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01-25-2009, 10:55 PM
Serve God with Spiritual Gifts
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12
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Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11
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Today I will. . .give Jesus all the praise and glory and look expectantly for God's creative and wise answers to my petitions.
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Sowing and Reaping
January 25
Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.
—Matthew 7:1,2
These scriptures plainly tell us that we will reap what we sow (See Galatians 6:7). Sowing and reaping applies not only to the agricultural and financial realms, it also applies to the mental realm. We can sow and reap an attitude as well as a crop or an investment. One pastor I know often says that when he hears that someone has been talking about him in an unkind or judgmental way, he asks himself, "Are they sowing, or am I reaping?" Many times we are reaping in our lives what we have previously sown into the life of another.
From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer.
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Making Amends to Ourselves
Mark 11:25: “…If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him…”
For years I put myself in an impossible position trying to be perfect all the time. I silently shamed myself; expected too much; crushed creativity; robbed myself of nourishment, fun, sleep, and relaxation; while trying to please others and do everything right. I let anger turn to resentment, stuffed it down and became depressed. I wronged myself, others and God in the process.
One morning during my recovery from burnout I realized that one person I most needed to forgive was myself. I wrote in my journal: “I’ve harmed you, Joan. I’m sorry. It’s okay for you to nurture yourself and become the person God wants you to be. I’ll try to be kinder and more forgiving now.” It is not self-indulging to be gentle and tolerant with ourselves. God wants us to have compassionate hearts toward all people, ourselves included. Forgiveness is freeing.
Lord, do I need to forgive myself?
2009 Joan C. Webb
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Managing God's Resources
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous [money], who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Lk. 16:10-11).
How many times have heard someone say, "If only I had more money, I would. . ."? Maybe you have said it yourself--I know I have. By the look of many things, it would seem to be much more feasible to do some things if we had a larger net worth.
My dreams have included things like Christian clubs that provided a wholesome environment for Christians of all ages to come and fellowship. I once thought I would like to have enough money to buy a large apartment complex and make it a home for the homeless--no cost to them. Those are just two of the many desires I had, "had I only had more money."
But my thinking was jarred by a familiar passage of scripture where Jesus fed the 5000. He didn't sit on the grassy hill side and mutter to himself, "If only I had more money, I could feed every one of these people." What He did was take what He had, gave thanks, and trusted God to meet the existing need. He didn't need more resources, He knew God could help him to make do with what was available.
The major difference here is that I had looked at what I could do--"if only." Jesus looked at what God willed to do. It was God's will to feed the multitudes, Jesus just followed through with what needed to be done, trusting God to provided the resource to make it happen.
What would we do "if only"? Who's will would we follow? It is not for us to decide what God's will is, but to find and follow it. If we have a predisposition to do a particular ministry given enough resource, then when the necessary resources come along we will probably apply them toward what we have willed to do. But we could be forgetting to see what God has willed for giving us the resources. He may have an entirely different direction for us to take that we may never see if our ambitions cloud our vision to see His will. Maybe what we think would be a good use of money is not what God's good use is. We may want to pay off a new church building project with an inheritance, when it is God's desire to have a church body built by coming together to pay for it.
Jesus showed faith in the apparent lack of resource to meet the need. We are to do the same, trusting God to provide. Yet, we are also to trust God when we have an apparent abundance that He already has in mind what we are to use the excess for.
We may have some great and worthy ambitions, yet if they fall outside of God's will then they need to be abandoned. God is not so much wanting to see what you can do "if only" you get what you think is needed to do a ministry or other work, as He is interested in seeing that you are faithful to do what He gives you to do with the little you have. If we are not following God's will for us with what we already have, why should He entrust us with any more that He has already given us?
Doing God's will may sometimes mean holding back when much is held, at other times, giving from what cannot be seen.
Day by Day Devotionals
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Be humble and pray
Thus sayeth the Lord, " I have come that you may have life and that abundantly."
Brethren, true fulfillment comes not by the multiple of things that you do for God, but by what God does for you.
A worker of iniquity is a person who is lifted up with pride and self righteousness and boasts of his own religious accomplishments.
He has convinced himself that God owes him for his labors.
Like the pharisee who bragged of his religious accomplishments when he went into the temple.
He worshiped, not God, but himself because he spent his time there praising, not God, but himself.
In judgement, these workers of iniquity shall say, "Didn't we preach in Your Name, and they will make a list of what they thought they had done for God."
But God will say depart from Me for I never knew you.
Be humble and pray.
©01/25/2001 Jim Welch
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Read Exodus 23 -- 25 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ex+23-ex+25§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
You may be surprised to know that almost all the laws in the United States of America that are beneficial to “mankind” come from the Bible God gave.
As a reminder of the Israelites' covenant relationship with God, they were commanded: Mine Angel shall go before thee. . . . Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works. . . . And ye shall serve the Lord your God (23:23-25). God alone determines what worship of Him is acceptable; thus He gave Moses detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle after the pattern of the one in Heaven (Heb. 8:5). It was a portable tent, appropriate for their wilderness journey.
The parts of the Tabernacle and its furnishings all foreshadowed the coming Messiah. God said to Moses: Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof (Ex. 25:8-9). The Tabernacle had a threefold purpose — to provide: a way for the Israelites to obtain a right relationship with God; a place for them to serve Him; and a place for God to dwell.
The Israelites were to follow the Lord's leading as to when to move and when to camp by following His visible presence in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (13:21-22; 14:19-20,24; 19:9; 24:15-18; 33:9-10).
Like Jesus, of whom Isaiah prophesied: There is no beauty that we should desire Him (Is. 53:2), in outward appearance, the Tabernacle was unattractive. It was covered with rams' skins . . . and a covering above of badgers' skins (26:14).
The white linen wall of separation was symbolic of the holiness of God and excluded all Gentiles from the Tabernacle. We cannot approach God on our own terms, but obediently as prescribed by God. This linen curtain illustrates that sin has separated all mankind from the Holy Presence of God and it is a reminder that there is none righteous, no, not one (Rom. 3:10).
There was only one door through which the worshiper could enter to present his sacrifice (Ex. 26:36). This was the place where God and His people met. All had access to Him. Again we see Jesus portrayed, for there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5).
The Tabernacle and all its furniture were eventually destroyed since Christ fulfilled all they represented. Today, access to God can be obtained only through our Lord Jesus Christ who proclaimed: I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10:9).
Thought for Today:
Isn't it amazing that such a Holy God would make a way for us as sinful people to have access to His presence?
Christ Revealed:
As the Ark of the Covenant (Testimony). The wood demonstrated His humanity; the gold overlay represented His deity. Only through His blood sprinkled on the Ark could one receive forgiveness. God dwelt above the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:10-22). Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He (Jesus) entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).
Word Studies:
23:2 decline after many = don't side with the majority to pervert justice; 23:5 forbear = refuse to help someone; 23:8 gift = bribe; 23:13 be circumspect = pay strict attention; 23:23 cut them off = utterly destroy; 23:31 bounds = boundaries; sea of the Philistines = Mediterranean Sea; the river = the Euphrates River; 24:11 laid not his hand = did not strike down; 25:22 commune = speak.
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My Life’s in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker
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Strength for Weakness
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 19:3; 20:2-4; 12-13, 24; 2 Corinthians 12:10.
Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah and he "set his heart upon seeking the Lord". Moab and Ammon decided to make war on Judah and mustered a vast army. Jehoshaphat was alarmed and "resolved to inquire of the Lord". All of the men, women, and children of Judah stood before the Lord, and Jehoshaphat prayed: "Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." Jehoshaphat and all of Judah were miraculously saved because they turned to God for help. They confessed their inadequacy to God, but kept their faith in His power to deliver them.
Today satan has mustered a vast demonic army against us and we are no match for it. But when we confess our weaknesses to God and praise Him, He will deliver us by His mighty arm.
Moment of Meditation: Our weaknesses will not defeat us if we convert them to strengths by submitting them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Talk with Jesus: Lord, let me look to You in the midst of my trouble, take courage, and trust in You for deliverance.
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Our Daily Bread
Daily Devotional for January 25
Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."
God has given us a choice each day what we can feed on. We can choose life or we can choose death.
When one chooses death he or she shall feed on it.
* The bread of sorrows in Psalm 127:2
* The bread of wickedness in Proverbs 4:17
* The bread of deceit
* The bread of an evil eye in Proverbs 23:6
* The bread of idleness
These are some of the sorts of bread the word of God mentions. These types of bread are Adam's old sin nature.
The types of the second Adam, Christ Jesus are
* The bread of life
* The bread of love
* The bread of grace
* The bread of mercy
The person that eats this bread is full of joy and hope. They are pleasant to be around. They build us up in the Lord. They have the right attitude of the future. They walk in love. All because they made the right choice to feed at the Master's table that day in Revelation 3:20.
Jesus loves you. Ask Him into your heart today to be your Lord and Saviour.
Bible References (KJV)
Psalm 127:2 "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."
Proverbs 4:17 "For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence."
Proverbs 23:6 "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats"
Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 25, 2009
Good From Evil
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
Could there possibly be a more vivid example of evil than Adolph Hitler and his effort to exterminate the Jews? Yet, God was able to bring good from Hitler's horrific evil. Because of the world's reaction to this horror, the nation of Israel was reborn after not existing for almost 2,000 years. Once again, the Jews had the permanent homeland God had promised their forefathers thousands of years before.
But, there is actually an even greater example of God taking evil and using it as a means of great good. That would be the story of the cross. Each one of us, because of our sinful nature, is responsible for murdering the innocent Son of God. This was truly the most evil act in all history. Yet, God took our evil and turned it into the greatest act of good. He did this by offering us salvation and forgiveness of sin. He used this great evil to offer us a relationship, a oneness, and a reconciliation with Himself.
The cross gives us hope that no matter what evil we have done, or what evil others have done to us, God has the ability to turn evil into good and to accomplish His intended purposes.
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Love's Extravagance
January 25th
READ: Mark 14:1-25
"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6).
Our Lord takes this beautiful incident and shows us the true value of it. He says five things about it that mark it as an extremely valuable act. First, He says, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." The beauty of it lay in its very extravagance. This woman did not spare any of the costly ointment but broke the flask and poured the whole quantity out upon Him. Judas, with his practical computer mind, reckoned it up as worth three hundred denarii. A denarius was the day's wage for a laborer. Three hundred days' wages would be a tremendous sum. In the eyes of Judas, this woman wasted an enormous amount of money when she poured out the ointment upon Jesus. It was such a lavish act, and therein lay the beauty of it.
Second, He said that it was a timely thing she had done. "It was something that could only be done now. Any time you want to do good to the poor you can, because they are always around." And it is right to help the poor. But there are opportunities that come in our life that must be seized at the moment. Mary had sensed this and seized the moment to offer this gift, for such a time would never occur again. It was out of the sensitivity of her heart that she realized that the timing was right, and Jesus recognized this.
Then, she did that which was feasible. That is, she did what she could. She could not fix Him a meal; there was no time for that. She could not make a garment for Him; there was no time for that. There was nothing else she could do to show her love but this. She did what she could. I am sure our Lord has called our attention to that because it is so practical for us. Someone said, "I'm only a man, but I am a man. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do I ought to do. And what I ought to do, I'm available to do."
The fourth element of this act was that it was insightful. Our Lord says, "She has anointed my body beforehand for burying." Many times Jesus said to these disciples that He was going to die. Not one of them believed him--except Mary of Bethany. She understood that He was heading for burial. And since she could not be sure she would ever have the opportunity later to find His body and anoint it for burial, she did it now, as a loving act of service. What a comfort this must have been to our Lord! Of all these friends who were around Him at this time, only this one had the sensitivity of heart to understand what was happening.
Finally, what she did was deserving of being remembered. It was memorable. Jesus said, "The story of this beautiful act will be told in memory of her wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world." Here we are today, two thousand years later, fulfilling this very word, telling again of the act of Mary of Bethany when she anointed our Lord's head and feet.
Father, help me to understand that Mary is but depicting a far greater sacrifice. May that act of love grip my heart and strengthen me all the days of my life.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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Assailed With the Fiercest
Temptations
Because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. Heb. 2:18, RSV.
If, under trying circumstances, men of spiritual power, pressed beyond measure, become discouraged and desponding, if at times they see nothing desirable in life, that they should choose it, this is nothing strange or new. Let all such remember that one of the mightiest of the prophets fled for his life before the rage of an infuriated woman. A fugitive, weary and travel-worn, bitter disappointment crushing his spirits, he asked that he might die. But it was when hope was gone and his lifework seemed threatened with defeat, that he learned one of the most precious lessons of his life. In the hour of his greatest weakness he learned the need and the possibility of trusting God under circumstances the most forbidding.
Those who, while spending their life energies in self-sacrificing labor, are tempted to give way to despondency and distrust may gather courage from the experience of Elijah. God's watchful care, His love, His power, are especially manifest in behalf of His servants whose zeal is misunderstood or unappreciated, whose counsels and reproofs are slighted, and whose efforts toward reform are repaid with hatred and opposition.
It is at the time of greatest weakness that Satan assails the soul with the fiercest temptations. It was thus that he hoped to prevail over the Son of God; for by this policy he had gained many victories over man. When the willpower weakened and faith failed, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right yielded to temptation. Moses, wearied with 40 years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah. He who had maintained his trust in Jehovah during the years of drought and famine, he who had stood undaunted before Ahab, he who throughout that trying day on Carmel had stood before the whole nation of Israel the sole witness to the true God, in a moment of weariness allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God. And so it is today. . . .
Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the purposes of the heart. . . . Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity. Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God (Prophets and Kings, pp. 173-175).
From Lift Him Up - Page 31
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Jesus Honors You
January 25th, 2009
by Max Lucado
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“It is good to…sing praises to Your name…to declare Your loving kindness in the morning.” Psalm 92 1-2 (NKJV)
Listen closely. Jesus’ love does not depend upon what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are. You don’t have to look nice or perform well. Your value is inborn.
Period.
Think about that for just a minute. You are valuable just because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are. Remember that the next time you are left bobbing in the wake of someone’s steamboat ambition. Remember that the next time some trickster tries to hang a bargain basement price tag on your self-worth. The next time someone tries to pass you off as a cheap buy, just think about the way Jesus honors you…and smile.
I do. I smile because I know I don’t deserve love like that. None of us do.
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Asking Specifically
January 25th, 2009
by Katherine Kehler
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“For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him. And then helping you do what He wants”
Philippians 2:13
The day I found this promise in the Bible I was very excited. I was beginning to understand that I didn’t have to change myself. God would change me and this verse confirmed it. He would even help me want to change. Being a determined person, I could be a problem if Christ wasn’t in control of my life, but God would work in me to change me. What freedom that spiritual principle brought to my life.
The Holy Spirit was beginning to convict me about being grumpy in the morning. For years I had rationalized that I was just born that way. I had inherited this temperament from my father and grandmother. I wasn’t a morning person. I didn’t want to speak to anyone until after 10:00 am and preferred that no one spoke to me.
The Holy Spirit showed me that His power was not limited to after 10:00 in the morning, and that I was having a negative influence on our four school-aged children and Marvin every morning. So I claimed the promise in Philippians 2:23 and prayed something like this; “God you are the God of flesh. All things are possible with You. Please change me into a cheerful person in the morning.”
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/biblestudies/spiritfilledlife.htm
Within three months, my husband Marvin noticed the difference in me. He said, “I sure appreciate your being cheerful in the morning.”
I realized that praying specifically really works.
I still don’t bounce out of bed in the morning like my husband does. I like to wake up slowly. But when I begin to wake up, before I get out of bed, I focus on the Lord and ask Him to control and direct my life. What a difference praying specifically has made in my life.
Father, thank You for giving us Your Word and the Holy Spirit who opens our mind to understand it and empowers us to change. Help us to remember to ask specifically. Amen.
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Daily Word — Sunday, January 25, 2009
Protected
Divine wisdom guides us and divine love inspires us to bless one another.
My own well-being is about more than just what I myself contribute. I live in a world in which others are a source of food, transportation, health care, and safety.
Knowing this is so, I pray a prayer of inclusion, knowing that others, as well as myself, further my well-being at home, far away, and all places in between.
Thank God for all those who plan for, supply, or prepare nutritious food, pure water, abundant energy, safe travel, clean streets, and so much more. Remembering them in my prayers, I envision them in an environment that is peaceful and secure at all times.
I thank God for wisdom that guides us and love that inspires us to bless one another.
"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now."--Philippians 1:3-5
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THOUGHT
Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. -C. S. Lewis
VERSE Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11
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Meditation: Mark 1:14-20
Is it really true that all Jesus had to say was “Follow me” for Simon and Andrew to drop everything? Or that just a few moments later, James and John would do the same thing?
Probably not. Today’s Gospel is a kind of summary passage that introduces us to Jesus’ first disciples. It tells us that Jesus won them over, but a lot of the details of how he did it are left unsaid.
We can be sure that Jesus knew exactly what to say. He knew how to win men and women to him and to his Father. It was a combination of love, truth, leadership, purity, and passion. While we may lack Jesus’ holiness or his talent, we are still called to evangelize (Matthew 28:19). So here are some steps that might help us spread the good news:
First, have a passion for people. Jesus once said that he would leave ninety-nine faithful sheep in order to find one lost sheep. Jesus values every soul. He wants everyone to come to heaven. And that kind of passion made him effective.
Second, pray. Make a list of people you know who are lukewarm in their faith or who have left the church altogether. Pray for them every day, asking the Holy Spirit to draw them home by grace. Believe that the Spirit will work, and trust that he will.
Third, prepare. Try to write down what you would say to someone should the opportunity arise. But before you write, ask the Spirit to help you formulate your thoughts. Ask him, too, to help you overcome any fear of rejection.
Hundreds of thousands of people die every week, and many of them are not ready to face judgment. Some assume that heaven is a foregone conclusion, while others simply don’t want to have anything to do with God. So get to work! If we can help to bring just one person back to the Lord this year, we will be doing great.
“Lord, give me a spirit of evangelism. Help me to overcome fear and shyness. And please move in the people I am praying for.”
Jonah 3:1-5,10; Psalm 25:4-9; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
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Now I Get It
Author: Tony Beckett and Woodrow Kroll
Exodus 12-13, Matthew 16
Key Verse: Matthew 16:12
Those of us who enjoy telling a good story usually agonize inwardly when we have to explain it. Hopefully, at some point in the retelling of the story, a light will come on and the person will say, "Oh, now I get it!"
Imagine how Jesus might have felt when His disciples still were not getting it. He said, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (v. 6). They thought, Did He say that because we didn't bring any bread?
So, to those Jesus addressed as "You of little faith," He asked, "Do you still not understand?" (v. 9).
Their focus was on the physical; His was on the spiritual. They thought of bread for the body; He thought of food for the soul. In the miracles of feeding the multitudes, Jesus had demonstrated His ability to meet their needs. They could trust Him to provide for them. Now, though, He wanted their attention to be on spiritual matters, not just physical.
When you pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," are you looking for just that which is physical, or are you asking for that which is food for the soul?
Are you a careful listener? Not all teaching is correct. Listen carefully and then compare all teaching you hear with the Bible.
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The Sabbath Principle
Read Exodus 22:1 through 24:18
John sat on the couch, feeling tired and depressed. He had worked several hours Saturday morning and was planning to return to the office after lunch. But his wife Beth was angry at him. She pointed out that he had not taken a day off for three weeks, and she wanted him to spend the day with her. He was tired from the long hours, and sad that his work schedule was creating difficulties in his marriage.
Exodus 23:12 is one of many Scriptures that teach the Sabbath Principle. It says, “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.” The Bible encourages us to work hard. But it also teaches us to set aside at least one day each week for rest.
Many things oppose the habit of godly rest. Sometimes, unfinished work is brought home from the office. Or home improvement projects beg to be finished. But remember that God wants to be honored in your rest, and He wants to refresh you by giving you and those around you a day off. Take it!
Challenge for Today: Make sure to schedule a Sabbath rest in your calendar this week. Let nothing—big or small—get in the way.
Quicklook:Exodus 23:10–13 God's Word For Today
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Conversational Prayer-Sonnets and Scriptures
January 25 ~
... the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God ... He who trusts in his own mind is a fool; but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered ... the heart is deceitful above all things ... He that committeth sin is of the devil ... "I speak to them in parables; for they look without seeing, and listen without hearing or understanding" ... The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them ... Butter and curds and wild honey shall he eat, when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good ...
Js.1:20 (RSV); Prov.28:26 (RSV); Jer.17:9 (NIV); 1 Jn.3:8 (KJV); Matt.13:13 (Beck): Prov.20:12 (KJV); Is.7:15 (Amp)
Apperception
A fool am I to listen to, agree
with my own angry arguments, complaints ...
Their apperceptions of reality
cannot be true! They are my enemy --
the thoughts themselves! Alas, among the saints
who truly comprehends, amidst the press
of daily life, that God all things doth send
- both good and ill - then doth the saint address
with Still Small Voice: "Choose Good! Choose Love! Confess
to Me thy failures, and thy heart I'll mend.
Not what thou do for Me, but what thou think:
the way thou art: what's in thy heart -- these count
above all! Art thou of Me - or sin? Drink
of Me! To high places thy soul will mount!"
____________________
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things ... "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" ... "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life ... He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" ... As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him ... live in Him ... abide in Him ... He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places ...
Rom.11:36 (NAS); Jn.7:37 (KJV); 6:54,56 (NAS); Col.2:6,7 (KJV); 2:6 (Beck); 1 Jn.2:28 (NAS); Ps.18:33 (KJV).
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OUR PAST – GOD’S TOOL
“We have listed the people we have hurt by our conduct, and are willing to straighten out the past if we can.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 70
“God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” Ecclesiastes 5:20
Luke 6:42
For what it's worth: My past has a family I lost because of hurt I inflicted. Some I recall, but how much did I cause in blackouts? I cried and drank over this loss for years. There has been no communication from them in forty years, despite numerous amends attempts since I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sponsors, spiritual advisors, therapists, and attorneys have helped me through the years. I have grieved, but I no longer beat myself up over it. I pray for my lost family and I have insured that they have my address and phone number. If they ever give me the opportunity, I will be ready to make amends. AA has taught me to accept my life just as it is with my past just as it is. I do not brood over the loss of my family because I have seen God use this piece of my past - and every hardship I have ever suffered - to bring hope to others. My past is His tool. That makes it precious. So, whenever the past tries to get me down, I rise up remembering that fact. That way I certainly do “not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it”.
God bless you!
Joe W.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12
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Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11
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Today I will. . .give Jesus all the praise and glory and look expectantly for God's creative and wise answers to my petitions.
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Sowing and Reaping
January 25
Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.
—Matthew 7:1,2
These scriptures plainly tell us that we will reap what we sow (See Galatians 6:7). Sowing and reaping applies not only to the agricultural and financial realms, it also applies to the mental realm. We can sow and reap an attitude as well as a crop or an investment. One pastor I know often says that when he hears that someone has been talking about him in an unkind or judgmental way, he asks himself, "Are they sowing, or am I reaping?" Many times we are reaping in our lives what we have previously sown into the life of another.
From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer.
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Making Amends to Ourselves
Mark 11:25: “…If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him…”
For years I put myself in an impossible position trying to be perfect all the time. I silently shamed myself; expected too much; crushed creativity; robbed myself of nourishment, fun, sleep, and relaxation; while trying to please others and do everything right. I let anger turn to resentment, stuffed it down and became depressed. I wronged myself, others and God in the process.
One morning during my recovery from burnout I realized that one person I most needed to forgive was myself. I wrote in my journal: “I’ve harmed you, Joan. I’m sorry. It’s okay for you to nurture yourself and become the person God wants you to be. I’ll try to be kinder and more forgiving now.” It is not self-indulging to be gentle and tolerant with ourselves. God wants us to have compassionate hearts toward all people, ourselves included. Forgiveness is freeing.
Lord, do I need to forgive myself?
2009 Joan C. Webb
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Managing God's Resources
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous [money], who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Lk. 16:10-11).
How many times have heard someone say, "If only I had more money, I would. . ."? Maybe you have said it yourself--I know I have. By the look of many things, it would seem to be much more feasible to do some things if we had a larger net worth.
My dreams have included things like Christian clubs that provided a wholesome environment for Christians of all ages to come and fellowship. I once thought I would like to have enough money to buy a large apartment complex and make it a home for the homeless--no cost to them. Those are just two of the many desires I had, "had I only had more money."
But my thinking was jarred by a familiar passage of scripture where Jesus fed the 5000. He didn't sit on the grassy hill side and mutter to himself, "If only I had more money, I could feed every one of these people." What He did was take what He had, gave thanks, and trusted God to meet the existing need. He didn't need more resources, He knew God could help him to make do with what was available.
The major difference here is that I had looked at what I could do--"if only." Jesus looked at what God willed to do. It was God's will to feed the multitudes, Jesus just followed through with what needed to be done, trusting God to provided the resource to make it happen.
What would we do "if only"? Who's will would we follow? It is not for us to decide what God's will is, but to find and follow it. If we have a predisposition to do a particular ministry given enough resource, then when the necessary resources come along we will probably apply them toward what we have willed to do. But we could be forgetting to see what God has willed for giving us the resources. He may have an entirely different direction for us to take that we may never see if our ambitions cloud our vision to see His will. Maybe what we think would be a good use of money is not what God's good use is. We may want to pay off a new church building project with an inheritance, when it is God's desire to have a church body built by coming together to pay for it.
Jesus showed faith in the apparent lack of resource to meet the need. We are to do the same, trusting God to provide. Yet, we are also to trust God when we have an apparent abundance that He already has in mind what we are to use the excess for.
We may have some great and worthy ambitions, yet if they fall outside of God's will then they need to be abandoned. God is not so much wanting to see what you can do "if only" you get what you think is needed to do a ministry or other work, as He is interested in seeing that you are faithful to do what He gives you to do with the little you have. If we are not following God's will for us with what we already have, why should He entrust us with any more that He has already given us?
Doing God's will may sometimes mean holding back when much is held, at other times, giving from what cannot be seen.
Day by Day Devotionals
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Be humble and pray
Thus sayeth the Lord, " I have come that you may have life and that abundantly."
Brethren, true fulfillment comes not by the multiple of things that you do for God, but by what God does for you.
A worker of iniquity is a person who is lifted up with pride and self righteousness and boasts of his own religious accomplishments.
He has convinced himself that God owes him for his labors.
Like the pharisee who bragged of his religious accomplishments when he went into the temple.
He worshiped, not God, but himself because he spent his time there praising, not God, but himself.
In judgement, these workers of iniquity shall say, "Didn't we preach in Your Name, and they will make a list of what they thought they had done for God."
But God will say depart from Me for I never knew you.
Be humble and pray.
©01/25/2001 Jim Welch
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Read Exodus 23 -- 25 http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&query=ex+23-ex+25§ion=0&translation=kjv&oq=
Highlights In Today's Reading:
You may be surprised to know that almost all the laws in the United States of America that are beneficial to “mankind” come from the Bible God gave.
As a reminder of the Israelites' covenant relationship with God, they were commanded: Mine Angel shall go before thee. . . . Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works. . . . And ye shall serve the Lord your God (23:23-25). God alone determines what worship of Him is acceptable; thus He gave Moses detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle after the pattern of the one in Heaven (Heb. 8:5). It was a portable tent, appropriate for their wilderness journey.
The parts of the Tabernacle and its furnishings all foreshadowed the coming Messiah. God said to Moses: Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof (Ex. 25:8-9). The Tabernacle had a threefold purpose — to provide: a way for the Israelites to obtain a right relationship with God; a place for them to serve Him; and a place for God to dwell.
The Israelites were to follow the Lord's leading as to when to move and when to camp by following His visible presence in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (13:21-22; 14:19-20,24; 19:9; 24:15-18; 33:9-10).
Like Jesus, of whom Isaiah prophesied: There is no beauty that we should desire Him (Is. 53:2), in outward appearance, the Tabernacle was unattractive. It was covered with rams' skins . . . and a covering above of badgers' skins (26:14).
The white linen wall of separation was symbolic of the holiness of God and excluded all Gentiles from the Tabernacle. We cannot approach God on our own terms, but obediently as prescribed by God. This linen curtain illustrates that sin has separated all mankind from the Holy Presence of God and it is a reminder that there is none righteous, no, not one (Rom. 3:10).
There was only one door through which the worshiper could enter to present his sacrifice (Ex. 26:36). This was the place where God and His people met. All had access to Him. Again we see Jesus portrayed, for there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5).
The Tabernacle and all its furniture were eventually destroyed since Christ fulfilled all they represented. Today, access to God can be obtained only through our Lord Jesus Christ who proclaimed: I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10:9).
Thought for Today:
Isn't it amazing that such a Holy God would make a way for us as sinful people to have access to His presence?
Christ Revealed:
As the Ark of the Covenant (Testimony). The wood demonstrated His humanity; the gold overlay represented His deity. Only through His blood sprinkled on the Ark could one receive forgiveness. God dwelt above the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:10-22). Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He (Jesus) entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).
Word Studies:
23:2 decline after many = don't side with the majority to pervert justice; 23:5 forbear = refuse to help someone; 23:8 gift = bribe; 23:13 be circumspect = pay strict attention; 23:23 cut them off = utterly destroy; 23:31 bounds = boundaries; sea of the Philistines = Mediterranean Sea; the river = the Euphrates River; 24:11 laid not his hand = did not strike down; 25:22 commune = speak.
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My Life’s in Good Hands
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Who rules your life?
Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say, “God is my co-pilot?” If you want God to be in total control of your life, how can he just be the “co” pilot? Shouldn’t he be the Pilot? Watch lava sometime on T.V. As it flows it oozes into the smallest cracks and crevices of the earth. That’s the way our lives should be with God. Surrendering every crack and crevice of our life to God is hard, but that is what he asks us to do.
God knows you better than you know yourself. In Psalm 139:2-3 it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word comes out of my mouth, you know it completely.” Yep! God can read your mind! And He isn’t even a fortuneteller with a crystal ball!
Consider these words from Psalm 139:6-7: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God knows everywhere you go and everything you feel! God is closer than your shadow!
Look at Joseph in Genesis 37-47. He was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery. In Egypt, one bad thing after another happened to him, but he continued to trust God because he understood that God was in control of his life. Eventually, he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Check out how God blessed Joseph for trusting in Him!
Give God every crevice in your life: your friends, your music, the movies you watch, the books and magazines you read, your parents, the places you hang out, and your future. In Psalm 139:13 it says that he knit you together in your mother’s womb and his eyes saw your unformed body. Doesn’t it make sense to let the person that made you and intricately knows you have control of your destiny?
The truth is, even if we don’t yield our lives to him, he’s in control anyway. You might as well give up, wave your white flag and throw your arms in the air. Don’t fool yourself. God controls your life, no matter what you think. Comfort yourself with this reality. Life will be much easier when you quit trying to swim upstream away from God and instead swim along side him! It’s mighty exhausting swimming away from Almighty God!
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, I praise you for breathing life into my unformed body. I thank you Lord for caring about the number of sparrows, and for caring so much more about me. If You, O God, can raise people from the dead, then you can certainly take care of me. God, I give you complete control of my life. Help me to walk in your ways. Please accomplish your purpose in my life. Amen.
Written by Anne Parker
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Strength for Weakness
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 19:3; 20:2-4; 12-13, 24; 2 Corinthians 12:10.
Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah and he "set his heart upon seeking the Lord". Moab and Ammon decided to make war on Judah and mustered a vast army. Jehoshaphat was alarmed and "resolved to inquire of the Lord". All of the men, women, and children of Judah stood before the Lord, and Jehoshaphat prayed: "Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." Jehoshaphat and all of Judah were miraculously saved because they turned to God for help. They confessed their inadequacy to God, but kept their faith in His power to deliver them.
Today satan has mustered a vast demonic army against us and we are no match for it. But when we confess our weaknesses to God and praise Him, He will deliver us by His mighty arm.
Moment of Meditation: Our weaknesses will not defeat us if we convert them to strengths by submitting them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Talk with Jesus: Lord, let me look to You in the midst of my trouble, take courage, and trust in You for deliverance.
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Our Daily Bread
Daily Devotional for January 25
Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread."
God has given us a choice each day what we can feed on. We can choose life or we can choose death.
When one chooses death he or she shall feed on it.
* The bread of sorrows in Psalm 127:2
* The bread of wickedness in Proverbs 4:17
* The bread of deceit
* The bread of an evil eye in Proverbs 23:6
* The bread of idleness
These are some of the sorts of bread the word of God mentions. These types of bread are Adam's old sin nature.
The types of the second Adam, Christ Jesus are
* The bread of life
* The bread of love
* The bread of grace
* The bread of mercy
The person that eats this bread is full of joy and hope. They are pleasant to be around. They build us up in the Lord. They have the right attitude of the future. They walk in love. All because they made the right choice to feed at the Master's table that day in Revelation 3:20.
Jesus loves you. Ask Him into your heart today to be your Lord and Saviour.
Bible References (KJV)
Psalm 127:2 "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."
Proverbs 4:17 "For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence."
Proverbs 23:6 "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats"
Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
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1 Minute Daily Devotions
January 25, 2009
Good From Evil
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
Could there possibly be a more vivid example of evil than Adolph Hitler and his effort to exterminate the Jews? Yet, God was able to bring good from Hitler's horrific evil. Because of the world's reaction to this horror, the nation of Israel was reborn after not existing for almost 2,000 years. Once again, the Jews had the permanent homeland God had promised their forefathers thousands of years before.
But, there is actually an even greater example of God taking evil and using it as a means of great good. That would be the story of the cross. Each one of us, because of our sinful nature, is responsible for murdering the innocent Son of God. This was truly the most evil act in all history. Yet, God took our evil and turned it into the greatest act of good. He did this by offering us salvation and forgiveness of sin. He used this great evil to offer us a relationship, a oneness, and a reconciliation with Himself.
The cross gives us hope that no matter what evil we have done, or what evil others have done to us, God has the ability to turn evil into good and to accomplish His intended purposes.
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Love's Extravagance
January 25th
READ: Mark 14:1-25
"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6).
Our Lord takes this beautiful incident and shows us the true value of it. He says five things about it that mark it as an extremely valuable act. First, He says, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." The beauty of it lay in its very extravagance. This woman did not spare any of the costly ointment but broke the flask and poured the whole quantity out upon Him. Judas, with his practical computer mind, reckoned it up as worth three hundred denarii. A denarius was the day's wage for a laborer. Three hundred days' wages would be a tremendous sum. In the eyes of Judas, this woman wasted an enormous amount of money when she poured out the ointment upon Jesus. It was such a lavish act, and therein lay the beauty of it.
Second, He said that it was a timely thing she had done. "It was something that could only be done now. Any time you want to do good to the poor you can, because they are always around." And it is right to help the poor. But there are opportunities that come in our life that must be seized at the moment. Mary had sensed this and seized the moment to offer this gift, for such a time would never occur again. It was out of the sensitivity of her heart that she realized that the timing was right, and Jesus recognized this.
Then, she did that which was feasible. That is, she did what she could. She could not fix Him a meal; there was no time for that. She could not make a garment for Him; there was no time for that. There was nothing else she could do to show her love but this. She did what she could. I am sure our Lord has called our attention to that because it is so practical for us. Someone said, "I'm only a man, but I am a man. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do I ought to do. And what I ought to do, I'm available to do."
The fourth element of this act was that it was insightful. Our Lord says, "She has anointed my body beforehand for burying." Many times Jesus said to these disciples that He was going to die. Not one of them believed him--except Mary of Bethany. She understood that He was heading for burial. And since she could not be sure she would ever have the opportunity later to find His body and anoint it for burial, she did it now, as a loving act of service. What a comfort this must have been to our Lord! Of all these friends who were around Him at this time, only this one had the sensitivity of heart to understand what was happening.
Finally, what she did was deserving of being remembered. It was memorable. Jesus said, "The story of this beautiful act will be told in memory of her wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world." Here we are today, two thousand years later, fulfilling this very word, telling again of the act of Mary of Bethany when she anointed our Lord's head and feet.
Father, help me to understand that Mary is but depicting a far greater sacrifice. May that act of love grip my heart and strengthen me all the days of my life.
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray's sermons.
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Assailed With the Fiercest
Temptations
Because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. Heb. 2:18, RSV.
If, under trying circumstances, men of spiritual power, pressed beyond measure, become discouraged and desponding, if at times they see nothing desirable in life, that they should choose it, this is nothing strange or new. Let all such remember that one of the mightiest of the prophets fled for his life before the rage of an infuriated woman. A fugitive, weary and travel-worn, bitter disappointment crushing his spirits, he asked that he might die. But it was when hope was gone and his lifework seemed threatened with defeat, that he learned one of the most precious lessons of his life. In the hour of his greatest weakness he learned the need and the possibility of trusting God under circumstances the most forbidding.
Those who, while spending their life energies in self-sacrificing labor, are tempted to give way to despondency and distrust may gather courage from the experience of Elijah. God's watchful care, His love, His power, are especially manifest in behalf of His servants whose zeal is misunderstood or unappreciated, whose counsels and reproofs are slighted, and whose efforts toward reform are repaid with hatred and opposition.
It is at the time of greatest weakness that Satan assails the soul with the fiercest temptations. It was thus that he hoped to prevail over the Son of God; for by this policy he had gained many victories over man. When the willpower weakened and faith failed, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right yielded to temptation. Moses, wearied with 40 years of wandering and unbelief, lost for a moment his hold on Infinite Power. He failed just on the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah. He who had maintained his trust in Jehovah during the years of drought and famine, he who had stood undaunted before Ahab, he who throughout that trying day on Carmel had stood before the whole nation of Israel the sole witness to the true God, in a moment of weariness allowed the fear of death to overcome his faith in God. And so it is today. . . .
Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the motives and the purposes of the heart. . . . Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity. Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God (Prophets and Kings, pp. 173-175).
From Lift Him Up - Page 31
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Jesus Honors You
January 25th, 2009
by Max Lucado
__________________________________________________ __________
“It is good to…sing praises to Your name…to declare Your loving kindness in the morning.” Psalm 92 1-2 (NKJV)
Listen closely. Jesus’ love does not depend upon what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are. You don’t have to look nice or perform well. Your value is inborn.
Period.
Think about that for just a minute. You are valuable just because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are. Remember that the next time you are left bobbing in the wake of someone’s steamboat ambition. Remember that the next time some trickster tries to hang a bargain basement price tag on your self-worth. The next time someone tries to pass you off as a cheap buy, just think about the way Jesus honors you…and smile.
I do. I smile because I know I don’t deserve love like that. None of us do.
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Asking Specifically
January 25th, 2009
by Katherine Kehler
__________________________________________________ ________
“For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him. And then helping you do what He wants”
Philippians 2:13
The day I found this promise in the Bible I was very excited. I was beginning to understand that I didn’t have to change myself. God would change me and this verse confirmed it. He would even help me want to change. Being a determined person, I could be a problem if Christ wasn’t in control of my life, but God would work in me to change me. What freedom that spiritual principle brought to my life.
The Holy Spirit was beginning to convict me about being grumpy in the morning. For years I had rationalized that I was just born that way. I had inherited this temperament from my father and grandmother. I wasn’t a morning person. I didn’t want to speak to anyone until after 10:00 am and preferred that no one spoke to me.
The Holy Spirit showed me that His power was not limited to after 10:00 in the morning, and that I was having a negative influence on our four school-aged children and Marvin every morning. So I claimed the promise in Philippians 2:23 and prayed something like this; “God you are the God of flesh. All things are possible with You. Please change me into a cheerful person in the morning.”
http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/biblestudies/spiritfilledlife.htm
Within three months, my husband Marvin noticed the difference in me. He said, “I sure appreciate your being cheerful in the morning.”
I realized that praying specifically really works.
I still don’t bounce out of bed in the morning like my husband does. I like to wake up slowly. But when I begin to wake up, before I get out of bed, I focus on the Lord and ask Him to control and direct my life. What a difference praying specifically has made in my life.
Father, thank You for giving us Your Word and the Holy Spirit who opens our mind to understand it and empowers us to change. Help us to remember to ask specifically. Amen.
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Daily Word — Sunday, January 25, 2009
Protected
Divine wisdom guides us and divine love inspires us to bless one another.
My own well-being is about more than just what I myself contribute. I live in a world in which others are a source of food, transportation, health care, and safety.
Knowing this is so, I pray a prayer of inclusion, knowing that others, as well as myself, further my well-being at home, far away, and all places in between.
Thank God for all those who plan for, supply, or prepare nutritious food, pure water, abundant energy, safe travel, clean streets, and so much more. Remembering them in my prayers, I envision them in an environment that is peaceful and secure at all times.
I thank God for wisdom that guides us and love that inspires us to bless one another.
"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now."--Philippians 1:3-5
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THOUGHT
Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. -C. S. Lewis
VERSE Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11
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Meditation: Mark 1:14-20
Is it really true that all Jesus had to say was “Follow me” for Simon and Andrew to drop everything? Or that just a few moments later, James and John would do the same thing?
Probably not. Today’s Gospel is a kind of summary passage that introduces us to Jesus’ first disciples. It tells us that Jesus won them over, but a lot of the details of how he did it are left unsaid.
We can be sure that Jesus knew exactly what to say. He knew how to win men and women to him and to his Father. It was a combination of love, truth, leadership, purity, and passion. While we may lack Jesus’ holiness or his talent, we are still called to evangelize (Matthew 28:19). So here are some steps that might help us spread the good news:
First, have a passion for people. Jesus once said that he would leave ninety-nine faithful sheep in order to find one lost sheep. Jesus values every soul. He wants everyone to come to heaven. And that kind of passion made him effective.
Second, pray. Make a list of people you know who are lukewarm in their faith or who have left the church altogether. Pray for them every day, asking the Holy Spirit to draw them home by grace. Believe that the Spirit will work, and trust that he will.
Third, prepare. Try to write down what you would say to someone should the opportunity arise. But before you write, ask the Spirit to help you formulate your thoughts. Ask him, too, to help you overcome any fear of rejection.
Hundreds of thousands of people die every week, and many of them are not ready to face judgment. Some assume that heaven is a foregone conclusion, while others simply don’t want to have anything to do with God. So get to work! If we can help to bring just one person back to the Lord this year, we will be doing great.
“Lord, give me a spirit of evangelism. Help me to overcome fear and shyness. And please move in the people I am praying for.”
Jonah 3:1-5,10; Psalm 25:4-9; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
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Now I Get It
Author: Tony Beckett and Woodrow Kroll
Exodus 12-13, Matthew 16
Key Verse: Matthew 16:12
Those of us who enjoy telling a good story usually agonize inwardly when we have to explain it. Hopefully, at some point in the retelling of the story, a light will come on and the person will say, "Oh, now I get it!"
Imagine how Jesus might have felt when His disciples still were not getting it. He said, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (v. 6). They thought, Did He say that because we didn't bring any bread?
So, to those Jesus addressed as "You of little faith," He asked, "Do you still not understand?" (v. 9).
Their focus was on the physical; His was on the spiritual. They thought of bread for the body; He thought of food for the soul. In the miracles of feeding the multitudes, Jesus had demonstrated His ability to meet their needs. They could trust Him to provide for them. Now, though, He wanted their attention to be on spiritual matters, not just physical.
When you pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," are you looking for just that which is physical, or are you asking for that which is food for the soul?
Are you a careful listener? Not all teaching is correct. Listen carefully and then compare all teaching you hear with the Bible.
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The Sabbath Principle
Read Exodus 22:1 through 24:18
John sat on the couch, feeling tired and depressed. He had worked several hours Saturday morning and was planning to return to the office after lunch. But his wife Beth was angry at him. She pointed out that he had not taken a day off for three weeks, and she wanted him to spend the day with her. He was tired from the long hours, and sad that his work schedule was creating difficulties in his marriage.
Exodus 23:12 is one of many Scriptures that teach the Sabbath Principle. It says, “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.” The Bible encourages us to work hard. But it also teaches us to set aside at least one day each week for rest.
Many things oppose the habit of godly rest. Sometimes, unfinished work is brought home from the office. Or home improvement projects beg to be finished. But remember that God wants to be honored in your rest, and He wants to refresh you by giving you and those around you a day off. Take it!
Challenge for Today: Make sure to schedule a Sabbath rest in your calendar this week. Let nothing—big or small—get in the way.
Quicklook:Exodus 23:10–13 God's Word For Today
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Conversational Prayer-Sonnets and Scriptures
January 25 ~
... the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God ... He who trusts in his own mind is a fool; but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered ... the heart is deceitful above all things ... He that committeth sin is of the devil ... "I speak to them in parables; for they look without seeing, and listen without hearing or understanding" ... The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them ... Butter and curds and wild honey shall he eat, when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good ...
Js.1:20 (RSV); Prov.28:26 (RSV); Jer.17:9 (NIV); 1 Jn.3:8 (KJV); Matt.13:13 (Beck): Prov.20:12 (KJV); Is.7:15 (Amp)
Apperception
A fool am I to listen to, agree
with my own angry arguments, complaints ...
Their apperceptions of reality
cannot be true! They are my enemy --
the thoughts themselves! Alas, among the saints
who truly comprehends, amidst the press
of daily life, that God all things doth send
- both good and ill - then doth the saint address
with Still Small Voice: "Choose Good! Choose Love! Confess
to Me thy failures, and thy heart I'll mend.
Not what thou do for Me, but what thou think:
the way thou art: what's in thy heart -- these count
above all! Art thou of Me - or sin? Drink
of Me! To high places thy soul will mount!"
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For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things ... "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" ... "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life ... He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" ... As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him ... live in Him ... abide in Him ... He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places ...
Rom.11:36 (NAS); Jn.7:37 (KJV); 6:54,56 (NAS); Col.2:6,7 (KJV); 2:6 (Beck); 1 Jn.2:28 (NAS); Ps.18:33 (KJV).
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OUR PAST – GOD’S TOOL
“We have listed the people we have hurt by our conduct, and are willing to straighten out the past if we can.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 70
“God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” Ecclesiastes 5:20
Luke 6:42
For what it's worth: My past has a family I lost because of hurt I inflicted. Some I recall, but how much did I cause in blackouts? I cried and drank over this loss for years. There has been no communication from them in forty years, despite numerous amends attempts since I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sponsors, spiritual advisors, therapists, and attorneys have helped me through the years. I have grieved, but I no longer beat myself up over it. I pray for my lost family and I have insured that they have my address and phone number. If they ever give me the opportunity, I will be ready to make amends. AA has taught me to accept my life just as it is with my past just as it is. I do not brood over the loss of my family because I have seen God use this piece of my past - and every hardship I have ever suffered - to bring hope to others. My past is His tool. That makes it precious. So, whenever the past tries to get me down, I rise up remembering that fact. That way I certainly do “not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it”.
God bless you!
Joe W.