“When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him” (Matthew 9:23-24)
Curtis Sergeant is an amazing man who has planed thousands of churches around the world, and consults with NGOs (Non Government Organizations and CPMs (Church Planting Movement) leaders around the world. He told me the story of when he was over in Asia in a secret location, where CPM leaders had gathered from around the world to pray, train and equip each other. Curtis said they had just gathered, when news came to one of the leaders that two of his church planting operatives in a city had just been put to death. The leader told Jesus he had to go back immediately. Curtis told him he was so sorry for what had happened, however he said all who had gathered had traveled great distances to get here, and great security and secrecy had been in place to allow this meeting to happen, could the leader just stay for a few hours of a day and fly back tomorrow. The leader looked at Curtis and said, I need to go back now to pray and see if Jesus will raise these dead men. Curtis thought to himself what he would do if a couple of his operatives were martyred and put to death. He would notify their family of the incident. Inform his board and discuss who they would send in to replace them. Contact the media to control and get a media story out. However, flying out immediately to go see if Jesus would raise his dead operatives back to life would not be on his list. The leaders faith and expectancy of the poser and ability of God both amazed and convicted him.
If I were to ask you, ask those in the church the question, How many believe that God can raise the dead?” I think most if not all hands would go up. If I asked the question, “How many expect to see God raise the dead today?” Many fewer, if not all hands would remain at people’s sides. Having a belief that God can raise the dead and expecting that God will and is raising the dead are two very different things.
Our simple, maybe even strong belief for many in the church that God can raise the dead comes out of our cognitive brain. It is a fact or data we hold to be true. It is like our belief in the fact that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the USA. What impact does your belief in the fact that Abaraham Lincoln was the 16th president have on your live today? None. What does your simple head knowledge that God can raise the dead have on your life today? None. The churches simple belief in the fact or truth that God can raise the dead has not and cannot impact on our daily life today without an expectancy that God will and is raising the dead today.
In Matthew 9:18-26 is the story of Jesus raising a young girl back to life. When Jesus tells them he was going to raise her back to life the crowd around him did not believe or support him but they laughed at him. If someone told you after the death of someone that they were going to pray and see if God could raise them from the dead, and if they asked you to come pray as well, would your thoughts be similar to those of the crowds?
The church is the place that professes Jesus is Lord, but it does not do “Jesus is Lord” well. Can I say that? We say Jesus is Lord the same way we say Lincoln was the 19th president. We say it absent for the most part of any expectancy of power and presence in our lives.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism in which I am an ordained clergy said before he died looking into the future of the church, “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
Read Matthew chapters 8 and 9 and see the expectancy and power of Jesus.
My family, I pray you will walk out of your door expecting to see God raising the dead and doing amazing miracles in the world today, because he is! All in and through Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
I would appreciate your prayer and also any support for support myself as we reach our neighbors with the gospel through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading to begin my day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with Your Holy Spirit. ...
So I am still reading in Genesis. Thinking of the journey we're on in our world today, with all its uncertainties and unknowns, I'm thinking of Abraham, when You first spoke to him and called him on his life-long journey of faith in You.
"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.... So Abram went, as the Lord had told him..." (Genesis 12:1-4).
Like Abram, in some ways I feel like I have no clue about where my journey ahead is leading me. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). And at the same time, You've given me a measure of guidance without giving me all the details, You've spoken to me Your word without overriding my free will. Like Abram, I'm on a "need to know basis" and You call me to trust You alone with knowing what I need to know and when I need to know it. And the same is true with every one of us in our world right now.
Hundreds of years and many generations after You first spoke those words to Abram -- after You changed his name and changed his character, after You passed down the blessings and the calling and the destiny to his children and children's children -- there came a time when the sons and daughters of Abraham were finally crossing over to enter in to their Promise Land of their inheritance. You commanded them to follow the Ark of the Covenant, saying through Your leaders, "Follow it, so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before" (Joshua 3:2-4).
It's a journey of faith and not sight, as Your Word says, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). And Abraham is called the father of the faith, "the father of all of us," of "those who share the faith of Abraham" (Romans 4:16). "Hoping against hope, he believed.... being fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised" (Romans 4:18-21).
We don't call Abraham "the father of having it all figured out" or "the father who always knows best because he always knows what lies ahead" or "the father who never fails, never falters, never falls because he's so holy and perfect and pure in his own self-righteousness." No, we call him "the father of the faith" because "his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:22), because "he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (Romans 4:20).
The faith of Abraham speaks to us of Your invitation to put out all our faith in You. These are uncertain days and we've never been this way before. But by the power of Your grace at work within us, we will look to You, we will trust You, we fill follow You on our unfolding journey of faith in You, growing strong in our faith as we give glory to You -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. As we do, we enter in to our Promised Land and receive "all the blessings of Abraham" in You (Galatians 3:14). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be filled with faith to trust in God to lead us into the land and into these times He's set before us, where we've never been before, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections with us in the comments box below.
I would appreciate your prayer and also any support for support myself as we reach our neighbors with the gospel through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!
“Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade at such and such a place.” But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you donʼt pass through this place because Syria is invading there.” So the king of Israel sent a message to the place the prophet had pointed out, warning it to be on its guard. This happened on several occasions.
This made the king of Syria upset. So he summoned his advisers and said to them, “One of us must be helping the king of Israel.” One of his advisers said, “No, my master, O king. The prophet Elisha who lives in Israel keeps telling the king of Israel the things you say in your bedroom.” The king ordered, “Go, find out where he is, so I can send some men to capture him.” The king was told, “He is in Dothan.” So he sent horses and chariots there, along with a good-sized army. They arrived during the night and surrounded the city.
The prophetʼs attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha, “Oh no, my master! What will we do?” He replied, “Donʼt be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he can see.” The LORD opened the servantʼs eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
(2Kings 6:6-17)
Last night at our House Church gathering we read and discussed over these passages. We reminded each other of who is on our side in our challenges, struggles and battles in our lives. We need to lift our eyes above the what is presented to us by the world and focus our eyes on of Christ and what he presents for us. We need to stop having anxiety on the challenges that surround us based on our limited competency and resources to fight them, and on the limitless, abundance or God’s provisions and power to face them and defeat them. We need to surrender, ask, knock and receive all the help God desires to give us.(Matt 7:7-8) We need to remind ourselves “if God is for us, who can be against us and that in all things we have complete victory through Jesus who loves us! (Romans 8:31,37)
We need to remember as the passage above assures us that God hears and knows all our struggles and thoughts. He knows what we are speaking and thinking in the quiet of our bedrooms and what is keeping us up at night. He will never abandon or forsake us. (Jeremiah 12:7). And we need to seek out the “Elishas” in our lives. People of God who we can confided in who will help us discern which place we are to go, not go, and the direction God is calling us to go.
My family, I pray today you will take a minute to remember who is on your side and as the lyrics to the old hymn say, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us n the comment box below.
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Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart…
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
Lord, I seek You with my eyes and with my heart. I seek You with passion and with faith. I seek You to find You and embrace You, to hold on to You and be held by You. I seek You first and throughout the moments of my day. And you reward me with a deep sense of Your Presence, with the confident assurance You'll never let go. As someone has said, "I'm safe and secure in Your no-slip grip."
Blessed are those who seek You with all their heart for they will be the ones who find You (Jeremiah 29:13). You said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8, NKJ). You are the God who gives good things to those who ask and seek and knock (v. 7:11). You are the God who always gives Your very Spirit to all who will humbly and passionately pursue You in spirit and truth (Luke 11:13). And so I set my sights to seek You by faith more passionately each day than the day before - as best as I can and all by Your grace.
Heart of my own heart whatever befall,
Still be thou my vision oh ruler of all!
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you set your sights to pursue our God with passion and faith, more every day. May you find Him and embrace Him and never let go of Him. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us n the comment box below.
Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be Lord of my heart and all my desires, Lord of my mind and all my thoughts, Lord of my will and all my choices. ...
"Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
The Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
So you shall know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Wadi Shittim" (Joel 3:14-18).
I was reminded in the news this morning that Election Day in America is just around the corner. Multitudes will go down to "the valley of decision" to cast their vote and speak their voice and make their choice.
Come, Holy Spirit. May the decisions made by the multitudes be decisions led by Your Spirit, informed by Your Word, guided by Your principles of the Kingdom of God and the authority of Your Scripture. May every decision we make today as we begin our week and every day be viewed as important and be decisions for life and not death, for blessing and not cursing, exalting Your ways in our land as one nation under God.
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne" (Psalm 89:14). And "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12).
If our choices are right and our decisions are true, the mountains and hills, the streams and plains, will flow with the blessings of God. "A fountain shall come forth!"
Lord, let Your Fountain of Living Water come forth in our land. Let there be revival, awakening, and harvest as never before, as the heart of our nation continues to return to You. Move in Your power. Move by Your grace.
Against all odds, move in impossible and mighty ways that only You can do, so that all will see and know that only You have done this. For "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37) and "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). As we await decisions of elections, may Your multitudes remember as we pray in faith for our land that "All things are possible for those who believe" (Mark 9:23). And no matter what will happen at the close of this day and through the days to come, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love (You), who are called according to Your purpose" (Romans 8:28). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you make your decisions this day and every day led by the Holy Spirit, informed by God's Word, guided by His principles and the authority of His Scripture, receiving an overflowing fountain of God's blessings in your life, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. And I join with you and so many in continued prayer over the elections and for all we're facing in our world. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us n the comment box below.
Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You into my heart and every moment of my day. ...
"But as for me, I will sing about Your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress" (Psalms59:16 NLT).
Tuesday evening I drove down to my daughters house in Birmingham and spent two days doing maintenance on their home:: yearly cleaning maintenance of HVAC system inside and outside, pest control, basement water barrier maintenance, install new toilet, electrical, car maintenance,…act. What dad’s do for their daughters! One thing I love about hanging out with my daughters is we are a family of singers! My wife and two daughters are always singing and maybe breaking out a move. So though the work may not be fun, my family is and it keeps a smile on my face! Jesus love for you and me is the same way. Though our labor for his kingdom may not always be fun, if we listen while we are doing it we will always her Jesus singing his song of love and grace over us. It flows out of his heart of complete joy for us so we can have complete joy in our hearts!
Thank You for waking me almost every morning with a song in my spirit! It's Your Spirit singing in my spirit, just as Your Word invites us to do. "I will sing in the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:15).
And I sing with joy of Your unfailing love. I sing with joy to the One who is my Refuge and my Place of Safety -- to the One who rescues me from distress, who delivers me from evil, who heals me from hurt, who comforts me with care, who leads me in the path of life in You.
As for me, I will sing about Your power. I will sing about Your love. I will sing about who You are and all You do.
No matter what I may go through or what may try to go through me or run over me or try to hold me back or shut me down or shut me up, I will sing and I will praise, full of joy for Your unfailing love! They can't take that from me. They can't put a mask over that. They can't distance me from the One who created me and calls me by name to wake up every morning with Your joy in my spirit because You've poured Your unfailing love into my heart! "I will sing of the Lord's unfailing love forever!" (Psalm 89:1) In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God and wake up this morning and every morning singing of His unfailing love, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Yesterday we sang the song Surrounded at our worship service. I woke up singing it so I sing Your name over all, and surrender my all to You. ...
"(The king of Aram) said, 'Go and find where (Elisha) is; I will send and seize him.' He was told, 'He is in Dothan.' So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night, and surrounded the city. When the attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army of horse and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, 'Alas, master! What shall we do?' He replied, 'Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.' Then Elisha prayed: 'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha!" (2 Kings 6:13-17).
In the morning, when I rise, no doubt there are great armies of horses and chariots, armed with weapons of worry and fear, confusion and chaos, hopelessness and despair, ready to come riding down on my mind and my spirit to overwhelm and overcome me, battling to take my thoughts captive. They want to present themselves as big and mighty, too much to overcome and no chance to stand against them, projecting themselves to be much bigger and much stronger than they are. They want to demand my attention, the priority of my thoughts, in the very first moments of my morning to plunder the treasure of my time with You.
But my Master, You open my eyes to see! You lift my eyes to the hills where my help comes from! You open my spirit to perceive the truth I'm not alone, I'm not overwhelmed, I'm not overcome. You draw my heart into the intimacy of Your strong embrace and security of Your steadfast love. And You remind me "The One who is in (me) is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
As I look to You and give You the priority of my day, the first thoughts of my morning, as my first act of worship in prayer and praise, my spiritual enemies don't look so big and mighty. In the light of Your truth and the Presence of Your Spirit, they flee away at the sound of my praise and the authority of my prayers in the power of Your name. "Let God arise; let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee before Him!" (Psalm 68:1)
Thank You, my Master, my Lord and Savior, for opening the eyes of my heart to see You, to know You, to experience Your Presence right here with me to overpower my enemies and overcome my adversary (Ephesians 1:15-21). Great are You, Lord! Mighty is Your name!
Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your holy angel armies. Thank You that in You there are always many more with me than those against me! For nothing can stand against You and Your great name! (Philippians 2:9-11) And with You standing for me, nothing can stand against me, for I am always an overcomer and more than a conqueror in You! (Romans 8:31-39) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,May the Holy Spirit come upon you and the power of the Most High overshadow you and open your eyes tp see and know your identity and fulfill your destiny to the praise of God's glory through your life today, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 5:7-8)
I work one day a week at Lowe’s on Mondays. Every Monday morning I leave at 8:00am and serve at Manna House in Huntsville until 12:30pm unloading the food trucks and help getting the food lines set up to distribute food to around 350 families later that afternoon. I drive home, eat something, then work a 2:00pm-10:00pm shift at Lowes. I started working at Lowes as a way to still connect and pray with people when my churches shut down for Covid and there was no Sunday services or weekday Bible studies or classes and the church was empty. All I was doing was live streaming a Sunday message. When covid restrictions finally ended I continued to work the one night a week to try to continue to bless the Lowes employees and customers.
I mainly work in the plumbing department. Last night I walked down an aisle to put back a return item and in the aisle was a man on the phone. He was shaking and there were tears in his eyes and running down his face. I intentionally stayed in the aisle taking longer than necessary to put back the items until the man hung up his cell phone.
I walked up to him and asked him if he was ok? He said with a big smile and tears running down his face “Yes! These are tears of joy! I am so happy!” I asked him if he wanted to share why? The man said his son and daughter in law are expecting their first child and are 2 ½ months pregnant. He said in his families genealogy there is a gene that is hereditary the cause severe birth defects. He has relatives that were born severely mentally and physically disabled. And his other son and his wife had a baby 2 years ago and it was born with severe disabilities. His son and expecting wife had a medical procedure done that morning to see it their baby had this hereditary defect or not. His wife had just called him and said they got the results of the test and the test came back negative! The baby was going to be born normal! I said. “Praise God!” and he said “Yes! Praise God!” and he hugged me and I hugged him back, both of us with tears in our eyes now.
I asked him if I could say a prayer of thanksgiving over the child and his family. He Said YES!!!. I asked the child’s name. He said it is just over 2 months old now. They do not know the sex yet or have given the baby a name. So we stood facing each other, with our hands on each other’s shoulders and heads bowed between us and tears falling to the floor, and I prayed a prayer of praise and blessing over the child and his family. When I finished with a big smile he hugged me again and said he was so glade I was there to share this good news with me. I helped him find the plumbing fitting he came in to get, we hugged again, said “Praise God” to each other and he left the aisle. And I started wiping my eyes and took a deep breath and tried to compose myself. Then, with a big smile on my face and new joy in my heart from the “church” I had just experienced, I left the aisle as well.
My family, this amazing blessing and deep encounter I was so blessed to experience simply came out of my asking another person, “Are you ok?” I pray today you take the blinders off of your days schedule enough to ask a co-worker, class mate, neighbor, or person who just happens to be in the aisle with you at Lowes of Walmart, “Are you ok?” And as the verse above states, ask and you will recieve, In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share with me and others your reflections and what God is speaking to you from todays reading in the comment box below.
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make me one with You, one with Your body, and one in ministry to all the world until I feast with You at Your heavenly banquet in final victory. ...
But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
I know I live every day in the midst of a broken, fallen world, where evil is real. And evil is out to get me (1 Peter 5:8). But as I look to You for my help, trusting that Your light always overcomes the darkness and Your power is made perfect in my weakness, I will always overcome through whatever challenges or sufferings I may endure (2 Corinthians 12:9).
"I lift up my eyes to the hills -- from where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.... The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalm 121:1-8).
My part is to lift up my eyes to You, while You promise Your part is to look out for me. Remind me to do my part; and remind me that You're always doing Your part.
You'll even cause those battles to work together for my good, redeeming every moment of my suffering and making me more like You though every challenge (James 1:2-4). "After I have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called (me) to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish (me). To Him be the power forever and ever" (1 Peter 5:10-11). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, as we begin a new weekI pray you may always know deep in your heart that Your God is Your help and He will bring you through every battle you face, making you more like Him as you keeping looking up to Him. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share with me and others your reflections and what God is speaking to you from todays reading in the comment box below.
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
“My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this - that one lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)
Today we remember the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. It was the greatest multi-nation joint air, land and sea invasion that changed the course of history. Change our history. I can’t imagine the bravery and absolute fear and terror of the men inside the aquatic landing boats that were hearing the machine gun bullets striking against the steel door of their boat. Knowing that when they landed on the beach, and that door dropped, those bullets would be hitting them. Over 4,000 men, (actually 18 and 20 year old teenagers and young adults) lost their lives that day.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
D-day was not just a physical invasion, it was a spiritual invasion as well. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12). A darkness cast by the “Ruler of the World” had been covering over Germany and that region that allowed unspeakable atrocities and evil acts to be committed and “good people” to be swayed into accepting them and be deceived into supporting them, participating in them, as something good. D- Day was also an invasion of light into darkness.
So today we remember and commemorate those men and women who possessed such remarkable character, morals, convictions, and a fundamental, basic understanding of the difference between what is right and wrong, holy and unholy, and selflessly sacrificed to stand up and speak truth into lies with their lives. And in doing so changed the course of history.
My family, I pray today you take time to reflect on the whole enormity of D-Day and bow and say a prayer of thanks and gratitude to all those who participated in and those who also lost their lives that day 80 years ago. I pray that it encourages you and motivates you as you look around our world and society and see how leaders and people are being swayed and deceived into accepting and supporting immoral and evil actions and attitudes, and remember you are also called to possess and live out remarkable character, morals, convictions, and a fundamental, basic understanding of the difference between what is right and wrong, holy and unholy, and you are also called to selflessly sacrifice and stand up and speak truth into lies with your lives. As history will also look back one day and reflect on our actions or failures to act, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please begin 2018 by a commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. All that I am and all that I have, I give to You in trusting surrender--as best as I can and all by Your grace.
"The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, He said to them, 'What are you looking for?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which translated means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' He said to them 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day" (John 1:35-39).
Lord Jesus, I want to know where You're staying, so I can come be with You. I want to know where You're going, so I can come be with You. Where You are is where I want to be. You're the One I'm looking for. So give me the courage today to step out of my comfort zone and the routine of my day and seek out the One I love. If you were my spouse or one of my children, and I did not know where one of them was, my love for them would compel me to go and do anything to find them and embrace them. May my love for you compel me to go and do anything to find and embrace you today in silent reflection, the people and places you lead me.
So I accept Your invitation to 'Come and see,' so I can "Come and be"--come and be with You. Your desire for me to “come and be” with you flows out of your complete and deep unfathomable love for me. To me, that's one of Your greatest promises in all of Scripture: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). In this you are saying, “Gary understand this, I will love you always, to the end of the age.” To which I say, "Praise God!"
My family, I pray today you “come and see” Jesus, that you “come and be” with Him and allow Him to embrace you in His ‘Love unto the ages,” and come and be with you in all you are and all you do, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Arise in Your resurrection power in my life today.
"Then He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22 NLT).
Breathe on me, O Breath of God. Let Your Spirit fill my lungs with praise. Let your Breath fill my mouth with Your words. Let Your Presence abide in my soul.
Breathe on me, Lord. Breathe new life, fresh passion, renewed vision and determination to seek Your face, to return to my first love, to follow Your ways, to be the child of God and disciple of Christ You created me and called me to be--not in my strength but in Your power, not in my goodness but in Your righteousness.
I desperately need You. I breathlessly await You. Increase my capacity to breathe You in as You breathe on me. Fill me afresh that You can overflow onto those around me, through me this day and this next season of my life in You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family,I pray you fall on your knees this morning and desperately desire to be filled afresh with the Breath of God to overflow anew with His life and love flowing out of you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comment box below.
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community, my family, and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please begin 2018 by a commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning Lord Jesus,I being my new week with the hope of complete sanctification in you and your love.
This morning my reflection blog is a little different. I was at the Waffle House low bar talking with customers and sharing my faith. A regular smirked back sarcastically that “the church would burn down if I entered it” and “it would take me along time to get right before that happens.” Last night at a local brewery where we held our men’s group, Brothers, Bibles and Beer (B3),we talked about my reflection from yesterday. We went around the group and reflected over the question, “If I had enough balls to make a change I believe God is calling me to make, what would that change be and what would it look like?" One of the men said he does not believe, or struggles to believe he is worthy enough for God to want to use him in any remarkable way.
In praying over these conversations this morning, I was reminded of a video. A couple years ago I was sent this short 3 minute video by a friend of mine. I have reflected on it, turned to Scripture, meditated on it, and shared it many times. The link for it is below.
We are not “made right” or “made worthy” by anything we can do in our flesh. We are not saved by our works. We are not saved by our professions of faith. We are not saved by our religion, church affiliation, or church attendance. We are not saved by our attendance in Bible studies like B3 or knowledge of Scriptures. We are not saved by the amount of time we pray. All these things are good and of extreme vital importance to the Christian faith. But any assurance or reliance of salvation on anything you put an “I” in front of is arrogance. Salvation is a solo act of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ who we all enter into only by the grace of God.
My family, I pray you will watch this video and then spend time on your own reflecting on it. I pray that either any feeling of being unworthy or removed from you, or on the other hand any ways in arrogance you are ascribing any part of your salvation, and that of others on anything other than the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ is removed from you, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections on this video with myself or others using the comment box below.
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
“Now the LORD said to Abram,“Go out from your country, your relatives, and your fatherʼs household to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)
I had a conversation with another pastor friend yesterday. He, as I, went to seminary for 4 years, went through all the questioning and interviews by the board of ordained ministers, spent years as a provisional member, and finally was also ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church. When the UMC abandoned it’s covenant and walked away from Biblical Orthodox teachings and went progressive, he, as I also did, left the UMC. And we walked away from the UMC and all the years, time, effort, uprooting our families, financial and other investments we poured into the UMC and our credentials. My pastor friend shared with me the struggles he was having for his being obedient to God and walking away from all the security of the denomination. He and his church are meeting in temporary facilities and facing challenges. And since He knew I am going through the same thing, wanted to “vent” and receive prayer.
It reminded me of a story in my life and the life of our church One Direction Community (ODC). In December of 2015 ODC was sent a certified letter from the owners of the building we had helped restore and were using for our Gatherings. The letter stated in ODC would no longer be able to use their facility in 2016, which we received 18 days before the end of the year. So after our Christmas Eve service, we put on work clothe, pulled up Uhaul, and that night loaded up all our equipment, furnishings, all of our things and moved them to a storage unit. We were upset.
However, for a several months before we were evicted, I felt a spiritual tension every time I walked into the building. It was not a welcoming place. However, ODC had put over $75k into the renovation of the building into a space for a church. We spent hundreds of hours over the past year and a half knocking out walls, wiring, plumbing, painting, and renovating it. And our rent, which was a donation, was only $500 a month. So because of my reluctance to walk away from the huge investment we put into the building, and not knowing where we would find a place to rent for anything close to $500 a month in Madison, and the fear and uncertainty of change, we stayed at the building. I knew in my spirit it was a spiritually toxic place that we needed to leave, but I did not have the balls to make the change. God has much bigger balls than me. He caused to happen what needed to happen because I would not. Did it happen in an un-ethical or unfair way? Yes. Did it need to happen though? Yes. Is God fair? No.
Being kicked out put us into a season of fasting and praying for 28 days to listen and hear God’s direction for ODC. It led us to launching Community Dinners at Terranovas, a Sunday morning gathering in a Flea Market, serving at the Manna House, leading a monthly gathering and teaching of discipleship trainings at the Downtown Rescue Mission, forming prayer nights on Fridays, and growing our house churches. One of us had to have enough balls to make the change to allow this to happen, though I lacked them, God did not.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”” (Romans 11:33-34)
Take a few moments to pray into the Holy Spirit. Ok, I know this is a kind of weird reflection, but prayerfully meditate on, “If I had enough balls to make this change in my life, what would it be?” What would it take to cause it to happen? What would that event look like? What would the future result of that change look like? In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
"Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction." v 31
The the last chapter of Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible is chapter 28 and it ends with this verse above.: Despite all the attempts to stop the growing of the church and spreading of the Gospel, the message goes forth. The stories of The Church in the world did not end with chapter 28. They continue on today in Acts 29. Acts 29 is the not yet completed chapter being written on the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life, the movement of God in the world, and the workings of Jesus through His church today. And that includes this morning! Acts 29, the living story of your faith and the faith of the church must continue on where Acts 28 left off.
At our last house church gathering together we reflected and prayed through Acts 28. We discussed why we are here as a church and our calling. I have been praying over this. I prayed that if we honestly seek and remain in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we will go forth as well boldly proclaiming the Gospel of grace and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matt. 16:18.) I prayed we would all finally see our homes as Paul did. That our homes our a gift from God will be used for the glory of God and not built with doors to keep our neighbors out but to welcome them in.
The purpose of going through the Book of Acts together was to encourage, renew, and awaken our faith in 2024 and awake us out of our slumber. “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” (Eph. 5:14)
Set aside time this week to Reflect on this.
The need to apply and focus on these characteristics that the early church in Acts embraced to birth the church is needed today to birth new life into your faith and the life of your church and The Church today.
1. Christ Centered. We need to expect this in each other in all we do, Jesus is Lord
2. Fruitfulness in ministries: Is there fire?, Is there faithfulness?, Is there fruit?. Is it one that is convincing anyone of the love and gospel of Jesus. If it is not bearing fruit, stop doing it.
3. Offer your best: do it with excellence. Whether you are first encountering someone on the street or a first time visitor in your church, this is the only one that matters.
4. Accountability: We need to be talking each other into following Jesus. As in the early church, Walking into a town they do not know, to people they never met, with a message they do not know, requires intimate connections, Mentors and coaches.
5. Collaboration: Working with others, connection, and praying for others in other communities.
Reflect on these questions:
Why are you here?
Why is your church here?
What is your vision that gives you you a picture of your purpose?
Where does your passion intersect with the world’s great need?
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What are some of your most strongly held beliefs?
What are your gifts you feel you have for leadership and service?
What are your weaknesses?
What connections, training, classes, activities are you in need of to achieve your purpose and vision?
What connections, training, classes, activities is your church in need of to achieve its purpose and vision?
I have led us through 28 days of reflection on Acts. I would love to hear from you on what this time has meant to you and what reflections and insights you have gained. Please share these with myself and others by posting in the comments box below.
Good morning Lord Jesus, I do not want to just go through the motions today, prepare my heart, open my eyes so I can experience your glory throughout my day…
“When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” ( Acts 25:.18)
The Jewish Sanhedrin charged Paul with various charges. He violated the purity of the temple, he went against the law of Moses, and he was inciting the people to riot against Roman authorities. However, as Festus soon realized, their main hatred of Paul and charges against him centered on, “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” The real point at issue was the resurrection of Jesus. It always boils down to that.
We saw this earlier in Acts, “While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” v. 4:2. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
The resurrection of Jesus is at the core of all attacks on our faith, because if the resurrection of Jesus, is proved a lie, then Christianity crumbles. As Paul states,
“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God…For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.” 1 Cor 15:12, 19
Paul says, “My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:10 This needs to be our aim as wel. This needs to be every church’s mission statement if we want to have any hope at all of our individual lives and the life of our church to bear any meaningful fruit. However, as Paul says, to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in ourselves, we must first completely die to ourselves. To enterter into the resurrection of Jesus, we first must enter into the death of Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come an die.”
The context of his quote is this. “The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over ourlives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call. (The Cost of Discipleship)
Take time to read 1Corinthians chapter 15 today. It is a chapter devoted complete to the resurrection of Jesus.
My family, I pray you reflect today, “about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” (v.18). Do you truly believe this? Then claim this belief again over your life and the life of our church. Claim you are willing to answer Christ’s call to come and die so you can experience the power of his resurrection. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same over me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections with us on the resurrection of Christ.
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin my day resting in your love , grace and mercy.
“Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ”Acts 15: 24”
The gathering of the council of Jerusalem was such an important event to Luke that he took great care to write about. Paul in Galatians 2:1-14 give an autobiographical narrative to this event and provides even more details. I suggest you read it along with Acts 15 to give a more complete picture.
Paul states some people came from Jerusalem “sent by James” and persuaded Peter to withdraw from the fellowship of the table with the gentiles. That is sitting at the dinner table and eating things the Jews believed were unclean. Paul saw both Peter’s and later Barnabas’s same actions as a threat to the freedom of the gospel for the gentiles. Paul publicly called Peter out on this saying it was wrong for Peter to force the gentiles to adopt the Jewish traditions, customs and ways of life to have a relationship with Jesus and be saved. Peter was then distressed by the conflict his actions had caused. Since it all started with messengers sent by James to persuade Peter, then the matter had to be taken up with James and the Council in Jerusalem that was under the chairmanship of James, who was the brother of Jesus.
The council’s decision basically was to simply have the gentiles prohibit Idolatry, and sexual perversion and fortification, and allowed them to eat and drink what they wanted. Where true religion and basic Christian ethics were involved, Paul was strong on his teaching gentiles to avoid idolatry and fornication. But in matters of food and drink which were religiously and ethically neutral, he refused to lay down the law. He believed, as God had revealed to him in his dream, that no food or drink was “unclean”, even if it had been previously forbidden by the law of Moses. Even if the food had come from an animal sacrificed to a pagan divinity. It was human beings that mattered, not food and drink. If a Christian was considering whether or not to eat this or drink something, the decision should depend on the conscience of the Christian. Paul always argued from the order of creation and the ethical implications of a law-free gospel. To which I say Amen!!!
Which brings me back to the verse I quoted above, “Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,” v24
There are unfortunately way to many persons and voices in The Church today going out and saying troubling words and saying unsettling things which God gave them no authority to say, Scriptures gave them no authority to say, but they are claiming authority based on religion, tradition, and personal preference. They declare, prohibit, and put restrictions on not only food and drink, but dress codes, worship days, worship places, worship styles, restrictions on the means of grace of who can baptize someone or who can celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and pray prayers of reconciliation. These things hinder people from encountering the gospel and encountering Jesus. Paul was saying to the council that these things will turn away the gentiles, those that don’t know the gospel and Jesus, before they even hear about or encounter Jesus and also burden them while they try to listen the gospel.
The same holds true in the church today. Most people today who do not attend church, or who attend a church and then leave the church and walk away from the gospel, do not do so because they encountered Jesus and found him to difficult, but because they encounter at the door of the church hoops to jump through and restrictions based on traditions, customs and personal preferences to receiving the gospel and Jesus. They walk away because they find Christians difficult. They walk away from The Church, a place of hope, disturbed and troubled, because of these things having never encountered Jesus. A pole was taken asking people about Spirituality, Jesus, and Christians. When asked about spirituality, people responded positively, there is a need for spiritual growth in people. When asked about Jesus, people responded positively. Jesus and what he represents has a positive image and message. When asked about Christians, the responses was negative. Why, when spirituality and Jesus are supposed to be at our core and what shapes and defines us?
I want to make it clear that if Scriptures clearly prescribe or prohibit a behavior, lifestyle, action or attitude, then our surrender to Jesus as our Lord requires obedience to these. However, if you are are claiming something prohibited or prescribed based on tradition, custom, personal preference, religion, or habit, if they are bringing you closer to Christ then follow them, but the requirement to follow them stops at your property line and you forever release the rest of the body of Christ from following them.
As I said in my previous post, we need to get back to simply Jesus, the simple gospel of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins.
My family, pray over what people and voices are you listening to that have no authority to put laws or “hoops” to jump through in the gospel you receive. Pray over if any of these voices people are hearing are coming from you? What hoops to jump through does your church have in place that can keep people from walking away before encountering Jesus you need to remove? In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You! .
“The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:22
Acts 11 convicted me again of the absolute necessity of the the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit in my life personally and in our church for us to be people anointed by God, with a heart conformed to the heart of God and his will. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we want to have any hope of providing a place where people can encounter salvation in Christ and receive healing of physical, spiritual, and emotional sicknesses and the restoration of shattered lives. I am getting emotional now, as the desperation and urgency of this need sets into my soul. I feel bold enough to say, If we individually, and collectively as a church can not commit to the absolute necessity of pressing into and seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to quit right now claiming to be a a people full of the power of Christ for the transformation of the broken; quit claiming to be a source of new life; quit claiming to be a cross-bearing community willing to abandon everything for the sake of the Gospel; because without that commitment, we cannot be any of these things. And we need to walk away and disappear into the safe, redundant, and complacent cycle of Sunday church.
You and I have God-given gifts to use!
We have a strong gifting of service, and we are constantly either personally and individually, or collectively in our church or house churches, encouraging each other to help their neighbors whether it is bringing food, helping them move, working on house..ect. Also serving at Manna House, House of the Harvest, Downtown Rescue Mission and prayer walking neighborhoods.
Some have an Apostolic gift of being a catalyst. visioning, planning, white boarding, and strategic thinking.
Some have the gift of Evangelism and to go out and prayer walk and tell people about Christ.
Some have the gift of pastoring, and naturally can sit, listen to, love on and offer compassion and guidance to individuals.
Some have the gift of prophecy, of hearing what God's desire is for his people, seeing where his people actually are, and live, pray, and the ability tospeak into and mourn in that gap.
Though one gift may be more prevalent, all of these gifts are in all of us. Yet all of these gifts must flow out of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These gifts we can’t claim or open in our our competency.
If we can't, if more personally, I can't, prioritize and commit to seeking being full of the Holy Spirit by committing my self daily to time in the Word, to time in prayer and to fasting regularly, I have no business trying to use any of the gifts above. The number one mistake of Christians that are missionally minded, is neglecting the great commandment in observance of the great commission. That mistake is spending time "doing" something for God before we have spent deep time "being" with God. I can not “go” and make disciples if I myself am not willing go deep into my own personal discipleship. I can not lead others to a place I myself am not willing to go. I need to seek that place where I Love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, Then I can have a love for my neighbor that flows out of this intense love for God. Observance of this great commandment is required before I can go to places and people to make disciples. All this holds true as well for us collectively as a church.
The Church needs people willing to use all their giftings that are listed above, but not if they are not wiling to do so in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to present and share the Gospel . If you do treat your neighbors kindly and fairly, help them out, serve at the House of Harvest and are a good neighbor but do not do not sharie the Gospel with them, you will be liked and make more friends. Your popularity will increase and your circle of friends will increase, but your ministry will decrease. Because it will be all about advancing your gifts without advancing Jesus’ gift of salvation, inviting people into your kingdom and not the kingdom of God. And your kingdom is not able to save anyone.
My family. How are your seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How are you seeking to fall more deeper in love with God? The world, your family, your neighbors can’t truly be blessed through you if you are trying to use the gifts go God in a nominal, self-reliant, form of a Christian operating out of your own power but lacking the filling and power of the Holy Spirit. I pray you will earnestly seek to obey the great commandment above all else to love the Lord you God with all your heart, strength, mind and soul, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections from reading Acts chapter 11. As we read through these chapters, though certain verses in each chapter stood out to me that I comment and pray on, other verses probably stood out to you. Please share this with us.
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
Reminder of the 5 Spiritual acts we are committing to do while reading through Acts.:
1. Spend time reading and reflecting on each chapter. Pray then over your ministry and your church.
2. Start up/join in a Band Group. A band group is the Wesleyan name for accountability groups of 2-3 people of the same sex that meet weekly. We need to both encourage and hold each other accountable to time in the Word, Prayer, and our daily walk with Christ. Do not delay, pray to God who to ask you which one or two persons to invite to join you, and do it. Ne excuses, no delays.
3. Set aside just one hour a week (you can do more than one) away from distractions and spend that hour in solid prayer. You can use the Prayer Wheel if you like as a guide.
4. Fast one day a week in prayer. Read Isaiah 58 on fasting for guidance or contact me if you have questions on fasting.
5. Daily Lunch + prayer: Everyday when you sit down to lunch, you pray over your meal. After your prayer over the meal, and a 30 second prayer over ODC and its ministries for God’s vision and leading.
Acts 10 is a removing by the Holy Spirit any barriers and the breaking of the binding chains of tradition, religion, cultural, ethnicity, nationality, family heritage and norms that were strongholds on peoples lives and excluded them from the Gospel.
All things are clean. It is not the object that is unclean (sex, alcohol, food, money, time, materials...) all Idolatry is the perversion of something good. “What God has made clean, do not call common.” V.15.
As importantly, All people are "clean", able to receive the Gospel, including you and me!
"yet God has shown me that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean" v,28
"Then Peter started speaking: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him." v.34
"No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” So he gave orders to have them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." vs.47-48
My daily prayer every morning over my family and our church is, "Lord, send us the ones nobody else wants." Let us truly embrace this, no matter who or what this looks like.
My family, I pray Lord to please free me from the bondage and chains of pre-conceived judgments, prejudice, traditions, and thinking, "Its the way we've always done it." I pray this over you as well. Free me personally and all of us as our churches move forward from any hindrances or clinging to style, format, meeting space, and doctrine, in Jesus’ name. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections to my post or on the verses in Acts 10 that spoke to you.
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
Thank you Father, for spending this time with me this morning, encouraging and equipping me for my day.
Acts 9 contains one of the most amazing stories in the NT, the conversion of Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus. In my prayer time reading this chapter, two verses stood out to me.
First, The Lord tells Ananais concerning Paul, "For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name".... v.16
We serve a suffering Savior. It was through suffering Jesus established his kingdom on earth. It was by enduring suffering and hardship that Paul further established the kingdom of God. It is through my suffering, our suffering, the church’s suffering that God's kingdom will be further established on earth. I prayed the hard prayer for me, God show me how much I need to suffer for you, and give me the strength and ability to accept and suffer for your kingdom, for you are worthy of it. We need to pray this together as a church.
Second verse, "And laying his hands on him he (Ananias) said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” v. 17.
God sent Ananias to Paul. It was through Ananais laying hands on Paul and praying over him that he received the power of the Holy Spirit to open his eyes to Jesus, enable him to be obedient to God, endure the suffering and hardship, and proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles. All throughout this chapter and the Bible people are coming to Paul's aid and assisting him. Without their help, Paul would not have succeeded.
God sent you to me. God sent me to you. God sent us to each other. To be "Ananias" to each other. To lay hands and pray over each other to receive the Holy Spirit, open our eyes to Jesus, enable us to be obedient to God, endure the hardship and suffering, and proclaim the Gospel to our neighbors. I prayed over all of you for the times and seasons when you have partnered and helped me. I needed it then and I need it today. I am so thankful for you all. I prayed over my help for you when you need it. I prayed over your participation in the church and our help for each other as a church, we need each other. I prayed over helping each other to be filled with the Holy Spirit and scales fall from our eyes to see Christ.
My family, I pray you will in prayer ask Jesus the hard question, “How much I need to suffer for you?” I pray you will also thank God for the “Ananais” he has sent to you in your life. I pray you will also ask Him who are those to whom He is sending you to be an “Ananias”. to them, In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections from reading Acts chapter 9. As we read through these chapters, though certain verses in each chapter stood out to me that I comment on, other verses probably stood out to you. Please share this with us.
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