Prayerscapes for Dec. 4by wvDisciples Read Philippians 3:1-11
from Pastor Doug McDaniel, First Christian Church, Bluefield A business associate of mine had a blood clot burst in his eye a few years ago. I remember him telling me how it had really brought additional struggle to the game of golf that he loved. He said that when he focused on the ball, he in fact saw three golf balls. My always energetic and optimistic 75 year old friend exclaimed, “I just try to hit the one in the middle!” The thing that stood out to me was that he realized that to continue to play golf, he’d have to learn to look at the ball differently. Paul tells his friends at Philippi that what he once valued so greatly was now nothing more than rubbish in consideration to his spiritual gain found in Jesus Christ. As we prepare to celebrate another Advent Season and look forward in anticipation to the second Advent, maybe we too, should consider looking at this life through a “spiritual mind’s eye” and less through our “physical mind’s eye”. Join me and let us focus on the surpassing greatness found in Christ and Him alone. All these other things, well that’s just it, they are things, and they will fade away. Open my eyes, O God. Turn me toward you.
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Prayerscapes for Dec. 3by wvDisciples Read Malachi 3:1-4
from Rev. Darrell Pierce, Clarksburg Advent is a time in which we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. However, any real celebration, spiritual or worldly, requires preparation. My wife and I had a wonderful Golden Anniversary celebration in 2014, but it was wonderful only because of a tremendous amount of preparation. Malachi announced the coming of the Messiah and he could almost see the people beginning to celebrate, but he said, "Hold on! Are you willing to go through the refiner's Fire?" John the Baptist was the messenger to whom Malachi looked forward. John identified his mission as preparing the way for the Lord. His way of doing that was to preach repentance and a change of life style that emphasized that same repentance to which Malachi urged his listeners. The birth of Christ is something fantastic to celebrate, but to really experience it in its true spirit requires spiritual preparation. Advent reminds us of that need and gives us time to accomplish it. Let's have a wonderful celebration! Jesus, our Savior and Lord, help us to make this Advent special. Help us to be willing to make any change or any sacrifice that will help to bring that about. May we be not only the people of God but also the prepared people of God. Prayerscapes for Dec. 2by wvDisciples Read Isaiah 40:9-11
from Patrick Felton, First Christian Church, St. Albans The mountain is holy in almost every religious tradition as symbolic of being closer to God. For someone to go to the top of the high mountain is to be with God. In pre-social media days, this is also the easiest way to amplify the voice is to go to a high location and yell. As someone who both has had mountaintop experiences and has a loud voice, God places this verse on my heart as a reminder that I shall have no shame in proclaiming good news. The cities of Judah that I frequent have a lot of bad news right now. Heroin addiction, poverty, racism, bitterness, broken marriages, broken people, feuds. So good news, really good news, we need it. To my town of Judah, I say this: Here is your God. Here he is. Christ Jesus, and this God is more than sufficient. Let this reminder carry you through the day beyond all of the bad news: Here is your God. As I offer you this day, O God, help me to hear your voice, and echo it in my world. |
Elmwood Christian
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