Father,
we come to you in thankfulness and gratitude.
We
awoke this morning; it is great to be alive.
Lord
we prayed that you would be with us as we faced the days challenges. The opportunities
you give to help us grow through experiences that show us; Your love and grace.
This reminds us that we can do all things through Christ; who strengthens us.
We
will end the day with more thankfulness and gratitude. We will ask that you
protect us as you provide our bodies, souls, and minds rest.
Ending by saying
that the day was good and we pray you give us the opportunity to do this again
tomorrow.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Thankfulness
and Prayer:
In
your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even
death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted
him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
As
you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and
precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
“See,
I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who
trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who
believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become
the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that
causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because
they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special
possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are
the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
Dear
friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires,
which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that,
though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify
God on the day he visits us.
Submit
yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme
authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong
and to commend those who do right. For
it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of
foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up
for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the
family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Slaves,
in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those
who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable
if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are
conscious of God. But how is it to
your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you
suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To
this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in his steps
.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When
they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he
made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He
himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins
and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were
like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and
Overseer of your souls.
Father, may we internalize
the following as Practicing Christians.
For it is God’s will that
by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Live as free people, but
do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
Show proper respect to
everyone, love the family of believers, fear God”
There is no emperors in a
democracy like is defined by our founding fathers in the Declaration of
Independence; Constitution; and The Bill of Rights.
Some elected officials
think they are emperors; they must be chastised for their immoral actions and
if they choose not to change their values to legislated and vote the peoples
will; they must not be elected again.
We are the Lord’s sheep;
but does God really want us to be sheep as we attempt to live in a worldly slaughter
house managed by worldly people.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
