Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We are finally here at the beginning of Holy Week. Today we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people singing the words, Hosanna (Save us NOW) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The same words they used at the end of the seven feasts of the Old Testament on the seventh day of the seventh month they would sing out HOSANNA! During the feasts of Booths or tabernacles they would cry out Hosanna or Save us NOW as they prayed for the Kingdom of God to come.
Today we celebrate that the Kingdom is here. Because Jesus was willing to go into Jerusalem on the Sunday of Holy Week to begin the final stage of his journey to the Cross we can celebrate that the Kingdom is here.
We are continuing our 40 days of Prayer for the City which ends today for those of you who counted Sundays and will continue through this week for those of us who did not count our resurrection days, or Sundays during this Lenten Season. We continue our series on Lord teach us HOW to pray. This week we look at "Lead us not into temptation." This is the Sixth Petition and the one that seems most appropriate for Palm Sunday. Think about what the Lord is teaching through this petition. That we should not be lead by the world, satan or our sinful nature into temptation. We know that as long as we live on earth we will be tempted. Thanks to Adam and Eve we will not fair well with these. But we pray that the Lord, who does not tempt only tests, will give us the power and strength through HIS Holy Spirit to resist and overcome temptation.
The biggest temptation I see in the world is the same as the people experienced on Palm Sunday. THE CROWD. It seems that we are so easily pushed into falling for temptations when we see others, our family, peers, people we respect doing something with passion. We get swept away in the moment and may not take time to test and see according to the Scriptures if this in line with the Lord's will or take the easy route and say: "everyone else is doing it." Why is it that we think if we can find others doing the same sin and giving into the same temptation then it somehow makes it less wrong?
Take modern day examples: living together before marriage (more specifically pre-marital sex), homosexual behavior, heterodoxy or outright heresy; these seem to sweep away people who are believers yet don't take the time to slow down and check everything against the Holy Scriptures to see whether this is pleasing to God and in line with HIS WILL.
The CROWD on Palm Sunday was large, loud and passionate. They were using Messiah language only used in the fall at the Feast of Tabernacles in the spring at the Feast of Passover, they thought they were doing right. The funny thing is that they were accurate BUT it was short lived. They did not keep that passion when Jesus didn't set up his earthly government (kingdom) defeat the Romans, give them the glory and honor they expected. Instead of studying the Word to see that Jesus is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, the King of Zechariah 9:9 " 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king[a] comes to you, righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey," or Matthew 21:5 " 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”the Lamb of the Passover Psalm 22 etc... they just got discouraged and fled, disappeared. They let the crowd who said "CRUCIFY HIM" have the last Word. They did not get to see the true meaning of the CROSS. The way of the Cross is the way for us not the way of the Crowd. The CROWD is exciting but the CROSS is everlasting. May we have the enthusiasm of the CROWD with the perspective of the CROSS then we will resist the temptation to see things from the worlds perspective and we will resist Satan and the world.
The examples we have in Holy Scripture are Joseph resisting and fleeing Potiphar's wife in Gen 39, Jesus during his temptation in the desert recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 where he uses the WORD to overcome Satan's tempting. Romans 13:14 "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" or 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 " So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it"
The best answer to temptation I have found is to put on the full armor of God of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all
the saints.
May we pray for Christ our Lord to give the Holy Spirit and the POWER to resist the Devil as James 4 says: 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”[Proverbs 3:34]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
May we surrender to our Lord and trust in HIS POWER to give us the strength to resist and overcome temptations.
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD! Blessed is the King of Israel!
May we look forward to celebrating this HOLY WEEK not losing our zeal but being encouraged as we watch the Movie on Peter this Wed, celebrate the messianic Seder on Thursday before stripping the Altar, then the Tenebrae Service on Good Friday, the Sonrise Service on Sunday and then the CELEBRATION on Resurrection Sunday! Celebrate the one who is the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS! Who has defeated sin, death and the devil! He can keep us from falling into temptation!
Pastor Bryan
The Sixth Petition
And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean?
God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so
that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into
false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by
these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.
228. What do tempt and temptation mean in the Scriptures?
In the Scriptures these words have two meanings:
A. The testing of our faith, which God uses to bring us closer to Himself.
John 6:5-6 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to
Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for
He already had in mind what He was going to do.
James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Bible narratives: The Lord tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:1-
19). Jesus tested the faith of the Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:2128).
B. The attempts of our spiritual enemies to lure us away from God and His ways.
Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the
body is weak.
James 1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil
desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
229. Into what kinds of evil do our spiritual enemies try to mislead us?
The devil, the world, and our sinful nature try to mislead us into false belief, despair,
and other great sins.
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know
that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Prov. 1:10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
Matt. 18:7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must
come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Gal. 5:17 The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary
to the sinful nature.
2 Cor. 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.
Bible narratives: The devil tempted Eve to doubt and disobey God (Genesis 3). The devil
tempted Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2) and to despair (Matt. 27:4-5). Among enemies of
Christ, Peter denied his Savior (Luke 22:54-60). King David's sinful nature tempted him to
commit adultery and murder (2 Sam. 12:9).
230. What do we ask God to do for us when we pray this petition?
We ask our Father in heaven to give us strength to resist and overcome temptations.
Luke 22:31-32 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you,
Simon, that your faith may not fail.
Rom. 13:14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify
the desires of the sinful nature.
1 Cor. 10:12-13 If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation
has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out
so that you can stand up under it.
Eph. 6:11, 17 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Bible narratives: Joseph withstood the temptation of Potiphar's wife (Gen. 39:1-20). Jesus was
tempted by Satan and won the victory for us (Matt. 4:1-11).
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Lord teach us HOW to Pray: Give us this day our daily bread LENT 4 Mar 18
Today we look at the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer "Give us this day our daily bread." As we go through this series "Lord teach us HOW to pray" I am hoping we will use each of these petitions as a jumping off point for us to go deeper in prayer. It is fascinating to me that only one petition out of the seven deals with our physical or bodily needs. Why is it that when we pray, at least when I pray, it tends to be a want and need list? Yet for Jesus, HIS prayer would only include this one short petition in regards to this.
I guess it makes me feel guilty to see how much time I spend in this gift of prayer asking for things rather than praising and adoring the God who loves us so much and to whom we belong. As we ponder this, think about your worldly relationships. If all you spend time talking about to your spouse, children, friends, even acquaintances, is your wants and needs, do you think they will want to spend time with you? Our Lord loves us and we are his people and ever since Pentecost we are his people who dwell in his presence and through whom his presence comes to our dark world. We are salt and light to the world. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore we have the privilege of calling God "abba father!" Why is it that we would spend so much time in prayer asking for things rather than talking to the God who so desperately wants to have a relationship with us? So much so that HE sent HIS Son to die for you and me!
We will look at the way Jesus did not worry about HIS physical needs. We know he told the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about what we should eat or what we should wear:
Matthew 6: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Jesus rebukes the winds and waves, sleeps through storms, pays the temple tax with money from fish, takes care of the wedding wine with water etc.... It is not a huge deal, the things that cause us anxiety, to our LORD. Martin Luther in a pamphlet entitled "Luther's quiet time" told his barber that he spent 3 to 4 hours every morning in prayer, more if he had a busy day! When asked how he prayed he said he used the ACTS prayer model which means Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Adoration, confession and thanksgiving are all relationship oriented. The Supplications are the requests and they are at the end. Our Lord wants us to be in a great relationship with him, sharing our hearts and minds as well as our desires and needs.
May we be a people who understand the privilege of prayer. May we be a people of the promise and the people of the presence who understand the power of prayer. May we be a people who live by faith and know that the Lord is good and his steadfast love endures forever and as in our Old Testament reading from Psalm 145: The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.[c] 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. This is a Psalm, as is the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Acts 4 and Aaron's prayer in Lev 16 that are models of HOW TO PRAY for us. We are a praying people. Jesus, Peter, Paul, Luther etc.. all exemplified the importance of prayer. Please join me in praying during this Lenten Season to help us know that we BELONG and WE BELIEVE THE LORD HAS OUR BACK AND THAT WE CAN BECOME LIKE HIM KNOWING WE ARE CHOSEN AND THAT WE ARE LIGHT AND SALT TO A DESPERATE AND DARK WORLD!
Please pray for the anointing and POURING OUT of the HOLY SPIRIT as we worship both at EMU and ALIVE! in Lenawee County!! I want us all to walk with Adoration, Confession and thanksgiving on our lips only spending a short time with Supplications and being still and knowing the our Lord knows what we need and trusting that HE WILL PROVIDE!
The Fourth Petition From Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation Questions and Bible References:
Give us this day our daily bread.
What does this mean?
God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil
people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to
receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with
the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house,
home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children,
devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace,
health, selfcontrol, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
219. Why do we pray to God for daily bread?
We pray to God for daily bread, which includes everything that has to do with the
support and needs of the body, because Christ wants us to
A. realize that our entire life and that of everyone else depends on God;
766 Ps. 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You
open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
767 Matt. 5:45 He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.
768 Acts 17:28 In Him we live and move and have our being.
769 James 4:15 You ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
B. receive all our physical blessings with thanks giving;
770 Ps. 106:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
771 Eph. 5:19-20 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the
Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
772 1 Tim. 4:4-5 Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with
thanks giving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
C. look to God for physical as well as spiritual blessings.
773 Ps. 91:15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver
him and honor him.
774 Matt. 6:33 Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.
775 Luke 7:3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to
come and heal his servant.
Bible narratives: Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). Jesus healed 10 lepers (Luke
17:11-19).
220. How does God provide our daily bread?
He makes the earth fruitful and blesses us with the ability to work for the things we need.
776 Ps. 104:14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth
food from the earth.
777 2 Thess. 3:10-12 Even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work,
he shall not eat." We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are
busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and
earn the bread they eat.
221. What does God want us to do for those who are unable to work for daily food?
God does not want us to be selfish but to share with those who are unable to work and to include them in our prayers for daily bread.
778 1 Tim. 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
779 Heb. 13:16 Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is
pleased.
780 1 John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or
tongue but with actions and in truth.
222. Why does Jesus have us say "this day" and "daily"?
These words teach us not to be greedy or wasteful or to worry about the future but to
live contentedly in the confidence that the Lord will give us what we need.
781 Prov. 30:8-9 Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I
may have too much and disown You and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and
steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
782 Matt. 6:34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
783 John 6:12 When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, "Gather the pieces
that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
784 1 Tim. 6:8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
785 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Bible narrative: The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:15-21).
The parable of the rich fool tells us that we should not worry or store up treasures on earth but as Jesus goes on to say in Luke 12:22-34 that we are more precious than the lilies or ravens.
I can't wait to see what the Lord is doing and will do as HIS People and HIS Church pray!
Love in Christ,
Pastor
I guess it makes me feel guilty to see how much time I spend in this gift of prayer asking for things rather than praising and adoring the God who loves us so much and to whom we belong. As we ponder this, think about your worldly relationships. If all you spend time talking about to your spouse, children, friends, even acquaintances, is your wants and needs, do you think they will want to spend time with you? Our Lord loves us and we are his people and ever since Pentecost we are his people who dwell in his presence and through whom his presence comes to our dark world. We are salt and light to the world. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore we have the privilege of calling God "abba father!" Why is it that we would spend so much time in prayer asking for things rather than talking to the God who so desperately wants to have a relationship with us? So much so that HE sent HIS Son to die for you and me!
We will look at the way Jesus did not worry about HIS physical needs. We know he told the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about what we should eat or what we should wear:
Matthew 6: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus would set this example when he is followed by thousands and then simply tells Philip to feed them in our Gospel lesson from John 6:5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages[a] would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Jesus rebukes the winds and waves, sleeps through storms, pays the temple tax with money from fish, takes care of the wedding wine with water etc.... It is not a huge deal, the things that cause us anxiety, to our LORD. Martin Luther in a pamphlet entitled "Luther's quiet time" told his barber that he spent 3 to 4 hours every morning in prayer, more if he had a busy day! When asked how he prayed he said he used the ACTS prayer model which means Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Adoration, confession and thanksgiving are all relationship oriented. The Supplications are the requests and they are at the end. Our Lord wants us to be in a great relationship with him, sharing our hearts and minds as well as our desires and needs.
May we be a people who understand the privilege of prayer. May we be a people of the promise and the people of the presence who understand the power of prayer. May we be a people who live by faith and know that the Lord is good and his steadfast love endures forever and as in our Old Testament reading from Psalm 145: The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.[c] 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. This is a Psalm, as is the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Acts 4 and Aaron's prayer in Lev 16 that are models of HOW TO PRAY for us. We are a praying people. Jesus, Peter, Paul, Luther etc.. all exemplified the importance of prayer. Please join me in praying during this Lenten Season to help us know that we BELONG and WE BELIEVE THE LORD HAS OUR BACK AND THAT WE CAN BECOME LIKE HIM KNOWING WE ARE CHOSEN AND THAT WE ARE LIGHT AND SALT TO A DESPERATE AND DARK WORLD!
Please pray for the anointing and POURING OUT of the HOLY SPIRIT as we worship both at EMU and ALIVE! in Lenawee County!! I want us all to walk with Adoration, Confession and thanksgiving on our lips only spending a short time with Supplications and being still and knowing the our Lord knows what we need and trusting that HE WILL PROVIDE!
The Fourth Petition From Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation Questions and Bible References:
Give us this day our daily bread.
What does this mean?
God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil
people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to
receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with
the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house,
home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children,
devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace,
health, selfcontrol, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
219. Why do we pray to God for daily bread?
We pray to God for daily bread, which includes everything that has to do with the
support and needs of the body, because Christ wants us to
A. realize that our entire life and that of everyone else depends on God;
766 Ps. 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You
open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
767 Matt. 5:45 He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.
768 Acts 17:28 In Him we live and move and have our being.
769 James 4:15 You ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
B. receive all our physical blessings with thanks giving;
770 Ps. 106:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
771 Eph. 5:19-20 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the
Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
772 1 Tim. 4:4-5 Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with
thanks giving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
C. look to God for physical as well as spiritual blessings.
773 Ps. 91:15 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver
him and honor him.
774 Matt. 6:33 Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.
775 Luke 7:3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to
come and heal his servant.
Bible narratives: Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). Jesus healed 10 lepers (Luke
17:11-19).
220. How does God provide our daily bread?
He makes the earth fruitful and blesses us with the ability to work for the things we need.
776 Ps. 104:14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth
food from the earth.
777 2 Thess. 3:10-12 Even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work,
he shall not eat." We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are
busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and
earn the bread they eat.
221. What does God want us to do for those who are unable to work for daily food?
God does not want us to be selfish but to share with those who are unable to work and to include them in our prayers for daily bread.
778 1 Tim. 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
779 Heb. 13:16 Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is
pleased.
780 1 John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or
tongue but with actions and in truth.
222. Why does Jesus have us say "this day" and "daily"?
These words teach us not to be greedy or wasteful or to worry about the future but to
live contentedly in the confidence that the Lord will give us what we need.
781 Prov. 30:8-9 Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I
may have too much and disown You and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and
steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
782 Matt. 6:34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
783 John 6:12 When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, "Gather the pieces
that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
784 1 Tim. 6:8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
785 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Bible narrative: The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:15-21).
The parable of the rich fool tells us that we should not worry or store up treasures on earth but as Jesus goes on to say in Luke 12:22-34 that we are more precious than the lilies or ravens.
I can't wait to see what the Lord is doing and will do as HIS People and HIS Church pray!
Love in Christ,
Pastor
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Lord Teach us HOW to pray: Lent 2: The Second Petition "Thy Kingdom Come"
Tomorrow we continue this season of Prayer and Reflection during "Spring" which is what the word "Lent" means. We know that "The Meaning of the Word "Lent" The word Lent comes from Anglo Saxon times which means spring. In Latin, Lent is quadragesima which means forty days."
We also recognize that we give up something in Lent because we then replace that time, to prepare food or whatever we gave up, with time devoted to the Lord, Prayer and Reflection on HIS Word. I shared on Ash Wednesday that the Eucharist was stopped during the week in the Season of Lent, and still is in the Orthodox Church (http://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the/lenten-fasting) I have been using the "Seeking God for our City" devotion during these 40 Days of Prayer. This week we looked at the Lord's desire to revive the arts in a way to honor him. I think it is so important to revive and reclaim these gifts for the Lord!
Tomorrow we will look at the second petition of the series "Lord teach us HOW to pray: The Lord's Prayer" We looked at how the disciples were asking Jesus in Luke 11:1 " 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” We examine the desire the Disciples, and we, have to pray as well as HOW to pray modeled by our Lord and given to us as the OUR FATHER or LORD'S PRAYER in Matthew 6. We will hear about God's Kingdom from Psalm 103 where it is promised and then the fulfillment when Jesus calls his disciples in Mark 1:14-20
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Martin Luther explained the Second Petition in the Small Catechism as:
The Second Petition: Thy kingdom come.
What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we
pray in this petition that it may come to us also.
How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in
eternity.
212. What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is His ruling as king over the whole universe (kingdom of power), the church on earth (kingdom of grace), and the church and angels in heaven (kingdom of glory).
Psalm103:19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
(Kingdom of power) John 3:5 Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (Kingdom of grace) 2 Tim. 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Kingdom of glory)
213. For what do we pray in the Second Petition?
We do not pray that God's kingdom of power would come, because that is already present everywhere, but we ask God to
A. give us His Holy Spirit so that we believe His Word and lead godly lives as members of His kingdom of grace; Mark 1:15 "The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the
good news!" Rom. 14:17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Col. 1:13-14 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
B. bring many others into His kingdom of grace;
Matt. 9:38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.
2 Thess. 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and
be honored, just as it was with you.
C. use us to extend His kingdom of grace;
Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with
great boldness. 1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
D. hasten the coming of His kingdom of glory.
Phil. 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus.
214. How can we be certain that the kingdom of God comes?
The Lord guarantees that His means of grace establish and sustain His kingdom.
Is. 55:11 My word ... will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Bible narrative: The parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29).
Tomorrow we will celebrate the truth of KINGDOM being here and near! We will rejoice in the gift of David and Beth Marshall becoming Commissioned Family Life Ministry Workers in the LCMS! We hear Rev. Galan Walther from our Michigan District of LCMS sharing with us at both EMU Services. We will celebrate the truth of this petition being answered by our amazing LORD.
Please join us to worship and pray,
Love in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Pastor Bryan
We also recognize that we give up something in Lent because we then replace that time, to prepare food or whatever we gave up, with time devoted to the Lord, Prayer and Reflection on HIS Word. I shared on Ash Wednesday that the Eucharist was stopped during the week in the Season of Lent, and still is in the Orthodox Church (http://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the/lenten-fasting) I have been using the "Seeking God for our City" devotion during these 40 Days of Prayer. This week we looked at the Lord's desire to revive the arts in a way to honor him. I think it is so important to revive and reclaim these gifts for the Lord!
Tomorrow we will look at the second petition of the series "Lord teach us HOW to pray: The Lord's Prayer" We looked at how the disciples were asking Jesus in Luke 11:1 " 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” We examine the desire the Disciples, and we, have to pray as well as HOW to pray modeled by our Lord and given to us as the OUR FATHER or LORD'S PRAYER in Matthew 6. We will hear about God's Kingdom from Psalm 103 where it is promised and then the fulfillment when Jesus calls his disciples in Mark 1:14-20
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Martin Luther explained the Second Petition in the Small Catechism as:
The Second Petition: Thy kingdom come.
What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we
pray in this petition that it may come to us also.
How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in
eternity.
212. What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is His ruling as king over the whole universe (kingdom of power), the church on earth (kingdom of grace), and the church and angels in heaven (kingdom of glory).
Psalm103:19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
(Kingdom of power) John 3:5 Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (Kingdom of grace) 2 Tim. 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Kingdom of glory)
213. For what do we pray in the Second Petition?
We do not pray that God's kingdom of power would come, because that is already present everywhere, but we ask God to
A. give us His Holy Spirit so that we believe His Word and lead godly lives as members of His kingdom of grace; Mark 1:15 "The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the
good news!" Rom. 14:17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Col. 1:13-14 He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
B. bring many others into His kingdom of grace;
Matt. 9:38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.
2 Thess. 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and
be honored, just as it was with you.
C. use us to extend His kingdom of grace;
Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with
great boldness. 1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
D. hasten the coming of His kingdom of glory.
Phil. 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord
Jesus.
214. How can we be certain that the kingdom of God comes?
The Lord guarantees that His means of grace establish and sustain His kingdom.
Is. 55:11 My word ... will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Bible narrative: The parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29).
Tomorrow we will celebrate the truth of KINGDOM being here and near! We will rejoice in the gift of David and Beth Marshall becoming Commissioned Family Life Ministry Workers in the LCMS! We hear Rev. Galan Walther from our Michigan District of LCMS sharing with us at both EMU Services. We will celebrate the truth of this petition being answered by our amazing LORD.
Please join us to worship and pray,
Love in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Pastor Bryan
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