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01-06-2009, 05:53 PM
26 He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength. Psalm 105
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But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
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Listen for the Silent Priories
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5)
Gordon MacDonald said, "There are three things in my life that I need most, but they never scream for immediate attention: God, family, and my mind" (Source: Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4.).
I personally find that the world screams loud and clear for my attention and my energy. I must be very careful to give my time and my energy to the things that count most. Time in the word to study, in prayer and with my family are often put off; but if I wish to be the servant I want to be, I must put what is silent but most important first. -Pastor Jim
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The Light of Joy
This is the day the Lord has made, be happy and glad in it.
Arise each morning with the joy of the Lord in your heart.
For the joy of the Lord is your strength and your shield against the worst of Satan's fiery darts, the pit of discouragement and self pity.
The strength imputed by the Joy of the Lord gives us faith to win the victories and the contentment to offer up to God thanksgiving and praise.
Brethren, the candle of the Light of Joy is the very foundation of spiritual victory.
Don't let Satan blow it out.
This little light of mine I'm going to let it shine!
Let it shine! Let it shine, this little light of joy of mine.
Brethren, go forth through life's journey from victory unto victory, rejoicing with hearts filled to overflowing with Joy.
©01/07/2001 Jim Welch
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Faith & Freedom
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.. . .And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"
(Heb. 11:1,6; NIV).
Jesus tells us that unless we have the faith of a little child, it is impossible for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. This faith is to be "sure of what we hope for" and "certain of what we do not see." Without this child-like faith, "it is impossible to please God." If we are to find freedom within our faith, this is where we will find it: complete trust and utter dependence upon our Heavenly Father. There is no other way to experience true freedom than to wholeheartedly submit to God's leadership.
Obedience is freedom. Obeying God means trusting God. It means that we put aside our understanding of what is best, accepting what God knows is best, and putting our faith into action by doing as He instructs, regardless of our lack of understanding. God does not ask that we understand everything He tells us, but that we obey. That does not mean that He does not want us to understand, for he will bring understanding to us as He desires. But for us to insist upon understanding before we obey shows that we do not trust Him wholly, and our faith is lacking.
Consider the children. They do not worry "saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" For they know that all these things are provided for them by their parents. They do not even consider the possibility of not having thier needs met. They are carefree with respect to their basic needs, taking it for granted that they will always have food, and water, and clothing. They do not worry about 'making ends meet,' or 'which bill will get paid and which one won't.' These thoughts do not enter their minds.
Consider the faith of a child--the type of faith we are to have. God tells us plainly that we are to trust Him to provide for our needs. He desires that we trust Him as a little child--not giving a second thought to what we are to eat, drink and wear. Yet we continue to promote self-sufficiency. We say things like, "God helps those who help themselves," or "A person's gotta eat." These ideals of self-sufficiency do much more than show a mature acceptance of responsibility, they show a tremendous lack of faith. God says that He will provide, yet we continue thinking we need to provide for ourselves, then disguise our faithlessness with a false mask of obedience, saying, "God expects us to provide for our families." But true obedience exists when our purpose for having a particular job is because God has directed it, not because we need a pay-check. If the paycheck is what dictates the who, what, where, when, why and how we work, then the paycheck is the master that commands our obedience. God desires that we work, but He wants our work to be for one Master. God may have many reasons why we are to work at a particular job, but we have one reason alone--obedience.
Read Matthew chapter 6. Consider the depth of what Jesus is telling us.
Day by Day Devotionals
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Read Genesis 19 -- 21 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ge+19-ge+21§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
Fire and brimstone destroy the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah (19:24) as well as consume Lot's wealth and wife. Lot and daughters escape.
By faith, Abram left his homeland and journeyed to the new land of promise. Much to our surprise, when the father of the faithful was faced with famine, he forsook the land where God had told him to live and went to the well-watered land of Egypt (12:10). We are a little surprised by Abram's deception in telling the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister just so his life would be spared, rather than say she was his wife, who was also his half-sister (12:12-17). About a quarter of a century later, this event was repeated, when Abraham went to live with the Philistines in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah (20:2).
It is difficult to understand why Abram would tell a "half-truth" to protect himself after God had already told him: Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield (15:1). Furthermore, it could have led Abimelech into sin. God apparently allowed these events to occur to reveal how easily our decisions are influenced by selfish motives.
Throughout the Scriptures, God tenderly and patiently leads us from sin and self-seeking and shows us that true happiness is the result of integrity in all circumstances. Abraham remained committed to God even though there were times he had — as we sometimes have — difficulty believing God's promises under circumstances, such as the death of a loved one, or a disaster.
Abraham lived a remarkably godly life since he had only direct appearances and his conscience to live by — no Scripture and no indwelling Holy Spirit. God, in mercy, once again strengthened Abraham to see himself as a powerful prophet whose prayer for God to bless a heathen nation was answered (20:7,17).
Although we are prone to criticize the failures of God's leaders, God often turns those failures into blessings. So, Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up (Rom. 14:4).
When Sarah died, Abraham bought from the Hittites a field in Canaan with a cave in which to bury her. That act made Canaan his permanent home within the land promised by God to all his generations. Fearful, lest his descendants be absorbed by intermarriage into the pagan peoples around them, Abraham forbade Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman. He was concerned that his son have a wife worthy of their high calling of God. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for . . . what communion hath light with darkness? (II Cor. 6:14).
Thought for Today:
Many of the decisions we make influence the rest of our lives. We should be careful to make decisions based on the authority of the Word of God.
Christ Portrayed:
By Isaac, the promised son of the Covenant of God (Gen. 21:12). Faith in Christ sets us free from the bondage of the Law (Salvation by works) because God made a new and better Covenant through Christ who dwells within the true believer (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; I Cor. 11:25; also Heb. 8:6; 12:24).
Word Studies:
19:1 at even = in the evening; 19:2 tarry = stay; 19:3 pressed upon = urged; unleavened bread = bread without yeast; 19:4 compassed = surrounded; 19:5 know = have homosexual relations with; 19:8 as is good in your eyes = as you wish; shadow = protection; 19:9 will needs be a judge = keeps acting as our ruler; sojourn = live temporarily; 19:11 smote = defeated; 19:13 is waxen = has grown; 19:14 mocked = joked; 19:15 consumed = destroyed; 19:16 without = outside; 19:21 accepted thee = shown favor to you; 19:22 be come thither = arrive there; 19:25 overthrew = devastated; 20:6 suffered = permitted; 20:8 sore = exceedingly; 20:16 covering of the eyes = compensation for what I did; 21:3 Isaac = Laughter; 21:9 mocking = ridiculing; 21:11 grievous = distressing; 21:12 hearken unto her voice = agree to all that she asks; 21:15 spent = used up; 21:16 over against = in front of; 21:25 reproved = complained; 21:26 wot = know; 21:27 covenant = agreement.
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Wimpy or Gentle
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Our Gentle Savior
A few years ago my husband Mike and I took our girls on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Florida. Of the five of us only two enjoy park rides, my husband Mike and middle daughter Stephanie. So, after two days of paying big bucks to get into the theme parks and having to practically drag his family unto the rides in order to get our money’s worth, Mike was growing weary.
During Wednesday morning breakfast, he gave us a pep talk. He assured us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. He tried to convince us that the rides were going to be fun. He even stressed that we weren’t coming back to Florida to try this at another time. We all needed to take the chance to fully experience it now. His motivational speech concluded with a call for action, “Is everyone ready to be BRAVE today? Are you ready to be the BRAVE family?”
It may have been a passionate conclusion to his speech, but it remained ineffective on Melanie, our 7 year old, “No!” she said, “I want to be part of the WIMPY family!”
Being a wimp goes far beyond the 3/5 of the Bulthuis family with a fear of fast rides. Many people associate being a wimp with being gentle. They wrongly equate gentleness with being afraid or weak.
We need to look no further than Jesus’ journey to the cross to realize that gentleness is not the easy road taken by wimps, but an attribute of God shown perfectly in Jesus. Notice Jesus’ strength and gentleness in some of the events of his last week he died on the cross.
1. He chose the humble mount of the common man to enter into Jerusalem. See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Matthew 21:5)
2. Jesus entered Jerusalem gently and humbly as the crowds sang praises to him. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)
3. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus, asking him to stop the people from singing praises to him, did he act like a wimp? Did he run away in fear of his enemy? How would a wimp act in this situation? Not at all. His reply to the Pharisees was gentle, yet bold and uncompromising. He was not afraid to stand up for the truth! “I tell you,” he replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)
4. He continued to be gentle as he drove out sellers at the temple, ate the Last Supper with his betrayer and prayed at Gethsemane.
5. He patiently watched as he was disowned by His friend Peter, judged by Pilate and mocked by soldiers.
6. Even during His crucifixion He begged God to forgive those who were killing him. Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
Alleluia! What a Savior! What a gentle Savior!
Our words and actions should always be modeled after our Gentle Savior. The Bible tells us that we too should . . .be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Consider how strength and gentleness can be more and more evident in your life as you follow in the footsteps of the One whose gentleness never wavered, even as he bore our sins on the cross.
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, thank You that You are my gentle, loving Savior. Help me to follow Your example by being humble and gentle. Please make me; patient so that I bear with others in love. May Your gentleness be more and more evident in my words and actions. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 7, 2009
Strength for the Day
"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31
We have all considered whether we would be willing to suffer for, even die for, Jesus. For me though, being willing was not the tough question. My fearful question is: would I actually be able to? I always find hope in the fact that God promised that He would always be with us. When we come to Christ, He fills us with His Spirit, and that Spirit of the Lord will be sufficient in the day of the crisis. He does not give us strength for tomorrow's crisis today. He gives us strength for the crisis when the crisis time comes.
It's understandable that each of us would gulp and say, "I hope I am willing," and then wonder deep inside if we really would be. Well, I want you to know, as cowardly, weak, and selfish as I am, I know I could not do that on my own strength. But I'm going to trust that the power of the Holy Spirit will give me strength in that moment of crisis - strength that I just can't imagine having today.
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A Suitable Helper
Bible Reading: Genesis 2:19-20; Matthew 9:36; 1 Corinthians 12:28.
The Bible says that God made Adam first, and then made Eve from his rib, to be a suitable helper for him. This is an unpopular concept today, for many people, men and women, do not want to be helpers, they want to be in charge. They want to be Top Dog, the Big Cheese. It's hard to be a helper, to submerge your desire for acclaim under the desire to lift someone else up. Jesus stepped down from His throne to help us. Maybe you would be a lot happier if you stepped down from your throne and became a helper, too.
Moment of Meditation: You will not get to Heaven by using others as stepping stones. You have to step down and help lift them up.
A Talk with Jesus: Lord, I want to be a helper in Your Kingdom. Amen.
For Further Study: Psalm 10:12,14; Ezekiel 28:2; Acts 9:36; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:6; Revelation 3:21.
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Rev 12:10b "For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
One of the names of satan is "the accuser". The name of his game is to get the believer to quit what he starts to do. He accuses the believer that he or she is not capable of finishing something they start.
Satan says, "You aren't smart enough", "You don't study enough", and "God's not with you."
Satan will try to get you off on other things. The accuser tries to toss us to and fro, so we will leave God's work undone. Many a Christian has quit because of Satan's accusations.
Remember, "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" 1 John 4:4b
Bible References (KJV)
Rev 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
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Seed Thoughts
January 7th
READ: Mark 4:1-29
He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how" (Mark 4:26-27).
This is a secret of the kingdom of God, and to me it is one of the most encouraging of all the parables Jesus ever uttered. He is speaking of how this rule of God increases, how it grows in a life. He explains it as a coming to harvest by a patient expectation that God will work. The key of this whole passage is, "the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how." That is, there are forces at work that will be faithful to perform their work—whether a farmer stews and frets about it or not. Farmers do what they can do, what is expected of them. But then God must work. And God will work. And in the confidence of that, this farmer rests secure. As Jesus draws the picture this farmer goes out to sow. It is hard work as he sows the field, but this is what he can do. But then he goes home and goes to bed. He does not sit up all night biting his fingernails, wondering if the seed fell in the right places or whether it will take root. Nor does he rise the next morning and go out and dig it up to see whether or not it has sprouted yet. He rests secure in the fact that God is at work, that He has a part in this process, and He must do it; no one can do it for Him. But he will faithfully perform it. So the farmer rests secure, knowing that as the seed grows there are stages that are observable: "first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head." It is only as the grain is ripe that he is called into action again. When the harvest is ready, then he is to act once more.
This is exactly what Paul describes for us in that passage in 1 Corinthians 3:9a: "For we are God's fellow workers." This is the way we ought to expect Him to work. It involves a witness first, perhaps a word of teaching or exhortation to someone—or to ourselves. And then an inevitable process begins, one that takes time and patience and allows God to work. One of the most destructive forces at work in the church today is our insistent demand for instant results. We want to have immediate conversions, immediate responses every time we speak. We tend not to allow time for the Word to take root and grow and come to harvest.
I have watched a boy in Peninsula Bible Church (PBC) growing up since grade school. I watched him come into adolescence and enter into a period of deep and bitter rebellion against God. I watched his parents, hurt and crushed by his attitudes, yet nevertheless praying for him—saying what they could to him—but above all holding him up in prayer. I watched the whole process as the seed that had been sown in his heart took root and began to grow. There were tiny observable signs of change occurring. Gradually he came back to the Lord. And as an adult young man, he asked me to fill out a reference for him to go to seminary. That is the Word growing secretly. The sower knows not how it happens but can rest secure in this.
Our Lord is teaching us the fantastic truth that God is at work. It does not all depend on us!
Thank You, Lord that I can trust that as I do my part and sow the seed of Your Word wherever I can, You will do the rest.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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THERE WITH ME
“And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.” 12&12 p.104, Step Eleven
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2a
For what it's worth: It used to be that alcohol was required for me to face any difficulty. Now that I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous, practicing these principles as best I can in my daily life, I can now face whatever life brings. And when any given day will be trying, I can go confidently, knowing my Higher Power will be there with me.
God bless you!
Joe W.
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength. Psalm 105
-----
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
-----
Listen for the Silent Priories
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. (Colossians 4:5)
Gordon MacDonald said, "There are three things in my life that I need most, but they never scream for immediate attention: God, family, and my mind" (Source: Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4.).
I personally find that the world screams loud and clear for my attention and my energy. I must be very careful to give my time and my energy to the things that count most. Time in the word to study, in prayer and with my family are often put off; but if I wish to be the servant I want to be, I must put what is silent but most important first. -Pastor Jim
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The Light of Joy
This is the day the Lord has made, be happy and glad in it.
Arise each morning with the joy of the Lord in your heart.
For the joy of the Lord is your strength and your shield against the worst of Satan's fiery darts, the pit of discouragement and self pity.
The strength imputed by the Joy of the Lord gives us faith to win the victories and the contentment to offer up to God thanksgiving and praise.
Brethren, the candle of the Light of Joy is the very foundation of spiritual victory.
Don't let Satan blow it out.
This little light of mine I'm going to let it shine!
Let it shine! Let it shine, this little light of joy of mine.
Brethren, go forth through life's journey from victory unto victory, rejoicing with hearts filled to overflowing with Joy.
©01/07/2001 Jim Welch
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Faith & Freedom
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.. . .And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"
(Heb. 11:1,6; NIV).
Jesus tells us that unless we have the faith of a little child, it is impossible for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. This faith is to be "sure of what we hope for" and "certain of what we do not see." Without this child-like faith, "it is impossible to please God." If we are to find freedom within our faith, this is where we will find it: complete trust and utter dependence upon our Heavenly Father. There is no other way to experience true freedom than to wholeheartedly submit to God's leadership.
Obedience is freedom. Obeying God means trusting God. It means that we put aside our understanding of what is best, accepting what God knows is best, and putting our faith into action by doing as He instructs, regardless of our lack of understanding. God does not ask that we understand everything He tells us, but that we obey. That does not mean that He does not want us to understand, for he will bring understanding to us as He desires. But for us to insist upon understanding before we obey shows that we do not trust Him wholly, and our faith is lacking.
Consider the children. They do not worry "saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" For they know that all these things are provided for them by their parents. They do not even consider the possibility of not having thier needs met. They are carefree with respect to their basic needs, taking it for granted that they will always have food, and water, and clothing. They do not worry about 'making ends meet,' or 'which bill will get paid and which one won't.' These thoughts do not enter their minds.
Consider the faith of a child--the type of faith we are to have. God tells us plainly that we are to trust Him to provide for our needs. He desires that we trust Him as a little child--not giving a second thought to what we are to eat, drink and wear. Yet we continue to promote self-sufficiency. We say things like, "God helps those who help themselves," or "A person's gotta eat." These ideals of self-sufficiency do much more than show a mature acceptance of responsibility, they show a tremendous lack of faith. God says that He will provide, yet we continue thinking we need to provide for ourselves, then disguise our faithlessness with a false mask of obedience, saying, "God expects us to provide for our families." But true obedience exists when our purpose for having a particular job is because God has directed it, not because we need a pay-check. If the paycheck is what dictates the who, what, where, when, why and how we work, then the paycheck is the master that commands our obedience. God desires that we work, but He wants our work to be for one Master. God may have many reasons why we are to work at a particular job, but we have one reason alone--obedience.
Read Matthew chapter 6. Consider the depth of what Jesus is telling us.
Day by Day Devotionals
-----
Read Genesis 19 -- 21 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ge+19-ge+21§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
Fire and brimstone destroy the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah (19:24) as well as consume Lot's wealth and wife. Lot and daughters escape.
By faith, Abram left his homeland and journeyed to the new land of promise. Much to our surprise, when the father of the faithful was faced with famine, he forsook the land where God had told him to live and went to the well-watered land of Egypt (12:10). We are a little surprised by Abram's deception in telling the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister just so his life would be spared, rather than say she was his wife, who was also his half-sister (12:12-17). About a quarter of a century later, this event was repeated, when Abraham went to live with the Philistines in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah (20:2).
It is difficult to understand why Abram would tell a "half-truth" to protect himself after God had already told him: Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield (15:1). Furthermore, it could have led Abimelech into sin. God apparently allowed these events to occur to reveal how easily our decisions are influenced by selfish motives.
Throughout the Scriptures, God tenderly and patiently leads us from sin and self-seeking and shows us that true happiness is the result of integrity in all circumstances. Abraham remained committed to God even though there were times he had — as we sometimes have — difficulty believing God's promises under circumstances, such as the death of a loved one, or a disaster.
Abraham lived a remarkably godly life since he had only direct appearances and his conscience to live by — no Scripture and no indwelling Holy Spirit. God, in mercy, once again strengthened Abraham to see himself as a powerful prophet whose prayer for God to bless a heathen nation was answered (20:7,17).
Although we are prone to criticize the failures of God's leaders, God often turns those failures into blessings. So, Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up (Rom. 14:4).
When Sarah died, Abraham bought from the Hittites a field in Canaan with a cave in which to bury her. That act made Canaan his permanent home within the land promised by God to all his generations. Fearful, lest his descendants be absorbed by intermarriage into the pagan peoples around them, Abraham forbade Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman. He was concerned that his son have a wife worthy of their high calling of God. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for . . . what communion hath light with darkness? (II Cor. 6:14).
Thought for Today:
Many of the decisions we make influence the rest of our lives. We should be careful to make decisions based on the authority of the Word of God.
Christ Portrayed:
By Isaac, the promised son of the Covenant of God (Gen. 21:12). Faith in Christ sets us free from the bondage of the Law (Salvation by works) because God made a new and better Covenant through Christ who dwells within the true believer (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; I Cor. 11:25; also Heb. 8:6; 12:24).
Word Studies:
19:1 at even = in the evening; 19:2 tarry = stay; 19:3 pressed upon = urged; unleavened bread = bread without yeast; 19:4 compassed = surrounded; 19:5 know = have homosexual relations with; 19:8 as is good in your eyes = as you wish; shadow = protection; 19:9 will needs be a judge = keeps acting as our ruler; sojourn = live temporarily; 19:11 smote = defeated; 19:13 is waxen = has grown; 19:14 mocked = joked; 19:15 consumed = destroyed; 19:16 without = outside; 19:21 accepted thee = shown favor to you; 19:22 be come thither = arrive there; 19:25 overthrew = devastated; 20:6 suffered = permitted; 20:8 sore = exceedingly; 20:16 covering of the eyes = compensation for what I did; 21:3 Isaac = Laughter; 21:9 mocking = ridiculing; 21:11 grievous = distressing; 21:12 hearken unto her voice = agree to all that she asks; 21:15 spent = used up; 21:16 over against = in front of; 21:25 reproved = complained; 21:26 wot = know; 21:27 covenant = agreement.
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Wimpy or Gentle
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Our Gentle Savior
A few years ago my husband Mike and I took our girls on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Florida. Of the five of us only two enjoy park rides, my husband Mike and middle daughter Stephanie. So, after two days of paying big bucks to get into the theme parks and having to practically drag his family unto the rides in order to get our money’s worth, Mike was growing weary.
During Wednesday morning breakfast, he gave us a pep talk. He assured us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. He tried to convince us that the rides were going to be fun. He even stressed that we weren’t coming back to Florida to try this at another time. We all needed to take the chance to fully experience it now. His motivational speech concluded with a call for action, “Is everyone ready to be BRAVE today? Are you ready to be the BRAVE family?”
It may have been a passionate conclusion to his speech, but it remained ineffective on Melanie, our 7 year old, “No!” she said, “I want to be part of the WIMPY family!”
Being a wimp goes far beyond the 3/5 of the Bulthuis family with a fear of fast rides. Many people associate being a wimp with being gentle. They wrongly equate gentleness with being afraid or weak.
We need to look no further than Jesus’ journey to the cross to realize that gentleness is not the easy road taken by wimps, but an attribute of God shown perfectly in Jesus. Notice Jesus’ strength and gentleness in some of the events of his last week he died on the cross.
1. He chose the humble mount of the common man to enter into Jerusalem. See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Matthew 21:5)
2. Jesus entered Jerusalem gently and humbly as the crowds sang praises to him. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)
3. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus, asking him to stop the people from singing praises to him, did he act like a wimp? Did he run away in fear of his enemy? How would a wimp act in this situation? Not at all. His reply to the Pharisees was gentle, yet bold and uncompromising. He was not afraid to stand up for the truth! “I tell you,” he replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)
4. He continued to be gentle as he drove out sellers at the temple, ate the Last Supper with his betrayer and prayed at Gethsemane.
5. He patiently watched as he was disowned by His friend Peter, judged by Pilate and mocked by soldiers.
6. Even during His crucifixion He begged God to forgive those who were killing him. Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
Alleluia! What a Savior! What a gentle Savior!
Our words and actions should always be modeled after our Gentle Savior. The Bible tells us that we too should . . .be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Consider how strength and gentleness can be more and more evident in your life as you follow in the footsteps of the One whose gentleness never wavered, even as he bore our sins on the cross.
Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, thank You that You are my gentle, loving Savior. Help me to follow Your example by being humble and gentle. Please make me; patient so that I bear with others in love. May Your gentleness be more and more evident in my words and actions. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
Written by Lenae Bulthuis, Renville, Minnesota
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 7, 2009
Strength for the Day
"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31
We have all considered whether we would be willing to suffer for, even die for, Jesus. For me though, being willing was not the tough question. My fearful question is: would I actually be able to? I always find hope in the fact that God promised that He would always be with us. When we come to Christ, He fills us with His Spirit, and that Spirit of the Lord will be sufficient in the day of the crisis. He does not give us strength for tomorrow's crisis today. He gives us strength for the crisis when the crisis time comes.
It's understandable that each of us would gulp and say, "I hope I am willing," and then wonder deep inside if we really would be. Well, I want you to know, as cowardly, weak, and selfish as I am, I know I could not do that on my own strength. But I'm going to trust that the power of the Holy Spirit will give me strength in that moment of crisis - strength that I just can't imagine having today.
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A Suitable Helper
Bible Reading: Genesis 2:19-20; Matthew 9:36; 1 Corinthians 12:28.
The Bible says that God made Adam first, and then made Eve from his rib, to be a suitable helper for him. This is an unpopular concept today, for many people, men and women, do not want to be helpers, they want to be in charge. They want to be Top Dog, the Big Cheese. It's hard to be a helper, to submerge your desire for acclaim under the desire to lift someone else up. Jesus stepped down from His throne to help us. Maybe you would be a lot happier if you stepped down from your throne and became a helper, too.
Moment of Meditation: You will not get to Heaven by using others as stepping stones. You have to step down and help lift them up.
A Talk with Jesus: Lord, I want to be a helper in Your Kingdom. Amen.
For Further Study: Psalm 10:12,14; Ezekiel 28:2; Acts 9:36; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:6; Revelation 3:21.
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Rev 12:10b "For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
One of the names of satan is "the accuser". The name of his game is to get the believer to quit what he starts to do. He accuses the believer that he or she is not capable of finishing something they start.
Satan says, "You aren't smart enough", "You don't study enough", and "God's not with you."
Satan will try to get you off on other things. The accuser tries to toss us to and fro, so we will leave God's work undone. Many a Christian has quit because of Satan's accusations.
Remember, "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" 1 John 4:4b
Bible References (KJV)
Rev 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
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Seed Thoughts
January 7th
READ: Mark 4:1-29
He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how" (Mark 4:26-27).
This is a secret of the kingdom of God, and to me it is one of the most encouraging of all the parables Jesus ever uttered. He is speaking of how this rule of God increases, how it grows in a life. He explains it as a coming to harvest by a patient expectation that God will work. The key of this whole passage is, "the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how." That is, there are forces at work that will be faithful to perform their work—whether a farmer stews and frets about it or not. Farmers do what they can do, what is expected of them. But then God must work. And God will work. And in the confidence of that, this farmer rests secure. As Jesus draws the picture this farmer goes out to sow. It is hard work as he sows the field, but this is what he can do. But then he goes home and goes to bed. He does not sit up all night biting his fingernails, wondering if the seed fell in the right places or whether it will take root. Nor does he rise the next morning and go out and dig it up to see whether or not it has sprouted yet. He rests secure in the fact that God is at work, that He has a part in this process, and He must do it; no one can do it for Him. But he will faithfully perform it. So the farmer rests secure, knowing that as the seed grows there are stages that are observable: "first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head." It is only as the grain is ripe that he is called into action again. When the harvest is ready, then he is to act once more.
This is exactly what Paul describes for us in that passage in 1 Corinthians 3:9a: "For we are God's fellow workers." This is the way we ought to expect Him to work. It involves a witness first, perhaps a word of teaching or exhortation to someone—or to ourselves. And then an inevitable process begins, one that takes time and patience and allows God to work. One of the most destructive forces at work in the church today is our insistent demand for instant results. We want to have immediate conversions, immediate responses every time we speak. We tend not to allow time for the Word to take root and grow and come to harvest.
I have watched a boy in Peninsula Bible Church (PBC) growing up since grade school. I watched him come into adolescence and enter into a period of deep and bitter rebellion against God. I watched his parents, hurt and crushed by his attitudes, yet nevertheless praying for him—saying what they could to him—but above all holding him up in prayer. I watched the whole process as the seed that had been sown in his heart took root and began to grow. There were tiny observable signs of change occurring. Gradually he came back to the Lord. And as an adult young man, he asked me to fill out a reference for him to go to seminary. That is the Word growing secretly. The sower knows not how it happens but can rest secure in this.
Our Lord is teaching us the fantastic truth that God is at work. It does not all depend on us!
Thank You, Lord that I can trust that as I do my part and sow the seed of Your Word wherever I can, You will do the rest.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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THERE WITH ME
“And they have increasingly found a peace of mind which can stand firm in the face of difficult circumstances.” 12&12 p.104, Step Eleven
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2a
For what it's worth: It used to be that alcohol was required for me to face any difficulty. Now that I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous, practicing these principles as best I can in my daily life, I can now face whatever life brings. And when any given day will be trying, I can go confidently, knowing my Higher Power will be there with me.
God bless you!
Joe W.