Yesterday, I was reading the devotional for the day from Our Daily Bread after dinner. Written by Cindy Hess Kasper, it began like this:
"Several years ago, my husband helped to lead a work crew of high school students on a short-term missions trip to a Christian school in an urban community. Unfortunately, Tom had broken his foot shortly before the trip and was supervising the work from a wheelchair. He was discouraged because he wasn't able to get around as he had hoped.
"While he was working on the ground floor, a few of the girls were painting on the third floor. He could hear them singing praise choruses in harmony as their voices echoed down the wide-open staircases..."
At this point, our 7-year old son Christopher interrupted the reading. He mentioned, "They must be Christians!"
He knew they were Christians because they were singing praise to God outside a church service. It was simply a part of their lives that they did not leave behind when they exited the church building every Sunday.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16).
Showing posts with label Our Daily Bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Daily Bread. Show all posts
Friday, October 01, 2010
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friendship and Urban Ministry
I received my copy of the monthly devotional magazine Our Daily Bread for the month of April today. While looking through it, I found the article for April 1 by Anne Cetas. It reminded me of why the Contact Church has been such an effective urban ministry. This is the article:
"Servant-Friendship
"'We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children' (1 Thessalonians 2:7, New King James Version).
"Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker's message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man's hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn't exist.
"Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.
"What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, 'We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us' (1 Thessalonians 2:8, New King James Version). He said, 'We were gentle among you,' like a mother (v. 7).
"In our service for the Lord, do we share not just words or money but our time and friendship?
"One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others."
More devotionals from Our Daily Bread may be found at www.rbc.org.
"Servant-Friendship
"'We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children' (1 Thessalonians 2:7, New King James Version).
"Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker's message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man's hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn't exist.
"Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.
"What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, 'We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us' (1 Thessalonians 2:8, New King James Version). He said, 'We were gentle among you,' like a mother (v. 7).
"In our service for the Lord, do we share not just words or money but our time and friendship?
"One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others."
More devotionals from Our Daily Bread may be found at www.rbc.org.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Parental Teaching Tips
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
Janet and I teach Christopher about God and his word in many different ways. Most of our teaching is informal. Biblical topics arise while we are playing, traveling, and watching cartoons.
However, ever since we were able to hold him in the hospital after his birth, we have tried to help our son know Christ intentionally.
After meals, we read the daily devotional from Our Daily Bread. Then we read a memory verse. (Lately we have been concentrating on Proverbs 29:25.) We try to make sure Christopher understands unfamiliar words and concepts. After he is able to repeat the verse from memory (which usually takes about 10 days), we move on to another verse. Then we pray. Most of the time, Christopher prays for the firefighters, police officers, and paramedics.
At bed time, Christoper will sit on my lap in my recliner. I will read a story from either The Beginners Bible or the Little Boys Bible Storybook for Fathers and Sons. Then I will sing I Stand in Awe and How Great Thou Art. (Sometimes Christopher sings along with me.) After I'm done, Janet takes my place and sings Jesus Loves Me, Lord Give Me Peace, and Sweet Little Baby Boy (an original song by Janet for Christopher). Then he goes to bed.
Of course, as Christopher grows up, our methods will change. Eventually, he will be reading, too.
Do you have intentional methods of teaching your children about Christ? Please share them in the comments section. I would love to read about some other ideas.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Juneteenth
"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:18, NKJV).
In honor of Juneteenth, Marvin Williams has written a good devotional for Our Daily Bread at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/06/19/devotion.aspx.
In honor of Juneteenth, Marvin Williams has written a good devotional for Our Daily Bread at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/06/19/devotion.aspx.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 5:16, NIV).
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my wife, and all other mothers who may be reading this post!
A good devotional thought from Our Daily Bread may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/05/11/devotion.aspx.
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my wife, and all other mothers who may be reading this post!
A good devotional thought from Our Daily Bread may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/05/11/devotion.aspx.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Devotional Links
Two good devotionals caught my attention today.
At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200803/20080330_keeponspeaking.html, you will find encouragement to speak up when you know you should.
At http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/03/30/devotion.aspx, you will be reminded of the need for humility in serving the Lord.
At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200803/20080330_keeponspeaking.html, you will find encouragement to speak up when you know you should.
At http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/03/30/devotion.aspx, you will be reminded of the need for humility in serving the Lord.
Monday, January 21, 2008
A Few Good Articles to Share
I have a few good articles to share about Martin Luther King Jr. and the pro-life perspective.
Our Daily Bread has a good devotional piece about a turning point in Dr. King's life at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-21-08.shtml.
The Christian Chronicle has an interesting interview with Fred Gray, the attorney for Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, at http://www.christianchronicle.org/article901~A_Conversation_with_Fred_Gray.
The Lookout magazine has three powerful pro-life articles at
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=434
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=435
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=436
I hope you had a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Our Daily Bread has a good devotional piece about a turning point in Dr. King's life at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-01-21-08.shtml.
The Christian Chronicle has an interesting interview with Fred Gray, the attorney for Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, at http://www.christianchronicle.org/article901~A_Conversation_with_Fred_Gray.
The Lookout magazine has three powerful pro-life articles at
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=434
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=435
http://www.lookoutmag.com/articles/articledisplay.asp?id=436
I hope you had a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Year's Resolutions 2008
With God's help, I intend to follow through with these resolutions for 2008:
1. I plan to read through the Bible. I will be using the daily reading plan from RBC Ministries (which can be found at the bottom of the Our Daily Bread devotional article each day at http://www.rbc.org) and the New International Version as my text.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV).
2. I plan to spend several minutes each day praying for my family, friends, co-workers, the church, various ministries, and leaders of the government. Praying for others helps prevent me from being self-absorbed, helps me to care more about others, helps the people I'm praying for as God answers my prayers for them, and brings glory to God who is able to do what I can merely ask to be done.
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone---for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV).
3. Janet and I plan to sponsor a child living in poverty somewhere in the world through the Christian Relief Fund (http://www.christianrelieffund.org/). While far from rich by American standards, we recognize that we are rich by global standards. We feel compelled to help a child in need.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV).
Please read Rubel Shelly's "New Year's Prayer" at http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200801/20080101_newyearsprayer.html for a great article to start your new year. Happy New Year!
1. I plan to read through the Bible. I will be using the daily reading plan from RBC Ministries (which can be found at the bottom of the Our Daily Bread devotional article each day at http://www.rbc.org) and the New International Version as my text.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV).
2. I plan to spend several minutes each day praying for my family, friends, co-workers, the church, various ministries, and leaders of the government. Praying for others helps prevent me from being self-absorbed, helps me to care more about others, helps the people I'm praying for as God answers my prayers for them, and brings glory to God who is able to do what I can merely ask to be done.
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone---for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV).
3. Janet and I plan to sponsor a child living in poverty somewhere in the world through the Christian Relief Fund (http://www.christianrelieffund.org/). While far from rich by American standards, we recognize that we are rich by global standards. We feel compelled to help a child in need.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV).
Please read Rubel Shelly's "New Year's Prayer" at http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200801/20080101_newyearsprayer.html for a great article to start your new year. Happy New Year!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Biblical Parenting 101: Truth
These are my notes for the class that I will be teaching tomorrow at the Contact Church of Christ.
*In our previous sessions, we looked at the importance of raising our children in peaceful homes and spending time with our children. Both of those concepts are crucial for developing godly children.
*Today, we will discuss the importance of personally teaching biblical truth to our children. The Bible stresses the importance of this in passages like Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:4. (Take time to read these verses.)
*When we make the effort to teach our children the truth of the Bible, our kids have the potential to grow up with a strong faith and commitment to serving the Lord. It happened with Timothy, one of the great leaders in the early church. He was taught the Bible from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15). Who was responsible for his knowledge of the Bible? His mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Our little boys and girls could become great servants of God for decades with our help in teaching them the truth.
* While our Sunday school classes and youth ministry can help us in teaching our children, we must not rely upon them as the primary teachers of our children. We parents are responsible for our children.
*So what do we do? This is what Janet and I do:
At one meal a day, we take time after the meal to have a devotional. I will read a devotional article from Our Daily Bread. Then we will give Christopher a memory verse. He repeats it. We discuss what it means. When he is able to quote the memory verse on his own, he will get a new memory verse the next day. Depending on the difficulty of the verse and Christopher's enthusiasm, he will memorize it in a few days or a couple of weeks. Then we will pray.
*Tommy Nelson has good advise about praying with children. "Pray intelligently with your children at meals and at night time. Pray with them theologically---they won't even know they are getting good teaching. Don't just say, 'Thank You for the burrito. Amen.' You can do better" (The 12 Essentials of Godly Success, pp. 182-183).
*At our son's age, we can still rock him in a rocking chair before he goes to bed. At that time, we read a story from one of his Bible story books. He gets some exposure to Adam, Eve, Samuel, David, Esther, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Paul, and other great men and women of the Bible. Then we sing a few hymns (like I Stand in Awe of You and How Great Thou Art) with lyrics about the greatness of God.
*When occasions arise, it is good to point out biblical principles in our routine lives. When you notice something positive in your child, you may say, "You were very kind to your sister" or "It took a lot of courage to stand alone like that."
*When you are watching television, listening to music, or working on homework together, you may be able to discuss a scene, lyrics, or a reading assignment from a biblical perspective.
*With our teaching, our children have a better opportunity to become who God wants them to be.
*In our previous sessions, we looked at the importance of raising our children in peaceful homes and spending time with our children. Both of those concepts are crucial for developing godly children.
*Today, we will discuss the importance of personally teaching biblical truth to our children. The Bible stresses the importance of this in passages like Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:4. (Take time to read these verses.)
*When we make the effort to teach our children the truth of the Bible, our kids have the potential to grow up with a strong faith and commitment to serving the Lord. It happened with Timothy, one of the great leaders in the early church. He was taught the Bible from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15). Who was responsible for his knowledge of the Bible? His mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Our little boys and girls could become great servants of God for decades with our help in teaching them the truth.
* While our Sunday school classes and youth ministry can help us in teaching our children, we must not rely upon them as the primary teachers of our children. We parents are responsible for our children.
*So what do we do? This is what Janet and I do:
At one meal a day, we take time after the meal to have a devotional. I will read a devotional article from Our Daily Bread. Then we will give Christopher a memory verse. He repeats it. We discuss what it means. When he is able to quote the memory verse on his own, he will get a new memory verse the next day. Depending on the difficulty of the verse and Christopher's enthusiasm, he will memorize it in a few days or a couple of weeks. Then we will pray.
*Tommy Nelson has good advise about praying with children. "Pray intelligently with your children at meals and at night time. Pray with them theologically---they won't even know they are getting good teaching. Don't just say, 'Thank You for the burrito. Amen.' You can do better" (The 12 Essentials of Godly Success, pp. 182-183).
*At our son's age, we can still rock him in a rocking chair before he goes to bed. At that time, we read a story from one of his Bible story books. He gets some exposure to Adam, Eve, Samuel, David, Esther, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Paul, and other great men and women of the Bible. Then we sing a few hymns (like I Stand in Awe of You and How Great Thou Art) with lyrics about the greatness of God.
*When occasions arise, it is good to point out biblical principles in our routine lives. When you notice something positive in your child, you may say, "You were very kind to your sister" or "It took a lot of courage to stand alone like that."
*When you are watching television, listening to music, or working on homework together, you may be able to discuss a scene, lyrics, or a reading assignment from a biblical perspective.
*With our teaching, our children have a better opportunity to become who God wants them to be.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
The Heart of the Church
In Our Daily Bread today, Cindy Hess Kasper has a good devotional piece titled "The Heart of the Church." It may be viewed at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-08-19-07.shtml.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Radical Generosity
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share" (1 Timothy 6:18, NIV).
"Radical Generosity" is the topic of today's devotional article in Our Daily Bread. When I read Marvin Williams' piece, I thought of the wealthy and generous Christians and churches that support the Contact Church of Christ and our ministers. Where would we be in the urban ministry without kind and generous believers who are willing to share their wealth? We could never do it alone. We need God and his people. The article may be read at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-08-02-07.shtml.
"Radical Generosity" is the topic of today's devotional article in Our Daily Bread. When I read Marvin Williams' piece, I thought of the wealthy and generous Christians and churches that support the Contact Church of Christ and our ministers. Where would we be in the urban ministry without kind and generous believers who are willing to share their wealth? We could never do it alone. We need God and his people. The article may be read at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-08-02-07.shtml.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
What's Really Important?
Anne Cetas has a good devotional article in Our Daily Bread today titled "No More Mowing." It helps us to shape our lives around the truly important things. It may be viewed online at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-07-05-07.shtml.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
For the Children
This devotional is from Our Daily Bread for May 16, 2007. It was written by Dave Branon. You may find many more good articles like this one at http://www.rbc.org.
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them" (Mark 10:14, NKJV).
As the teenagers left Robin's Nest orphanage near Montego Bay, Jamaica, many of them were in tears.
"It's just not fair," one girl said after their too-brief visit. "We have so much, and they don't have anything." In the 2 hours we visited, handing out stuffed animals and playing with the kids, she had been holding a sad little girl who never smiled. We learned that before she was rescued she had been abused by her parents.
Multiply this little girl's plight by the millions, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. My teenage friends were right. It's not fair. Abuse, poverty, and neglect have turned the lives of millions of little ones into a nightmare.
How this must grieve God's heart! Jesus, who said, "Let the little children come to Me" (Mark 10:14, NKJV), is surely saddened by the way these children are treated.
What can we do? In Jesus' name, we can give monetary support to good orphanages. When possible, we can offer physical help. If we feel led, we can seek to provide homes for these precious children. And all of us can pray--beseeching God to help those for whom life is so unfair.
Let's show children the love of God through our hearts and our hands.
"Reaching out to needy children,
Showing them our love and care,
Is one way that God can use us
To bring hope in their despair."--Sper
Be Jesus to a child today.
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them" (Mark 10:14, NKJV).
As the teenagers left Robin's Nest orphanage near Montego Bay, Jamaica, many of them were in tears.
"It's just not fair," one girl said after their too-brief visit. "We have so much, and they don't have anything." In the 2 hours we visited, handing out stuffed animals and playing with the kids, she had been holding a sad little girl who never smiled. We learned that before she was rescued she had been abused by her parents.
Multiply this little girl's plight by the millions, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. My teenage friends were right. It's not fair. Abuse, poverty, and neglect have turned the lives of millions of little ones into a nightmare.
How this must grieve God's heart! Jesus, who said, "Let the little children come to Me" (Mark 10:14, NKJV), is surely saddened by the way these children are treated.
What can we do? In Jesus' name, we can give monetary support to good orphanages. When possible, we can offer physical help. If we feel led, we can seek to provide homes for these precious children. And all of us can pray--beseeching God to help those for whom life is so unfair.
Let's show children the love of God through our hearts and our hands.
"Reaching out to needy children,
Showing them our love and care,
Is one way that God can use us
To bring hope in their despair."--Sper
Be Jesus to a child today.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NASB).
In our home, we have a devotional time around the dinner table. We read from Our Daily Bread and pray. In January, we added another activity to our devotional time: memory verses. At first, I thought that we could memorize one passage a week, but we have found that going at Christopher's speed is much better. So far we have memorized Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 24:5, and John 3:16.
We are in the process of memorizing 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, so my mind has been on these verses lately.
Be on the alert
We never know where temptation and sin will come from, nor when they will hit us. However, we can learn from our failures and mistakes. We can figure out that being tired makes us vulnerable to impatience. We know that some media are designed to arouse improper sexual temptations. We can be alert to what we know. We don't need to be surprized by everything.
Stand firm in the faith
Many people attack our faith in many ways. We must stand firm in believing in the creation, the great flood, and the other miracles of the Bible. We must retain confidence in the God who cannot lie. We must believe in the accuracy of the Bible. We must trust in Jesus Christ, even when others waver.
Act like men
We must take initiative to protect and provide for others. We must approach life with courage and a sense of responsibility.
Be strong
Our strength comes from reliance upon God. We become strong by reading and thinking deeply about the message from God. We become strong by praying and by noticing God's answers to our prayers. We become strong from the support and encouragement of other believers. With strength, we can approach life with confidence. In addition, we are prepared to carry out the next command:
Let all that you do be done in love
We can find ways to live in a way that benefits everyone. We can be kind and patient. We can make the sacrifices. We can honor Jesus Christ through our lives of love.
These are powerful verses.
In our home, we have a devotional time around the dinner table. We read from Our Daily Bread and pray. In January, we added another activity to our devotional time: memory verses. At first, I thought that we could memorize one passage a week, but we have found that going at Christopher's speed is much better. So far we have memorized Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 24:5, and John 3:16.
We are in the process of memorizing 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, so my mind has been on these verses lately.
Be on the alert
We never know where temptation and sin will come from, nor when they will hit us. However, we can learn from our failures and mistakes. We can figure out that being tired makes us vulnerable to impatience. We know that some media are designed to arouse improper sexual temptations. We can be alert to what we know. We don't need to be surprized by everything.
Stand firm in the faith
Many people attack our faith in many ways. We must stand firm in believing in the creation, the great flood, and the other miracles of the Bible. We must retain confidence in the God who cannot lie. We must believe in the accuracy of the Bible. We must trust in Jesus Christ, even when others waver.
Act like men
We must take initiative to protect and provide for others. We must approach life with courage and a sense of responsibility.
Be strong
Our strength comes from reliance upon God. We become strong by reading and thinking deeply about the message from God. We become strong by praying and by noticing God's answers to our prayers. We become strong from the support and encouragement of other believers. With strength, we can approach life with confidence. In addition, we are prepared to carry out the next command:
Let all that you do be done in love
We can find ways to live in a way that benefits everyone. We can be kind and patient. We can make the sacrifices. We can honor Jesus Christ through our lives of love.
These are powerful verses.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Devotional
I would like to share the following devotional from Our Daily Bread for January 15, 2007.
LET FREEDOM RING
by Marvin Williams
Read: Isaiah 58:1-10
Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness,...to let the oppressed go free? Isaiah 58:6 (NKJV)
In 1963, during a peaceful march on Washington, DC, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his now famous "I Have a Dream" speach. He eloquently called for freedom to ring from every mountaintop across the nation. The cost to him personally and to those who joined his peaceful resistance movement was steep, but real change soon began. God used that speech to awaken the conscience of the US to fight for the freedom of the oppressed and downtrodden.
In the 8th century BC, amid personal and national injustice, the prophet Isaiah was used by God to awaken the conscience of His people. Their convenient spirituality had led them to violence and insensitivity toward their fellow humans. God's people were oppressing the poor and substituting religious practices for genuine righteous living (vv.1-5). God indicted them (v.1) and prescribed spiritual living that would be expressed through turning to God in genuine repentance and setting people free (vv.6-12).
Like Isaiah, we have been sent to let freedom ring. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we must proclaim that the captives can be released, that the downtrodden can be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.
I've got a river of life flowing out of me:
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see,
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free;
I've got a river of life flowing out of me.---Casebolt
No righteousness, no freedom!
Other devotionals can be found at http://www.rbc.net.
LET FREEDOM RING
by Marvin Williams
Read: Isaiah 58:1-10
Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness,...to let the oppressed go free? Isaiah 58:6 (NKJV)
In 1963, during a peaceful march on Washington, DC, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his now famous "I Have a Dream" speach. He eloquently called for freedom to ring from every mountaintop across the nation. The cost to him personally and to those who joined his peaceful resistance movement was steep, but real change soon began. God used that speech to awaken the conscience of the US to fight for the freedom of the oppressed and downtrodden.
In the 8th century BC, amid personal and national injustice, the prophet Isaiah was used by God to awaken the conscience of His people. Their convenient spirituality had led them to violence and insensitivity toward their fellow humans. God's people were oppressing the poor and substituting religious practices for genuine righteous living (vv.1-5). God indicted them (v.1) and prescribed spiritual living that would be expressed through turning to God in genuine repentance and setting people free (vv.6-12).
Like Isaiah, we have been sent to let freedom ring. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we must proclaim that the captives can be released, that the downtrodden can be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.
I've got a river of life flowing out of me:
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see,
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free;
I've got a river of life flowing out of me.---Casebolt
No righteousness, no freedom!
Other devotionals can be found at http://www.rbc.net.
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