The Lord’s Prayer in print a brief history It is thought that Lord’s Prayer first came into print with the publishing of the Gutenberg Bible, which was developed between 1550 and 1555 in Germany, the prayer featuring in Matthew 6:9-13, and Luke 11:1-4. This was the first work of the Gutenberg printing press, and around 180 books were printed. The method used was a combination of Gutenberg’s revolutionary alloy type molds, with a new sort of ink (one which was made from made from oil rather than water based) printing on paper. (The idea of paper had been “imported” from the Chinese, via the Arabs). The first printed version of the scriptures in the English language came with William Tyndale. In 1525, Tyndale began work on a translation of the New Testament. He then later completed an Old Testament translation, and it was these works that would become the basis for the publishing of the “Great Bible” in 1539. Two other versions in print were to follow – the Geneva Bible (popular amongst lay people) and the Bishops Bible (1568). However, the Church of England felt that these versions were ultimately flawed because the texts did not square with the organisational leadership structure of the church (one of ordained clergy). To correct these (and other) problems from earlier versions, in 1604 King James of England convened the Hampton Court Conference, and commissioned what was to become the Authorized King James book of the bible, published in 1611. This was a landmark achievement and is still considered by many Christians to be the definitive version of the scriptures. It is this version that forms the basis for the traditional Lord’s prayer, found in Matthew’s Gospel. It should be noted that this version includes the doxology (“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”), words which are omitted in the Catholic version of the prayer.Read more at: https://www.lords-prayer-words.com/commentary/printable_lords_prayer.html
Purpose, Living the Vision God Set You Apart For
(Doing My Part to Fulfill Jesus’ Vision for His Church) pt.5
All Scripture taken from the New Living Translation
We are back in our series on, “Living the vision God set each of us apart for.”
Two weeks ago, we took a different approach to this kingdom vision, and we looked at Jesus’ vision for the church…
And His vision was given to the disciples during the last supper the night He was betrayed…
It’s a fascinating section of teachings we see in the Gospel of John chapters 13 -17.
During this time, He gave a new commandment that we are to love each other in the same way He loves us…
But even more than that, Jesus prayed for unity to be in the church…
That we would be unified so much in our relationships within the church that it mirrors the relationship between the Father and the Son… God and Jesus…
Jesus said unity in the church would prove to the world that God sent Him to the earth to reveal to mankind the goodness of His Kingdom!
Nothing is more valuable to God than His church… We are His bride… His body… His flock that He shepherds… Jesus gave His life up for the church!
John 17:20-21 – “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one, as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe you sent Me.”
In this section of teachings Jesus said (John13:35) that our love for each other will prove to the world that we are His followers…
Unity in the church is proof to the world that Jesus is the Son of God…
And one day, we will each stand before Jesus and give an account for how we represented His Kingdom here on earth…
So, what can we do, or how do we, as a community of believers, fulfill Jesus’ vision of unity for His church?
Since God paid the highest price for the church… He wants it protected… Especially from the damage caused by division and conflict…
We are to do everything we can to preserve the unity… Protect the fellowship… And promote harmony within the church…
This is a topic that should be important to us, because this is a fight against the gates of hell itself!
So how can we work together at promoting, and keeping unity in the church?
Romans 14:19 – So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
NKJV – Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
Aim, pursue, focus on… Live for… Harmony in the church… That which promotes peace… And build each other up… Encourage one another…
This means we are to give our full attention… That we are to be dialed in to this kind of lifestyle within the church…
And when this has our full attention to the family of faith, it will spill out into our worldly relationships… The workplace, family, community, strangers, etc.
All of us are in different places in life… We all come from different backgrounds, cultures, upbringings…
Some are struggling in areas that others are not… Some may be wondering why the world is saying one thing, but the Bible says something just the opposite and confusion is setting in….
But the one thing we all have in common is Jesus… And we all face the tension of the Gospel of Jesus… the tension that often comes with the message of truth…
And how do we navigate through these tensions as challenging as they may seem at times…
Aiming for harmony and building each other up is the experience needed so we can navigate through the tension of becoming the best version of who God created us to be!
Romans 14:1 – Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
There was conflict in the church in Rome about personal convictions and whether others were doing things the way they ought to in the church (Eating meat offered to idols… What days should be counted as more holy than others…)
Some who were newer to the faith were struggling as convictions in certain areas were causing confusion…
In the context of promoting unity if I could unpack this verse a bit, I would live it out as such…
Don’t argue with fellow believers over convictions they might not share with you.
Remember, everyone has a story, and everyone has things they struggle with more than others… So we ought to be spiritually sensitive to that…
Gentleness, kindness, goodness, edification, encouragement… Building others up.
This is how we fulfill our role in promoting unity in the church…
Loving on those who don’t see things the way you do because we’re all in this together!
1 Corinthians 1:10 – I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
The Apostle Paul worked hard to promote Jesus’ vision for the church… In all his letters he promotes harmony and unity in the church…
Remember, a unified church that aims to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose is unstoppable!
One of the greatest damages to the church is when we bring worldly values in.
James 4:1-3, 10 – 4 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.; 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
How much arguing is happening right now over worldly values that have crept into the church?
Fighting that comes from the evil desires within a person… Instead of allowing the transformation of God’s Holy Spirit to change us into the person He created us to be…
Our sinful nature fights for us to stay who we think we should be, and it causes us to lust after what we don’t have…
This in turn causes us to scheme for what we want… fighting for what others have… All for the sake of pleasure…
It seems our current culture is more focused on how we feel as individuals, so we interpret the Scriptures through the lens that fits our narrative…
We’ve become a culture addicted to being right… Fighting for worldly values… The promotion of self is often the drive behind these values.
Look how divided we are as a people… Divided over memes in which the sole purpose is to pit ideologies against each other… And it’s working!!
Instead of meeting someone where they are at and getting to understand them…
We don’t understand why they don’t think the way we do… This is divisive!
We are fighting for change in the world around us…
But truth be told they only way for true change to take place is to repent and turn our hearts toward God!!
If we allow the truth of the Scriptures to challenge us, we will be a better person for it!
In the Gospel of John chapter 18 when Pontius Pilate asked Jesus if He was indeed the king of the Jews… Jesus said, “My kingdom is not an earthly Kingdom… My Kingdom is not of this world.”
Church, Jesus didn’t come to choose sides… He came to take over!
When He died on the cross, He took the keys of death back and will one day return to set up His Kingdom here on earth!
This means that I… Those of us who follow Jesus… This means that we represent a Kingdom that is not of this world…
Therefore, we need to rise above the earthly actions that are driven by the evil desires of our sinful nature…
We live in both the natural and supernatural realms… We are subjected to and operate on the daily within the confines of an earthly kingdom…
But we serve a God who gives us access to His Kingdom, and often invades our natural realm with the supernatural power by which He functions out of.
The Apostle Paul, when instructing a young man by the name of Timothy…
Timothy pastored a large church in the city of Ephesus, and here’s what Paul teaches…
2 Timothy 2:23-25 – … Don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who
oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.
How do we promote unity in the church?
Don’t get involved in foolish arguments… Is it worth it, is it really that big of a deal to be right?
Because the Bible tells us to be kind to everyone… Be able to teach… Be patient with difficult people… And gently instruct those who oppose the truth…
And perhaps, the result will be a willingness to allow God to change their hearts…
I hear the words of Jesus in there, “Love others as I have loved you.”
God judges… Jesus loves… And the Holy Spirit convicts… If we are to represent Jesus in all we do… Then our role is to love… And to love is to promote unity!
The point I’m trying to make is that it does no good arguing over what we are called as Christians to speak up for…
We are called to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… We are called to defend the defenseless… We are called to care for the poor, the sick, the imprisoned… We are called to seek justice when injustice takes place…
So, let’s find ways to make a difference through our actions, while at the same time living peaceably with others, promoting unity in the church…
Because this is the proof that God sent His Son into the world to reveal the love He has for mankind!!!
Galatians 6:10 – Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to those in the family of faith.
Colossians 3:14-15 – Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
In closing…
Isn’t it true that we’re all looking for the perfect environment… The ideal group of people to do life with?
And when a church doesn’t measure up to those ideals, we move on to another church… And guess what… It happens again…
It’s easy to get discouraged when something we’re looking for doesn’t exist this side of heaven…
Being connected to a church family is what real family… Real fellowship is, the way God intended it to be…
People bringing all their life’s experiences to the table and doing life together…
Helping each other out… Building each other up… Looking beyond each other’s faults…
And the one thing we all have in common is our love for Jesus and our love for unity… Our love for each other is what keeps us connected…
With all its faults… Failures… And mistakes… Jesus loves His church with a passion that will see us into eternity…
And so we too, must passionately love the church in spite of all the imperfections…
There is a healthy tension when it comes to a church family… All of us together doing life in this thing called Kingdom living…
As we learn to love each other at all the different stages each of us are at in our walk with Jesus…
This unconditional love for each other is how we grow more and more like Jesus!
And I’ll say it again… Because this is the proof that God sent Jesus into the world.
I want to end today’s message with this passage…
Romans 12:14-18 – 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
Calling God
Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while.
I need a friend who’ll listen
To my anxiety and trial.
You see, I can’t quite make it
Through a day just on my own.
I need your love to guide me,
So I’ll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they’re bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day
And not to worry over things
I can’t change in any way.
I thank you God for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You too,
And I’ll call again tomorrow!
The Lord’s Home Run
Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team.
The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named “Love.”
Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because “Love never fails.”
The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.
The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch.
Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws.
The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His starplayer. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Freddy said, “He sure doesn’t look like much!”
Satan’s whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he there was no way he could lose, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! However, Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by.
He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence for a home run!
The Lord’s team won!
The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get on base but couldn’t win the game. Freddy answered that he didn’t know why.
The Lord explained, “If your love, faith, and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith, and Wisdom will get you on base, but only My Grace can get you Home.
“For by Grace are you saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11
Inspirational Stories Garden at God’s Little Acre
Taxi Driver
– Author Unknown –
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. It was a cowboy’s life, a life for someone who wanted no boss. What I didn’t realize was that it was also a ministry.
Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, made me laugh and made me weep.
But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night.
I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory in the industrial part of town.
When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.
“Just a minute”, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
“Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
“It’s nothing”, I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated”.
“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me the address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly. “Oh, I don’t mind,”she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice”.
I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered.
“There are other passengers,” I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware–beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
