JESUS IS LORD

ISAIAH 57:19 (MSG)
"Peace to the far-off, peace to the near-at-hand," says God—
"and yes, I will heal them."

ACTS 10:36 (CEB)
This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all!

THE ESSENCE
Once Jesus is acknowledged as Lord over all there will be peace for all. 

DAILY FODDER
What do we mean when we say that Jesus is Lord over all? How does this generate peace?

PRAYER 
Christ, I'm thankful that I can acknowledge your lordship over my life and all creation. Forgive me for acting as though this is a distant unrealized reality. Turn my life into a gentle megaphone proclaiming that "Jesus is Lord over all." I'm confident that as this reality takes root things will change and peace with global healing will prevail. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

NAMED

The 6th Sunday after Pentecost

JEREMIAH 14:9 (CEB)
You are in our midst, LORD;
we are called by your name.
Don’t give up on us.

ACTS 11:26 (CEB)
It was in Antioch where the disciples were first labeled “Christians.”

THE ESSENCE
Our identity is in our name, Christian. 

DAILY FODDER
How obvious is it that you bear the name "Christian"?

PRAYER 
Christ Jesus, I am grateful to bear the name Christian. Pardon me when I fail to reflect your grace to those I meet. I need to be reminded that others may glimpse you in the way I live. Named and claimed as your own, I want to let my light shine before others so your name is glorified. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

PATIENCE AND TRUST

PSALM 62:1 (MSG)
God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I need comes from him,
so why not?

2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-7 (MSG)
When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he’ll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we’ve been waiting for.

THE ESSENCE
Wait for Jesus to make things right.. 

DAILY FODDER
It's all about patience and trust. 

PRAYER 
Thank you, God, for the promise of justice. I confess that I lose my cool when I see how the marginalized and poor of the world are being treated, too often by people who claim to be Christians. Help me to act with prophetic wisdom while I'm confidently waiting for you to make the world right again. I'm trusting that you will keep your word. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Maranatha! Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

OUR HEAVENLY ADVOCATE

ISAIAH 59:12-13 (MSG)
Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God,
our sins stand up and accuse us.
Our wrongdoings stare us down;
we know in detail what we’ve done:
Mocking and denying GOD...

1 JOHN 2:1 (NLT)
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

THE ESSENCE
When we mess up and slip into sin, Jesus, the completely righteous one, is completely on our side, securing mercy and grace from the Father.

DAILY FODDER
If Jesus is our advocate, what is our role when we mess up?

PRAYER 
Thank you, Jesus, for being our heavenly advocate on retainer. Forgive us for stressing out when we mess up. As we turn back to you, restore our confidence in what you have done and are doing to neutralize the impact of our sinfulness. You're still there, always on duty to keep our relationship with God in tact. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.