Includes...
Today is the Feast of Purim, which is a reminder of the story of Esther. The typical tradition today is to fast during the daylight hours and feast in the evening as a reminder of how quickly God can take us from fasting to feasting. The fast is not something we do to earn anything with God, but it does give us something to physically do to help us remember. If the fast is something you feel called to do, then make sure to rely on God to help you through the fast, rather than doing it out of will power.
As we remember with both fasting and feasting it helps us to remember both the good times and the bad times. We often want to avoid remembering the bad times, but they are part of the story. It is remembering the bad times that makes remembering the good times that much more powerful because we can see all that God did to turn it around.
As we take communion today it is an opportunity to remember both the good and the bad of the sacrifice of Jesus. To remember h...
Tomorrow is the Feast of Purim, which is a reminder of the story of Esther. The typical tradition tomorrow is to fast during the daylight hours and feast in the evening as a reminder of how quickly God can take us from fasting to feasting. The fast is not something we do to earn anything with God, but it does give us something to physically do to help us remember. If the fast is something you feel called to do, then make sure to rely on God to help you through the fast, rather than doing it out of will power.
In the story of Esther, a law was written that was going to destroy God's people. All of the Jewish people outside the palace were in distress. Esther was in the palace, and everything was good for her. She could have chosen to do nothing and probably would have been ok. But Mordecai, tells her that maybe God has put her in the position of Queen, "For such a time as this."
Esther responds to the call by proclaiming a fast. She chooses to align herself with...
In today's communion we are meditating on the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19:11-27 and asking God for insight and understanding into how to apply the principles of this parable into our lives. This parable is very similar to the Parable of the Talents we did yesterday but there are a few differences that can give us additional insights into the story. Whenever a story is repeated, the differences give us very valuable pieces of information.
Parable of the Minas Luke 19:11-27 AMP
11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they assumed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately [as soon as He reached the city]. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to obtain for himself a kingdom, and [then] to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, and gave them ten minas [one apiece, each equal to about a hundred days’ wages] and said to them, ‘Do business [with this] until...
Today's communion is a time to meditate on the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and we are asking God for insight, revelation, and understanding on how to apply this parable into our lives.
Here is the parable...
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents mor...
Ephesians 5:9-20 says...
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make...
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
We are approaching the Feast of Purim on March 16-17. The tradition on Purim is to fast during the daylight hours on March 16th and feast in the evening and through the next day as a reminder of how quickly God can take us from fasting to feasting. Purim is a reminder of the story of Queen Esther. There was a law written that was going to destroy God's people. In those days when a law was written it could not be undone but Esther petitioned the king to write a new law that put God's people in control and gave them mastery over their enemies.
Here are some reminders for us from this story...
I am praying for you. ...
For a long time I wavered on whether I was supposed to do business or ministry. Should I be selling what I have or giving it all away for free. But then God began to teach me to do business AND ministry. I believe that in some way or another we are all called to both business and ministry because there is some work we are supposed to be doing. And in whatever we do, we need to mix both the principles of good business and ministry. Jesus said in the parable of the talents to "Do business until I return." I think doing business means to be a good steward, diligent, track the results, be looking to expand, and operate at a profit so that the mission can continue. To do ministry means to do good, be generous, help people, and connect them to God by letting people see God through you.
In whatever we are doing all of these things need to be combined.
Another verse that has really helped me is Proverbs 11:24-26...
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another...
1 Peter 1:2-11 says...
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to 3 his own glory and excellence,4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,5 and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Th...
One of the most important lessons I have learned about faith is that faith is decisive. As long as we are indecisive and waver back and forth nothing happens. But as soon as we make a firm decision to believe God things start happening. One of the best examples I have heard of this is Billy Graham. There is a story Billy Graham told about how early in his walk with God he was wavering on whether certain promises in the Bible were really true. People were questioning him about these promises, and he was wavering back and forth. He said he went out into a field one day and placed his Bible on a tree stump and DECIDED at that moment, that everything in the book was true. From that moment on he said... was when everything changed for him.
The way we receive salvation from God requires a firm decision to believe him and the process for receiving anything else from him is the same... It starts with a firm unwavering decision to believe him.
In today's communion we ar...
One of my fitness mentors trained many athletes who won gold medals in the Olympics, and he used to repeatedly say..."We get what we tolerate."
I think what he meant by this is that we need to raise our standards of excellence and not tolerate less. Our standard is Christ, we are to be growing more like him and not settle for less. To set a higher standard means first getting clear on what our standards are and making a firm unwavering commitment to them, because as long as we are wavering back and forth nothing happens and we will settle for less. Faith is decisive.
But these firm unwavering standards must also be mixed with a gentle approach and a lot of grace. This is what God does for us. His standard never changes, and he will not tolerate less, but he gives us a whole lot of grace and is gentle with us to help us reach the standard.
In today's communion we are asking God to help us get clear on His standard for our lives and to firm up our commitment to t...
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