READ
2 Peter 2:1-3
People have an expectation that those who talk about God must also be serving Him and His people’s best interests. I wish that were always true. However, the many warnings about deceivers entering the church are as relevant today as when the New Testament writers penned them.
In case you think I am overstating the problem, let me point you to the words of Jesus: “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4). He warned that many would falsely claim God had sent them. Christ was not talking only about events in the decades of the early church. His caution was directed at the generations to come—particularly those living during the present earth’s last days.
The apostle Peter gives a helpful test with which to evaluate teachers and preachers of God’s Word:
1. A deceiver attempts to manipulate and exploit his hearers. He uses half-truths, exciting promises, and flowery language to draw in followers. In particular, we’re to be on guard against the erroneous doctrine that denies the truth of the entire Bible.
2. Many false teachers will have a problem with sensuality.
3. Most will also be greedy and materialistic. If we observe these habits in the life of a leader, we must reject his or her teaching.
How can you see past a false teacher’s camouflage, cunning, and/or charisma? Filling your mind with Scripture will enable you to compare what someone says and does with biblical truth. Follow the Psalmist’s example: treasure God’s Word in your heart so that you will not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11).
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST
READ
1 John 4:1-6
In the church, the word antichrist usually calls to mind the prophesied leader in power during the earth’s last days. But in the Bible, it more often refers to an anti-Christ spirit—in other words, demonic forces opposed to truth. Examples include false teachers (1 Tim. 4:1) and the negative influence of the world (1 Cor. 2:12). John urged his readers to stand against enemies of the faith by using scriptural principles to evaluate their words and actions.
We are living in an “enlightened” age—or at least people think we are. Anyone with an opinion and a platform is welcome to share his or her version of truth. Subtly false messages come from unlikely places, such as the business world, the entertainment industry, or the media. We might be tempted to think that these venues are separate from our faith. But just as our beliefs are to impact every aspect of our being, so a bit of poison injected into our professional life or leisure pursuits can contaminate other areas.
Believers, therefore, must be aware of the type of information and attitudes that enter the mind. We need a discerning spirit to look past speakers’ charisma and eloquence and assess their message. But we will recognize an anti-Christ attitude only if we have a heart full of Scripture against which to compare.
Your local bank teller knows when a counterfeit bill passes through her hands because she has memorized the feel of a real dollar. In the same way, believers with sound biblical knowledge will recognize and discard an anti-Christ message or attitude when it reaches their ears.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
1 John 4:1-6
In the church, the word antichrist usually calls to mind the prophesied leader in power during the earth’s last days. But in the Bible, it more often refers to an anti-Christ spirit—in other words, demonic forces opposed to truth. Examples include false teachers (1 Tim. 4:1) and the negative influence of the world (1 Cor. 2:12). John urged his readers to stand against enemies of the faith by using scriptural principles to evaluate their words and actions.
We are living in an “enlightened” age—or at least people think we are. Anyone with an opinion and a platform is welcome to share his or her version of truth. Subtly false messages come from unlikely places, such as the business world, the entertainment industry, or the media. We might be tempted to think that these venues are separate from our faith. But just as our beliefs are to impact every aspect of our being, so a bit of poison injected into our professional life or leisure pursuits can contaminate other areas.
Believers, therefore, must be aware of the type of information and attitudes that enter the mind. We need a discerning spirit to look past speakers’ charisma and eloquence and assess their message. But we will recognize an anti-Christ attitude only if we have a heart full of Scripture against which to compare.
Your local bank teller knows when a counterfeit bill passes through her hands because she has memorized the feel of a real dollar. In the same way, believers with sound biblical knowledge will recognize and discard an anti-Christ message or attitude when it reaches their ears.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Saturday, November 28, 2009
What God Deserves
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
— Luke 17:15–16
I remember the first time I said, "Praise the Lord!" It seemed like a very awkward phrase to utter. All of my Christian friends would say it, and I thought, I am going to say that now. I consciously thought about it first. But I had a hard time getting it out. Once I did, it felt kind of good. So I said it again. It is a wonderful thing when "Praise the Lord" just flows from your lips.
In fact, that is what you were created to do. You were created to give glory to God. It is the highest use of your vocal chords, your mouth, and your lips. God wants to hear us give Him praise. We need to give God what He deserves, and that is glory. Psalm 29:2 tells us, "Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
Yet far too often we are like the 10 men who suffered with leprosy and called out loudly to Jesus for intervention. He graciously heard their prayer and healed all of them of their dreaded disease. But only one returned to thank Him. Jesus said in response, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17).
Often we are quick to ask God for help during times of crisis, but we are very slow to offer Him thanks after He intervenes on our behalf. In doing so, we are essentially telling Him, "Thanks, God. See you next crisis." When those leprosy-stricken men saw Jesus, they cried out loudly for His touch. But only one came back to loudly thank Him (see Luke 17:15–16).
We should be as devoted in our praise to God as we are in crying out to Him for help.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE AN OTHER!
DAWN
— Luke 17:15–16
I remember the first time I said, "Praise the Lord!" It seemed like a very awkward phrase to utter. All of my Christian friends would say it, and I thought, I am going to say that now. I consciously thought about it first. But I had a hard time getting it out. Once I did, it felt kind of good. So I said it again. It is a wonderful thing when "Praise the Lord" just flows from your lips.
In fact, that is what you were created to do. You were created to give glory to God. It is the highest use of your vocal chords, your mouth, and your lips. God wants to hear us give Him praise. We need to give God what He deserves, and that is glory. Psalm 29:2 tells us, "Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
Yet far too often we are like the 10 men who suffered with leprosy and called out loudly to Jesus for intervention. He graciously heard their prayer and healed all of them of their dreaded disease. But only one returned to thank Him. Jesus said in response, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17).
Often we are quick to ask God for help during times of crisis, but we are very slow to offer Him thanks after He intervenes on our behalf. In doing so, we are essentially telling Him, "Thanks, God. See you next crisis." When those leprosy-stricken men saw Jesus, they cried out loudly for His touch. But only one came back to loudly thank Him (see Luke 17:15–16).
We should be as devoted in our praise to God as we are in crying out to Him for help.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE AN OTHER!
DAWN
Friday, November 27, 2009
Our Godless Age
READ
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Scripture tells us that the years leading up to Christ’s return will be difficult. Because of man’s on-going rebellion against the Lord, ungodliness will continue to increase. In our own culture, opposition to Jesus is growing, and various sins that were once condemned are gaining acceptance. Many in our world have bought into Satan’s lie that we can live without the Lord and still find happiness, prosperity, and peace. The Devil tempted Eve to believe she could find satisfaction outside of God’s will, and he does the same with us today.
In 2 Timothy 3, we read about traits that will be common prior to Christ’s return:
“Lovers of self.” Self-centeredness (placing a priority on what will profit us most) and selfishness (wanting to keep what we have) will be rampant.
“Lovers of money.” The acquisition of wealth to fuel pleasures, provide security, or gain possessions will be a strong motivator. Greed leads many to lie, cheat, and steal.
“Boastful.” Pride caused Satan to be cast from heaven, and it prevents people from submitting to Jesus’ authority. Arrogance, which damages relationships and leads to financial ruin, will permeate society.
Other characteristics of the age will be abusive behaviors, unforgiving attitudes, and a lack of self-control.
It’s easy to see similarities between modern society and Scripture’s description of the years before Christ’s second coming. While discouraging, these prophetic signs are precursors of the day Jesus returns to set things right. Our hope is to rest in His promises, not in the circumstances around us.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Scripture tells us that the years leading up to Christ’s return will be difficult. Because of man’s on-going rebellion against the Lord, ungodliness will continue to increase. In our own culture, opposition to Jesus is growing, and various sins that were once condemned are gaining acceptance. Many in our world have bought into Satan’s lie that we can live without the Lord and still find happiness, prosperity, and peace. The Devil tempted Eve to believe she could find satisfaction outside of God’s will, and he does the same with us today.
In 2 Timothy 3, we read about traits that will be common prior to Christ’s return:
“Lovers of self.” Self-centeredness (placing a priority on what will profit us most) and selfishness (wanting to keep what we have) will be rampant.
“Lovers of money.” The acquisition of wealth to fuel pleasures, provide security, or gain possessions will be a strong motivator. Greed leads many to lie, cheat, and steal.
“Boastful.” Pride caused Satan to be cast from heaven, and it prevents people from submitting to Jesus’ authority. Arrogance, which damages relationships and leads to financial ruin, will permeate society.
Other characteristics of the age will be abusive behaviors, unforgiving attitudes, and a lack of self-control.
It’s easy to see similarities between modern society and Scripture’s description of the years before Christ’s second coming. While discouraging, these prophetic signs are precursors of the day Jesus returns to set things right. Our hope is to rest in His promises, not in the circumstances around us.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Thursday, November 26, 2009
FEASTING ON THE WORD
READ
Deuteronomy 8:1-6
The Bible should be the priority book in our literary diet. If we spent as much time in the Word as we do at the dinner table, our spirit and character would be strong and thriving. And no matter what our circumstances happened to be, we’d experience an inner joy. The satisfaction that comes from living an obedient life is not possible apart from Scripture.
In God’s Word, we find out how He thinks and what He does. We also discover the guiding principles for a successful life. After all, how can we trust God unless we know Him? And how can we be like Jesus unless we practice the habits He displays in Scripture?
God told the Israelites not to turn from His Word to the right or to the left. Only a straight route through His will would result in success, even when walled cities like Jericho stood in the way (Josh. 6:2). What this means in practical terms is that every time we must make a decision, we sift it through what we know of the Lord from Scripture. When we face a crisis, we dig into the Bible to answer the question, What would the Lord have me do? We do not live by reason, the opinion of others, or our own wisdom. Rather, we conform our minds, heart, and will to the biblical standard.
Bread will keep your stomach full, but your life will be empty without a holy daily meal that includes reading and meditation. Learn to recognize spiritual hunger pains, such as vague discontent or animosity toward the things of God—and quickly begin to feast on the Word.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE.
DAWN
Deuteronomy 8:1-6
The Bible should be the priority book in our literary diet. If we spent as much time in the Word as we do at the dinner table, our spirit and character would be strong and thriving. And no matter what our circumstances happened to be, we’d experience an inner joy. The satisfaction that comes from living an obedient life is not possible apart from Scripture.
In God’s Word, we find out how He thinks and what He does. We also discover the guiding principles for a successful life. After all, how can we trust God unless we know Him? And how can we be like Jesus unless we practice the habits He displays in Scripture?
God told the Israelites not to turn from His Word to the right or to the left. Only a straight route through His will would result in success, even when walled cities like Jericho stood in the way (Josh. 6:2). What this means in practical terms is that every time we must make a decision, we sift it through what we know of the Lord from Scripture. When we face a crisis, we dig into the Bible to answer the question, What would the Lord have me do? We do not live by reason, the opinion of others, or our own wisdom. Rather, we conform our minds, heart, and will to the biblical standard.
Bread will keep your stomach full, but your life will be empty without a holy daily meal that includes reading and meditation. Learn to recognize spiritual hunger pains, such as vague discontent or animosity toward the things of God—and quickly begin to feast on the Word.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE.
DAWN
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
READ
Psalm 50
At first glance, the words sacrifice and thanksgiving have little connection, yet Scripture combines them in one phrase. Sacrifice brings to mind images of painful relinquishment or costly service, whereas thanksgiving conveys a joyous response prompted by overflowing abundance and blessings.
Generally, thanksgiving can be thought of as a verbal expression of gratitude for something good. In public worship services, we thank the Lord for His blessings with prayers and songs of praise, but these hardly seem like a sacrifice.
To gain understanding of this concept, let’s consider some costly ways of giving thanks to God. Words can be cheap, but a godly life given wholly to the Lord is extremely valuable to Him and sacrificial for us. This is not about perfection but rather a heart that is bent toward obeying the Lord and a life surrendered to His will and purpose. Those living this kind of self-less, Christ-centered life can offer genuine thanks which delights God’s heart.
Giving is another expression of gratitude that is costly. Since the Lord is the source of all provision and wealth, our grateful response should be to give Him a portion of all He has given us. Generosity is a good barometer of the authenticity of gratitude.
Offering thanks to God begins with words, but like children who grow in appreciation as they mature, so we should be growing in expressions of gratitude to the Lord. Give Him your whole life as a sacrifice of thanksgiving—you’ll experience amazing benefits because you can never outgive God
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Psalm 50
At first glance, the words sacrifice and thanksgiving have little connection, yet Scripture combines them in one phrase. Sacrifice brings to mind images of painful relinquishment or costly service, whereas thanksgiving conveys a joyous response prompted by overflowing abundance and blessings.
Generally, thanksgiving can be thought of as a verbal expression of gratitude for something good. In public worship services, we thank the Lord for His blessings with prayers and songs of praise, but these hardly seem like a sacrifice.
To gain understanding of this concept, let’s consider some costly ways of giving thanks to God. Words can be cheap, but a godly life given wholly to the Lord is extremely valuable to Him and sacrificial for us. This is not about perfection but rather a heart that is bent toward obeying the Lord and a life surrendered to His will and purpose. Those living this kind of self-less, Christ-centered life can offer genuine thanks which delights God’s heart.
Giving is another expression of gratitude that is costly. Since the Lord is the source of all provision and wealth, our grateful response should be to give Him a portion of all He has given us. Generosity is a good barometer of the authenticity of gratitude.
Offering thanks to God begins with words, but like children who grow in appreciation as they mature, so we should be growing in expressions of gratitude to the Lord. Give Him your whole life as a sacrifice of thanksgiving—you’ll experience amazing benefits because you can never outgive God
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
"It Is Good to Give Thanks to God"
Throughout the Psalms, we are reminded and even commanded to give thanks to the Lord. Thanksgiving Day should never become a substitute for the daily expression of gratitude to God for all that He has done.
Because our culture is largely characterized by ingratitude, we need to work at developing a grateful heart. Even in prayer, we can become self-centered and drift from one petition to another without a word of praise to God. Giving thanks refocuses our attention onto the Lord as we remember His love and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.
Thanksgiving refreshes our souls as we spend time with God, concentrating on His goodness and grace. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and despondency with joy. If you wake up each morning and thank the Lord for deliverance from the power of sin, provision for all your needs, and guidance for the day ahead, what is left to cause worry or discouragement?
Gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the past increases faith and strengthens trust in Him for the future. Remember how He carried you in times of pain, helped you in periods of weakness, and supplied all your needs. You can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.
To establish a habit of thanksgiving, recall God’s lovingkindness in the morning, and recount His faithfulness at night. Thank Him for blessings—and also for the deep work He is doing in you through difficulties. As you start to see situations from His perspective, your gratitude and trust will grow.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Because our culture is largely characterized by ingratitude, we need to work at developing a grateful heart. Even in prayer, we can become self-centered and drift from one petition to another without a word of praise to God. Giving thanks refocuses our attention onto the Lord as we remember His love and faithfulness and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.
Thanksgiving refreshes our souls as we spend time with God, concentrating on His goodness and grace. Anxiety is replaced with peace, and despondency with joy. If you wake up each morning and thank the Lord for deliverance from the power of sin, provision for all your needs, and guidance for the day ahead, what is left to cause worry or discouragement?
Gratitude to God for His faithfulness in the past increases faith and strengthens trust in Him for the future. Remember how He carried you in times of pain, helped you in periods of weakness, and supplied all your needs. You can trust Him with whatever lies ahead.
To establish a habit of thanksgiving, recall God’s lovingkindness in the morning, and recount His faithfulness at night. Thank Him for blessings—and also for the deep work He is doing in you through difficulties. As you start to see situations from His perspective, your gratitude and trust will grow.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, November 23, 2009
THANKSGIVING
Psalm 107 is all about thankfulness. Very specifically Psalm 107 repeats one verse four different times.
"O, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men."
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Praise and gratitude are inseparable. Praise starts from the soles of our feet and comes up through the muscles and sinews and joints and organs of our bodies and it bursts from our throat. It’s with all our hearts that we give God thanks. It is not something shallow or frivolous, flippant or superficial. Gratitude is the deepest expression of the soul in love with God. And he says, "With all my heart I give You thanks."
The original meaning of praise was "to give public acknowledgement." It's the thought of telling others about something that means much to us. Not the normal term for giving thanks.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not negative on gratitude. What really bugs me, though, is when people express their gratitude today, late in November and then return to their self-centered, dissatisfied, hopeless and pathetic outlook on life the other 364 days.
Gratitude is more than an annual ritual performed hastily before diving into the Thanksgiving meal. It's more than a holiday decoration, more than a snappy word that rhymes with "attitude." Of all the human emotions, gratitude is the most powerful. So powerful is gratitude, it can obliterate fear, hopelessness and doubt. Gratitude can heal a broken heart, slow the aging process and restore broken relationships. Gratitude creates hope and hope brings joy. It is in joy, not fear, that we find strength.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
"O, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men."
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Praise and gratitude are inseparable. Praise starts from the soles of our feet and comes up through the muscles and sinews and joints and organs of our bodies and it bursts from our throat. It’s with all our hearts that we give God thanks. It is not something shallow or frivolous, flippant or superficial. Gratitude is the deepest expression of the soul in love with God. And he says, "With all my heart I give You thanks."
The original meaning of praise was "to give public acknowledgement." It's the thought of telling others about something that means much to us. Not the normal term for giving thanks.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not negative on gratitude. What really bugs me, though, is when people express their gratitude today, late in November and then return to their self-centered, dissatisfied, hopeless and pathetic outlook on life the other 364 days.
Gratitude is more than an annual ritual performed hastily before diving into the Thanksgiving meal. It's more than a holiday decoration, more than a snappy word that rhymes with "attitude." Of all the human emotions, gratitude is the most powerful. So powerful is gratitude, it can obliterate fear, hopelessness and doubt. Gratitude can heal a broken heart, slow the aging process and restore broken relationships. Gratitude creates hope and hope brings joy. It is in joy, not fear, that we find strength.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his
steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the
Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and
gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the
west, from the north and from the south… He led them by
a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let
them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous
works to the children of men! For he satisfies the longing
soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things."
Psalm 107:1-9
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Sunday, November 22, 2009
PRECIOUS FRUIT
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Gal.5: 19-26 (NLT)
How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of fruit? In Japan, someone paid more than $6,000 for one Densuke watermelon. Grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, this beautiful dark-green sphere looks like a bowling ball. The nearly 18-pound watermelon was one of only a few thousand available that year. The fruit’s rarity brought an astronomical price on the market.
Christians have fruit that is far more precious than the Densuke watermelon. It’s called the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Each “fruit” is a different aspect of Christ likeness. In the Gospels, we see how Christ exemplified these virtues. Now He wants to produce them in our hearts—in what we say, how we think, and how we respond to life (John 15:1-4).
A rare and delicious fruit may bring a premium price in the marketplace, but Christlike character is of far greater worth. As we confess all known sin and yield to God’s indwelling Spirit, our lives will be transformed to the likeness of Christ (1 John 1:9; Eph. 5:18). This spiritual fruit will fill our lives with joy, bless those around us, and last into eternity. — Dennis Fisher
Think not alone of outward form;Its beauty will depart;
How much would you be willing to pay for a piece of fruit? In Japan, someone paid more than $6,000 for one Densuke watermelon. Grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, this beautiful dark-green sphere looks like a bowling ball. The nearly 18-pound watermelon was one of only a few thousand available that year. The fruit’s rarity brought an astronomical price on the market.
Christians have fruit that is far more precious than the Densuke watermelon. It’s called the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Each “fruit” is a different aspect of Christ likeness. In the Gospels, we see how Christ exemplified these virtues. Now He wants to produce them in our hearts—in what we say, how we think, and how we respond to life (John 15:1-4).
A rare and delicious fruit may bring a premium price in the marketplace, but Christlike character is of far greater worth. As we confess all known sin and yield to God’s indwelling Spirit, our lives will be transformed to the likeness of Christ (1 John 1:9; Eph. 5:18). This spiritual fruit will fill our lives with joy, bless those around us, and last into eternity. — Dennis Fisher
Think not alone of outward form;Its beauty will depart;
But cultivate the Spirit’s fruits That grow within the heart. —D. De Haan
Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ.
Fruitfulness for Christ depends on fellowship with Christ.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Saturday, November 21, 2009
THE "U" IN JESUS
Be fore U were thought of or time had begun, God stuck U in the name of His Son. And each time you pray, you'll see it's trUe, You can't spell JesUs, and not include, YOU. You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name, For U, He was born; that's why He came. And His great love for U is the reason He died. It even takes U to spell crUcified. Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand He rose from the dead, with U in His plan? The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew, and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention. "Go into the world and tell them it's true That I love them all - Just like I love U." So many great people are spelled with a U, Don't they have a right to know JesUs too? It all depends now on what U will do, He'd like them to know, But it all starts with U. Will YOU pass it on. me U pray, you'll see it's true, You can't spell out JesUs and not include U. When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you! If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for him, forward his message!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!!
DAWN
When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention. "Go into the world and tell them it's true That I love them all - Just like I love U." So many great people are spelled with a U, Don't they have a right to know JesUs too? It all depends now on what U will do, He'd like them to know, But it all starts with U. Will YOU pass it on. me U pray, you'll see it's true, You can't spell out JesUs and not include U. When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you! If you are one of the 7% who will stand up for him, forward his message!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!!
DAWN
Friday, November 20, 2009
KEEP RUNNING!
When people say they enjoy running, it makes no sense to me. I don't enjoy any kind of exercise, but I do it—reluctantly and under protest. My favorite part of a workout is when it is done. I have met people who talk about a runner's high, which, I am told, happens when endorphins are released. I have never experienced a runner's high, but one little secret I have discovered is that I always seem to do better when there is someone watching, when there is someone cheering me on.
In the race of life, you are being watched by others who have gone before you, by those who have already run this race. We read in Hebrews 11 about the great men and women of God who served Him faithfully, and they are referred to as "so great a cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1. Another version puts it this way: "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins" (MSG).
The idea is that you keep running. When I look at the lives of some believers I knew when I first came to Christ, it is sad to see the mess they have made of their lives through wrong choices and by getting sidetracked. Then I can think of others who started their race without much promise, but they are doing very well today. So it is not enough to start well. We need to finish well too.
Keep running. Look to Jesus as the one you are running for. He is watching you. He is urging you on. Are you running to win?
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
In the race of life, you are being watched by others who have gone before you, by those who have already run this race. We read in Hebrews 11 about the great men and women of God who served Him faithfully, and they are referred to as "so great a cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1. Another version puts it this way: "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins" (MSG).
The idea is that you keep running. When I look at the lives of some believers I knew when I first came to Christ, it is sad to see the mess they have made of their lives through wrong choices and by getting sidetracked. Then I can think of others who started their race without much promise, but they are doing very well today. So it is not enough to start well. We need to finish well too.
Keep running. Look to Jesus as the one you are running for. He is watching you. He is urging you on. Are you running to win?
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Thursday, November 19, 2009
"Pleasing God"
1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—"he disappeared, because God took him."[a] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Heb. 11: 1-6 (NLT)
Look not to the people around you,
Nor wait for their laurels of praise;
Enough that the Savior has found you
And calls you to serve all your days. —Hess
The deeds God finds pleasing are those done in service for Him
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—"he disappeared, because God took him."[a] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Heb. 11: 1-6 (NLT)
Look not to the people around you,
Nor wait for their laurels of praise;
Enough that the Savior has found you
And calls you to serve all your days. —Hess
The deeds God finds pleasing are those done in service for Him
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
IN IT TO WIN IT!
The analogy of running was one the apostle Paul favored in his writings. He often compared the believer to a runner in a race. For example, he wrote that we need to run in the race of life to win: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
When I participate in a competitive sport, I always try to win. That doesn't mean I do. In fact, it seems like I lose most of the time. But at least I try, and I enjoy the competition. And when we are in the race of life, we need to run to win. When we watch athletes compete in the Olympics, we primarily celebrate those who win the gold. In the same way, we need to run the race to win—not to get second or third or fourth place or an honorable mention.
But in running to win, we also need to understand who our competitors are. I am not competing with you. I am not trying to beat you in the race of life. You are not trying to beat me. Our real enemies—our competitors, if you will—are the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 John 2:16). That is what we are trying to overcome.
I have my lane that I'm running in, which is the life that I have to live and the challenges that I have to face. And my job is to complete my race. You have your lane as well, with your unique challenges and goals.
But ultimately we all have the same goal of running for God and honoring and glorifying Him. And we must run to win.
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
When I participate in a competitive sport, I always try to win. That doesn't mean I do. In fact, it seems like I lose most of the time. But at least I try, and I enjoy the competition. And when we are in the race of life, we need to run to win. When we watch athletes compete in the Olympics, we primarily celebrate those who win the gold. In the same way, we need to run the race to win—not to get second or third or fourth place or an honorable mention.
But in running to win, we also need to understand who our competitors are. I am not competing with you. I am not trying to beat you in the race of life. You are not trying to beat me. Our real enemies—our competitors, if you will—are the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 John 2:16). That is what we are trying to overcome.
I have my lane that I'm running in, which is the life that I have to live and the challenges that I have to face. And my job is to complete my race. You have your lane as well, with your unique challenges and goals.
But ultimately we all have the same goal of running for God and honoring and glorifying Him. And we must run to win.
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my
life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and
the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to
testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
FOR MY GOOD
I would have been a better behaved kid if I could have been a parent first.
Kids just don't understand what parents try to do for them. If you're a parent, don't you wish that your kids could see that every action that you take towards them, even imperfectly, is out of love? But they don't always get that.
When I was an adolescent, I remember thinking my parents were so confused. Then I grew up and, as Mark Twain mused, I was amazed at how much they had learned.
I thought it was hard when I had to discipline my kids when they were young. Little kids are a quite a handful. When your kids get older and you must let them experience the consequences of their choices, they become quite a "heartful." Especially when you can't step in and keep the pain from happening. You have to watch them suffer the cost of their decisions. For sure, "heartful" is harder than handful.
How is it with you today? Are you in a difficult circumstance as a discipline from your loving Father? Do you feel His sadness that it had to come to this in order for you to learn? I don't want to get older and still be an adolescent Christian. I want to grow up in the Lord and trust my heavenly Father even when I don't understand what He's doing. I want to believe that the Lord is way smarter than me. He gets it. His discipline is for my good.
Hebrews 12:7-8 tells the good but hard truth: "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
Your Father loves you. Everything He allows is for your growth and good. He sees the long picture, even when you can’t. I wonder how I make God’s heart sad when I don’t understand that He lovingly draws near to me even in times of learning (See Psalm 34:18).
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Kids just don't understand what parents try to do for them. If you're a parent, don't you wish that your kids could see that every action that you take towards them, even imperfectly, is out of love? But they don't always get that.
When I was an adolescent, I remember thinking my parents were so confused. Then I grew up and, as Mark Twain mused, I was amazed at how much they had learned.
I thought it was hard when I had to discipline my kids when they were young. Little kids are a quite a handful. When your kids get older and you must let them experience the consequences of their choices, they become quite a "heartful." Especially when you can't step in and keep the pain from happening. You have to watch them suffer the cost of their decisions. For sure, "heartful" is harder than handful.
How is it with you today? Are you in a difficult circumstance as a discipline from your loving Father? Do you feel His sadness that it had to come to this in order for you to learn? I don't want to get older and still be an adolescent Christian. I want to grow up in the Lord and trust my heavenly Father even when I don't understand what He's doing. I want to believe that the Lord is way smarter than me. He gets it. His discipline is for my good.
Hebrews 12:7-8 tells the good but hard truth: "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
Your Father loves you. Everything He allows is for your growth and good. He sees the long picture, even when you can’t. I wonder how I make God’s heart sad when I don’t understand that He lovingly draws near to me even in times of learning (See Psalm 34:18).
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is
treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father
does not discipline? If you are left without discipline,
in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate
children and not sons." - Hebrews 12:7 - 8
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Spirit and Our Walk
READ Galatians 5:16-26
Have you ever felt like quitting the Christian life? Perhaps you have tried to be the kind of person God wants you to be. You’ve established a consistent quiet time with the Lord, reading the Bible and praying. But still you seem to have one struggle after another. So you think that you might be missing something—or that maybe this life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Let this be a comfort: many believers, myself included, have toiled through a period of defeat.
The key to living a life of joy, peace, and victory is found in Galatians 5. Notice that I did not say a life without conflict or one free of temptation, trial, or heartache. Those are part of the human condition. But we can triumph through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, today’s passage makes clear how vital it is for believers to live a Spirit-filled life. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she is saved and steps from darkness into light. But believers do not then just stand around. As followers of Christ, we fall in step with the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to stay on our feet when we are wobbly, to move uphill without tiring, and to stand again after we have fallen. We rely upon Him as our strength, guide, and comforter.
Does getting through a defeat feel more like crawling than walking? Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is right with you, and He has all the encouragement and power necessary to get you on your feet again. The Christian life can’t be lived alone—rely upon God’s Spirit to escort you each step of the way.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Have you ever felt like quitting the Christian life? Perhaps you have tried to be the kind of person God wants you to be. You’ve established a consistent quiet time with the Lord, reading the Bible and praying. But still you seem to have one struggle after another. So you think that you might be missing something—or that maybe this life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Let this be a comfort: many believers, myself included, have toiled through a period of defeat.
The key to living a life of joy, peace, and victory is found in Galatians 5. Notice that I did not say a life without conflict or one free of temptation, trial, or heartache. Those are part of the human condition. But we can triumph through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, today’s passage makes clear how vital it is for believers to live a Spirit-filled life. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she is saved and steps from darkness into light. But believers do not then just stand around. As followers of Christ, we fall in step with the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to stay on our feet when we are wobbly, to move uphill without tiring, and to stand again after we have fallen. We rely upon Him as our strength, guide, and comforter.
Does getting through a defeat feel more like crawling than walking? Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is right with you, and He has all the encouragement and power necessary to get you on your feet again. The Christian life can’t be lived alone—rely upon God’s Spirit to escort you each step of the way.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Saturday, November 14, 2009
CAPTIVE NO MORE!
Is there a certain sin that seems to have a foothold in your life? And does it almost seem as though the sin is getting more and more powerful each month, each year, and tragically, each decade?Do you wonder if you ever will gain victory over it? Or worse, are you beginning to wonder if you are really a Christian? Sin is a horrible master, and it finds a willing servant in the human body. Sin wants to dominate you, but the good news is that as a Christian, you don't have to be dominated by sin any longer.
The Bible says, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6 NIV).There is a part of us that is drawn to the holy things of God, and there is a part of us that can still be drawn to the unholy things of this world. We all have that struggle. It is almost shocking, especially if you have been a believer for many years, that there still can be an attraction to sinful things.Here is what we need to remember: We will never get to a point where we are temptation-proof. But I do think we can get to a point where sin will not be so alluring.
It comes with growing deeply in our faith, learning more about Jesus, and being so enraptured with His love that we see this world for what it is.I think the classic hymn says it well: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."To overcome sin, we need to know, we need to reckon, and we need to yield. Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NKJV).
To know has to do with the mind, and it is implied in the phrase, "likewise you also." These three words refer back to the truths in Romans 6:1–10.The apostle Paul laid the groundwork, showing us that we are no longer under the jurisdiction of sin, and it no longer has a rightful claim over our lives as children of God. For Christians to live out the fullness of their new lives in Christ, they must realize what God has done for them. We are not merely remodeled sinners; we are remade saints.To reckon focuses on the heart. The word "reckon" used in Romans 6:11 means "to take into account," or "to count as true."Reckoning is not acting as if it were so; it is acting because it is so. Reckoning is not claiming a promise as much as it is acting on a fact. God does not command us to be dead to sin. Rather, He tells us that we are dead to sin and alive to God. Then He commands us to act on it. And even if we don't act on it, it is still true.
To yield deals primarily with the will. Romans 6:13 tells us, "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (NKJV).The word "present" means "to give into." God is saying, "Yield to Me. Present yourself to Me." Each and every day, we are to present ourselves to God.Think of those in the Bible who presented their lives and their bodies to God and how powerfully they were used. For example, a sling in David's hand defeated the Philistines. Paul's dedicated feet took him from city to city to proclaim the gospel. John's eyes saw visions of the future, his ears heard God's message, and his fingers wrote it all down in the Book of Revelation.It is your choice to what and to whom you are going to yield yourself. And it is an intelligent decision to base your actions on what God has said in His Word.
You have more than enough power to live this Christian life. You have the righteousness purchased by Christ with His own blood. So start taking hold of what God has already given you. Live in the newness of life for which Jesus gave His own.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
The Bible says, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6 NIV).There is a part of us that is drawn to the holy things of God, and there is a part of us that can still be drawn to the unholy things of this world. We all have that struggle. It is almost shocking, especially if you have been a believer for many years, that there still can be an attraction to sinful things.Here is what we need to remember: We will never get to a point where we are temptation-proof. But I do think we can get to a point where sin will not be so alluring.
It comes with growing deeply in our faith, learning more about Jesus, and being so enraptured with His love that we see this world for what it is.I think the classic hymn says it well: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."To overcome sin, we need to know, we need to reckon, and we need to yield. Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NKJV).
To know has to do with the mind, and it is implied in the phrase, "likewise you also." These three words refer back to the truths in Romans 6:1–10.The apostle Paul laid the groundwork, showing us that we are no longer under the jurisdiction of sin, and it no longer has a rightful claim over our lives as children of God. For Christians to live out the fullness of their new lives in Christ, they must realize what God has done for them. We are not merely remodeled sinners; we are remade saints.To reckon focuses on the heart. The word "reckon" used in Romans 6:11 means "to take into account," or "to count as true."Reckoning is not acting as if it were so; it is acting because it is so. Reckoning is not claiming a promise as much as it is acting on a fact. God does not command us to be dead to sin. Rather, He tells us that we are dead to sin and alive to God. Then He commands us to act on it. And even if we don't act on it, it is still true.
To yield deals primarily with the will. Romans 6:13 tells us, "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (NKJV).The word "present" means "to give into." God is saying, "Yield to Me. Present yourself to Me." Each and every day, we are to present ourselves to God.Think of those in the Bible who presented their lives and their bodies to God and how powerfully they were used. For example, a sling in David's hand defeated the Philistines. Paul's dedicated feet took him from city to city to proclaim the gospel. John's eyes saw visions of the future, his ears heard God's message, and his fingers wrote it all down in the Book of Revelation.It is your choice to what and to whom you are going to yield yourself. And it is an intelligent decision to base your actions on what God has said in His Word.
You have more than enough power to live this Christian life. You have the righteousness purchased by Christ with His own blood. So start taking hold of what God has already given you. Live in the newness of life for which Jesus gave His own.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Friday, November 13, 2009
GENUINE SALVATION
Many people today have essentially believed a watered-down gospel that deletes the message of repentance. They believe in an all-caring, nonjudgmental God who requires no repentance or a change in their lifestyle. They will say things like, "I believe in Jesus Christ, but my God is not judgmental. My God would never send a person to hell. But I am a Christian."
Yet they cannot have it both ways. They can't make it up as they go.
There are many people, even in the church, who hold to a watered-down belief. This diluted gospel may be the most dangerous plague the church is facing today, because it gives a sense of false assurance to the person who believes it.
The Bible speaks of false prophets who give false assurance. In Jeremiah 6:14, God says, "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace."
It would be like going to the doctor when you are having a heart attack, and having the doctor tell you, "Oh, you are fine. You are being so dramatic! You will be OK."
There are ministers today who say, "God loves you and everything is fine. You can do whatever you want and live however you want to live. Let's just love one another and have a great time."
But that is a false gospel. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God receives any person who comes to Him. But He asks us to repent. He asks us to turn from our sins. If we are not willing to do so, then we are not experiencing biblical faith. And thus, we are not going to receive what the Bible describes as genuine salvation.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Yet they cannot have it both ways. They can't make it up as they go.
There are many people, even in the church, who hold to a watered-down belief. This diluted gospel may be the most dangerous plague the church is facing today, because it gives a sense of false assurance to the person who believes it.
The Bible speaks of false prophets who give false assurance. In Jeremiah 6:14, God says, "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace."
It would be like going to the doctor when you are having a heart attack, and having the doctor tell you, "Oh, you are fine. You are being so dramatic! You will be OK."
There are ministers today who say, "God loves you and everything is fine. You can do whatever you want and live however you want to live. Let's just love one another and have a great time."
But that is a false gospel. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God receives any person who comes to Him. But He asks us to repent. He asks us to turn from our sins. If we are not willing to do so, then we are not experiencing biblical faith. And thus, we are not going to receive what the Bible describes as genuine salvation.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many
who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is
the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Perseverance
No one is exempt from facing obstacles. Even as babies, we all had to overcome a lack of balance and strength in order to stand and take that first step. And learning to place one foot in front of the other involved some falling. But in order to walk well, we had to get up and try again.
Consider the difficulties that the Lord faced as He pursued His goal of salvation for mankind: Jesus was ridiculed, rejected, and misunderstood. However, Luke 9:51 illustrates His focus: “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.” The Lord, knowing that He would be sentenced to death in that city, let nothing deter Him from going there.
There are several things we can do to gain this attitude of persistence. The most important is to set goals under God’s leadership—challenging goals that demand our best and require His help. Then, developing a passion to make the goal a reality will likely drive us toward our desired outcome.
In addition, we should refuse to listen to criticism and instead surround ourselves with people who will encourage us. Certain steps may fail, but we should look for a personal lesson in every defeat.
Finally, we are to believe that we can reach the goal, and then must rely on God to enable us.
Biblical success means two things: achieving what the Lord calls you to do and becoming the person He desires you to be. Seek His specific goals for your life. Persevering through obstacles will be a faith-building adventure that teaches you to depend on the heavenly Father.
READ Philippians 1:6
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Consider the difficulties that the Lord faced as He pursued His goal of salvation for mankind: Jesus was ridiculed, rejected, and misunderstood. However, Luke 9:51 illustrates His focus: “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.” The Lord, knowing that He would be sentenced to death in that city, let nothing deter Him from going there.
There are several things we can do to gain this attitude of persistence. The most important is to set goals under God’s leadership—challenging goals that demand our best and require His help. Then, developing a passion to make the goal a reality will likely drive us toward our desired outcome.
In addition, we should refuse to listen to criticism and instead surround ourselves with people who will encourage us. Certain steps may fail, but we should look for a personal lesson in every defeat.
Finally, we are to believe that we can reach the goal, and then must rely on God to enable us.
Biblical success means two things: achieving what the Lord calls you to do and becoming the person He desires you to be. Seek His specific goals for your life. Persevering through obstacles will be a faith-building adventure that teaches you to depend on the heavenly Father.
READ Philippians 1:6
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are
God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4-5
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Prayer for Friends
I have called you friends.--John 15:15
Lord Jesus Christ,while on earth you had close
Lord Jesus Christ,while on earth you had close
and devoted friends,such as John. Lazarus, Martha
and Mary.You showed in this way that friendship is
one of life's great blessings.
Thank you for the friends that you have given me to
Thank you for the friends that you have given me to
love me in spite of my failures and weaknesses,and
to enrich my life after your example.Let me ever
behave toward them as you behaved
toward your friends.
Bind us close together in you and enable us to help
Bind us close together in you and enable us to help
one another on our earthly journey.
Amen.
Amen.
BE BLESSED & LETS TRY TO ALL GET ALONG AND BEHAVE LIKE "FRIENDS" SO THAT ALL WHO SEE US AND WATCH US WILL KNOW THAT WE ARE 1 UNIT REPPING TTU IN A POSITIVE WAY.
DAWN
LORD OF ALL
There are people today who say, "I am a Christian," but they are out getting drunk. They say, "I am a Christian," but they are having premarital sex or being unfaithful to their husband or wife. They say, "I am a Christian," but in their business, they lie to people every single day. They distort things. They take money that is not really theirs. There are a lot of people today who think they are Christians but are not, because they have not really changed. They are not living according to what the Bible teaches.
I am not saying that a Christian cannot sin. I am not saying that a Christian won't slip up. But I am saying that there is a big difference between a person who slips up, sins, is sorry for it, and wants to change and a person who lives in continual, willful, habitual sin.
The Bible says that if you live that way, you don't know God. Maybe the reason that some people have never really known the joy of the Lord is that they have never met the basic requirements of salvation. They think being a Christian is just having Jesus along for the ride. They don't realize that He wants to be their Lord and wants to lead and guide them. They don't realize that He has a distinct and unique plan and purpose for their lives.
Jesus Christ wants to be the Lord of every aspect of your life. He wants to be the Lord of your business, your free time, your relationships—the Lord of all. And if He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
I am not saying that a Christian cannot sin. I am not saying that a Christian won't slip up. But I am saying that there is a big difference between a person who slips up, sins, is sorry for it, and wants to change and a person who lives in continual, willful, habitual sin.
The Bible says that if you live that way, you don't know God. Maybe the reason that some people have never really known the joy of the Lord is that they have never met the basic requirements of salvation. They think being a Christian is just having Jesus along for the ride. They don't realize that He wants to be their Lord and wants to lead and guide them. They don't realize that He has a distinct and unique plan and purpose for their lives.
Jesus Christ wants to be the Lord of every aspect of your life. He wants to be the Lord of your business, your free time, your relationships—the Lord of all. And if He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
WHY ME?
Do you ever wonder why? Do you ever wonder why there are people who have done wrong, and appear to be blessed? Do you ever wonder why you have tried to do right and feel that you have been punished? Do you ever wonder why you experienced some of the heartache of your childhood; or some tragedy that you did not cause? Do you ever get tired and wonder, ‘why me.’
In the book of Job, we read that he was an upright and blameless man. Job had great wealth; thousands of animals, a large family and many servants. He prayed and offered sacrifices for his children, just in case they had sinned. He was faithful to God, and appeared to be doing everything right. In the book of Job we find that Satan tells God that Job is only faithful to Him, because he is so blessed. God gives Satan permission to take all that Job had. Satan destroyed Job’s children, his livestock, servants, herdsmen and home; and Job still trusted God. But the next thing that Satan was allowed to do was attack Job’s body; covering him with painful boils. Now Job’s wife thinks Job should curse God and die; Job’s friends accused him, saying that he must have sinned and needed to repent; he was proud and needed to be humbled. Job lost everything and those that were close to him were not helping, but hurting. Why me?
When it appears that we are suffering for no reason; we did right, but everything is going wrong; things happened to us that we could not control and did not cause….do we say, ‘why me?’ Job, in the end, realized even more, the awesomeness of God. Job realized that when you have nothing and no one, God is still there. Job realized that people and things are here one minute and gone the next; they are on your side today, and against you tomorrow, but God is sovereign and in control. God never gave an explanation to Job as to why he had to suffer, but in the end, Job received ‘double for his trouble.’ The Bible says that his latter days were better than his first days.
We don’t always know why we suffer… But do we ever ask God ‘why me’, when things are going well; when we receive things that we do not deserve; when we are blessed for no reason? Do we ask God, ‘why me’ when He decides to let us see a new day; when He covers us with clothes, or gives us a roof over our head? Do we ask Him, ‘why me’ when we are able to breathe on our own; eat on our own and see on our own? Do we ask Him ‘why me’ when He continues to pull us out of trouble; forgives us for our sins and heal our hurts? Do we ask Him, ‘why me’ when we have family or friends; finances or peace? Do we ask Him, ‘why me,’ when He sent His Son to die for us; when He chose us; when He saved us? Do we ask Him, ‘why me,’ when He delivered us from destruction, and gave us an opportunity to have everlasting life? Do we ask Him, ‘why me?’
If we are going to look at why we suffer when we think we don’t deserve it…we ought to look at why we are blessed, because we really don’t deserve that!Why me? I don’t know; I’m just thankful!
“He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman.
In the book of Job, we read that he was an upright and blameless man. Job had great wealth; thousands of animals, a large family and many servants. He prayed and offered sacrifices for his children, just in case they had sinned. He was faithful to God, and appeared to be doing everything right. In the book of Job we find that Satan tells God that Job is only faithful to Him, because he is so blessed. God gives Satan permission to take all that Job had. Satan destroyed Job’s children, his livestock, servants, herdsmen and home; and Job still trusted God. But the next thing that Satan was allowed to do was attack Job’s body; covering him with painful boils. Now Job’s wife thinks Job should curse God and die; Job’s friends accused him, saying that he must have sinned and needed to repent; he was proud and needed to be humbled. Job lost everything and those that were close to him were not helping, but hurting. Why me?
When it appears that we are suffering for no reason; we did right, but everything is going wrong; things happened to us that we could not control and did not cause….do we say, ‘why me?’ Job, in the end, realized even more, the awesomeness of God. Job realized that when you have nothing and no one, God is still there. Job realized that people and things are here one minute and gone the next; they are on your side today, and against you tomorrow, but God is sovereign and in control. God never gave an explanation to Job as to why he had to suffer, but in the end, Job received ‘double for his trouble.’ The Bible says that his latter days were better than his first days.
We don’t always know why we suffer… But do we ever ask God ‘why me’, when things are going well; when we receive things that we do not deserve; when we are blessed for no reason? Do we ask God, ‘why me’ when He decides to let us see a new day; when He covers us with clothes, or gives us a roof over our head? Do we ask Him, ‘why me’ when we are able to breathe on our own; eat on our own and see on our own? Do we ask Him ‘why me’ when He continues to pull us out of trouble; forgives us for our sins and heal our hurts? Do we ask Him, ‘why me’ when we have family or friends; finances or peace? Do we ask Him, ‘why me,’ when He sent His Son to die for us; when He chose us; when He saved us? Do we ask Him, ‘why me,’ when He delivered us from destruction, and gave us an opportunity to have everlasting life? Do we ask Him, ‘why me?’
If we are going to look at why we suffer when we think we don’t deserve it…we ought to look at why we are blessed, because we really don’t deserve that!Why me? I don’t know; I’m just thankful!
“He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman.
Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble?’
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” Job 2:10 NIV
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, November 9, 2009
CALLED TO SERVE
Christians are identified by a variety of names in the Bible—such as believers, brothers, and saints—but one title we seldom call ourselves is “servants of Christ.” However, that is exactly what the Lord tells us to be. After His disciples wrangled about who was the greatest, Jesus turned their worldly thinking upside down with a call to become great in the kingdom by being a servant of all.
Christ is not just our Savior but also our Lord and Master, and we have a responsibility to follow His example. Just as He served His Father by caring for people, so we serve our God by lovingly meeting the temporal and spiritual needs of those around us.
Service is essential for spiritual growth. God is continually at work in the believer’s life, transforming his character into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). A major hindrance in this process is self-centeredness. Serving others is one of the tools that the Lord uses to set us free from the slavery of selfishness.
Service is required to achieve God’s purpose for our lives. The Lord has designed specific works for each of us to accomplish in our lifetime (Eph. 2:10). If we only take in and never give out, we will miss much of what He has planned for us.
Never forget that you have a high calling which is realized only by lowering yourself to the level of a servant. Look for the opportunities that the Lord will give you today to serve someone. Take your place alongside Christ, who was the ultimate servant of all.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Christ is not just our Savior but also our Lord and Master, and we have a responsibility to follow His example. Just as He served His Father by caring for people, so we serve our God by lovingly meeting the temporal and spiritual needs of those around us.
Service is essential for spiritual growth. God is continually at work in the believer’s life, transforming his character into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). A major hindrance in this process is self-centeredness. Serving others is one of the tools that the Lord uses to set us free from the slavery of selfishness.
Service is required to achieve God’s purpose for our lives. The Lord has designed specific works for each of us to accomplish in our lifetime (Eph. 2:10). If we only take in and never give out, we will miss much of what He has planned for us.
Never forget that you have a high calling which is realized only by lowering yourself to the level of a servant. Look for the opportunities that the Lord will give you today to serve someone. Take your place alongside Christ, who was the ultimate servant of all.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Grace—God’s Second Chance
Scripture records a grim picture of mankind: dead in our sins, under God’s wrath, and subject to eternal separation from Him (Eph. 2:1-3). Through the cross, He gives us a second chance to be in a loving relationship with Him. When we place our faith in Christ, He pours out His unconditional love—His grace—upon us.
Because of grace, we have been justified by faith. Justification is a declaration by God that we are not guilty in His sight. At salvation, Jesus’ death on the cross is counted as payment for our sins. All our disobedience—past, present, and future— is fully forgiven.
The means of obtaining this pardon is through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. What does that look like? It’s a faith that accepts the Lord’s judgment that we are sinners who are unable to rescue ourselves and in need of a Savior. It believes that Jesus paid for our sins through His death, that God accepted His payment on our behalf, and that we are forgiven and made part of His family. If we have true faith, we’ll give Him our allegiance and wholeheartedly seek to serve Him.
Grace also gives us peace with the Lord. Before salvation, a person is His enemy, under a sentence of eternal death. But after trusting in Christ, that individual is adopted into God’s family and has His favor forever.
Through grace, we’ve been given a second chance. Instead of the eternal punishment that we deserved, we’ve received acceptance through faith in Christ (Rom 15:7) and have become members of God’s family (Rom. 8:15). Make full use of this second opportunity by passionately pursuing Him
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Because of grace, we have been justified by faith. Justification is a declaration by God that we are not guilty in His sight. At salvation, Jesus’ death on the cross is counted as payment for our sins. All our disobedience—past, present, and future— is fully forgiven.
The means of obtaining this pardon is through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. What does that look like? It’s a faith that accepts the Lord’s judgment that we are sinners who are unable to rescue ourselves and in need of a Savior. It believes that Jesus paid for our sins through His death, that God accepted His payment on our behalf, and that we are forgiven and made part of His family. If we have true faith, we’ll give Him our allegiance and wholeheartedly seek to serve Him.
Grace also gives us peace with the Lord. Before salvation, a person is His enemy, under a sentence of eternal death. But after trusting in Christ, that individual is adopted into God’s family and has His favor forever.
Through grace, we’ve been given a second chance. Instead of the eternal punishment that we deserved, we’ve received acceptance through faith in Christ (Rom 15:7) and have become members of God’s family (Rom. 8:15). Make full use of this second opportunity by passionately pursuing Him
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Saturday, November 7, 2009
WEEKEND DEVOTIONAL-HOW WAS I TO KNOW?
1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body[b] and live in holiness and honor—5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife,[c] for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other,[d] for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10 Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers[e] throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.
11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 1Thess. 4:1-12 (NLT)
It was high-school concert season, and the music students were preparing for the big Christmas extravaganza. The teacher had clearly communicated every detail to the students and to the parents—on two different occasions—and the time for mandatory rehearsal was clearly spelled out. But on rehearsal day one panicky mother called during practice to see what time her teenager was supposed to show up. Another called to say, “Oh, we’re taking Tommy to Grandma’s. It’s okay if he misses rehearsal, right?” When the teacher reminded the parents that this required practice had already started, she heard, “Why didn’t somebody tell me? How was I to know?”
Just as this teacher was troubled that her clear instructions were ignored, is it possible that God is troubled by our tendency to ignore His clear instructions? In 1 Thessalonians, Paul reminds us that his God-inspired message tells us “how to live in order to please God” and that those instructions have “the authority of the Lord Jesus” (4:1-2 niv). The Lord is grieved, Paul explains, when we ignore His teaching and live our own way (Eph. 4:30–5:2).
Let’s make a point to read God’s instructions and then live by them—with no excuses. God’s Word was given for our good And we are to obey,Not choose the parts that we like best,Then live in our own way. —Hess
There is no good excuse for ignoring God.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body[b] and live in holiness and honor—5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife,[c] for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other,[d] for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10 Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers[e] throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.
11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 1Thess. 4:1-12 (NLT)
It was high-school concert season, and the music students were preparing for the big Christmas extravaganza. The teacher had clearly communicated every detail to the students and to the parents—on two different occasions—and the time for mandatory rehearsal was clearly spelled out. But on rehearsal day one panicky mother called during practice to see what time her teenager was supposed to show up. Another called to say, “Oh, we’re taking Tommy to Grandma’s. It’s okay if he misses rehearsal, right?” When the teacher reminded the parents that this required practice had already started, she heard, “Why didn’t somebody tell me? How was I to know?”
Just as this teacher was troubled that her clear instructions were ignored, is it possible that God is troubled by our tendency to ignore His clear instructions? In 1 Thessalonians, Paul reminds us that his God-inspired message tells us “how to live in order to please God” and that those instructions have “the authority of the Lord Jesus” (4:1-2 niv). The Lord is grieved, Paul explains, when we ignore His teaching and live our own way (Eph. 4:30–5:2).
Let’s make a point to read God’s instructions and then live by them—with no excuses. God’s Word was given for our good And we are to obey,Not choose the parts that we like best,Then live in our own way. —Hess
There is no good excuse for ignoring God.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. —Ephesians 4:30
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Friday, November 6, 2009
IN JESUS' NAME
(9-10) "You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.
(11-14) "Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do."
Sometimes we may wish Jesus had said to His disciples, "Ask Me anything, and I will answer." But that instruction would not have adequately described how to connect to heaven’s throne. Therefore, the Lord gave very specific instructions for petitioning Him: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do," (John 14:13, emphasis added).
The power of Jesus Christ’s name throws open the doors to God’s throne room. In fact, we are granted eternal access when we call upon Him for salvation. Formerly, the way was barred because holy God will not tolerate sin stains. But since believers have been made righteous, they can enter His presence with confidence (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:16). Furthermore, our association with Jesus gives us authority to petition the almighty Father and expect an answer (Matt. 7:7; 1 John 5:14).
Yet the phrase "in Jesus’ name" isn’t some magic incantation that automatically gets what a person desires. Rather, it is a way to ensure that hearts are right and requests are in line with God’s will. When we ask in Jesus’ name, we are telling Him we want an answer that is based upon His complete knowledge of our situation. Moreover, we are surrendering our desires to be denied, changed, or granted as He sees fit.
We must not treat our prayer privilege lightly. Asking for silly or selfish things in the Lord’s name is useless. He isn’t about the business of granting wishes. Instead, believers are invited to tap into Jesus’ power for the purpose of seeing His will done and His gospel spread.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
(11-14) "Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do."
Sometimes we may wish Jesus had said to His disciples, "Ask Me anything, and I will answer." But that instruction would not have adequately described how to connect to heaven’s throne. Therefore, the Lord gave very specific instructions for petitioning Him: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do," (John 14:13, emphasis added).
The power of Jesus Christ’s name throws open the doors to God’s throne room. In fact, we are granted eternal access when we call upon Him for salvation. Formerly, the way was barred because holy God will not tolerate sin stains. But since believers have been made righteous, they can enter His presence with confidence (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:16). Furthermore, our association with Jesus gives us authority to petition the almighty Father and expect an answer (Matt. 7:7; 1 John 5:14).
Yet the phrase "in Jesus’ name" isn’t some magic incantation that automatically gets what a person desires. Rather, it is a way to ensure that hearts are right and requests are in line with God’s will. When we ask in Jesus’ name, we are telling Him we want an answer that is based upon His complete knowledge of our situation. Moreover, we are surrendering our desires to be denied, changed, or granted as He sees fit.
We must not treat our prayer privilege lightly. Asking for silly or selfish things in the Lord’s name is useless. He isn’t about the business of granting wishes. Instead, believers are invited to tap into Jesus’ power for the purpose of seeing His will done and His gospel spread.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Thursday, November 5, 2009
I HAVE A MISSION...
I JUST ADDED THIS ENTRY BECAUSE IT STOOD OUT WHEN I READ IT AND WHO SAYS I HAVE TO MAKE ONLY ONE PER DAY!!
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
ENJOY!!
DAWN
I have a mission...
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
God has not created me for naught... Therefore I will trust him.
Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. God does nothing in vain.
He knows what he is about.
-- J. H. Newman
He knows what he is about.
-- J. H. Newman
ENJOY!!
DAWN
A GOOD GROOMING
A David Psalm
(1-6) God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, Then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful- I can't take it all in!
(7-12) Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute— you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
Ps 139: 1- 12
(23-24) Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life. Ps 139: 23-24
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
(1-6) God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, Then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful- I can't take it all in!
(7-12) Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute— you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
Ps 139: 1- 12
(23-24) Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life. Ps 139: 23-24
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
SERENITY PRAYER
God grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change; courage to change the things
I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking,
as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender
to His Will;That I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with Him Forever in the next.
Amen.
Prisoners Of Sin
Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 20 Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.
21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?[a] Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in (trusting in and relying on) Jesus Christ.
God’s Children through Faith
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
26 For you are all children[b] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.[c] 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,[d] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children[e] of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Gal.3:19-29
A 2008 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said, "At any given time there are more than 10 million people imprisoned worldwide." Since some prisoners are being released while new ones are being sentenced every day, there are more than 30 million total prisoners worldwide each year. Statistics like these have caused many people to work for prison reform and a reexamination of sentencing laws.
From a spiritual perspective, the Bible offers an even more staggering statistic: "The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin" (Gal. 3:22 niv). In what is sometimes considered a difficult passage to understand, Paul says that although the Old Testament law could not impart life (v.21), it was an effective teacher in showing us that we need a Savior who can give life (v.24). The bad news is that "the Scripture has confined all under sin," and the good news is "that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (trust in and rely on Him" (v.22).
When we give our lives to Christ, who has fulfilled the requirements of the law, we are no longer imprisoned by sin. Instead, we enter a fellowship of people from every nationality and social status. In Christ, we are free indeed! — David C. McCasland
21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?[a] Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in (trusting in and relying on) Jesus Christ.
God’s Children through Faith
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
26 For you are all children[b] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.[c] 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,[d] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children[e] of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Gal.3:19-29
A 2008 report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said, "At any given time there are more than 10 million people imprisoned worldwide." Since some prisoners are being released while new ones are being sentenced every day, there are more than 30 million total prisoners worldwide each year. Statistics like these have caused many people to work for prison reform and a reexamination of sentencing laws.
From a spiritual perspective, the Bible offers an even more staggering statistic: "The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin" (Gal. 3:22 niv). In what is sometimes considered a difficult passage to understand, Paul says that although the Old Testament law could not impart life (v.21), it was an effective teacher in showing us that we need a Savior who can give life (v.24). The bad news is that "the Scripture has confined all under sin," and the good news is "that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (trust in and rely on Him" (v.22).
When we give our lives to Christ, who has fulfilled the requirements of the law, we are no longer imprisoned by sin. Instead, we enter a fellowship of people from every nationality and social status. In Christ, we are free indeed! — David C. McCasland
The law reveals the mind of God,
The prophets too made clear His will;
But Christ alone brings life and peace,
His words our deepest needs fulfill.
—D. De Haan
Deliverance from sin is the greatest of all freedoms.
The prophets too made clear His will;
But Christ alone brings life and peace,
His words our deepest needs fulfill.
—D. De Haan
Deliverance from sin is the greatest of all freedoms.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A Watered-Down Gospel
Without question the greatest life to live is the Christian life, because God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and, worst of all, headed for a certain judgment and then turns it around and transforms it. He forgives all our sin, removes our guilt, and literally takes residence inside of us through the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, He changes our eternal address from a place called hell to a place called heaven. This all comes about as a result of the power of the gospel proclaimed and believed.
Yet some have believed what I would describe as a watered-down version of the gospel, a gospel that promises forgiveness but rarely mentions the need to repent of your sin, a gospel that promises peace but never warns of persecution, a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and never have any problems to speak of, a gospel that says you will so find the favor of God that a parking space always will be available for you. But that is not the gospel of the New Testament.
The Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. Not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, but there is also a devil who hates you and opposes God's plan.
I am not suggesting that once you become a Christian, you will be sick, poor, and miserable. But the essence of the Christian life is knowing and walking with God. It is about sticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it is filled with clouds. It is about pressing on. Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life. But as we seek to know and follow Christ, we will find happiness as a fringe benefit.
You therefore must endure hardship as
Yet some have believed what I would describe as a watered-down version of the gospel, a gospel that promises forgiveness but rarely mentions the need to repent of your sin, a gospel that promises peace but never warns of persecution, a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and never have any problems to speak of, a gospel that says you will so find the favor of God that a parking space always will be available for you. But that is not the gospel of the New Testament.
The Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. Not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, but there is also a devil who hates you and opposes God's plan.
I am not suggesting that once you become a Christian, you will be sick, poor, and miserable. But the essence of the Christian life is knowing and walking with God. It is about sticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it is filled with clouds. It is about pressing on. Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life. But as we seek to know and follow Christ, we will find happiness as a fringe benefit.
You therefore must endure hardship as
a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [2 Timothy 2:3]
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, November 2, 2009
YOU'RE NOT GOING UNDER!
"Therefore, those also who suffer according
to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful
Creator in doing what is right." - 1 Peter 4:19
There is nothing good that God brings into your life by way of transformation that He doesn't bring through the funnel of perseverance. If God can get that one characteristic into your life, He can truly make you what He wants you to be.
First Peter 4:19 encourages us with, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
Did you hear what you're supposed to do? Entrust your soul to your faithful Creator. God is faithful to you. He's got His hand on the thermostat. The fire will not get too hot. He's watching the depth gauge; this trial will not get too deep. God puts up the boundaries to your trials. "That's all. That's my daughter. I know what she can handle. Not that much. Not there. Not now." God protects His own. He will not allow you to be tried beyond what you are able to take. And in the middle of it all, He tells you to entrust yourself to His care.
God knows you better than you know yourself. You're not going to lose it; you're going to be okay. You don't know what you are capable of when you're resting in God's strength and not your own. You're going to get through this one way or another. It's not going to last forever and you will get through it - because God is faithful. He's not tired and He's not wondering when this is going to be over.
Reassure yourself, "I'm not going under." You can keep going for another day, another week because God is producing staying power in you. The ability to remain in that marriage - as hard as it is. The ability to remain in that job - as hard as it is. The ability to stick with it in that difficult circumstance - no matter what. If God can produce in you that staying power, He can give you everything else.
The good's not coming if you quit. Listen, God can get every characteristic of Christ into your life if He can just teach you to stay in the game.
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice
One of the reasons God’s people can get into trouble is that they at times follow the wrong voice. Believers are to listen to and obey only the good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (John 10:27). He alone can meet our needs (Ps. 23:1-2), guide us in righteousness (v. 3), protect us from evil (v. 4), and bless us richly (vv. 5-6). And we can trust Him fully because He laid His life down for His sheep (John 10:11).
What all of us need to realize is that humans are a lot more like sheep than we care to admit. In this life, we don’t really know where we’re going, even when the landscape looks familiar. But the Shepherd has our journey perfectly planned. Our job is to keep within the range of His voice instead of straying into pastures that look green and tasty.
Of course, the path before us will not always appear safe and easy. Psalm 23 speaks about the valley of the shadow of death. Furthermore, the trip to the green pastures and still waters we long for may take much longer than we’d like—the Shepherd at times goes the long way around. In other words, His promised provisions frequently do not come in exactly the form or time frame that we anticipate. But as long as we’re following His voice, we are right where we should be.
Through experience, a sheep learns to identify its master’s call. We also learn to discern Jesus’ directions by knowing His voice. Read His words and teachings, particularly in the Gospels and Paul’s letters. Then, when another voice tries to lead you astray, you can say, “The Lord is my Shepherd!”
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
What all of us need to realize is that humans are a lot more like sheep than we care to admit. In this life, we don’t really know where we’re going, even when the landscape looks familiar. But the Shepherd has our journey perfectly planned. Our job is to keep within the range of His voice instead of straying into pastures that look green and tasty.
Of course, the path before us will not always appear safe and easy. Psalm 23 speaks about the valley of the shadow of death. Furthermore, the trip to the green pastures and still waters we long for may take much longer than we’d like—the Shepherd at times goes the long way around. In other words, His promised provisions frequently do not come in exactly the form or time frame that we anticipate. But as long as we’re following His voice, we are right where we should be.
Through experience, a sheep learns to identify its master’s call. We also learn to discern Jesus’ directions by knowing His voice. Read His words and teachings, particularly in the Gospels and Paul’s letters. Then, when another voice tries to lead you astray, you can say, “The Lord is my Shepherd!”
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
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