Ask one new person if they would like to receive the Good News. Let's join together and spread God's Word to the people. If you receive from TGN like I do, you don't want to keep this for yourself.
It's not a hassle for me to add more names, it's a joy.
Grace & favor to you all!
P.S. I'm doing it too! Just sent an email out to 3 new people. I wouldn't ask you to do something I wasn't moved to do as well. Thanks!
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Prayer: LORD, Thank You for sowing into good ground and preparing the great harvest in our lives. Thank You for this time of gathering, time of reflection, this time of Thanksgiving. My God, my Father and my LORD Jesus, clear the way for each of us to hear Your specific instruction through Your faithful Word today. Let it stick with us and grow within us. Continue to teach us You power and might, so that we all know that Your name is LORD (Jeremiah 16:21). May You make our love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else in our lives. May You strengthen our hearts so that we will each be blameless and holy in Your presence when our LORD Jesus comes with all His holy ones. (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13). Hallelujah Jesus! Amen
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www.biblegateway.com
Mark 1 v. 9-11 (NLT)
The Baptism of Jesus
9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."
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So, some of the scholars out there may be wondering, "If John's baptism was for repentance from sin, why was Jesus (Who is without sin) baptized?"
Well, you're right, Jesus was sinless- and although He didn't need forgiveness, He was baptized for the following reasons...
1) To begin His mission to bring the message of salvation to all people;
2) To show support for John's ministry. To show that all John was living for was in purpose of what God ordained.
3) To identify with our humanness and sin;
4) To give us an example to follow.
During the baptism, the Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus, and the voice from Heaven proclaimed the Father's approval of Jesus as His divine Son. This again shows all members of the trinity together- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
But something else stands out here, God's words to Jesus. In the NIV translation (v.11), God tells Jesus, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
I know God loves me, but I wonder if He is pleased with my actions, my decisions, my thoughts. Right now, is God pleased with what I'm thinking; is God pleased with how I'm treating others; is God pleased with what I have planned for tomorrow; is God pleased with the desires of my heart. I believe if we ask this before we act, many of our decisions would change. If our motives are to accept His instruction over and in our lives, we're looking to please the Almighty. We're operating by love, not fear- because love gets as to willfully obey. Fear gets us to obey, but not because we want to.
Do all you can NOT to reject God's instruction, to live a life worthy of Him, to please Him. Don't you want to bring "great joy" to our God? Check this, when we don't live to please God, when we don't purpose to bring Him joy first and foremost- we're not only rejecting God's instruction but we're rejecting God (Jeremiah 18:8). True story! How can we reject the One who loves us each unconditionally, sticks closer than a mother, father, brother, sister and human friend and offers us the only gift worth living for...
Begin to ask yourself:
-DOES THIS PLEASE GOD?
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Prayer: Father, Your eyes are on all our ways; our ways are not hidden from You, nor is our sin concealed from Your eyes (Jeremiah 16:17). LORD, how can I please You today? Will ____ (whatever you have going on in your life today) bring you great joy? Because if it doesn't I don't want to even touch it. I'm ready to change my plans, my actions as You see fit. I want to walk on one accord with You, and not with what I think is best. I am not all-knowing, that's You; I'm not all-powerful, that again is You. I don't even know what's best for me at times, but I do know how to get that answer; from my loving God. Father, guide me in pleasing You with all that I am and everything I do. In the name of Your dearly loved Son, who brings You great joy. Amen
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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5
Scripture from The Bible (biblegateway.com), Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible- Classic Edition. Study notes from Life Application Study Bible
www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God." LT
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