Bible Reading: Natthew 21

Matthew 21

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. 18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”“The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

LWF - Clothed with the Righteousness of Christ.

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Philippians 3:9
 
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A woman worked as a maid in the house of a mean innkeeper. One day God saved her and she could not hide her happiness. What used to be drudgery turned into joy. The innkeeper was furious and began to belittle her. He hated her for being happy.
 
Finally, he said to her, “You say you’re saved and I can see your happiness. Can you tell me what being saved means?”
And she said, “To me, it feels as though I am standing in Jesus’ shoes, and He is standing in mine.” A theologian couldn’t have said it better.
 
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
 
ACTION POINT:
Have you come to realize that, in Jesus, you have been made “the righteousness of God”? It is the gift of God, in Him.

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

Bible Reading - March 22, 2017

Matthew 20:1-16

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denariusfor the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

A Good Thing - Strength and Encouragement

Strength and Encouragement

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength– Isaiah 40:29

 

It is not hard to find someone who will give support to the powerful, attention to the famous, notice to the remarkable, or recognition to the accomplished. Virtually everyone is willing to jump on the bandwagon of some well-known, talented, or beautiful person.

 

But God gives encouragement to the faint. He gives strength to the exhausted. He does not join the crowds hurrying after celebrities; He seeks out the broken-hearted and the overlooked and gives them the greatest honor imaginable — His attention and His love.

 

This is not because God is a cosmic talent-scout, finding the individual diamonds in the many roughs throughout the world. It is to those who truly have no merit, who can stake no claim to His assets, who have no might that He sends reinforcements of strength and provision. It is God’s grace, not our value, that draws Him to hurting, helpless humanity.

 

While this is humbling—even humiliating—to realize, it is also liberating and invigorating. We can let all our collected claims of good works and inherent worth fall around our feet as we reach out to a God Who only heals the sick, Who only mends the broken, Who only gives strength to the powerless.

 

How do you see yourself? It doesn’t matter how others might describe you; perhaps they even consider you among the great, the mighty, the successful. But are you broken-hearted and helpless before the Lord? If so, then prepare for a strength infusion from the most High Himself.

LWF - How Far Does His Forgiveness Reach?

BIBLE MEDITATION: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: People have the idea today that it is okay to live in immorality and that God is going to overlook their little indiscretions. Is that so? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). God doesn’t miss a beat of our lives. He is the righteous judge and will judge accordingly (see Hebrews 13:4). “Well Pastor, does that mean that if I have done any of these things, I can’t be saved?”  No! 1 Corinthians 6:11 promises: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Hallelujah! There is no sin so awful that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse. He makes the vilest sinner clean. ACTION POINT: Nothing—not your worst offense—stands between you and the Cross. . .between you and forgiveness. . .between you and a loving Heavenly Father—nothing but your hesitation. Come to Him. He longs to receive you.

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Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers. The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.

From Praying the Names of Jesus Week Thirteen, Day Three

The Name
In the last chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus calls himself the "bright Morning Star." In ancient times, the morning star was thought of as a herald of the new day, signaling the dawn of hope and joy. The brightest object in the sky aside from the sun and moon, it is a fitting type for Christ, who ushers in a new day for the entire world. When you call on Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, you are calling on the One from whom all darkness flees.

Key Scripture
"I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." Revelation 22:16

***

Wednesday
Praying the Name

I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.

Reflect OnNumbers 24:17

He [Jesus] replied, "When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." Matthew 16:2-3

Reflect On: Numbers 24:17 and Matthew 16:2-3.

Praise God: For giving us signs of his presence.

Offer Thanks: For all the ways God has guided you.

Confess: Any confusion that comes from taking your eyes off Jesus.

Ask God: To help you stay the course by fixing your eyes on him.

Have you ever wondered how ancient mariners were able to navigate without using a compass? One trick was to watch the flight paths of birds. Norse sailors knew that a seabird with a full beak was heading to its rookery on land while a bird with an empty beak was probably heading out to sea in search of food.

The Phoenicians, like many seafaring peoples that followed, were sophisticated enough to rely on the sky to get them through the treacherous seas. By watching the sun in its path, they knew whether they were heading east or west. They could also locate their position by  gazing at the night sky, aware as they were that individual stars appear at fixed distances above the horizon at any particular location and time of year. Even today, satellites use a similar technique, marking their position in space by using "star trackers," instruments that use groups of stars as reference points.

But what does any of this have to do with Christ as the bright Morning Star? Remember that the morning star was considered the harbinger of dawn. When Jesus called himself the bright Morning Star, he was saying that he is our reference point -- the sign that a new day is dawning on the world. Scripture tells us that this will be a day that will never end. Its light will be so steady, strong, and fixed that darkness will finally be banished from the earth. No more sin, no more sorrow, no more tears. If the first coming of Jesus is like the star that announces the dawn, his second coming will be like lightning, bringing the swift fulfillment of his kingdom.

Like the ancient mariners, who were able to read the skies, we need to remember to look up, to lift our faces to the Bright Morning Star, because it is only when Jesus is our reference point that we understand our true location in space and time.

Jesus faulted the religious leaders of his day for failing to interpret the signs of the times. Let us pray today for the grace to be like wise seafarers, joyful when they saw the morning star rising in the east. 

For more from Ann Spangler, please visit her blogspot on Christianity.com. And be sure to check out Ann's newest books on AnnSpangler.com.

Church Service 1/22/2017 TESTING TESTING TESTING

Sermon by Pastor Ken Sirdan
Music by Sister Elma Tobey and Brother Rick Burack

Resurrection of Hope

LWF - Jesus Above All Other Gods

BIBLE MEDITATION: “Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:68-69 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Have you ever wondered why Christians were so persecuted in the days of the liberal Roman government? The Romans didn’t persecute other religious people, only Christians. Why did they pick on the Christians? Because the Christians proclaimed Jesus as Lord, and not Caesar. The Romans were a polytheistic nation—they even built the Pantheon, which was a temple for all the gods that were worshiped in ancient Rome. When they subjugated and conquered a people, they let them keep their gods—on one condition—that they remember that Caesar was Lord. ACTION POINT: As the world becomes more and more syncretized and headed toward a “One World” order, men and women who say that Jesus is the only true Lord are going to be persecuted. Will you stand and proclaim Jesus as Lord no matter what?

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Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers. The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.

Bible Reading - Matthew 15

Matthew 15

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” 21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. 29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” 33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” 34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” 35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Bible Verses - Your Loving Kindness is Better Than Life

Psalm 63:3-5

Because Your loving kindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.


Greetings Bible Enthusiast!

When dealing with life and death issues it is always good to remember the perspective of Paul who said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) 

We have a tendency to think that death is the end, but really it is an incredible beginning. Our goal, as Paul so perfectly stated in the same passage, is "to magnify Christ in our bodies, whether by life or by death." Either way is victory!

God Bless You!
Annie

LWF - Are you merciful?

BIBLE MEDITATION: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Those who have received mercy are those who show mercy. And only those who show mercy will be those who continue to receive mercy. Showing others mercy isn’t just sentiment or softness. It is sympathy that serves. Jesus doesn’t merely save us from something, He saves us for something. He wants to express His life through us as we serve others. I thank God for our beautiful churches, but I believe the thing that is going to touch the lives of our communities are not our buildings but our merciful acts of kindness. ACTION POINT: One by one, we can make a change as we go out and show the love of Christ to our neighbors. People do not care how much we know, until they know how much we care.

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers. The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.