Ocala First Connection

Words to the church in Sardis:  ‘I know your works; you have a name for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is at the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Yet you have still a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. ~Revelation 3:1-6 Prayer: Pray that the Church would awake with passion and boldly stand up for the truth; proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Is not this the fast that I choose:    to loose the bonds of injustice,    to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free,    and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,    and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them,    and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,    and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you,    the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;    you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. ~Isaiah 58:7-9 Prayer: Pray that the Church would offer God true fasting and prayer and loose the cords of injustice, satisfy needs of the poor and oppressed; and for God’s glory and healing to quickly appear.

Wednesday  And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord ,    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord , and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. ~ Isaiah 56:4-7   Prayer: Pray that the Lord would reignite a sold-out passion for Jesus’ Name and glory, and that we would joyously become a Church that is a House of Prayer for all nations.

Tuesday "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that my name may be there for ever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time." ~2 Chronicles 7:14-16 Pray: Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to bring sincere repentance in our hearts for denominational/church competition and freedom from apathy, pride, and selfish agendas.

Monday-- Martin Luther King Jr. Day “The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” ~Dr. MLK Jr., from Letter from the Birmingham Jail Scripture: Micah 6:6-8 Prayer: Pray that the Church would come alive—walking with God in justice, mercy, and kindness—showing God’s love to the world.

God with us, God revealed in us, God come to us, Emmanuel: Long hidden within our heart's barren womb; Too often explained away by our mind's idol of reason; and so many moments kept captive in our soul's chains of doubt. Show forth among us, Bread of Life! Be manifest here this day, Cup of Salvation! Great God of the Epiphany, this day reveal your salvation to the poor who hunger for your nourishment, to the seekers who travel across deserts for your drink, to us gathered here, who desire you. Great God of the Epiphany, this day reveal your salvation Through the one who saves us, Jesus Christ, Amen.

  John 1 says,  "...and the Word (meaning Jesus) became flesh." In other words, God became human. Fully became human.   So why are our images un real when it comes to Jesus? For example: I haven’t been able to find any pictures of Jesus crying as a baby. Most of our images are of the peaceful, 'silent night' variety "The little Lord Jesus no crying he makes…." (from Away in the Manger) But what does this say? That Jesus was so holy that--even as a baby--he was the perfect sleeper and never drove his earthly parents to total exhaustion? Taken too far, it could lead us to think that children aren't allowed to cry in church... But John 11:35 says,“Jesus wept.”  There is no sin in crying. If he cried as an adult, I'm pretty sure he wept as a baby. What if the wise men traveled so very far only to arrive when the little guy was howling his lungs out? What if the three kings met the Word of God when he was teething? Wou...

Read Matthew 2:1-12 Three men making a journey. Following a star. Three kings traveling a long distance to witness the extraordinary existence of an ordinary child… Carrying gifts for the Christ . Three outsiders to the Jewish faith are allowed into the scene... (just like us) What light are We following?  How far have we been willing to move for God?   What do we offer to God? Our journey to the manger continues... (Giving our gifts of God)