PREPARE FOR IT! - Up Now Son - Matthew 28

Let's review the scripture passage we've been studying this week in preparation for  Easter Sunday tomorrow and the final lesson in the Up Now Son sermon series.


Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Living on Mission and Experiencing Jesus on the Way

Living on Mission and Experiencing Jesus on the Way

Matthew 28 just gets better every time you read it. It has so many dramatic elements… sadness, fear, joy, instructions, unbelief, scandalous bribery, and a Great Commission. It is also packed with really Good News!

It’s difficult to pick a favorite passage, but this part is so good:

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:5-9)

Notice that the women were running off to do what they were instructed by the angel to do, (go tell the disciples that Jesus is alive – now that’s spreading Good News!) and they encountered Jesus Himself. “…as they went, Jesus met them…they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him.” He came to meet them. Beautiful!

Doesn’t that just make you want to rush out and obey?!?! Remember, the last thing He said was that He’d always be with us.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and experience His presence while we are on our way to obey!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Up Now Son - Matthew 28

So, a couple months ago, in the cold, snowy winter, I watched Samuel Keller's fish for him while he and his family were away.  Fish are low maintenance... or so I thought.  How hard could it be?  Kim brought Gill to work in a travel-sized container, along with his food, water drops, and larger tank.  When I left work, I gathered up Gill and we both drove home in the snowy, cold weather.  When I got home, I prepared his larger tank, and plopped him in.  He looked momentarily energized.  Then he pretty much looked like he was dead.  I was so certain that I had killed dear Gill, that I sent Kim a text letting her know what was likely going to occur.  Pastor Celia had killed Samuel's fish.  Oy.  I prayed he would live and I slept on my couch, near Gill, so that at least I could tell dear Samuel that his fish did not die alone. 

But... wonder of wonders... Gill lived!  I nicknamed him Lazzy, after Lazarus.  I was so happy.  So surprised.  In fact, Gill stayed with me several days and each morning, to be perfectly honest, when I saw him alive, I was just as surprised as the morning before.  I have since come to believe that perhaps dear Gill-Lazzy always looks and acts...well... not in any kind of lively manner what-so-ever.

I was so excited and relieved.  And, let's face it, that was for a fish, who only seemed like he might die and then didn't.  I cannot imagine the excitement of Lazarus and his friends and family when he was raised from the dead.  Nor can I imagine the excitement of Mary and Mary (in Matthew 28) as they discovered Jesus was risen.  Jesus... whom they had seen crucified.  Jesus... who was buried.  Jesus... their friend.  Jesus... Savior of all. 

In Matthew 28, the Angel of the Lord appears to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.  They are told to not be afraid.  To come and see.  To go quickly.  To tell.  Jesus' instructions to us echoes this.  What I love is that in the midst of their obedience to the instructions given to them, Jesus meets them.  Much like Jesus does with all of us.

Wow.  That's my summary.  Wow.  (Brilliant, huh?) 

So... in light of this passage, how do we "pray it?"  As we conclude this final week of the Up Now Son series, in the "PRAY IT" blog, we'll spend one final time looking at the passage from Ephesians 6:10-20, in conjunction with our passage from Matthew.  Let's focus in on verse 10:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

As we pray, we can be strong in the Lord who is who He says He is.  We don't proclaim a Christ-Who-Almost-Kind-of-Died-But-Didn't, like Samuel's fish.  We rejoice in our RISEN Lord, who overcame death, for us.  Who wants a relationship with us.  Who loves us.  A lot.

As we pray, we pray for the same response as Mary and Mary:  Let us pray that we are not afraid.  (Leaning into Jesus with all we have can be scary...) Let us pray that we come and see (Walking with Jesus takes open eyes/ears/minds/hearts...it takes action on our part...)  Let us pray that we go quickly (In whatever mission Jesus gives us, let's not dawdle.  Let's just get to it.  May our excitement get us moving!)  Let us pray that we tell (Because why would we want to keep our awesome Jesus a secret???)  And let us pray that in the midst of our obedience, Jesus continues to meet with us.  (Because He will...)

Dear Jesus,
Please help us draw near to you, and joyfully so.  Please help calm any fears we may have about surrendering to you and letting you be Lord of our lives.  Please help us stay open to all that you have for us, and to actively continue to pursue you daily.  Please strengthen us as to not delay in our obedience, but to act quickly.  Please help us radiate You from the inside out, and that people can see You in our words, in our actions, and in our lives.  We love you Jesus.  Help us love you even more.

Amen.

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “All the News That’s Fit to Share”

Supplies: Bible; newspaper, news website, or news app

SHARE 

Do you like to watch the news?  I certainly didn’t when I was a kid.  I thought the news was boring and almost impossible to understand.  Now that I’m older, I enjoy watching and reading the news much more, because I like knowing what’s going on in the world.  Even so, there are times I wonder why news reporters pick the stories they do.  For example, I just did a quick scan through a top news website, and here are the stories: a court case from a bombing; a plane crash; government workers who broke the law; trouble in the Middle East; an explosion; and a bridge collapse.  Ugh!  Now, I’m not saying these stories aren’t noteworthy.  If that’s what’s happening, I’m sure some people want to know.  But there’s absolutely NO happy news!  There’s no joyful, positive, feel-good kind of stories that reporters feel is worth sharing.  I repeat—ugh!

What kind of stories would you like to hear?  What do you think would be the most interesting, worthwhile headline?  What kind of TV news show would you be most likely to watch?  Think about it for a minute, then share with your family.

READ

Now grab a Bible and read Matthew 28.

THINK

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a more stirring, interesting, attention-grabbing headline than “JESUS LIVES!”  I mean, even if I had no idea who this son of a carpenter was, I’d want to read that story.  I would turn up the volume when it came on TV.  I would want to know what that was all about.  Seriously!  Betrayed by a close friend, arrested, tortured, executed, buried…then three days later He’s back???  Find me any ten news stories today that are even half that fascinating!  And it only gets more engaging the more you know.

This man was innocent—not just of the crimes of which He was accused, He was innocent of all crimes…of all sin!  This guy never once did anything apart from the highest moral standard.  In fact, He spent most of His time helping, healing, and basically giving to others.  Even His death was an act of service to His fellow man.  As it turns out, this man’s wrongful execution serves as payment for all sin ever committed—past, present or future.  He didn’t die because He had a rotten lawyer or because the jury was rigged.  He chose to die for YOU, person and/or family reading this blog, dying in your place so that one day, you could know God.

And then three days later He came back to life!!!  He’s not still dead—this guy’s ALIVE AGAIN!  That unprecedented (and unmatched) miracle means that every person has the chance to be alive again, too.  Each and every human being, from Mother Teresa to Charles Manson, and everyone in between has the opportunity to accept this Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to be forgiven of their sins, and to experience eternal life.  Hoo-ah, now that’s some news worth sharing!

APPLY

That’s one of the things I love about this passage in Matthew.  It begins with truly the greatest story ever, and ends with a charge to share that story.  Now let’s be real, if this happened tomorrow in Random Town, Kansas, we’d ALL hear about it.  It would top the trending charts, clog up your news feed, and set a new record for reTweeted post.  It’d be every headline on every paper, and the top story on every station.  It’d be NEWS!

So why isn’t it still?  What’s keeping us from sharing this amazing, fascinating, attention-grabbing, life-transforming story with others?  Granted, you may not want to run out to the street, stop the first car that drives past, and start telling them about Jesus.  But I bet there’s at least one person you know, someone you have a relationship with, who would be interested to hear this bit of news.  You can share it yourself, or you can always invite them to Easter service.  Let’s agree that we won’t let the greatest story ever end up in the trash.  Talk about how you as a family can work together to share Jesus with the people you’re close to.  Who can you each invite to Easter this week?  Now let’s pray.

PRAY

You did it, Jesus.  You did the impossible, the incredible, the incomprehensible. Some would say You even did the insane.  But You did it, and You did it for us.  Thank You!  Guide us, God, to know who you’ve placed around us that’s ready to hear this amazing story.  In Your Name we pray, Jesus.  Amen

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

READ IT! - Up Now Son - Matthew 28

Here is the scripture passage we're studying this week in preparation for  Easter Sunday and the final lesson in the Up Now Son sermon series.


Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

PREPARE FOR IT! - Up Now Son - Romans 13:9-21, 10:14-21

Let's review again today the scripture passage we've been studying this week in preparation for tomorrow's sermon in the Up Now Son sermon series.



Love in Action

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:


“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”






21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Living on Mission Together as a Family

Living on Mission Together as a Family

I have a challenge for you when you read this week’s scripture passage about love in action. Don’t read it from an individual perspective, read it from the perspective of doing it together with the whole church family.

Why? Because we’re not meant to try to fulfill the mission of God on our own. In fact, we can’t! We are made to live as the family of God – each of us doing our part. Only together will we be able to do what God has called us to do. So, as we learn to fully love God and love people (both believers and not-yet-believers,) let’s bear in mind that we can only fully do it together as a family.

“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

Let’s practice Living on Mission – and do it together as a family!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Up Now Son, Romans 12:9-21 and 10:14-21

I don’t have a tattoo.  I’m not opposed to tattoos.  The pain element does not even scare me away from getting a tattoo nearly as much as the permanence.  I’m not sure that I have encountered something of such interest to me that I want it on my body for… potentially… ever.  Maybe I’m lacking a singular focus.  Maybe I’m lacking commitment.  Maybe it’s the cost.  Maybe I don’t want the pain.  Maybe I’m lacking in trust of some stranger who is going to doodle on my body.

In this week’s passage from Romans, Paul outlines the marks of true Christians.  If we learned anything from our previous Mountain5 sermon series, it is that as Christians, we are called to look and live differently, perhaps radically so, as we live out our transformed life thanks to Jesus. 

We find a good portion of these in Romans 12:9-21.  Love.  Holding fast to what is good.  Showing honor.  Serving the Lord.  Rejoicing.  Praying constantly.  Showing hospitality.  Blessing those who persecute us.  Living in harmony.  It goes on and on. 

These are some things that would look good on us, God’s children… permanently.  Not so easy to put into practice, especially if we try it apart from God.

Maybe I’ll never get a “real” tattoo.  And that’s fine.  But when it comes to permanence, commitment, pain, cost, trust, and all of those things, what is my relationship with Jesus?  What am I willing to let Jesus do to me?  Do I trust Jesus enough to leave his markings on me, permanently?  Is this a long-term (see:  eternal) relationship or just a "temporary tattoo" that will wash off with soapy water?  Do I trust Jesus' quality?  Do I trust that any short term pain I experience (because dying to oneself and one’s own plans and desires can hurt!) will be helped and healed by his love?  That it is worth the cost?  Do I trust that what he will choose to do in and through me will be beautiful?

As a follower of Christ... as a child of God... I have to be willing to look and live differently.  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”  (Romans 10:15b). 

The good news is Jesus. 

According to Romans 12:12, one of our tattoos (or markings) as a Christian is to “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”  This echoes the passage we have been mulling over the past few weeks in the PRAY IT blog:  Ephesians 6:10-20.  Let’s look specifically at verses 18-19 today.  “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”.

With Jesus' help, we can persevere in prayer.  What a great way to "preach" the good news of Jesus - through our joy, through our patience, and through our prayer.  Let's pray-it-up, PoC! 

Dear Jesus,

Please help us trust you as you grow us and change us, not just for our benefit but for those we encounter on a daily basis who need to hear about you, our good news.  Please speak to us right now and silence any opposing voices.  Remind us that you are trustworthy, you are quality, you are our healer, and you are worth it.

Amen.

Continue to Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today we are praying for Christ to gather the nations in worship, for laborers, and for the following Middle Eastern countries:  Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Pastor Celia

READ IT! - Up Now Son - Romans 12:9-21, 10:14-21

Here is the scripture passage we're studying this week in preparation for the next lesson in the Up Now Son sermon series.



Love in Action

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:


“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”






21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

PREPARE FOR IT! - Up Now Son - Galations 3:1-4

Let's review the scripture passage we've been studying this week to prepare for the second sermon in the Up Now Son sermon series tomorrow.

Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? - Galatians 3:1-4 (NIV)

Living on Mission with the Right Power Supply

Living on Mission with the Right Power Supply

If you’re reading this, you are an electronic device user. One thing about these devices is that they require power. Not just any power, but the right power. Did you know that if you plug the wrong charger into an iPhone, you could get a message that says, "Charging is not supported with this accessory"? I’ve heard of people using the wrong power adapter for their laptop and causing a “fried” motherboard. I’m no electrical engineer, but I know that’s bad. Trying to use the wrong kind of power can cause the device not to work properly or even to be destroyed.

As human beings created in the image of God, we too are designed to operate under a certain kind of power. It’s so easy for us to default to using our own power, but we are actually designed for our lives to be powered by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that trying to use another kind of power, such as our own human power, is silly and ineffective according to the Bible. “How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (Galatians 3:3)

The good news is that we have the opportunity to be “powered up” by the Holy Spirit every day. He fills and refills if we simply ask.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and be sure to power up using the only source we were designed for: the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! UP NOW SON - Galatians 3:1-4

Hamster, meet wheel.  Doing things in our own strength/power/might produces human-sized results.  And it gets tiring over time.  As Christians, we desire God-sized results.  Once we've experienced the magnitude of that, it can be hard to settle for anything less.  And we shouldn't.  But sometimes, we go right back to trying to "finish" things our own way and in our own power.  I'm not sure why we do that... but I think that while we're going to battle in prayer, we also need to ask Jesus to help us combat our "natural" tendencies (to take charge, do things "our" way, to rely on ourselves only, and not God, and our plan, not God's...) and to replace those tendencies with humility as we call out in need to our mightier, wiser God. 

This week, as we continue on in our Up Now Son sermon series, we will be exploring Galatians 3:1-4.  

Galatians 3:1-4

3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?^{[a] 4} Have you experienced^[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain?

Ah, we need to "get up" in God's strength and power, and then remain moving in His strength and power.  (Another win for daily presence!)  Simply, we can do things in the Spirit or we can do things in the flesh.  One of those is the blessed choice!  As John 15:7 reminds us "I am the vine; you are the braches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

So... in light of this passage, how do we "pray it?"  Over the remaining 3 weeks, in the "PRAY IT" blog, we're going to spend some time savoring Ephesians 6:10-18, which, in my opinion, illustrates another fine example of how we, as praying Christians, are to get up.  Right off the bat, in the first verse of this passage, we see how we are supposed to start/finish things (in the Spirit... in the Lord's strength... uh, in whose strength?  The Lord's strength!)... OH YEAH!!!

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

What we start in the Spirit should be finished in the Spirit.  To finish in "the flesh" would be akin to us putting on all that armor given to us from God, only to then take it all off and replace it for a Halloween costume version of armor - plastic, cheap, and ineffective in any real battle. 


Don't pray without your armor.  Don't don your armor and then forget to pray.

Spirit, not flesh.

Dear Jesus,
Please help us to abide in you and remain in you because truly apart from you we can do nothing.  Please reveal to us any ways in which we are trying to finish in the flesh what was started in the Spirit, and help us to correct this immediately!  Please grow our dependence on you and help us to confidently rely on you as you are steadfast and trustworthy.
Amen.

Continue to Seek God for the City - 2015!  Today we are praying for prisoners and their families, for the gospel to be declared to all people, and for the following European/Central Asian countries:  Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Portugal. 

Pastor Celia