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Manna for the Moment - Romans 12:4-5  The body working together

7/17/2015

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Romans 12:4-5 

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, se we though many, are on in Christ and individually members of one another.

We are learning how the word of God allows us to interact with him in Prayer.  This does not take the place of proper bible study.  Rightly dividing the word of God would include interpretation, context and staying as close to the original meaning for application.  But a prayer can be initiated by just one word or phrase.  For me today it has to do with the body working together.

Father, I love You.  I thank you for giving me a purpose and function in the body of Christ.  It is important that I do my part so that I can support the efforts of the whole body. 

Today, my lower spinal disc is causing me pain.  It hurts after I during and after I have been sitting.  In fact, it is letting the rest of my body know that it hurts.  At times there is no pain.   When it is performing its function properly. The rest of my body doesn’t if remember its existence.

Sot it is with the body of Christ,  Many times when we are functioning properly, most never see or acknowledge our contributions.  We may fail to see the importance of our activity of doing what we feel like you created us to do or be.  BUT you Father always notice.  And when we are hurting or stop doing our part…the body suffers.

Thanks again for loving me.  I speak to every part of my body to work as you designed it to work.  Disc line up, organs operate, mind be influenced by the Spirit, and lungs be clear.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Manna for the Moment Romans 12:3 Sober Judgment

7/14/2015

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Our verse for prayer today is Romans 12:3

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Some verses are simple and straightforward.  Taking time to mediate on the verse can open up more options to include in your prayers.  This is usually done be asking questions about the verse, researching the definition of terms and or looking at context of the verse.

For instance, you could read the verse and say a simple prayer…God help me to not be proud.  And God would hear your prayer and begin to answer it in response to your faith.

But mediating on the verse opens a longer prayer…longer is not more spiritual.  But it gives us an opportunity to find deeper and richer expressions of dialogue with God

Father,  I wonder if Paul had a problem with pride?  Did he have to control his thoughts about being more spiritual than the other disciples.  He was definitely smarter and God revealed a lot of truths to him.  God what does Paul mean for me to think of myself with sober judgment? 

Father, is there anyone in my life, that I think I am more important than, smarter than, more favored, faster, richer, better looking, or better at talking?  Forgive me!  I ask that your Holy Spirit reveal to me each time that I judge my self as better than some else.

Thank you God that you have distributed faith to me and others as YOU have seen fit.  I can already tell you that I don’t always agree or understand how you decided to proportion your gifts of grace.  But I trust you know what you are doing for others and that you know me perfectly and what is best for me.

I ask you to help me walk humbly, in Jesus Name, Amen.

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Manna for the Moment Romans 12:2   Renewing Viewing

7/13/2015

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Romans 12:2  Renewing Viewing

Sometimes it is helpful to choose a different translation of scripture to help guide your prayers.  However, for memorization stay with one translation.  In today's passage it is very helpful to capture the essence of the passage

From the New Living Translation Romans 12:2

 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Lets Pray

Father God, I thank you that you are all wise and knowing.  You know me perfectly and have a plan to guide me in a way that is pleasing to you and incredibly meaningful to me.

Being a child of this world, many times I am unsure how much I think and even act like the world around me.  But now that I am a child of God, I no longer belong to that worldly system.  Your word is truth and as I align my thinking and actions with your truth, I can see clearly the choices to make.

Transformation occurs slowly, but has a more permanent impact.  Sometimes I just wish that I was totally transformed.  But that is more of a desire to be perfect without dependency on your Holy Spirit.

So today I offer my mind to be transformed, to think rightly, and to choose appropriately.  Thank you Father for caring enough about me, to change my stinkin thinkin to renewing viewing.

In Jesus Name, Amen.


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Manna for the Moment Romans 12:1 Bodies as a living Sacrifice

7/13/2015

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Today we begin a new chapter Romans 12.  This chapter is so rich with word pictures and exhortations by the Apostle Paul, that is well worth memorizing the whole chapter.  But we will only take 1 or 2 verses at at time.  We are learning to understand what Paul was saying in the verse, but also look at the words or expressions that seem to be highlighted.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

I see the word therefore, God’s mercy, living sacrifices and worship.

When see the word therefor you have to back up a little to find out what it is there for.  Paul in the previous chapters was saying that both the Jew and the gentile were disobedient, but God through Jesus Christ has provided a way for us to be saved from God’s wrath. That is God’s Mercy.

The only sacrifice that made sense to his readers was a burnt offering in which an animal was totally involved.  Paul is saying that our whole physical being should participate in our devotion to God

Father, today I ask that you help me remember your great Mercy that you expressed in my life.  Sometimes my pride makes me think that I deserve your mercy more than “ a really bad Person”.  But you saw me when I had nothing to offer you and you chose to love me.  I say thank you for expressing your mercy to me today.

Father, Paul encourages me to offer my body to you.  So today, I give you my mind, my thoughts.  Help me not to judge others, help me be aware when my mind is beginning to worry, feel mistreated, or think in any way that doesn’t line up with your word.  I give you my eyes.  Let me to only look at that which is wholesome.  Guard me from looking lustfully at another person.  Father I give you ears.  Help me to be able to hear your voice all day long.  Keep me from participating in gossip, backbiting, and slander.  Father I give you my mouth.  Help me to remember that my words have the power of life and death.  Just because I can say what I am thinking, doesn’t mean that I should.  Help me to use words to build up and encourage those I live and work with.  Father, I give you my hands and feet.  Idle hands are not good.  You have a purpose and plan for me today and my feet and hands will physically place me in that purpose.  Even now, my feet brought me to the computer and my hands typed this message. 

Help me today to walk in step with ALL that the Holy Spirit has purposed I pray all of these things in Jesus name

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July 13th, 2015

7/13/2015

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Manna for the Moment - God Knows My Way Psalms 1:5-6

7/9/2015

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Today We complete psalms chapter 1 with verses 5& 6.  Our goal each time we read is to let God highlight words or thoughts and then voice these back to God in prayer.  Psalms 1:5-6

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

I can honestly say that I received fresh manna today.  My favorite verse in this chapter has been verse 3 about a tree firmly planted near life giving water.  But verse 6 is the strength of the whole Psalm.  The Lord knows the way or journey of the righteous.  You see the verb to know is the same root Hebrew word called Yada.  It means an intimate personal experiential knowledge.  Adam knew Eve.  Their sexual intimacy is so close that it is expressed as the two becoming one.  One emotionally, physically, closeness at the deepest part of a persons soul.  This is the same root verb that God says that He knows about our journey.  We are NOT walking alone. 

Father God, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ you walking in my journey daily.  You don’t  just know about me from a distance, but through the ministry of the Holy Spirit you encourage me and carry weight of the world that causes me to become discouraged.

Father, my heart is overwhelmed by your love.  That you the creator of all things would want to walk with me daily.  Father, forgive me when I feel like you are distant and unconcerned with my stuff, my issues, or my struggles.

Give me ears to hear your voice.  God I want to know you, like you desire to know me.  I want to walk in the path that you have designed for me.  Knowing that as I walk that path, you will receive all the honor that you deserve.  I pray all of these things in Jesus name

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Manna for the Moment Psalms 1:4 Metaphor of the chaff

7/9/2015

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Prospering by Streams of Living Water Psalms 1:3

7/7/2015

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Prospering  by streams of living water

In Psalms 1:3  we are reading about the state of the blessed man

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.


Many of the Psalms are written in a style of poetry called Hebrew parallelism.  One phrase repeats carrying the same thought.  In this passage the tree is planted by streams of water…which will have a constant supply of life giving water and the parallel is that its leaves are always green, thereby drawing nourishment from the sun rays.  Secondly  this tree yields good fruit at the right time and the blessed person also prospers in what he does.

Passages like this are rich in meaning and are great for meditating and praying these thoughts into our lives.

Father, I want to be a blessed person like is represented by this tree.  I want to remain established, and secure by your waters of life.  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is like a river of living water.  Help me to stay close to His leading and wisdom.  Help me to see when I am looking for meaning, purpose, and identity from stagnant pools and not living water.

Father, people love fruit, but leaves are turned toward the sun which gives them life.  Help me stay facing your law, your love, and your guidance so that I am renewed by your glory day by day.

You say that I will prosper if I remain firmly planted.  With my limited view, it doesn’t always look like I am prospering.  Some of the struggles of life and poor decision making would say that I am not prospering.  But I believe your word is always true.  I am making my experience line up with your word instead of the other way around.

Thank you Jesus that because of your work in my life, I am a blessed and prosperous man.  In Jesus name, amen.

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Psalms 1:2 Delighting in the Law of the Lord

7/6/2015

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Psalms 1:2

Blessed Is the one.... whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.


As we look to pray the scriptures we notice four thoughts, delight, law of the Lord, meditates and day and night.  We use these words to ask the Lord to make them true of our lives.  We turn the thoughts into questions and then into prayers.  Let us pray together.  I am praying in first person.  This method tends to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you while you are praying and also helps us “own” our response while praying.

Father, I am know that I am to delight  in your Law.  I am not really sure how to do that.  I know how to delight in my wife and my children.  But your law at times seems static.  I know that I appreciate something when I spend time and value it.  Help me to delight in your law.  Jesus said that it was like spiritual bread in which we need to live.  Lord I would not think of going a day without eating…help me not go a day without eating your word. 

Father, help me to memorize and meditate on your word.  By your strength Jesus, I can remember your word and where it is found.

I look forward to you helping me delight in your laws.  In Jesus name amen 

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Pastor Encouragement - Highly Favored

7/5/2015

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Sent Sunday July 7, 2015.
Mary the mother of Jesus was blessed and highly favored by God, (Luke 1:28) what about you?  When you got up this morning and started your day, would the angel Gabriel look at your life situation and say that you are highly favored?  When you look at your friends and family at church that are believers, do you truly see them as highly favored?  Do you treat them with honor, kindness, and a preferring spirit that is befitting a person favored by God?
That Greek word for favor regarding Mary is used only one other time in the NT...Eph 1:6.  Paul is writing to the saints at Ephesus and tells them that God has adopted them as sons by grace (gift) which he bestowed (favored) upon them.  Did you get it?  For EVERY believer God pours out a highly favored grace over and into their lives.
May it be unto you this day as the Lord has spoken. Allow the Holy Spirit to accomplish His desires in and through you today.  YOU ARE highly FAVORED.
Preach boldly and walk humbly.
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    Pastor Greg Rogers shares reflections on life, pastoring, family, mission trips and more.  Jimbob and Wally features by Pastor Greg audio is teaching how to pray 

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