“I will rather boast of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
Football player Christian Pulisic suffered several injuries that affected his career. He was very upset when he learned that he would not be in the starting line-up of the team in the semi-finals of the Champions League, but he told how God revealed Himself to him. “I always turn to God, and He gives me strength,” he said. “I feel the One who is always next to me. I don’t know if I could do anything without that feeling.” Pulisic ultimately made a big difference when he came on as a substitute and initiated a smart play that led to the win and secured the team’s continued championship. This experience taught him a valuable lesson: we can always see our weaknesses as opportunities for God to reveal His incredible power.
The world teaches us to rely on our own strength if we experience problems. Instead, biblical wisdom teaches that it is God’s grace and strength that will help us get through the most difficult circumstances (2 Cor. 12:9). So we can go forward with confidence, knowing that we are never alone in our trials. Our “weaknesses” become opportunities for God to reveal His strength, strengthening and supporting us (vv. 9-10). Through our trials, we can glorify God, thanking Him for His mercy and sharing our experience with others so that they too may experience His love.
When have you tried to overcome difficulties on your own? How to find strength in God?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being my source of strength and guiding me every day.
? 04/02/2023 10:02 #broadcast “Blessed “betrayal”” has started on the Church of God’s Glory channel | Pastor Oleksandr Koltukov 04/02/2023: https://youtu.be/M9v_O5gfc9Q
“I tell you that when these are silent, the stones will cry out.” — Luke 19:40
Bluestone is an amazing type of stone. If you hit it, some stones may ring. In the Welsh village of Maenklocog, whose name means “bell” or “stone that rings”, bluestones were used as church bells until the eighteenth century. It is interesting that the ruins of Stonehenge in England were built of blue stone, which leads some to think: is the original purpose of the monument connected with music. Researchers claim that the blue stones of Stonehenge were brought from an area near Myenclocog (about two hundred miles away) because of its unique acoustic properties.
The ringing stones are another wonder of God’s creation, and it reminds us of the words Jesus spoke when He entered Jerusalem. When the people praised Jesus, the religious leaders rebuked Him for it. “And He answered them: “I tell you that when these are silent, the stones will cry out” (Lk. 19:40).
If blue stones can make music, and if Jesus said that even stones glorify the Creator, then what should our praise be to the One who made us, loves us, and saved us? He is worthy of all worship. May the Holy Spirit fill us with the praise to God that He deserves. All creation praises him.
How does creation glorify God? How to join the daily worship of the Creator?
Creator God, You deserve all praise, worship and gratitude. If my heart grows coarse and I forget Your dignity, remind me that all creation sings Your praise.
Jose, a young believer in Jesus, visited his brother’s church. When he entered the worship hall, his brother gave him a disapproving look. Jose wore a t-shirt and tattoos were visible on both of his arms. His brother told him to go home and change into a long-sleeved shirt, as many of the tattoos reflected his past. Jose suddenly felt dirty. However, another man overheard the brothers’ conversation, who brought Jose to the pastor and told him what had happened. The pastor smiled and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a large tattoo on his chest that was left over from his past. The pastor assured Jose that he did not need to hide his hands because God had cleansed him from the inside.
David felt the joy of God’s cleansing. Confessing his sin to Him, the king wrote: “Blessed is he to whom a crime is given, to whom sin is covered” (Ps. 31:1). Now he could “sing with joy” with the “heartfelt” (v. 11). Subsequently, the apostle Paul in Romans 4:7-8 quoted a passage from Psalm 31:1-2, where it is said that faith in Jesus leads to salvation and to our purity before Him (see Rom. 4:23-25).
Our purity in Jesus is more than a clean skin, for He knows and cleanses our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7; 1 John 1:9). Let us rejoice in His cleansing today.
What past sins have you been trying to deal with? What does it mean to be changed and cleansed by faith in Jesus?
Lord Jesus, thank you for forgiving my sins and making me clean.
“You will keep the thought, based on You, in complete peace, because it puts its hope in You.” — Isaiah 26:3
Researchers from the Chinese city of Fujian decided to help improve the sleep of patients in intensive care units. They measured the effects of various sleep aids on subjects by simulating a hospital ward environment with bright lighting and audio recordings of machine beeps and nurses’ conversations. The study showed that masks and earplugs improve the rest of the test subjects. But for real patients in a real intensive care unit, restful sleep will still be difficult to achieve.
How to find peace when the surrounding world is restless? The Bible says that those who hope in God will have peace regardless of their circumstances. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the future time when the Israelites will return home after severe trials. They will live peacefully in their city, because God will make it safe (Is. 26:1). He will act in the surrounding world for their good, humbling the proud, liberating the oppressed and administering justice (vv. 5-6). Israel will be convinced that “in the Lord is an eternal stronghold” and will always hope in Him (v. 4).
“You will keep the thought that rests on You in complete peace, because it puts its hope in You,” Isaiah wrote (v. 3). God can still provide peace and tranquility for us today. Let us be calm and confident in His love and strength, regardless of what is happening around us.
What scares or worries you today? How can you remind yourself of God’s power and His love?
God, I trust in You and want to find peace in Your love.
“And she called his name Moses, and said: ‘for I drew him out of the water.'” — Exodus 2:10
Their exact age is unknown. One was found on the steps of the church, the other only knew about herself that she was raised by nuns. Born in Poland during the Second World War, Galina and Khrystyna did not know anything about each other for eight years. And then the results of the DNA test showed that they were sisters, and then there was a joyful reunion. And it also turned out that they were of Jewish origin, and this explained why they were thrown. Evil people were ready to kill newborns solely because of their nationality.
As I imagined a frightened mother leaving her babies at the church door, I remembered the story of Moses. The Jewish boy was also condemned to death (see Exodus 1:22). However, the mother thoughtfully put him in a basket and left him in a reed near the bank of the Nile (Ex. 2:3). God had a plan that she could not imagine: to save all His people through this baby.
The story of Moses points to the story of Jesus Christ. As Pharaoh killed Jewish babies, so Herod ordered the extermination of boys two years old and under in Bethlehem (see Matt. 2:13-16).
Behind this hatred (especially towards children) is our enemy – the devil. However, his attacks are unable to catch God off guard. He had a plan for Moses, and He also had a plan for you and me. And through Jesus Christ, He revealed to us His main plan: to save those who were once His enemies.
How have God’s plans been fulfilled in your life? How did He save you?
Heavenly Father, there is so much evil in the world! Thank You for salvation. Help me to trust in Your perfect plan.
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything let your desires be made known to God by prayer and request with thanksgiving.” — Philippians 4:6
Moving is considered one of the strongest stresses in a person’s life. We moved into our current house after I lived in the previous one for almost twenty years. For eight of them, I lived there all alone, and then I got married. My husband moved in with me with all his possessions. Then a child appeared, the property increased.
The day of moving to a new house was not without incident. Five minutes before the porters arrived, I was still working on the book manuscript. And in the new building there were several stairs, so it took twice as much time and as many porters.
But by the end of the day, I didn’t feel particularly stressed. And then I realized that I had spent many hours writing the book. By God’s grace, I meditated on His Word, prayed, and worked diligently to finish in time. This became the reason for my peace: I was immersed in the Bible and prayer.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). When we pray and rejoice “in the Lord” (v. 4), our thoughts are reoriented from problems to the One who solves them. We can ask God to help us deal with the causes of stress, but at the same time we are also in communication with Him, thanks to which “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” comes to the heart (v. 7).
In what stressful situations do you need God’s peace? How can a prayer of thanksgiving change your inner state?
My Guardian and Guardian, I entrust my cares to You. May Your peace guard my mind and heart.
“And Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.” — 1 Samuel 18:3
In the north of Spain, they have come up with a great way to communicate and express friendship. There are many man-made caves in the countryside where farmers store their harvested crops. Every fall, a company of farmers gathered in a room above one of these caves and compiled an inventory of their products. Later, the room became known as the “talking room” – a place of communication where friends and relatives gathered to share stories, secrets and dreams. If you need a cozy circle of good friends, you can’t think of a better place.
If Yonatan and David lived in the north of Spain, then perhaps they too would have created such a “conversation room” for themselves. When King Saul wanted to kill David, his eldest son Jonathan began to protect him. The Bible says that “Jonathan’s soul connected with David’s soul, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Sam. 18:1). Although Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne, he recognized David’s divine election to the kingship. He gave David his clothes, sword, bow and belt (v. 4). Later, David grieved bitterly after the death of Jonathan and sang of his friendship with him in a mournful song (2 Sam. 1:26).
May the Lord help us, Christians, to arrange our “conversation rooms” so that our friendship reflects the love and care of Jesus Christ. Spend time talking to your friends and open your heart to them.
What commitments have you made to your friends? How can you express your love for them this week?
Dear Lord, help me to maintain sincere and trusting relationships with my friends.
Today, a healing and deliverance service was held in our church. We are very grateful to the brothers and sisters of the “Salvation” Church who visited us and conducted a wonderful service. We thank God for all the new people who turned to Christ this Sunday, and we pray for a miracle of salvation and healing in their lives.
03/26/2023 10:01 a.m. #broadcast “Ministry of healing and liberation” published on the Church of God’s Glory channel:
“It is the Lord’s mercy that we have not perished, because His mercy has not ended, it is new every morning, because Your faithfulness is great!” — Lamentations 3:22-23
Over the past few decades, a new word has entered cinema: reboot. In cinematic language, it means a new retelling of an old story. Some reboots are remakes of well-known movies. Others take on a more ambitious task and retell the old story in a new way. But in any case, a restart is an attempt to redo or update something. This is a new beginning, a desire to breathe new life into an old story.
There is another story that could also see a reboot. This is the Gospel. In it, Jesus offers us forgiveness and eternal life (John 10:10). And in the book Lamentations of Jeremiah, the prophet reminds us that God “restarts” his mercy for us every day: “It is the Lord’s mercy that we have not perished, because His mercy has not ended, it is new every morning, for Your faithfulness is great!” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Through God’s grace, we can see each day as a new opportunity to see His faithfulness. If we are forced to deal with the consequences of our own mistakes or go through other difficulties, the Spirit can breathe forgiveness, new life and hope into each day of our lives. Each morning is a kind of restart, a new opportunity to follow the guidance of the heavenly Director, who weaves the story of our lives into the story of His great deeds.
How does thinking about and remembering God’s faithfulness in the midst of trials change our perspective on them? How has God’s faithfulness and grace made a “restart” in your life?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace and forgiveness that allow me to start anew every morning.
