Tuesday, July 7^th

Muscles of Faith

Bible Verses:

Galatians 5:6: The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Philemon 1:6  I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Here is a fact that you don't need to know to live a long healthy life:  African elephants poop eighty pounds per day.  Your life wouldn't be diminished if you didn't know that.  But it makes you appreciate zoo keepers more doesn't it?  I discovered that elephant's trunks are made up of 100,000 muscles.  Can't you see elephants flexing their trunks in the wild? How about having one of those trunks push you?  They can lift up to 500 pounds!!  That's a lot of peanuts.  I think faith is a collection of 100,000 spiritual muscles.  And you strengthen them the same way you strengthen any muscle.  You stretch them and exercise them.  The more you use your faith muscles the stronger they get. Strengthen your faith daily by expressing love towards others.  Be active for Christ, "…faith without deeds is dead."

Prayer:  Dear Lord, May our faith be mighty and our love be abundant. Amen

-          submitted by Rose Markowicz (Dallas, Texas)

 as adapted from and Inspired by Mark Batterson's evotional.com

Wednesday, July 8^th

Work In Us Now

When sorrowful, because everything fails to satisfy the soul;

 Lord Jesus, comfort and reassure ...

When troubled, because facing the truth is harder than life;

 Lord Jesus, cleanse and purify ...

When tempted , because the Evil One has found a foothold;

 Lord Jesus, save and deliver ...

When forgetful, because nothing stays in an occupied mind;

 Lord Jesus, prompt and remind ...

When stressed, because what was safe has grown insecure;

 Lord Jesus, soothe and pacify ...

Thence remade, because the work of God is always sufficient;

 Lord Jesus, fulfill Your purpose ... in me.

Prayer - We thank You, O Lord, for all the good things in the world:

Save us from focusing on troubles and forgetting our blessings;

Give us the strength of spirit to trust in the promises of God;

Inspire us to be workers in Your Kingdom who serve others;

Remake us in Your image according to Your great plan;

Incarnate Christ, Your love conquers all.  Work in us now; AMEN

 - Submitted by Kathy Buechler (De Pere, Wisconsin)

Thursday, July 9th

Spirit of a Sound Mind

Bible verse: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

On a cold winter day I went to the shop to buy some food. Nothing foreboded what will happen on my way back home – the experience of dread cannot be described, the feeling that I will die were so obsessive. I don't know how I turned back home. I made a general check-up after that – everything was according to the standard. Then I understood the diagnosis – panic disorder with agoraphobia.  According to the investigations every fourth person had endured panic attack; every tenth person is pliable to a panic disorder and the number of people affected of this disease is increasing. Let us remember in our prayers for the ones that are voluntary prisoners in their homes, isolate themselves from their social contacts and form strange rituals cause of their fear. Let us pray for God's help for them, for the understanding and the support of their families and friends. The fear holds us back to realize the best of God's intentions for us – let us pray to God to remove that obstacle.

Prayer: Lord, help us to accept your power and love; give us a spirit of a sound mind, keep us away from fear. Amen.

                                                                        Desislava Uzunova (Russe, Bulgaria)

Friday, July 10th

Who Do You Love?

Bible text: Matthew 25:31-46

The 25^th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel paints a picture for us of that terrible day when our Lord Jesus Christ shall render eternal judgment of all humankind. Most people really don't like talking about the judgment. But in the same time it is extremely necessary for us to contemplate regularly upon this Gospel's passage, because the Scripture makes clear that what would happen to us in that moment is being decided right here and now. This life is our preparation and proving ground for the eternity. The life we live here and now determines the life we will live in the future Kingdom of God. 

What is the unspoken question that both the sheep and goats must answer as they stand before Christ? It is not did you have faith. It is not were you firmly convinced about Christ's saving work. The question that forms the basis of the verdict in that great day is simple – WHO DO YOU LOVE? And our response is being formulated right now in our day to day actions.

The sheep in Jesus' recounting love others. Love for them was real and demonstrated. It was not just an attitude or a philosophical principle. In this life the sheep demonstrated the virtue of humility and obedience. In devoting themselves to others rather than focusing on fulfilling their own desires they exhibited the spirit of self-denial. All these works of mercy to others reflect and communicate the love of the Triune God (Three in One). It is because they entered into the life of love in their earthly existence that God is willing to entrust his Kingdom to them.

For the goats sadly it is a different story. In this life they were unconcerned with the needs of others. Instead they were concerned by their own passions and desires. Oblivious and selfish they passed their time in regard for the life to come. They come to the door of eternity totally unprepared to join in the life of the humble, obedient and self-denying God.

What you do for others out of love is done for Him, because the Son of God became human and identified himself with every human being. The judgment is based on love. The judgment is "all in all" presence of love, which will be a perfect joy and beatitude for sheep and an "everlasting punishment", "outer darkness",  "weeping and gnashing of teeth" – for goats. The same reality of love (God's presence) will be joy for some and unbearable for others forever. God will remain love at the Last Judgment as well. And at the Last Judgment eternal fate of each personality will be determined by this Love in complete accordance with spiritual features and freedom of self-determination of the personality proper. That is why the doors of hell may be locked only from inside by its inhabitants themselves. For hell, according to the idea of venerable Macarios of Egypt, "lies in the depth of the human heart".

And this is the question for today, not for tomorrow - Who do we love? May our answer to the question be now and ever – it is Christ alone whom I love "and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20).

 Prayer: Lord, have mercy upon us. Amen.

                                                            - Daniel Topalski (Russe, Bulgaria)

Saturday, July 11th
 Art of Gleaning

Bible verse:  "I'm going out to glean among the sheaves." Ruth 2:2

            This is one of the most significant decisions in the Old Testament.
Let me explain.
            As I read the book of Ruth this morning I was so impacted by Ruth's willingness to glean. Gleaning was good old-fashioned manual labor: gathering leftover crops after a field had already been harvested. In a sense, it was the ancient welfare system. But it wasn't a free hand-out. It was back-breaking work. And it took a spirit of humility. There was nothing glamorous about gleaning. But Ruth was willing to do it.
            Can I borrow that metaphor? Leaders are gleaners. They glean everything they can from everyone they can! It harkens back to something that has been attributed to everyone from Ben Franklin to Thomas Carlye to Ralph Waldo Emerson. I'm not sure who said it first, but it's such good advice: "Every man is my superior in some way, in that I learn of him."
            Back to Ruth. - You know the rest of the story. Boaz sees that Ruth has been working since sun up. Some people are attracted to people because of their personality or their physique. For Boaz, it was Ruth's work ethic. Long story short, they fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. Oh yeah, and her Great Grandson, a shepherd named David, becomes King of Israel.
            Here's how I see it: David owes His existence to a Great Grandmother that was willing to glean. Those who glean will one day rule kingdoms. Or their Great Grandchildren will.  Glean everything you can from everyone you can!

-submitted by Rose Markowicz (Dallas, Texas)

from Mark Batterson's evotional.com

Sunday, July 12th

Above All Else

"He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?" (Romans 8:32)

In this extremely rich, diverse, many-colored world we need reliable landmarks and points of support. Otherwise we lose our way, roaming without direction. We, Christians, find our point of support in Christ. Only he can sort the puzzle of our lives putting every single piece in its right place. I know that there is no other like him.

Now when I call myself Christian and humbly believe that I am a devoted one, I continue to receive evidences that there is no other true point of support. To be a Christian is not easy. Every day we must choose between Christ and all other things. We are convinced that finally Christ will gain the victory over all his enemies and that it will be a victory of love. This hope is encouraging us to endure to the end when we will share the final victory of our Lord. Till that time our failures and sufferings continue to be an integral part of our path. But it is worth it to walk on this path with Christ. It is worth more than all the money in the world, more than the world itself.

Prayer: Holy Father, remind us every day of the power of your love. Thank you that you love us so much that you gave your only begotten Son for us. Your love gives us strength to continue despite of all the sufferings, failures, disappointments, loneliness and pains. Open our spiritual eyes to see the gifts of your grace which we can overcome ourselves and this world with. In His victorious name we pray. Amen.    

                                                                         - Ivaylo Ivanov (Russe, Bulgaria)

Monday, July 13th

You Called Us To A Beautiful Place

Dear Lord,

            You called us to a beautiful place, full of history and strength and fields of smiling sunflowers.

            Help us to listen and hear with our hearts the desires and dreams of our friends. Help this to become a long lasting partnership of trust and truth, like the Old Mountain.
            May we be joyful and loving. Use our lives and partnership for Your glory.
            Thank you Lord for showing us Your love in yet another way and seeing Your work outside of our daily walk.
            Provide us with the answers to the questions that we have long carried on our hearts but have been afraid to say out loud. We have prayed for days of celebration; help us to embrace this time of joyful beginnings.
            Open our eyes to opportunity that You have provided. Use our talents and gifts for good.

In Your name we pray,
Amen

- written by Rose Markowicz on New Hope/Russe visit in June 2008

Tuesday, July 14^th

Reflections on Joy

Bible verse:  "…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."  Galatians 5:22

Joy is a topic I've researched over the past years and these are my favorites:

-          Joy is prayer - joy is strength – joy is love…

-          Joy is a way of leaning into life.  It is a consistent activity that brings light or delight to the journey.

-          To keep the fires of joy burning we need proper self-care.

-          Happiness is circumstantial, but joy builds in your life over time.

-          Spend time with the people that share your joy doing activities that bring you joy.

-          Joy is choosing to see the beauty and blessings no matter what comes our way.

-          Joy is a seed that needs development, and development means taking the attitude of a learner.

-          Enthusiasm – energy incarnate – is a telltale sign that joy inflames the soul.

- submitted by Patti Bacher (De Pere, Wisconsin)

quotes from Bishop Robert Morneau, Ed Young, Mother Teresa, and Patti Bacher