Tag: Sunday rest and reflection
Sunday rest and reflection: prayer
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, our coming King and eternal Savior! “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24) It is a choice to rejoice in the Lord each and every day! Each day is a new day with new understanding of how great our God is! As we begin another week, set aside time to reflect on God Himself. Take time to commune with Him! Take time to be with others of like-precious faith who gather to worship, study, and thank Him in community! We especially need this as we see the day of the Lord approaching! (Hebrews 10:25)
We have been reading this past week about Ezra and Nehemiah, two great men in the history of Israel who relied on God and lived lives of prayer and obedience. Ezra offered praise and thanks to the Lord for granting him favor to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 7:27-28) Ezra prayed for traveling mercies for his party with all the gold and silver articles for the temple. (Ezra 8:21-23) After God brought them safely to Jerusalem, they met with others and offered sacrifices and thanked the Lord. Ezra heard about the unfaithfulness of those who had married outside of the faith and he again humbled himself to pray and fast and confess the sins of his countrymen. (Ezra 9:5-15) Others gathered with him and they sought the Lord. God brought repentance and cleansing as they prayed together.
Nehemiah carried a burden for Jerusalem and it’s broken walls. He began to pray to the Lord about his burden. (Nehemiah 1:5-11) God gave him opportunity to speak with the Persian king, Artaxerxes, and he prayed again. (Nehemiah 2:4) God granted him favor and he was sent by this pagan king to rebuild the walls, along with materials and money as well as workers! As he arrived, God gave him a vision to put the people to work by families, assigning them personal responsibility near their own homes. Prayer was offered to combat discouragement and stop opposing forces. (Nehemiah 4:4-5) Nehemiah armed the workers and encouraged them to work and fight for their own children, homes and families! (Nehemiah 4:14) He had a trumpeter near him at all times to sound a call to fight (or pray) when an attack might come. (Nehemiah 4:20)
Take time today to praise the Lord, thank Him for Who He is. Do this for yourself and for your family! Meet with God’s people and worship in community! He is coming soon! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection: mercy!
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Greetings on this day of worship and reflection! God is to be praised for His mercy and long-suffering! As I think back on the nearly 500 years of history in the Kings and Chronicles, God surely was patient with His people! He suffered long with their stubbornness. He waited patiently for them to respond to His prophets and Word. He punished them, but still His mercy was extended to those who would listen and respond. They endured wars, captivity, famines, internal bickering and strife while God kept continually offering them His amazing grace! They only needed to turn to Him in repentance and call on His name and He would hear and answer! How long our God bears with us!
As I think about the day we live in, God is still offering the amazing grace of forgiveness! He is still suffering long and ready to extend His cleansing grace. All who call out to Him are heard! He still saves and delivers. He forgives sin, rebellion and strife when His people repent! He has sent His people out with a message of good news! God’s wrath has been satisfied with the blood of His own Son! Whoever believes can get in on it! What an amazing display of mercy available to all who will come to Him!
After the trials and tests of this life are over, God promises us full life with Him forever! This is extreme mercy! We who were His enemies are now brought near and given a full inheritance! The same God who foretold the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, tells us of a new heavens and new earth where we will dwell in righteousness with Him forever! Go and tell the Good News of God’s amazing mercy! Have a great week in Jesus Christ! Love in Him, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection
Greetings! Today is another day of rest and reflection and a time to catch up if you need to. Today, I am reflecting on what it means to seek God during our days here on earth.
Solomon built a temple for the Lord as a place where God’s people could come and seek the Lord. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon’s prayer petitioned God to let His eyes be on the temple and asked that God’s ears would be attentive to the prayers of His people. (2 Chronicles 6:20-21) God answered Solomon by appearing to him and answering his petitions. God promised that His Name would always be there and that His eyes and heart would also be there. (2 Chronicles 7:15) God warned Solomon not to forsake seeking Him and turn away to other gods.
I believe that the first thing needed to seek God is faith. Anyone who comes to God, must believe that He is. Since God is Spirit, we can not see Him with our physical eyes. So if we are seeking to contact God, we must approach Him as if He is really there and can hear and see us. God actually appeared to Solomon after he had prayed and petitioned God. As we approach God in faith, He reveals Himself to us.
We must also believe that God wants to reward us for seeking Him. (Hebrews 11:6) It wouldn’t do much good to seek out God if we did not feel that He would actually hear and understand what we needed. Our God not only understands us, but has compassion on us and loves us. He desires our highest good and wants to bless us. We understand these truths by faith through believing God’s Word. We must choose to believe because we hear the Word. The Word of God has spiritual life and power in it to bring faith to the hearts of those who hear and believe, not just listen.
It was said of Rehoboam that he did evil in the sight of the Lord because he failed to seek the Lord. (2nd Chronicles 12:14) Lord help us to seek You in all we do! In His love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection–patience
As I reflect on Joshua and think about what he faced in his lifetime, I am reminded of my need for patience and courage. It is hard to live patiently when you know what the Lord has said and no one around you is walking in faith. Joshua kept quiet and had a positive outlook when almost everyone was grumbling and complaining. He lived faithfully and held his tongue and temper.
Joshua had to wait 40 years to enter his inheritance. As one of the twelve spies, he saw the land first-hand and understood from God’s Word that it belonged to them. He believed that God would help them with the walled cities and the giants. He had a good attitude and a good confession. He tore his clothes and pleaded with the people when they rebelled at Kadesh. (Numbers 14:5-9) He faithfully served Moses for the 40 years as he walked with those who were destined to die in the wilderness, He was chosen by God to lead Israel after Moses’s departure. The Bible tells us that the first requirement of a steward is that they be found faithful! (1st Corinthians 4:2) Joshua was faithful and patient to wait until God’s time came for him to enter and possess his inheritance.
As you take time to rest and pray today, thank God for His faithfulness in sending His son Jesus Christ, our Joshua! Jesus keeps a good attitude, even when we whine and complain. He walks with us faithfully, even when we don’t recognize Him present. He kept God’s Word perfectly and is the only one who can take us into the “promised land’! He took the lowest place of a servant and God exalted Him to the highest place of authority. What courage and strength it took for Him to save us! Are you letting patience have it’s perfect work in your life today? Have a great day of rest and refreshing! Remember to gather with others of faith and worship the Lord! God bless you! Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection
March 3, 2023
Greetings! Hopefully, you are spending part of this day with God’s family in a place of worship! God redeemed us from slavery to sin to lead a life of worship! We are to worship personally and corporately. We come together to meet with God and His family and prepare ourselves for a week of ministry and witness. We come together to hear the Word of God preached and taught by those with gifts of teaching and preaching. We use our gifts to encourage other believers and pray. The gifts in the body help us to become equipped to do the work God has for each person and the church family. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Moses is one of my favorite Old Testament characters. He was strong and vigorous at 120 years of age. Evidently the manna and water diet kept him healthy and strong! Moses was greatly concerned for the next generation. He wanted them to be blessed and and take by faith all that the Lord had promised as their inheritance. He clearly understood how their sinful human nature was a danger to them. He shared that nature and because of his own anger and dishonoring of God would not be able to go into the promised land himself. Deuteronomy is the record of his last messages preached to this next generation before he died.
God chose the preaching of His Word to be the vehicle of teaching and inspiring this next generation. (1st Corinthians 1:21) Faith comes by hearing God’s Word! (Romans 10:17) Faith also works by love and God calls them to love Him and love each other! (Galatians 5:6) Love is not a feeling, but a commitment to act for the highest good of another. God’s promises show His love and our faith and obedience show our love in return! God’s love hasn’t changed! He is still using preaching to reach people and inspire faith in them. (Romans 10:14-15) He still desires faith and obedience as a show of our love for Him. (1st John 5:2-4) When we walk in faith and obedience and love Him, His face shines on us! (Number 6:22-27) Have a great day of rest and reflection! In His Love, Pastor John
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday December 28th, 2014
Dear Friends of Jesus,
This is the last Sunday of 2014 and I have caught up on the blogs so I can finish Revelation in three more days on schedule! We began in Genesis with man created by God on the sixth day of creation. As we come to the concluding chapters of Revelation, the earth is to be renovated by fire and a new heaven and new earth will come forth. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven and be the eternal dwelling place of man with God. There will be no more sin, crying, pain, death or Devil! God will make everything new!
Spend time today with the people of God and reflect on these things. Prepare your hearts for His coming again and share the Gospel will those you God puts in your life. The best is yet to come!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary
The King Eternal!
Saturday December 6th, 2014
The passage for today is Paul’s letter to Timothy chapters 1-3. Timothy was a young pastor, mentored by Paul, who was a pastor at the church in Ephesus. Paul wrote to encourage him and instruct him in basic pastoral leadership.
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:15-17
” I urge then, first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-5
“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body; was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” 1st Timothy 3:16
Paul stood in awe of Jesus Christ, the “King Eternal”! Paul knew Jesus Christ as “God our Savior” and the only mediator between God the Father and mankind. Jesus came in a human body, was crucified and raised from the dead. He is now preached among all nations and is believed on in the world. He was taken up in glory and will come again! This is the Gospel Paul preached!
Encouraging Words!
Saturday November 29th, 2014
May these five scriptures bring revelation and encouragement to your life today!
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” 2nd Corinthians 10:4-5
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15
“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”” “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That’s why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test? 2nd Corinthians 13:5
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2nd Corinthians 13:14
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday November 23rd, 2014
Dear Friends,
I am so thankful for the cross of Jesus Christ! The cross is where our Lord gave His life that we might have eternal life! It is a place where my sins were punished, once for all time! It speaks of God’s great love for us! Even while we were sinners, Christ died for us! The cross is empty now–and the One who died there has risen from the dead! He still bears the marks of crucifixion to remind us of His great love and sacrifice and to call us to the same kind of love for Him and others.
Please join with God’s people this Sunday and worship our Lord! What a joy to gather with redeemed people and spend time in worship, prayer, and hearing His word! God bless you abundantly!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday November 16, 2014
Dear Friends,
Sharing Jesus with others by sharing our testimony brings overcoming power to our lives. Many Christians never share their experiences with Christ and miss out on the blessing this brings to them as well as others. Gather today with God’s people to refocus your life on Jesus Christ and have a personal encounter with Him in worship, prayer and the Word! It will be the best decision of your life!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary