Thursday, March 31, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God…..To Give Our Leaders Love For Truth

Leadership is an important element in each one of our lives. 

Whether we are a parents, employers, teachers, youth ministers, or volunteer coordinators we need to allow the Lord to hone that leadership spirit within us. 

An absence of it leaves us impotent; a misunderstanding of it leaves us as harsh rulers. The very thought of power and authority can corrupt our mind without the balance of God’s heart for leadership. 

Can we agree that our leaders are here to lovingly rule in graceful justice and righteous truth? Without us walking in righteous truth and graceful justice ourselves, we will never be able to intercede effectively.

So, let’s seek God to restore truth and justice in us, along with the leaders over us.   

Brian Fink

River Of Life Ministries

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God…..To Give Our Leaders Love For Truth

Lord, Your word of truth gives us a great deal of wisdom about…

…righteousness in relationships,

…righteousness in government,

…righteousness in education,

…righteousness in business practices,

…righteousness in the messages we communicate through the arts, the press, and the pulpit.

We pray along with your word in Isaiah 32:1 for our leaders in our community to have a love for truth: “Behold, a king will reign righteously and princes will rule justly.”

Lord, give us leaders for our city in all these areas who understand, love, and know how to implement your truth. May they lead us into a culture of truth that will produce a community of people who will see, hear, and discern the truth and will become truth-tellers that You send out into Your harvest fields. 

May Your truth reign in our city…

…in our mayor and our city council and other government officials,

…in our educators and in our schools,

…in our chamber of commerce, businesses, and entrepreneurs,

…in our arts and in the press,

…in our churches and pastors.

May Your truth go forth from our city to be a blessing to our region, our country, and even to the ends of the world. Amen!

Dan Koskamp

New Covenant Bible

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God….To Rise Up Against Spiritual Enemies

When I read the scriptures and prayers for this day, the New Testament scripture and prayer struck me the most. Luke 13: 11-13 tells us a little more about the woman, how she met Jesus and how she was healed:

¹¹And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had an ^[f]infirmity caused by a spirit (^[g]a demon of sickness). She was ^[h]bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to ^[i]look upward.

    ¹²And when Jesus saw her, He called [her to Him] and said to her, Woman, you are released from your infirmity!

    ¹³Then He laid [His] hands on her, and instantly she was made straight, and she ^[j]recognized and thanked and praised God.

Verse 11 tells us that it was a spirit of infirmity that caused the woman to have this condition. Because of her condition she was forced to look down. I could only imagine this was a constant reminder of her condition. Imagine all of things in life she missed because she could only look down. This is what Satan does to us. He gets us in a situation and wants to keep us there, with no hope of ever coming out.

Verse 12 tells us that Jesus initiated the healing. Because she could only look down, she couldn't even see Him. Verse 13 tells us that she didn't recognize Him until after she was made straight. Like so many other places in the Bible, Jesus looked on her with compassion and delivered her from the hands of the enemy.

This is what Jesus wants to do in the life of every person that is gripped by Satan's power. Luke 4:18 tell us this is why He came:

¹⁶And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

¹⁷And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 

 ¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

²⁰And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

 ²¹And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

God wants to deliver His people. We just have to the enough faith to ask Him.

LaToya Southerland

Greater Word of Faith Pentecostal Church of God in Christ

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God….To Rise Up Against Spiritual Enemies

Today's reading concerns those gripped by Satan's power.  I'm struck by the phrase, "Many righteous people have retreated from these settings."  How true.  As followers of Christ, we often try to remove ourselves from places of darkness and evil.  We do all we can to surround ourselves with good Christian friends, read Christian books, listen to Christians music, watch positive shows on TV, and generally  surround ourselves with a "Christian bubble."  Surveys have shown that the longer a person is a Christian, the fewer and fewer non-Christians friends he or she has.  But the result of all this is that too often we cannot have much of an impact on the world around us. 

In contrast, I'm struck by Jesus, who seemed to spend much of his time with the needy, the hurting, the partiers, and the sinners--those caught in Satan's grip.  Jesus knew that these people were not the enemies--they were the hostages of Satan, and needed to be set free.  What if Christians today were to quit worrying so much about our own safety and security, and started spending more time thinking about the needs of others? 

It was C.T. Studd, the famous missionary to China, India, and Africa who wrote:
 

"Some want to live within the sound
of church or chapel bell;
I want to run a rescue shop
within a yard of hell." 

As we draw close to Easter, may God give us all the strength and passion to go be a light in dark places.

Terry Seufferlein
Central Church of Christ

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God….To Grant The Gift of Righteousness

During mid-1500s in Germany, there was no concept of a united effort to SEEK GOD FOR THE CITY as we do here today.  Evangelical churches were torn by violent religious dissension. For nearly 50 years Protestant groups battled each other.

With a view toward uniting the churches, in 1562, Elector Frederick appointed two prominent church leaders to prepare a catechism replacing all other catechisms and confessions which had been used previously. The result was a series of 129 questions and answers, a simple summary of the meaning of the Christian Faith.

The primary theme is stated in the first Q & A, "What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a away that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures my of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him".   Heidelberg Catechism Q/A1.

"The Spirit calls all believers to embrace God's mission in their neighborhoods and in the world: to feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and free the prisoner.

We repent of leaving this work to a few, for this mission is central to our being.  Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you."    Adapted from Our World Belongs to God 2008.

Earl Dykema

Peace Church

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God….To Grant The Gift of Righteousness

My attention was drawn to the phrases: “self- justification pride”, “straighten what is twisted in our arrogant hearts” and “living in hourly reliance upon You” in our prayer guide today. 

For many years now, the Lord deals with me primarily in a picture when it comes to my pride.  Typically He”shows” me a picture of my own face with kind of a smirk on it.  This is one way He confronts me with the sin of pride.  Another way is that when I go to prayer or I begin to worship Him in private I sense I am a noisy going and a clanging cymbal (I Corinthians 13) or I sense an emptiness and a distance between Him and me (Isaiah 59:2). 

I am so thankful He continues to love me by reproving me and correcting me (Proverbs 3:19).  When I confess the pride and the self-reliance and allow Him to straighten out my arrogant heart, there returns to me a tender and open heart to our relationship together. 

How does He show you the error of your prideful and self-reliant ways?  Be attentive to Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit and be open and thankful to our Saviors’ loving strong hand of reproof and correction.

Stephen J. Russell

Jordan’s Grove Church, Central City

Monday, March 28, 2011

Seeking the Righteousness of His Kingdom

Seeking God…..to Hear of Our Confession of Unrighteousness

As Daniel, we identify with the sins of our people, Lord.  Please forgive us for devaluing life, for not defending the defenseless.  Thank you Lord, for hearing our cries for our city, for forgiving us, for giving us new opportunities to speak the truth in love.

We pray today for those in the valley of decision:

"Should I keep this baby?  

Who will support me?  

Will I be able to finish college?  

Adoption??  

What will people think?  

Can I just get back to life as it was before all this by taking a few pills?"  

Lord, speak to their hearts.  Give them your vision for their life and the life of this child. Help the Daddy's, Lord.  You've called them to defend their children.  Awaken that warrior spirit in them to give them courage to stand for the life of their child.  Send these moms and dads people who will encourage them, who will stand by them, who will help meet their needs.  And give us eyes to see them, Lord, not to judge them, but to lovingly share in their struggle, to speak hope into their lives by the power of your Holy Spirit.  

This we pray, in Jesus' name.  Thank you for hearing us, Lord, and for your amazing answers.  We declare: Jesus, be glorified in this city of refuge.

Marilyn Schneiderman

Aid To Women – Cedar Rapids

New Life Community - Anamosa

Monday, March 28, 2011

Seeking the RIGHTEOUSNESS of His KINGDOM

Seeking God…to hear of our confession of unrighteousness

The old spiritual says, “It’s me, it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” Yet when it comes to our own sin, we are often blinded to the crippling cancer in our souls. We feel the consequences of those who sin against us. We blame others for their wrongdoing and overlook our own. When someone confronts us, we may excuse ourselves. “At least I’m not as bad as my neighbor Joe.”

In quiet moments, the Spirit of God opens our eyes to the truth. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). We begin to recognize that our selfish preoccupation injures others and is an offense to the God of glory. At that moment, we have an opportunity. We can try to forget it and go on or we can humbly admit we need a Savior to rescue us from our guilt.

King David tried the first approach and felt God’s heavy hand (Psalm 32:3-4). Groaning and exhausted he decided to come clean. He admitted his sin to God. The result was dramatic. “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5).

The ground is level at the foot of the cross. We stand, with every member of our community, looking up at the suffering Savior who alone bore the weight of our sins. But what a message of hope we have for those ravaged by guilt and pain. He “canceled the record of debt that stood against us…nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). We can be forgiven of all our sins by the One died to set us free.  “Lord, give us boldness to lift up Your name to those paralyzed by sin. May we preach good news to those unable to forgive themselves.”

Pastor Randy Scheil

Stonebridge Church

Sunday, March 27 – Saturday April 2, 2011

Theme Three: Day 19 to Day 25

Theme:

Seeking the Righteousness of His Kingdom

Theme verse:

“The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.”  Malachi 4:2 NAS

Global Prayer focus: 

This week we will extend our prayers for the cities, peoples, tribes and nations of: Africa

Community sub-sets:

Day 19           Seeking God for….International Visitors

Day 20           Seeking God for….Unborn

Day 21           Seeking God for….Fathers

Day 22           Seeking God for….University Students

Day 23           Seeking God for….Business People

Day 24           Seeking God for….Ministries

Day 25           Seeking God for….Prisoners and their Families

** Prayer Walking Ideas!  Click here. **

Introduction from page 28 of Seek God For The City from WayMakers:

Righteousness seems to be an old-fashioned word.  Our society is at war with the idea that there is virtue, purity, and moral excellence.  If someone thinks he is right, then he feels as if he is condemning someone else as being wrong.  But our God loves righteousness.

Originally, He created everything with beauty and order – a “rightness” which has been warped by sin.  Ultimately He will bring a new heaven and a new earth “in which righteousness dwells.”  (2 Peter 3:13)

This week we will pray toward God’s work to bring righteousness to our communities.

If you do not have a prayer guide, pick one of up from Parable Lemstone Christian Store for $ 1.50 and join us in progress!

Calendar item:

When:       Friday, April 15^th (Day 38) at 7 PM on your calendar! 

Where:     Oakland Church of the Nazarene

What:        We will pray ‘around the world’ for every nation on the globe!

Keep watching this site.  JOIN US!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Seeking The Righteousness Of His Kingdom

Seeking God….To Establish Justice

In today’s reading from Isaiah 42:1-4, God says: I have put My Spirit upon Him.  He will bring forth justice to the nations…”    The passage goes on to say: He will be gentle – He will not shout or raise His voice…(4:2 NLT).

Jesus, reading from Isaiah 62, said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has appointed Me to preach Good News to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from the oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

He rolled up the scroll and sat down.  Everyone in the synagogue waited, probably for what seemed like an eternity, wondering what he would do next.  Then Jesus stood up and basically said, Oh, and by the way, TODAY this has been fulfilled.

Jesus brought righteousness and justice when he came to earth.  How?  Not by screaming, but by His presence.   We will never change the world; never bring God’s righteousness or justice, by pointing out sin and screaming at people.  Remember, the only ones Jesus condemned were the religious leaders who thought they had it all together and pointed out the sin of the people.  Interestingly, Jesus once criticized the Pharisees saying… you ignore the important things of the Law – justice, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23).

We NEED to pray for righteousness and justice.  Jesus taught us to pray… Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…  That is the place to begin.  Thy kingdom come… in MY life.  May Jesus reign and rule in MY life – TODAY.  Thy will be done… in MY life. 

PRAY for justice, but begin by praying that God will help you live in such a way as to demonstrate and bring justice.   Don’t ignore the more important things of the Law – justice, mercy and faith.  Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows (Isaiah 1:17).

May our prayers be answered – in what people see in us.  May the world see Christ in us.  And may they know that we are Christians by our love.  After all, isn’t that what justice is all about?

Jim Goodrich

The Church on Northland

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Seek The Gospel Of The Kingdom

Seeking God…..For Singles

When I was reading this section I was drawn to the single people how they can seek the love of God in their hearts.  Many singles today who do not know God seek for love in the wrong places. 

Those divorced or widowed become despaired and lost, bitter... 

I pray those singles can be reached and search for the glory of God, that as Christians we can come out of our comfort zone and be bold enough to reach out to them.

MS

CR Grace

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Seek The Gospel Of The Kingdom

Seeking God…..To Become Famous For His Works

Today, in the Scripture reference taken from John 12:27-28, 30 we hear Jesus tell those listening that the voice that they heard, “. . . has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.”  I’m struck by a great sense of humility as I read Jesus’ statement and bring it to a personal level.  It wasn’t for Him but for me . . . the voice wasn’t for Him but for me . . . His birth wasn’t for Him but for me . . . His miracles weren’t for Him but for me . . . His suffering on the path to Golgotha wasn’t for Him but for me . . . His crucifixion wasn’t for Him but for me . . . His appearances after the resurrection weren’t for His benefit but for my benefit.  Everything that Jesus came to do wasn’t for His own need but for my great need. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to us considering that at the start of His ministry He set this goal.  Listen to Jesus in the synagogue as He speaks of His reason for coming, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”  (Luke 4:18-19). Wow, it always has been for “my sake” and “your sake” so that we might experience eternal life with God to the full and maximum starting today.  It’s been the ultimate mission of grace and we’ve been the targets of that love whose height, depth, length, and breath continues to reach into the darkest recesses of the human soul to bring life.    It’s this realization that makes me join with the Psalmist in Psalm 72 to pray, “May His name increase as long as the sun shines . . . Blessed be the Lord [our] God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders.  And blessed be His glorious name forever.  And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. [Amen.]”

Tim Carter

First Church of the Nazarene

Friday, March 25, 2011

Seeking the Gospel of the Kingdom

Seek God…to Advance the Citywide Movements.

Within the Serve The City partners alone we have a little better than 10 thousand people who represent Christ as Lord in the metropolitan area. There is so much that has the potential to divide us or keep us at a safe distance from one another, yet there is one message; Jesus Christ is Lord.

Jesus said “come and follow Me”.  A movement is not a movement till there are followers.  Throughout the world God is moving powerfully, showing Himself to be the one and only true God.  Each and every believer is a testimony of His greatness and His desire is that His children become an orchestra united in the Kingdom message that Jesus Christ is Lord.

In the book of Romans Paul says “…let God be found true though every man be found a liar…”. 

• Let us layside everything that seeks to divide us and let us stand as a finely tuned symphony orchestra proclaiming over our city that Jesus is Lord. 
• Let our testimony be that of Jesus. 
• Let every act of kindness and compassion be done because of Jesus.   
• Allow God to have His way in our city, no – His city, by lifting up the name of Jesus and He will draw all men unto Himself.

Steve Irwin

River Of Life Ministries

Thursday, March 24, 2010

Seeking The Gospel of The Kingdom

Seeking God….To Form Many New Church Communities

Father we thank you for all the times you have demonstrated that you are the Shepherd and overseer of our soul. Please remind us of all the tenderness and patience you've shown us.

Remind us of how you rescued us from our sin, restored our innocence and our hearts. Father we ask you now to release us to love like we've been loved. We boldly ask for you to draw every single person in this City and Country to Yourself.

Please Father forgive us the times when Your Holy Spirit prompted us to share you and testify to what you've done in our life but we didn't.

Let your perfect love cast out all fear of man and release a new boldness in our spirits.

We're asking You for divine appointments with the lost. We're asking you to send us to the poor, rich, broken, hurting, fatherless and cross-culturally. Holy Spirit, bring conviction and give authority to the words we share.

In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. Amen

Blessings

Caleb Plumb

Encounter Christian

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of the Kingdom

Seeking God to Form Many New Church Communities

In my office, I keep a miniature sheep on a bookshelf. This sheep serves as a reminder to me. When I look at it, I remember the time in my family's life when we spent a year living on a sheep farm in rural central Illinois. I learned a lot watching those sheep each day. I began to read up on sheep. My resources told me that sheep eat the pasture to the ground. I also learned that sheep will die of starvation on that same plot after the grass is gone, because they don't leave to look for other food. Without a shepherd to guide them, sheep stay in the same place. Without a shepherd, the sheep are hopelessly lost.

According to Hebrews 13:21, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has equipped us with everything good for doing His will. And what is His will? God is for people. He desires that all would come to know Him. We are reminded in today's reading that no people are beyond God's reach.

God is capable of reaching and changing the hearts of every person in this city. God equips us to be part of that mission. In the Gospels, Jesus used the image of a shepherd searching for his lost sheep to describe God’s love for those who have strayed. I want to be part of that mission.

 We, like the shepherds of Israel, are cautioned in Ezekiel 34:4 about not caring for the flock. “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.”  We are on mission from God--to gather the sheep, so they aren't lost.

Let's join in unity of prayer and purpose that God would use each of us to bring these sheep into His fold – that not one part of this city would be left out in the bare pasture.

Dean Ridder

Administrator, Isaac Newton Christian Academy

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of The Kingdom

Seeking God….To Bring Healing That Reveals His Glory

Is it time to for you to repent?

In the book of James we are told: “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives…”

Wrong motives?  Not me!  I don’t ask for things for myself!  I pray for others more than I pray for myself!  But what if….

What if we pray and ask for healing for ourselves or others because:

• ‘That’s what a Follower of Christ does?
• Or “because I’m supposed to”
• Or “because I automatically pray when I hear of someone that is ill”
• Or…I’d feel guilty if I didn’t….that would show I don’t care!

Jesus waited 3 days when He heard that Lazarus was very sick.  Jesus was in the habit of seeking God for how He should pray.

If we would ask the Holy Spirit to examine our heart, are we praying from a place of believing with bold expectations?  (As the New Testament prayer for today suggests)

If the Holy Spirit were to show us our belief system what would He find? Would He find that we believe healing might happen in rare cases?  Very little? Not at all?  What would He find?

Key: Are we surprised when someone is healed?  If the answer is ‘yes’ that should tell us something about our heart core belief system.

I suggest you stop right now and ask the Holy Spirit to give you an x-ray of your core belief system.  Are there some ‘holes’ in place of holy places?

I further suggest that you read/pray the Old & New Testament prayers for today as found on page 24 of the prayer guide.  If you don’t have one, you can still join us in progress….purchase one for $1.50 from Lemstone Christian Stores.

For now, I give you a portion of the NT prayer for today.

“Father God, give Your people such bold expectations of Your coming kingdom that they would pray for sick people.  We are asking that they demonstrate the grand-scale goodness of Christ’s kingdom.  Holy Spirit, we ask You to confirm the message of Christ with observable power over all that affects bodies and families in such a way that those far from You would know that You gave the answer and ARE the answer.  May the declaration of the kingdom be joined by a might demonstration of Your love for us and Your loving grace filled power.  In Your Name and By Your hand, Amen.

Charles Daugherty

Serve The City

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of The Kingdom

Seeking God….To Rescue People From Darkness.

Have you ever fumbled through a dark room when the power has gone out?  What is normally a pretty non-eventful trip through the living room can turn into an interesting and oftentimes a painful adventure. I can't imagine taking this journey of life without the Light of the world.

Life apart from God can be characterized by blindness because without God you have completely no direction in life.  You mostly just follow your desires for attention, praise, pleasure, lust, power, etc., which leads you on a path of self-destruction.  Following your desires is a horrible way to make choices in life, and will leave you really disoriented and empty.  Since you don’t know God, you don’t know the author of life.  Therefore, without God, you go through life like a blind person, not knowing the path that He has set before you.

When I pray for unbelievers, I frequently remind myself what He said about His own mission.  He came to undo what Satan had done. He came to free what Satan had bound.  When people live without God, they are walking spiritual mummies.  Physically they are alive, but their spiritual life and vitality has been snuffed out by sin and Satan.  They are his captives, and only Jesus has the spiritual authority to set them free.

Isaiah 49 offers an encouraging promise to those who pray for spiritual captives:

This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you... to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'”

That's exactly what Jesus did at Lazarus's grave. He looked at a man held captive in the darkness of his own tomb and simply said, “Come out!” That's what we want Jesus to do for our unbelieving friends and loved ones – to speak into the darkness of their spiritual coffins. We want them to rebuke the lies, addictions, selfish motives, pride, fears, materialism, empty religion, false belief systems, and spiritual baggage that make up their grave clothes.  And when the dead man comes to life and is standing at his tomb's door, be ready to help him shed his grave clothes.

Brent Schulte

Antioch Christian

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of the Kingdom

Seeking God to Rescue People Enslaved in Spiritual Darkness

No matter what country or neighborhood we live in, what culture surrounds us, what church we attend, as Christians, we cannot help but see the spiritual darkness that permeates the world around us – both near and far.  A perfect “too close for comfort” example is Saturday’s Gazette, the Faith and Values section, which boldly displays an ad misusing the name of God.  Nothing subtle about this insipid mockery.

Spiritual darkness is not a myth; it is a very real epidemic with symptoms of blindness, stubborn rebellion and captivity.  The common denominator is unbelief, and sadly it has even wormed its way into God’s church and God’s people. 

Darkness is an all-consuming, empty void longing to be filled.  There is only one true antidote for this disease – only one thing that can fill and satisfy the emptiness.  In the words of Psalm 90:14-15...

Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
      so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
      Replace the evil years with good.

The remedy?  God’s unfailing love.  But before those walking in spiritual darkness can accept their remedy, the common denominator (unbelief) must be cancelled out and a new denominator must take its place.  All who are blinded by their own darkness are living in false safety and security, afraid of what the light might reveal.  Some don’t even know how miserable they are!  But they share the same need, the need to believe. 

Do you believe God’s unfailing love?  Do you believe God’s one and only Son is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it?  Do you want to be part of the remedy? If so, then let us pray together:

O Lord, satisfy all my longings and fill all the hollow places with Your lavish unfailing love.  I give my whole heart to You.  Exchange my heart with a heart that loves you more than anything else.  As I am filled to overflowing every morning, let me join You in the battle as You hold back the darkness and extend the time of light in order to complete what You began.  May thousands be released from their captivity and find hope and new life in Your gift of unfailing love.  AMEN!

We stand in the midst of a great war with spiritual evil, and Christ stands in the middle of the battle to lead us.  The kingdom of God is here in our midst.  Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.  (Psalm 33:22)

Kim Drischell

St. Mark’s Lutheran

Sunday, March 20 – Saturday March 26, 2011

Sunday, March 20^th – through Saturday March 26, 2011

Theme Two: Day 12 to day 18

Theme:

Seeking the Gospel of the Kingdom

“Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness all these things will be added to you.”

Our Father….Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done….”

Theme verse:

“I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations.  Isaiah 42:6c

Global Prayer focus: 

This week we will extend our prayers for the peoples, cities, churches and families of:

Asia and the Pacific, including Japan

Community sub-sets:

Day 12           Educators

Day 13           Native Peoples

Day 14           News Media

Day 15           Laborers

Day 16           Marriages

Day 17           Health Care Workers

Day 18           Single People

** Prayer Walking Ideas!  Click here. **

Introduction from page 20 of Seek God For The City from WayMakers:

He (Christ) is thwarting evil, liberating people and establishing outposts of heaven’s life on earth.  As people answer God’s call to live as Christ’s servants, they are changed, and they become God’s agents to transform their communities. 

Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom would be proclaimed “in the whole world as a testimony to all the peoples, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14) What wonderful hope: Every place. Every people. We can pray with confidence for the gospel to come to every geographical area and every cultural arena. Evangelization is the beginning point of all God will do to bring transformation.

If you do not have a prayer guide, pick one of up from Parable Lemstone Christian Store for $ 1.50 and join us in progress!

Calendar item:

Put Friday, April 15^th (Day 38) at 7 PM on your calendar!  Join us as we pray through this guide for every nation on the globe!  Keep watching this site.

Charles Daugherty

Serve The City

Monday, March 21, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of the Kingdom

Seeking God…to Empower the Proclamation of His Word

Go and proclaim everywhere the Kingdom of God. Luke 9:60

Today's verse is not just an idle command.  In context, the command is given to a man who has agreed to go, but he wants to go and bury his father first. Jesus says, "Let the dead bury their own dead."

Jesus wants us to make the proclamation of the gospel of the Kingdom of God a priority. He commands us to make it the top priority, even more than family responsibilities. Don't defer the task. Don't make excuses. Just go and proclaim the Kingdom of God. There is no higher purpose. No excuses. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." First is first. We must not let anything trump it.

Bur we are not expected to do it alone. Jesus told the disciples to "tarry in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit come upon you." They went to the upper room and prayed and their prayer was granted. They were able to preach the gospel with power that amazed the crowd. And thousands joined the church that day.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 "our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."

Lord, I pray that you give your Spirit to your church that we may "Go and proclaim everywhere the Kingdom of God" in power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

Michael L. Pearson

New Covenant Bible

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Seeking the Gospel of the Kingdom

Seeking God…to Send His People to Every Place

As I was a looking through this book I was trying to figure out what to write about this subject which seems very prevalent to me right now. As you are reading this I am in El Salvador helping to build relationships, structures and teach the Jesus story.

This is something a little different for me but as Christ says, go to the ends of the earth to preach the gospel." Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” What a privilege to do what we are told to do – spread the good news about Jesus and make disciples.

I wonder: Am I doing this at home as well…..am I….Are we? 

We have been praying for, caring for and praying for the lost in our communities.  Let us not grow weary in this great undertaking!

Are praying with the authority that Jesus gave to us?  Again, are we?

We all have family and friends with whom to share the Jesus story and we don't even have to go any where. We should do this in the unity that the love of Jesus gives to the least of these.

Seems like we have our work cut out for us no matter where we are.

My prayer for us is to stand with the armor on, standing on the rock that Christ said his Church would be built on knowing the hope for eternity with Jesus.

Oakland Church of the Nazarene

George J Mantor

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Seeking God’s Face:

Seeking God… to Manifest His Presence

As we serve the Lord in ministry, we can encounter some very heavy things.  Faced with brokenness, destructive choices, addictions, fears, deceptions, disease, violence, and poverty, life can sometimes feel dark.  And yet, we carry with us a tremendous hope: the God of the universe has chosen to reveal Himself as Emmanuel, “God With Us.”

We look forward to the return of Christ with joyful anticipation, but He also gives us joy for today, hope for today, even as we walk through sorrows.  The Lord is present and moving in powerful ways all around us.  Oh that our eyes may be opened to see His hand at work!

1 John 2:8b encourages us that “the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”  Let that joyful news flood you today with hope, even as you watch heartbreaking events take place on the news, as you sit across from a wounded, broken soul, as you learn of a choice that you know will bring devastation.  Stand in the face of darkness knowing that the true light is already shining, shining in you, around you, and through you.  Allow Him to open your eyes to “how near He has been all along.”

Katie Sandquist

Aid to Women

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Seeking The Gospel of the Kingdom

Seeking God….to Manifest His Presence

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. – Colossians 2:9

My prayer is that we, God’s adopted sons and daughters, through the blood of Jesus, would realize the manifest presence of God in Christ. That we, men and women,  moved by the Spirit through the Word, become Christ-centered. That we would allow God’s vision to become ours. That we would not be ashamed of the gospel and live our lives so as to the manifest His presence before the lives of men and women around us, not adopted into God’s Kingdom. That we would know and understand God; and know His great love for us and for the lost of this world, believing the gospel is the power of God for the Salvation of everyone who believes.

Manifest – to reveal or become evident.

Jerry Owen

Valley View Baptist

Friday, March 18, 2011

Seeking Gods FACE

Seeking God…for an Outpouring of His Spirit

Over the last 2000 years, the Church has evolved in some pretty amazing ways. We added church buildings. We added pews and pulpits. We added choirs and organs. We added sermons and worship bands.

We added bulletins and Sunday School. We added offerings and 501 (c) 3 status. And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things. But none of these things are what makes a church a church.

The Church was birthed in Acts 2 when God poured out His Spirit. Nothing has changed. You don’t need a building to be a church. And you can have a building, but without the Spirit, you don’t have a church!

The longer I pastor the more I realize that the simple things are the important things.

We need all the creativity we can get, and I am all for systems and technologies and strategies. But what we need more than anything else if we are going to have the kind of impact the first century Church has, is the an outpouring of the Spirit of God!

Pastor Robin Tyner

Stonebridge Church

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Seeking Gods FACE

Seeking God…..to unite His people

Common causes fail to hold us.

Pastor King mentioned our common enemy.  Our adversary the devil would seek to get us to focus on him and all that he is doing.  Jesus made the case for focusing on Him…“only one thing is necessary.”  That one thing is vital.  That one thing supersedes everything else.  Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

One line in the Old Testament prayer for today guides us to the place of victory.  “Give us today a greater unity, one that grows from sharing a common love and hope.”  That’s it!  A common love for Jesus and common hope, a hope that is an anchor big and strong enough to hold us in front of the Lord in a place that is filled with h-o-p-e!

Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  NOT if you hate our enemy enough you will keep My commandments.  NOT if you love to fight for what is right…no, if you love ME!  WHAT IF we grew daily in our love for Jesus?  What would that do for our love for one another?  WHAT IF we, out of our love for Him, would pray for one another, defer to one another, submit to one another, give preference to one another, forgive one another and truly walked with one another?  What would our witness look like?  What would happen to those that see this kind of ‘practicing what we preach?’

I firmly believe that the opposite of loving one another is fighting over “who is the greatest.”  What happened to Peter on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples?  Peter, the one that was always prefacing his statement with the word “I” suddenly uses the word “these.”   He defends the rest of the disciples without wanting the attention himself.  He was not moving in self-centered pride but in humility speaking on behalf of his brothers and sisters.  AS A RESULT, 3,000 people turned over control of their lives to Jesus The Risen Christ.

John 17 records one of the prayers of Jesus and in verse 21 He prays “that they might be one……that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”  That oneness was to be like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one!  And, as a result, people that were destined for Hell would see this incredible sight and “believe” that Jesus was sent to earth for them.

In verse 23 this oneness becoming more perfect in practice would make such a statement that the world would “know” that Jesus did in fact come to earth.  What is more incredible is the last ten words in the verse; “and didst love them , even as Thou didst love Me.”

Let us review:

• Fuss with other Believers and fight over who is the greatest and by doing so tell the world that Jesus did not come and that God does not love them.
• Grow daily in our love for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  As a result, we grow in our love for His other sons and daughters ending in lost and lonely people believing and then knowing that God loves them and that they have hope. 

How do you vote every day with your life message?

Charles Daugherty

Serve The City

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Seeking Gods FACE

Seeking God…..to unite His people

I don't want to be a casualty of The Ministry, nor do I want any of the pastors in our community to flame out. But we must acknowledge that The Ministry exacts a high price from us, both physically and emotionally.

One of the strategies God offers to help us is "fellowship." We really do need each other if we're going to go the distance. The world says, "Don't mingle with the competition." Jesus, however, prays that we would unite together to overcome a common enemy.  It can be lonely in ministry, but it doesn't have to be!

Dave King

Oakland Church of the Nazarene

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Seeking God’s Face:

Seeking God….to Give Us Steadfast Love For Him.

It is the love of God experienced in the body of Christ that truly marks Christians as truly unique.   It is the wonder of a group of persons who find acceptance with one another despite their differences, shortcomings, and failures that truly marks the church as different from other groups of people in this world.  So, we are “holy,” that is, set apart, not by anything that makes us better or superior to anyone else.  Rather, we are “holy,” because we are literally carriers (vessels) of the love of God, called to share this “treasure” (as St. Paul calls it) with everyone. 

However, we can only carry God’s love to others when we ourselves are in a love relationship with God. Yet, our hearts are indeed restless (as St. Augustine reminds us), and they are prone to wane in passion for God as we wrestle with our affections for the attractions of this world.  So it is clear that we need brand new hearts, hearts that can “rest” in God.  The prophet Ezekiel states this picturesquely when he proclaims, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19).  Only God can give us the kind of love needed to desire God, and here this kind of love is described as an “undivided heart” and as a “heart of flesh.”  This is not any kind of human love.  It is the work of God in us.  It is God’s doing entirely! 

So this is why St. Augustine says, “our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they find their rest in You.”  All other objects of our affection are for the satisfaction of our own desires, so they just make our hearts “harder” and more “divided,” like crushed stone.  When God is our desire, our hearts are transformed into something real, something living, something whole – something from God.  This is why only with our hearts can we believe, because a heart in love with God is God’s gift of being made right with Him.  As the Apostle Paul proclaims in his letter to the Romans, “…with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness…(Romans 10:10). 

How, then, do we love God with a steadfast love, an “undivided heart,” a “heart of flesh?”  Do we strive in Herculean spiritual effort to produce this love?  Do we immerse ourselves in deep theological studies?  Do we give ourselves in great sacrificial service to others?  No, we cast ourselves upon God’s Word, trusting God with our lives. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:14).  God’s promises are sure, and it is through trusting God’s Word that we “may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (Deuteronomy 30:6)! 

In Christ’s Peace,

Will Jackson

Come Rest Ministries