Daily Treasure

“Meanwhile the apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.  And the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.  No one else dared to join them, though everyone had high regard for them”  (Acts 5:12-13 NLT).

Maybe you’ve invited your friends and family members to church until you’re blue in the face.  Quite possibly your neighbors known your worship service times as well as you, since you’ve asked them to attend for the past several years—weekly.

But you still don’t see them in the crowd on Sunday morning?

Trust God.

The apostles had to.  They had to believe God was working behind the scenes, even when they saw no evidence of it.

You do, too.

Your commitment level is noticed by those not committed to Christ.  Your dedication to your house of worship is affecting others.  Your dedication to God and His ways has a ripple effect that goes far beyond the walls of your house.

People are noticing.  People stand in admiration.  And when they come to Christ?  They’ll be wishing they’d have listened to you sooner.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Master’s Men Disaster Relief Efforts as well as other groups working in the aftermath of tornado destruction in Oklahoma.

“It is God’s privilege to conceal things, the kings privilege to discover them”  (Proverbs 25:2 NLT).

A friend challenged me to read the book,  A Nickel’s Worth of Skim Milk, by Robert J. Hastings.  It’s an account of a local author’s childhood during the Great Depression—very fascinating…and humbling.

I’m convicted by the writer’s family’s frugality.  I’m amazed by their tenacity.  I’m awed by their ability to use up, make do or do without.  But what really caught my eye, what really made me stop and reread a paragraph, was what happened during a hail storm in 1930.

The book is not listed on the religious reader’s list—no Scripture references (none in the pages I’ve read so far).  But is this not a challenge to our Christian walk?

“…After a quick survey of the damage, Grandmother Gordon, who had prayed aloud during the storm, quietly gathered hailstones from the backporch and made herself a cup of ice water…”

Today’s verse speaks of discovering things concealed. Things that have been hidden from sight and require attention to detail in order to recognize.  Things that in quick glances are probably not noticed.

Like blessings.  Like God’s hand.  Like hailstones.

Are you praying through your storm?  Are you choosing to see God’s daily graces?  Are you ‘gathering up broken limbs from the storm and building a bonfire’ or awaiting the storm’s end because you know there will be a rainbow?  Are you making lemonade out of lemons?
Or enjoying a glass of ice water made with hailstones?

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray that students attending church camps this summer would surrender their lives to the Lord. Pray that many will hear and follow His call into ministry.

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not  revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:17-18).

Today’s passage generates much debate. In previous verses, Christ posed the question, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? The disciples gave various answers; then Christ turned to Peter. In Matthew 16:16 we find the one who answered best. “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God..”  Many believe that Peter’s confession, which was revealed from Heaven, may have been the “rock” mentioned in today’s verses. Peter knew Christ and had experienced His grace. Thus his answer wasn’t revealed by “flesh and blood.”  Because the name Peter means stone, we can assume that his testimony would be one the stones of the foundation of the Church. Christ is the chief Cornerstone and all the forces of evil will never be able to destroy the Church.  This is true because of its firm foundation.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said—
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Praise God for the safe arrival of Aly

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Praise God for the safe arrival of Alyssia Jolyn Teague born May 30 to Joel and Lydie Teague (FWBIM, France). Pray especially for Lydie as she adjusts to life with both a toddler and a newborn, and prepares to speak at the WNAC Convention morning worship in Tampa.

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“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”(Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you really want to know what grace is, look at today’s verses. The NIV Study Bible states the following:

“A major passage for understanding God’s grace, i.e. his kindness, unmerited favor and forgiving love.  The word ‘saved’ has a wide range of meanings.  It includes salvation from God’s wrath, which we all had incurred by our sinfulness. The tense of the verb suggests a completed action with emphasis on its present effect. Through faith establishes the necessity of faith in Christ as the only means of being made right with God.  Not from ourselves denotes that no human effort can contribute to our salvation, it is the gift of God.”

All the credit for our salvation goes to God. He bestows His grace upon all who come to Him by faith.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for the Alfredo and Ruth Botello family, serving as Joint Project Home Missionaries with the state of Oklahoma and Free Will Baptist Home Missions. Alfredo serves as the mission pastor of Comunidad Hispana Bautista Libre Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).

Today’s verse reemphasizes yesterday’s focus. Paul stated in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” It is no wonder why Paul had such zeal in spreading the gospel.

I thank God that the word, “whosoever” includes both Jews and Gentiles. No matter our heritage, we can know salvation by grace.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Many VBS outreach programs begin this week throughout the U.S. Pray that many children within your community would attend VBS and come to know grace through salvation.

“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11).

The “they” in today’s verse referred to the Jews.  The Pharisees felt the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and made to obey the law of Moses.  Paul preached that God made no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles.  We are all sinners and all can be saved  from our sins by believing in His grace.

We are no longer under the burden of the law.  Even if we feel we are not worthy to accept the free gift of salvation, His grace is only a prayer away. God sent His Son as the supreme sacrifice for our sins.  Just believe and accept His mercy.  We may never understand such boundless love, but we can know and be grateful for His grace.

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Missouri Women Active for Christ, worshiping together at their annual state meeting today.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Our summer studies will revolve around the apostle Peter, his life and his writings. We find these words in the introduction to our June study:  “The Books of First and Second Peter reveal much about the grace Peter came to know—the same grace we can experience in our lives today.”

How much do we really know and understand about grace?  Within the June study, “Know,” may we become better acquainted with it. May we see through the eyes of Peter a vivid picture of God’s amazing grace.

This first week deals with “Salvation Through Grace.”  Consider these words from Dr. Robert Picirilli: “Grace is ‘the favor of God bestowed in salvation and contrary to man’s deserving.’”  All my life I’ve heard it defined as “the unmerited favor of God.” We didn’t deserve it. We can do nothing to earn it.

The Living Bible says this about today’s verse: “God paid a ransom to save you from the impossible road to heaven which your fathers tried to take, and the ransom he paid was not mere silver or gold, But he paid for you with the lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”  We are redeemed by His blood, free from the bondage of sin.  Judging from Peter’s writings, he “found favor with God through the suffering Savior.”  Today we can know this as well as we accept by faith “salvation through grace.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Debbie and Corbin Anderson (FWBIM—Cote d’Ivoire) are traveling to the States today and tomorrow. Pray for safety and good connections.