Word dwell in you richly, teaching you His will for your manner of life, and pour out your heart's longings to Him that He might show Himself through you to all around."

Church notes:  BE READY TO SHARE

Live lives that give others a better understanding of Christ.
Our responses to situations show what we believe.
We're to stay away from evil, to be forgiving and to love others.

We're to say, "Yes, Lord!"

When we've experienced forgiveness, He can help us forgive others!

We'll become like Jesus.

God loves us as we are, but when we receive Jesus, 

He'll be determined to change us into Christ's image over time.

We're to care for the Body of believers and to be good examples. 

Today's Hymn: #148 

"I Need Thee Every Hour' was written on a bright June morning in 1872. Annie Sherwood wrote, 'One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness of the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain,  these words, 'I Need Thee Every Hour,' were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me." The next Sunday, Annie handed these words to Dr. Lowry, who wrote the tune and chorus while seated at the little organ in the living room of His Brooklyn parsonage. Later that year, it was sung for the first time at the National Baptist Sunday School Association meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, and published in a hymnbook the following year.

 

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

 

    

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

Mary Southerland

  

Facts for the Journey

   "Stress happens ... a lot. In fact, stress seems to be a constant companion in many of our lives. Yes, we live in a world filled with people and circumstances that seem to feed stress. But I believe much of our stress is the result of an innate quest to love and be loved. The problems come when we look for that love in all the wrong places.

 

There is only one right place where we can find true love – in a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

It is really very simple. When we know God, we will know love. When we experience His unconditional love, we are then freed to love ourselves and to love others.

 

I have personally discovered that it is downright frustrating and completely impossible to live the Christian life when you are not a Christian. I tried.

 

For years I desperately struggled to be a Christ follower with only head knowledge of who God was and wanted to be in my life. The result was a pitifully shallow existence with stress and frustration as my constant companions.

 

I grew up in a Christian home, attending church just about every time the doors were open. I sang all of the right songs, spoke all of the right words, and did all of the right things in front of all the right people. I fervently prayed that my works would validate my faith, and desperately hoped that by following the rules, I would please the Ruler. It was not until my first year in high school that the spiritual integrity of a dynamic youth pastor made me hunger and thirst for something more.

 

I wanted to know God.

 

I desperately wanted and needed to experience the unconditional love of God.

 

During a Saturday evening church service, I sat in my usual spot with the rest of my high school friends, clutching the back of the pew in front of me while wrestling with God over the condition of my soul and my eternal security. I was an active church member, a soloist, and the pianist for our worship services. I even directed a children’s choir.

 

I was a fake! How embarrassing to walk down that aisle, admitting to everyone that I’d been living a lie!

 

My mind argued that I knew all about God – and then the deeper truth of that argument hit me. Yes, I knew about Him, but I didn’t know Him.

 

God’s perfect love settles for nothing less than an intimate and loving relationship with His children. That night I met God. I surrendered all that I knew about myself to all that I knew about Him.

 

The course of my life was changed forever, but I quickly discovered that my problems did not magically disappear. I still had to deal with stressful situations. The difference was that God’s love preceded me. His power and strength surrounded and sustained me as I lived each day. And that made all the difference in my stress-filled world.

 

Knowing we are loved fosters contentment and peace in our hearts, and when our hearts are filled with peace, there is little room for stress." 

The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1, NKJV). It is suggested that we read this everyday for a month!

 

Prayer for today:

 

   Father, thank You for the peace that comes from knowing You. Help me remember that no matter what comes my way, You are with me. When I am tempted to worry, give me the strength to choose faith over fear. Teach me Your ways, Lord, and empower me to walk in them. In Jesus’ name, amen."

Encouraging words:

"Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Ps. 119:11)

    "The Word of God has great power in itself. Used effectively, it brings victory to the child of God. As a matter of fact, lodged in the heart of the believer, in itself it becomes a power for holiness. Our Lord said to His disciples, "Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

   The Apostle Paul, led of the Holy Spirit, spoke of the church as having been "cleansed. . . by the washing of water with the word" (Eph. 5:26).

   If there is in our hearts any aspiration for holiness--then we can be absolutely sure that the Holy Spirit will lead us to make much of the Word of God. No one who has at his disposal the blessed Book of God and who neglects that Book can be a strong, holy Christian. Surely it must have been this conviction which caused D. L. Moody to inscribe in the front of his Bible, "This Book will keep me from sin, or sin will keep me from this Book."--William Culbertson

Church Notes:

   We Came from Dust

God made a way for redemption from our sinful condition, caused by Adam's rebellion in the garden of Eden at the beginning of creation.

He remembers that we are dust, and have various seasons of hardship to work through to provide for our needs and for others. 

Labor is good, a gift from God.  

Until we return to dust in our death, our realistic view of labor is that we're called to labor and sweat, or starve. 

It's easy to slide into apathy, but remembering our Perfect example of a man, Christ Jesus, we're to be faithfully calling on Him for forgiveness from sin, and to have the strength to labor until He comes again in the clouds!

I pray today that you will let Jesus do the “heavy lifting” for you.  He carried mine. It was heavy for years. I pray that you will let Him take your heavy burdens.  That you will heed His words found in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Today's hymn #154- Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary

The Christian hymn "Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary" was originally written and composed by John M. Moore in 1952.

Inspiration: Moore wrote both the words and music after visiting a young, critically ill merchant seaman at a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland.
Popularity: It remains his best-known work among more than 150 gospel songs he authored.

FEEBLE or ABUNDANT LIVING

 

   

FEEBLE or ABUNDANT LIVING  

   The positives of trials come through submission, however painful, seeking and believing God's ultimate good purpose in anything He allows. When Jesus said we'd face troubles in this world, He also said, "Take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33) Sin separates all people from God (Romans 3:23), but Christ paid for our sins by dying on the cross and giving us the gift of eternal life (6:23). "This is eternal life; that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

A Poem by Theodore Monod

    Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow

      That a time could ever be

    When I proudly said to Jesus--

     "All of self and none of Thee."

    Yet He found me; I beheld Him

    bleeding on the accursed tree;

And my wistful heart said faintly,

 "Some of self and some of Thee."

    Day by day His tender mercy,

    Healing, helping, full and free,

Brought me lower, while I whispered-

   "Less of self, and more of Thee!"

Higher than the highest heavens,

    Deeper than the deepest sea,

"Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:

    None of self and ALL of Thee!"

[Italics are mine for emphasis]

Today's Encouragement:  

   We must not be satisfied with a feeble life, but for abundant living

In Christ Jesus. God will work out the heavenly life in us through 

His Spirit. We're to live in the Word and in the love and infinite faithfulness of 

the Lord. The holy work of delivering souls demands constant renewal

through fellowship with God and with other believers.

   One cause of the low vitality and utter ineffectiveness that is so often

found in us, is because we've not been allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us.

   One great power of sin is that it blinds us to not recognize its true nature. 

Nothing except hidden, humble, constant fellowship with God can teach you

as a child of His, to hate sin as He wants you to hate it.

   No one can expect to make progress in holiness who is not often and long

alone with God. Obedience is the great factor in our whole relationship to God.

Our Prayer:

   Father, help us be determined to not accept a feeble life, but to seek for the

abundant living in Christ Jesus that You've promised us. The positives of trials

come through submission, however painful, seeking and believing in Your

ultimate good purpose in everything You've allowed.

   Help us make purposeful alone time with You and to allow You to guide us in

everything we do. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Church Notes:  OUR DEVOTION TO CHRIST

1. Our lives should be characterized by passionate loyalty and devotion to Jesus.
2. When we give our will to what Jesus wants, we'll look different from the world.
3. The distractions of the world should not affect our devotion to Jesus.
4. Our goal should be in doing right things; what God directs.
5. Intertainment and fun are not ungodly, but we're to choose what glorifies Him.

 

#153 Hymn-   Breathe on Me, Breath of God

 

 

Author: Edwin Hatch

Hatch, Edwin, D.D., was born at Derby, Sep. 4, 1835, and educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, B.A., in honours, in 1857. After holding important appointments in Canada, he returned to England and became Vice-Principal of St. Mary Hall, Oxford, 1867; and Rector of Purleigh, 1883. (See also Crockford). He died Nov. 10, 1889. His hymn-writing was limited. One, and that a very spirited lyric, is in Allon's Congregational Psalmist Hymnal, 1886 "Breathe on me, Breath of God."

LOST

 

 

The shadows cast by the trees in our front yard stretched out toward the east. In the dying light of the setting sun, they grew longer by the minute. I stood on our front porch and anxiously called for Fritz, our eight-year-old orange tabby cat. He was very late returning to the house. It was just a few days before Thanksgiving, and the season's first hard freeze was forecast for this very night.

Fritz has roamed the five acres of our Middle Tennessee ridge since he was a kitten. Every morning he would request that the front door be opened so his highness might exit. Assuming the weather was to his liking, out the door he would go to make his rounds and explore his territory. But he had always returned in time for his midafternoon dinner. Until today.

I called his name again and waited a few minutes. No Fritz. I began to get a distinct feeling of unease. I slipped my feet into my hiking boots, grabbed my trusty hickory walking stick, clipped my knife to my belt, jammed a flashlight in my pocket, and set off out the door.

Calling his name periodically, my wife Charlotte and I set off on a grand circle of the property. We stopped occasionally to check some of his known hunting stops. Nothing. By now, the sun had slipped below the horizon, and the twilight deepened by the minute.

As we reached three-quarters of the way around the property, I called Fritz's name again. At the very edge of my hearing, I heard ... something. It might have been a cat or it might have been a bird. Moving about a hundred feet, I called again. And again. A reply came. This time, I was sure it was a cat. After moving and calling again, I was sure it was Fritz.

Slowly, we homed in on his cry. Suddenly, a few feet away in the dark undergrowth of the woods, something four-legged bounded off into the night. Fritz cried out again, this time very close. It was Charlotte who spotted him, nearly seventy-five feet in the air, clinging to the very top of a tree. His hackles were in full extension from head to tail. Whatever had run him up the tree had probably just run off as we approached.

Fritz turned himself around and started backing down the tree. When he got within range, he jumped into my arms with a look that said, What took you so long? Cats. Gotta love them.

Jesus will never stop looking for those of His flock who are lost. The Word provides numerous examples of the Lord reaching out to save those who beseech Him. It doesn't matter if you're clinging to the top of a tree with your hindquarters hanging out in the breeze or curled up on the floor of a cold, concrete jail cell. If you call to Jesus, He will answer. 

Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”
Luke 15.6 NIV

Call to Him today. 

    

Today's prayer:

   Father, we're grateful for what You have done in giving Christ Jesus to be our Savior! As we were very LOST, we know that You loved us so much that You enabled Your Son to go to the Cross to provide forgiveness and to become our way back to You, the Holy God! May we be faithful in our living, to allow Your Spirit to recreate us to become like Jesus.

Today's encouragement:

Jean Nicolas Grou- "God only is holy; He alone knows how to lead His children in the paths of holiness. He knows every aspect of your soul, every thought of your heart, every secret of your character, its difficulties and hindrances. He know how to mold you to His will and lead you onwards to perfect sanctification."

  God is For you: turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting our name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you. 

   God is for you. Had He a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on His bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, He's carved your name in the bark. We know He has a tattoo, and we know what it says, "I have written your name on My hand," He declares- (Isaiah 49:16).

9/5- FEEBLE or ABUNDANT LIVING                                                   

12th- LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

Precious Lord, Take My Hand Hymn #152

CREATED TO WORSHIP

 

                                                                                                           

Jordan Zuniga- “Sometimes, we feel the need to enter God’s presence.

I remember when I wasn’t singing and worshiping the Lord for a certain time. I felt a kind of spiritual heaviness building until I started to worship. When I did, the heaviness fell off. I recalled the words of Psalm 100:4: ‘Enter into His presence with thanksgiving.’ From the beginning of creation’s story, there has been a constant theme of entering or leaving God’s presence. Both have certain outcomes. God created us to worship and glorify Him. Despite our temporary dwelling on earth, we should continue to turn our focus and worship to the Lord.

Christ met a Samaritan woman at a well and told her the time would come when it wouldn’t matter whether her people worshiped on the mountain of Samaria or in Zion. God wants those who worship Him to do so in spirit and truth. To do so, we must enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise.

God wants us to walk by the Spirit so we won’t be tempted to satisfy the desires of the flesh. We are also taught not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the spirit—singing songs and hymns and making spiritual music from our hearts to the Lord. A true mark of a believer is when we continue to worship the Lord regardless of life’s circumstances.

Regardless of where we go or what we go through, we can continue to honor and worship the Lord by seeking out His Word and delighting in Him.

How can you set aside more time to worship and honor the Lord?”

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalms 100:4 NIV

Today’s Prayer:

   Father, please help us be faithful in our worship, that we can remain in fellowship with You. When we neglect to spend time in worship, either in church or at home, we ask that Your Spirit nudge us to continue to be revived in our spirits so that we can honor and worship You in Spirit and in truth.

   We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Today’s encouragement:

   We must see Jesus as qualified to be in heaven, the One who is absolutely perfect and without sin and the One who gave His life in order to give us God’s forgiveness. Without Him we know that we have no hope or assurance of ever being able to stand in the Father’s presence.

Church Notes:  ADDING BELIEVERS

We’re to rescue people from death and destruction, which is the heart of Jesus.

We’re to go in the power of God and open our hearts and homes to them.

When we do open our hands and hearts for the lost, we’ll be like Jesus.

He had compassion on the people, as He knew they were on their way to hell!

We're to give generously and cheerfully to this ministry, snatching them out of the fire.

We will step into the joy of giving to the lost and lonely around us!

#149 Hymn- I Surrender All

In 1930, Judson Wheeler Van de Venter, born in 1885, was converted at age 17. He was especially fulfilled when participating in evangelistic rallies and revivals in which people received Christ as their personal Savior. In the 1930s, a student at Florida Bible institute, sat wide-eyed, listening to Judson Van De Venter. That student, Billy Graham, who later wrote:"One of the evangelists who influenced my early preaching was also a hymnist who wrote 'I Surrender All,' the Rev. J. W. Van De Venter.