Day 7 Gift: Magnesium-alloy yoke with neck cushions
So here's the nerd coming out: magnesium-allow is the strongest, lightest metal we know of to date. It's the kind of stuff Jesus would use to yoke us together for all time, but gift us with an easy burden. He'd even throw in some neck cushions to make sure you're extra comfy cuz that's the kind of guy He is.
Today's Verse: Matthew 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Today's Prayer: Thank You for Your guidance and direction. Thank You that you didn't give us Your yoke so that You could just drag us along beside You, or so that we should provide the direction, but that You are training us to follow You. Jesus I have no idea how to find rest on my own so please lead me there. Take me under Your guidance that I might learn to please God.
Today's Worship Song: You Will Never Run, Rend Collective
BONUS PRAYER: God, thank You for my wife. Thank You for this amazing best friend that You've dropped into my lap. Thank You for how You are growing us together in Christ, and thank You for how You are leading her deeper into You each day. BONUS TRACK: You are the best thing, Ray LaMontagne
You don't get stronger if your workout isn't challenging. You aren't tested when you're on the light weights. Let's pump up our joy muscles! Verse: Nehemiah 8:10 “And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”” Today's Prayer: God I pray that You would teach us the true meaning of joy. Holy Spirit unload the power of your presence on us in a way that trains us to be expectant of joy in all situations. Give us the strength to be joyful when we shouldn't. And the boldness to be joyful with everyone, even the people we don't really like. Let every breath be joy. Today's song is everything I normally dislike about Christian music - on the surface I saw fluffy, wannabe pop with watered down lyrics by super famous TobyMac (at least super famous in the Christian world). The theme of an emotional high you get from God directly contradicts what I've been trying to learn recently with Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all things and that the truth of God's Word supersedes how I feel. But then I heard an interview with TobyMac about the song on K-LOVE. He directly quoted Jeremiah 17:9 and said, "I get it, but when the Holy Spirit is just overflowing in you, you feel it, and you know He is there." In that moment the Holy Spirit told me, "Dude! Lighten up! Don't avoid my joy when it doesn't come packaged exactly like you like it. It's true that you can't let your emotions control you, but when I show up, you will get emotional!" So just enjoy...let it flow...feel it...and watch Nolan dance! Today's Song: Feel it, TobyMac
If a church friend asks me a question, how ready am I to respond with a spirit-lead answer? JBQ buzzer slapping ready! What about outside the context of my spiritual sphere, say at the store or at the park? I'd like to say my words are spirit-lead all the time, but too often they aren't. Let's be prepared like victory is on the line in all circumstances! Today's Verse: 1 Peter 3:15-16 “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 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.” Today's Prayer: Let every thing that I am represent You. Let my thoughts immediately turn to glorifying you regardless of people, places, or position I am in. Let me breathe the fire of the Holy Spirit as a witness to every person I meet. Song: My Story, Big Daddy Weave
When the time comes to receive our heavenly rewards, scripture mentions 5 different types of crowns we could receive. The one that stuck out the most to me is this Crown of Righteousness we receive for eagerly anticipating the return of our King. But in heaven I think crowns will be more like merit badges where the best part is not receiving them but it's earning them. I don't think you'll be comparing crowns in heaven, but I do think you'll be swapping stories as to how sweet it was to be eagerly anticipating the greatest homecoming the universe has ever known, asking "Where were you when it happened?"
Today's Verse: 2 Timothy 4:8 “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”
Today's Prayer: God, give us the excitement to be with You face-to-face. Too often our hearts are fixed on idols of this world, but if we only saw a fraction of your presence we would truly act in line with Paul's moto that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Help us to prepare for your return with the honor and excitement that you are due.
Today's Worship Song: Even so come, Kristian Standfill
How often do we neglect the powerful keys on our spiritual key ring? If you have the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, what doors could possible be closed to you? And on the flip-side, how often are you neglecting your duty as the spiritual custodian of your sphere of influence? You don't carry the biggest, noisiest set of keys for no reason! Today's Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:21-24 “The greeting is in my own hand-Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
From the YouVersion Reading Plan: We Are The City Harmonic, Day 1
Hamilton, Ontario Canada--our hometown--used to make steel. Once upon a time it was an industrial giant employing tens of thousands. Not anymore. The steel mills employ a meager five percent of what they once did. In our lifetime, our city has boasted little more than some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country and abandoned storefronts left to remind us of a bygone age. “Nothing good comes from Hamilton”--that was the attitude. We had come to be known as the armpit of Canada. Until, in these same struggling neighborhoods, something incredible happened. Fifteen years ago, churches of different Christian denominations began to work together to bless our city. These churches gathered to listen to each other, imagine a different future for our city, and do something about it. In nearly abandoned neighborhoods that struggled to see hope, Churches led the way in collaboration. Today, Hamilton has changed for good. A once decayed downtown is booming amidst a cultural revival. Churches are growing, in many cases doubling in size. In many ways, because Churches stood in unity to bless the city and make a difference. This gathering of churches didn’t wait to agree on everything before acting in unity. Why? Because, in the eyes of Jesus, it was already true. “We Are One” is a declaration of our unity found not only in ideas or beliefs, but also in Jesus Christ. Our salvation comes not just from a good idea, but also from a flesh-and-blood man from a “nothing good ever comes from” town. He lived a real and incredible life. He was crucified and died only to return and ascend to rule as the Lord of all He has made, promising future hope and the eventual redemption of all things. Different Churches. Different traditions. One Jesus. In Him, we are One. -Elias Dummer, The City Harmonic
Day 2 Like many, I watched in sorrow as the chaotic situation in Ferguson and other areas of the country revealed anew our brokenness. I grieved as city streets became trenches across the country and bitterness and injustice fueled the fires of racial tension. Our society cannot heal itself, I thought, and I couldn’t help but personalize Jesus’ prayer on the cross: ”forgive us, for we know not what we are doing”. The truth is, without a change of heart and a changed life--a change born of devotion to Jesus and the work of the Spirit, we are truly doomed. Helpless. Destined to repeat our failures. There is a phrase in 1 Corinthians 16:22 that appears only once in the entire Bible, but we know that it became a slogan for early Church. As Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church about living faithfully and standing together as One Body, he reminded them of our hopelessness--our curse--without devotion and love to Christ. And as the Church would later find itself facing severe persecution across the known world, this phrase became a greeting--a recognition that Christ, not Caesar, was Lord. “Maranatha”, they said. Interestingly, translators have long debated what to do with it. It seems as though, because of the way the it was written, it could mean either “Our Lord has come” or “Come, Lord Jesus.” It dawned on me that perhaps we live in between both. Perhaps both are right. And as we speak the phrase today, we speak of both realities. Christ has come - He is Lord - and we are to live in light of that in this present reality. And yet, Christ is coming, and we should eagerly anticipate His return. In this now-but-not-yet reality, “Maranatha” might mean Justice for the hurting because Christ has come. It may also mean recognizing that we haven’t got it figured out, and that we need Jesus’ help. “Maranatha” is a call-to-worship in a broken world. It is a call to recognize that Christ can bring hope and wholeness to our selves and our societies today, but also that ultimately He will return and make everything right again. -Elias Dummer, The City Harmonic
Today's Prayer: These thoughts have been blowing my mind recently. God, help us not to think of the Body of Christ as our Church but as all Churches everywhere. Help us to look beyond our little group of like-minded believers and see that Your plan requires all believers. God, change my thoughts and remind me that all people are God's creation. They might not all be Children of God yet, but for the ones that are, give me the heart of brotherly/sisterly love that we many encourage and empower one another to spread Your love to every corner of the earth.
Today's Worship Song: Maranatha, The City Harmonic
And here's their documentary on the power of the Church in Hamilton, Canada:
Again, this seems like a gift only for bad kids at Christmas, but when you're standing before the ultimate judge of the universe there isn't anything else you would want to have than the cleansing power of Christ. It's better to take your medicine now than let the sickness get worse. Today's Verse: Isaiah 6:5-7 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
Today's Prayer: God, forgive us of our unclean lips. Forgive us for every I'll spoken word about You, ourselves, and any of your children. Forgive us specifically for any negative talk we've spread about your bride, the Church. Help us to speak life into your Church. Forgive us for harnessing and taming this holy communion instead of just holding on to the uncontrollable rush of the Holy Spirit filling up your temple. Show us your vision for the Church and the things we need to let go of. Let this gathering be fully focused on You. Show us where we've missed the boat, or perhaps gotten out of the boat only to fear the wind and waves instead of the almighty power of Jesus Christ. Give us awareness to see what needs to be removed, replaced, or refocused to serve You instead of me. Today's Worship Song: Clear the Stage, Jimmy Needham
It's not the most comfortable of gifts, but we don't often see the need for God when life is fluffy. Jacob was on the run for his life which was well deserved after backstabbing his brother not once but twice. Isn't it strange that this is when he saw the wonder of God? Not when you realize how desperate he was for God. Our desperation gives us a single minded focus on God. But once your eyes are adjusted, how much greater is the awareness of God in all circumstances instead of just our desperation. Today's Verse: Genesis 28:16-17 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” Today's Prayer: When I seek God, I start with what He last told me. So thinking back to the beginning of the year, God told you "WONDER", as in, don't miss out on how crazy, wonderful God is. Don't lose that sense of awe and amazement at what God can do especially when it comes to loving you. I pray that you continue to be blown away by the wonder of an Almighty Creator that is breaking the world's template every day that He pours His love out on your. May you be in awe at the grace and majesty of Jesus Christ and the incomparable love He has for you. May you be floored by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit spending every single moment with you in joy and peace. May you never lose your wonder of who God is and what He does. Today's Worship Song: **LAST MINUTE UPDATE** I was originally planing to use the song Jesus Forever from Elevation Worship's album Wake Up the Wonder, but then the Holy Spirit reminded me that my wife doesn't like that song very much so we're switching it up to a new song about the wonder of our Good, Good Father:
