These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, April 3rd
Monday - Matthew 7:12-29
Tuesday - Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Wednesday - Leviticus 19:9-18
Thursday - Galatians 5:16-26
Friday - Deuteronomy 30:11-20
These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, March 20th
Monday - Matthew 6:19-34
Tuesday - 1 Timothy 6:6-21
Wednesday - 1 John 2:15-29
Thursday - Philippians 4:4-23
Friday - 1 Kings 10:1-13
These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, March 13th
Monday - Acts 8:26-40
Tuesday - Romans 6:1-14
Wednesday - Ephesians 5:1-21
Thursday - Colossians 3:1-17
Friday - Hebrews 13:1-19
These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, March 6th
Monday - Matthew 24:1-14
Tuesday - Matthew 28:1-20
Wednesday - Acts 1:1-11
Thursday - Colossians 4:2-6
Friday - Revelation 21:1-27
These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, February 27th
Monday - Matthew 6:1-18
Tuesday - Isaiah 42:1-17
Wednesday - Psalm 103:1-22
Thursday - Deuteronomy 8:1-20
Friday - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
These passages will prepare you for this week’s sermon which will be preached on Sunday, February 20th.
Monday - Matthew 3:1-17
Tuesday - Matthew 4:1-25
Wednesday - Matthew 5:1-12
Thursday - Matthew 5:13-26
Friday - Matthew 5:27-48
WEEK 6 - REAWAKENING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We look to the future with the certain hope of Christ’s return. He’s coming again! We will see Him and be with Him to experience His glory in a way we never have before. All of the things that are wrong with this world will be righted and Jesus will reign forever!
DAY FORTY - CHRIST IS COMING AS THE MAJESTIC KING AND LORD - John Stumbo
Revelation 19:11-16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule[b] them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
In John’s vision provided in today’s text, heaven opens before him, and the center point is the returning Christ. Our Lord Jesus comes as the victorious one. All of heaven’s armies follow Him, and all of earth’s nations fall at His Word. Blazing eyes, multiple crowns, a blood-stained robe, and other powerful images fill the scene. In declaring numerous names of our Lord, the Spirit seems to call us to keep our attention where it must remain—on Jesus Himself.
We are apt to focus on the timing of the Lord’s return, crying out with John—“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). We anticipate the results of the Lord’s return—“There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain . . . ” (Rev. 21:4). But may our most fundamental and enduring—our most passionate and persistent—focus be on Christ Himself.
What He does as He returns will be momentous. Yet who He is remains the primary point. Hence, as we conclude this concentrated season of prayer, we end where we started and must remain—joyfully focused on the Christ who reigns as Lord and King both now and forevermore. We are a Jesus-loving, Jesus-worshiping, Jesus-preaching, Jesus-serving people. This is our calling. This is our privilege. Together, we will continue this quest.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart to rejoice in His coming return.
2. Pray that the Lord will reveal to you ways that you can better live to prepare for His coming.
3. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Alliance family in staying steadfast and faithful to Him.
WEEK 6 - REAWAKENING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We look to the future with the certain hope of Christ’s return. He’s coming again! We will see Him and be with Him to experience His glory in a way we never have before. All of the things that are wrong with this world will be righted and Jesus will reign forever!
DAY THIRTY NINE - CHRIST IS COMING AS THE JUST AND TRUE JUDGE - David Gomez
Revelation 19:2A
2 for his judgments are true and just;
Injustice is simply the absence of justice, the absence of doing what is good and right to one another. Though things like race, religion, age, gender, and economic status often play a role in our acts of injustice, they don’t always. Take, for example, one of history’s first acts of injustice. When Cain killed Abel out of an evil desire for prominence (to be more important) and preeminence (to be superior), none of these things seemed to be a factor. The truth is that sin has made us all practitioners of injustice (see Romans 3:10–18).
Injustice is painful. We long for sin’s corruption to end in us (see Romans 8:22–23) and, with it, all the injustice we suffer. This day is coming! Our King is coming, and final justice is coming with Him (see Revelation 19:2a). One day, there will be no more oppression, no more inequality, no more wrong—sin will be no more, and Jesus will reign (see Revelation 21). Yet while we wait and hope for that day with joyful expectation, He has called and empowered us today to do justice, love with kindness, and live humbly before God (see Micah 6:8).
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray for strength to take action and make Jesus known by defending and protecting the vulnerable in your community.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you show kindness and mercy to all, even those who have been unjust.
3. Pray that God will guard your heart from anger and that you will live humbly, trusting that vengeance is God’s alone..
WEEK 6 - REAWAKENING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We look to the future with the certain hope of Christ’s return. He’s coming again! We will see Him and be with Him to experience His glory in a way we never have before. All of the things that are wrong with this world will be righted and Jesus will reign forever!
DAY THIRTY EIGHT - CHRIST IS COMING TO BRING EVERYTHING UNDER HIS CONTROL - GARY FRIESEN
Philippians 3:20-21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
This passage is in stark contrast to Christ’s last few hours on earth. He was betrayed by His own disciple, meekly led away by Roman soldiers, received false accusations, submitted to a ruthless beating, and finally, died a criminal’s death on a cross.
To glorify God and save His chosen people, He relinquished the very power that could have saved Him unfathomable agony and grief.
But in this passage, we are told that Christ will act with all the power that He relinquished at the end of His 33 years on earth.
Once, for God’s glory and our salvation, Christ relinquished His power as the Son of God. But when He returns, He will act with His great power for the glory of His Father and our salvation to take us to our true heavenly home with our bodies transformed and glorified.
What a glorious Christ we serve!
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray that your heart will be centered on your true home with Christ in heaven.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you praise Him even more.
3. Pray that the Lord will allow you to hold loosely to the passing concerns of your temporary home on earth.
WEEK 6 - REAWAKENING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We look to the future with the certain hope of Christ’s return. He’s coming again! We will see Him and be with Him to experience His glory in a way we never have before. All of the things that are wrong with this world will be righted and Jesus will reign forever!
DAY THIRTY SEVEN - CHRIST IS COMING AS THE REALIZATION OF OUR HOPE - CELINE BOWER
Titus 2:13
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
My family and I have lived abroad for many years, serving in places where hope is dim. Life in a secular first-world country easily brings superficial satisfaction. Culture and context have a way of indirectly invading our perspective. All too often I have described hope as be- ing a personal yearning for a desired outcome. This definition misses the mark because the modern-day idea of hope is quite different from the biblical meaning of hope. In Scripture, the word hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised. The Blessed Hope speaks of the confidence in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
The promise of Christ’s return for His Church empowers us to be present in our current con- text with joy, confidence, and expectation. The Blessed Hope enables us to see God’s good- ness and points us to the unmerited grace of God. While we wait for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our redemption, Paul reminds us to live in the light of the return of Christ, always looking for the Blessed Hope because it challenges us to maintain integrity in character and godliness in our life, relationships, actions, and words.
The faithful waiting and anticipation of His return brings joy and hope to our hearts. His Spirit is in us. May His coming be the realization of our hope.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Welcome His presence into your mind and heart. Ask His Spirit to illuminate areas where you have placed your hope in other things and people.
2. Pray that the Holy Spirit will restore His Blessed Hope in you.
3. Embrace the promise of Christ’s return with joy, confidence, and expectation.
WEEK 6 - REAWAKENING TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We look to the future with the certain hope of Christ’s return. He’s coming again! We will see Him and be with Him to experience His glory in a way we never have before. All of the things that are wrong with this world will be righted and Jesus will reign forever!
DAY THIRTY SIX - CHRIST IS COMING AT AN UNKNOWN DATE AND TIME - MATT KELLY
Matthew 26:36-44
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch[a] with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus began to teach His disciples about the end of the age and His second coming. At that time, the disciples did not fully understand all that He was sharing with them. In Matthew 24:3, they asked Jesus, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus responded, “Concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” The disciples’ question still resonates today, and Jesus’ response is just as relevant. I see three vital truths for us to consider:
• Stay awake—Jesus calls us to ceaseless vigilance and alertness. Our lives naturally go forward with ordinary pursuits, responsibilities, and activities. While these things are good and necessary, day-to-day life should never overshadow the expectancy of His return. Our hope is in Jesus not in the things of this world.
• Be ready—We must make the necessary preparations for Jesus’ return. As the Alliance family, we are called to take All of Jesus to All the World seriously. Let us be doing His will and building His Kingdom as we ready ourselves for His return.
• Keep trusting—Only the Father knows the time of Jesus’ return. Rest in the goodness of God, trusting Him for what He has chosen to keep hidden. Our Heavenly Father loves us and reveals what we need to know. Trust Him with what is unknown.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask the Father to keep Jesus and the promise of His return preeminent in all your life.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust Him more, especially in areas and with things you have no control over.
3. Rejoice in the certain hope that Jesus will return.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY THIRTY FIVE - GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES - TIM MEIER
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In the familiar “Great Commission” text today, we have one primary temptation that threat- ens to weaken these verses and miss their point entirely. We may be led to believe that this commission is only for professional missionaries, a select few who are good at this sort of thing or simply crazy enough to move to another culture to spread the good news.
I, in no way, want to minimize the important call to leave one’s homeland and take the gospel to the least-reached places on earth. In fact, it’s this distinctive that I love about our Alliance family.
However, Jesus’ words in this passage are not to a few disciples on the top of a mountain or to those who have completed extensive cross-cultural training. His commission is for all of us.
It’s not easy to make disciples. It is uncomfortable at times, and feels downright impossible at others, to live our lives in such a way that brings light and truth to everyone around us, that invites people to follow Jesus, to surrender to Him, and then teach them about all that He has given to us.
Have we lost some discipleship fervor? Are we tempted to “outsource” this commission to someone else? May God give us new fire for those in our lives and new trust that it’s Jesus Himself who will draw them, do the work, and be with us forever.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask God to give you discipleship opportunities with one or two specific people this week.
2. Ask God to stir in you a passion for this kind of ministry.
3. Thank Jesus for His constant presence in your life and for fulfilling His promises.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY THIRTY FOUR - PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER - JAVIER GOMEZ
1 Peter 3:15
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Being prepared to give an answer must begin with becoming the very occasion for the question. In other words, we start by becoming a riddle that the world simply can’t ignore any longer.
That’s why in the Sermon on the Mount, we are called to be a city on a hill unable to hide. And that’s why in the Great Commission, we are told to make disciples as we go. Because in the mission of God, we don’t push or argue with people into following us; instead, we pull them. Or rather, we attract them. In effect, we live a life that draws people’s attention and makes them wonder about our distinctive joy, love, peace, freedom, and hope.
The most compelling Christian witness is our very lives being led by the Spirit. The gospel promises that such a life erupts as I learn to die to my natural inclination to take all matters into my own hands by no longer trusting myself instead of God. Again, rather than taking charge by using every strategy and human strength at my disposal, I choose moment by moment to deny myself. Only then will I be able to pay attention to and follow the powerful presence of Christ within me. And through His personal care and wisdom, I will receive the very freedom, grace, and peace everyone seems to be looking for anxiously in all the wrong places.
In this messy and hurting world, such a life won’t go unnoticed, awakening deeply personal and life-altering questions. And surely, only the very pouring of that miraculous life will satisfy the questioner’s quest. I would call that discipleship.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask the Lord to help you trust in Him more today and to fill you with His peace.
2. Pray that He will grant you the opportunity to be in life-giving conversations with others.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in being a showcase of His goodness and mercy.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY THIRTY THREE - YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES - BRENNA VICKERS
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus’ disciples were called to be His witnesses in the work of restoring and introducing His new Kingdom to all peoples. In Luke’s Gospel (24:45–48), Jesus tells His disciples what they are to be witnesses to: His suffering and His Resurrection alongside the message of repen- tance for the forgiveness of sins. As His disciples, we too are called to be His witnesses. This is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But what does this mean? The work of the Spirit in the apostles throughout Acts is under- stood as the extension of work begun by Jesus and now carried on by His Spirit in us. The Spirit provides the power that enables us to be faithful witnesses of Christ, demonstrating the universality and unconditionality of the gospel for all peoples. The regenerating power of the Spirit is to be seen in our changed, Christ-like lives. Through our witness, the Spirit moves others to believe.
The focus of our message is not the Spirit and His gifts, but rather Jesus—His suffering, His Resurrection, and His sacrificial love for all peoples. The Spirit’s actual evidence is His power in us to point people to Christ. Jesus Himself is the demonstration God intends in the world, and we are the vehicles He has chosen to communicate the reality of Jesus.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Keep your focus on Jesus on a moment-by-moment basis each day (Hebrews 12:1–2), and do not be distracted by temporary lures of our culture.
2. Ask the Lord to help you exhibit the reality of Jesus through a changed life to our generation, which has lost its way.
3. Actively look for ways to communicate Jesus with your friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY THIRTY TWO-PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD- HENDY SIU
Matthew 24:14
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
When Jesus was asked by His disciples what the sign of His coming would be, He said that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” They probably hoped that Jesus would say, “today is the end of the age,” but He did not. Instead, He invited them to participate in spreading the good news of His Kingdom to all the world.
Forty years ago, I thought that my life was ending because I was frightened all the time and living in the darkness, but I heard the gospel and accepted Jesus’ salvation for my life through the preaching of one of His servants. Thirty years ago, I thought my life was ending again because I was on my death bed with a brain tumor, but the Lord healed me, allowed me to live, and invited me on a journey with Him to spread the gospel to the world.
We are to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to our dying world. We are to be His witnesses to all people around us who have never had a chance to hear God’s Word and about the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we participate in this concentrated season of prayer, we must remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and diligently study God’s Word and preach His living Word as a testimony to all nations until the day of His coming.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray that God will allow His Word to be preached through you.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live as a testimony to His goodness.
3. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Alliance family to pray faithfully and to bring the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY THIRTY ONE - CARING FOR HURTING PEOPLE - CATHY SIGMUND
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Our Father has entrusted us, His people, to care like Christ—especially for those who are hurting. At its essence, such caring is an act of worship to a loving Savior who embodies the heart of our loving Father. We too embody His heart to care like Christ—He who is love is in us and seeks to love through us ( John 17:21–26). Caring like Christ is not just a good idea, it is a heart directive for those who are His.
Matthew 25:31–46 describes the return of Christ and the final judgment. King Jesus, the enthroned Lamb of God (John 1:29; Rev. 5:6, 6:16, 12:11), separates those who bear His heart likeness, the sheep on His right, from those who do not, the goats on the left. The difference between the two groups is their hearts and how they cared.
Christ’s people care like He cares. Moving in His incarnational presence, we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, come to those in prison, and minister in all sorts of other ways to the hurting. As He has loved us, we love them; as we love them, we love Him.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask the Lord to forgive you for missing opportunities to minister His love and kindness to those who are hurting.
2. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see hurting people as He does and to refresh your heart to care like Him.
3. Ask God to empower you to glorify Him and to minister to hurting people.
WEEK 5 - REAWAKENING TO THE MISSION OF CHRIST
This week, we will look at some of the things Jesus has called us to do as we live on mission with Him in this world. He defines and assigns the mission we are to carry out. May we carry it out in obedience and dependence!
DAY TWENTY NINE - BEING SALT AND LIGHT - TERRY SMITH
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus uses two metaphors to describe our mission. He tells us that we are “the salt of the earth” (v. 13) and “the light of the world” (v. 14). Both indicate that our Jesus-assigned mission involves being influential to those around us who do not know Him.
Salt adds flavor and acts as an agent of purification and preservation. Jesus is calling us to a distinct lifestyle marked by His character that has a positive moral and ethical influence on the people around us. Our lives should point people to the Christ who alone enables us to live in a way that avoids the moral and ethical deterioration of the world. If we’re just like the world, then we’ll never be able to reach those in the world.
Light pushes back the darkness, enabling people to see more clearly. Jesus reminds us that light can’t be hidden but must be displayed to benefit those who are still in spiritual darkness. Our witness—both in words and in lifestyle—must be displayed in a way that helps others see Jesus. 1 John 1:5 reminds us that “God is light.” His character is perfect in holiness. As we go deeper in our relationship with Jesus, His Spirit conforms our character more and more to be like His. People are attracted to Jesus by what they see in us.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to identify any areas of your life that are a hindrance to pointing people to Jesus. Repent of what the Spirit reveals.
2. While we aren’t to be like the world, we are to be in the world.
If you’ve withdrawn from the people who need to be reached, ask the Lord to give you the courage to let your light shine.
3. Make a list of the people in your neighborhood, workplace, or school who do not seem to have a relationship with Jesus. Pray for these people and your witness to them.
WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
The Church was purchased by Christ, initiated by Christ, and is under the ownership and leadership of Christ. He is in the position to tell us the purpose and function of the Church, and we are to submit to His ownership and headship. Think about Jesus’ intent for the Church and how we are to live into that intent. Pray for an open heart.
DAY TWENTY EIGHT - THE CHURCH AS THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF THE TRUTH - JULIA OROZCO
1 Timothy 3:15
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
On December 23, 1972, the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua, was filled with joyful antic- ipation, ready to celebrate Christmas. However, at 12:29 a.m., a 6.3 magnitude earthquake with destructive intensity sifted the entire city. My mom’s family was one of many who found themselves without a dwelling place. Lovingly, her uncle stepped in and built a house for the family. As he worked, he taught my uncles the importance of a strong foundation, support beams, and load-bearing walls. He also shared that in ancient cities, pillars were commonly used to make proclamations by pinning important messages directly on the pillar itself. That house still stands today. It has withstood other earthquakes, civil war, and the wear and tear of life.
Jesus is central in the analogy Paul used regarding God’s dwelling, the pillar and foundation of the truth. John 14 clearly conveys that truth is a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. He is the truth, the master builder, the pillar that proclaims the truth of salvation, the firm foundation, the solid rock that will withstand any storm, and the cornerstone that holds it all together. There is both a mystery and a beauty that Christ would become one with His Church and graft us into being part of the dwelling place of God where the foundation that we firmly rest on is Jesus. As pillars, we proclaim the message of truth with His words written on our hearts to those around us.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask that the Lord will reveal to you how the truth of Jesus is upholding your life through various seasons.
2. As a pillar, is the message of Jesus, the truth, being proclaimed to those around you? Ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life where you might be able to reflect and exude more of Him.
3. Ask Jesus to make the truth fresh and beautiful in your heart if it has become dry and stale.
WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
The Church was purchased by Christ, initiated by Christ, and is under the ownership and leadership of Christ. He is in the position to tell us the purpose and function of the Church, and we are to submit to His ownership and headship. Think about Jesus’ intent for the Church and how we are to live into that intent. Pray for an open heart.
DAY TWENTY SIX - THE CHURCH AS CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION - KELVIN WALKER
2 Corinthians 5:19-20
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[a] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
The dictionary defines the word “ambassador” as: “An accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country . . . a person who acts as a promoter of a spec- ified activity.” As ambassadors for Christ and citizens of heaven, we are His representatives on earth and have been given “the ministry of reconciliation.”
In a world that tries to define the role of the Church in worldly, unbiblical ways, let us not for- get that our calling as Christ’s ambassadors is to proclaim without apology that: the Kingdom of God has come; the way of salvation and reconciled relationship with the Father is through the atoning work of Christ on the cross; anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; a reconciled relationship with the Father makes way for reconciled relationship with one another; and “all this is from God, who reconciled us to himself though Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18).
We are Christ’s ambassadors. We carry the ministry of reconciliation! The Church is the answer to racial unity and racial harmony in a world that is filled with racism, discrimina- tion, and division. This ministry of reconciliation starts with the gospel, is at the heart of the gospel, and reaches beyond the walls of the Church as we take the gospel to the world. So, in the words of the apostle Paul, I “implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Pray that the Church, as citizens of heaven, will be Christ’s ambassadors first and foremost.
2. Pray that the Church will preach and live out the ministry of reconciliation—to God and to those who bear His image—for the sake of the gospel.
3. Ask the Lord where you might have blind spots as His ambassador that need to be corrected by His Spirit.
WEEK 4 - REAWAKENING TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
The Church was purchased by Christ, initiated by Christ, and is under the ownership and leadership of Christ. He is in the position to tell us the purpose and function of the Church, and we are to submit to His ownership and headship. Think about Jesus’ intent for the Church and how we are to live into that intent. Pray for an open heart.
DAY TWENTY SIX - THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST - KEN BALDES
Ephesians 5:22-33
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
The heading in my Bible for today’s passage of Scripture reads, “Wives and Husbands,” so it’s not surprising that most of the time we read this section of Scripture through that lens. But as I read today’s passage through a different frame of reference, the Church as the Bride of Christ, the passage is even more convicting.
Christ’s love for His Bride, the Church, and His desire to see its beauty and splendor is front and center. Do you see it?
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross makes it possible for His Bride to be purified and purged from sin. Today’s passage aligns with John 17:17–19 when Jesus prays in the garden, “sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.” If Christ’s heart for His Bride is to be set apart, dedicated, and made holy, how are we to prepare for that glorious day?
Preparation is key with weddings. I’m reminded of this again as my son, Jeremy, and his fiancée, Sydney, prepare for their wedding in June. They have spent a lot of time intentionally choosing a venue, photographer, wedding party, and guests.
How are you intentionally preparing the Bride of Christ for His return? Perhaps, like me, your heart is broken with this sobering reminder.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Ask God what wedding attire you need to put on (see Colossians 3:12–14).
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the sanctifying work that He wants to do in your church or ministry.
3. Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to the truths He wants you to teach or speak about in 2022.