Pray & Reflect With Us: Love Your Neighbor

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”’ Mark 12:30-31

God loves generously and super abundantly. He loves even though He gains nothing by loving. He loves not from any sort of obligation or need, but simply because love is good, and God is love.

We should love God. It is right and just for us to do so. God is our Creator. He is our Redeemer. He is our Sanctifier. He has given us more than we ever deserved and promises us even more in heaven. For us to not love God would be injustice. Loving God is our duty.

We have no such obligation to love our neighbor, except that God told us that we should. Our neighbor doesn’t create us. Our neighbor can’t redeem us. But our neighbor can sanctify us if by loving our neighbor with no expectation of reward, we learn to love as God loves — freely, selflessly, and abundantly.

Every time God puts a NEIGHBOR (person) in your life, He is giving you an opportunity to grow in love and become more like Him. When we love one another, the divine image shines more brightly within us. That is why Feed the Need Missions’ mission is to love our neighbors by feeding them physically and spiritually.

Strictly speaking we need to love our neighbor .

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Pray & Reflect With Us: Love

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

This short verse offers profound words. People do not wake up one day and decide to love (Romans 3:10). God is love, created love, and loved us first. We are not to take credit for the love we have and show to others. God loved us, before we were capable of loving Him, and we can only love others because of what He has done in our lives.

Love is not merely a mutual affection between us and God. It must also include love for others. This is the Great Commandment which involves loving God fully and loving our neighbor as yourself. This is why Feed the Need Missions exist. This teaching is also based upon the ancient Shema, (our sites learned about during Table Talk) from Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The same is seen in Leviticus 19:18: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

As we pray for you this February to love like Christ, will you pray for our staff and volunteers to continue to put Christ first in our lives so we can continue to love those we serve unconditionally? We appreciate you!

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PRAY & REFLECT WITH US: A NEW YEAR

It’s hard to believe that it’s already 2019! I always take some time during the last few days of the year to reflect on this past year, and come up with some goals for the year ahead. And since I know I’m not alone, and a few days late, I have a little trick for anyone who is having trouble coming up with a good New Year’s resolution…

If you haven’t thought of your 2019 New Year’s resolution yet, start by choosing one word from the list below that has the most significance for you. Think of what exactly that word means to you, and then form a specific resolution to focus on for 2019 based on that word:

– love
– joy
– peace
– patience
– kindness
– empathy
– goodness
– gentleness
– faithfulness
– self control
– steadfastness
– persistence
– service

Which word from the list above would you choose?

The word that I chose from the list was joy. My resolution is to plan more activities that bring me joy. I need to be better about enjoying life. Whether that means playing with my dogs, going to the park, trying out a new recipe, hanging out with the ladies, and going to conferences. I am going to make sure I take the time to have fun!

I am also going to spend more time learning about God’s word and what He has for me for 2019. I challenge you to also pick up your bible and just read a verse each day. Allow God to place the JOY in your heart by his word.

Happy New Year!

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Pray and Reflect With Us: Ordinary People

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8-14

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story is when the angels showed up in the field where the shepherds were watching their flock. I love it so much because God chose these average than average people to announce the biggest news the world has ever heard. Not only was Jesus’ birth the opposite of fancy, but the people who helped proclaim and spread this news were also just your typical shepherd.

Can you imagine just hanging out minding your own business and all the sudden a “multitude of heavenly hosts praising God” shows up? I am pretty sure I would have dropped everything I was doing and would have gone “with haste” (Luke 2:16) just like those shepherds did to find this baby.

What a wonderful and marvelous picture of God using ordinary people to make an impact for His Kingdom.

At Feed the Need Missions we are all ordinary people just trying to be obedient to the calling God has put on our lives. This Christmas, we hope you join us in praying that ordinary people, like you and I, will be used by God to spread His love, just like he did with the shepherd that night in Bethlehem.

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Pray & Reflect With Us: Thankful

Written by Christy Beyer

As I was sitting and reflecting how thankful I am, I realized I  mess this grace and gratitude thing up daily with all my distractions. I’m distracted and side-tracked, self-serving, self-seeking and so very undeserving. At the very least, I can offer up my humble thanks, my appreciation. The simplest prayer of gratitude for this Thanksgiving.

“Thank you for the hard moments, when I’m at the end of me, because only then do I see even more of You. Thank you for the courage to do it again, to be faithful when it doesn’t feel like enough, and when it doesn’t feel like it makes a difference. Thank you for truth that is bigger than my emotions.
Thank you for faith that is bigger than fear.”

May we give thanks for courage and for hope. May we give thanks for grace and for faithfulness, for truth and for beauty. May we thank Him for tomorrows and whatever amount of health we have, and for the smiles we get to see today. May we thank Him for all things.

He is faithful, friends. Always faithful.

And the very least we can be is thankful.

As we celebrate the upcoming holiday, may we find even a few quiet moments to offer up our genuine thanks.

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Pray & Reflect: A Heartfelt Thank You Note

I have several magnetic boards throughout my house displaying thank you notes from various people throughout the year. Recently, a friend commented on them and I realized while I walk by these colorful treasures each day, somehow they’ve faded into their surroundings. Many days my list is so long with the things I want to accomplish that I forget to be thankful for all the things I’ve been fortunate to do.

Like many of you, I began the year full of great ideas that I’ve yet to complete. I find myself feeling discouraged and if I’m being honest, a bit frantic to rush through this exhaustive list. Today, I paused long enough to open just a few of the notes I’ve displayed. As I was reading the heartfelt words of thankfulness, I realized I’m hardly slowing down enough to fully embrace and appreciate these wonderful opportunities I’ve been given. I’m doing them, sure, but then quickly moving on failing to appreciate the intricate way God has designed the opportunity to bless me.

I’ve been here before and I’ll be here again, but today I am resting in the certainty of Who holds the details of my life together. I am hearing Him say, “I’m taking care of the needs you don’t even know you have. Just stay focused on Me.” He’s holding all of us together in His sovereign grace; we just need to pause long enough from our hectic lives to recognize all that He is actively doing.

As we enter into the Fall season of cooler temperatures and watch the new beautiful landscape God is at work creating unfold, it may feel like you’re juggling more than you can handle. Remember that Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Renew your spirit of thankfulness in His grace and embrace Fall’s changes as a gift personally created for you. Pull out those wonderful thank you notes you’ve received and devour the words. I encourage you to reflect on all the good things you are accomplishing this Fall. These blessings may be a child safely tucked in a bed, a warm meal on the table, an encouraging word to your spouse or a friend, or a heartfelt thank you note that will become someone else’s treasure.

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Pray & Reflect With Us: When Disaster Strikes

As hurricanes, fires, mudslides, and earthquakes ravaged through countries around the world the last few years, many of us are re-evaluating our emergency preparedness. While food and water are critical in any disaster, they may not be enough. Recent research suggests that how you react both physically and emotionally during and after a natural disaster could make the most difference to your survival. – Disaster Preparedness Article

Personality, emotion, attitude, and how well people cope with adversity have more to do with survival than any type of equipment. Feed the Need Missions responds to catastrophe through immediate prayer and action. “We provide a hot meal, a listening ear and prayer,” says Jonah Beyer, President of Feed The Need Missions.

Natural disasters leave more than a path of physical destruction in their wake; they leave emotional scars for both survivors and rescue workers. While cleanup and restoration services can help with the former, the latter takes much longer to come to terms with. Catastrophe can strike anywhere at anytime. If disaster does reach you, struggle and pain are inevitable. But having a plan, and having that plan be second nature, will bring tremendous peace of mind. A preparedness plan will also exponentially increase your chances of making it through a natural disaster.

Feed the Need Missions has served over 70,000 meals over the last few years with our disaster relief efforts. God has prepared our way each time disaster has struck. As we move into the months of September and October where memories of fear and devastation lurk in Central Texas, we ask for your prayers.

The bible tells us “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you WHEREVER you go”- Joshua 1:9. Know that you’re not alone in your fear. Hold tight with us to God’s promise.

Help us be prepared for the unthinkable today.

DONATE TODAY

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month? Since 2011 Feed the Need Missions has served communities hit with devastating floods, tornadoes, fires, and hurricanes with a hot meal, listening ear, and encouragement.

Can you help us be prepared to respond to the next disaster and make a donation today? Your gift of $10, $25, or $50 will help us respond quicker and serve more people when disaster strikes.

While we never hope for a disaster, we know your support will help us be even more prepared to respond when disaster does come our way.

 

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Pray & Reflect With Us: Preparing For School

A couple of days ago, I was driving by the high school with my son when he realized that he’s not returning in August because he graduated in June. His sigh of relief did not have to do with homework, teachers, other students, etc., His sigh of relief was he did not have to worry about shootings anymore.

In another conversation, with another group, we shared our concern about the pressure of sexual bullying from upperclassmen with incoming freshmen.

Even though, these two instances are alarming, they do not begin to touch the surface on the issues within our school districts. There are alarming and disheartening things happening within the lives of our students every day. However, this is not a time for us to be discouraged, but rather a time for us to bring our concerns to the Lord Almighty.

Joshua 1:9 says, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

With this said, please be diligent in prayer for our students, teachers, school volunteers and all faculty members:

  • Pray that students have the strength and courage to resist temptations.
  • Pray that the Holy Spirit would bring peace and unity within the schools.
  • Pray that teachers and facility members will have endurance, patience, strength and wisdom to handle each situation.
  • Pray that each student, teacher, and facility member who calls on the name of Jesus will be bold in their faith to share the Gospel.
  • Pray that our schools become fertile ground for the Gospel that when seeds are planted they will produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.
    Pray for our country to allow God back into the schools.
  • Pray that each student and parent who comes to a Feed the Need Missions location would feel the love of Jesus.

Pray about how you can invest in the lives of students to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.

Lastly, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that we may proclaim it clearly, as we should.5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” Colossians 4:2-6

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Pray & Reflect With Us: Body of Believers

Summer is a time when many people go on vacations to different types of destinations around the world. Some choose the beach for the waves and sun, while others may prefer escaping to the mountains for scenery and a hint of coolness in the air. I for one, hope to one day make it to Muir Woods, an incredible forest of Sequoia trees. Sequoias are sometimes referred to as the largest living things on earth, reaching almost 250 feet in the air and living for as many as fifteen hundred years!

If we could talk to these trees (not saying you should try;), one may ask how is it that you can stand that tall for that long? I always expected the answer to be that Sequoias had vast root systems that could support the tree for the duration of their long life, but this isn’t so. Roots of Sequoias only reach as far down as 4 feet, which pales in comparison to what you see towering over the ground in which they grow. The reason these trees can withstand the tests of time is because they grow in groves. You see they are surrounded by other trees like them that protect and help them to continue growing and staying strong.

Just like the Sequoias, as Christians we need to be surrounded by other people to help us stay strong and grow in the faith. Our prayer for you at Feed the Need is that you would find a body of believers that can help you grow and remain in Christ without being tossed and turned by the winds and the waves that life throws at each of us every day. If you are currently involved in a local church thank Jesus for that. The church is the bride of Christ, and as such we are to love Him and represent him well. This is extremely difficult to do on our own, just like Sequoias we need others around us to help stay on the straight and narrow path that Jesus calls us to follow.

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PRAY & REFLECT WITH US: WELCOME SUMMER

Welcome Summer! Long days, reading in the shade, baseball, iced tea, sunshine — ’tis the season of unparalleled displays of God’s common benevolence.

Summer it’s also full of exciting opportunities for us to grow in the grace of prayer.
Did you know God’s grace is immeasurable, not seasonal? “…so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7. There’s not more of Him now than in January, but summer tends to open our eyes a little wider. We can see a little clearer. And this helps how we pray.

In other words, prayer is when we snap out of it. Out of the busyness, out of Facebook charades, out of our culture-imposed identities. Praying is the most real thing we do, and if summer is when we are most awake, then let it teach us how to pray. Let it invite us into deeper fellowship.

During your prayer time this summer, remember Feed the Need Missions and the families that we serve.

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