A Prayer for us!

Isaiah 40:10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.  He will rule with a powerful arm.  See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd.  He will carry the lambs in his arms,holding them close to his heart.  He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand?  Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?Who else knows the weight of the earth  or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?  Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone's advice?  Does he need instruction about what is good?Did someone teach him what is right  or show him the path of justice? 15 No, for all the nations of the world  are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more  than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth  as though it were a grain of sand. 16 All the wood in Lebanon's forests  and all Lebanon's animals would not be enough  to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.  In his eyes they count for less than nothing—  mere emptiness and froth.

Oh Great and powerful sovereign God,

In the midst of this passage about Your Greatness is a single verse describing Your care for Your sheep. Wow! The God who created it all will care for us like a loving shepherd cares for his sheep. Thank You, Father!

Today, fill us with the knowledge of Your constant watch care. Open our eyes that we will see You at work around and in us. Increase our faith to trust You fully. Forgive us for failing to yield to Your Holy Spirit in the past. Re-sensitize us that we may feel, hear, see and know His loving guidance.

In Christ Our Lord, AMEN!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Earthquake or a whisper?

1Kings 19:11 "Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

What makes us think that God wll be seen in us if approach unbelievers like a human earthquake, storm or fire?

Pro 15:4a Gentle words are a tree of life; 

Today ask the Father to remind you to be gentle in all your dealings with others.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Like Gentle Showers

Deut 32:1 "Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!  Hear, O earth, the words that I say! 2 Let my teaching fall on you like rain;  let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,  like gentle showers on young plants. 3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord;  how glorious is our God! 4 He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.  Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! (NLT)

Take a moment to re-read the above passage. As you do follow the instructions in vs 2.

How great is our God, how precious His Word.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Gentleness

1Peter 3:13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. (NLT)

Look at this part again, 15b "And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16a But do this in a gentle and respectful way."

The scripture has a great deal to say about being gentle. Gentleness is even one of the fruits of the Spirit. Yet we make heroes of tough, get the job done no matter who gets hurt in the process type people.

In sharing our faith Peter tells us to be gentle. We cannot force anyone to become a believer. If we live in such a way that our "hope" shows others will want to know about that. They may not receive it, but they won't be able to deny its authenticity in our lives.

Today live like the Hope of Heaven really is yours. Live gently as if Christ really is in charge. Show His gentleness to others and be prepared to share that hope.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

This day!

Psalm 118:19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,  and I will go in and thank the Lord. 20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,  and the godly enter there. 21 I thank you for answering my prayer  and giving me victory! 22 The stone that the builders rejected  has now become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord's doing,  and it is wonderful to see. 24 This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Praise God! He has made Jesus Christ the corner stone. Through Christ we have the victory, even in this day for He has made this day along with everything else. He is God and we can trust Him.

REJOICE!!!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Friend of God

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be
willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for sending your Son to take our place in death that we might have life abundant. How much more abundant could it be than to be called the children of God and the friends of God?

On this day that we remember the death of your Son, may we be encouraged to live more fervently for You.

In Christ, our Savior and Lord, AMEN!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

I'm dead.

Sorry for missing yesterday. I had a wonderful, but necessary interruption in my day. I got to baby sit my oldest grandson for a couple of hours.

2Cor 5:14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

The 83 year old man rolled over and touched his aged wife's face. She said, "Don't touch me, I'm dead."
He said, "Why would you say that and how could you say that if you are dead?"
She replied, "I woke up an hour ago and nothing hurts this morning. I must be dead."

Today dwell on these questions. Have I died to my old life? Do I still live for me? Am I really living for Christ who died and was raised for me?

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr