Acts 4:12 (Are You Saved?) by Mark Nelson

Welcome God today with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).

"There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." Acts 4:12 (full readings)

Mark's Reflections: Perhaps you've been asked before, "Are you saved?" Most often the asker has good intentions and truly desires to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we spend so much time in the book of Acts this Easter Season, I can't help but notice the passion and exuberance of the Apostles. Their lives had been CHANGED by a man named Jesus! They wanted to share how we too could be saved. I find myself asking if I have allowed Jesus to CHANGE MY LIFE recently? "Lord Jesus, reach deep into my heart, change me from the inside out. Allow me to know Your love and help me to share your love with those I encounter." Check out this beautiful song by Ike Ndolo called We Are the Beggars. "We are the beggars showing the beggars where to be filled..."
* Mark Nelson and his wife Tracy have a little boy and reside in Sioux Falls, SD. Mark has been a Youth Minister since 2004 and currently works for Holy Spirit Parish in Sioux Falls, SD.

Faith Challenge: Have you allowed the love of the Risen Lord to penetrate deep into your heart lately? Ask Him to do so today.

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: Feast of Divine Mercy "In 1931, Sr. Faustina, a Polish nun, had several visions of the Lord Jesus, in which He asked her, "Paint an image according to what you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I want the first Sunday after Easter to be named Feast of Mercy."

Counter-Culture News: LifeNews, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action &gt

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now. >

Feast Day: St. Catherine of Siena (d. 1380) "The value of her life for us today lies in her recognition of holiness as a goal to be sought over the course of a lifetime."

Faith Quote: "Merit consists in the virtue of love alone, flavored with the light of true discretion without which the soul is worth nothing." ~ St. Catherine of Siena

Peace of Christ,
Mark
Luke 24:32

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

1 John 3:23 (Holy Name of Jesus)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (website, Facebook).

"And His commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us." 1 John 3:23 (full readings)

Rich's Reflections: Today is the feast day of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, eight days after the birth of Christ. "When eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before He was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:21) This feast day was first celebrated in the 15th century as a celebration of Christ's naming and circumcision (a memoriam of the first shedding of the Lord's blood), but has evolved into the central feast of all the mysteries of Jesus Christ. Today we should take the opportunity to reflect on the power of the Name of Jesus revealed to us in scripture and in our lives. The Name of Jesus invoked with confidence brings physical healing (Mark 16:17-18, Acts 3:6, 9:34, 9:40). Jesus' name gives consolation in spiritual trials...try chanting Jesus repeatedly to yourself when tempted by sin, and you will be overwhelmed with a feeling of peace. His Holy Name protects us from satan for the devil fears the Name of Jesus. In the Name of Jesus we obtain blessings, for Christ has said: "If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it to you." (John 16:23) Therefore, we conclude our prayers with these words: "Through Our Lord Jesus Christ." Lord, may every knee bend at the sound of Your Most Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Faith Challenge: Don't be ashamed to speak the Holy Name of Jesus in public for His name has great power.

Counter-Culture News: LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action

* Story of healthy unborn twin’s abortion sparks angry backlash from Canadian twins

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). View, add, update Prayers on our website. Let’s pray now.

Feast Day: Most Holy Name of Jesus

Faith Quote: "Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary." ~ St. Bernardine of Siena

In the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rich
James 1:22

* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will & His miracles, changing us & helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!

* Save Unborn (& family): Abortion reality (images)…#1 death cause (23% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 & Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa

* Evangelize:Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Matt 28:19.

Comments? To subscribe/unsubscribe to the emails, go to LIFE Group Devotions or LIFE Runners Updates.

Philippians 1:6 (All Hallow's Eve)

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (archive, Facebook).

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (full readings)

Steve's Reflections:

* This past weekend I spent time in jail...as part of a Residents Encounter Christ (REC) weekend. It was the single most transformational retreat experience I have ever encountered. The 25 men and women who entered the retreat room (tiny gym) on Saturday morning were a broken mass of humanity. They all left the weekend knowing Jesus through many powerful miracles worked in their lives. Four were delivered from some very oppressive spirits. I watched a man ("Disciple" & "Hell's Angels" gang member, meth distributor, with a very dark spirit hanging over him) who was spiritually dead miraculously come to life before my eyes. The power of Jesus' name and the Holy Spirit set these men and women free. They truly were born again right before my eyes! In some cases they physically looked different. After years of believing the lies of the world and the great accuser (Satan), they experienced authentic peace and joy that the world can not offer. I feel so honored and privileged to have been able to spend time with them. In nearly 20 years of retreating I have never had a such a difficult time leaving a retreat as this past Sunday evening. I now understand why Peter wanted to set up tents on the mountaintop. Today's verse is my hope for these 25 men and women who were dead...but brought back to life through the saving power of the name of Jesus. They found not a physical freedom, but a Spiritual freedom that only Jesus can give.
* Although Halloween is mostly good clean fun for kids, some folks use it to celebrate evil. Evil is nothing to celebrate. This is really a perversion of the Truth about All Hallows Eve, which is a holy time to celebrate those who have gone before us in faith.

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Faith Challenge: Never doubt the power of the name of Jesus - it sets prisoners free!

Sr. Francelle's Devotion: America Belongs to God.

Counter-Culture News: 40 Days for Life (ends 31 Oct), LSN, Vatican, AFA, Priests for Life, Live Action.

* Teen Youtube Sensation Lia Mills Proves Personhood of Unborn in New Video.

Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP), Rich Reich (cousin Tom cancer), Carolyn McKissack (daughter Karen's health), Kathy Schwab (5 yr old Dalton cancer), Pat Castle (Election Prayer for Life).
* Steve Castle (for RECites who found Jesus last weekend - may they be protected/affirmed in their new found faith)

Feast Day: St. Narcissus of Jerusalem (died ~215 AD) Read about a Saint that lived over 100 years.

Faith Quote: "It's a miracle!" ~ RECite's first words as a baby Christian, the moment he was delivered from sin and oppression through the name of Jesus.

Through Christ Our Lord,
Steve
Romans 12:2