Daily Prayer - Merry Christmas!

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

What do you have planned for today?  For this weekend?  Are you caught up in decorating, buying and wrapping presents, planning menus, preparing food, getting ready to travel, getting ready for visitors, attending office parties, etc. etc.?

 

Have you taken 5 minutes in the last 1,440 minutes (24 hours) to still your heart, and your soul, and meditate not only on the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but on how prepared you are if He should return tonight?  Yeah, me either.  But I am going to try to now!

 

Advent is a season of preparation and refection.  The themes of hope, peace, joy and love represent the real gifts of the season - God's gifts to us.  Accept and cherish those gifts this Christmas.  Be fully present with your families so that you can share the gifts with them.

 

Merry Christmas,
Bruce

 

Lord Jesus, our brother and our Saviour,
come into our hearts with your love,
with your joy, your hope, and your peace.

 

Help us to reflect your love for all
by loving and serving all we meet.

 

Lord Jesus,
come into our lives,
and share your gifts with all people.

 

Blessed are you, Lord Jesus,
forever and ever.

 

Amen!

 

(http://www.archtoronto.org/events_news/pdf/01_ad_joy_hope.pdf)

Daily Prayer - Joy to the World!

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

How would you feel to have the God who created the universe and everything in it rejoicing over YOU with gladness and exulting over YOU with singing? 

"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD." Zephaniah 3:14-20

 

The people of Israel are in the midst of one of the most tragic moments of their history—their land is being conquered by outsiders, the city of Jerusalem is destroyed, they are refugees without a home. But Zephaniah has the eyes of a prophet. Prophets look beyond the harsh realities of the present and proclaim that God is still there, still alive "in our midst," even in times of suffering. He can see what others do not always see because he is an expert student of God's character of faithfulness. So, Zephaniah trains his eyes on the horizon looking toward the fulfillment of God's promises.

 

In Advent we are called to be prophets too—to train our eyes on the horizon, to be watchful for signs of God "in our midst." As Advent prophets, we sharpen our eyesight through the celebration of God's acts of steadfast love and mercy. We put up nativity scenes, we retell stories of angels announcing the birth of a savior and we place that guiding star atop our trees to remind us that we have more evidence of God's faithfulness than even the prophet Zephaniah did. Jesus Christ is the ultimate evidence that our God is "in our midst" or, as we like to say this time of year, "Emmanuel" which means "God with us." So, like Zephaniah, we call on one another to sing, to rejoice in the anticipation that God is always with us in Jesus Christ and that God's justice and mercy will ultimately be victorious.

 

http://www.secondchurch.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=92595

 

Rejoice.  Be joyous.  God is in our midst.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

 

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

 

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

 

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

 

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Daily Prayer - The joy of expectation in the midst of tragedy

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

Two things about the devotional below strike me.  First, I love the phrase "we share in the expectation of Isaiah, of John the Baptist, and of Mary".  As you read Isaiah's prophecies of the coming Messiah, as we listen to John the Baptist's passion for the people of Israel to repent and return to God because he knows that Messiah is here among them, as we listen to the faith of Mary as a young teenager who has just been chosen as the mother of this Messiah, don't you just get a sense of the joyful expectation they must have been feeling?  Second, the phrase "tragedy (is) all too common" brings to mind the events last week in Newtown, Connecticut.  How could we possibly find peace, let alone joy, in the aftermath of such an event?  The answer is only in truly trusting that "Jesus will bring everlasting peace when He comes again".  The joy of expectation in the midst of tragedy.

For us, the lighting of the Advent candles represents the promise of the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. As the light of the Advent wreath grows, we share in the expectation of Isaiah, of John the Baptist, and of Mary for the fulfillment of God's promise to send a Savior. We look forward to the coming of Jesus who pierces the darkness of sin by the light of his love.

 

As we pass the halfway point in our waiting this week, we light the rose colored candle of Joy, rejoicing that the Lord's coming is even more certain than the rising of the sun.

 

In the first week of Advent, we lit the first candle in our Advent Wreath, the candle of hope.  We light it again as we remember our hope that Christ, who was born in a manger in Bethlehem, will come again to fulfill all of God's promises to us.  This hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 

Last week, we lit the candle of peace.  We are surrounded by a world in which there is precious little peace to be found at times.  Wars, injustice and tragedy are all too common.  However, because of our relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we are promised a peace that passes understanding.  Christ brought peace when He first came to us, and he will bring everlasting peace when He comes again. 

 

Today, we light the candle of Joy.  Even though we have walked in darkness, we rejoice that we have seen the great light of Christ.  We rejoice that His light scatters the night and shows us the way to God.  We rejoice that He lights our path even in the darkest times, and we rejoice that the darkness of the grave will be made powerless by the light of Jesus.

 

(http://manhattanchurch.org/sermonnotes/?p=402)

Grace and peace and JOY be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

O God of Joy, Emmanuel, brighten your light within our hearts by the power of Your Spirit. 

 

Help each one of us to be ready for Christ's return, whether He comes back today or years from now. 

 

Fix our hearts and our minds on the things you have done and those you have promised to do so that we may have the joy you promised. 

 

As we worship you, strengthen us so that we may always do your will and so bless you and the world you have made. 

 

We pray in the name of our greatest source of Joy, the One born in Bethlehem. 

 

Amen.

 

(http://manhattanchurch.org/sermonnotes/?p=402)

Daily Prayer - Tidings of great JOY!

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Yesterday saw the lighting of the third Advent candle - the candle of Joy.

 

Remember the message of the Angel to the shepherds? "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10).

Today we light the third candle, the candle of joy. This should be the easy one, because joy is all around us—in the children, the lights, the
music, the gathering together. But how often do we let our preparations—or our memories—push joy to the side? Joy is like an underground spring that wells up within us, but joy is also a choice, an attitude. Like a muscle, it needs to be exercised. So today we open ourselves to joy, trusting that God has already planted it in us. All we need to do is give it care and offer it to share.

 

(http://processandfaith.org/resources/liturgy/advent-candle-liturgy)

Grace and peace and JOY be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

Loving God, we open ourselves to you, trusting that this is how you made us:
you created us for joy-filled hearts and lives.

 

Show us the creative power of hope.

 

Teach us the peace that comes from justice.

 

Fill us with the kind of joy that cannot be contained, but must be shared.

 

Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you,
That we may walk in the light of Christ.

 

Amen.

 

(http://processandfaith.org/resources/liturgy/advent-candle-liturgy)

Daily Prayer - The Prince of Peace

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  (Romans 15:10)

 

"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (John 14:27)

As we light this Advent Candle we acknowledge that peace does not reign in our world.  The
natural world around us is being destroyed.  Wars rage between countries.  Injustice exists in
every nation. Violent conflicts erupt between friends.  Children are abused right in our
neighborhoods.  We ask, "Where is our hope?"  "Who will show us the ways of peace and
reconciliation?"  "Where do we find the strength, the will, the courage to work for peace and
justice?"

As always the child Jesus beckons us to prepare for his birth and in the birth of Jesus we find
hope.  In the life and teachings of Jesus we find the way to peace and justice. And with the
help of the Holy Spirit we find the courage and the power to work for peace.

If we will follow Jesus we will find our way past greed and indifference to a restoration of
creation.  If we follow Jesus we will find our way past the fear of differences to an appreciation
of diversity.  If we follow Jesus we will find our way past hurts and disappointments to
forgiveness and reconciliation.  

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is our hope for Peace.  Jesus shows us the way.

 

(http://www.pacificgrovechurch.org/DP/Worship/Lighting%20the%20Advent%20Candle%20of%20Peace.pdf)

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal PEACE be yours,

Bruce

 

O God of all good gifts, this candle represents our desire to know you fully; to understand completely your love for us so that peace may truly dwell on all your holy mountain. 

 

Help us, during this season of preparation, to remember the true meaning of readying ourselves to participate in your peaceful and loving ways. 

 

Give us the courage to spread the message that your peace and love is for all people. 

 

Grant healing in our personal lives that we may know the joy of life's true abundance. 

 

Amen

 

(http://www.pacificgrovechurch.org/DP/Worship/Lighting%20the%20Advent%20Candle%20of%20Peace.pdf)

Daily Prayer - May Peace light the world this Christmas

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

As this season of "sparkle and bright" unfolds around us, the silent prayers of peace lie like stars hidden in a clouded night,
May we inspire the world with peace. May we touch it to our lives that in every place of stress, frustration, or fear, we might feel the presence of peace easing our hearts and transforming our lives. And may we share the its healing power with our children, that they might become the inspiration through which peace makes its way to a new yet-dreamt-of world.

 

May Peace light the world this Christmas.

 

(http://progressivechristianity.org/resources/advent-candle-lighting-readings/)

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,

not so much to be understood as to understand,

not so much to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.

 

--- St. Francis of Assisi

Daily Prayer - Peace-makers: the Children of God

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, calls us to be peace-makers ...

Last Sunday we lit the First Candle in our Advent Wreath, and celebrated the patriarchs, this First Candle reminded us of our hope in Christ. We light it again as we remember our Saviour, born a king in the line of King David. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and we believe that he will come again to fulfill all of God's promises to us, to rule the world wisely and bless all nations.

 

Today we light the Second Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. The prophet Isaiah called Christ "the Prince of Peace". They told us how he would rule the world wisely and bless all the nations.

 

When Jesus came he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. When Christ comes to us he brings us peace and he will bring everlasting peace when he comes again. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found.

 

Peace is like a light shining in a dark place. As we look at this candle we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.

 

(http://thisischurch.com/prayer_worship/liturgy/adventwreath.htm)

Take a few minutes to watch this video today.  It is another Christmas "flash mob" at a mall, but with a couple of differences.  First, note the songs they chose to sing.  Second, watch how it ends - how the singers melt away into the crowd and leave the centre of attention where it belongs.

 

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

 

 

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said you would bring peace and save your people from trouble.

 

Give peace in our hearts at Christmastide.

 

We ask that as we wait for you to come again, that you would remain present with us.

 

Help us today, and everyday to worship you, to hear your word, and to do your will by sharing your peace with each other.

 

We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem.

 

Amen.

 

(http://thisischurch.com/prayer_worship/liturgy/adventwreath.htm)

 

Daily Prayer - What is Peace?

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Yesterday marked the beginning of the second week of Advent.  We lit the second candle in our Advent Wreath, which, according to the devotional we are following at home is the candle of Love. This morning, however, in searching for prayers and material for this week I discovered there is no universally accepted order to the candles.  It seems most common is to have "Peace" as the theme of the second week.  So Peace it will be.

Jesus said "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

 

What did He mean by peace?  Perhaps this prayer will help define it.

 

 

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

I have come to bring you peace.

 

Not the peace of the season, for it is too fleeting,
Not the peace of the carol, for it is too nostalgic,
Not the peace of the greeting card, for it is too slick,
Not the peace of the crib, for it is too wistful.

 

Rather, I have come to bring you peace,
Peace of the ordinary, the daily, the homely,
Peace for the worker, the driver, the student,
Peace in the office, the kitchen, the farm.

 

I have come to bring you peace,
The peace of accepting your self as I fashioned you,
The peace of knowing yourself as I know you,
The peace of loving yourself as I love you,
The peace of being yourself as I am who I am.

 

I have come to bring you peace,

 

The peace that warms you at the completion of a task,
The peace that invades you at the close of the day,
The peace that sustains you at the beginning of the day,
The peace that reinforces you when you are reconciled with one another,
The peace that touches you when your family is in order.

 

Without peace, my coming is unfulfilled.
Without peace, my birth is forgettable.
Without peace, Christmas is a contradiction.
I have come to bring you peace.

 

(http://www.catholicdoors.com/misc/peaceprayer.htm)

Daily Prayer - The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light!

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

In case you haven't been paying attention, the theme of this first week of Advent has been "Hope".  I trust you now see the difference between worldly hope - wishful thinking, and Biblical, Godly hope - trusting, being sure of the fact, that Jesus will come again and fulfill the wonderful promises of scripture.

As our nights grow longer and our days grow short,
we look on these earthly signs--light and green branches--
and remember God's promise to our world:
Christ, our Light and our Hope, will come.
Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet:

 

The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those who lived in a land as dark as death
a light has dawned.
You have increased their joy
and given them gladness;
They rejoice in your presence
as those who rejoice at harvest,
as warriors exult when dividing spoil. Is. 9:1-2

 

(http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adwreath.html)

Grace and peace and Hope be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

O God,
rejoicing,
we remember the promise of your Son.
As the light from this candle,
may the blessing of Christ come upon us,
brightening our way
and guiding us by his truth.
May Christ our Savior bring life
into the darkness of our world,
and to us, as we wait for his coming.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

 

(http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adwreath.html)

Daily Prayer - Live in confident expectation (hope!)

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

Is your heart prepared for Christmas? Do you have the confident hope that comes from an understanding that God created you (yes YOU) to be in fellowship with Him?

 

Preparing Our Heart For Christmas (http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/350/)

 

Christmas is coming!  Loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent Wreath, the candle of Hope.

 

Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life's tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside?

 

In one word the answer to confident expectation is "JESUS"…the Jesus of Christmas.

 

Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that He was once a baby in a manger. This hope in Him has been called "an anchor for the soul". It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life. Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things.

 

Hope for Help

 

We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us:

 

"to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need". Hebrews 4:16

 

Hope to Overcome

 

Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ's strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome. 1 John 5:4 says:

 

"and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4

 

Hope for Power

 

Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us.  We do not just need a cup of God's strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2Cor. 12:9 says:

 

"My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness". 2 Cor. 12:9

 

Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God's strength gives access to His power!

 

Hope for Eternity

 

When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate "tomorrow".   The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him…

 

Grace and peace and Hope be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Dear God,

I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me.

 

Thank you that you sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior.

 

I believe He came for me.

 

Forgive me and come into my life today.

 

Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how You can impact my life, my character and my circumstances.

 

I place my hope in You right now and ask You to make Yourself known to me in my life right where I walk.

 

I thank you.

I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen

 

 

A Christmas Blessing for you…

 

"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13

 

(http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/350/)

Daily Prayer - For my son

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

Sixteen years ago today, December 5, 1996, a son was born to me and my wonderful wife, Rosemary.  A little brother for Mary Kate.

 

He showed up a little early - he wasn't due until early March.  Elijah weighed a little over two pounds (and at one point a week or so later, just under).  There were lots of complications, a long stay in the hospital, a lot of worry, and a lot of stress.  We were warned of health issues that were sure to happen.

 

Our Advent season that year was one spent in hope that our son would survive and that he would be healthy.  Faith was not really a part of our lives back then, but in hindsight I am amazed at how God worked through that time and how He has continued to work in our family.  He has given us not only a strong, healthy, wonderful son - He has given us His Son.  And our earthy hope has become a Godly hope, a certainty, that He will indeed one day wipe away every tear.

 

Happy Birthday, Elijah.

 

Love, Dad.

 

This prayer is for my son, but is also my prayer for you and your children.

 

What a beautiful adventure we are on together, my precious son.  My wholehearted prayer for you is that you will be "rooted and established in love" (Ephesians 3:17) — my deep and unconditional love for you and your heavenly Father's inexhaustible love for you – and surrounded by loving family and friends who encourage and support you.  I pray that you dream big and become all that God has created your little heart to desire.

 

I pray that you stay close by God's side even when it is the road less traveled, and that you live with conviction and stand for truth at every opportunity.  I pray that you are healthy and safe and that you feel God's protective arms around you when you go into the world.  I pray that you never doubt your Mommy and Daddy's deep desire to be the very best parents for you, and even during those moments when we fail, may you trust God to fill in those gaps with His unfailing love.

 

May your life be built on the wisdom of God and a discerning heart.  May God "fill you with the knowledge of His will  through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9), and may "the eyes of your heart be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, and the riches of His glorious inheritance" (Ephesians 1:18).

 

Above all, may our daily prayers for you, because of God's mighty power, help to clearly light your path and lead you to become an instrument of His grace, righteousness and love.

 

(http://www.standingontruth.com/parenting/2009/03/a-prayer-for-my-son-on-his-birthday/)

Daily Prayer - What is hope?

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

What does that mean to hope?

 

Is it a wishy washy maybe or a kind of unsure optimism? The modern idea of hope is "to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire."

 

In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word "hope" and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. "Hope" in Scripture means "a strong and confident expectation." Though archaic today in modern terms, hope is akin to trust and a confident expectation (source: http://bible.org/article/hope).

 

What we hope for is the future predicted by Isaiah:

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days

 

the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.
Come, descendants of Jacob,
    let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:1-5)

Hope is the theme of this first week of Advent.  Let us hope in the biblical sense, with the confidence that God will fulfill every one of His promises.

 

 

Grace and peace and hope be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
who is, who was, and who is to come,
we pray for the virtue of hope,
that amidst the trials and difficulties
of this world,
we may keep our hearts fixed
upon you, who reigns over the cosmos.

May your grace enliven us,
strengthen us,
and defend us,
as we await your coming in glory.

 

Amen

 

(http://www.churchyear.net/adventprayers.html)

 

Daily Prayer - The Hope of Advent

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Yesterday saw the beginning of Advent - the four week period before Christmas. 

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.

 

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

 

It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

 

(http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html)

The first candle of Advent is the candle of Hope. We light this candle to remind us that our hope is in Jesus and to watch for His return.

 

 

Grace and peace and hope be yours in abundance,

Bruce

Loving God, we thank You for the hope You give us.

As we worship You this morning draw out of us the darkness of the world, and fill us with the light of hope.

Help us to prepare our hearts for the Lord's coming.

We ask in the name of the One born in Bethlehem.

Amen.

 

(http://www.creakings.net/jean/staugustine/adventcandles.html)

Daily Prayer - Seasoning and illumination

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

Jesus said:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

 

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

I love these words, but they are challenging.  Sure, it's easy when I am in church on Sunday mornings.  It's easy when I am in a Bible study.  It's easy when I am praying with my family before a meal (sometimes!).  But what about Monday morning at work?  What about Tuesday evening at the pub with friends?  What about Friday night in front of the television?  Are we "seasoning" those around us or is there a blandness about the way we live such that we don't look any different than our neighbours or co-workers?  Are we "illuminating" the path for someone else or are we hiding in darkness because we are afraid to share the Gospel?

 

To be honest, these questions make me uncomfortable.  That's because I have to then ask if I am practicing what I preach? Truthfully, not enough.  But the Holy Spirit is convicting me of this not to condemn me, but to encourage me.  Being salt and light in this world is a gift from God.  Anytime I have had the opportunity to discuss the Gospel, faith, or the Bible with a friend or neighbour I have come away feeling blessed.  And I want more blessings!

 

Who will you be salt or light for today?

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for your Word which teaches me that I am made in the image of you,

I know am the salt of the earth and I am the light of the world.

 

Help me to continue to be that greater light in such a dark world,

not allowing the tricks of the enemy to deter me from living a Christ-like lifestyle.

 

In Jesus' name.

 

(http://www.faith-hope-love-bible-study.com/shortprayers.html)

Daily Prayer - Vagabonds and Ruffians

Good Tuesday morning, my friends,

 

Jesus told a parable about "outsiders" being privileged to partake in a feast because the invited guests had something better to do (Luke 14:15-24).  Well, my friends, we - you and I - are those outsiders.  Many of the first century Jews rejected the invitation, and so the doors were swung open for us "gentiles".

 

John Fischer wrote recently:

It might be good for us to think of ourselves as outsiders - as uninvited guests who got in on the party only because the invited guests had other things to do. It might be good for us to identify more with prostitutes and sinners than with the religious, lest we too become like the Scribes and Pharisees ("beware the leaven of the Pharisees" Matthew 16:6).

It might be good for us to be eternally grateful for the grace of God that has somehow found us when we are so undeserving. No background. No pedigree. We're like a bunch of mutts who got picked up at the pound one day short of our doom by a generous master who bought up the whole place - adopted us all.

Why do I suggest we think like this? Because it is a necessary to the Gospel of Welcome for us to offer the good news to other undeserving folks like us. If we ever think of ourselves as above anyone, then we are closing someone off to the gospel.

Stay an outsider. Stay a sinner (don't sin, but see yourself as one). Stay grateful. Stay amazed that you got "in." And stay close to the door, so you can welcome in other vagabonds and ruffians like yourself.  (http://catchjohnfischer.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/outsiders/)

I am not sure if I am a vagabond or a ruffian.  Probably the latter.  (The guys I played hockey with would probably attest to that.)  How about you?  Stay amazed.

 

 

Grace and peace and amazement be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Father, how grateful we are that we live in the time of Your favor. 

 

You favor us with Your goodness, love, and provisions. 

 

But most of all You favor us with redemption through the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

Jesus paid the price and we are recipients of His love and forgiveness. 

 

We give thanks for our salvation and we pray for anyone who has not made that divine appointment with You to make this the day of their salvation, for now is the time of Your favor and now is the day of their salvation. 

 

Amen.

 

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/a-prayer-of-thanks-for-salvation/)

 

Daily Prayer - All is not as it appears

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Do you sometimes (or often) look around you at this world and think that the enemy is winning?  The destruction of family values, proliferation of pornography, statistics of youth leaving the church, and on and on.  It is easy to believe that Satan is growing in power but it is not true.  When Jesus established His church He promised that the "gates of hell would not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).  So take heart.  Regardless of how things appear, God is in control, and is using everything "for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28).

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

 

 

Father, there is much that troubles us these days as evildoing changes our landscape and our personal lives.

 

It grows distrust in our hearts toward others and at times distrust in our heart toward the way You deal with these matters.

 

We believe Your power is far greater than the enemy and yet the enemy is flourishing.

 

Bring us into the secret place where Your Spirit reveals to us that which the world cannot give or take away.

 

Help us to come to the place where we too can speak the words of Asaph after meeting with You, "Whom have I in heaven but You, and besides You there is nothing I desire." (Psalm 73:25)

 

It is through the name of Jesus that we come to You in prayer and commit these matters to You.

 

Amen.

 

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/a-prayer-for-the-secret-place/)

Daily Prayer - Wake up!

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon podcast on my way to work this morning and was challenged by this question:

"Which would you say is worse: a church with poor Biblical teaching and a poor record of Christian service OR a church with strong Biblical teaching and a poor record of Christian service?"

Pause and re-read that.

 

Think of it in this context: "But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48)

 

I don't know about you, but I hear and read a LOT of sound, Biblical teaching.  I have been given MUCH.  Chances are that you, like I, attend a church that teaches from and about the Bible.  And people are attracted to that, to the Truth.  Are there a lot of people in your church?  There sure are in mine.  Does your church have a great reputation?  Mine does.  But so did the church in Sardis when Jesus said these words:

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

Sardis has been called the "Zombie Church" - the church of the living dead.  Do you suddenly feel hungry for brains?  It may be a sign that you belong to a "Sardis" church!

 

But I digress.  It is easy, oh so easy, to be convicted by these words and then just shrug and walk away.  But remember the words of James 1:23-25 "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."  Can you remember what you look like?

 

Like I said, I was challenged by the question.  And my response is to challenge you.  Do you, and your church, need to wake up?

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

We pray that the church would be alive, not only in reputation but in reality.

 

We pray that the congregation would become stronger in their faith.

 

We pray that the people in the congregation would continue in good works.

 

We pray that the church would repent of its sin.

 

We pray that the people in the church would be characterized by purity.

 

We pray that the church would be alive in You!

 

We pray this in Jesus name.  Amen.

(adapted from http://www.christiancruz.com/index.php/resources/how_to_pray_for_churches)

 

Daily Prayer - To be overtaken with wisdom

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

Do you need help making a decision today?  Are you looking for the right words to use when approaching that person?  Are you seeking wisdom?  James 1:5 says: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

 

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Dear Lord, I pray today that I'm overtaken with wisdom.

 

I pray that I stand on your word as I make my daily decisions on today.

 

Guide my thoughts and words and help me to be conscious of what I stand for as a child of God.

 

I pray that your words which I have in my heart be made available when I am face any difficult situation, so that you may get the glory from my life.

 

In Jesus' name.

 

(http://www.faith-hope-love-bible-study.com/shortprayers.html)

Daily Prayer - Stay fertile!

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

Here is an observation.  Figuratively speaking there are three places we can be in "the Church":

• We can be snuggled deep in the centre, surrounded only by people who have been here a long time, have a strong commitment to God, and a deep knowledge of His word.
• We can be near the door, welcoming newcomers, enjoying their marvel at being allowed in, and being constantly reminded that only through God's grace are we part of this wonderful body.
• We can be outside the door, inviting others in, enduring the battering of a society that rejects us as irrelevant, withstanding rejection and ridicule, and being tempted away from the door by the riches of this world.

I believe we need to spend time at all three stations, regularly moving from one to the other. 

 

We can rest at the centre, growing in our own faith and knowledge. 

We can rejoice near the entrance as we see others coming in, shaking off the cold, and warming to the love of God's people. 

And we can truly do His work by standing outside, proclaiming the peace that comes with salvation.

 

What we mustn't do is stay in any one place.  Consider it God's method of "crop rotation" to keep your soil fertile and productive.  (I know, my rural roots are showing.)

 

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear." (Matthew 13:3b-9)

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance!

Bruce

 

 

God our Father,
you conquer the darkness of ignorance
by the light of your Word.

 

Strengthen within our hearts
the faith you have given us;
let not temptation ever quench the fire
that your love has kindled within us.

 

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

 

AMEN

 

(http://www.cathedralofsaintmatthew.com/LifeResources/Prayers/PrayersForFaith.htm)

Daily Prayers - Be free

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

I just want to add a quick note to yesterday's message about God's rules.  He gives us rules not to restrict our freedom but to keep us free.  Keep us free from bondage.  And for those of us in the remedial class, to free us from bondage.  Anyone who has had this experience of being set free may understand this just a little better.  For those who haven't had to - consider yourself greatly blessed!

 

Stay free, my friends.

 

 

Grace and peace and freedom be yours,

Bruce

 

Father, my freedom is in You alone.

 

I did not understand what made me free, nor what my freedom is, nor where to look to find it. 
Father, I have searched in vain until I heard Your Voice directing me. 
Now I would guide myself no more. 
For I have neither made nor understood the way to find my freedom. 
But I trust in You. 
You Who endowed me with my freedom as Your holy Son will not be lost to me. 
Your Voice directs me, and the way to You is opening and clear to me at last. 

 

Father, my freedom is in You alone. 

 

Father, it is my will that I return.

 

(http://www.miracleprayers.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=56)

Daily Prayer - Rules or Relationship?

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

Religion is about keeping rules. Do this, don't do that, blah blah blah.  And if we do a good job keeping the rules we get into heaven.  And if we don't?  Well, there is a place for that too.

 

This is the concept of God that I grew up with, and frankly it has been hard to shake off.  Maybe you can relate.  But it is not the God of the Bible.

 

Did God give us rules?  Absolutely.  Are they there simply to restrict us?  No.  They are there because He loves us and wants to protect us.  Look at it this way, if you have a dog, do you fence in the back yard just to restrict Fido?  Or is it to protect him from getting lost or worse, hit by a car?  And if Fido should happen to get out of the yard and take off do you write him off and say, "Oh well, I guess he's gone"?  No! You go looking for him, just like God pursues us when we stray.

 

God invites us into a relationship with Him that is not predicated on us keeping the rules.  But once we have accepted the invitation and entered into that relationship we obey because of gratitude and because the rules were created in love.

 

Rules are good.  Relationship is better.

 

 

Grace ane peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Lord Jesus it's Your plan that I live a full, balanced life.

 

As I long for more of You in my life I realize I need to trust You more.

 

I pray for unshakable faith in Your promises to me.

 

I pray for a deeper relationship with You.

 

Help me to learn Your Word and how to apply it to my life.

 

Help me to let go of childish behaviors as I grow to know You more.

 

I invite You to use me as a vessel of Your love and grace to those around me.

 

Thank you for accepting me Jesus. Amen

 

(http://www.theverseoftheday.info/prayers-for-today/15/)

Daily Prayer - Two for a penny

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

It has been a while since I shared some of John Fischer's writing with you.  Below is yesterday's Catch of the Day from the "Fischtank".  As you read this let God's view of your worth override your own view of yourself. 

Two for a penny

 

by John Fischer 
 
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:29-31).

 

Three things strike me about these simple, beautiful words of Christ.

 

First: His will encompasses everything in my life. If God wills to allow the death plunge of an innocent sparrow and can somehow incorporate that tragic event into His total plan for the world, then He certainly must be doing the same with the apparent tragedies that occur in my life. Limiting God's will to what is good for me (from my finite perspective) is to rob Him of His sovereignty over all things.

 

Second: God is involved with us even in the minutest details of life. The hairs of my head . . . numbered? Really! I can just imagine God saying, "Hold still; I'm counting - 12,534 . . .12,535 . . ." (Except that in my case, it would be - 543. . . whoops... 542. . .!) If God knows how many hairs are in my head, is there anything about me that could possibly escape his knowledge?

 

Third: God not only knows us, but He assigns us the highest value in spite of knowing us completely. "You are worth more than many sparrows." My perception of this concept went through a wonderful metamorphosis as I meditated upon it. At first I wasn't very impressed. How many sparrows am I worth! Fifty? A hundred? At least a thousand, I hope! And then it hit me. Sparrows may not be very important to me, but they are very important to God. He conceived of them in His mind and created them with great care. He fashioned them with perfect aerodynamics and set them soaring in the sky. He taught them how to gather food, to reproduce, and care for their young; and when one flies unwittingly into the invisible trap of my plate-glass window and falls lifelessly to the ground - He knows. Suddenly the worth of sparrows shot up - and so did mine, and with it, the value of every person on the face of this earth.

 

You and I are the creatures He prizes above the rest of His creation. We are made in His image and He sacrificed His Son that each one of us might be one with Him. Sparrows are sold at two for a penny; we were bought for a much higher price. So don't be afraid: nothing escapes His notice.
 
John Fischer
Fischtank.com

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

Gracious and merciful Father, through your holy Word we see how you care for all people and how your love and mercy extend to everyone. 

 

Forgive us when we doubt your care. 

 

Remind us daily that if not even a sparrow falls to the ground without your knowledge, how much more you pay attention to our lives and us. 

 

Help us to see that there is never a time when you are not watching over us and comfort us with the knowledge that because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we are truly the objects of your love. 

 

In Jesus' name.  Amen.

 

(http://fhpministries.org/devotion-and-prayer-for-week-of-october-28-2012/)

Daily Prayer - Bear fruit

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

As I may have mentioned before, I have a list of words on a piece of paper over my desk.  They read:

 

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control

 

You may recognize these as Paul's list of the "Fruit of the Spirit" from Galatians 5.

 

More than once I have looked at this list and thought something like "I am doing pretty well with love, kindness, and gentleness; OK with joy, peace, goodness and faithfulness; but suck at patience and self-control".  Then I resolve to do better at the ones in that latter list.  Ever do that?

 

We tend to look at this as a to-do list.  But producing this fruit is not something we do, but rather something that God does in and through us.  We cannot attain any of these by effort, but only by abiding in Christ.  Jesus said: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5).

 

So we must stop trying to bear fruit, but rather walk in step with the Holy Spirit and God will produce an orchard of fruit. 

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Bruce

 

 

Holy and loving Father,

May we seek to walk in step with your Spirit today.

And in doing so may we allow You to produce abundant fruit in our lives.

 

In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.