Category Archives: Jesus – Good shepherd

Mastering ourselves

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Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Thought:

In Judges 16, Samson’s lack of self-control and humility was on full display as he made a series of poor choices, sleeping with a prostitute, sharing secrets with the enemy, and being proud of his strength. Eventually, God left Him. We run the same risk when we haven’t mastered ourselves from doing what our flesh or the world wants us to do. Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 9:27 goes so far as to say that he made his body his slave to prevent himself from being disqualified as he is preaching the gospel to others. To each person, making their body their slave could mean different things, but one thing is for sure, it will push us out of our comfort zone. We should strive to push our boundaries to master ourselves for God’s glory and avoid disqualification from attaining eternity with God.

Word:

1 Corinthians 9:27

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Prayer:

Lord, give us the strength and endurance to master ourselves. Strengthen our weaknesses for Your glory. Amen.

Humility and Serving

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Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

Thought:
As we approach the holidays, let’s remember to imitate Christ in terms of humility and serving. Though our God is mighty above all, we are here on earth to be humble and serve others, just like Jesus. We can do this only when we place more value on others rather than ourselves. Death on the cross was not only a painful experience but also an extremely shameful form of punishment. But Jesus, at the cost of His dignity and His life, did that to serve us with the hope of salvation.


Word:

Philippians 2: 3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
 
Prayer:
Lord, help us stay humble and serve others. Prevent us from having any selfish or prideful thoughts and tendencies. Amen.

Cornerstone

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Dear all,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Word: 1 Peter 2:6-8
6 …“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.

Thought: In the above verses, Peter is talking about Jesus when he is referring to the stone.

For people who trust in Him, he will never be put to shame. Sounds almost impossible, but once we abide in Him, only what He thinks matters to us, the world may shame us but, for us believers, the world is not where we place our trust and hence what they think shouldn’t bother us.

The verses also mention that whoever rejects the stone, it causes them to stumble. One of the things that this could mean is that the truth can be offensive to people. Many Jews of Jesus’ lifetime were offended and rejected Him and His message. Even today, the very fact that Jesus is the only way for salvation is offensive to most non-believers, but that same message is precious to believers.

Prayer:

LORD, Help us to place our trust in You, the chosen and precious cornerstone. Give us the courage and burden to lovingly share about You among non-believers through our words and actions. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul!

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Dear all,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Word: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10: 28-31

Thought: A very common reason believers hesitate in sharing the gospel is that there is fear of being rejected harshly. It can either be direct in the form of threats or indirectly like being ignored and cast aside. But Jesus says as believers we know anything that happens on earth dwarfs in comparison to what lies ahead for us in terms of eternity. God also assures that we are more worthy than any of his creations and hence we are more protected in His care. As believers we should boldly share the gospel through our words and our lifestyle.

Prayer:

LORD, we ask that you give us the courage in sharing the Gospel. Help us overcome any fear and distractions that come our way. In Jesus’s mighty name. Amen.

Psalm 91 Conveys the Themes of God’s Protection and Rescue from Danger

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Dear all,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Word: I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2

Thought: The author of Psalms 91 walks the talk by showing how he trusts the Lord before telling us the benefits of doing so. When we are in God, there is nothing to fear, because our trust is in God, the creator of the universe who loves us dearly. Problems of the world like politics, diseases, wars won’t scare us when we are in Him. As believers we have to continually and unwaveringly put out Trust in Him and not be shaken by what the world throws at us.

Prayer:
LORD, you are able and faithful. Help us to put our trust in You irrespective of whatever situation we are in. In Jesus mighty name! Amen.

Every tribe, Tongue, and Nation: Christ – Centered Missions and Purpose of Missionaries – LIVE & SENT

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Dear all,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Word:  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  Matthew 28:19

Thought: Let’s take a moment to  appreciate the work of the missionaries of our faith. They dedicate the entirety of their lives and sacrifice so much to spread the Gospel, Why? Because it’s Worthy. We all are called to share the gospel to others, either locally or globally. For the people who go globally, we can support them in many ways like Praying for them, being in touch with them and providing resources to them.

Prayer:
LORD, provide for our missionaries, wherever you send them. Grant your wisdom so that they can live a life that reflects the gospel. Give them the boldness and courage to share the gospel in all situations. Help me be caring and supportive of them. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen

God’s Goodness, Faithfulness, Righteousness, and Character of God – Psalms 119

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Dear all,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through Whom we have escaped death and have the gift of eternal life.

Word: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thought: In Psalms 119, we see several references to the word of God (statutes, ordinances, His law, commandments) and how the author derives multiples blessings, prayers and praise from them. Truly, the word of God is useful to us in all aspects and with such value, we should heavily prioritize spending time in reading and understanding His Word.

Prayer:
LORD, Increase our faith so that we may dwell in your Word more and know your Will. Help us overcome anything that hinders us from being in the Word. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen!

Be still, and know that I am God!

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Dear all,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13

Word:

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 30 – 31

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46: 10

Thought: 

Have quiet time each day with God and be still before Him, reverently honoring Him for who He is. Never underestimate the resurrected power of Christ Jesus in you. Trusting in the Lord Jesus is the patient expectation that God will fulfill His promises in his Word and strengthen us to rise above life’s difficulties. Retain His promises in your consciousness. This will give you the strength to overcome every challenge you face in your faith Journey.

Man shall not live on bread alone!

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Dear all,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1: 3
Word: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4: 4
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col 1: 13-14
Keep your conscience clear. 1 Peter 3: 16
Thought: Give thanks with a grateful heart – God has done wonderful things in our life. Thank God for His free gift of salvation in Christ.

Valleys and Shadows

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Dear all,

Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. Ephesians 6: 10

Word: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. Psalms 143:10

Psalms 23: 3 and 4 says, He guides me along right paths bringing honor to His name. Even though when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Matthew 9: 36: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Thought: Let Christ Jesus guide you in the valleys and shadows of your life, and you will never need to stumble in darkness.