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.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Fear This
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
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
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Eager
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.
"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.
Monday, July 27, 2009
A Spiritual Science Experiment
(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
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
Saturday, July 25, 2009
begging on the beach
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
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
Friday, July 24, 2009
Loving God is Required
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
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
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Youth Mission Trip
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.
Pray for the mission trip.
Rules Don't Cut It
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
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
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
That will be $23 quadrillion please
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.
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.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Answered Prayer Promised in Jesus' Name
"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.
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
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
"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
Friday, July 17, 2009
Become Extraordinary
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
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
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Prison or Freedom
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
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
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Fogging up the WIndows (finding the joy in today)
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
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
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Taking a Stand for Your Convictions-Daniel
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).
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).
Monday, July 13, 2009
When the going gets tough-James
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?
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?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Welcome
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
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
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