Caribbean Moravian Devotions

Today our Good Friday ended as it usually does – in silence. There was not the usual benediction. After the closing hymn, we all left the sanctuary in silence. It was a solemn moment and one that allowed us all to reflect on Christ’s death on Calvary for us. What a price!

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Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. Daniel 2: 20

The story of Daniel is quite an interesting one. He is praised by King Nebuchadnezzar as a wise man, yet when the king needs really wise men around him to interpret his troubling dream, Daniel is overlooked. It is the failure of the prized magicians that causes a death sentence to be pronounced upon all the wise men of the Kingdom, including Daniel. When he learned what was happening, Daniel went to the king to seek time to give him the answer he needed, then he went to his prayer partners who went with him to God. Note the sequence. He found out the problem, gathered like-minded people around him and together they approached God.

Continue reading "Praise God Who Hears and Answers Prayer."

If you follow the game of basketball then you know that March Madness is now if full swing. Whether it is College basketball, American type football or the NBA, thereÂ’s a group whose presence at the game is really important. They are usually the most excited whether the team is losing or winning. They make noise, dance and wave their pompoms. They never seem to be discouraged even if the game is not going their way. IÂ’m speaking about the cheerleaders. Their job is to ENCOURAGE the players. The coach strategizes the moves in the game while the players execute the plays. But it is the cheerleaders who keep ENCOURAGING the players even when the play didnÂ’t go as planned. WhatÂ’s more, cheerleaders not only ENCOURAGE the players but also try to ENCOURAGE the supporters to keep their enthusiasm especially when their team is not performing as expected. Imagine a game without cheerleaders! Our FF for today invites us to be like the cheerleaders and BE AN ENCOURAGER!

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While living in Barbados there was this particular gentleman who was on a personal crusade to reduce the noise level in the Barbadian society. Almost daily he would be on the call in radio programs lamenting the level of noise in the community. He would write newspaper articles bemoaning how people were being DISTURBED by the noise coming from carsÂ’ stereos, public address systems etc. Guided by his convictions he eventually formed the Society for a Quieter Barbados. I kid you not! One of their chief aims was to get legislation passed that would force citizens to lower the noise level in the country. I do not mean to counter the efforts of wanting to have a quieter community, but for our FF for today I invite us to CAUSE SOME DISTURBANCE!

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Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1

Churches today seem to be offering so many paths to true happiness. For some true happiness comes through financial well-being. For others it comes through doing good to others, especially those who are less fortunate, and far away. Still for others it comes through a particular denomination or a way or place of worship. We have been led to believe that if we follow he teachings of our denominations then all will be well with us. That should be so, denominational teachings have been known to move away from Biblical principles. TodayÂ’s text then is a pleasant reminder of what it truly takes to bring long and lasting happiness.

Continue reading "Happiness is Forgiveness."

Some weeks ago I was rushing to get to church on time and in my haste I didn’t realize that the pants leg was had gotten caught up in my socks. But as soon as I reached into the church yard and got out of the car, one of the mothers of the congregation came up to me and said, “Pastor, like your wife didn’t CHECK you over this morning.” I was wondering what she was talking about. Then she pointed out to me that I needed to fix my pants. I’m sure we’ve all had similar experiences when things were brought to our attention by others who took a look at us and in CHECKING realized that something was not where it was supposed to be. Sometimes it could be quite embarrassing depending on what it is that is out of place. Yet it’s always good to have people do a CHECK over. But some things could be avoided if at first we took just that time to CHECK YOURSELF FIRST. That’s our FF for today: CHECK YOURSELF FIRST!

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Today is a historic day for Moravians worldwide. We celebrate our 556th birthday. Yet thereÂ’s an ironic twist about the significance of this date. Today also happens to be the first day of retirement for Pope Benedict XVI whose resignation took effect yesterday. What is interesting is that the last Pope who resigned back in 1415 (Gregory XII) was the Pope who a few months before his resignation signed the edict for John Hus to be burned at the stake. The Moravians trace their beginnings to Hus. As the Cardinals seek to know the will of God in electing a new Pope and as we Moravians celebrate another year of bearing witness of the Gospel of Christ, our FF for today is a plea DONÂ’T LET THE GLOW GO!

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