June 28, 2009

Courage: June 26, 2009

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009

COURAGE

Defined by Webster:

The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain without fear; bravery; to act in accordance with ones belief.


GODS WORD

“I will go to the King, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid, for the Lord your God, He is the one that goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

In the book of Esther we read about Mordecai, a Jew in exile, who refused to bow to Haman who was second in command to King Ahasuerus. Haman became furious and plotted to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. Haman then deceived the King and persuaded him to issue an edict condemning the Jews to death. Then Mordecai told his cousin Queen Esther and asked her to intervene.

Esther recognized that God had placed her in the palace for a reason and she alone had a chance to save her people. It would require courage on her part as she would be putting her own life in danger. She knew that approaching the King without an invitation was punishable by death. She also recognized she could not do it alone. She needed God’s help.

Esther then asked Mordecai to have all the Jews pray and fast for three days with her and her maids. Then, after three days, Esther went to the King to ask him to save her people.

The King saw her and invited her in and asked what her desire was. God went before Esther and answered her prayers and her courage was rewarded because the Jewish people were saved. [Esther 4:16]

Like Esther, when we have an opportunity to stand for what is right, even though we put ourselves in danger, we must have the courage to do it.

God has allowed us to travel to almost every corner of the world. This has allowed us to meet hundreds of people that have shown unbelievable courage during their lifetime. We have met many people who have shown real courage during times of real personal crises. Having courage is a triumph over fear. We remember talking to a young pastor in Kenya who was praying for a bicycle so he could ride to the three churches he pastored. He was walking daily to get to his churches through areas where robbers and thugs hung out. A bicycle would allow him to spend so much more time with the people he was ministering to regularly. What courage he showed us as he pastored his three Churches.

During our College days at Wheaton College, we were shocked and emotionally moved, as was our whole campus, with the announcement of the five Wheaton Alumni who were killed by the Auca Indians in Ecuador. These five dedicated missionaries had gone to this part of the world where no white man, let alone missionary had ever been. They were prepared to share their faith and translate the scriptures into their language. They went knowing it could cost them their lives.

But God had a better idea and used their deaths to open many more doors for God to be glorified not only in Ecuador but around the world. BUT WHAT COURAGE THESE FIVE YOUNG MEN SHOWED THE WORLD. One of the five, Jim Elliott wrote before he went to Ecuador:

“HE IS NO FOOL WHO GIVES WHAT HE CANNOT KEEP
TO GAIN WHAT HE CANNOT LOSE.”

These people all had courage in facing the crises in their lives. Each of us have had experiences when we have had to show courage during lonely times. Do you, in your times of distress, show the courage that these dear people showed? They showed courage because they believed that God would supply their need. And let us tell you that in each of these cases God did provide!

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

Give me the courage today to represent you dear Lord to my family, friends and associates in a new and special way. Give me the faith to expect great things from you today. Help me to face the difficult things without fear or concern knowing that you are with me every moment of this day.

Tithing: June 25, 2009

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2009

TITHING

Defined by Webster:

The tenth part of goods; to give or pay tithes on such as income.

GODS WORD

“You shall tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.” Deuteronomy 14:22.

“Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will over flow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

This is one of the most significant WORDS that we can talk about. Tithing is an important part of serving and honoring the Lord. It is a way of demonstrating that we put God first in our lives.

The Israelites were instructed by God through Moses to give God the first and best portions of their harvest and the best of their flocks to the Lord. It was a reminder to them that everything they had belonged to God.

Since we were children our parents taught us the importance of tithing. Tithing is the giving of the first tenth of all the income one receives before he spends it on anything else. We can remember the cup and/or glass that sat on a table for us to put even our few pennies from our allowance in each week. My [Dottie’s] mother taught her three girls early on that if we received 10 pennies we should give the Lord the shiniest one signifying that we were giving our best to the Lord. It was a different day then, our allowance was in pennies. This training helped us realize the importance of tithing as we got older.

If a tenth seems a lot, then remember two very important things. First, all we have belongs to God. Secondly, we can not out give God. We have found that the more we give the more God blesses us. We challenge you to tithe if you do not now. We could give you hundreds of examples of how God has blest others just as he has blest us. We learned to tithe when it really hurt. We learned to give a tithe when we had to cut back on the food budget. But every time when we needed help or came to a crises God provided far and beyond our need.

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

Teach me today to tithe of all that You have blest me with. Thank you, dear Lord for providing for me and my family in such a marvelous way. We honor you and thank you for being our God, our Lord and our Savior.

Poor: June 24, 2009

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2009

POOR

Defined by Webster:

Having little or no money or goods; dependent upon charity; characterized by or showing poverty; lacking in ability or training; humble; modest; deficient in desirable ingredients or qualities.

GODS WORD

“Blessed is he who considers the poor, the Lord will deliver him in his time of trouble.” Psalm 41:1

“I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me.” Psalm 40:17

“He who has pity upon the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” Proverbs 19:17

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

I will never forget the little 12 year old girl that came to our warehouse at World Opportunities to pick up food. This warehouse was there to give food to groups and churches but not to individuals. Our warehouse man asked me to come to the gate to explain to the mother and girl that they would need to go to a local church or feeding center to get help.

When I arrived at our gate and saw the tearful eyes of this little girl and heard the mother say that they had not had any food for three days, I had to respond. I asked one of our workers to gather several loaves of bread and food so we could give them a large box of items to take with them. When the little girl saw the bread she asked if she could open a loaf and have a piece. When she took that first bite her tears changed to a smile and in moments the piece of bread was all gone.

Some one once said that we can learn from the poor. I did that day and when I went home that night the story of this little 12 year old girl reminded our whole family what it meant to be poor. But more important we were reminded of two more things. First to thank God for all that He has given us. Secondly for us to have hearts that were open to help the poor whenever we had the opportunity.

Over the years we have seen so many examples of really poor children. The children who live on the garbage dump in Manila, the families who live in the slums of east Africa and the orphans [street children] who live in “lean to” houses in Guatemala. Each example reminds us that we must dedicate ourselves to help poor people wherever they are.

We are reminded often in the Bible to remember and care for the poor. The real test of our Christian faith and beliefs is the way we treat people we meet whether they are rich or poor. Do we scorn the poor or do we have mercy on them and care enough to help? Do we get awe struck by the rich and then forget the poor? In Matthew 25: 41 – 46, Jesus speaks of the final judgment when He will separate the believers from the pretenders. He lists in these verses the acts of kindness that sets apart nonbelievers with the followers of Christ.

There is a powerful verse found in Matthew 25: 35 that tells us: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Then Jesus reminds us that when we do these things we are doing it for Him. Our loving acts of kindness to others brings glory to God as it reflects our love for Him and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In Psalms 40:17, David tells us about a different meaning to the word “POOR.” He was feeling alone, empty, downtrodden and he was in a real need for spiritual help. When David felt down and out, he knew where to turn. David knew that even though we feel insufficient God is always aware of what those who trust in God are going through. David knew that God was with him in his hour of need. It is when we are feeling poor and needy that we are most likely to seek after God and that is when God is able to do his greatest work in us.

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

Thank you for the many blessings you have given me and my family. Today I pray for those who have so little. I pray that you would lead me today to someone who is either physically or spiritually poor. Help others to see Christ in me in all that I do.

Wisdom: June 23, 2009

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 23,2009

WISDOM

Defined by Webster:

The quality or state of being wise; scholarly knowledge; discernment; insight.


GODS WORD

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” Proverbs 1:7-8.

“Wisdom is better than strength; words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard. Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” Ecclesiastics 9: 16-18.

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”
Proverbs 3:13.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him.” James 1:5.

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

As small children we thought our mother and father knew everything. As we grew older and became more independent we decided that maybe they were not that smart. By the time we got to our teenage years we began to think that we had all the answers. But then the cycle changed as we got older and more mature. When we had to face the problems of life on our own we decided that our parents were much smarter and wiser.

We have heard it said that one should be willing, as often as possible, to sit down with an older person just to receive some of the wisdom he or she will give from their life experiences. We have realized over the years that experience brings wisdom. As we look back on our lives it was through the tutoring and training of our parents and their peers that we learned so many things that helped us set our standards and even our goals in life. Have you considered having a partnership with someone, who has been through many trials of life, just to be able to learn from their wisdom?

Solomon’s advice to us in Proverbs 1:8 is to listen to what our father and mother teach us and then not to forget it. We should be open to advice from those who have lived longer and have had so many more life changing experiences then we have had.

In I Kings 3:5 after Solomon became King; God appeared to Solomon in a dream and promised him that He [God] would give him anything he asked for. He could have asked for riches, popularity, success or any thing he wanted, but he asked for WISDOM! [Verse 9]. Solomon was only about 20 years old when he became King. He knew he was young and that his inexperience made him feel inadequate to the task of ruling such a large kingdom. He knew he did not know it all but he did recognize that God was the source of wisdom.

Wisdom is a gift from God. We have learned that the Lord gives wisdom to us if we only ask. In Proverbs 2:6, it reads that “from His mouth came knowledge and understanding.” When we read God’s Word daily we gain insight and knowledge to develop the wisdom we need to make our day by day decisions. This is because through His Word His wisdom is revealed to us. Wisdom comes from a process of growth. We need to first have a desire for wisdom, then we must ask for it, and then God will respond --- just as He responded to Solomon. Wisdom will allow us to discern what is right, what is wrong, what is just, and what is fair.

Wisdom enables us to make favorable life decisions and then to be able to evaluate the consequences of those decisions. Wisdom knows when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech.

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

Give me the wisdom today to make decisions that honor your name. Give me the wisdom to communicate wisely properly to my family, friends and associates. May our family reach out to others so we can learn and even more importantly, reach out to you for guidance and wisdom that only you can give. Make this be a day when I am drawn closer to you.

Abandon: June, 22, 209

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 22, 2009

ABANDON

Defined by Webster:

To leave completely; forsake; desert; to give up; to discontinue; to relinquish; to withdraw from; to give up hope.

GODS WORD

“My loved ones and my friends stand aloof, and my relatives stand a far off.” Psalm 38:11.

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1

“At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me.” II Timothy 4:16.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake [abandon] you.” Hebrews 13:5.

WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE

Some years ago when we were involved in a large feeding program for inner city families in the greater Los Angeles Area, we met a dear woman whose name was Mae Raines. She lived in a very poor area of south Los Angeles. Mae was known as “God’s Angel” to her community. She came to our warehouse center two to three times a week and filled her car to the roof with food. She then distributed this food to the neediest people in her community.

I remember the day she came to our warehouse to pick up food and she had in her arms a little 3 day old baby. This baby was what they called a “druggy” and had been abandoned. Mae could not allow this baby to die so she took him in and began the process of making him well. The baby was constantly shaking as his body was going through withdrawal from the drugs his mother had used during her pregnancy.

We watched this boy grow. It was the love of a Christian mother, Mae Raines, over several years that soon brought him to the place where he could live a normal life. Yes this baby was abandoned but a loving lady, “GOD’S ANGEL,” saw to it that this boy could live and today he is living a normal life.

We can also remember watching TV reports about 20 years ago of all the babies who were abandoned in Romania under the dictatorship of their former leader. When freedom came their way the terrible situation of these children became international news. Soon many of these abandoned children were adopted and began to live a normal life because someone loved them. There were literally hundreds of stories that then came to every ones attention about how love and care changed the course of life for these abandoned babies.

We can only imagine how abandoned the disciples and the followers of Jesus felt when they saw Jesus crucified and His body laid in a tomb. They had put all of their trust in Jesus and now their hopes had vanished. In Luke 24:13-19 we read of two followers of Jesus walking and talking on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appeared to them in His resurrected body and they did not recognize Him. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. With saddened faces they explained that they were talking about the crucifixion of Jesus. They said that they had hoped that Jesus was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

Jesus then explained to them from the scripture why He had to suffer and die. He explained also all the references in the scripture beginning with Moses and the prophets concerning Himself. And the scripture says that soon their eyes were opened and they saw their Messiah, the Resurrected Christ.

When you feel abandoned or feel confused, the Word of God is always the best place to look for comfort and insight. What a wonderful promise we have that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. Others may abandon us but Jesus never will. He who gives himself to God will never be abandoned by God.

TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER

I come to you today knowing the promise from your Word that assures me that you will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me today to reach out to someone that feels abandoned and needs my love. May I share with them the Love that you have given me. Bless my family and give each one of us a servant’s attitude as we face life today.

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