TwelveTwelve: The Leader Blog of North Wake Church

Meditation for Preparation for Worship for August 1, 2021 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for

Pray: Father, please “open my eyes that I may see wonderful truths in your instructions.” (Psalm 119:18 NLT).  Read: Philippians 1:1-11, Acts 16:12-40 “Partakers with me of grace…. (1:7).” “Grace, grace, God‘s grace” is what formed the deep and cherished bond between Paul and the Philippian church. A bond so strong he “yearned for them with all the affection of Christ Jesus” and “[held] them in his heart (1:7,8).” Opposed minorities in a proud Roman city, they sought a different kingdom; feasted from a different table. They ate and drank holy mysteries—strength in weakness, deliverance from and through evil, and

Taken simply as a literary work, the book of Daniel has something for everyone.  Marvelous bedtime stories to inspire children (or grownups).  Tales of betrayal, insanity, and suspense. For the lover of mysteries and puzzles, plenty of symbolism, miracles, and prophecy.  Yes, simply as a literary work, it is genius.  Even though it is a historical piece, documenting the succession of nations, it grabs the reader’s attention.   A “greatly beloved” main character and his three friends, ripped from their homes, face conflict within and without.  Will the enemies have them killed?  Will they withstand all temptation to turn to idols

Read: Daniel 12 As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you. Daniel 12:13 NLT Over the past months we have traveled with Daniel and his friends out of their homeland and into captivity; we have been swept into the courts of kings, smelled the furnace burn, felt the fur of the lion, wondered at strange visions, and gazed in awe at the angels. It is hard not to get swept up in the book of Daniel.

This Sunday, we will be gathering with other Christians to encourage them and be encouraged by them, and we will be studying Daniel 11 together.   Admit My Need To Prepare We all enter on Sundays with worries and strains. We have things we are looking forward to that are happening after worship or sometime in the next week. They can make it hard to fully participate in worship — to listen closely, to join in prayer silently, to sing, and to care for others. Join the Psalmist in considering our need as we approach Yahweh, the One True God and

Read Daniel 10 "There, but for the grace of God, go I." So said the English Reformer John Bradford, apparently, when he saw prisoners being taken for execution. Death, he knew, was what his sin deserved. He would in the end be executed himself, though not for any sin. In 1555, he was burned to death at Smithfield, London, as part of "Bloody" Queen Mary's campaign against the evangelicals. Tied to the stake, he turned to his fellow martyr, John Leaf, and said, "Be of good comfort, brother, for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night."