admin
10-01-2008, 04:53 AM
Today I will…walk in joy as I reflect on Jesus.
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Acts 11
Peter Defends God’s Grace
1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the
word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with
him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven
by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed
animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to
me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any
time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed
you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into
heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to
me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six
brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an
angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose
surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I
remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has
also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
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A Bible Devotion
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Overcomers Impress God
REVELATION 21:7 NKJ
7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
You face problems. Sometimes you struggle and wonder why God doesn't "just do something."
God is giving you an opportunity to impress Him!
God is your audience -- rooting for you. He is thrilled when you overcome. Just like an earthly
parent is thrilled when their child excels.
God still LOVES you even if you fail. You just miss the opportunity to thrill Him by not overcoming.
(But what could be a more worthy goal than to thrill God?)
"OK, I would like to impress God. How do I 'overcome'?"
1 JOHN 5:4-5 NKJ
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world--our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Overcoming is clearly something achieved by believing -- not by other means.
Further light on this comes in Revelation 12:11.
REVELATION 12:11 NKJ
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they
did not love their lives to the death.
Because of the redemption obtained by the sacrificial death of our Lord, and our agreement with it,
expressed through words of faith, we overcome. In short: expressing our faith in Jesus and what He
did.
Another key is mentioned: commitment -- even to death. We must be resolute and determined, no
matter what the cost, to fully and finally overcome.
Eight times in Revelation great promises are made to those who overcome. (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17,
2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 21:7.)
Our Lord's intention in giving these promises was certainly not to make us feel guilty, or
inadequate, but to spur us on to victory.
God is cheering you on to victory! He believes you can overcome (with His help)!
SAY THIS: God made me an overcomer, so I will overcome!
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Keep On Keeping On
October 1
To those who by patient persistence in well doing [springing from piety] seek [unseen but sure] glory
and honor and [the eternal blessedness of] immortality, He will give eternal life.
—Romans 2:7
In Proverbs, Wisdom says: “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors” (8:34). Many people seem to jump from
one thing to another, when what they need is wisdom and consistency.
It is important to keep on keeping on—doing what you know is right, even if you are the only one
doing it. God is on your side, (See Romans 8:31) and He has already written the end of the Book.
Those who obey Him will win!
From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.
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Daily Thoughts
A Time to Think A single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer.—Gotthold
Ephraim Lessing
To Act Each day, find comfort in your thoughts. Silence will lead you.
To Pray When I need answers, dear God, help me to remember that all questions lead to you.
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Picture Yourself as Successful.
You can precondition your mind to success. This is a basic principle of positive thinking. You can
actually forecast your future failure or success by your present type of thinking. Great athletes have
always known this. The high jumper "sees" himself skimming over the bar, the golfer facing a difficult
shot images the ball landing on the green; the place-kicker holds a mental picture of the football's
spinning flight through the goal posts. The more intensely the image is held, the stronger the
confidence level becomes and the better your chances of success.
No. 75 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time
inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.
-----
NACR Daily Meditation
Wednesday 1st of October 2008
I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.
Hosea 14:4
waywardness is a turning away from what is in our best interest and following
depraved, capricious inclinations. There are many ways in which waywardness
can be expressed. Some of us are openly rebellious. We flaunt our wild behavior
and laugh at God. Others of us are quietly wayward. We try to appear compliant
and good but we are self-reliant and defiantly independent.
No matter how we express our waywardness it is a destructive force in our
lives. In our attempts to protect ourselves from any further pain we turn
away from God and from others who love us. We shut them out. And we shut
out their love. As a result, we close ourselves off from what we want and
need most desperately in life - to be known and loved.
God promises to heal our waywardness. God understands that our
turning away is the result of some deep wound in us.
God sees this. God knows. God promises to heal us by loving us freely. When
we close the doors of our heart, God does not stop loving us. Instead God continues to love us
generously and completely. God will love us freely until our fears are gone and our
defenses can come down. God will love us freely so that one day we will be
able to give up our waywardness and allow ourselves the joy of being
loved.
Heal my waywardness, Lord.
When I turn away from you,
love me so that I will return to you again.
Amen.
-----
Learning to Lean on God
Psalm 68:19: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”
Some of us expect our love relationships to be a constant support. However, just like us, our loved
ones have good and bad days. Any of us can become enmeshed in a personal “muddle” that
renders us unavailable to the other. These are stressful times, but we need not panic.
We can assure ourselves and others that this is a temporary situation in which we need to step back
from helping each other and deal with our individual problems. We do not have to try to control
another person’s problem to make us feel better about our own situation. We can learn to keep
expectations of ourselves, other people, and our relationships healthy and reasonable.
Our daily interactions with loved need not be perfect. Every human relationship has ups and downs.
Human beings will not always be able to meet each other’s needs or desires. Only God can
consistently and perfectly help us with our daily burdens. We can learn to lean on him.
Lord, it’s a relief to admit we aren’t perfect in our relationships.
I wish we could offer unconditional support,
but it’s not possible — or wise.
For if we met all of each other’s needs and desires,
then we might be tempted to leave you out of our lives.
2008 Joan C. Webb
-----
Senior Living - October 1
Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much
wine, but to teach what is good. – Titus 2:3
Today, I’m going to focus on Paul’s instructions to the older women. Paul lays out his characteristics
for senior women in three statements.
First, women are to be reverent in their behavior. I believe this reverence is meant to extend not only
to reverence to God, but to the men of the Church as well. If the men are living as they are
commanded, then they are worthy of respect. However, as with most of God’s commands, this is
not conditional. Even if those around you are not holding up their end, you must still act in a manner
pleasing to the Lord.
Second, godly women are not to be “slanderers or addicted to much wine.” Gossip is often a sin
associated with women. This may not be altogether fair, but here Paul is specific in directing this at
the older women. He also instructs them not to be excessive drinkers. When he uses the term
“addicted,” it’s really the image of a slave. You should not be enslaved to drinking.
Finally, the women are called to teach what is good. Paul views the role of older women mentoring
younger women as very important. In fact, he goes on to further instruct the more mature women in
detail how to teach the younger wives proper behavior. Women, God is calling you to be an example
to the young women in your lives.
I encourage you to examine any of the areas above where you may be struggling. As an example to
the young women around you, what are you teaching them through your actions? Also, consider
areas where God has given you much success through His grace.
Prayer Challenge: Ask God to show you the area in which you need the most improvement. Thank
Him for providing victory in the area where you have the most success!
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Parenting by Design - Oct. 1, 2008
The name of Jesus
Acts 3:16: “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened
this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this
perfect health in the presence of you all” (NASB).
When we pray, we often end with the words, “In Christ’s name I pray.” In the book of Acts, Luke
referred to the “name of Jesus” at least 33 times. Why is the “name” of Jesus so important?
In biblical times, the name of a person represented more than just an identifying tag; it also revealed
something about their character. By invoking the name of Christ, we can remember Who He really
is – a God of unfathomable love. Colossians 3:23 instructs, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily,
as for the Lord rather than for men.” This applies to our job of parenting! When we honor Christ
through our words, actions, intentions and heart, we make parenting our kids worthy of His name!
When you parent, consider doing it “in Christ’s name”. You will see a transformation that will benefit
your entire family.
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God of All Comfort
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
Our lives are full of brokenness, broken promises, broken expectations, broken relationships. When we have faced these things in our lives and have felt the loving hand of our Father reaching down to draw us to himself, we will know without a shadow of a doubt that our Father is the God of all comfort. He is the very source from which comfort comes. Even our Lord endured suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, but it was the God of all comfort that send ministering angels to comfort His Son. How our hearts warm when we experience the comfort of God, but we can only experience that comfort when we cry out to Him. We can be comforted when trials come into our lives if we run into the loving arms of our Father. When we have gone through the breaking experiences that have been placed in our lives, when we have suffered a loss of one who is dear to us, when we are sick and in pain and have found God in those experiences reaching out to us in love, we are comforted in a special way. When we have experienced the loving compassion of our Father we will find that He has specially equipped us for the future. God has a ministry for us when we go through trials and have found Him there. When we have been broken and have tasted of the loving care of our Father we can then reach out to others who are going through similar trials and can comfort them and have the blessed privilege of leading them to the Father's arms of comfort. There is no greater purpose than this, to have suffered and been comforted that we might comfort others. Our mission is clear.
Father thank you for your comfort and love toward me. Use me Lord to draw others to you. May all the experiences of my life be used to your glory and honor. Make me an instrument of your comfort that others may know you as I do, not just as the God of all comfort, but also as their loving and adoring Father. Amen Quiet Waters
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Embarrassment and Awe
"YOU DID IT TO ME."
MATTHEW 25:40 NAS
A pastor walking down Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, USA, noticed a homeless man coming towards him. He was filthy and his beard was caked with rotten food. He was holding a dirty cup of coffee. Staggering up to him the man exclaimed, 'Hey, mister. You want some of my coffee?' The pastor didn't, but he thought it was the right thing to do, so he said, 'Sure, I'll take a sip.' Handing the cup back the pastor remarked, 'You're generous giving away your coffee,' to which the man replied, 'Well, it was particularly delicious today, and I think if God gives you something that good you should share it!' The pastor remembers: 'I figured I was being set up and it would cost me five bucks. So I said, "Is there something I can do for you in return?" The homeless man answered, "Yeah, you can give me a hug!" He put his arms around me, and I realised he wasn't going to let go! People passed by and stared at me. There I was, hugging this smelly street guy! I was embarrassed. But slowly embarrassment changed to awe. I heard a voice saying, "I was hungry; did you feed Me? I was naked; did you clothe Me? I was homeless on Chestnut Street, Philadelphia...did you hug me? If you did...you did it to Me."' word4U2day
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Open the door of your heart to God
Open the door of your heart to God and let Him rule in your life.
Turn your life over to Jesus and let Jesus establish a new foundation for your life, a sure foundation, a rock that will withstand all the storms of life.
All other foundations not built on Jesus Christ are sinking sand and if the foundation doesn't stand neither will the person whose life is built on it
God has established a foundation, a sure foundation, and all who build their lives on it shall be saved.
That foundation is the words of Jesus Christ under girded by the mighty Power of God.
All who apply the words of Christ to their lives and live by it shall be saved.
©10/01/2001 Jim Welch
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Devotional For Dieters
October 1
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Having to diet was like having a bad rash. It was almost impossible to ignore, and it never went away. It was a real test of will not to give in when the stomach started growling. More than anything he ate regularly, just not as much as he was used to. He always prided himself on being a strong person. His diet was proving otherwise. He was short-tempered and cranky. As hard as it was, he had to admit he needed help. He prayed for God to strengthen him through his diet. With God's help, he felt he might just make it.
Today's thought: I'm stronger than my stomach gives me credit for being!
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Cardboard Kids
READ: Proverbs 1:8-19
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. —Proverbs 1:10
When Mike Wood began to advertise his sign company, he didn’t know how useful his work would become. Some of his signs were life-size cardboard pictures of kids, which he put close to the street.
Besides advertising his business, the signs had another effect. Motorists thought the cutouts were real children and began to drop their speed. Now Mike sells the cardboard kids to parents who want to slow down speeding drivers in their area. Mike said, “We truly hope that some of our standups help to control speeding in neighborhoods around the country.”
Parents work at protecting their children from physical danger. But there are other dangers as well. Solomon, the writer of Proverbs 1, was concerned about the people who would pose spiritual danger to his son. He warned him about those who would entice him to do evil (vv.10-14) and told him, “Do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil” (vv.15-16).
We need to protect our children by teaching them God’s Word and training them to avoid evil influences. Busy streets are hazardous for our children, but the enticement of taking an evil path is far more dangerous. — Anne Cetas
Children are a heritage,
A gift from God above;
He asks you to protect and care
And nourish them with love. —Hess
Tomorrow’s world will be shaped by what we teach our children today.
Our Daily Bread
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\ / WHAT JESUS DID! -- http://www.heartlight.org/
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lasting Words
"The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed. But the
words I have said will never be destroyed."
-- Mark 13:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
While heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus' words -- his promise to
return along with all of his other promises -- will be fulfilled. We
can count on it because he is faithful and because we can see the track
record of God in keeping his promises in the Old Testament. Jesus'
words are sure and can be trusted!
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, in a world of so many words that are used to "spin" so many
answers and aid in so much communicational manipulation, I thank you
for Jesus' promises that are sure and trustworthy. Help me as I seek to
build my life on your Son's promises. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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MY STUBBORN HEART
“We find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 87
"But my people would not listen to me…so I gave them over to their stubborn hearts...” Psalm 81:11-12
For what it's worth: My stubborn heart wanted no inspiration from God. Actually, no part of me wanted anything to do with Him. But “the Hound of Heaven” pursued me even deep into the hell fires of alcoholism and delivered me to the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was here in AA that I learned of my need to ask a Higher Power for direction in my life. Then I need to listen. God inspires me through people, events, nature and all manner of ways, but my difficulty is that I hear Him but act like I do not. I rationalize or I play like I did not hear Him. I know what God expects of me, but I give myself reasons for not doing His will. I am deeply grateful for His patience, but today I must listen and follow through with action. I do not want my problems given back over to my stubborn heart.
God bless you!
Joe W.
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Acts 11
Peter Defends God’s Grace
1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the
word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with
him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa
praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven
by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed
animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to
me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any
time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed
you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into
heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to
me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six
brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an
angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose
surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I
remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has
also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
-----
A Bible Devotion
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Overcomers Impress God
REVELATION 21:7 NKJ
7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
You face problems. Sometimes you struggle and wonder why God doesn't "just do something."
God is giving you an opportunity to impress Him!
God is your audience -- rooting for you. He is thrilled when you overcome. Just like an earthly
parent is thrilled when their child excels.
God still LOVES you even if you fail. You just miss the opportunity to thrill Him by not overcoming.
(But what could be a more worthy goal than to thrill God?)
"OK, I would like to impress God. How do I 'overcome'?"
1 JOHN 5:4-5 NKJ
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world--our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Overcoming is clearly something achieved by believing -- not by other means.
Further light on this comes in Revelation 12:11.
REVELATION 12:11 NKJ
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they
did not love their lives to the death.
Because of the redemption obtained by the sacrificial death of our Lord, and our agreement with it,
expressed through words of faith, we overcome. In short: expressing our faith in Jesus and what He
did.
Another key is mentioned: commitment -- even to death. We must be resolute and determined, no
matter what the cost, to fully and finally overcome.
Eight times in Revelation great promises are made to those who overcome. (Rev. 2:7, 2:11, 2:17,
2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 21:7.)
Our Lord's intention in giving these promises was certainly not to make us feel guilty, or
inadequate, but to spur us on to victory.
God is cheering you on to victory! He believes you can overcome (with His help)!
SAY THIS: God made me an overcomer, so I will overcome!
-----
Keep On Keeping On
October 1
To those who by patient persistence in well doing [springing from piety] seek [unseen but sure] glory
and honor and [the eternal blessedness of] immortality, He will give eternal life.
—Romans 2:7
In Proverbs, Wisdom says: “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors” (8:34). Many people seem to jump from
one thing to another, when what they need is wisdom and consistency.
It is important to keep on keeping on—doing what you know is right, even if you are the only one
doing it. God is on your side, (See Romans 8:31) and He has already written the end of the Book.
Those who obey Him will win!
From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.
-----
Daily Thoughts
A Time to Think A single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer.—Gotthold
Ephraim Lessing
To Act Each day, find comfort in your thoughts. Silence will lead you.
To Pray When I need answers, dear God, help me to remember that all questions lead to you.
-----
Picture Yourself as Successful.
You can precondition your mind to success. This is a basic principle of positive thinking. You can
actually forecast your future failure or success by your present type of thinking. Great athletes have
always known this. The high jumper "sees" himself skimming over the bar, the golfer facing a difficult
shot images the ball landing on the green; the place-kicker holds a mental picture of the football's
spinning flight through the goal posts. The more intensely the image is held, the stronger the
confidence level becomes and the better your chances of success.
No. 75 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time
inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.
-----
NACR Daily Meditation
Wednesday 1st of October 2008
I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.
Hosea 14:4
waywardness is a turning away from what is in our best interest and following
depraved, capricious inclinations. There are many ways in which waywardness
can be expressed. Some of us are openly rebellious. We flaunt our wild behavior
and laugh at God. Others of us are quietly wayward. We try to appear compliant
and good but we are self-reliant and defiantly independent.
No matter how we express our waywardness it is a destructive force in our
lives. In our attempts to protect ourselves from any further pain we turn
away from God and from others who love us. We shut them out. And we shut
out their love. As a result, we close ourselves off from what we want and
need most desperately in life - to be known and loved.
God promises to heal our waywardness. God understands that our
turning away is the result of some deep wound in us.
God sees this. God knows. God promises to heal us by loving us freely. When
we close the doors of our heart, God does not stop loving us. Instead God continues to love us
generously and completely. God will love us freely until our fears are gone and our
defenses can come down. God will love us freely so that one day we will be
able to give up our waywardness and allow ourselves the joy of being
loved.
Heal my waywardness, Lord.
When I turn away from you,
love me so that I will return to you again.
Amen.
-----
Learning to Lean on God
Psalm 68:19: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”
Some of us expect our love relationships to be a constant support. However, just like us, our loved
ones have good and bad days. Any of us can become enmeshed in a personal “muddle” that
renders us unavailable to the other. These are stressful times, but we need not panic.
We can assure ourselves and others that this is a temporary situation in which we need to step back
from helping each other and deal with our individual problems. We do not have to try to control
another person’s problem to make us feel better about our own situation. We can learn to keep
expectations of ourselves, other people, and our relationships healthy and reasonable.
Our daily interactions with loved need not be perfect. Every human relationship has ups and downs.
Human beings will not always be able to meet each other’s needs or desires. Only God can
consistently and perfectly help us with our daily burdens. We can learn to lean on him.
Lord, it’s a relief to admit we aren’t perfect in our relationships.
I wish we could offer unconditional support,
but it’s not possible — or wise.
For if we met all of each other’s needs and desires,
then we might be tempted to leave you out of our lives.
2008 Joan C. Webb
-----
Senior Living - October 1
Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much
wine, but to teach what is good. – Titus 2:3
Today, I’m going to focus on Paul’s instructions to the older women. Paul lays out his characteristics
for senior women in three statements.
First, women are to be reverent in their behavior. I believe this reverence is meant to extend not only
to reverence to God, but to the men of the Church as well. If the men are living as they are
commanded, then they are worthy of respect. However, as with most of God’s commands, this is
not conditional. Even if those around you are not holding up their end, you must still act in a manner
pleasing to the Lord.
Second, godly women are not to be “slanderers or addicted to much wine.” Gossip is often a sin
associated with women. This may not be altogether fair, but here Paul is specific in directing this at
the older women. He also instructs them not to be excessive drinkers. When he uses the term
“addicted,” it’s really the image of a slave. You should not be enslaved to drinking.
Finally, the women are called to teach what is good. Paul views the role of older women mentoring
younger women as very important. In fact, he goes on to further instruct the more mature women in
detail how to teach the younger wives proper behavior. Women, God is calling you to be an example
to the young women in your lives.
I encourage you to examine any of the areas above where you may be struggling. As an example to
the young women around you, what are you teaching them through your actions? Also, consider
areas where God has given you much success through His grace.
Prayer Challenge: Ask God to show you the area in which you need the most improvement. Thank
Him for providing victory in the area where you have the most success!
-----
Parenting by Design - Oct. 1, 2008
The name of Jesus
Acts 3:16: “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened
this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this
perfect health in the presence of you all” (NASB).
When we pray, we often end with the words, “In Christ’s name I pray.” In the book of Acts, Luke
referred to the “name of Jesus” at least 33 times. Why is the “name” of Jesus so important?
In biblical times, the name of a person represented more than just an identifying tag; it also revealed
something about their character. By invoking the name of Christ, we can remember Who He really
is – a God of unfathomable love. Colossians 3:23 instructs, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily,
as for the Lord rather than for men.” This applies to our job of parenting! When we honor Christ
through our words, actions, intentions and heart, we make parenting our kids worthy of His name!
When you parent, consider doing it “in Christ’s name”. You will see a transformation that will benefit
your entire family.
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God of All Comfort
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
Our lives are full of brokenness, broken promises, broken expectations, broken relationships. When we have faced these things in our lives and have felt the loving hand of our Father reaching down to draw us to himself, we will know without a shadow of a doubt that our Father is the God of all comfort. He is the very source from which comfort comes. Even our Lord endured suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, but it was the God of all comfort that send ministering angels to comfort His Son. How our hearts warm when we experience the comfort of God, but we can only experience that comfort when we cry out to Him. We can be comforted when trials come into our lives if we run into the loving arms of our Father. When we have gone through the breaking experiences that have been placed in our lives, when we have suffered a loss of one who is dear to us, when we are sick and in pain and have found God in those experiences reaching out to us in love, we are comforted in a special way. When we have experienced the loving compassion of our Father we will find that He has specially equipped us for the future. God has a ministry for us when we go through trials and have found Him there. When we have been broken and have tasted of the loving care of our Father we can then reach out to others who are going through similar trials and can comfort them and have the blessed privilege of leading them to the Father's arms of comfort. There is no greater purpose than this, to have suffered and been comforted that we might comfort others. Our mission is clear.
Father thank you for your comfort and love toward me. Use me Lord to draw others to you. May all the experiences of my life be used to your glory and honor. Make me an instrument of your comfort that others may know you as I do, not just as the God of all comfort, but also as their loving and adoring Father. Amen Quiet Waters
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Embarrassment and Awe
"YOU DID IT TO ME."
MATTHEW 25:40 NAS
A pastor walking down Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, USA, noticed a homeless man coming towards him. He was filthy and his beard was caked with rotten food. He was holding a dirty cup of coffee. Staggering up to him the man exclaimed, 'Hey, mister. You want some of my coffee?' The pastor didn't, but he thought it was the right thing to do, so he said, 'Sure, I'll take a sip.' Handing the cup back the pastor remarked, 'You're generous giving away your coffee,' to which the man replied, 'Well, it was particularly delicious today, and I think if God gives you something that good you should share it!' The pastor remembers: 'I figured I was being set up and it would cost me five bucks. So I said, "Is there something I can do for you in return?" The homeless man answered, "Yeah, you can give me a hug!" He put his arms around me, and I realised he wasn't going to let go! People passed by and stared at me. There I was, hugging this smelly street guy! I was embarrassed. But slowly embarrassment changed to awe. I heard a voice saying, "I was hungry; did you feed Me? I was naked; did you clothe Me? I was homeless on Chestnut Street, Philadelphia...did you hug me? If you did...you did it to Me."' word4U2day
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Open the door of your heart to God
Open the door of your heart to God and let Him rule in your life.
Turn your life over to Jesus and let Jesus establish a new foundation for your life, a sure foundation, a rock that will withstand all the storms of life.
All other foundations not built on Jesus Christ are sinking sand and if the foundation doesn't stand neither will the person whose life is built on it
God has established a foundation, a sure foundation, and all who build their lives on it shall be saved.
That foundation is the words of Jesus Christ under girded by the mighty Power of God.
All who apply the words of Christ to their lives and live by it shall be saved.
©10/01/2001 Jim Welch
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Devotional For Dieters
October 1
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Having to diet was like having a bad rash. It was almost impossible to ignore, and it never went away. It was a real test of will not to give in when the stomach started growling. More than anything he ate regularly, just not as much as he was used to. He always prided himself on being a strong person. His diet was proving otherwise. He was short-tempered and cranky. As hard as it was, he had to admit he needed help. He prayed for God to strengthen him through his diet. With God's help, he felt he might just make it.
Today's thought: I'm stronger than my stomach gives me credit for being!
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Cardboard Kids
READ: Proverbs 1:8-19
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. —Proverbs 1:10
When Mike Wood began to advertise his sign company, he didn’t know how useful his work would become. Some of his signs were life-size cardboard pictures of kids, which he put close to the street.
Besides advertising his business, the signs had another effect. Motorists thought the cutouts were real children and began to drop their speed. Now Mike sells the cardboard kids to parents who want to slow down speeding drivers in their area. Mike said, “We truly hope that some of our standups help to control speeding in neighborhoods around the country.”
Parents work at protecting their children from physical danger. But there are other dangers as well. Solomon, the writer of Proverbs 1, was concerned about the people who would pose spiritual danger to his son. He warned him about those who would entice him to do evil (vv.10-14) and told him, “Do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil” (vv.15-16).
We need to protect our children by teaching them God’s Word and training them to avoid evil influences. Busy streets are hazardous for our children, but the enticement of taking an evil path is far more dangerous. — Anne Cetas
Children are a heritage,
A gift from God above;
He asks you to protect and care
And nourish them with love. —Hess
Tomorrow’s world will be shaped by what we teach our children today.
Our Daily Bread
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\ / WHAT JESUS DID! -- http://www.heartlight.org/
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lasting Words
"The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed. But the
words I have said will never be destroyed."
-- Mark 13:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
While heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus' words -- his promise to
return along with all of his other promises -- will be fulfilled. We
can count on it because he is faithful and because we can see the track
record of God in keeping his promises in the Old Testament. Jesus'
words are sure and can be trusted!
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, in a world of so many words that are used to "spin" so many
answers and aid in so much communicational manipulation, I thank you
for Jesus' promises that are sure and trustworthy. Help me as I seek to
build my life on your Son's promises. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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MY STUBBORN HEART
“We find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 87
"But my people would not listen to me…so I gave them over to their stubborn hearts...” Psalm 81:11-12
For what it's worth: My stubborn heart wanted no inspiration from God. Actually, no part of me wanted anything to do with Him. But “the Hound of Heaven” pursued me even deep into the hell fires of alcoholism and delivered me to the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was here in AA that I learned of my need to ask a Higher Power for direction in my life. Then I need to listen. God inspires me through people, events, nature and all manner of ways, but my difficulty is that I hear Him but act like I do not. I rationalize or I play like I did not hear Him. I know what God expects of me, but I give myself reasons for not doing His will. I am deeply grateful for His patience, but today I must listen and follow through with action. I do not want my problems given back over to my stubborn heart.
God bless you!
Joe W.