God's Glory Church

? 08/13/2023 10:07 AM #broadcast “Daughter of the Oath” has started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | Pastor Oleksandr Koltukov 08/13/2023: https://youtu.be/PMicbf3rHMA

“I was everything to everyone, to save at least some.” — 1 Corinthians 9:22

When Mary Slessor arrived in the African settlement of Calabar in the late 1800s, she was determined to continue the missionary work of the late David Livingstone. Her first assignment was teaching at a local school; at the same time she lived in a missionary community. However, she had a desire to apply a different approach in service. So Mary did something unusual for that region: she settled among the people she served, learned the local language, assimilated their way of life, and ate their food. She even took in dozens of abandoned children. For almost forty years, Mary brought hope and the Gospel to those who needed them.

The Apostle Paul understood how important it is to be truly concerned about the needs of others. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, he noted that “there is a difference between the gifts… [however] the Spirit… is the same”; “there is also a difference between services, but the Lord is the same.” So, he served the people in satisfying their needs. For example, “for the weak, as weak, to buy the weak” (1 Cor. 9:22).

One church recently announced the launch of an “all abilities” service, making worship accessible to people with disabilities. This approach reflects Paul’s way of thinking, which conquers hearts and makes possible the flourishing of the Gospel in the community.

So, let’s witness our faith to others with our lives, and may God help us to introduce them to Jesus in a new way.

What unique ministry has God called you to? How will you carry out this ministry?

Dear Heavenly Father, please give me the wisdom to find the right way to help others.

Author: David Brenon

“Because the Lord’s word is sincere, and every act of His is faithful!” — Psalm 32:4

When Xavier was in elementary school, I brought him to school and picked him up after classes. However, one day everything did not go according to plan. I was late. When I got to the school, I ran to his classroom with a desperate prayer in my heart and saw Xavier on the bench next to the teacher. He sat with his knapsack in his arms. “Excuse me, please. Are you all right?” Xavier sighed. “Yes, everything is fine, but I was very angry that you were late.” Can you blame him for anything? I was angry with myself. I loved my son, but I knew that I would disappoint him many more times. I also knew that one day he might feel disillusioned with God. Therefore, she diligently taught him that God never breaks His promises.

Psalm 32 encourages us to joyfully praise God for His faithfulness (vv. 1-3), “for the word of the Lord is sincere, and every act of His is faithful” (v. 4). Speaking about the world created by God, as a visible proof of His power and reliability (vv. 5-7), the psalmist calls “the whole earth” to worship God (v. 8).

When plans fail or people let us down, we tend to become disillusioned with God. However, He is reliable, and we can rely on Him, because His plan “will stand forever” (v. 11). We can praise God even when things go wrong. A loving Creator supports everything and everyone. God is eternally faithful.

Why is it so difficult to glorify God when plans fail and people disappoint? How does God, on the example of the world He created, confirm His unchanging reliability?

Dear God, please remind me of Your faithfulness as I walk forward in faith.

Author: Sosheel Dixon

“God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” — Romans 5:8

Robert Todd Lincoln lived in the shadow of his father, the beloved American president Abraham Lincoln. Many years have passed since Abraham Lincoln’s death, but Robert’s personality is still associated with his father. His close friend Nicholas Murray Butler wrote that Robert often said, “No one wanted to see me as Secretary of War; they wanted to see Abraham Lincoln’s son. No one wanted to see me as the U.S. ambassador to England; they wanted to see Abraham Lincoln’s son. No one wanted to see me as the president of the Pullman Company; they wanted to see Abraham Lincoln’s son.”

This kind of disappointment does not only occur in the children of celebrities. We all know the feeling of not being appreciated for who we are. However, it is in God’s love for us that the depth of our value is revealed.

The Apostle Paul said who we were in our sins, and who we have become in Christ. “Christ, when we were still sick, died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6). God loves us just the way we are! “God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (v. 8). The Lord values ​​us so much that He sent His Son to go to the cross in our place.

Who are we? We are God’s beloved children. Can you wish for more?

When have you felt lost in another person’s shadow? How do you feel when you remember that God cares for you?

Heavenly Father, thank you for your forgiveness and for your love, for loving me as I am.

Author: Bill Crowder

“I will be the same until your old age.” — Isaiah 46:4

After the botched operation, the doctor told Joanie that she would have to undergo another operation in five weeks. Time passed, and the excitement only increased. Joana and her husband were already elderly people, and their family lived far away. They had to drive by car to an unfamiliar city and navigate the complex hospital system; besides, a new specialist had to work with them.

Despite the difficult circumstances, God took care of them. During the trip, their navigator broke, but they arrived on time because they still had a paper map. God gave them wisdom. At the hospital, a Christian pastor prayed with them and offered his help. God provided support. And later, Joana received good news: the operation was successful.

Although we do not always experience healing or salvation, God is faithful and always with the vulnerable and disadvantaged, young or infirm. Many centuries earlier, when the Babylonian captivity weakened the Israelites, the prophet Isaiah reminded them that God supported them from birth and will continue to care for them: “I will be the same until your old age, and I will carry you until your gray hair” (Is. 46:4).

God will not leave us, especially when we need Him most. The Lord is concerned about our needs and reminds us that He is with us every moment. He is the God of our life.

How has God strengthened you in times of weakness? How does He want to support others through you?

Dear God, You are trustworthy and good. Help me to rely on You in times of uncertainty.

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

“And how much more valuable is a person than that sheep!” — Matthew 12:12

One day, a sixth-grader noticed her classmate cutting his hand with a small blade. Trying to do the right thing, she snatched the blade from his hands and threw it in the trash. However, she was not praised, but was suspended from school for ten days. Why? She briefly got hold of a blade that was forbidden to bring to school. Коли ученицю запитали, чи повторила б вона свій вчинок, та відповіла: “Навіть якби в мене виникли проблеми… я б все одно знову це зробила”. The girl tried to do good and got into trouble herself (later this punishment was canceled). In the same way, Jesus, because of His goodness, suffered problems from the religious leaders.

The Pharisees took Jesus’ healing of the man with the withered hand as a violation of their rules. In response, Christ said that God’s people are allowed to worry about animals even on the Sabbath if they are in trouble. “And how much more valuable is a person than that sheep” (Mt. 12:12). Being the Lord, Jesus Himself determined what can and cannot be done on this day (vv. 6-8). Therefore, He healed the man’s hand (vv. 13-14), although He knew that this would outrage the religious leaders.

Sometimes Christians, helping other people, experience “problems”, that is, they do something that glorifies God, but does not satisfy certain people. However, by acting according to God’s will, we imitate Jesus and show that people are more important than rules and customs.

How can you show kindness to other people? Why is it important to be ready to suffer “problems” for God’s sake?

Dear Jesus, please protect me from habits that prevent me from showing love to other people.

Author: Marvin Williams

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free.” — Galatians 3:28

Business analyst Francis Evans studied the work of 125 insurance agents to understand their formula for success. Surprisingly, the level of competence did not play a key role. Instead, Evans found that customers tended to buy insurance from agents who held the same political views, had the same education and even the same height as them. Scientists call this phenomenon homophily, that is, attraction to people who are similar to us.

Homophily also manifests itself in other areas of life, for example, in our tendency to marry and be friends with those who are similar to us. At the same time, if we give preference only to people of “our kind”, society can be divided into racial, political and economic castes.

In the first century, Jews communicated only with Jews, Greeks with Greeks, and the rich and the poor never crossed paths. However, in Romans 16:1-16, the apostle Paul describes a church in Rome whose members include, among others, Priscilla and Aquila (Jews), Epenetus (Greek), Thebes (“a benefactor of many”), and Philologus (a common name for slaves). What brought such different people together? They were gathered by Jesus, in Whom “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free” (Gal. 3:28).

It is only natural to want to live, work and go to church with people like us. However, Jesus encourages us to go beyond this. In a scattered world, He unites us into one family.

How to communicate with people who are not like us? What can you do this week to overcome ethnic or economic barriers?

Lord Jesus, I praise You for working to unite our divided world.

Author: Sheridan Voysey

“I will… deliver you from their work.” — Exodus 6:6

“You, like Moses, brought us out of slavery!” Jamila exclaimed. While working in a brick factory in Pakistan, she and her family suffered because of a huge debt owed to their employer. A large part of the salary went to pay interest. However, when they received a donation from a non-profit organization that allowed them to pay off the entire debt, they felt incredible relief. Thanking the representative of the organization for her freedom, Jamila, a believer in Jesus, recalled a biblical example of how God, through Moses, freed the Israelites from slavery.

The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites for hundreds of years, forcing them to work in inhumane conditions. And they turned to God, begging for help (Exodus 2:23). However, the oppression only intensified, because the new pharaoh ordered them not only to make bricks, but also to collect straw for it (Ex. 5:6-8). The Israelites continued to plead for deliverance from oppression, and the Lord reaffirmed His promise to be their God (Ex. 6:7). They will no longer be slaves, because He will save them “with an outstretched arm” (v. 6).

And God led the Israelites out of Egypt through Moses (see Exodus 14). God continues to save even now. He saves us with the hands of His Son Jesus, crucified on the cross. We are freed from an even greater slavery – the slavery of sin that once controlled us. We are no longer slaves, we are free!

How did God bring you freedom? How can you support those who are enslaved by something?

Dear God, thank you for sending your Son to give me freedom from sin.

By Amy Buescher Pye

? 08/06/2023 10:03 a.m. #broadcast “Prayer for Ukraine” started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | 08/06/2023: https://youtu.be/o5_okVP3n44

“Maria chose the best share.” — Luke 10:42

In 2009, a team of researchers from Stanford University conducted an experiment with more than 200 students. The study involved constantly changing tasks and performing memory exercises. Interestingly, students who thought they could multitask did worse than those who were used to focusing on one task at a time. Multitasking made it difficult to focus and filter out redundant information. If we are distracted by something, it is difficult for us to concentrate.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, Martha “asked for a great favor” (Lk. 10:40). Her sister Mary instead chose to listen to Jesus’ teachings, receiving wisdom and peace that would never be taken from her (vv. 39-42). When Martha asked Jesus to encourage Mary to help her, He said: “You worry and complain about many things, but one thing is needed” (vv. 41-42).

God wants our attention. However, we, like Martha, are often distracted by various tasks and problems. We neglect God’s presence, even though He is the only One who can give us the wisdom and hope we need. If spending time with Him in prayer and scripture meditation becomes our priority, He gives us guidance and strength to solve our problems.

What is distracting you from God? How does focusing on God bring wisdom?

Dear Father, sometimes I try to grab everything at once. Please help me get rid of everything that distracts me from You and become closer to You.

Author: Kimya Loder (guest)