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In this verse, Paul gives a potted history of the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, covering the foundational doctrines upon which our eternal salvation rests. Jesus was the eternal Word of God Who laid aside His glory and took upon Himself mortal flesh. He identified with sinful man and become sin for us. He died on the Cross for our salvation and destroyed the evil work of the devil so that by faith in Him, we might be identified with His godliness, covered in His righteousness, and become a part of His mystical Body which is the Church. Christ was the perfect Man, and His legitimacy was endorsed or justified at His baptism, His transfiguration, His resurrection, and His ascension. He was vindicated as the beloved Son of God by both the Father and the Spirit. Angels ministered to His human needs, not only at His birth and resurrection but during His terrible agony in the garden of Gethsemane as He faced the looming Cross. The Mystery Of Godliness, where the resurrected life of Christ is manifested in the life of godly leaders and spiritual believers, will always stand secure on the glorious truths of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ. Paul equates correct doctrine and godly behavior as two vital components in the life of all Christian leaders and spiritual believers. Godliness is not something that we conjure up ourselves. Godliness is the spiritual fruit of a life that is lived in willing submission to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we are in Christ and that through His death and Resurrection, we have been made new creations and have received His life within. Thank You that the Word of God became incarnate and was manifest in the flesh in the person of Christ. Thank You for revealing the truth of the glorious gospel in the written Word of God, and thank You for bestowing on all Your children, the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: "Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." We pray that we may show forth the love of Christ in all we say and do, to His praise and glory, AMEN.
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We rejoice to know that where two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, He Has Promised To Be There Among Us, we are all members of His Body, the Church. As believers, we are the corporate Body of Christ, and when two or more members of Christ's Body are united in prayer or praise, thanksgiving or worship, we are fulfilling Christ's high priestly prayer: That we may be one, even as He is one with the Father. Christ is the Head of the Body and when as few as two or three members are united together in Him, they are one with Christ Who is the Head of His growing Body. It is truly amazing that Jesus has promised to work in and through the prayer and praises of His people. What a comfort to know that He is with us as we unite in fellowship around a shared meal or simply join together as we break bread and pass the cup of blessing, in remembrance of Him. Christ's beautiful Spirit of unity in our faith leads us and guides us as we come together in His name for prayer and petitions, conversation and communion, for a simple meal or a meeting of fellowship and fun: Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, how glorious to know that the Lord Jesus is our living Head. May He lead and guide all our intercessions and prayers, our conversations, and communion with others, both individually or corporately. As we gather together with other brothers and sisters to pray, and praise, and worship You, We thank You that Christ is the Head in our midst. May all we say and do be honoring to You. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. For all of us who have trusted Christ as Savior, these poignant words can pierce our own hearts as we begin to understand that the sinless Son of God was willingly afflicted, bruised, pierced, and crushed with wounds that we merit. He died a death that we deserve, as the burden of our sin was laid upon the sinless Son of Man. By His death and Resurrection, The Lord Jesus Paid The Enormous Price For Our Sins and broke the power of sin and death in our life forever, returning us into fellowship with the Father. We are accepted by God, because of Him. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that the Lord Jesus Christ was wounded for our transgressions and bore our sins in His body on the tree. Thank You that our guilt has been exchanged for peace with God and the peace of God now rests in our hearts. Thank You that we have been forever released from the bondage of sin and death, and that by His stripes we have been healed, clothed in His righteousness, and made children of God. In Jesus' name, AMEN. Peace WITH God is our permanent possession when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, but the peace OF God is conditional upon a believer being in a relationship with the Lord Jesus; as we abide in Christ, trust His Word, depend on His guidance, die to self, and live for Him. It is a daily and often moment by moment choice to permit the peace of Christ to rule in our heart. He promised us His peace, and as long as we steadily look to Him and away from ourselves, His peace becomes an abiding reality. His inner peace is something to which all believers are called, both individually and corporately, and should become a reality in the lives of all who are called by His name. Each is given particular gifts and a unique ministry that is designed to give mutual encouragement to one another in our service to the Lord. The peace of God can too often be hindered when a heart is devoid of thanksgiving and praise. A grateful heart that is filled with heavenly thanks and praise to God, is a heart that is ready and prepared to have the peace of Christ stream into their inner being and flow out to others as a testimony of praise to our heavenly Father. May we with one accord let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts day by day and moment by moment. It is to this that the Body of Christ has been called, and let us in all things be thankful. Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, w pray that the peace of God would rule in our hearts today. Please show us if there is anything in our lives that is preventing Your peace from guarding our hearts. May we honor You in all we say and do, and we pray that we may grow more like the Lord Jesus in our dealings with our brothers and sisters in Christ so that Your peace may guard our hearts and the peace of Christ may flow through from us to others. In Jesus' name, AMEN. The Lord God Almighty desires His people to separate themselves from fond affinity with the filth of this seductive world system. He charges that all such unnatural bonding of purity with evil should be discarded with equal revulsion and tenacity, as if fleeing from Satan into the arms of the Lord. The precious promises for those that heed this call, is that God will be a Father to them and they will be His dearly beloved sons and daughters. The serious warning to those who reject His offer of salvation is eternal estrangement from God the Father and eternal condemnation: "Because they have not believed on the only begotten Son of God." We are not only called to cleanse ourselves of physical impurities and to rid our lives of fleshly pursuits that dishonor our Lord, but We Are To Be Holy. God is holy. We are to be righteous in thought, word, deed, and motive. We are to love the Lord with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, and we are to love one another as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  Our United Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we kneel in awe and wonder when we consider the grace that has been showered on us, that we should be called children of the holy Creator-God and made joint-heirs with Your beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. we pray, that as we gaze into the face of the Lord Jesus, we may pass from glory to glory, and become increasingly conformed into Christ's image, and separate ourselves from the impurities and lusts of the world system and our fleshly selves. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God has spoken to man through His Word, which was delivered to us through the holy apostles and prophets of both the Old and New Testaments. We do not have to visualize how to be saved or second-guess what God wants to teach us, nor do we have to try to imagine how God expects us to live, for it is clearly laid out for our learning in a logical and systematic way within the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God gives us clear teachings on salvation, justification, sanctification, propitiation and many other important Christian doctrines, and the Bible also gives us clear and godly principles on how to live the Christian life in a manner that is pleasing to God and in a way that honors His name Knowledge and application of sound biblical doctrine contained in Scripture is the only foundation for a mature Christian walk and effective Christian service, and Paul reminds the young pastor, Timothy that a good minister of the Lord Jesus Christ must be constantly nourished by the words of the faith and good doctrine. Like Timothy, We Need To Feed Daily On Scriptural Truth as a personal priority and for our own spiritual nourishment. Doctrine should not be considered a dirty word to be avoided, but should be embraced as the singular plumb-line for truth and recognized as the God-given criterion that enables false doctrine to be recognized and rejected. 1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and for the truth that it contains. Thank You that in the Scriptures, we have all that we need for clear teaching on salvation, justification, sanctification, propitiation, and many other important Christian doctrines. We pray that we may yearn for Your Word of truth as a baby craves for milk so that in Christ, we may grow in grace and mature in our Christian lives and not be misled by false doctrines and unbiblical teachings, to Your honor and glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. As Christians, We Are The Most Blessed People On Earth, for in Christ we have become victorious in life, and through Him we have been declared triumphant over death. We are identified with His Person, His perfections, His glorious victories, and His resurrected life and it is all by faith. Because we are in Christ by faith, we have passed from death to life-eternal and are one with Him. Because we have been born again, we are accepted forever by the Father. We are declared righteous because of our union with Christ Jesus our Lord. In this second letter to the Corinthians, we discover Paul encompassed by the sort of difficult circumstances that would cause most people to fall apart. Paul tells his readers that he was pressed out of measure and attacked by the enemy of our souls, insomuch that he, "despaired even of life!" He was tossed about by every possible difficulty and danger, but Paul learned a valuable lesson... that he must not trust in his own abilities but only in God. May our lives become a living sacrifice holy to the Lord and honoring to His name. When we are encompassed by many sorts of dangers and difficult circumstances, may we be willing and able to give thanks to our heavenly Father in all things, knowing that He always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us a knowledge of Him in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that no matter what we may have to face in life, that in Christ we are always led to victory. We pray that as we rest in Him, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, that we may always be led in triumph to Your praise and glory. May our lives be living sacrifices, burnt offerings, that become more and more blessed of the knowledge of Him in every place You may choose to send us. we pray this in Jesus' name and for His glory, AMEN. Being baptized into the Body of Christ, sealed by the Spirit of God, and having Him take up permanent residence in our mortal body, are some of the wonderful ministries that take place the moment a sinner believes in Christ and trusts the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. While the filling of the Spirit in Acts 4 was a sovereign act of God, we are also commanded to be filled with the Spirit, and to keep on being filled. Our responsibility to be Filled With The Spirit is achieved as we submit to the Spirit's leading and guiding, as we die to our own desires and live for Him. We are not, however, to make selfish requests to be filled so we appear more spiritual than others, or because we like the idea or the 'feeling'. May we be so in love with our Savior and so desirous to do His will above our own that we do everything for His glory. May we be ready at all times to submit His sovereign authority over our lives and be filled with His Holy Spirit at His pleasure; to do His sovereign will, in His chosen way, at His perfect time, and for His greater glory. Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, as we read about the inspiring events that took place when those assembled were all filled with the Holy Spirit, we can only praise and thank You for this amazing gift. Thank You that we have been saved by grace through faith and have the Spirit of God living in our hearts. We pray that we would maintain fellowship with You, by walking in spirit and truth, and trusting You in all things. Father, we want to offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to You, and we pray that You would use us in whatever way You choose. Equip us, we pray, for the good work You have prepared for us to do. May we die to selves and live and work for Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN. We Are Called To Be Holy even as our Father in heaven is holy, and we are instructed to be sanctified unto God in our hearts by faith, with thanksgiving and praise. But there is one more piece of godly wisdom; a directive that we would all do well to note no matter where we live in the world and no matter what our life circumstances may be, as God's children, we should be ready to answer anyone who asks us about our faith in Christ and our trust in God. We should all be equipped to talk of our blessed hope and the grace of God that gives salvation to whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord. We should all be properly prepared and readily inclined to give a defense of the gospel in which we stand. We should be properly prepared to give an answer for the blessed hope we have in our hearts and to share the glorious hope that we have in Christ Jesus our Savior. We are exhorted to do this in gentleness of spirit, in reverence, and in grace. 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Our desire is to be fully sanctified unto Him and to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God. Guard our hearts and guide our speech, we pray. Give us wisdom to be able to give a defense for our trust in Christ and to give answers for the blessed hope that we have in Him. Lord, we pray that by the power of Your Holy Spirit, we would be able to answer everyone who asks us about our faith in Christ, in gentleness and reverence and always to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN. The precious truth of this passage is that It Is Never Too Late for sinners or backsliders to turn away from their sins, to return to the Lord with all their heart, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. It is a beautiful demonstration that the goodness, grace, and mercy of our long-suffering God, remains open to ALL who will simply trust in His Word, remember His goodness, genuinely return to Him with heart and soul, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. It shows that fasting, with weeping and morning, is often associated with true repentance of heart. Although in this Church dispensation, there is no written covenant, set rules, or legalistic regulations which are required of Church-age believers, it is important and wise to take note of things that outwardly demonstrate an inward change of heart. Joel 2:12 “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the book of Joel which bears witness of Your goodness and grace to all who will trust in Your Word. Teach us the lessons that You would have us learn, and keep us from making the same mistakes. Help us to make our outward lives demonstrations of changed inner lives which trusts You implicitly, in thought, word, deed, and motive. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. God is no respecter of persons and Christ's directive to remain as a guest in the same house without moving swiftly and lightly. to another residence because of personal preference, displays the godly characteristics that are expected of all God's children. No matter what thrilling results we witness in our ministry for Christ, and no matter what excitement we experience along the way, nothing should overshadow the wonderful truth that we are covered by the blood of the Lamb and that our names are written in heaven. It is not the gifts and abilities we have received from the Father that should have our fascinated attention. The predominant source of our joy should be the close, personal relationship we enjoy with our Heavenly Father. No matter what position we are given in this world, and irrespective of the gifts and graces we have received from above, our everlasting joy should be in the fact that we have been saved by grace, through faith and We Have An Inheritance That Is Kept For Us In Heaven. Praise God that in Christ, our sins have been forgiven and eternal life is our present possession. Although we should delight to praise God for the many blessings we receive from Him, day by day, let us rejoice in hearts, souls, minds, and strength that our names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for our great salvation. Thank You for the many blessings that are showered upon us, day by day. How we praise and thank You that by grace through faith in Christ, we, the Body of Christ, are one with Him and that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Praise Your holy name. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. There are lessons on godly living for men and women of all ages in Paul's letter to Titus, and we would all be well-advised to take to heart his guidelines for those in positions of authority within the church. Pastoral oversight in every Christian fellowship, is of great importance. The conduct and integrity displayed by church leaders, in word and in action, can speak volumes to those under their guidance, including young men and women. They will react more favorably to a teaching of 'do as I do' rather than 'do as I say'. Young people in general are more likely to respect and respond to a pastor who lives out his Christian life with probity at home and in the wider community, rather than the one whose daily actions do not correspond with his Sunday teachings. Paul is encouraging Titus to be a living example to all under his care. He is reminding him to demonstrate appropriate Christian behavior in his own life, so that the instruction he offers to every group of believers, both young and older, will inspire them all towards A Sanctified Life That Honors The Lord Jesus. May we give encouragement to those that are younger than we are, while imitating the godly traits of those that are mature in the faith. Let us pray that in everything we show ourselves to be approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth and standing firm on godly principles. Titus 2:8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the valuable teachings we have in the little book of Titus and the many instructions on righteous living and sound speech. We pray that we may live godly in Christ Jesus, and remain sound in doctrine. We ask that You would guide us into all truth and correct us from any error. We pray that we might become living testimonies of Your goodness and grace, and be used by You to live lives that are beyond reproach, only saying and doing those things that honor Your holy name, to Your greater glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. We live in a world where truth is often twisted and justice frequently remains undone, and this is often reflected in the Book of Psalms. Many of David's writings bewail the injustices of life, where the innocent are hounded or persecuted, while the guilty appear to prosper and go unpunished. No matter what difficulties and dangers God's people are going through, we have an assurance that He Will Hear And Answer Our Prayers. When being falsely accused or when facing great danger, the Lord has promised to vindicate His people and rescue us from the ravages of those that hate us: "He will save us from the lion's mouth and the horns of the wild oxen," because we are His children and He is our God. When we are in Christ, we can declare with authority: "What can man do to us?" Today, we live in an increasingly disturbing environment; a topsy-turvy world where right is called wrong, evil is considered good, and the people of God are calling out to the Lord with increasing concern and in deepening distress. We wonder how long the Lord can allow the evils of this world system and the disgusting acts of fallen mankind to continue. Many of His children grieve to witness the injustice that is taking place today, in the mighty corridors of world powers and in the secret shadows of dark places. God is still in control, and every day is one more day of grace when men and women are saved through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. But a day is coming when He will return to put all wrongs right and judge the world in righteousness. Psalm 35:17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You that You are in control of this world and will one day be moved to bring in Your rule of righteousness and vindicate those that have been unjustly accused or abused. Thank You, Father, that You are the One Who places men and women in power and brings down rulers, in order to forward Your perfect plan of salvation for the redemption of the world. Thank You for men like David who have gone before us, but have set an example in trusting You to rescue their soul from the ravages of this world system. We pray that no matter what we face in the days ahead, we will trust You in all things and bring glory to Your holy name. AMEN. As members of the human race who have been saved by grace through faith, we have volition. We can choose to be a servant of sin or to be a servant of righteousness. We can choose to allow sin to be our master or we can decide to have righteousness as our overlord. We are either a slave to sin and under the authority and rule of sin, in which case we obey sin in our everyday life, or we are a slave of righteousness and under the authority and rule of righteousness, in which case we remain its obedient servant. Whoever We Choose To Obey In Our Everyday Life Is Our Master and we have two options; sin or obedience. The former results in death and the latter in righteousness. Moment by moment we are faced with the same choices; to be a slave of sin or a servant of righteousness. Whether in mental attitude, spoken work, or physical action, we are faced with the same choices every day of our lives; to sin or to obey. Day by day, may we make the right choices in thoughts, words, and deeds, so that we may remain in fellowship with our heavenly Father as we abide in Christ, submit to His leading, mature in the faith, and grow in grace, for our eternal joy and for His greater glory. Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we have been freed from slavery to sin and become servants of righteousness. Help us day by day to make the righteous choices in our lives that keeps ourselves nailed to the Cross so that our lives may be lived in willing obedience, as we seek to do Your will to Your praise and glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. Some like to suggest that the apostles had a false understanding about the kingdom, implying that Christ's reply was a form of rebuke, but this is not what the plain reading of Scripture reveals. Some falsely claim that God has finished with Israel because they rejected their Messiah and use this verse to suggest that the promised, earthly kingdom is no longer for Israel, but has somehow been transferred to the Church. Again, this is a totally false inference and a destructive twisting of Biblical truth. To use this verse in support of the various false claims against Israel or faulty concepts of Christ's promised earthly kingdom, is to distort the Word of God, to discredit the character of God, to render God's promises as illegitimate, and to deny the whole counsel of God. It was not for the disciples to know the exact times or circumstances of Christ coming kingdom, as is shown in the Word of God. But we have an assurance that His promises are sure, His Word is true, and that the Father has fixed them by His own authority and will fulfil them in His time and His way. Let us Trust God To Fulfill All His Plans and purposes as relates to both Israel's earthly inheritance and the Church's heavenly inheritance, but let us not go beyond what is revealed to us in Scripture or seek to distort the Word of God in order to satisfy our own human curiosity or our own presumptuous pride. Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the many promises and prophecies that You have graciously given to us in Your Word. Thank You for giving us such great understanding of the times in which we live and the blessed hope that is set before us. Keep us from attempting to look into the finer details of Your plans and purposes which You have not disclosed, but which are fixed by Your own sovereign authority. Prevent us from distorting the truth of the glorious gospel of God, in order to satisfy any fleshly curiosity. Help us to study the whole word of God so that we do not get deceived by any extra-biblical teachings or unbiblical 'interpretation' of Your Word. In Jesus' name, AMEN. |
Prayer
We are a growing group of people praying daily for and with others. We were led to start an online ministry to deliver what is needed more now than ever, a place where you can go to easily to submit a prayer request or requests involving others to pray for your needs. The Power of Prayer. Matthew 18:20- For where two or more come together in my name, there I am among them. You are never alone in prayer. The Power Of Numbers Praying.
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