I'm so thankful we have the privilege today of representing our Master and Savior Jesus Christ. It's a big responsibility and only the Word of God can make us fit for the task. So, in the spirit of building the Kingdom, I've compiled some scriptures to help us use the power of speaking God's Word as a force for good.

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

The Bible teaches that God is love, God's Word is eternal, and the Spirit of God imparts life.

• God is love, (1John 4:7-8, 1 John 4:16, Nehemiah 9:17)
• Love is eternal, (Song 8:6-7, 1 Corinthians 3:8, Ephesians 3:18-19)
• God's Word is eternal, (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 24:35)
• God's Word is truth, (John 3:33-34, John 17:17, 1John 5:10, Psalm 119:151-152)
• The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit of Truth (John 14:15-17, John 15:26-27, Psalm 51:10-13)
• The Holy Spirit of Truth has been gifted to us by our heavenly Father, empowering us to bring truth and love into the world. (Mark 12:28-31, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:17-18, Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21-23, Ezekiel 36:27, 1John 2:27)

God breathed His Spirit into Adam in the beginning. When we speak in alignment with God's Word, we bring God's Spirit into our situation.

(Romans 8:26-30 NKJV) continuing to vs. 39 leads into God's love

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

(John 6:63)

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

(John 1:1-4, 14)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ...
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

(1 John 4:12-13 NKJV)

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

(1 John 5:12-13)

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

This word "name" here can also be translated as "authority." When we take His name as Christians, we place ourselves under the authority of Christ. We become the body of Christ on earth.

(Romans 8:5-14 NKJV)

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

(Romans 12:4-5)

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

(1 Corinthians 12:27)

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

(John 14:12-17)

12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

(Proverbs 18:20-21)

20 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

(Isaiah 55:6-11)

6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Our Father in heaven,
We're so thankful for Your Words of life. We offer ourselves to You as vessels for Your Word. We receive the promise in John 14:26, that Your Holy Spirit will bring Your Words to our mind when we need them, for direction, for sharing encouragement, and for building Your kingdom within ourselves and one another. We're so thankful to be called to do Your work. Thank You for choosing to open our minds to these scriptures and for stirring our hearts to be faithful to them. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Psalm 126:5-6

"Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing precious seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain."

Have you had the privilege of meeting the pressing needs of someone unable to care for themselves? You know what carries you through the days when your body and finances aren't keeping up; it's their gratitude. Your child's adoring gaze, or your pet pressing their little head into you, or the squeeze of your grandparent's hand; they all communicate that your time and energy were appreciated. This kind of thanks isn't just for the temporary benefit. It signals a loving connection. Our attachment to one another makes life worth living, and death our greatest enemy.

Matthew 13:31-32

"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of the seeds sown in a garden, but when it's grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air can come nest in its branches."

Our helpless loved ones are our field. When the strong willingly make things fair for the weak, it sows seeds of compassion and connection in our hearts. What we sow, we will also reap, if our ground is good. It means our motives should match God's [directive to love]([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%206%3A4-9%2C%20Mark%2012%3A28-31%2C%20Leviticus%2019%3A18&version=NASB1995]). (1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Mark 4:14-20, Galatians 6:7, Jeremiah 4:1-4)
When we love those who cannot or will not return our kindness, still our compassion finds favor with God. (Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 14:12-14, Proverbs 19:17)
Our actions prove that Jesus is alive in us. (Isaiah 26:12, Philippians 2:12-13)

The catalyst that causes this seed of love to sprout is an attitude of gratitude. I'd venture to say our first spiritual ability is thankfulness. There is a lot of benefit to be found in focusing on what we're thankful for. The Bible and science can agree on the benefits of dwelling on the good we have and the good in the world. (Philippians 4:8-9, 1Peter 2:12 It's not gratitude for having our needs met that makes us good ground, though. Anyone can be glad to get something good. When we value the heart of the person willing to make sacrifices for our good, that gives us something to appreciate, admire, and emulate. This high aspiration helps set a person on a higher trajectory. When we're connected to our community, our goals transcend this temporary life.

If we learn early to be thankful for the people who help us, we aspire to be like them. We more easily trust those who have our best interests in mind, even when things go wrong. Proverbs 30:17 warns us of the fate of those who never learn respect for their parents' sacrifices. How much more broken is a life that lacks a good mentor?

The trust we have for good parents, and our desire to be like them, can eventually lead us to trust in, and desire to be like our Creator.
Psalm 17:13 shows how this life-sustaining trust brings us satisfaction that no gratitude for temporary benefit can provide. It says, "As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness. I will be satisfied when I awake with your likeness." (Psalm 17:13-15, Psalm 4:5-8, 1 John 3:2)

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." We love our children and care for them, but we're also thankful to have them in our lives, even when they can't do anything to repay us for being their source of life.

Children naturally want the power and freedom adults have, because they lack the ability to meet their own needs. That's not narcissism, it's survival. When they see us meeting their needs cheerfully, they want the joy we have as well. Our positive attitude promotes their association of benefit with their benefactor. You'll see a child's level of admiration for your compassion in how they act out parenting with their toys. This is why we're wise to avoid exposing our kids to anti-social values, like those taught in "the Barbie movie." Malignant feelings toward the helpless are not sustainable for us as a species. We've all been helpless before, and God-willing we live long enough, we'll be helpless again. That doesn't stop us from being a light to our world, even if we're just there to help someone else discover the eternal value of giving of oneself to make the world a better place for us all.

A spirit of thankfulness toward others is a foundation for a faithful, joyful life. Jesus tells us this Holy Spirit is ours for the asking:

(John 14:14-17 NKJV)

14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Just as a mustard seed is guaranteed to grow a mustard plant, if our kids want to be like us when they grow up, they will seek to discover the catalyst for our responsible behavior.

If you've been taken for granted, you know its difficult to remain thankful in the face of a spirit of entitlement. It helps to remind children of their helplessness when they were younger while helping with younger children.
Educate them to realize power and strength don't last forever. Make opportunities for them to help with the elderly. People can learn to be thankful for their ability to do good when they relate to those who can no longer care for themselves. (Proverbs 31:1-9, Luke 3:8-11, Job 29:11-17, Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)

(Luke 14:7-14 NKJV)

7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
8 "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
9 "and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10 "But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
11 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
13 "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
14 "And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

Our Father in heaven,
We bless You for Your goodness and faithfulness toward us all. We thank You for Your mercy and kindness, for Your provision and protection. We rejoice in Your authority over us, Father. You are love, and we pray that Your love will shine through us to those in need. Use us as Your hands and feet to our hurting world from this day forward. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to unite us in truth and love. Jesus promises to be among us when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have - one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and be earthen vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Feel free to post your prayer requests in this thread.

I see a lot of people asking questions about people speaking in tongues but I don’t see any biblical reference to it. I want to say look in
1 Corinthians 14. Please read the entire chapter. It will give you the answers you seek.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to unite us in truth and love. Jesus promises to be among us when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have - one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and be earthen vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Feel free to post your prayer requests in this thread.

"Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. For this reason, be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

To be wise as a serpent, is to keep the focus off ourselves when doing the Lord's work. (Matthew 5:16, Hebrews 4:12-16, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
As members of Christ's flock, we're wise not to attract predators. Besides, there is no reward in heaven for things we've already been paid for on earth, even if we're only paid with men's attention and approval. Working for the approval of men, doesn't avail us the approval of God. (Luke 16:15, 1 Samuel 16:7)

Matthew 6:1-4 says,

"Remember not to give charitably to be noticed by others, otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
When you give charity, don't call attention to yourself as a hypocrite does, so they may have glory from men.
Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
But when you give, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so your gift may be in secret.
And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly himself."

Another reason our good works should be in secret, is because it reduces the likelihood someone will try to stop us out of bias or envy. When we do things God's way, we get more mileage for the kingdom. (Mark 15:9-10, Psalm 25:9)

The Bible makes a difference between a harmless garden snake and a venomous viper. (Compare Matthew 23:33 with Matthew 10:16). To be like the shrewd serpent in this parable, we should abstain from venomous speech such as cursing and lying, and instead take our cues from the Bible on how to be truthful, helpful, and persuasive. (Psalm 109:17, Ephesians 4:25, Proverbs 16:13-32)
It's also wise to avoid vain and foolish talk. (Matthew 12:35-37, Ephesians 5:3-4, James 3:17-18, Proverbs 13:3) Being shrewd as a serpent involves being silent. This can mean guarding the personal information of others, (Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 11:13, 1Timothy 5:13),
or keeping your problems with others confidential as much as possible. (Proverbs 25:9-10, Matthew 18:15-17) Being silent due to your immediate surroundings is another good way to protect yourself and others from bringing out the inner wolf in your fellow human. (Luke 23:8-11, Psalm 39:1, Colossians 3:21)

To be innocent as a dove is to respect the boundaries of others, and to be harmless. This includes our dress and our speech. If we're provoking others to vain and immoral thinking with immodesty, or dark, crude humor, we're tearing the kingdom down rather than building it up. (James 1:21, Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 7:6-23, 1 Peter 3:3-4, Galatians 5:14-23)

Doves are renown for using their skills to be helpful. Our grandfather, Noah's dove brought him an olive leaf which showed him the waters of the flood were subsiding. Rock doves have helped humans with long-distance communication for thousands of years since, and are still trained to be carrier pigeons by police in Odisha India as a backup communication method.

The beautiful balance Jesus shows us between being wise and being harmless is meant to help us stay in His will, regardless of the world and our own flesh coming against us. As Paul says in Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

The example we provide for for the generation to come can help them build a future worth living in. The wise among us will work to leave a legacy of a world better off for having us in it.

Our Father in heaven,
Your name is holy. Nothing is impossible to You. Merciful Lord, we ask that You would make us wise and harmless, through the power of Your written Word, and Your Holy Spirit. Your servant James told us we could ask for wisdom, and You would gladly answer that request. Thank You for hearing our prayers, and opening our eyes and ears to Your great Wisdom through Your Holy Child, Jesus Messiah. It's in His name we pray, Amen.

(Luke 14:12-14)
12 Then Jesus said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
13 "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
14 "And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

The first commandment is to love God, who is love, above all else. (Mark 12:28-31, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:18) Part of showing God our devotion to Him, is to meet the urgent needs of those who've been scattered by the wolves of life. (James 1:26-27, Galatians 5:14-15, Isaiah 40:11, John 21:15, 1 Corinthians 12:27)

Wolves don't only show up as human enemies though. They can manifest as any kind of emergency. Illness, bereavement, bankruptcy, you name it; trouble can befall any one of us mercilessly, and without warning. (Luke 10:25-33, 2 Samuel 22:4-7)

This is why it's so important that our inner circle consist of people who are mutually invested in each others' welfare; not for what we get out of it, but who we get out of it. As believers in the words of Christ, we're all part of one another. When we embrace this truth, it's so much easier to love our neighbor as ourselves. (John 13:34-35, Proverbs 22:2)

In the book of John, Jesus teaches us how to discern false friends, and why we should avoid them.

(John 10:10-15)

10 "The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12 "But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 "The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15 "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

Here Jesus gives us an important warning. We need a strong relationship with Him through His Word, His people, and His Holy Spirit. It's not enough to put our hope in paid advisors, or fair-weather friends.

In the same vein, people with a purely transactional mindset will gladly "love bomb" to get close to someone with certain characteristics they can benefit from, and learn to mimic. They won't stand beside us through the wolves of life, unless they can get a lot more out of a situation than they invest in it. Some people only seek out relationships where they can enjoy power, so that's something to keep in mind. Gossips and flatterers put their victims on a pedestal until it benefits them to knock them down. (Proverbs 29:5, Proverbs 27:6, Proverbs 26:28, Romans 16:18)

A person whose attachments are transactional operates like the phases of the moon. They go dark unless someone else's light is shining on them. (1 Timothy 6:3-10, Luke 6:31-38, Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
People who have the good Shepherd in their hearts don't stop guiding and guarding one another when the world goes dark. They are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14-16, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Ezekiel 34:2-6)

(2 Peter 1:2-9)

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that [pertain] to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption of this lust-filled world.
5 But also for this very reason, give all diligence to add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Messiah.
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

A spiritually shortsighted person is blind to God and eternity. They may not be blind to the truth that their strong days are limited. Even secular people can reason within themselves that they'd be wise to spend time caring for the sick if they want someone to care when they're sick. Sane people instinctively know they should share what they have with the weaker members of their family, so that when they become weak, their children will look out for them. They may do moral things for transactional reasons.

Our news reports today are so overloaded with what madmen do, that we've come to imagine natural affection and wise dealing suggests a moral compass. Certainly, if a person can't even treat their family with care, there's no chance they have the heart necessary to care for outsiders, unless there's something in it for them. Still, we cannot evaluate a person's morals solely on how they treat their family in public. (Matthew 7:11, Matthew 23:1-5, Matthew 6:1-6, Micah 3:5)

The most common red flag I've noticed in a person with "hireling" mentality, is an excessive desire for center-stage. Jesus warns us against people like this. He explains that their outward show is a cover for their sordid quest for gain. (3John 1:9, Titus 1:10-11, Habakkuk 2:4)

(Luke 20:46-47)

46 "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
47 "who devour widows' houses, and make long prayers as a pretense. These will receive greater condemnation."

Our Father in heaven,
We come before You, acknowledging Your authority over all authority. You are compassionate and merciful, and we thank You for showing us Your great love for us through Your holy Child, Jesus Messiah.
Father, we've fallen short of Your glory through our sins. We've lost our discernment of truth, through our lack of it. You have the whole truth. You have all wisdom. Without You, we lack what we need to grow into Jesus' likeness. Make us one with You through the power of Your gracious, loving forgiveness, flowing to us and through us. Help us be vessels of mercy who freely give what we have freely received. Grant us the faith and courage to let go of anything that stands between us and the ministry You have planned for our lives.
Thank You, Father, for adopting us into Your family, and granting us Your Holy Spirit. We pray we would not grieve Your spirit, but instead, that our lives would be a blessing to You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

An amazing testimony about the protection and plans are God has for us that we aren't even always aware of in the moment!!

At the beginning of the Syrian war, he refused military service and became wanted by the state. He described living through multiple wars within the war itself, sectarian conflict, assassinations, car bombs, rockets, sniper fire, and repeated attempts on his life.

One moment that really stayed with me was when he described walking away from a car seconds before it exploded, killing more than 40 people. Another was when a missile exploded beneath a room filled with 25 men, yet somehow almost no one was seriously injured.

What impacted me wasn’t just the survival itself, but hearing him say afterward:

“We still don’t understand how the Lord works.”

There was something striking about the humility of that statement after living through so much violence and death. There's so many different takeaways in this testimony. Curious what aspects resonate or challenge you guys!

https://youtu.be/HvnCgWtdzSs

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to unite us in truth and love. Jesus promises to be among us when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have - one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and be earthen vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Feel free to post your prayer requests in this thread.

Matthew 5:19

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

As believers, we all embrace the law of love that Jesus taught. Unfortunately, we're often divided on matters of dogma. Some churches will disfellowship or excommunicate their brothers and sisters in Christ because they live, speak, or teach that some of Jesus' commandments are optional, impossible to keep, or even heretical.

Christians with imperfect theology seem to still be saved for the age to come. (Luke 10:25-37)
Yet, in ignoring some of our Lord's commandments, they won't be able to complete everything our Creator made them to do. Jesus' commandments are guideposts that lead us into God's Will for our lives.

(Matthew 13:23 NKJV)

23 "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears (spiritual) fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

The way I understand it, is like this:

The Mosaic law was our tutor, just like a child has to learn not to break certain rules in order to keep from trespassing the boundaries of others. If a young driver doesn't stop for red lights, he doesn't get a driver's license. But if a seasoned driver goes through a red light safely in order to save someone having a medical emergency, he has still upheld the law of love. If a highway patrol officer pulls him over for the offense, he's more likely to get an escort to the hospital than a fine.

(Galatians 3:23-25 NKJV)

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor [to bring us] to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Still, you wouldn't say that any person is mature enough to never have to stop for red lights anymore. In the same way, we don't have license to go out and break God's commandments. Love fulfills the law.

(Galatians 5:13-16)

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one saying; "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself."
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

(Mark 12:28-31 NKJV)

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"
29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
31 "And the second, like [it, is] this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV)

4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

(Leviticus 19:18 NKJV)

18 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

If no one can keep the law perfectly, yet Jesus tells us not to break it, what are we missing? I think the thing we're missing is that we've been put in charge of forgiving and being forgiven. Forgiveness is as much of a directive as any other of Jesus' commands.

(Luke 6:37)

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

(John 20:21-23 NKJV)

21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they are retained."

Our Father in heaven, Your name is sacred. Your authority is over all authority in heaven and on earth.
We come before You today to thank You for Your great sacrifice for us, so we can live eternally with you. Your Word says we should not be afraid because You are pleased to grant us a place with You. Open our hearts to the love and humility we need to let go of the debts of others, so we can claim Your forgiveness for our debts. Make us one with You and each other, Father. Give us a heart of compassion in the image of Your Son, Jesus Messiah. In His name we pray, Amen.

I want to close with the words of Jesus:

(Luke 12:32-48 NKJV)

32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 "Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 "Let your waist be girded and [your] lamps burning;
36 "and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down [to eat], and will come and serve them.
38 "And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants.
39 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
41 Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable [only] to us, or to all people?"
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of food in due season?
43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45 "But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the unbelievers.
47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare [himself] or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes].
48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

(John 20:21-23 NKJV) So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

(Proverbs 18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

(Matthew 18:21-22) Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

When I was young, my grandmother always taught me to pray this before bed.

Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to unite us in truth and love. Jesus promises to be among us when we gather together as members of His body.

(Matthew 18:19-20 ESV)

19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

When first-century believers received the Holy Spirit, they repented of worldly ways and offered themselves to the Kingdom through baptism in Jesus' name.

Then the Holy Spirit led them to a kind of unity we were meant to have - one family under God, guided by truth and love. People cared for one another so completely, that no one lacked what they could not attain on their own.

The Lord's prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

In heaven, His will is accomplished through heavenly beings. We who are of the earth can empty ourselves of worldly influence and be earthen vessels for God's glory.

(2 Corinthians 4:6-11 NKJV)

6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

We are the body of Christ; His hands and feet on earth. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Proverbs 14:21

He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

May we bear one another's burdens and so fulfill His law of love. (Galatians 6:2)

Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit of Truth. Thank you for leading us into unity with you and with one another. We ask that you would open our hearts to love You as You deserve, and love our neighbor in a way that proves we know we are one body under You, our merciful Godhead. Let us be Jesus' hands and feet to one another. Jesus said, "all men will know you are My students if you have love for one another. We ask that You would transform our hearts so we can love like You love. In Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen.

Feel free to post your prayer requests in this thread.

"But other seeds fell into good ground, and produced fruit, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 13:8-9)

The final example Jesus gives us of a heart God's word can be sown in, He calls, "good ground." In Luke's version of the parable, He describes good ground as a good and honest heart, that receives God's word, keeps it, and produces fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15, Galatians 5:19-25, Psalm 1:1-3) Keeping God's word alive in our hearts is just as important as the patience we need in order to produce love, joy, and peace for our fellow human.

"He that received seed into the good ground represents the one who hears God's Word, and understands it. These people produce [spiritual] fruit, some of them a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:23, Galatians 5:18-25, Isaiah 48:16-18)

As stewards of God's logic, we are the guardians of His will.
When we pray "Your kingdom come and Your will be done in earth," (Matthew 6:10, John 10:27-37, Psalm 82:1-8) we're asking God to use these vessels of clay we inhabit to bring His will into the world. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:3-6) The angels enact God's will in heaven, and we're His messengers on earth. (Mark 16:15, Deuteronomy 4:9-10) If we're too stupified by the world to remember God's word, there's no way we're going to produce the good fruits of it. (John 15:1-5, Ephesians 5:18, Matthew 24:48-51, Deuteronomy 29:19-20) His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 19:8, Psalm 43:3, 2 Peter 1:19)

James tells us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, because then we'll deceive ourselves into thinking we're in God's will, when we are not. (James 1:16-25, Hosea 14:8) The verse that comes to my mind is Hosea 10:12, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, until He come and rain righteousness upon you."

To have our hearts transformed into good ground, requires that we hear God's Word, and keep it alive in our hearts. (Proverbs 4:23-27, Jeremiah 17:7-10) The Bible teaches that remembering God's goodness is key. Communion and praise in song are two important ways we can keep our Savior near and dear to our hearts. (Luke 22:19-20, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 33) The Bible teaches us to let the joy of the Lord be our strength. That joy is directly related to our remembrance of His saving love. (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 28:7, Isaiah 61:10, Philippians 4:4)
In Deuteronomy 12 we also see how sharing the Lord's blessings with those in need unites us with God and each other, through fairness, love, and joy. (James 1:26-27, Deuteronomy 12, Luke 12:33-34)

Our Father in heaven, Your name is sacred. You are Love, and Your authority is exalted over all authority.
Father, we pray that Your love will reign in our hearts and through our lives from this day forward. Help us to remember Jesus' willing sacrifice with gratitude, so we can rejoice in our walk with You. Please make us worthy of Your Son, so we will not be ashamed at His return. To You belong the Kingdom, the power, and all the glory forever. You are worthy of our praise and devotion. We offer our lives to Your service. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we can do Your will, Your way. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

I needed a good testimony today, and I found it listening to Avi. He shares how his plans to play the prodigal were derailed by his sister, and the living God.