Devoted - February 2024 - New Apostolic Church USA

New Apostolic Church USA

Devoted - February 2024

With the month of February, comes the beginning of Lent - a time of reflection, repentance, and preparation. Our theme for this month leads us to contemplate what it means to be devoted - a devoted disciple of Christ.

The word devoted, borrowed from the Latin dēvōt-, suggests to vow or dedicate oneself to a purpose; to set apart or consecrate; to apply oneself zealously or exclusively. What would our preparation for the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ look like if we became disciples who are dedicated to Christ zealously and exclusively, who set apart and consecrate time to reflect, repent, and prepare?

Each Sunday highlights various aspects of our devotion to Him: sharing the promise, praising the Lord, faith, love and hope, and interceding for others. Our midweek service on February 14, the beginning of Lent, will focus on "giving things up" - a key area of reflection in this time.

Contemplate these verses from Psalm 119 and how they connect with our theme, Devoted, in the weeks to come:

"Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You... Behold, I long for your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness."

Psalm 119:37-38, 40

He is coming!

Advent - a time of waiting and anticipation: "In Advent... it's the waiting that's hard, the in-between of divine promise and its fulfillment. Most of us find ourselves dangling in this hiatus, which in the interval may seem a waste of time... But the longer we wait... the more joyful our expectancy. With such motivation, we can wait as we sense that God is indeed with us, and at work within us, as He was with Mary as the Child within her grew." From "God is in the Manger" In this month of waiting, we will celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ - the King, the Son of God, the Giver of Mercy, the long awaited Messiah, the Immanuel, or "God with us," and the Christ, who will return to establish His kingdom. May you feel in your preparations, the wonder of Jesus' coming and lead your congregation into experiencing the presence of "God with us" on Christmas Day.

Thank God

This prayer of David continues to inspire our Season of Thanksgiving: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and glory, the victory and majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name (1 Chronicles 29:11-13). In the month of October, we contemplated the works of God in the past, present, and immediate future: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Now, in November, we turn our eyes to the events of our eternal future and express our thanksgiving to God for what He will do, as we continue awaiting Christ's return. Thank God: for His salvation for both the living and the dead, for His promised return as we continue readying ourselves, for His mercy as the kind Judge, for His care revealed in the continuing rhythms of this creation and His promise of the new creation, and for His time, a gift that we receive from His hand.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

This month's sermon theme focuses on how God is working in the world and in our lives... yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In this month, as we stand in awe of what God is doing, let us also join Him in His work, creating(10/6), renewing(10/20), redeeming(10/27), and uniting (midweek). We give thanks for His great works yesterday, we worship Him for who He is today, and we strive to join Him in moving the kingdom forward tomorrow.