Listen Carefully to What I Say

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' "(Acts 2:14-21)

Thoughts for Today:

I am teaching my five year old daughter Amanda to read. She is really excited before every lesson, but most times she has far too much physical energy to concentrate effectively. So at the beginning of each lesson we talk about concentrating, sitting still, only discussing our lesson, and ignoring all other distractions. Her attention span is limited (usually about 20 to 30 minutes), so we have to go quickly, and when we come to the end of the time limit, it's usually a waste of energy to go on -- so I've learned to close on time. That's what Peter is offering to us in these verses, instructions on how to teach and how to learn.

The first example Peter gives us is to stand up and raise his voice. He did this to get everyone's attention. Correspondingly the initial step of learning is to set aside time for study of the Bible; then place all of your attention and focus on the Word; while making sure to eliminate distractions.

Next, he focused the crowd on his intent and what their benefit might be (understanding), "let me explain this to you." When you study Scripture, focus on understanding and application, don't read it like a novel. Sure there is a story, but behind the story is depth and richness. Take it in small bites, 2-4 verses at a time. When you read these verses, pray and ask how you might apply them in your life today.

Thirdly, the Bible is the Word of God. Don't take anything lightly and as Peter instructs, "listen carefully to what I say." Pay attention to sentence structure and context -- it was written this way for a reason -- God's reason. Finally, look up the cross references -- get a good Bible concordance. Peter models this concept when he tells us, "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel." If you want to clarify something, find out what the Bible says about itself.

These are the keys to successful Bible study and understanding. I have one last comment I wanted to repeat based on my experience with Amanda: Set a time limit and finish on time. You will not look forward to your study time (nor will your children and spouse) if it is open ended or goes on and on (you will keep putting it off because you don't have the time). If you've set 20 minutes as your time limit, then say to your wife or husband, "I need 20 minutes of quiet time." Provided you finish on time consistently, setting aside 20 minutes will not be a problem even in the busiest of households. You and your family will all be richly blessed by following Peter's simple steps to a successful study.

Questions to Ponder:

What do you need to do to get started on a daily quiet time? What have been some of the obstacles in the past? Will you give this method a try for one week and see how it works for you? When will you start?

 

 

Excerpted from:

The Pocket Testament League

Join the League. Visit their Website

Photo from wordbyword.tumblr.com

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A Seedbed of Faith

In Judges 6:11-15, we read this about Gideon,

Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”

We often think of Gideon as a great champion for Israel, and he was. But when he was chosen, we found him cowering in the winepress. He was hiding, he was fearful, he was negative, he was doubtful, and he was questioning.

While we might be critical of Gideon, I have found that the only people who never question are those who have been indoctrinated. Sometimes you need to doubt. Sometimes you need to question. In fact, a lot of times uncertainty is the seedbed from which faith grows.

If you are struggling with doubt today, if you have genuine questions, don't panic. If you are sincerely looking for answers, God will meet you, and faith will spring from the answers you find.

From Answers With Bayless Conley

www.answersbc.org

Photo: edea360.wordpress.com

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The True Meaning of Christmas

The True Meaning of Christmas
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price

Christmas is one of the most important days among Christians. This day commemorates and celebrates the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas is more than just a holiday. It is the remembrance of the fact that God so loved the world that He have His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus' birthday - Christmas is about God's love. It is about God's love for you and me. It is God expressing His great love for mankind, through the giving of the greatest gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves us not because of what we are, but He loves us because of what He knows we can become, if we'll allow Him to get involved in our lives.

John 1:1-3, 14:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

This passage from the Book of John tells us what Christmas is all about. It is about Jesus coming into the world. It is about the Word of God, the Living Word; Jesus is called the Logos, or the Word of God, and it says, "In the beginning was the Word."

Notice that verse 1 says "the Word was with God." This verse shows Jesus' separate and distinct personality. Then it says "the Word was God." Now, I can't explain this to you. I can't explain it in a rational way so that you can understand it intellectually, but that's what the Bible says, it says that the Word was with God and then it says that the Word was God. Praise God that He doesn't require us to understand it mentally in order to gain the benefits from it; all we have to do is simply believe it.

Romans 8:1-3:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

This is the purpose of Jesus' coming. His purpose was to come and take away our sin. To come and pay the penalty that all of us should have rightfully paid as a result of Adam's sin in the garden of Eden. Jesus came to do it for us; that's what this season is all about. That's the true meaning of Christmas, that Jesus came to do what the flesh could not do and that is to bring us back into fellowship and communion with the Heavenly Father.

Hebrews 2:10-15:

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."

13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus came to set us free from the ravages of death. Praise the Lord! The real meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ: crucified, dead, risen, ascended, and coming again!

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit www.faithdome.org.
© Dr. Frederick K.C. Price all rights reserved

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A Parable: Saving Lives

Colossians 4:2-6; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 5:1-33

On a dangerous seacoast notorious for shipwrecks, there was a crude little lifesaving station. Actually, the station was merely a hut with only one boat . . . but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger as well as the lost. Many, many lives were saved by this brave band of men who faithfully worked as a team in and out of the lifesaving station. By and by, it became a famous place.

Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the seacoast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased. New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant began to grow. Some of its members were unhappy that the hut was so unattractive and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided. Emergency cots were replaced with lovely furniture. Rough, hand-made equipment was discarded and sophisticated, classy systems were installed. The hut, of course, had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, furniture, systems, and appointments. By its completion, the life-saving station had become a popular gathering place, and its objectives had begun to shift. It was now used as sort of a clubhouse, an attractive building for public gatherings. Saving lives, feeding the hungry, strengthening the fearful, and calming the disturbed rarely occurred by now.

Fewer members were now interested in braving the sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional lifeboat crews to do this work. The original goal of the station wasn't altogether forgotten, however. The lifesaving motifs still prevailed in the club's decorations. In fact, there was a liturgical lifeboat preserved in the Room of Sweet Memories with soft, indirect lighting, which helped hide the layer of dust upon the once-used vessel.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the boat crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty, some terribly sick and lonely. Others were black and "different" from the majority of the club members. The beautiful new club suddenly became messy and cluttered. A special committee saw to it that a shower house was immediately built outside and away from the club so victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting there were strong words and angry feelings, which resulted in a division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities and all involvements with shipwreck victims . . . ("it's too unpleasant, it's a hindrance to our social life, it's opening the door to folks who are not our kind"). As you'd expect, some still insisted upon saving lives, that this was their primary objective---that their only reason for existence was ministering to anyone needing help regardless of their club's beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down and told if they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast! They did.

As years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes. It evolved into another club . . . and yet another lifesaving station was begun. History continued to repeat itself . . . and if you visit that coast today you'll find a large number of exclusive, impressive clubs along the shoreline owned and operated by slick professionals who have lost all involvement with the saving of lives.

Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day they drown at sea, and so few seem to care . . . so very few.

Do you?

Excerpted from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life,

Copyright © 1983 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

Photo credit: Sydney Morning Herald

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Almost Christians

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." —Acts 26:28

Almost is an interesting word, one that we sometimes use when we are delaying something, when we are not quite ready to commit. Maybe you've been in a restaurant where the menu is the size of a small phone book. When the server arrived at your table and asked if you were ready to order, you said, "Well, almost." We will use this word when are not sure about something.

We also use "almost" when we're procrastinating. For example, if a husband and wife are going out to dinner and he asks her if she is ready to go, she will say, "Well, almost."

While we like to use "almost" for a number of situations, there are certain words that don't work with almost, as in "almost pregnant." A woman is either pregnant or she is not. Another word that doesn't work with almost is "won." You either won or you didn't. The winner is the winner, so you can't almost win.

Another word that doesn't fit with the word almost is "Christian." Either you are a Christian or you are not. You may be well on your way to becoming a Christian. You may be looking into the claims of Christ and investigating them. But you cannot be an almost Christian.

When the apostle Paul presented the gospel to Herod Agrippa, he said, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Almost. He was close, but not close enough. Apparently Herod Agrippa was moved by Paul's powerful and persuasive presentation of the gospel, but then he turned and walked away from it. He was the almost Christian.

I think there are a lot of people like Herod Agrippa in our world today: almost Christians who think they are Christians when they really are not.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org

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Confounding the Wise

In 1 Corinthians 1:20, 27-29, the apostle Paul provides a very powerful word, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."

We are often enamored with what the world considers wise and mighty, but
God isn't. In fact, He chooses things that are foolish and weak, things the world considers insignificant, and things the world even despises, to put to shame the things that people consider wise.

I really like the King James Version when it states that God does these things to confound the wise.

We need to understand that sometimes God turns human conventional wisdom on its head. And I believe Scripture shows us three ways in which He does that.

First, there are times that God turns conventional wisdom on its head with the people He chooses for His purposes. Second, He will confound human

wisdom with the plans He unfolds. Whether they are for your deliverance, or plans to further His kingdom and expand His work.

And then, third, God will truly confound the wise of this world with the pardon that He provides.

Through people, plans, and pardon, God does confound the wise!

Source:

Answers Weekly Devotional
"Answers with Bayless Conley" <answersweekly@answersbc.org>
Photo: source

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Don't Drop The Ball

He who lacks these things is shortsighted... 2 Peter 1:9 NKJV

Brian Dyson, former Vice Chairman of Coca Cola, delivered the commencement address at Georgia Tech in 1996. In it he said, 'Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them; work, family, health, friends and spirit. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls; family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop any of these they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.'

Many of the people we admire are out of balance; they can build great churches and companies, but not great relationships. Solomon wrote: 'They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept' (Song of Songs 1:6 NKJV). Pastors who teach the importance of building strong families, sometimes raise children who turn out resentful because they got none of Dad's time and attention and were told 'We have to make these sacrifices for God and the ministry.' In what areas are you out of balance? In your quest not to drop the ball in your public performance, make sure you don't drop it in your personal life; where it counts most. The Bible underlines it: 'add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love… he who lacks these things is short-sighted… ' (2 Peter 1:5-9 NKJV).

Devotionals from TheVine
Subscribe at http://www.thevine.co.nz/member/join
The Word for Today

with Bob Gass - Wednesday, 9th December 2009

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Thinking Right

by Charles R. Swindoll

So then,[a] my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:19-25

Wouldn't you love to live courageously in spite of the odds? Doesn't it sound exciting to be divinely powerful in day-to-day living? Aren't you anxious to become authentic in a day of copy-cat styles and horrendous peer pressure? Of course!

It all begins in the mind. Thinking right always precedes acting right. That is why I emphasize the importance of the renewed mind. It is really impossible to grasp the concept of serving others---or to carry it out with joy, without fear---until our minds are freed from the world's mold and transformed by the Lord's power.

Now some so-called religious leaders and gurus exploit others by calling them to "servanthood" in order to control them and use them for their own purposes. I feel the need to warn you against becoming a victim of some strong personality who wishes to "use" you. How easy it is to encourage servanthood so others might serve us. That is not the way our Master walked and neither should we.

Servanthood starts in the mind. With a simple prayer of three words:

"Change me, Lord."

Lord, make me a servant who asks of you and of others, what can I do for you?


Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide

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The Ultimate Guarantee

Having believed, you were marked... with a seal... Ephesians 1:13 NIV

Jesus said, 'I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it… ' (John 10:28 AMP). As parents we understand this. When our children fall we pick them up. We correct them, but we don't disown them. They were born with our DNA and will die with it. And God has the same relationship with us. When we believe and become 'children of God' He alters our lineage, redefines our spiritual parenthood, and in doing so secures our salvation. To accomplish this, He seals us with His Spirit. 'Having believed, you were marked… with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.' (Ephesians 1:13 NIV)

Max Lucado writes: 'For a short time in college I worked in a vacuum-cleaner plant. We assembled the appliance from plug to hose. The last step on the assembly line was 'sealing and shipping.' By this point the company had invested hours and dollars in the machine. So they took extra care to protect it. They mummified it in bubble wrap, secured it with Styrofoam, wrapped the box with tough-to-tear tape, stamped the destination on the box, and belted it inside the truck. That machine was secure. But compared to God's care for His saints, the machine [might as well have been] dumped into the back of a pick-up truck. God vacuum-seals us with His strongest force: His Spirit. He sheathes His children in a suit of spiritual armour, encircles us with angels, and indwells us Himself. The Queen of England should enjoy such security.' Good news; God has 'identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption' (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).

from: Daily Devotional
The Word for Today

with Bob Gass - Friday, 4th December 2009


Photo credit: www.imeem.com/d2cfufu

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Obey and Get Unstuck

"Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'" (John 5:8).

These words were spoken to a man who had been sick for 38 years! His bed had been carrying him, and now Jesus was telling him to carry his bed!

We have discussed several keys to getting unstuck from your problems in our last devotions. First, we must genuinely want to be free, and second, we must stop shifting the blame for our problems to others.

The final key I want to share with you is found in the above verse. It is to obey what the Lord tells you. Whether it makes sense or not—obey!

To a man who had been carried by his bed for 38 years, rising up and carrying his bed must have seemed crazy! But the moment he began to obey, new life and strength began to flow into his previously paralyzed limbs.

Listen for the Lord's instructions in your heart. Search for them in His Word. There is no faith without action. There will be something that God will require you to do in order to release or express your faith.

It may make sense to you—or it may not. But to quote Mary, the mother of Jesus, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

After pastoring the same church for several decades, I have observed that many people remain stuck in their problems. Not because the Lord hasn't spoken to them, but because He has and they haven't obeyed.

If there is any unfilled obedience in your life, get busy and do what the Lord has told you to do. It is the only way to get unstuck.

From: "Answers with Bayless Conley"
Wed, December 2, 2009
Photo credit: Source

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Take a Step of Faith

I have a friend who had both of his knees crushed in an accident. The doctors told him he would be fortunate if he ever walk again, but he would certainly never be able to run or play sports. He was so disappointed by the news. But when he got out of the hospital after being there for over three months, the first thing he did was join a health club. He took a step of faith. For the first year, he was too weak to even go, but he had made up his mind that he was not going to just sit back and stay in that wheelchair; he was making plans to be active again, to be up and walking.

That was over five years ago, and over the course of time he got stronger and stronger. Today, that young man can outrun me! He defied the odds. What happened? He made a decision to rise above his circumstances. He took a step of faith even when the odds were against him. He could have easily believed the negative words and just given up. He could have settled for mediocrity; but he didn't. He put his faith into action…and his faith put him into action.

Maybe you've had some negative things spoken over you. Don't let those negative words take root. Keep believing. Take a step of faith. God has you in the palm of His hand.

Remember, faith is always in the now. Don't have the attitude that says, "Well, I know one day God's going to work. One day God's going to turn this around." No, have the attitude that says, "Father, I thank You that right now You are working in my life. I thank You that right now I'm getting better. Right now things are changing in my favor." Every time you declare something according to the will of God, you are taking a step of faith and moving forward into the victory God has in store for you!

Written by:
Joel Osteen
Take a Step of Faith
Devotional dated November 30th, 2009
Recommended readings written by Joel Osteen here


Photo credit: http://heartreflections.wordpress.com

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The Kind of Love That Hates

"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him..." Proverbs 6:16 (NIV)

How do we decide what is good and what is evil? Is it really all a mater of personal opinion? Our postmodern world says, "It's up to you to decide." But Christians have a very simple definition of good and evil: What God says is "good" is good, and what God says is "evil" is evil.

When the writer of Proverbs says, "six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable..." this means that although the list is very specific, it is not exhaustive. It would be easy to add an eighth or a ninth:

The Lord hates...

...haughty eyes (the look of a person who thinks they are something great)

...a lying tongue (God hates lies)

...hands that shed innocent blood (use their power to destroy others)

...a heart that devises wicked schemes

...feet that are quick to rush into evil (they explore sin's boundaries)

...a false witness who pours out lies

...a man who stirs up dissension among brothers

Proverbs 6:17-19 (NIV)

The reason God hates these things is that they are all destructive to those He loves. God models the kind of love that hates what is evil. The Lord hates evil, and that means that we have to take sides.

The enemy's simple strategy

The enemy's strategy is very simple: He wants to convince your mind that what God says is "evil" is actually good, and what God says is "good" is actually evil.

He persuaded Eve that her horizons would be broadened by this knowledge of evil. "You shall be like God" (Genesis 3:5), he says, and once he has Eve thinking about the possibilities of evil, she is one step from disaster.

She yielded her mind to another definition of evil, and a divided mind left her vulnerable to temptation. God says to us, "Hate what is evil." If you are going to hate what is evil, the first step is that you must be able to identify it.

Transformation begins with the renewing of the mind: "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2). The Spirit of God has this question for your mind: According to the Bible, does God love this or does He hate it?

LifeKEY by Colin S. Smith
Excerpted from...
Series - "Battles From the Boardroom of the Soul"
Message "Learning How to Hate"
Date - January 27, 2002

Photo Credit: kevinbussey.com

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Stop Blaming and Rise Up

"When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?' The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me' (John 5:6-7).

This guy was basically saying, “It's not my fault. I'm in this condition because of what someone else won't do for me, and because of what someone else has done to me.”

Think about it, “I have no man to put me in.” Paraphrased that says, “I'm stuck because of what someone won't do for me.” Or, “While I'm coming, another steps down before me,” which paraphrased says, “I'm stuck because of what someone else has done to me.” Either way, “It is not my fault.”

We need to make up our minds that we want to be free, then stop shifting the blame to others.

A friend of mine migrated from Mexico to the U.S. many years ago. He didn't understand the culture or the language and seemed to be hopelessly locked into a dead end job. His employer took advantage of him and it seemed like he had no way out. But instead of blaming others for his situation (which would have been easy for him to do), he decided to get unstuck and do something with his life.

It took several years, but today he has several businesses and is quite wealthy.

Do not get caught in the trap of blaming others. Instead, make the decision to rise up! (something we will be talking about in our next devotional.)

Source:
Answers with Bayless Conley

P. O. Box 417
Los Alamitos
CA 90720

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Count Your Blessings

Psalm 95

 Sometimes when you don't feel like praying, or you're consumed with needing to speak to the Lord but can't gather the words, try that old standby---count your many blessings, count them one by one.

lt's amazing how you can get carried away from worries and woes and self concern when you start naming out loud what you're thankful for. Right away your focus shifts from your needs to the Father's graciousness and love. Try this:

LOOK UP . . . thank You, Lord . . .

• for Your sovereign control over our circumstances
• for Your holy character in spite of our sinfulness
• for Your Word that gives us direction
• for Your grace that removes our guilt

 LOOK AROUND . . . thank You, Lord . . .

• for our wonderful country
• for close family ties
• for an opportunity to help others
• for a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat

 LOOK WITHIN . . . thank You, Lord . . . 

• for eyes that see the beauty of Your creation
• for minds that are curious, creative, and competent
• for memories of pleasures and recent accomplishments
• for broken dreams and lingering afflictions that humble us
• for a sense of humor that brings healing and hope

 He is worthy of our highest praise and gratitude. To Him goes all the glory.

If you can't pray, make a personalized list of blessings.

 Source: Insights for Living Devotional Email  

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

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The First Step Toward Freedom

"Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in

Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?'" (John 5:2-6).

Jesus asked this man a seemingly ridiculous question, “Do you want to be made well?” It's obvious isn't it? He is at the pool, isn't he? The only reason people went there was to be healed. What kind of a question is that to be asking? Of course, he wanted to be healed.

But Jesus was not convinced. This man had been stuck in his condition for a long time. He was not only lying down on the outside, he was lying down on the inside.

Sometimes people get used to living in their problems. While they may outwardly be going through the motions to get free (generally because they know that is what is expected of them), inwardly they have given up.

The first step toward getting free from your problems and that which binds and restricts your life is wanting it—really wanting it.

 
You have to stand up on the inside before you can ever stand up on the outside.

Let me be very bold and ask you: Do you want to be made well? Do you really want things to change? Or have you grown accustomed to living undert he devil's heel?

If you are tired of defeat, mediocrity and bondage, then stand up on the inside and say, “Enough is enough!”

It is the first step toward freedom.


Source:
Answers Weekly Devotional

"Answers with Bayless Conley" answersweekly@answersbc.org

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Turn Aside And Listen To God

I must turn aside and look...               

                                          Exodus 3:3 NRS

Moses was working his regular job as a shepherd when he saw a burning bush, just like the ones he'd seen a hundred times before. Only this time the bush was on fire with God's presence. Moses said, 'I must turn aside and look.' In that moment everything depended on his willingness to interrupt his daily routine and make time for God. He could have said, 'I'm busy,' and kept on going. But he'd have missed his calling and the reason for his existence. He'd have missed knowing God and doing great things. But he didn't, he 'turned aside.' God wanted to begin a new nation, with Moses leading it. The timing seemed strange. With God, it often does. Forty years ago Moses was young, the product of the finest education system in the world. He had powerful connections and high hopes. But now he was a nobody, a lowly shepherd in a forgotten desert, rejected by his people and a fugitive on the run. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" (Exodus 3:11 NRS) Moses asked God. "Nobody knows me. I don't speak too well. And my track record isn't too good." God said, 'I know about your past, and it doesn't matter. Your failure and inadequacies are no longer the ultimate truth about you. You are what you are, but you're not yet what you will be; because I will be with you.'

Do you need direction for your life? Slow down, turn aside, and listen to God. What He has to say is more important than anything else you'll hear.

The Word for Today

with Bob Gass - Friday, 20th November 2009
From The Vine, http:/thevine.co.nz

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Living A Life Of Thanksgiving

Great message from Dr. Michael Youssef .  Enjoy and be blessed - Thor

Only one out of the ten lepers showed Jesus the gratitude He deserved. How often do we, too, fail to give Jesus heartfelt praise for our blessings?

Have you ever given an expensive present to someone who never thanked you for it? Most of us are guilty of the same indifference toward our gifts from God. God blesses His children in many ways - from our talents and resources to the assurance of eternal life in heaven. Yet how often do we half-heartedly acknowledge our gifts, then quickly forget the Giver?

In Luke 17, we read a story of Jesus' interaction with ten lepers. In this passage, we have the opportunity to watch as one of the lepers fully realizes what Jesus had done for him, and we witness the exuberant thanksgiving that resulted.

To be sure, lepers were the outcasts of all outcasts. They were considered so detestable and contagious, they were prohibited from even approaching people for conversation, resorting instead to covering their mouths and yelling "Unclean!" so people would be aware of their presence.

Leprosy was not only a terrible physical disease, it also prevented people from social interaction. They were excluded from Temple worship and were separated from their families and communities. Leprosy left its victims utterly alone and without remedy for their disease.

Leprosy is not unlike a condition that is afflicting us, though ours is much graver. While the lepers were separated from Temple worship and the presence of God by their fleshly disease, we are eternally separated from God by our sinfulness. The commonality does not stop there. For both the lepers and us, our separateness finds healing exclusively through the power of Jesus.

When Jesus came to the lepers' village, they kept their distance and shouted to Jesus at the top of their voices, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). When Jesus saw them, He instantly knew of their plight, misery, and isolation. Jesus also knew that the only way they could return to their homes and families, according to the Law, was to be declared clean by the priests. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus told them, and the lepers went immediately (see Luke 17:14).

As the lepers traveled to the priests, they noticed that they were being healed! The wonder that came over them in the midst of their deliverance must have been tremendous. Perhaps they began to run even faster, anticipating their reinstatement into community, into family, into life! While the ten lepers celebrated, one was so overcome by the completeness of his healing, he turned and immediately rushed back to Jesus, before he even reached the priests. While returning to Jesus, the leper began praising God in a loud voice, without inhibition or restraint. When he finally reached Jesus, the leper fell down at His feet, continuing to offer praise and thanksgiving to Him.

When this Samaritan leper returned, Jesus was struck by the fact that none of the Jewish lepers did likewise. "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus queried (Luke 17:17, 18). Only one out of the ten lepers showed Jesus the gratitude He deserved. How often do we, too, fail to give Jesus heartfelt praise for our blessings?

How can we live a life that is truly thankful? First, we must consider the depth of our greatest blessing. The leper's story of miraculous healing is remarkable - to see such a disease immediately eradicated in someone's life is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Yet when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are healed even more completely! We were eternally separated from God by our sins, but Jesus has made forgiveness possible through His obedient sacrifice on the Cross.

Second, we need to make thanksgiving a priority. The leper didn't wait to return to Jesus until it was convenient or until after he visited the priests. He went immediately to Jesus. The priests did not heal the leper, and he knew it. He returned to the only One worthy of his worship and thanksgiving.

Third, thanksgiving should be offered from the outpouring of our hearts. There was intensity in the leper's worship because he was aware of his inefficacy to provide the healing he needed. How much more wonderful is the eternal healing for those who follow Christ? Let our thanksgiving be an enthusiastic celebration of Christ, who healed our direst need when we could not.

Finally, we must be consistent in our thanksgiving. The more intentional we are about offering thanks to God, the easier it becomes to see His blessings in our lives. That is why we are repeatedly commanded in the Bible to be thankful in all things. No one can bless us like our Heavenly Father. Let us be diligent in thanking Him for His grace and goodness.

****

Excerpted from My Journal, a monthly devotional magazine from Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef

Visit Leading The Way Website: http://www.leadingtheway.org/

Source: e-mail from One Place http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Leading_the_Way/article.asp?article_id=2270

Disclaimer: I do not claim any authorship of the above article. I published as it is from my email.

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Keep Preparing Yourself

I have seen a son of Jesse... who is skillful... 1 Samuel 16:18 NKJV

David didn't suddenly become an expert marksman with a slingshot when Goliath showed up, or a master harpist when King Saul invited him to the palace. He took the long, slow, disciplined route. David had no idea what his future held, he simply found joy and fulfillment in discovering and developing his gifts. Your greatest obstacle to personal growth isn't ignorance; it's the illusion of knowledge. It's in believing you've 'arrived.' When that happens you're done growing, which means you're done! Which zone do you live in? The challenge zone: 'I attempt to do what I haven't done before.' The comfort zone: 'I only do what I already know I can do.' The coasting zone: 'I don't even do what I've done before.' Phillips Brooks said, 'Sad is the day for any man when he becomes absolutely satisfied with the life he is living, the thoughts he is thinking, and the things he is doing; when there ceases to be forever beating at the doors of his soul a desire to do something larger which he seeks and knows he was meant and intended to do.'

David's brothers knew his skills, yet none of them told King Saul about him. Be encouraged; you'll get there without them! 'Then one of [Saul's] servants… said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse… who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valour… "' (1 Samuel 16:18 NKJV)David didn't compete with his brothers or complain about his status as a sheepherder. He just kept developing his relationship with God and sharpening his skills, and when the time was right God promoted him. So, keep preparing yourself.

Source:
The Word for Today

with Bob Gass - Sunday, 15th November 2009

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Real Goodness

Romans 2:4 declares, "The goodness of God leads you to repentance."

Ephesians 2:4-6 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

God is not holding your sins against you. He sent His Son to pay a debt that had to be paid in order to liberate you from sin. God extends His mercy and forgiveness to you and me even when we do not deserve it.

It was His goodness that arrested my attention and that brought me to the foot of the cross, even when I was in my darkest sin, doing terrible things, abusing my body with drugs and alcohol, and doing things that should have put me in an early grave. In fact, a number of times I nearly died. But God loved me right in the middle of all of that.

I want to tell you, wherever you are right now, God loves you. You may be in the depths of the darkest sin you have ever been involved in, you just feel wretched, but God loves you right where you are.

He loves you so much He doesn't want to leave you there. His grace can reach you, change you and lift you out of any sin or situation if you will turn to Him with all of your heart.

There is no reason to fear or hesitate. Entrust yourself to the goodness of God and say yes to Him today.

From: "Answers with Bayless Conley"

Email: answersweekly@answersbc.org
Date: Wed, November 11, 2009

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Eleventh Hour Grace

I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Matthew 20:14 NKJV

Jesus told the story of a farmer who hired day labourers: some at 6 am, some at 9 am, some at 12 noon, some at 3 pm and some at 5 pm, one hour before quitting time. Amazingly, he paid them all the same wage. When the complaints started flying, the farmer said, 'I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.' You say, 'Nobody pays a day's wage to one-hour workers.' God does. Deathbed converts and lifelong saints enter heaven by the same gate. They don't enjoy the same reward, but they're saved by the same grace. A last minute confessor receives the same grace as a lifetime servant? It doesn't seem fair. The workers in Jesus' story complained too. So the farmer explained the prerogative of ownership: 'Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me… ' (Matthew 20:15 RSV). The thief on the cross proves that when you request grace with your dying breath, God answers your prayer. The Prodigal Son 'wasted his possessions… ' (Luke 15:13 NKJV). The Greek word for 'wasted' pictures a farmer throwing handfuls of seed into the ground. Imagine the Prodigal Son spurning his father's kindness, going out and 'throwing it all away.' But he returned. And when he did '.his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him' (Luke 15:20 NKJV). The Father was saving the son's place. And He's saving yours too. Eleventh hour grace means that if you're able to read these words and respond, it's not too late.

from my email alert from The Vine

The Word for Today with Bob Gass

Wednesday, 11th November 2009

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Waiting on the Lord

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength . . . ”

-Isaiah 40:31

It is an exhilarating experience to live the new life, with Christ inside me enabling me to live it. As a man was riding along in his Ford, suddenly something went wrong. He got out and looked at the engine, but he could find nothing wrong. As he stood there, another car came in sight, and he waved it down to ask for help. Out of a brand-new Lincoln stepped a tall, friendly man who asked, “Well, what’s the trouble?” “I cannot get this Ford to move,” was the reply. The stranger made a few adjustments under the hood and then said, “Now start the car.” When the motor started, its grateful owner introduced himself and then asked, “What is your name, sir?” “My name,” answered the stranger, “is Henry Ford.”

The one who made the Ford knew how to make it run. God made you and me, and He alone knows how to run your life and mine. We could make a complete wreck of our lives without Christ. When He is at the controls, all goes well. Without Him, we can do nothing.

Prayer for the day

Lord, so often I forget to give You complete control and I fail. Teach me to rely completely on You for my strength and needs.

from Daily Devotions with Billy Graham

http://www.billygraham.org/DailyDevotional.asp?id=310

Note: I have put the Waiting on the Lord - thor

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