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Justinian, the servant of Pontius Pilate, rose in the middle of the night to accompany his master to the private baths belonging to the Ponti family. He was used to Pilate not being able to sleep. It began sometime before Tiberius recalled him in anger from the Province of Syria over the Samaritan fiasco. It did not surprise Justinian when Pilate’s sleep problems continued here in Rome, even though Tiberius had died before they reached the capital. The hot bath waters often calmed Pilate enough to allow him to sleep some.

Torches were still lit in the bath house when they arrived. Probably another servant had left them burning in case Pilate came in the night. The fires heating the water were never allowed to go out. Pilate handed his towel to his servant as he eased himself into the steaming pool. When he was settled, Justinian sat down beside him with his tired feet in the water.

After a time of silence, Pilate looked up at Justinian, and the servant sensed that he was about to hear an ominous confidence. “Justinian, you have been with me all these years. And you know I have not been myself for some time.” Justinian was noncommittal in spite of the familiarity of his master’s tone. Pilate continued. “I need to talk about what has been bothering me. But you must promise that you will not utter a word of what I say, even if Caligula carries out Tiberius’s intention to put me to death.”

“You know that you can confide in me, Sir. I have been with you since your youth.”

“I know that. And I suspect you may already guess much of what I have to say. But you could not yet understand the seriousness of what I need to tell someone. And as the gods are my witness, if you reveal even a hint of it, you will wish you could have died a thousand times before you let anything slip.”

“Is it the same thing that has been plaguing your wife?” Justinian ventured.

Pilate winced and nodded. “I suppose it is. But even she does not know the extent of what I have been dealing with. I suppose you have discerned that the disturbance in my mind has little to do with the trouble in my career. I cannot stop thinking about that Galilean prophet.”

“Jesus of Nazareth, The King of The Jews.” Justinian quoted the title his master had fixed to the cross of the condemned man.

Pilate continued, “I had been observing him for some time. He puzzled me from the start. He basically ignored Rome even though attacking their conquerors would have made him more popular with the common people if that were possible. I sent many spies, some of them actually Jewish, to learn what he was about. They came back with the most preposterous stories of miracles that he had done. And yet he seemed to remain a simple man of the people, at least as far as I could see. He even did several things to keep his fame from spreading. Can you imagine that? 

“Until that morning when the Priests brought him to me, I had never seen him face to face. You may not believe this, Justinian, but I was shocked at his visage. He had an amazing dignity even after being flogged and mocked. He possessed innate authority like no one I have ever met. He was certainly the first prisoner I had encountered who did not beg me to spare his life. He seemed to be at peace with everything that was happening to him. I have worked with men, soldiers, and others, all my life. I never saw anyone who struck me like that man. I don’t know how many crucifixions I have witnessed since I first received my commission, and you were a common soldier. No one ever reacted to death like this Jesus. It did not even bother him that the priests had brought him to me because they were jealous. They could not have been around him without feeling they were inferior men. I certainly felt his superiority.”

At this Justinian sputtered a silent protest. Pilate ignored him in his reverie. “Even when the soldiers mocked him by plaiting the crown of thorns, and put on him with a royal robe, he looked majestic. While he was still preaching in Galilee, I told my wife that he was the natural ruler of the Jews. He embodied the righteousness they claimed to admire. When he was brought before me, I asked if he were really the King of the Jews. He asked if that was my conclusion or if I had heard it from others. I had never had a prisoner question me, yet I felt that I had to give him an answer. I had to defend myself before a condemned prisoner! ‘Am I a Jew?’ I asked. ‘Your own people delivered you over to me. What evil thing have you done?’

“He said his kingdom was not of this world. ‘So, you are a king,’ I said. He answered, ‘You have been calling me a king. I was born and I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to me.’ I need to tell you, that gave me pause. I thought about truth as opposed to expediency before Rome. I threw up my cynical defense, bitterly asking if anyone knew what the truth was.”

With this Pilate stirred in the bath and seemed to change the subject abruptly. “Do you believe in the gods, Justinian?”

“I am an old soldier, Sir. And I have become cynical of much that I have heard about them. But I suppose I believe in something beyond us, beyond the world.”

Pilate looked at his servant in silence for a moment. Then he looked away and said, “Through the years I seldom gave thought to the gods, or to truth for that matter. I was ambitious and practical, so I paid the expected homage. Of course, I would say, and I suppose I believed, the Roman gods were the true deities, even knowing that we stole them from the Greeks. I despised the petty gods of the provinces where I served. That was no less true in Syria. There I was disgusted with the hypocrisy of the Jews even though I eventually came to understand something of the depth of their laws.

“But when I went back out and declared to the man’s accusers that I found no guilt in him, they said something that stopped me in my tracks. One of the priests stepped forward and said, ‘According to our law, this man ought to die because he has made himself out to be the Son of God.’ Combined with everything else I had seen, this scared me. I went back into the praetorium and asked him where he had come from. And believe this or not, he refused to answer me. “I said, ‘Don’t you know that I have authority to crucify or to release you?’

“He said, ‘You would have no authority over me at all, if it were not given you from above.’ He was not referring to Tiberius. He was talking about his God! After that, I tried to release him. But there was no way I could do it. And I am haunted by the thought that I crucified the Truth. Nothing else has seemed important or even true since that terrible day.”

This story was drawn from Pilate’s encounter with Jesus in John 19:1-22.

Father, we ask you to bring us face to face with Jesus, your eternal truth.

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“‘I AM,’ He replied, as from the burning bush.”*

Baruch looked up in displeasure as Temple guards stumbled into his inn. They had never come in this early. He hated the fact that the tough guards had run off most of his evening business. And now, here they were in the morning. No other customers were in the inn now, so he decided not to tell them the inn was closed.

“Wine,” one of them said without the usual bravado of such guards. They shuffled back into the darkest corner of the room. Baruch carried flagons to them that he had filled from the dregs of mugs and a skin left from the night before. These soldiers had been on duty all night. They were evidently too upset about something that had happened on their watch to go to sleep without wine. Mac, the oldest in the group, said not a word as they entered. He did not look up when Baruch brought the wine. Baruch thought he might be in some sort of daze, but he certainly saw the wine. He took a long draft from his flagon, but still did not look at the innkeeper.

As Baruch walked away, he heard one of them called Zach say, “How do you explain what happened?”

One of the others shushed him. “This is dangerous business. If Caiaphas hears that we are talking about it, we will be dismissed, if we survive his immediate wrath.” Baruch avoided hearing more of the conversation even as he refilled their mugs.

Zach said, “What can we do? Someone is sure to tell him what happened.”

As he finished off his second flagon of wine Mac finally spoke. “The words that we heard that prisoner say mean something. He said ‘I AM.’ I mean he didn’t say, ‘I am here,’ or I am the one you want.’ He just said, ‘I AM.’ I have heard the words spoken like that somewhere before.”

“I know where they come from,” Timaeus, the lowest ranking of the men, said. “I thought I remembered. But just to be sure, I asked Jonas, a rabbi that I went to school with. He confirmed it. When God met Moses at the burning bush in the desert, Moses asked God to tell him His name. And the Lord said, ‘I AM!’ Then He said, ‘This is my name by which I am to be known forever.’ Was this Jesus of Nazareth saying he was God?”

Zach said, “That has to be nonsense. I mean, we wouldn't have thought anything about the words, if we had not seen three temple guards, a Pharisee, and one of his servants fall flat on their backs when this Jesus said, ‘I AM!’

Timeaus said, “He didn’t say it with any force. I wasn't twenty feet away, and I barely heard him.”

“That’s not right!” Mac argued, slurring his voice as if he were already in his cups. “He didn’t hit anyone, and his voice was not loud, but he spoke with force, a force I can’t explain.”

Zach asked, “Are you saying he spoke with the force of God when he said, ‘I AM’?"

Mac looked blankly at him for a moment. Then he said, “Do you have another explanation?”

Timeaus said, “That is impossible! He couldn’t be God.”

Zach agreed even though he was still stymied. “If he were God in the form of a man, could the others have arrested him?”

Up until now, Mac had not been sure there was a real god. He said, “I don’t know, but he had to be someone. Something happened out there in the garden.”

They did not drink until they passed out as the innkeeper had feared. As several others came in for a drink and a few moments’ rest, the Temple soldiers shrunk away as if they dared not let anyone see them.

This story was conceived from the account of the arrest of Jesus in John 18:1-6

O Lord, we tremble as you reveal yourself to us.

*From Whom Do You Seek, a poem in the book, I AM, by David Young.

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Dear all,

We are meeting on zoom on Thursday night 9pm Sydney time, only for 45 min to 1 hr. Let me know if you wish to join us to email you the zoom link

Prayer focus

Taliban is only a symptom but we are going to pray over all the tribes in Afghanistan and bind the strongman in every tribe (Muslim or not) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Afghanistan

We are going to pray over the highplaces, rivers and dams to destroy all satanic alters that was built there. We are going to destroy in the spirit the Taliban Government Structure in Jesus name. Amen

The Holy Spirit will guide us on the night how to pray more and what to pray for to deliver Afghanistan from the hand of Anti-Christ.

This call is for people who understand spiritual warfare and they are called to pray.

It is the Holy Spirit who will guide us to have the strategy how to pray and what to pray for with the God’s Army.

Please read Ps 91 everyday and put on the Armor of God

Exodus 14:15-16

God bless

Lilian

Lilian Schmid

Prayer Strategist and Coordinator

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Sydney – Australia

His studies for the day completed, Jan Hus made his way through the town square, singing for alms to pay for his lodgings and to cover his tuition at the university. Today he ambled from place to place sometimes singing only one hymn before changing his location. In addition to hymns he sang gospel choruses in the Cezch language and even a few folk songs. His Latin hymns were the most popular. He stopped in a likely place and let his strong voice carry through the open square. 

“Donna nobis . . .” He knew this might be his final opportunity to sing in the square. He was only a few weeks from graduation and then his ordination. After singing for alms in the market, he preached for a few minutes, declaring the gospel in the language of the people. Moving on from the appreciative crowd that had gathered, he noticed a young boy following him. He stopped a little farther along. When he finished singing there, the boy put a penny in his basket. 

Before the boy moved away Hus spoke to him. “Thank you, son?” 

The boy nodded. “This is not the first time I have heard you sing, but today I had a penny.” Jan fished through the few coins in his basket and found the boy’s penny.

“I believe such a music lover should be allowed to listen for free,” he said, as he returned the coin. 

“My name is Mik,” the boy supplied, stowing the penny in his satchel. “The priest sent you to our flat when I was sick. You prayed for me by name. I had never heard anyone say my name in a prayer. Until then, I didn't know you could pray in Bohemian.”

‘Ah yes, You are Michael Flynn. I thought you looked familiar. You are some distance from your home.”

“I was sent with a message for a storekeeper just off the square. That is how I got the silver penny.”

“But I am not the first to pray for you by name,” Hus said. “Jesus prayed for you. He said, ‘I do not just pray for the disciples who have followed me, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.’ That is us, Mik. Jesus prayed for you and for me.”

“But he couldn’t have known my name.”

“Oh yes. The Bible says he calls his own sheep by name. Can you read?”

“I have been to school some. I can read Czech.”

“Come with me to my quarters. I have translated some of The Gospel of John into Czech. I want to show you something in it.” 

Mik looked around him. “I can probably come with you if we don't take too long.” Jan led the way toward the University housing. The boy followed him up narrow stairs to a long hallway. They passed several others in the cramped space. Jan threw back the curtain at the doorway to his room. He lit a small lamp and searched his desk for several pieces of parchment. Finding what he was looking for, he held a page out to the boy. Mik stared at the page and struggled with the words. 

Jan let him read some before stopping him. “Read this verse.” He put his finger on a line. 

Mik read, “I have showed thy name to those men, which thou hast given to me of the world.”*

Jan said, “Not only does our Lord know your name, he is teaching us his Father’s name.”

Mik asked. “Is his Father’s name God or maybe Jehovah?”

Jan patted him on the back. “That is pretty good. I suppose those are God’s names in a way. But I don’t think that is what Jesus is getting at. Look down to another verse.” 

Mik read again where Jan pointed. “I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given to me, for they be thine.”

“Read on further,” Jan said. 

Mik continued to read, stumbling occasionally. “And all my things be thine, and thy things be mine; and I am clarified in them. And now I am not in the world, and these be in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given to me, that they be one, as we be. While I was with them, I kept them in thy name; those that thou gavest to me, I kept, and none of them perished, but the son of perdition, that the scripture be fulfilled.”

“Now,” Jan said, “skip all the way down to the final verse on this page.” 

Again Mik read where Hus pointed. “And I have made thy name known to them, and shall make known; that the love by which thou hast loved me, be in them, and I in them.” Mik looked up and said, “I don’t understand any of this.”

“To tell you the truth,” Jan answered, “I don’t understand much of this either. But what I am beginning to understand is important. Jesus is introducing us to his Heavenly Father. Do you know what your name means?” 

Mik answered, “I think it was the name of an archangel or something.”

“That is right, son. And it meant, ‘Who is like God?’ But when I prayed for you by name like Jesus prayed, I did not mean any written meaning. To me your name meant you, everything about you. Well, Jesus is bringing us into intimacy with God. His name is His person. Jesus is helping us to know himself and his Father personally. In Jesus we come to know God Himself. God’s name also speaks of His nature and character. By his life and his words Jesus shows us what God is really like. Your surname is Flynn. Your father gave it to you. So Jesus gives us his Father’s name.”

Mik said, “My father gave me both of his names.” 

Jan said, “That is like what God has done. We bear His name because we have become His sons. We are part of God’s family. We share God’s legacy with our Lord Jesus. And if you are a child of God you need not fear anything, not even death. As God’s name is clarified on the Earth, everyone will see His glory. By His Spirit our lives will declare His glory to others.”

Jan then said, “Mik, I want to give you this sheet with the prayer Jesus prayed for us written in Czech. I want you to memorize it. Read each sentence over and over again asking God to speak to you as you read. When you can say the whole passage from memory, come and find me. We will talk about what God continues to show us.” The boy was overcome by the gift. He carefully rolled the parchment into a scroll, and with a string unraveled from his shirt, he tied it securely. Jan walked him back down to the square. Starting for home, Mik’s mind was filled with wonder.

This story comes from John 17. 

*I printed these verses from Wicliff’s translation of the Bible. Huss was in correspondence with Wicliff.                                And he translated portions of the New Testament into Czech from Latin like Wicliff, rather than Greek.

Lord Jesus, continue to reveal to us the Name given you by your Father. 

Help us to know You more and more.

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Things were going well in the Macedonian city of Philippi. We had been frustrated as we traveled across Asia, not because the people opposed us but because the Spirit of Jesus would not let us enter any of the towns we came to. We passed through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia without being allowed to speak the word. Not knowing what else to do, we went all the way to Troas at the sea without telling anyone about Jesus. It had not occurred to us to cross the Sea of Aegeus to the strange cultures of the west. That night a man from Macedonia appeared to Paul in a vision saying, “Come over here and help us. We concluded that God was sending us there. So, we sailed as soon as we could find passage. 

Philippi was the first town we came to. We usually began our ministry in Jewish synagogues, but there was no synagogue in this city. We went instead to a river on the Sabbath hoping to find a place of prayer. Sure enough, we found a group of ladies who were pleased to listen to what we had to say. Among those who believed our message about Jesus was a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth, who came from Thyatira. Although she was not Jewish, she worshipped God and knew something of the law and the prophets. The Lord opened her heart to what we had to say.

After she and others including a number from Lydia’s household were baptized, she approached us and said, “If you have judged me to be a true believer, come stay in my home.” Her staff were pleased that we were quite as interested in telling servants about Jesus as we were anyone else. Lydia’s house became our base of operations. 

One day as we were going to the place of prayer on the river, a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, began to follow us. She brought considerable profit to her owners by fortune-telling. We were gathering a crowd, so her masters were willing for her to follow us. But she became more and more disruptive. For many days she followed us around shouting at the top of her lungs, “These men are servants of the Most High God who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” We prayed for her each night when we gathered with those who had come to believe. The crowds often laughed when she would cry out as we were speaking. Finally, Paul had had enough. 

He turned and said to the spirit, “I command you to come out of her in the name of Jesus Christ.” The spirit came out, and the girl fell unconscious to the ground. We gathered round her in prayer. As she began to wake, we helped her to her feet. Her owners were used to her causing a commotion with such drama, but they soon realized that this was different. They pushed us aside and shook the girl hard, demanding that she prophesy. Nothing they did was to any avail. When they were convinced that they had lost all hope of profit from her they turned on Paul and me. They dragged us to the magistrates in the town center. They were making wild accusations against us and stirred up a crowd before the city officials. The crowd decided the magistrates were too slow to act, although they had hardly heard the accusations of the men. The mob had torn our clothes off before officers got to us. The officers lashed us to a post and beat us mercilessly. Then they threw us into the dungeon. They warned the jailor to guard us carefully, so he fastened our feet in stocks. 

I don’t think either Paul or I were completely unconscious, but it was some time before we were able to speak. I had just begun to stretch some of my aching muscles when I glanced to my side. In the dim light I saw Paul about 10 feet away grinning at me with smeared blood on his face. 

“Are you enjoying yourself, Silas?” He asked. 

I tried to laugh. “Could you scratch my back?” There was nothing either of us could do to ease the other’s discomfort or even staunch the bleeding. 

Paul said, “Well, what do we know now that we are here?”

I said, “I’m not sure I know anything right now.” We began to talk about things we knew for certain in Christ.

“Do you know that we belong to Christ?”

I said, “We do.”

“Do you know that God brought us here?” Paul asked. 

By then I had gained a little perspective. “I know God brought us to this city.”

“Were we faithful to the word of our Lord?”

“Yes, Paul. We told the good news of our Lord Jesus to everyone we saw.”

Paul was quiet for a moment and then he said, “One of the first Apostles told me that just before Jesus was crucified, he said, ‘If you love me you will keep my word. I will love you, and my Father will also love you. We will come and make our dwelling with you.’ We know that God loves us, and we are not alone. Our lord Jesus and his Father are with us.”

I said, “But you have to admit that this has been difficult.”

“Yes,” Paul said. “This is hard. But remember, our Lord was crucified for us. That was much worse. He said, ‘In this world you will have affliction. But take heart I have overcome the world.’” 

Before long we noticed that the other prisoners were listening to us. These people had little hope in this world. We were speaking of hope from beyond the world. We talked back and forth for some time. Some of the prisoners asked us a question or two, but for the most part they just listened. We prayed for each one of them by name. We prayed for our jailer and for the magistrates and the slave owners who had beaten us and thrown us in prison. And we sang. The prisoners listened spellbound as we sang Psalms and songs about Jesus into the night. 

About midnight we had stopped praying and singing for just a moment. It was absolutely quiet in the prison. Suddenly the earth began to shake. The floor heaved beneath us. The gate opened with a crash, and our stocks were splintered into pieces. Of course, the jailor was awakened. He rushed into the prison terrified that we had all escaped. His own life depended on keeping his prisoners. Paul saw a glint of the man’s sword and knew that he was about to take his own life rather than die at the hands of the magistrates. 

“Do not harm yourself, we are all here!” Paul shouted. 

The guard called for a light. And when he saw all the prisoners he fell down before us asking, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He sensed the power in the dungeon and knew that he needed whatever it was that had changed the lives of the other prisoners. We told him to believe on the Lord Jesus and he would be saved. 

Having received solemn promises from the other prisoners who were already trying to repair the door to the dungeon, he brought Paul and me into his home and dressed our wounds. His whole household, awakened by the earthquake, listened as we told them about Jesus who had died for their sins. And we began to explain all that following Jesus would mean. They fed and clothed us, and all of them were baptized that very night.

This story was drawn from the words of Jesus in John 16:33 and 14:23.

Father, we give thanks for your peace in the circumstances we will face.

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Praying for the Sphere of Education in Australia 

https://prayerstrategy.org/pray-for-education-2021/

Lilian Schmid

Prayer Strategist and Coordinator

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lilianschmid@prayerstrategy.org

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Sydney – Australia

Charles Wyvern returned home early from a successful foray into the Carolinas. He had sold and contracted to ship goods in a hundred settlements along the coast. He had even managed to invest with several others in what would surely become a prosperous plantation. He was pleased with himself. In all his dealings he had managed to maintain the reputation of an honest tradesman, only departing from fair practice when he deemed it absolutely necessary. 

His servant took the carriage and cared for his team while he went into his home to relax. The word “home” may have been an exaggeration. The house was certainly spacious. It was well shaded. Open windows let in the breeze. Over time he had brought in comfortable furniture including a feather bed. A good well had been dug near the kitchen behind the house. But he had been too busy with business and travels to bother with taking a wife. Days before he had sent word to his servant to prepare for his return. But he was not tired and wanted some company. When Anthony, his servant, entered the house and poured him a drink, he asked him to saddle his little chestnut gelding. Taking the pony he rode through the busy streets smiling and saluting acquaintances. But when he came to the public house there were only two horses hitched to the railing. He stepped through the open doors and greeted the innkeeper. 

“Where is everyone today?” he asked, as he ordered an ale.

“Everyone is goin’ to hear Whifield,” he said. “I may close early and go along myself.” For some reason, this bothered Wyvern. He had to put up with all kinds of disruptions to his plans on the road. He did not expect them here in his own town. He of course knew of the popular preacher. The last he had heard, Whitfield was preaching to huge crowds in Philadelphia. This was hardly his first trip south. Even in the north he raised funds to build an orphanage here in Georgia. Charles asked another customer if Whitfield was preaching in one of the churches in town. The man didn’t know.

The innkeeper overheard and said, “No, Sir. They been postin’ handbills saying he’d be preachin’ from a big barn out on the west road. You may know the place. The barn is on the edge a wide grassy field.” Charles did know the place. It belonged to a man who refused to own slaves. Most of those were small landholders, but this man owned quite a bit of property. Charles finished off his tankard, went back to his horse and started home.

Whitfield was popular everywhere he went. Charles knew for a fact that the churches in London had closed their pulpits to him. He had then built his huge chapel on Tottenham Court Road and filled it day and night for weeks on end when he was in London. He was just as popular here in the colonies. Charles stopped by his house to tell Anthony to prepare a basket of food. He would go and hear this fellow himself. Anthony had not begun preparing anything, assuming his master would eat at the pub. Hearing that he was going to hear Whitfield, he asked if he could come along. 

“I have enough food and drink for us in the larder. And it wouldn’t take me long to harness your brougham.” Charles thought this might be good for his servant, so he agreed. As soon as everything was packed they started out. It took them over an hour to reach the farm where Whitfield was to preach. They heard the crowd singing hymns from some distance. The barn was actually on a smaller lane away from the West road. But there were already hundreds of horses and carriages along the main road. Still, from the size of the crowd he thought most of the people had to have come on foot. Some may well have come from quite a distance. Although it was still the middle of the afternoon, unlit lanterns surrounded the platform where Whitfield would preach. Charles had not thought about the meeting lasting into the night. 

He went straight to the shade of a large tree where a number of men were standing. Someone was smoking a cigar, though he could not see who it was. When Anthony had staked out their horse in a field across the road he came along to the same tree to be near his master if he were needed. 

When Whitfield began to speak even those who had heard him before were stunned by the force and melody of his voice. They had no difficulty hearing even this far from the barn where Whitfield stood in the open loft. His words echoed off the trees and canyons in every direction. He did not spend any time on pleasantries. 

“I have not come to you of my own volition. God has sent me here before it is everlastingly too late. I have not come to talk about politics or the weather. I have come at the call of God Almighty to talk to you about your soul.” From the very first word Charles was spellbound. As the preacher spoke of the holiness of Jesus, Charles began to realize that he was in a desperate condition. He had always thought he was a rather good man. He certainly knew men who were worse, at least in his opinion. But as Whitfield preached, Charles began to see himself in the light of the life of Jesus. He put his hand to his face and discovered that he was weeping. Whitfield had begun to tell a parable of a blind man stumbling along the edge of a cliff. Everyone in the crowd was there with him as he described the man’s predicament. As the man took his final step off the ledge, Charles Wyvern fell to his knees. He realized that he and all he knew of society was on that terrible precipice, soon to be plunged into eternal judgment. Unaware of others reacting in similar ways all around him, he cried out to Jesus who had died for his sins. The Son of God was his only hope.

It was dark and lanterns were lit across the field when Anthony, who had evidently been similarly affected, put his hand on Charles’s back. “Sir, let me help you up. Most of the people have left. I have harnessed the mare. If something like this had happened to anyone else, Charles would have said they were mad. He was not sure it was not true of him as well. All the way home he prayed and calculated the many things that with God's help must change in his life. From now on everything would be different because of what God had begun in him.

This story was conceived from John 16:7-11.

Father, break our hearts by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

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In John 17:19 Jesus said, 

“And for their sake I consecrate myself, 

that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Don’t these words sound strange? Jesus said He was sanctifying Himself for our sake. I would have thought His sanctification was completed before the foundation of the world. And while that may be true from the point of view of God who sees all things from beginning to end, sanctification seems to be an ongoing process in our lives. It is like being faithful or truthful. 

But surely the motivation for our Lord's sanctification was to glorify the Father. That is also true. But Jesus sanctified Himself for our sake as well. 

This says something about our prayers and ministries. The most important thing we can do to touch the lives of other people is to sanctify ourselves in the presence of God who is eternally holy.

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If you believe in the power of prayer, join grandparents throughout the world to make National Grandparents Day on September 12, 2021, a Day of Prayer for our grandchildren and their parents.

Today our nations are being attacked like never before educationally, socially, financially, and spiritually. As a result, our grandchildren live in a desperate moral and spiritual climate navigating in a world hostile to truth.  “The world is working diligently to assimilate our young people to its way of thinking. What a young person believes about gender identity, marriage, and sexuality has major implications for the child and the adult they will become. Scripture is the source the shapes our views about God and his world and must be the focus for worldview development. We take our principles and practice from God’s Word, not the world.” 1 

Many years ago, Queen Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Jews, when their physical lives were threatened. Today, grandparents can stand in the gap for the spiritual lives of their grandchildren and their parents just as Esther.

Grandparents who believe in the power of prayer can pray their grandchildren will not become casualties from falling captive to the enemy’s deception. We are engaged in a spiritual battle that requires prayer as a weapon. Christian Grandparents have an opportunity to imprint another generation with God’s love and faithfulness intentionally. 

Over the years, thousands of grandparents have united in prayer on the Grandparents’ Day of Prayer for their families. Again, Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN) invites you to participate in this movement to intentionally pray for our grandchildren, our families, and our broken world. 

In addition, would you take the lead to organize an event, calling grandparents to join in prayer on September 12? This event could be in your church, in your home, in a retirement complex, or any meeting location you choose. CGN provides step-by-step guidelines, resources, and online tools to help you create a successful event that will engage grandparents in prayer for your event.

Will you accept the challenge to join grandparents throughout the world to unite in prayer on September 12 for their grandchildren?

“One generation will commend your (God’s) works to another,they will tell of your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4

Check out our website for blogs, endorsements, testimonials, and promotional materials, and free downloads. www.grandparentsdayofprayer.comFor additional information, contact Lillian Penner, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

By Lillian Penner, Prayer Director, Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandpaarenting.net

1. Biblical Worldview, Dr. Josh Mulvihill, Renewanation, page 14,15

My father sent me to the market that morning. I was in no hurry. He left at the same time to sail for Athens on business. My mother and sisters left the week before to visit family in Troas. They took the house servants with them. I was the only one left at home. As I came near the market I saw a group of my friends going somewhere together.

Timothy, who was leading them, called out to me. “Jason, come with us! We are going to meet Paul and Barnabus. Have you heard of them?” I had not, and neither had the others in the group before that day. 

As I joined them, Timothy began to explain. “Barnabus and Paul are Jews like my mother’s family. They came to Asia to tell people about Jesus, who rose from the dead after being crucified.” I did not know what to say about this. He continued as we walked along, “They came to Antioch and told about Jesus in the synagogue there. The people begged them to speak again the next week. Evidently the power of God was with them to heal people in the town as they told about Jesus through the week. 

“Nearly the whole city showed up at the synagogue the next Sabbath. The synagogue leaders were jealous. They began to oppose Barnabas and Paul before the crowd. Still, many Jews and Greeks from the city believed what Paul and Barnabas taught about Jesus. I have heard that they intend to come this way and I am hoping they will get here this morning.” As we came to the edge of town we saw men coming toward us on the road from Antioch. Timothy called to them, certain they were Barnabas and Paul. Sure enough, they were the apostles. When they saw us they decided we were the audience they were looking for. They led us off the road and began teaching. 

We were all stunned at their message. They told us Jesus was the Son of the only true God. This was strange to our ears, but somehow what they were saying rang true. They did not sound like trained orators. That was part of why they were so convincing. I was moved as Barnabas spoke. There was no question that he cared deeply about us. I found myself hoping that what he said was indeed true. After Barnabas finished, Paul stood to speak. As he spoke about true righteousness and faith and the love of God, I fell to my knees and cried out for the forgiveness and grace bought for me by Jesus on a Roman cross. 

We all followed the apostles back into the city. We had not seen any miraculous signs while they preached to us on the outskirts of town. But I was not surprised when Barnabas prayed for a sickly child who was wistfully watching the other children play. Immediately the child grinned and rose up to join the others. 

Just outside the market at the center of town they gathered a crowd and began to preach. As Paul preached he moved through the throng. He came near the young man that we have always called Solus. I am not sure if that is really his name, but like everyone else in the crowd, I knew his story. He was born lame. His feet and legs were shriveled. He could not walk at all. Paul reached out and took him by the hand to raise him to his feet. Right there in front of everyone his feet and legs were restored. All the people were amazed.

By then, a group had arrived from Antioch to stop Paul and Barnabas from teaching about Jesus. They had already been stirring up people to oppose Paul and Barnabas. They were enraged that the man was publicly healed. They immediately seized Paul. We managed to hustle Barnabus away as they dragged Paul out of town. Adonis and his younger brother took Barnabas to their home to save him from the same fate as Paul.

To the rest of us Timothy said, “We need to follow them and see what they have done to Paul.” When we caught up to the crowd they were throwing stones at the apostle. We watched in horror as several stones struck his head. He crumpled to the ground. We were fairly certain that they had killed him. They congratulated one another as they turned back toward the city.

Timothy led the way to Paul before they were out of sight. We were not going to leave his body out there on the side of the road. But when Timothy laid his hand on his body, Paul moved and shook his head. His head was bleeding profusely. After a moment he stood and began trudging back into town. I rushed to his side to support him. The rest of us surrounded him and would have fought anyone who tried to attack, but the men who stoned him had disappeared up the road. We didn't see them as we came into town. They may have started back to Antioch lest the magistrate question them. We took Paul to the home of Adonis where Barnabus was waiting anxiously. After his wounds had been dressed, Paul gathered us all together to encourage us to remain faithful to Jesus.

Leonides, who was older than the rest of us, asked why those people had been so angry. I was wondering the same thing. We listened intently as Paul explained.

“You all need to understand this. We follow a crucified Savior. As people hated him, they will hate us. Our speaking to them about Jesus will be a kind of judgment. It will reveal what is in their hearts. Some will gladly receive you and repent. Some will be enraged because they hate the true God and His Son Jesus. But Jesus has given the Holy Spirit of God to His followers. This includes you. The Spirit strengthens all of us and will empower us to be faithful.” I asked if that was how he recovered from being stoned. Paul thought for a moment and said, “Possibly.”

Hector, standing behind the rest of us, asked, “Is that how you healed the lame man?”

“In a way,” Paul answered. Then he said, “Actually, I did not heal him at all. Jesus did that. I saw that the man had faith to be healed. But yes, Jesus works through the Holy Spirit.

“God’s Spirit will bear witness of Jesus. The Spirit will speak through you. Sometimes he will even break the hearts of those who oppose Jesus. I was one of those people. I thought I was serving the God of my fathers by arresting and charging those who followed the way. I was on my way to another city to arrest the followers of Jesus who had fled there. On my way Jesus appeared to me in a light brighter than the sun. He called me to repent. By this undeserved grace everything in my life was changed. I now preach the One whom I hated and blasphemed.

This story is based on what Jesus said in John 15:18-27.

Father, make us faithful even in the face of fierce opposition.

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Do we have to ask God to hear our prayer, or does He automatically hear? When Nehemiah was preparing to go before the King to request permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the city, he prayed, “O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant” (Nehemiah 1:11). Furthermore, Daniel prayed, “Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications” (Daniel 9:17). Finally, David prayed, “Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech” (Psalm 17:6). Unfortunately, most of us just begin our prayer as though God is already listening, with nothing else to do except wait for our communication. While God is eager to hear from us, He does have a few other things to do. I once heard a new believer begin his prayer, “God, this is John. Remember me? If so, please hear this.” I know what the Bible also says, for instance in 1 John 5:14: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” So maybe we don’t need to ask God to hear us. Perhaps to be heard by God, all we need is just to pray according to His will. How do you pray? Think about it.

Hajj 2021 - Day 1

Sacred Act 1: Ihram (cleaning, preparation day

Pilgrims must enter into the state of Ihram (purity) which involves ritual washing and then wearing white, plain garments. These garments indicate that all pilgrims are equal. Following this cleansing, pilgrims are officially on the Hajj. As they cross the pilgrimage boundary, the men will shout the Talbiyah, a Muslim prayer: “Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners.” During this day of cleansing, pilgrims visit the the Grand Mosque in which the Ka'aba is located. The Ka'aba is a black building in the center of the Mosque that is considered to be the Bayt Allah (“House of God”), the most sacred site in Islam. It is equivalent to the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple. After leaving the Grand Mosque, many pilgrims will walk to the tent city of Mina to spend the night.

Key Scriptures to Pray

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:11-14

Going before the Father

• Pray Muslims would know that only the Lord Jesus Christ provides the “purification for sins” that they desire. Pray for their spiritual journey to include dreams and visions of Jesus.

• As Muslims walk into the Grand Mosque and see the Ka’aba, they feel like they are entering the most holy place on earth. Hebrews 9:11-14 says the Lord Jesus entered the “Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption”.

• Pray that pilgrims would know that only in Jesus can they have an unblemished conscience and eternal redemption.

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This week I want to write on the conclusion of John 15:7-8. In many ways these are the most important words in these verses, as I suppose I can say about everything I have written on this passage. 

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, 

ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 

By this my Father is glorified, 

that you bear much fruit and so prove 

to be my disciples.”

I am not sure why many translations read as this one, that by this we prove we are disciples. In this case the wording in the King James Bible better reflects the wording in the original language of the New Testament. “So shall ye be my disciples.” There is a two fold “if” clause at the beginning of verse 7. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you.” Everything in the passage hangs on these conditions. By abiding in Jesus, His word dwelling in us we can ask whatever we wish and it will be done for us. Verse 8 gives the results of such prayer. God the Father will be glorified, our lives become fruitful, and we will be disciples of Christ.

The crucial truth here is that you cannot sever prayer from discipleship. I am sure there are people who do not know God at all for whom God has answered prayer. But that is certainly not the point of this passage. Prayer calls for the fellowship of discipleship. We are to live in fellowship with God immersing ourselves in His will and His word. His word refers to the final words of Jesus recorded John 14-16. It also includes every word of Jesus recorded for us in Scripture. It must even include every inspired word of God in the entire Bible. God's word must shape our lives.

This promise of prayer directs us to the purpose of discipleship. If our lives are driven by our foolish selfishness, the full power of prayer would be horribly dangerous for us and everyone around us. But as we learn to live in Jesus, God will be glorified and we will be blessed by the fruitfulness of our lives. The very next words in this teaching of Jesus read,

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

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Dear friends,

Praying for the spheres of Arts during the month of July

Click on this link to read our newsletter http://prayerstrategy.org/pray-for-the-arts-2021/

The Prayer Strategy for the Spheres of Influence is a leading global mission to pray for the spheres of influence in all nations.

Check our latest Proclaiming Pentecost video on zoom. https://youtu.be/T12gwXQVrvY

On this page you will find latest and former prayer strategies for each mountain/domain/sphere http://prayerstrategy.org/

Prayer Initiatives

1. Prayer mapping http://prayerstrategy.org/prayer-mapping/
2. Prayer Walking http://prayerstrategy.org/prayer-walking/
3. Adopt a Suburb http://prayerstrategy.org/adopt-a-suburb/
4. Praying for Government http://prayerstrategy.org/adopt-a-senator-mp/
5. Prayer Triplets http://prayerstrategy.org/prayer-triplets/
6. Prayer Calendar for the Spheres http://prayerstrategy.org/calendar/category/spheres/
7. Prayer for USA and Neighbours  http://prayerstrategy.org/calendar/category/usa/
8. Prayers for Australia and Asia Pacific http://prayerstrategy.org/calendar/category/australia/
9. Pentecost http://prayerstrategy.org/proclaimingpentecost/
10. Coming soon to pray for Europe.
11. Check Endorsements http://prayerstrategy.org/endorsements/
12. Prayer Partners http://prayerstrategy.org/prayerpartners/

The prayer focus is on the spheres/mountains of influence in all nations for:

Marriage

Family

Church (Ecclesia)

Immigrant Churches

Houses of Prayers

Government

Military

Business

Law and Justice                                                                                                                  

Religion

Arts

Education

Charity and Not for Profit Welfare

Health

Science

Media

Entertainment

Sport and Recreation

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you have known to them and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I may be in them.”

What is the role of a prayer strategist for the spheres of influence?

As strategists we are called to stand in the gap, research the spheres of influence in all nations with the support of local prophetic and apostolic leaders to destroy the strongholds of the enemy in the spheres of influence. We as prayer strategists, we work in partnership with others to engage in and catalyse prayers, train disciples which informs and flows from the team's vision and strategy through:

• Regularly drawing near to God in prayer, worship, and adoration both individually and as a team
• Becoming aware of gaps and hindrances in reaching the vision God has entrusted to them.
• Researching, envisioning, and refining strategies for overcoming those gaps.
• Maximizing strategic implementation of the team's strategies particularly related to prayer.
• Periodically refining those strategies with the team in times of prayer together.

1 Chronicles 12:32 speaks of the men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what needed to be done; these people might be representative of ‘Prayer strategists.' Nehemiah is another example. Nehemiah interceded about the broken-down walls of Jerusalem and he gained favour with the king, permission, and resources, mobilized teams to do the actual work, and oversaw the completion of the project. Prayer was the way he received a strategy and was integral to the project's success. In the New Testament, Barnabas was an encourager, connector, and prophetic intercessor for in the spread of the Early Church. He brought Saul into relationship with the apostles and served alongside Paul in pioneering new work for the gospel. He was another example of this same function in the Body of Christ.

Our principles are God’s principles on earth as it is in heaven.

We are implementing these truths through many leaders who represent their spheres of influence/mountains/domains. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5-7) is understood to the manifesto of the Kingdom of God on earth. http://prayerstrategy.org/

At this time in history, we live in the era of God's grace where good and evil can produce order or disorder according to our obedience or disobedience to God. In this reality two doctrines work in parallel: the free will of man and the sovereignty of God. While God calls all people to himself through his truth and kindness, not all will respond. God is not responsible for our sin and he will ultimately have the last say.

We will all be held accountable for the life we have been given (John 3:16-18). The time will certainly come when the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords over the whole earth from the city of Jerusalem (Micah 4:1- 8).

Our faith in Christ the Son of the Living God, and this is where we stand. Our Mission is to pray and connect people who are passionate about participating in growing the governance of Christ in every sphere/mountain/domain of society and follow God’s command to love one another as He loved us.

(John 13:34-35).

There are a few formative Kingdom of God principles that are critical to accomplishing the will and the ways of God on Earth as it is in Heaven:

1. There can be only one head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. There can be only one body of many different parts working together.
3. The authority of the head passes to the body and rests on the shoulders of the body to bring forth the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven (Matt 16:18).
4. The Body of Christ knows the will of the Head by Word and Spirit.
5. The Power of God is manifested in His power when we work in unity to achieve the above principles. His power is released through our faith to accomplish his will: "Later the disciples came to him privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?” He told them, “It was because of your lack of faith. I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here and go over there,’ and you will see it move! There is nothing you couldn’t do!" For our God is not only the God of individuals, but he is also the God of nations (Rev 21:24).

If you wish to be listed on our website www.prayerstrategy.org  as being in partnership in prayer with us, send us the link of your website (to info@prayerstrategy.org) and in return include the link to our website www.prayerstrategy.org on your website. We shall uphold each other in our prayers. 1 Corinthians 12

Let us know how we can serve you in prayer

Yours in Christ

Lilian Schmid

www.prayerstrategy.org

Dear friends in Christ,

If you wish to be listed on our website www.prayerstrategy.org  as being in partnership in prayer with us, send us the link of your website (to info@prayerstrategy.org) and in return include the link to our website www.prayerstrategy.org on your website. We shall uphold each other in our prayers. 1 Corinthians 12

Let us know how we can serve you in prayer

Yours in Christ

Lilian Schmid

www.prayerstrategy.org

Most of my “Monday Morning Manna” columns are written on the weekend or week preceding their posting. Such is this one. If you read this on Monday, you will be reading it on the day of my ninth MOHS surgery for skin cancer. I once asked my surgeon why I had so many skin cancers. His reply was twofold: “You are fair-skinned and live in Texas.” I tried to blame my mother by asking the same Surgeon, “Is it because my mother kept sending me outside to play in the summer heat?” His reply got my mother off the hook: “If you drive to the mall, park, and go inside, between the time you get out of your car and get into the mall, you could develop another skin cancer.” Well, I’ve tried to avoid it. I gave up golf, stopped going to afternoon ballgames, stayed away from the beach, etc. I even stopped going to the mall. Still, I got another spot, this one on my forehead. So, I will undergo yet another surgery. If you read this in time you could pray for my surgeon and his assistant. Or you could just pray for my rapid and complete recovery. Then again, you could pray for my wife. Today is her birthday. I Know! But I didn’t have a choice of surgery dates. The Surgeon’s Receptionist makes that choice. If my bandage is not too ugly, I will take her to dinner tonight. Meanwhile, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed” (Jeremiah 17:14).

The two men walked along the road by the sea on their way from Smyrna to Pergamum. The older man’s step was quite as spry as the younger. The elder was Jewish. The younger man was obviously Greek. Despite the differences in their backgrounds and ages they carried on a lively conversation as they walked. John often used their travels to plant his life and all that he knew of Jesus into the life of Polycarp. As they walked Polycarp asked a favorite question. 

“What was the greatest miracle our Lord ever performed on this earth?”

John answered, “As much as I have enjoyed speculating about this question of yours, I have always thought there was something wrong with whatever answer I gave. I have come to believe that none of his miracles can be seen separately. His whole life was miraculous. He is the Son of God. His godliness is at the heart of everything he did.” They were both silent while Polycarp digested what John had said. 

He then asked, “How did he express his godliness most often?”

“By his love,” John said with hardly a pause. “Everything he did was love.”

Polycarp said, “I have sometimes heard you speak of yourself as ‘The disciple that Jesus loved.’ But didn’t Jesus love all of his disciples? He loves every one of us.”

“Yes,” John said. “I sometimes think he especially loved me. All of us must have thought that from time to time. His love is overwhelming. I describe myself that way to give attention to the love of Jesus and keep myself anonymous. His love in our lives is the most important thing about us.”

Polycarp said, “I don’t think anyone in Asia, outside of our churches, would relate godliness to love. Some might try to demonstrate devotion by emotional or sexual excesses.The stoics would think of strict behavior.”

“Yes,” John said, “and even though our ancient Scriptures overflow with the love of God, the Pharisees, the strictest Jewish practitioners, never seemed to teach anything about it, except in an abstract way. Jesus lived out his love. The love of Jesus was more striking and more powerful than any other sign that he gave us.”

“Tell me one of the ways Jesus expressed his godly nature in love.” At this point they came to a busier road that left the seaside for some distance. They were silent as they came out onto the high road, negotiating with the crowds and wagons, even livestock being driven to market. As they found their place in the rhythm of traffic John began to give an answer. 

“On the night that Jesus was betrayed, we gathered for that last Passover meal. You know what the Passover feast is, don’t you.”

“Yes,” Polycarp said. “I have heard you describe the feast and even its beginnings in your history.”

“Well, as we gathered for the meal, Jesus rose and laid aside his clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist and began to wash our feet, drying them with the towel.”

“Really? Jesus himself dressed as a slave and washed your feet? That is amazing. It is almost as if he were saying he was not the Master.”

“My son, in his love Jesus humbled Himself before each of us. He knew he had come from God and was preparing to return to him. We could not always see it, but his humble love accentuated his majesty. Simon Peter tried to stop Jesus from washing his feet. Jesus said, ‘Simon, if I do not wash you, you have no part in me.’ In his love Jesus cleansed us from our sins. In his love he forgives and transforms us. By regular forgiveness he cleanses us day by day. Jesus taught us amazing lessons by his love. And I think the greatest miracle of his love is producing it in us. When he finished washing our feet, Jesus took back His clothes and asked, ‘Do you understand what I have done?’ He said, ‘You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right. If I then, your Teacher and Lord have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.’”

Polycarp blurted out, “Did he mean that literally?”

“Possibly,” John answered. “But he meant far more than that. Jesus gave us an example of love that humbles us before each other.”

“But Jesus did that knowing he was the Son of God. How can we do it?”

John said, “We know that Jesus came from his Father and returned to his Father’s arms. We know that in him we too are loved by God. Whether or not we are among those who live until Jesus returns, we will soon go to his Father’s embrace.

“Jesus was teaching us to serve others in the power of his love. He showed us his forgiveness and gave us the power to forgive those who wrong us. Jesus told Peter that we only needed our feet washed because we were already clean. Then he said, ‘But not all of you are clean.’ He knew Judas was going to betray him that night. In his love Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer. We too can grow to love our enemies. This kind of love can only be reproduced in those of us who know Jesus.”

Polycarp said, “I have heard you say that before. And I don’t understand what Jesus meant. Was He saying he only choses those who are willing to love our enemies?” 

John answered, “Jesus said we were chosen before the foundation of the world. Loving others like Jesus is his gift to us. Of course God knew before the foundation of the world who would receive his love. But that is more than Jesus explained when he said he knew whom he had chosen. I believe it is more complicated and certainly less deserved than that. 

Jesus gave us one final command to love one another. ‘A new commandment I give you, to love as I have loved you.’ This is how people will know that we are his disciples.”

Polycarp said, “That is certainly true. I heard a man in Ephesus telling other people about us. Frankly, he misrepresented almost everything we believe. But he ended by saying, ‘And look how much they love one another.” 

This story was based on events recorded in John chapter 13.

Lord Jesus, we belong to you. Reproduce your supernatural love in us.

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