Friday, April 27, 2018

Day of Praise

Sat, 04/28/18, Easter Day #28, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 1:27-28 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

God intended for us to have the upper hand in life! Period! In other words, the creation was not made so it could bring us down. God made us in His image so that, even in the face of storms, we'd have dominion over all the earth.

Today's Bible verses also record that Marriage, the Union of Male and Female, is a huge part of God's plan for us to have the upper hand. The relationship of marriage between a man and a woman brings with it the power of complementarity, where two unique beings (male and female) are made to fit perfectly together and bring about mutual encouragement and affirmation that bear the fruit of children, whether they are one's own flesh and blood or not. Indeed, the purpose of marriage, beyond mutual encouragement, is to raise up children of God, which may come about by working a camp for intellectually disabled adults or adopting orphans or raising your own flesh and blood.

Will you join me in praying for all who are married to find strength in the Lord so that their Unions will reflect the Intentions of our Maker?

Lord God, constant in mercy, great in faithfulness, we bless you for the joy that your servants have found in each other and pray that you give them such a sense of your constant love that they may live a life of praise of you, whose work alone holds true and endures forever.

Faithful Lord, source of love, pour down your grace that husbands and wives may fulfill the vows they have made and reflect your steadfast love in their lifelong faithfulness to each other. As members with them of the Body of Christ, use us to support their life together. And from your great store of strength, give them power and patience, affection and understanding, courage and love toward you, toward each other, and toward the whole world that they may continue together in mutual growth, according to your will in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Gracious Father, you bless the family and renew your people. Enrich husbands and wives, parents and children, more and more with your grace, that strengthening and supporting each other, they may serve those in need and be a sign of the fulfillment of your perfect kingdom, where with your Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign, one God, through all ages of ages. Amen!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

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