Online Ministry for the Week 10/31 - 11/06 2016

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

O Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, and strength to follow on the path you set before us; through Jesus Christ, Amen.

DAILY READING

• Monday (October 31, 2016): Psalm 142; Habakkuk 2:12-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 OR Psalm 50; Nehemiah 13:1-3, 23-31; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13  
  
  All Saints Day, November 1, 2016

• Wednesday (November 2, 2016): Psalm 142; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Luke 19:11-27 OR Psalm 50; Amos 5:12-24; Luke 19:11-27
• Thursday (November 3, 2016): Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 1:1-17; Acts 22:22—23:11 OR Psalm 17:1-9; Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Acts 22:22-23:11
• Friday (November 4, 2016): Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Zechariah 6:9-15; Acts 24:10-23 OR Psalm 17:1-9; Genesis 38:1-26; Acts 24:10-23
• Saturday (November 5, 2016): Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; Haggai 1:1-15a; Luke 20:1-8 OR Psalm 17:1-9; Exodus 3:13-20; Luke 20:1-8

ABUNDANT HEALTH

Liquid Calories

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)

One thing you could do to dramatically improve your health and lose weight is this: Don’t drink liquid sugar calories. This means soda, sports drinks, flavored coffees or teas, energy drinks, juices (except fresh-made vegetable juices).

Liquid calories get deposited directly as that dreaded belly fat. They turn your liver into a fat factory, triggering more insulin resistance and starting a vicious cycle. They mess with your head, increasing your appetite, and keep you from feeling full so you eat more than you normally would in a day. Bottom line: Stick to water or unsweetened, non-caffeinated teas.

—Dr. Mark Hyman

—The Daniel Plan brief excerpt from The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren, DMin; Daniel Amen, MD; & Mark Hyman, MD (Zondervan). © 2013 by The Daniel Plan. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

NIV DAILY

Where Is Jesus Now? (1 Timothy 3:16)

Acts 7:55 records that the dying martyr Stephen had a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Ironically, Saul/Paul was present and rejected Stephen’s words, giving approval for Stephen’s death (see Acts 8:1). Later, however, Paul accepted Stephen’s words and, in a letter to Timothy, declared that Jesus “was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Old Testament prophecies also indicated that the Messiah would reign in heaven. The promised Son of God would ascend into heaven (see Psalm 68:18) and reign over all his enemies (see Psalm 110:1).

Strong evidence can be found in Jesus’ own words. In Mark 14:62 Jesus stated that the “Son of Man,” a term he often used to refer to himself (see, for example, Mark 2:10,28), would sit at the right hand of God. In Matthew 19:28 he told his disciples, “At the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jesus also told his disciples he was going to his “Father’s house”—heaven—to prepare a place for them (see John 14:1–4). Further, the disciples themselves witnessed the resurrected Jesus ascend to heaven, reinforcing all that Jesus had told them (see Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9–11).

The Bible consistently teaches that Jesus is now in heaven, seated at God’s right hand (see, for example, Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:21–22). That right-hand position symbolizes his equality with God, which includes divine authority, glory and power.

Taken from The Case for Christ Study Bible©2014 HarperCollins Christian Publishing

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

O Lord of hosts, we marvel at your faithfulness. You keep your promise to remain with us by your Holy Spirit. Help us to trust you in every difficulty. Empower us to share the good news of your abiding presence with our neighbors and friends. Accept our offerings, building up this community of faith so that we may serve others with the love of Jesus. We pray in his name. Amen. (Haggai 1:15b-2:9)