March 19, 2017

DAY TWENTY-SIX

March 19, 2017

From Defeat to Victory

“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” Joshua 1:3

Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country, Abe stood tall and strong in a very critical and decisive time in our history.  We certainly would regard him as a successful man.  But this man also experienced many failures throughout his life.

When Abraham Lincoln went off to the Black Hawk War he was a captain.  Through no fault of his own, he returned a private.  That brought an end to his military career.  His little country village shop “winked out” as he used to say.  So he failed as a businessman.

As a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, he was too impractical, too unpolished, and too temperamental to be successful.

Turning to politics, he was defeated in his campaign for the legislature.

He was defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for Congress and in his application to be Commissioner of the General Land Office.

He was defeated in the Senatorial election of 1854 and in his aspirations for the Vice Presidency in 1856.

Finally, he was elected President of the United States and fulfilled his destiny and the destiny of a nation.  Although maybe not as dramatic, Lincoln’s experience is the experience of many of God’s people.  The enemy of our soul comes to us after repeated defeats and whispers in our ears, “You’re a failure!”  He tells us we will never win, are trapped forever where we are, and will never fulfill our God-given destiny.

The first chapter of Joshua tells the story of God’s people who escaped the cycle of defeat and moved into the new day of victory.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that Fredericksburg Wesleyan will possess all the land and build all the facilities on it that God intends for us.  Pray Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Ask the Lord to encourage you in your walk with Him.  In your prayer time, claim victory over evil for our church and for yourself.

March 18, 2017

                                              

DAY TWENTY-FIVE

March 18, 2017

The Corporate Anointing

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.”   Psalm 133

This Psalm was written on the occasion of David’s coronation as King over all of Israel.  And what a struggle it was between the times he was anointed king by Samuel until the day of his coronation when he ruled over a united twelve tribes.  It was David who united these warring tribes.  David understood that harmony could only be achieved when they practiced the unity of their faith.  These days of unity for Israel under David, and later his son Solomon, were without question the most glorious days of their history.  Never has Israel possessed all of the land that God gave her except in these days.  Even in our current time, Israel is but a shadow of what she was, despite her being in a united state.  In fact, Israel will know no greater glory until Jesus rules in regal splendor from His throne in Jerusalem.

There is a message in these verses for the church.  For as the people of God united under one king in the Old Testament, so the people of God must unite today under the King of Kings.  As they experience great glory in this unification in the Old, so we will experience a greater glory in the New.  As they experienced a tremendous victory over their enemies because of unification, so we will enjoy freedom from the enemy’s control in the New.

Unity is not uniformity.  You can tie two cats’ tails together and have unity but not peace!  Seek ways to be harmonious.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that the FredWes believers will experience and demonstrate true unity of purpose.  Pray that we will be one so that the world will be won.  Ask God how you can help our church be unified.

The Anointing Brings Harmony

                                             

DAY TWENTY-FOUR

March 17, 2017

The Anointing Brings Harmony

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.” Psalm 133

Remember the television show M*A*S*H?  It was based on an American emergency medical unit in the Korean War.  This group of people was composed of some very different personalities.  There was Hawkeye Pierce, B.J., and Father Mulcahy.  There was Colonel Potter, Radar, and Hotlips Houlihan.  They were always playing jokes on one another and arguing over different political views and the war.  But there was always one thing that brought these characters together.  It did not matter what particular argument was going on or what particular practical joke was being pulled, when they heard the sound of the choppers bringing in wounded, they always were united in the O.R.

In our day of hurting and wounded people, we cannot afford to be one more church that spends all of its time arguing over things that will not matter in the light of eternity.  We must bring our differences together and allow the Lord to merge them in unity of the Spirit.

Just as Aaron, the high priest, was anointed on his head and the oil ran down his body, so the Holy Spirit descends from our great High Priest, Jesus Christ.  Anointing always brings harmony.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that, throughout the fulfilling of this dream that the Lord has given Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church, we will experience genuine harmony resulting from the Holy Spirit’s presence among us.  Ask God to show you specific ways that you can contribute toward the unit of believers at Fred Wes.

March 16, 2017

                                          

DAY TWENTY-THREE

March 16, 2017

All Power

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” Matthew 28:18

The Roman Empire was at one of its greatest moments in terms of size and influence.  The borders of the empire were larger than ever before.  Their elaborate governing system was in full operation.  Tax money was coming in at a higher rate than ever.  Truly the Roman Empire was operating in one of its finest hours.  It was the most modern civilization the world had ever known.

If it were possible for the leader of this great empire, Tiberius Caesar, to have looked from his palace in Rome all the way to a distant remote mountain somewhere in Galilee where eleven men were gathered around their leader, and if he were able to hear what this leader was saying to these eleven men, there is little doubt that he would have laughed out loud.  The leader said to His disciples, “I have been given complete authority…”

However, if Caesar could have seen about 350 years into the future, he would have been aghast to see his successor naming Christianity as the official state religion.  It took less than 400 years for Christianity to conquer the great Roman Empire.  History would later show that this act of being made an official religion of the empire would become a blight rather than a blessing to Christianity.  However, it is still significant to see how a church of only eleven impacted the entire known world in such a short time.

How were they able to achieve this feat?  It was through power - Holy Spirit, God-given power.  We can impact our world because we have the same Holy Spirit living within us, thus the same power.

Prayer Focus:  Pray that the leaders of Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church will be mightily filled with Holy Spirit power and thus impact the world for Christ.  For yourself, pray or sing the words of this song:

“Breathe on me, breath of God, love and life that make me free.  Breathe on me, breath of God, fan the flame within me.  Teach my heart, heal my soul, and speak the mind that in Christ we know.  Take me to your sanctuary.  Breathe on me.  Speak to me, voice of God.  Comfort, heal, restore with love.  Breathe on me.”

Day 22 :: Changed By The Power Of God

                                            

DAY TWENTY-TWO

March 15, 2017

Changed By The Power Of God

“As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

                                                                                                James 2:26

How do you know that your life has been changed by the power of God?  Well, how do you know that a high voltage electrical line has touched you?  When a person comes into a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, it is very obvious to the one who has received this new life and to the people close to Him.  When God comes into your soul, you will know it!  However, the question can be asked:  “Does the Bible teach about the evidence of a changed life?”  This Scripture in James is the heart of this epistle, and it gives a clear understanding of a biblical working faith that is evident of a union with Jesus Christ.

Paul speaks of this in Romans, using Abraham as an illustration.  Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation.  What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith?  Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him?  If so, he would have had something to boast about.  But from God’s point of view, Abraham had no basis at all for pride.  For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  When people work, their wages are not a gift.  Workers earn what they receive.  “However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”  Romans 4:1-5

There is no contradiction between these verses in James and Romans.  Paul stresses the root of faith, while James stresses the fruit of faith.  Paul looks at our salvation from the Divine perspective, and James looks at it from the human perspective.  Paul sees the fire, and James sees the smoke coming out of the chimney.  The two go hand in hand.

Is your faith evident to those around you?  Does your faith penetrate your character and actions?  Can others tell that you love the Lord?

Prayer Focus:  Lord, increase the faith of every member of our church so that it is obviously visible to the outside world.  Pray Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”

March 14, 2017

                      DAY TWENTY-ONE                     

March 14, 2017

Power Of Love

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8

A woman named Beth was driving her husband Jim’s pride and joy, a little green MG.  He had labored over this car for hours every Saturday for four years.  He had wanted a car like this for almost all of his life.  As Beth was driving, she saw a boy on a bicycle and swerved to avoid him.  She heard the little car being crunched, scraped, and the glass breaking.  Another driver stopped to help her out of the car.  She was dazed but not hurt when the police officer approached her and asked for her insurance papers.

She did not so much fear the wrath of her husband, for he was gentle and nice, but she feared the great disappointment he would have.  She dreaded the hurt and anguish she would see on his face.

As she went to the glove compartment to get the insurance papers, she found them in a plastic package.  To her surprise on top of all the documents was a white envelope with her name on it.  She opened it and began to read:  “Dear Beth, if you are reading this, you have probably been in an accident.  Don’t worry.  I pray that you are all right, and just remember it is you that I love.  Jim”

The best of us have wrecked our lives at times.  We have made a mess.  We have loved darkness rather than light.  But the cross is God’s statement to us that no matter how much we have wrecked our lives and disappointed Him, He says, “Remember it is you I love.”

Prayer Focus:  Spend time in prayer adoring God for His love.  Pray that as we move forward as a church, we will always cultivate a loving relationship with God and each other.  Ask the Lord what Fred Wes family member you can reach out to today, expressing His love.

March 13, 2017

                                               

DAY TWENTY

March 13, 2017

Power To Transform

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves.” Colossians 1:13

One of our problems today is that we trivialize sin, Satan, salvation, and the Savior.  We have reduced sin to what we call minor complexes and simple problems.  Satan has become simply a myth, a joke or a cartoon character.  In reality, he is the very real god of this world, the chief of an innumerable company of demons, the father of all unbelievers and the ruling monarch of darkness. 

Salvation has been reduced to a mere intellectual decision rather than a transformation of life.  Our Savior has been trivialized to simply another religious leader.  In the New Testament, Jesus never asks for compliments or tribute from those who reject His claims as Messiah.  He stands alone as the “only begotten of the Father.”  He made the claims that “He and the Father are one.”  He claims to be the only way to heaven.  We may trivialize these things, but in light of eternity, it is not a trivial pursuit.  The very word salvation stands for all God the Father has done to rescue us from our fallen condition.  The New Testament presents our salvation, not as a mere decision, but a miraculous, supernatural deliverance!  Colossians stands as a book that is a wake‑up call to the powerful truths about our salvation.  Never trivialize what it took to save you.

Prayer Focus:  Today is the halfway point in our 40 days of prayer and fasting.  Pray that our prayer warriors will be encouraged in some way today.  Pray that God’s people at Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church will continue to strive to deepen their relationship with God on a daily basis and that generous giving on Commitment Sunday will result because of their increased faith.  Ask God to help you never to trivialize His love.