Tag: COVID-19

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Luke 9:35. Listen Up!

April 4 Luke 9 35 NKJV

At the transfiguration of Jesus, He took with Him, Peter, John, and James on a mountain to pray. As Jesus prayed, the Bible tells us that the appearance of His face changed, His robe became white and glistening. Additionally, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke to Jesus. While this was going on, the disciples were deeply asleep but woke up to this scene of Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Peter spoke up as Moses and Elijah were leaving and suggested they make three tabernacles. However, doing so would place Moses and Elijah on equal levels with Jesus and not to worship Jesus exclusively. To Peter’s suggestion, a voice comes out of the clouds saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Have you ever had something to say to a child, spouse, sibling, or parent and you keep trying, but they keep going and going in their own conversation and you can’t get in a single word? Perhaps you’ve had some valuable advice to give a friend, but they refuse to take it to heart and then when they are hurt they can’t understand why. Inside we might say, “If only they had listened.”

How often are we hasty in making a suggestion to God, trying to offer Him our way of doing something and all God wants us to do is listen to Him? How often do we ask God to show us His will and we keep asking and keep asking and God just wants us to listen. How often does God give us an answer, but we don’t like and go ahead and do it the way we think it should be done then get upset with God when it all falls apart? How much of our prayer time is spent talking to God rather than listening to what He wants to say to us? How often do we get so caught up in what’s going on in our lives that it drowns out the still small voice of God?

Sometimes God has to do something drastic to get our attention. Kind of like when you’re talking to you child or spouse who is engrossed in a video game or something on TV. Peter, James, and John got the spectacular experience of the transfiguration of Jesus. But God’s attention getters aren’t always grand and spectacular. Sometimes its something like a pandemic. What if COVID-19 is (at least in part) God’s ways of saying to us: “Wake Up! Listen Up! Hear what I have to say!”

For communication to occur, there has to be both a speaker and listener…the kind of listening that deeply considers what is being said and takes it in. It’s not the kind of listening that hears but just keeps on going your own way and doing your own thing.

Today, God still says to us, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” What is it that God has been trying to say to you lately and you’ve not really stopped to listen – or maybe you have but you’re finding all kinds of excuses to not do what He says?

So many of us now find ourselves quarantined and forced to a slower pace in life. What if we spent this time just listening to our heavenly Father and what he wants to say to us?

God, give us ears to hear you and heart to follow after you, seeking you with all our heart, mind, and soul. Help us to be obedient to what you say. Help us to just sit still in your presence and listen.click to tweet daily Bible reading

#COVID19 #coronavirus #quarantined #listenup

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coronavirus prayer guide logo

Download the full 52-Day prayer guide by clicking here.

The prayer guide is available for free download to individuals and churches and may be reproduced in any quantity both printed and electronically through websites, email, social media, apps, or any other method. 

Today, pray for Colorado:

colorado cases

#Chronovirus #fastandpray #52daysofprayer #repentance #revivalin2020 #WCM

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Don’t forget to learn this week’s memory verse:

Memorize and hide in your heart one memory verse each week in 2020. If you didn’t start the challenge at the beginning of the year, just jump in now and be sure to sign up to get our weekly Memory verse in your email so you don’t miss a week.

memory verse logoIn 2020 our emphasis is on revival for America with three key words: revive, renew, and redeem. You will begin to see the elements of our website and posts reflect this emphasis. We hope you’ll join us in praying for God to pour out the Holy Spirit with a mighty rushing wind of revival for our nation and around the world.

 

Our key verse for revival is 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.  For the past few  weeks, we have been focusing on repentance. This week, we look at the spiritual transformation that takes place when we surrender our heart to God.

This week’s memory verse:

Exodus 14:13-14

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 

#Chronovirus #fastandpray #faithoverfear #revivalin2020 #WCM

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Luke 9:25. Eternally Bankrupt Is Far Worse than Temporarily Unemployed

April 3 Luke 9 25 NKJV

On April 2, 2020, The Washington Post reported that 10 million unemployment claims have been filed in the US due to COVID-19. Even with a stimulus check on the way, there are going to be many people trying to make ends meet. The stimulus check is helpful but then there are industries such as mortgage companies who will “graciously” allow you to not pay your mortgage while you’re out of work, but then when the crisis is over and everyone returns to work those same mortgage companies will demand all the money you owe from this time at once or they will foreclose on your home. But they won’t report a negative report to the credit bureau…until you’re back at work. Student loans has fared a little better as you can request a 6 month forbearance. Some utility companies are skipping payments. However, read your fine print because they too might count you behind and want you to catch up or they will turn your lights off. Needless to say, there are not too many people throughout the world that will “gain the whole world.” Many may be on the verge of losing their whole world. 

However, for a moment think about what you would do if you suddenly became the richest American? What would change about your lifestyle? How would you manage your new-found wealth? It might be fun to dream about what you’d do with all that money, but if we are honest with ourselves, probably the first thoughts for the majority of us were rather selfish thoughts. We might have gotten around to helping those affected financially by COVID-19 or making a donation to some organization (even if just for the tax break), and oh yes – let’s not forget the tithe to our church. Doesn’t that seem backwards? Our first thought should have been not only the tithe we would be able to give back to God but also an offering that might help our church meet a need. Then maybe see how we could help our community through the wonderful organizations that seek to help others – and not worry about the tax break for doing so. Then finally look to ourselves last. There used to be an popular acronym that taught this principle as the way to have Joy – Jesus first, others second, and yourself last. 

No matter how wealthy a person is while here on earth, money will not get them into heaven. Honors, riches, and the greatest of enjoyments mean absolutely nothing when one faces eternity without Christ. None of these in and of themselves will suffice to gain entrance into Heaven. If all these were gained, but they cause a person “lose himself” through rejecting Christ, then that person has lost everything that holds eternal value. Any person that dies without Christ as their Savior, will be eternally bankrupt.

This in no way implies that a wealthy person cannot be saved. However, money can sometimes be an obstacle to people recognizing their need for a Savior. Jesus taught in Matthew 19:24, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” It becomes very easy for the wealthy to depend on themselves and their money, not unlike the children of Israel with their continual problem of idolatry. Every time they turned to false gods, they forgot the God that brought them out of Egypt. They turned to their own abilities rather than remaining dependent on God. It is too easy for money to become an idol that we obsess over. And the more of it we have, the less we feel the need to depend on God or to even feel like we need God at all in our lives. However, less we have of money, the greater we depend on God. We depend on Him to get us from one paycheck to the next, to keep the lights on, to keep food on the table, and to keep a roof over our head. The more we have that belongs to this world, the more we are tied to it. The less we have of this work, the freer we are to be tied to Christ. In Luke 18, we find the rich young ruler who wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. His focus was on how he could earn eternal life. Jesus replied to him: “You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother.” The rich young ruler responded: “All these thing I have kept from my youth.” But Jesus knew the man had more interest in his wealth on earth than any treasures in heaven. So Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” The man became very sad because he was very rich. As a response to the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The people standing near said, “who then can be saved?’ Jesus answered, “The things which are impossible with me are possible with God.” Wealth, whether one has an abundance of it or a great lack of it, holds no merit on eternal life. No one can be saved by their own efforts, but only through the grace of God is one able to obtain salvation.

As for the crisis at hand and the financial burdens many will feel, we pray that God will meet your every need during this time. 

God, may the entrapment of wealth not blind us to a false happiness that leads us away from you. May we keep our eyes on you and your grace that paves the way for us to obtain eternal life with you through the sacrifice of Christ as payment for our sins. Thank you for always meeting our every need and for all the many blessings you give us every day. May we always see You at work in each blessing with a heart of thankful praise. We ask that you provide for those who have lost jobs and that they will see you at work as you meet their every need. 

 


click to tweet daily Bible reading

#COVID19 #coronavirus #faith

April divider

revive renew redeem

news and events

 

coronavirus prayer guide logo

Download the full 52-Day prayer guide by clicking here.

The prayer guide is available for free download to individuals and churches and may be reproduced in any quantity both printed and electronically through websites, email, social media, apps, or any other method. 

Today, pray for Texas:

texas cases

#Chronovirus #fastandpray #52daysofprayer #repentance #revivalin2020 #WCM

Related image

Don’t forget to learn this week’s memory verse:

Memorize and hide in your heart one memory verse each week in 2020. If you didn’t start the challenge at the beginning of the year, just jump in now and be sure to sign up to get our weekly Memory verse in your email so you don’t miss a week.

memory verse logoIn 2020 our emphasis is on revival for America with three key words: revive, renew, and redeem. You will begin to see the elements of our website and posts reflect this emphasis. We hope you’ll join us in praying for God to pour out the Holy Spirit with a mighty rushing wind of revival for our nation and around the world.

 

Our key verse for revival is 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.  For the past few  weeks, we have been focusing on repentance. This week, we look at the spiritual transformation that takes place when we surrender our heart to God.

This week’s memory verse:

Exodus 14:13-14

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 

#Chronovirus #fastandpray #faithoverfear #revivalin2020 #WCM

Related image

teespring spreadshop logos