Monday, March 5

Genesis 41:46-57

Psalms 56, 57, 64, 65

1 Corinthians 4:8-21

Mark 3:7-19a

 “You think you already have everything you need.

You think you are already rich.”  1 Corinthians 4:8

Do you have it all figured out?  Has your spiritual journey “matured” to a point where your life is exactly how it should be to live in God’s love?  The Christians at Corinth thought so.  They had no need to learn any more “spiritual truths” for they had already begun reaping the rewards of God’s kingdom.  They were arrogant with human pride rather than godly wisdom. They constantly boasted of their wisdom instead of being grateful for the gifts God had bestowed on them.  They looked down on the apostles who were poor, hungry and ill-clothed.

Do you sometimes feel superior to those whose spiritual journey is not as sophisticated as yours?  Can you quote more bible verses than your friends? Are you a better Christian than those “occasional” churchgoers?  Do you think you are already doing all that you need to get into the kingdom of heaven?  God loves us equally and all that we have comes from Him.  If your journey has brought you a long way, be thankful to God, but be humble, because you did not get there alone.  Godliness results in hardships at times.  His most trusted disciples lived with constant challenges and difficulties.  Our journeys all start at different points and proceed at different speeds.  It is not what you know or how much you know, but how you use that knowledge to do God’s will on this earth and help the “apostles of today” with the challenges and difficulties that they face.  Go forth and serve.

Claire Martin

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Sunday, March 4

Genesis 41:14-45

Psalms 8, 24, 29, 84

Romans 6:3-14

John 5:19-24

 Genesis 41:14-45

This lesson in Genesis can be likened to the course of a Christian’s spiritual journey. Each day of our lives, we have a choice to make where Christ is concerned, and our coherence to His way.  We are all travelers on a journey toward Christ.

Our journey consists of times when we perceive the abundant blessings and close presence of the Lord in our daily lives. It is during those times that it is easy to fulfill the purpose He has placed within our hearts to love and serve him with all of our selves, and to love others equally. We skip along extolling God’s grace, His love, and His excellence.

However, there are also times when we perceive dryness or the absence of His presence and we have the choice of succumbing to the temptation to doubt and fear, and thereby changing our walk with Him.  Will we choose to be ravaged by that dryness or will we choose to remember and draw on those times of abundance from out Savior? Will we continue to extol God’s grace, His love, His excellence?

Through the study of scripture, we can rely on and stand firm in His promise to sustain us along the journey. So, in whatever circumstance you may encounter, will you choose to draw on His promises? Will you rely on His grace, His love, and His excellence? Will you choose to truly follow the one true Savior, Jesus Christ?

Prayer:

Dear Lord:

Help me to always choose You and Your way.

Help me to know that though I sin, that nothing can separate me from Your love.

Help me to know that sin has no dominion over me, for I am not under the law, but

under Your grace.

Help me to choose You and Your way.   Amen

Carrie Davis

Saturday, March 3

Genesis 41:1-13

Psalms 55, 138, 139

1 Corinthians 4:1-7

Mark 2:23-3:6

The walk of faith by the Spirit’s filling isn’t mechanical.  Instead, it’s as if we’re saying:

I am in the process, Lord, of fulfilling your will.  I want to glorify Your name.  I belong to you.  I pledge my allegiance to You today.  Enable me in my walk to have discernment to walk in obedience and not in disobedience, to sense wrong when I encounter it and to sty away from it.  Keep me strong when temptations come.  Guard my tongue from saying the wrong thing or saying too much or speaking too quickly.  Enable me to restrain profanity and resist outbursts of anger.  Lord, help me in my walk.  Fill me with Your Spirit.  Take my eyes, take my tongue, take my emotions, take my will, and use me, Lord, because I want to be under Your control on a continuing basis.

This is called the Christian walk.

Taken from p. 82 of Chuck Swindoll’s “Flying Closer to the Flame.”  Word Publishers, 1993.

Lynn Mather

Friday, March 2

Genesis 40:1-23

Psalms 40, 51, 54

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Mark 2:13-22

1 Corinthians

"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise."

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's spirit lives in you?"

"So then, no more boasting about men."

Paul admonishes us to understand that no one person, or group, can call its leader the best.  No one can set himself up as the one true messenger of God.  All leaders belong to the whole church.  Factions can divide us, we all are God's temple, we each have a role to play.  Together, we are the church.

We are in a pivotal place right now at Holy Spirit.  Our " leaders " are gone. Those we held in high regard, those who helped us interpret the gospels, are gone. For many of us, this loss is profound.

Paul warns us not to set up any one person or group, as the only leaders.  He reminds us that all God's leaders belong to the church, and that, we are the church.

We all have an important role to play.  We are God's temples, each one of us.

Working together, we can build anew. So let us join hands and begin....

Prayerfully,

Pat McDowell

Thursday, March 1

Genesis 39:1-23

Psalms 19, 46, 50, 60

1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15

Mark 2:1-12

"God is our refuge and strength." --Psalm 46:1

"Be still and know that I am God." --Psalm 46:10

"And call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you,

and you will honor me." --Psalm 50:15

"The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered." --Genesis 39:2

The readings for today talk about trusting God in all things, in casting aside our doubts about His place in our lives.  The reading from Genesis talks about Joseph being sold into slavery and, subsequently, thrown into prison; Joseph didn't wish to be put in those circumstances but God used those circumstances for His purpose.  Because he put away his doubt, God worked through Joseph for His people.  How often do we try to determine what we're supposed to do in a situation instead of letting God guide us through it?

I am particularly struck by the verse -- "Be still and know that I am God" from Psalm 46.  Can we be still enough to know God?  It's not an easy thing to do things in God's time.  Lent is the season for us to slow down and find God in our lives, reassess where we're going and how to get there; that's its purpose on the church calendar.  Can we be truly still, stop the voices in our heads, and listen to God instead?  And for how long?

Mary D Crowe