21 Days of Fasting & Prayer Devotional – Day 20: Ready for Awakening

21 Days of Fasting & Prayer Devotional – Day 20: Ready for Awakening

 

21 Days of Fasting & Prayer Devotional – Day 20: Ready for Awakening

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Nov 8, 2024
6 mins | Christian Living

One of the greatest revivals we see in the early church is in the city of Ephesus. Ephesus was a pagan city full of evil, including rampant sorcery and witchcraft, sexual immorality, and the worship of false gods. Ephesus was ripe for a Great Awakening! Acts 19 describes the events that led the city of Ephesus to experience such a powerful move of God that it transformed the entire city.

When the Apostle Paul first arrives in Ephesus, he immediately finds some fellow believers, and his first question to them is if they’ve received the Holy Spirit. They responded that they’d not even heard of the Holy Spirit, so verse 6 tells us, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Paul understood that if the city of Ephesus were going to experience the spiritual awakening God desired, His people would need to be full of the Holy Spirit.

Paul then spends two years preaching powerfully in the synagogues and throughout the city. Verses 11-12 tell us that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.”

Miracles are taking place, evil spirits are leaving, and then we see a radical event demonstrating just how powerfully God was working in people’s lives. Verse 19 tells us, “A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.” A drachma was equivalent to a person’s daily wage, so based on the average salary in America today, fifty thousand drachmas would be between four and five million dollars!

People are being saved, baptized, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit. They are parting ways with evil and turning to Jesus by the thousands. The city of Ephesus was experiencing a Great Awakening! This is what we are praying for our cities, our state, and our nation. We desperately need God to sweep across our land so that we might see millions turn to Jesus as their Savior!

Acts 19 provides great insights into what must happen if we are going to experience such a Great Awakening in our nation today. Believers must be full of the Holy Spirit, praying for people to be healed and sharing the message of Jesus with those who don’t know Him. These 21 days of prayer and fasting are preparing us for a season of increase in what we’ve seen God do over the past several years. God wants to do more through each and every one of us, but for that to happen, we must continue to get ready for awakening!

Scriptures

Acts 19:1-21 (NIV)
“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”

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What Bible Plan Should You Choose This Year?

What Bible Plan Should You Choose This Year?

 

What Bible Plan Should You Choose This Year?

Tom Mathew

Nov 8, 2024
6 mins | Christian Living

With the New Year approaching rapidly, statistics say that about half of Americans will make a New Year’s resolution. If you have decided you want to read your Bible more this year, and I hope that you have, then it’s best to start with a plan. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from.

Below are six Bible reading plans that will help you start and finish the New Year strong!

Chronological

Created by Dr. George Guthrie, this plan takes the material of the Bible and organizes it to flow in chronological order. Since exact dating of some materials or events is not possible, the chronology simply represents an attempt to give you the reader the general flow and development of the Bible’s grand story. Some passages are placed according to topic (e.g., John 1:1-3 in Week 1, Day 2; and many of the psalms). There are six readings for each week to give you space for catching up when needed

See reading plan

Discipleship Journal’s 5x5x5 Reading Plan

Read the New Testament in a year. 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week, 5 ways to dig deeper. This plan will take you through one chapter each day.

See reading plan

One Year Bible with Daily Psalm

Following aspects of the traditional Jewish order in the Old Testament, this plan offers a sustainable reading pace, allowing you to experience first the Old Testament and then the New Testament in one year. Each day, you’ll explore an average of four chapters, and you’ll close your time in prayer by reading a Psalm.

See reading plan

Discipleship Journal’s Book-at-a-Time Reading Plan

An easy-to-follow guide to reading the Bible one book at a time. From Discipleship Journal, this book-at-a-time Bible reading plan gives you what you need to read the Bible in one year.

See reading plan

ESV Study Bible Reading Plan

Includes readings from four sections of the Bible each day: the Psalms and Wisdom Literature, Pentateuch and History of Israel, Chronicles and Prophets, and Gospels and Epistles.

See reading plan

Robert Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

This Bible reading plan is compiled by Scottish preacher Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843) and will take you through the entire Bible in one year.

See reading plan

Not much of a reader? You can listen via audio-book!

All of these plans can be downloaded to your smartphone (with the exception of the last one) and will track your daily progress as you make it through the New Year: it will even remind you if you forget to read.

I hope you enjoy – Happy New Year!  

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The Story Behind Thanksgiving

The Story Behind Thanksgiving

 

The Story Behind Thanksgiving

James River Church

Nov 8, 2024
8 mins | Christian Living

On the fourth Thursday in November, each year, Americans gather for a day enthralled with family, food, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and last but certainly not least—Football! The last two items on the list may be a bit different from the original 1621 harvest meal; however, the reason for gathering remains the same: to give thanks.

The First Thanksgiving

Believe it or not, the first Thanksgiving is much older than the 1621 harvest meal. Passover was the oldest of the Jewish festivals. In fact, it was older than the covenant with Moses at Sinai. Passover came before the priesthood, the Tabernacle, and the law. God ordained it while Israel was still enslaved in Egypt, and by the time of Christ, it had been celebrated by the Israelites for 1,500 years.

Thanksgiving helps us to remember that no matter the situation or circumstance, we all have God to be thankful for.

In the last week of Jesus’ life, He met with His disciples in a large upper room where He shared the Passover meal with them. It was during this Passover meal that the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving—was instituted. God’s people would no longer look back on the blood of a sacrificial lamb, but on the Lamb of God. They would celebrate deliverance from sin rather than deliverance from Egypt. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 writes,

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (ESV).

This marked the first Thanksgiving. It was a meal; a meal that signified a great truth and reminded all of those who partook of the sacrifice and victory of Christ, and our victory through Him.

How Did The Thanksgiving Holiday Start?

On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln gave a proclamation, which declared Thanksgiving to be a national holiday. Although Christians had given thanks long before 1863, it was never nationalized, nor was this announcement the first of its kind.

In 1789, when George Washington was in his first term as the first president of the United States, he called for an official, “day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of it, but it wasn’t recognized until 1863. Lincoln, however, in the midst of the Civil War, understood the need for such a holiday:

Thanksgiving is about the recognition of God’s favor and grace on our lives.

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict….No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who…hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

How Will You Spend Your Thanksgiving?

As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family this week, take the time to remember not only what God has done for you, but that it was God who did it. Thanksgiving is about the recognition of God’s favor and grace on our lives. It is a day for saying much of God and declaring His goodness and power. It’s a day to remember that without Him, we have nothing to be thankful for. Thanksgiving helps us maintain perspective. It helps us see what God is doing. It propels us into His presence and strengthens our faith.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Who are you becoming?

Who are you becoming?

 

Who are you becoming?

James River Church

Nov 8, 2024
10 mins | Christian Living

Have you ever taken the time to look back and reflect on the last five or ten years of your life? What did you think? How much have you changed? Are you happy with who you have become?

You are always changing

You are not the same today as you were yesterday. That is a strange thought; however, it’s true.

Think about this for a moment: you have a childhood friend that moves away. You run into them a few years later, and they seem like an entirely different person.

What happened? They changed, and that’s normal.

We are always changing. Whatever you experience in life today and the choices that you make will shape the type of person you are tomorrow.

Whatever you experience in life today and the choices that you make will shape the type of person you are tomorrow.

Who you are today is not who you will end up as, and as human beings, we must live with the end in mind.

That is why we cannot be passive when it comes to the future. A mindset that says, “whatever will be will be” is not optional. We must be intentional about the person we want to become.

The future you

It can be easy to look at the future with rose-colored glasses. After all, everything is better in the future.

You have a deeper relationship with God in the future. You are a better spouse in the future. You’re a better parent in the future. And that can be true!

However, these things do not just happen. There are decisions that undergird their success.

You are constantly changing, but how you change, and the person you are becoming is a choice; either for good or for bad.

Are your decisions pushing you towards what you want out of life, or are they pushing you away?

The you, you were meant to be

At the end of your life, will you be the person you were meant to be?

The answer: it depends.

You are constantly changing, but how you change, and the person you are becoming is a choice; either for good or for bad.

Are you a Christian? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Because the only way you can know who you are, who you are supposed to be, and what you are put on this earth for, is through Christ.

How do you become the person you are meant to be?

Scripture tells us that if we want to become the person we are meant to be – who God says is the “real you.” You must become like Christ.

Becoming like Jesus

That’s a tall order to fill. However, the mark of a Christian is our desire to fill it. We want to be more like our creator and our savior, and the more we are with Him, the more like Him we become.

God has “predestined [His people] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)

“We are being transformed into [Christ’s] likeness.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Jerry Bridges’, in his book, The Discipline of Grace writes:

You know you are becoming the person you should be if every day you look more like Jesus than the day before.

Both words, transformed and conformed, have a common root, form, meaning a pattern or a mold. “Being transformed” refers to the process; conformed refers to the finished product. Jesus is our pattern or mold. We are being transformed so that we will eventually be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. Sanctification or holiness (the words are somewhat interchangeable), then, is conformity to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

 

How can we know we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ?

Bridges’ writes:

One of my favorite descriptions of Christ is that He “loved righteousness and hated wickedness” (Hebrews 1:9). Jesus did not just act righteously, He loved righteousness. In His humanity He loved equity, fairness, justice, and upright dealings with others. At the same time He hated wickedness. Jesus hated sin as sin. We often hate the consequences of sin (even if it seems to be no more than guilt feelings that follow sin) but I suspect we seldom hate sin as sin.

The mark of our becoming more like Jesus is that we look more like Him and less like the world around us. This is why James writes: “faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26)

It’s the idea that if you have put your faith in Christ, and are therefore becoming like Christ, your actions will reflect Christ’s actions.

In other words, you know you are becoming the person you should be if every day you look more like Jesus than the day before.

And that’s a comforting thought. You don’t have to look exactly like Jesus tomorrow; you just have to look more like Him than you do right now.

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Do You Have Convictions?

Do You Have Convictions?

 

Do You Have Convictions?

James River Church

Nov 1, 2024
8 mins | Christian Living

We often hear stories of unsung heroes who defied all odds and accomplished incredible acts during their lifetime. One of those unsung heroes would be Jacob Atem. Jacob has a story that is not well known but is remarkable. He grew up in South Sudan during a time of war and unrest. One day when he was six years old, he was tending to the animals and fields when he saw fire and smoke coming from his village. This would be the day he lost everything – his family, friends, and home. Luckily, he was able to escape with his older cousin to the safety of the forest.

Convictions are the compasses of life – that keep us moving in the right direction.

They didn’t know what to do so they began a thousand-mile trek to Ethiopia hopeful for a new start. Each day brought challenges that included: fighting off rival militia, escaping lion attacks, and having enough food to survive. Regardless of the opposition, Jacob and his cousin pressed on. After arriving in Ethiopia, both of them were selected to be moved to the United States. Jacob was sent to Michigan where he thrived in education and graduated with a Masters in Physical Health. With a drive to make a difference in his homeland, Jacob used what he had learned to open the first medical clinic in Maar, South Sudan.

What was the driving force that led Atem to rise above the difficulties and in the end, bring change to his homeland? Author and Pastor Warren Wiersbe writes, “Convictions are the compasses of life – that keep us moving in the right direction. They are the foundation stones that help us to stand firm when everything around us is shaking and changing.” I would venture to say that Atem was driven by his convictions, and nothing was going to stop him from making a difference in South Sudan…and the rest is history.

What Are Convictions?

Professor of Psychology, Linda Skitka writes, “convictions are attitudes that are treated more like possessions or aspects of the self.” In other words, convictions are not just mere opinions, but they are firm beliefs that define who we are. They help determine parameters that in turn charts a course for our lives. When it comes to convictions, the old saying is true – if you don’t stand for anything, then you will fall for everything. Therefore, it is critical that we give careful attention to what is truly important to us and solidify our non-negotiable values.

Daniel: A Man of Conviction

The Bible tells an incredible story of Daniel, who was a young Israelite man who possessed strong convictions. After King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem in 597 BC, Daniel was among four men chosen to serve in this king’s court. The king offered Daniel the best training, education, and diet available. Daniel decided that instead of enjoying such delicacies, he would not subject himself to compromising his faith. Daniel 1:8-9 says, “Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.” Daniel took a stand for what he believed, and the result was God’s favor on his life.

Types of Convictions

Indeed, many convictions immerse every part of our lives. By example, here are a few categories of convictions that we must strategically consider:

  • Relationship Convictions – What kind of relationships will I allow to influence me?
  • Time Convictions – How will I spend my time? What will I give my life to attaining?
  • Family Convictions – How will I lead my family? What will my family be committed to?
  • Entertainment Convictions – How will I allow entertainment to influence me?
  • Career Convictions – How will I properly align my career with God’s calling on my life?
  • Financial Convictions – How will my finances be ordered in the most God-honoring way?
  • Health Convictions – How are my health decisions impacting the longevity and impact of my life?
  • Spiritual Convictions – What priority will I place on worshipping God and being committed to his church?

These are just a few examples of how convictions play into our lives. If we don’t consider what guardrails and boundaries we are creating for the various areas of our lives, we’ll find ourselves in a place with lack of conviction which always leads to despair and even chaos.

Where Do You Begin?

Guiding Principle #1: Pray Regularly

Prayer should play a vital role in life because it allows us to communicate with our Creator. Whether it involves situations we are facing, struggles we are dealing with, or battles we are up against, prayer gives us the strength to keep fighting for what we stand for. Prayer is also a key component in hearing from God regarding the convictions he is calling us to establish in our lives.

“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:18 (MSG)

Guiding Principle #2: Stay Immersed in the Bible

The Bible is our ultimate guide. Within this incredible book, God has laid out the answers to our questions and the direction for our life. By continually studying and meditating on the Bible, we can become more like Christ, our ultimate example. A clarity of direction occurs as we invest time reading and applying the Bible.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

Guiding Principle #3: Be Committed

The idea of commitment is experiencing a significant decline in our modern society. And without commitment, convictions will be difficult to keep. We need to contest the norm by demonstrating a commitment in how we live, work and pursue godliness, all with godly conviction. Different seasons in life can be difficult, but when we commit to sticking it out, we will see God bring the best in every season.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

Guiding Principle #4: Do Everything as Unto the Lord

Work is often viewed as either positive or negative. For some, work is seen as tedious, hard, and tiresome, while others see their work as fulfilling, fun, and exciting. When you live with the conviction that there is an eternal purpose in your work, not only will you reshape your perspective, but you’ll approach your work with greater passion and tenacity.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

These are just a few of the guiding principles that can help shape your convictions. The truth is that as you commit to godly convictions in your life, God will work in an amazing, undeniable fashion. Convictions result in the difference from living a natural life versus a supernatural life. If you’re a Christian, God wants you to experience a life filled with his supernatural work in and through you. Convictions are one of the ways you will see your life, work, relationships and church accomplish much for the Kingdom of God.

So, what are your convictions?

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