Elizabeth Mullins – Page 29

Devotional—Surrender

If not for Jesus’ willing death and surrender to the Father’s will, we would still be dead in our sins. If not for his resurrection, we would have no hope of eternal life with God and no hope of experiencing Christ’s resurrection life here and now.

This truth is worth meditating on. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the 40 days of Easter Prep give us a beautiful opportunity to implement some spiritual practices as we prepare our hearts for renewal.

Many people fast during the days leading up to Easter. We don’t fast to seek after our own will, but to seek the will of God and his heart to heal our world.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter? Isaiah 58:6-7a NIV

We fast to identify with the complete surrender of Christ to the will of the Father. From the 40 days in the wilderness to the agony of Gethsemane, we have Christ as our model and our strength to say, “Father, not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Perhaps invite others to join you. Observing Easter Preparation with other believers will not only make the journey more enjoyable but will also give each of you the accountability to persevere by lifting one another up in prayer and affirmation.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, bless us with renewed passion. Father, transform us into the image of your Son. Jesus, empower us to live a life of surrender. Amen.

By Jillian Morrison, Pastor,
Glendora, California, U.S.

Adapted from an Equipper article. Read the full article here: Spiritual Practices for Easter Preparation

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God’s Promised Rest in Christ

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

In our Kingdom Culture series, I previously wrote about being a kingdom citizen and drew attention to the people of Hebrews 11. Today I am backing up in the book of Hebrews to chapter 4 to show why the heroes of the faith chapter were so relentless in their pursuit.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

‘As in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest”’,

though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this place it says, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day—‘today’—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.’

⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. ⁹So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; ¹⁰for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his. ¹¹Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs. Hebrews 4:1-11 NRSVA

Entering God’s rest is the ultimate pursuit. If this rest was achievable by observation of a weekly Sabbath day, then the rest from creation through to Joshua would have been enough. And if simply setting aside a day to cease from labor was adequate to enter God’s rest, then human works would have been enough, too.

Why does the author say “… his works were finished at the foundation of the world”? The picture from Genesis shows God creating the earth and all that it is in it and then resting on the seventh day. The creation story is awe-inspiring, and it points us to a God who spoke and the material world came into being. Amazing!

Revelation 13:8 adds an astounding piece to the creation story that helps us have a clearer understanding of the concept of God’s rest:

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. (NIV)

The Father sending Jesus was the plan from the beginning. In fact, the entire Old Testament history was the stage being set for the main character to appear. The mysterious rest the writer points to is the abiding, healing, empowering relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the only one who gives true rest to the weary and heavy laden.

Hebrews 4 may appear to be pitting obedience against faith. The reality is that we can only enter the rest by the faith of Jesus and faith in Jesus. It is through faith alone that we are saved, and it is by faith that we believe and obey. The surrendered life of reliance on Jesus is how the saints of old remained faithful and obedient to the many hardships that came their way.

So, today as you hear his voice speaking out to you, open your heart and enter the rest of Jesus.

Resting in Jesus,
Greg

Save the Date

The Denominational Celebration
will be held
in Dallas, Texas, U.S.
on July 23-26, 2026.

Please mark your calendars. More information will be made available in mid-2025.

You’re Invited—LiLY Women’s Conference

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

2025 LiLY Women’s Conference
April 25-27, 2025
Embassy Suites in Independence, Ohio (in person)

Rose Hamrick, Shenequa Rogers, Salisa Bruce, Julie Frantz, Tanazia Morris, Robyn Dykstra 2024

Theme: As He Has Forgiven You

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Registration Fee:

- - $75 Early Bird Pricing — Register by Friday, April 4, 2025
  - $85 Regular Pricing — Register by Friday, April 13, 2025
  - $95 Late Registration — After April 13, 2025
  - $50 Special Teen Rate — Ages 13-17

Online registration ends on April 13, 2025.

Hotel Reservation/Cost:

Embassy Suites, 5800 Rockside Woods Blvd. Independence, Ohio

Overnight hotel rate: $132 per night, per suite, 4-person room
(Total with tax is $310.20 for both nights. Breakfast and manager’s reception is included for hotel guests only.)

Click here to make your reservation online.

Group Name: LiLY Women’s Conference
Group Code: LW5
Central Reservations Number: 1-866-344-7548
Deadline for hotel reservations at the special rate is Friday, April 4, 2025.
Register today online at gccle.church/lily

If not registering online, mail your registration fee with checks payable to:
Grace Communion Cleveland
4499 Canterbury Road
North Olmsted, Ohio 44070

(Please include your name, address, phone number, emergency contact name and address, and if you are staying for Saturday night dinner)

If you have any questions, please email us at: LiLYwomensministry@gmail.com

Rosa Hulse
Women’s Ministry Leader
Grace Communion Cleveland

Like/Follow us on Facebook at LiLYWomensConference.

Share Your Kingdom Experiences

Would you help us highlight our 2025 theme, Kingdom Culture?

Even though we live in the tension of the “already but not yet” — signifying that the kingdom is here now, but not in its fullness — we want to embrace the “nowness” of the kingdom. We want to demonstrate the goodness of Jesus as we bear fruit in every good work. We want to proclaim the goodness of Jesus as we point others toward him in all opportunities.

Through Update, we want to stay connected as a global family and learn from one another. Would you be willing to help us? Send us your pictures and stories of how your congregation is collectively living as citizens of the kingdom! Email elizabeth.mullins@gci.org

Celebrating a GCI Centenarian

Join us in wishing a very Happy 100th Birthday to Burniece Chambers!

Mrs. Chambers birthday was Sunday, January 12, and she celebrated with her church family, GC Maumee, in Ohio, U.S. Everyone enjoyed cake while she shared her well-earned wisdom.

Mrs. Chambers began attending GCI in 1964 and was baptized five years later. She says she is very pleased to have stayed with one congregation for her lifetime. (GC Maumee was formerly known as the Toledo congregation.)

Burniece Chambers, “100 & Fabulous,” is pictured below with her pastor, Stuart Mahan.

Prayer Guide—February 2025

Sometimes that’s what prayer is — simply inviting God to join us where we actually are, not because He isn’t already here but because inviting Him reminds us it’s true. —Emily P. Freeman

Join us in seeking God’s guidance and celebrating his presence. Download the guide now.

Kingdom Citizens’ Toolbox—Center on Jesus

Citizens of the kingdom believe that the kingdom of God cannot be understood apart from who Jesus is and his mission.

Enjoy an excerpt from a series on the kingdom of God by Gary Deddo. Read the entire article here.

The centrality of Jesus Christ

… the biblical revelation, in no uncertain terms, identifies the kingdom of God with the person and mission of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ himself embodies and brings the kingdom of God. Why? Because he is the King of all creation. His ministry as mediator between God and creation involves kingship as well as priestly and prophetic elements. The kingdom of God is real and actual in and through Jesus Christ since he reigns wherever he is. The kingdom of God is his kingdom. Jesus tells us so: “I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:29-30; NRSV throughout except as noted).

At another time Jesus declares that the kingdom of God belongs to him. He says, “My kingdom is not from this world” (John 18:36). So, the kingdom of God cannot be understood apart from who Jesus is and what his entire mission is about. Any study of Scripture or any theological synthesis of the exegetical material that does not interpret the kingdom of God on the basis of the person and work of Jesus Christ will be off-center. It will end up at a different place than one that operates from this living center of Christian faith.

Working from that center, what can we begin to understand about the kingdom of God? We should first note that it is Jesus himself who announces the arrival of the kingdom of God and makes this a comprehensive theme of his teaching (Mark 1:15). Jesus brings with him the actual presence of the kingdom, not just a message about the kingdom. The kingdom of God is operating wherever Jesus is—because he is the King. The kingdom of God has its reality in the living presence and activity of King Jesus.

Following on that point, then, what Jesus says and does conveys the character of his kingdom. The kingdom he offers has a character identical to his own. Jesus offers a certain kind of kingdom, one that embodies his own character and purpose. Our ideas of the kingdom of God then must cohere with who Jesus is. Everything about it must be redolent of him. It should look, sound, act, smell and carry itself in a way that points us to and reminds us of him so that we get the idea that this kingdom is his — it belongs to him and has his fingerprints all over it. The implication of this connection is that the kingdom of God is primarily about the rule or reign of Christ and not so much, as it has been put, about a realm or a spatial or geographical location. Wherever Christ’s lordship is operating according to his will and purpose, there is found the kingdom of God.

More particularly, his kingdom must have to do with his redemptive purposes and so be bound up with his incarnation, vicarious life, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and return for us, and for our salvation. That is, his rule as King cannot be understood apart from his revelatory and mediating ministry of also being Prophet and Priest. All three of these Old Testament offices, represented by Moses, Aaron and David are uniquely combined and fulfilled in him.

The purpose of his rule and will is to bring his creation into and under his gracious protection and beneficence, that is, into fellowship, communion, and participation with him by reconciling us to God through his self-offering. The ultimate result of being under his rule is for us to share in his rule and experience all the benefits of his kingdom. And this rule will be characterized by God’s own love for us in Christ and worked out in us by the Spirit. Love of God and love of neighbor in the way Jesus embodied it will be marks of participating in his kingdom. The kingdom of God is a fellowship, a people, a community in communion with God through Jesus Christ and so with each other in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Kingdom Living—Priesthood of All Believers

Citizens of God’s kingdom are convinced that all believers — of every age — are called to participate in Jesus’ mission to the world through the Body of Christ.

Equipping Youth for Ministry

In my region of Southern Africa, we are encouraging our congregations to hold local youth camps during the year, as a Love Avenue activity. The local camps are open to the neighbourhood youth, and they provide the local church an opportunity to engage with their neighbours.

In the Republic of South Africa (RSA), we hold an annual national camp in December. The national camp is only for youth who are members of our GCI fellowship. It is focused on equipping our youth for ministry. This year youth attended from congregations throughout RSA, including Polokwane, Maelula, Bloemfontein, Mohlakeng, Aruka, Johannesburg, Redhill, Mohlakeng. View more pictures here.

The highlight of the camp was the gala dinner at which we announced the Youth Ministries Awards. Awards were presented to winning congregations and runners-up in the following categories: Hope Avenue, Faith Avenue, Love Avenue. An Overall Youth Ministry award went to a congregation (and runner-up) that demonstrated a balanced youth program focusing on the three ministry Avenues of Hope, Faith, and Love. This is confirmed through youth participation in church activities (like worship, media, preaching, scripture readings, offerings, etc.), youth discipleship activities, and engagement with unchurched youth. Awards for Emerging Youth Leader were presented to two individuals who show leadership and initiative.

When we reviewed the entries for the awards, I was impressed by the amount of engagement our youth are having in their churches. Our hope is that some of the energy of the youth ministries will filter into the whole church. My prayer for this week is that 2025 may bring more exciting developments as we continue to grow into healthier churches that are living and sharing the gospel through the ministry Avenues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Amen

By Takalani Musekwa, Regional Director of Southern Africa
Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA

Gathering for Inspiration, Encouragement, and Fun

I am delighted to share an update with you from the Youth and Family Weekend held in January at a recreational camp in Queensland, Australia. We were blessed to have almost 50 young people, including parents and staff, as participants. The campers from Fiji and New Zealand added much enjoyment to the camp. It was rewarding to see the interactions and the developing friendships amongst the group.

The rock-climbing activity took place on Friday afternoon, followed by canoeing and paddle boarding on Saturday morning, basketball in the afternoon, and fun, interactive icebreakers and board games into the evenings. Whilst Sunday was pack-up time, we were able to stay till afternoon tea, giving us another day of activities. It was a blessing that we could avail ourselves of indoor activities such as basketball and volleyball due to the heavy rains that set in on Sunday. We enjoyed discussion time with Pastor Bharat Naker, who gave the two devotionals.

We all came away from camp with some unforgettable memories. I’m grateful for your prayers for the young people and all the preparations. By God’s grace, all went ahead safely and successfully.

By Daphne Sidney, Superintendent of Australasia
Logan, Queensland, Australia

Devotional—Checkmate

Checkmate! It’s the word the winning player declares in the endgame of chess when the losing king is trapped and as good as dead. Jesus died. Is our King a losing king?

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3–5 NRSVUE

This King of Israel, after being anointed for his burial, enters Jerusalem on a donkey, and the plotters gather to deliver their coup d’etat. He is betrayed, arrested, abandoned, tortured. He stood accused by those in power and did not defend himself against a single charge. On the surface, it appears that evil is winning, and the King is losing.

The soldiers mock the King with a crown of thorns, a scarlet robe, and a staff. Jesus is lifted up on the cross, which resembled anything but a worldly throne. Unlike other kings, who win, who conquer by killing and taking, the King sets the entire cosmos right by giving his life. And in so losing his life, the King draws all to himself. He secures the keys to death by losing his life, entering hades and unlocking it from the inside. Jesus Christ is God’s checkmate!

Prayer:
Abba Father, we thank you for your beloved Son and for giving us an anointing in him through the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen and abide in him, amen.

By Bharat Naker, Pastor
Carina and Logan, Qld, AU

Author: Elizabeth Mullins