| "May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Oh Lord, My Rock and Redeemer." Psalms 19:14 Dearest Lord of my being, Thank you for blessing me with all that I need to be the best that I can be. I am so grateful for your love, light, and peace. May I always be aware of your presence and may I love and honor you above all things. I need you in my heart, in my soul, and in my life now and forever. Amen |
| astrologizing.net Sabbath Devotionals The Sabbath; February 27, 2010 |
| BIBLE READING NEW TESTAMENT Matthew 25: 35-40 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' |
| BIBLE READING OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 61 The Year of the LORD's Favor 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a] 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, Footnotes: a. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind |
| HOMILY: By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them...Matthew 7:16 When the disciples first tried healing the man's son with seizures, they could not do it. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17: 19-20 What did Jesus mean by faith? Did he mean faith in Jesus, faith in healing, or faith in themselves? In the book Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer, Gregg Braden writes; I now invite you to try this mode of prayer for yourself. Think of something that you’d like to experience in your life—anything. It may be the healing of a physical condition for you or someone else, abundance for your family, or finding the perfect person to share your life with. Whatever you’ re thinking of, rather than asking for it to become present in your life, feel as though it has already happened. Breathe deeply, and feel the fullness of your prayer fulfilled in every detail, in every way. Now, feel the gratitude for what your life is like with this prayer already answered. Note the ease and release that comes from the giving of thanks, rather than the longing and yearning that comes from asking for help! The subtle difference between the ease and the longing is the power that sets asking apart from receiving. By Gregg Braden; excerpted from Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2006/02/f4.htm It seems as though Jesus was speaking about faith in ourselves, in our own power to heal, and the faith that healing can be done. Moving a mountain is, perhaps, a metaphor. The power to Heal was one of the 'fruits' that Jesus was speaking about when he said, 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. |
| Faith Without Works is Dead excerpt by Marc D. Carpenter James 2: (26) For as the body is dead apart from the spirit, so also faith is dead apart from works. James compares the body-spirit connection to the faith-works connection. If you didn't have a spirit inside you, what would your body be doing right now? It would be just lying there. It would be dead. Upon death, the spirit departs from the body. So all living human beings have spirits, or souls, in them. No spirit, no life. The same goes for faith and works. No works, no life. If there is faith but no works, it is like a body with no spirit. It is dead. It's really not the person anymore. See how important good works are? They're not an option. They're not something that some Christians have and other Christians don't have. They are inevitable and essential fruits of true faith. So what part do good works play when it comes to gaining salvation, maintaining salvation, or making one fit for heaven? ABSOLUTELY NO PART. Our works do not secure salvation in any way to any degree. Our works do not help us to maintain our salvation in any way to any degree. Our works do not make us fit for heaven or deserving of heaven in any way to any degree. The atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Christ is the only ground of salvation, from regeneration to final glory. Our good works flow from a heart that has been given faith, and our good works are the response of a heart that loves the God who has saved us based on the work of Christ alone. All God's people DO have good works, no exceptions. It is not because the works form any part of the basis of our salvation, but it is because we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God had before ordained that we should walk in them. A heart that has been created to love God will do good works from that love. Let us who love God be diligent to show our love and to evidence our faith by our works. Amen. |