Daily Devotional By Archbishop Foley Beach

JESUS BETRAYED BY JUDAS AND ARRESTED  – Jesus Walking in the Way of the Cross (VIDEO)

LYRICS TO MUSIC:

Who is this that comes amidst The shadows in the night

Swords and spears and one man’s kiss The weapons at their side

His words are empty his lips no more Do what you have come for

Why do you march on him

As though you have met your match Twelve legions wait upon him

But his Father holds them back

Choose wise the side you take up in this war But do what you have come for

For this is your hour this is the reign

Of darkness unmentioned of darkness untamed

You ask his name as though

He is some thief you’ve longed to see His answer short but shakes the air And drags you to your knees

He stood in the temple he lived upon its floor But do what you have come for

For this is your hour this is the reign

Of darkness unmentioned of darkness untamed So over and over his mercies can come

To fly the banner high and victorious

MESSAGE SUMMARY: 

  In Matthew 26:14, we see Judas’ preparations for his betrayal: “[He] went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.”

  The Lord, the Savior of all mankind was bought and sold. Ostensibly without contemplation, Judas takes the priests’ offer, and exchanges his friend and teacher for money. If there ever was a priceless man, it certainly was Jesus. If ever there was a man too powerful and full of worth to be arbitrarily cast into bondage, it most definitely was Jesus. Yet, thirty pieces of silver claims him. It was not a particularly small fee, for we know the sum was able to purchase the ‘Potter’s Field’ (Matthew 27:7, Acts 1:18). But it was not an exorbitant amount either, probably equal to between a few weeks and a few months worth of the common laborer’s wages.

  Though the priests’ chosen fee seems small and insignificant, it simultaneously tells a deeply beautiful and prophetic story.

  In Exodus 21:32 we see that upon the death of a slave, the owner of that slave is owed “thirty silver coins.” The price that the Law fixed for a slave, the lowest of men, is the same price that was paid for the greatest of men. Jesus becomes the perfect example of his own words, “So the last shall be first, and first last” (Matthew 20:16). 1 Peter 2:7 tells us that for those who believe, “Jesus Christ is precious.” How true this is, and yet he humbled himself (Philippians 2:8) even in this seemingly minute detail.

  We know this was all part of God’s plan. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us that Messianic prophecy in both Jeremiah and Zechariah predict these events. Zechariah 11 paints a picture of Jesus as the ‘Good Shepherd,’ who is detested by his sheep. When his wages are ‘weighed out’ for his priceless work, thirty pieces of silver is all he is paid, an insultingly small amount. The Roman guards mocked Jesus, even spitting on him (Matthew 27:29- 31). But Jesus was insulted long before this, being bought for the price of a slave.

  This is Jesus. Sharing the worth of the lowest of men. Dying for every man, rich or poor, free or in bondage. Jesus even calls his betrayer ‘friend,’ as Judas kisses him and hands him over to the Roman guard (Matthew 26:50).

Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: When have you taken advantage of our priceless Savior? Do your prayers reflect the way you esteem him? Jesus, the priceless Son of God, was betrayed by one of his closest friends. Have you ever betrayed someone for your own profit? Repent and ask Jesus for the strength to seek reconciliation. Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? Ask Christ for the strength to forgive them.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:43-46: “And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.”; Further Reading: Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-14; Zechariah 11:12; Exodus 21:32.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say He Loves You: Part 5 The New Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God’s Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life

MESSAGE SUMMARY: In John 14:6, Jesus says: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one come to the Father but through me.”. In Luke 13:23-25, Jesus is asked a pivotal question; and Jesus responded: “And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’ And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’”. It is not that Jesus does not want all to be saved, it is just that the “gate”, to our Salvation and Eternal Life, is “narrow” and difficult to enter. We enter Eternal Life through Jesus and Jesus alone, and so many miss this fundamental tenant of our Christian faith; and they miss knowing Jesus – Jesus is the door, the narrow door. Neither Islam, nor Hinduism, nor just “my personal religion” is the door – Jesus is the only door.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, grant me wisdom and prudence to see the larger picture, to wait, and to discern the seasons in my life with you. Forgive me for fighting the “deaths” you send into my life in order to plant something new. In Jesus’ name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 107). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 14:6; Mathew 3:1-3; John 4:1-5; Psalms 33a:1-11.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say He Loves You: Part 5 The New Covenant” at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

In the Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus' Pathway to the Cross (VIDEO)

LYRICS TO MUSIC:

In the garden he waits

For the very moment he has made

Like the face before a fist

Like the eyes before a kiss

It’s beautiful anguish

In the garden he prays

That this overflowing cup

Could pass away

And in this hour of need

If there ever such a thing

Out of fear I fall asleep

Oh the hour has come…

In the garden he bleeds

But a glimpse of the coming sea

And every angel up above

Cannot calm the sorrow

When a Father leaves his Son

Oh the hour has come…

MESSAGE SUMMARY: 

  Written in 1802, Beethoven’s only oratorio ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives’ (Christus am Ölberg) is intense, moving, and dramatic. A fifty-minute barrage of harsh yet beautiful German words pours from the mouths of a soprano, a tenor, and a bass. Unlike many of Beethoven’s contemporaries, Jesus’ humanity is fully embraced in his composition. Christ’s coming betrayal is witnessed amidst his own anguish and pain. From his very lips, the listener hears Jesus question his Father; every cry for mercy, every plea for help, every request for strength.

  Much like many other works of art, Beethoven’s piece sheds new light on Jesus’ suffering. It births new perspective, and makes the listener think, if even for a second, about the intricacies and complexities of the man Jesus Christ. It makes one ponder just what his betrayal meant not only to all humanity, but to Jesus himself.

  Understanding Christ’s humanity is something that is hard to do. Where does one begin? Few have experienced anything near the physical torture he endured, and to fully understand his spiritual and emotional anguish is impossible. For “he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,” (1 Peter 2:24). This is certainly a weight no other could carry. He experienced the cup of wrath (Matthew 20:22), the fullness of God’s fury toward sin.

  But we know that he did so in a very human body. And it was in this body that the fullness of deity dwells (Colossians 2:9). We know he grew hungry (Matthew 4:2). We know he became tired (John 4:6). His emotions were no less real than any others’, as the author of Hebrews tells us, he lifted his prayers to the Father with crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Seeking to better understand Christ’s humanity will help us better understand how he saved humanity. Knowing the pain he endured can help us understand the frequent pain in our own lives.

  As Jesus prepared for his most difficult hours, the human nature of his closest friends took a prominent position. The disciples who accompany him cannot seem to stay awake in prayer. ‘For their eyes were very heavy,’ (14:40) seems to be a sorry excuse at such an important time. But oh how often we share the apostles apathy! Like the disciples, we often get distracted, lose focus, or fall asleep during prayer. We too await the magnificent return of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13), but we so often cannot keep our eyes open.

  As Beethoven’s oratorio ends, we hear for a third time Jesus powerfully cry out “Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.” What magnificent words to hear! That Jesus would fully embrace and admit his humanity, yet fully submit to his Father. These are the words that begin his journey to the cross, and usher in his final hours of sorrow. But they are also the words that allow for the world’s redemption. Despite the melancholy and heartbreak woven throughout Beethoven’s piece, the final moments of his work build in intensity, with flurries of rising notes and triumphant chords. It ends with the chorus singing:

‘Glorious worlds above us spire,

Happy Seraphs sing your joys.

Man, join in the holy choir,

Hail the great Redeemer’s praise’

Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper

TODAY’S PRAYER: Thank and praise God for his perfect plan. Ask Jesus to give you a better understanding of his humanity. Ask Christ for forgiveness regarding your inability to pray, and for the strength to endure in prayer. Ask Christ to give you a sense of readiness and expectancy for his return. Praise and thank Christ for his willingness to endure the cross.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 14:32-42: “And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”.  Also, Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Not Forgiving Someone HURTS YOU and NOT Your Perceived Offender; Forgive Like Jesus Who Forgives You, Unconditionally

MESSAGE SUMMARY: If God has forgiven you, why do you have to confess your sins? Confession is for you. For you to forgive, as the Christ forgives you. Your forgiving others means that you release others from the offense that you believe they have committed. Jesus set the “forgiveness standard” for you as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.". Someone said that “holding a grudge and not forgiving is like drinking poison yourself to kill your enemy”. However, your forgiveness is not conditioned on the offender coming and asking you for their forgiveness – if you are like Jesus, you have already forgiven the offender. If you do not forgive like Jesus, the offense festers and turns into resentment; and these unhealthy feelings are happening in you and not in the perceived offender because you have not forgiven your perceived offender as instructed be Jesus – “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.  From 2 Timothy 1:12

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 4:31-32; Mathew 6:14-15; Psalms 130:3-4; Psalms 32:1-11.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Golgotha Experience for Lent – Jesus’ Pathway to the Cross

MESSAGE SUMMARY:

INTRODUCTION by Poor Bishop Hooper -- Jesse Braswell Roberts

   Some years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a short time working and doing ministry in the Dominican Republic. During my stay in the southeastern city of La Romana, our group supported individuals living in the nearby ‘bateyes’, which are small, company-owned towns for sugar industry laborers. Mostly of Haitian descent, these workers often live in grossly impoverished conditions and work arduous hours cutting sugar cane by hand.

I was fortunate to meet a certain middle-aged man there one warm afternoon, tired and sweat glistening, but with a strong presence and similar forearms. He told me that he worked as a mechanic, as well as holding other jobs, when he wasn’t ‘cropping cane.’ We spoke amidst rubble of engine parts and tin roof. His English was broken yet formidable, so conversation came somewhat easily. I do not remember a great deal of our particular words, and I am to this day ashamed that I cannot recount his name, but I do recall one moment vividly. Our words somehow made their way to the subject of vacation. I asked about time off in his particular situation. I assumed his response to be Sundays or certain holidays. His answer startled me.

‘One day,’ he said joyfully. ‘Good Friday.’

It was at that time mid-March, so his day of respite was ever approaching. He told me he was excited for that day.

Imprudently, I inquired further. ‘What about Christmas?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he replied.

‘Why not Easter?’

Oh how I wish I could remember his next words exactly, for what he said was simple but powerful. Essentially, he told me that Good Friday was when Christ did the work so he did not have to. And for that he got the day off. And for that he was thankful.

From that moment, my perspective surrounding this ‘holy day’ and the preceding Lenten season changed. Growing up, Good Friday was at best mentioned, a semi-afterthought on the backs of Palm Sunday and Easter. But here, this man’s only day of rest was the Friday before Easter. It was truly ‘good’ for him, and its goodness existed in ways I had never before pondered.

It was years later that my wife Leah and I wrote the body of music that makes up ‘Golgotha.’ We were inspired to increase our community’s appreciation and understanding of what Jesus did on his ‘Sorrowful Way’ to the cross. As we explored the many traditions within the observance of Lent, we were drawn to the ‘Stations of the Cross.’ We found that it was built predominantly upon a bedrock of visual art. Christians over thousands of years had recounted Jesus’ last hours before his death in many strikingly beautiful ways. Our desire was to add to that beauty by creating new music. We wanted to write music that was rooted in scripture. Music that honored tradition, but also that invited the mind to see our Savior’s suffering in new ways. Not for our own entertainment or enjoyment, but rather so that we might offer him more thanksgiving, more praise, more adoration, and more love.

I pray the words that follow would lead you into deeper relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. Each chapter corresponds with a song of similar title, and I’d invite you to listen to the music as you read. I’d encourage you to have a bible with you, and look up the other scriptures that are cited. They’ll undoubtedly provide deeper understanding and beauty. At the end of each section, I’d invite you to pray. There are prompts provided, but they are intended to be starting places, not final destinations.

With all of this, I must credit my acquaintance that day in the Caribbean sun. The Lord used his words to stir my heart. He made me think differently about the true work that Jesus did on the cross, and birthed in me an ever- growing appreciation for what Christ so magnificently accomplished there. I pray that in spending time with Jesus now, as he makes his way from the garden to the cross, the same would be true for you.

    Jesse Braswell Roberts

Written by Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper golgothamusic.com // poorbishophooper.com // Second edition ©2022 Jesse Braswell Roberts / Poor Bishop Hooper

         

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.             Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 22:39-44: And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

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The Holy Spirit, God’s Personal Relationship Presence, Is Our Life’s Ultimate Counselor and Helper – the Creator of the Universe

MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Your relationship with God is a continuous and not a one-time event; therefore, followers of Jesus are to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit, as we are told in Acts 2:3-4: “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.". We should ask the Lord to fill us with the Holy Spirit every day. You need the continuous refreshing of the Holy Spirit because YOU are a broken vessel – you sin; you get tired; you work hard; you act stupid; and you rebel against God. Be filled with the Holy Spirit now – filled in this moment of the present. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, the presence of God in our lives in a personal relationship, provides us with the ultimate counselor and helper in our life – the Creator of the Universe. Do you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you every day to experience the continuous power of God’s gift?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I relate to Peter’s headstrong nature, and to his struggle to understand what you were telling him. It is difficult for me to understand how you are running the universe and my place in it. Transform my stubborn will, O Lord. Teach me to wait on you. Help me to trust you. In Jesus’ name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 95). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Procrastination. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Self-Contol. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 5:21; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Peter 4:1-6; Psalms 31b:13-24.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Have, Are, and Will Face Derision, Persecution, and Death; But God Addresses “Impossible” Situations and Transforms Lives

MESSAGE SUMMARY: The Apostles did not get into their life roles, after Jesus Resurrection and Ascension, without much grief and anguish; but Jesus transformed their lives. God addresses impossible situations in our lives, too; and then He transforms our lives, through His grace, into something of beauty. Jesus' Cross was an impossible situation, but now we view the Cross as a sign of triumph -- our triumph as believers and followers of Jesus! In John 10:27-30, Jesus succinctly describes how He transforms the lives of those that follow Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”. Additionally, in today’s uncertainties and fears and with the new and uncharted paths that our life today demands that we follow, Paul, in Colossians 1:5-6, gives us hope through God’s Grace and the Gospel: “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth".

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, when I think about my losses, it can feel like I have no skin to protect me. I feel raw, scraped to the bone. Looking at Job and Jesus helps, but I must admit that I struggle to see something new being birthed out of the old. Enlarge my soul through the trials and losses of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.        Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 101). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Colossians 1:5-6; John 11:25-26; John 10:14-18; Psalms 31a:1-12.

WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

When the Bottom Falls Out in Your Life, Ask God to Get Involved Through Prayer AND Thanks – You will Be Amazed!

Discussions Today Are Void of Respect About Anything; Therefore, Jesus Followers Are Called to Lift Others Up with Praise and Encouragement

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Be humble, gentle, and patient bearing with one another in love. Your “calling” by Jesus is to love one another; to lift each other up; and to praise and to encourage one another. How often, in the church, do we get our feathers ruffled and start “acting like a bunch of turkeys”? Too many of us “are not responding to God’s call”; but we “are doing our duty”. After all, isn’t just “doing our duty” what we have been taught? Paul succinctly defines our obligations as a follower of Jesus in Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.". Our service to God is more than service or obligation (i.e., “duty”). Your “calling” should be to respond to Jesus’ call by emulating Jesus in your life.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be anxious. (Philippians 4:6f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mathew 6:14-15; Psalms 130:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Psalms 30:1-12. 

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Must Meet Jesus’ Expectation of His “Great Commission” By Both “Going” and “Making Disciples”

 MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus, in Luke 15:4-7, tells us, through His Parable of The Lost Sheep, the importance to God of our discipleship: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.".

Immediately before His Ascension into Heaven Jesus told the Apostles and us today, in His Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, that as we go into our communities and into all parts of the world, we are to make disciples: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”. We must begin, as followers of Jesus, to meet His fundamental expectation for us by both going and making disciples!

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Abba Father, I open my clenched fists to surrender everything you have given to me. Reestablish my identity in you — not in my family, my work, my accomplishments, or what others think of me. Cleanse the things in me that are not conformed to your will. By faith I unite my will to yours so that the likeness of Jesus Christ may be formed in me. In his name, amen.         Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 85). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Addictions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Self-Control. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 16:24-28; Psalms 29:1-11.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Are Sinners Who Have a Savior Because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .”; Is Jesus Your Savior Too?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are all sinners, but we now have a Savior – Jesus. As Paul tells us, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, that the Gospel provides Salvation for all followers of Jesus, including the worst of sinners -- Paul: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.". Also, Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:3b-6, further points out that God wants all of us to be saved by His Grace through Jesus if we only, as sinners like Paul, reach out to bring Jesus into our lives: “God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”. It is only because of Jesus the Christ that we receive the healing that we need. “I am a sinner who now has a Savior – do you”?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Abba Father, I open my clenched fists to surrender everything you have given to me. Reestablish my identity in you — not in my family, my work, my accomplishments, or what others think of me. Cleanse the things in me that are not conformed to your will. By faith I unite my will to yours so that the likeness of Jesus Christ may be formed in me. In his name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 85). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Timothy 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:3b-6; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Psalms 89a:1-13.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How Does God Say I Love You, Part 4: Violation of the Covenant”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB