Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Valentine’s Day is here once again, a day we focus on love. The Love we have for each other. And the love we have for God the Father and His Son Jesus who He sent to truly show us what love was all about…that love sometimes requires the deepest kind of sacrifice imaginable.
And because He loved us so very much, we know how we are to love one another…because He IS love.
So this week, I’m getting prepared for the day.
Dozen roses. Check.
Love themed jewelry. Check.
Card that expressed my love feelings for my beautiful wife. Check.
I seemed to have everything together to make the day special.
But then, I received a mailing from World Vision, one of the four organizations that Grace and I sponsor children through. The flyer spelled out the reason for the mailing…and changed my perspective for this Valentine’s Day…to include this message.
What did the flyer say?
“Crisis in the Horn of Africa. Urgent: 3 million children face starvation.”
My heart that was buoyed up so much from all my Valentine’s Day celebration sunk.
3 million children facing starvation.
Those words ate away at me and I felt so much sadness because in the midst of celebrating love and using the blessing of the Lord’s abundance to lavish gifts on my spouse, I was reminded that there are so many others who won’t be celebrating this day…so many who aren’t feeling so loved. In fact, many this day are feeling pretty lost…abandoned…alone…hopeless.
Are we thinking about them as we celebrate the blessings of love in our own lives?
And those who are feeling less than loved this day don’t just include the hungry. For many have lost loved ones since last Valentine’s Day. Still many others have suffered relationship break ups, children have become orphaned or abandoned or abused and neglected.
Yes, not all are necessarily feeling loved this Valentine’s Day. So what do we do about it?
I would encourage all of us to take a moment today to pray for those who are in the midst of any hardship that makes them feel less than loved. Let us pray that they might be able to feel the arms of their Father in Heaven wrap around them to comfort and console them…arms that will never leave them alone…arms that will always love them.
I also would encourage you to consider to make a donation for the cause of any organization that is making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Many are doing God’s work in underprivileged nations and although we maybe can’t go to these countries and help physically, we can make a difference through the money that the Lord has blessed us with. And what better investment can you make than to help save a life…for 3 million children are starving this very day just in the Horn of Africa. How many other millions are suffering likewise?
If you are interested in child sponsorship, I highly recommend giving it a try. We’ve done it for 16 years now and have been so richly blessed in knowing we are making a special difference in the life of a child in need. What a better world we would live in if we all invested in just one child who was in need. We could defeat this problem of world hunger and improve the health of all of God’s children…one child at a time.
And so I invite you to take a look at World Vision (www.wvi.org), Children International (children.org), Compassion International (www.compassion.com) or Food for the Hungry (www.fh.org) as well as Steven Curtis Chapman’s adoption ministry, Shaohannah’s Hope (members.shaohannahshope.org). Any or all of these organizations are doing the Lord’s work and I’ve been richly blessed in my affiliation with them.
Jesus, in His parable of “The Sheep and the Goats” said:
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.
Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?”
The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.”
Matthew 25:35-40
Today, as we celebrate love and, in doing so, celebrate the One, Jesus, who taught us the definition of love, let us honor Him and the love sacrifice He made for us by sacrificing a little for those who are the least...those who are in need of love.
And never let us rest until we ensure that every man, woman and child in this world know that they are loved. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
WHAT CAN BE NEW IN THE NEW YEAR?
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
OK…the clock has struck midnight…the ball has dropped in Times Square…the chorus of “Happy New Year” chants have been sounded…the noise makers have been blown…the bubbly (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) has been tasted. And as we awake to the dawn of the first day of this year, we are left with many questions, one of which being…”What can be new in this new year?”
We may have thought about this already. Many people do, you know. They see the new year as a chance to get a fresh start…to manage their money better and get out of debt…to lose weight and take better care of their bodies…to do strive to make a difference in some way. Yes…many resolutions will be made…and many resolutions will go by the way side before the first month of the new year is over. For as much as resolutions are a part of New Year’s holiday tradition, failing to meet those resolutions are just as much a part of the tradition once the year begins.
Don’t we yearn for resolutions that will stick…resolutions that will persevere and carry us day after day after day to a place where we feel better about ourselves, our purpose and the world we live in. What would you say if I told you that God has a plan for us to be new in the new year and remain new throughout? Would you be interested?
If so, here is God’s word for you for the new year…a word that will focus on what can be new for you if you’re just willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit and wisdom.
1. You will first need a new heart and spirit.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
If you’re truly going to start out the new year fresh and ready for renewal, you first need to leave the past behind. Last year is gone and although you may be dealing with matters that carried over, those are ongoing issues that God will help you with in the new year, possibly in new ways.
What you don’t need to carry over is guilt, worry, anxiety, or stress from what happened before. If you’ve done wrong, genuinely repent and accept God’s forgiveness for you. Confess your wrongs and then turn away from them with a new heart and new Spirit…a new heart and new Spirit that can only come from the Lord...a new heart and a new Spirit that places the Lord and His will first in everything…a new heart and Spirit that is committed to serve the Lord full time, just as He serves us.
Friends, you’ll never get off of this first point unless you move forward with a new heart and new Spirit. Everything else comes as a result of it.
So pray this prayer with me right now:
Lord Jesus, I am leaving everything in my past behind right now…all my hurt, all my pain, all my sins I have committed. I am leaving them behind so I can be free to run into Your arms, for I long for the love, wisdom and safety that only You can bring. I turn all that I am over to you and lay all my present burdens at Your feet, asking you into my heart and praying you will make it new. And as I open my heart wide for You to enter in, I also ask that you fill me with Your Holy Spirit…fill me to overflow Lord so that all I am is what You are. For I yearn to be new in this new year Lord Jesus and surrender my life so You can make it so. For it’s in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen.
2. You need to fully embrace His new mercies.
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
When we fully surrender our heart to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, something amazing happens. For not only are we new but we see everything through His eyes, including a deeper appreciation for who He was and what He did for us.
As we do this, we are fully sensitized to the fact God could have wiped all of us off the face of creation because of our sinfulness, but instead He decided to give His only Son as a living sacrifice for us all. Why? Because of His great love for us. In our place, He instead gave up His His perfect, unblemished Lamb…His Son Jesus…who was nailed to the cross where we all should have been…and His shed blood became the sin atonement for us all.
So our waking every day…with our new heart and new Spirit…should bring us into a daily routine of thanksgiving and praise…thanksgiving and praise because God has once again blessed us with another opportunity to experience the awesome wonder of life…life we don’t deserve and yet we are granted...all because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.
But how have we done in showing God how grateful we are for the great sacrifice He made for us…a sacrifice that cost Him His Son? Frankly, we haven’t done too well because given a choice between righteousness and sinfulness, too often we have chosen the latter…and I often wonder how God feels when we do. Sad? Angry? I would say both. And since He has infinite power, he certainly could choose to vent His wrath on us. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He loves us as a parent loves a child…only He is the perfect Parent…our Heavenly Father. And so, although we frustrate Him, He still loves us…and His compassions never fail. They are truly new every morning as we awake and breathe in His grace…a grace that is amazing…a grace that brings us into each new day.
Indeed, great is God’s faithfulness. Great is His mercy, grace and love. And with a new heart and new Spirit, we’re ready to fully appreciate both each and every day we’re given, embracing His mercies and moving forward in an attitude of service and thanks to Jesus…an attitude reflected in the chorus of this classic hymn:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
3. You can sing a new song.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3
Something exciting happens when we surrender ourselves and get a new heart and Spirit from the Lord…a new heart and Spirit that allows us to fully appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us and the mercies we receive every day.
We want to tell others about it.
And they’ll be asking because if you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, you will be different. Everything about you will change and it will be most evident in you life attitude. For you will see everything in a confident and positive way…emboldened by a faith and trust in the Lord who through which all things are possible. The Lord will put a new song in your mouth and those words when sung out will comprise a hymn of praise to Him…a hymn of praise that will touch everyone around you. And lest you think, “…but I’m definitely not a singer” understand that God’s word here is not only telling us that the Lord places new music in our mouths but new words as well…as in singing the praises of someone.
When someone does something great, don’t you want to tell others about it?
Well, who does greater things for us every day than the Lord?
And if we truly have a new heart and Spirit…if we truly have allowed ourselves to fully appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made and the mercies that come to us every morning as a result of God’s love…then we will want to do nothing but sing the praises of our Lord to everyone we see…and those songs of praise will come because the Lord has placed them in our mouths.
4. We can be born or reborn into a living hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 3:3-5
As we accept a new heart and new Spirit from the Lord…as we then realize and revere the great cost paid by Jesus for us on the cross and how this came as a result of the Father’s mercy, grace and love which we experience new every morning…and as we then go forth to sing the Lord’s praises to all we see, we find ourselves born or reborn into a living hope…a living hope through Christ Jesus that keeps us buoyed up in joy and peace…free from anything that would encumber us and fully ready to go forth and carry out God’s will for us each day.
In this birth or rebirth, we also realize how richly blessed we are. For we discover that through Jesus’ resurrection, we have gained a chance to also join Him in an everlasting life when this earthly life ends. In other words, through Jesus Christ death is not the end but just the awesome, miraculous beginning of a life free from everything that afflicts us in the here and now…an eternal inheritance that no one or nothing can take from us after we receive it because it is kept in heaven for us…a gift, the greatest gift ever, yet to be received.
Friends, the new year will only be business as usual if we choose for it to be that way. I don’t know about you but I would rather have exciting over boring…exhilarating over dull…fresh over routine. The good news is that through the Lord, we can have everything new this year…and it starts with that first step.
Are you ready to receive a new heart and new Spirit today and begin a walk with Christ that will last forever?
He’s patiently waiting to receive you in love and make all things new.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
OK…the clock has struck midnight…the ball has dropped in Times Square…the chorus of “Happy New Year” chants have been sounded…the noise makers have been blown…the bubbly (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) has been tasted. And as we awake to the dawn of the first day of this year, we are left with many questions, one of which being…”What can be new in this new year?”
We may have thought about this already. Many people do, you know. They see the new year as a chance to get a fresh start…to manage their money better and get out of debt…to lose weight and take better care of their bodies…to do strive to make a difference in some way. Yes…many resolutions will be made…and many resolutions will go by the way side before the first month of the new year is over. For as much as resolutions are a part of New Year’s holiday tradition, failing to meet those resolutions are just as much a part of the tradition once the year begins.
Don’t we yearn for resolutions that will stick…resolutions that will persevere and carry us day after day after day to a place where we feel better about ourselves, our purpose and the world we live in. What would you say if I told you that God has a plan for us to be new in the new year and remain new throughout? Would you be interested?
If so, here is God’s word for you for the new year…a word that will focus on what can be new for you if you’re just willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit and wisdom.
1. You will first need a new heart and spirit.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
If you’re truly going to start out the new year fresh and ready for renewal, you first need to leave the past behind. Last year is gone and although you may be dealing with matters that carried over, those are ongoing issues that God will help you with in the new year, possibly in new ways.
What you don’t need to carry over is guilt, worry, anxiety, or stress from what happened before. If you’ve done wrong, genuinely repent and accept God’s forgiveness for you. Confess your wrongs and then turn away from them with a new heart and new Spirit…a new heart and new Spirit that can only come from the Lord...a new heart and a new Spirit that places the Lord and His will first in everything…a new heart and Spirit that is committed to serve the Lord full time, just as He serves us.
Friends, you’ll never get off of this first point unless you move forward with a new heart and new Spirit. Everything else comes as a result of it.
So pray this prayer with me right now:
Lord Jesus, I am leaving everything in my past behind right now…all my hurt, all my pain, all my sins I have committed. I am leaving them behind so I can be free to run into Your arms, for I long for the love, wisdom and safety that only You can bring. I turn all that I am over to you and lay all my present burdens at Your feet, asking you into my heart and praying you will make it new. And as I open my heart wide for You to enter in, I also ask that you fill me with Your Holy Spirit…fill me to overflow Lord so that all I am is what You are. For I yearn to be new in this new year Lord Jesus and surrender my life so You can make it so. For it’s in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen.
2. You need to fully embrace His new mercies.
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
When we fully surrender our heart to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, something amazing happens. For not only are we new but we see everything through His eyes, including a deeper appreciation for who He was and what He did for us.
As we do this, we are fully sensitized to the fact God could have wiped all of us off the face of creation because of our sinfulness, but instead He decided to give His only Son as a living sacrifice for us all. Why? Because of His great love for us. In our place, He instead gave up His His perfect, unblemished Lamb…His Son Jesus…who was nailed to the cross where we all should have been…and His shed blood became the sin atonement for us all.
So our waking every day…with our new heart and new Spirit…should bring us into a daily routine of thanksgiving and praise…thanksgiving and praise because God has once again blessed us with another opportunity to experience the awesome wonder of life…life we don’t deserve and yet we are granted...all because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.
But how have we done in showing God how grateful we are for the great sacrifice He made for us…a sacrifice that cost Him His Son? Frankly, we haven’t done too well because given a choice between righteousness and sinfulness, too often we have chosen the latter…and I often wonder how God feels when we do. Sad? Angry? I would say both. And since He has infinite power, he certainly could choose to vent His wrath on us. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He loves us as a parent loves a child…only He is the perfect Parent…our Heavenly Father. And so, although we frustrate Him, He still loves us…and His compassions never fail. They are truly new every morning as we awake and breathe in His grace…a grace that is amazing…a grace that brings us into each new day.
Indeed, great is God’s faithfulness. Great is His mercy, grace and love. And with a new heart and new Spirit, we’re ready to fully appreciate both each and every day we’re given, embracing His mercies and moving forward in an attitude of service and thanks to Jesus…an attitude reflected in the chorus of this classic hymn:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
3. You can sing a new song.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3
Something exciting happens when we surrender ourselves and get a new heart and Spirit from the Lord…a new heart and Spirit that allows us to fully appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us and the mercies we receive every day.
We want to tell others about it.
And they’ll be asking because if you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, you will be different. Everything about you will change and it will be most evident in you life attitude. For you will see everything in a confident and positive way…emboldened by a faith and trust in the Lord who through which all things are possible. The Lord will put a new song in your mouth and those words when sung out will comprise a hymn of praise to Him…a hymn of praise that will touch everyone around you. And lest you think, “…but I’m definitely not a singer” understand that God’s word here is not only telling us that the Lord places new music in our mouths but new words as well…as in singing the praises of someone.
When someone does something great, don’t you want to tell others about it?
Well, who does greater things for us every day than the Lord?
And if we truly have a new heart and Spirit…if we truly have allowed ourselves to fully appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made and the mercies that come to us every morning as a result of God’s love…then we will want to do nothing but sing the praises of our Lord to everyone we see…and those songs of praise will come because the Lord has placed them in our mouths.
4. We can be born or reborn into a living hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 3:3-5
As we accept a new heart and new Spirit from the Lord…as we then realize and revere the great cost paid by Jesus for us on the cross and how this came as a result of the Father’s mercy, grace and love which we experience new every morning…and as we then go forth to sing the Lord’s praises to all we see, we find ourselves born or reborn into a living hope…a living hope through Christ Jesus that keeps us buoyed up in joy and peace…free from anything that would encumber us and fully ready to go forth and carry out God’s will for us each day.
In this birth or rebirth, we also realize how richly blessed we are. For we discover that through Jesus’ resurrection, we have gained a chance to also join Him in an everlasting life when this earthly life ends. In other words, through Jesus Christ death is not the end but just the awesome, miraculous beginning of a life free from everything that afflicts us in the here and now…an eternal inheritance that no one or nothing can take from us after we receive it because it is kept in heaven for us…a gift, the greatest gift ever, yet to be received.
Friends, the new year will only be business as usual if we choose for it to be that way. I don’t know about you but I would rather have exciting over boring…exhilarating over dull…fresh over routine. The good news is that through the Lord, we can have everything new this year…and it starts with that first step.
Are you ready to receive a new heart and new Spirit today and begin a walk with Christ that will last forever?
He’s patiently waiting to receive you in love and make all things new.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FROM THE WORD OF GOD
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and advise one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:12-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
A note from Mark: I rarely ever repost things I have written before but today is going to be an exception. I am because this message is so very pertinent and the resolutions are ones we need to revisit every year. If you are reading it again, I pray the words will bless you a second time. If you are reading it for the first time, may the words...the words of the Lord...carry you into 2009 with a renewed sense of purpose in Him.
Several years ago, I was asked to deliver the message at a church service just before New Year’s Day. The Lord placed the following on my heart as I was thinking about what He would want our resolutions to be for the New Year. He gave me ten resolutions from Paul’s words to the church in Colosse. I pray they will be a blessing to you as get set to enter 2009. Feel free to share with others and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in all things. I will continue our journey through Exodus tomorrow.
Ten resolutions for 2009 from the Word of God:
10. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
How many of you are very selective in the things you wear? Most people are. Dressing properly takes time and careful consideration over style and color of what we’ll don. We want to ensure we look the best as we enter a world where others will see us.
So how well do we also select the way we clothe ourselves with our attitudes and demeanors? Do we take as much time to properly prepare ourselves before we go out and let others see what we look like on the inside? Look at the things that God’s word says should be part of our inner wardrobe:
- Compassion which consists of affection, tenderness, pity, and mercy
- Kindness which can include courtesy, favor, good deeds and goodwill
- Humility…a spirit of mildness, humbleness, surrender and modesty
- Gentleness which involves sensitivity, friendliness and politeness
and
- Patience…one’s ability to remain calm, composed, cool under pressure
So how well dressed are you on the inside? In this new year, maybe a makeover might be in order.
9. Bear with each other
What does it mean to bear with one another? Can you think of someone right now who just seems to get under your skin? Someone who annoys you to no end?
Resolve in the new year to be more tolerant. To respect others. To stop looking so closely at a person’s shortfalls in spite of ignoring all of yours…for we’re all flawed and imperfect when we get down to the truth of the matter.
So seek to be more understanding of others and strive to resolve differences when they occur. Seek to rebuild bridges instead of burning or tearing them down. Pray for those who you differ with and seek reconciliation in the year ahead.
8. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
We all know what forgiveness is…putting it into action is often the real problem.
If left to our own devices, we could easily wiggle our way out of forgiving some people by deciding who we wanted to forgive and who we didn’t want to. We would turn forgiveness into a selective process.
That’s why scripture had to put down strict guidelines to govern our forgiveness. Hear the word of God from verse 13: Forgive as the Lord forgave you. WOW! This takes all the guesswork out of forgiveness. For we must forgive everyone without exception. If you doubt that, then I ask if there has been anything you have done that the Lord has not forgiven you for? The first steps to inner healing when you are burdened with anger or hatred toward another is to say the words I forgive, then resign to pray for that person as being just like you…a sinner who is only saved through the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
7. Over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.
The package of prior resolutions all revolve around love which is central to the greatest commandments of Jesus. Remember His answer when asked about the greatest commandments? He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." Then He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40)
If you truly love God with all that you are, you will easily embody compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another, all in the name of love through the One who showed and taught us what love is all about. So when you unwrap the gift of this new year, take off the ribbon of love that is on the gift of Jesus and see what is inside the package. In it are priceless treasures in and of the Savior…the Christ who we should be seeking to be like in every way. And the first thing we see when we look at Him is love. So put Him on your heart…wear Him with pride…and let love rule supreme in you this coming year.
6. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
In a world full of violence, confusion, problems and constant change, peace is sometimes very hard to come by, isn’t it? I think that’s why we were given the words of God found in Philippians 4:6-7:
"Do not be anxious about anything but give your concerns to God in prayer and petition and with thanksgiving. So you might find the peace of God that transcends all understanding and your hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus."
In 2009, God would want us to remember that He is the only One who is fully able and ready to handle any problem we have. And when we truly lay our burdens at His feet and allow Him to work awesome miracles in our lives, then we can fully experience that peace that transcends all understanding...a peace that will ensure our hearts are guarded by Christ Jesus. I pray that peace will rule your hearts and the hearts of all creation in the new year.
5. Be thankful
There’s a popular saying that says, "Count your blessings...and when you get done, count them again." Too often, we lose sight of all the great and awesome things the Lord has done in our lives. In fact, just me being here writing this and you being where you are reading it is a blessing in its own right and something we should be greatly thankful for.
For it’s only due to God’s love and mercy and grace that we are here, even though we are all undeserving sinners before Him. It’s easy in life to curse our circumstances at any one time but if we truly stop and take an account of how very blessed we have been in our life, we can keep our attitude focused and centered on thanksgiving and praise unto the One who gives us every good and perfect thing from above.
Be thankful…in all circumstances.
4. Let the word of God dwell in you richly
How good are you at time management? Our days seem to get ever more busier as we run from obligation to obligation…from event to event. There seldom seems to be enough time in the day. In fact, too often as we arrange and prioritize our time, we schedule so much that we squeeze the most important things out…like quiet time with the Lord in prayer and scripture reading.
For God blesses us with time. We all get 24 hours a day and He expects us to invest it wisely. Yet, too often we skip giving some of that time to Him every day and jump into life lacking the wisdom, guidance and strength we need to make it through situations we encounter. We often sit in dismay and depression…lost and in need of help, even when that help is just a few minutes of prayer or bible reading away.
Friends…all the wisdom, strength and guidance we need is fully found in the bible...God’s Holy Word…His instruction manual on life given to us to help us make it day by day by day. When we read it, study it, and pray over it, then it comes to dwell in our hearts and minds, illuminating our path as we walk down the path of life. I believe that God would say to us in 2009...make time for my word so you know what you’re doing with the life and time I have provided…and let that word live in your heart and mind forever more.
3. Teach and advise one another with all wisdom
We can only do this if we have wisdom within us. And that wisdom is not our own wisdom or worldly wisdom but the wisdom that comes from the Father above.
This resolution only happens when we adhere to the last resolution and let God’s word dwell richly within us. Our study of Holy Scripture will lead to spiritual wisdom as it takes hold within our hearts. Then, God would say, "Don’t keep My word to yourself but rather take the learning you have received from Me and use it to teach one another." In fact, Jesus gave us that instruction in His Great Commission. He told us to "teach others to obey all that He had commanded." (Matthew 28:20)
So we learn His commandments and understand His expectations only by reading the Bible, meditating on our reading and then putting it into action. The call in 2009 is for us to be proactive in our teaching others about Jesus using the wisdom God places within us.
2. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God
Do you have a favorite song? What is it about that song that makes it your favorite? Most often, it is because the song makes you feel good. It has a way of elevating you above whatever might be happening in your day and brings joy to you for the moment you listen to it.
Personally, I have found that music has an effect on the soul unlike any other medium. Whether it is a praise and worship song, a contemporary Christian song or a classic hymn, spiritual music is a gift from God that brings us into the attitude of worship and adoration unlike any secular song can. In 2009, examine the music you’re listening to. Does it glorify God? Does it edify you spiritually?
My prayer would be that you truly sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart toward God. And when you lift your voice up, do so in a way that the Lord will feel your fullest gratitude. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
1. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him
Is there anymore suitable number 1 resolution that God would have for us in 2009 or any other year for that matter?
For in this resolution, there is no gray area…no exception…just the requirement for us all to do everything in the name of Jesus and all the while giving thanks to God for the indescribable gift of salvation and eternal life through His Son who He gave freely to pay the price for our sins.
Once again I ask, is there any greater resolution we could make for the new year? And is there any more challenging resolution for us to carry out in such a sin-filled world?
The good news is that we can meet this challenge…just as we can meet any challenge…through the power and strength of the Christ within us. Truly, we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13).
In this new year, I pray we will live out the verses of this word of God from Colossians. For if we do, we will find ourselves in the very spirit of God’s will for us in Christ Jesus!
I look forward to a great year ahead in the Lord and wish all of you a very Happy New Year!
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and advise one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:12-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
A note from Mark: I rarely ever repost things I have written before but today is going to be an exception. I am because this message is so very pertinent and the resolutions are ones we need to revisit every year. If you are reading it again, I pray the words will bless you a second time. If you are reading it for the first time, may the words...the words of the Lord...carry you into 2009 with a renewed sense of purpose in Him.
Several years ago, I was asked to deliver the message at a church service just before New Year’s Day. The Lord placed the following on my heart as I was thinking about what He would want our resolutions to be for the New Year. He gave me ten resolutions from Paul’s words to the church in Colosse. I pray they will be a blessing to you as get set to enter 2009. Feel free to share with others and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in all things. I will continue our journey through Exodus tomorrow.
Ten resolutions for 2009 from the Word of God:
10. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
How many of you are very selective in the things you wear? Most people are. Dressing properly takes time and careful consideration over style and color of what we’ll don. We want to ensure we look the best as we enter a world where others will see us.
So how well do we also select the way we clothe ourselves with our attitudes and demeanors? Do we take as much time to properly prepare ourselves before we go out and let others see what we look like on the inside? Look at the things that God’s word says should be part of our inner wardrobe:
- Compassion which consists of affection, tenderness, pity, and mercy
- Kindness which can include courtesy, favor, good deeds and goodwill
- Humility…a spirit of mildness, humbleness, surrender and modesty
- Gentleness which involves sensitivity, friendliness and politeness
and
- Patience…one’s ability to remain calm, composed, cool under pressure
So how well dressed are you on the inside? In this new year, maybe a makeover might be in order.
9. Bear with each other
What does it mean to bear with one another? Can you think of someone right now who just seems to get under your skin? Someone who annoys you to no end?
Resolve in the new year to be more tolerant. To respect others. To stop looking so closely at a person’s shortfalls in spite of ignoring all of yours…for we’re all flawed and imperfect when we get down to the truth of the matter.
So seek to be more understanding of others and strive to resolve differences when they occur. Seek to rebuild bridges instead of burning or tearing them down. Pray for those who you differ with and seek reconciliation in the year ahead.
8. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
We all know what forgiveness is…putting it into action is often the real problem.
If left to our own devices, we could easily wiggle our way out of forgiving some people by deciding who we wanted to forgive and who we didn’t want to. We would turn forgiveness into a selective process.
That’s why scripture had to put down strict guidelines to govern our forgiveness. Hear the word of God from verse 13: Forgive as the Lord forgave you. WOW! This takes all the guesswork out of forgiveness. For we must forgive everyone without exception. If you doubt that, then I ask if there has been anything you have done that the Lord has not forgiven you for? The first steps to inner healing when you are burdened with anger or hatred toward another is to say the words I forgive, then resign to pray for that person as being just like you…a sinner who is only saved through the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
7. Over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.
The package of prior resolutions all revolve around love which is central to the greatest commandments of Jesus. Remember His answer when asked about the greatest commandments? He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." Then He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40)
If you truly love God with all that you are, you will easily embody compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another, all in the name of love through the One who showed and taught us what love is all about. So when you unwrap the gift of this new year, take off the ribbon of love that is on the gift of Jesus and see what is inside the package. In it are priceless treasures in and of the Savior…the Christ who we should be seeking to be like in every way. And the first thing we see when we look at Him is love. So put Him on your heart…wear Him with pride…and let love rule supreme in you this coming year.
6. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
In a world full of violence, confusion, problems and constant change, peace is sometimes very hard to come by, isn’t it? I think that’s why we were given the words of God found in Philippians 4:6-7:
"Do not be anxious about anything but give your concerns to God in prayer and petition and with thanksgiving. So you might find the peace of God that transcends all understanding and your hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus."
In 2009, God would want us to remember that He is the only One who is fully able and ready to handle any problem we have. And when we truly lay our burdens at His feet and allow Him to work awesome miracles in our lives, then we can fully experience that peace that transcends all understanding...a peace that will ensure our hearts are guarded by Christ Jesus. I pray that peace will rule your hearts and the hearts of all creation in the new year.
5. Be thankful
There’s a popular saying that says, "Count your blessings...and when you get done, count them again." Too often, we lose sight of all the great and awesome things the Lord has done in our lives. In fact, just me being here writing this and you being where you are reading it is a blessing in its own right and something we should be greatly thankful for.
For it’s only due to God’s love and mercy and grace that we are here, even though we are all undeserving sinners before Him. It’s easy in life to curse our circumstances at any one time but if we truly stop and take an account of how very blessed we have been in our life, we can keep our attitude focused and centered on thanksgiving and praise unto the One who gives us every good and perfect thing from above.
Be thankful…in all circumstances.
4. Let the word of God dwell in you richly
How good are you at time management? Our days seem to get ever more busier as we run from obligation to obligation…from event to event. There seldom seems to be enough time in the day. In fact, too often as we arrange and prioritize our time, we schedule so much that we squeeze the most important things out…like quiet time with the Lord in prayer and scripture reading.
For God blesses us with time. We all get 24 hours a day and He expects us to invest it wisely. Yet, too often we skip giving some of that time to Him every day and jump into life lacking the wisdom, guidance and strength we need to make it through situations we encounter. We often sit in dismay and depression…lost and in need of help, even when that help is just a few minutes of prayer or bible reading away.
Friends…all the wisdom, strength and guidance we need is fully found in the bible...God’s Holy Word…His instruction manual on life given to us to help us make it day by day by day. When we read it, study it, and pray over it, then it comes to dwell in our hearts and minds, illuminating our path as we walk down the path of life. I believe that God would say to us in 2009...make time for my word so you know what you’re doing with the life and time I have provided…and let that word live in your heart and mind forever more.
3. Teach and advise one another with all wisdom
We can only do this if we have wisdom within us. And that wisdom is not our own wisdom or worldly wisdom but the wisdom that comes from the Father above.
This resolution only happens when we adhere to the last resolution and let God’s word dwell richly within us. Our study of Holy Scripture will lead to spiritual wisdom as it takes hold within our hearts. Then, God would say, "Don’t keep My word to yourself but rather take the learning you have received from Me and use it to teach one another." In fact, Jesus gave us that instruction in His Great Commission. He told us to "teach others to obey all that He had commanded." (Matthew 28:20)
So we learn His commandments and understand His expectations only by reading the Bible, meditating on our reading and then putting it into action. The call in 2009 is for us to be proactive in our teaching others about Jesus using the wisdom God places within us.
2. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God
Do you have a favorite song? What is it about that song that makes it your favorite? Most often, it is because the song makes you feel good. It has a way of elevating you above whatever might be happening in your day and brings joy to you for the moment you listen to it.
Personally, I have found that music has an effect on the soul unlike any other medium. Whether it is a praise and worship song, a contemporary Christian song or a classic hymn, spiritual music is a gift from God that brings us into the attitude of worship and adoration unlike any secular song can. In 2009, examine the music you’re listening to. Does it glorify God? Does it edify you spiritually?
My prayer would be that you truly sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart toward God. And when you lift your voice up, do so in a way that the Lord will feel your fullest gratitude. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
1. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him
Is there anymore suitable number 1 resolution that God would have for us in 2009 or any other year for that matter?
For in this resolution, there is no gray area…no exception…just the requirement for us all to do everything in the name of Jesus and all the while giving thanks to God for the indescribable gift of salvation and eternal life through His Son who He gave freely to pay the price for our sins.
Once again I ask, is there any greater resolution we could make for the new year? And is there any more challenging resolution for us to carry out in such a sin-filled world?
The good news is that we can meet this challenge…just as we can meet any challenge…through the power and strength of the Christ within us. Truly, we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13).
In this new year, I pray we will live out the verses of this word of God from Colossians. For if we do, we will find ourselves in the very spirit of God’s will for us in Christ Jesus!
I look forward to a great year ahead in the Lord and wish all of you a very Happy New Year!
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, December 25, 2008
NO CHRISTMAS...NO ANYTHING...WITHOUT JESUS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He is the Image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the body, the church; He is the Beginning and the Firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
Colossians 1:15-23a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Christmas is here once again…the day we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that should be our main purpose today. Not gifts and trees and lavish dinners and hosting family and friends. Only Jesus.
Why?
Because everything else comes a result of Him. We know this because we have a wonderful passage in the Epistle to the Colossians that spells it out clearly to us…a passage that shows all that there would be no Christmas…no anything else for that matter if it weren’t for Jesus. For we read where Jesus…and only Jesus…is “before all things and in Him all things hold together”. “He is the Beginning and has supremacy over everything…everything including Christmas.
Scripture also tells us this Jesus is the “Image of the invisible God”. In other words, God couldn’t be seen but His Son Jesus walked among man in the flesh. He was fully God and fully man at the same time…Emmanuel…God with us. Indeed, God, Jesus’ Father, “was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”. Because of this truth, we not only celebrate Christ’s coming but also what is yet to come with Him…His future crucifixion and resurrection where He willingly sacrificed Himself to pay the price for our sins and then defeated death to join His Father in Heaven and provide us the opportunity to do so too…if we just believe and trust in Jesus as our Savior.
Truly, Jesus saved us. For before Him, we were “alienated from God and were enemies…because of…evil behavior”. But with the coming of the Savior, we were “reconciled…by (His) physical body through death” as He presented us “holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation”. In other words, through Jesus…those who “continue in…faith, established and firm…not moved from the hope held out in the gospel”…will be justified by Christ. It will be just as if they had never sinned…for there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
Friends, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus…the greatest gift ever given because it was an eternal, heavenly, holy Gift of hope from God…a Son who was the “Firstborn over all creation”. No other one has been born to rule over man since and there will never be another to come.
Jesus was no ordinary child. Not by a long shot. He was born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace… the Head of the body, the church. There was no child ever born like Him and there hasn’t been one since. And this is why we should do nothing short of worship, praise, honor and love Him.
Yes, Jesus…our gift from God…is the reason for this wonderful Christmas day. Let’s keep him at the center of it…and every other day we’re blessed with…now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
He is the Image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the body, the church; He is the Beginning and the Firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
Colossians 1:15-23a
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Christmas is here once again…the day we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that should be our main purpose today. Not gifts and trees and lavish dinners and hosting family and friends. Only Jesus.
Why?
Because everything else comes a result of Him. We know this because we have a wonderful passage in the Epistle to the Colossians that spells it out clearly to us…a passage that shows all that there would be no Christmas…no anything else for that matter if it weren’t for Jesus. For we read where Jesus…and only Jesus…is “before all things and in Him all things hold together”. “He is the Beginning and has supremacy over everything…everything including Christmas.
Scripture also tells us this Jesus is the “Image of the invisible God”. In other words, God couldn’t be seen but His Son Jesus walked among man in the flesh. He was fully God and fully man at the same time…Emmanuel…God with us. Indeed, God, Jesus’ Father, “was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”. Because of this truth, we not only celebrate Christ’s coming but also what is yet to come with Him…His future crucifixion and resurrection where He willingly sacrificed Himself to pay the price for our sins and then defeated death to join His Father in Heaven and provide us the opportunity to do so too…if we just believe and trust in Jesus as our Savior.
Truly, Jesus saved us. For before Him, we were “alienated from God and were enemies…because of…evil behavior”. But with the coming of the Savior, we were “reconciled…by (His) physical body through death” as He presented us “holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation”. In other words, through Jesus…those who “continue in…faith, established and firm…not moved from the hope held out in the gospel”…will be justified by Christ. It will be just as if they had never sinned…for there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
Friends, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus…the greatest gift ever given because it was an eternal, heavenly, holy Gift of hope from God…a Son who was the “Firstborn over all creation”. No other one has been born to rule over man since and there will never be another to come.
Jesus was no ordinary child. Not by a long shot. He was born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace… the Head of the body, the church. There was no child ever born like Him and there hasn’t been one since. And this is why we should do nothing short of worship, praise, honor and love Him.
Yes, Jesus…our gift from God…is the reason for this wonderful Christmas day. Let’s keep him at the center of it…and every other day we’re blessed with…now and forever. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
NO ORDINARY NIGHT
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Imagine that you are a shepherd. You are living in the fields tending to your flock as you always do because that’s your job…to look after the sheep.
While looking after the sheep, you make sure they stay together in their flock because you know a stray sheep can face great danger. For there are predators who would easily attack and kill a stray sheep if given the opportunity. A stray sheep would be easy prey.
And then there are the thieves who roam the countryside looking to make a quick profit from someone else’s flock. All they need is an opportunity to steal…and a stray, unprotected sheep is an easy mark.
There’s also danger in the terrain for a stray sheep. For many cliffs and holes exist that a sheep could easily fall into…sometimes to death. It’s not good for a sheep to be walking about without their leader…and you are that leader as the shepherd.
Indeed, you are the leader of the flock. You move the sheep from pasture to pasture, always ensuring they have plenty to graze so they are healthy and able to produce the valuable wool in demand by so many. Yes…the sheep in your care were valuable money makers and so it was absolutely paramount that they get only the best care. And they got it from you, their shepherd, because that’s what a good shepherd does….always cares for the sheep…always protects the sheep…always rescues a sheep in need. The sheep are blessed because of the love and care you provide day after day after day.
Through the daily grind of being a shepherd, you have spent countless days and nights in the fields. It was routine for you with every day and night rather ordinary. But then one night came where things were anything but ordinary. In fact, what happened was so amazing you don’t know if anyone would ever believe it if you told them.
For while you were in the field, all of a sudden an “angel of the Lord appeared” to you and the shepherds who were with you. The magnificent appearance lit up the night sky as the angels were brilliantly shining. You found yourself more than a little scared about what was taking place. “Why was this happening?” you thought.
But then the angel spoke to you and your fellow shepherds saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And no more had he finished speaking that the angel was joined by others who were praising God while proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." And then just as suddenly as they had come, the angels left and went up into heaven.
You just stood there in amazement and awe with your fellow shepherds…such was the magnificent nature of what you had witnessed. This was no ordinary night…not by a long shot. In fact, there had been no night even close to this one…and as you would discover later, no night would ever rival it…ever.
As you stood there, some of your fellow shepherds said, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." And so you did. You went to Bethlehem and discovered a couple named Joseph and Mary, who had just delivered a baby…a baby who was now “lying in the manger”. This was the child the angel spoke of…the Savior who was Christ the Lord. You knew of a Messiah that had been prophesied from the days of old. And now, this Savior…this Messiah had come.
You and your shepherds decided that others needed to hear the news…Christ the Savior has been born in Bethlehem. This was a time to rejoice and be glad! And so you went out from the manger and “spread the word concerning what had been told…about this child”. Everyone you told “were amazed” at what they heard. And after you told all you could tell, you returned to the fields…the ordinary fields you would normally work in with the flock…but you were in no way the same person. No, you and your fellow shepherds “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things” you had witnessed.
Yes, Christ had come…born in a manger in Bethlehem on an extraordinary night…and nothing would ever be ordinary again.
Now, let’s get back to reality. You probably aren’t really a shepherd, at least in a literal sense. No, you have another vocation…something else that the Lord has blessed you with to do. But there is something that you share in common with the shepherds of old. For you can find yourself in a daily routine…carrying out the same responsibilities day after day. Your life, like the shepherds, can seem pretty ordinary most of the time…maybe even on Christmas Eve. But this night, just as it was in the days of the shepherds watching over their flocks, is anything but ordinary.
For the angels that brought the message to the shepherds is bringing the same message to the world today:
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Yes…Christ the Savior is born in a manger in Bethlehem this extraordinary night. The shepherds couldn’t wait to go and find their Savior…and when they did, they were changed forever, unable to wait to tell everyone else about Him.
Question: How are you feeling this Christmas Eve? Are you filled with the excitement of the coming Savior? Are you so thrilled about the blessed Babe lying in that lowly Bethlehem manger that you can’t wait to tell others about Him?
Friends, Christ’s coming changed everything. The ordinary was no longer ordinary but would be forever extraordinary. And so it was with the lives of all those that Jesus touched…not only on that night in Bethlehem but today and forever more as well. Let Him touch your heart this night and embrace the real reason for the season, sharing the good news with others.
For Christ is born in Bethlehem! Alleluia! Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Imagine that you are a shepherd. You are living in the fields tending to your flock as you always do because that’s your job…to look after the sheep.
While looking after the sheep, you make sure they stay together in their flock because you know a stray sheep can face great danger. For there are predators who would easily attack and kill a stray sheep if given the opportunity. A stray sheep would be easy prey.
And then there are the thieves who roam the countryside looking to make a quick profit from someone else’s flock. All they need is an opportunity to steal…and a stray, unprotected sheep is an easy mark.
There’s also danger in the terrain for a stray sheep. For many cliffs and holes exist that a sheep could easily fall into…sometimes to death. It’s not good for a sheep to be walking about without their leader…and you are that leader as the shepherd.
Indeed, you are the leader of the flock. You move the sheep from pasture to pasture, always ensuring they have plenty to graze so they are healthy and able to produce the valuable wool in demand by so many. Yes…the sheep in your care were valuable money makers and so it was absolutely paramount that they get only the best care. And they got it from you, their shepherd, because that’s what a good shepherd does….always cares for the sheep…always protects the sheep…always rescues a sheep in need. The sheep are blessed because of the love and care you provide day after day after day.
Through the daily grind of being a shepherd, you have spent countless days and nights in the fields. It was routine for you with every day and night rather ordinary. But then one night came where things were anything but ordinary. In fact, what happened was so amazing you don’t know if anyone would ever believe it if you told them.
For while you were in the field, all of a sudden an “angel of the Lord appeared” to you and the shepherds who were with you. The magnificent appearance lit up the night sky as the angels were brilliantly shining. You found yourself more than a little scared about what was taking place. “Why was this happening?” you thought.
But then the angel spoke to you and your fellow shepherds saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And no more had he finished speaking that the angel was joined by others who were praising God while proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." And then just as suddenly as they had come, the angels left and went up into heaven.
You just stood there in amazement and awe with your fellow shepherds…such was the magnificent nature of what you had witnessed. This was no ordinary night…not by a long shot. In fact, there had been no night even close to this one…and as you would discover later, no night would ever rival it…ever.
As you stood there, some of your fellow shepherds said, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." And so you did. You went to Bethlehem and discovered a couple named Joseph and Mary, who had just delivered a baby…a baby who was now “lying in the manger”. This was the child the angel spoke of…the Savior who was Christ the Lord. You knew of a Messiah that had been prophesied from the days of old. And now, this Savior…this Messiah had come.
You and your shepherds decided that others needed to hear the news…Christ the Savior has been born in Bethlehem. This was a time to rejoice and be glad! And so you went out from the manger and “spread the word concerning what had been told…about this child”. Everyone you told “were amazed” at what they heard. And after you told all you could tell, you returned to the fields…the ordinary fields you would normally work in with the flock…but you were in no way the same person. No, you and your fellow shepherds “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things” you had witnessed.
Yes, Christ had come…born in a manger in Bethlehem on an extraordinary night…and nothing would ever be ordinary again.
Now, let’s get back to reality. You probably aren’t really a shepherd, at least in a literal sense. No, you have another vocation…something else that the Lord has blessed you with to do. But there is something that you share in common with the shepherds of old. For you can find yourself in a daily routine…carrying out the same responsibilities day after day. Your life, like the shepherds, can seem pretty ordinary most of the time…maybe even on Christmas Eve. But this night, just as it was in the days of the shepherds watching over their flocks, is anything but ordinary.
For the angels that brought the message to the shepherds is bringing the same message to the world today:
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Yes…Christ the Savior is born in a manger in Bethlehem this extraordinary night. The shepherds couldn’t wait to go and find their Savior…and when they did, they were changed forever, unable to wait to tell everyone else about Him.
Question: How are you feeling this Christmas Eve? Are you filled with the excitement of the coming Savior? Are you so thrilled about the blessed Babe lying in that lowly Bethlehem manger that you can’t wait to tell others about Him?
Friends, Christ’s coming changed everything. The ordinary was no longer ordinary but would be forever extraordinary. And so it was with the lives of all those that Jesus touched…not only on that night in Bethlehem but today and forever more as well. Let Him touch your heart this night and embrace the real reason for the season, sharing the good news with others.
For Christ is born in Bethlehem! Alleluia! Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Saturday, December 13, 2008
IT'S A MATTER OF SUBMISSION
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:21-27
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
December 12th, 1992. On this day, 16 years ago, Grace and I exchanged vows at David Adams Memorial Chapel on Norfolk Naval Base. It was a magical day, one that we will forever cherish as the Lord ordained and consummated our relationship with one another…and He has blessed us ever since.
Not that it has always been easy. Making a marriage good is hard work because there are specific duties to perform, duties that Satan is always trying to meddle in so we might fail in meeting our responsibilities…responsibilities that we only need to go to Ephesians, Chapter 5, to see.
God's word tells us that we are first to "Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ".
Submit to one another. That means that you don't think of your self as better than another…that you are willing to surrender and sacrifice for them to meet their needs…just as Jesus Christ did for us. Yes…if we are to respect Christ…to show Him proper reverence…then we had better strive to live as He did and submission is a great place to start. Submit to God first and one will easily submit to others as well.
Once we're in the mindset of submission, then we're ready to fulfill our marital duties as husband and wife. Before we continue in Ephesians, Chapter 5, we need to understand the context in which these words were written because this passage gets abused by people who twist it to meet their desires vice God's.
In the days of biblical Ephesus, men treated women and children badly. In marriage, wives and children were treated worse than slaves were. A husband would leave home for days on end but when they returned, the wife and child were expected to wait on them hand and foot, not expecting any love or appreciation in return…mostly because there would be none.
So when Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything", he is not telling the wives to do anything that they weren't already doing. They were already submitting to their husbands in every way. No…this passage was all about the men of Ephesus…and in turn, many men today as well who want women to do all the submitting while refusing to submit themselves.
Paul told the men of Ephesus…and men today as well…"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless…In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself".
Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy.
These words had to rock the world of the men of Ephesus because they were in no way treating their wives as Christ loved the church. Maybe these words rock your world as well. For to love as Christ loved the church means that we must be willing to sacrifice everything for our wives…to self sacrifice and submit…to be willing to love in a way that says, I would be willing to die for you if that's what is needed".
For 16 years, Grace and I have lived these words of scripture and we have found more joy than we could ever imagine…all because of our obedience to God's word and, with that, the blessing of a loving, submissive relationship with the Father first and then with one another. Through it all, we both share a deep reverence and love for our Savior Jesus.
My prayer for all marriages is that they might be as great as ours is and has been. And the good news is that they can be. It's a matter of submission. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:21-27
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
December 12th, 1992. On this day, 16 years ago, Grace and I exchanged vows at David Adams Memorial Chapel on Norfolk Naval Base. It was a magical day, one that we will forever cherish as the Lord ordained and consummated our relationship with one another…and He has blessed us ever since.
Not that it has always been easy. Making a marriage good is hard work because there are specific duties to perform, duties that Satan is always trying to meddle in so we might fail in meeting our responsibilities…responsibilities that we only need to go to Ephesians, Chapter 5, to see.
God's word tells us that we are first to "Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ".
Submit to one another. That means that you don't think of your self as better than another…that you are willing to surrender and sacrifice for them to meet their needs…just as Jesus Christ did for us. Yes…if we are to respect Christ…to show Him proper reverence…then we had better strive to live as He did and submission is a great place to start. Submit to God first and one will easily submit to others as well.
Once we're in the mindset of submission, then we're ready to fulfill our marital duties as husband and wife. Before we continue in Ephesians, Chapter 5, we need to understand the context in which these words were written because this passage gets abused by people who twist it to meet their desires vice God's.
In the days of biblical Ephesus, men treated women and children badly. In marriage, wives and children were treated worse than slaves were. A husband would leave home for days on end but when they returned, the wife and child were expected to wait on them hand and foot, not expecting any love or appreciation in return…mostly because there would be none.
So when Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything", he is not telling the wives to do anything that they weren't already doing. They were already submitting to their husbands in every way. No…this passage was all about the men of Ephesus…and in turn, many men today as well who want women to do all the submitting while refusing to submit themselves.
Paul told the men of Ephesus…and men today as well…"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless…In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself".
Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy.
These words had to rock the world of the men of Ephesus because they were in no way treating their wives as Christ loved the church. Maybe these words rock your world as well. For to love as Christ loved the church means that we must be willing to sacrifice everything for our wives…to self sacrifice and submit…to be willing to love in a way that says, I would be willing to die for you if that's what is needed".
For 16 years, Grace and I have lived these words of scripture and we have found more joy than we could ever imagine…all because of our obedience to God's word and, with that, the blessing of a loving, submissive relationship with the Father first and then with one another. Through it all, we both share a deep reverence and love for our Savior Jesus.
My prayer for all marriages is that they might be as great as ours is and has been. And the good news is that they can be. It's a matter of submission. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Thursday, November 27, 2008
GIVE THANKS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
Today, I want to take a pause from the scriptures in 1st Samuel to focus in on the Thanksgiving holiday and specifically, the matter of giving thanks.
Now we can (and do) give thanks for many things in life. We give thanks for life…for loved ones and friends…for our jobs and the money we make from working…for the food we eat for the nourishment of our bodies…and for the shelter we have as well as what we have within that shelter. Truly we could go on and on about all the things we should be thankful for but we could save ourselves a lot of time and space by just giving thanks to the One through which all things come from. In other words, our thanks, first and foremost, need to be directed toward the Lord.
God’s word has a lot to say on the matter of giving thanks to the Lord and I will use just a few of the many verses available to highlight just some of the reasons why we are to show Him our full gratitude and praise.
1. Give thanks to God for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
As we seek to associate with others in life, we want to make sure we affiliate with the right people…those who are good and trustworthy…loyal, faithful and loving. The problem is that it’s very difficult (and actually impossible) to find someone in this world who can be perfectly good and loving all the time. That’s why we need to turn our attention away from the world and to the One and only One who is perfect, not only in goodness and love, but in all things…not just today and tomorrow but forever. For this we are to give Him our thanks.
2. Give thanks to the God for His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Paul summed things up when it comes to our reliance on the Lord’s strength saying, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Left to our own strength and power, we are limited to what we can achieve and endure. But when we turn to the Lord in our lives, then we find the strength to do all things…to carry out His will…to handle any form of affliction or persecution…to deal with life’s difficult circumstances when they arise. And for this we give thanks.
We also give thanks because we serve a Lord who is ever in our midst. He is Emmanuel…God with us…though all of our life. And since He is always in our midst, He is always ready and willing to teach, guide, heal, correct and love in accordance with His perfect will for us. We need only seek His face always…asking, seeking, knocking and knowing He is there for us when we need Him.
This God who is ever present and all powerful is consistently performing great wonders and miracles. Indeed He is the Author of all miracles and wonders, having put them on full display when He created everything in just six days, beginning with the heavens and the earth. Think about that for just a minute and then ask yourself if there is any difficulty you will go through in life that God cannot work a wonder or miracle…in accordance with His will.
Friends, there is nothing beyond the power and work of God’s holy hands. Indeed, we should make known among the nations what He has done, telling all of His wonderful acts. Indeed, we should sing praise to Him. Indeed, we should glory and rejoice in His holy name. And in doing all this, we should ever and always give thanks to the Lord.
3. Give thanks to the Lord for He has given us the victory in Christ Jesus. His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54b-58
Just think that before Jesus, perfect fulfillment of the law was the requirement for salvation. Unfortunately, keeping the law perfectly was an impossibility that even the most devout Jewish believers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, couldn’t maintain even though they did try and make everyone believe they were perfectly righteous…a hypocritical attitude exposed by Jesus.
No, all mankind was doomed to sin with no sacrifice suitable enough to atone unless there were a perfect unblemished Lamb that could be slain to pay the price. God gave all of us that Lamb in the way of His only Son Jesus who suffered and died for you and I so that the sting of death might be taken away…so that death might be “swallowed up in victory”..a victory that not only Jesus enjoyed but we can as well if we believe and trust Him to be our Savior.
Indeed, thanks be to God, not just this Thanksgiving, but on every day that we are allowed to go forth and fully give ourselves to the work of the Lord. For in Christ Jesus, we are set free to do as He commanded, making disciples of all nations while knowing that our eternal future is sealed by the atoning blood He shed for us on Calvary’s cross.
Yes…let us give thanks to God and to His Son Jesus...now and forever.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
Today, I want to take a pause from the scriptures in 1st Samuel to focus in on the Thanksgiving holiday and specifically, the matter of giving thanks.
Now we can (and do) give thanks for many things in life. We give thanks for life…for loved ones and friends…for our jobs and the money we make from working…for the food we eat for the nourishment of our bodies…and for the shelter we have as well as what we have within that shelter. Truly we could go on and on about all the things we should be thankful for but we could save ourselves a lot of time and space by just giving thanks to the One through which all things come from. In other words, our thanks, first and foremost, need to be directed toward the Lord.
God’s word has a lot to say on the matter of giving thanks to the Lord and I will use just a few of the many verses available to highlight just some of the reasons why we are to show Him our full gratitude and praise.
1. Give thanks to God for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 107:1
As we seek to associate with others in life, we want to make sure we affiliate with the right people…those who are good and trustworthy…loyal, faithful and loving. The problem is that it’s very difficult (and actually impossible) to find someone in this world who can be perfectly good and loving all the time. That’s why we need to turn our attention away from the world and to the One and only One who is perfect, not only in goodness and love, but in all things…not just today and tomorrow but forever. For this we are to give Him our thanks.
2. Give thanks to the God for His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced…
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Paul summed things up when it comes to our reliance on the Lord’s strength saying, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Left to our own strength and power, we are limited to what we can achieve and endure. But when we turn to the Lord in our lives, then we find the strength to do all things…to carry out His will…to handle any form of affliction or persecution…to deal with life’s difficult circumstances when they arise. And for this we give thanks.
We also give thanks because we serve a Lord who is ever in our midst. He is Emmanuel…God with us…though all of our life. And since He is always in our midst, He is always ready and willing to teach, guide, heal, correct and love in accordance with His perfect will for us. We need only seek His face always…asking, seeking, knocking and knowing He is there for us when we need Him.
This God who is ever present and all powerful is consistently performing great wonders and miracles. Indeed He is the Author of all miracles and wonders, having put them on full display when He created everything in just six days, beginning with the heavens and the earth. Think about that for just a minute and then ask yourself if there is any difficulty you will go through in life that God cannot work a wonder or miracle…in accordance with His will.
Friends, there is nothing beyond the power and work of God’s holy hands. Indeed, we should make known among the nations what He has done, telling all of His wonderful acts. Indeed, we should sing praise to Him. Indeed, we should glory and rejoice in His holy name. And in doing all this, we should ever and always give thanks to the Lord.
3. Give thanks to the Lord for He has given us the victory in Christ Jesus. His strength, His presence and for all the wonders and miracles He performs.
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:54b-58
Just think that before Jesus, perfect fulfillment of the law was the requirement for salvation. Unfortunately, keeping the law perfectly was an impossibility that even the most devout Jewish believers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, couldn’t maintain even though they did try and make everyone believe they were perfectly righteous…a hypocritical attitude exposed by Jesus.
No, all mankind was doomed to sin with no sacrifice suitable enough to atone unless there were a perfect unblemished Lamb that could be slain to pay the price. God gave all of us that Lamb in the way of His only Son Jesus who suffered and died for you and I so that the sting of death might be taken away…so that death might be “swallowed up in victory”..a victory that not only Jesus enjoyed but we can as well if we believe and trust Him to be our Savior.
Indeed, thanks be to God, not just this Thanksgiving, but on every day that we are allowed to go forth and fully give ourselves to the work of the Lord. For in Christ Jesus, we are set free to do as He commanded, making disciples of all nations while knowing that our eternal future is sealed by the atoning blood He shed for us on Calvary’s cross.
Yes…let us give thanks to God and to His Son Jesus...now and forever.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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