FEBRUARY 12. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2010
PERSEVERANCE
DEFINITION:
Persist in something undertaken in spite of difficulties, discouragement and hardship.
SCRIPTURE:
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
If anyone should be held up as an example of what it means to persevere in spite of hardships it was the apostle Paul. Paul knew what it meant to suffer and be persecuted. For the first century Christian persecution was the norm rather than the exception. In Paul’s writings he gives words of instruction and encouragement concerning perseverance that he has learned from experience. In his letter to the Christians in Rome he writes that he rejoices in his sufferings. Do you wonder how that this was true? What he was telling the believers at the church in Rome was that he found out that his sufferings produced perseverance which developed his character which led him to put his hope and trust in God.
Paul in his letters to Timothy shows that he was a man with strong emotions. As a Jew he hated the Christians and persecuted them unmercifully. After his conversion to Christianity he became not only a man of passion but also a man of great compassion.
Paul selected Timothy as a very young man to become his assistant. The last letter that Paul wrote was to Timothy and it was written while he was alone in prison and he knew that he would soon die. In spite of his dire circumstances, Paul persevered and continued his ministry because he wanted to make sure Timothy and others were prepared to carry on in his place. Paul’s last words to Timothy were compassionate words of encouragement and preparation.
In 11 Timothy 3:10-15, Paul is instructing Timothy to prepare for the challenges that he will face in preaching the Word. Paul first of all tells Timothy to persevere in studying the Word of God so that he will be fully equipped to teach others. He reminds Timothy of all that he (Paul) had endured in his ministry and warns Timothy and everyone else who lives a Godly life that they will endure hardship. He encourages Timothy to continue on even though Paul foresees that the evil in this world will only get worse.
You can determine the character of a man by what it takes to make him quit. We have encouraged our children to stay with a commitment until it is completed. This sometimes takes great perseverance but must be adhered too. Many people today get involved in a project and then walk away from it. When a child is taught at an early age to stick with a project until it is completed that child, as he gets older, will show great perseverance in every activity he or she is involved in.
Winston Churchill said: “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never ---to anything great or small, large or petty --- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.
As the apostle Paul has warned us, we can expect persecution and discouragement when we are trying to serve the Lord. It is easy to decide that it is just not worth it and just give up. Paul encourages us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and trust in His power and not on our own. God alone can give us the strength to persevere through every hardship we face in life today.
We are receiving many notes from wonderful Christians in countries far from us who are going through persecution today and are persevering. Please let us all pray daily for these our Christian brothers and sisters.
As we look back on our lives there have been numerous times that we have wanted to quit. But if we had made a commitment to a worthy project and the projects end is in sight, we never quit. In fact we cannot remember one time that we have backed out of a project that we have committed to do. The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not, genius will not, education will not; but persistence and determination will.
This is contrasted with the possible time that one may have where they were involved in a project and everyone that was in that project agreed that it would not work, then stopping and going another direction is proper.
Are you discouraged today and close to quitting? Let us assure you that victory lies ahead of you if you will only persevere to the end. If you are not giving all you can PLUS using what God has made available to you, then you will not persevere.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Give me the fortitude and desire to complete each project that I am involved in. May Your strength sustain me when I feel like giving up. May Your Holy Spirit strengthen my resolve to carry on.
February 14, 2010
Forgiveness: February 11, 2010
February 11. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2010
FORGIVENESS
DEFINITION:
Grants pardon to someone or something; willingness and ready to forgive.
SCRIPTURE:
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our inequities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is His love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:10.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
For those who love God and have come to Him for forgiveness of sins, God forgives so completely that He separates us from it. The Psalmist says that God has removed our sins as far from us as the “east is from the west.” God’s forgiveness means not only that He takes our sins away but that He also forgets them. He will never punish us for them, even though we deserve it. In fact He will never dredge them up again.
How different God’s forgiveness is from our forgiveness. We will say that we forgive others, but we just do not forget what they have done. We seem to love to bring up what was done in the past, especially when it serves our purpose. This usually happens the first time we have a new disagreement with them.
All those who have accepted God’s forgiveness for the sins that they have committed through the shed blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, should be changed people. Christians must put their faith into action so that they are more like Christ. A Christian’s conduct should validate Jesus’ transforming power in his or her life.
The apostle Paul understood the challenges Christian’s face in living a life that is Christ-like. He speaks to this challenge of forgiveness in Colossians 3:13. He tells us, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Paul knew that God’s forgiveness is perfect and complete because he experienced it. There is no better example than God’s loving forgiveness that He has given us. If we consider how much He has forgiven us how can we not forgive the little wrongs others do to us.
We want others to forgive us when we ask but we find it difficult, more often than not, to forgive others. When we find we just do not want to forgive someone, we best heed Jesus’ warning about forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15. Jesus said: “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
When we are unwilling to forgive others, it means we are putting ourselves in God’s place to decide who should be forgiven and who should not. It reveals that we do not understand the real meaning of forgiveness.
It is one thing to forgive our friends, but forgiving our enemies takes super human strength that only God can give. During the Revolutionary war a pastor named John Miller learned that one of his greatest enemies was going to be hanged for his many crimes. Upon hearing this, the pastor walked about 60 miles to ask General George Washington to intercede for this man’s life. The General responded and said that he was sorry but he could not pardon his “friend.” The pastor responded by saying that the man was not his friend, but his worst enemy. Seeing the preacher’s forgiveness attitude toward his staunchest enemy, General Washington signed the pardon.
Then the pastor took the signed pardon and walked another 15 miles to the execution site of his enemy. He arrived just as the condemned man was trudging toward the scaffold to be executed. The pardon arrived just in time to save his life. What forgiveness! Yet Christ did much more for us. The scriptures tell us in Romans 5:8 that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Forgiveness must start in our home. Unwillingness to forgive members of one’s family will almost always fracture families beyond repair. We must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Not only must we be willing to forgive we must be willing to forget.
Learning to forgive begins by first asking God’s forgiveness. We must teach our children about God’s forgiveness and lovingly encourage them to be forgiving. Being forgiving as a parent is the best example we can give our children just as God’s forgiving us is our example.
Think of the times when standards are broken or set boundaries are not kept. When this happens sit down and talk quietly but firmly to your children. In addition to talking about the issue involved take time to talk about forgiveness. You will need to explain what God did to forgive us from our sins and how He expects us to have a forgiving heart. You will soon realize a whole different attitude in your home. It may take several months and multiple incidents but being consistent and loving will soon allow you to break through the barriers that stand between you and your family member.
When we forgive someone we show what Peter talks about in I Peter 4: 8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” When we serve God He wants us to forgive every day and show love to all that we meet.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Help me to think of someone today that has wronged me and I have not forgiven. Help me to share with them that they have my forgiveness just as Christ has forgiven me.
FORGIVENESS
DEFINITION:
Grants pardon to someone or something; willingness and ready to forgive.
SCRIPTURE:
“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our inequities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is His love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:10.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
For those who love God and have come to Him for forgiveness of sins, God forgives so completely that He separates us from it. The Psalmist says that God has removed our sins as far from us as the “east is from the west.” God’s forgiveness means not only that He takes our sins away but that He also forgets them. He will never punish us for them, even though we deserve it. In fact He will never dredge them up again.
How different God’s forgiveness is from our forgiveness. We will say that we forgive others, but we just do not forget what they have done. We seem to love to bring up what was done in the past, especially when it serves our purpose. This usually happens the first time we have a new disagreement with them.
All those who have accepted God’s forgiveness for the sins that they have committed through the shed blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, should be changed people. Christians must put their faith into action so that they are more like Christ. A Christian’s conduct should validate Jesus’ transforming power in his or her life.
The apostle Paul understood the challenges Christian’s face in living a life that is Christ-like. He speaks to this challenge of forgiveness in Colossians 3:13. He tells us, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Paul knew that God’s forgiveness is perfect and complete because he experienced it. There is no better example than God’s loving forgiveness that He has given us. If we consider how much He has forgiven us how can we not forgive the little wrongs others do to us.
We want others to forgive us when we ask but we find it difficult, more often than not, to forgive others. When we find we just do not want to forgive someone, we best heed Jesus’ warning about forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15. Jesus said: “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
When we are unwilling to forgive others, it means we are putting ourselves in God’s place to decide who should be forgiven and who should not. It reveals that we do not understand the real meaning of forgiveness.
It is one thing to forgive our friends, but forgiving our enemies takes super human strength that only God can give. During the Revolutionary war a pastor named John Miller learned that one of his greatest enemies was going to be hanged for his many crimes. Upon hearing this, the pastor walked about 60 miles to ask General George Washington to intercede for this man’s life. The General responded and said that he was sorry but he could not pardon his “friend.” The pastor responded by saying that the man was not his friend, but his worst enemy. Seeing the preacher’s forgiveness attitude toward his staunchest enemy, General Washington signed the pardon.
Then the pastor took the signed pardon and walked another 15 miles to the execution site of his enemy. He arrived just as the condemned man was trudging toward the scaffold to be executed. The pardon arrived just in time to save his life. What forgiveness! Yet Christ did much more for us. The scriptures tell us in Romans 5:8 that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Forgiveness must start in our home. Unwillingness to forgive members of one’s family will almost always fracture families beyond repair. We must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Not only must we be willing to forgive we must be willing to forget.
Learning to forgive begins by first asking God’s forgiveness. We must teach our children about God’s forgiveness and lovingly encourage them to be forgiving. Being forgiving as a parent is the best example we can give our children just as God’s forgiving us is our example.
Think of the times when standards are broken or set boundaries are not kept. When this happens sit down and talk quietly but firmly to your children. In addition to talking about the issue involved take time to talk about forgiveness. You will need to explain what God did to forgive us from our sins and how He expects us to have a forgiving heart. You will soon realize a whole different attitude in your home. It may take several months and multiple incidents but being consistent and loving will soon allow you to break through the barriers that stand between you and your family member.
When we forgive someone we show what Peter talks about in I Peter 4: 8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” When we serve God He wants us to forgive every day and show love to all that we meet.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Help me to think of someone today that has wronged me and I have not forgiven. Help me to share with them that they have my forgiveness just as Christ has forgiven me.
Freedom: February 10, 2010
February 10. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2010.
FREEDOM
DEFINITION:
The state of being free; the right to worship and publish fact and opinion.
SCRIPTURE:
There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me FREE from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8: 1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In America we should be thankful to God for the freedoms we have enjoyed here for more than 233 years. Our country was founded by those who sought freedom to worship God as they pleased. Our founding fathers paid a heavy price to see that we have the freedoms that we enjoy now. Harry S. Truman, former President of the United States said: “Freedom is expensive, it still costs blood, it still calls for courage and endurance by every man and woman who is free and who is determined to remain free.”
Freedom is something that needs to be protected. We need to be vigilant and mindful of the price that our forefathers here in America paid that we might be free. High above the Capitol building in Washington D.C. is the “FREEDOM LADY.” This statue is about 20 feet high and stands out to all who come near the capitol. We are reminded of the shipping of this statue from Rome to America. The ship that was on encountered a fierce storm and the Captain ordered some of the cargo to be thrown overboard. Some of the sailors wanted to jettison the heavy statue into the sea, but the Captain refused, shouting above the howling storm, “NO! NEVER!” We will flounder before we throw “FREEDOM” away.
Our founding fathers made sure that religious freedom was part of that freedom. We should not take that for granted. There are many in this world that do not have religious freedom and many Christians are being persecuted even today.
We have often said in these devotionals that Christianity is much more than a religion. It is a relationship with Jesus. God has given you the freedom to choose to have that relationship. As Joshua said many years ago; “Choose you this day, who you shall serve. For me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
When we choose to serve the Lord and accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive a freedom that came at a heavy price. We have the freedom from the consequences of sin because Jesus paid the penalty of our sins by giving His life on the cross --- His blood has made us free.
In John (8: 31, 32, 36) we read that the truth that we learn from God’s Word shall make us free. When Jesus makes us free we are truly free. Only Jesus has the power to break the power of sin over our life.
How we use our freedom reveals our character and who we really are. This is illustrated in the story of Abraham and Lot. Abraham gave Lot, his nephew the freedom to choose first which portion of the land he wanted. Lot chose the most fertile land for himself and left the poorest for Abraham. Lot’s choice led to his downfall. Abraham was rewarded by God and was richly blessed with great wealth. When we include God in our freedom to choose, God will bless us.
Paul reminds us in his words to the church in Galatia (Galatians 5:13) that we as believers have been given freedom, and we are to use that freedom to serve one another and not as an opportunity for the furthering of our sinful desires.
We all must understand the need to protect our freedoms that we have here in America but the freedom that we receive from our Lord is much, much more important.
How often do we take our freedoms for granted? All it takes for us to lose our freedoms in America and also to lose our freedom that Jesus has given to us is to let evil triumph. We need to work daily to keep our freedoms and if we do, God will honor our faithfulness.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the freedoms You have given me, especially the freedom to worship You. Help me to use my freedom to further the good news of the gospel. Enable me to share my beliefs to my family and lead them to appreciate the freedom to worship God that we have in this country.
FREEDOM
DEFINITION:
The state of being free; the right to worship and publish fact and opinion.
SCRIPTURE:
There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me FREE from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8: 1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In America we should be thankful to God for the freedoms we have enjoyed here for more than 233 years. Our country was founded by those who sought freedom to worship God as they pleased. Our founding fathers paid a heavy price to see that we have the freedoms that we enjoy now. Harry S. Truman, former President of the United States said: “Freedom is expensive, it still costs blood, it still calls for courage and endurance by every man and woman who is free and who is determined to remain free.”
Freedom is something that needs to be protected. We need to be vigilant and mindful of the price that our forefathers here in America paid that we might be free. High above the Capitol building in Washington D.C. is the “FREEDOM LADY.” This statue is about 20 feet high and stands out to all who come near the capitol. We are reminded of the shipping of this statue from Rome to America. The ship that was on encountered a fierce storm and the Captain ordered some of the cargo to be thrown overboard. Some of the sailors wanted to jettison the heavy statue into the sea, but the Captain refused, shouting above the howling storm, “NO! NEVER!” We will flounder before we throw “FREEDOM” away.
Our founding fathers made sure that religious freedom was part of that freedom. We should not take that for granted. There are many in this world that do not have religious freedom and many Christians are being persecuted even today.
We have often said in these devotionals that Christianity is much more than a religion. It is a relationship with Jesus. God has given you the freedom to choose to have that relationship. As Joshua said many years ago; “Choose you this day, who you shall serve. For me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
When we choose to serve the Lord and accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive a freedom that came at a heavy price. We have the freedom from the consequences of sin because Jesus paid the penalty of our sins by giving His life on the cross --- His blood has made us free.
In John (8: 31, 32, 36) we read that the truth that we learn from God’s Word shall make us free. When Jesus makes us free we are truly free. Only Jesus has the power to break the power of sin over our life.
How we use our freedom reveals our character and who we really are. This is illustrated in the story of Abraham and Lot. Abraham gave Lot, his nephew the freedom to choose first which portion of the land he wanted. Lot chose the most fertile land for himself and left the poorest for Abraham. Lot’s choice led to his downfall. Abraham was rewarded by God and was richly blessed with great wealth. When we include God in our freedom to choose, God will bless us.
Paul reminds us in his words to the church in Galatia (Galatians 5:13) that we as believers have been given freedom, and we are to use that freedom to serve one another and not as an opportunity for the furthering of our sinful desires.
We all must understand the need to protect our freedoms that we have here in America but the freedom that we receive from our Lord is much, much more important.
How often do we take our freedoms for granted? All it takes for us to lose our freedoms in America and also to lose our freedom that Jesus has given to us is to let evil triumph. We need to work daily to keep our freedoms and if we do, God will honor our faithfulness.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the freedoms You have given me, especially the freedom to worship You. Help me to use my freedom to further the good news of the gospel. Enable me to share my beliefs to my family and lead them to appreciate the freedom to worship God that we have in this country.
Temptation: February 9, 2010
February 9. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2010
TEMPTATION
DEFINITION:
An act or effect of tempting; an inducement; usually an enticement to sin or do the wrong thing.
SCRIPTURE:
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is so easy today to succumb to temptation. All around us, literally every minute there are temptations that come our way. The good temptations are that you are tempted to pray because some need comes to your attention. Or you may be tempted to talk to someone about Jesus. But most of us think of the word temptation as a negative thing. And for the most part, temptation is evil and of the devil.
Some years ago a comedian in his skits, used the phrase, “the devil made me do it?” The way he was able to communicate this phrase made it funny but we knew that it was not factual. The devil cannot make us do anything. He can tempt us but we are the ones that make the choice whether to yield to the temptation or to resist it.
We could share with you hundreds of illustrations in our lives where we have been tempted. The time in high school when we were tempted to go out with another crowd --- a crowd that we knew was interested in things that were not what God would have us participate in. The times we were tempted to take advantage of someone or something to make what we were doing easier or more successful.
The times we were tempted to ease up on the discipline we had in line for our children because we were totally frustrated. The times that we were being tempted to reconsider our calling into the ministry when the going got tough and difficulties caused discouragement.
It is evident to us that Satan seizes every opportunity to tempt us. Paul warns in II Corinthians 2:11 that Satan likes to try to outwit us, taking advantage of us in our weakness. He is subtle and we are unaware of his schemes.
Satan tempts everyone. In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus tells Simon Peter that Satan “had asked to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail.” Yes, Satan tempted the disciples.
Even Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4: 1-11) and Jesus gave us in His words all the ammunition we need when Satan tempts us. He said in verse 7, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” And in verse 10, He says, “Away with you Satan, for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.”
Satan tried to tempt Jesus three times and all three times Jesus responded with scripture saying, “It is written.” In resisting Satan and his temptations there is no better weapon than the Word of God. That is why it is so important for believers to arm themselves with the Word of God by reading the Bible daily. Satan cannot argue against God’s Word.
James teaches us in James 1:13-14 that God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He tempt anyone. Then James reminds us by saying that one is tempted when he is drawn away from God by his own desires and enticed. That says it all. We choose to do what we want to do. If you want to avoid the evil temptation of Satan in your life, draw near to God and determine to serve Him only. James tells us in James 4: 7-8, that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us and when we resist the devil he will flee from us.
God tests people but He never tempts us to sin. We learned, for example, when we read the book of Job that sometimes God tests us and allows Satan to tempt us but he does this to strengthen our faith and to further the testimony of His power and greatness through us. He wants us to be strong in Him and be equipped to stand against all evil. And when God feels we need further training to be stronger or to further his will through our testimony of our faith in Him, we will be tested.
As Christians we have been given by our Lord armor to fight off all the temptations that may come our way. In Ephesians 6: 10-17 Paul tells us of the armor that God has given us. He closes in verse 16 by saying that “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” God has given us the weapons we need to fight off the wiles of the devil.
In times of temptation and testing one of our favorite verses in the Bible is found in I Corinthians 10:13. Here it is for you today as we close out these devotional thoughts:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Thank You for providing for me armor that allows me to fight all temptation that comes my way from the evil one. Thank You for being so faithful by not allowing me to be tempted above what I am able to take if I stay true to You. Make me an example today to my family, friends and neighbors.
TEMPTATION
DEFINITION:
An act or effect of tempting; an inducement; usually an enticement to sin or do the wrong thing.
SCRIPTURE:
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is so easy today to succumb to temptation. All around us, literally every minute there are temptations that come our way. The good temptations are that you are tempted to pray because some need comes to your attention. Or you may be tempted to talk to someone about Jesus. But most of us think of the word temptation as a negative thing. And for the most part, temptation is evil and of the devil.
Some years ago a comedian in his skits, used the phrase, “the devil made me do it?” The way he was able to communicate this phrase made it funny but we knew that it was not factual. The devil cannot make us do anything. He can tempt us but we are the ones that make the choice whether to yield to the temptation or to resist it.
We could share with you hundreds of illustrations in our lives where we have been tempted. The time in high school when we were tempted to go out with another crowd --- a crowd that we knew was interested in things that were not what God would have us participate in. The times we were tempted to take advantage of someone or something to make what we were doing easier or more successful.
The times we were tempted to ease up on the discipline we had in line for our children because we were totally frustrated. The times that we were being tempted to reconsider our calling into the ministry when the going got tough and difficulties caused discouragement.
It is evident to us that Satan seizes every opportunity to tempt us. Paul warns in II Corinthians 2:11 that Satan likes to try to outwit us, taking advantage of us in our weakness. He is subtle and we are unaware of his schemes.
Satan tempts everyone. In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus tells Simon Peter that Satan “had asked to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail.” Yes, Satan tempted the disciples.
Even Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4: 1-11) and Jesus gave us in His words all the ammunition we need when Satan tempts us. He said in verse 7, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” And in verse 10, He says, “Away with you Satan, for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.”
Satan tried to tempt Jesus three times and all three times Jesus responded with scripture saying, “It is written.” In resisting Satan and his temptations there is no better weapon than the Word of God. That is why it is so important for believers to arm themselves with the Word of God by reading the Bible daily. Satan cannot argue against God’s Word.
James teaches us in James 1:13-14 that God cannot be tempted by evil nor does He tempt anyone. Then James reminds us by saying that one is tempted when he is drawn away from God by his own desires and enticed. That says it all. We choose to do what we want to do. If you want to avoid the evil temptation of Satan in your life, draw near to God and determine to serve Him only. James tells us in James 4: 7-8, that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us and when we resist the devil he will flee from us.
God tests people but He never tempts us to sin. We learned, for example, when we read the book of Job that sometimes God tests us and allows Satan to tempt us but he does this to strengthen our faith and to further the testimony of His power and greatness through us. He wants us to be strong in Him and be equipped to stand against all evil. And when God feels we need further training to be stronger or to further his will through our testimony of our faith in Him, we will be tested.
As Christians we have been given by our Lord armor to fight off all the temptations that may come our way. In Ephesians 6: 10-17 Paul tells us of the armor that God has given us. He closes in verse 16 by saying that “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” God has given us the weapons we need to fight off the wiles of the devil.
In times of temptation and testing one of our favorite verses in the Bible is found in I Corinthians 10:13. Here it is for you today as we close out these devotional thoughts:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
Thank You for providing for me armor that allows me to fight all temptation that comes my way from the evil one. Thank You for being so faithful by not allowing me to be tempted above what I am able to take if I stay true to You. Make me an example today to my family, friends and neighbors.
Hope: February 8, 2010
February 8. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2010.
HOPE
DEFINITION:
Expect or look forward to with desire and confidence of fulfillment.
SCRIPTURE:
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees. Romans 8: 24
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
The devastating earthquake in Haiti has dominated the news these past days. The pictures of the injured and dead along with the total destruction of homes and buildings has been heart breaking and gut wrenching.
As the Haitian people recovered from the initial shock we can’t help but wonder what was their initial reaction? They must have felt utter despair and hopelessness. For most of these dear people they had lost all hope for the future. All of their belongings were buried under piles of rubble. They could do little for themselves so all that they could do was to hope.
What hope could they have? The roads were blocked, the airport was non-functional and the infrastructure of their cities were destroyed. In times of desperation hope is what gets us through the crisis that we are facing. And for Christians that hope is found in our Lord.
As we hear about the miraculous survival reports of those pulled from the rubble, many after days of being trapped, we cannot help but think how hope was the only thing they had to hang on. This was true for the teenager who was buried for two weeks and survived.
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:24-25 of the hope that saves us that we have as Christians. Paul says “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Paul describes hope for us by reminding us that hope is not based on what we can see and we do not hope for what we already have. The hope that Paul talks about is what we do not have and is the hope that a believer has of eternal life and spending an eternity with Christ.
We know that there are many Christians in Haiti that have their hope in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We can only begin to imagine how they have prayed for the material help Haiti needs right now. We as Christians must now pray for these people and that their needs might be met. We must also do all we can to help.
There are many Christian churches, Christian orphanages, missionaries and ministries that were working there in Haiti before the earthquake. They are still there today and are committed to stay and help meet the needs of people long after most of the emergency help has left the country.
These are the dedicated partners that we are working with and we encourage you to share some of the blessings that God has given you to give these dear people the hope that they are searching for. They make sure that as they meet physical needs they also do all they can to meet their spiritual needs.
The reason these dedicated pastors and missionaries serve so diligently and faithfully is because they understand the true meaning of HOPE --- the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
When one faces that time in life when they get concerned about issues that mean survival, who do they rely on? As Christians, those of us who have our complete faith and trust in the Lord, let us not forget the wonderful hope that we have of spending an eternity with our Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
I recognize You today as my only hope for today and the future. I stop now to praise Your name for the everlasting hope that You provide.
HOPE
DEFINITION:
Expect or look forward to with desire and confidence of fulfillment.
SCRIPTURE:
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees. Romans 8: 24
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
The devastating earthquake in Haiti has dominated the news these past days. The pictures of the injured and dead along with the total destruction of homes and buildings has been heart breaking and gut wrenching.
As the Haitian people recovered from the initial shock we can’t help but wonder what was their initial reaction? They must have felt utter despair and hopelessness. For most of these dear people they had lost all hope for the future. All of their belongings were buried under piles of rubble. They could do little for themselves so all that they could do was to hope.
What hope could they have? The roads were blocked, the airport was non-functional and the infrastructure of their cities were destroyed. In times of desperation hope is what gets us through the crisis that we are facing. And for Christians that hope is found in our Lord.
As we hear about the miraculous survival reports of those pulled from the rubble, many after days of being trapped, we cannot help but think how hope was the only thing they had to hang on. This was true for the teenager who was buried for two weeks and survived.
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:24-25 of the hope that saves us that we have as Christians. Paul says “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Paul describes hope for us by reminding us that hope is not based on what we can see and we do not hope for what we already have. The hope that Paul talks about is what we do not have and is the hope that a believer has of eternal life and spending an eternity with Christ.
We know that there are many Christians in Haiti that have their hope in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We can only begin to imagine how they have prayed for the material help Haiti needs right now. We as Christians must now pray for these people and that their needs might be met. We must also do all we can to help.
There are many Christian churches, Christian orphanages, missionaries and ministries that were working there in Haiti before the earthquake. They are still there today and are committed to stay and help meet the needs of people long after most of the emergency help has left the country.
These are the dedicated partners that we are working with and we encourage you to share some of the blessings that God has given you to give these dear people the hope that they are searching for. They make sure that as they meet physical needs they also do all they can to meet their spiritual needs.
The reason these dedicated pastors and missionaries serve so diligently and faithfully is because they understand the true meaning of HOPE --- the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
When one faces that time in life when they get concerned about issues that mean survival, who do they rely on? As Christians, those of us who have our complete faith and trust in the Lord, let us not forget the wonderful hope that we have of spending an eternity with our Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.
PRAYER:
I recognize You today as my only hope for today and the future. I stop now to praise Your name for the everlasting hope that You provide.
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