CBC youth almost daily devotionals

Independece or Pride

2011-07-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Trading Fierce Independence
Glynnis Whitwer

“Elisha said, ‘Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.’” 2 Kings 4:3 (NIV 2011)

Problems. I prefer to keep them to myself. Being fiercely independent, my instinct is to slam the cellar door shut at the first sign of high winds. In other words, no one’s getting in until the storm is past. I’ll let God in, no problem. But you — I keep out.

Over the years, God has challenged me on this independent approach, calling it was it is: pride.

It’s not overt arrogance, but by keeping others at a distance, it implies I’m all-sufficient and don’t need your help. Plus, the insecure little girl in me worries that if you see weakness in my life, you’ll question my competency. As so, I’ve kept to myself, creating a prideful façade of control.

That didn’t work very well, however. Repeatedly, God has called me to a place of greater interdependence with others. He’s worked miracles in my life when I’ve humbly asked for prayer. He’s broken down walls of distance when I’ve allowed people to see the real me. I’ve seen His hand move at the request of my godly friends.

It’s now obvious to me God designed us to work together. We are pieces of the same puzzle, and life makes more sense when we are connected.

There’s a story in the Old Testament that shows God’s plan for interdependence. It’s found in the book of 2 Kings and concerns a widow who had a big problem. She needed resources, but the coin jar was empty. Her husband died, leaving her with no means of support, and a pile of debts she couldn’t pay. Creditors demanded restitution. Since there was no money, they planned to take her children as slaves.

Desperate, she sought help from Elisha, a man known to be set apart for God. Elisha asked her to do something unusual: go to all her neighbors and request empty jars … lots of them. Then, she was to return home, take what little oil she had left and pour it into the jars.

The widow did as Elisha instructed. When she returned home, she started pouring. As each jar filled, her sons brought her another. They filled every borrowed jar with oil. Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay the creditors and live off the rest. She did.

What I love about this story is that the quantity of the miracle oil was in direct proportion to the number of neighbors she asked for help. If she had asked five neighbors, that’s how much oil she would have had. Ten neighbors meant ten jars. And so on. The more people the widow asked for help, the greater God’s provision.

There’s another part of the story not told by the Bible passage, but I can’t help but wonder if it happened. At some point, the widow would have returned the borrowed jars. When she did, I imagine she would have told each neighbor what God had done for her, and how that neighbor played a part in the miracle. What a testimony that must have been!

God could have worked a miracle in any way, but He chose to involve each member of that little neighborhood. I imagine they were never the same after being part of something so amazing.

This story speaks clearly to me. God often plans to meet my needs through others. Yet if I keep my problems to myself, I might hinder His plan to bless my friends and broadcast His faithfulness. I’m learning to deny the lies of a prideful spirit in exchange for a humble plea for help. I’m trading my fierce independence for God’s plan of community.

Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve kept to myself, believing I have everything necessary to solve my problems. In doing so, I may have missed Your plan for meeting my needs through others. Help me to identify pride and submit it to You. Help me to have a humble and teachable spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Trails

2011-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

When you encounter various trials...

by Taylor Johnson

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

James 1: 2-3

Studying the Word is crucial to growing in your faith. Thank you for taking that step today! These verses from James have really challenged me. Recently, life has been hitting me hard. Family relationships have been strained, finding myself as beautiful is something that lurks over my head all day, and challenging myself to love others as I am loved by the Lord. James was a bond-servant to Christ. In other words, he chose to follow Christ- not because he was "forced into it." When I am mocked or have trials and life seems rocky, I now find it a blessing in disguise. I know that the Lord will use my trials.

I want to remind you that it did not click over night for me that trials are a blessing, it took time. I encourage you to thank the Lord for your trials knowing that He will reward you for taking advantage of the trials in your life.

Reflection:

Are you honoring the Lord when challenged with trials? Are you thanking Him for the challenges you face, knowing He loves you?

Application Step:

Today, remember that your trials will bring you closer to the Lord. If you have to walk through the fire to get closer to the Lord- do it! The Lord knows what you can handle. Today, praise Him for the trials.

Prayer:

Holy Father, I pray that my heart and mind would come to You humbly, knowing that I am nothing without You. Oh, Father, I pray that today Father God, I would thank you for my trials, I pray I would seek You first when I feel overwhelmed or forgotten. Give me the desire to come to You first before seeking anyone else. Lord, today challenge me to be a bond-servant if I already not one! Father, You are beautiful! May I walk in Your ways today!

Peer Pressure

2011-07-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

How do you handle peer pressure?

by Simi Akinwande

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

There are times we often feel to act a certain way, say things, dress in a manner to please others or to be accepted by society. The peer pressures of this world can make us conform to the way the world lives and make us take part in those activities that are wrong. People can manipulate your thoughts and actions but ultimately the only person who has any control over your attitude and values is you.

Most times doing what is right can be seen as a cowardly act by others, however the Bible teaches that whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:17) therefore make it a lifelong goal to learn to live faithfully for God and reject the negative influences of media, music, friends and society.

Saying NO to taking drugs, saying NO when your boyfriend asks you to go further, saying NO to cheating in that exam paper, saying NO to stealing, saying NO to lying for a friend, saying NO to racism, saying NO to injustice....the answer is YES when someone asks if you are Christian as your responses to the above is a true reflection of Christ.

Being able to stand up for what is right is only by the grace of God, so ask God to always be your mouthpiece and give you the confidence to stand up for what is right.

Reflection:

Do you struggle with saying or doing things to please others instead of rather doing those things which pleases God for the fear of being classified as the "odd one"?

Application Step:

Take small steps by practicing saying No without feeling guilty or apologetic and sticking to your decisions. Transform your thinking by always remembering that God's approval has more value than what the world thinks of you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for accepting me just the way I am; even with my imperfections. Lord I struggle with saying No to what I know is wrong, Father give me the boldness to stand for what is right in my everyday life, and help me turn away from what displeases you. Thank you for your constant love. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Are you choosing gratitude?

2011-07-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Are you choosing gratitude?

by Heather Hart

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

Hebrews 12:28

Have you ever just had 'one of those days'? One of those days when you were just not in a good mood, and you didn't even know why? That's where I was at today. But then I read something that made me stop, and in the end, greatly improved my mood. It wasn't anything drastic, not a funny joke, or even good news, but something simple. I read that gratitude was a choice, that I could choose it. Even if I didn't think I had anything to be grateful for, I did. We can be thankful that we don't have a canker sore, or a big pimple on our nose. We can be grateful that we don't have a broken toe or a sore throat. We can be grateful that our houses didn't burn down or that no one started a rumor about us or told a secret that was between us. We can be grateful that we know Jesus and are not going through life alone.

It's a choice. We can choose to focus on the negative, the positive, or even nothing and just walk around in 'one of those moods'... What will you choose today?

Reflection:

Are you choosing to get grateful, even when you aren't sure that you want to?

Application step:

Today concentrate on all the things that you have to be grateful for. When things start to go wrong, start to make a mental list of all the things going right!

Prayer:

Father God, I am so grateful for all that you do for me. Please forgive me for not always seeing it. Help me to do a better job. Thank you for creating me, and blessing me with such a wonderful life filled with many good things. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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What is he calling you to do?

2011-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

What is He calling you to do?

Written by Julie LaJoe

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

The calling God gives to our lives is not always easy. Sometimes I think of Mary and the special call God gave her for her life. It could not have been easy to be a young, pregnant, unmarried woman asked to conduct the task of bearing and raising a son. But not only any son, God's son, Jesus Christ. I try to imagine how she must have felt to know that true prize of her life was in the day-to-day tasks by which God asked her to be part of His miraculous plan for mankind.

Sometimes, it warms my heart to know that all in His good timing; God is going to work out the steps of my life as I continue in the faith-walk journey I am on. It does not always seem fair or right when it seems like others my age have had things come to them easily, without arising questions or causing strain. Still, I realize that what God has in store for my life is great not in spite of but because of the trials and the uncertainties I live through.

Reflection:

What goal are you pressing onward toward? Is it one of your own making or one you allow God to sprout and mature in you?

Application Step:

In the day-to-day tasks that contribute to your goals in life, remember that God is also growing you toward the calling He has for you in your faith walk with Jesus. He will never ask you to do more than you can, but he does have a prize awaiting you if you tread steadfastly after Him. Remember He is the prize that is so worth the journey every day!

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the highest call on my life which is who I am in you, Lord. In knowing that you are with me every step of the way, I realize that my goals and movements through life can bring immense glory to you. Please help me share my daily walk with you by remembering who you are and why I serve you.

Choose your Weapon

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Choose your weapon!

by Heather Hart

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4

When you have a problem, where do you turn? Do you talk with a friend, or pick up a book? Maybe you go on-line. While all of those things can be helpful, they are all worldly weapons, and we are fighting a spiritual battle. We need spiritual weapons to truly win the war. There are so many strongholds the devil can have on us, we usually just write them off as having a bad temper or not handling stress well. But the truth is that we are fighting a spiritual war, and those are area's that need reinforcements!

Think about it, would you try to clean the toilet with a screwdriver, or how about trying to study for your math test using your science book? How well would that work? Probably not very well. It's the same thing with when we have problems. If we are stressed out, frustrated, angry, or worried, we need to not look to earthly things, but we need to understand that those are spiritual warfare. The devil can use all of those things against us. We need to look to God to bring us through those things. We need to turn to our spiritual weapons: our Bibles, prayer, fasting. Only spiritual weapons have the power to demolish strongholds in our lives.

Reflection:
Are the Bible and prayer your first choice for tools, or are they a last resort?

Application step:
Today when you have a problem, turn to God first. Pray about it, and open His book to see what He has already said about it.

Prayer:
Father God, thank you for giving us Your Word. Thank you for allowing us to talk to you, and for comforting us in the midst of our battles. You are an awesome God, and I am just so thankful to have a relationship with you. Help me to see things your way. Help me to recognize the battles that I'm in, and help me to choose the right weapon to deal with them. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Encouraging words?

2011-06-06T12:39:00.001-07:00

Do your words encourage others, or put them down?

By Kaylee Harris

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29

Do any of you have siblings? Well, I have 6... all younger than me. At the end of a long day at school the last thing I want to come home to is "Sissy, will you play Barbie's?" or "Sissy, why is the sky blue and not pink?" My brothers and sisters truly test all of my limits every single day. As much as I want to scream at the top of my lungs "LEAVE ME ALONE" and lock myself in my room... I don't. There are so many times when I want to call them ugly names or be mean... but when it comes down to it, I am their hero...cooler than Mom and Dad but old enough to be the boss too. If I say things that tear them down or hurt their feelings no one benefits.

So, regardless of weather you have siblings or not... Watch your tone and words. Only let joyful things come from your mouth. Remind yourself of the simple golden rule of "Treat others how you want to be treated." (Luke 6:31) Treat others with respect, and respect and joy are sure to follow.

Reflection:
It is easy to say uplifting things to your friends. What kind of things do you say to people you do not like?

Application step:
Today, pretend that the words you say are to God. What would HE think about being called stupid for asking a question in class?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, Today help me think about what I say before I say it. I realize words are like toothpaste...once they come out, you can't put them back in. Help me to say words that bring joy to others and make me a joy to be around. Forgive me where I have failed you Lord, and help me to bring glory to You and Your kingdom. I love you Father

The Truth about Beauty

2011-06-02T06:41:00.001-07:00

From the book Mirror Mirror by Shelley Hitz
Edited by Heather Hart

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32

What is the truth? Other words for truth are authentic, genuine, honest, or real. So again I ask what is the truth? It's not what others think about us, or even what others want us to be, but being who we were created to be. We were created by Christ, and for Christ (Colossians 1:16). We were created to have a relationship with Jesus. We were created to be co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). We were created to be filled by God (Ephesians 3:19). We were created to display the splendor of God (Isaiah 61:3).

What does it mean to display the splendor of God? It means that we were created to have true beauty, inner beauty. It's sometimes easy to strive for outward beauty, because that's what the world wants, but God wants us to have true beauty.

This is the picture I get of my true beauty: I see my beauty radiating from the inside out. That when I love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind (Matthew 22:37), it will naturally spill over to all my relationships and every area of my life. It's as if God's light and beauty is in my heart. And it is being pumped into every cell of my body, my brain, my muscles, and my organs through my bloodstream. And as long as God's Spirit is living inside of me, I will have that beauty radiating from the inside out. People will see the light in my eyes. They'll be drawn to the joy in my smile. And they'll want to find comfort in my friendship.

Reflection:
Have you been settling for this world's beauty instead of discovering your true beauty?

Application step:
Ask God to help you change your thoughts and desires about beauty. Start focusing more on your inner self then your outward appearance.

Prayer:
Father God, thank you for creating me. Please guide me on my path to finding my true beauty that lies in you. Help me to grow my relationship with you, to be filled by you, and display your splendor. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

2010-12-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

by Renee Swope
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you will call Him Immanuel, God with us.” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

Plans for the perfect Christmas danced across the stage of my mind. My mom, my brother and my husband's parents were coming to see us. Plus my dad and his wife would be here Christmas day, and JJ’s brother and family were coming too. Inviting our out-of-town families to our home for the holidays for the first time was a dream come true. The fact that they could all come at some point between Christmas and New Years was just short of a miracle.
I'm so embarrassed to admit this, but by the time everyone got here I couldn’t wait for them to leave.

In the midst of all the preparations, I'd gotten tangled up in Christmas lights and unrealistic expectations. It all started when my husband and sons petitioned for blinking colored lights on the tree. We don’t do colored lights on the tree. I am a “white lights” kind of girl, I insisted. But then JJ suggested our decorating decisions should be a “family activity” that year. Who was this man and why had he not brought this up in pre-marriage counseling? I wondered.
The control freak in me started to freak out. Don’t get in the way of my perfect Christmas with white lights that make me and my home feel peaceful.

Further attempts to have the perfect house, perfect menu and perfect table settings were stealing my holiday joy. This being my first time hosting a holiday dinner, I'd failed to notice that my Christmas place mats didn’t coordinate with my everyday cloth napkins, and I didn’t have festive napkin rings. Worst of all, I didn’t know how to cook a turkey.
In the midst of all the holiday obligations I’d placed on myself, I experienced one of my worst Christmas days ever. I had a house full of people, but an oh-so-empty heart.
As I walked through my living room picking up wrapping paper, I wondered why my dreams of the “perfect Christmas” hadn’t come true. Many of the elements seemed to be in place: kids running around with remote control cars, adults on the couch snoring to the tune of Jingle Bells, and grown men playing sidewalk hockey in the driveway. We’d lit Advent candles and set out the nativities. Still, something was missing.

Trying to escape the holiday noise, I went upstairs to my bedroom and sat down on the floor in my walk-in closet. Taking a deep breath, I opened my Bible to read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2. Slowly, I let each word remind me of that first Christmas night and God’s promise that came true in Bethlehem. “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger...” Luke 2:7 (NIV).

A cross reference led me to Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel, God with us.”

Closing my eyes, I pictured Mary wrapping baby Jesus. Her hands carefully folding each corner of cloth. Like a beautiful bow on the perfect Christmas gift, she placed a kiss on his forehead.
That’s when I realized what had been missing. In the hustle and bustle of creating the perfect Christmas, I’d forgotten to unwrap the perfect gift, the most important gift of all, the gift of Immanuel, God with us.

Bowing my head, I opened my hands and my heart, and unwrapped God’s presence in my closet that day. I invited Jesus to bring calm to my anxious heart. To bring His perspective to my expectations and to help me enjoy the gifts of my family that were waiting downstairs. Simply pausing to acknowledge and thank Jesus for being with me brought peace to my heart unlike anything white lights and matching table settings could ever bestow.
It ended up being the perfect Christmas after all!

Dear Lord, no matter how busy life gets or how lonely I feel this Christmas, I want to unwrap the gift of Your presence each day. Help me to see You, hear Your voice speak to my heart, and pay attention when You lead me with Your peace and perspective. I seek Your purpose in all of my plans. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Vent/Gossip

2010-09-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

"A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)

I read this verse in another devotional today and it hit me that sometimes we vent our feelings to people for various reasons. Sometimes we want to validated for how we are feeling. You know get your friends all on your side. Other times we are so upset that we just can't find it in ourselves to stop from venting.

Other times still we vent for the sake of making sure that others know what we are feeling and that someone has hurt us. In that process we have shared pain and gossip.

I am guilty of this. I have had to try hard to keep my tongue in situations and at times have not been successful. I remember a time at work that I vented my feelings about how much time a project took that I was working on because I didn't have the help of a co-worker. While I wanted a little praise for work well done, I really wanted my boss to know that I did all the work and that the other person did not do their part.

I pray that I don't vent my feelings but process them and hold my words until when and where it is wise. I don't want to bring myself or another down from my vent feelings.

Becky Sosa 9/23/2010

Nothing More Nothing Less

2010-09-16T11:22:00.001-07:00

Rachel Olsen"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." Matthew 5:5 (MSG)
Lord, how can I become content with just who I am, nothing more and nothing less?
I'm certainly prone to want to be more, or less, than I am. To be smarter, prettier, funnier, fitter. To be more productive, perky and high energy. And then also to be lower key, calmer, more level-headed and focused.
I want to have better self-awareness, and yet I want to be less concerned about what others think of me.
I want to be a better cook, to sing beautifully and to keep th e house neat without so much perceived effort. And did I mention fuller, thicker hair would be nice too? I want to be a better writer – one that's both highly creative and meticulously organized. And I want fewer propensities to run late, slack off or procrastinate.
Yes, I want to be both more and less of me.
Jesus shushes my endless listing of the things I want to change about myself – to improve about myself so I can have what I'm sure would be a better life. He asks me instead to humbly make peace with it all. To lay down my notions of a better woman and a better life by letting Him be the judge of that. To simply take what I'm given and offer it back to Him, in service and surrender. Willingly assuming that I am enough – I have what it takes to live a great life. One that pleases God, others and self.
Today's key verse is among several in the Bible that fuels a core convi ction I hold: When I stop striving to create a life for myself, I find the life God creates for me. This, my friend, is a powerful truth, a divine secret. His life for me begins precisely where mine ends. My life ends in my sin and striving and begins again in God's grace and power. His empowering indwelling affords me everything I truly need and nothing I truly don't.
Do you too long to be content with just who you are in Christ – nothing more and nothing less? Jesus addresses us both in Matthew 23:11-12, ""Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." (MSG)
Amazingly, God's grace humbles a woman without degrading her, and His favor lifts her up without inflating her. The life she finds in Him makes her the proud owner of everything money can't buy – a life of contentment.Dear Lord, help me to quiet my critical, striving spirit today and gratefully accept who I am and where I'm at in this moment. For You are here, ready to invisibly empower my life to count for plenty right where I am. Help me also to seek and hold your definition of "plenty" – nothing more and nothing less. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Good Side of Clonflict

2010-09-09T14:13:00.001-07:00

The Good Side of Conflict
9 Sep 2010Lysa TerKeurst"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)When I was in my early twenties, there was nothing I disliked more than conflict. I won't use the tired cliché that I avoided it like the plague. But, since I just used it anyhow, I'll admit I tried to navigate around conflict at any cost.I was a 'stuff it and smile' kind of girl. The problem with pretending to be fine when you're really not, is all that pent up steam will eventually come out. And if you've ever held your hand too close to steam, you know how it can burn.A much healthier approach to the inevitable conflicts we all must deal with is to face the issue head on with grace and humility having asked ourselves one very cruci al question. This question is so crucial that might I dare say not asking it could lead to extreme conflict escalation rather than relationship restoration.So, what's this crucial question?Am I trying to prove or improve? That's the question.

In other words, is my desire in this conflict to prove that I am right or to improve the relationship at hand?When I try to prove I am right, I use the circumstances of the conflict as an arsenal to attack the other person. I come armed with past hurts and offenses ready to state my case. I'm tempted to tear down the other person. I react from a place of hurt and anger and can often say things I later regret.On the other hand, when my desire is to improve the relationship, I seek to understand where the other person is coming from and I care enough about the relationship to fight for it rather than against it.

Instead of reacting out of anger, I pause and let the Holy Spiri t interrupt my first impulses. I tackle the issues, not the person.Here are some great questions to ask when we're dealing with conflict out of a desire to improve a relationship:• Can you help me understand why you feel this way?• Why don't we both agree to stick to the issue at hand and not pull in past issues?• What is your desired outcome in this situation?• How can we meet in the middle on this issue?My husband I have renamed what we used to call "fights." We now call them "growth opportunities." And the more we've been practicing these principles, the less conflicts we've been having.But I won't tie this devotion up in a neat bow and end all "cheerio." While Art and I are doing great right now and have had very few "growth opportunities" lately, conflicts with others seem to always be around the corner. So please hear my heart, I'm not saying all of this is easy.

Just this week I've had to tackle some growth opportunities that made me feel like I had fire crackers burning through my veins.Maybe you can relate.What I will say is that it's possible to let those conflicts lead us to better places in our relationships. Improved places. And that is the good side of conflict.Dear Lord, help me to realize that with each conflict I face I can make the choice to improve the relationship rather than try and prove I'm right.

This is hard, Lord, really hard. But, I want to grow in this area and I know this is a good place to start. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

When People Let You Down

2010-09-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

"Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:8 (NASB)

Disappointment feels like a heavy rock sinking to the bottom of my spirit. I've felt disappointed in many situations – a business opportunity that didn't pan out, a writing door that didn't open, and a relationship that broke my young heart.The heaviest disappointments for me, however, stem from people. And not just any people; people who I'm closest to. People who turn out to be not at all what I hoped they'd be, or not who I thought they were.I know I'm not alone in wondering how to deal with people who let me down. Just this week a friend said with a choke in her voice, "I wish my mom and I could be closer, but I don't think we ever will be." Another woman said with despondency, "My husband and I just don't talk." I've heard the edge of bitterness in women's voices as they vow never to trust again because of a friend's betrayal. And most of us have swallowed the hopelessness that comes with a broken heart, "I thought he was the one."I've tried different ways to handle disappointments in relationships. One way is to ignore the disappointment, to shut it in a box and hope the lid holds. Another way is to gloss over it with a quick statement such as, "People will let you down, but God never will." True, but does this really help me process the hurt?One morning in my quiet time I was pouring out my sadness, anger and disappointment about a close relationship. As the tears slipped down my face, I begged God to show up. What do I do with all this? Show me and I'll do it because what I've been doing is not working.

Clear as a bell ringing in my spirit, Jesus said, Grieve.

Really? I questioned. I remembered that Jesus knew all about disappointment – Peter's denial, Judas' betrayal, and the disciples falling asleep during His anguish before His crucifixion (Matthew 26). I remembered people in the Bible who were well acquainted with people they loved letting them down, such as Joseph or Job. I felt reassured that Jesus wouldn't misunderstand my sadness as a lack of faith.So I cried, feeling every ounce of the disappointment. I told God all the things I wish were different about this relationship, all the things I thought this person had done wrong, and what I wish this person would do differently.After the winds of grief subsided, I was done.

Grieving was the bridge I had to cross to move beyond the disappointment. On the other side I found myself in a place where I could embrace the relationship for what it is, not what it's not.On the other side of grief lies a place where we can consider how to respond to the person who disappointed us. There are a number of possible responses. Sometimes we need to talk to the person or get godly counsel. Other times we may need to create healthy boundaries, or we may need just to let it go. Only after we've allowed ourselves to grieve, however, will we know how to respond to this person in the way that God wants. Then the words, "People will let you down, but God never will," will be truly comforting, not just empty words.

Dear Lord, I'm so thankful that when it feels like no one else understands, You do. You understand about being disappointed in people but You loved them in the midst of that. Lord, I want to follow Your example. I'm thankful You know this sadness is a part of healing from the pain of disappointment. Give me guidance in handling this -I trust that You can bring good out of this. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

By Melanie Chitwood

More on sharing the truth

2010-06-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Every time we share that message we are personally involved in what God is doing in building His eternal kingdom.

What can we expect as we take the gospel out of self-edification and share it with others? We can prepare for and accept hostility from some listeners (Matthew 10:16-18, 21-25). There will be men who “will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues, and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles (v. 17). The history of Christianity is the history of persecution and martyrdom for the cause of Christ. More people have been persecuted and died for Christ during the last hundred years than in the previous two thousand years.

We can expect God’s power and sustaining grace to meet all of our necessities as we take the good news to a lost world. Jesus said, “When they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak” (v. 19). Those are instructions for martyrs and Christians under persecution, not preachers getting ready for Sunday morning without doing their homework. The Holy Spirit gives boldness to testify under all circumstances for Christ. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (v. 20). Success in personal witnessing is simply sharing Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and then leaving the results up to God.

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006

missions

2010-06-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

"“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'

Acts 1:8"

Many of the youth here at Calvary Baptist are about to embark on a two week long mission trip to Louisiana and Florida.
Those of you on the trip you need to spend time in the word this week. You are missionaries and will be sharing the love and the truth of Christ to the lost.
In Acts he was telling them to go out and be witnesses to the end of the earth. Next week you are going to be in New Orleans and helping out there. It might not seem like the ends of the earth to you, but the lost need you. I will post a diffrent scripture and/or devotional about mission work on the blog this week.

Becky

Saturday Passion Week Reading

2010-04-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 15 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Corinthians 15
The Fact of Christ's Resurrection
1Now (A)I make known to you, brethren, the (B)gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, (C)in which also you stand,
2by which also you are saved, (D)if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, (E)unless you believed in vain.

3For (F)I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died (G)for our sins (H)according to the Scriptures,

4and that He was buried, and that He was (I)raised on the third day (J)according to the Scriptures,

5and that (K)He appeared to (L)Cephas, then (M)to the twelve.

6After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some (N)have fallen asleep;

7then He appeared to (O)James, then to (P)all the apostles;

8and last of all, as to one untimely born, (Q)He appeared to me also.

9For I am (R)the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I (S)persecuted the church of God.

10But by (T)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I (U)labored even more than all of them, yet (V)not I, but the grace of God with me.

11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there (W)is no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

14and (X)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

15Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He (Y)raised [a]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

17and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; (Z)you are still in your sins.

18Then those also who (AA)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are (AB)of all men most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection
20But now Christ (AC)has been raised from the dead, the (AD)first fruits of those who (AE)are asleep.
21For since (AF)by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22For (AG)as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

23But each in his own order: Christ (AH)the first fruits, after that (AI)those who are Christ's at (AJ)His coming,

24then comes the end, when He hands over (AK)the kingdom to the (AL)God and Father, when He has abolished (AM)all rule and all authority and power.

25For He must reign (AN)until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

26The last enemy that will be (AO)abolished is death.

27For (AP)HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET But when He says, "(AQ)All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

28When (AR)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that (AS)God may be all in all.

29Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

30Why are we also (AT)in danger every hour?

31I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, (AU)I die daily.

32If from human motives I (AV)fought with wild beasts at (AW)Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, (AX)LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.

33(AY)Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

34(AZ)Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have (BA)no knowledge of God (BB)I speak this to your shame.

35But (BC)someone will say, "How are (BD)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"

36(BE)You fool! That which you (BF)sow does not come to life unless it dies;

37and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

38But God gives it a body just as He wished, and (BG)to each of the seeds a body of its own.

39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.

40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42(BH)So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown (BI)a perishable body, it is raised (BJ)an imperishable body;

43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in (BK)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

44it is sown a (BL)natural body, it is raised a (BM)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

45So also it is written, "The first (BN)MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL " The (BO)last Adam became a (BP)life-giving spirit.

46However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.

47The first man is (BQ)from the earth, (BR)earthy; the second man is from heaven.

48As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, (BS)so also are those who are heavenly.

49Just as we have (BT)borne the image of the earthy, [b]we (BU)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection
50Now I say this, brethren, that (BV)flesh and blood cannot (BW)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit (BX)the imperishable.
51Behold, I tell you a (BY)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be (BZ)changed,

52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for (CA)the trumpet will sound, and (CB)the dead will be raised imperishable, and (CC)we will be changed.

53For this perishable must put on (CD)the imperishable, and this (CE)mortal must put on immortality.

54But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "(CF)DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

55"(CG)O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

56The sting of (CH)death is sin, and (CI)the power of sin is the law;

57but (CJ)thanks be to God, who gives us the (CK)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58(CL)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in (CM)the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Footnotes:
a.1 Corinthians 15:15 I.e. the Messiah
b.1 Corinthians 15:49 Two early mss read let us also
Cross references:
A.1 Corinthians 15:1 : Rom 2:16; Gal 1:11
B.1 Corinthians 15:1 : Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 3:6; 4:15
C.1 Corinthians 15:1 : Rom 5:2; 11:20; 2 Cor 1:24
D.1 Corinthians 15:2 : Rom 11:22
E.1 Corinthians 15:2 : Gal 3:4
F.1 Corinthians 15:3 : 1 Cor 11:23
G.1 Corinthians 15:3 : John 1:29; Gal 1:4; Heb 5:1, 3; 1 Pet 2:24
H.1 Corinthians 15:3 : Is 53:5-12; Matt 26:24; Luke 24:25-27; Acts 8:32; 17:2; 26:22
I.1 Corinthians 15:4 : Matt 16:21; John 2:20-ff; Acts 2:24
J.1 Corinthians 15:4 : Ps 16:8-ff; Acts 2:31; 26:22
K.1 Corinthians 15:5 : Luke 24:34
L.1 Corinthians 15:5 : 1 Cor 1:12
M.1 Corinthians 15:5 : Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19
N.1 Corinthians 15:6 : Acts 7:60; 1 Cor 15:18, 20
O.1 Corinthians 15:7 : Acts 12:17
P.1 Corinthians 15:7 : Luke 24:33, 36; Acts 1:3
Q.1 Corinthians 15:8 : Acts 9:3-8; 22:6-11; 26:12-18; 1 Cor 9:1
R.1 Corinthians 15:9 : 2 Cor 12:11; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15
S.1 Corinthians 15:9 : Acts 8:3
T.1 Corinthians 15:10 : Rom 12:3
U.1 Corinthians 15:10 : 2 Cor 11:23; Col 1:29; 1 Tim 4:10
V.1 Corinthians 15:10 : 1 Cor 3:6; 2 Cor 3:5; Phil 2:13
W.1 Corinthians 15:12 : Acts 17:32; 23:8; 2 Tim 2:18
X.1 Corinthians 15:14 : 1 Thess 4:14
Y.1 Corinthians 15:15 : Acts 2:24
Z.1 Corinthians 15:17 : Rom 4:25
AA.1 Corinthians 15:18 : 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thess 4:16; Rev 14:13
AB.1 Corinthians 15:19 : 1 Cor 4:9; 2 Tim 3:12
AC.1 Corinthians 15:20 : Acts 2:24; 1 Pet 1:3
AD.1 Corinthians 15:20 : Acts 26:23; 1 Cor 15:23; Rev 1:5
AE.1 Corinthians 15:20 : 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thess 4:16; Rev 14:13
AF.1 Corinthians 15:21 : Rom 5:12
AG.1 Corinthians 15:22 : Rom 5:14-18
AH.1 Corinthians 15:23 : Acts 26:23; 1 Cor 15:20; Rev 1:5
AI.1 Corinthians 15:23 : 1 Cor 6:14; 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16
AJ.1 Corinthians 15:23 : 1 Thess 2:19
AK.1 Corinthians 15:24 : Dan 2:44; 7:14, 27; 2 Pet 1:11
AL.1 Corinthians 15:24 : Eph 5:20
AM.1 Corinthians 15:24 : Rom 8:38
AN.1 Corinthians 15:25 : Ps 110:1; Matt 22:44
AO.1 Corinthians 15:26 : 2 Tim 1:10; Rev 20:14; 21:4
AP.1 Corinthians 15:27 : Ps 8:6
AQ.1 Corinthians 15:27 : Matt 11:27; 28:18; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:8
AR.1 Corinthians 15:28 : Phil 3:21
AS.1 Corinthians 15:28 : 1 Cor 3:23; 12:6
AT.1 Corinthians 15:30 : 2 Cor 11:26
AU.1 Corinthians 15:31 : Rom 8:36
AV.1 Corinthians 15:32 : 2 Cor 1:8
AW.1 Corinthians 15:32 : Acts 18:19; 1 Cor 16:8
AX.1 Corinthians 15:32 : Is 22:13; 56:12; Luke 12:19
AY.1 Corinthians 15:33 : 1 Cor 6:9
AZ.1 Corinthians 15:34 : Rom 13:11
BA.1 Corinthians 15:34 : Matt 22:29; Acts 26:8
BB.1 Corinthians 15:34 : 1 Cor 6:5
BC.1 Corinthians 15:35 : Rom 9:19
BD.1 Corinthians 15:35 : Ezek 37:3
BE.1 Corinthians 15:36 : Luke 11:40
BF.1 Corinthians 15:36 : John 12:24
BG.1 Corinthians 15:38 : Gen 1:11
BH.1 Corinthians 15:42 : Dan 12:3; Matt 13:43
BI.1 Corinthians 15:42 : Rom 8:21; 1 Cor 15:50; Gal 6:8
BJ.1 Corinthians 15:42 : Rom 2:7
BK.1 Corinthians 15:43 : Phil 3:21; Col 3:4
BL.1 Corinthians 15:44 : 1 Cor 2:14
BM.1 Corinthians 15:44 : 1 Cor 15:50
BN.1 Corinthians 15:45 : Gen 2:7
BO.1 Corinthians 15:45 : Rom 5:14
BP.1 Corinthians 15:45 : John 5:21; 6:57; Rom 8:2
BQ.1 Corinthians 15:47 : John 3:31
BR.1 Corinthians 15:47 : Gen 2:7; 3:19
BS.1 Corinthians 15:48 : Phil 3:20
BT.1 Corinthians 15:49 : Gen 5:3
BU.1 Corinthians 15:49 : Rom 8:29
BV.1 Corinthians 15:50 : Matt 16:17; John 3:5
BW.1 Corinthians 15:50 : 1 Cor 6:9
BX.1 Corinthians 15:50 : Rom 2:7
BY.1 Corinthians 15:51 : 1 Cor 13:2
BZ.1 Corinthians 15:51 : 2 Cor 5:2, 4
CA.1 Corinthians 15:52 : Matt 24:31
CB.1 Corinthians 15:52 : John 5:28
CC.1 Corinthians 15:52 : 1 Thess 4:15, 17
CD.1 Corinthians 15:53 : Rom 2:7
CE.1 Corinthians 15:53 : 2 Cor 5:4
CF.1 Corinthians 15:54 : Is 25:8
CG.1 Corinthians 15:55 : Hos 13:14
CH.1 Corinthians 15:56 : Rom 5:12
CI.1 Corinthians 15:56 : Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:8
CJ.1 Corinthians 15:57 : Rom 7:25; 2 Cor 2:14
CK.1 Corinthians 15:57 : Rom 8:37; Heb 2:14; 1 John 5:4; Rev 21:4
CL.1 Corinthians 15:58 : 2 Pet 3:14
CM.1 Corinthians 15:58 : 1 Cor 16:10

Friday Passion Week Reading

2010-04-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

John 21 (New American Standard Bible)

John 21
Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee
1After these things Jesus (A)manifested Himself (B)again to the disciples at the (C)Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.
2Simon Peter, and (D)Thomas called Didymus, and (E)Nathanael of (F)Cana in Galilee, and (G)the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

3Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and (H)that night they caught nothing.

4But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not (I)know that it was Jesus.

5So Jesus said to them, "Children, (J)you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No."

6And He said to them, "(K)Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

7(L)Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.

8But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal (M)fire already laid and (N)fish placed on it, and bread.

10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the (O)fish which you have now caught."

11Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides
12Jesus said to them, "Come and have (P)breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.
13Jesus came and took (Q)the bread and gave it to them, and the (R)fish likewise.

14This is now the (S)third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

The Love Motivation
15So when they had (T)finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you (U)love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend (V)My lambs."
16He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "(W)Shepherd My sheep."

17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him (X)the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, (Y)You know all things; You know that I love You " Jesus said to him, "(Z)Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand
18"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."
19Now this He said, (AA)signifying by (AB)what kind of death he would glorify God And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "(AC)Follow Me!"

20Peter, turning around, saw the (AD)disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had (AE)leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"

21So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"

22Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain (AF)until I come, what is that to you? You (AG)follow Me!"

23Therefore this saying went out among (AH)the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain (AI)until I come, what is that to you?"

24This is the disciple who (AJ)is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also (AK)many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

Cross references:
A.John 21:1 : Mark 16:12; John 21:14
B.John 21:1 : John 20:19, 26
C.John 21:1 : John 6:1
D.John 21:2 : John 11:16
E.John 21:2 : John 1:45-ff
F.John 21:2 : John 2:1
G.John 21:2 : Matt 4:21; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10
H.John 21:3 : Luke 5:5
I.John 21:4 : Luke 24:16; John 20:14
J.John 21:5 : Luke 24:41
K.John 21:6 : Luke 5:4-ff
L.John 21:7 : John 13:23; 21:20
M.John 21:9 : John 18:18
N.John 21:9 : John 6:9, 11; 21:10, 13
O.John 21:10 : John 6:9, 11; 21:9, 13
P.John 21:12 : John 21:15
Q.John 21:13 : John 21:9
R.John 21:13 : John 6:9, 11; 21:9, 10
S.John 21:14 : John 20:19, 26
T.John 21:15 : John 21:12
U.John 21:15 : Matt 26:33; Mark 14:29; John 13:37
V.John 21:15 : Luke 12:32
W.John 21:16 : Matt 2:6; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2; Rev 7:17
X.John 21:17 : John 13:38
Y.John 21:17 : John 16:30
Z.John 21:17 : John 21:15, 16
AA.John 21:19 : John 12:33; 18:32
AB.John 21:19 : 2 Pet 1:14
AC.John 21:19 : Matt 8:22; 16:24; John 21:22
AD.John 21:20 : John 21:7
AE.John 21:20 : John 13:25
AF.John 21:22 : Matt 16:27; 1 Cor 4:5; 11:26; James 5:7; Rev 2:25
AG.John 21:22 : Matt 8:22; 16:24; John 21:19
AH.John 21:23 : Acts 1:15
AI.John 21:23 : Matt 16:27; 1 Cor 4:5; 11:26; James 5:7; Rev 2:25
AJ.John 21:24 : John 15:27
AK.John 21:25 : John 20:30

Thursday Passion Week Reading

2010-04-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

John 19-20 (New American Standard Bible)

John 19
The Crown of Thorns
1Pilate then took Jesus and (A)scourged Him.
2(B)And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him;

3and they began to come up to Him and say, "(C)Hail, King of the Jews!" and to (D)give Him slaps in the face.

4Pilate (E)came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that (F)I find no guilt in Him."

5Jesus then came out, (G)wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

6So when the chief priests and the (H)officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for (I)I find no guilt in Him."

7The Jews answered him, "(J)We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He (K)made Himself out to be the Son of God."

8Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid;

9and he (L)entered into the [a]Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But (M)Jesus gave him no answer.

10So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?"

11Jesus answered, "(N)You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason (O)he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

12As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "(P)If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar."

13Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and (Q)sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but (R)in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14Now it was (S)the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [b](T)sixth hour And he said to the Jews, "Behold, (U)your King!"

15So they cried out, "(V)Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

The Crucifixion
16So he then (W)handed Him over to them to be crucified.
17(X)They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, (Y)bearing His own cross, to the place called (Z)the Place of a Skull, which is called (AA)in Hebrew, Golgotha.

18There they crucified Him, and with Him (AB)two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.

19Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "(AC)JESUS THE NAZARENE, (AD)THE KING OF THE JEWS."

20Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written (AE)in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.

21So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, '(AF)The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am (AG)King of the Jews.'"

22Pilate answered, "(AH)What I have written I have written."

23Then (AI)the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made (AJ)four parts, a part to every soldier and also the [c]tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece.

24So they said to one another, "(AK)Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; (AL)this was to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY (AM)DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."

25Therefore the soldiers did these things. (AN)But standing by the cross of Jesus were (AO)His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and (AP)Mary Magdalene.

26When Jesus then saw His mother, and (AQ)the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "(AR)Woman, behold, your son!"

27Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into (AS)his own household.

28After this, Jesus, (AT)knowing that all things had already been accomplished, (AU)to fulfill the Scripture, said, "(AV)I am thirsty."

29A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so (AW)they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

30Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "(AX)It is finished!" And He bowed His head and (AY)gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus
31Then the Jews, because it was (AZ)the day of preparation, so that (BA)the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a (BB)high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was (BC)crucified with Him;

33but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

34But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately (BD)blood and water came out.

35And he who has seen has (BE)testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

36For these things came to pass (BF)to fulfill the Scripture, "(BG)NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN."

37And again another Scripture says, "(BH)THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED."

38(BI)After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a (BJ)secret one for (BK)fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.

39(BL)Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, (BM)bringing a mixture of (BN)myrrh and aloes, about a (BO)hundred pounds weight.

40So they took the body of Jesus and (BP)bound it in (BQ)linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

41Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a (BR)new tomb (BS)in which no one had yet been laid.

42Therefore because of the Jewish day of (BT)preparation, since the tomb was (BU)nearby, they laid Jesus there.

John 20
The Empty Tomb
1(BV)Now on the first day of the week (BW)Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw (BX)the stone already taken away from the tomb.
2So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other (BY)disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "(BZ)They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

3(CA)So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.

4The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;

5and (CB)stooping and looking in, he saw the (CC)linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

6And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,

7and (CD)the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the (CE)linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

8So the other disciple who (CF)had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.

9For as yet (CG)they did not understand the Scripture, (CH)that He must rise again from the dead.

10So the disciples went away again (CI)to their own homes.

11(CJ)But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she (CK)stooped and looked into the tomb;

12and she saw (CL)two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.

13And they said to her, "(CM)Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because (CN)they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

14When she had said this, she turned around and (CO)saw Jesus standing there, and (CP)did not know that it was Jesus.

15Jesus said to her, "(CQ)Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

16Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him (CR)in Hebrew, "(CS)Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher).

17Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to (CT)My brethren and say to them, 'I (CU)ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'"

18(CV)Mary Magdalene came, (CW)announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.

Jesus among His Disciples
19So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for (CX)fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "(CY)Peace be with you."
20And when He had said this, (CZ)He showed them both His hands and His side The disciples then (DA)rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21So Jesus said to them again, "(DB)Peace be with you; (DC)as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

22And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

23"(DD)If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

24But (DE)Thomas, one of (DF)the twelve, called (DG)Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in (DH)His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, (DI)I will not believe."

26After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "(DJ)Peace be with you."

27Then He said to Thomas, "(DK)Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing."

28Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

29Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? (DL)Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Why This Gospel Was Written
30(DM)Therefore many other (DN)signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31but these have been written (DO)so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, (DP)the Son of God; and that (DQ)believing you may have life in His name.

Footnotes:
a.John 19:9 I e governor's official residence
b.John 19:14 Perhaps 6 a m
c.John 19:23 Gr khiton, the garment worn next to the skin
Cross references:
A.John 19:1 : Matt 27:26
B.John 19:2 : Mark 15:16-19
C.John 19:3 : Matt 27:29; Mark 15:18
D.John 19:3 : John 18:22
E.John 19:4 : John 18:33, 38
F.John 19:4 : Luke 23:4; John 18:38; 19:6
G.John 19:5 : John 19:2
H.John 19:6 : Matt 26:58; John 18:3
I.John 19:6 : Luke 23:4; John 18:38; 19:4
J.John 19:7 : Lev 24:16; Matt 26:63-66
K.John 19:7 : John 5:18; 10:33
L.John 19:9 : John 18:33
M.John 19:9 : Matt 26:63; 27:12, 14; John 18:34-37
N.John 19:11 : Rom 13:1
O.John 19:11 : John 18:13, 28-ff; Acts 3:13
P.John 19:12 : Luke 23:2; John 18:33-ff
Q.John 19:13 : Matt 27:19
R.John 19:13 : John 5:2; 19:17, 20
S.John 19:14 : Matt 27:62; John 19:31, 42
T.John 19:14 : Matt 27:45; Mark 15:25
U.John 19:14 : John 19:19, 21
V.John 19:15 : Luke 23:18
W.John 19:16 : Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:25
X.John 19:17 : Matt 27:33-44; Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:33-43
Y.John 19:17 : Matt 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 14:27; 23:26
Z.John 19:17 : Luke 23:33
AA.John 19:17 : John 19:13
AB.John 19:18 : Luke 23:32
AC.John 19:19 : Matt 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38
AD.John 19:19 : John 19:14, 21
AE.John 19:20 : John 19:13
AF.John 19:21 : John 19:14, 19
AG.John 19:21 : John 19:14, 19
AH.John 19:22 : Gen 43:14; Esth 4:16
AI.John 19:23 : Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34
AJ.John 19:23 : Acts 12:4
AK.John 19:24 : Ex 28:32; Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34
AL.John 19:24 : John 19:28, 36
AM.John 19:24 : Ps 22:18
AN.John 19:25 : Matt 27:55; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49
AO.John 19:25 : Matt 12:46
AP.John 19:25 : Luke 8:2; John 20:1, 18
AQ.John 19:26 : John 13:23
AR.John 19:26 : John 2:4
AS.John 19:27 : Luke 18:28; John 1:11; 16:32; Acts 21:6
AT.John 19:28 : John 13:1; 17:4
AU.John 19:28 : John 19:24, 36
AV.John 19:28 : Ps 69:21
AW.John 19:29 : Matt 27:48, 50; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36
AX.John 19:30 : John 17:4
AY.John 19:30 : Matt 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46
AZ.John 19:31 : John 19:14, 42
BA.John 19:31 : Deut 21:23; Josh 8:29; 10:26
BB.John 19:31 : Ex 12:16
BC.John 19:32 : John 19:18
BD.John 19:34 : 1 John 5:6, 8
BE.John 19:35 : John 15:27; 21:24
BF.John 19:36 : John 19:24, 28
BG.John 19:36 : Ex 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20
BH.John 19:37 : Zech 12:10; Rev 1:7
BI.John 19:38 : Matt 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56
BJ.John 19:38 : Mark 15:43
BK.John 19:38 : John 7:13
BL.John 19:39 : John 3:1
BM.John 19:39 : Mark 16:1
BN.John 19:39 : Ps 45:8; Prov 7:17; Song 4:14; Matt 2:11
BO.John 19:39 : John 12:3
BP.John 19:40 : Matt 26:12; Mark 14:8; John 11:44
BQ.John 19:40 : Luke 24:12; John 20:5, 7
BR.John 19:41 : Matt 27:60
BS.John 19:41 : Luke 23:53
BT.John 19:42 : John 19:14, 31
BU.John 19:42 : John 19:20, 41
BV.John 20:1 : Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-10
BW.John 20:1 : John 19:25; 20:18
BX.John 20:1 : Matt 27:60, 66; 28:2; Mark 15:46; 16:3; Luke 24:2; John 11:38
BY.John 20:2 : John 13:23
BZ.John 20:2 : John 20:13
CA.John 20:3 : Luke 24:12; John 20:3-10
CB.John 20:5 : John 20:11
CC.John 20:5 : John 19:40
CD.John 20:7 : John 11:44
CE.John 20:7 : John 19:40
CF.John 20:8 : John 20:4
CG.John 20:9 : Matt 22:29; John 2:22
CH.John 20:9 : Luke 24:26-ff, 46
CI.John 20:10 : Luke 24:12
CJ.John 20:11 : Mark 16:5
CK.John 20:11 : John 20:5
CL.John 20:12 : Matt 28:2; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4
CM.John 20:13 : John 20:15
CN.John 20:13 : John 20:2
CO.John 20:14 : Matt 28:9; Mark 16:9
CP.John 20:14 : John 21:4
CQ.John 20:15 : John 20:13
CR.John 20:16 : John 5:2
CS.John 20:16 : Matt 23:7; Mark 10:51
CT.John 20:17 : Matt 28:10
CU.John 20:17 : Mark 12:26; 16:19; John 7:33
CV.John 20:18 : John 20:1
CW.John 20:18 : Mark 16:10; Luke 24:10, 23
CX.John 20:19 : John 7:13
CY.John 20:19 : Luke 24:36; John 14:27; 20:21, 26
CZ.John 20:20 : Luke 24:39, 40; John 19:34
DA.John 20:20 : John 16:20, 22
DB.John 20:21 : Luke 24:36; John 14:27; 20:19, 26
DC.John 20:21 : John 17:18
DD.John 20:23 : Matt 16:19; 18:18
DE.John 20:24 : John 11:16
DF.John 20:24 : John 6:67
DG.John 20:24 : John 11:16
DH.John 20:25 : John 20:20
DI.John 20:25 : Mark 16:11
DJ.John 20:26 : Luke 24:36; John 14:27; 20:19, 21
DK.John 20:27 : Luke 24:40; John 20:25
DL.John 20:29 : 1 Pet 1:8
DM.John 20:30 : John 21:25
DN.John 20:30 : John 2:11
DO.John 20:31 : John 19:35
DP.John 20:31 : Matt 4:3
DQ.John 20:31 : John 3:15

Wednesday Passion Week Reading

2010-03-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

John 17-18 (New American Standard Bible)

John 17
The High Priestly Prayer
1Jesus spoke these things; and (A)lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; (B)glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2even as (C)You gave Him authority over all flesh, that (D)to all whom You have given Him, (E)He may give eternal life.

3"This is eternal life, that they may know You, (F)the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom (G)You have sent.

4"(H)I glorified You on the earth, (I)having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

5"Now, Father, (J)glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had (K)with You before the world was.

6"(L)I have manifested Your name to the men whom (M)You gave Me out of the world; they were (N)Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have (O)kept Your word.

7"Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;

8for (P)the words which You gave Me (Q)I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that (R)I came forth from You, and they believed that (S)You sent Me.

9"(T)I ask on their behalf; (U)I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom (V)You have given Me; for (W)they are Yours;

10and (X)all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

11"I am no longer in the world; and yet (Y)they themselves are in the world, and (Z)I come to You (AA)Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name (AB)which You have given Me, that (AC)they may be one even as We are.

12"While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name (AD)which You have given Me; and I guarded them and (AE)not one of them perished but (AF)the son of perdition, so that the (AG)Scripture would be fulfilled.

The Disciples in the World
13"But now (AH)I come to You; and (AI)these things I speak in the world so that they may have My (AJ)joy made full in themselves.
14"I have given them Your word; and (AK)the world has hated them, because (AL)they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15"I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from (AM)the evil one.

16"(AN)They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17"(AO)Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

18"As (AP)You sent Me into the world, (AQ)I also have sent them into the world.

19"For their sakes I (AR)sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be (AS)sanctified (AT)in truth.

20"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21that they may all be one; (AU)even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, (AV)so that the world may believe that (AW)You sent Me.

Their Future Glory
22"The (AX)glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23(AY)I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that (AZ)You sent Me, and (BA)loved them, even as You have loved Me.

24"Father, I desire that (BB)they also, whom You have given Me, (BC)be with Me where I am, so that they may see My (BD)glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before (BE)the foundation of the world.

25"O (BF)righteous Father, although (BG)the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that (BH)You sent Me;

26and (BI)I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that (BJ)the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

John 18
Judas Betrays Jesus
1When Jesus had spoken these words, (BK)He went forth with His disciples over (BL)the ravine of the Kidron, where there was (BM)a garden, in which He entered with His disciples.
2Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had (BN)often met there with His disciples.

3(BO)Judas then, having received (BP)the Roman cohort and (BQ)officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and (BR)torches and weapons.

4So Jesus, (BS)knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "(BT)Whom do you seek?"

5They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

6So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

7Therefore He again asked them, "(BU)Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene."

8Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,"

9to fulfill the word which He spoke, "(BV)Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one."

10Simon Peter then, (BW)having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.

11So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; (BX)the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

Jesus before the Priests
12(BY)So (BZ)the Roman cohort and the commander and the (CA)officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,
13and led Him to (CB)Annas first; for he was father-in-law of (CC)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

14Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that (CD)it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

15(CE)Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into (CF)the court of the high priest,

16(CG)but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

17(CH)Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, "(CI)You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."

18Now the slaves and the (CJ)officers were standing there, having made (CK)a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were (CL)warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

19(CM)The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.

20Jesus answered him, "I (CN)have spoken openly to the world; I always (CO)taught in synagogues and (CP)in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.

21"Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said."

22When He had said this, one of the (CQ)officers standing nearby (CR)struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?"

23(CS)Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?"

24(CT)So Annas sent Him bound to (CU)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter's Denial of Jesus
25(CV)Now (CW)Simon Peter was standing and warming himself So they said to him, "(CX)You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not."
26One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one (CY)whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in (CZ)the garden with Him?"

27Peter then denied it again, and immediately (DA)a rooster crowed.

Jesus before Pilate
28(DB)Then they led Jesus from (DC)Caiaphas into (DD)the [a]Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into (DE)the Praetorium so that (DF)they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
29(DG)Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"

30They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you."

31So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death,"

32to fulfill (DH)the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

33Therefore Pilate (DI)entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "(DJ)Are You the King of the Jews?"

34Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?"

35Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?"

36Jesus answered, "(DK)My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [b]of this realm."

37Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "(DL)You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, (DM)to testify to the truth (DN)Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

38Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he (DO)went out again to the Jews and said to them, "(DP)I find no guilt in Him.

39"(DQ)But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?"

40So they cried out again, saying, "(DR)Not this Man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas was a robber.

Footnotes:
a.John 18:28 I e governor's official residence
b.John 18:36 Lit from here
Cross references:
A.John 17:1 : John 11:41
B.John 17:1 : John 7:39; 13:31
C.John 17:2 : John 3:35
D.John 17:2 : John 10:28
E.John 17:2 : John 6:37, 39; 17:6, 9, 24
F.John 17:3 : John 5:44
G.John 17:3 : John 3:17; 17:8, 21, 23, 25
H.John 17:4 : John 13:31
I.John 17:4 : Luke 22:37; John 4:34
J.John 17:5 : John 17:1
K.John 17:5 : John 1:1; 8:58; 17:24; Phil 2:6
L.John 17:6 : John 17:26
M.John 17:6 : John 6:37, 39; 17:2, 9, 24
N.John 17:6 : John 17:9
O.John 17:6 : John 8:51
P.John 17:8 : John 6:68; 12:49
Q.John 17:8 : John 15:15; 17:14, 26
R.John 17:8 : John 8:42; 16:27, 30
S.John 17:8 : John 3:17; 17:18, 21, 23, 25
T.John 17:9 : Luke 22:32; John 14:16
U.John 17:9 : Luke 23:34; John 17:20
V.John 17:9 : John 6:37, 39; 17:2, 6, 24
W.John 17:9 : John 17:6
X.John 17:10 : John 16:15
Y.John 17:11 : John 13:1
Z.John 17:11 : John 7:33; 17:13
AA.John 17:11 : John 17:25
AB.John 17:11 : John 17:6; Phil 2:9; Rev 19:12
AC.John 17:11 : John 17:21; Rom 12:5; Gal 3:28
AD.John 17:12 : John 17:6; Phil 2:9; Rev 19:12
AE.John 17:12 : John 6:39; 18:9
AF.John 17:12 : John 6:70
AG.John 17:12 : Ps 41:9; John 13:18
AH.John 17:13 : John 7:33; 17:11
AI.John 17:13 : John 15:11
AJ.John 17:13 : John 3:29
AK.John 17:14 : John 15:19
AL.John 17:14 : John 8:23; 17:16
AM.John 17:15 : Matt 5:37
AN.John 17:16 : John 17:14
AO.John 17:17 : John 15:3
AP.John 17:18 : John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 21, 23, 25
AQ.John 17:18 : Matt 10:5; John 4:38; 20:21
AR.John 17:19 : John 15:13
AS.John 17:19 : John 15:3
AT.John 17:19 : 2 Cor 7:14; Col 1:6; 1 John 3:18
AU.John 17:21 : John 10:38; 17:11, 23
AV.John 17:21 : John 17:8
AW.John 17:21 : John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 18, 23, 25
AX.John 17:22 : John 1:14; 17:24
AY.John 17:23 : John 10:38; 17:11, 21
AZ.John 17:23 : John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 18, 21, 25
BA.John 17:23 : John 16:27
BB.John 17:24 : John 17:2
BC.John 17:24 : John 12:26
BD.John 17:24 : John 1:14; 17:22
BE.John 17:24 : Matt 25:34; John 17:5
BF.John 17:25 : John 17:11; 1 John 1:9
BG.John 17:25 : John 7:29; 15:21
BH.John 17:25 : John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 18, 21, 23
BI.John 17:26 : John 17:6
BJ.John 17:26 : John 15:9
BK.John 18:1 : Matt 26:30, 36; Mark 14:26, 32; Luke 22:39
BL.John 18:1 : 2 Sam 15:23; 1 Kin 2:37; 15:13; 2 Kin 23:4, 6, 12; 2 Chr 15:16; 29:16; 30:14; Jer 31:40
BM.John 18:1 : Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32; John 18:26
BN.John 18:2 : Luke 21:37; 22:39
BO.John 18:3 : Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53
BP.John 18:3 : John 18:12; Acts 10:1
BQ.John 18:3 : John 7:32; 18:12, 18
BR.John 18:3 : Matt 25:1
BS.John 18:4 : John 6:64; 13:1, 11
BT.John 18:4 : John 18:7
BU.John 18:7 : John 18:4
BV.John 18:9 : John 17:12
BW.John 18:10 : Matt 26:51; Mark 14:47
BX.John 18:11 : Matt 20:22; 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42
BY.John 18:12 : Matt 26:57-ff
BZ.John 18:12 : John 18:3
CA.John 18:12 : John 18:3
CB.John 18:13 : Luke 3:2; John 18:24
CC.John 18:13 : Matt 26:3; John 11:49, 51
CD.John 18:14 : John 11:50
CE.John 18:15 : Matt 26:58; Mark 14:54; Luke 22:54
CF.John 18:15 : Matt 26:3; John 18:24, 28
CG.John 18:16 : Matt 26:69; Mark 14:66-68; Luke 22:55-57
CH.John 18:17 : Acts 12:13
CI.John 18:17 : John 18:25
CJ.John 18:18 : John 18:3
CK.John 18:18 : John 21:9
CL.John 18:18 : Mark 14:54, 67
CM.John 18:19 : Matt 26:59-68; Mark 14:55-65; Luke 22:63-71
CN.John 18:20 : John 7:26; 8:26
CO.John 18:20 : Matt 4:23; John 6:59
CP.John 18:20 : Matt 26:55
CQ.John 18:22 : John 18:3
CR.John 18:22 : John 19:3
CS.John 18:23 : Matt 5:39; Acts 23:2-5
CT.John 18:24 : John 18:13
CU.John 18:24 : John 18:13
CV.John 18:25 : Matt 26:71-75; Mark 14:69-72; Luke 22:58-62
CW.John 18:25 : John 18:18
CX.John 18:25 : John 18:17
CY.John 18:26 : John 18:10
CZ.John 18:26 : John 18:1
DA.John 18:27 : John 13:38
DB.John 18:28 : Matt 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1
DC.John 18:28 : John 18:13
DD.John 18:28 : Matt 27:27; John 18:33; 19:9
DE.John 18:28 : Matt 27:27; John 18:33; 19:9
DF.John 18:28 : John 11:55; Acts 11:3
DG.John 18:29 : Matt 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:2, 3
DH.John 18:32 : Matt 20:19; 26:2; Mark 10:33; Luke 18:32; John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32
DI.John 18:33 : John 18:28, 29; 19:9
DJ.John 18:33 : Luke 23:3; John 19:12
DK.John 18:36 : Matt 26:53; Luke 17:21; John 6:15
DL.John 18:37 : Matt 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 22:70; 23:3
DM.John 18:37 : John 1:14; 3:32; 8:14
DN.John 18:37 : John 8:47; 1 John 4:6
DO.John 18:38 : John 18:33; 19:4
DP.John 18:38 : Luke 23:4; John 19:4, 6
DQ.John 18:39 : Matt 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:18-25
DR.John 18:40 : Acts 3:14

Tuesday Passion Week Reading

2010-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

John 15-16 (New American Standard Bible)

John 15
Jesus Is the Vine--Followers Are Branches
1"(A)I am the true vine, and My Father is the (B)vinedresser.
2"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

3"(C)You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4"(D)Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he (E)bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

6"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is (F)thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

7"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, (G)ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

8"My (H)Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so (I)prove to be My disciples.

9"Just as (J)the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

10"(K)If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as (L)I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

11"(M)These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your (N)joy may be made full.

Disciples' Relation to Each Other
12"This is (O)My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
13"(P)Greater love has no one than this, that one (Q)lay down his life for his friends.

14"You are My (R)friends if (S)you do what I command you.

15"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for (T)all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

16"(U)You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and (V)bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that (W)whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

17"This (X)I command you, that you love one another.

Disciples' Relation to the World
18"(Y)If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19"If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but (Z)I chose you out of the world, (AA)because of this the world hates you.

20"Remember the word that I said to you, '(AB)A slave is not greater than his master ' If they persecuted Me, (AC)they will also persecute you; if they (AD)kept My word, they will keep yours also.

21"But all these things they will do to you (AE)for My name's sake, (AF)because they do not know the One who sent Me.

22"(AG)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23"He who hates Me hates My Father also.

24"(AH)If I had not done among them (AI)the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.

25"But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their (AJ)Law, '(AK)THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.'

26"When the (AL)Helper comes, (AM)whom I will send to you from the Father, that is (AN)the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, (AO)He will testify about Me,

27and (AP)you will testify also, because you have been with Me (AQ)from the beginning.

John 16
Jesus' Warning
1"(AR)These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from (AS)stumbling.
2"They will (AT)make you outcasts from the synagogue, but (AU)an hour is coming for everyone (AV)who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

3"These things they will do (AW)because they have not known the Father or Me.

4"But these things I have spoken to you, (AX)so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them These things I did not say to you (AY)at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Holy Spirit Promised
5"But now (AZ)I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, '(BA)Where are You going?'
6"But because I have said these things to you, (BB)sorrow has filled your heart.

7"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the (BC)Helper will not come to you; but if I go, (BD)I will send Him to you.

8"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

9concerning sin, (BE)because they do not believe in Me;

10and concerning (BF)righteousness, because (BG)I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;

11(BH)and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13"But when He, (BI)the Spirit of truth, comes, He will (BJ)guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

14"He will (BK)glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

15"(BL)All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Jesus' Death and Resurrection Foretold
16"(BM)A little while, and (BN)you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and (BO)you will see Me."
17Some of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, '(BP)A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because (BQ)I go to the Father'?"

18So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

19(BR)Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'?

20"Truly, truly, I say to you, that (BS)you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but (BT)your grief will be turned into joy.

21"(BU)Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.

22"Therefore (BV)you too have grief now; but (BW)I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Prayer Promises
23"(BX)In that day (BY)you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, (BZ)if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
24"(CA)Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your (CB)joy may be made full.

25"These things I have spoken to you in (CC)figurative language; (CD)an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

26"(CE)In that day (CF)you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;

27for (CG)the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and (CH)have believed that (CI)I came forth from the Father.

28"(CJ)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and (CK)going to the Father."

29His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using (CL)a figure of speech.

30"Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we (CM)believe that You (CN)came from God."

31Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?

32"Behold, (CO)an hour is coming, and has already come, for (CP)you to be scattered, each to (CQ)his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet (CR)I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

33"These things I have spoken to you, so that (CS)in Me you may have peace (CT)In the world you have tribulation, but (CU)take courage; (CV)I have overcome the world."

Footnotes:
a.John 15:2 Lit cleans; used to describe pruning
Cross references:
A.John 15:1 : Ps 80:8-ff; Is 5:1-ff; Ezek 19:10-ff; Matt 21:33-ff
B.John 15:1 : Matt 15:13; Rom 11:17; 1 Cor 3:9
C.John 15:3 : John 13:10; 17:17; Eph 5:26
D.John 15:4 : John 6:56; 15:4-7; 1 John 2:6
E.John 15:5 : John 15:16
F.John 15:6 : John 15:2
G.John 15:7 : Matt 7:7; John 15:16
H.John 15:8 : Matt 5:16
I.John 15:8 : John 8:31
J.John 15:9 : John 3:35; 17:23, 24, 26
K.John 15:10 : John 14:15
L.John 15:10 : John 8:29
M.John 15:11 : John 17:13
N.John 15:11 : John 3:29
O.John 15:12 : John 13:34; 15:17; 1 John 3:23; 2 John 5
P.John 15:13 : Rom 5:7
Q.John 15:13 : John 10:11
R.John 15:14 : Luke 12:4
S.John 15:14 : Matt 12:50
T.John 15:15 : John 8:26; 16:12
U.John 15:16 : John 6:70; 13:18; 15:19
V.John 15:16 : John 15:5
W.John 15:16 : John 14:13; 15:7; 16:23
X.John 15:17 : John 15:12
Y.John 15:18 : John 7:7; 1 John 3:13
Z.John 15:19 : John 15:16
AA.John 15:19 : Matt 10:22; 24:9; John 17:14
AB.John 15:20 : Matt 10:24; John 13:16
AC.John 15:20 : 1 Cor 4:12; 2 Cor 4:9; 2 Tim 3:12
AD.John 15:20 : John 8:51
AE.John 15:21 : Matt 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:12, 17; Acts 4:17; 5:41; 9:14; 26:9; 1 Pet 4:14; Rev 2:3
AF.John 15:21 : John 8:19, 55; 16:3; 17:25; Acts 3:17; 1 John 3:1
AG.John 15:22 : John 9:41; 15:24
AH.John 15:24 : John 9:41; 15:21
AI.John 15:24 : John 5:36; 10:37
AJ.John 15:25 : John 10:34
AK.John 15:25 : Ps 35:19; 69:4
AL.John 15:26 : John 14:16
AM.John 15:26 : John 14:26
AN.John 15:26 : John 14:17
AO.John 15:26 : 1 John 5:7
AP.John 15:27 : Luke 24:48; John 19:35; 21:24; 1 John 1:2; 4:14
AQ.John 15:27 : Luke 1:2
AR.John 16:1 : John 15:18-27
AS.John 16:1 : Matt 11:6
AT.John 16:2 : John 9:22
AU.John 16:2 : John 4:21; 16:25
AV.John 16:2 : Is 66:5; Acts 26:9-11; Rev 6:9
AW.John 16:3 : John 8:19, 55; 15:21; 17:25; Acts 3:17; 1 John 3:1
AX.John 16:4 : John 13:19
AY.John 16:4 : Luke 1:2
AZ.John 16:5 : John 7:33; 16:10, 17, 28
BA.John 16:5 : John 13:36; 14:5
BB.John 16:6 : John 14:1; 16:22
BC.John 16:7 : John 14:16
BD.John 16:7 : John 14:26
BE.John 16:9 : John 15:22, 24
BF.John 16:10 : Acts 3:14; 7:52; 17:31; 1 Pet 3:18
BG.John 16:10 : John 16:5
BH.John 16:11 : John 12:31
BI.John 16:13 : John 14:17
BJ.John 16:13 : John 14:26
BK.John 16:14 : John 7:39
BL.John 16:15 : John 17:10
BM.John 16:16 : John 7:33
BN.John 16:16 : John 14:18-24; 16:16-24
BO.John 16:16 : John 16:22
BP.John 16:17 : John 16:16
BQ.John 16:17 : John 16:5
BR.John 16:19 : Mark 9:32; John 6:61
BS.John 16:20 : Mark 16:10; Luke 23:27
BT.John 16:20 : John 20:20
BU.John 16:21 : Is 13:8; 21:3; 26:17; 66:7; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:9; 1 Thess 5:3
BV.John 16:22 : John 16:6
BW.John 16:22 : John 16:16
BX.John 16:23 : John 14:20; 16:26
BY.John 16:23 : John 16:19, 30
BZ.John 16:23 : John 15:16
CA.John 16:24 : John 14:14
CB.John 16:24 : John 3:29; 15:11
CC.John 16:25 : Matt 13:34; John 10:6; 16:29
CD.John 16:25 : John 16:2
CE.John 16:26 : John 14:20; 16:23
CF.John 16:26 : John 16:19, 30
CG.John 16:27 : John 14:21, 23
CH.John 16:27 : John 2:11; 16:30
CI.John 16:27 : John 8:42
CJ.John 16:28 : John 8:42; 16:30
CK.John 16:28 : John 13:1, 3; 16:5, 10, 17
CL.John 16:29 : Matt 13:34; John 10:6; 16:25
CM.John 16:30 : John 2:11; 16:27
CN.John 16:30 : John 8:42; 16:28
CO.John 16:32 : John 4:23; 16:2, 25
CP.John 16:32 : Zech 13:7; Matt 26:31
CQ.John 16:32 : John 19:27
CR.John 16:32 : John 8:29
CS.John 16:33 : John 14:27
CT.John 16:33 : John 15:18-ff
CU.John 16:33 : Matt 9:2
CV.John 16:33 : Rom 8:37; 2 Cor 2:14; 4:7-ff; 6:4-ff; Rev 3:21; 12:11

Monday Passion Week Reading

2010-03-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

John 13-14 (New American Standard Bible)

John 13
The Lord's Supper
1Now before the Feast of (A)the Passover, Jesus knowing that (B)His hour had come that He would depart out of this world (C)to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2During supper, (D)the devil having already put into the heart of (E)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,

3Jesus, (F)knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that (G)He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

4got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He (H)girded Himself.

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
5Then He poured water into the basin, and began to (I)wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
6So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"

7Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand (J)hereafter."

8Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "(K)If I do not wash you, (L)you have no part with Me."

9Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

10Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and (M)you are clean, but not all of you."

11For (N)He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

12So when He had washed their feet, and (O)taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?

13"You call Me (P)Teacher and (Q)Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

14"If I then, (R)the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

15"For I gave you (S)an example that you also should do as I did to you.

16"Truly, truly, I say to you, (T)a slave is not greater than his master, nor is (U)one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

17"If you know these things, you are (V)blessed if you do them.

18"(W)I do not speak of all of you I know the ones I have (X)chosen; but it is (Y)that the Scripture may be fulfilled, '(Z)HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.'

19"From now on (AA)I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that (AB)I am He.

20"Truly, truly, I say to you, (AC)he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
21When Jesus had said this, He (AD)became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that (AE)one of you will betray Me."
22The disciples began looking at one another, (AF)at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.

23There was reclining on (AG)Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, (AH)whom Jesus loved.

24So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking."

25He, (AI)leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"

26Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, (AJ)the son of Simon Iscariot.

27After the morsel, (AK)Satan then (AL)entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

28Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him.

29For some were supposing, because Judas (AM)had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of (AN)for the feast"; or else, that he should (AO)give something to the poor.

30So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and (AP)it was night.

31Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is (AQ)the Son of Man (AR)glorified, and (AS)God is glorified in Him;

32if God is glorified in Him, (AT)God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

33"(AU)Little children, I am with you (AV)a little while longer (AW)You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'

34"A (AX)new commandment I give to you, (AY)that you love one another, (AZ)even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35"(BA)By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

36Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "(BB)Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but (BC)you will follow later."

37Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? (BD)I will lay down my life for You."

38Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, (BE)a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1"(BF)Do not let your heart be troubled; [a]believe in God, believe also in Me.
2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for (BG)I go to prepare a place for you.

3"If I go and prepare a place for you, (BH)I will come again and receive you to Myself, that (BI)where I am, there you may be also.

4"And you know the way where I am going."

5(BJ)Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"

6Jesus said to him, "I am (BK)the way, and (BL)the truth, and (BM)the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Oneness with the Father
7"(BN)If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you (BO)know Him, and have (BP)seen Him."
8(BQ)Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

9Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? (BR)He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

10"Do you not believe that (BS)I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? (BT)The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

11"Believe Me that (BU)I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise (BV)believe because of the works themselves.

12"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and (BW)greater works than these he will do; because (BX)I go to the Father.

13"(BY)Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that (BZ)the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14"If you ask Me anything (CA)in My name, I will do it.

15"(CB)If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Role of the Spirit
16"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another (CC)Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17that is (CD)the Spirit of truth, (CE)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

18"I will not leave you as orphans; (CF)I will come to you.

19"(CG)After a little while (CH)the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; (CI)because I live, you will live also.

20"(CJ)In that day you will know that (CK)I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

21"(CL)He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and (CM)he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will (CN)disclose Myself to him."

22(CO)Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened (CP)that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?"

23Jesus answered and said to him, "(CQ)If anyone loves Me, he will (CR)keep My word; and (CS)My Father will love him, and We (CT)will come to him and make Our abode with him.

24"He who does not love Me (CU)does not keep My words; and (CV)the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

25"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

26"But the (CW)Helper, the Holy Spirit, (CX)whom the Father will send in My name, (CY)He will teach you all things, and (CZ)bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

27"(DA)Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you (DB)Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

28"(DC)You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and (DD)I will come to you ' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because (DE)I go to the Father, for (DF)the Father is greater than I.

29"Now (DG)I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

30"I will not speak much more with you, for (DH)the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;

31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as (DI)the Father commanded Me Get up, (DJ)let us go from here.

Footnotes:
a.John 14:1 Or you believe in God
Cross references:
A.John 13:1 : John 2:13; 11:55
B.John 13:1 : John 12:23
C.John 13:1 : John 13:3; 16:28
D.John 13:2 : John 6:70; 13:27
E.John 13:2 : John 6:71
F.John 13:3 : John 3:35
G.John 13:3 : John 8:42
H.John 13:4 : Luke 12:37; 17:8
I.John 13:5 : Gen 18:4; 19:2; 43:24; Judg 19:21; Luke 7:44; 1 Tim 5:10
J.John 13:7 : John 13:12-ff
K.John 13:8 : Ps 51:2, 7; Ezek 36:25; Acts 22:16; 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:22
L.John 13:8 : Deut 12:12; 2 Sam 20:1; 1 Kin 12:16
M.John 13:10 : John 15:3; Eph 5:26
N.John 13:11 : John 6:64; 13:2
O.John 13:12 : John 13:4
P.John 13:13 : John 11:28
Q.John 13:13 : John 11:2; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11
R.John 13:14 : John 11:2; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11
S.John 13:15 : 1 Pet 5:3
T.John 13:16 : Matt 10:24; Luke 6:40; John 15:20
U.John 13:16 : 2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25
V.John 13:17 : Matt 7:24-ff; Luke 11:28; James 1:25
W.John 13:18 : John 13:10
X.John 13:18 : John 6:70; 15:16, 19
Y.John 13:18 : John 15:25; 17:12; 18:32; 19:24, 36
Z.John 13:18 : Ps 41:9; Matt 26:21-ff; Mark 14:18; Luke 22:21-ff; John 13:21, 22, 26
AA.John 13:19 : John 14:29; 16:4
AB.John 13:19 : John 8:24
AC.John 13:20 : Matt 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; 10:16; Gal 4:14
AD.John 13:21 : John 11:33
AE.John 13:21 : Matt 26:21; Mark 14:18-ff; Luke 22:21-ff; John 13:18, 22, 26
AF.John 13:22 : Matt 26:21-ff; Mark 14:18-ff; Luke 22:21-ff; John 13:18, 21, 26
AG.John 13:23 : John 1:18
AH.John 13:23 : John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20
AI.John 13:25 : John 21:20
AJ.John 13:26 : John 6:71
AK.John 13:27 : Matt 4:10
AL.John 13:27 : Luke 22:3; John 13:2
AM.John 13:29 : John 12:6
AN.John 13:29 : John 13:1
AO.John 13:29 : John 12:5
AP.John 13:30 : Luke 22:53
AQ.John 13:31 : Matt 8:20
AR.John 13:31 : John 7:39
AS.John 13:31 : John 14:13; 17:4; 1 Pet 4:11
AT.John 13:32 : John 17:1
AU.John 13:33 : 1 John 2:1
AV.John 13:33 : John 7:33
AW.John 13:33 : John 7:34
AX.John 13:34 : John 15:12, 17; 1 John 2:7; 3:11, 23; 2 John 5
AY.John 13:34 : Lev 19:18; Matt 5:44; Gal 5:14; 1 Thess 4:9; Heb 13:1; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 4:7
AZ.John 13:34 : Eph 5:2; 1 John 4:10
BA.John 13:35 : 1 John 3:14; 4:20
BB.John 13:36 : John 13:33; 14:2; 16:5
BC.John 13:36 : John 21:18; 2 Pet 1:14
BD.John 13:37 : Matt 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:33-34
BE.John 13:38 : Mark 14:30; John 18:27
BF.John 14:1 : John 14:27; 16:22, 24
BG.John 14:2 : John 13:33, 36
BH.John 14:3 : John 14:18, 28
BI.John 14:3 : John 12:26
BJ.John 14:5 : John 11:16
BK.John 14:6 : John 10:9; Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18; Heb 10:20
BL.John 14:6 : John 1:14
BM.John 14:6 : John 1:4; 11:25; 1 John 5:20
BN.John 14:7 : John 8:19
BO.John 14:7 : 1 John 2:13
BP.John 14:7 : John 6:46
BQ.John 14:8 : John 1:43
BR.John 14:9 : John 1:14; 12:45; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3
BS.John 14:10 : John 10:38; 14:11, 20
BT.John 14:10 : John 5:19; 14:24
BU.John 14:11 : John 10:38; 14:10, 20
BV.John 14:11 : John 5:36
BW.John 14:12 : John 4:37; 5:20
BX.John 14:12 : John 7:33; 14:28
BY.John 14:13 : Matt 7:7
BZ.John 14:13 : John 13:31
CA.John 14:14 : John 15:16; 16:23
CB.John 14:15 : John 14:21, 23; 15:10; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 6
CC.John 14:16 : John 7:39; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; Rom 8:26; 1 John 2:1
CD.John 14:17 : John 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:6; 5:7
CE.John 14:17 : 1 Cor 2:14
CF.John 14:18 : John 14:3, 28
CG.John 14:19 : John 7:33
CH.John 14:19 : John 16:16, 22
CI.John 14:19 : John 6:57
CJ.John 14:20 : John 16:23, 26
CK.John 14:20 : John 10:38; 14:11
CL.John 14:21 : John 14:15, 23; 15:10; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 6
CM.John 14:21 : John 14:23; 16:27
CN.John 14:21 : Ex 33:18; Prov 8:17
CO.John 14:22 : Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13
CP.John 14:22 : Acts 10:40, 41
CQ.John 14:23 : John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 6
CR.John 14:23 : John 8:51; 1 John 2:5
CS.John 14:23 : John 14:21
CT.John 14:23 : 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 3:17; 1 John 2:24; Rev 3:20; 21:3
CU.John 14:24 : John 14:23
CV.John 14:24 : John 7:16; 14:10
CW.John 14:26 : John 14:16
CX.John 14:26 : Luke 24:49; John 1:33; 15:26; 16:7; Acts 2:33
CY.John 14:26 : John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27
CZ.John 14:26 : John 2:22
DA.John 14:27 : John 16:33; 20:19; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15
DB.John 14:27 : John 14:1
DC.John 14:28 : John 14:2-4
DD.John 14:28 : John 14:3, 18
DE.John 14:28 : John 14:12
DF.John 14:28 : John 10:29; Phil 2:6
DG.John 14:29 : John 13:19
DH.John 14:30 : John 12:31
DI.John 14:31 : John 10:18; 12:49
DJ.John 14:31 : John 13:1; 18:1

born according to plan

2010-01-06T06:04:00.001-08:00

Ephesians 1:4-5
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Chosen and Adopted

Yesterday we learned that God designed you as a wonderful and unique person for a job that only you can do. He could do that because he knew his plan for you before he had even created the world. The scripture above makes it very clear that you are not an accident. He had your life all mapped out way before you were born. One vital stop on the highway of your life is the day you become his adopted child by accepting his offer to forgive your sins and save you for all eternity.

The word “predestined” means that God planned everything out and made sure you got saved so you could be his daughter or son. I never quite understood this concept until I learned what God did for my friend Margaret. I met Margaret at a Christian homeless shelter. She had suffered some of the worst tragedies we could imagine. She had been terribly abused as a child. As a teenager she used drugs and alcohol. After she was grown, she spent years and years living in poverty and unhappy relationships until she finally lost everything. She went to the shelter so she wouldn’t have to live in her car.

Soon after she arrived, Margaret accepted Jesus as her Savior. She immediately enrolled in the yearlong disciples’ Bible study program. In time, she shared her story. One day, it dawned on me that nearly every one of the women in the class had gone to church and read the Bible as children. They knew about Jesus and often prayed to him when things went wrong. God worked behind the scenes to move them here and there. He kept them alive until they came to the shelter and heard about Jesus.

Fortunately, God’s plan for most of us doesn’t include what Margaret suffered. Instead, he gave us Christian parents who love us dearly and tell us about Jesus from the time we’re born. They take us to church and share the plan of salvation with us. And one day, it all makes sense and we pray to receive Jesus as Savior. We ask him to forgive us for all the bad, mean, dishonest things we’ve done. He gives us a new heart and makes us pure enough to go to heaven when we die. At the very moment we ask him to save us, we are adopted into God’s family—all according to plan, right on time, and without fail.

Today’s Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for planning for my salvation. Thank you that before I was even born, you knew you would adopt me into your family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to hear about Jesus and the faith to accept him as my savior. Please help me be a good son/daughter to you, one that will make you proud. Amen.

Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff AZ

Amazing Love

2010-01-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

Amazing Love

1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

God is Love

Another really important attribute of God is His love. No human being can love us as much as God does. His love for us reaches to the farthest corner of the universe. We can't begin to imagine how great it is. We can understand it in only one way. We have to think about how much love it took for God to have Jesus die for our sins on the cross.

God’s love for us goes way beyond the natural love a good father has for his children. The fact is, God loves us even when we are rebelling against every one of his commands. Every person who has been born since Adam sinned has inherited a sin nature that makes sin more attractive to him or her than goodness. You can observe this fact in action next time you hang out with your friends. Are you ever called names because you won’t do something good or right? Not likely. But, friends and classmates will tease you and call you names for not joining them in an activity that is wrong or hurtful. It’s way harder to do the right thing than it is to follow the crowd into sin.

Because of our natural attraction to sin, we are not God’s friends, but his enemies. However, he loved us so much that he sacrificed, not his own life, but the life of his son. That is way harder. Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:7-8. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our sins. Every once in a while I hear a story about a father who jumps into Lake Powell to save his child who has fallen into the water. Sometimes the father is successful. Other times he's not. Sometimes, someone else in the boat rescues the child, but the father dies. I am always amazed at how much a father will sacrifice for his child.

If God loves us so much that he gave his only son to save us, he will absolutely care for us in every possible way. He will make sure we have what we need to grow and mature, both physically and spiritually. He will keep us safe. He will never let anything come into our lives that would hurt us in our relationship with him.

The fact of God’s love makes it possible for us to have peace even when things aren’t going like we want them to. God is all-powerful and he loves us perfectly and without any expectations. He never allows us to suffer unless it fulfills a part of His great plan for our lives. He uses both the good and bad things of our lives to make us mature and spiritually beautiful. What a treasure we have in the promise God gave us in John 3:16! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Today’s Prayer:

Loving Father God, I surely am glad that I don’t have to earn your love by being good. I’d never make it. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. Thank you, too, for using everything in my life to make me more like Jesus. Most of all, thank you for giving Jesus to die for me so I could know you and live with you forever.

Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

9 out of 10 people..

2009-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

9 Out of 10 People Say What?
Did you check out the AOL survey last week? If not, you missed a pretty interesting set of statistics:

What is the key to getting into heaven?
•Living a good life. 65.5%
•Having connections to someone at the top. 26.7%
•Helping old ladies cross the street. 2.7%
•Slipping St. Peter $20.00. 1.9%
•Having a strong letter of reference. 0.5%
•Making a deal with the devil. 1.2%
•Telling a really good lie. 0.5%
Total votes 121,836

Are you going to heaven?
•Yes. 89.8%
•No. 10.2%
Total votes 143,309

(Source: www.aol.com)

Most of the answers didn't surprise me, but did you notice how many more people responded to the second question (are you going to heaven?) as opposed to the first? 21,473 more folks opted to answer that simple question as opposed to taking time to think about the first one.

Apparently, nearly 9 out of 10 people believe they are going to heaven, but many of them don't know and/or don't care why.

I believe Satan's goal is to take as many people as possible into hell with him. To do so, he doesn't need to get anyone to convert to Satanism; he only needs to slightly distort the truth. This survey is a case in point: in one fell swoop he has 90% of Americans feeling good about themselves while at the same time are destined for eternal separation from God.

If these figures aren't a wake-up call to our responsibility to share the good news of Jesus, I don't know what would be. The devil has this country convinced that the 'do good gospel' gets them into heaven, and we are the only ones who can help them remove the blinders and see the Light of the world.

My suggestion would be to do a little survey in your corner of the world. Perhaps use this one, or make up new questions. The point is: get people talking about their perspective on heaven/hell. My guess is that most people you talk to will end up responding similar to the survey: i.e. good works get me into heaven. Here are a few verses you can use as discussion points:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)

There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them. (Acts 4:12)

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Evidently, God's survey would come out very different: one out of every one goes to hell without Christ!

Questions:
1.Why do so many people believe they are going to heaven?
2.How do these verses help you in your Christian life?
3.Would you be willing to do a survey in your school/neighborhood? Why or why not?
FROM DARE@SHARE.ORG

wait till you see me when i am done.

2009-12-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God Finishes the Job

God chose you, called you, declared you not guilty, and is now glorifying you. Sometimes we think that God can’t possibly make us to be like Jesus. But, He can because he is God. He can and he will—It’s a promise.

It’s very interesting to watch a master potter work, especially if you can track the whole process of making a single bowl. First, he prepares the clay, which involves wetting it, beating it, cutting it, and kneading it over and over again. It often takes a total of several hours over two or three days to make the clay just right.

When the clay is ready the potter places it on a wheel that spins it while he presses on it to make the shape emerge. He pushes and pulls and cuts and carves until the shape he has in mind emerges. Then, he sets it on a shelf for a few days to dry before firing it.

The firing process is usually done in two stages. The first stage hardens the clay so it isn’t so fragile while the artist applies the glaze. After the first firing, the potter applies glaze to the bowl. The glaze is very thin clay with chemicals that will change into beautiful colors as they melt. At this point, the piece still looks like some carefully shaped and hardened dirt. The final firing heats the bowl to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the bowl very hard and durable. It also reveals the colors and designs the potter applied to the surface. Only after the clay has been beaten, shaped, stretched, and fired can we see the beauty that was in the mind of the potter from the very beginning.

Remember that God is the master potter of your life. He planned, prepared, and organized every part of who you are and what you will experience so that he can reveal the beauty he has in mind. He will keep on working, forgiving, and training you throughout your whole life. He will keep the heat on when it’s needed. But, he’ll also give you times of rest and peace.

The most important facts in all of life are these: God loves you and there is nothing that can keep him from making you perfect and complete. When you stand before him in heaven one day, all the beauty he built into your character will be clearly seen. Don’t be surprised when you realize that you look very much like Jesus, the glorious Son of God.

Today’s Prayer:

Lord God, I praise you that you do have a plan to make me perfect and complete, just like Jesus. I also praise you for being so loving and powerful because that makes me confident that you will complete the job you’re doing on me. Please help me.

Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff AZ

Is Christ on the schedule.

2009-12-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:9-12
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

This time of year we are all rushing around with parties and festivities. Some of you have finals and projects keeping you up. All things that have to be done before the Christmas break.
I know that for me I often find it easy to get lost in the busy calender of events, and forget what its all about. I know that if asked about the holiday season I would be sure to tell people about how blessed I am and that my family and I celebrate this time as the coming of Christ as a baby.
Problem is do I think about that if I am not asked? Sometimes I have to admit, No. I am checking emails, and looking at calendars and making sure the cookies are made for this party the candy for that one. Gifts are bought for everyone that I know. I have to be sure to attend all the usual events, and any others I am invited to. Before I know it I have scheduled Christ right out of Christmas.
Its a sad thing to admit. I have tried this year to make myself aware of this a little more. I have said no to some events. I have limited my gift buying and tried to spread it out over the year so its not one last frenzied shopping time. I am spending more time with my kids. We are watching the Christmas specials on TV and enjoying popcorn, cookies and hot coco. We don't have to go to every little event.
Remember that this season we celebrate the birth of Christ and that's real love.

salvation the simple way.

2009-10-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Romans 10:9-10”If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Salvation by grace, not works
One of the first things a lifeguard has to do is help the victim calm down so he isn’t struggling against the efforts of the one who is trying to save him. Sometimes it take a blow to the head that either knocks the victim out or shocks him out of his panic so he can listen to the lifeguard’s instructions. If the victim struggles, or tries to help, it may endanger both his own life and the lifeguard’s. The best thing he can do is relax and let the expert in life-saving take over.
Jesus did everything needed to purchase our salvation. He paid the death penalty we deserve by dying in our place. It’s all done except our acceptance of the gift God has so graciously offered us.
You can receive Jesus into your heart right now. It’s so simple, you can hardly believe it. Just talk to God as if he were sitting right next to you. Tell him that you are sorry for breaking his standards of right actions and attitudes. Tell him that you believe Jesus is his Son and that he died for you. Ask him to forgive you and clean up your heart. If you’re sincere as you pray, you become a child of God forever the second you finish praying.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, try sharing Romans 10:8-10 with a friend who doesn’t yet know God. Before sharing, ask God to open your friend’s heart and mind to receive the wonderful gift of salvation. Show him/her right in the Scripture that all he/she has to do to have eternal life is believe and confess.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you that you have made the plan of salvation so simple. I recognize that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I do believe that you are the Lord and that God did raise you from the dead. I choose you as my Savior. I love you, Jesus. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

My Life's in Good Hands

2009-09-28T05:27:00.001-07:00

Luke 12:6-7“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona

My Life's in Good Hands

2009-09-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

God Trouble

2009-09-22T10:21:00.001-07:00

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Reflections on Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Verse 1) He is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help whether it’s your first or last day of middle school. He is your refuge whether you get good grades or often fail. He is your help whether you are the most popular guy in school or you wonder if anyone knows your name. God is your source of strength in every situation.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Verse 2) Because you have God, you need not fear, though your parents threaten to divorce, though your best friend turns her back on you, or you get cut from the basketball team. You world won’t collapse when you have to stand in front of the class and give a speech, even thought you are shy and unsure of what you’ll say. You will not fear!

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. (Verse 4). Though you often struggle with loneliness, worries, and insecurities, God is there. Though things look dark now, a promised new day will come. God is great at changing darkness into light and despair into joy.

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 7) The Lord Almighty is with you in your situation – no matter what threatens you, no matter how powerful your enemies are. God is your fortress, a strong, impenetrable place of safety.

Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. (Verses 8-9) Come and see the works of the Lord! See all the good things He has done in your life! He is your friend. He is with you always. He gives comfort, joy and peace. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Verse 10) God is speaking directly to you. He says, “Stop. Be still. And think about Me. I am your God! I love you! I only want what’s best for you. Will you trust me? Will you praise me at home, at school and when you’re out with your friends this weekend?”

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Verse 11) The Lord Almighty is with you; God is your stronghold. Praise the Lord!

Today’s Prayer:

Jesus, I come before you with a heart overflowing with praise that you are my refuge and strength. You are my ever-present help in trouble. I will not fear though the news broadcasts speak of war, though my parents are fighting, though my worries are many. You know my fears and troubles. Help me to be still and trust you because you are my God. Help me to praise you in the sunshine and in the storm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota

what i was made to do.

2009-09-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’re created and saved for service to God.
Years ago, our family owned a Border collie. The first time we took her in the woods as a puppy, we noticed that she got very concerned when the members of our group didn’t stay together. My son rode his bike and was racing ahead so he could do some jumps. My husband lagged behind taking a picture of some wild flowers. My daughter and I just strolled along enjoying a good talk. Poor Missy didn’t know what to do. She nearly ran her legs off trying to check on everyone. We laughed and laughed at her efforts. They seemed terribly foolish from our point of view.
Missy was absolutely committed to her task, though. She persisted in checking on all of us because of who she was. Border collies are bred to herd and guard sheep. They just naturally try to keep them together because a stray sheep will almost certainly become coyote food. Missy didn’t understand why her barks and jumping in front of us didn’t turn us back into the pack.
There are some similarities between Missy and us, particularly when we consider what we are designed to be and do. Before God saves us, we just naturally sin. We’ve been born with a sin nature that desires to please self more than anything. But, after Jesus saves us, He gives us a new nature that desires to please God more than anything. The most natural thing in the world for a saved sinner to do is to obey God. It’s what He made us for.
God will never accept us in His presence because we keep His commandments or do good things for other people. He requires absolutely perfect holiness of anyone who enters into His presence. We can never make it by what we do. But, God made it possible for us to become righteous as we place our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Once we believe, we do right things as an expression of our gratitude and to show our new character.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with You. Thank you for Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now that You have saved me and given me a new heart, please help me serve you faithfully and honorably. Help me be what You made me to be. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

"Fatherly Love" in the City of Brotherly Love

2009-09-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

"Fatherly Love" in the City of Brotherly Love
Today's Story
Little girl's foul toss makes dad a celebrity.
PHILADELPHIA – Dad could not believe his good luck.Steve Monforto made a great grab, catching his first foul ball after years of going to Phillies games. He fist-bumped his buddies, high-fived his 3-year-old daughter and then handed her the prize.
Big mistake.
Little Emily threw the ball over the railing. Stunned by his toddler's toss Tuesday night, all Pop could do was hug her. "I didn't want her to think she did anything wrong," Monforto said on WIP-AM radio Wednesday.
Philly crowds are known for being a tough bunch, but everyone at Citizens Bank Park cheered — first his catch, then his cuddle. "This was the true reflection of what Philly fans are like," said Bonnie Clark, the team's vice president of communications.
Cameras captured the scene of Monforto reaching over the railing and snagging Jayson Werth's foul in the fifth inning against Washington. The video was displayed at the top of the Yahoo! Web page and made the NBC national news. The entire family traveled from their home in Laurel Springs, N.J., to appear on the "Today" show Thursday.
Steve Monforto said he was surprised at the flurry of attention their day at the ballpark has attracted. He said he didn't consider the possibility that Emily might toss his treasure. "At the time I was just excited to give it to her," said Monforto, a season-ticket holder who shares games with friends. "I've been waiting so long to catch a foul ball, and over the edge it goes," he said with a laugh.
Monforto, 32, and his daughter still went home with a baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles. On Thursday at the Today Show, they got another ball — this one signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball in the fifth inning that made the Monforto family famous. The family of four also received personalized Phillies jerseys.
Story found at www.news.yahoo.comPhoto found at www.images.google.com
God's Story
Malachi 3:10-12 (English Standard Version)
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
What does God's Story teach us about Fatherly Love?Since I saw Today's Story I have continually asked myself, "What if this little girl wouldn't have thrown that ball back?" That family's world is different today, because little Emily simply thought the ball should go back to it's "rightful owner."
Because she gave up that treasure, look at what they've received ...
A baseball, brought to them in the stands by Phillies executive Mike Stiles
As appearance on the "Today" show
Another ball signed by outfielder Jayson Werth, who hit the foul ball
Personalized Phillies jerseys for the family of four
Throughout God's Story we read about the tithe, or the first ten percent. In Malachi we read that there is a blessing that follows the obedience of giving that tithe. Today, we don't know how God, our Heavenly Father, is going to bless us when we return to Him what is already His. But we do know, that out of His love for us, He will bless us. It doesn't mean we will become rich by society's standards. But it does mean that we will have all that we need. And that is an incredible blessing!
My Story
Connecting My Story to God's Story.
Do you receive a weekly allowance from your parents? Do you have income from a part-time job? If so, have you given any thought to what God's Story says about tithing? If so, great? If not, why not start this weekend. Give ten-percent of whatever you made this week to your home church this weekend.
Are you already tithing? Why not think about going a little beyond that amount this weekend and give an offering to God about your tithe. Ask your parents for some suggestions on where you could give it.
Their Story
Connecting Today's Story, God's Story, and My Story to Their Story.
Ask your friends if they saw or heard about Today's Story. If your friends are following Jesus yet, they may not grasp onto the idea of tithing, but you can use that conversation to ask some of these questions ...
What if you would have been that father? Would you have reacted the same way?
What if you did what that little girl did? Would your father have reacted the same way?
Why do you think the little girl did that?
Move on to share some similarities between God's Story and Today's Story about forgiveness and God's Fatherly Love for His children.

Way less than daily

2009-09-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have not done so good this week with the blog. My excuse is I have been subbing and have a little cold or something so totally wiped out. I look to be off work tomorrow and I will get a blog up I promise. I will even get a few ready to go for days I have to leave the house early.
Hang in there. Read an old blog you have not read before until I am back up and running.
Becky

Love Is

2009-09-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Love Is . . .
I Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Building from His Blueprints

This past Christmas, we left the evergreens and snow in Minnesota for the cactus and desert temperatures of Arizona. Instead of being surrounded by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins for our annual Christmas Day party, we spent the day with strangers. My husband and I, along with his parents, and our three daughters, spent part of the day serving dinner to the homeless on a vacant parking lot in the middle of Tucson. Our celebration was certainly out of the ordinary.

My 10-year old daughter Melanie, touched by the experience, wrote an email to her Minnesota cousin and asked me to edit it before she hit the send button. It read: “Christmas Day was great. We went to church and then served dinner to the homely people.”

I bit my lip and smiled. “Melanie,” I questioned, “Do you know what homely means?”

She admitted that she didn’t. As soon as I explained, her eyes widened and her hand quickly covered her mouth. “Oops! I didn’t mean that! I meant homeless!” We giggled at the error, made the correction, and sent it off.

Personally I can think of many errors I made on Christmas Day as I reached out to the homeless. I felt awkward in knowing what to do, what to say, or how to encourage and build these people up. I watched other volunteers do it so well. I wanted to be as perfect and accomplished as they were, but I was painfully aware that I fell short.

God gave us His Word, the Bible, as a blueprint for how to build others up. Rereading 1 Corinthians 13, I noticed that the Bible’s love chapter never instructs us to love perfectly. It can’t be done! Only Jesus loves with perfection!

So how do we love and build others up using God’s blueprints? We love others like Jesus did by being patient and kind. We strip envy, boasting, and pride from our thoughts and conversations. We strive to not be rude, self-seeking or easily angered. We never keep track of all the wrongs others have done against us. We hate evil and delight in the truth. We love with a love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. That kind of love is like God’s love, and it will never fail. It will never fall short.

What’s keeping you from building others up? Don’t let your desire for perfection become a roadblock to obeying God’s command to build others up. Meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 and then go and love others like Jesus loves you.

Today’s Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank You for the blueprints in Your Word that show me how to love and build others up. Please help me to encourage others up by loving them with patience and kindness. Keep me from envy, boasting and pride. Help me to be quick to forgive and slow to become angry. Lead and guide me in the greatest and most excellent way: a life of loving You and loving others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota

Remembrance or ritual

2009-09-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Remembrance or Ritual
Luke 22:19-20And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Communion that Means Somthing
One reason the movie The Passion of Christ impacted so many Christians was that it portrayed Jesus’ suffering so vividly. As the Roman soldiers beat and ridiculed Jesus, our hearts broke at his pain. When he stumbled under the load of the cross, we wanted to lift it off his shoulders ourselves. As the nails pierced his hands and feet, they tore into our hearts. Many who saw the movie wept at the cruelty and injustice of the crucifixion.
Think back to the last time you took communion. What did you think about? Was it important to you or just a ceremony? Did you try to imagine the bread being Jesus body hanging on the cross? Did the color of the grape juice or wine remind you of Jesus’ blood running down his face and back as he bore the cross through the streets of Jerusalem?
Jesus established Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, as a reminder of the great sacrifice he gave in order for us to be saved. His red blood flowed because of our sin. His skin was flayed and his joints were literally broken apart so that we could be healed from our sin sickness. He instructed us to remember his sacrifice whenever we partake of Communion.
Next time you take communion, try to focus on Jesus’ sacrifice. Consider what it cost Him to make it possible for you to have salvation. Worship and praise him for suffering so much on your behalf.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me. I confess that I don’t think enough about what it cost you to give me forgiveness and right standing with God. I want to be more grateful. I want to honor your sacrifice by remembering your suffering. Please help me understand the significance of your death on the cross. Help me to truly take Communion “in remembrance of You.” Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

God is powerful

2009-09-05T07:03:00.001-07:00

1 Samuel 4:7-8The Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.
God is Powerful
One of the most important reasons for reading the Bible is to learn what God is like. What we know about God’s character, and personality greatly influences how we relate to him. It determines how much we can trust him to help us when we’re in trouble. Beginning today, we’re going to look at seven stories to discover some of the important aspects of God’s character.
1 Samuel 4 tells the story of how the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant in a battle against Israel. The Ark represented God's presence and power. The Jews had carried it into the battle for that very reason. After losing the battle the day before, they decided they could only win against this stronger and better-equipped army if God fought for them. When the Philistine army found out that the Ark had arrived in the Jews’ camp, they were terrified. They realized that they would have to battle the God of Israel. This was the same God who had delivered the Jews from Egypt using terrible plagues. They knew they were in deep, deep trouble.
These days the army that has the most “Star Wars weapons” wins. Men armed with weapons they can carry are no match for those whose missiles are guided to their targets by satellites. This Bible story provides the same contrast. Both Israel and the Philistines knew they same thing about God. They knew about his awesome power. The Philistines understood that they faced an army whose most important weapon was their God. And, Israel knew she could win the battle only if God would use his power to fight for their side.
God’s power has helped Israel miraculously win many battles over the course of history. For instance, he made Israel win over Egypt and Syrian in the Six-Day War in 1967 through a series of coincidental mistakes made by her enemies. That same power is available to God’s children today.
We often battle powerful enemies like fear, depression, sorrow, and peer pressure. These are powerful enemies. How can we possibly win? In the same way the armies of Israel defeated superior powers and weapons. We win by tapping into the power of God who promises to be our defender. As we admit that we are weak and ask for his help, we release the power that God used to create everything in the universe by just speaking it into existence.
That power is the most important weapon we have in our battle against sin. Let’s do like the Israelites did and ask for God’s presence to help us in our battles.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father-God, I need your power today. I know I can’t win without your help. I ask you to help me win my battles today because I know that you are truly on my side. Please fight for me, especially when you know I’d lose if I tried to go it alone. Amen.
Written by Martha Menne, Flagstaff Arzona

Scared of the Dark

2009-09-04T05:14:00.001-07:00

Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. . . If your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.
Darkness vs. Light
Most carnivals and theme parks feature a “Tunnel of Terror.” It is a dark place with frightening monsters, and oversized tarantulas that suddenly drop down or pop up right in front of a person. People pay money for the adrenalin rush of confronting pretend ghosts and monsters. It’s altogether different, though, if we find ourselves alone in the woods at night without a flashlight. And it’s even worse to be walking down an unlit alley in the middle of a big city. The slightest sound gnaws at our nerves, setting us on edge and making our survival instincts kick in.
The darkness of evil is similar to both of these experiences. Because we have a sin nature, evil often attracts us like a carnival ride. We lie to get out of trouble. We might experiment with alcohol or marijuana just to see what it’s like. We might get an adrenalin rush by shoplifting at the mall or sneaking out at night to be with friends. These situations are similar going through a “Tunnel of Terror.” They are scary, but the consequences are not necessarily permanent.
The reality of evil, though, is much closer to walking through unknown, potentially dangerous territory in the dark. Just as we could fall into a ditch and break a leg in the woods, we can suffer severe spiritual injury by walking in spiritual darkness. In fact, spiritual darkness holds the threat of the ultimate evil, eternal separation from God in hell.
Once we realize how perilous it is to walk in darkness, we know we need a rescuer. Just as the arrival of police car with its headlights beaming would drive away our terror in that dark alley, the light of the gospel beams into our hearts, giving us spiritual safety and security. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Every one of us is born in darkness. We’re all walking in the dark in a blind alley with hosts of demonic powers lurking in the doorways ready to pounce on us. But, we don’t have to stay in the dark. At any moment, we can cry out “Lord, save me!” When we do, He immediately shines His light into our lives and frees us from the darkness and terror of sin, evil, and hell.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me see how dangerous it is to live in the darkness, dabbling in sinful behaviors. Please, shine your light of salvation into my heart today. Also, give me your Holy Spirit to help me recognize when I am heading into the darkness instead of walking in the light. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

wait til you see me when I am done.

2009-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Philippians 1:6He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God Finishes the Job
God chose you, called you, declared you not guilty, and is now glorifying you. Sometimes we think that God can’t possibly make us to be like Jesus. But, He can because he is God. He can and he will—It’s a promise.
It’s very interesting to watch a master potter work, especially if you can track the whole process of making a single bowl. First, he prepares the clay, which involves wetting it, beating it, cutting it, and kneading it over and over again. It often takes a total of several hours over two or three days to make the clay just right.
When the clay is ready the potter places it on a wheel that spins it while he presses on it to make the shape emerge. He pushes and pulls and cuts and carves until the shape he has in mind emerges. Then, he sets it on a shelf for a few days to dry before firing it.
The firing process is usually done in two stages. The first stage hardens the clay so it isn’t so fragile while the artist applies the glaze. After the first firing, the potter applies glaze to the bowl. The glaze is very thin clay with chemicals that will change into beautiful colors as they melt. At this point, the piece still looks like some carefully shaped and hardened dirt. The final firing heats the bowl to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the bowl very hard and durable. It also reveals the colors and designs the potter applied to the surface. Only after the clay has been beaten, shaped, stretched, and fired can we see the beauty that was in the mind of the potter from the very beginning.
Remember that God is the master potter of your life. He planned, prepared, and organized every part of who you are and what you will experience so that he can reveal the beauty he has in mind. He will keep on working, forgiving, and training you throughout your whole life. He will keep the heat on when it’s needed. But, he’ll also give you times of rest and peace.
The most important facts in all of life are these: God loves you and there is nothing that can keep him from making you perfect and complete. When you stand before him in heaven one day, all the beauty he built into your character will be clearly seen. Don’t be surprised when you realize that you look very much like Jesus, the glorious Son of God.
Today’s Prayer:
Lord God, I praise you that you do have a plan to make me perfect and complete, just like Jesus. I also praise you for being so loving and powerful because that makes me confident that you will complete the job you’re doing on me. Please help me.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff AZ

Born According to Plan

2009-09-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:4-5For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Chosen and Adopted
We learned that God designed you as a wonderful and unique person for a job that only you can do. He could do that because he knew his plan for you before he had even created the world. The scripture above makes it very clear that you are not an accident. He had your life all mapped out way before you were born. One vital stop on the highway of your life is the day you become his adopted child by accepting his offer to forgive your sins and save you for all eternity.
The word “predestined” means that God planned everything out and made sure you got saved so you could be his daughter or son. I never quite understood this concept until I learned what God did for my friend Margaret. I met Margaret at a Christian homeless shelter. She had suffered some of the worst tragedies we could imagine. She had been terribly abused as a child. As a teenager she used drugs and alcohol. After she was grown, she spent years and years living in poverty and unhappy relationships until she finally lost everything. She went to the shelter so she wouldn’t have to live in her car.
Soon after she arrived, Margaret accepted Jesus as her Savior. She immediately enrolled in the yearlong disciples’ Bible study program. In time, she shared her story. One day, it dawned on me that nearly every one of the women in the class had gone to church and read the Bible as children. They knew about Jesus and often prayed to him when things went wrong. God worked behind the scenes to move them here and there. He kept them alive until they came to the shelter and heard about Jesus.
Fortunately, God’s plan for most of us doesn’t include what Margaret suffered. Instead, he gave us Christian parents who love us dearly and tell us about Jesus from the time we’re born. They take us to church and share the plan of salvation with us. And one day, it all makes sense and we pray to receive Jesus as Savior. We ask him to forgive us for all the bad, mean, dishonest things we’ve done. He gives us a new heart and makes us pure enough to go to heaven when we die. At the very moment we ask him to save us, we are adopted into God’s family—all according to plan, right on time, and without fail.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for planning for my salvation. Thank you that before I was even born, you knew you would adopt me into your family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to hear about Jesus and the faith to accept him as my savior. Please help me be a good son/daughter to you, one that will make you proud. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff AZ

Phony Forgivness

2009-08-31T05:45:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:23-26
If you are . . . offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, . . . go and be reconciled to that person. Matthew 5:23-24
"ALLISON SAID she was sorry for talking behind my back," Brooke fumed. "But she laughed like she thought the whole thing was stupid. And then she turned around that afternoon and did the same thing again. What am I supposed to do with that?"
Let's clarify. If you want to understand what forgiveness is, you also need to know what forgiveness isn't. Check these facts:
Forgiveness isn't conditional or earned. You can't say, "If you clean up your life, I'll forgive you." If you attach strings, you aren't showing true forgiveness.
Forgiveness doesn't wait around for the person who hurt you to say "sorry." Forgiveness takes the initiative. If God had waited for you to repent and ask his forgiveness, you would still be lost. And if you won't forgive until a person first asks for your forgiveness, you are letting that person control your life.
Forgiveness isn't a feeling. Sometimes you don't feel like forgiving, but when you forgive someone in faith-knowing you have done what God wants you to do-you often feel better afterward. But forgiveness starts with an act of the will.
Forgiveness isn't pretending a situation never happened. Some people just go on with life, acting like there was never a problem. If that's how you deal with a hurtful situation, don't be surprised if it happens again.
Forgiveness isn't pretending wrong is right. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you think that what happened is right. You can forgive the offender and still challenge him or her to quit hurting you.
Forgiveness isn't saying, "Let's forget about it." Face it: You don't forget about it. Instead, the hurt turns into resentment. Forgetting doesn't result in forgiveness. It works the other way around: Forgiveness results in forgetting.
Forgiveness doesn't erase consequences. Someone who does wrong could still face a loss of reputation, financial loss, emotional loss, loss of sleep, or any number of consequences. A person who does wrong has a personal responsibility and a legal responsibility and a responsibility toward God. If you forgive someone, that means you have dealt with it on a personal level, but that person still has to answer to God and to human authorities.
You might fear that forgiving and seeking forgiveness will make you weak. But ignoring a hurt is the weakling's way out. Trying to heal a relationship through forgiveness is a real sign of your strong character.
REFLECT: In what ways have you misunderstood forgiveness?
PRAY: Talk to God about anyone you need to forgive but haven't because you misunderstood what forgiveness is and isn't.Date: 8/31/2009
From Josh.org

not getting what we deserve

2009-08-29T08:16:00.001-07:00

Bible Reading: Psalm 103:8-14
[The Lord] has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. Psalm 103:10
HALF OF understanding forgiveness is knowing what it isn't. More on that next time. The other half is knowing exactly what it is. Check out these definitions-at least one of them will make sense to you:
Forgiveness means "to erase, to forego what is due" ... "to give up resentment" ... "to wipe the slate clean, to release from a debt, to cancel punishment" ... "to personally accept the price of reconciliation" ... "to give up all claims on the one who has hurt you and let go of the emotional consequences of that hurt." Forgiveness not only means you say the words "I forgive you" but that you also let go of your wounded emotions.
Forgiving is an action. It doesn't allow you to sit around and wait for the person who walloped you to say, "I was wrong; will you forgive me?" Just as Jesus died for you while you were still a sinner (see Romans 5:8), forgiving means you take the first step in healing a relationship.
Forgiving also means you "give up or give away." It means you give up the right to get even—no matter how good revenge would feel. Forgiving means you give mercy instead of demanding justice.
If you don't like that approach to life, ponder this: It wouldn't be smart to pray for justice in your relationship with God, because his justice would wipe you out. What you want to ask for is his mercy, the stuff that allows you to be forgiven in spite of your sin.
It works the same way in your human relationships. The world tells you to hate. God says to love. The world says you are entitled to revenge. God says to forgive.
Why? Because God wants you to forgive in the same way he forgives you-com-pletely and continually. To the Colossians, Paul wrote, "God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins" (verse 1:14). In Hebrews 10, we discover that Christ's forgiveness was "once for all time" (verse 10). Once he had offered himself as the sacrifice for sin, "he sat down at the place of highest honor at God's right hand" (verse 12).
God doesn't forgive you because of something you've done but because of who Jesus Christ is and what he accomplished for you through the cross. That's your model for forgiving others. You don't forgive because the person who hurt you has changed or begged for your forgiveness, but because you have a Christlike readiness to simply forgive.
REFLECT: Are you a forgiving person?
PRAY: Ask Christ to share his heart of forgiveness with you today.
From Josh.org

TGIF

2009-08-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Psa 118:24
This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

When I was growing up one of the major TV networks had a comedy line up of shows and the slogan for the night was TGIF. What does that mean? Do you know? Most do. TGIF=Thank God its Friday. Well I am very willing to Thank God for Friday but. As the scripture states above not only is this a day the Lord made and we have an obligation to rejoice and an obligation to glad. I know there are times and day's that I don't remember this. But let's not rejoice just on Friday because its the day before the weekend. But because its the Lords day that's why we should rejoice. But lets thank God for more that Friday. Thank God for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Becky Sosa

Uncomfortable?

2009-08-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

By: Brooke Macrimailing@tddm.org
Yet I am not ashamed , because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He (Jesus) is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 Ever notice how sometimes its hard to voice your opinions about your faith? The world we live into today has taught us to keep the touchy "religious" subjects on the down low, as to not offend anyone. We tip toe around people not wanting to rub anyone the wrong way. Its almost like we take God and stick Him in our pocket when we go out in public, and then when no one is around we take Him back out. We don’t want to talk about the Lord at work, we don’t want to talk about Him in front of our friends, our family, ANYONE. I’m not just talking about non-believers I’m talking about the Christians as well. Unless we are at church we don’t talk about the Lord. Because if we do , we may say something that will offend someone. Usually when a Christian is "offended" by something that more often than not means that they are convicted of a certain sin in their life. No one likes being convicted in our faith, we all fancy ourselves to be these "Mega Christians" , that we never want to feel t he uncomfortableness of being convicted. The Bible tells us that we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That means telling and talking about the Lord to anyone and everyone, no matter how uncomfortable It makes others feel. More often than not you will hear Christians defend certain behavior. Drinking , for one, is probably one of the most controversial things to talk about with different Christians. I believe that drinking is wrong. Why drink alcohol and put that temptation in front of you? Why have one or two when you could be setting an example to other believer that may make them fall? So on and so forth. A lot of Christians get very defensive when they enjoy doing things that know that are against or taking that step to being against the Lord. They take what the Bible says and put it into their own version that fits their lifestyle. But think about what kind of example you would be if you were standing in a room holding a beer talking about the Lord? Wouldn’t be a very good one would it? Believers need to stop being so afraid to speak the truth. We need to stop being afraid we will offend others with what we say and how we live our lives. In the Bible Jesus says if we deny Him in front of others , He will deny us in front of His Father (God). Denying Jesus isn’t just saying we don’t personally know Him as our Savior. Its living how we please , not what how God says we should live. You don’t want to get to judgment day and after sticking the Lord in your pocket and living how you please, Jesus looks at you and denies He knows you. Don’t stick God in your pocket, speak out your faith!

When Authorities Clash

2009-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Titus 3:1-2
Remind your people to submit to the government and its officers. Titus 3:1
CHECK OUT these statements. Do they slip out of your mouth easily?
"I wish the principal would give me detention more often."
"I'm really happy I got caught copying answers off the math whiz who sits next to me in algebra."
If you're like most people, you squirm when someone in charge of your life lays down a rule you're forced to follow or catches you when you're doing what you shouldn't. But most days you probably also recognize that authorities usually act for your good. The Bible challenges you as a Christian to show love for leaders-from the head of your home to the head of your country—by submitting to their authority. Peter writes, "For the Lord's sake, accept all authority-the king as head of state, and the officials he has appointed" (1 Peter 2:13-14). Submission clearly means obedience.
Still, even when you build a habit of respectfully obeying civil authorities, you might face situations where your loyalty and obedience to authorities clashes with your bigger love and allegiance to God. Back in the New Testament, the apostles found they had to disobey Jewish authorities and declare, "We must obey God rather than human authority" (Acts 5:29).
Whenever you have to choose between love for God and love for people, love for God always wins. Your only right choice is to love and obey God rather than government. But here's the tough news: Doing the right thing won't always spare you from negative consequences, a fact you can learn from even a quick glance at Scripture and church history. "Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips," the author of Hebrews reports. "Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword" (Hebrews 11:36-37). Countless first-century Christians were fed to the lions because they loved God more than they loved the Roman emperor.
You likely won't face a choice with life-and-death consequences, but your love for God might cost you a job when you won't lie for your boss. Or a friend, parent, or teacher might reject you for putting God first. When you have to make those hard choices and face tough consequences, you can cling to the Bible promise that "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28).
REFLECT: Are you facing any situations right now where love for God and love for people are in conflict?
PRAY: Ask God to strengthen you to make the right choice.Date: 8/26/2009

who controls the weather

2009-08-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

Psalm 89:9“You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.”
Psalm 135:7“He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.”
Does God Rule the Weather?
Do you ever watch the news and get worried about all the earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, famines, and volcanoes? Do you wonder what you’d do if you and your parents were driving along and you saw a giant tornado trailing behind you? Do you ever wonder what you’d do if you got caught on a boat out on the ocean and a hurricane blew in? Sometimes the weather can seem extremely scary and out of control. Sometimes it may even seem as though the weather has a mind of its own and that nothing controls it.
The news cannot change the weather, for the it is a force of nature. Humans cannot change the weather either. We can try and prepare for it by making our buildings stronger. We can use radar to detect weather patterns, and we can escape into basements. But, the weather is out of our control. The only person that can control the forces of nature is God.
God created the forces of nature. God created the weather. He made the land as well as the wind that blows the seas. He made the lava that flows underground and erupts from volcanoes. He controls the water that devastates the land in floods.
Some of our favorite Bible stories involve God’s control of the weather. It was God who hurled a great wind and storm on the sea when Jonah disobeyed him and boarded a ship headed to Tarshish. And, it was God who also calmed the seas when the sailors tossed Jonah into the ocean. Although Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, it was God who caused the famine for seven years in Egypt. When Joshua went up against the Amorites, it was God who stopped the sun in the middle of the sky for an entire day and caused the moon to stop.
These stories can offer us great hope and comfort whenever stormy weather approaches. If God can stop the sun and calm the waters, and if God is this powerful and this awesome, you can rest assured that nothing can happen to you unless he allows it. You can trust that no weather, no tornado, no volcano, no hurricane, no earthquake, NO ANYTHING can touch you or harm you unless he allows it. You are not a Force of Nature. You are his precious child that he died for before the foundation of the world. He loves you more than anything.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, help me to trust you with my life. Help me not to be scared when I travel. Help to believe that you are with me wherever I go. Help me to realize that if you can calm a Tsunami, you can protect me from absolutely anything I might encounter in my life. In short, God, help me to understand that you hold me in the palm of your hand. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker, Flagstaff Arizona

God planned you as a master creation

2009-08-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Psalm 139:13-15For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
“Created by God”
Today we will begin to consider some scripture passages to discover just how wonderful, unique, and important you are. Nearly everyone dislikes something about his physique or her personality. Tall people wish they were shorter. Short people would give anything to be taller. Math whiz kids envy those who can read anything and figure out what it means. Athletes sometimes hate not being able to do as well in school as other kids do. It doesn’t really seem to matter what set of strengths God gave us, we can always find someone we would rather be like.
Today’s scripture tells us that God made each individual person on earth exactly the way he wanted them to be. He has a job for each of us to do that requires the precise set of strengths and weaknesses he programmed into us.
The talents and positive personality traits God gave us make it possible for us do particular things. Those who love grammar and reading often become writers. Those who have better-than-average physical strength or coordination can take on jobs like building things or hiking to isolated villages to share the gospel. We all appreciate the talents of pianists, guitar players and singers who can lead us in worship.
But what about our weaknesses? Shy people make incredible listeners. Those who struggle with reading may become engineers or businessmen. The athletically challenged frequently compensate by organizing events and encouraging others. God has another important purpose for giving us some weak points. He wants to be sure that we can sympathize with our friends who also have difficulties. Because we become stronger and more compassionate as the result of our struggles, we can help others do the same.
We must remember that God’s is reflected in everything He makes. He is absolutely and perfectly good. So, anything he creates has to be awesome. He made you exactly the way you are to do something that only you can do. What a concept!David, who wrote this Psalm, was the youngest in his family. His dad and brothers didn’t think he was even important enough to call away from the sheep when Samuel came to anoint the next king of Israel. But, God knew David would make a great king. After all, God created him for that purpose way before he was born. David had times when he wondered if God could ever use him, but he kept on obeying the Lord. As a result, he became one of the greatest heroes in the Bible. There are no unimportant jobs and no worthless people in God’s eyes. God created you for a job in his kingdom that is just as important as the one David did.
Today’s Prayer:
My God and my Creator, I thank you for making me different from every other human being. Thank you that your goodness and wisdom are expressed in the way you mixed up my DNA. Help me accept myself as your wonderful creation and find the role you have for me to play in your plans, today and always. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff AZ

How Babies Grow Up

2009-08-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12
We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
IF NEWBORNS don't have someone to feed and care for them twenty-four hours a day, they don't survive.
New believers are like newborns. Freshly born into God's family, they need a spiritual parent's care and protection-especially in the first weeks and months of their budding Christian life. And if you were the one who helped bring people to spiritual birth in Christ, it's natural that you fill the role of spiritual parent for them (see 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12). So what does a spiritual parent do?
First, check their vital signs. In the critical first few days of being a Christian, spiritual babes might be tempted to doubt they are truly different. The feelings that might have swelled when they trusted Christ might subside, making them wonder if Christ actually came into their life. Remind new believers that you care about them and their new life in Christ-and let them know you're available to talk whenever they need you.
Second, supply nourishment. Like a baby needs food to survive, a new Christian needs God's Word to mature (see 1 Peter 2:2). One of the first things new believers need is assurance about what happened to them when they trusted Christ. Go over the facts about their new life in Christ on your first visit together:
• When you trusted Christ, you became a child of God (John 1:12).
• Your sins were forgiven (1 John 1:9).
• Jesus Christ is in your life (Revelation 3:20).
• He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5-8).
• Your old life is gone. You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• You have received eternal life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:12-13).
Third, build in some bonding time. Newborns need to bond with their caregivers, and new Christians need to get involved with other believers. Introduce them right away to Christian friends and your youth leader or pastor. Invite them to church with you. Welcome them into your Bible study or prayer group. To help them develop their faith, they need fellowship with good Christian friends.
When God lets you be part of reaching someone for Christ, that's just the start of his using you to nurture that new Christian.
REFLECT: How do you feel about becoming a spiritual parent to new believers?
PRAY: Share your feelings and concerns with God today.Date: 8/21/2009

From Josh.org

putting your best foot forward

2009-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looksat the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.Verse from 1 Samuel 16:7

Tonight I go to back to school night at the kids new school. The teachers and school staff have been preparing for the new kids to start the year. They have put the names on desks and cubbies, prepared lessons, and cleaned everything for a fresh new start.
My kids have also prepared for going back to school. The have picked out new school shoes, new clothes, and new school supplies. I made sure they had what they needed, and most of what they wanted for school. So now the teachers and the students are all ready to put their best foot forward. Are you?
As a Christian we are called to be a light in the darkness. To stand out above the rest. To avoid the pitfalls of those that don't believe. So as you pick out the new school supplies, and new clothes, prepare your heart as well. Know that God has a plan for you. When you start the year plan to look at what God has planned for you. Where he needs you, and you will thrive. He wants you, and to use you in a mighty way this school year. Be prepared to put your best foot forward.
Becky Sosa

seeing yourself with 20/20 vision

2009-08-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:11-16 Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ. Ephesians 4:15
WHENEVER ELIZABETH heard her youth pastor talk about "seeing yourself like God sees you," she knew that was exactly what she wanted-and needed. But she didn't want to work at getting God's vision of herself.
She wasn't willing to do the main thing she needed to do-spend time with her Bible, studying and soaking in God's truth. And even though she went to church, she wasn't nuts about letting those people too close.
Elizabeth sounds like someone with bad eyes who wants to see more clearly but won't wear glasses.
Fact is, you can't change how you see yourself without diving into God's Word. It's how you bring into focus the fact that you are lovable, valuable, and useful to God and others. Peter wrote, "You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness" (1 Peter 2:2-3). God's Word is the number one agent in renewing your minds to think like he thinks and see as he sees (see Romans 12:2).
But you also can't change how you see yourself without connecting with God's people. Through his Word, God shows you what he is like-huge things like his attributes, character, and personality. Then through the church, God puts skin on those qualities. He makes them real to you.
It's like what Jesus did to demonstrate who God is. He revealed God in a way human beings could understand. Jesus told his disciples, "Anyone who has seen me has
seen the Father___ Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in
me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (John 14:9-10, NIV).
God wants to use his Word and the Christians around you to make you doubly sure you are loved, valued, and useful. There's no better way to discover how God sees you than to dig into God's Word. And there's no better way to pound home that you are loved by God than to have caring believers remind you of and reflect to you what God sees. It's one thing to read about God's view of you in the Scriptures or hear about it in a sermon or Bible study. It's even more real when you experience God through the members of his church.
REFLECT: How are you letting God's Word and his people into your life?
PRAY: Ask God to help you make God's Word and interaction with his people the priority it needs to be in your life.Date: 8/16/2009

Heavy Get Help to Lift.

2009-08-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Being a Burden Lifter

You would think I would get the hang of packing for the airlines after a few trips, but it only seems to be moving from bad to worse. After each trip I make mental notes: 1) Do not pack that item again, you didn’t use it anyway. 2) Don’t forget these items, it would have been nice to have them along. The last two trips my suitcase came back to me marked with an orange tag: HEAVY Get Help To Lift.

Now, I knew my suitcase was heavy, but was it really necessary to inform all my fellow travelers standing around the carousel?

Wouldn’t it be helpful if hurting people were as easily identifiable as tagged suitcases? They know their burdens are heavy. Sometimes so heavy they can hardly lift themselves out of bed in the morning. But how can others know they are hurting? Maybe these people, maybe you and I, should begin clearly marking our oppressive days with an orange tag: HEAVY BURDENS Need Help to Lift!

There’s no guesswork in the Bible on if we should help carry each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 commands us to do so, Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The question is how do we obey that command without the use of orange tags identifying those who need help with their heartaches and burdens? Let’s again go to the Bible for God’s Word on burden lifting.

Ask the Holy Spirit to clothe you with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12). Have the attitude of Christ, looking not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2). Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Would orange tags make it easier to identify the hurting people in your corner of the world? It certainly would. But is it the best option? No, God always provides the best way. Follow God’s commands for burden lifting, imitate Christ’s example in how He reached out to others, and let the Spirit lead and guide as you go about the task you’ve been called to: being a burden lifter for others.

Today’s Prayer:

Father God, thank You for Your word on burden lifting. Please help me to see the burdens that people are carrying. Give me eyes to see where the needs are. Give me ears to hear the cries of hurting people. Give me love that reaches out in compassion and understanding. I want to imitate Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

By Lenae Bulthuis
Renville, Minnesota

A Spiritual Science Experiment

2009-08-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

1 John 1:7If we walk in the light, as he is in the light . . . the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Fruit of the Spirit
Suppose a student chooses to test the effects of light and darkness on the growth of seeds for a science fair project. He gets some marigold seeds from the store, plants them in four Styrofoam cups, and waters them. He places two of the cups in a dark closet. The others go into a sunny window. In a couple of weeks, the seedlings appear. For a few hours, the plants in the dark and the ones in the light are quite similar. Two tiny green leaves break through the soil and begin to grow. Within a couple of days however, the plants in the closet turn yellow and begin to die, while the ones in the light grow and get more and more leaves. The experiment proves that plants have to absorb light in order to have the energy needed to grow, bloom, and make seeds.
The same is true of our spiritual lives. We need to live in the light in order to grow and become fruitful. Galatians 5:22-23 describes spiritual fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are in stark contrast to the ones Paul listed as acts of the sinful nature: Jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, envy, etc.
Let’s imagine a spiritual science fair project in which we try to become more and more kind. At first, we determine to observe how we act after a few days of listening to rap music that encourages rebellion and watching television shows that glamorize gang members who commit violent crimes. We may continue the experiment by hanging out with some kids at school who like to sneak around after dark to paint graffiti on the sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Would we become more kind or less kind after a week or so?
Next, let’s imagine that we do exactly the opposite for a couple of weeks. We listen to music that encourages us to love others in the same way Jesus did. We read accounts of young people helping others through short-term missions projects. We watch uplifting TV programs and movies. We might even volunteer to paint some classrooms at the local community center or play games with the children who gather there after school. Would we become more or less kind after a week or so?
Clearly, kindness could grow much better in the latter situation. We tend to become like the people we hang out with. So, if we hang out with mean and violent people, we will become increasingly mean. If we hang out with kind, generous people, we will become kinder. Living in the light means developing relationships with people who will help us become more like Jesus. We grow in godliness when we choose our friends based upon whether they have the kind of qualities God approves.
Those friends will be more likely to do what Jesus would and that will help us do the same. Good friends definitely help us walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are the very best friend I could possibly ever want. You always love me and accept me. You even forgive me when I mess up. Please help me choose friends who will help me grow godly fruit in my life. Also, please me be the kind of friend who encourages others to become more like you every day. Amen.
Written by Martha E. Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

he is who he said he is

2009-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: John 10:22-33
The Father and I are one. John 10:30
"JESUS DIDN'T really claim to be God," Alexis argued across the table. "So what if people around him said he was God? His followers just made up what they wanted to believe about him. Jesus himself never said anything about being God."
Despite the arguments of people like Alexis, it isn't hard to spot places in the New Testament where Jesus claimed his own deity. One businessman who scrutinized the Scriptures to see whether or not Christ claimed to be God put it this way: "For anyone to read the New Testament and not conclude that Jesus claimed to be divine, he would have to be as blind as a man standing outdoors on a clear day saying he can't see the sun."
One example: In the Gospel of John you see a conflict between Jesus and some Jews-a confrontation triggered by Jesus' curing a lame man on the Sabbath and then telling him to go for a celebration hike with his bedroll. "So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, 'My Father never stops working, so why should I?' So the Jewish leaders tried all the more to kill him. In addition to disobeying the Sabbath rules, he had spoken of God as his Father, thereby making himself equal with God" (John 5:16-18).
You would think that a healing would cause everyone to throw a party and live happily ever after. So why did the leaders blow up about Jesus' words? Because he said "my Father," not "our Father," and then added, "never stops working, so why should I?" Jesus' use of these two phrases made himself equal with God—on par with God's activity. The Jews never referred to God as "my Father," only as "our Father." That sounds subtle to us, but it was astounding to the Jews. By claiming that God was his Father, Jesus identified himself as one with God. And by saying that he was working just as the Father was working, Jesus boldly implied that he was God's Son.
Jesus didn't just claim equality with God as his Father. He also asserted he was one with the Father. Another example: Once when Jesus was approached by some Jewish leaders asking about his being the Christ, he ended his answer to them by saying, "The Father and I are one" (John 10:30). The leaders started rock collecting right then and there. They were ready to stone him-all because, as they said, "You, a mere man, have made yourself God" (verse 33). What Jesus stated clearly as truth, the Jewish leaders took as blasphemy.
Jesus didn't hide the fact that he was God. His enemies just didn't believe him. But his claim was clear. He was no ordinary man. He was God's Son.

REFLECT: What did Jesus claim about himself? Are you clear on that?

PRAY: Jesus, you are more than a human being. You are the Son of God.Date: 8/12/2009
from Josh.org

Those Who Knew Him Best

2009-08-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

Bible Reading: John 11:25-27
I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. John 11:27
YOU CAN GET a huge clue about who Jesus is by checking what his followers thought of him. Even though most of the people close to him were devout Jews-worshipers of the one true God—they recognized Jesus as God in human form.
The apostle Paul had been trained as a rabbi, making it absolutely unlikely he would worship a guy from Nazareth and call him Lord and God. But Paul acknowledged Jesus-the Lamb of God-as God when he said, "Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock-his church, purchased with his blood-over whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders" (Acts 20:28).
When Christ said to Peter, "Who do you say I am?" Peter said this: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15-16). Jesus answered Peter's confession not by correcting his conclusion but by acknowledging its truth-and its source: "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you" (verse 17).
Jesus' close friend Martha said to him, "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God" (John 11:27). Then there was Nathanael, who thought nothing good could come out of Nazareth. He acknowledged that Jesus was "the Son of God-the King of Israel" (John 1:49).
While Stephen was being stoned, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59), acknowledging Jesus as God. The writer of Hebrews called Christ God when he wrote, "But to his Son he says, 'Your throne, 0 God, endures forever and ever'" (Hebrews 1:8). John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus by saying that "the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you'" (Luke 3:22).
Then of course there's the confession of Thomas, a.k.a. "Doubting Thomas." After seeing the risen Christ and touching his wounds, he said, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Jesus accepted Thomas's acknowledgment of him as God. He rebuked Thomas for his unbelief-but not for his worship.
Those who knew Jesus best realized he was more than just a man. They accepted him as Messiah, God come to earth as a man just as the Old Testament Scriptures foretold. Were they sure? Well, they worshiped him. They obeyed him. And like Stephen, many of them died for the One who had died for them.
REFLECT: There's an old saying that Christ isn't Lord at all unless he's Lord of all. Is he Lord in your life today?
PRAY: Talk to Jesus about letting him take control as Lord of your life.

One Good Reason

2009-08-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

One Good Reason
Lisa Whittle, She Seeks Coordinator

“Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live,
not the way you talk, that counts.” James 3:13 (MSG)

Devotion:
It all started with a girl named Debbie.

Debbie was about 18 when she attended my family’s local Baptist church. I was 8 and entering an awkward stage. She was brunette and beautiful. All the boys wanted to date her, and all the girls wanted to be her. I just wanted her hair.

Debbie successfully got her hair to form glorious, sweeping cowlicks in the front, with perfection matched only by 70’s singers on album covers. I admired it from afar, coveting its style. I bugged my mom so bad about wanting it, she finally decided to pick up the phone and ask Debbie how she did it. Seems a little Aqua Net and the blast of a hairdryer did the trick. At least for Debbie.

You may be interested to know that I never did achieve the style of my hair-icon Debbie. Apparently Debbie did not have fine hair such as mine. But boy did she give me a good reason to spray, tease and blow-dry my little heart out trying. She wore her hair so beautifully that I believed I would look just as beautiful if I had her style.

This silly childhood example reminds me of the very real influence we have on each other. Even as adults we see another woman’s fashion style and we try to copy it. We watch another woman’s success, and we try to match it. We want what others have…try to be what others are…and believe that we will be more and live better if we can only become like someone else.

The truth is, even though I want to be a trendsetter, an individualist, a unique woman with a mind of my own, I have to admit I am just as impressionable as the next person. Let’s face it, no matter our age, we influence and are influenced by each other.

As ironic as this may sound, the thought of how impressionable we are gives me great hope as to how we can help other women find Jesus. I Corinthians 11:1 talks about the type of influence we can have on one another – a way of living that comes from within and attracts those around us to want what we have. “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ,” speaks directly to this type of Godly influence.

It’s about wearing Christ with the authentic beauty of a heart that’s been changed, giving other women a reason to want what we have. To look like we look. To live like we live. To be what we are. Make no mistake, our hurting girlfriends are looking for one good reason to change their lives. The reality is that our lives may be the only reason they find to seek out something different than what they have known. It’s a beautiful, important responsibility.

May we always remember that our mission in life is not one of perfect hair or worldly achievement, but of living and breathing the message of Jesus Christ by our words, our actions, and most importantly, our life. May we embrace the privilege of imitating Christ, so that our girlfriends and others we have influence over will see something in us that they want desperately to have. May we wear Him well so His beauty is fully and completely represented. For the influence we have through Him will last much longer than a fashion fad…a social trend…or even, a coveted hairstyle like Debbie’s.

Let’s have what they want, and show them how to get it.

Jesus, You are the reason to love, to live and to breathe. You alone make the journey possible. May we remember that we represent You always, and help us understand how to do that in such a way that it will lead others to a saving relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Make yourself at Home

2009-08-08T07:40:00.001-07:00

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Colossians 3:16
BACK IN 1909, nineteen-year-old Robert F. Stroud, a laborer with no formal education, shot and killed a man in Juneau, Alaska. He was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Two years later he assaulted a fellow inmate with a knife, adding another six months to his term. Five years later he killed a prison guard in the dining room with an ice pick. Altogether, Robert Stroud spent more than fifty years of his life in prison for his crimes, forty-three of them in solitary confinement or isolation. He died at age seventy-three.
Yet people don't remember Robert Stroud as a murderer. Early in his prison career, Stroud became interested in birds, supposedly when a stray canary flitted into his prison cell. With the prison's permission, he began raising birds in his tiny living space. When birds became sick, he requested books on bird diseases and doctored them back to health. As the years passed, he continued to study birds and bird diseases and eventually became one of the world's biggest authorities on the subject-all while serving a life sentence for murder.
Robert Stroud's life story was dramatized in a 1962 film starring actor Burt Lancaster. Since part of Stroud's sentence was served in the infamous Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay, the film was titled Birdman of Alcatraz.
How did the murderer from Alaska become the Birdman of Alcatraz? It all began when he turned his prison cell into a home for little birds. As he cared about these creatures and devoted himself to curing them, he changed. And even though he spent most of his life in prison paying for his crimes, he is most famous as a birdman, not a murderer.
Get this: Whatever you make a home for in your life will influence you big-time. If you constantly entertain yourself with music, videos, and Web sites that glorify the nastier sides of your culture, you are giving that stuff a home in your life. And like it or not, whatever you welcome into your life as a roommate eventually starts bossing you around. An old proverb states, "You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair." You have control over the things you allow to live inside you.
According to Colossians 3:16, the Word of God is a good choice to let nest in you. When you let God's Word into your life as a permanent resident, it changes you. God's Word will make you more like him.
REFLECT: What sorts of things are you letting nest in your heart?
PRAY: Talk to God today about your desire to let his words live in you and change your life.

No Pain No Gain

2009-08-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Hebrews 4:12-13
The word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12
"HOW BAD is it, Doc?" the patient asks. "Tell me the truth."
"I'm afraid it's bad-very bad," the doctor replies. "If I don't perform major surgery and remove the tumor, you will die in a matter of weeks."
"I don't want surgery, Doc. It will hurt."
The doctor smiles. "You won't feel a thing during the surgery."
"But there will be pain after the surgery, maybe for weeks, right?"
"We have medications to reduce the pain."
"But the incision will still hurt a little and the shots will hurt."
"Well, yes, there is always some pain involved in a major—"
The patient interrupts. "No surgery then. I don't like owies."
"Owies? You're whining like a three-year-old! Get a hold of yourself, man! Nobody likes pain, but I'm afraid it's unavoidable."
The patient shakes his head. "It is avoidable, because I won't have surgery."
"I don't think you understand," the surgeon says with a look of shock. "You have a choice: Four to five weeks of minor pain and discomfort followed by many years of pain-free life, or four to five weeks of pain-free life followed by major pain, as in death. Are you telling me that you would cut short your own life to avoid a little pain?"
"I'm saying I hate pain, and surgery is painful, so I'm not having surgery."
If you're normal, you make it a rule in your life to avoid pain whenever possible. But no sane person shies away from the surgeon's life-saving knife because he's scared it will cause an owie. You know that sometimes pain produces something good, whether it's the pain of a must-do medical procedure, the effort of a sweaty fitness workout, or the agony of attending your little brother's tuba recital when you would rather be hanging with your friends.
God's Word can hurt too. The writer of Hebrews pictures God's Word as a surgeon's scalpel. God, the master surgeon, knows exactly where cancers of wrong thoughts and desires lurk. And he knows that those diseases will destroy you if they aren't sliced out. His Word is the instrument he uses to cut you open, bring those issues to light, and show you how to get rid of them.
So whenever you read the Bible and feel the pain of God's scalpel digging in to convict or correct you, don't pull away. The Great Physician only allows the hurt because he loves you and wants to help you to spiritual health.
REFLECT: How is God using his Word like a scalpel in your life? Are you pulling away or letting him do his healing work?
PRAY: Thank your Lord today for sending his Word to heal you.

I love your book! Can I have your autograph?

2009-08-05T21:24:00.001-07:00

Bible Reading: John 1:1-5, 14
The Word became human and lived here on earth among us. John 1:14
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD soccer fanatic Lucy Chavez had dominated her age group every year in the park league. Now she was dreaming that some day she would play soccer in the Olympics. But the competition kept getting tougher, and Lucy knew she had to play smarter just to stay ahead.
Then she discovered that her idol, Olympic soccer star Erin Dupree, had just published a book about soccer. In a snap Lucy ordered the book online for overnight delivery. It was the most comprehensive approach to soccer Lucy had ever seen. It was so complicated that Lucy sometimes gave up in frustration when she tried to read it. The information was there, but she wasn't getting it.
One day during soccer practice, her coach called out to her from the sideline. "Lucy," she hollered, "you need to plant your foot more ahead of the ball." When Lucy turned to acknowledge her coach, she saw another woman standing beside her-Erin Dupree. "Erin and I grew up together," Coach explained. "She's in town on a book-signing tour this week and wanted to check out the team. Erin suggested the correction I just gave you."
"Your coach has told me a lot about you," the former Olympian said, "and I like what I see. I would love to talk with you about your game. Can we get together after practice a few days this week?"
Can you imagine Lucy saying something like, "Thanks for the offer, but I have to hurry home from practice every day to study your book"? Not likely.
Unless Lucy has taken one too many headers, that girl will jump at the chance to get to know the author. What better way to understand a book than to have the author right there to explain it?
Understanding the Bible and having its truth really come alive to you happens the same way. You need a personal relationship with the author, the one John calls "the Word." That's right-the Bible you read and Jesus Christ its author are both called the Word of God. In Revelation, John describes Christ this way: "His name is the Word of God" (19:13, NIV).
Whenever you open your Bible, you are getting involved with God's written Word and his living Word. You are sitting down with the one who embodies the words you are reading, one who is eager to help you understand and put into action what he wrote.

REFLECT: Are you taking advantage of God's offer to teach you from his Word?
PRAY: Spend some time thanking God for getting so personally involved in sharing his Word with you.
From Josh.org

amazing love

2009-08-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

1 John 4:10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
God is Love
Another really important attribute of God is His love. No human being can love us as much as God does. His love for us reaches to the farthest corner of the universe. We can't begin to imagine how great it is. We can understand it in only one way. We have to think about how much love it took for God to have Jesus die for our sins on the cross.
God’s love for us goes way beyond the natural love a good father has for his children. The fact is, God loves us even when we are rebelling against every one of his commands. Every person who has been born since Adam sinned has inherited a sin nature that makes sin more attractive to him or her than goodness. You can observe this fact in action next time you hang out with your friends. Are you ever called names because you won’t do something good or right? Not likely. But, friends and classmates will tease you and call you names for not joining them in an activity that is wrong or hurtful. It’s way harder to do the right thing than it is to follow the crowd into sin.
Because of our natural attraction to sin, we are not God’s friends, but his enemies. However, he loved us so much that he sacrificed, not his own life, but the life of his son. That is way harder. Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:7-8. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our sins. Every once in a while I hear a story about a father who jumps into Lake Powell to save his child who has fallen into the water. Sometimes the father is successful. Other times he's not. Sometimes, someone else in the boat rescues the child, but the father dies. I am always amazed at how much a father will sacrifice for his child.
If God loves us so much that he gave his only son to save us, he will absolutely care for us in every possible way. He will make sure we have what we need to grow and mature, both physically and spiritually. He will keep us safe. He will never let anything come into our lives that would hurt us in our relationship with him.
The fact of God’s love makes it possible for us to have peace even when things aren’t going like we want them to. God is all-powerful and he loves us perfectly and without any expectations. He never allows us to suffer unless it fulfills a part of His great plan for our lives. He uses both the good and bad things of our lives to make us mature and spiritually beautiful. What a treasure we have in the promise God gave us in John 3:16! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Today’s Prayer:
Loving Father God, I surely am glad that I don’t have to earn your love by being good. I’d never make it. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. Thank you, too, for using everything in my life to make me more like Jesus. Most of all, thank you for giving Jesus to die for me so I could know you and live with you forever.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

Wimpy or Gentle

2009-08-04T08:40:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 4:2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Our Gentle Savior
A few years ago my husband Mike and I took our girls on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Florida. Of the five of us only two enjoy park rides, my husband Mike and middle daughter Stephanie. So, after two days of paying big bucks to get into the theme parks and having to practically drag his family unto the rides in order to get our money’s worth, Mike was growing weary.
During Wednesday morning breakfast, he gave us a pep talk. He assured us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. He tried to convince us that the rides were going to be fun. He even stressed that we weren’t coming back to Florida to try this at another time. We all needed to take the chance to fully experience it now. His motivational speech concluded with a call for action, “Is everyone ready to be BRAVE today? Are you ready to be the BRAVE family?”
It may have been a passionate conclusion to his speech, but it remained ineffective on Melanie, our 7 year old, “No!” she said, “I want to be part of the WIMPY family!”
Being a wimp goes far beyond the 3/5 of the Bulthuis family with a fear of fast rides. Many people associate being a wimp with being gentle. They wrongly equate gentleness with being afraid or weak.
We need to look no further than Jesus’ journey to the cross to realize that gentleness is not the easy road taken by wimps, but an attribute of God shown perfectly in Jesus. Notice Jesus’ strength and gentleness in some of the events of his last week he died on the cross.
1. He chose the humble mount of the common man to enter into Jerusalem. See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Matthew 21:5)
2. Jesus entered Jerusalem gently and humbly as the crowds sang praises to him. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)
3. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus, asking him to stop the people from singing praises to him, did he act like a wimp? Did he run away in fear of his enemy? How would a wimp act in this situation? Not at all. His reply to the Pharisees was gentle, yet bold and uncompromising. He was not afraid to stand up for the truth! “I tell you,” he replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)
4. He continued to be gentle as he drove out sellers at the temple, ate the Last Supper with his betrayer and prayed at Gethsemane.
5. He patiently watched as he was disowned by His friend Peter, judged by Pilate and mocked by soldiers.
6. Even during His crucifixion He begged God to forgive those who were killing him. Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
Alleluia! What a Savior! What a gentle Savior!
Our words and actions should always be modeled after our Gentle Savior. The Bible tells us that we too should . . .be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Consider how strength and gentleness can be more and more evident in your life as you follow in the footsteps of the One whose gentleness never wavered, even as he bore our sins on the cross.
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, thank You that You are my gentle, loving Savior. Help me to follow Your example by being humble and gentle. Please make me; patient so that I bear with others in love. May Your gentleness be more and more evident in my words and actions. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota

Serving

2009-08-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. [4] Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: [NIV]

I got to spend last night at our church for the launch of this years Vacation Bible school. I love VBS. The kids are so happy to be there. They have so much fun, and they get to hear the truth about Jesus and his love.
But last night what I was so happy to see was our youth (you guys). VBS does not happen without help and volunteers and while the adults have turned out to help, last night I saw you all helping. Some of you were helping with crafts. Some of you were helping with snacks. Some of you were teaching the dancing and music, and some of you were walking around with the kids helping them get from place to place. I was proud to see you all stepping up and doing what needed to be done.
The scripture above not only talks about serving others, but the attitude we should have in serving others. We are not to serve because we have to. We are not to serve because we want to get recognition or awards, but we are to serve so that others can see Jesus in us and through our actions.
Have a great day everyone. And serve one another

written by Becky Sosa 8/3/09

the ten freedoms

2009-08-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands. Exodus 20:6

HERMAN THE CRAB stormed across the ocean floor and under the family rock. "I want to be free!" he screamed at his father. "I don't see how you can expect me to wear this stupid shell twenty-four hours a day. It's confining. It's cramped."

His father, Fred, placed a claw on Herman's shoulder. "Son," he said, "let me tell you a story about Harold the human."

"Dad, not another-"

"Harold wanted to go barefoot to school," Fred continued. "He complained that his shoes were too confining. He longed to be free to run barefoot through the grass. Finally, his mother gave in to him. He skipped out of the house-and stepped on the pieces of a broken soda bottle. His foot required twenty stitches."

"That's a dumb story, Dad," Herman said.

"Maybe, Son, but the point is this: Every crab has felt life would be a lot better if he could be free of the shell. Well, your time will come soon." The young crab looked surprised. "It's called molting, and all crabs do it as they grow up. But when that happens, you will be more vulnerable than at any other time in your life. Until your new shell hardens like this one"—he tapped his son's armored back—"you have to be more careful and more watchful than usual. Without this shell, you'll be less free-not more."

"That's weird, Dad," Herman said. "Some things seem to limit freedom, but really they make greater freedom possible, right?"

Fred draped his claw over Herman's back. "How did you get so smart, Son?"

Some people think the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus rob them of freedom. They see God's rules as restrictions on their freedom, like Herman viewed his shell. Actually, though, God's directions release true freedom in the lives of those who follow them. For example, obeying the sixth commandment, "Do not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14), provides freedom from sexually transmitted diseases.

Because of the benefits God provides, you could just as easily call the Ten Commandments the Ten Freedoms. And Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:1-12 provides incredible freedom if you respond to it. Obeying his words in Matthew 5:4, "God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted," assures you freedom from being alone when you are hurt. Or Matthew 5:8, "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God," tells you that when you stick close to God, you will learn even more from him.

REFLECT: Do you sometimes feel a little confined and restricted as a Christian? PRAY: Thank God today for the freedoms he provides for you in his Word.

Your Route of Escape

2009-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: Proverbs 7:21-27

Don't let your hearts stray away toward [an immoral woman]. Don't wander down her wayward path. Proverbs 7:25

IT'S NO SECRET that sexual desires are potent. And like a young guy named Mitch found out, they can blow up on you if you aren't careful. That's just as true for girls as it is for guys.

Mitch's first mistake was deciding to satisfy his growing curiosity about sex in the same ways most of his friends were-by staring at all the sex magazines and vid?eos he could get his hands on. He told himself it was okay because he would find out everything he wanted to know about women and sexuality, and his curiosity would then be satisfied. Since he wasn't fooling around himself, he thought he could be?come wise about sex without sinning.

But the only thing Mitch accomplished was filling his mind with twisted ideas about sex. When he dated, he could hardly help imagining trying out what he had read about and seen. Instead of satisfying his curiosity, the "information" he stored in his brain from magazines and movies produced huge battles with guilt.

There's hardly anyone who can claim to be out of reach of the temptations Mitch faced. How can you avoid getting snagged in the same snare?

First, promise yourself that no matter what you ever feel or do sexually, you will find someone-like a parent or a mature friend—to talk to when you need informa?tion or just need to talk. Big hint: Find someone other than your friends, who are go?ing through the same pains you are.

Second, get out your Bible and concordance—or a Bible software program—and search under all the headings like "lust," "passions," and "sexual immorality." Write out what you learn on note cards and read through these cards at least once a week-more often if your feelings about sex are out of line with how God sees the subject.

Third, write a private note to yourself. On the left half of the page, spell out the specific standards and commitments you want to keep and why. On the right side, write down the best plan you can think of for escaping when you are tempted to sin sexually. You can't count on having clear, creative thinking when you're in the mid?dle of intense temptation. That's nearly impossible. But it's amazing how God will remind you of what you wrote down earlier as a way of escape.

Guys and girls choose all kinds of ways to quench their curiosity about sex. Friends may pressure you to join them in actions that mess up your mind-and your body. But by choosing your own, better way to handle sexual pressure, you gain genuine independence. You grab hold of your God-given freedom to choose.

REFLECT: What are you going to do to avoid being hooked by sexual snares?

PRAY: Ask God to help you set biblical sexual standards—and keep them.

Fear This

2009-07-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate. (NKJV)

What Makes You Afraid?

What makes you afraid? Do you run and hide under the covers in a big thunderstorm? Does you stomach lurch when you approach a steep cliff out in the mountains? When you’re late getting home, do you fear what your dad will say, or what privilege he’ll take away? Lots of things can make us afraid.

“Many of us are unaware of it, but we are ambassadors of whatever we allow to control our lives. We might find ourselves controlled by drugs, alcohol, lust, and lying. On the other hand, we could also be controlled by the Lord, with characteristics such as kindness, righteousness, goodness, and love.” (Dr. Edwin Louis Cole)

A person’s life is formed by his decisions and constructed by his words. We can either choose to be ambassadors of the Lord or ambassadors of Satan. If we choose to represent Satan, we are choosing death. Every temptation given in to, every sin, every act of rebellion will ultimately lead to destruction, given enough time and enough repetition. Every temptation resisted, every sin abandoned, every act of rebellion will lead to life, peace, and ultimate joy.

So ask yourself this question today: “What ruling authority do I represent? Who is controlling my life?” If you choose to rebel against God’s standards you are Satan’s faithful ambassador. But, if you determine to make obedience to God your trademark, you can represent him as a powerful representative. You can proclaim his good news and act in his authority wherever you go in the world.

Today’s Prayer:

Precious Jesus, I come before you right now asking that you would cleanse me inside and out. I ask that you would make me an ambassador of love and your goodness. I want to be a representative of your ruling authority. Thank you for your grace and love. In your name I pray, Amen.

Written by Lindsey Tenpenny, Flagstaff Arizona

Eager

2009-07-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Revelation 22:12-14
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward {is} with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
13"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Yesterday while we were waiting for the ferry to take us across to Crystal Beach for the mission trip I saw a few seagulls hanging out by the car. There were just a couple of them there so I thought about my childhood and how fun it was to feed the birds. I had some small crackers and tossed them out the window. The got excited and started making noise and devoured the crackers in no time flat. Not only that, but other seagulls flocked to the side of our car starting waiting for me to toss out some more goodness. Before you knew it, there was a large throng of seagulls waiting for food. Eager. If I so much as rolled the window down the activity got more hurried and rushed. Who could get closer. Who would get the gift the person in the car was offering.

It made me think of us and our walk with the Lord. Are we as eager watching for him and waiting to see what his next move is? Are we gathering together and calling out to others that there is good news right here and now so that they can come and receive his goodness, and his salvation? Or are we quietly sitting back on our news and keeping it secret? The scripture above says he is coming back quickly. Do you believe that? Are you living in a way to show that?

Prayer:
Lord, I pray for these reading this that they come to know you and eagerly await all the goodness you have to offer. That they cling to your salvation, and that they shout it out that they are saved in Christ Jesus and want others to know.

Written by Becky Sosa July 28th, 2009.

A Spiritual Science Experiment

2009-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

(sorry i dont have much time to edit this i am doing this on lunch stop on the road to Crystal Beach Mission Trip).
A Spiritual Science Experiment
1 John 1:7If we walk in the light, as he is in the light . . . the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Fruit of the Spirit
Suppose a student chooses to test the effects of light and darkness on the growth of seeds for a science fair project. He gets some marigold seeds from the store, plants them in four Styrofoam cups, and waters them. He places two of the cups in a dark closet. The others go into a sunny window. In a couple of weeks, the seedlings appear. For a few hours, the plants in the dark and the ones in the light are quite similar. Two tiny green leaves break through the soil and begin to grow. Within a couple of days however, the plants in the closet turn yellow and begin to die, while the ones in the light grow and get more and more leaves. The experiment proves that plants have to absorb light in order to have the energy needed to grow, bloom, and make seeds.
The same is true of our spiritual lives. We need to live in the light in order to grow and become fruitful. Galatians 5:22-23 describes spiritual fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are in stark contrast to the ones Paul listed as acts of the sinful nature: Jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, envy, etc.
Let’s imagine a spiritual science fair project in which we try to become more and more kind. At first, we determine to observe how we act after a few days of listening to rap music that encourages rebellion and watching television shows that glamorize gang members who commit violent crimes. We may continue the experiment by hanging out with some kids at school who like to sneak around after dark to paint graffiti on the sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Would we become more kind or less kind after a week or so?
Next, let’s imagine that we do exactly the opposite for a couple of weeks. We listen to music that encourages us to love others in the same way Jesus did. We read accounts of young people helping others through short-term missions projects. We watch uplifting TV programs and movies. We might even volunteer to paint some classrooms at the local community center or play games with the children who gather there after school. Would we become more or less kind after a week or so?
Clearly, kindness could grow much better in the latter situation. We tend to become like the people we hang out with. So, if we hang out with mean and violent people, we will become increasingly mean. If we hang out with kind, generous people, we will become kinder. Living in the light means developing relationships with people who will help us become more like Jesus. We grow in godliness when we choose our friends based upon whether they have the kind of qualities God approves.
Those friends will be more likely to do what Jesus would and that will help us do the same. Good friends definitely help us walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are the very best friend I could possibly ever want. You always love me and accept me. You even forgive me when I mess up. Please help me choose friends who will help me grow godly fruit in my life. Also, please me be the kind of friend who encourages others to become more like you every day. Amen.
Written by Martha E. Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

begging on the beach

2009-07-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:11“If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"
God, our Father, delights to give us good gifts.
I watched as three young children approach people on the beach. Two of them struggled to carry a five-gallon bucket. The third wore ten or fifteen straw hats with brightly colored bands streaming out behind him. I wondered what they were doing, these kids of about eight to ten years of age.
Eventually, they came up to me. "Senora, would you like some tamales, made fresh this morning by my mama?" one of them asked. Then, I knew. They were selling tamales and hats to earn a few dollars for their family. The rich Americans would surely buy a few of their wares, and they would be able to pay the rent and buy food for another day.
After buying a straw hat and a couple of tamales, I thought about this experience. What motivated three children to approach a stranger on the beach? Why weren't they in school? Why did their mother and father permit, perhaps even require, them to do this? The only answer was the dire need for income. Poverty had pressed them into service.
Scripture records hundreds of God's promises to His children. Yet, we often walk down the beach of life begging strangers for what we need. We sell little bits of ourselves for the price of being loved and accepted by people, many of them strangers. We expect money and friends to make us happy. We try to fill our empty hearts with fruitless entertainment and busy lives. Why?
Perhaps, we seek meaning and joy from the things of the world because we don't know how rich and generous our Father is. We don't understand that He would gladly give us anything we ask for that would be to our benefit.
What a pity it would have been to discover that the children selling hats and tamales on the beach were the sons and daughters of the richest man in town, a man who would gladly have given them food and clothing! How tragic it would have been to discover that their father earnestly wanted them to go to school. Imagine how hurt he would have been because they didn’t let him provide and care for them out of his abundant resources.
Most of us, as believers, live in spiritual poverty because we don't ask our Father for what we need. We fail to experience His bounty because we're so busy begging on the beaches of the world. Jesus stated that God delights to give good gifts to His children who ask. Let's start asking God, rather than the world, to love us and fulfill us. What joy we'll find as we go to the only reliable and gracious source for all we yearn to have and experience in our lives!
Today’s Prayer:
Holy Father, forgive me for begging from the world when I could just ask You for the emotional and spiritual food and clothing I need. I want to be a child who honors You by allowing You to take care of me. Teach me how, Lord, please.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

Loving God is Required

2009-07-24T05:49:00.001-07:00

Today's scriptures
Psalms 18:1
I LOVE you fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength
Devotional
Being a follower of Christ is so much more than just attending church. The bible says to love the Lord with all your heart, mind soul and strength. (Mark12:30) When we are in love with someone, we express to them by our actions and words “I love you” on a daily basis. As we begin to establish our relationship with God, eventually we should reach this place where “I love you” is a daily expression to him in thought, words and actions. Whenever we fall in love with someone we must first spend time with them, getting to know them, it works the same way with the Lord. Spending time with the Lord means that we talk to him regularly, we read the bible often and we do the things that God likes to do as well as include him in things we like to do. Take time to sincerely tell God, I love you, he deserves to receive our expressions of love, and he also requires it.

from prayerforyouth.com

Youth Mission Trip

2009-07-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone I will be going with the youth on the mission trip. Allen and I will be working with the youth and taking turns watching and doing things with the kids. I will still be doing the blog if I can get Internet connection that is. So keep reading.
Pray for the mission trip.

Rules Don't Cut It

2009-07-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 31:33"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD . "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
We can’t please God by keeping a set of rules.
One of my favorite games is Monopoly. I love buying property, charging rent and wiping out my opponents. This game is played by a strict and complicated set of rules. Throughout several hours of play, I frequently have to check the lid of the box for minor details of the rules, mostly to make sure my opponents are not cheating as they systematically empty my money pile.
During Old Testament times, God required the Jews to relate to him by keeping a very complicated set of rules. The Ten Commandments summarized how they were to love and worship God and how they were to treat each other. However, the precise details of how they were to keep those laws make up the whole book of Leviticus and much of Numbers and Exodus as well. Talk about rules! Maybe that’s one of the reasons the Israelites repeatedly failed to obey God.
They broke God’s Law so often and so blatantly that he finally caused the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer them and force them to live in his land for seventy years. God’s judgment was so intense that He even allowed the Babylonians to destroy the Temple, the building that had been center of Jewish worship for over 400 years.
During the years when Nebuchadnezzar was attacking Judah, Jeremiah explained that their failure to keep God’s laws was the reason they were being beaten and taken captive. But, Jeremiah also emphasized God’s promise that he would eventually make it possible for them to keep his laws. He would write his standards of worship and behavior on their hearts so that they would be able to obey them.
That’s exactly what he has done for every person who places his trust in Christ for salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” That means that we Christians actually have a new, redeemed and holy nature because of Christ’s work in our hearts. We can keep God’s laws because we have been given a godly heart.
As we spend time reading God’s word and talking to him in prayer every day, we will understand more clearly what actions and attitudes please him. We will discover the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside us to help us obey God. We will obey God’s laws because we want to. All of this happens because God writes his laws upon our hearts.
Today’s Prayer:
Thank you, God, for giving me a new, clean heart that wants to please you. Please teach me every day how I can keep you laws from the heart. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who convicts me when I disobey your and gives me the spiritual strength to correct my attitudes and actions. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

That will be $23 quadrillion please

2009-07-22T01:54:00.000-07:00

Today's Story
How much you pay for cigarettes depends on where you live. But there’s nowhere on Earth that charges $23 quadrillion – that’s $23,148,855,308,184,500, to be precise – a pack.
But thanks to a computer error, that’s how much a New Hampshire man paid at a gas station using his pre-paid Visa card. When he checked his balance online later he discovered the amount – plus the $15 bank fee for being overdrawn, just to add insult to injury.
Josh Muszynski told TV station WMUR:
"It is a lot of money in the negative, something I could never, ever afford to pay back. My children could not afford it, grandchildren, nothing like that."
He spent two hours on the phone with Bank of America before the bank removed the charge and the overdrawn fee. In a statement, Visa Debit Processing Services said:
"Visa regrets any inconvenience to our customers, and has taken immediate steps to ensure this error doesn't occur again."
(To see the full article by Christopher Nickson, 7/16/09, go to news.digitaltrends.com)
God's Story
Matthew 18:21-35 [New Living Translation]
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
What does God's Story teach us about forgiveness?
In today's passage, Jesus is being asked a question about how many times we are supposed to forgive someone who sins against us. Jesus could have just said, "An infinite amount of times" and been done with His lesson...but that isn't the kind of teacher He was. He always had a good story ready to help us better understand the truth He was communicating.
You can just imagine the outrage of His listeners when they heard about this guy who was forgiven millions by the king and then turns around and demands that someone else pays him the little amount he is owed. That's crazy! That just doesn't sound right! What was this guy thinking!?!
And then Jesus shines the light on us and teaches that this is just how we are when we refuse to forgive someone who does something against us.
In today's story, Mr. Muszynski found himself with a debt that was simply impossible for him to pay. I can't even imagine what $23 quadrillion looks like. It is an insurmountable bill...that is for sure!
You and I are in the same spot spiritually. Our "bill" is way too big for us to even think about paying back. The ONLY way for us to stand in God's presence is to have that bill forgiven. THE King has done just that!
Who are we to then turn around and not forgive others? (That's crazy. That just doesn't sound right. What are we thinking!?!)
My Story
How can we connect today's story and God's Story with my story?
Stop and think about your sins from the last 24 hours...thoughts, words, attitudes, actions that weren't pleasing to God. If you really think through this past day, that list can be pretty long. What would that list then look like for the past week...month...year...all of your years? Is there even enough paper to write them all down? I don't know about you, but I hate the thought of seeing that list. At the same time it causes me to be all the more grateful for the forgiveness I have been offered.
Praise God specifically for His amazing forgiveness and grace to you...your debt is gone!
Their Story
How can we connect today's story, God's Story and my story with my friend's story?
Are there any sins against you that you are still holding against someone? Are you making someone pay back a few bucks when you have been forgiven millions? Talk to God about that.
If He leads you to...go talk to that person. Prayerfully and gently let them know that they have hurt you but that you are choosing to forgive them.
If God leads, share with them that you too have been forgiven. Maybe you will even get a chance to tell them the story that Jesus shared. God may use your forgiveness for them to lead them to His forgiveness for them!
About Daily Devos
The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them.

Answered Prayer Promised in Jesus' Name

2009-07-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

We who belong to the Lord have a great invitation to thoroughly express our hearts to Him in humble, dependent prayer. "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him" (Psalm 62:8).

We also have a great need to speak to Him. "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

We also have great promises of answered prayer. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do…If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
When the people of God are prayerless, they do not receive from the Lord all that He wants to give to them. "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2). At times, God's children pray, but they still do not receive from the Lord. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Their prayers are anchored in their own wills and interests. True praying is to be anchored in the will of God. "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15).
At this juncture, the Scriptures are vital in our daily prayer life. God's word directs us in praying according to the will of God. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). As we are abiding in (depending upon) Christ, we will want His word to have full sway in our lives. As we consistently get into His word, the Scriptures shape our thoughts and our desires. Consequently, we ask what the Lord teaches us to desire. In that beautiful biblical setting, He promises to give us whatever we ask.
All of this describes the essence of praying in the name of Jesus. Praying in Jesus' name is not merely a formula of words with which to conclude our prayers. Whether we verbalize that phrase or not, it is about praying as Jesus would pray (always concerned with the will of His Father). It is about praying based on all that the word teaches concerning the person and work of the Lord Jesus on our behalf. Those who pray this way enjoy the certainty of these great promises of answered prayer, and they see much glory brought to God. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
Lord Jesus, thank You for these great promises of answered prayer. Teach me to pray in Your name. Please shape my praying by all that Your word reveals concerning Your will and Your work on my behalf. In Your precious name, I pray, Amen.

Love without strings

2009-07-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Bible Reading: John 15:9-17
"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10."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. 11."These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and {that} your joy may be made full. 12."This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13."Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14."You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15."No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16."You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17."This I command you, that you love one another.

THE SCRATCH MARK across Alondra's face was too big to cover up-but it made a great conversation starter. For her spring break, Alondra baby-sat and taught inner-city children. While her friends lounged on the beach, she cleaned up after babies. And when they came back to school to show off their tans, Alondra wondered if the scratch dug into her cheek by an angry five-year-old would leave a scar.
Have you heard of agape love? Agape (rhymes with "uh-SLOP-pay") is a Greek word in the New Testament that English Bibles translate simply as "love." Agape is love that's of God and from God. It's the love that gives without demanding anything in return. It's the love that makes the health, happiness, and growth of others as important to you as your own. And it's the kind of love that motivates students like Alondra to sacrifice time to take part in short-term mission projects-or to pull off countless other kind deeds every day.
C. S. Lewis calls agape "gift-love." God's gift of his Son supremely demonstrated his gift-love. John wrote, "This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:10).
You can exercise gift-love in two ways. Human-powered gift-love is generous and centered on others. But it always has strings attached to it. It loves those you find lovable and deserving-or whose needs tug hardest on your heart.
But you can also love with a God-powered gift-love. That's when God works in and through you to protect and provide for others. Only God's potent love can empower you to love anyone and everyone without strings—even people you don't find lovable, like enemies, social misfits, and grimy little kids. That's the level of love Jesus called us to when he said, "Love your enemies!" (Matthew 5:44); "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39); and "Love each other in the same way that I love you" (John 15:12).
This is the kind of love that shouts all through Scripture. Paul was talking about God's gift-love when he instructed, "Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins" (Ephesians 5:2).
And John tells you how to keep loving even when it hurts: "Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God," he wrote. "Since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other" (1 John 4:7, 11).

REFLECT: Are you learning to love others without strings as God exercises his divine gift-love through you?
PRAY: Talk to God today about the agape factor in your life.

from Josh McDowell Ministries

Become Extraordinary

2009-07-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

By: Thomas Bartel

With God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37

Did you know that God wants to use you to do the extraordinary? Throughout the Bible, God has used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things for Him. People like Joseph, who was a dreamer, and despite being stuffed into a cistern and sold as a slave by his jealous brothers, became the Prime Minister of Egypt and saved both Egypt and the the nation of Israel from starvation and obsolescence.

How does something that powerful happen? It takes the faith of an ordinary man like Joseph, to overcome the difficulties that others cause in their life, to have God empower them to accomplish the amazing things that they otherwise might never happen been able to do. Another example is Paul. Did you know that Paul was one of the biggest enemies of Christianity before he himself became one?

Paul traveled all over the cities around Israel seeking out Christians and having them jailed and killed, until he met God one day on his way to Damascus. God literally knocked him off of his horse. As Paul fell to the ground wondering what was happening, God asked him why he was persecuting and killing His people. Paul was blinded for the moment and was so frightened by the thought that God was actually speaking to him, immediately confessed his sin and accepted God's challenge to begin starting building churches. Paul ended up starting more churches than any of the apostles.

One of God's favorite words is impossible. Why? Because God is so good at making what looks impossible become the possible in our lives. All He asks is that we believe in Him and that He has the power to do that for ordinary people who have big faith. So, become extraordinary. Be available and willing to do whatever God wants you to accomplish, knowing that He has the power to do it. All He wants from us is to have faith, trust in Him and believe He will do it.

from www.TDDM.org

Prison or Freedom

2009-07-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

John 8:36. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
True Freedom is found only in Christ.
The other night I dreamt I was part of a community living in a prison. The prison was very much like a resort, though. Lush grass and vegetation grew everywhere. We moved freely anywhere we wanted within the walls. And, we worked at meaningful tasks. At the end of the day, we were encouraged to participate in numerous recreational activities. For instance, we could play tennis or chess, listen to music, or paint pictures. But, it was a prison. We knew we might suffer severe consequences if we passed through the gates to the outside.
At one point a group of prisoners, including myself, began to feel hampered and frustrated by our imprisonment. We wondered what kind of adventures and pleasures we might find outside of the walls. So, after considerable discussion, we determined to escape. One night we snuck out the gates. Imagine our surprise when no one challenged us or chased after us!
At first, we enjoyed our freedom. We explored new territory and stayed up late at night. We sat around doing nothing for hours at a time. But, after searching for a couple of days, we discovered that there was no food to be found outside the prison walls. Our hunger forced us back inside to eat. We solved that problem by going inside the prison walls for meals and leaving again right away. Since no one seemed to care, we eventually gave up all attempts to hide what we were doing.
Eventually, it dawned us that we had lived much better lives inside than we were experiencing outside. For all our talk of freedom, we were actually bored, nervous, frustrated, and unhappy. So, we talked it over and decided to return on a permanent basis. Upon returning, we settled in to the routine of daily life again. We enjoyed the green grass and recreational activities provided for us. We took up our jobs again and found that we enjoyed the work.
Over time, we grew to understand that the warden was generous, loving, and benevolent. He provided all we needed and more. He made sure we were comfortable and at peace. It became clear to us that living inside the walls was much more satisfying and fulfilling than living in need and continual stress outside.
Sometimes we get antsy about living according to God’s rules and principles. We come to believe that He is like a prison warden who wants to take all the fun out of life. And, we may even leave His protection in order experience life outside. He doesn’t stop us from leaving the safety and abundance of His kingdom. But, He does let us experience the stresses, fears, and dangers that lurk outside the walls. More than that, He allows us to experience the prisons we can make for ourselves by seeking to live outside of His love. While there may be a sense of adventure in rebellion, we place ourselves at great risk the moment we step outside God’s protection. Even our basic needs remain unmet—the needs of security, spiritual nourishment, and contentment.
God has made it clear that inside His protective walls I have everything I could ever need, along with great blessings, incredible adventure, and joy. God guards my life for my own welfare. He makes sure that I experience true freedom on every level when I intentionally place myself under His authority.
Today’s Prayer:
Thank you Lord, for teaching me that living under your authority is the only way to experience life to the fullest. Please remind me often of the benefits of living within the walls of your protection and provision. Also, keep me aware of the dangers that lurk outside the walls so I’m not tempted to sneak out the gate. Amen.
Written by Martha E Menne, Flagstaff Arizona

Fogging up the WIndows (finding the joy in today)

2009-07-15T02:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

When I envision what a joy-filled day looks like I think of my daughter Stephanie's 12th birthday. Her smile was permanent from the time she bounced out of bed in the morning until she dropped back into it again that night.

On our after school trip to town to spend her birthday money, she could hardly sit still in the front seat of our van. "Today has been the best day of my entire life," she bubbled. "I got an A- on my math test (a rare treat in her least-favorite class), a home run in kick ball (a goal for her 6th grade year and it was only October 9), and a CD player from you and Dad (a gift she had been longing for since the previous Christmas)."

Her chatter continued for the next 15 miles. Suddenly she stopped, looked at me, and asked, "Mom, do you think I talk too much?"

"Well, let's look at the windshield, Steph." I said. "Your side of the van is completely fogged up and my side is crystal clear. What do you think?"

She obviously didn’t think too much about it because she bounded into her next batch of blessings without missing a beat.

For Christians, each day should be as joy-filled as Steph's birthday. Too often that's not how we live, though. We tend to forget that joy is not an option - it's a command!

Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” It doesn't say you can rejoice AFTER your face clears up. Or you'll experience joy WHEN you’re a star soccer player. Or joy WILL COME when you get your driver’s license. No! This is the day - today is God's day - to rejoice and be glad!

Joy is not about our circumstances in life, it's about our connection to Christ. When we are connected to the Vine, joy naturally grows as a fruit of the Spirit. We can't produce it on our own. It's the miraculous product of being connected to the One who is pure joy.

Rejoice in your salvation through Jesus Christ! Smile because He knows you by name! Celebrate as you claim His promises! Sing His praises! Shout for joy!

Better yet, go fog up a windshield.

Today’s Prayer:

Father God, thank you that the joy of the Lord is my strength! Please help me to embrace your command to rejoice in each day that you have made. May my joy not be based on the circumstances of my life, but on my connection to Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota

Taking a Stand for Your Convictions-Daniel

2009-07-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Daniel 1:1-21
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. 3.Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, 4.youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every {branch of} wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and {he ordered him} to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5.The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and {appointed} that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. 6.Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7.Then the commander of the officials assigned {new} names to them; and to Daniel he assigned {the name} Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. 8.But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought {permission} from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, 10.and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king." 11.But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12."Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13."Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." 14. So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. 16. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. 17. As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every {branch of} literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all {kinds of} visions and dreams. 18.Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19.The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. 20.As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians {and} conjurers who {were} in all his realm. 21.And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.

This story is a great example of young men willing to take a stand for their convictions. It is also an example of using a positive strategy. In this situation, merely refusing to eat the food was not possible. The official in charge was in danger of losing his life if anything went wrong with the training of these young men. But Daniel and his friends did not rebel, refuse, or complain. Instead, they proposed an experiment to satisfy the concerns of the guard. Often we can use positive strategies such as experiments, trial runs, simple tests, or creative alternatives that allow us to retain our integrity while taking into consideration the legitimate needs and concerns of others around us. A strategy of refusing or just saying “no” is better than no strategy at all. But when a simple refusal is not enough, take time to think through other alternatives.

What is the difference between cultural taboos and spiritual convictions?
How can a person tell if he/she is selling out to the culture?
What are some of your convictions that go against social pressure?
In what areas have you collapsed under pressure and need help to withstand?
What else could you do to stand more firmly against the social pressures around you?
In what one area are you most likely to cave in to the pressure around you?
What positive strategy could you adopt, if any, to handle the situation?
This study is adapted from Daniel: A Life Application Bible Study (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1986).

When the going gets tough-James

2009-07-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

James 1:1-12
James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3.knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4.And let endurance have {its} perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5.But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6.But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7.For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8.{being} a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9.But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10. and the rich man {is to glory} in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. 12.Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him.

(Answer these on your own)

How can trials be helpful to us (James 1:3-4)?
What kind of help does God provide for Christians when they endure trials (James 1:5)?
If trials can be so beneficial, why don’t we look forward to them?

James teaches that God’s purpose is to develop Christians who are mature and complete. If it were up to us, that process probably wouldn’t include times of stress, hardship, or testing. But God knows us well, and as our loving Father he knows that our faith and character are developed only through trials and testings. Although we might be tempted to turn away from God and run from him during our trials, knowing God’s love and remembering his purpose in them can help us to trust him even more.

List some typical kinds of trials in the life of a Christian. Be careful to distinguish between a trial and a temptation.
Think of someone who has had a difficult life. What has helped that person persevere? What did that person learn through it? What did that person’s experience teach you?
When did you experience the most difficult period of your life? What kept you going through it? What did you learn through it?
What trials are you currently facing?
What would help you respond to your trials with real joy?
Think of a specific trial you are facing right now. Write down several possibilities for how God may be using it in your life. Ask God for the ability to respond to the trial with trust in him and in his plan for you.

This study is adapted from James: A Life Application Bible Study (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1998),

Let us know you were drop a comment in the comment section. What does today's scripture say to you?

Welcome

2009-07-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Calvary Baptist Youth Almost Daily Devotional. Why Almost daily? Well because I don't plan on posting on Sunday's and there are days my Internet access is crazy slow.
I will be sharing scripture and devotional thoughts. The devotions will be from various sources and all will be credited as to where they are found.
In an effort to help us all read our bible a little more this is a great place to read some scripture and reflect on it. Feel free to post what you think of the scripture or just to check in and let us know you are reading.
If you have a scripture or devotional you have come across you would like to share please email it to me or bring me a copy at church.
So lets grow in the Lord and learn what he has to tell us.
Becky