Dear Doves,

Christ obeyed the Father. He did not go about doing whatever he wanted to do. Like the centurion who had such faith that he knew Christ could just order the healing of the centurion's relative for it to happen, Christ likewise knew that the Father would reward His faith and obedience when he called Lazarus back to life and healed the lame and blind.

We likewise are to obey Christ in all things. We are not free to do whatever we please. With our rebirth experience came the responsibility to obey the commandments of our Saviour. Above all we have to turn away from all forms of self-love and self-centeredness that take our thoughts and prayers away from the will of Christ in our lives. We should strive to let Christ use us as His instruments of good.

We should seek for opportunities, both externally and internally, to provide the help others need to turn their lives in the same direction as ours as we seek to do the will of God in our lives. Inner thoughts and prayers count. What others can see is probably of much less value spiritually compared to what we do, say and think in our private moments when only we and God can hear and see.

We need to pray for those who are lost and will be excluded from the rapture of the Church. The scoffers, skeptics, atheists and lukewarm believers are everywhere. Remember that  many of us who are believers would be like them were it not for God's grace. Let us take a few minutes now for a short prayer for those unbelievers who are not watching or waiting for the rapture.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please look down on those who are running away from Your love and hiding in the dark corners of the secular world, and send a clear and powerful message into their minds that compels their attention. Let the message of salvation by Jesus' death and resurrection reach them at last in a convincing and personal way that penetrates into their consciousness before it is too late, before time for them ends and they face judgment.

We thank You with every fiber of our being that You created and saved us. We thank You for Your lovingkindness and mercy to us all. We send joyful, appreciative and never-ending praise and glory to Your Name, Father, and to Your dear Son, our Saviour and the Holy Spirit Who guides us every minute of every day.

Maranatha.

Robert