“And she turned and said to Him in Hebrew: “Rabbuni”!” — John 20:16
Two orphaned brothers were adopted into different families and had not seen each other for almost twenty years. But then, thanks to a DNA test, there was a joyful reunion. One of the brothers, named Kieron, sent the other, Vincent, a text message, not yet sure that he was his brother. “Who else is this?” – thought Vincent. Kieron asked what his birth name was. “Tyler,” he answered. Everything immediately fell into place. One brother recognized the other by his name.
The name played a significant role in the Easter story. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb of Christ. When she saw that His body was gone, she stood and wept. “Why are you crying, woman?” – asked Jesus (John 20:15). However, she did not recognize Him until He called her name: “Mary!” (v. 16).
Hearing this word, she cried out: “Rabbi,” which means “Teacher” (v. 16). This reaction reflected the joy that all Christians feel when remembering that the resurrected Christ has conquered death and knows each of us as a father knows his children. “I am going to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God!” He said to Mary (v. 17).
Two brothers from Georgia recognized each other by name and promised to “take this relationship to a new level.” At Easter, we give praise to Jesus for the feat He accomplished to resurrect for those He called His own. Indeed, He is alive!
How do you feel when you think that Jesus is risen and knows you by name? How can you learn more about Him?
Your knowledge humbles me, Lord. I am infinitely grateful for the sacrificial gift of Your love.
Author: Patricia Raybon
“Therefore, I too, having thoroughly investigated everything from the first wave, wanted to describe it in order for you…” – Luke 1:3
One woman told me about a dispute in her church that nearly split the congregation. Do you know what they argued about? About whether the earth is flat or round! A few months later, news broke of a man of worship who stormed into a restaurant with a gun to save children he believed were being abused in the back room. Neither the children nor the utility room were found in the restaurant. The man was arrested. In both cases, people read conspiracy theories on the Internet and believed them.
Christians are called to be law-abiding citizens (Rom. 13:1-7), and such citizens do not spread false information. In the days of the evangelist Luke, there were many stories about Jesus among the people (Luke 1:1). Some of them were inaccurate. Luka did not believe everything he heard. He essentially became an investigative journalist: he met with eyewitnesses (v. 2), carefully studied everything from the beginning (v. 3), and wrote a Gospel that contains names, dates, and historical facts described by people who saw everything with their own eyes.
We must do the same. Misinformation can seep into our churches. Therefore, fact-checking is a manifestation of love for one’s neighbors (Lk. 10:27). When you hear something sensational, try to check it out. Contact the specialists. Be seekers of truth, not spreaders of error. After all, we worship the One who is full of truth (John 1:14).
Why do you think conspiracy theories spread so quickly? How can you become a truth seeker?
Heavenly Father, help me to distinguish truth from error. Guide me with Your Spirit.
Author: Sheridan Voysey
? 05/07/2023 10:06 a.m. #broadcast “Glory, honor and peace to everyone who does good” has started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | Pastor Oleksandr Koltukov 05/07/2023: https://youtu.be/3jfqguaCO84
“The Lord… sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted.” — Isaiah 61:1
Carson’s life was the key. He hunted, fished, rode his motorcycle, skateboarded and loved being outdoors. But one day, Carson got into an accident on his motorcycle, after which he was paralyzed from the chest down. Depression soon set in. He did not see the future. And then one day his friends took him hunting. For a while, he even forgot about his paralysis, rejoicing in the beauty of the world around him. This experience brought him inner healing and gave him a new purpose in life – to give the same joy to other people with disabilities through the non-profit organization “Hunting to Heal”. Carson now believes the accident was actually a blessing in disguise. He managed to create a place where people with severe musculoskeletal disorders find inner healing. “I can do what I want. I’m happy,” he says.
The prophet Isaiah announced the coming of the One who will “heal the brokenhearted” and comfort “all who mourn” (Is. 61:1-2). After reading this text in the synagogue of His hometown, Jesus said: “Today the Scripture that you heard has been fulfilled” (Lk. 4:21). The Lord came to save us and restore us to wholeness.
Are you in need of soul healing? Turn to Christ and receive “the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a dark spirit” (Is. 61:3).
In what areas of life do you need Christ’s healing? Who can you tell about Him and about His salvation?
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the spiritual healing you have given me and many others. Now I await complete healing in Your Kingdom.
By Ann Sitas
“Why didn’t they return to praise God, except for this stranger?” — Luke 17:18
Hansl Parchment is in a difficult situation. He took the wrong bus and arrived at the wrong place where the semi-final at the Olympic Games in Tokyo was supposed to be held. But, fortunately, he met a volunteer, Trijana Stojkovich, who helped organize the games. She quickly hailed a taxi and gave him money for the trip. As a result, the athlete managed to perform, made it to the final and then became the Olympic champion in the 110-meter hurdles race. Later, he returned to the same place to find and thank his savior.
The Gospel of Luke tells about a Samaritan who returned to Jesus to thank Him for his healing (Luke 17:15-16). Jesus entered a village where ten lepers met Him. They all asked for healing, and all experienced His grace and power. Everyone was happy that they were healed, but only one “returned and began to praise God with a loud voice. And he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him” (vv. 15-16).
Every day we receive many different blessings from God. It can be something significant, such as an answer to prayer or timely help from a stranger. And sometimes blessings look like ordinary phenomena: good weather and the opportunity to work outside. So, like the healed Samaritan, let us thank God for His goodness.
What can you thank God for today? How to cultivate a grateful heart?
God, You have been very good to me. Thank you for ______________________________.
Author: Po Fang Hia
“And Moses was afraid, and said to himself, “Truly, the matter has become known!”” – Exodus 2:14
The crime was horrific, and the person who committed it was sentenced to life in prison. In the following years, while in solitary confinement, he repented and turned to Christ, finding in Him mental and spiritual healing. After that, he was allowed limited contact with other prisoners. By God’s grace, some of them, through his testimony, also accepted Christ as their Savior and received forgiveness of sins.
Moses, now a recognized hero of the faith, somehow also committed a crime. Seeing “an Egyptian who was beating a Jew from among his brothers… he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand” (Ex. 2:11-12). But despite this sin, God by His grace did not turn away from His imperfect servant. Later, He chose Moses to deliver the Israelites from oppression (Ex. 3:10). In the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul writes that “the gift of grace is a justification from many sins” (Rom. 5:16). Grace changes and reconciles us to God, regardless of past sins.
It may seem to us that the evil committed deprives us of the right to God’s mercy and service for His glory. But through His grace in Christ, we can change ourselves and help others.
How has God and His grace changed you? What changes is He calling you to make now?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace that transforms.
By Our Daily Bread Ministries
“Jehoshaphat… decided to turn to the Lord.” — 2 Chronicles 20:3
My son needed orthopedic surgery. The elderly surgeon assured us that during his lifetime he had helped thousands of patients with the same problems. However, before the operation, he prayed and asked God for a successful outcome. And I am very grateful that the Lord answered.
Jehoshaphat, the pious king of Judah, when he was in danger, also prayed. The three nations united in a military campaign against Jerusalem. And although Jehoshaphat had been reigning for more than twenty years, he decided to turn to God for help. “We… will cry to You out of our distress, and You will hear and save,” he prayed (2 Chron. 20:9). In addition, he asked God for His guidance: “We do not know what we will do, because our eyes are on You!” (v. 12).
Jehoshaphat’s humble approach to solving the problem that arose opened his heart to God’s involvement, which manifested itself in the form of prophecy and supernatural intervention (vv. 15-17, 22). No matter how much experience we have, a prayer for help reveals in us a holy hope in God. It reminds us that the Lord knows more than we do, and He controls everything in the world. It brings us to a state in which the Lord gives us help and support, whatever the final result may be.
How has prayer helped you? In solving which of the current problems can it help?
God, thank You for listening and answering prayers. I worship You, the all-knowing and all-powerful God. Help me in all the trials of today.
By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
“For we, being in this tent, sigh under the burden.” — 2 Corinthians 5:4
“The tent is tired!” This is the saying of my friend Paul, a pastor of a church in Nairobi (Kenya). Since 2015, the local community has been meeting in a tent-like structure. Paul wrote to me: “Our tent is worn out and leaks when it rains.”
My friend’s complaint about the age of their humble structure reminds me of the words of the Apostle Paul about the frailty of our earthly bodies. “Our outward man perishes… For we, being in this tent, groan under the burden” (2 Cor. 4:16; 5:4).
Although the awareness of the ephemerality of our existence in this world comes to us quite early, we really think about it only as we approach old age. The joie de vivre of youth reluctantly gives way to the realities of old age (see Ecclesiastes 12:1-7). Our bodies – our tents – get tired.
But the tiredness of the body does not mean the tiredness of the spirit. Hope and faith should not fade with age. “Therefore we do not grieve,” says the apostle Paul (2 Cor. 4:16). He who created our bodies dwelt in them with His Spirit. And when this body refuses to serve us, we will move into a home that is immune to disease and injury. We “have a building from God in heaven, a house not made with hands and eternal” (2 Cor. 5:1).
How do you feel when you remember that Christ lives in you by His Spirit (2 Cor. 5:5)? When you sigh, how does prayer help you?
Heavenly Father, thank you for your constant presence. As my body weakens, help me to trust in You as I wait to be transferred to an eternal home.
Author: Arthur Jackson
“Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you about the hope you have, with meekness and fear.” — 1 Peter 3:15
Last spring, we decided to aerate the lawn – saturate the soil with oxygen. The night before this procedure, a strong wind blew the seeds off the maple tree in our yard. When the aeration machine loosened the soil, hundreds of maple seeds fell into the ground. So, after two weeks, a maple forest began to sprout in our yard!
Looking at this disparity, I was amazed at the variety of new life that one single maple can make. Each miniature tree became for me an illustration of a new life in Christ, which I, an ordinary person, can pass on to others. Throughout our lives, each of us is given many opportunities to talk about our “hope” (1 Peter 3:15).
If we suffer “for the truth” with hope in the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 14), those around us who will see this may become interested in God, whom they do not yet know. We will be ready to answer their questions and thereby sow the seeds of a new life. It is not necessary to immediately express everything that we know, otherwise it will be like a spiritual storm. It is better to calmly and respectfully place the seed of faith in a heart that is ready to receive it.
Who among your acquaintances is interested in your hope? What will you talk to him about?
Lord Jesus, thank You for growing seeds of faith in my life. Help me to tell about You to those who ask. Give them the grace to grow in knowledge of You and love for You.
Author: Kirsten Holmberg
“The words of the slanderer are like sweets.” — Proverbs 18:8
There was a report in the newspaper that Pep had killed a cat that belonged to the governor’s wife. However, he did not do this. The only thing he could be accused of was that he liked to bite the couch in the governor’s mansion.
Pep was a young, restless Labrador retriever owned by Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot in the 1920s. Later, the dog was sent to Eastern State Prison, where his photo was taken with an inmate identification number. When a newspaper journalist found out about it, he made up a story about a cat. Since his article was published in the newspaper, many people believed that Pep was indeed a cat killer.
King Solomon of Israel was well aware of the power of misinformation. He wrote: “The words of a slanderer are like sweets, and they go down into the bowels of the womb” (Prov. 18:8). Sometimes our sinful human nature leads us to believe things that are not true.
However, even if others believe lies about us, God can still use us for good. In fact, the governor sent Pep to prison to be a friend to the inmates, and he served as a therapy dog for many years.
God’s purpose for our lives remains the same no matter what others say or think. If someone gossips about you, remember that God’s opinion and His love for you is what matters most.
How encouraged are you that God is in no way affected by what others say or think about you? How will you glorify His perfect love today?
Abba, Father, thank you for making me Your child. Help me to show Your love to others.
Author: James Banks
