JULY 2005
July 1, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged from the Word
Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—
he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.
He’ll never let good people
topple into ruin.
But you, God, will throw the others
into a muddy bog,
Cut the lifespan of assassins
and traitors in half
And I trust in you.
Psalm 55:22-23, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims
Let us all become a true and fruitful branch of the vine Jesus, by accepting him in our lives as it pleases him to come:
as the Truth—to be told;
as the Life—to be lived;
as the Light—to be lighted;
as the Love—to be loved;
as the Way—to be walked;
as the Joy—to be given;
as the Peace—to be spread;
as the Sacrifice—to be offered,
to our families and our neighbors.
Mother Teresa
Pray together with us
Thou, whose purpose is to kindle, Now ignite us with Thy fire.
While the earth awaits Thy burning, With Thy passion us inspire.
Overcome our sinful calmness’ Rouse us with redemptive shame,
Baptize with Thy fi’ry Spirit; Crown our lives with tongues of flame.
Thou who still a sword delivers rather than a placid peace,
With Thy sharpened Word disturb us; From complacency release!
Save us now from satisfaction When we privately are free,
Yet are undisturbed in spirit By our brother’s misery.
David Elton Trueblood, (Hymn #722, Sing to the Lord)
July 4, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Oh, thank GOD—he’s so good!
His love never runs out.
All of you set free by GOD, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.
Psalm 107:1-3, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Humility is not weakness but strength, for it receives the strength of God. It is not folly, but wisdom, for it is open to the ever available wisdom of God. It is not nothingness but fullness, for into the vacuum created by the demolition of human pride and self-sufficiency, pours the fullness of God.
Albert E. Day
Pray together with us:
King of my life and Lord of all,
Today I hunger for more of You.
I seek You with my whole self-my mind, my will, and my emotions.
I hunger for a holy life to make me spiritually healthy and whole.
I am eager to grow a great soul.
Neil B. Wiseman
July 5, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Let your love, GOD, shape my life
with salvation, exactly as you promised;
Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery
because I trusted your Word.
Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever—
your commandments are what I depend on.
Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me,
guard it now, guard it ever;
And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces
as I look for your truth and your wisdom;
Then I’ll tell the world what I find,
speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.
I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—
relishing every fragment of your counsel.
Psalm 119:41-47, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
The Gospel is not good advice, but good news. It is not primarily teaching us how to live, but an offer of Life. Jesus did not come to show us the Way, but to show Himself as the Way.
E. Stanley Jones
Pray together with us:
My life, my love, I give to Thee,
Thou Lamb of God, who died for me;
Oh, may I ever faithful be,
My Savior and My God!
R. E. Hudson
July 6, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
of GOD-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
Psalm 40:4-5, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Put yourself completely under the influence of Jesus, so that He may think His thoughts in your mind, do His work through your hands, for you will be all-powerful with Him to strengthen you.
Mother Teresa
Pray together with us:
Help us to remember our blessed Lord who on His Cross cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And help us like Him to hold on until the dark changes to the dawn again, and we can say in perfect faith, made stronger by the testing, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
William Barclay
July 7, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
Psalm 40:4-5, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
The power of the Holy Spirit is not some bright efficiency plus which turns you into a high-powered salesman. It is rather the replacing of your unlovely disposition by the disposition of Jesus; so, you witness to Him. No brilliant personal force ever was equal to His; His was the power of love.
Bertha Munro
Pray together with us:
Help me to go forward,
without wanting to know
what I'm going to find
at every bend on the road,
not with my head in the clouds
but with my feet on the ground
and my hand in yours.
Michel Quoist
July 8, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:1-3, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Our society is all mixed up in its priorities, and it is the Church’s business to straighten them out—unless the Church also happens to be mixed up; in which case the Church needs to take a closer look at the priorities of Jesus.
Leonard Griffith
Pray together with us:
My life today will be lived in time, but eternal issues will be concerned in it. Let me keep steadily in mind that the things that matter are not money or possessions, not houses or lands, not bodily comfort or bodily pleasure; but truth and honor and meekness and helpfulness and a pure love of Thyself.
John Baillie
July 11, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Psalm 51: 7, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Let’s love our religious leaders, forgive them their faults, and see them as brothers and sisters. Then we will enable them, in their brokenness, to lead us closer to the heart of God.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Pray together with us:
These hands I give to Thee, my blessed Savior,
To do Thy will—whatever love demands;
Redeemed and sanctified and in Thy favor,
I gladly yield to Thee this pair of hands.
Floyd Hawkins
July 12, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Psalm 68:3, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Our character is determined by what we would do if every restraint were removed.
Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Pray together with us:
Dear God, here on earth You are constantly seeking to change us. At times we wish to flee into the wilderness to avoid You. But let us learn to love the lasting things of heaven, rather than the dying things of earth.
Alcuin of York
July 13, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Everyone sees it. God’s
work is the talk of the town.
Be glad, good people! Fly to GOD!
Good-hearted people, make praise your habit.
Psalm 64:9-10, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Love is the basic ingredient of a happy, well-adjusted, and growing life. It is the essence of a victorious and radiant spirit.
Mendell Taylor
Pray together with us:
O my God,
grant that I may so wait upon thee,
that when quick decision and action are needed
I may mount up with wings as an eagle;
and when under direction of thy will
and the needs of people
I have to keep going under pressure,
I may run and not be weary;
and in times of routine and humble duty,
I may walk and not faint.
George Appleton
July 14, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Take a good look at God’s wonders-
they’ll take your breath away.
He converted sea to dry land;
travelers crossed the river on foot.
Now isn’t that cause for a song?
Psalm 66:5-6, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illuminated by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.
Dag Hammarskjöld
Pray together with us:
Lord, teach me to rest in you.
Teach me to look at field and flower and be soothed by colors and seasons.
Teach me to close my eyes and to rest in the Love that has supported me all my days.
Teach me, Lord, to rest in You.
Frank Topping
July 15, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:7-8, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Grace sought me, Grace bought me, Grace taught me, Grace caught me—now Grace has me!
E. Stanley Jones
Pray together with us:
Our Father God, may we always remember that our Savior said, “Ye know these things. Happy are ye if ye do them.” Lead us into the happiness of not only knowing thy will, but of doing it. Amen.
Halford E. Luccock
July 18, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:16-17, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
“The gospel pulls us into community. One of the immediate changes that the gospel makes is grammatical: we instead of I, our instead of my, us instead of me.”
Eugene H. Peterson
Pray together with us:
I thank Thee, Lord, for sparing me this morning, for the blood running warm in my veins, for the activity of my limbs and the use of my tongue. I thank Thee, Lord, for raiment and for food, and, above all, I thank Thee for the gift of Thy Son, Jesus.
Author Unknown
July 19, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? . . . No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:7, 11 NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
He can only come and give us the richest blessings of transformation and strength and power by allowing us to come into difficult places, even so difficult that we stretch our hands to Him and He can thus come in. Thus we meet the things He permits, welcome them, use them, climb up by them, make them so many ladders to the heights of God.
Phineas Bresee
Pray together with us:
Lord, we want to be one of those who can show the world that You are alive today. Thank You for the grace given to each one of us, grace which is never ending.
Corrie ten Boom
July 20, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:21, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
We do not know how long we will live, but this not knowing calls us to live every day, every week, every year of our lives to its fullest potential.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Pray together with us:
Rise, O Lord, into Your proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me decrease that You may increase, let me sink that You may rise above.
A. W. Tozer
July 21, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Romans 4:16, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Sincere prayer will keep you from self-deception, or self-deception will keep you from your prayers.
George Buttrick
Pray together with us:
Forgive me for trying so long to compensate for my stunted growth. I have expected my work and my wealth to increase my stature. Help me to see, Lord, that an increase in my stature can only come as a result of a decrease in myself. It is in losing my life that I find it. It is in dying that I live. It is in giving that I receive.
Ken Gire
July 22, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-3, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
I personally believe that an exciting vision brings emotional fuel for change. It enables many, even if they are doubtful, to dream of a better outcome. It taps into our soul and says that things need not be as bad as they are today. I think vision is the biblical way of communicating hope to both individuals and groups of people.
Paul Borden
Pray together with us:
Lord Jesus, I would so appreciate it if You would bring me someone today whom I can serve.
Richard J. Foster
July 25, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
Blessed be the Lord—
day after day he carries us along.
He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!
He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.
Psalm 68:19-20, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
The praying Christ is the supreme argument for prayer.
James Stewart
Pray together with us:
Thou, O Christ, art all I want
More than all in thee I find!
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind;
Just and holy is thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am
Thou art full of truth and grace.
Charles Wesley
July 26, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!
You’re the God who makes things happen;
you showed everyone what you can do—
You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,
rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.
Psalm 77:13, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
The Spirit is the pledge of the abiding presence of Jesus, and of our fellowship with Him. He imparts true knowledge of His being and of His will. He teaches us and reminds us of all that Christ said on earth. He guides us into all truth so that we are not without knowledge of Christ and the gifts which God has given us in Him.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Pray together with us:
You, O Christ, who were tempted in all points like as I am, yet without sin, make me strong to overcome the desire to be wise and to be reputed wise by others as ignorant as myself. I turn from my wisdom as well as from my folly and flee to You, the wisdom of God and the power of God. Amen.
A. W. Tozer
July 27, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
GOD is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
Psalm 103: 8, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a wholehearted devotion to Him in that particular work.
Oswald Chambers
Pray together with us:
God of music and harmony
Teach me better how to sing about You with gusto, on tune, and with understanding.
I need heavenly music to quiet my heart concerning things I do not understand.
Thanks for putting a new song in my heart.
Neil B. Wiseman
July 28, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
James 3:9, NIV
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
The tongue is a thermometer; it tells us our spiritual temperature. It is also a thermostat; it controls our spiritual temperature.
Richard J. Foster
Pray together with us:
Grant, O God,
That we may never take the easy way,
and so leave the right way;
That we may never forget
that sweat is the price of all things,
and that without the cross, there cannot be the crown.
Rueben P. Job
July 29, 2005
Good morning, ministry partner…
Be encouraged by God’s Word:
How blessed the man you train, GOD,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
GOD will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right.
Psalm 94: 12, TM
Wisdom from fellow pilgrims:
Spirituality in human beings is not an extra or “superior” mode of existence. It’s not a hidden stream of separate reality, a separate life running parallel to our bodily existence. It does not consist of special “inward” acts even though it has an inner aspect. It is, rather, a relationship of our embodied selves to God that has the natural and irrepressible effect of making us alive to the Kingdom of God—here and now in the material world.
Dallas Willard
Pray together with us:
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.
Sarum Primer