Every Day Faith - April 2020
JESUS: HOPE FOR OUR WORLD
One of the most prominent and constant realities of human existence is that of conflict. Nation against nation. Ideology against ideology. Brother against brother. Everybody is right in their own eyes, often in direct contradiction of divine law. On and on this battle rages, affecting everyone and everything. It continues even down to the molecular level. Today, we are fighting for our very lives with an unseen enemy—COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, which has quickly evolved into a global pandemic. It is clear that something, or more accurately, someone, wants us dead.
None of this should surprise students of theology. In fact, this conflict originated shortly after the dawn of creation. Satan, the prince of darkness, the evil one, the father of lies, infiltrated the thinking of humanity’s first parents and lodged a seed of rebellion that has carried through to our current age.
Today, Christians continue in battle, assured by the hope given to us through Christ’s victory and His promises. Why? Because Jesus died at Calvary, thus satisfying the need for atonement by sacrifice. Simply stated, we have become one with God because His Son died on the cross and rose again on the third day. This hope endures.
Today, we continue in battle with the enemy of our souls—until Father God says “enough,” redeemed humanity is called home, and Satan is eternally vanquished. As Christians, one of the greatest battlefields is that of our minds. We must defeat the devil and guard our thinking, for our sake and for the sake of the generations behind us. Embracing the timeless truths of God’s Word and applying them in current life situations is crucial to success for each generation.
_____________________________________________________________________
JESUS: ALIVE IN OUR HOMES
With a focus towards children aged 4 to 14, the PAOC is introducing “Making The Bible Come Alive” — a tool that has been specifically created to familiarize young minds with real-life stories of prominent Bible characters. It is our desire to help parents, grandparents and church leaders pass faith along, realizing that the devil is determined to undermine and bury our efforts beneath mountains of competing visual and mental distractions. Incorporating this powerful discipleship tool and trusting God’s Spirit to guide and assist us in our teaching will allow light to break through the darkness and give us victory.
____________________________________________________________________
Father God, we acknowledge with great reverence that You are sovereign and You have given us victory through Your Son. We recognize that Your great love gives us not only hope, but also peace. The sufferings of this present age are trifling compared to the indescribable glory that awaits. You have already won the battle and in faithfulness You have redeemed us from the rage and the plans of the Liar. Satan’s rage is evidence that he knows his time is near an end.
Father, we ask You to awaken the church to the knowledge that we have a Saviour and His name is Jesus. Give Your people hope and the boldness to make the most of every opportunity to share this hope with those who suffer in the blinding darkness of this age. Protect us, give us wisdom, and teach us how to live as we follow the guidance of healthcare professionals and the principles of Your living Word. We look forward to remembering not just the epic event of love recalled on Good Friday, but also the immeasurable hope that lives in us because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________
Proverbs 22:6—“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Isaiah 54:17—“...no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.”
Luke 1:37—“For no word from God will ever fail.”
2 Corinthians 10:4-5—“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Ephesians 6:12—“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
James 4:8—“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
_____________________________________________________________________
Preach2Engage
In partnership with the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) and Empowered21, and our relationship with The Great Commandment Network, we’d like to invite our credential holders and churches to consider these teaching resources, entitled Preach2Engage, which are available for your use at no charge. They include teaching outlines, sermon graphics, associated fonts, and suggestions on social media usage, all of which can be customized to suit your individual needs. Click here to learn more.
_____________________________________________________________________
During this month of April, follow our daily social media feeds for our 4-14 Initiative and “Making The Bible Come Alive” resources —[visit https://www.paoc.org/family/annual-initiatives/4-14 and https://MakingTheBibleComeAlive.com]. You’ll find engaging online discipleship resources designed to help kids grow in their knowledge and love of God’s Word (geared to pre-school and primary/elementary kids and parents). We are thankful for this deliverable out of our Mission Canada Children’s Guiding Group and our Quebec District that is already having an impact across our nation and around the world. It’s fully bilingual and it’s free!
The Making the Bible Come Alive program is fully bilingual.
To order Character Card Packs or our new Pre-school Activity Book, contact Wordcom Christian Resources at wordcom@paoc.org or go online to Wordcom.ca.
Click for PDF promotional ad to share resource info with your church, family and friends.
To sign up for weekly, general PAOC prayer updates, click here.