inspiration

21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER MEDITATION 4

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

I am feeling pretty good about this new rhythm God has established for me during this season of fasting and prayer. It seems like my time is being multiplied. It took a while to get this rhythm established but it seems to be going strong now. Here is our evening meditation.

1 John 2: 1, 2

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2 (Source: Equip the Called)Theme: Jesus Our Advocate
1. When you fail, turn to Jesus, your advocate, who intercedes for you with the Father.
2. Christ is the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) for your sins, making a way for you to be right with God.
3. Strive for obedience, but rest in the grace that covers your shortcomings through Christ’s work

WHAT IS YOUR NORMAL REACTION TO FAILURE?

HOW DOES HAVING SOMEONE WHO WILL ALWAYS ADVOCATE MAKE YOU FEEL?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO REST IN GRACE?

21 DAYS OF FASTING AND PRAYER MEDITATION 3

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

The day is moving on and it is time for us to do our afternoon devotion.

1 JOHN 1:8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:8-10 (Source: Precept Austin)Theme: Confession and Forgiveness
1. Denying your sin only deceives yourself; honesty is the path to spiritual health.
2. Confession is an act of humbling yourself, trusting in God’s promise to forgive and purify you from all unrighteousness.
3. God’s forgiveness is complete; once you confess, believe His promise and don’t take the sin back.

WHAT ARE SOME REASONS YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF DENYING YOUR SIN?

WHAT DOES COMPLETE FORGIVENESS FEEL LIKE TO YOU?

WHAT DOES THE WORD PURIFY MEAN TO YOU?

THE BIGGEST DAY.

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

The storm is over! Winter storm Fern left us with snow banks four to six feet in height after we got done shoveling. Some places are having trouble finding room for the snow. Honestly, if we have another Nor’Easter before we get a good melt that might be a problem the Vicarage faces.

Other than that though, life is pretty much back to normal. Tomorrow is my day off and today…well actually this twenty four hour period I am living in is my biggest day of the week work wise.

Monday nights are given to a three hour prayer meeting at TWR house of prayer. I love the hours of singing and worship and intercessory prayer I get to be a part of leading on Monday nights. We do a session praying for God encounters, a session praying for marriages and a session praying for healing.

Tuesday starts at 6 A.M. with Cornerstone’s Jesus 45 prayer meeting, and then it’s off to the Vicarage farm to feed and care for the animals. It’s -6 Fahrenheit today so that means extra hay for chickens with their food and water.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Then it’s back to the office for staff meeting. I love the book we are doing as staff devotion.

Then it’s preparing for youth ministry this evening. I am loving being able to work with the youth again. It has been a long time since I exercised the youth part of my ministry brain.

And finally tonight we will wrap up with our family prayer meeting.

It is big day. But it is so full of life and I just love being able to do what I am called to do!

WHAT DOES YOUR BIGGEST DAY LOOK LIKE?

WINTER STORM FERN AND THE BOOKS

/ joseph elon lillie / 3 Comments

Winter storm Fern is now fully entrenched over Northern Massachusetts. We are expecting between 20 and 24 inches over the next twenty four hours.

Photo by Lisa from Pexels on Pexels.com

I will post pictures of the Vicarage later. I have been out once to clean off the roofs of the chicken coops and to shovel the paths and driveways around the house. I find it easier to shovel an inch or two than seven inches or ten inches or twenty.

I do love storms like this because they stop the world and that gives me time to catch up on things like…reading.

I am currently involved in four groups that have reading requirements:

My staff is reading the SACRED ROMANCE:

We are moving very slowly through it, and I have read it a few times so keeping up with this is not that hard.

I am also involved in a minister’s cohort regarding EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY SPIRITUALITY.

The cohort has five books attached to it. The one I am working my way through now is IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

I also involved in two book clubs. THE CORNERSTONE BOOK CLUB DLT. For this group we are currently reading, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE.

the other book club is one attached to our town library called THE OG BOOK CLUB. This month we are reading….

So that is what I am doing on this snowy day in addition to writing and prepping videos and worship services for tomorrow night.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE STUCK INSIDE?