“What do you want me to do to you?” — Luke 18:41
Ann came to the surgeon for an examination. It was her old acquaintance. After the examination, the doctor asked: “Do you have any questions?” “Yes,” answered Anne. “Did you go to church on Sunday?” The question was not judgmental. With his help, the girl wanted to start a conversation about faith.
The surgeon did not have the most pleasant childhood memories of the church. But thanks to Ann’s question and conversation, he rethought the role of Jesus Christ and the church in his life. Anne later presented the doctor with a Bible with his name on the cover. He received her with tears in his eyes.
Sometimes we are afraid of aggression from non-believers or we don’t want to seem aggressive ourselves, so we don’t dare to talk about faith. But there is a great way to involve a person in a friendly conversation – to ask a question.
Jesus, God in the flesh, knew everything, but asked many questions. We cannot always understand with what intention He did this, but His questions definitely aroused interest and encouraged conversation. He asked His future disciples: “What are you looking for?” (John 1:38). The Lord said to blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51; Luke 18:41). He turned to the relaxed person with the question: “Do you want to be healthy?” (John 5:6). And in each of the above cases, changes in life occurred after the question.
Is there someone you know with whom you want to talk about faith? Ask God to put the right questions on your heart.
Why are questions better conversation starters than direct statements? What questions can you ask those who need spiritual help?
Lord Jesus, help me to communicate with people in such a way as to direct them to You.
Author: David Brenon
? 09/17/2023 10:04 #broadcast Those Who Put Their Hope in the Lord started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | Pastor Oleksandr Koltukov 09/17/2023: https://youtu.be/f4ijWmsyOUk
“Do not be concerned about this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
In 2014, biologists caught a pair of orange seahorses off the coast of the Philippines. Along with part of the same orange coral that served as their home, they were taken to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Scientists wanted to find out: do newborn grasshoppers inherit the color of their parents or form their own under the influence of the environment. Orange grasshoppers gave birth to dull brown pups, which were placed in an aquarium with purple coral. Soon the children also turned purple. Having no other protection, they received from God the ability to blend into the background.
This is quite a useful defense mechanism in nature. However, it does not suit us. God calls all who have accepted salvation to stand out in the surrounding world. The Apostle Paul convinces us to glorify God in all areas of life and present our bodies “as a living sacrifice” to serve Him (Rom. 12:1).
Given the natural human vulnerability caused by sin, our spiritual health depends on the Holy Spirit renewing our minds and enabling us to avoid the influences of this God-rejecting and sin-glorifying age (v. 2).
“Relating to this age” means acting contrary to God’s will. However, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live and love according to the example of Christ.
How did you “relate” to the world? How has God changed you?
God, change me every day into the image of Jesus Christ.
Author: Sosheel Dixon
“Wait for the Lord in silence and rely on Him.” — Psalm 36:7
I settled comfortably in the float capsule. This is a special camera that isolates a person from any external stimuli. My body floated in the liquid, as if in weightlessness. The music began to subside and gradually fell silent. The light gradually faded. I read that such procedures relieve stress and anxiety. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The world seemed to stop around me. My innermost thoughts surfaced. I left the capsule calm and even a little younger. Indeed, there is great power hidden in silence.
Christians rest best in the stillness of God’s presence. The Lord renews our strength and gives us wisdom to overcome the difficulties we face every day. You just need to devote time to it, close yourself off from external noise and eliminate everything that can distract us.
Relaxation capsules are a good way to calm down. But God offers a simpler and more effective method: “When you pray, enter your room, shut your door, and pray to your Father” (Mt. 6:6). God will direct our steps and shine His righteousness through us. So, let’s look for a solution to life’s problems in the silence of His majestic presence (Ps. 36:5-6).
What causes you stress or anxiety? How can you focus more on quiet time with God?
Heavenly Father, the fast pace of life overwhelms me. Help me to stop and spend more time with You.
Author: Kimya Loder (guest)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show his works in gentle wisdom by good conduct.” — James 3:13
Just before Easter 2018, a terrorist broke into the shopping center. He killed two people and took a woman hostage. Attempts to free her were unsuccessful, and then one of the policemen offered himself to the terrorist in exchange for a hostage.
The proposal was shocking because it contradicted the worldview of most people today. The “wisdom” of the world can always be distinguished by characteristic self-centered statements. Many such statements are published in social networks. Here are some of them: “The greatest adventure is living the life of your dreams.” “Love yourself, and everything will fall into place.” “Do what you have to do for yourself.” If the policeman had followed these tips, he would not have taken such a risk.
Apostle James writes that there are two kinds of wisdom. One is “earthly”, the other is “from above”. The first type of wisdom is characterized by envy, quarrels and disorder (James 3:14-16). The second is characterized by meekness, humility and mercy (vv. 13, 17-18). Earthly wisdom puts itself first. Heavenly cares for others and leads to humble service (v. 13).
The terrorist accepted the offer. The hostage was released, and the policeman died during the operation. But on that Easter, the world once again saw how an innocent man gave his life for another man.
Heavenly wisdom values God the most, so it prompts us to Christian virtues (Prov. 9:10). And what wisdom do you follow?
What wisdom does the world offer? How to get the wisdom that God gives?
Wise Lord, grant me wisdom that leads to humble service and selfless love.
Author: Sheridan Voysey
? 10.09.2023 10:07 На каналі Церкви Божої Слави розпочалася #трансляція Три зустрічі Христа | Pastor Oleksandr Krasnoshchoka 09/10/2023: https://youtu.be/NXPsI7eHfqU
“And now they left the nets and followed Him.” — Matthew 4:20
The lighting was reduced in the conference center. Several thousand students bowed their heads. The preacher said the consecration prayer, and then invited those whom God calls to serve in foreign missions to stand up. My friend Lynette stood up from her seat. I knew that she had decided to serve God in the Philippines. But I personally did not feel any desire to stand up, because I believed that there were enough problems in the United States. I wanted to spread God’s love in my native country. However, a decade later I moved to the UK to serve the new neighbors God had given me. He called me to something I did not expect, and my ideas about my purpose changed radically.
The Lord Jesus often surprised those He met, including several fishermen whom He called to follow Him. Hearing that they were to become fishers of men, Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:20). Similarly, Jacob and John left “the boat and their father” (v. 22). They trusted Jesus and followed Him into the unknown.
Of course, the Lord calls many people to work where they are, without moving anywhere. But in any case, we all need to look to Him and be ready to be surprised by new experiences and opportunities to serve Him in ways we did not imagine.
What impression do the stories about God’s works make on you? How did He surprise you?
Loving Lord, You call people to follow You in different, sometimes surprising ways. Teach me to hear Your voice and respond to Your call.
By Amy Buescher Pye
“If God is for us, then who is against us?” — Romans 8:31
“In the morning I thought I was worth a lot of money. Now I don’t know if I have even a dollar.” Former US President Ulysses Grant uttered these words the day a business partner appropriated all of his savings. A few months later, he was diagnosed with cancer. Worried about the future of his family, Grant agreed to the writer Mark Twain’s offer to publish his memoirs. He completed work on them a week before his death.
The Bible tells of another man who also had to worry about his family. This is Patriarch Yakov. First, he was told that “a wild beast… had eaten” his beloved son Joseph (Genesis 37:33). Then his other son, Simeon, was taken as a hostage in a foreign country with the demand that his younger son, Benjamin, be brought there. In despair, Jacob shouted: “It’s all on me!” (Genesis 42:36).
But Jacob should not cry, but rejoice. Some time passed, and he learned that Joseph was alive and that God had been working to preserve his family all this time. This story shows that the Creator can be trusted even when we don’t see His hand in our circumstances.
Grant’s memoir was a huge success, providing for his family for many years. Although he himself did not see it, his wife did. Our vision is limited, but God sees everything. He gave His Son for us and thereby showed His attitude towards us. And “if God is for us, then who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31). So let’s trust Him.
How has God turned adversity to your advantage? In what area do you need to trust Him?
Dear Savior, help me to look to You and not to my problems. You are always faithful.
Author: James Banks
“And when the grace and humanity of the Savior, our God, appeared, He saved us.” — Titus 3:4-5
Fast food restaurant worker Kevin Ford hasn’t missed a shift in twenty-seven years. After a video of him thanking the restaurant for a modest gift presented to him in memory of his many years of work appeared online, thousands of people decided to give him a real gift. “It’s like a dream come true,” Kevin said when the announced fundraiser brought in $250,000 in just one week.
Unexpected kindness was also shown to Jehoiakim, the captive king of Judah. He spent thirty-seven years in prison, after which the Babylonian king decided to show him mercy. The king “brought him out of the house of imprisonment. And he spoke well to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon” (Jer. 52:31-32). Jehoiakim received a new status, new clothes and a new place of residence. And all this at the expense of the Babylonian king.
This story shows what happens in the spiritual realm when people who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ receive eternal salvation from Him. From darkness and death they pass into light and life. They become members of God’s family thanks to the extraordinary kindness of the Creator.
What acts of human kindness remind you of God’s kindness? What can you do in response to the goodness of the Creator who accepted you into His family based on what Jesus Christ did?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing kindness. Loving Jesus paid my debt. I redeemed with my blood, I only boast of Him.
Author: Arthur Jackson
“You discover that you are the letter of Christ… written… by the Spirit of the Living God.” — 2 Corinthians 3:3
When the peak of the pandemic passed, the rules for wearing masks were relaxed. Then I started forgetting to take a mask with me to those places where their presence was still mandatory, for example, to my daughter’s school. Somehow, when a mask was needed, it turned out that I only had one in the car, which I tried not to wear. On it was written in capital letters: “blessing”.
I prefer masks without inscriptions and believe that the word that was emblazoned on my mask is used too often and inappropriately in our culture. But there was no choice. I put on a mask and went to the watchman’s window. There sat a new employee who had not yet understood the complex system. The procedure was long. I started to get indignant, but suddenly I caught myself thinking: I must be hypocritical with the inscription “blessing” on my face and with such an impatient attitude.
After all, I am called to be a witness of Christ. I have a good Bible word on my mask, and in my heart there should be other words of the scriptures, according to which I should be patient. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “You are the epistle of Christ…written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone, but on bodily tablets of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). The Holy Spirit, who “revives” (v. 6), helps us to show “love, joy, peace, longsuffering” (Gal. 5:22). After all, the fact that He lives in us is truly a blessing!
What do your words and actions tell others? How can you show people Christ today?
Lord Jesus, help me to show every person I meet today what it means to live for You.
Author: Katara Patton
