The Priceless Value of the Gospel You Carry August 28 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. – Romans 1:16 One foggy night in London many years ago, a poor man shuffled into a quaint little music shop on the edge of town. Under his right arm, he held an old violin in terrible condition. "My good sir," the man said to the shopkeeper, "will you please buy this violin from me so I can get something to eat?" The clerk took a quick look at the instrument and said, "I have many violins, so I can only give you 5 pounds for this one." The man agreed, and departed with the money into the foggy night. As the shopkeeper examined the old beat-up violin, he could hardly believe what he saw carved into the wood: "Antonio Stradivari... 1704." He ran out into the street to find the man and give him a fair price. But he was gone. Many Christians are a lot like that poor man. They carry with them something of unimaginable value, the gospel, yet have no idea how much it really is worth. But the truth is, for those who are spiritually dying, it's the most important thing you could ever share with them. Don't go throughout your life concealing the power of God and keeping it to yourself. Understand the amazing power you have in the gospel and use it to rescue the lost from a Christless eternity! Prayer Challenge Pray that God would open your eyes anew to the gospel's amazing value so that you'd be more eager to share it with others. Questions for Thought If the good news of Jesus has the power to save people from a Christless eternity, why do you think so many people hesitate to share it with others? How might your life look different if you really grasped the gospel's true value? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post The Priceless Value of the Gospel You Carry – Senior Living – August 29 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for Spiritual FruitfulnessBy Jessica Van Roekel Bible Reading“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” – Isaiah 58:11, ESV I'm not a fan of desert places. The sun blinds, and the sand shifts. When I walk through a spiritual drought, I feel scorched by thoughts whispering of forever aloneness, and my steps stumble over the sharp rocks of doubt. Every once in a while, a well-timed bible verse, message, or worship song appears like an oasis. I sit at the feet of God and drink in his comfort. I'm nourished and reminded that God guides my steps, he is my satisfaction, and he has plans and purpose even in the wilderness.  In my Bible, the title of Isaiah 58 is "True and False Fasting." Fasting can often feel like a spiritual desert because it brings us to the end of ourselves. Other times, our fast is less than effective because our motive steers us toward selfish reasons. True fasting's purpose is to loosen the bonds that bind us, provide freedom from them, and create active compassion for other people.  There is an if/then principle at play in today's verse. If we want God's guidance, satisfaction, and renewal, then we need to live a vibrant, active faith. This includes choosing to refrain from pointing fingers at others and speaking wicked thoughts but rather serving others. The things we struggle with in life can help another person hold onto God if we allow him to work through us. God guides us, satisfies us, and makes us strong. In Hebrew, the word for guide is, nachah [naw-khaw] and means "go in the direction of" and "to turn eyes toward." God turns his face toward us and leads us where he wants us to go. Imagine God walking backward, facing you as you walk toward him, encouraging you to take another step and then another, even in the middle of your desert place. His steps are firm with his eyes fixed on you, and you, in turn, keep your eyes fixed on him so your steps are firm.  The Hebrew word for satisfy is saba [saw-bah], and in Isaiah 58:11, it means consecutive satisfaction. Even during desolation, God fills us up with satisfaction over and over. He becomes our satisfaction as we keep our eyes fixed on him and take steps toward him. To "make your bones strong" means to brace up or invigorate in the original Hebrew. There are times when it feels we cannot take another step, but God braces us-he supports us and gives us new vigor to continue onward.  When we rely on him and allow him to guide, satisfy, and strengthen us, we will experience spiritual fruitfulness, whether we walk through lush valleys or desolate deserts. Our lives will be a continual place of fresh waters, and we will remain fruitful even when he leads us straight to the desert edge and beckons, "Come." A productive, freshly sustained life can be ours when we live a life right before God and allow him access to every part of us. Let's seek God with sincere hearts and actions. Let's pray: Heavenly Father,Thank you for leading us by still waters, over rocky paths, up steep mountains, through raging waters, and over dusty deserts. Let us choose to turn to you like a child and place our whole trust in you. You are worthy of our trust. Help us to look to you for the next steps. When the storms of life howl and the outcome brings pain, let us turn our eyes in your direction and take another step toward you. When the whys of this life threaten our faith, satisfy our longings. When we feel weak from the trials, let us rely on you for strength. Our fruitfulness is not only for us but also for other people whom we encounter. Let our place of springs of living water be a point of comfort for someone else who suffers long in the desert place. Let our lives reflect a life completely surrendered to you. We want to walk right with you. Cleanse our hearts from any mistrust or doubt and fill them with an active faith-being guided by you, satisfied with you, and strengthened by you in whatever place we find ourselves in. Thank you for being with us.In Jesus' name, Amen Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Povozniuk Jessica Van Roekel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as she journeys to wholeness through brokenness. As an author, speaker, and worship leader, she uses her gifts and experiences to share God's transformative power to rescue, restore, and renew. She longs for you to know that rejection doesn't have to define or determine your future when placed in God's healing hands. Find out more reframingrejectionbook.com You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Spiritual Fruitfulness – Your Daily Prayer – August 29 appeared first on GodUpdates.

August 29, 2024 Why We Can Trust Jesus To Lead UsLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd." Ezekiel 34:23 (ESV) It's one thing when a friend breaks your trust. It's another thing when it's an entire organization or group of leaders you look up to. I have a friend who was raised in a cult. She's shared so many stories with me about all she suffered at the hands of leaders who should have cared for her, led her with biblical truths, and shepherded her heart. Instead, her leaders misused their power and hurt many people. I imagine you can relate in some way. You, too, probably have painful stories of those who could and should have shepherded your heart in better ways. This is the issue we find God addressing through the prophet Ezekiel in today’s key verse. The leaders called to shepherd God's people with great care had proven to care only about themselves. Instead of being well tended to, God's people were left sickly and scattered. Instead of being protected, they were preyed upon (Ezekiel 34:2-8). Thankfully, God didn't just promise justice would come to the bad shepherds. God also offered the hope of a better Shepherd: "And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd" (Ezekiel 34:23). This is the same hope God is pointing us toward today - Jesus is the Good Shepherd! And I love how Jesus Himself unpacks for us why we can trust Him: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11, ESV). When it feels like earthly shepherds have taken advantage of us, we can remember the Good Shepherd willingly gave His life for us. The Old Testament sacrificial system demanded that sheep be sacrificed to cover sin, but Jesus chose to turn everything around: He became the Lamb and took on our sins. Our Shepherd traded places with us. Friend, if you have been wounded by a leader, you can still restore your trust in Jesus, the God who loves you and gave His life for you. Ask Jesus to lead and shepherd you to a place where you start trusting Him again. "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me ..." (John 10:14, ESV). When it feels like earthly shepherds have neglected us, we can remember the Good Shepherd knows us intimately. The Greek word for "know" in John 10:14 is ginōskō, which means "to recognize, perceive." This is so much more than simply "head knowledge" and facts. This is heart knowledge. This is a mother knowing the cry of her child - or best friends knowing how to finish each other’s sentences. It is deep and intimate. And it declares to us that we are seen, secure and safe in His love. Perhaps you feel like you are wandering this world with no shepherd, no one to guide you or invest in you. Perhaps you're fearful of trusting God or anyone else. Please know that Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd. A Shepherd who proved His love by laying down His life for you, who wants to know you and be known by you, and who wants to guide you through this life to eternity with Him. Dear God, I want to let the truth of who You are and what You have done for me sit freshly upon my heart today. I want to let it soak into the deepest, most sacred parts of my heart. You are my Shepherd and my Savior, my Rescuer and the Restorer of my soul. You have proven Yourself worthy of my trust and my praise, and I want to follow You with my whole heart for all of my days. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Broken trust complicates the parts of love that should be comforting. Maybe a friend has constantly let you down. A family member has betrayed you. A spouse has cheated on you. A leader has deceived you. And now you're wondering, If God let all of this happen, can He even be trusted? You are not alone in these struggles. Lysa TerKeurst deeply understands. But she's learned the truth that even though having your trust broken can be life-altering, it doesn't have to be life-ruining. That's why she's creating special, one-night events during the month of October 2024 on the Trust Again Tour with worship leader Natalie Grant. Each night will be filled with powerful worship, biblical wisdom and practical takeaways as you experience revival in your heart, mind and soul, teaching you to trust God like never before. Get your tickets! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Romans 2:4, "Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" (CSB). Knowing that God leads us by His kindness, how might you trust Him more today? Where do you see evidence of His kindness in your life? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Why We Can Trust Jesus To Lead Us –  Encouragement for Today – August 29, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A handwritten postcard posted through the British Mail in 1903 was delivered to its destination August 16, 2024, 121 years after it was sent. The person it was addressed to was no longer there; in fact, there isn’t even a home there anymore. It’s the headquarters of the Swansea Building Society. Staffers found the postcard in the pile of regular mail and had the sharp eye to notice the date of the postmark. The postcard has an evocative black-and-white print of The Challenge, an 1844 painting by English Romantic artist Edwin Henry Landseer depicting a stag on a beach in a wintery landscape with a sky full of stars. It is addressed to Miss Lydia Davies at 11 Cradock Street in Swansea, Wales. It was sent by a fellow named Ewart from Fishguard, a town on the Wales coast. The note reads: Dear L. I could not, it was impossible to get the pair of these. I am so sorry, but I hope you are enjoying yourself at home. I have got now about ten/- [shillings] as pocket money not counting the train fare, so I’m doing alright. Remember me to Miss Gilbert & John, with love to all from Ewart. According to Henry Darby, communications manager for the Swansea Building Society, 11 Cradock Street used to have private homes, but they were destroyed by bombs in World War II. The current office building was built on the street after the war. A spokesperson for the Royal Mail, the U.K.’s postal service, said in an email: “It is likely that this postcard was put back into our system rather than being lost in the post for over a century. When an item is in our system, we are under obligation to deliver it to the correct address.” The Swansea Building Society hopes to get in touch with one of Lydia Davies’ relatives, and has posted about their surprise mail on social media. The replies on their Facebook post include one from a possible great-niece and a whole bunch of rather fascinating research by interested folks into the identities of Lydia and Ewart.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek has sharply condemned the British government over its handling of recent riots in the UK and failing to address the underlying…

Gov. Tim Walz’s ban on faithful Christians from teaching in Minnesota’s public is set to hit the state’s schools in just months. It also bans adherent Jews and Muslims. And a report at…

[unable to retrieve full-text content]He also foresaw the problem of having someone like Keir Starmer as Prime Minister. h/t Susan Christopher Hitchens quotes about Islam:  

Top O' the BriefingPoll Perspective. On August 29, 2016, Hillary Clinton led Donald Trump by 5.9 points in the RealClearPolitics Poll Average. Happy Thursday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends.…

How did they walk so far?