To the Praise of His Glorious Grace

Scripture: Ex. 13, Job 25, Lk. 14, 1 Cor. 15. Gospel summary: God redeemed us from slavery to sin, self, and Satan by his mighty power when he sent Jesus to live how we couldn't, die how we should have, and rise so we will too one day. We can die to ourselves each day and live out the Christian life in hope because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in us. Prayer: Father in heaven, I am so weak and frail. Left to myself, I'd never be able to live the Christian life and would remain a slave to my selfish desires until my dying day. But I thank you that you graciously decided to redeem my soul from such a terrible existence, and at the cost of your beloved Son! I thank you God that Jesus wasn't just a good teacher like all the rest who lies in a tomb in the earth, but that you proved your redeeming power by rising him from the dead as no one else has. I thank you that Jesus is alive forevermore and that his life has now been given to me. Even though I will...

A cry from Austria: 84% of our citizens believe in God, yet few have a personal relationship with Christ. In fact, only 0.5% even hold to evangelical Christianity. We have high rates of suicide, abortion, and alcoholism, revealing that our religious veneer doesn't have the life-changing power of the gospel. Pray for the church to shine a bright ray of hope into our deep spiritual darkness and for God to do his work of changing hearts as only he can do. #operationworld

A cry from Armenia: We're a small Middle Eastern country surrounded by bigger nations that have long threatened our safety. In fact, half of our population was murdered by the Turkish government in 1915, killing 1.5 million people in a genocide they still claim didn't happen. We were the first Christian nation and most of us are of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Pray for our physical safety and for believers to show the love of Christ to our enemies, so that even our Muslim neighbors may see we love Jesus more than our cultural heritage and may also come to find new life in him.

A cry from Argentina: We're a Latin American nation with a population over 40 million. 90% of us are Roman Catholic and cults like Mormonism are wreaking havoc here too. Pray for evangelical Christians to be bold witnesses here and for the truth of Christ to outshine any man-made religion.

A cry from Angola: We're a West African nation that has suffered forty years of almost constant war. Our first president promised to eliminate Christianity within 20 years, but Christianity has quadrupled in number! Pray for the gospel of peace to save our war-torn people and for Christians to live pure and holy lives to impact all areas of life here.

“Heaven doesn’t want me and hell is afraid I am going to take over”. Deep words for a Monday morning at McDonald’s over sweet tea, yet these are the very words one man recently told me have been a logical explanation for all the problems he’s had in life. Although most people wouldn’t articulate it in quite the same terms, I think many have a hard time understanding why life has turned out for them the way it has. “Why did that parent die unexpectedly? Why did my spouse leave me? Why was my child born with a disability? Why does everyone else seem to have it easy, except me? Why can’t I find a job after all this time?” When we allow questions like these to consume our lives, they can lead us to question whether or not God is good at all. But the Christmas season always brings a fresh reminder of God’s goodness to mankind. If God did not care about us or had no control over the circumstances of our lives, why would he send his only Son into this cruel world to be born of the virgin Mar...

Scripture: Proverbs 23-24, John 2. Gospel summary:  In his earthly life, Jesus revealed to us his true glory as God in human form. Even in our most valiant efforts at being religious, we are still sinners in desperate need of Jesus. All our glory is dark, but Jesus shines alone. Prayer:  Father, help me to be utterly astounded every time I consider the glory of your Son Jesus. Fill my heart, mind, and soul with an awareness of Jesus' majesty, so that I may not try to foolishly live by my own merit. Thank you that in Jesus you have brought a whole new thing: a new temple...access to God is now mine to enjoy because of his resurrection from the dead. I don't have to try to purify myself through religious effort, because Jesus alone is my source of righteousness before God. Help me to see the world from your eyes Jesus and to share with the lost your gospel, trusting you to open their eyes to see its beauty. May your glory fill the earth as waters cover the sea, Jesus. A...