Guest Post – Love Like Jesus

Hello Friends.  Today I want to share with you two things.

First, a post written by long-time fellow blogger, Tim Sherfy, at Even If i Walk Alone.  The Lord put this impassioned message on his heart – Love Like Jesus – and asked me if I would share it. 

We have so many distractions today, and the Lord’s message to us is remember we are His, and remember our purpose – to know God and make Him known. Life is short. What a privilege we have to make it count for Him, and lay up our treasures in heaven.  

Second, Tim has started a campaign with illumiNations to raise money for Bible translation. He says “My goal is to raise $30,765 which is enough to translate the book of John for a people group that currently does not have the Scriptures in their language. There are over 3 billion people in the world who have never heard the name of Jesus, and 3,778 languages that do not yet have a Scripture translation. That breaks my heart.” 

That really should break all our hearts. If you feel led, please donate to this campaign that could change hearts, lives, and whole communities. And please share Tim’s article and campaign with your friends. 

And never forget – Jesus loves you!

God bless!  

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Israel

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.

You are the LORD, the God of Israel, their Maker, the Holy One of Israel, the LORD Almighty, the God and Savior of Israel, the righteous God and Savior, and there is no other. 

Before you every knee will bow and every tongue will take an oath that in you alone are righteousness and strength. In you the descendants of Israel shall be justified and shall glory. 

We pray for your protection over your beloved Israel, for her deliverance and salvation.

May you be glorified and may Yeshua HaMashiach be worshipped.

It’s in the name of Jesus Christ, the name above all names that we pray, amen.  

(Taken from Isaiah 45)

Resurrecting

 

Just before the 6:24 am sunrise in Jerusalem:

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”

Luke 24:1-3

 

 

 

 

Resurrecting 
by Elevation Worship

The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet
Now at His feet we bow
 
The One who wore our sin and shame
Now robed in majesty
The radiance of perfect love
Now shines for all to see
 
Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ, our king
 
Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ, our King
 
The fear that held us now gives way
To Him who is our peace
His final breath upon the cross
Is now alive in me
 
Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ, our King
 
Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ, our King
 
By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me
In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory (c’mon!)
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected king, is resurrecting me
He’s resurrecting me

Our God is good, oh
The tomb where soldiers watched in vain
Was borrowed for three days
His body there would not remain

Our God has robbed the grave
Our God has robbed the grave (yes He has, yes He has)
 
Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ our King

Your name, Your name
Is victory
All praise, will rise
To Christ our King
 
By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

By Your Spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me
The resurrected King, is resurrecting me,
Oh yeah

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Love

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. Thank you for the gift of love, of yourself. You are too grand for us to fully comprehend, to understand your existence and your eternal nature, but we are forever thankful that you created us and through the sacrifice of your Son, by faith, brought us into relationship with you to receive your love, and through the filling of your Holy Spirit, experience its depth, and be given the ability to love you and love others. 

Father we ask for forgiveness for the times we’ve failed to love. They are too numerous for us to name, but we ask that you would heal the hearts of those we’ve caused pain, and we thank you for softening our own hearts and granting us repentance and new mercies to begin again.

Hold onto us, Lord, and give us willing hearts to obey you. Keep us from even the temptation to sin, knowing that allowing sin would begin to harden our hearts and break the precious communion we have with you. And when we do sin, help us to quickly repent, so we can abide in your love again. 

May we be quick to take the love you give us and your example and love others, our brothers and sisters in the faith, and those who have yet to come to you, and to love our enemies, remembering that

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

This is how you love, Lord, and this is how we want to love, too.  Help us understand more and more the scope of it so we can love others in a way that glorifies you. 

In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen. 

* * *

If you have any prayer requests please let me know!

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer to Live Worthy of Our Calling

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you for this beautiful day you’ve made. We praise you for your holiness and righteousness.  You are the Almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are our good Father from whom all blessings flow. 

We look to you Father, to fill us again with the hope of your promises, with a steadfast faith, that we may act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with You. 

Father, as we fix our eyes on you, our supreme Hope, help us remember to “submit ourselves for Your sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by You for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is Your will, that by doing right we silence the ignorance of foolish people. That we will act as free people, not using our freedom as a covering for evil, but using it as Your bond-servants.” 1 Peter 2:13-16

Father we submit those authorities into your hands and pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the salvation of each one, that they would fervently seek you and your wisdom to govern rightly.

In everything, with hope and faith, may we live worthy of the high calling you’ve placed on our lives, as children of the King.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 

In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.