+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Sentence

I call all heaven to witness today that I have put on Christ.
I choose no other Lord than the Maker of heaven and earth.
This day I walk with Him and He will walk with me.
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Reading: Psalm 49:10-13 (NLT)

Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.

This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise.
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Reading: Micah 4:5 (NLT)

Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
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Reading: Acts 26:27-29 (NLT)

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”

Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”
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My Prayer:

Heavenly Father, the Only Wise God:

In the cross of Christ, “You have destroyed the wisdom of the wise and discarded the intelligence of the intelligent.”

+ Thank You, Lord, for uniting me with Christ Jesus – the embodiment of eternal wisdom.
+ Thank You, Lord, for showing me Your saving power in the apparent foolishness of the cross.
+ Thank You, Lord, for prostrating me in human weakness that I might experience Your strength.
+ Thank You, Lord, for confounding my foolish plans that I might follow Your wise plan for my life.

Lord Jesus: You have made me right with the Father.

Continue Your work within me, through the power of Your Spirit –

+ That I may become pure and holy, and free from all sin.
+ That I may embrace my simple, weak, and poor, world-wide, brothers and sisters in Christ.
+ That I may choose the foolish path of weakness and obedience to put to shame the powerful.
+ That I may consider all my knowledge and experience as nothing compared to Your surpassing greatness.

Christ within me, this day – lowly and meek yet all-powerful. Amen.

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“God’s Own Fool” – Michael Card

Seems I’ve imagined Him all of my life | As the wisest of all of mankind | But if God’s Holy wisdom is foolish to men | He must have seemed out of His mind | For even His family said He was mad | And the priests said a demon’s to blame | But God in the form of this angry young man | Could not have seemed perfectly sane

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise | He played the fool and He opened our eyes | When we in our weakness believed we were strong | He became helpless to show we were wrong | And so we follow God’s own fool | For only the foolish can tell | Believe the unbelievable | And come be a fool as well

So come lose your life for a carpenter’s son | For a madman who died for a dream | And you’ll have the faith His first followers had | And you’ll feel the weight of the beam | So surrender the hunger to say you must know | Have the courage to say I believe | For the power of paradox opens your eyes | And blinds those who say they can see

So we follow God’s own Fool | For only the foolish can tell | Believe the unbelievable | And come be a fool as well
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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Protecting Father, in the name of the Conquering Son, and in the name of the Liberating Spirit. Amen!