This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. I challenge each and every one of you to spend a few minutes worshiping the Lord right after you read this message, but first let’s pray.
Today’s Prayer
Father, remind us that there will never be enough ordained ministers and missionaries to change the world! Only Christians, by example and word, can contact one on one the unchurched and the agnostic or atheist in the world. Help us to truly be Your disciples. Give us the right words at the right time to share Your love, encouragement and comfort, so that others will desire to know You. In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Let’s eat.
REJOICE IN THE LORD
Worship in the Spirit
Philippians 3:1-11
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Quote of the Day
When He lays hold of us, He comes like the angel that came to Peter in prison in the dark and awoke him out of his sleep and said, “Rise! And follow me.” It is only when we get out into the street, and have been with Him for awhile, and the daylight begins to stream in, that we see clearly the face of our Deliverer, and know Him for all that He is…It is the knowledge of experience. It is the knowledge of love, it is the knowledge of union, and it is in order that we may know Christ that He lays His hand upon us. ~Alexander MacLaren~