1-31-07 John 13:1-17 Pride

Memory Verse: John 13-14: If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

A British general once entertained a number of guests. The generals assistant seated a prominent lady at the left of the host rather than at his right, the place of honor. She fumed quietly and then said indignantly: "I suppose you have great difficulty getting your aide-de-camp to seat your guests properly!" "not at all," the general responded. "Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."

One of the most destructive traits is supersensitivity. Those who are constantly looking for some trifle to touch off their tempers and upset their dispositions are sure to be successful in their search. People who wear their feelings on their sleeves are often in a stew. Individuals who are continually drawing invisible emotional line over which they dare others to step, will find their energies taken in nursing their many hurts and will have little time or strength left for worthwhile tasks.

If you are easily offended, you have a simple but serious problem - PRIDE. Secretly, you expect others to treat you rather special because you think you deserve that kind of treatment. NO wonder your feathers are ruffled regularly!

Consider the Saviour washing the disciples' feet. Contrast His attitude to the frame of mind that makes you so hard to live with. Meditating on His humble act that day will enable you to put away petty pride and its resultant touchiness. You will become insulated against insults. And nothing will offend you!

1-30-07 John 12:5 The Complainers

John 12:1-9

Memory Verse: John 12:5:

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Judas was a complainer. Though Pilate could find no fault in Jesus, Judas did. Some are specialists at picking flaws. Life will be better if you refuse to hear them.

Refuse to hear the "daily downers,: Some thrive on complaints. The enjoy ill health and spread their contagion everywhere thy go. Even God cannot please them and they spend their lives blind to His blessings. Though sometimes feigning spirituality, they know nothing of the Bible command to "do all things without murmurings and disputings" (Philippians 2:4). Their coups overflow - with vinegar.

Refuse to hear criticism of others. When hypercritical people find fault and gossip in your presence, tune them out. Change the subject. Inject conversation that fits Paul's call for continual praise: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Refuse to hear comments that undermine you church or pastor. All churches are imperfect because they are made up of sinners who have been saved by grace. All pastors fall short of fulfilling their responsibilities because their tasks are overwhelming. But what an awful thought to stand in judgment having invested time and effort in slowing the work of God or in hindering one of His servants.

So, practice that delightful deafness that breaks the chain of criticism and complaining. If you have been guilty one, confess this serious sin to the Lord and claim His forgiveness.

Weigh your words; they'll be weighed again in judgment.

1-29-07 Tears

Memory Verse: John 11:35: Jesus Wept

No study of the life and ministry of Jesus would be complete without the considering the tears of Jesus at the grave of Lazarus. Here the tender heart of the Saviour is revealed and all grieving people are made aware that He understands.

One who ever waled on this earth wept at a grave. Tears do not signal weakness. On the contrary, they are but part of God's plan for releasing the tension that comes with trouble. And in this world we have trouble.

The tears of Jesus were for all who ever pass though the valley of the shadow of death. Shortly, He would call Lazarus from the the tomb. Within a few moments the disciples would move the stone at the mouth of the grave. At the call of Christ, Lazarus would come walking out of the burial place just as all Christians will respond to His call the Rapture of the church. These tears were not for Lazarus. In that moment, Jesus felt the sorrow of death through which all pass, and wept. He knows that ache deep within that one human help can cure, and offers His comfort to those who lose loved ones in death.

Death is an enemy. Even for Christians. Paul wrote: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death: (1 Corinthians 15:26). Though heaven awaits the child of God, earth itself is never pleasant. Still, it is important to know that the Light of the World goes with the believer through that valley. And His tears are testimony to His care.

1-28-07 1 Peter 5:4

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5:4

The symbols Scripture uses of palms, crowns, streets of gold and seas of glass are just that, symbols. They never quite satisfy our curiosity about heaven, and they're not meant to. They are only shadowy images of the real things, as well as guides, and signposts that's point us in the right direction to show us the way home.

1-24-07 - Revelation 21:25

On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

Revelation 21:25

Do you know why a photographer uses a negative to take your photo? He uses it to show us a positive image. The principle is the same when it comes to heaven. The negatives are used in order to show us the positive. On earth, we know all to well what the negatives are. Suffering, pain and death. Show us their opposites, the positive side, and we shall have the best possible idea of the perfect state.

1-23-07 Revelation 21:5

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:5

We will not lose in heaven. We will gain. The Lord who has planted the seed of future divine fulfillment in almost every good thing on earth will carry it on to completion until the day he arrives and makes crystal clear all the unseen divine realities. God won't throw any good thing away.

1-22-07 Revelation 21:23

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its Lamp.

Revelation 21:23

Heaven won't be less than the wonder you experience over a glorious sunrise...."for the glory of God gives it light." Even light will have its future divine fulfillment. (C.S. Lewis says) it will be a better light "not as a candle flame that is put out, but as a candle flame which becomes invisible because someone has pulled up the blind, thrown open the shutters, and let the blaze of the risen Son."

1-21-07 James 1:12

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

From a verse like this we can infer that when we curb our appetites on earth and refuse to let lust and covetousness ruin wonderful things like marriage or food, our victories gain us glory and splendor in heaven. All this will bring greater glory to God

1-20-07 Hebrews 9:28

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:28

Where have you looked for identity? One of the major factors needed to find true happiness is a sense of identification. Some people seek their identity in other people. We must have someone with whom we can relate. It may be a hero, a teacher, or a friend. It seems as if the entire world is looking for a leader with whom they can identify. This is a universal need; you hear it on every hand. Jesus Christ is the person with whom you can identify. Unlike any other leader, He will abide when all others fail. The only Person who does not have feet of clay is the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him and seek your identity there. Look to others only when, and if, they in turn point you to Him

1-19-07 1 King 19:11-13

The lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by," Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was no in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. The a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

1 King 19:11-13

Don't look for Jesus among the dead teachers of the world.
Don't look for Jesus among the good examples.
Don't look for Him among the heroes
Where do we look for Jesus? We look for Him in His Living Word and in the hearts of believers where He dwells; we look for Him among the sinners who confess their need of a Savior; we look for Him among the lowly, the unlovely, unloved, unsung. Where do we look for happiness and joy? There's only one place---in Jesus. Where do we look for security? God is the only secure thing in our world. Where do we look for nourishment and growth? We need to find it among fellow believers in a church, and from feasting on His Word.

1-18-07 1 Peter 1:22,23

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 Peter 1:22,23

There is an old poem, "Tribute," that has been put to music that has so much in it that is good:

I love you, not only for what you are
But for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself,
But for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart
And passing over all my foolish, weak things
That you can't help dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked quite far enough to find.

I love you for ignoring the possibilities of the fool
And weakling in me, and for laying firm hold
On the possibilities of good in me.

I love you for closing your eyes to the discords in me,
And for adding to the music in me
By worshipful listening.

I love you because you are helping me to make the
Lumber of my life not a tavern, but a temple
And the words of my every day, not a reproach,
But a song.

I love you because you have done more than any
Creed could have done to make me good,
More than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it just by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means after all.

Roy Croft

It is surely what being happily married means. Don't lose heart. Don't forget those silent, strong multitudes of women who whole heartedly believe in marriage in its fullest and have given their lives happily to it, only to find themselves whole and complete, holding up a tottering world.
Quite a challenge! Quite a partnership! There are many women nonetheless who are doing just that, because they have a commitment---a commitment to duty, a commitment to excellence!

This Spoke To Me

My sister sent this to me from church last week. It seems to speak numbers in many peoples lives. The pastors wife was speaking in tongues last Sunday and this is the translation. Just gives me Holy Spirit chills/Holy Spirit goose bumps...lol


For I am the God that has taken and made everything from nothing. Do you have a doubt that I can also redeem you from your situation? Do not doubt Me, declares the Lord. Know this, I long to prove Myself to you. I rained manna out of heaven when there was a need for food. Surely you must know that I would do the same for you on your behalf. Know this, I can do anything. And I am your Lord. I am your provider. I am the One who gives you health. I am the One who gives you the ability to make wealth. I am the One who can do favors for My children just because I love you. Do not loose confidence, declares the Lord, for the test you have been enduring is but for a season. And know this, I have a plan. I have a remedy. Trust Me. Wait before Me and know that truly you will be delivered and that it will be very soon.

1-17-07 Luke 8:12-14

Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devils comes and takes away the word from their heats, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Luke 8:12-14

There is something you will learn about the devil, if you have not already. He always gives his best shot first. Everything else is diminishing returns. God works the opposite way. He calls for discipline, He calls for dedication, and sometimes deprivation. Sometimes you have to surrender, you have to give up your will and it is very, very hard. But from then on everything gets better and better and sweeter and sweeter. With Satan it is just the opposites.
Bill Glass, who used to play for the Cleveland Browns, made the remark that if you don't think sin is fun, you have just not been to the right places. Some sin is a lot of fun, but remember---it is the best shot coming first, and then will come all the problems, difficulties, enslavement. Satan doesn't let you see the difficulties or the ankle chains awaiting you when he's dangling all the dazzle and glitter trying to entice you. Oh no! He waits until he has you going his way, and then he turns all the gold to brass, the glitter to ashes, and the magic potion to hemlock. Christians, beware! The pleasures for a season are not worth the price you have to pay!

1-16-07 Proverbs 30:4, 5

Who has gone up to heave and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Proverbs 30:4, 5

I have always been so grateful that I have the Lord God Himself guarding my pathway.
I once heard a missionary tell a strange and wonderful Story. It happened in the Belgian Congo when Christians were being slaughtered and forced to leave the country. A missionary couple had been told that the authorities would probably come to their house on a particular night to either kill or imprison them. They gathered together with a little band of three or four other missionaries, and throughout the long night, they prayer and trusted the Lord for the deliverance. Even though their situation was desperate, they were unafraid because they knew God was in control of their destiny, and whatever it would be---whether they died or whether they lived---it was all right, because God would not leave them or forsake them. And so they prayed all night, and while they were praying, the authorities came almost to the front door, but they did not take them away; they did not kill them.
Morning dawned, and the leader of the village came and told them to get their belongings and leave---they were free to go. He urged them to hurry, saying, "We don't want you here anymore." Puzzled, the missionaries inquired as to why they had been spared. The man answered, "Last night when we came to get you, a host of men with guns stood guarding your house. We don't know where they came from, but we don't want you or them around here anymore."
Where did they come from? Were they a vision, an apparition, or were they God's heavenly host protecting His own?
Don't ever underestimate the Lord God Almighty! Don't ever underestimate prayer! It is the greatest defense! Miracles like this, if indeed it was a miracle, do not happen often, but that does not mean they cannot. God can do anything He wants to do. He is always our shield and protections---sometimes seen and sometimes unseen.

1-15-07 John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

God created us for fellowship with Himself. Because He wanted us to love Him out of our own free choice, He gave to us a free will. Adam and Eve used it wrongly, and God devised a plan for His beloved Son to take on our form and to provide an expression of how much He loved us.
I have yet to meet anyone who---if given enough time---will not respond to genuine love. That is why God sent Jesus into the world, in order to reveal to us His overflowing, everlasting, all-encompassing love. God created us for fellowship with Himself, and He has provided everything needed for us to experience that fellowship throughout all eternity.

1-14-07 Colossians 3:1,2

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things

Colossians 3:1,2


Everything in your life will be influenced by your affections. Someone asked Tim LaHaye, who counsels with hundreds of married couples, what he would say was causing the most problems of the couples who came to him for counsel. The answer was "selfishness." "He or she does not make me happy---the I have to change him or her to make me happy, because 'Me' must be happy.
What did you give up to win? If you gave up some of your integrity, it is not worth it. With the goals and honors there must be integrity. Above all else, guard your affections!
One of the reasons so many people wanted to honor Roger Stauback, the great Dallas Cowboy quarterback, was that although Roger loved football, that was not where he put his first affection. His first affection was to God and to his family, then to football. He was greatly honored and respected. No one thought of Roger as a quitter when he left the game at the heights of his fame and glory, because he had his affections in the right place. His concern was for his family, what risking serious injury in football might do to them.

You're writing each day a record for men;
Be sure the writing is true,
For the only record some people read
Is the Bible according to you.

1-13-07 Joshua 24:15

Choose you this day whom ye will serve;...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord

Joshua 24:15


Is the home we are creating a haven or a hazard? A haven is a place of security against the storms of life ...a harbor ... a place of "refueling" ... of building and rebuilding ... a place where confidence is built up for each person in the home. Love has a locale and it is called "home." Here love most deeply expresses itself. Here it most truly receives its nourishment. Here it is most surely radiates its power.

Houses are made of wood and stonebutOnly LOVE can make a HOME.

A child psychologist says:A mother's love should teach a child that he is loved ...A father's love should teach a child that he is competent. A child needs both---to feel LOVED and to feel COMPTETENT.

1-12-07 Philippians 3:14

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14


Oh, how we need goals! Every person needs a goal. Women have to learn that they need goals in their lives, whether they are homemakers, business women, or whatever their lot in life.
Do you have a goal? You must! And then you must have a commitment to that goal. We are goal-oriented people. Our goal should be for excellence in whatever we do. Our goals should be definite--definable.
Many people are to vague in where they are going. They want "to make a lot of money," but how much is a lot? What is the plan? How do they intend to go about accomplishing this accumulation? They won't do it. Our goals must be definite, they must be specific.
So, set your goals--emotional goals, spiritual goals, physical goals, financial goals. Put a timetable on them and then reach for them, and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Heaven

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior for there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20

Heaven has to come alive. Heaven is your journey's end, your life's goal, your purpose for going on. If heaven is the home of your spirit, the rest for your soul, the repository of every spiritual investment on earth, then it must grip your heart. And your heart must grip heaven by faith. Heaven has been, and always shall be, a matter of faith.

1-10-07 John 6:40

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day

John 6:40

Heaven

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

Revelation 21:1

Why did God seem to talk about heaven in terms of what it will not be, rather than what it will be. The positive descriptions about what heaven is seem clumsy and ungraceful. Rainbow thrones? Streets of gold? Pearly gates? Aren't you just a little relieved that heaven can't be reduced to terms we can manage? Simply put, there are no words for heaven.

Children

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.


Your approach to guiding and directing your children:

* Make sure there is a clear understanding of the rules.
* Discipline in private. If you're in a public setting, wait until you can be alone.
* Review the infraction and its consequences.
* Be firm in your discipline.
* Assure your child of your love and concern.
* Hold your child firmly after each discipline.
* End your session with a time of prayer. (Give your child an opportunity to pray too.)

For Julie

She knows who she is


Colossians 1:9

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asked God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.


Time has a way of defining true friends. There is something basic about friendship. It is like the structure that holds up a building. It is mostly hidden and absolutely essential. I have discovered that passing years and growing distance are ineffective obstacles to the mutual love between my friends and me. Perhaps it is because of our common walk with the Lord that we can just pick up where we left off whenever we are together. I find that my friends are the support of my life.

1-6-2007

Words, and even paintings can sometimes strike a resonant chord, helping us hear that ancient and heavenly song which the morning stars sang together. Let's not get to settled in, to satisfied with the good things down here on earth. They are only the tinkling sounds of the orchestra warming up. The real song is about to break into a heavenly symphony and it's prelude is only a few moments away.

A Few Quotes

Live every day like it is your last, you never know if tomorrow will ever come.


Life is only what you make of it, the more you give, the more you will receive.


We try to make ends meat, you slave to the money, then you die!!

1-4-07 Psalm 42:7

Our best memories are usually the sort which, like a tuning fork, strike that resonant chord in our souls. It's a song we never quite forget and recognize immediately whenever we catch its echo. Like deep calling to deep it is stamped with God's imprint. Such moments cast soundings and plumb the real depths of who we are. And what we hear is a heavenly echo.

Read Psalm 42:7