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10-17-2008, 05:42 PM
Today I will...seek to dwell in God's presence, even as he has already come to dwell in me.
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Bearing Others’ Burdens
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not
please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”[a] 4
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant
you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind
and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15
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Rejoice In The Lord
PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
No matter how bad things are around you, you can always rejoice in the Lord.
God is good -- even when circumstances are bad.
You can look beyond the temporary problems of life and focus on the Eternal God and His goodness.
You can rejoice that God loves you and that you have a home in Heaven.
If you only rejoice when you feel like it -- and circumstances warrant it -- you may never rejoice
much. But you will miss a lot of joy. For when you rejoice in the Lord and focus on Him, joy begins to
flow out of your inner being and strengthens you.
This is God's answer for depression. Focus on God. Rejoice in Him, and receive the spiritual
strength you need to carry on in victory.
HABAKKUK 3:18 NIV
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
"Yet I WILL." Whenever you decide to, you can rejoice. In spite of feelings and circumstances, you
can choose to rejoice.
Rejoicing is subject to your will -- not your circumstances.
When can you rejoice? When should you rejoice?
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16 NASB
16 Rejoice always;
SAY THIS: I will rejoice -- in the Lord!
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Know God's Character
October 17
And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in
Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:19
I believe Jesus tries to get us to sow a good seed by making a statement that He is first in our lives. I
believe if we do that, we will receive more than we give up. I am tested in this way all the time.
There have been many times when God has asked me to give my last, my only, and my all. But
every time I have done so, I have ended up better off than I was before.
Offer up your best to God today, and you will see His character, that He is El-Shaddai—the God of
more than enough (See Exodus 6:3).
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 It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. —Anonymous
To Act Focus not on your fears, but your strengths.
To Pray Lord, help me see through eyes that glimpse visions of Your plan for me. Then give me the
courage to act.
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My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
Psalm 62:5
One of the most serious and powerful facts in human nature is that you are likely to get what you are basically expecting. Spend years developing the mental attitude of expecting that things are not going to turn out well, and you are likely to get that result. You create a mental condition slanted to an unhappy outcome. If, on the contrary, you develop and maintain a mental attitude of faith and expectancy—hoping, dreaming, believing, praying, working—you will create conditions in which every good thing can and will grow. Fill your mind with the positive power of spiritual expectancy, and God and His good will flow toward you.
Courtesy of PealeCenterforPositiveThinking.com
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NACR Daily Meditation
Friday 17th of October 2008
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will
not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10
Mountains shake. Hills are removed. That’s how it feels sometimes during
the process of recovery. Our lives seem to be in constant upheaval as we
change and stretch and grow. In the midst of these changes, the Lord has
compassion on us. God’s love and commitment are reaffirmed. We may feel
shaken. We may change. Things may look different. But we can count on
God’s love. It is unfailing love - love that cannot be shaken.
God’s promise of unfailing love for us and God’s covenant of peace with
us can provide the safety we need today. In the storm of change that recovery
brings, God’s love provides an anchor of safety and security. God’s love
can provide a peace and serenity that will not be removed.
Lord, I am shaken.
down to my foundations.
Sometimes I am afraid
of all the changes.
Will anything remain?
Will there be enough left to build on?
I need a foundation for my life, Lord.
For your love, Lord,
love that cannot be shaken,
I give you thanks.
For your covenant of peace, Lord,
peace that will not be removed,
I give you thanks.
Help me to build on the foundation
of your love and peace
Amen.
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Not Perfect Yet
2 Corinthians 5:1-5: “For while we are in this tent [body], we groan and are burdened…but…God has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (vv.4-5).
“I thought if I had enough love, and sincerely followed Christ, I would never let disappointment, pain, or discouragement affect my life or my family’s,” revealed a friend. “Consequently, I felt responsible for making sure we had no problems. Of course this meant I pretended a lot.”
Larry Crabb, author of Inside Out, suggests, “We learn to pretend that we feel now what we cannot feel until Heaven. …There is no escape from an aching soul, only denial of it. The promise of one day being with Jesus in a perfect world is the Christian’s only hope for complete relief. Until then we either groan or pretend we don’t.”
We live in an imperfect world, struggle daily with inadequate physical bodies, insufficient relationships, and incomplete spirituality. In the midst of this troubling situation, we have a perfect God who has given us a comforting and strength-giving Helper. This is God’s guarantee that one day all the groaning will be over.
Lord, my human limitations bug me.
Others’ human inadequacies irritate me, too.
Trusting in your future plan helps me deal
with the imperfection and be content
while I’m waiting for what is to come.
2008 Joan C. Webb
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Proverbs chapter 17
A MERRY HEART
MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 17:22: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
In his book "None of These Diseases," Dr. S. I. McMillen says that mental stress has taken the center of attention away from bacteria as the believed cause of disease. He ex- plains that emotions cause visible changes in the body, such as strokes, blindness, toxic goiters, fatal clots in the heart, bleeding ulcers, kidney disease and other serious conditions.
Isn't it interesting that the Bible is always far ahead of the discoveries of the scientific world? Job wrote of the world being suspended in space (26:7). Isaiah spoke of the roundness of the earth (40:22). Moses revealed that the life principle is in the blood (Leviticus 17: 11). We should not be surprised then to find that God's Word has again upstaged medical science in announcing that the state of the heart affects the general health -- "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
Christians have good reason to be merry -- happy -- rejoicing. The most important issues of life have been settled for the child of God. He knows why he is here -- the purpose of existence -- and where he is going. His sins are forgiven, he is never alone and his destination is certain -- heaven. Nevertheless, some who have become citizens of heaven become defeated and depressed. That is when they are not living as God intended.
How sad to have our bodies suffer from bad mental and heart attitudes when we are children of the King. Let's remember who we are and what we have. It's just good sense -- and good medicine!
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Love Worth Finding - Oct. 17, 2008
October 17
The Law of the Harvest
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. . .” Luke 6:38
When God created the herbs of the field, He said, “Let them bring forth after their kind” (Genesis 1:12). Whatever we sow, we’re going to reap. If you sow to the flesh, then you’re going to reap what you sow.
On the other hand, if you sow to the spirit, you cannot fail to reap good things. You can’t even give a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple and lose your reward. Every seed you plant for Jesus is going to sprout. Whatever it is you want, plant it, sow it, give it, “and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together.”
Would you like to have better relationships? Then start sowing seeds of encouragement and good deeds.
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Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7 AMP
Thoughts for Today
If you are trying to help a loved one with a life-controlling problem, you must first reach a point of accepting the reality of their situation. Only then will you feel free to turn your loved one over to God. This is a time when you are able to detach yourself from the one you love so much. You will be able to truly lean on and trust in the Lord—and stop depending on yourself to fix your struggling loved one.
Consider this…
The prodigal son's father was not an enabler. He allowed his son to be responsible for his own actions (read Luke 15:11-32). The rebellious son asked to receive an early inheritance and then squandered it all on wild living. He then had nothing—he was hired to feed pigs and found himself yearning for their food. Even at this point, no one reached out to rescue his from the consequences of his behavior (verse 16). And so…he "came to his senses" (verse 17). He finally was ready to take responsibility for his behavior. He showed humility and took positive action (verses 18-20). He returned home and confessed his sin toward his father and heaven.
This father had faith that his son would return. Although he showed compassion, there is no record of his enabling his son. He allowed the son to be responsible for his actions.
Do you love the struggling person in your life enough to let go ... and lean on God?
Prayer
Father, I have tried leaning on my own understanding. I know now that I must let go of my loved one, allow him to suffer the natural consequences of his behavior, and lean on you. Help me fully trust in your way and your time. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from…
Living Free by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. and Dan Strickland
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Devotional For Dieters
October 17
Ephesians 4:15-16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Peak efficiency: That is what God intended for the human body. The human body is an intricate, delicate, but powerful machine; finely crafted, and capable of amazing feats. The only way the body can work properly, the way God intended, is when we take good care of it. It should not be burdened with excessive weight, nor should it be abused by improper diet. If we will endeavor to take good care of our bodies, we will experience the joy of living the way God intended for us all.
Today's thought: I am a marvelous creation of God, worth taking care of!
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Renewing My Mind
“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
If we wish to be transformed into the image of God’s dear son, we must come away from the confusion of this world that surrounds us and be silent in His presence. When we pull away from all that pulls us and spend time in God’s presence listening to His voice, being strengthened by His Word, we are renewing our minds. Our lives seem to be under constant stress these days. The world is pulling us in so many directions, it is only by spending quiet time in reflection and prayer that we can gain our bearings. It is then that we will see clearly the direction that the Lord wishes us to go. Even Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. How often in Scripture it tells us that Jesus stopped serving and left the crowds to go and spend time with His Father! He knew he needed to be renewed, to talk to Him and to listen to His voice, just as we do. Being alone with God will always have the result of transforming and renewing. We will be able to go back into the world with new energy: His energy, and serve Him in ways we never could have imagined.
Father, help me to remember the importance of spending time with you each day. Help me to make “renewing my mind” a priority. Father, thank you for your patience with me when I fail to spend time with you and thank you for reminding me that you are there waiting for me. Transform me into the image of your dear Son as I spend time with you each day. Amen Quiet Waters
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HIS PLAN
"The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:10-14
God has a plan, God has always had a plan, and God will always have a plan for His children. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His unfailing love and mercy will never cease to exist.
It is always His plan to bring His children home � when they seek Him earnestly. We all know the story of the Prodigal Son. This story represents the repentance necessary to have a true relationship with the Father. We must be willing to be His servants and to be treated as servants. When we approach Him with a heart of repentance He is more than willing to meet us halfway. When working with wounded people, we must always keep this truth in the back of our mind.
God sent His children into exile in order for them to see what it was like to live a life without Him. Oh, they prospered for a while in Babylon, but after a season they discovered the emptiness in riches. They hungered for the life they lived back home.
If we intervene in the life of a rebellious, wounded person too soon we just might stunt their emotional and spiritual growth. If you know anything about AA one of the things they teach is that before a person is willing to get sober, they must first "bottom out."
In the early years of my niece's addiction, my sister Carolyn was constantly bailing her out of situations. She overlooked the thousands of dollars Robin stole from her. Not only did she overlook that, she even went behind Robin cleaning up her trail of bad checks.
Years ago D. James Kennedy wrote a book, The Prodigal Child. I loaned my copy to someone several years ago and the book is no longer in print, but Carolyn read it. He stated in that book that we simply have to let go of the child and let them see what it feels like to be totally separated from us. I agree, but Carolyn didn't get it.
If you have a child, a friend, or an extended family member who is presently separated from God and you, never cease to pray. Don't ever give up, but don't give in either. God has a plan for their life. His plan for their life is not for them to live in the gutter. His plan is for them to live a life that gives � not takes. Begin to let God develop a picture in your mind of that person walking in wholeness.
If by some chance you are the person living a life of mockery, get alone with God. Confess the shallowness of your relationship with Him and let Him take over your life. He will restore you when you seek Him wholeheartedly. He will heal you. You will come out of the pit!
Father, I thank You and praise You that it has never been in Your plan for us to wallow in the gutters of this world, but to be seated in the Heavenlies with You. We pray for our loved ones and ask You to keep them safe until they can know You and Your plan for their life. The Well
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The House of the Soul
Romans 8:32
Pastor Carl H Stevens
The human soul is a storehouse for the Word of God. When an individual studies and listens to God's Word attentively and with a faith response, it lodges in his soul. If he continues in this process, receiving the Word line upon line (2) and allowing the Spirit to correlate and organize the full counsel of God, he will build a magnificent soul structure. "Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house... built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation]. And by knowledge shall all the chambers... be filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3-4, Amplified).
Just as the owner of a material house needs to make repairs periodically, so must the believer consistently renovate the house of his soul. The Word enters his soul, building and beautifying a residence for the Spirit of God. Then the Word must continue to be received and reckoned upon in order to maintain the quality of that structure. Otherwise, the soul will slowly become the habitation for the world's system of thought. Romans 12:2a says, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." In order to overcome the world's infiltrations and deterioration of his soul-house, the believer must renovate his thinking process. "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isaiah 28:10
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Jesus living in you
"GET YOUR LIFE FROM ME. THEN I WILL LIVE IN YOU AND YOU WILL GIVE MUCH FRUIT."
JOHN 15:5 NLV
Have you ever really struggled with someone? I'm talking a make-you-grit-your-teeth-'cos-they-wind-you-up-so-much kind of struggle? No matter how much you try, you just can't like them? John 15 challenges us about that. We might not love, or even like someone; but can Jesus love them through us? With Jesus' help, can we get over our issues with people? Yes, with Jesus living in us we can. As branches we bear fruit, but it's the vine that gives us the nourishment to be able to do that. If we try to make our own fruit, we may as well just go and buy one of those ugly wax-fruit bowl decoration things, because it'd be as much use.
'Jesus living in you' isn't some freaky thing when you unzip your body and He steps into your belly! It's just another way of describing Him being your best mate; the two of you really knowing each other well. If your mate only ever came round when their life was pants, and if they always yakked on to you, but never listened, you probably wouldn't count them as your best mate. Your relationship with Jesus is the same; He wants to know the little things that make you tick, He wants to share the good times with you as well as the bad, He wants to spend time with you. So let Jesus live in you today. Word4U2Day
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True peace can only be found in God
Earnestly seek for God and the things of God and not the things of the earth.
Peace, true peace can only be found in God, in the earth only strife and turmoil exists.
This difference between earthly things and Godly things will become even more extreme as we move forward in time.
Men's hearts will fail them out of fear of the earthly things they perceive are coming to pass.
In times like these the Peace that God gives unto us will become to us very precious indeed.
Though I walk in the shadow of the constant threat of death, yet I will fear no evil because God's Peace is ever with me.
Jesus said, " Fear not for I am with you always."
Amen.
©10/17/2001 Jim Welch
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\ / WHAT JESUS DID! -- http://www.heartlight.org/
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Friday, October 17, 2008
I'm Not the One, Am I?
The followers were very sad to hear this. Each follower said
to Jesus, "Surely I will not be against you!"
-- Mark 14:19 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
This is exactly the question we need to ask ourselves. "I'm not the
one, am I?" Pride should never be a part of our spiritual character,
because we will fail and fall. Instead, we need to examine ourselves
and put ourselves to the test, but then take those results back to the
Lord and pray for his power and grace.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
O Father, I know that I cannot be the person I want to be without your
help, power, and presence. Fill me and empower me with your Holy
Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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LISTEN FOR THE MIRACLE
“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 25:2
“I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say.” Exodus 4:12
For what it’s worth: There was nothing worth talking about in my miserable, alcoholic existence. That changed thanks to the miracle of recovery. Now I have a “deep and effective spiritual experience” to share with others. But I do not need to sit at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous and think about how I am going to tell others about my experience. That blocks me from listening, and I miss hearing about some one else’s miracle. I need to trust that my Higher Power will tell me what to say.
God bless you!
Joe W.
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Bearing Others’ Burdens
1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not
please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”[a] 4
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant
you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind
and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15
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Rejoice In The Lord
PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
No matter how bad things are around you, you can always rejoice in the Lord.
God is good -- even when circumstances are bad.
You can look beyond the temporary problems of life and focus on the Eternal God and His goodness.
You can rejoice that God loves you and that you have a home in Heaven.
If you only rejoice when you feel like it -- and circumstances warrant it -- you may never rejoice
much. But you will miss a lot of joy. For when you rejoice in the Lord and focus on Him, joy begins to
flow out of your inner being and strengthens you.
This is God's answer for depression. Focus on God. Rejoice in Him, and receive the spiritual
strength you need to carry on in victory.
HABAKKUK 3:18 NIV
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
"Yet I WILL." Whenever you decide to, you can rejoice. In spite of feelings and circumstances, you
can choose to rejoice.
Rejoicing is subject to your will -- not your circumstances.
When can you rejoice? When should you rejoice?
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16 NASB
16 Rejoice always;
SAY THIS: I will rejoice -- in the Lord!
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Know God's Character
October 17
And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in
Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:19
I believe Jesus tries to get us to sow a good seed by making a statement that He is first in our lives. I
believe if we do that, we will receive more than we give up. I am tested in this way all the time.
There have been many times when God has asked me to give my last, my only, and my all. But
every time I have done so, I have ended up better off than I was before.
Offer up your best to God today, and you will see His character, that He is El-Shaddai—the God of
more than enough (See Exodus 6:3).
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 It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. —Anonymous
To Act Focus not on your fears, but your strengths.
To Pray Lord, help me see through eyes that glimpse visions of Your plan for me. Then give me the
courage to act.
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My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.
Psalm 62:5
One of the most serious and powerful facts in human nature is that you are likely to get what you are basically expecting. Spend years developing the mental attitude of expecting that things are not going to turn out well, and you are likely to get that result. You create a mental condition slanted to an unhappy outcome. If, on the contrary, you develop and maintain a mental attitude of faith and expectancy—hoping, dreaming, believing, praying, working—you will create conditions in which every good thing can and will grow. Fill your mind with the positive power of spiritual expectancy, and God and His good will flow toward you.
Courtesy of PealeCenterforPositiveThinking.com
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NACR Daily Meditation
Friday 17th of October 2008
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will
not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10
Mountains shake. Hills are removed. That’s how it feels sometimes during
the process of recovery. Our lives seem to be in constant upheaval as we
change and stretch and grow. In the midst of these changes, the Lord has
compassion on us. God’s love and commitment are reaffirmed. We may feel
shaken. We may change. Things may look different. But we can count on
God’s love. It is unfailing love - love that cannot be shaken.
God’s promise of unfailing love for us and God’s covenant of peace with
us can provide the safety we need today. In the storm of change that recovery
brings, God’s love provides an anchor of safety and security. God’s love
can provide a peace and serenity that will not be removed.
Lord, I am shaken.
down to my foundations.
Sometimes I am afraid
of all the changes.
Will anything remain?
Will there be enough left to build on?
I need a foundation for my life, Lord.
For your love, Lord,
love that cannot be shaken,
I give you thanks.
For your covenant of peace, Lord,
peace that will not be removed,
I give you thanks.
Help me to build on the foundation
of your love and peace
Amen.
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Not Perfect Yet
2 Corinthians 5:1-5: “For while we are in this tent [body], we groan and are burdened…but…God has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (vv.4-5).
“I thought if I had enough love, and sincerely followed Christ, I would never let disappointment, pain, or discouragement affect my life or my family’s,” revealed a friend. “Consequently, I felt responsible for making sure we had no problems. Of course this meant I pretended a lot.”
Larry Crabb, author of Inside Out, suggests, “We learn to pretend that we feel now what we cannot feel until Heaven. …There is no escape from an aching soul, only denial of it. The promise of one day being with Jesus in a perfect world is the Christian’s only hope for complete relief. Until then we either groan or pretend we don’t.”
We live in an imperfect world, struggle daily with inadequate physical bodies, insufficient relationships, and incomplete spirituality. In the midst of this troubling situation, we have a perfect God who has given us a comforting and strength-giving Helper. This is God’s guarantee that one day all the groaning will be over.
Lord, my human limitations bug me.
Others’ human inadequacies irritate me, too.
Trusting in your future plan helps me deal
with the imperfection and be content
while I’m waiting for what is to come.
2008 Joan C. Webb
-----
Proverbs chapter 17
A MERRY HEART
MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 17:22: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
In his book "None of These Diseases," Dr. S. I. McMillen says that mental stress has taken the center of attention away from bacteria as the believed cause of disease. He ex- plains that emotions cause visible changes in the body, such as strokes, blindness, toxic goiters, fatal clots in the heart, bleeding ulcers, kidney disease and other serious conditions.
Isn't it interesting that the Bible is always far ahead of the discoveries of the scientific world? Job wrote of the world being suspended in space (26:7). Isaiah spoke of the roundness of the earth (40:22). Moses revealed that the life principle is in the blood (Leviticus 17: 11). We should not be surprised then to find that God's Word has again upstaged medical science in announcing that the state of the heart affects the general health -- "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
Christians have good reason to be merry -- happy -- rejoicing. The most important issues of life have been settled for the child of God. He knows why he is here -- the purpose of existence -- and where he is going. His sins are forgiven, he is never alone and his destination is certain -- heaven. Nevertheless, some who have become citizens of heaven become defeated and depressed. That is when they are not living as God intended.
How sad to have our bodies suffer from bad mental and heart attitudes when we are children of the King. Let's remember who we are and what we have. It's just good sense -- and good medicine!
-----
Love Worth Finding - Oct. 17, 2008
October 17
The Law of the Harvest
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. . .” Luke 6:38
When God created the herbs of the field, He said, “Let them bring forth after their kind” (Genesis 1:12). Whatever we sow, we’re going to reap. If you sow to the flesh, then you’re going to reap what you sow.
On the other hand, if you sow to the spirit, you cannot fail to reap good things. You can’t even give a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple and lose your reward. Every seed you plant for Jesus is going to sprout. Whatever it is you want, plant it, sow it, give it, “and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together.”
Would you like to have better relationships? Then start sowing seeds of encouragement and good deeds.
-----
Living Free Every Day®
Today's Scripture
"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7 AMP
Thoughts for Today
If you are trying to help a loved one with a life-controlling problem, you must first reach a point of accepting the reality of their situation. Only then will you feel free to turn your loved one over to God. This is a time when you are able to detach yourself from the one you love so much. You will be able to truly lean on and trust in the Lord—and stop depending on yourself to fix your struggling loved one.
Consider this…
The prodigal son's father was not an enabler. He allowed his son to be responsible for his own actions (read Luke 15:11-32). The rebellious son asked to receive an early inheritance and then squandered it all on wild living. He then had nothing—he was hired to feed pigs and found himself yearning for their food. Even at this point, no one reached out to rescue his from the consequences of his behavior (verse 16). And so…he "came to his senses" (verse 17). He finally was ready to take responsibility for his behavior. He showed humility and took positive action (verses 18-20). He returned home and confessed his sin toward his father and heaven.
This father had faith that his son would return. Although he showed compassion, there is no record of his enabling his son. He allowed the son to be responsible for his actions.
Do you love the struggling person in your life enough to let go ... and lean on God?
Prayer
Father, I have tried leaning on my own understanding. I know now that I must let go of my loved one, allow him to suffer the natural consequences of his behavior, and lean on you. Help me fully trust in your way and your time. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from…
Living Free by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. and Dan Strickland
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Devotional For Dieters
October 17
Ephesians 4:15-16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Peak efficiency: That is what God intended for the human body. The human body is an intricate, delicate, but powerful machine; finely crafted, and capable of amazing feats. The only way the body can work properly, the way God intended, is when we take good care of it. It should not be burdened with excessive weight, nor should it be abused by improper diet. If we will endeavor to take good care of our bodies, we will experience the joy of living the way God intended for us all.
Today's thought: I am a marvelous creation of God, worth taking care of!
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Renewing My Mind
“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
If we wish to be transformed into the image of God’s dear son, we must come away from the confusion of this world that surrounds us and be silent in His presence. When we pull away from all that pulls us and spend time in God’s presence listening to His voice, being strengthened by His Word, we are renewing our minds. Our lives seem to be under constant stress these days. The world is pulling us in so many directions, it is only by spending quiet time in reflection and prayer that we can gain our bearings. It is then that we will see clearly the direction that the Lord wishes us to go. Even Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. How often in Scripture it tells us that Jesus stopped serving and left the crowds to go and spend time with His Father! He knew he needed to be renewed, to talk to Him and to listen to His voice, just as we do. Being alone with God will always have the result of transforming and renewing. We will be able to go back into the world with new energy: His energy, and serve Him in ways we never could have imagined.
Father, help me to remember the importance of spending time with you each day. Help me to make “renewing my mind” a priority. Father, thank you for your patience with me when I fail to spend time with you and thank you for reminding me that you are there waiting for me. Transform me into the image of your dear Son as I spend time with you each day. Amen Quiet Waters
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HIS PLAN
"The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:10-14
God has a plan, God has always had a plan, and God will always have a plan for His children. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His unfailing love and mercy will never cease to exist.
It is always His plan to bring His children home � when they seek Him earnestly. We all know the story of the Prodigal Son. This story represents the repentance necessary to have a true relationship with the Father. We must be willing to be His servants and to be treated as servants. When we approach Him with a heart of repentance He is more than willing to meet us halfway. When working with wounded people, we must always keep this truth in the back of our mind.
God sent His children into exile in order for them to see what it was like to live a life without Him. Oh, they prospered for a while in Babylon, but after a season they discovered the emptiness in riches. They hungered for the life they lived back home.
If we intervene in the life of a rebellious, wounded person too soon we just might stunt their emotional and spiritual growth. If you know anything about AA one of the things they teach is that before a person is willing to get sober, they must first "bottom out."
In the early years of my niece's addiction, my sister Carolyn was constantly bailing her out of situations. She overlooked the thousands of dollars Robin stole from her. Not only did she overlook that, she even went behind Robin cleaning up her trail of bad checks.
Years ago D. James Kennedy wrote a book, The Prodigal Child. I loaned my copy to someone several years ago and the book is no longer in print, but Carolyn read it. He stated in that book that we simply have to let go of the child and let them see what it feels like to be totally separated from us. I agree, but Carolyn didn't get it.
If you have a child, a friend, or an extended family member who is presently separated from God and you, never cease to pray. Don't ever give up, but don't give in either. God has a plan for their life. His plan for their life is not for them to live in the gutter. His plan is for them to live a life that gives � not takes. Begin to let God develop a picture in your mind of that person walking in wholeness.
If by some chance you are the person living a life of mockery, get alone with God. Confess the shallowness of your relationship with Him and let Him take over your life. He will restore you when you seek Him wholeheartedly. He will heal you. You will come out of the pit!
Father, I thank You and praise You that it has never been in Your plan for us to wallow in the gutters of this world, but to be seated in the Heavenlies with You. We pray for our loved ones and ask You to keep them safe until they can know You and Your plan for their life. The Well
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The House of the Soul
Romans 8:32
Pastor Carl H Stevens
The human soul is a storehouse for the Word of God. When an individual studies and listens to God's Word attentively and with a faith response, it lodges in his soul. If he continues in this process, receiving the Word line upon line (2) and allowing the Spirit to correlate and organize the full counsel of God, he will build a magnificent soul structure. "Through skillful and godly Wisdom is a house... built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation]. And by knowledge shall all the chambers... be filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3-4, Amplified).
Just as the owner of a material house needs to make repairs periodically, so must the believer consistently renovate the house of his soul. The Word enters his soul, building and beautifying a residence for the Spirit of God. Then the Word must continue to be received and reckoned upon in order to maintain the quality of that structure. Otherwise, the soul will slowly become the habitation for the world's system of thought. Romans 12:2a says, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." In order to overcome the world's infiltrations and deterioration of his soul-house, the believer must renovate his thinking process. "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isaiah 28:10
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Jesus living in you
"GET YOUR LIFE FROM ME. THEN I WILL LIVE IN YOU AND YOU WILL GIVE MUCH FRUIT."
JOHN 15:5 NLV
Have you ever really struggled with someone? I'm talking a make-you-grit-your-teeth-'cos-they-wind-you-up-so-much kind of struggle? No matter how much you try, you just can't like them? John 15 challenges us about that. We might not love, or even like someone; but can Jesus love them through us? With Jesus' help, can we get over our issues with people? Yes, with Jesus living in us we can. As branches we bear fruit, but it's the vine that gives us the nourishment to be able to do that. If we try to make our own fruit, we may as well just go and buy one of those ugly wax-fruit bowl decoration things, because it'd be as much use.
'Jesus living in you' isn't some freaky thing when you unzip your body and He steps into your belly! It's just another way of describing Him being your best mate; the two of you really knowing each other well. If your mate only ever came round when their life was pants, and if they always yakked on to you, but never listened, you probably wouldn't count them as your best mate. Your relationship with Jesus is the same; He wants to know the little things that make you tick, He wants to share the good times with you as well as the bad, He wants to spend time with you. So let Jesus live in you today. Word4U2Day
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True peace can only be found in God
Earnestly seek for God and the things of God and not the things of the earth.
Peace, true peace can only be found in God, in the earth only strife and turmoil exists.
This difference between earthly things and Godly things will become even more extreme as we move forward in time.
Men's hearts will fail them out of fear of the earthly things they perceive are coming to pass.
In times like these the Peace that God gives unto us will become to us very precious indeed.
Though I walk in the shadow of the constant threat of death, yet I will fear no evil because God's Peace is ever with me.
Jesus said, " Fear not for I am with you always."
Amen.
©10/17/2001 Jim Welch
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\ / WHAT JESUS DID! -- http://www.heartlight.org/
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Friday, October 17, 2008
I'm Not the One, Am I?
The followers were very sad to hear this. Each follower said
to Jesus, "Surely I will not be against you!"
-- Mark 14:19 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
This is exactly the question we need to ask ourselves. "I'm not the
one, am I?" Pride should never be a part of our spiritual character,
because we will fail and fall. Instead, we need to examine ourselves
and put ourselves to the test, but then take those results back to the
Lord and pray for his power and grace.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
O Father, I know that I cannot be the person I want to be without your
help, power, and presence. Fill me and empower me with your Holy
Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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LISTEN FOR THE MIRACLE
“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God's universe.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 25:2
“I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say.” Exodus 4:12
For what it’s worth: There was nothing worth talking about in my miserable, alcoholic existence. That changed thanks to the miracle of recovery. Now I have a “deep and effective spiritual experience” to share with others. But I do not need to sit at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous and think about how I am going to tell others about my experience. That blocks me from listening, and I miss hearing about some one else’s miracle. I need to trust that my Higher Power will tell me what to say.
God bless you!
Joe W.