A Prayer for Finding Balance

By: Kristine Brown, as written for Your Daily Prayer daily devotional; posted on crosscards.com

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2

Looking at my calendar for the week, a familiar heaviness settles into my stomach. I’ve done it again. Not intentionally, but when those last few requests came in for one more phone call, one more meeting, one more event, I said yes. Now, I’m regretting it with everything in my being. The only way out is also a familiar tune I sing to myself every time overwhelm takes over. “I need a break. I need to rest.” The pressure of doing it all is followed by the desire to step away from it all. Give in to the exhaustion. And just like that, I’ve fallen into the same trap of “all or nothing” that I promised myself I’d avoid. Life feels a lot like a roller coaster ride these days. As a kid, I anticipated the adrenaline rush of going faster and faster, followed by the need for a reprieve. Pretty soon that desire for more rush took over and I was back in line again. Fun for a visit to the theme park, not so much when it’s real life. If only I could learn to move with steady assurance instead of full-speed ahead. If only I could find balance in life.

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2

In this opening to his friend Gaius, John makes a statement about the connection between our physical health and spiritual health. We can work diligently for the Lord, our families, and our jobs with the best intentions. But every go-getter knows when we don’t stay centered on God, we will find ourselves overloaded. Left unchecked, we will keep going until we crash. Physically depleted. Then we fall behind on our tasks, and the cycle repeats. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can keep our minds, hearts, and bodies in perfect balance when we refocus through prayer. Notice in John’s letter how he commits to praying for his friend. When we pray for God to keep us in good balance, He will help us. Let’s begin with this prayer for finding balance in our lives.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I like being busy, and I believe you created me to be productive. But time and time again I get into a pattern of saying yes and adding one more thing to my already full calendar. Pretty soon I end up physically exhausted and wanting a break from everything. Forgive me Lord for relying on my own strength instead of calling out to You for help. You are my hope and the answer for this struggle.

Your Word says in Romans 8:28 ESV, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” You’ve called me. Therefore I don’t have to prove myself with good works. You love me and want me to live in good health. You want me to prosper in soul and body. When I start running full-speed ahead, help me remember to let You guide the way. Help me stay centered on Your son Jesus.

I give you praise today for giving second chances. You never give up on me, and You provide the answers I need for the off-balance life I’ve been living. Thank you for grace, mercy, and for leading me into the balanced life You offer through the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Doing All the Good We Can

By: Dr. Steven K. Parker

“Let the student share his material goods with his teacher.  Don’t let anybody pull the wool over your eyes—you can’t turn up your nose at God! For a man harvests exactly what he plants. If he plants the seed of materialism, he will reap the rottenness of materialism. And if he plants the seed of spirituality, he will harvest the superb life which the Spirit produces. So let’s not give up the good fight, for our harvest will come in its own good time if we keep on keeping on. Every chance we have, let’s work for the good of all, and especially for the members of the church.” (Cotton Patch Gospel Galatians 6:6-10)

Doing All the Good We Can 

I’ve learned something over the course of the last twelve months: pandemics are frustrating. When a global pandemic hits, things I used to take for granted, like running into the grocery store or sitting down at my favorite restaurant are now impacted by frustrating inconveniences. Pandemics cause political mayhem, with people on opposite sides of the isle yelling at each other and creating more wedge issues than they resolve. During a pandemic, that political instability coupled with global uncertainty causes the economy to lag behind, hurting businesses, workers, investment accounts, and college funds. With one child in college and one starting in the fall, that last concern has been a regular source of anxiety for Lisa and me. More frustrating than those things are the relational impacts of this virus. I don’t get to see my loved ones as often as I like. Gathering for in-person meetings and fellowship becomes wrought with challenges and, as an extrovert, I yearn for that physical human contact. I’ll say it again: pandemics are frustrating. I’m grateful that I’ve only experienced one pandemic in the forty-four years I’ve inhabited planet Earth!

I attended a zoom meeting last night that began with the question, “When are we going to do meetings like this in-person again?” and concluded with one person asking for prayer because he’s Covid-positive and his wife is getting tested today, another asking for prayer for his wife and daughter who still aren’t over the effects of the coronavirus they battled in October, another seeking prayer for his daughter and son-in-law who are first responders, a teacher needing prayer because his school was shut down after multiple staff members tested positive for the virus, and someone asking for prayer for a non-related illness that has plagued him, caused anxiety, and made him more vulnerable to Covid-19.

That meeting’s concluding prayer reminded me that there’s so much more going on right now than my own felt needs, frustrations, and inconveniences. People are hurting. Families are grieving. Many are afraid. The unsettled nature of this environment has produced a great deal of fatigue and anxiety. What can we do when we face challenges with seemingly no end in sight? I can think of two things. (1) We can pray. We can pray for grieving families, medical professionals, teachers and students, and small business owners and people who are out of work. In our prayers we can reach beyond ourselves and bring the pain of our neighbors and sisters and brothers in faith before the God who can strengthen us through every trial. We can pray. And (2) We can do good. We can make the choice to trade with the businesses of friends and neighbors who are struggling. We can seek out businesses owned by church members and show them our faithful patronage. We can do our part to try and help them keep their doors open. We can also send encouraging text messages to struggling students and teachers. We can say, “Thank you,” to a teacher, principal, police officer, fireman, or nurse. We can mail someone a handwritten note of appreciation and drop a gift card in it for a cup of coffee or a cold drink. We can arrange to have a hot meal or a bag of groceries dropped off for a family battling Covid-19 or another illness. We can do good.

The opportunities to pray for one another and do good to one another are endless! We just have to make the conscious choice to spend a little bit less time focusing on ourselves, our own frustrations, our own needs, our own problems, and our own prideful solutions to the ills of the world and more time focusing on doing good unto others. In that process we just might find our days growing a little brighter as we brighten someone else’s day!

You’re Not Alone

by Adam Weber

There’s a lot of things that make people (including me!) anxious. I did some research, and here are of the some things that didn’t surprise me:

• Heights.

• Spiders.

• Snakes.

• Going to the dentist (side note: dentists are some of the nicest people I know)! 

But then there were other things that make people anxious that did surprise me:

• Like one of the top 10 fears people have is dogs. Who knew?

• Elevators (I love elevators).

• And public speaking.

For me, anxiety feels like restlessness.

My heart starts racing.

I’ll start physically pacing around the house or room I’m in.

I’ll struggle to sleep at night.

I’ll start thinking rationally about something, and minutes later I’ll find myself thinking about the absolute worst-case scenario.

When I’m just a little anxious I’ll bite my nails, and when I’m struggling a lot it almost feels like I can’t breathe.

That’s an idea of what anxiety feels like for me personally, but an important question to ask around anxiety is what are we actually anxious about?

There are a ton of things that could make us anxious, but here are five common things that I think we can all agree have the power to take a little worry and turn it into anxiety, fast.

Money.

Crazy as it may sound, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, you still worry about it! It’s all relative, whether you have a lot of money or none—money makes us anxious.

Will we have enough money?

How am I gonna pay these bills?

Am I going to lose my job?

I don’t have a big house like my friends.

I don’t have a nice car.

Do people like me because I have money?

Money– it makes us anxious and afraid.

Failure.

Second, we’re often anxious and afraid of failure!

Failing as a parent. I don’t want to screw up my kids.

Failing at a job. My worth comes from what I do.

Failing as a follower of Jesus. I’ve just messed up so many times.

The fear of failure, it paralyzes us. Convincing us that we’ll fail before we even have a chance to try.

Failure, even the thought of failure, makes us anxious.

Death.

A third thing that often makes us anxious and afraid is death. Maybe now more than ever.

Anxious about getting sick.

Anxious about our kids getting sick.

Worrying about the death of a friend or our spouse.

Worrying about our own death or the death of a parent.

So many of us right now are anxious about the coronavirus, and there’s just this constant fear that seems like it never really lets up. On top of that, there’s still things like cancer, miscarriages, and heart attacks out there.

Just being honest, I get anxious about my parents’ health all the time, especially right now. When I get a call from them at a strange time, I’m always worried that one of them is in the hospital, and more than that, has one of them died?

Is anyone else anxious about death?

People.

A huge source of our anxiety and fear is people, other people!

Anxious of being rejected.

Afraid of having others gossip about you.

Anxious that you won’t be enough, good enough or cool enough, for another person to like or love you.

We go through our days consumed by what others think, leaving us anxious and afraid.

The future.

Lastly, the fifth thing that often makes us anxious and afraid is the future.

Afraid of what might happen.

Of what could take place.

Of what tomorrow might bring.

Of next week, next month, and next year.

And isn’t that what anxiety does? It makes us focus on what might happen, and what could take place, and what if. What might happen in the future hurts our ability to live today!

…

So those are a few things that can cause us to be anxious, but now I want to look at what God says about anxiety.

Where anxiety says that no one is beside you, God says, “I am.”

When I’m anxious, this is one of the biggest lies I believe: that I’m completely alone.

But thankfully for all of us, God steps in, and He says that’s not true.

That’s a lie, I’m with you!

I’m beside you.

I’m near you.

I see you.

I’m here right now, and I still love you.

God says in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

In fact, the Bible says it over and over again. But this is not meant to shame you. No, quite the opposite actually. When God speaks the words, he’s not saying, “Suck it up and don’t be a coward. Just stop being afraid!”

Instead he’s saying, “Don’t be afraid because I am right here. And wherever I am, freedom and peace can be found. I am your protector and provider. We will get through this together.”

Regardless of what you think and feel, the truth is, God has never left our side. He’s not up in the clouds. He’s not way out there. It’s not just a warm and fuzzy feeling–He is with us. And He carries us throughout the day.

But he even takes it one step further, get this: God’s not just with us in a dark valley. He’s with us in the darkest valley.

David says in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Has anyone ever been in the darkest valley before? Maybe you feel like you’re there right now. God says, even then, “I am here.”

In your darkest struggle.

In this time of uncertainty.

Your feelings of being all alone.

The time you thought the world would be better without you.

When you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

 Romans 8:38-39

Let’s remind ourselves one more time, anxiety says that no one is beside you. But God says, “I am.” Where? Not just in a valley, but in the darkest valley.

Jesus said it himself, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

Christ holds you secure. And no thing and no one will snatch you from his hand.

Find rest in this reality today.

Avoid the Scammers!

Scripture: I John 2:18-28

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.[a] 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 

22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us[b]—eternal life.

26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

_____________

 “Grandma! It’s Jenny. . . your granddaughter! Help! I’m in trouble. It’s all a big mistake. But I need you to give me your credit card number so that I can pay to get out of jail!”

My mother-in-law, Stephany, had such a call a couple of years back and she nearly fell for the scam. Perhaps you’ve too heard the sad stories of these phone call scams that fool trusting and loving grandparents into giving their financial information to a deceptive poser who proceeds to empty out their bank account. Just enough truth is given to convince them to respond to what’s at its root a lie. Luckly, Stephany called her son first (Jenny’s father & my husband Scott’s brother) to verify if it was true or not and did not give the scammer any pertinent financial information. Whew! Saved from falling prey to this dishonest scheme!

In his first letter, John warns his readers about falling prey to dishonest schemers who are bent on misleading followers of Jesus out of believing the truth about Christ and into believing lies. Specifically, this is one more of the Bible’s many warnings about “false teachers” and “antichrists” who want to lead Christians astray. But not only does this passage warn us about those whose mission it is to deceive, but about how susceptible we all are to being deceived ourselves.

What’s most helpful in this passage is not just the warning John issues to us, but the secret he shares to successfully being able to spot and avoid getting fooled into believing the scammers’ lies. This secret is found in three little words that appear at the end of verse 27, and again at the beginning of verse 28: “abide in him.”

To “abide” in Christ means that we are to “continue” and “remain” in him. John tells us that we are able to “abide” in Christ because of “the anointing” he has placed on us. In other words, because he has made us his own, we have all the resources we need to know the truth and recognize the lies. But this is not something that just happens. We have a role to play as we take steps to “continue” in Christ everyday by reading his word, talking to him through prayer, engaging in fellowship with other Christians, and by our faithful obedience as his followers.  

The sheer amount of the Bible’s warnings about false teachers and others who would lead us astray are there for good reason. Heeding and responding to those warnings through a commitment to “abide” will keep us from some day having to utter the words, “I can’t believe I fell for that.”

The Bible tells us that Satan – the enemy of God and the wrecker of this world – is a thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). His main target is the sheep who are in God’s fold. That’s us. He also desires to steal the truths of God’s Word and exchange them for lies. He did this with Adam and Eve when he asked, “Did God really say. . . ?” (Genesis 3:1).

Food For Thought:

• How have you seen Satan work in today’s world to steal truth?

• What are some habits and practices you can develop to “abide in Christ”? How can we encourage each other in those habits?

• What are some of the distractions that steal your time and attention from your need to “abide in Christ”?  

Prayer:

Father God, in your goodness and grace you call us to be followers of Christ. We know that as followers of Jesus, we are targets to be deceived, stolen, and destroyed. We know that the enemy wants to derail us from following you. Give us a deep hunger, thirst, and desire to abide in you above all other pursuits in life. May we be faithful followers of Jesus. In His powerful name - Amen.

Relentlessly Pursued By God

(from The Voice of the Martyrs)

When Min-ji was arrested and imprisoned in North Korea for selling South Korean DVDs on the black market, her husband, a high-ranking member of North Korea’s State Security Department, fled to China to delay his own capture and potentially save his children. While in China, he encountered a Christian family who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him. And when he returned to North Korea after Min-ji’s release from prison, he was a different person. He began sharing the gospel with other North Koreans and praying regularly at home with his family.

“At that time, I was so resentful of him. My case had just been closed. Why would he put all the family in danger, a greater danger, again?”

–MIN-JI

Soon after Min-ji’s husband returned from China, someone reported his Christian activities to North Korean authorities. Even a mention of Jesus Christ can lead to arrest in the restricted nation, and, predictably, he was sent to a concentration camp without trial. Min-ji never saw him again, and she believes he died in the camp.

Min-ji was in danger because of her husband’s Christian faith. So for her own protection, her uncle, a North Korean government official, had her sent to a labor camp before authorities could send her to a concentration camp.

Min-ji endured six years in the North Korean labor camp for a faith that wasn’t her own. But God wasn’t finished with her yet.

Upon release from the North Korean labor camp, Min-ji decided to defect to South Korea by way of China. After a 10-hour walk through the mountains, she crossed into China, where she spent a month working as a caregiver for a Christian woman with Alzheimer’s disease. Min-ji participated in regular prayer and Christian worship, but she did not yet believe in Christ.

A short time later, Min-ji decided to resume her journey to South Korea. But when she reached Beijing, she and some other North Korean defectors were reported, and Chinese authorities sent them to prison. 

A month into her imprisonment, Min-ji discovered that a North Korean woman from her defection group was a follower of Christ; one day, the woman used her toothpaste to write “Jesus Christ” on the prison wall. “It was my first time to see the words ‘Jesus Christ,’ so I asked her what it was,” Min-ji recalled. “She began to share with me what Christianity is.” 

The woman also began reading the Bible with Min-ji. “The first time I read the Bible,” she said, “I felt it was odd to do so because it was on account of the Bible that my husband was killed and I ended up [in prison].”

In addition to her North Korean friend, some Chinese Christians in the prison showed Min-ji kindness and shared the love of Christ with her. Gradually, she began to understand their love and the gospel responsible for it. 

“I had received so much grace from them. I began to wonder about the God who was consistently intervening in my life.”

—MIN-JI

Min-ji decided to put her faith in Jesus Christ. 

After her release from the Chinese prison, she finally made her way to South Korea, where she learned about The Voice of the Martyrs through another North Korean defector. She then enrolled in VOM’s Underground Technology program, where she receives instruction in life skills, character development, relationship skills and spiritual formation. 

Min-ji now wants to follow in her husband’s footsteps, ministering to others and doing God’s work. Pray for Min-ji and other North Korean defectors who follow Christ at great personal risk.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 1 Peter 4:16

Order of Worship Service in English ~ (11:00AM) Sunday, January 31, 2021

Call to Worship Psalm 111

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

2 Great are the works of the Lord,

studied by all who delight in them.

3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

the Lord is gracious and merciful.

5 He provides food for those who fear him;

he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,

in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;

all his precepts are trustworthy;

8 they are established forever and ever,

to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He sent redemption to his people;

he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name!

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!

Build Your Kingdom Here

Come set Your rule and reign in our hearts again

Increase in us we pray unveil why we’re made

Come set our hearts ablaze with hope like wildfire in our very souls

Holy Spirit come invade us now

We are Your church we need Your pow’r in us

We seek Your kingdom first we hunger and we thirst

Refuse to waste our lives for You’re our joy and prize

To see the captives’ hearts released the hurt the sick the poor at peace

We lay down our lives for heaven’s cause

We are Your church we pray revive this earth

Build Your kingdom here let the darkness fear

Show your mighty hand heal our streets and land

Set Your church on fire win this nation back

Change the atmosphere

Build your kingdom here we pray

Unleash Your kingdom’s pow’r reaching the near and far

No force of hell can stop Your beauty changing hearts

You made us for much more than this awake the kingdom seed in us

Fill us with the strength and love of Christ

We are Your church we are the hope on earth

Come Thou Fount Come Thou King

Come Thou Fount of every blessings

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

I was lost in utter darkness

Till You came and rescued me

I was bound by all my sin when

Your love came and set me free

Now my soul can sing a new song

Now my heart has found a home

Now Your grace is always with me

And I’ll never be alone

Come Thou Fount, come Thou King

Come Thou precious Prince of Peace

Hear Your bride to You we sing

Come Thou Fount of all blessings

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here’s my heart Lord take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

I was lost in utter darkness

‘Till You came and rescued me

I was bound by all my sin when

Your love came and set me free

Now my soul can sing a new song

Now my heart has found a home

Now Your grace is always with me

And I’ll never be alone

All Hail The Power of Jesus Name

All hail the pow’r of Jesus name! Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all;

Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all;

All chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed from the fall;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace and crown Him Lord of all;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace and crown Him Lord of all;

All ev’ry kindred ev’ry tribe on this terrestrial ball;

To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all;

To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all;

All that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall

We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all

We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before O my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning

It’s time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger

Your name is great and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Worship Your holy name

Lord I’ll worship Your holy name

SIng like never before O my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name

Worship Your holy name

Worship Your holy name

Above All

Above all powers above all kings

Above all nature and all created things

Above all wisdom and all the ways of man

You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms above all thrones

Above all wonders the world has ever known

Above all wealth and treasures of the earth

There’s no way to measure

What You’re worth

Crucified laid behind the stone

You lived and die rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground

You took the fall and thought of me

Above all

Orden de Servicio en Español ~ (9:30AM) Domingo, 31 de enero 2021

Llamada a la Adoración Salmos 111

Alabaré a Jehová con todo el corazón en la compañía y congregación de los rectos. 2 Grandes son las obras de Jehová, buscadas de todos los que las quieren. 3 Gloria y hermosura es su obra, y su justicia permanece para siempre. 4 Ha hecho memorables sus maravillas; Clemente y misericordioso es Jehová. 5 Ha dado alimento a los que le temen; Para siempre se acordará de su pacto. 6 El poder de sus obras manifestó a su pueblo, dándole la heredad de las naciones. 7 Las obras de sus manos son verdad y juicio; Fieles son todos sus mandamientos, 8 afirmados eternamente y para siempre, hechos en verdad y en rectitud. 9 Redención ha enviado a su pueblo; Para siempre ha ordenado su pacto; Santo y temible es su nombre. 10 El principio de la sabiduría es el temor de Jehová; Buen entendimiento tienen todos los que practican sus mandamientos; Su loor permanece para siempre

Somos El Pueblo De Dios

Somos el pueblo de Dios

Somos un pueblo especial

Llamados para anunciar

Las virtudes de Aquel

Que nos llamó a Su luz

Somos el pueblo de Dios

Su sangre nos redimío

Y Su Espíritu dió

Para darnos poder

Y ser testigos de Él

Y llevaremos Su gloria

A cada pueblo y nación

Trayéndoles esperanza

Y nuevas de salvación

Y Su amor nos impulsa

No nos podemos callar

Anunciaremos al mundo

De Su amor y verdad

Eres Mi Amigo Fiel

Quién soy yo

Para que en mí Tu pienses

Y que escuches mi clamor

Es verdad lo que Tu hoy me dices

Que me amas

Me asombra

Eres mi amigo fiel

Eres mi amigo fiel

Eres mi amigo fiel

Tu amigo soy

Majestuoso poderoso

Tu amigo soy

Esta Lucecita

///Esta lucecita yo la dejo brillar///

Brillará, Brillará, Brillará

///No la dejes apagar

Yo la dejo brillar///

Brillará, Brillará, Brillará

///Esta luz de Cristo

Yo la dejo brillar///

Brillará, Brillará, Brillará

Abundancia

Tu abundancia en mi vida

Tuabundancia en mi ser

En toda buena obra

Todo puedohacer

Y el que siembra en abundancia

En abundancia cosechará

En mi corazon yo debo

Dar con alegria

Por Tu fidelidad

Abundancia en Tu gracia

En toda circunstancia

Tu^eres suficiente

Dejame servirte

En toda Tu abundancia

Aquí Estoy Rendido

Luz descendió a este mundo oscuro,

Abrió mis ojos a él,

Es tan hermoso que me hace adorarle

Quiero estar siempre con él.

Aqui estoy rendido para a adorarte

Y ante ti postrame o mi Dios

Tu eres amoroso

Solo tu eres digno

Y maravilloso para mi

Rey y Señor, cielo y tierra te exalta,

Sólo por tu grande amor,

Humilde a tu creación viniste,

Pobre te hiciste por mí.

Jamás sabré lo que costo mi

salvación en esa cruz

A Prayer to Break Free From the Bondage of Insecurity

By Christina Patterson, as written for Your Daily Prayer devotional; posted on crosscards.com

"The truth will set you free." - John 8:32

She's as close as a friend, but don't be fooled because she's destructive as an enemy. She’s here to destroy your faith, confidence, and especially your relationships. She makes you doubt yourself, your dreams, and even the purpose God has placed on your life. She disguises herself as one who wants to help when really her sole purpose is to put you in bondage; controlling your every thought, word, and action.

Her name, you ask?

Insecurity.

She's the closest and most dangerous friend we've allowed into our lives and it is time to say goodbye.

"The truth will set you free." - John 8:32 ESV

Truth is the key to unlock the shackles that insecurity has placed on us; shackles that have stopped us from speaking up, walking with our heads held high, pursuing our dreams, and living with an open and trusting heart.

So today I want to provide 4 truths to remember when you're feeling insecure:

1.) God Accepts You

Where insecurity leaves us feeling rejected, we know that God has accepted us, not just as friends but even as family. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1 NIV

If God accepts us there is no need to worry about who doesn't.

2.) God Will Not Leave You or Let You Go

Where insecurity makes us want to push others away, God holds us tight within His hands. God is not going to let you slip through His fingers. Where others may walk away, God is here to stay. “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:39 NLT

We are always secure in God's grasp.

3.) God is Your Defender

Where insecurity makes us defensive and combative, God defends us. “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:14 NIV

We don't have to fight to prove ourselves to others when God has proven who He is in our lives. Let God fight for you.

4.) It is God Who Opens Doors For You

Where insecurity makes us fearful of missing out, God opens doors for us that no man can shut. When we realize God is in control of our every step we don't have to worry about missing out. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” - Psalm 37:23

God’s truth is, and will always be, greater than our insecurity. What once seemed a powerful and insurmountable foe is exposed for a weak imposter in light of God's truth. May His truth constantly set you free from the bondage of insecurity as you live for Him.

Lord,

Help me break free from the bondage of insecurity. I confess that I’ve listened to the voice of the enemy more than I’ve listened to your truth. Lord, help me listen and know that I am loved, that I am perfectly made, that I am accepted as I am in You. Give me your Spirit to help me see when I am listening to lies instead of truth. Help me fix my eyes on you and all you are and have done for me and for this world. Thank you Lord!

In your name I pray,

Amen.

When Our Opinions and Feelings Get Us in Trouble

By: Lysa Terkeurst, as written for Proverbs31 Ministries; posted on crosswalk.com Encouragement for Today daily devotional

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” Judges 21:25 (NIV) 

I’ll never forget the morning I was walking with a friend, and we passed two huge trees that had fallen during a storm. I was sad to see these trees that once stood so tall being cut apart and hauled away. Stopping, I asked the men clearing the trees why those two in particular hadn’t been able to withstand the storm.

An older man who’d been working with trees his whole life explained that the first tree had incredibly shallow roots for such a big tree. Its roots had grown used to getting surface water from the sprinkler system. As a result, the roots didn’t dig down deep to get water from below. Shallow roots can keep a big tree alive but not stable during storms.

The second tree looked big and strong on the outside, but inside was hollow. At some point, an ant had found a weak spot in the tree and started chewing a tiny little tunnel into the tree’s center. Soon other ants found their way in as well. Then water got in the opening and softened the wood. Over time, the tree rotted away internally.

These scenarios with the trees make me think of the condition of God’s people at the end of the book of Judges. The final words of this book provide such a heartbreaking reality check even for us today: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). Sadly, the patterns of sin and destruction that felt “right” to them were completely outside what God called right and good.

This is where we discover three things that happen when we follow our opinions and feelings (what’s right in our own eyes) rather than the absolute Truth of God:

1. We mistake opinions as truth.

Just like the tree with shallow roots, if we aren’t digging in deep to seek the source of living water for ourselves, we won’t have the grounding necessary to stand strong when the world’s ways try to pull us down. We must seek and apply God’s Truth every day, so we aren’t easily swayed by opinions that aren’t in line with God’s Truth. Shallow seeking will lead to shallow believing — that dangerous place where we will fall for whatever opinions make us comfortable and make our lives more convenient.

2. We make feelings our false Holy Spirit.

This is like the big tree that was taken down by some small ants. The little ants are like desires that lead to eventual death: “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15, NIV). When we care more about what feels right than what is right, we open ourselves up to the destruction of sin. Feelings are wonderful indicators that remind us to turn to God and let Him direct our desires with His best provisions. But feelings should never be dictators to get our unmet longings and desires fulfilled however we see fit.

3. We will fall when we try to carry the crushing weight of being our own god.

What happens when the king is absent? There is chaos. The book of Judges shows us this reality one story after another, one judge after another. The people are without leadership and direction, and the result is absolute chaos. It makes me think how different the fate of the trees could have been if the tree man had been on the scene years before to help them grow big and strong instead of shallow and susceptible.

We need rescue. We need a king. But not just any king; we need the righteous ruler who will right all wrongs, direct and protect us and redeem and restore all things. We need King Jesus — the perfect Savior who humbled Himself to take on human form and subjected Himself to the cross for the atonement of sin.

We aren’t kingless, like the people in the time of the judges. We have the assurance of knowing our eternal King. We have absolute Truth. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit. And we have perspective from reading in His Word how dangerous it is when people just do what is right in their own eyes.

Let’s not be people ruled by our feelings. Shallow and susceptible people who merely look confident and capable on the outside. Let’s trust our King. Let’s follow our King. Let’s live by the Truth of His Word and become a people with true strength residing within.

Father God, I want to be a person with deep roots. A person firmly anchored to Your Truth and filled by Your Spirit. And so I’m asking You to search my heart. Reveal any areas in my life where I’m pridefully and foolishly choosing to go my own way. I confess today how much I need You to lead me, guide me and be my King. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” (NIV)

The greatness of Hank Aaron and the sanctity of life: A way through the conflicts of our culture

by Dr. Jim Denison

Hank Aaron died last Friday at the age of eighty-six. He was the greatest baseball player I ever saw and one of the greatest men the sport has ever produced.

Aaron told reporters in 1994 that when he neared Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record twenty years earlier, “My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats, and I had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. I had to duck. I had to go out the back door of the ballparks. I had to have a police escort with me all the time. I was getting threatening letters every single day.” But he persevered despite such horrific racism and will always be one of the icons of sport. 

The horror I hope you feel at the way Hank Aaron was denigrated is the horror I hope you feel at the way preborn children are denigrated by many in American culture today. 

I have been responding this week to the Biden administration’s plans to advance abortion in our country. As I write today, I am aware that some reading this article have had an abortion in the past; I do not want to cause greater pain than they have already experienced. I also know that some abortions are unavoidable when the life of the mother is at risk and acknowledge that abortion in cases of rape and incest is a hotly contested issue. However, these circumstances together compromise only 7 percent of abortions in America. 

The 93 percent which are elective are the focus of a massive conflict in our culture, one that I believe has exacerbated the depth of our present divisions. Is there a way forward? 

Twenty-three pairs of chromosomes 

In my view, grounded both in Scripture and in science, life begins at conception. This means that a fetus in its mother’s womb is as much a human being as a baby after it is born. To end that life for the reasons that prompt elective abortions today is morally abhorrent and should be illegal. 

When a baby is born and thus protected by our laws, it has merely moved location from inside the womb to outside the womb. Nothing else has changed about its biological status. The embryo is completely distinguishable from all other living organisms. It possesses all twenty-three pairs of human chromosomes and is able to develop only into a human being. Nothing new will be added except the growth and development of what it already is. 

In short, it is just as human prior to birth as after birth. To claim otherwise is simply wrong on biological and scientific grounds. 

In the view of many pro-choice advocates, however, my position constitutes a “war on women.” They believe (counter to science) that we cannot know when life begins, or they claim that the mother should be able to decide what to do with her own body. They see my position as an intrusive injustice against her personal right to privacy. Even if they are personally opposed to abortion, they are convinced that such a personal issue should be decided by the mother, not the government. (The fact that many call her the “mother” points to the fact that the fetus is in fact a child.) 

A zero-sum equation 

This rift constitutes a cultural divide unlike any we have seen since the Civil War. This is not like debating the size of a stimulus package during a pandemic or whether a private citizen who was once president of the United States can still be impeached. This debate goes to the sacredness of life itself, whether focused on the preborn baby or the mother. 

If a political leader or party supported the mother’s right to kill her newborn infant, we would all be outraged. Pro-life supporters believe that the right to kill a preborn baby is just as wrong. 

We therefore believe that it is immoral for our tax dollars to be used to support a procedure we find so abhorrent. We support the Mexico City policy prohibiting the investment of US funds in overseas organizations to promote abortion. And we support the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to fund most abortions. 

The Biden administration, however, has already signaled that it intends to reverse the Mexico City policy. During the presidential campaign, Mr. Biden reversed his position on the Hyde Amendment as well. If he acts on this commitment, my tax dollars will be used to fund abortions both in the US and overseas. 

This is a zero-sum equation. Either tax funds from pro-life supporters will support abortion, violating our deepest convictions, or they will not.

It is difficult to imagine a more fundamental issue in American society. This debate transcends electoral politics and is dividing Americans from Americans on a dangerous level.

“Human life is never a burden” 

How should pro-life Christians discuss this issue in ways that will not deepen our cultural fissures? 

Recent research shows that political and cultural conflicts are made worse by three behaviors: “othering” (labeling the other side as almost incomprehensibly different from us), “aversion” (they’re not just different but dislikable), and “moralization” (they’re morally bankrupt). 

By contrast, the conviction that life is sacred from conception is a spiritual truth grounded on biblical fact. However, “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is a spiritual battle (2 Corinthians 4:4) that must be fought with spiritual weapons (Ephesians 6:10–18). 

To that end, here’s my proposal: When you see people acting against the sanctity of the preborn, pray for them. 

• Pray for the Spirit to open their eyes to biblical truth.

• Pray for words that will draw them closer to the One who has loved them from the moment of their conception (Matthew 10:20).

• Pray for God to show you how you can help those facing unexpected pregnancies.

• Pray for those who offer such ministry and pray about ways you can support them.

Once you have prayed, act on what God reveals to you, serving as his hands and feet to both the preborn and their parents.

Pope Francis was right: “Human life is never a burden. It demands we make space for it, not cast it off.” 

Will you pray about ways you can make space for life in your life and our culture today?

For more help on addressing this difficult topic, see my “Six vital questions about abortion.”

First

From Robin Wiley:

 This is one of the daily devotionals I am currently reading on my YouVersion Bible app, entitled: “How to SEEK THE KINGDOM of God” by Jesus.net[1], written by Eric Celerier.

I am reading this plan specifically because it addresses the topic of “Pursuit” – which is the theme this year at Camp Zephyr, which we hope to attend, Lord willing, the end of June, beginning of July. It is based on the scripture – Matthew 6:33:

“33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

We all need to be pursuing God in our lives in some shape or form – right?  If we are believers, that is what God wants us to do – seek Him in our daily lives. Whether that is a walk outside on a sunny day or a quiet moment reading His word in your “happy place” or comfy chair, God wants us to come to Him with the good, the bad, and yes – even the ugly.  He knows our “ugly” anyway – so we might as well give it Him to repurpose and restore. Praying you have a fresh and beautiful day as you read this!

__________________________________________________

How do you start well?

When you want something new, a new step in your life, are you focused first and foremost on the goal you’re trying to reach..or on the One who makes every accomplishment possible?

The Bible encourages us, ‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)

“First” means “before,” “most important,” or “in the beginning.”

The Greek word for beginning is “proton.” The proton is a particle located at the center of an atom. We also call it the nucleus, and it’s interesting to not that it has a positive charge.

The Creator always precedes creation. He’s the One who is the beginning but also the end: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:13)

Think about what you put first in your life, what you place first in your days. Do you act as if God is truly in first place?

• In your relationships,

• In your family life,

• In your dreams and plans,

• In the way you treat yourself?

The fact is that Christ is the “divine” proton The center, the nucleus around which our lives much be centered. He creates the positive energy our lives need!

The Bible says that He is the “…God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as thought they did;” (Romans 4:17)  This is how God proceeds in our lives. When God speaks, the entire creation immediately begins moving to obey Him. When we place God before everything else, we authorize Him to create things in our lives that do not exist and to call things into existences that are not!

I encourage you to put God at the beginning of everything you do and desire. May He be the center of your being, the center of your dreams, the center of your family, the center of your plans….

I invite you to pray with me…

Father God, I choose to give You the first place in my life. As soon as I get up, may my thoughts turn to You so that I may be able to trust You with all the rest. You know my dreams and my plans From this day forward, I yield to You and give You first place so that You can fully act in my life Thank you, Lord!   In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thanks for existing!

Eric Celerier

[1] http://bit.ly/miracles-kingdom-of-god

One Page Ahead

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

My first year as a band director, I was responsible for teaching every instrument to students who had never played a band instrument before. Even though I knew how to play a lot of instruments, there was one that I was really worried about - the trombone. I couldn’t remember which slide position went where and for what note. I was worried about how I was ever going to teach all of these students…especially the trombone players, without messing them up for life. Then a wise band Director told me, “just stay one page ahead of them in the book.” Genius! I didn’t have to be a trombone expert! I could learn along with them, one page at a time, making sure I was ready for what came next in the book.

I think many people in our churches worry about working with kids or leading a Bible study because they think they have to be experts. Parents may worry about teaching their kids at home the wrong thing about the Bible or our faith. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert and can simply learn alongside them.

Read God’s word. Share it with fellow-church members, your co-workers and your family. You don’t have to be an expert, but God commands us to “Talk about [His word] when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Just remember to read your Bible and stay one page ahead!

Dear God,

Thank you for your word. Help us to read your word and share it with those you have put around us. Amen.

Orden de Servicio en Español ~ (9:30AM) Domingo, 24 de enero 2021

Llamada a la adoración – Salmos 62

En Dios solamente está acallada mi alma; De él viene mi salvación.2 El solamente es mi roca y mi salvación; Es mi refugio, no resbalaré mucho. 3 ¿Hasta cuándo maquinaréis contra un hombre, tratando todos vosotros de aplastarle Como pared desplomada y como cerca derribada? 4 Solamente consultan para arrojarle de su grandeza.Aman la mentira; Con su boca bendicen, pero maldicen en su corazón. Selah 5 Alma mía, en Dios solamente reposa, Porque de él es mi esperanza. 6 El solamente es mi roca y mi salvación. Es mi refugio, no resbalaré. 7 En Dios está mi salvación y mi gloria; En Dios está mi roca fuerte, y mi refugio. 8 Esperad en él en todo tiempo, oh pueblos; Derramad delante de él vuestro corazón; Dios es nuestro refugio. Selah

9 Por cierto, vanidad son los hijos de los hombres, mentira los hijos de varón; Pesándolos a todos igualmente en la balanza, Serán menos que nada.10 No confiéis en la violencia, Ni en la rapiña; no os envanezcáis; Si se aumentan las riquezas, no pongáis el corazón en ellas. 11 Una vez habló Dios; Dos veces he oído esto: Que de Dios es el poder, 12 Y tuya, oh Señor, es la misericordia; Porque tú pagas a cada uno conforme a su obra.

Ven Es Tiempo De Adorarle

Ven es tiempo de adorarle

Ven es tiempo de dar Tu corazón

Ven tal como estás y adora

Ven tal como estás ante Tu Dios

Ven

Un día todos confesarán que eres Dios

Y todos se arrodillarán

El más grande tesoro les guardarás

A los que Te eligen hoy

Ven ven tal como estás ven ven

No Hay Dios/Hay Poder Medley

No hay dios tan grande como tu, no lo hay, no lo hay

No hay dios tan grande como tu, no lo hay, no lo hay

No hay dios que pueda hacer las obras como las que haces Tu

No hay dios que pueda hacer las obras como las que haces Tu

No es con espada ni con ejercitos mas con tu Santo Espiritu

No es con espada ni con ejercitos mas con tu Santo Espiritu

Y esta iglesia se movera, Y esta iglesia se movera,

Y esta iglesia se movera, con tu Santo Espiritu.

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En Jesús quien murió

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En la sangre que Él vertió

Quieres ser salvo de toda maldad

Tan solo hay poder en mi Jesús

Quieres vivir y gozar santidad

Tan solo hay poder en Jesús

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En Jesús quien murió

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En la sangre que Él vertió

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En Jesús quien murió

Hay poder poder sin igual poder

En la sangre que Él vertió

Yo Celebrare

Yo celebrare, cantare a El

Cantare un canto nuevo

Yo le alabare cantare un canto nuevo

Yo le alabare cantare un canto nuevo

Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya, 

Allelu - Alleluya

David Danzo

Si el Espíritu de Dios está en mi corazón

Yo danzo como David

Hoy yo danzo, yo danzo

Yo danzo como David

Si el Espíritu de Dios está en mi corazón

Yo canto como David

Hoy yo canto, yo canto

Yo canto como David

En El Monte Calvario

En el Monte Calvario se vio una cruz

Emblema de afrenta y dolor

Y yo quiero esa Cruz do murio mi Jesus

Por Salvar al mas Vil Pecador

Oh Yo siempre amare esa cruz

En sus triunfos mi Gloria sera

Y algun dia en vez de una cruz

Mi Corona Jesus me dara

Aunque el mundo desprecie la cruz de Jesus

Para mi tiene suma atraccion

Porque en ella llevo el cordero de Dios

Mi pecado y mi condenacion

En la cruz do su sangre Jesus derramo

Hermosura contemplo en vision

Pues en ella el cordero inmolado murio

Para darme pureza y perdon

Abundancia

Tu abundancia en mi vida

Tu abundancia en mi ser

En toda buena obra

Todo puedo hacer

Y el que siembra en abundancia

En abundancia cosechará

En mi corazon yo debo

Dar con alegria

Por Tu fidelidad

Abundancia en Tu gracia

En toda circunstancia

Tu eres suficiente

Dejame servirte

En toda Tu abundancia

Ven Ante Su Trono

Si abatido y dolido estás

Y cansado del peso cargar

Cristo nos llama

Si al final del camino estás

Sin saber hacia dónde mirar

Cristo nos llama

Ven ante su trono

El Padre te recibirá

Con sangre preciosa

Jesús borró nuestra maldad!

Oh cuán hermoso

Es nuestro Salvador

Canta aleluya, Cristo vive

Nadie es más grande

Solo Él es el Señor

Canta aleluya, Cristo vive

Order of Service ~ (11:00AM) Sunday, January 24, 2021

Call To Worship – Psalm 62 ESV

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah 5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

There Is Power In The Blood

There is power power

Wonder working power

In the blood of the Lamb

There is power power

Wonder working power

In the precious blood of the Lamb

Would you be free

From your burden of sin

There's power in the blood

Power in the blood

Would you o'er evil a victory win

There's wonderful power in the blood

Would you be free

From your passion and pride

There's power in the blood

Power in the blood

Come for a cleansing

To Calvary's tide

There's wonderful power in the blood

Would you do service

For Jesus your King

There's power in the blood

Power in the blood

Would you live daily

His praises to sing

There's wonderful power in the blood

I Will Celebrate

I will celebrate, sing unto the Lord

I will sing to Him a new song

I will celebrate, sing unto the Lord

I will sing to Him a new song

I will praise Him,

I will sing to Him a new song

I will praise Him,

I will sing to Him a new song

David Danced

When the Spirit of the Lord moves upon my heart

I will dance like David danced

I will dance

I will dance

I will dance like David danced

When the Spirit of the Lord

Moves upon my heart

I will pray like David prayed

I will pray

I will pray

I will pray like David prayed

When the Spirit of the Lord

Moves upon my heart

I will sing like David sang

I will sing

I will sing

I will sing like David sang

The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way

He then in all my hope and stay

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound

O may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne!

It Is Well

Grander earth has quaked before

Moved by the sound of His voice

Seas that are shaken and stirred

Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all through it all

It is well

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

It is well with me

Far be it from me to not believe

Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all through it all

It is well

Through it all through it all

My eyes are on You

It is well with me

So let go my soul and trust in Him

The waves and wind still know His name

It is well with my soul

It is well with my soul

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

Cornerstone

Christ alone Cornerstone

Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love

Through the storm He is Lord Lord of all

The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away

Stood an old rugged cross

The emblem of suff'ring and shame

And I love that old cross

Where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross

Till my trophies at last I lay down

I will cling to the old rugged cross

And exchange it some day for a crown

Oh the old rugged cross

So despised by the world

Has a wondrous attraction for me

For the dear Lamb of God

Left His glory above

To bear it to dark Calvary

In the old rugged cross

Stained with blood so divine

A wondrous beauty I see

For 'twas on that old cross

Jesus suffered and died

To pardon and sanctify me

A Prayer for Victory

 by Debbie Przybylski, as written for Your Daily Prayer devotional; posted on crosscards.com

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” - Deuteronomy 20:4

Do not look at your prayer life as a small ministry of no importance. The enemy knows full well how mighty you are in pulling down his strongholds, and he will try to intimidate, discourage, divide, or defeat you. Don't accept his lies.

"Doubt. Deception. Discouragement. Division. It's time for the church to stop accepting these enemy strikes as natural. Spiritual warfare is a reality that the church must face. It won't go away on its own - but it can be dealt with through prayer."

Love God with all your heart, and abide in Him - Loving and abiding in God is so important in order to see answered prayer. I am personally, by nature, a warrior but my relationship with God is the best antidote against the enemy’s flaming missiles. We must know God intimately, and abide in that intimacy daily.

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" - (John 15:7).

Speak out the attributes of God, and praise him daily in prayer - Worship is a powerful form of warfare. Praying and singing out loud about the greatness of God during moments when you are emotionally down makes a huge difference. Your heart begins to rise up, your feelings change, and you see the sovereignty and greatness of God.

Here is a prayer you can pray for victory over the enemy’s schemes:

Lord, thank you for your greatness. Thank you that when I am weak, you are strong. Lord, the Devil is scheming and I know he desires to keep me from spending time with you. Don’t let him win! Give me a measure of your strength so that I might not give into discouragement, deception and doubt! Help me honor you in all my ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Way Forward

By: Dr Steven K. Parker

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’

“But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’” (2 Chronicles 7:11-22)

This past week, our nation inaugurated Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. This ceremony marked the conclusion of the most contentious election cycle of my lifetime. Our nation is divided, but I have to admit that it was nice to see our national leaders come together for the inauguration ceremony, even if for just a brief moment, to celebrate the hopeful uniting ideals of our democratic republic. A national inauguration gives us a good opportunity to pause and ask, where do we go from here?

In this passage that we will be considering on Sunday, the nation of Israel gathered together with King Solomon in a special, national ceremony to dedicate the new temple they had just constructed. Solomon cried out to the LORD in prayer on behalf of the nation and the LORD appeared to the king in the night saying:

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. (2 Chronicles 7:12-15)

If the people wandered away from the LORD, judgment was sure to come, but it was the LORD’s desire to restore them. If they would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wickedness, the LORD promised to hear, forgive, and heal.

This ancient message continues to speak to us today and offers us a way forward in the midst of this divisive political mess, global pandemic, and the normal struggles of our day-to-day lives. We are facing real problems, legitimate disagreements, and trying times. I don’t know all the solutions to the great political, social, medical, and economic difficulties of our day. I don’t know how to fix all that’s wrong with our nation. In the midst of these challenges, what I do know is that God invites us, as His people, to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our own wicked ways. If we will respond to that invitation, we just might discover God hearing those prayers, forgiving our sins, and healing our land.

We can so easily point out what’s wrong with our country and the sins committed on the other side of our current political disagreements. It’s much harder to take a critical look inward, display true humility, seek God’s face, and turn away from our own sinful, prideful, selfish ways. It’s so easy to get bogged down in disagreements and so difficult to step away from the noise, humble our hearts, and pray faithfully. As we move forward from yesterday’s inauguration, will we continue to take the easy way out or will we take the more difficult path of true discipleship that can really make a difference in our world?  If we will do the latter, we just might find God’s way forward through this mess.

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday, either online or in-person at our Parking Lot Service.

Seeing God as Our Father

By Denison Ministries 

Introduction

This life is marked by a single choice: who or what will we center our lives around? This choice takes each of us down a path of decisions that shape who we are, what we feel, who or what we value, and what we will have accomplished at the end of our days. To center our lives around ourselves or the things of this world leads only to destruction. But, to center our lives around meeting with God fills each moment with the glorious abundance of God’s love, provision, and transcendent peace. May your life be marked by union with your Creator as we explore what it means to center our lives around meeting with God this week.

Scripture

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

1 CORINTHIANS 8:6

Devotional

If there’s one name for God that has the power to dramatically transform the lives of believers, it’s that we can call God “Abba” or “Father.” To see God as our Father changes everything. In Brennan Manning’s book, The Furious Longing of God, he asks a pertinent and powerful question:

Is your own personal prayer life characterized by the simplicity, childlike candor, boundless trust, and easy familiarity of a little one crawling up in Daddy’s lap? An assured knowing that the daddy doesn’t care if the child falls asleep, starts playing with toys, or even starts chatting with little friends, because the daddy knows the child has essentially chosen to be with him for that moment? Is that the spirit of your interior prayer life? 

When I first read these questions I thought to myself, “Surely it can’t be this simple. Surely this can’t be all God expects of me.” We’ve missed the mark on what it truly means to be children of a good, near, and loving Father. We’ve projected our own insecurities, perspectives, and experiences on a God who is love embodied. There is nothing we can ever do to make God love us any more than he already does. And there is nothing we can ever do to make him love us any less. God loves us because he loves us. He enjoys us because he enjoys us. He wants to be with us because that’s how he is, not because we somehow earn his desire for us.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

Even while we were in sin and separation from God, he loved us enough to pay the highest price to have us. So great was his depth of love for us that Jesus laid down his own life as the atonement for our mistakes, failures, weaknesses, and frailty. If God loved us then unconditionally, he loves us now unconditionally. If God would choose us then, he chooses us now. If God desired us then, he desires us now.

If we’re going to center our lives around meeting with God, we must understand the nature of his love for us. We must begin to relate to him as our good and loving Father above all else. We must cast aside any notion that he is angry with us, far from us, or void of affection or desire for us. We will only be drawn to our heavenly Father to the degree that we take him at his word and trust in his love for us. Take time today to receive the overwhelming, unconditional love of God for you. Allow his love to reorient your perspectives and beliefs. And respond to his great love by opening your heart and having fellowship with your Creator, Sustainer, and all-loving heavenly Father.

Prayer

1. Meditate on the goodness of God being your perfect Father. What does it mean for your relationship with him if you would truly see him this way? How are you to reorient your perspectives in light of his word?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” 

Matthew 23:9

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

2. In what ways have you viewed God other than a loving Father? In what ways have you seen him as a taskmaster, distant Creator, or angry or passive Father?

“Is your own personal prayer life characterized by the simplicity, childlike candor, boundless trust, and easy familiarity of a little one crawling up in Daddy’s lap? An assured knowing that the daddy doesn’t care if the child falls asleep, starts playing with toys, or even starts chatting with little friends, because the daddy knows the child has essentially chosen to be with him for that moment? Is that the spirit of your interior prayer life?” Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God.

3. Ask God to help you encounter the depths of his love today. Take time to receive his presence and rest in his goodness. Open up any parts of your life that aren’t bearing the fruit of his unconditional love and receive all the affection he has to give.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” 

Ephesians 1:3

Go...

You are the child of a good, near, and loving Father. Seeing God as your Father not only impacts your perception of him, but also of yourself. You are loved. You are liked. You are enjoyed. The God who only thinks, feels, and says truth values relationship with you enough to send his only Son to die for you. Never let the world or the enemy shake the foundational love of your heavenly Father. No failure, weakness, or sin could ever change the fact that you are loved, accepted, and valued. May you find peace today where there has been only loneliness, pressure, and dissatisfaction.

“Let Go and Let God”

From Robin Wiley:

Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend.
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my Friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,
"How could You be so slow"-
"My child," He said,
"What could I do? You never did let go."

— Author: Loretta P Burns

Have you ever experienced a broken dream? Or a broken heart? I experience broken hearts every time I facilitate a GriefShare session. There is nothing quite like the devastation of a lost loved one. A broken heart from a relationship of any kind can also be a paralyzing journey to overcome. Broken dreams can shatter a person and keep them from every trying to dream or hope again. I think the component missing from our lives when we are trying to overcome these types of challenges is trust. Trusting our great God that He can and will actually take care of us during these moments.   

I like this poem very much because it reminds me to “let go and let God” do His thing. We all do it – grip our lives, our hopes, dreams, even grief with our hands so tight that it is hard to let go. It reminds me of gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white while driving to the airport during a horrible rainstorm or gripping the armrests on the plane during the take-off or landing part. Those moments are filled with anxiety, fear and even doubt. All I want to do is get to that final destination and relax, but life is not always like that, is it?

Sometimes we have to be a spectator in our own lives. To step back, let go and let God take control. It was hard for me to let go of control when I first started my ministry with FBCW as a youth pastor back in 2016. I tend to be a little on the anal-retentive side and pay such attention to detail that it becomes an obsession and possibly an annoyance to others (you may want to consult with Pastor Ray about this statement, wink-wink! :) ). I had to learn that God is really the whole purpose behind what I do. I serve HIM. Yes, I serve a church and a family of faith but ultimately, my purpose is to share Christ’s love, forgiveness and salvation to whomever I am an influencer of – such as the youth and their families.  

It is only when we do share the story of God with others will we truly know we are part of His family. Trusting in the one true God is always the right path to take when pouring out our hurts and sorrows. He listens. He loves. He heals.

God will mend a broken heart or dream if you give Him all the pieces. Place your heart in God’s hands. Allow Him to reconstruct the brokenness and infuse joy into those damaged situations. God seeks to repair the injuries and fully restore function in every area of your life.

Prayer:

Father God, I surrender into Your hands all that is hurting in my life. You alone can repair my brokenness, bind up my wounds and revive Your intended design for me. Thank You for being my Healer and for showing me Your ever-present loving care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Finding Strength in Weakness

By: Dr. Charles Stanley, as written for InTouch Ministries and posted on InTouch.org

Judges 16

Great strength is no guarantee of protection from temptation. Although Samson had God-given power, he was defeated by a personal weakness. In the same way, we as Christians have the omnipotent Holy Spirit to enable us to live righteously. But as broken beings, we’re bound to make mistakes along the way, as Samson did. 

Our best defense against temptation is reliance upon the Word and power of God. If we’ll turn to Him in our weakness—filling our mind with His truth and asking His Holy Spirit for guidance and protection—He will strengthen us to resist. But we must also be aware of our areas of vulnerability and take care to avoid situations that increase temptation. 

It’s also helpful to prepare for temptation beforehand by memorizing scriptures that refute the lies Satan throws at us. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He answered every enticement with biblical truth (Matt. 4:1-11).

And finally, don’t forget to pray immediately when unholy desires threaten to carry you away. Ask the Lord to give you the fortitude and wisdom to walk away from temptation and turn to Him for strength.

Order of Service ~ (11:00AM) Sunday, January 17, 2021

CALL TO WORSHIP – 1 John 3:1-11

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.  4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's[b] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.  11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

OPEN UP THE HEAVENS

We've waited for this day

We're gathered in Your Name

Calling out to You

Your glory like a fire awakening desire

Will burn our hearts with truth

You're the reason we're here

You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens we want to see You

Open up the floodgates a mighty river

Flowing from Your heart

Filling every part of our praise

Your presence in this place Your glory on our face

We're looking to the sky

Descending like a cloud You're standing with us now

Lord unveil our eyes

You're the reason we're here

You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens we want to see You

Open up the floodgates a mighty river

Flowing from Your heart

Filling every part of our praise

Show us show us Your glory

Show us show us Your power

Show us show us Your glory Lord

Oo oo oo oo

CREATE IN ME

Create in me a clean clean heart

Create in me a work of art

Create in me a miracle

Something real and something beautiful

You're not finished with me yet

You're not finished with me yet

By Your power I can change I can change

'Cause You're not finished with me yet

Oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh oi

Oh oh oh oh oh oh

Oh oh

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

I am weak but Thou art strong 

Jesus keep me from all wrong

I'll be satisfied as long

As I walk let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it Jesus is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be O Lord let it be

Thru this world of toil and snares

If I falter Lord who cares

Who with me my burden shares

None but Thee dear Lord none but Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it Jesus is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be O Lord let it be

When my feeble life is o'er

Time for me will bear no more

Guide me gently safely o'er

To Thy kingdom shore to Thy shore

CHANGE MY HEART OH GOD

Change my heart oh God

Make it ever true

Change my heart oh God

May I be like You

You are the potter

I am the clay

Mold me and make me

This is what I pray

BETTER THAN A HALLELUJAH

God loves a lullaby

In a mother's tears in the dead of night

Better than a hallelujah sometimes

God loves a drunkard's cry

The soldier's plea not to let him die

Better than a hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

The honest cries of breaking hearts

Are better than a hallelujah

A woman holding on for life

A dying man giving up the fight

Are better than a hallelujah sometimes

Tears of shame for what's been done

The silence when the words won't come

Are better than a hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

The honest cries of breaking hearts

Are better than a hallelujah

Better than a church bell ringing

Better than a choir singing out

Singing out

Better than a hallelujah sometimes

Better than a hallelujah

Better than a hallelujah sometimes

HAVE THINE OWN WAY

Have Thine own way Lord

Have Thine own way

Thou art the Potter I am the clay

Mold me and make me after Thy will

While I am waiting yielded and still

Have Thine own way Lord

Come and have Thine own way

Wounded and weary help me I pray

Power all power surely is Thine

Touch me and heal me Savior divine