-------"'I Am' Says It All" by Pat KissellExodus 3:1 (iv) Now Moshe was tending the sheep of Yitro his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan. Leading the flock to the far side of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, to Horev. 2 The angel of Adonai appeared to him in a fire blazing from the middle of a bush. He looked and saw that although the bush was flaming with fire, yet the bush was not being burned up. 3 Moshe said, “I’m going to go over and see this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t being burned up.” 4 When Adonai saw that he had gone over to see, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moshe! Moshe!” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 He said, “Don’t come any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.” Moshe covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
12 He replied, “I will surely be with you. Your sign that I have sent you will be that when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” 14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.
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Can you imagine Moses’ surprise when the flaming bush started to talk? In Exodus 3:2, an angel talked to Moses; in verse 4, it was God speaking. Who would not hide their face when talking to God? Moses was humbled when he was warned that he was standing on holy ground.
Moses understood God’s introduction: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (v. 6). However, when commissioned “to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt,” Moses pushed for more. “Suppose I go to the Israelites . . . and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (vv. 10, 13).
I love God’s response: “I AM WHO I AM”. No one but God could make such a statement–no qualifiers needed!
Musician David Phelps, in his song “The Dream,” identifies “I AM WHO I AM” as wisdom, truth, and mercy: the Alpha and Omega. Singer and songwriter Michael W. Smith describes “I AM” as the Root of David, the Bright and Morning Star, the Lion of Judah, and the Lamb.
No one and nothing can equal His Name.
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Hymn for Today: "The God of Abraham Praise" (attributed to): Daniel ben Judah; Paraphraser: Thomas Olivers (1770), based on Hebrew Yigdal
1. The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.
2. The great I AM has sworn;
I on this oath depend.
I shall, on eagle wings upborne,
to heaven ascend.
I shall behold God's face;
I shall God's power adore,
and sing the wonders of God's grace
forevermore.
3. The heavenly land I see,
with peace and plenty blest;
a land of sacred liberty,
and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow,
and oil and wine abound,
and trees of life forever grow
with mercy crowned.
4. The God who reigns on high
the great archangels sing,
and "Holy, holy, holy!" cry
"Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same,
and evermore shall be:
Jehovah, Lord, the great I AM,
we worship thee!"
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Thought for Today: Isaiah 42:8 I am Adonai; that is my name.
I yield my glory to no one else,
nor my praise to any idol.
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Please Pray: That many people in Bulgaria will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "He Caught God’s Attention" by Pat Kissell for Tuesday, 6 December 2016 with Scripture: Genesis 6:1-9
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"He Caught God’s Attention" by Pat Kissell
Genesis 6:1 In time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were attractive; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Adonai said, “My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore their life span is to be 120 years.” 4 The N’filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.
(Maftir) 5 Adonai saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. 6 Adonai regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart. 7 Adonai said, “I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the whole earth; and not only human beings, but animals, creeping things and birds in the air; for I regret that I ever made them.” 8 But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai.
9 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God.
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I wish you could have known one of my staff, Nita, who worked in a large state university. As I read the attributes of Noah, I immediately thought of Nita. She treated people with integrity–yes, even the stressed-out students and the always-in-a-hurry faculty. I never heard one negative word about, or from, Nita. Her quiet Christlike values reflected in all she did. Perhaps it also helped that she was a pastor’s wife.
God had really had it with all humanity. Evil, evil, everywhere. These were the worst of times. It is absolutely shocking to read, “[God] was heartbroken” (v. 6, GW). God came to the end of His rope and took extreme measures to do away with all He had created.
The phrase "but Noah" (Verse 8) turns us in another direction. Noah, known as a preacher of righteousness, was to carry out the judgment prediction of his father, Lamech (5:29). Noah was described as the only good man of his time. He demonstrated integrity in his community, and he lived in fellowship with God all his life. Noah had sterling credentials. He was going to need them.
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Hymn for Today: "Friendship with Jesus" by Joseph C. Ludgate
1. A friend of Jesus! Oh, what bliss
That one so weak as I
Should ever have a Friend like this
To lead me to the sky!
Refrain:
Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.
2. A Friend when other friendships cease,
A Friend when others fail,
A Friend who gives me joy and peace,
A Friend when foes assail!
Refrain:
Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.
3. A Friend when sickness lays me low,
A Friend when death draws near,
A Friend as through the vale I go,
A Friend to help and cheer!
Refrain:
Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.
4. A Friend when life’s short race is o’er
A Friend when earth is past,
A Friend to meet on Heaven’s shore,
A Friend when home at last!
Refrain:
Friendship with Jesus!
Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.
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Thought for Today: Hebrews 11:7 By trusting, Noach, after receiving divine warning about things as yet unseen, was filled with holy fear and built an ark to save his household. Through this trusting, he put the world under condemnation and received the righteousness that comes from trusting.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Bangladesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Adam's CPR" by Pat Kissell for Monday, 5 December 2016 with Scripture: Genesis 1:26-2:7
-------"Adam's CPR" by Pat Kissell
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Here! Throughout the whole earth I am giving you as food every seed-bearing plant and every tree with seed-bearing fruit. 30 And to every wild animal, bird in the air and creature crawling on the earth, in which there is a living soul, I am giving as food every kind of green plant.” And that is how it was. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. 2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
(A: iv, S: ii) 4 Here is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created. On the day when Adonai, God, made earth and heaven, 5 there was as yet no wild bush on the earth, and no wild plant had as yet sprung up; for Adonai, God, had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no one to cultivate the ground. 6 Rather, a mist went up from the earth which watered the entire surface of the ground.
7 Then Adonai, God, formed a person [Genesis 2:7 Hebrew: adam] from the dust of the ground [Genesis 2:7 Hebrew: adamah] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being.
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I was eating in a crowded upscale restaurant in Montreal when a man several tables away began choking on his food. When it became apparent he was in respiratory distress, I knew he needed the Heimlich maneuver. I approached the man, but was bodily blocked by his hysterical wife who was yelling, “George, speak to me, speak to me.” I wanted to say, "If George does not get his airway cleared, he is not going to speak to anyone except God."
There are 79 references in the Old Testament to breath/breathing with 16 of these in Genesis. The title “LORD God” is a combination of Yahweh, God’s proper name, and the generic Elohim, for God as Creator.
Adam was formed from dust, but he wasn’t breathing until God put air in his lungs. He had to take that first breath just like every baby born. In the delivery room there is a sense of anxious anticipation until that first breath is heard. Then you hear the loud welcomed cry.
So God really invented CPR! It took us a long time to discover it. By the way, George survived in spite of his wife!
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Hymn for Today: "Breathe on Me, Breath of God" by Edwin Hatch
1. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
2. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
3. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
4. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
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Thought for Today: Job 32:8 But it is the spirit in a person, the breath from Shaddai,
that gives him understanding —
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Please Pray: That many people in Bangladesh will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKadesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "He Heard My Cry" by Duane Brush for Sunday, 4 November 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 142:1-7
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"He Heard My Cry" by Duane Brush
Psalm 142:1 (0) A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer:
2 (1) With my voice I cry to Adonai,
with my voice I plead to Adonai for mercy.
3 (2) Before him I pour out my complaint,
before him I tell my trouble.
4 (3) When my spirit faints within me,
you watch over my path.
By the road that I am walking
they have hidden a snare for me.
5 (4) Look to my right, and see
that no one recognizes me.
I have no way of escape;
nobody cares for me.
6 (5) I cried out to you, Adonai;
I said, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
7 (6) Listen to my cry,
for I have been brought very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
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I was in my early 20s, newly married, working and going to college. I was also a fairly new believer in Jesus Christ. However, I was also sick and weak. Severe joint pain, swelling, and weakness gradually limited my activity. Doctors offered little hope for my condition, diagnosed as a type of rheumatoid arthritis. Still, I tried to keep up as best he could.
One day, I opened the car door, but couldn’t raise my legs enough to get out. I placed both hands under my knees and one-by-one set my legs outside the car. I felt so weak and tired. I began to weep. “O God, unless you help me I don’t know what I will do,” I prayed.
Gradually my fears eased. I felt strength returning. An inner voice gave assurance, “It is alright. I am here. You will get better.” I wiped my eyes and slowly stood. Over the next few weeks my strength returned, swelling subsided, pain eased. My blood tests showed improvement.
Now, more than 40 years later, I have not been troubled again by those symptoms. God heard my cry, and that made all the difference.
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Hymn for Today: "Pass Me Not" by Fanny J. Crosby
1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
3. Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 72:12 For he will rescue the needy when they cry,
the poor too and those with none to help them.
13 He will have pity on the poor and needy;
and the lives of the needy he will save.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Azores.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Who is King?" by Duane Brush for Saturday, 3 November 2016 with Scripture: John 18:28-38
-------"Who is King?" by Duane Brush
John 18:28 They led Yeshua from Kayafa to the governor’s headquarters. By now it was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters building because they didn’t want to become ritually defiled and thus unable to eat the Pesach meal. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What charge are you bringing against this man?” 30 They answered, “If he hadn’t done something wrong, we wouldn’t have brought him to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “You take him and judge him according to your own law.” The Judeans replied, “We don’t have the legal power to put anyone to death.” 32 This was so that what Yeshua had said, about how he was going to die, might be fulfilled.
33 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.” 37 “So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered, “You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
Having said this, Pilate went outside again to the Judeans and told them, “I don’t find any case against him.
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Pilate didn’t want to decide about Jesus. Why were these pesky Judeans bringing this man to him anyway? Was this a trap? “If he were not a criminal . . . we would not have handed him over to you,” they said (v. 30). But what were the charges? Roman law demanded charges. Pilate already suspected what the charge would be: “‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Is that your own idea,’ Jesus asked, ‘or did others talk to you about me?’” (vv. 33-34). The charge of insurrection, if proven, would lead inevitably to a cross.
“My kingdom is not of this world,” was Jesus’ reply (v. 36). You cannot find it on a map. Jesus’ kingdom is in the hearts of those who call Him “Lord.” A king rules where he is acknowledged, where his law is obeyed and his sovereignty acclaimed. Jesus is a king, whether Pilate, Caesar, the Jewish leaders or any other authority acknowledges it.
“I find no basis for a charge against him,” Pilate told the leaders (v. 38). Ultimately, he did have to decide, and so do we all. Not just “Is Jesus a king?” but “Is Jesus your King?”
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Hymn for Today: "Wonderful Savior" by J. M. Harris
1. Jesus, my king, my wonderful Savior,
All of my life is given to Thee.
I am rejoicing in Thy salvation;
Thy precious blood now maketh me free.
Refrain:
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
Thou art so near, so precious to me!
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
My heart is filled with praises to Thee!
2. Freedom from sin, O wonderful story—
All of its stains washed whiter than snow!
Jesus has come to live in His temple,
And with His love my heart is aglow.
Refrain:
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
Thou art so near, so precious to me!
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
My heart is filled with praises to Thee!
3. Jesus, my Lord, I’ll ever adore Thee,
Lay at Thy feet my treasures of love.
Lead me in ways to show forth Thy glory,
Ways that will end in Heaven above.
Refrain:
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
Thou art so near, so precious to me!
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
My heart is filled with praises to Thee!
4. When in that bright and beautiful city
I shall behold Thy glories untold,
I shall be like Thee, wonderful Savior,
And I will sing while ages unfold.
Refrain:
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
Thou art so near, so precious to me!
Wonderful Savior, wonderful Savior,
My heart is filled with praises to Thee!
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Thought for Today: 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brothers, try even harder to make your being called and chosen a certainty. For if you keep doing this, you will never stumble. 11 Thus you will be generously supplied with everything you need to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah.
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Please Pray: That man people in the Azores will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Unity in Christ" by Duane Brush for Friday, 2 December 2016 with Scripture: John 17:20-26
-------"Unity in Christ" by Duane Brush
John 17:20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one — 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these people have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them.”
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It is estimated that one-third of the world's population-some 2.3 billion people–are church members: affiliated with 4.7 million local congregations representing 45,000 denominations.* Jesus’ prayer “that all of them may be one” seems impossible until we understand the type of unity He prayed for.
This unity is the glory of our shared life in Christ: “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (v. 21). This is a life characterized by mutual indwelling: a sharing of the quality and purpose of life. This is perhaps most clearly exemplified in the ideal marriage bond (Ephesians 5:31). Such a shared life reorganizes decision making; it is no longer “I” but “we.” It redirects energies toward fulfilling a mutual will. Its highest goal is to honor the beloved by preserving the sanctity of that covenant. By this, Jesus concludes, "Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:23).
That is much more than a name on a piece of paper. Where Christ’s disciples abide in Him, they are truly one and He is glorified
*http://www.gordenconwell/edu/resources/documents/StatusOfGlobalMission.pdf (accessed December 2015)
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Hymn for Today: "Onward Christian Soldiers" by Sabine Baring-Gould
1. Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads again the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
2. At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
3. Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
4. Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing.
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
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Thought for Today: Romans 12:4 For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; 5 so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Armenia.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Get Your Gear On" by Duane Brush for Thursday, 1 December 2016 with Scripture: John 17:6-19
-------"Get Your Gear On" by Duane Brush
John 17:6 “I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because the words you gave me I have given to them, and they have received them. They have really come to know that I came from you, and they have come to trust that you sent me.
9 “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given to me, because they are yours. 10 Indeed, all I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and in them I have been glorified. 11 Now I am no longer in the world. They are in the world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, guard them by the power of your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are. 12 When I was with them, I guarded them by the power of your name, which you have given to me; yes, I kept watch over them; and not one of them was destroyed (except the one meant for destruction, so that the Tanakh might be fulfilled). 13 But now, I am coming to you; and I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.
14 “I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I myself do not belong to the world. 15 I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.
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Maybe instead of a firm handshake and a box of tithing envelopes, we should give the new believer a helmet and body armor. There are some places in our world where simply being a Christian can get you killed. In even more places, a believer in Jesus Christ will be the subject of scorn, derision, and rejection. Sometimes, a Christ-follower is simply dismissed as a person sadly afflicted with a simple-minded faith not adequate for the demands of contemporary life, an object of pity, tolerated but never taken seriously.
Jesus knew it was going to happen. He had warned His disciples earlier. “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (15:20).
That is why Jesus prays for us, interceding on our behalf. Instead of the world’s affirmation, we have the heavenly Father’s care, the full measure of Christ’s joy, protection against the evil one, and the sanctification by God’s Word of truth. Come to think of it, we already have the armor. We just need to put it on! (Ephesians 6:10-17).
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Hymn for Today: "God Will Take Care of You" by Civilla D. Martin
1. Be not dismayed whate'er betide,
God will take care of you;
beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
2. Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
when dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
3. All you may need he will provide,
God will take care of you;
nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
4. No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
lean, weary one, upon his breast,
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
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Thought for Today: Ephesians 6:13 So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing.
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Please Pray: That many people in Armenia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Remember Lot's Wife" by Duane Brush for Wednesday, 30 November 2016 with Scripture: Luke 17:20-33
-------"Remember Lot's Wife" by Duane Brush
Luke 17:20 The P’rushim asked Yeshua when the Kingdom of God would come. “The Kingdom of God,” he answered, “does not come with visible signs; 21 nor will people be able to say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or, ‘Over there!’ Because, you see, the Kingdom of God is among you.” 22 Then he said to his talmidim, “The time is coming when you will long to see even one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23 People will say to you, ‘Look! Right here!’ or, ‘See! Over there!’ Don’t run off, don’t follow them, 24 because the Son of Man in his day will be like lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one horizon to the other. 25 But first he must endure horrible suffering and be rejected by this generation.
26 “Also, at the time of the Son of Man, it will be just as it was at the time of Noach. 27 People ate and drank, and men and women married, right up until the day Noach entered the ark; then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, as it was in the time of Lot — people ate and drank, bought and sold, planted and built; 29 but the day Lot left S’dom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 That is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, if someone is on the roof with his belongings in his house, he must not go down to take them away. Similarly, if someone is in the field, he must not turn back — 32 remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever aims at preserving his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will stay alive.
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Jesus’ picture of the kingdom of God is so different from what His disciples expected, and, frankly, what we too often expect. We often envision the kingdom as something out there, something we can see. Jesus quashes all that: “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst” (vv. 20-21).
We want something we can see and hold on to. Lot and his family were commanded, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back!” (Genesis 19:17; see vv. 1-29). Their kingdom, Sodom, was being destroyed for its great wickedness. Lot’s wife, when faced with trust in God’s word for an unseen future, looked back to the familiar and quickly passing to her own destruction.
We are called to a kingdom: a kingdom within us, upon us, and awaiting us. A kingdom not of this world, fulfilled in the revelation of the Son of Man, who suffered death and was rejected on our behalf.
Don’t look back. Don’t cling to that which is fading. Instead, embrace that which will be preserved forever!
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Hymn for Today: "Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending: by Charles Wesley and Martin Madan; based on John Cennick
1. Lo, he comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
2. Now redemption, long expected,
comes in solemn splendor near;
all the saints this world rejected
thrill the trumpet sound to hear:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
See the day of God appear!
3. Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!
4. Yea, amen! let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom as thine own:
O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.
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Thought for Today: Matthew 6:9 You, therefore, pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven!
May your Name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Albania.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Lavish Grace, Surprising Praise" by Duane Brush for Tuesday, 29 November 2016 with Scripture: Luke 17:11-19
-------"Lavish Grace, Surprising Praise" by Duane Brush
Luke 17:11 On his way to Yerushalayim, Yeshua passed along the border country between Shomron and the Galil. 12 As he entered one of the villages, ten men afflicted with tzara‘at met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out, “Yeshua! Rabbi! Have pity on us!” 14 On seeing them, he said, “Go and let the cohanim examine you!” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, as soon as he noticed that he had been healed, returned shouting praises to God, 16 and fell on his face at Yeshua’s feet to thank him. Now he was from Shomron. 17 Yeshua said, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found coming back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And to the man from Shomron he said, “Get up, you may go; your trust has saved you.”
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Samaritans play an interesting role in Luke’s Gospel. In 9:51-56, Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem when they found themselves unwelcome in a Samaritan village. The disciples wanted “to call fire down from heaven” to destroy the village (v. 54). Jesus, however, rebuked their harsh reaction and detoured them to a more welcoming village.
The roots of this animosity are ancient. The Jews regarded themselves as the true descendants of Abraham. The Samaritans saw themselves as faithful preservers of a hallowed faith. Each despised the other. Given this attitude, it was probably a surprise when Jesus later used a Samaritan as an example of mercy and compassion (10:25-37).
Likely, few were surprised when Jesus compassionately responded to 10 lepers’ call for healing mercy (17:11-19). It would have been no surprise when Jesus instructed them to “go, show yourselves to the priests” (v. 14). Also, there was no surprise when the group sprinted away to have their healing certified. What was surprising was that one returned to throw himself at Jesus’ feet and thank Him, for “he was a Samaritan” (v. 16).
Jesus lavish grace still elicits surprising praise. Where will we see it today?
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Hymn for Today: "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" by Theodulph of Orleans; translated by John M. Neale
1. All glory, laud, and honor
to you, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel
and David's royal Son,
now in the Lord's name coming,
the King and Blessed One.
2. The company of angels
is praising you on high;
and we with all creation
in chorus make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before you went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before you we present.
3. To you before your passion
they sang their hymns of praise;
to you, now high exalted,
our melody we raise.
As you received their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
for you delight in goodness,
O good and gracious King!
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Thought for Today: Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy;
I will sing your praise, because you have redeemed me.
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Please Pray: That many people in Albania will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodish.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Faithful Guides" by Duane Brush for Monday, 28 November 2016 with Scripture: Luke 17:1-10
-------"Faithful Guides" by Duane Brush
Luke 17:1 Yeshua said to his talmidim, “It is impossible that snares will not be set. But woe to the person who sets them! 2 It would be to his advantage that he have a millstone hung around his neck and he be thrown into the sea, rather than that he ensnare one of these little ones. 3 Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Also, if seven times in one day he sins against you, and seven times he comes to you and says, ‘I repent,’ you are to forgive him.” 5 The emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our trust.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted in the sea!’ and it would obey you. 7 If one of you has a slave tending the sheep or plowing, when he comes back from the field, will you say to him, ‘Come along now, sit down and eat’? 8 No, you’ll say, ‘Get my supper ready, dress for work, and serve me until I have finished eating and drinking; after that, you may eat and drink.’ 9 Does he thank the slave because he did what he was told to do? No! 10 It’s the same with you — when you have done everything you were told to do, you should be saying, ‘We’re just ordinary slaves, we have only done our duty.’”
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At an elementary school party, we played a game where we had to guide a blindfolded person through a crowded room with only our voices: “Stop,” “Turn left,” “Take two steps forward,” and so on. It required careful communication on the part of the person giving the clues, matched with alertness and obedience by the one being directed. Of course, every bump and stumble elicited laughter from class members. Sometimes, they even provided misdirection, confusing the poor participant. Successful completion required a clear focus, ignoring the constant distractions.
Welcome to life! “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come,” Jesus affirmed (v. 1). However, He cautioned His followers not to be the cause of “one of these little ones to stumble” (v. 2). He gave specific examples of these stumbling blocks: unforgiveness, lack of faith, and pride. All can become barriers to spiritual growth, leading to discouragement–even failure.
The life of faith is challenging enough without creating problems for those who are simply trying to find their way through. "Woe to anyone through whom the come" (verse 1). May our words, actions, and example faithfully direct others in the way.
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Hymn for Today: "Rescue the Perishing: by Fanny J. Crosby
1. Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.
2. Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
waiting the penitent child to receive;
plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently.
He will forgive if they only believe.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.
3. Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
chords that are broken will vibrate once more.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.
4. Rescue the perishing, duty demands it.
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
back to the narrow way patiently win them,
tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died.
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 37:23 Adonai directs a person’s steps,and he delights in his way.
24 He may stumble, but he won’t fall headlong,
for Adonai holds him by the hand.
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Please Pray: For Christians in the Eurasia region who are persecuted for their faith.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Living in Obedience" by Marci Mattoso for Sunday, 27 November 2016 with Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-25
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"Living in Obedience" by Marci Mattoso1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, get your minds ready for work, keep yourselves under control, and fix your hopes fully on the gift you will receive when Yeshua the Messiah is revealed. 14 As people who obey God, do not let yourselves be shaped by the evil desires you used to have when you were still ignorant. 15 On the contrary, following the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in your entire way of life; 16 since the Tanakh says,
“You are to be holy because I am holy.”[1 Peter 1:16 Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7]
17 Also, if you are addressing as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s actions, you should live out your temporary stay on earth in fear. 18 You should be aware that the ransom paid to free you from the worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you did not consist of anything perishable like silver or gold; 19 on the contrary, it was the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah, as of a lamb without defect or spot. 20 God knew him before the founding of the universe, but revealed him in the acharit-hayamim for your sakes. 21 Through him you trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory; so that your trust and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so that you have a sincere love for your brothers, love each other deeply, with all your heart. 23 You have been born again not from some seed that will decay, but from one that cannot decay, through the living Word of God that lasts forever. 24 For
all humanity is like grass,
all its glory is like a wildflower —
the grass withers, and the flower falls off;
25 but the Word of Adonai lasts forever.[1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6–8]
Moreover, this Word is the Good News which has been proclaimed to you.
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It is difficult to fathom the miracle of being forgiven of all sins we have ever committed–forgiven and cleansed. However, this phenomenon is only possible because of a still greater miracle, the incarnation of God himself in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection were the sacrifice of love for us! No wonder He urges us not go back to the same patterns we once had.
What is most encouraging is that God is the One who empowers us to live in obedience to Him. By His Spirit, He gives us the strength to not conform to the pressures that might separate us from Him. One of the first verses I learned at the beginning of my Christian life was 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
God is faithful, and if we remain true to His Word He will protect us, enabling us to live a life of victory.
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Hymn for Today: "Breathe on Me, Breath of God" by Edwin Hatch
1. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
2. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
3. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
4. Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
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Thought for Today: 1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!
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Please Pray: For the ministry of caring for widows and orphans in Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Exciting Challenge" by Marci Mattoso for Saturday, 26 November 2016 with Scripture: Proverbs 16:1-9
-------"Exciting Challenge" by Marci Mattoso
Proverbs 16:1 A person is responsible to prepare his heart,
but how the tongue speaks is from Adonai.
2 All a man’s ways are pure in his own view,
but Adonai weighs the spirit.
3 If you entrust all you do to Adonai,
your plans will achieve success.
4 Adonai made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of disaster.
5 Adonai detests all those with proud hearts;
be assured that they will not go unpunished.
6 Grace and truth atone for iniquity,
and people turn from evil through fear of Adonai.
7 When a man’s ways please Adonai,
he makes even the man’s enemies be at peace with him.
8 Better a little with righteousness
than a huge income with injustice.
9 A person may plan his path,
but Adonai directs his steps.
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“Commit to the LORD.” What does “commit” mean in Proverbs 16:3? It has been described this way: “As someone transfers a burden from his or her own back to one stronger and better able to bear it.” That makes sense. We are to commit or surrender all we do, all we have, all our plans into the hands of our omnipotent God. Just the thought of literally transferring all to Him can produce great relief.
However, there’s a hitch: In order to do that requires faith that He can handle our plans better than we can. That can be difficult because too often we think we know better. So we replace “committing to the Lord” with worrying about it: families, jobs, health, finances, future–our list goes on and on.
As you meditate on what it means to “commit to the LORD whatever you do,” God invites you to make a decision. Commit everything to Him–all you are and all you have. Oh yes, He is powerful enough to handle it, and He is faithful to fulfill His promise to "establish all your plans." Give it a try!
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Hymn for Today: "Trust and Obey" by John H Sammis
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 31:6 (5) Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you will redeem me, Adonai, God of truth.
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Please Pray: For the child development programs that minister to children in Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Wisdom Calling" by Marci Mattoso for Friday, 25 November 2016 with Scripture: Proverbs 8:1-14
-------"Wisdom Calling" by Marci Mattoso
Proverbs 8:1 Wisdom is calling!
Understanding is raising her voice!
2 On the heights along the road,
where the paths meet, she is standing;
3 by the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “People, I am calling you,
raising my voice to all mankind.
5 You who don’t direct your lives,
understand caution;
as for you, you fools,
get some common sense!
6 “Listen! I will say worthwhile things;
when I speak, my words are right.
7 My mouth says what is true,
because my lips detest evil.
8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;
nothing false or crooked is in them.
9 They are all clear to those who understand
and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, rather than silver;
knowledge, rather than the finest gold.
11 For wisdom is better than pearls;
nothing you want can compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, live together with caution;
I attain knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and duplicitous speech.
14 Good advice is mine, and common sense;
I am insight, power is mine.
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One of the great consequences of pride in Israel, one that cost national division and eventually destruction, was the story of Rehoboam as told in 1 Kings 12. After his father, Solomon, passed away, the people came to Rehoboam asking for labor reforms. He got counsel from his father’s wisest advisers, who had learned wisdom from Solomon, who was renowned for his wisdom, but Rehoboam refused to heed their advice. Instead, he listened to the counsel of his brash young friends.
Rehoboam’s lack of wisdom combined with pride and arrogance cost him and his kingdom greatly. If only he had listened to his father’s words in Proverbs and sought wisdom. Solomon also wrote words that would prove prophetic in his son’s life: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
I wonder how many times we could have avoided pain in our lives if only we had humbled ourselves and sought wisdom from our heavenly Father? The beauty of God’s grace is that we still can–it is not too late. Wisdom is still calling out to those who will leave their pride and make the decision to gain discernment from the Lord. Will we listen?
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Hymn for Today: "At Calvary" by William R. Newell
1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,
caring not my Lord was crucified,
knowing not it was for me He died
on Calvary.
Refrain:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
pardon there was multiplied to me;
there my burdened soul found liberty
at Calvary.
2. By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
till my guilty soul imploring turned
to Calvary.
Refrain:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
pardon there was multiplied to me;
there my burdened soul found liberty
at Calvary.
3. Now I've given to Jesus everything,
now I gladly own Him as my King,
now my raptured soul can only sing
of Calvary.
Refrain:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
pardon there was multiplied to me;
there my burdened soul found liberty
at Calvary.
4. Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
at Calvary.
Refrain:
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
pardon there was multiplied to me;
there my burdened soul found liberty
at Calvary.
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Thought for Today: Proverbs 29:18 Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint;
but he who keeps Torah is happy.
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Please Pray: For those ministering in Media to communcate the Gospel in Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Forever Merciful" by Marci Mattoso for Thursday, 24 November 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 116:1-19
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"Forever Merciful" by Marci Mattoso
Psalm 116:1 I love that Adonai heard
my voice when I prayed;
2 because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death were all around me,
Sh’ol’s constrictions held me fast;
I was finding only distress and anguish.
4 But I called on the name of Adonai:
“Please, Adonai! Save me!”
5 Adonai is merciful and righteous;
yes, our God is compassionate.
6 Adonai preserves the thoughtless;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 My soul, return to your rest!
For Adonai has been generous toward you.
8 Yes, you have rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
9 I will go on walking in the presence of Adonai
in the lands of the living.
10 I will keep on trusting even when I say,
“I am utterly miserable,”
11 even when, in my panic, I declare,
“Everything human is deceptive.”
12 How can I repay Adonai
for all his generous dealings with me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of Adonai.
14 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people.
15 From Adonai’s point of view,
the death of those faithful to him is costly.
16 Oh, Adonai! I am your slave;
I am your slave, the son of your slave-girl;
you have removed my fetters.
17 I will offer a sacrifice of thanks to you
and will call on the name of Adonai.
18 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courtyards of Adonai’s house,
there in your very heart, Yerushalayim.
Halleluyah!
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It was a beautiful night in Brazil when a senior pastor, his wife, and a couple of friends headed home after a great Sunday service. On the way, a car in front of them stopped suddenly, and two men jumped out and started shooting at them. Frightened and confused, they cried out to God for help, and the men left. Checking out their car afterwards, they saw bullet holes everywhere, but not one hit any of them. God had protected them!
Nothing makes a more indelible impression than when someone comes to our aid after we’ve cried out for help. Sometimes we hesitate to come to God because we think, “There are others with worse needs than ours,” or we assume that when God sees us coming He will say, “Oh bother, here she comes again!” But, He is the One who invites us to come to Him!
No matter the circumstances or how many times we have come, we have a heavenly Father who continues to turn His ear toward us when we earnestly express our need to Him. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18)
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Hymn for Today: "Pass Me Not" by Fanny J. Crosby
1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
3. Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?
Refrain: Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 140:13 (12) I know that Adonai gives justice to the poor
and maintains the rights of the needy.
Please Pray: For the compassionate ministries among the poor and in disaster areas of Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Levels of Trust" by Marci Matoso for Wednesday, 23 November 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 40:1-11
-------"Levels of Trust" by Marci Matoso
Psalm 40:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) I waited patiently for Adonai,
till he turned toward me and heard my cry.
3 (2) He brought me up from the roaring pit,
up from the muddy ooze,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my footing firm.
4 (3) He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will look on in awe
and put their trust in Adonai.
5 (4) How blessed the man who trusts in Adonai
and does not look to the arrogant
or to those who rely on things that are false.
6 (5) How much you have done, Adonai my God!
Your wonders and your thoughts toward us —
none can compare with you!
I would proclaim them, I would speak about them;
but there’s too much to tell!
7 (6) Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want;
burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand.
Instead, you have given me open ears;
8 (7) so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming!
In the scroll of a book it is written about me.
9 (8) Doing your will, my God, is my joy;
your Torah is in my inmost being.
10 (9) I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, Adonai, as you know.
11 (10) I did not hide your righteousness in my heart
but declared your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your grace and truth
from the great assembly.”
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Even though the definition of trust is similar in different cultures, our trust may be challenged differently. In developing countries, many believers must depend on God for daily provisions and safety. When I was growing up in Brazil, my family experienced many occasions when we relied on God for our needs. It was unsettling at times, but we can testify to the power of God’s intervention whenever we chose to trust Him.
Regardless of where we were born or our social status, God still gives us many opportunities to strengthen our trust in Him. Our problem is that we are too often prone to pride and self-reliance. Because many of us can supply our own needs, it takes a conscious choice to allow God to display His power. No matter what material blessings we enjoy, we all have areas where we need God’s help.
In what areas should we step back and let God intervene? He is still the same–eager to show His glory and to bless us in the same way He blessed Abraham, Moses, and David. Let us join them and experience for ourselves the joy of trusting the Almighty God. Get ready to be blessed.
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Hymn for Today: "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" by Louisa M. R. Stead
1. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
2. O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
3. Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace.
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
4. I'm so glad I learned to trust thee,
precious Jesus, Savior, friend;
and I know that thou art with me,
wilt be with me to the end.
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
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Thought for Today: 1 John 4:16 Also we have come to know and trust the love that God has for us. God is love; and those who remain in this love remain united with God, and God remains united with them.
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Please Pray: For the distribution of holiness literature in Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Sweet Aromas" by Marci Mattoso for Tuesday, 22 November 2016 with Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:11-25
-------"Sweet Aromas" by Marci Mattoso
2 Samuel 24:11 When David got up in the morning, this word of Adonai came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: 12 “Go and say to David that this is what Adonai says: ‘I am giving you a choice of three punishments. Choose one of them, and I will execute it against you.” 13 Gad came to David and told him; he said: “Do you want seven years of famine in your land? or do you want to flee before your enemies for three months while they pursue you? or do you want three days of plague in your land? Think about it, and tell me what to answer the one who sent me.”
14 David said to Gad, “This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of Adonai, because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man.” 15 So Adonai sent a plague on Isra’el from that morning until the end of the specified time; 70,000 of the people died between Dan and Be’er-Sheva. 16 But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it, Adonai changed his mind about causing such distress and said to the angel destroying the people, “Enough! Now withdraw your hand.” The angel of Adonai was at the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y’vusi.
17 David spoke to Adonai when he saw the angel striking the people; he said, “Here, I have sinned, I have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and against my father’s family!”
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go, set up an altar to Adonai on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y’vusi.” 19 David went up and did what Gad had said, as Adonai had ordered. 20 Aravnah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. Aravnah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Then Aravnah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to Adonai, so that the plague will be lifted from the people.” 22 Aravnah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up anything that seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering; you can use the threshing-sledges and the yokes for the oxen as firewood. 23 All this, O king, Aravnah gives to the king.” Then Aravnah said to the king, “May Adonai your God accept you.”
24 But the king said to Aravnah, “No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to Adonai my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels. 25 Then David built an altar to Adonai there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, Adonai took pity on the land and lifted the plague from Isra’el.
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The first sacrifice offered to God was made by Abel in Genesis 4. Sacrifices then were not mandatory and were most likely a demonstration of gratitude and worship. Abel offered the most acceptable sacrifice because he gave in faith from his very best. In the time of King David, the purpose of a sacrifice was to receive forgiveness and avoid the deserved penalty. David knew he deserved great punishment for displaying a lack of trust in God, and as a sign of repentance and gratitude he was not only willing but eager to pay the price. He refused to allow another to pay the price for a sacrifice on his behalf.
The ritual of sacrifices are no longer required because Jesus, our Sacrificial Lamb, offered himself for our sins. Yet, what acts of gratitude can we offer today to show our appreciation to God for all He has done? Making a conscious decision to do whatever it takes to please Him in our daily lives seems to be a great start. May our daily sacrifices reach God as a sweet aroma, pleasing to Him in a constant act of worship.
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Hymn for Today: "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty" by Reginald Heber
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
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Thought for Today: Colossians 1:27 To them God wanted to make known how great among the Gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory!
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Please Pray: For the peace of God to comfort, encourage, and equip His people in Mesoamerica in their times of sorrow, discourgement, and need.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Moving God's Heart" by Marci Matoso for Monday, 21 November 2016 with Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:1-10
-------"Moving God's Heart" by Marci Matoso
2 Samuel 24:1 The anger of Adonai blazed up against Isra’el, so he moved David to act against them by saying, “Go, take a census of Isra’el and Y’hudah.” 2 The king said to Yo’av the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go systematically through all the tribes of Isra’el, from Dan to Be’er-Sheva; and take a census of the population; so that I can know how many people there are.” 3 Yo’av said to the king, “May Adonai your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?” 4 However, the king’s word prevailed against Yo’av and the army officers. So Yo’av and the army officers went out from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Isra’el.
5 They crossed the Yarden and pitched camp in ‘Aro‘er, to the south of the city in the Vadi of Gad; went on to Ya‘zer; 6 came to Gil‘ad and continued to the land of Tachtim-Hodshi. Then they arrived at Dan-Ya‘an, went around to Tzidon 7 and came to the stronghold of Tzor. They went on to the cities of the Hivi and of the Kena‘ani, and finished in the south of Y’hudah, at Be’er-Sheva. 8 When they were done going through all the land, they came back to Yerushalayim; it had taken nine months and twenty days. 9 Yo’av reported the results of the census to the king: there were in Isra’el 800,000 valiant men who could handle a sword, while the men of Y’hudah numbered 500,000.
10 But after he had taken the census, David was conscience-stricken. David said to Adonai, “I have greatly sinned in what I have done. But now, Adonai, please! Put aside your servant’s sin, for I have done a very foolish thing.”
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There is something about confessing sin that sets heaven in motion on our behalf. It somehow moves the very heart of God and compels Him to extend His mercies. In psychology, admission of a wrongdoing is recognized as crucial to the process of healing. As a pastor and counselor, I have seen relationships mended and lives transformed by the simple act of owning one’s mistakes.
In 2 Samuel 24, it is not exactly clear why God’s anger burned against Israel; however, King David’s behavior may have been a snapshot of the nation’s sin. David decision to take a census of men of fighting age seems to show signs of pride and a tendency to trust in human power. As a result, they were all in great danger. Even though Israel suffered consequences, by acknowledging and confessing his sin David touched the heart of Proverbs 28:13 states, "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." God and restored God’s favor on Israel.
No matter what we have done, when God hears our confession He extends His mercies and forgiveness. When we let go of our pride and sin, we find compassion and love.
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Hymn for Today: "Lord, I'm Coming Home" by William J. Kirkpatrick
1. I've wandered far away from God,
Now I'm coming home;
The paths of sin too long I've trod,
Lord, I'm coming home.
Chorus:
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I'm coming home.
2. I've wasted many precious years,
Now I'm coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears,
Lord, I'm coming home.
Chorus:
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I'm coming home.
3. I've tired of sin and straying, Lord,
Now I'm coming home;
I'll trust Thy love, believe Thy word,
Lord, I'm coming home.
Chorus:
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I'm coming home.
4. My soul is sick, my heart is sore,
Now I'm coming home;
My strength renew, my hope restore,
Lord, I'm coming home.
Chorus:
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Thine arms of love,
Lord, I'm coming home.
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Thought for Today: Psalm 32:5 When I acknowledged my sin to you,
when I stopped concealing my guilt,
and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”;
then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
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Please Pray: For the leaders who cast vision for today's ministry and stragegies for the future work in Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Finding Self-Control" by Rebecca Thesman for Sunday, 20 November 2016 with Scripture: Titus 2:1-8
-------"Finding Self-Control" by Rebecca ThesmanTitus 2:1 But you, explain what kind of behavior goes along with sound teaching. 2 Tell the older men to be serious, sensible, self-controlled and sound in their trust, love and perseverance.
3 Likewise, tell the older women to behave the way people leading a holy life should. They shouldn’t be slanderers or slaves to excessive drinking. They should teach what is good, 4 thus training the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to take good care of their homes and submit to their husbands. In this way, God’s message will not be brought into disgrace.
6 Similarly, urge the young men to be self-controlled, 7 and in everything set them an example yourself by doing what is good. When you are teaching, have integrity and be serious; 8 let everything you say be so wholesome that an opponent will be put to shame because he will have nothing bad to say about us.
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The woman in my office cried, “But I don’t have any self-control. Somehow, I missed getting that fruit of the Spirit.” I flipped open my Bible to Galatians 5: “But you’ll notice the fruit of the Spirit is singular, not plural. It’s ‘fruit,’ not ‘fruits.’ We have the entire package, ‘the fruit,’ and that includes self-control.”
“So why do I have such a hard time keeping myself under control?”
Good question, and one we all struggle with. However the book Titus gives us a clue by using active verbs: "speak, encourage, teach, love, work, set, and show." Paul instructs the early Christians how to practice self-control–by actively changing their behaviors.
We don’t just wake up one morning and discover self-control. It’s a tool we have, a piece of the spiritual fruit package that grows in us as we employ the behaviors of discipline. It’s a constant working out the pattern of asking God for strength, placing our trust in God’s power, then proactively training our behaviors.
And the more we act correctly, the more we trust God to strengthen us from within, the closer we’ll come to conquering ourselves and living controlled lives.
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Hymn for Today: "Living for Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm
1. Living for Jesus a life that is true,
striving to please him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance glad hearted and free
this is the pathway of blessing for me.
Refrain: (may be sung after stanza 3 only):
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to you,
for you in your atonement
did give yourself for me.
I own no other master
my heart shall be your throne:
my life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for you alone.
2. Living for Jesus, who died in my place,
bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace:
such love constrains me to answer his call,
follow his leading, and give him my all.
Refrain: (may be sung after stanza 3 only):
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to you,
for you in your atonement
did give yourself for me.
I own no other master
my heart shall be your throne:
my life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for you alone.
3. Living for Jesus wherever I am,
doing each duty in his holy name,
seeking the lost ones he died to redeem,
bringing the weary to find rest in him.
Refrain: (may be sung after stanza 3 only):
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to you,
for you in your atonement
did give yourself for me.
I own no other master
my heart shall be your throne:
my life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for you alone.
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Thought for Today: Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
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Please Pray: For the Ruach HaKodesh to empower believers in Mesoamerica to give generously of their time, talent, and treasure.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Wisdom in Action" by Rebecca Thesman for Saturday, 19 November 2016 with Scripture: James 3:7-18
-------"Wisdom in Action" by Rebecca ThesmanJames 3:7 For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures; 8 but the tongue no one can tame — it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison! 9 With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God.[James 3:9 Genesis 1:26–27] 10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn’t right for things to be this way. 11 A spring doesn’t send both fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 12 Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers? or a grapevine, figs? Neither does salt water produce fresh.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom. 14 But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don’t boast and attack the truth with lies! 15 This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
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My brother has the gift of wisdom, and I love to watch him in action. Our family spends a week together every summer in the mountains of New Mexico. Although we love each other, with 10 personalities from age 65 down to age 4 in the same cabin, the dynamics can be difficult.
When we face a problem, it is my brother who quietly comes up with a solution. He is considerate of all the personalities, yet peace-loving and impartial. Often, his own wishes take a back seat and his gentle manner settles everyone down with that submissive and pure heart he wears so well.
The gift of wisdom is a beautiful thing and so necessary in our noisy and scary world. If you have someone in your family or among your friends who has the gift of wisdom, treasure that person. If you have a problem to work through, ask your wisdom person to pray about it and give you advice.
Then listen carefully for the voice of the Holy Spirit who offers wisdom from above. God tells us to ask for wisdom (James 1:5), and that’s a request God loves to grant.
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Hymn for Today: "The Lord Jehovah Reigns" by Isaac Watts
1. The Lord Jehovah reigns,
His throne is build on high;
The garments he assumes
Are light and majesty;
His glories shine with beams so bright,
Nor mortal eye can bear the sight.
2. The thunders of his hand
Keep the wide world in awe;
His wrath and justice stand,
To guard his holy law;
And where his love resolves to bless,
His truth confirms and seals the grace.
3. Through all his perfect work,
Surprising wisdom shines;
Confounds the powers of hell,
And breaks their cursed designs:
Strong is his arm--and shall fulfill
His great decrees, his sovereign will.
4. And can this mighty King
Of glory condescend--
And will he write his name,
My Father and my Friend?
I love his name, I love his word;
Join, all my powers, and praise the Lord.
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Thought for Today: Ephesians 1:17 the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the glorious Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you will have full knowledge of him.
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Please Pray: For the protection of volunteers who travel to minister with Mesoamerica.
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Justice Promised" by Rebecca Thesman for Friday, 18 November 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-8
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"Justice Promised" by Rebecca Thesman
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon me,
because Adonai has anointed me
to announce good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted;
to proclaim freedom to the captives,
to let out into light those bound in the dark;
2 to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
3 yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn,
giving them garlands instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit,
so that they will be called oaks of righteousness
planted by Adonai, in which he takes pride.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
restore sites long destroyed;
they will renew the ruined cities,
destroyed many generations ago.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
foreigners plow your land and tend your vines;
6 but you will be called cohanim of Adonai,
spoken of as ministers to our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and revel in their riches.
7 Because of your shame, which was doubled,
and because they cried, “They deserve disgrace,”
therefore in their land what they own will be doubled,
and joy forever will be theirs.
8 “For I, Adonai, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offerings.
So I will be faithful to reward them
and make an eternal covenant with them.”
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We often think of Isaiah 61 as the beautiful passage quoted by Jesus in His home synagogue when He declared himself to be the fulfillment of prophecy and the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 4:17-19).
Other saints involved in ministry, including some nonprofit organizations, also highlight these words from Isaiah: “To bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1). These phrases are mission statements to help light the way for those who struggle within emotional or literal prisons.
While the beginning of this passage is meaningful as a prophecy and a mission statement, the end contains a promise. God will reward His people and make sure justice wins. Although our world seems destined to embrace all types of wrongdoing–robbery, murders, and perverse behaviors–we can know with a certainty that at some point, God will say, “Enough!”
He will faithfully return what has been stolen and restore the lives that have been broken and harassed by evil. Even when our human justice systems fail, God’s system never breaks down. Instead of shame and humiliation, those who have been wronged will someday experience abundant joy and a righteous ending.
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Hymn for Today: "Blessed Quietness" by Manie Payne Ferguson
1. Joys are flowing like a river,
Since the Comforter has come;
He abides with us forever,
Makes the trusting heart His home.
Refrain:
Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
Blest assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea Jesus speaks to me,
And the billows cease to roll.
2. Everything is turned to gladness,
All around this glorious Guest;
Banished unbelief and sadness,
All is perfect peace and rest.
Refrain:
Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
Blest assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea Jesus speaks to me,
And the billows cease to roll.
3. Like the rain that falls from heaven,
Like the sunlight from the sky,
So the Holy Spirit given,
Falls upon us from on high.
Refrain:
Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
Blest assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea Jesus speaks to me,
And the billows cease to roll.
4. What a wonderful salvation,
Where we always see His face!
What a peaceful habitation!
What a quiet resting-place!
Refrain:
Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
Blest assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea Jesus speaks to me,
And the billows cease to roll.
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Thought for Today: 2 Peter 2:9 So the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and how to hold the wicked until the Day of Judgment while continuing to punish them,
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Please Pray: That Christians in Mesoamerica will be strengthen in their faith.
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