In Daniel 3, every but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bow down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. These three men refused to bow down, even though it came on penalty of death (though we know that the Lord delivered them from Nebuchadnezzar’s hand).
Have you ever wondered what it means to be a Methodist, really? Or, maybe you’ve wondered if there is really a core of essential content to Methodism? Maybe it is just the church you go to if you get married and he’s Baptist and she’s Roman Catholic. You know, the compromise church. Or maybe some of you know recent Methodism too well and you see it not as the compromise church but as the compromised church.
How should we engage healing prayer? Approaching any type of prayer involves recognizing the comforting reality that Jesus is already interceding on our behalf. This revelation alleviates the pressure of our prayers, our role is similar to a child assisting parents with household chores. What’s truly remarkable is that our imperfect prayers are joined with Jesus’s flawless ones. This connection is rooted in the joy of the gospel, where we exist in Him, and He resides in us, eliminating the need to impress or convince God. Rather than proving ourselves, we align our minds, hearts, and wills with Jesus, who is actively interceding with the Father. It’s a reminder that the Spirit of Christ dwells within us, supporting us as we embark on the journey of prayer.
His arrival astonished our human expectations. Matthew describes it in this way: “‘They will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’)” (Matthew 1:23). God came to earth in Jesus Christ to be with us. We have the privilege of traveling through life with the greatest Teacher, Friend, and Savior we could ever know.
A few weeks ago, we hosted our JourneyWise annual gathering in Orlando, Florida. Our families were invited to come to enjoy some time away in the beautiful sunshine state and soak in all that Orlando has to offer.
Talking about Lent with young children can often be difficult. For adults, Lent is a deliberate time of prayer and preparation for the Week we know is coming. Even as an adult, I still get very excited about Holy Week and Easter morning. The joy of the Easter morning victory becomes very solemn when couched in the incredible pain and suffering of the violent and cruel treatment of Jesus in the arrest, trial, and crucifixion that we often talk about during Holy Week.