SCRIPTURE/FOCUS – Week Of October 2 – 8, 2016
FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Love Opens Hearts and Minds to the Purpose of God
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou has done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. Ruth 2:11
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Overview: There is no partiality with God. Therefore, we must identify with Christ by loving foreigners and people of all cultures. The reason Jesus came to the world was to set the captives free. We must not allow our past sins that brought us guilt and shame hinder us in any way but instead, celebrates and praise God for Jesus, our liberator! We may still struggle with the old nature of the flesh, however, if we become angry over a tense situation, don’t forget, we have been liberated and we can go to the Lord in prayer and He will give us peace. If we respond with a kind word or a smile, this will reflect the character of God’s love to those who provoked us to anger and perhaps bring peace. Keep in mind, our prayer life is crucial because we face so many oppositions in the course of a day with people and situations. When we approach God’s throne of grace, we must come before His presence recognizing His greatness before we ask for anything and He is faithful to respond according to His will. In closing, we must hold tightly the truth of the cross; it was the preaching of the gospel that saved our souls. Therefore, let’s boldly continue to share this message with others daily.
Monday, October 3, 2016 – No Outsiders – Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Focus: There are no outsiders that God does not care about. We must identify with Christ by loving foreigners and people of all cultures.
Scriptures: Hebrews 13:1-2; Luke 6:31-38
Tuesday, October 4, 2016 – Setting Prisoners Free – Psalm 146
Focus: Jesus came to set the captives free. Let’s not allow our past sins that brought guilt and shame hinder us. Instead, let’s celebrate and praise God for Jesus, our liberator.
Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-3; Psalms 40:1-3
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 – Good Medicine – Ephesians 4:25-32
Focus: Let’s be mindful that when we become angry in a tense situation, we must pray that God will give us peace. Our actions whether it’s a kind word or a smile will reflect the character of God’s love.
Scriptures: Proverbs 15:1, 13; Proverbs 12:25
Thursday, October 6, 2016 – Praising and Asking – 2 Chronicles 6:12-21
Focus: When we approach God’s throne, we must reverence Him and acknowledge His greatness. Let’s spend more time in His presence praising Him before we ask for anything, God is faithful to respond.
Scriptures: 1 King 8:10-11; Hebrews 4:16
Friday, October 7, 2016 – Grasping the Cross – Philippians 3:7-12
Focus: We must hold tightly the truth of the cross. Accepting Jesus was a turning point in our lives. We are held by the love of Christ; let’s boldly share this message with others daily.
Scriptures: Galatians 6:11-14
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
Basket of Deplorables
During this election season, we have heard about the “Basket of Deplorables” and the campaign slogan “Deplorable and Proud of It”. The word deplorable is an adjective used to describe something extremely bad or unfortunate. It comes from a French word meaning to give up as hopeless, something that is so bad that there is no hope of improvement.
This week’s lessons have focused on basket of deplorable people: outsiders, foreigners, prisoners, angry men and at risk youth. As the all seeing eye of God beheld our deplorable state, passion touched the heart of God the Father of Mercy and wisdom laid the plan for our recovery. God turned the Basket of Deplorables into the Basket of Lovables:
· In Christ there are no outsiders and foreigners, all are included in His Basket of Lovables.
· The Lord sets prisoners free and they are included in His Basket of Lovables.
· God’s love and mercy will help get rid of anger and bitterness in our country so we can be included in His Basket of Lovables.
· God’s protects at risk youth so they are included in His Basket of Lovables.
Our Lord holds us in His Basket of Lovables as we hold onto the cross of Christ. Let’s adopt these campaign slogans:
- Over 2000 years ago Jesus ended the debate on which lives matter. He died for all!
- America will never be great again until we put God first!
Pray and vote.