Good morning Lord Jesus, your servant is listening, speak to me..
“The LORD says,
“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he is loyal to me.
When he calls out to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him honor.
I will satisfy him with long life,
and will let him see my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
Monday at Lowes a department supervisor had to be taken to the hospital because she was having heart issues. Another Lowes employee came up to me and shared how her mother-in-law of her deceased husband she was married to for 30 years passed away and all the unfortunate drama and issues she is going through with the family. At the Waffle House low bar this morning a regular customer sitting next to me shared how his wife is on dialysis, her bones are deteriorating, she is wheel chair bound, and for years he has become her care taker. A waitress asked me to pray for her boyfriend’s mother who is dying of cancer. Another waitress because of domestic violence shared she is now homeless, without a car as her boyfriend took it, and she does not know what to do. A friend of mine shared how the abuse, and lack of respect has caused his marriage to deteriorate to the point they are going to have to seek a divorce and knows the hostility they will encounter.
I came home from the Waffle House and now I sit here this morning and look over my prayer list, and I can feel overwhelmed. My heart mourns over these prayer requests. However, I then understand it is not my burden to bare to heel, restore, and renew lives, it is simply my privilege to stand in the gap, love my neighbors, and bring these prayer request to the foot of the cross to the one who can heal, restore and renew lives. I offer these prayer requests: “to the only wise God.” I offer them up to “Now to him who is able to strengthen me”, (Romans 16:24,27); I place them in front of our gracious Lord who tells me, “I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
I read Psalm 91 over these requests to my God who promises “When he calls out to me, I will answer him.”
My family, you also may be in a season where your prayer list seems to overwhelm you. Take comfort knowing that they do not overwhelm God. And since God resides in you through His Holy Spirit, your prayers can rise above life’s worldly struggles. Remember, “He who is in YOU is greater than he who is in the world.” (I john 4:6), in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
I would love for you to please share your reflections with myself or others using the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Us Help Them!
My wife Nancy and I are in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. Please partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You Thank You!
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
"Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction." v 31
The the last chapter of Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible is chapter 28 and it ends with this verse above.: Despite all the attempts to stop the growing of the church and spreading of the Gospel, the message goes forth. The stories of The Church in the world did not end with chapter 28. They continue on today in Acts 29. Acts 29 is the not yet completed chapter being written on the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life, the movement of God in the world, and the workings of Jesus through His church today. And that includes this morning! Acts 29, the living story of your faith and the faith of the church must continue on where Acts 28 left off.
At our last house church gathering together we reflected and prayed through Acts 28. We discussed why we are here as a church and our calling. I have been praying over this. I prayed that if we honestly seek and remain in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we will go forth as well boldly proclaiming the Gospel of grace and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matt. 16:18.) I prayed we would all finally see our homes as Paul did. That our homes our a gift from God will be used for the glory of God and not built with doors to keep our neighbors out but to welcome them in.
The purpose of going through the Book of Acts together was to encourage, renew, and awaken our faith in 2024 and awake us out of our slumber. “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!” (Eph. 5:14)
Set aside time this week to Reflect on this.
The need to apply and focus on these characteristics that the early church in Acts embraced to birth the church is needed today to birth new life into your faith and the life of your church and The Church today.
1. Christ Centered. We need to expect this in each other in all we do, Jesus is Lord
2. Fruitfulness in ministries: Is there fire?, Is there faithfulness?, Is there fruit?. Is it one that is convincing anyone of the love and gospel of Jesus. If it is not bearing fruit, stop doing it.
3. Offer your best: do it with excellence. Whether you are first encountering someone on the street or a first time visitor in your church, this is the only one that matters.
4. Accountability: We need to be talking each other into following Jesus. As in the early church, Walking into a town they do not know, to people they never met, with a message they do not know, requires intimate connections, Mentors and coaches.
5. Collaboration: Working with others, connection, and praying for others in other communities.
Reflect on these questions:
Why are you here?
Why is your church here?
What is your vision that gives you you a picture of your purpose?
Where does your passion intersect with the world’s great need?
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What are some of your most strongly held beliefs?
What are your gifts you feel you have for leadership and service?
What are your weaknesses?
What connections, training, classes, activities are you in need of to achieve your purpose and vision?
What connections, training, classes, activities is your church in need of to achieve its purpose and vision?
I have led us through 28 days of reflection on Acts. I would love to hear from you on what this time has meant to you and what reflections and insights you have gained. Please share these with myself and others by posting in the comments box below.
“My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this - that one lays down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13
Memorial Day was Originally Decoration Day, started to commemorate the deceased of the Civil War. Most southern states refused to recognize the day officially until after WWI. It was Declared Memorial Day by President Johnson in 1966. With the Red Stone Arsenal and the strong military presence here and the many military families that live in the in this area, Memorial Day impacts allot of these families in our area.
I love our country, I am so blessed to live here.
It is a country born out of a desire for freedom.
Born out of a desire for justice in the face of oppression, and tyranny, both religious and political.
Born out of a desire to be a people free to worship God
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The USA was born out of sacrifice of life.
Those who left country and home and travelled into the unknown.
It was formed out of blood and loss of life in the American Revolution.
And for us today who are blessed to wake up this morning in America, we have had thousands of men and women pay the ultimate price and give their lives to grant you and I the freedom and privileges we now live in as citizens of the USA.
This memorial day, as we remember those who committed their lives in service, some paying the ultimate price for our freedom, justice, peace, Let’s remember who we are as a US citizens, and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of theirs lives, by giving of ourself to bring peace, justice, compassion, hope, joy to those around as today.
My family, as we gather today to enjoy the company of family and friends, also remember to sat a prayer over those families who’s gatherings today will include going to the grave of a loved one, and be a solem remembrance of honoring a family member who payed the ultimate price for you and me, In Jesus’ name. God bless you my friends! God bless America!
“My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this - that one lays down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13
This Memorial Day weekend, please share your reflections from you time in the Word, and any revelations or calling The Holy Spirit has given you. I would love to hear from you.
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You!
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning Jesus, I need you to place in me a need to reach out to others….
Two passages Spoke to me in my prayer time this morning reading and reflecting over Acts chapter 28.
First was Paul quoting from Isaiah 6:9-10;
"Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive.
For the heart of this people has become dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them". v 26-27
I prayed repentance over my life and our church where ours hearts have become "dull" and complacent. Any ways my ears have been hardened and I fail to take time to hear you in prayer. Where I have become lax in seeking your voice in areas over my life. How I have isolated myself from hearing the voice of my spouse, those in my church, and others who care about my character and faith. Days I neglect to open my Bible and hear your words of truth. I prayed for areas I have closed my eyes of put blinders on to areas of sin, complacency, apathy, and laziness in my life. How I have closed my eyes to the suffering of people and those victims of injustice. Closed my eyes to those around me without Christ in their lives. I prayed for a rekindling of zeal, passion and love in my heart. I prayed for a heart that yearns and seeks after God and understands that you are worthy of everything. I prayed for a heart that falls deeper and more madly in love with God.
The other passage was;
"Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction." v 31
Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop the growing of the church and spreading of the Gospel, the message goes forth. Despite all attempts of social media, fear, wars, civil and political unrest, “wokeness,”and acts of the enemy to stop the church, the spreading of the Gospel through us must go forth! I prayed that if we honestly seek and remain in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we will go forth as well boldly proclaiming the Gospel of grace and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matt. 16:18.) I prayed we would all finally see our homes as Paul did. That our homes are a gift from God to be used for the glory of God and not built with doors to keep our neighbors out but to welcome them in. I prayed we would all see our homes as outpost of the kingdom of God in our neighborhoods where God has placed us for a season. Places to welcome people into and proclaim the gospel, read the Bible, and train disciples. That we would see our diner tables as “church”, a simple yet Holy and the preferred place to share our Christian faith as both Jesus and Paul did.
May it be so!!
My family, as we close our time together in Acts today I pray the stories we have read of the birth and growth of the church through the everyday lives of people will encourage you to use your everyday life to reach others with the love and grace of Jesus as well. I pray you will sit down and intentionally plan and put in your calendar how and when you will begin sharing the gospel in the neighborhood God has placed you, in Jesus’ name. Please share you thoughts and reflection not only on Chapter 28, but also on our past 28 days together going through Acts and what it has meant to you and/or what are you major take aways. We read though the Book of Acts, as with any book of the Bible, not simply as something we think we should religiously do, but as something we earnestly desire to become, true followers of Jesus and to apply to our lives and lives of others.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You
TO GIVE CLICK HERE
Good morning Lord Jesus, here and now let my deep encounter your deep.
“When it was decided we would sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.” (Acts 27:1)
The story of Paul’s journey to Rome is told in great detail in this chapter. This literary effect of slowing down the passage of time by narrating with many details serves to add a sense of drama to the events described. The story illustrates the difficulty, dangers and hazards of travel by ship and the journey Paul had to take to follow God’s will for his life. From the perspective of someone reading this story in Palestine in the time this chapter was written, this may well picture a journey to "the end of the earth" quite literally.
This reflects back to Jesus’ words, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”( Acts 1:8) However, this voyage even with all its difficulty serves to show how God protected Paul on his long journey to Rome.
Throughout the story it states how Paul advised them. Though Paul is under arrest and is simply a prisoner, he will be the one to guide them all through the dangers of the storm and shipwreck, showing clearly God's presence and protection of him.
Following God’s call on his life was not an easy journey for Paul. Many times throughout the Book of Acts of the Apostles we are reading, we have read how he endured dangers, trials, arrests, beatings, imprisonment, being stoned, attacked by mobs, insults, abuse, persecution, misunderstandings, hardships, and other difficulties. It would be easy to understand if during any one of these times Paul said to himself, “this is just to hard!” and quit. Following God’s call on our lives today is also not an easy journey. Though we try to surround ourselves with as much comforts as possible, when we step out of these and truly follow God’s leading for our lives today we will also experience challenges, difficulties, misunderstandings, persecution, and insults. John Wesley, our founder of the Methodist movement said that if after preaching the Gospel in a town he was not driven out of it and had produce and other objects thrown at him, he feared he did not share the Gospel clearly and completely enough to them.
My family, I pray this morning you will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a clear understanding of your calling and the journey your faith in Jesus Christ demands of you. Why are you here? Where is Jesus calling to to go? I pray you will not be seek a journey based on complacency, comfort or safety, but a journey based on obedience to your radical calling as a disciple of Jesus, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections of Acts 27 with us in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC/
Give A Gift!
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Acts 26
“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” vs. 27-29
Agrippa's question was an attempt to sidestep Paul's question to him. The king neatly avoided denying his belief in the prophets and accepting Paul's presentation of them, that Jesus is the Christ. Paul replied that whether it took a short time or long, he did indeed hope to make everyone as he was, a disciple of Christ. Those in attendance could not have failed to have been impressed with the bravery and wit of Paul in engaging a king in such lively conversation!
Aggripa's question and his attempt to avoid denying his belief in the prophets and accepting Christ I believe powerfully illustrates the the totality, depth, and all encompassing truth that comprises faith in Christ. We modern "Genitles" I believe fail to realize and embrace this. The Scriptures that Paul claimed were fulfilled and used to argue that Jesus is Lord and Christ were all Old Testament (OT) Scriptures. There was not yet John 3:16, or a "Roman Road" to use to lead someone to Christ.
The use of the OT to argue that Jesus is the Christ was a powerful argument for Paul because those who he was speaking to had the Torah, if not the whole OT memorized and knew it well. Those we witness to today do not know the OT well, and I believe most people in our pews really do not know and understand the over-all mega narrative and prophesy of the OT as it relates to Christ. This may actually have made it more difficult for Jews to believe in Jesus as the Christ. For if a Jew came to believe in Christ, it would effect everything they knew as a Jew. It affected their laws, culture, religion and understanding of God. The “great I am” would would now have a face and a name. And they would have to surrender and place everything they know and understand of Scriptures in the truth that Jesus is Lord.
And we, those in church today, believers, and those souljourners seeking Christ do not grasp this. The lyrics to the song, "What if God was one of us" states, "If God had a face, what would it look like? And would you want to see it, if seeing meant believing in things like heaven and in hell, and the apostles, and in Jesus and the saints, and all the prophets." If God has a face, and you come to believe and see the truth that His face is the face of Jesus, then you must accept all the other truths in all of Scripture: the prophets, saints, apostles, the new earth to come, hell, the patriarchs and the cross.
The Jews who came to belief in Jesus as the Christ were in awe and wonder of him because they understood the depth of who he is: He is the Son of man spoken of in Daniel; He is the suffering servant and the root of David spoken of in Isaiah; he is the desperate soul who cries out in Psalm 22; and the list goes on. Unfortunately, most Christians today are Biblically illiterate of these understandings. Most could not remember when they, or have ever read through the Old Testament to seek and understand the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus they contain. Christians today are grafted into a tree by faith and most have little or no understanding of the tree they are grafted into and its deep roots. In this age of materialistic, entitlement, and prosperity gospel, Christians really do not understand the tree they are grafting themselves into is a tree that is in the shape of a cross.
Prayers:
Reflect on, Who is Jesus to you? Everything written in the OT was fulfilled in Jesus. How deep do your roots and understanding, and awe if him go?
Pray that the Holy Spirit will instill in you a desire to go deeper in you understanding of Jesus.
Pray that the Holy Spirit instills in your church to go deeper in understanding Jesus and how you can help encourage them.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will instill in us a community of faith who claims Jesus as our Lord a desire to go deeper in our understanding of Jesus and the totality of his Lordship.
Please share your reflections of Acts 26 with us in the comment box below.
Acts 25
Good morning Lord Jesus, I do not want to just go through the motions today, prepare my heart, open my eyes so I can experience your glory throughout my day…
“When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” ( Acts 25:.18)
The Jewish Sanhedrin charged Paul with various charges. He violated the purity of the temple, he went against the law of Moses, and he was inciting the people to riot against Roman authorities. However, as Festus soon realized, their main hatred of Paul and charges against him centered on, “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” The real point at issue was the resurrection of Jesus. It always boils down to that.
We saw this earlier in Acts, “While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” v. 4:2. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
The resurrection of Jesus is at the core of all attacks on our faith, because if the resurrection of Jesus, is proved a lie, then Christianity crumbles. As Paul states,
“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty. Also, we are found to be false witnesses about God…For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.” 1 Cor 15:12, 19
Paul says, “My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Phil. 3:10 This needs to be our aim as wel. This needs to be every church’s mission statement if we want to have any hope at all of our individual lives and the life of our church to bear any meaningful fruit. However, as Paul says, to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in ourselves, we must first completely die to ourselves. To enterter into the resurrection of Jesus, we first must enter into the death of Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come an die.”
The context of his quote is this. “The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over ourlives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call. (The Cost of Discipleship)
Take time to read 1Corinthians chapter 15 today. It is a chapter devoted complete to the resurrection of Jesus.
My family, I pray you reflect today, “about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” (v.18). Do you truly believe this? Then claim this belief again over your life and the life of our church. Claim you are willing to answer Christ’s call to come and die so you can experience the power of his resurrection. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same over me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections with us on the resurrection of Christ.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Give A Gift!
I could use you’re the gift of your financial support for my family and those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please partner and support my family and ministries through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, 102 Champions Green Drive, Madison, Al 35758.
Thank You!
Jesus, I want my heart to beat in complete rhythm with yours..
"I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. This is the reason I do my best to always have a clear conscience toward God and toward people....While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” (Acts 24:15-16 ,25)
I am not a "hell and damnation" preacher. I don’t pretend to know anything concrete about the referent to that word “hell” so carelessly tossed around by some Christians. But I do know that it has a referent. And there is enough description surrounding it to indicate that whatever hell is, it is a big problem. I also know that I am not God, so how I may handle this problem is irrelevant. God handled it by sending his Son to be killed by and for the world. He only requires the gratitude due, which, if genuine, will produce a commitment to the truth and a commitment to the way. Only to the grateful will the resurrection of life be granted.
I cringe inside when some uses manipulation like, "If you get hit by a bus tonight, do you know where you will go?" Jesus, Paul, never used shame to coerce people into belief. Yet Paul reminds us that when we die, none of us will just be “dead as dirt.” We all, both righteous and unrighteous, will be resurrected to a coming judgement. Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29). Paul knows that everything he does will be revealed to God. He understands that he is an eternal being. He also understands that all people he has contact with throughout his life: his neighbors, co-workers, and friends, are eternal beings. So that all his actions and interactions with people have eternal consequences.
This understanding dictated every decision Paul made in his life.
While Paul was discussing this as the bases of his daily quest for righteousness, self-control, and a clear conscience before God, The Governor Felix became convicted, frightened, and sent Paul away.
How often do thoughts of resurrection enter into and mold the the basis of my interaction with people? How often do I remind myself that all people I also contact everyday are eternal beings and that all my actions and interactions with people have eternal consequences? Unfortunately, not often enough . If Paul was having that same discussion he had with Felix on resurrection, righteousness, self-control, and having a clear conscience before God with me, I would probably become uneasy and send him away as well as Felix did. Paul’s reminding me that everything I do, and do not do is know to God, and that some day I will stand before Jesus and everyone I have ever met, and all those I have never met, and how I had shared or failed to share the resurrection of Jesus with those around me in my daily life will be openly revealed to all. This truth would bring me anxiety and I would tell Paul like Felix we will talk about this again when the time is better. When the Holy Spirit starts the same revelation in my heart, I usually do not follow him, or I use rationalization, or comparison of myself to others to justify myself, my not sharing of the Resurrection of Jesus with others, and then go in another direction. Yet I am a person of the Creed. We are a church of the Creed. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. I need to let this sink in and affect the way I live today, not just as a way to hopefully get me out of hell after I die.
Our existence, our church’s existence, all Christianity rests completely on the hope of the resurrection. We need to be living in that hope today and sharing with others that hope today as resurrected people, and the future hope with those who are in Christ Jesus.
Take time in silence to ponder the resurrection of Christ.
Take time to ponder your resurrection in Christ.
As your knees get weak as you try to take in the enormity of it all, be thankful.
Be thankful to the Father who's unbelievable love conceived it.
Be thankful to the Son who's unbelievable love achieved it.
Be thankful to the Holy Spirit who's unbelievable love empowered it.
Pray that you will begin sharing this resurrection through jesus you are so grateful to have received with others.
Pray that you and that your church full of thanksgiving, can be a visible and living testimony to the resurrection hope in Christ to the world.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will remind you and give you an eternal perspective with every person you encounter in your day. In Jesus’ name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and comments on chapter 24 with others and myself in the comments box in this post below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You!
Acts 23
"Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul." v.16
In Acts 23 we read about the son of Paul's sister, or Paul's nephew. His nephew, not named, heard about the plot against his uncle, and ran to his uncle and told him. When we read Acts and the stories about Paul, we may tend to forget that like all of us, he had a family. Brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins, grandparents, and a mom and dad. They were around him, he visited them, and they were part of his day to day life while he was in Jerusalem. They also were not Christians, they were also devout Jews. They knew Paul, (their son/brother/uncle) that he was also a devout Jew, passionate for his God, passionately hunting down arresting, throwing in prison, and causing the death of the Christians that were speaking blasphemy about God. He was in the center and leader of this “purification” movement. No, doubt, he had spoken of this to his family and he had encouraged their support in condemning and persecuting The Way.
Imagine their shock and surprise when they heard that Paul, their defender of the Jewish faith and persecutor of Christians, the family member whom they looked up to, was now a Christian himself! And not only that, but he was now a leader of and in the center of the Christian movement he was trying to destroy!! Paul was the talk of the town that everyone was gossiping about. And now those in power, who once were his strong allies, are now plotting to kill him! As devout Jews, did his family members also want to stone him? Did some want to join him? His nephew it appears was a family member who Paul's conversion did not lead to rejection, but an acceptance of him, and perhaps an acceptance of Christ.
I believe for ODC, or any church to press deeper into our calling, grow stronger together and grow our ministries together as a church family in Christ, we must strengthen and grow our personal families in Christ. We are all part of and lead ministries, volunteer and serve, are part houses churches, Bands, and other small groups. However, the most important small group we are part of and are called to lead is our family. As we go back to work from spending memorial Day Weekend with family, let’s focus our prayers and reflections today on our family.
My family, my prayer is that you will:
Reflect for a moment how your faith has affected you family: spouse, sons and daughters, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins.
Have you shared your faith with your family? Are you sharing your faith with them now? How do you share your faith with your family? Do you pray with therewith them? Read the Bible with them? Serve in your community with them? Pray that you may witness to those in your family more bolder. Pray for the faith of your family. Spend your time at lunch praying over your family. Plan to spend a day fasting in prayer over your family.
Are there family members who want to stone you because of your faith? Pray that peace and reconciliation between you may occur, and the presence and Spirit of Christ may one day be something that bonds you, instead of divides you.
Pray a prayer of thanks over family members, who like Paul's nephew, went out of their way on your behalf, and ministered to you and allowed you to be where you are in Christ today.
Pray for the forming of a sturdy covering of prayer over your family, your home and relationship with them. Pray your home can be encouraging to each of you individually, and your home can be an outpost of the kingdom of God.
Pray that your church will become an even stronger family bound together by prayer that stands up for and supports each other, serves Christ together, and proclaims the gospel together.
Action: Share this message and pray with your family today. Call at least one family member today, share your faith and let them know you are praying over them. In Jesus’ name.
Please pray the same for me, God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and comments with your family in Christ below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
CICK HERE TO GIVE
Jesus, lover of my soul, Jesus I will never let you go…
“And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison andbeat those who believed in You. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.' And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"(Acts 22:19-21)
In Chapter 22 Paul gives his testimony. Paul tells how he came face to face with Jesus and heard his condemnation, ““I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (v 9:5) He also heard Jesus' calling upon his life, to get up and go where I tell you. He then he went to Annais, and he was baptized and confirmed the calling on his life. (9:18) Later he went to church (the Temple) and he was praying to Jesus, and Jesus again called to him. And what was Paul’s response to Jesus’ call? He looked back into his past, and focused on his past, the things he had done in his past, and tried to back out of his calling. Jesus however, looked forward to his future and the things he would do. Paul saw his past. Jesus saw his future. Paul lived into his past failed, and misguided plans. Jesus lives into his future great plans for him. Paul remembered and retained. Jesus forgot and forgave. Paul saw himself through eyes of condemnation. Jesus saw Paul through the eyes of grace.
When Paul accepted Jesus' grace and forgiveness. When he surrendered his past to Christ, Jesus anointed his past, covered it with his blood, broke any chains it held on Paul, and sanctified his past as an instrument to be used to His glory and the spreading of the Gospel of grace and forgiveness. Paul accepted Jesus as his Lord and surrendered everything to Christ including his past, and the result was these amazing stories and testimonies of his we are now reading about now in Acts.
Insert your name into these three versus and read them slowly out loud to yourself for a few minutes. And embrace the truth Jesus is speaking over you.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
17Therefore if _________ is in Christ, he/she is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Revelation 21:5
5And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making _________ new "
Romans 8:1-2
Therefore there is now no condemnation for ________ who is in Christ Jesus.
You accepted Jesus as you Lord, and you need to surrendered everything to Christ including your past. The result of your surrender will be an amazing testimony of how Christ used you to spread his gospel of free grace and forgiveness. We are in a time of praying together and reading through The Book Of The Acts Of The Apostlest as a church to be guided by the Holy Spirit into new areas of ministry for us. This is only possible if we step out of the old areas.
Next, insert the names of at least one friend, co worker, family member, or someone you know who needs to hear these words into the verses above and pray these versus out loud over them. If so led call/text and share these versus with them.
We are nearing the end of Acts Please remember to.
Spend time daily reading and reflecting on our chapter each day.
Fast one day a week in prayer over The church.
Spend at least one solid hour a week in prayer, you can use the prayer wheel.
My family, I pray today you completely surrender your life to your Lord Jesus Christ, including your past. I pray you will see yourself through Jesus’ eyes of love and grace and allow Him to lead you into new and wonderful areas of ministry He hal planned for you. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
As we get closer to Memorial Day weekend, please share your reflections from you time in the Word, and any revelations or calling The Holy Spirit has given you. I would love to hear from you.
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You!
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Conform me this morning Jesus to your image….
“They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs…”(Acts 21:.20-21)
In Acts 21 Paul returns to Jerusalem and spends time with James, John, and the council telling them all the great things God has been doing in his ministry. They spend a few moments to praise God for these things, but then they push on through it to the more important issue to them: which was not the divine workings of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, but man made workings of their traditions, sentimental items, and customs.
The Christian church had been established in Jerusalem for many years now and existed in relative peace with the Jews there. Paul however, who is also a Christian comes to the church in Jerusalem and all the Jews want to beat him and stone him. And the Christians in the Christian church itself in Jerusalem brought charges up against Paul. Why? Why do they want to stone Peter and yet leave James, John and the council, church and Christians in Jerusalem alone? All of them were followers of Christ like Paul.
Because the church in Jerusalem still followed the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians remained close to and kept their Jewish practices, customs, traditions, sentimental items, and “way things have always been done” after becoming believers. They may know be Christians and believe differently inwardly, but they “blended in” with non-Christians enough to be ”ok” in their eyes.
Paul however, proclaimed a gospel of the free grace of God and forgiveness to all. He may have been ok if he stuck to proclaiming that Gentiles did not need to follow Jewish customs and traditions first in order to become Christians. But he started “meddling” and went farther than that. The big issue and charge was that Paul was also teaching the Jews in the Diaspora (Jews dispersed in other regions and countries) that became Christians that they also may abandon the law of Moses and being bound to its required practices, restrictions, customs, holidays, and traditions. It was not Paul’s “meddling” with God that got him in trouble, it was his meddling in church practices, traditions, “look”, style, and sentimental attachments that riled the Jews up enough to want him dead.
We in the church today get riled up in the same way over things other than the Jesus. When I pastored a local church, one Sunday I moved the altar from behind the altar rail you kneel at to in front of the rail to aid in a sermon I was preaching that morning on the Lord’s Supper. I was practically charged with committing heresy for doing it! One Sunday I read the Scriptures from my cell phone and two people left the church because I did not read it from a leather and paper book. Our house church meets on Wednesday evenings. When I tell people this I do not know how many people reply back to me in shock, “You do not meet on Sunday mornings?!?” When we renovated a sanctuary at the church a church this was also an issue that caused conflict center around replacing the “original pews,” modifying the altar railings, and wall colors.
An all- white church I pastored wanted to reach out and invite the blacks in their community to attend and join their church family. However, they were not willing to change any of their worship styles, Sunday service, or include them in their leadership team to accomplish this. They invited the black people, however they had worship to Casting Crowns, and conform and worship like white people. There was no flexibility to change.
The church in Jerusalem praised God and wanted Paul to continue efforts to make disciples that imitate Christ, however that praise stopped when he did not follow their traditions and “way of doing things.” The disciples he was making were trying to imitate Jesus, but since Paul did not also teach them try to imitate the Jews as well so they wanted to stone him and take him out. In most churches today this attitude, if not openly declared, is firmly instilled in the polity and DNA of the church. We want you to make new disciples that conform to the image of Christ, so long as they conform to our polity, practices, customs, church structure, and traditions as well. Or else the church will overtly or covertly make it known to you that you have crossed the line.
To Paul, all these other things he denounced as a departure from the purity of the Gospel: of keeping the priority of Christ Crucified, Christ Risen and the forgiveness of sins. Of Simply Jesus. His purpose and outlook was not looking back and keeping things the same and to imitate the church in the past, but looking forward to what changes needed to be made to grow the church in the future. We are not called to imitate a church or denomination, we are called to imitate Christ.
Prayers:
Pray over your personal relationship with Jesus. Are there any religious practices you are clinging to, or more importantly requiring others to cling to was well? Are you steadfast in your obedience to Scripture and Christ, yet flexible enough to allow, accept and even join in with others who’s practices and customs differ from yours. Are you open to change from “the way things have always been done?” Paul was flexible enough to worship with Jewish Christians and gentile Christians, and to change styles and formats to grow God’s church, are you?
Pray over any past or current areas in you faith where you have shown prejudice resisted fellowship with, or been hostile towards other Christians, leaders or churches not over going against Scriptures and Jesus’ Gospel of Grace, But because of a difference of personal practices, customs, or traditions. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections on Chapter 21 with myself and others in the comments box. My purpose for writing the daily reflections is to encourage your own reflections and prayers. I would love to hear what God is revealing to you.
Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You!
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Good morning Lord Jesus, in this quiet time this morning I seek to know you deeply and intimately and feel your embrace of love..
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24
Paul was ready to surrender his freedom and, if needed, his life itself for the sake of Christ and his service. Self-preservation and comfort were not a motive which he sought after. His main concern was to fulfill the course which Christ had marked for him to run, sharing in the Spirit’s power the good news of God’s free grace in Christ. Life or death was not the issue that mattered: what mattered most was, as he told the church gathered, that Christ should be magnified in his body.
As the leaders of the church gathered around Paul, he laid on them a weighty responsibility. The Holy Spirit had entrusted them with the charge of the people of God and the church in Ephesus. They now were charged with the sharing of the gospel to the city and caring for the them as shepherds care for their flock. Their responsibility was great in that the flock which they were commissioned to tend was no other than the church of God which he himself had purchased for himself with nothing less than the life-blood of his beloved Son.
Paul then looks forward to their future and the prospects for the Ephesian church was not completely promising. He tells them the sheep will have to be guarded with unceasing vigilance, for ferocious wolves will try to force their way among them and ravage them. As in the Jesus’ parable of the good shepherd in John chapter 10, here it is the leaders of the church who are called to be the good shepherds of their flock. They are called to protect the church from false teachers, here described as wolves, because of the spiritual death and havoc they cause. Yet it is not only wolves that will try to intrude the church from the outside, but that false teachings will come out of their own ranks and arise to try to seduce their followers away from the fold. Later in John’s writings in Revelations the Ephesian church is chastised for abandoning her first love. Foreseeing these happenings, Paul urges the church leaders to be vigilant and follow his example: To maintain their course God has set them to run; to share the good new of God’s free grace; to shepherd and show compassion and concern on new converts; to be ready to surrender freedom and life; as all that mattered was that Christ should be glorified in their body.
My family, I pray as you read this chapter and my reflection, you understand that you are now one of the leaders of the church today. You are now called to be the good shepherd over the flock in your city, the church that God purchased with the blood of his Son. You are now called to keep the wolves out. And together as leaders, we are called to maintain our course God has set us to run; to share the good new of God’s free grace; to shepherd and show compassion and concern on new converts; to be ready to surrender freedom and life; as all that matters is that Christ should be glorified in our bodies, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections on chapter 18 with us in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community/
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
CICK HERE TO GIVE
Acts 19
Good morning Lord Jesus, Father and Spirit, Silver and gold I do not seek this morning, but the gift of your presence in my life.
The song, "There is power in the name of Jesus, to break every chain..." came to my mind as I read this chapter. There is power in Jesus. In the battlefield of spiritual warfare, claiming the name of Jesus, claiming the power of Jesus, claiming to be in Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit in you is the ultimate weapon. But the Holy Spirit is a consuming fire. He is not a lap dog that you can beckon to come and go, and there is nothing domesticated about Him. So you do not "play" with Him or flippantly throw out the name of Jesus. Like handling a powerful, explosive weapon, there is a sense of awe, respect, and fear involved.
Acts 19:13-16 (NASB)" 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."
When I went to Darfur, Sudan, the region was then and still is now an extremely dangerous and violent region. Some team members requested permission to carry a hand gun. We were told you can bring a hand gun, but once you carry one, in the view of the rebel military forces in the area you are no longer a civilian on a mission trip, you are a soldier on a mission, and they do not play around. You do not carry it for show. If you are going to carry a gun, you better make sure in your inner being that you are willing to use it, without hesitation on another human being because the Islamic military personnel you will face will not even blink an eye at using their weapons on you.
What you need to understand, is that when you accept Christ's call to follow Him, claim to be His disciple, participate in a church and choose to carry a cross, the way you are viewed in the worlds eye is changed. You are no longer a civilian in the world’s economic and political system under Satan, the Ruler of the World, empathetic and selfishly withdrawn and docile. You are viewed as a soldier under the command of Jesus your Lord. You enter into the battle field of spiritual warfare. And just as real and plain as my Darfur illustration, is the seriousness and the life and death consequences of your decision. Christianity is not something you “play with” or “dabble in. You do not claim to be a Christian, carry a cross and follow Jesus for “show." You don’t stand on Sunday mornings and raise your voices and hands and sing “Mighty To Save” with out expecting to encounter the enemy you were saved from later on Sunday afternoon. We are trying to take back territory and communities from the enemy. We are trying to liberate families and individuals from Satan’s rule. We are part of the revolution of Christ. If you are going to carry a cross you need embrace the serious military and warfare implications of Ephesians 6:10-18. Take seriously its call to put on the full armor of God and arm yourself with the sword of the spirit. For there is an enemy who has come to kill, steal and destroy (Jn 21:25) who also will not blink an eye in using all it’s weapons at his disposal on you. He wants nothing more to see good hearted people get hurt and hurt each other. Press into Jesus who's battle it is and who's victory it is. So when the evil spirits look at you, with terrified eyes they will see Jesus, and tremble with fear.
My family, if you were one of the 7 brothers in the story in vs 13-16 and spoke out the name of Jesus, and the evil spirit looked at you, would he recognize you as a true disciple of Christ?
I Pray you meditate on your full understanding of your baptism and answering your call to follow Christ. Pray on an understanding of the new view as a cross bearer for Christ you now have in the world's eyes.
Acts 19 begins with Paul ministering in Ephesus. So I turned to Paul’s letter to the church in this city. Read Ephesians 6:10-18, pray yourself into the full armor of God. Then close your eyes and visualize the victorious Christ reigning in your family, your neighborhood, and Huntsville and Madison.
Read Ephesians 6:19-20. Pray those two verses over yourself, and each member of your church Pray them also over 5 people you know who are Gospel bearers, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!!
Please share your reflections on your time in Acts 19 in the comments box below.
I have included Ephesians 6:10-20 below. I added to it other verses in Scripture that support its message. Read through it and meditate on it as you have time today and over the weekend.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (in italics) with corresponding Scriptures inserted.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:20-21
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” 2Tim 2:1
“I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:14
Put on
“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.” Job 29:14
“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:12
the whole armor of God,
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Cor.10:4
that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
“so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Eph 4:14
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” Col. 1:13
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
“When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:53
"in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” Eph 2:2
Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” 1 Pe 4:1
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
“making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Eph. 5:16-19
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Pet. 1:13
“Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” Isa. 11:5
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,” Isa 61:10
“He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” Isa 59:17
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation,” Isa 52:7
“And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Rom 10:15
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith,
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1Joh 5:4
with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.“ Heb 4:12
“He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.” Isa 49:2
praying at all times
"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" Lk. 18:1
in the Spirit,
"But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit" Jude 1:20. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26
with all prayer and supplication.
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak" Col 4:2-4
To that end keep alert with all perseverance,
"But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake." Mark 13:32-34
making supplication for all the saints,
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people," 1 Tim 2:1
and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth
"At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—" Col. 4:3. "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you," 2Th. 3:1
boldly to proclaim
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness," Acts 4:29
the mystery of the gospel,
"how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly." Eph. 3:3
for which I am an ambassador
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" 2Cor. 5:20
in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."
"For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” Acts 28:20
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
Help Me Share The Gospel!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You!
Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin my day long in my time in your Word and prayer to hear your story and to make it mine as well.
I love Acts 18 as Acts 18 is a chapter on discipleship. In this chapter we meet Aquila and Priscilla. A couple that took Paul in and were discipled by him for 1 1/2 -2 years in Corinth. And where did he disciple them? At work. “because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade” v.3. Paul discipled them in his workplace. He shared his faith with them as they worked together. The result was that that when Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, it was not Barnabas, Timothy or Silas that accompanied him on his trip, but Aquila and Priscilla.
While Paul was in Ephesus, God led him to witness in his neighborhood. “And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.” v, 7-8. Paul prayer walked his neighborhood and next made disciples of his neighbors. And Paul took Aquila and Priscilla with Him. They watched him, learnied from him, shared their faith as well and were themselves being deeper discipled by him as he discipled others. The results of this was that after Paul spent time in Ephesus, he left but Aqulai and Pricilla stayed behind, as long term missionaries and they helped plant and birth the church in Ephesus and making disciples.
We then see later in 18, how Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos into their house, and discipled him for a time, then sent him out to Achia to grow the church. “But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” v. 26. Discipleship, changes individual(s) to go out and change the world and to go out and make disciples who make disciples.
The Lord spoke to Paul, ”Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." vs. 9-10. The Lord said there were many in his city that were “his people”, people who the soil of their hearts was good and ready to receive the seed of the gospel if Paul would just go and sow it in them. The Lord is speaking the same to you and I. Put your name and city in that verse, “Do not be afraid Gary, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in Madison and Huntsville who are my people."
So who are you discipling now? In your workplace? In your neighborhood? Who are your Aquilas and Pricillas that you are pouring into and giving them real access to your lives so they can watch you, learn from you, and become disciples? Real access does not just happen. Real access does not happen and can not happen in a church service, text message, or Facebook post. Real access to your faith requires a personal intentional investment of real time
My family, we are called to plant and grow our churches with discipleship making at the core of what we do. Remember Jesus commission to the church in Matthew 28? “Go and make disciples…. “ Discipleship requires investing personal and intimate time with other individuals. This flows out of us individually from investing more personal and intimate time with God. I pray that God will strengthen your resolve to invest time in Him by daily reading our chapter in Acts, fasting one day a week, spending one solid hour a week in prayer, meeting weekly in a Band group for accountability, and our Lunch+ prayer for your church..
I pray that you will today intentionally form a Band Group to allow “Pauls”, “Aquillas” and “Priscillas” to pour into you.
Pray that as our church moves forward and we will invest more in each other, that true discipleship among us will occur. Pray for unity among us.
Pray as we move forward we will invest more in others by starting more house churches, Band groups, discipling ministries and increased fruits in those you are discipling now. and that God will start sowing seeds into those our church will disciple.
Think of two or three people you know who need discipling in their walk now and pray that God will give you the love ti step into their life. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections on chapter 18 with us in the comment box below.
Please allow me to intentionally give you access to my life!
Discipleship Training.
One of my passions is helping churches, organizations, or groups understand the how and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
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Good morning Lord Jesus, you are my Lord, my God, my creature, and my life. Use me today for your glory..
“These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesars decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!” v. 7
“This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” v.3
"Paul had also proclaimed the word of God" v.13
"because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.”v.18
I love Acts 17. It is a chapter of proclamation! It is a chapter on the revolution of Christ! It is a chapter on the spreading of the Gospel and the claiming people and places as part of God’s Kingdom on earth!
We too are called to join in today and proclaim there is another King named Jesus! "For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, For we too are his offspring."(17:28) If this is true, then our very lives should be proclamations of our King Jesus, and as his subjects, that the Kingdom of God is at hand! “Throughout the world.” v. 6 Notice how some of those present in Thessalonica had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading. The gospel was turning the world upside down! and Paul says, ““He now commands all people everywhere to repent” v.30. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded. This includes all of Huntsville. Madison, Birmingham and your city, your neighbors, your family, and yourself.
John Wesley said, “Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God; such alone will shake the gates of hell.” We are called to join in shaking the gates of hell!
We are called to radically join in this revolution! We are called to stir up trouble, up-set the world, and turn the world upside down and declare in the face of all the idolatry in our cities, ”There is another king named Jesus!” v.7. Everywhere Paul preached in Acts 17 he was driven out of town. John Wesley once said that if after sharing the gospel he wasn’t driven out of town he feared he did not share it well enough. The gospel is radical message. C.S Lewis said, “A man who first tried to guess 'what the public wants,' and then preached that as Christianity because the public wants it, would be a pretty mixture of fool and knave”
My family, I pray you will come to understand, "Nothing great happens when you hold back." I Pray that God will remove from you today anything that is "holding you back" from proclaiming Jesus is King. Pray this over yourself.
If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Martin Luther said, “Delay is the sharpest arrow in the enemies quiver.” Pray over your immediate obedience to share the Gospel.
Pray right now that the Holy Spirit will lead and put in your path today the un-avoidable and obvious opportunity to share the gospel with one person today. Pray over this with sincerity and expectancy, and then walk out your door expecting and searching for it to happen.
Pray that your life today will boldly and joyfully proclaim Jesus is the King!
Pray for those you know: friends, family members, co-workers, who as Paul refers to in Athens, that are worshipping an unknown god or gods. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to them the existence of the one true God.
Pray for the cities of Madison, Huntsville, Brimingham, and your neighborhood, that the proclamation that Jesus is Lord will be the chorus heard through out it! In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections on Chapter 17 in the comments box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.
Good morning Lord Jesus, I seek your leading this morning deeper into Your Spirit to be led throughout he day to those who need saved by Your Spirit.
“The leg does not feel the chain when the mind is in the heavens.” (Tertullian)
“Well, no soldier comes out to the campaign laden with luxuries, nor does he go to action from his comfortable chamber, but from the light and narrow tent, where every kind of hardness, roughness and unpleasantness must be put up with.” Tertullian.
“And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.” Act 16:23-26
Today we are on Acts chapter 16. In it we read where Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and scourged for their faith and sharing of the Gospel. Being a Christian for Paul, Silas, and all who called themselves Christians was not easy. They lived in a time of hostility towards those who proclaimed Christ. Christianity was not a comfortable practice of getting up on Sunday mornings, getting dressed in nice cloths, being greeted at a door, fixing a cup of coffee in the fellowship area, sitting in a comfortable chair for an hour, then going to get a nice lunch. There was an actual cost and commitment involved. There was an actual cross involved.
Yet as the passage in Acts 16:23-26 reveals, no matter what trials, no matter what prisons, no matter what persecution the early Christians found themselves in, they rejoiced in praise. Today I am going to let Tertullian, who was an early founder of the faith and theologian who live in 155-240 AD, speak to you in this blog. The excerpts below are taken from a Letter of his “To the Martyrs.”
“Though the body is shut in, though the flesh is confined, all things are open to the spirit. In spirit, then, roam abroad; in spirit walk about, not setting before you shady paths or long colonnades, but the way which leads to God. As often as in spirit your footsteps are there, so often you will not be in bonds. The leg does not feel the chain when the mind is in the heavens. The mind compasses the whole man about, and whither it wills it carries him. But where your heart shall be, there shall be your treasure…
Grant now, O blessed, that even to Christians the prison is unpleasant; yet we were called to the warfare of the living God in our very response to the sacramental words. Well, no soldier comes out to the campaign laden with luxuries, nor does he go to action from his comfortable chamber, but from the light and narrow tent, where every kind of hardness, roughness and unpleasantness must be put up with. Even in peace soldiers endure themselves to war by toils and inconveniences— marching in arms, running over the plain, working at the ditch, and engaging in many arduous labors. The sweat of the brow is on everything, that bodies and minds may not shrink at having to pass from shade to sunshine, from sunshine to icy cold, from the robe of peace to the coat of mail, from silence to clamor, from quiet to tumult. In like manner, O blessed ones, count whatever is hard in this lot of yours as a discipline of your powers of mind and body. You are about to pass through a noble struggle, in which the living God acts the part of superintendent, in which the Holy Ghost is your trainer, in which the prize is an eternal crown of angelic essence, citizenship in the heavens, glory everlasting. Therefore your Master Jesus Christ, who has anointed you with His Spirit, and led you forth to the arena, has seen it good, before the day of conflict, to take you from a condition more pleasant in itself, and has imposed on you a harder treatment, that your strength might be the greater…
Let the spirit hold convene with the flesh about the common salvation, thinking no longer of the troubles of the prison but of the wrestle and conflict for which they are the preparation. The flesh, perhaps, will dread the merciless sword, and the lofty cross, and the rage of the wild beasts, and that punishment of the flames, of all most terrible, and all the skill of the executioner in torture. But, on the other side, let the spirit set clearly before both itself and the flesh, how these things, though exceeding painful, have yet been calmly endured by many,—and, have even been eagerly desired for the sake of fame and glory; and this not only in the case of men, but of women too, that you, O holy women, may be worthy of your sex.” (Tertullan)
Now read and pray over these Scriptures.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-7)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1Peter 5:6-11)
My family, I pray you will spend time re-reading the words above and reflecting over how these readings bring light and revelation to the trials and “prisons” you may find yourself in the past, present, or in the future.
Pray over your church and your ministries that you may remain “firm in your faith” as we embrace our same call as The Church today to spread the gospel and make disciples.
Pray over those around the world and the “kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world”
Pray all this in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same over me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections from Acts 16 in the comments box below.
Reminder of the 5 Spiritual acts we are committing to do while reading through Acts.:
1. Spend time reading the chapter each day and reflecting on it. Pray then over your ministry and you church and those with whom you need to share your reflection.
2. Start up/join in a Band Group. A band group is the Wesleyan name for accountability groups of 2-3 people of the same sex that meet weekly. We need to both encourage and hold each other accountable to time in the Word, Prayer, and our daily walk with Christ. Do not delay, pray to God who to ask you which one or two persons to invite to join you, and do it. Ne excuses, no delays.
3. Set aside just one hour a week (you can do more than one) away from distractions and spend that hour in solid prayer. Use the Prayer Wheel if you like as a guide.
4. Fast one day a week in prayer. Read Isaiah 58 on fasting for guidance or contact me if you have questions on fasting.
5. Daily Lunch + prayer: Everyday when you sit down to lunch, you pray over your meal. After your prayer over the meal, and a 30 second prayer over our and its ministries for God’s vision and leading.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You!
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Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin my day resting in your love , grace and mercy.
“Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ”Acts 15: 24”
The gathering of the council of Jerusalem was such an important event to Luke that he took great care to write about. Paul in Galatians 2:1-14 give an autobiographical narrative to this event and provides even more details. I suggest you read it along with Acts 15 to give a more complete picture.
Paul states some people came from Jerusalem “sent by James” and persuaded Peter to withdraw from the fellowship of the table with the gentiles. That is sitting at the dinner table and eating things the Jews believed were unclean. Paul saw both Peter’s and later Barnabas’s same actions as a threat to the freedom of the gospel for the gentiles. Paul publicly called Peter out on this saying it was wrong for Peter to force the gentiles to adopt the Jewish traditions, customs and ways of life to have a relationship with Jesus and be saved. Peter was then distressed by the conflict his actions had caused. Since it all started with messengers sent by James to persuade Peter, then the matter had to be taken up with James and the Council in Jerusalem that was under the chairmanship of James, who was the brother of Jesus.
The council’s decision basically was to simply have the gentiles prohibit Idolatry, and sexual perversion and fortification, and allowed them to eat and drink what they wanted. Where true religion and basic Christian ethics were involved, Paul was strong on his teaching gentiles to avoid idolatry and fornication. But in matters of food and drink which were religiously and ethically neutral, he refused to lay down the law. He believed, as God had revealed to him in his dream, that no food or drink was “unclean”, even if it had been previously forbidden by the law of Moses. Even if the food had come from an animal sacrificed to a pagan divinity. It was human beings that mattered, not food and drink. If a Christian was considering whether or not to eat this or drink something, the decision should depend on the conscience of the Christian. Paul always argued from the order of creation and the ethical implications of a law-free gospel. To which I say Amen!!!
Which brings me back to the verse I quoted above, “Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,” v24
There are unfortunately way to many persons and voices in The Church today going out and saying troubling words and saying unsettling things which God gave them no authority to say, Scriptures gave them no authority to say, but they are claiming authority based on religion, tradition, and personal preference. They declare, prohibit, and put restrictions on not only food and drink, but dress codes, worship days, worship places, worship styles, restrictions on the means of grace of who can baptize someone or who can celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and pray prayers of reconciliation. These things hinder people from encountering the gospel and encountering Jesus. Paul was saying to the council that these things will turn away the gentiles, those that don’t know the gospel and Jesus, before they even hear about or encounter Jesus and also burden them while they try to listen the gospel.
The same holds true in the church today. Most people today who do not attend church, or who attend a church and then leave the church and walk away from the gospel, do not do so because they encountered Jesus and found him to difficult, but because they encounter at the door of the church hoops to jump through and restrictions based on traditions, customs and personal preferences to receiving the gospel and Jesus. They walk away because they find Christians difficult. They walk away from The Church, a place of hope, disturbed and troubled, because of these things having never encountered Jesus. A pole was taken asking people about Spirituality, Jesus, and Christians. When asked about spirituality, people responded positively, there is a need for spiritual growth in people. When asked about Jesus, people responded positively. Jesus and what he represents has a positive image and message. When asked about Christians, the responses was negative. Why, when spirituality and Jesus are supposed to be at our core and what shapes and defines us?
I want to make it clear that if Scriptures clearly prescribe or prohibit a behavior, lifestyle, action or attitude, then our surrender to Jesus as our Lord requires obedience to these. However, if you are are claiming something prohibited or prescribed based on tradition, custom, personal preference, religion, or habit, if they are bringing you closer to Christ then follow them, but the requirement to follow them stops at your property line and you forever release the rest of the body of Christ from following them.
As I said in my previous post, we need to get back to simply Jesus, the simple gospel of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins.
My family, pray over what people and voices are you listening to that have no authority to put laws or “hoops” to jump through in the gospel you receive. Pray over if any of these voices people are hearing are coming from you? What hoops to jump through does your church have in place that can keep people from walking away before encountering Jesus you need to remove? In Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You! .
Acts14
When I read Acts 14, verses 21and 22 stand out to me. " After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch. Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." vs.21-22
“But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers” v.2
“When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled…” v.5
“They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead…” v.19
Paul and Barnabas went to the cities to strengthen and encourage the young churches so recently planted there. The members of those churches needed to be encouraged. They had seen Paul and Barnabas violently assaulted and driven out. They had seen Paul stoned. And Paul was their leader, their pastor who was asking them to follow in his same path and expect to experience the same suffering when they do. They themselves certainly had to endure some measure of persecution. It is almost taken for granted throughout the New Testament that tribulation is the normal experience of Christians in this age, the normal experience of the church. It is those who suffer for and with Christ now who will share in his glory. "No cross, no crown" (Rom 8:17, 2Tim. 2:12).
In Acts 14, Luke indeed records the irresistible progress of the gospel, but he does not do so in triumphant spirit. In K.C. Barrett's words, "Luke make it clear that the road his heroes were traveling was the way of the cross."
My brothers and sisters, understand this, that we are called to walk this same road, that leads in ONE DIRECTION, to the cross. That is why we named the church we planted One Direction Community. We are called to be a community, a church called to support each other and walk together in the way of the cross. We all must remember, both as individuals and collectively as churches, we are all to be cross bearers of Christ. You are going through Acts with me, praying and fasting hopefully because you understand your need to be pressing into becoming true disciples of Jesus. However Jesus tells us, “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” ( Matt 10:38.) Cross bearing and discipleship are in-separatable.
My family, pray:
The NT, reveals that early Christians and The Church understood that tribulation is the normal experience for them. They completely realized and accepted with joy where the road they were walking down would lead them. Pray that we can come to understand this as well. Pray for us a renewed realization, acceptance, and joy in our calling to suffer for and with Christ. To be cross bearers.
Pray thanksgiving to God for those, who's willingness to bear Christ's cross in the past and in the present, have witnessed to you and strengthened you like a Paul and Barnabas did to the early church, and brought you to this place where you now find yourself walking the same road with them.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring to mind those you know that are going through suffering and tribulation right now and pray for them. Give them a phone call, text or email of encouragement. Be a source of strength and encouragement in your family, workplace, circle of friends and those in your circle of influence you will witness to today.
Pray that The Holy Spirit will raise up out of the lost cross bearers to walk the road with us.
Pray all these prayers in the name of Jesus, Please pray the same for me, God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections on Acts 14 with me and others in the comment box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website: https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
Help Me Help Others Out Of Their Graves!
I could use your financial support for One Direction Community and my family to jump down into the pits and help lift up those on the margins God has placed in my path I refuse to walk around. Please commitment to partner and support myself and One Direction community through setting up a monthly donation or a one –time gift by clicking the link below. Donation checks can be made out to ODC, PO Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758. Thank You! Thank You! .
CLICK HERE TO GIVE
