Daily Bread

God’s Preaching Begins

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Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 19:2 ESV

In the storms my God shouts with a loud thunderclap

On my windows He whispers with a raindrop’s tap

In the morning He calls with a sweet robin’s song

Then He opens my eyes with the light of His dawn

Through each day that He gives

God’s preaching begins

With grace and with mercy to cover my sins

I know in the evening He will call me to rest

But there’s much work to be done before my sunset

Prayer: Father I know you are always speaking. Help me to hear your voice my own. Help me in every situation to listen and follow anything you call me to do. In the precious name of our Savior Jesus Christ we ask. Amen.

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Get Ready for Battle!

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Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth.  Ephesians 6:13-14a ESV

After we brought our first baby crib home, I quickly glanced at the diagram on the instruction booklet, then set it aside and began to match up the pieces for assembly. “How hard could it be to put a crib together?” I thought to myself. But after almost an hour of trying to get it together I returned to the instructions manual.

When we read about preparing for spiritual warfare it is easy to fall into that same process. But God’s field equipment has nothing extra and we will need every piece. We might feel we can skip a few things and grab our sword and shield God tells us to start with the belt of truth.

ancient antique armor armour

Photo by Maria Pop on Pexels.com

The Christian life is not only about the blessings; it is also a spiritual battle. Jesus said that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life and if we are to fight side by side with Him then we must start with the truth.

Being victorious means we must begin by buckling on the truth. Truth matters so much to God that He lists it first because it holds the rest of our equipment together. So before we head out the door today let’s pray for God to help us fasten on the belt of His truth!

Church Growth Through God’s Eyes

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And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.          Acts 6:7 KJV

Nursing home outreach doesn’t carry with it the razzle-dazzle of building programs, youth ministry or Holiday pageants, but it does offer a unique way to connect to our community. That is exactly what we see in this passage from the book of Acts. The number of Christians grew rapidly not because of some church program but because they agreed to work together in unity to take care of feeding poor widows.  Imported from phone 083

In the early days of the church some things brought about growth that we will not be able to replicate (Such as five hundred people seeing Jesus alive after His resurrection). But there are other principles which we can follow in any culture, time or place. Showing the love of Christ by caring for our older generation connects us with their friends and families in a deep and powerful way.  That is not to say that we could simply use nursing home ministry as a strategy to build our church; but rather that amazing things happen when we align ourselves with the heart of God. Ministering in a nursing home blesses not only its residents but also those of us who serve. Teen-agers are reminded that their energy can give a smile or bring tears of joy. Middle aged people find out that the value of their own life will not change with age. Retired folks discover that residents will treasure their friendship because so few ever come to see them anymore. Through His amazing plan God will help His church to grow in numbers as together we draw closer to Jesus Christ.

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