Nov. 25 SparkysHeart — 1 CORINTHIANS 7-8

Nov. 25 SparkysHeart — 1 CORINTHIANS 7-8 Sparky's Prayer: Forgive us, Lord God, for listening to the world that tells us we will be happier if we will change our circumstances but remember that our real joy lies in being where You want us and to remember we are responsible for the welfare and comfort of others. Help us to be in a position that we are less tempted to do wrong so we won't make others to do what we want, but help us to point them to You instead in obedience. In Jesus' precious mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
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Philippians 3:10-14 — To Know Christ
PAUL'S PRAYER: Father God: we want to do this because we want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and be allowed even to share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that if possible we will attain the resurrection from the dead. Dear heavenly Father God, we know that we have not made this our own yet, but one thing let us do: Let us forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. Help us to keep pressing forward toward the goal so that we will win the prize according to Your will in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?329

VERSE: [Jesus said] "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins." ~ Mark 11:25 (NIV)
THOUGHT: To me, this is one of the most challenging reminders of God's will in Scripture. We must forgive others! When we refuse, it cuts us off the stream of forgiveness that God so longs to give to us. While forgiving others is never easy, God has not only commanded us to do it; He has also given us His Son as an example of forgiveness. In addition, He has promised to empower us to be able to do His will by the power of the Holy Spirit. The real issue: Will we let go of our bitterness toward those who have wounded us and truly forgive them?
PRAYER: Dear Father God, we want to forgive ____ of the sin committed against us. Please block cynicism and bitterness from our hearts. Please empower us to forgive as Jesus did. In addition, dear Father God, please teach us what our commitment to forgive actually means in terms of the life changes we need to make. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
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WHAT JESUS DID! — Extravagant because of Grace
Matthew 26:10-13 (NLT) But Jesus replied, "Why berate her for doing such a good thing to Me? You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer. She has poured this perfume on Me to prepare My body for burial. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."
WJD THOUGHT: Part of the Gospel wherever it is told! Wow, what a promise, but the very fact that we are reading this is proof that it is true. The last will be first, the scorned will be honored, and the poor will be made rich. That was Jesus' promise. He is the validation of that promise and so is this woman whose generosity is extravagantly appropriate for the Son of God Who is about to be rejected, scorned, persecuted, reviled, humiliated, and murdered. How can the response to such a gift not be extravagant? How can we response to such grace not be boundless? How can we treat God's unrestrained mercy, love, and grace with the normal and restrained thank you's of day-to-day thanks? God's gift is so generous and Jesus' sacrifice is so great, how can we offer only a token word of gratitude and praise?
WJD PRAYER: Holy and gracious Father God, You have given us so much in Jesus. We want to thank You and praise You from the bottom of our hearts for Your generosity and grace. We want to live extravagantly for Your glory and praise You with unrestrained joy and praise. You are worthy of all that we are and have and yet that gift pales in significance to what Jesus has done for us. In Jesus' mighty saving name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/1125-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — Not a Word
Mark 15:3-5 (NLT) Then the leading priests accused Him of many crimes, and Pilate asked Him, "Are You not going to say something? What about all these charges against You?" But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate's surprise.
WJD THOUGHT: Once again, as Old Testament Scripture had promised, Jesus does not try to defend Himself. He is silent. Pilate is surprised at such silence. Why would Jesus not defend Himself? Because the issue at stake was not His innocence, but our guilt. He goes as the sinless one to be convicted and sentenced to death for our sins.
WJD PRAYER: Dear Father God, as we approach the time of giving thanks and for remembering Your Son's birth, it is hard to be reminded of the outcome of that birth. We are ashamed that we killed Your Son when He came. We are horrified that He was treated so barbarically. We are angered that justice was so perverted. We are enraged that political preservation was more important to those in charge than the life of Your Son. However, dear Father God, we are eternally grateful that You would love us, and love all of us, so much that You had Your Son endure what He endured. And, Lord Jesus, not only do we pray this in Your mighty saving name, but we thank You with all our hearts for what You did for us. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/mark/1125-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — Do not Be Mislead
Luke 21:8-11 (NLT) He replied, "Do not let anyone mislead you. For many will come in My name, claiming to be the Messiah and saying, `The time has come!' But do not believe them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end will not follow immediately." Then He added, "Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and epidemics in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs in the heavens."
WJD THOUGHT: Misunderstanding about Jesus' return has been a problem for many people. Many have been misled by signs they think they see in our world. Jesus, however, warns that many things will happen before His return — wars, rebellions, earthquakes, famines, epidemics, and heavenly signs. The key thing in each of these events is to not panic. God is in control and He will have Jesus come at the proper time. We just need to be prepared.
WJD PRAYER: Father God, with so many disturbing things going on in our world today, please still the struggles in our spirit and allow us to remain calm and faithful during troubling times. We know that we belong to You and we also know that when Jesus returns that we will go to be with You ... no matter when that time will come. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/1125-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — Frightened or Fearless?
John 19:8-9 (NLT) When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked Him, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave no answer.
WJD THOUGHT: Pilate is trying to find a way out of dealing with Jesus. He knows Jesus is innocent, but cannot appease the crowd. What if Jesus is Who He says He is? How can he convict an innocent man? How can he keep his constituents happy? Who is this Jesus and where is He from? Pilate loses his integrity unless he releases Jesus. He cannot release Jesus without infuriating the crowd. Jesus will not answer him. Jesus refuses to be a pawn in Pilate's political game. He will follow the will of His Father and no one will deter His commitment to righteousness. Facing a choice about Jesus' identity, Pilate the ruler shows fear, gives up his integrity, and becomes a prisoner to the fickle will of the mob. In the face of death, Jesus shows courage, displays integrity, and demonstrates the freedom to be Who He is truly committed to be no matter the will of the crowd. The stark differences in their choices and character remind us of the importance of the choices we make about Jesus and the will of God.
WJD PRAYER: Righteous and holy Father God, what can we say to convey our thanks and appreciation of the horrible price paid for our sins? Thank You! Even more, please purify us and strengthen us so that our lives from this day forward deepens in Your character and in our love for Jesus, our Savior. In Jesus' mighty saving name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/john/1125-wjd.html

Daily Guide to Miracles from Oral Roberts Ministries
Facing the Lions’ Den — By Richard Roberts
We all go through times of trouble when we feel as though we have been thrown into a den of hungry lions. That literally happened to the prophet Daniel.
The Bible says Daniel had distinguished himself above the king’s governors. He had an excellent spirit, and the king considered placing him over the empire as his administrative officer. Because of this, the governors hated Daniel. So they devised a plan to trick the king into decreeing that no one could pray for thirty days. Anyone who disobeyed would be thrown into a den of lions.
Daniel paid no attention to that decree, and he continued to pray to his God as usual. The prophet’s actions were reported to the king, who soon realized he had been tricked, but he had to keep his word. Much to his chagrin, he had Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. But God delivered Daniel! He sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths! Daniel 6:22 (NKJV) Verse 23 says That Daniel came up out of the den without any harm or injury because he believed in his God!
You can be facing a lions’ den right now. It can be a lions’ den of fear, discouragement, or depression. Perhaps it is a den of sickness or debt. But when you stand strong in your faith and obey God’s Word, you have a Bible right to expect God to fulfill His Word. He has the power to deliver you just like He delivered Daniel!
My Declaration of Faith for Today: Believing Your Word, Lord, I stand strong in my faith, knowing I have a Bible right to expect deliverance when I need it.
Remember, "Something GOOD is going to happen to you!"
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Midge
1 Peter 4:9 — Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (NIV)
Midge is one of my smallest dogs. She is a silver dapple, long-haired dachshund, and she is very special. Midge loves everybody. No matter who comes to our door, she graciously welcomes them with her gently wagging tail and quiet demeanour. If our guests enjoy dogs, she will sit beside them for hours and receive their affection with pleasure. Yet, if a guest does not have any affinity for pets, she calmly and peaceably settles in her bed and stays out of the way. If dogs could have the gift of hospitality, Midge would certainly be a prime example.
In today's world, hospitality is fast becoming a memory. People are busy. E-mail and Facebook are the easiest and fastest way to communicate. Unlike times past, most families do not entertain other families for a meal or even for coffee and dessert. Cocooning — holing up in one's home or office — is a modern term for the way many of us live. Schedules are busy, and it is increasingly difficult for people to come together for a face-to-face visit or meal. Hospitality has become a major chore and something to be avoided. Guests arriving unexpectedly at the door are not normally greeted with arms wide open, but grudgingly, as most of us hope they are not planning to stay too long ... After all, we have things to do.
Yet, God has commanded through his servant Peter that we are to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Hospitality draws people together in relationship. It opens up the door to friendship, comfort, wisdom, and hope. People need people, and in our ever-transient mode, new people are coming and going within our neighbourhoods on a regular basis. What a terrific opportunity to reach out and be hospitable, to touch others with the love of God simply by making them feel welcome!
We come in agreement with Lynne’s Prayer: Lord God and gracious heavenly Father, You always make us feel welcome in Your presence. Help us as Your beloved children to do likewise unto others. Grant us Your spirit of hospitality, that we will reach out to make others feel welcome and loved within our midst, within our homes, within our lives. In Christ's mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
Lynne Phipps — lynnephipps@hotmail.com
Atlin, British Columbia, Canada
http://daily.presbycan.ca/

WHAT JESUS DID! — I have faith (complete confidence) in God
Acts 27:25-26 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me; [26] But we shall have to be stranded on some island.
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