Memorize Monday – free coloring page – Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
“… the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
“Like a thief in the night,” unseen, quiet, unsuspecting. There are people who do steal in broad daylight but they are most likely to get caught. During the night the thief is quiet, it’s dark, less likely to be seen and most likely the victim is unsuspecting. Well maybe not so much these days.
How will Jesus return, in the night like a thief? Is that how we will meet Him in the clouds? The Bible say we don’t know the hour or the day – Matthew 24:36-44. No one knows but the Father. Jesus, His Son doesn’t know, not even the angels. Here in the book of Matthew it describes daytime activity. Like with Noah in verse 37, “They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away.” (CSB) Verse 40, “two men will be in the field” and verse 41, two women will be grinding grain.” Verse 42, “Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.” (emphasis mine)
Even at night we can prepare for a possible threat to our homes. We have alarms to wake us, we have a plan of attack should someone enter home, maybe a weapon, security cameras and alarms that are connected to the police department. We are prepared.
So how do we prepare for Christ’s return? By staying alert. By staying anchored in His word daily, reading His word daily. The book of Revelation is packed full of signs of the days proceeding Jesus’ return. We see some of those signs today; what’s right is wrong, what’s wrong is right. You may be saying to yourself,” that’s been happening since the beginning of time. Well yes, it has. And when Jesus said He’d be returning soon (Revelation 22-12), according to His timeline it could be any day. “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” 2 Peter 3:8.
But if Jesus were to return during the day, imagine the chaos. God is not the author of chaos; 1 Corinthians 14:33. So would He allow chaos to ensue? But what a testimony for all to see. Of course the media and the experts will try and say it was aliens. Or will Jesus come in the quiet of the night? I don’t know. I know this it will be like a blink of your eye, 1 Corinthians 15:52, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”
I know this too, Jesus is coming back! We all need to be ready. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Are you looking for signs?
Memorize Monday – free coloring page John 6:54 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (NIV)
Jesus is the bread of life, John 6:35. The Spirit gives life, v.63. When we are reading God’s word we are partaking of His word, His flesh, and are being filled with His Spirit, (His blood), John 1:14. In verses 40 and 47 Jesus says anyone who believes in me will have eternal life. In verse 54 Jesus says whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. All we have to do is accept Jesus’ offer. He is asking us to believe by faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. Our good works will not get us into Heaven.
Is Jesus calling you today? He doesn’t require you to clean up your act. He’s not waiting for when you overcome your problems. When you are sick you don’t wait until you’re feeling better to go to the doctor you go when you are sick. Jesus came because of your problems, He wants to help you, He wants to give you eternal life. Let’s face it this world, it isn’t going to get better. And once Jesus comes to meet us in the clouds, there won’t be another chance. Will you let Him help you today? If not now, when?
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Memorize Monday – free coloring page 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind…”
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Memorize Monday – free coloring page Psalm 34:5 “To those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy.
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Prayer is a big subject. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. I think we humans tend to make it what it’s not and complicate it. What’s important is we talk to God and listen to His response. I do believe it is important to pray everyday. And that may look different for each of us.
For me the basics, praying daily to the Father as Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer and having a place everyday to pray away from everyone, alone as Jesus set that example for us. Luke 4:42 – “At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.” Luke 11:1 -“He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Matthew 6:6-13 sums it up – “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; …”
The time of day may not be early in the morning, it could be at noon or in the evening. Your quiet place may not be a mountain. It could be a prayer closet, a room, your car, or sitting outside under a tree in your yard. And it could change from time to time.
We don’t always have to have our heads bowed and hands folded. We can pray standing with our hands lifted or on our knees. We can pray while dancing or while walking and singing. God sees our heart. I like to have the heart of a child when I approach God, unabashed, with boldness. Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Sometimes kids don’t have filters. They just speak their minds. There is no hiding our feelings from God.
But don’t let these things, these ways, routines, think that God will only answer your prayer if you do these things and don’t miss a beat. Yes there is a way to pray and God hears your prayer and He will answer them according to His TIMING!! That’s the key, His timing. Trust His timing.
Keep it simple. “Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Memorize Mondays has a new feature to help you memorize scripture. It’s hard to believe that I started this a year ago with creating wallpaper for your electronic devices.
So I decided to change it up with coloring pages. I hope you enjoy this new feature and can commit to memorizing scripture. Click the link at the bottom of the image to print your coloring page.
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Welcome back again and thank you. Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. After all it is how we communicate with our Heavenly Father. “Never stop praying.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The KJV says “Pray without ceasing.” The greek word for ceasing is adialeiptōs , translated – incessantly. Makes me think of a pesky insect, like a fly continually landing on my food or buzzing around my face. It just doesn’t stop.
That’s what God is trying to tell us in Paul’s letter to Thessolanica, be pesky with prayer. Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And Ephesians 6:18 – “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Pray at all times and go to God about everything.
He wants to hear it all. The small things, like finding your lost keys, helping you with deciding where to go for dinner, He wants to be included in all you do. He wants to hear about how excited you are about finding something you lost, or how a memory makes you happy, and He wants to hear about your bad day, how a co-worker made you feel angry or how you messed up. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray. And the cool thing is, we don’t always have to talk. We just need to be present in His presence and listen. We can always find something for which to praise Him. Thank Him for all that He is doing, has done and will do because God is faithful. Thank Him when you get the perfect parking space, thank Him for finding a lost item, thank Him being able to tie your shoes and if you can’t thank Him for the person who could. Praise Him for His creation, for the song birds, the rain, the sun, praise Him for the small things and the big things. Thank Him for the person who delivers your pizza 🙂
So as you begin the weekend, be pesky in prayer, in all things, all the time and be present in His presence.
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The Kedge Anchor 
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