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Written by Vickie Stone of the Village Church.

In 2020 I received a phone call that my name was suggested to fill in as a deacon for someone that had to step back from their role. I felt so busy yet I prayed on it, and felt compelled to serve. COVID times had me feeling as if the Holy Spirit was inviting me to accept an opportunity for this new path of service. After my 15 months I agreed to serve another 3 years. Learning my role of having a flock, (church members assigned to me that I checked in with for needs and their prayer concerns) I attended monthly meetings and joined the prayer ministry team. It was overwhelming,  the amount of prayers that were needed by so many.  Early on, I confided in Pastor Jan Farley of my feelings of being overwhelmed since praying didn’t feel like it was enough.  I would get emotionally exhausted thinking of how many people were hurting, especially the health prayers, as it took me back to my personal anguish of when my sister had cancer. Pastor Farley helped me by reassuring me that praying was enough, and with our prayers, our goal was to release it into the care and the hands of God for “His will be done.”  Jesus modeled that we should pray earnestly, often, and with hopeful faith. His time on earth was limited, but He prioritized getting away by Himself to pray. Life can be so difficult. We may not always receive what we ask for, but we can be sure that God is working in and through every prayer. My hope was and is, that people felt/feel the prayers lifted on their behalf. And I pray still for the current Deacons as they serve their flocks, demonstrating Jesus’s work in action.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. [Ephesians 6:18]

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CREATIVE BRIDGE MAKING

Written by Stan Kruis, a contemporary retired missionary in the Philippines.

One highlight of our ministry in the Philippines was to work with young adults in discipleship. A group on Negros Island developed an evangelistic team that they called Halieus (“Fishermen”). They practiced pantomime presentations (sometimes in our home) portraying the gospel story. Then they worked with churches to hold rallies in local neighborhoods where they presented the pantomimes. A shiver would go up and down my spine when I watched them. God used them to open the hearts of people for whom words alone were inadequate. One reason why some people groups have not been reached, or have not responded to the gospel, is that typical strategies are not effective with them. To bridge those barriers, we need to understand the people and their culture more deeply, and to find creative strategies that can reach their hearts. That can also be true close to home, with people who live with us and around us.

[Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. [Matthew 9:37-38].

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Written by Alicia Britt Chole, a contemporary author, speaker, and mentor.  Today’s devotion is from her book “40 Days of Decrease.”

Lent is often, and understandably, described with project language. The season has a starting date, an ending date, and clear, quantifiable goals “to accomplish” in between. After Easter, consequently, we evaluate Lent with project language. We “did okay” or “only made it two weeks” or “kept our commitment” or “totally failed.” Whether engaging this experience prior to Easter, or at another time during the year, from day one, I invite you to consider Lent as less of a project and more of a sojourn. A sojourn is a “temporary stay at a place.” And a “stay” is about presence, not productivity. For the next forty days, fast measuring your “success” statistically — that is, resist calculating how often you keep your commitment to do without meat or sugar or your favorite shows. Instead, invest your energy in seeking to remain present to the sacred history of Jesus’ walk to the cross. With each reading, dust off your childhood imagination and “stay” in each story. Observe Jesus’ response to John’s death. Imagine yourself as one of the disciples trying in vain to hush blind Bartimaeus. Throw your only cloak under the colt’s hooves as Jesus enters Jerusalem. Taste the mounting tension as Jesus offends leaders with parables. Hear Jesus predict Peter’s denial. Fast Lent as a project and enter Lent as experience, as a sojourn with your Savior.

 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. [Psalm 51:16–17]

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Written by Allan Anderson of the Village Church

In today’s world, how do today’s Christians prepare for Easter? The answer to this question goes way beyond knowing Crucifixion and Resurrection dominates our thoughts, when remembering this season of the church year. How many individuals fully understand the sacrifice and future promise offered for all, nearly 2000 years ago? Parental education, media, dedication and understanding continue to be a challenge in this modern world! Efforts to change this trend has become even a greater challenge in today’s societal pressures. Holy week, Good Friday and the entire weekend are featured in their entirety in movies like “The Greatest Story ever told” —the power and intensity of the possible outcomes resulting from daily faith, spiritual understanding and commitment to following Jesus’s lead in our lives has lost some of its intensity and this has impacted daily life throughout the U.S. and the world. The issue has not gone unrecognized, but the dilution of our personal commitment coupled with outside distortion continues to offer an exciting chance for rebirth and redirection to both confirm our faith and to continue sharing this amazing piece of history, not only at Easter but throughout the year.

 Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13-14]

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Written by John Baillie (1886-1960), a Scottish theologian and minister.

You have been the refuge of good and wise people in every generation . . . . 
The patriarchs trusted You and were not put to shame:
The prophets sought You and You committed Your word to their lips:
The psalmists rejoiced in You and You were present in their songs:
The apostles waited upon You and they were filled with Your Holy Spirit: 
The martyrs called upon You and You were with them in the midst of the flame:

Forbid it, Holy Lord, that I should fail to profit by these great memories of the ages that are gone by, or to enter into the glorious inheritance which You have prepared for me; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. 

And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. [Acts 3:25]

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation. This is an excerpt from his book “Renovation of the Heart.”

We live from our heart. The part of us that drives and organizes our life is not the physical. This remains true even if we deny it. You have a spirit within you and it has been formed. It has taken on a specific character. I have a spirit and it has been formed. This is true of everyone. The human spirit is an inescapable, fundamental aspect of every human being; and it takes on whichever character it has from the experiences and the choices that we have lived through or made in our past. That is what it means for it to be “formed.” Our life and how we find the world now and in the future is, almost totally, a simple result of what we have become in the depths of our being—in our spirit, will, or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make our choices, break forth into action, try to change our world We live from our depths—most of which we do not understand.

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life [Proverbs 4:23]

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Written by Pete Grieg, a contemporary pastor, writer, and founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement. This is an excerpt from his book “How to Hear God.”

Jesus is what God sounds like. He’s literally the “living Word of God.” Hearing his voice is not so much a skill we must master, therefore, as a master we must meet. All the other ways in which God communicates—through the Bible, prophecy, dreams, visions, and so on—come through Jesus and point back to him too…The covert Christ is drawing near…inviting you to embark upon a slow journey of deep discovery that will change your life.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near [Luke 24:15]

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Written by Gretchen Saffles, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from her book “Word Before World.”

This may surprise you, but there is a subtle danger in making it a goal to read the Bible every day. In our humanity, we can easily make consistent Bible study a way to earn God’s love. Instead of reading the Bible out of love and delight, we see this time as something to check off a spiritual to-do list…The goal of reading God’s Word is not to puff up our souls or to place a big checkmark at the end of theyear. It’s not to add to our “Christian resume,” or earn God’s favor. The aim is to know Christ and exalt him in our lives a we come before him hungry for truth and humbled by his grace. The goal is to glorify him through our fervent reading, joy-filled worship, and faithful obedience. And this is something that cannot be measured…So make it your aim to read the Word each day in order to know God and delight in him…Surrender your checklists to God, and seek to know him each time you open the Word.

The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words. [Psalm 119:57]

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Written by Patricia Van Gorder, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from her book “Pebbles of Prayer and Ponderings.”

When circumstances press me and suffocate hope and trust, rescue me Lord. Release me from all doubt; increase my faith. Breathe Your Spirit deep into my soul. I long to be still before You, and yet distractions draw me away. My mind dwells on things that don’t matter. I find my heart steeped in sadness for those I know who are suffering. I am anxious trying to meet commitments and deadlines. Be patient with me, Lord. I turn to You, trusting You with loving confidence. And when I do, all that cripples my spirit begins to dissipate. I am victorious over hopelessness and misery. I know you hear me, Lord. You love me and want the best for me. And so I face this day knowing that You are with me. Praise You, Lord!

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. [Colossians 2:12]

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Written by Billy Graham (1918-2018), an American evangelist.

It is significant that our first astronauts, while being trained for their moon flights, were required to give twenty answers to the query, “Who are you?” Take the same test yourself. When you have made your list and run out of things to add, ask yourself if you have truly answered. Do you really know who you are? Scientists agree that our desperate search leads all humans to seek heroes and to imitate others, to “paste bits and pieces of other people on ourselves.” We make love as some actor would. We play golf in the style of Jack Nicklaus. Part of this process is natural, for we learn by imitating others. The tragedy is that the person we assemble is not genuine. “Who am I?” you cry as you roam the world looking for yourself. Consider this: there are three of you. There is the person you think you are. There is the person others think you are. There is the person God knows you are and can be through Christ.

For he knows how we are formed [Psalm 103:14]

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