Pray also for President Obama Secretary of State Clinton and members of their teams as they make preparations for the first tri-lateral meeting between leaders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the U.S. Pray for President Obama as he welcomes Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afgahn President Hamid Karzai to White House May 6-7 to discuss the situation in the region. President Obama will meet individually with each man and then the three will work together to chalk out a common strategy to defeat al Qaeda and the Taliban in the Af-Pak region. Pray for God�s grace and presence in this important meeting.
1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.
7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
"Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."
11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
"When these two things are joined together, there is nothing which can hinder our faith from defying all the enemies which may rise up against us, nor must we doubt that God will succour us, since he has promised to do it; and as to power, he is sufficiently able also to fulfil his promise, for he is the God of armies."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"For the Love of God and Man"
Weekend reading
Paul warned the elders at Ephesus that serious problems would arise after he left. He knew that the church would not be immune to false teachings. He even knew of the potential of those false teachings to come right out of the group of elders.
In a mere five years, in his letter to Timothy, it is revealed that this has already taken place. Thus Paul urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to combat these false teachings.
As was the case in other cities, the false doctrines circulated around the Law. Just as they do today. "God's law is not an enemy to His gospel. Instead, it is a friend that supports and establishes the need for the salvation that comes only through the grace of God found in the gospel." Paul knows that this gospel is the only way sinners can be saved. Any teaching that perverts this leads people away from God. Therefore, refuting false teachings is an act of love for both God and men.
It is important to note that Paul is not interested in winning an argument. "He wants to win people..." This is important because sometimes we get caught up in simply wanting to be right. We need not be concerned with this, as it is a personal pride issue. We must love God, be concerned for His glory, and love people, being concerned for their eternal welfare.
Week 2/Weekend "Why the Cross?"
Hebrews 12:2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
"How could it be that the eternal Son of God--by whom all things were created and for whom all things were created (Colossians 1:15-16)--would end up in His human nature dying one of the most cruel and humiliating deaths ever devised by man?"
Know this...it did not take him by surprise! He, himself, said he came to die.
But why? The apostles give us clear answers. Paul wrote, "Christ died fo our sins in accordance with the Scriptures," and Peter said, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Corinthians 15:3 and 1 Peter 3:18, NIV).
"Christ died for our sins. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, took upon Himself a human nature and died a horrible death on our behalf. That is the reason for the cross. He suffered what we should have suffered. He died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins."
Hallelujah!
I pray, Lord, that I never be guilty of spreading false teachings, as the people Paul warned about in his letters to Timothy. Let my teaching and my doctrine always be sound and Scriptural. Likewise all those who are control of our churches. Especially those who would control our local body.
Finally, let me always be aware of the fact that you fight for us. You are our fortress, our strong tower. Let us run to you for protection and comfort in time of trouble!
The above quote from Psalm 46 is from The Message. Other translations have the more familiar statement, "Be still and know that I am God."
Whichever you prefer, do that today. Step out of the traffic. Be still. Take long, loving look and know that He is God.
Grace and peace, friends.