A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assignment of bringing something to represent their religion. The first child got in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is the Star of David." The second child got in front of her class and said, "My name is Mary, I am Catholic and this is the Crucifix." The third child got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Tommy, and I am Presbyterian and this is a casserole." thanks, Matt

LET'S PRAY TOGETHER Lord, let our souls rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.  Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us: wherever He may send us; Grant us Your power, Teach us to love Help us to be self-controlled for the glory of Your name. Jesus help those in need; near and afar. Inspire Your people to live as You lived. may You guide us through the wilderness: protect us through the storm; may You bring us home rejoicing: at the wonders You have shown us; may You bring us home rejoicing once again into our doors. Amen

MEDITATION For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV) On December 16, 1944, six months after entering Ravensbrück, Betsie’s beaten and abused body could take the persecution no longer; she died in the concentration camp “hospital.” Ten days later, Corrie was released. Upon returning to Ravensbrück in 1959, Corrie was informed her release was the result of a clerical “error”; one week later all women her age were taken to the gas chambers. There are no “ifs” in God’s kingdom. I could hear her [Betsie’s] soft voice saying it. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don’t let me go mad by poking about outside it. After Corrie’s release she remembered the last conversation she had with Betsie as her sister lay on a stretcher to be taken from their barracks to the hospital, “They placed the stretcher on the floor and I leaned down to make out Betsie’s words, ‘. . . must tell people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here.'” Corrie would spend the rest of her 91 years doing just that. Corrie Ten Boom went on to travel the world speaking and teaching until her death. I have learned from looking at her life. She was an ordinary woman; she was at times impatient, foolish, vengeful, and intemperate. What makes her a great role model is how Jesus and God’s Spirit were given Lordship in her life. Her family lived for Jesus and her nephew, father, and sister were murdered by the Nazis for serving Him. Yet her first ministry after the war was in Germany. Below are a few additional quotes from Corrie that bring our hearts and eyes back to the verse we have been meditating on all week. “Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” “What wings are to a bird and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.” "Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees" "This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see." “Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” * https://www.realtruthmatters.com/2016/03/10/when-fears-come-true-the-corrie-ten-boom-story/ **Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

Our daily scripture reading comes from the following link… http://listenersbible.com/devotionals/biy/ If you have any insights into our daily readings, please feel free to share them with me. I would encourage you to visit https://bibleproject.com/explore/1-2-kings/ for an overview of the book of 1st Kings and https://bibleproject.com/explore/acts/ for an overview of the book of Acts. These videos will help with the “big picture” and the main themes. 1 Kings 18:16-19:21 Didn’t I tell you! The story of Elijah and the Baal prophets is one of those stories that excites me. But what it really points to, is just how far Ahab had led Israel astray. In Israel, the prophets of God had been killed and replaced by the prophets of Baal. How would the nation know their God? What’s interesting, is that after this amazing standoff, Elijah will flee. He will run away from Jezebel’s threat, afraid for his life. (19:2) Elijah had been a witness to God’s power and provision. Why do you think he was so afraid? Acts 17:22-18:8 Paul is in Athens, a city filled with idols. How will he share the gospel here? What will he use as a connecting point? Once again, will everyone believe his message?  Moving on to Corinth, Paul will meet opposition from Jews. So what will he do? (6-7) What is the result? Consider sharing the Good News. Does it always go well? Does it always look the same? What do you think is most important if we were to be like Paul? Psalm 78:17-31 As you read these verses from psalm 78, the focus is on Israel’s exodus from Egypt and their wandering in the wilderness. Do these stories sound familiar? Have you ever read them or heard them preached on? Why is Asaph re-telling these stories? (Look to the beginning of the psalm)