Posted on 01/01/2021 6:43:29 AM PST by JustAmy
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Have a great...and warmer...week! đ´
Bible in a Year:
Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
The little Bible college in northern Ghana didnât look impressiveâjust a tin-roofed cinder-block building and a handful of students. Yet Bob Hayes poured his life into those students. He gave them leadership roles and encouraged them to preach and teach, despite their occasional reluctance. Bob passed away years ago, but dozens of thriving churches, schools, and two additional Bible institutes have sprung up across Ghanaâall started by graduates of that humble school.
During the reign of King Artaxerxes (465â424 bc), Ezra the scribe assembled a band of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. But Ezra found no Levites among them (Ezra 8:15). He needed Levites to serve as priests. So he commissioned leaders to âbring attendants to us for the house of our Godâ (v. 17). They did so (vv. 18â20), and Ezra led them all in fasting and prayer (v. 21).
Ezraâs name means âhelper,â a characteristic that resides at the heart of good leadership. Under Ezraâs prayerful guidance, he and his protĂŠgĂŠs would lead a spiritual awakening in Jerusalem (see chapters 9â10). All they had needed was a little encouragement and wise direction.
Thatâs how Godâs church works too. As good mentors encourage and build us up, we learn to do the same for others. Such an influence will reach far beyond our lifetime. Work done faithfully for God stretches into eternity.
Reflect & Pray
Who is your primary spiritual mentor? (If you donât have one, who might you ask to mentor you?) Why is mentoring in Christ something vital for you to receive and extend to others?
Father, show me someone I can mentor.
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Until you’re sick. My kitties were my guardian angels when I could barely move. They were so sweet and gentle. đ§Ąđ§Ą
Aw...I can appreciate that! :-)
Hi there! Glad to be home. Work was busy. Snow storm tonight. More plowing and shoveling on the way! âď¸âď¸âď¸
Argh!
Welcome back home. Know youâre excited about all that new snow. NOT!
Bible in a Year:
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the crowd was hoping He would be the one to fix their external problemâtheir oppression by the Romans. They went wild, shouting, âHosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!â (Matthew 21:9). This was the moment theyâd been waiting for; Godâs appointed King had come. If Godâs chosen Deliverer was going to begin reforming things, wouldnât He start with all the wrong out there? But in most gospel accounts, the âtriumphal entryâ is followed by Jesus driving out exploitative moneychangers . . . from the temple (vv. 12â13). He was cleaning house, and from the inside out.
Thatâs what happens when we welcome Jesus as King; He comes to set things rightâand He starts with us. He makes us confront the evil inside. Jesus on the donkey is like the warriors in the Trojan horse. The horse was welcomed as a symbol of peace, but its ultimate aim was unconditional surrender. Jesus our King requires the same from us.
Reflect & Pray
What does it mean for Jesus to be your King? Why is it vital for you to surrender your all to Him?
Dear Jesus, Youâre the true King. Forgive me for wanting You to only fix the problems in the world around me and not to confront the sin in my heart. Show me where Iâm prone to wander and expose the ways I want to run my own life.
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Best kind...zzzzzz.....đ´đ¤đ
hey everybody!
One of my wonderful Florida students (now a professional musician) just released an album:
https://jcossette1025.bandcamp.com/album/solace
It’s VERY Jazz-oriented.
Hi FRiends! Got a purdy good snowstorm overnight. About 12 inches, some deep drifts in the driveway. Three hours in the Bobcat, and I was finally done. The quarter mile driveway gives us quiet, along with long snow removals. đ
We got a dusting tonight.
I’m playing piano tomorrow in church, so I hope it doesn’t accumulate overnight.
Well we probably got your share of the snow, so ya should be OK! đ
Well, since i don’t have a bobcat, i won’t argue about it! LOL
You’re so tough. I’d have just gone back to bed. LOL!
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