Praise God for who He is on this wonderful first day of a new month we have before us. Give someone a big hug today in the name of Jesus!
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see that the climax of Your mission on earth was Your Pentecost experience — the establishing of Your church and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. You came, not just to offer mankind a “heavenly insurance policy,” but also to equip those who would believe for Kingdom-living here and now, so that Your words might continue to be spread world wide. You came, not for just one generation, but for all generations to come. You promised to baptize us with Your Holy Spirit, to provide the spiritual gifts, the boldness, the courage, and the power to enable Your disciples, then and now, to keep Your message alive. You promised all of that if we would but ask, and I’m asking You now on behalf of my brothers and sisters, Lord. Use us, and empower us to be Your witnesses, so that all we say and do will glorify You! In Your holy name I pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Concluding Words
Hebrews 13:1-22
Continue to love each other with true Christian love. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Don’t forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies. Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God’s special favor, not from ceremonial rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them. We have an altar from which the priests in the Temple on earth have no right to eat. Under the system of Jewish laws, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, but the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood. So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come. With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God. Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. I especially need your prayers right now so that I can come back to you soon. And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I have said in this brief letter.
Quote of the Day
“Yes, Lord! Jesus, I give all of this to you. Jesus,” I just started out a dream for my neighborhood. “I didn’t ask you to make me a messenger to the world. I just wanted to love neighbors. But Jesus, here it is. Here’s my future, here’s my loneliness, here are all the pressures, here are the criticisms”, and I gave Him everything. And I told Him to take me again and I would try to make “Yes, Lord” the continuing motto of my life. ~Ann Kiemel Anderson~
WITH HOPE AND FAITH
REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY