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
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
not getting what we deserve
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
[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
Friday, August 28, 2009
TGIF
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
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
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Uncomfortable?
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
When Authorities Clash
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
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
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
who controls the weather
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
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
Monday, August 24, 2009
God planned you as a master creation
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
“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
Friday, August 21, 2009
How Babies Grow Up
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
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
Thursday, August 20, 2009
putting your best foot forward
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
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
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
seeing yourself with 20/20 vision
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
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
Monday, August 17, 2009
Heavy Get Help to Lift.
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
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
Thursday, August 13, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
he is who he said he is
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
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
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Those Who Knew Him Best
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.
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.
Monday, August 10, 2009
One Good Reason
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.
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.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Make yourself at Home
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.
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.
Friday, August 7, 2009
No Pain No Gain
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
I love your book! Can I have your autograph?
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wimpy or Gentle
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
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
Monday, August 3, 2009
Serving
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
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
Saturday, August 1, 2009
the ten freedoms
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.
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.
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