God’s Independence Day

 

 

Beth Patch – Senior Producer, cbn.com

Independence Day — burgers and hotdogs sizzle on grills and fireworks burst in the sky. We eat, maybe hear The Star Spangled Banner, watch fireworks, and go home. July fourth has become commonplace, another day for big sales events and flying an American flag; far removed from the early celebrations marking the end of the Revolutionary War and founding a new country.

However, an Independence Day celebration approaches that will impress the whole world and never be diminished! We don’t know its date and shouldn’t believe anyone who tells us they do. But, no one on earth or in heaven will miss its importance; and it will mark a day of eternal freedom from the greatest oppressor ever – Satan.

It is the day of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ’s return. It is the beginning of real freedom, like no one has ever had before (except Adam and Eve before they sinned). Those who have believed in Christ’s atoning blood for their sins and have trusted and believed in Him, might have what an old preacher of mine used to call “a Hallelujah breakdown!”

This Independence Day will release Christians from the many sins keeping them entangled. Imagine, no more sickness, no more addictions, no more gossip, no more unkindness, no more anything that does not reflect the positive attributes of the love of our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Currently, we have the Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen and comfort us, and give us remarkable power through Christ’s death and resurrection. However, we are still tripped up by sin as long as we live in this fallen world. When Jesus returns, all our ungodliness along with our negative baggage goes away. I can’t think of a better freedom than that.

Actually, the whole scene of Jesus’s return sounds so incredible, I doubt there are words to describe the immense emotional, spiritual and physical response people will have.

The Bible tells us Jesus will return to earth just like He left, through the clouds (Acts 1:11b), with his angels (Matt 16:27), with the trumpet call of God and a loud command (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Scripture says believers in Christ will be changed in a twinkling of an eye and Jesus will destroy all dominion, authority and power standing in opposition to Almighty God (1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Corinthians 15:24).

Our earthly minds are limited in their comprehension of this miraculous time. It’s a God thing, and try as we may, we can’t peg down the details on how God will accomplish the return of Jesus Christ and the destruction of evil.

Picture the sky filled with God’s mighty angels, the sound of God’s trumpet (which has to be the most beautiful and loudest sounding instrument) and our Lord Jesus shining radiantly as He leads His mighty angelic troop in the sky.

Envision watching victory as Christ and his angels capture Satan and his demons, and justice is completed. It will be more graphic and stirring than any riveting movie Hollywood could ever think of producing.

Many theologians have studied the return of Christ and have disagreed about the order of when things happen and exactly how they happen. These varied opinions on the return of Christ and the disappearance of believers from the earth have created divisions among believers who desperately want to cling to one decided order of the end times.

My response to such division is that it won’t matter how we interpret the end times in Scripture when God’s Independence Day comes. Everything will be revealed in God’s perfect timing. The day will come when we least expect it and we are instructed to be ready as if it were the next moment. So, in case it happens to be today, Happy Independence Day!

How to Help When You Can’t

 

 

Tim Bishop cbn.com

A Ruthless Toll on the Unsuspecting

Miles away, I have a friend going through “non-heaven” right now. His wife of over 40 years has been living in a nursing home for the past two years—and he has too. For 20 hours every day, he sits in a recliner listening to his beloved moan and watching her stare into space seemingly unaware of any movements or conversations in her midst. He sleeps only in two-hour intervals to check on her. Never mind the physical demands of caretaking, imagine the emotional cost of watching your spouse’s personality seep away while her strong body persists.

Even as he grieves his loss, guilt riddles my friend. Why is she in that bed and he isn’t? Deep down, love motivates him. He wants the best for her, but he loathes his existence at the nursing home. He and his friends have begged God to take his beloved home to heaven.

Why, Lord? These two have been faithful servants of yours since childhood. They were the ones visiting the nursing home, driving shut-ins to church, and giving time and money to fellow believers. Why did you allow her to be stricken with this insidious disease? She was church treasurer and a singer who spread the good news of your forgiveness and compassion. You healed Aeneas from years of paralysis in an instant (Acts 9:33-35). Please bring her back to life such as you did for Dorcas, another woman who was always doing good. Do it so others might believe (Acts 9:36-37, 40, 42). I beg you, either heal her or take her home.

Yet, despite the cries for help, there she sits, alongside her faithful husband, whose wellbeing is crumbling with hers.

The Disease

Dementia often strikes two innocent victims at once. In The Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver’s Handbook (2018), Dr. Sally Burbank and coauthor Sue Bell, whose husband died from Alzheimer’s, acquaint readers with the staggering proliferation of the disease and its cruel, life-changing effects. In the United States, an estimated 5.5 million people have contracted Alzheimer’s. After diagnosis, life expectancy is seven years. A relative, a close friend, or you are likely to encounter it.

Burbank and Bell’s book has given me a glimpse into my friends’ unenviable existence. This couple has done everything together. Now, they must weather the unstoppable plague that changes everything, as they inch their way toward the dreadful valley for relief.

Misunderstanding

Empathy screams at me to do something. However, I can’t change the inevitable, and I’m frustrated. I’d like to prevent the disease from destroying two loved ones rather than one. Yet urging my caretaker friend to pull away, when it’s not me sitting beside my betrothed—the woman I pledged to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, becomes tantamount to blaming him for his own demise.

Love and good intentions don’t always translate into helpfulness and understanding. Take Job, for example. Unaware that God had allowed Satan to do all kinds of evil to turn him away from the “One who gives and takes away” (Job 1:21), his friends felt compelled to explain why he had fallen on hard times. They blamed him for his problems. However, Job knew better:

“I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.” Job 16:2-5 (NIV)

His friends didn’t understand. They couldn’t. They hadn’t walked in his shoes.

Reader, if you ever find yourself wanting to encourage a caretaker of an Alzheimer’s patient, tread carefully. Be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

I’m a New Creation … Why Don’t You Believe Me?

 

Anne Ferrell Tata, cbn com

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How could her husband trust her? Why should he believe her? Those were the concerns my friend expressed to me as we sipped our coffee. It had been only six months since she ended her affair. She knew her relationship with Jesus Christ was real. She knew she was different. She knew there was no going back, but how could her husband know it too? She was living proof of 2 Corinthians 5:17,

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT)

Her husband told her he forgave her; however, it became evident he was still skeptical. She accepted the fact it would take time to rebuild trust, but she was eager to show him her transformation was real.

I told her she needed a Barnabas. Looking puzzled, I shared the story of the Apostle Paul. Just before his conversion on the road to Damascus when his name was Saul, the Bible says he “was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the LORD’S followers.” Acts 9:1 (NLT)

However, as Saul walked, the LORD revealed Himself and set Saul on a life-changing journey where he would never be the same. God gave him a new name: Paul. The Bible tells us right after his conversion, the Apostle Paul immediately began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues. Again, understandably, the people were skeptical. They even questioned, “isn’t this the same man who caused the devastation in Jerusalem?” Eventually, he traveled to Jerusalem and tried to meet with people, but everyone was afraid. They did not believe he was for real. Then Barnabas!

“Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the LORD on the way to Damascus and how the LORD had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.” Acts 9: 27 NLT

Barnabas advocated for Paul. Like Paul, my friend needed an advocate to help her husband know she was serious about her new faith in her Savior. If only there was a person to speak to her husband on her behalf, he might believe. She knew just the person. Their pastor. They had met with him many times. He knew her story, and he had helped her through her confession, healing, and restoration.

They set up a meeting. Having their pastor verify her remorse and sorrow over her bad decision helped her husband understand her conversion was sincere. The pastor counseled them. There were tears of joy and reconciliation as her husband saw true transformation.

It has been 20 years. Their marriage is stronger than ever. People can change. Saul changed. My friend changed. While transformations can be genuine, people from our past may be reluctant to believe change is real. We may need a Barnabas, an advocate to verify our change and good standing.

Once my friend’s pastor convinced her husband to trust her, there was no stopping the restoration of their marriage. Once Barnabas convinced the apostles to trust Paul, there was no stopping the growth of the new church.

“The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the LORD. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.” Acts 9:31 NLT

It all began when Barnabas declared to the disciples what had taken place. The Apostle Paul went on to spend the rest of his life teaching, preaching, and baptizing.

For anyone who has had a transformation, they know they are a new creation. They know their past is gone. Having others see and believe the change may take some time, and it might help to find a Barnabas!

Why We Need Jesus Every Day

 

By Debbie McDaniel, crosswalk.com

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'” John 6:35

Not a day goes by that we’re not in need of God’s grace and peace. Every morning we need His Spirit to fill us again, to strengthen us for what’s ahead. Every day we need a fresh word that He speaks to our hearts, that keeps our focus on what’s most important. Trying to run this race of life without Him, will do nothing but drain us dry.

The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. Wandering in circles. Times were intense, hot, dry. I’m sure they got weary. But God met them where they were. He made sure they had what they needed. They learned through every hard and grueling step, how much they had to rely on Him.

They were hungry. And God sent manna. Every day a miracle was there, right before their eyes. They just had to pick it up.

“When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” Exodus 16:14-19

And just like the people of Israel had to gather it fresh every morning in the wilderness, so it is with us. They couldn’t store it up; they had to look for it daily. And God always provided. Each morning it was there, waiting for them. Every day He made sure it met their needs, they were satisfied, they were nourished, they were cared for. And they never lacked, for God’s resources never run dry.

That’s what He does for us every single morning. Sometimes we miss it, out of busyness or stress. We try to get things going too fast, spinning wildly, trying to get it all done, and sometimes we might start to forget what matters most.

But even for those times, His grace is there. He waits for us. His patience and His peace, it never runs dry.

Each day, His miracles are all around, right before our eyes. We just have to choose to look for them, to pick up His provision, and stay close to His Presence.

God’s got our past covered, our future secured, and there’s more than enough grace for this day.

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'” John 6:35

Jesus is our Bread of Life. He promises that as we come to Him, and pick up with words, spend time first with Him, and allow His truths to nourish our spirits and lives, we will be satisfied.

Peace.

Independence Day Every Day

 

 

Missey Butler, cbn.com

I can honestly say I never knew the real meaning of freedom. I thought I knew what it meant because I am “American made.” I was born and raised in the United States of America just like those amber waves of grain. I would stand tall and proud while abiding under the mighty banner of the red, white, and blue! I love apple pie and hot dogs. As a high school majorette, I faithfully twirled my baton in many Fourth of July parades. My family would beam with pride as they waved their sparklers under the evening sky. The illuminated showers of cascading fireworks awed us.

I would stand proud, shoulder to shoulder, with my fellow patriots at the baseball park, straining through the heartfelt stanzas of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. I was always quick to place my hand over my heart while nudging my brother to remove his cap as the national anthem was beginning to play.

My heart still swells with pride and my eyes get a little glassy at the sight of our flag waving in the breeze. I am, for the most part, one of the ones who sings the loudest when reaching the part about the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The bottom line was that I could no longer shake the feelings of contradiction nor the whispers of hypocrisy that seemed to mock me and my supposed claim to liberty. So I decided to embark on my own private search to find the missing key that would unlock the chains that held me captive.

One of the advantages of sitting under good biblical teaching was that early on, I learned about three major forces that make it their business to ensure that you and I never find out about our God-given spiritual heritage. These diabolical enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil.

I had my own recent battle in winning this fight for my spiritual freedom. You see, I struggled with a desire to own many of the pretty things I saw. I believe the biblically correct term for this would be that I am influenced by the lust of the eyes. I had a desire to covet things that did not belong to me.

I would often think, Maybe it’s just a woman thing — you know, part of that whole nesting instinct ladies seem to have. The only problem was I wanted my nest to look the best! Therein lies the problem.

I spent much of my time and energy (not to mention my pocketbook) at modern-day temples known as malls. Many people worship there religiously, as shown by endless, frivolous spending (myself included).

I was returning home from one of those shopping sprees when I saw a one-line message displayed on a local church sign. The words were simple, but they really packed a punch. What it said was life-changing:

“IT COSTS TOO MUCH TO BE OUT OF THE CENTER OF GOD’S WILL.”

Wham! God allowed the words to pierce right through my idol-ridden heart. I found myself pulling into the church parking lot, turning off the car, and lowering my head. I quietly pleaded with God to take from me this desire for material things, as it had consumed me to the point that I was losing my precious freedom. Immediately, I sensed my spirit lift. It happened the moment I agreed with God that the price was too high. I knew that anything replacing Him as the center of my life was an idol. It had to go!

Together, we did an inventory of my heart, and later that same evening, He took me to Galatians 5:1:

“It was for freedom that Christ has made us free; stand firm, lest you fall again under a yoke of slavery”.

I soon began to discover that in Christ, we have already been made free (John 8:36). There is a fight of faith that must be won in order to maintain that freedom. After all, it cost the very life of Jesus Himself. Why wouldn’t it cost me something?

I’ve learned a very valuable lesson. Freedom does NOT come free. For me, it’s a matter of prayerfully placing a guard on my heart and standing firm with my shield of faith.

One of the keys to walking out this freedom is in knowing that the battle has been won. We simply believe that the jail door has already been swung wide open and that at any point we can walk out and stay out! Many times we are the ones who lock ourselves up because we lose sight of who we are and what we have in Christ.

My heartfelt prayer is that all of us who are called by His name would know and understand that it is His desire that we recognize our freedom, not just one day out of the year, but instead rejoice in claiming our own individual emancipation proclamation every day. Our day of reckoning will arrive when we truly let freedom ring by celebrating our spiritual, as well as physical, Independence Day — today and every day!

Waves of Mercy

 

Byron Bohnert cbn.com

Picture for a moment the scene of ocean waves continually rolling onto a long sandy beach. The Lord recently revealed to me that His mercy is exactly like those waves, constant and never ceasing.

Lamentations 3:22-23 says,

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (NLT) 

Without the mercy of God, we’d be finished. For God in His anger can be as fierce as a hurricane and then in His mercy become like a peaceful ocean wave.

God loves us so much and is saddened when we intentionally do things contrary to His will. The pain isn’t surface level with God, but cuts deep within.

Do you remember how crushed you felt the last time a loved one hurt you? If you are like me, you were highly disappointed at their neglect for your feelings. We’ve all been there before. Then, while you might have been angry with the person who wronged you, you were also willing to forgive them because of their heartfelt apology.

Now, by placing God in the same scenario, perhaps we can gain a better understanding of the Father’s heart. Yes, God desires to demonstrate His mercy in our lives. His mercy gives us another chance even after we’ve blown it.

The awesome thing about God is to know what He says in 1 John 1:9,

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (NLT)  

I personally enjoy being at the coast and relaxing to the sound of waves crashing upon the seashore. Whenever I return from spending time there, I am always refreshed and renewed. The ocean can be a treacherous place, but it also shares similar characteristics with its Creator. Everything on earth carries evidence of God’s character and handiwork; however, to me, the ocean is one of the greatest representatives in all of creation. As with God, the ocean is a source of life, strength, and tranquility.

Ocean waves, in particular, are truly amazing. Each time a wave washes up on the beach it carries away a portion of sand from one place to another. As a result, the waves, sand, and beach will always change. God deals with our sin in the same way the ocean deals with sand. He washes over us with His waves of mercy and takes away our sins.

Audio Adrenaline illustrates this clearly in a segment of their song, Ocean Floor: The lyrics speak of the songwriter’s sins, how they haunt him and are ugly. Then it makes the analogy of these sins being washed away by large ocean waves (God’s forgiveness) and they are as gone as the ocean floor is when wiped away by the churning surf.

Every day, God wants us to truly experience His mercy and do what 1 Chronicles 16:34 tells us,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Passing the Test of Liberty

 

Gene Markland  cbn.com

Reading today’s headlines, we learn of constant challenges to our liberty. Terrorists’ threats against our nation, economic turmoil, and political struggles are on our minds. But hasn’t that been a constant in the history of our country?

From the very outset of our nation’s birth, our forefathers passed the test of liberty in places like Bunker Hill and Valley Forge. But there has come a steady stream of trials and tests to our nation that we have had to pass in order to remain free. We mustn’t forget the Alamo, the battle of New Orleans, or Gettysburg, and our current heroes who fight a war against global terror.

There has been a test that each generation has had to pass for liberty. And these tests are always given to the individual. A woman, who we’ll call Maria, had always wanted to become a United States citizen, but could not pass the test. Well, after praying with a CBN prayer representative, Maria passed the test of liberty and became a United States citizen!

There once was a young boy named Tommy who was brilliant at an early age. Born and raised in a rural area, he read all of his father’s books by the age of six and had a hunger for knowledge that was unquenchable. He was tested many times in his life but at the age of 14, his father passed away, leaving him to assume the role of head of the house.

In spite of life’s circumstances, he entered college at the age of 17. Maintaining his home with his mother and siblings, at the age of 24, Tommy passed the bar exam and became a lawyer. When he was 27 and away working in another city, his home burned down and he lost all his prized possessions, including his extensive library. In time, he rebuilt his library, had an illustrious career, and passed the test of liberty.

Harriet Powers, a woman freed from slavery after the civil war, suffered hardships and struggled to pass the test of liberty. She was an expert seamstress who made quilts to help support her family of nine children. Few black women could write in those days, but Harriet told the stories of the Bible with the figures she sewed into the panels of her quilts. To see Harriet’s quilts was to get a visual of the great stories of the Bible. She passed the test of liberty and led her family into the free world.

The greatest test of liberty, however, came in a garden in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus passed the test of liberty for all mankind when He submitted Himself to His Father and said,

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42).

He sacrificed His liberty for ours, even to His death on a cross. Now we have liberty in Christ, eternal life that no man or devil in hell can take from us. When we accept Christ Jesus as our savior, we are free!

The test of liberty is an individual test, which we must pass daily. Our struggle, whether spiritual, physical, or financial, is not in vain. Just as we reap the rewards of those who have passed the test before us, we pass the rewards of our tests on to those who come after us.

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

So, pass the test of liberty and be an over-comer like Harriet Powers, the freed slave whose Bible quilt hangs in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC today. Or Maria, who passed the test of liberty and became a United States citizen at 96 years of age! And finally, let’s not forget Tommy, who at the age of 33 passed the test of liberty when he penned these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776).

We Never Face Our Battles Alone

 

by Debbie McDaniel, crosswalk.com

“And the Lord answered, ‘I will be with you…” Judges 6:16

Some days can seem hurried, pressured, and tense. We know God’s truth, we believe His goodness, and yet we still find ourselves struggling, minds racing, before our feet even touch the floor in the morning.

Our focus gets blurred. We start listening to the lies of other voices that do more harm than good. The constant media headlines tell us how dark and broken our world is. Images and reminders all around us shout that we’re “not enough.” The enemy is great at heaping on guilt, condemnation, and fear. The problems we face seem more like giants of impossibility than anything good that God can ever bring from them.

But often, out of His goodness and grace, when we find ourselves right smack in the middle of huge feelings of defeat, God shows up strong.

Many others have been there too. All through the Bible, story after story tells us of those who needed God’s reminders that He was near. With them. Close.

And He never failed, not once.

Gideon found himself feeling weak and afraid. In Judges 6, we find that he and his people were facing great suffering and defeat at the hand of the enemy. He doubted God was even with him. In fact, when an angel showed up, he was threshing his wheat in the pit of a winepress, not up on a hilltop where this was usually done. He was fearful and trying to keep hidden from view of the enemy who’d been raiding their land. The angel spoke straight through to his fear and weakness, “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12

Don’t you love that he called him “mighty warrior” right at the time he felt so discouraged and afraid?

But God sees “mighty” when we see “weak.” He sees victory when we see defeat. He gives hope, when we’re filled with disappointment.

Gideon questioned, “If God was with us, then why did this happen?”

Sounds familiar…ever been there?

“If God is really here, then why?”

“If God is really good, then when?”

“If God really cares, then how?”

And even with the questions, after His people had turned their backs on Him, God is still gracious, patient, loving, and kind. He sends his messenger to encourage, to remind Gideon and all of the Israelites, that He was surely with them.

Yet while staring straight at an angel, Gideon continued to persist with defeated thoughts, “But I am the weakest, I am the least…how can God save Israel?”

“And the Lord answered, ‘I will be with you…” Judges 6:16

Five powerful words. That can see us through anything we face in this life.

“I will be with you.”

God’s presence is real. He gives us strength for every day. The battle can be intense. And some days especially, the enemy seems really strong, and we feel really weary. We can find ourselves wrestling again with the same defeated thoughts that we thought we’d finally laid to rest just the night before. Disappointments come. We struggle with feeling like we haven’t measured up, we listen to the lies that we are “less than…”

But God still answers us. Just like He did for Gideon.

He’s still with us, no matter how we might feel, or what struggles flood our thoughts. He is filling us with the power and grace of His Spirit, just enough for the day.

For this day.

A reminder for your heart, in whatever you might be facing, “The Lord is with you…mighty warrior.”

Peace.

May We Look Upon the World as Our Parish

 

Anne Ferrell Tata, cbn.com

In the early 1700s, a small group of religious fugitives formed a village in a part of Germany called Moravia. They named their village Herrnhut which means “The Lord’s Watch.” While Herrnhut had become a community of religious exiles, many spoke different languages and creeds. There were Lutherans, Separatists, Reformed, and others, living side by side. Disagreements developed. Relationships deteriorated.

The community was on the way to ruin when the people decided to “give themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (see Acts 6:4) They began to study the Bible, hold all-night prayer vigils, and confess their sins to one another.

On August 13, 1727, an amazing miracle happened. There was a baptism and communion service, and the Holy Spirit moved through the room. A spirit of love came over the attendees. Differences dissolved, and they all embraced one another in love and forgiveness.

They established a 24-hour around-the-clock prayer vigil which lasted 100 years. Their vision was based on the passage in Isaiah 62:1-7.

“O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.” Isaiah 

62:6 NLT

The influence of the continual prayer was far-reaching. Their burden for mission work was birthed. Missionaries were sent all over the world. Many people were influenced by the dedication and commitment of the Moravians including John and Charles Wesley, founders of the Methodist Church and William Carey, missionary to India.

The early church understood continuous prayer was necessary because spiritual warfare is continuous. Prayer became their priority. Shortly after Pentecost, the number of disciples multiplied as did their obligations. It became clear the disciples needed help with responsibilities like taking care of the widows. Instead of sacrificing the ministry of prayer, deacons were chosen to care for the church and its people. The ministry of prayer was paramount, and as the church grew, they understood even more prayer was needed.

The same is true for us today. The ministry of prayer and the ministry of the Word should be a top priority. Can you imagine if we all made prayer a priority? Can you imagine if we all committed to the ministry of the Word? What would our families or communities look like if we all “gave ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word?”

Knowing Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever inspires me to look back and see the work of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am encouraged and motivated to continually pray and seek opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

John Wesley said, “I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation.”

Let us adopt the calling, “all the world is our parish.” The world is hurting. The world needs the good news of Jesus Christ. Continual prayer and ministry of the Word is the answer. We can learn from the early church. We can grow as the Moravian Church. We are here for such a time as this, and the more we continually seek God through prayer, the more He will accomplish His purpose through us.

The Apostle Paul reminds us of our responsibility in 2 Corinthians 5:20,

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (NLT)