Author: tanahmerah

Immanual God With Us

Isaiah’s national call for repentance
is so urgent that even his personal
call and commission to prophetic
office must wait until chapter 6.
The task set before Isaiah is an
unenviable one, for God promises
from the start that the people will
be spiritually deaf & nearsighted.
But armed with confidence in his
Immanuel, Isaiah begins to declare
harsh words from on high in the
courts and palaces of Judah.

All Praise be to Immanuel:
The Lord spoke again to Ahaz
saying: Ask a sign for yourself
from the Lord your God…
Then Isaiah said: Hear now, you
house of David! Is it not enough
to try the patience of men?
Will you try the patience of my
God also? Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call
his name Immanuel (Isa 7:10-14)

Lord, forgive us for seeking signs
as indications of Your direction
and as a basis for our faith in You.
We realize that You God intends
to nurture in us a faith and a trust
that don’t require external support.
Help us develop the kind of faith
that rests solely on Your character,
especially that of your Faithfulness.
But Lord in Your tender mercies,
please do not test us beyond
what we are able to bear. Amen.

Lord Immanuel, God with us.
The perfect being – the Creator of
all things, chose to dwell among us.
Lord, You are fully God but also
fully man & You took on the sin of
all humanity to offer us salvation.
You the Lord of lords and the King
of kings – the humble King,
who came to reveal the heart and
character of Father to us. Amen.

Lord ,strengthen Your followers
to live lives that reflect Your glory
& point people to U as God with us.
May Your name spread in such
a way as to draw people to You.
May we experience You more
fully and intimately each day.
May You not be to us a distant God,
but truly know You as God with us.
And May I know You as Immanuel,
God with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen

God Reveals & Calls You                           Inspiring Here I Am Lord !!

When The United Methodist Hymnal
was published in 1989, one of the
most popular hymns was Here I Am,
Lord by Daniel Schutte (born 1947).
Many Protestants are unaware that
this hymn expresses Roman Catholic
renewal music resulting from the
Second Vatican Council (1962-65).
The hymn was inspired by
Isaiah 6:8: I heard the voice of
the Lord saying: Whom shall
I send; and who will go for Us?
Then I said: Here am I, send me.
Schutte received his master of
divinity degree in 1979 at Jesuit
School of Theology in Berkeley.
Following graduation,Schutte served
as director of liturgy at Marquette
Univ (1982-86) and entered parish
ministry in two Milwaukee parishes.

Lord, we offer our lives to You:
In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
high & lifted up… And one seraphim
cried to another… Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts; the whole earth
is full of His glory… The posts of the
door was shaken… and the house
was filled with smoke (Isa 6:1-4).
So I said: Woe is me… Because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in midst of people of unclean lips.
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of Hosts. Then one of
the seraphim flew to me, having in
his hand a live coal from the altar.
And he touched my mouth with it
and said: Your iniquity is taken
away. And your sin purged (v5-7).
Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying: Whom shall I send.
And who will go for US. Then
I said: Here am I, send me (Isa 6:8).

Lord, we praise You that You are
Sitting on the Throne. And by faith
I proclaim that You reign over all.
You are In Control and everyone
and everything is subject to You.
When my faith is weak and I am
tempted to despair, because
of challenges, remind me that
You are still in charge. Give me
a fresh vision of Your kingship
over the whole world. And I ask
for Your protection for all mankind
& especially Your children. Amen.

Lord, as I sense Your holy presence,
I am aware of my own unworthiness.
That makes me even more grateful
for how much You sacrificed for us,
so that I can come to Your throne to
find mercy & grace in time of need.
Touch me and purify me, and help
me to separate myself from all that
is unholy and unpleasing to You.
And help me have a tender heart
to respond positively to Your plan
so that I’ll do the good works that
You have prepared for me. Amen.

I, the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard My people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night
I will make the darkness bright
Who will bear My light to them
Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord; Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go Lord; If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart!

Christ Jesus Paid It All

What do u do when pastor rambles
on too long? Elvina Hall wrote a
hymn (1865). Seated in the choir
at the Monument Street Methodist
Church Baltimore, she wrote the
stanzas on the flyleaf of the hymnal.
The composer of the well-known
tune was John Crape, the organist
and choir director of the church.
He had called the tune “All to
Christ I Owe”. It was the pastor
George Schrick who put the words
and tune together, and she added
the chorus to fit with his tune title.

Lord, Grateful You Make Us Clean:
Even though you make
many prayers, I will not hear,
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves, make yourselves
clean… Cease to do evil, learn
to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke
the oppressors (Isa 1:15-17).
Come now, and let us reason
together, says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse & rebel, you shall
be devoured by the sword (v19-20).

Lord, what an amazing promise
that You are willing to cleanse
any and every kind of sin. No act is
too awful, too big, too outrageous.
Even that sin, that unspeakable
thought, motive & act is forgiveable.
What an incredible Saviour You are!
Thank You for dealing fully and
finally with our sins. Thank You for
forgiveness in Christ’s name, Amen.

Lord, we’re grateful for Your Grace.
Nothing stains quite as sin, for
it not only leaves a stain in our
heart but a residue in our minds.
By Your grace You don’t just forgive
our sins, You banish them; the stain
is removed & the guilt taken away.
We are fully clean by Your grace.
O what joy Your grace gives us
merciful God! We can never really
thank You and praise You enough.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, Thank You that You do not
see my sins, rather You see me
righteous because of the work of
Your precious son, Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Your loving kindness &
I want to eat the good of the land.
Help me reason with You & really
appreciate Your love and mercy.
Help me follow the Holy Spirit
so that I will remain obedient. And
Help me have deep gratitude to
You for Jesus Paid It All. Amen.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
-some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken anything
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to seek and save those like him
who are lost (Luke 19:8-10).
The multitude of disciples began
to rejoice and praise God: Blessed
is the King who comes in the name
of the Lord! Some Pharisees…
said: Teacher, rebuke Your followers
for saying things like that! (Jesus)
replied: If they kept quiet,the stones
would burst into cheers (v39-40).
Jesus entered the Temple & began
to drive out the people selling
animals for sacrifices. He said:
The Scripture declare: My Temple
will be a house of prayer (v45-46).

Lord, You reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You Lord for seeking and
saving all those who are lost.
Open our eyes to the despised that
we might see them and reach out.
Help us to look beneath the surface
to the person created in Your image.
Help us have burden for the lost and
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, thank You for tender mercies
and great sacrificial love for us.
Grateful for the Holy Spirit and
Your Word that teaches & guides us.
We just cannot be quiet and keep
our love for You hidden within us.
Just as Your disciples called out
Your name, we will also praise You
for we serve a really amazing and
wonderful Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lord, You want Your church to be
a people of prayer; and not just
supplication, but also adoration,
confession and thanksgiving.
Forgive us for being distracted
and neglecting prayer in both
our personal and community life.
Restore us to spiritual awakening
and grant us a heart of prayer for
the lost; for people need the Lord.
In Christ’s name for His glory. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the gospel of Luke
is to present an accurate account of
the life of Christ and to present Him
as the perfect human and Savior.
This week, we see Christ modelling
compassion, care & faithfulness;
and the importance of sharing the gospel & furthering kingdom of God.

On Mon, we learn from Lk 10 that God Gives Authority to Witness.
On Tues, we learn from Lk 11 that
God Answers Persistent Prayers.
On Wed, we learn from Luke 14
that Christ Models Compassion.
On Thursday, we learn from Luke 17
that Christ Urges Faith & Gratitude.
On Friday, we learn from Luke 19
that Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost.
On Saturday, we learn from Luke 22
that Christ Cares for His Disciples.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy to be Praised
as You Give Authority to Witness
as well as Seek & Save the Lost;
For You are Worthy of our Thanks
as You Christ Models Compassion
as well as Cares for His disciples;
For You Urge Faith & Gratitude as
well as Answer Persistent Prayers.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Christ Cares for His Disciples

Backgrounder to Luke 22-24:
Luke provides a full account of
the arrest, trial and crucifixion of
the Son of Man. He describes the
plot of Judas, the warm fellowship
of the Last Supper, the mental
anguish at Gethsemane, the tragic
denial by Peter, the miscarriage
of justice at the trials & the brutal
agony of the Roman execution.
But the dark days give way to
the first Easter morning when
angels announce: He’s risen.

Lord, we will be In Your Presence:
Then Jesus & the 12 apostles sat
together at the table. Jesus said:
I have looked forward to this hour
with Deep Longing, anxious to eat
this Passover Meal With You before
my suffering begins (Lk 22:14-15)
And the Lord said: Simon Simon!
Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat.
But I have prayed that
your Faith May Not Fail. (v31-32).
(Jesus prayed): Father if you are
willing, please take this cup of
suffering away from me. Yet I
Want Your Will, not mine. (v41-42)

Lord Jesus, You’ve done so much
for us; yet sometimes we think
we have nothing to offer You.
The thought that You Long for my
friendship is quite overwhelming
and You have given me so much.
Grateful that You want to be with me
& I also love to be in Your presence.
Draw me Lord to devote a portion of
each day to commune with U. Amen

Lord Jesus, I pray my Faith Will
Not Fail when I am put to the test.
Help me Lord to resist doubt
and fear so that my foundation
will be built solidly in Christ
and therefore will not crumble.
Enable me to be a person who
can strengthen the faith of others
because my Faith In You is strong.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

O Jesus, thanks for obeying Father’s
wish that night at Gethsemane.
Sometimes we need to be reminded
that we shld share in Your suffering
just as we like to share in Your joy.
Realise Lord the road You choose
for me will not always be easy.
Help me remember that to love You
is to obey You; and help me Choose
the Father’s Will in my life. Amen.

Christ Seeks & Saves the Lost

It is now in the final week of Jesus’
earthly life. In the city of Jerusalem,
there’s excitement of the feast days
-some preparing to welcome a King,
while others preparing for execution.
Jesus draws battle lines by driving
the money-changers fr the temple.
From then on, the religious leaders
double their efforts to trap Him.
Though His hour of anguish draws
near, Jesus continues the activities
that have characterised His ministry:
teaching, healing and affirming.

Lord, we will also Seek the Lost:
Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord:
Look, I give half of my goods to
the poor; and if I’ve taken anything
from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold. Jesus responded:
Salvation has come to this home…
And I the Son of Man, have come
to seek and save those like him
who are lost (Luke 19:8-10).
The multitude of disciples began
to rejoice and praise God: Blessed
is the King who comes in the name
of the Lord! Some Pharisees…
said: Teacher, rebuke Your followers
for saying things like that! (Jesus)
replied: If they kept quiet,the stones
would burst into cheers (v39-40).
Jesus entered the Temple & began
to drive out the people selling
animals for sacrifices. He said:
The Scripture declare: My Temple
will be a house of prayer (v45-46).

Lord, You reached out to Zacchaeus
even when others despised him.
Thank You Lord for seeking and
saving all those who are lost.
Open our eyes to the despised that
we might see them and reach out.
Help us to look beneath the surface
to the person created in Your image.
Help us have burden for the lost and
befriend those seeking You. Amen.

Lord, thank You for tender mercies
and great sacrificial love for us.
Grateful for the Holy Spirit and
Your Word that teaches & guides us.
We just cannot be quiet and keep
our love for You hidden within us.
Just as Your disciples called out
Your name, we will also praise You
for we serve a really amazing and
wonderful Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lord, You want Your church to be
a people of prayer; and not just
supplication, but also adoration,
confession and thanksgiving.
Forgive us for being distracted
and neglecting prayer in both
our personal and community life.
Restore us to spiritual awakening
and grant us a heart of prayer for
the lost; for people need the Lord.
In Christ’s name for His glory. Amen.

Christ Urges Faith & Gratitude

With His gaze fixed in Jerusalem
and the consummation of His
earthly ministry, Jesus intensifies
His final training of the disciples.
Stewardship is the central theme,
for the disciples will soon be
entrusted with the message of
the gospel. Jesus outlines the
duties of a servant & underscores
the importance of prayer.

Lord, we will Pray With Faith:
And the apostles said to the Lord:
Increase our faith. So the Lord said:
If You had faith even as Small
as a mustard seed, You could say
to this mulberry tree: May you be
uprooted and thrown to the sea,
and it would obey you (Luke17:5-6)
Then as He entered a certain village,
there met Him ten men who were
lepers, who stood afar off (v12).
So when He saw them, He said
to them: Go show yourselves
to the priests. And so it was that
as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them when he saw he was
healed, came back, praising God
in a loud voice (Lk 17:14-15) Amen

Sovereign God, grateful that Your
Spirit will give us the necessary
faith and we need just to act upon it.
Help us to pray with perseverance,
trusting You to move even things
that look immovable and impossible.
For after all faith comes from looking
at God and not at the mountain.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for the many
blessings You have bestowed
upon my life. I praise You especially
as my healer; and thank You for
the times You have miraculously
healed me in the past and will heal
me in the future. Thank You that
even as I praise You now, Your
healing presence is penetrating
my life and making me whole. Amen.

Dear Father, I am very grateful
to You for so many blessings
received from Your loving hand.
Thank You Lord for forgiving all
my sins, for healing me many times,
for redeeming me from destruction,
for crowing me with lovingkindness,
for satisfying me with good things.
My heart is filled with gratitude
and I praise Your name. Amen.

Christ Models Compassion

With His gaze fixed in Jerusalem
and the consummation of His
earthly ministry, Jesus intensifies
His final training of the disciples.
The subject of stewardship is the
central theme, for the disciples
will soon be entrusted with the
precious message of the gospel.
Jesus outlines the duties of servant,
underscores importance of prayer
and models compassion for people.

Lord, help us Be Compassionate:
Jesus asked the Pharisees: Well,
is it permitted in the law to heal
people on the Sabbath day?
When they refused to answer,
Jesus touched the sick man and
healed him and sent him away.
Then He asked them: Which of
you doesn’t work on Sabbath?
If your son falls into a pit, don’t you
at once get him out (Lk 14:3-5).
So, He told a parable to those
who were invited, when He noted
how they chose the best places…
Those who exalt themselves will
be humbled & those who humble
themselves will be exalted (v7-11)
Invite the poor, the crippled,
the lame and the blind. Then at
the resurrection of the righteous,
God will reward u for inviting those
who could not repay you (v13-14).

Lord, forgive us when we follow
tradition instead of following You.
It is easy to get tangled in activities
and forget there are needs around.
Help us Lord to practice the heart
of Christianity: to love God and
to love others; and help us to be
Compassionate to those in need.
And help us to live in such a way
that others will see You. Amen.

Lord, help us to avoid exalting
ourselves or promoting our own
interests over interests of others.
Help us to choose to live humbly
and not allow success go to our
heads lest it results in pride that
can derail God’s work in our lives.
Lord we give You freedom to work
in & change our life for the better;
for being exalted by You is better
than exalting ourselves. Amen.

Lord, You always have a soft heart
for the poor, the hurting and those
who can’t fend for themselves.
Remind us Lord that we are children
of a caring God and that we really
ought to Reflect Your Compassion.
Prompt us Lord to help those who
are in need knowing that You will
reward us what we do on that day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God Answers Persistent Prayers

Seventy disciples are sent out
two-by-two with instructions to
heal the sick & say: The kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you.
Their enthusiastic return prompts
Jesus to rejoice in praise to God.
But confrontation is gathering.
Some attribute His miracles to
Satan; others clamour for more
miracles and Pharisees attack His
seeming disregard for traditions.
Jesus responds by denouncing the
religious leaders for their hypocrisy
and warns disciples to be watchful.

Lord, we’ll Pray with Perseverence:
Which of you shall have a friend,
and go to him at midnight and say
to him: Friend lend me 3 loaves…
Because of the man’s persistence
he will get up and give him as
much as he needs (Luke 11:5-8).
So I say to you, ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds and to him
who knocks it will be opened (9-10)
If you sinful people know how to
give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him (v13). Amen.

Lord, Your parable on Persistence
implies the key to experiencing You
is to ask persistently and press thru
the negative voices in our minds.
So, we purpose to keep asking and
persist despite lack of clear results.
Help us have great faith that prayer
works so that we can experience
& know You in a deeper way. Amen

Lord, You tell us to be persistent
in prayer: to keep on asking, keep
on seeking and keep on knocking.
Help us Ask with simple faith, like
a child asking father: simply trusting.
Help us Seek with determined
faith, ever so open and observant.
Help us Knock with persistent faith,
wanting to meet the face of God.
Even as we lift up our needs to You,
transform our hearts and let Your
desire becomes ours as well. Amen.

Holy Spirit, we really need Your
manifestation in need and ministry:
Your voice, Your touch & Your Power.
Fill us as we yield to You for more of
the nature of God, the overwhelming
sense of His love and of Your power.
Flow freely O Spirit freely to us, in us
and through us so that there will be fruitfulness & lives be transformed.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.