Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 11 – Pressed But Not Crushed
by TJ Bates "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body." -2 Corinthians 4:8-11 Paul is amazing!
Living in Hope
via C.S. Lewis Institute The three virtues that Paul sets forth as being of greatest importance in the believer’s life are faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Although in our day faith and love are spoken of far more often than hope, it remains true that hope plays a vital role in faithfully following Jesus Christ. The importance of hope is highlighted by C.S. Lewis in his book, Mere Christianity, when he says— Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 10 – Disturbing the Heart of God
by TJ Bates "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." -Isaiah 63:9 Have you ever wondered if God really cares about what you are going through? Well, Pastor Snyder makes it clear that God does care—for which I am most grateful. "God not only knows every thought and emotion, but he actually enters into our
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 9 – Break the Circuit
by TJ Bates "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." -Romans 12:21 Sounds good, doesn't it? But how do we overcome evil with good? Pastor Snyder describes evil as an electric current. He goes on to say, "It flows from one person to another when the circuit is closed, and it stops flowing when the circuit is open. How do we open the circuit? We don't allow it to move through us to the next person. It stops with us.
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 8 – Wait for the Lord
by TJ Bates "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -Psalm 27:14 In this day and age, waiting is something that none of us want to do. We get frustrated if our computers are too slow, or traffic isn't moving as fast as we like, and, heaven forbid, if we have to wait in line for anything. Why is "waiting for the Lord" important? "If anything matures our faith, it's this—waiting for the Lord to act when
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 7 – Finish the Race
by TJ Bates Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:13-14 Do you have difficulty, as I do, in letting go of the past and all the mistakes, regrets and lost relationships that go with it? If so, then you will benefit, as I have, by reading in the book: "Nothing can derail us in our spiritual lives
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 6 – Ever the Same
by TJ Bates "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." -Psalm 33:1-4 So are you feeling like singing joyfully today? Are you ready to make beautiful music in spite of all
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 5 – The Father’s House
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." -John 14:1-3 Talk about great expectations! We have a place prepared for
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 4 – He Heals the Brokenhearted
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. -Psalm 147:3 When I read this Psalm, it is easy for me to picture God lovingly and gently wrapping my wounds and healing my brokenness. Why? Simply, because he has done so more than once. In the book we read, "He (God) meets us where we are, not just where we ought to be. He wants to heal our deep hurts and bind up our hidden wounds—those not evident to anyone else—because he cares
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 3 – Good Out of Evil
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. -Genesis 50:20 In Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Waiting on God, we read that this statement is "one of the most amazing truths in the Bible. It summarizes the entire history of faith—yours, mine, and everyone else's… It speaks of God's mysterious ability to take any and all evil, all malicious intent, and turn it
