BEYOND THE CHAOS, EVEN IN CHAOTIC TIMES

As we continue our journey through Isaiah, we arrive at a point in Jerusalem's history when they faced a significant military challenge. Rather than turn to God and His way forward, King Ahaz opted for what he saw as the more obvious and immediate way out.

Nov. 1, 2020 - BEYOND AN INADEQUATE VIEW OF GOD (pt. 2)

Beyond an Inadequate View of God

Pastor Dan

Our Father, we remember today our sisters and brothers who are being persecuted.

Today, we declare your loving character. We declare that You love each individual person on this tiny planet, You see each heart, and You hear each cry and prayer.

We know from Your Word that You are near to the brokenhearted, and as people of faith, we are brokenhearted over the persecution, over the conflict, and over the suffering.

Draw near to us, and to those for whom we pray.

We pray for the hungry, the lonely, the scared, the distraught.

May they know that You are with them, Emmanuel.

We pray for those that do not know peace in their land; tell their hearts that You are their peace.

For those that are fleeing; tell them that You offer them a home in You.

For those that are working to bring peace to the persecuted; speak strength and courage to their hearts and give them a voice that is listened to.

For those that have their land and their churches exploited for the gain of others, where their resources are stripped and stolen; God be their Provider.

For the women and girls whose bodies are used as weapons of warfare, to be exploited and conquered and abused; tell their hearts of their unshakeable value in You, and tell their hearts that they are beautiful and precious.

For those that are scarred, physically injured, or grieving the murder of a loved one; speak strength and hope into their hearts, and tell them of how much they bear Your image.

For those that are weary and the hopeless; tell them that You are their strong power, their comfort, their friend.

We especially pray for Nigeria and the conflict between the Muslims and the Christians; God make a way for peace, we know that only You can do this.

God, You know each face and name and heart that we lift up to You today and we long for You to bring shalom to each one. Turn their sorrow into joy, turn their pain into peace, turn their shame into hope.

"Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the Lord.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Lord hear our prayer.

Amen.

Pastor Dan

Our Father, we remember today our sisters and brothers who are being persecuted.

Today, we declare your loving character. We declare that You love each individual person on this tiny planet, You see each heart, and You hear each cry and prayer.

We know from Your Word that You are near to the brokenhearted, and as people of faith, we are brokenhearted over the persecution, over the conflict, and over the suffering.

Draw near to us, and to those for whom we pray.

We pray for the hungry, the lonely, the scared, the distraught.

May they know that You are with them, Emmanuel.

We pray for those that do not know peace in their land; tell their hearts that You are their peace.

For those that are fleeing; tell them that You offer them a home in You.

For those that are working to bring peace to the persecuted; speak strength and courage to their hearts and give them a voice that is listened to.

For those that have their land and their churches exploited for the gain of others, where their resources are stripped and stolen; God be their Provider.

For the women and girls whose bodies are used as weapons of warfare, to be exploited and conquered and abused; tell their hearts of their unshakeable value in You, and tell their hearts that they are beautiful and precious.

For those that are scarred, physically injured, or grieving the murder of a loved one; speak strength and hope into their hearts, and tell them of how much they bear Your image.

For those that are weary and the hopeless; tell them that You are their strong power, their comfort, their friend.

We especially pray for Nigeria and the conflict between the Muslims and the Christians; God make a way for peace, we know that only You can do this.

God, You know each face and name and heart that we lift up to You today and we long for You to bring shalom to each one. Turn their sorrow into joy, turn their pain into peace, turn their shame into hope.

"Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the Lord.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Lord hear our prayer.

Amen.

Oct. 11, 2020 - BEYOND OUR PERCEPTIONS OF "WHAT IS NOT" TO LIVES OF GRATITUDE FOR "WHAT IS"

Oct. 4, 2020 - BEYOND HOPELESSNESS

As we continue in our theme "Beyond," our journey through Isaiah brings us to a passage where the prophet presents a tale of two cities: the current Jerusalem in all its sinful despair and the prophesied, restored Jerusalem in all its majestic[NV1] glory.

As we continue in our theme "Beyond," we come today to a passage in which Isaiah confronts God's people to move beyond their empty religious practices toward giving themselves in true surrender to a real relationship with God.