The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, July 28, 2019 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

The Lord’s Prayer

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, July 28, 2019 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

[Lectionary/Ordinary 16, Proper 11]

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Opening Prayer

As We Gather Here

(Words for the above video)

As we gather here in the harbour of your safety

We thank you for fellowship and family.

We ask that you will strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love.

Lord, would fill us with your peace

So that as we journey onwards

We would pour out your love and grace to others.

We ask that our souls would catch the wind of your spirit

so that we would take your promises to all the earth.

Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

St Paul’s reminder to the people of Colossae holds true for us today: that many false teachings at work in the world may tempt us away from God with “fascinating philosophies and empty deceits”; let us think for a moment of what form they might take in our lives.

If you wish, name out loud some of these “philosophies and deceits” that divert us from God. (e.g. Advertising promises,)
   
Let us pray together Christ’s most true teaching:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen

Assurance of Pardon

Our hearts are full when we remember That God made us alive with Christ, forgiving us all our trespasses, and erasing the record that stood against us. Paul tells us that God set our sin aside, nailed it to the cross. Rejoice together that in the company of the risen Christ we are fully forgiven.

First Reading

Hosea 1:2-10

The Family of Hosea
1:2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.”

8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.”

The Restoration of Israel
10  Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”

Psalm 85 Benedixisti, Domine

1  You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, *
   you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.

2  You have forgiven the iniquity of your people *
   and blotted out all their sins.

3  You have withdrawn all your fury *
   and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.

4  Restore us then, O God our Savior; *
   let your anger depart from us.

5  Will you be displeased with us for ever? *
   will you prolong your anger from age to age?

6  Will you not give us life again, *
   that your people may rejoice in you?

7  Show us your mercy, O Lord, *
   and grant us your salvation.

8  I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *
   for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
   and to those who turn their hearts to him.

9  Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *
   that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together; *
   righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *
   and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, *
   and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him, *
   and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

Second Reading

Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19]

Fullness of Life in Christ
2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

[16 Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. 17 These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.]

The Gospel

Luke 11:1-13

The Lord’s Prayer
11:1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

   Father, hallowed be your name.
     Your kingdom come.
3    Give us each day our daily bread.
4    And forgive us our sins,
        for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
     And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Perseverance in Prayer
5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighbourhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer, we learn that "prayer is not asking for what we think we need but asking to be changed in ways we can’t imagine."

The Morning Prayer for SUNDAY, July 28, 2019

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lord on this special day, I run into Your loving arms. May Sunday be a celebration, filled with thankfulness, where I connect with the presence of Heaven, seek Your beauty and goodness, and cherish special family time together. Come fill my heart afresh with Your love. May it overflow with Heaven's bounty, moving through this rest day and into the week ahead.

Lord on this special day,

I run into Your arms.

Spend cherished time with family,

And find shelter in Your palm.

May Sunday be a celebration,

Full up to the brim,

With Heaven's promise ringing loud,

And Your love flowing in.

Amen.

Verse of the Day SUNDAY, July 28, 2019

Philippians 3:14 (NIV) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Read all of Philippians 3

Listen to Philippians 3

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“The Lord’s Prayer” The Sermon for for SUNDAY, July 28, 2019 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 11th chapter of Luke, beginning with the 1st verse.

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:1-13, NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you've done for us in Christ. Now as we open that word we pray that your spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your spirit through the reading and proclamation of your word this day. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

“The Lord’s Prayer”

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Where did you learn how to pray? Our parents may have taught us bedtime prayers, or said grace before meals. We’ve heard about prayer in Sunday school and sermons. Prayer has been demonstrated in worship services. We may have even taken a class on prayer (a class on prayer is offered at Christian Leaders Institute). For the most part, our knowledge of prayer has been obtained in bits and pieces.

Our spotty education on the subject of prayer often leaves us with questions such as, “Am I praying correctly?” “Is this too small to pray about?” and “My prayers never seem to be answered, does prayer really work?” We also end up with a chronic sense of guilt—prayer is one more Christian activity that we are not doing correctly and thus we are failing.

I will not be brash enough to say that I will answer all of your questions and teach you everything you need to know about prayer in one lesson. I do believe, however, that the gospel text has a great deal to teach us about prayer, and by the “Amen,” I hope that you will have been able to appropriate three perspectives on prayer that will enable you to grow and deepen your prayer life.

We start not with a passage of Scripture but with a comment on prayer by the author, Kathleen Norris. She writes, “Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can’t imagine.” With this thought in mind, we turn to the text.

The very first lesson that Jesus teaches his disciples about prayer is to enter into God’s presence as a child going to his or her father. The Great Reformer Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, expands upon this image in his explanation of The Lord’s Prayer by saying that we should enter God’s presence with boldness assured that God longs to have us converse with him and desires to answer our prayers. All of this is to say that the essence of prayer is relationship.

Approaching God as Father means that no appointments are necessary. I remember a famous picture of President Kennedy conducting business in the Oval Office while his son, John John played around the desk. No one had access to the President of the United States like John John did. His access was based on relationship and not on position or job performance.

Approaching God as Father means that we come as we are. We don’t wait to “get right” with God, or to attain the correct position in life, or to cultivate the right attitude in our mind or in our spirit. We understand that God always welcomes us into His presence with open arms and a listening ear, and a heart that wants only the very best for us.

Knowing that God is our Father, means that nothing is to small for us to bring before God. God is interested in every area of our lives and is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives.

Prayer is more than a religious ritual. Prayer is more than a life ring to keep us afloat, or a stuffed animal to comfort us. Prayer is a relationship, and as a relationship, we do not ask for what we think we want, but we ask to be changed in ways we can’t imagine.

The first petitions of the Lord’s Prayer focus on God. We ask that God’s name would be holy, that God’s kingdom would come and that God’s will would be done. As we look out on the world today, we perhaps become even more emphatic with our requests. We have wars and the constant threat of terrorist activities. Our society seems to be decaying morally and ethically, and its social fabric is being torn. Popularly put, the world is going to hell in a hand basket. We hope that God will hear our prayer, and clean up the mess that the world has become.

Martin Luther has a powerful new perspective with these petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. He teaches that when we pray these petitions, we are asking God that they happen in our lives. God will answer our prayers and change the world one life at a time, and God will begin with us.

When we ask that God's name will be honored and kept holy, we are asking that we will live in such a way that our lives will honor God and glorify His name.

When we ask that God’s kingdom come, we are asking that God’s kingdom come to us and that we will live in God’s kingdom, here on earth, and experience the abundant life that is ours in that kingdom.

When we ask that God’s will be done on earth, we are asking that it will be done in our lives. We are committing ourselves to be disciples of Jesus Christ and to place His will above our will. Faithful obedience is our desire and goal. When His is our perspective, then prayer is more than asking for something that we need, it is asking to be changed in ways that we cannot imagine.

For many people, Jesus’ assurance that what we ask for we will receive, whatever we seek we will find, and whatever doors on which we knock will be opened is a guarantee that we will receive whatever we ask for.

We bring this guarantee before God frequently and demand to know why God hasn’t answered our prayers concerning the lottery, why our loved one wasn’t healed, or why our dream job was given to another (less deserving) person. We naturally assume that this guarantee focuses on our physical needs. If prayer is about relationships, perhaps this guarantee addresses our relationship with God. If being a disciple of Jesus Christ and our relationship with God are priorities in our lives, then we can ask anything and it will be done. We can also seek knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will find.

It is a difficult but important lesson for us to learn. God is not as concerned with our physical comfort as He is concerned with our relationship with Him. God longs for us to commit our lives to Him and trust that he will move in our lies and provide for whatever we need.

When we take on the perspective that prayer is not “Asking for what we think we need, but asking to be changed in ways that we cannot image,” powerful things can and will happen in our lives—and in our world.

Prayer is one of those skills that you cannot fully learn by reading a book. There comes a time when you have to put the book down and pray.

You have three new perspectives from which to view prayer and through which to grow in your prayer life. These new perspectives are to approach God as a father, realize that the answer to our petitions occurs in our lives, and that the guarantee deals with our relationship and discipleship with God.

These three simple ideas have the potential of enabling prayer to focus on relationships and be transforming in our lives.

Let us pray The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Seeking God?

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relationship with Jesus Christ

Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Kevin Ruffcorn.
In Jesus’ teaching on prayer, we learn that "prayer is not asking for what we think we need but asking to be changed in ways we can’t imagine."

Un dia a la Vez - Sunday, July 28, 2019

Oración por sentimientos destructivos

Refrena tu enojo, abandona la ira; no te irrites, pues esto conduce al mal.

~ Salmo 37:8, NVI

Jesús, este día me presento delante de ti reconociendo que me cambies, Señor. He visto cómo estos sentimientos que he venido experimentando me han estado robando la calma, la paz y me han alejado de ti.

Señor, hoy te entrego la mentira, la intriga, el odio, el rencor y cualquier otro comportamiento que te estén desagradando. Sé que llevar esto conmigo me está destruyendo y no puedo más.

Por eso, mi Dios, te necesito. Sin ti es imposible cambiar. Solo tú puedes poner en mí ese deseo de cambiar. Ayúdame, Señor, a ser firme y comenzar una nueva vida sin mentiras, sin odios y sin rencores.

Te amo, Dios mío, y te necesito. Gracias por escucharme y por darme la oportunidad de cambiar. Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por sentimientos destructivos

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Sunday, July 28, 2019

EXAMPLE OF JESUS

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

~ Luke 23:34a (NIV)

On January 23, 1999, 58-year-old Australian Baptist missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death when the vehicle they were sleeping in was doused with gasoline and set on fire, allegedly by members of a Hindu fundamentalist group, in the Indian state of Orissa. Graham Staines had been working with leprosy patients for thirty-four years.

Hundreds of millions witnessed Gladys Staines, Graham Staines’ widow, forgive her family’s murderers in the name of the gospel on Indian television—a scene which moved many to tears “and may have achieved more for the gospel in India than many years of missionary work,” according to an Indian evangelist.

Describing her prompt forgiveness of the killers as a “spontaneous act,” Gladys Staines says, “it took away the bitterness” that otherwise would have remained in her heart. Since the incident she has people coming to her door asking how they can become Christians.

The imagery she used was also powerful. “Let us burn hatred…and spread the flame of Christ’s love.”

Forgiveness is to be given even when it is not asked for. On the cross, forgiveness was one of the first words of Jesus. The soldiers doing the crucifying had not asked for forgiveness but Jesus realized their need of it.

Forgiveness can only be truly accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit. But when given, it communicates most powerfully the love of God. And we are called to be like God, to bear God’s family resemblance.

Forgiveness is a personal transaction that releases the one offended from the offense. The forgiveness required by the scriptures is more than detached or limited forgiveness, it is full and complete forgiveness in which there is a total cessation of negative feelings toward the offender and the relationship being restored has the possibility to grow.

RESPONSE: Today I will show Christ’s love by forgiving those who do not even ask for forgiveness.

PRAYER: Lord, may I be like You and through the power of Your Holy Spirit forgive completely those who bring offenses against me.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Australian Baptist missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death when the vehicle they were sleeping in was doused with gasoline and set on fire.

LHM Daily Devotions - July 28, 2019 "Come, My Soul, with Every Care"

"Come, My Soul, with Every Care"

Jul. 28, 2019

"Come, my soul, with ev'ry care, Jesus loves to answer prayer; He Himself has bid thee pray, Therefore will not turn away.

"Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and pow'r are such, None can ever ask too much."

"Jesus loves to answer prayer," so much so that He not only invites us to pray, but also gives us the words to use. In a lesson on prayer, Jesus told His disciples, "Pray then like this," and taught them the treasured words we now call the Lord's Prayer. As the hymn instructs us, we are to come before God's throne "with every care." A child will ask a parent for just about anything, from something small, like a cookie, to considerably larger requests ("No, you don't need a drone.") In the same way, we can bring petitions large and small to our Heavenly Father.

As He taught about prayer, Jesus asked, "Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?" Earthly fathers give good gifts to their children (well, maybe not drones). We can be certain that our Heavenly Father will "give good things to those who ask Him" (see Matthew 7:9-11). So we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Bread seems like such a small thing—the toast at breakfast, the sandwich at lunch. Yet the petition includes much more; we are asking for all that we need to sustain our bodies and lives. It is no small thing to ask God to provide our daily bread.

The hymn reminds us that we are coming to a King. Our God and Savior rules over all things. Nothing is beyond the reach of His authority and power, and so the hymn tells us, "None can ever ask too much." In the Lord's Prayer we bring very large petitions before God's throne: "Forgive us our trespasses ... lead us not into temptation ... deliver us from evil" (see Matthew 6:9-13). We are asking to be delivered from sin, from temptation and from the power of the evil one. These are not small requests. Yet before our prayer was ever spoken, it was answered. Our gracious Heavenly Father sent His Son into the world to deliver us. Through His death on the cross and His victorious resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. By God's grace, through faith in Jesus' Name, we have forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life.

"None can ever ask too much." "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). We can pray with confidence, knowing that we can never ask too much because our greatest needs, for forgiveness, life, and salvation, have already been granted.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have delivered us from sin, death, and the devil. Lead us to pray with confidence, knowing that our Heavenly Father is listening and ready to help us in every need. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Why would Jesus need or want to pray? What good would it do?
• What makes up your prayers mostly—praise, complaints, thanks, requests?
• What benefit do you get from prayer?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Come, My Soul, with Every Care." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Why would Jesus need or want to pray?

Unser Täglich Brot - Eifrig für Gott

Eifrig für Gott

Lesung: Hebräer 6,9-12 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Psalm 46-48; Apostelgeschichte 28

MP3 herunterladen

Wir begehren aber, dass jeder von euch denselben Eifer beweise, die Hoffnung festzuhalten bis ans Ende. Hebräer 6,11

Diejenigen, die in dem englischen Dorf gemeinsam mit William Carey (1761-1834) aufwuchsen, dachten wahrscheinlich, dass er es nicht weit bringen würde. Aber heute kennen wir ihn als den Vater der modernen Mission. Seine Eltern waren Weber und er wurde ein wenig erfolgreicher Lehrer und Schuster, während er sich selbst Griechisch, Hebräisch und Latein beibrachte. Nach vielen Jahren erfüllte er sich seinen Traum, Missionar in Indien zu werden. Aber er hatte mit vielen Lasten zu kämpfen, einschließlich dem Tod seines Kindes, den psychischen gesundheitlichen Problemen seiner Frau und jahrelange Zurückweisung derer, denen er diente.

Was brachte ihn dazu, trotz aller Schwierigkeiten weiter zu dienen, während er die gesamte Bibel in sechs Sprachen übersetzte und Teile der Bibel in 29 weitere? „Ich kann arbeiten“, sagte er. „Ich kann jede lange Arbeit durchhalten.“ Er hatte sich verpflichtet, Gott zu dienen, egal, welchen Schwierigkeiten er begegnete.

Diese anhaltende Hingabe an Christus ist es, was auch der Schreiber an die Hebräer empfahl. Er rief diejenigen auf, die seinen Brief lasen „nicht träge zu werden“ (Hebräer 6,12), sondern „denselben Eifer zu zeigen, an der Hoffnung festzuhalten bis ans Ende“ (V.11), während sie danach trachteten, Gott zu ehren. Er versicherte ihnen, dass Gott „ihr Werk und ihre Liebe nicht vergessen würde“ (V. 10).

William Carey dachte in späteren Jahren daran, wie Gott immer seine Bedürfnisse gestillt hatte. „Er hat nie sein Versprechen gebrochen, so kann auch ich nicht meinen Dienst für ihn aufgeben.“ Möge Gott uns auch die Kraft schenken, ihm tagtäglich zu dienen.

Wie hat Gott dir geholfen, ihm weiter zu dienen? Wie kannst du jemandem in seinen Kämpfen unterstützen?

Herr, hilf mir, dir alle Tage meines Lebens zu folgen, wenn ich vor Herausforderungen stehe und wenn ich gute Zeiten genießen darf. Lass mich immer an die Zusicherung denken, dass du immer bei mir bist.

Von Amy Boucher Pye

© 2019 Unser Täglich Brot
Diejenigen, die in dem englischen Dorf gemeinsam mit William Carey (1761-1834) aufwuchsen, dachten wahrscheinlich, dass er es nicht weit bringen würde. Aber heute kennen wir ihn als den Vater der modernen Mission.