Greetings and God bless each and every one of you on this wonderful day. It touches the soul to start the day with a good helping of the Word of God, so put on your bib and get ready because it’s a filling message.
Today’s Prayer
Most Gracious Heavenly Father, Your Son has set us an example in John 5:19 by saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” How often have we said “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in reciting Your Prayer and then failed to seek and follow Your will for us each day? Help us this Lenten Season to truly want to re-commit our lives to following Jesus’ example, so that both Your sacrifice and His will not have been in vain! If each of us who call ourselves Christians, around the world, would daily seek Your guidance and follow it, we could make Your world more as You have envisioned it! Help each of us, with Your love and mercy, to want to make and live up to this commitment each day! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Divine Fullness for God’s People
Fullness of Grace
John 1:15-17
15. John pointed him out to the people, telling the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, `Someone is coming who is greater by far than I am–for he existed long before I did!”’ 16. We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us–blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! 17. For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well.
Our Resource, Fullness of Blessing
Romans 15:29
And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.
Our Privilege, Fullness of Joy
John 15
1. “I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener. 2. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce. And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops. 3. He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you. 4. Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me. 5. “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6. If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned. 7. But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! 8. My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father. 9. “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love. 10. When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love.
11. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow!
Our Portion
12. I demand that you love each other as much as I love you. 13. And here is how to measure it–the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; 14. and you are my friends if you obey me. 15. I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesn’t confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proved by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told me. 16. “You didn’t choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you. 17. I demand that you love each other, 18. for you get enough hate from the world! But then, it hated me before it hated you. 19. The world would love you if you belonged to it; but you don’t–for I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. 20. Do you remember what I told you? `A slave isn’t greater than his master!’ So since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! 21. The people of the world will persecute you because you belong to me, for they don’t know God who sent me. 22. “They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23. Anyone hating me is also hating my Father.
24. If I hadn’t done such mighty miracles among them they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw these miracles and yet they hated both of us–me and my Father.
25. This has fulfilled what the prophets said concerning the Messiah, `They hated me without reason.’ 26. “But I will send you the Comforter–the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. 27. And you also must tell everyone about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Quote of the Day
The greatest feats of love are performed by those who have had much practice in performing daily acts of kindness. -Anonymous
WITH HOPE AND FAITH
REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY
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