Saturday Vespers: No word like hopeless

Life can sometimes make you feel hopeless: death, disease, misfortune dog our footsteps. No matter what happens in our life, there is hope. God is there. When we come to God in prayer, we do not come with our own righteousness but with a humble heart, seeking His great mercies. Sometimes, in the midst of our struggles, it may feel like God is not listening or paying attention to our cries, but, if we do as Hannah did, pouring out our soul for the Lord, God will hear our prayers.

We come before you in awe Lord, acknowledging your greatness and magnificence. We humbly approach you with our prayers, knowing that you are the one who hears and answers. As we navigate through the challenges of this world, as well as our own personal challenges, we ask for your guidance and wisdom. In times of uncertainty may we find solace in knowing you are with us and your purpose for our lives will prevail.

Almighty father, we praise you and thank you for your deliverance and protection of some of the people we have prayed for - the Pastor in Australia who is back in service; for your for your servant in India who went through a time of testing in terms of health and who has come through with an all clear.

We pray for a Pastors wife in India who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and who desperately needs your prayer support for her recovery according to Gods will and miracles and strength for her and her family to go through this painful and tough times. We pray for Rockys daughter, a nurse who was beaten by a patient. Grant her healing and strength to carry on her mission.

We pray for Melody to get patience to take care of her husband who has dementia. 

Father God, please calm the storm and restore the souls of those suffering from extreme weather on the eastern seaboard of America and beyond.

Finally, we pray for all those who need jobs, healing, and other needs we are not aware of. For those who need to forgive, as well as for those who need to be forgiven. 

We pray for your grace and mercy to overflow in our lives. May your love shine through us, drawing your people closer to you. May your message reach where it needs to reach everyday.

Amen.

Are You and Asset or a Liability?

Reference: 2 Timothy 2 14-26

Our world revolves around two things - assets and liabilities. We define and classify people around us with these two scales. That is of course in the material world.

In the Christian world, a similar question arises: are we an asset to Christ?

Firstly, let us understand that we are NOT a liability. We, each one of us are valuable to God. Not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of what we have cost.

Second, just because we are not a liability does not mean we are an asset. An asset is something or someone who is useful to the world, people around us and to society at large. As assets we become agents of change for the better.

Last, and following from the above, as assets we become agents of change for God. His word tells us what we need to do, how we must behave and act. How we need to build a relationship with Him as well as the people around us.

That we, become a lighthouse for Him, guiding others to Him. If our light starts to dim, we help each other to brighten it again. That we life a life of praise and thanksgiving, so others want to emulate and experience the peace and joy we are experiencing.

How can we live as an asset? The quoted verses from Paul can be used as guideline. His Word helps us develop ourselves first and the very nature of our spiritual character will show the world around us the truth which we know and have experienced.

The Pilate Syndrome

Pontius Pilate: To Jesus
And what is 'truth'? Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?
What is truth? Pilate’s answer to his own question could be a question asked in despair. How do we know right and wrong, good and evil, what is the right thing to do in any situation? How can anyone believe in a universal truth that transcends this world of suffering and despair?
Whatever his motive, he didn't get an answer because the truth was right there, standing in front of him.
Today we, like Pilate, do not recognize the truth. The truth was standing in front of Pilate, to be judged to die or to live.
Bob Kaylor says "For Pilate, anything that got him advanced in status in the eyes of the emperor was truth. Truth is whatever you decide it is, whatever is most pragmatic, kind of like throwing darts at the wall and drawing targets around them. Actually, Pilate would have been right at home in the 21st century, where truth is always relative."
Yes, we are mostly in what we can call the Pilate Syndrome:
The Pilate syndrome is a term used to describe the tension between the voice of truth and the world powers. It can also refer to the idea that people are desensitized to scandals and wash their hands of their civic responsibility.
We practice relative truths, making the truth very convenient. We justify our deeds, our wars, our destruction of nature, of human relationships and most of all destruction of our relationship with our God - our creator - all in the name of "truth".
We have the truth in our Bibles, yet we ask - What is truth? The Bible is right in front of us, yet we search for the truth. Instead, we should put our trust in God, in Jesus and His word and see (not seek) the truth work in our lives.
Billy Graham spoke truly when he said - "Truth is not found in the majority vote. Truth is found in the Word of God."

Meaningful Quotes

                          

If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day. - Edward McKendree Bounds

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.

- George Bernard Shaw

The sounds of church stay with you through your life. A hymn, a chorus, a melody, a message, will surface years later when you most need it. That, friends, is God gently saying , "I am still around". - Anon

“Prayer is an opportunity to have a conversation with God to try to get in tune with what his will is.” – Dr. Francis Collins

“Prayer is where the action is.” – John Wesley

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” – Corrie ten Boom

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ - Edmund Burke

Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking about ourselves less.

God will send the rain when we ask. But the well has to be dug by us.- Anon

They also serve who stand and wait - John Milton

I don't forgive people because I'm weak, I forgive them because I am strong enough to know people make mistakes - Marilyn Monroe