Community of Care

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 25:31-46

Focus Verse: "“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25: 37-40

Jesus was clear in his teaching to care for our neighbors who are struggling with sickness and physical needs.  We may find that the needs are great around us and feel like we can't do much.  Jesus didn't say that we should solve all of their problems, but that there is something, even something small, that we can do.  Anyone can give a drink to someone or visit someone who is sick to pray with them.  How difficult is it to give a shirt or dress to someone whose clothes are torn and tattered.  If you don't have something, maybe you can ask some friends to help you to get some clothes for someone in need.  

When you help someone, the Holy Spirit confirms in your heart that you are doing something good.  You know that is a good feeling.  When you join together as a community to help others, then it strengthens the community. 

My prayer is that God will show me where to help someone today.  May God be glorified in any effort of care that I show to someone today.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Does God Always Hear Us?

Bible Reading: Psalm 66

Focus Verse:  Isaiah 59:2  “But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear you.”

Our focus verse today is pretty straight forward.  If you have unconfessed sin in your life, God will not hear you when you pray.  There are several verses in the Bible that tell us this.  Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”  Regard means "to hold on to”.

If you say “well I don’t sin anymore”.  Believe me, you do still sin.  As a Christian I still sin.  And we probably sin more than we think we do.  1John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”   A good way to start out our prayer time is by telling God you’re sorry for your sins, thank Him for forgiving you and then repent or turn away from the sin.  And if you know specific sins, name them.  You may want to do this when it’s just you alone with God.  You can ask God to help you see that sin the way He sees it.  You can also ask God to help you learn how to resist the temptations.

Our sin breaks our fellowship with God, but when our sin is confessed, our fellowship with God is restored and strengthened.  However, there are some people who call themselves Christians and they love sin and continue to sin and have no plan to stop sinning.  Some even call their sin acceptable to God. That's when I wonder if that person is really saved.  A true Christian is sorry for what they’ve done wrong and feels that guilt with the help of the Holy Spirit.

One of the greatest promises in God’s Word is that when I do sin and then confess my sin, 1 John 1:9 tells us that "God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  And that, my friend, can give you a lot of peace in your life, knowing your sin is forgiven.  I am so thankful for a forgiving Heavenly Father!

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

New International Version: Psalm 66

¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Live What You Preach

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:13  “You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it salty again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”

The Bible says that as Christians we are to be salty and full of flavor so that we create a thirst for God in others.  Verse 16 says ... "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  Does the way you live create a thirst for Christ in others?  Does your life cause others to praise the Lord?  We desire those moments when we can share with others what Christ has done in our lives. We pray for wisdom in sharing with the lost. Don’t be judgmental but share with them about their lost condition in a loving way.  God is a God of love, but He is also a just God and sin will be punished. 

We know that a pastor who stands before the church every Sunday and delivers a sermon has his life under the magnifying glass.  People are watching to see if he is living what he preaches. Let me go a step further and say that if you call yourself a Christian, people are also watching you.  They want to see if you are living up to the Name of being a Christ follower.  People who call themselves a Christian and then live a life apart from Christ do a lot of damage to the cause of Christ. When there is fighting inside the church, the outside world is watching.

Remember your life is preaching a message even if you don’t open your mouth.  So lets be salty today, and create a thirst in someone to come closer to God.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Three Prayers - Two Answered Yes, One Answered No

Scripture Reading:  Mark 5:1-20

Focus Verse: Mark 5:19  “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

Our scripture reading today is the story of a demon possessed man.  Throughout my ministry in Kenya I have seen several demon possessed people.  I believe that much of the sin and problems that we have in the world today is influenced by demons and the devil, but God is more powerful that any of them.

Jesus crossed the sea and was met by this demon possessed man running out of the tombs.  The demons recognized Jesus and begin talking with Him and the first prayer takes place.   The demons know that Jesus has the power to cast them into torment when he told them to leave the man.  So they request that Jesus send them into a herd of pigs.  So Jesus heals the man and granted the demons request.  The pigs then went crazy and drowned themselves in the sea.  The village people came and saw the man clothed and in his right mind.  They also heard about the pigs.

The second prayer in our story was by the people in the village.  The drowned pigs did not make the people in the village very happy. They pleaded that Jesus leave them and their village.   Jesus answered their prayer and left.  Many societies in the world today have asked God to leave, and He has.  But one day they will be sorry they have made that request. 

The third prayer that we see was made by the man that was healed.  As Jesus got into the boat to leave, he requested to go with Jesus.  And Jesus said, no.  Jesus wanted him to stay in his village and be a missionary to his people.  This man had been possessed by demons, but became a living example of the compassion and power of Jesus.  Jesus wanted him to share his story so that others can know of the Lord's compassion.  If you are a child of God you also have a powerful testimony of how God has transformed your life. Share it with someone today.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries