April 16. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 16, 2010.
ENCOURAGEMENT
DEFINITION:
To inspire or stimulate by guidance or by approval.
SCRIPTURE:
Command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him. Deuteronomy 3:28.
“That I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.” Romans 1:12.
“That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ.” Colossians 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All of us need encouragement from time to time to spur us on not only when we are facing what we feel to be a new challenge in our life but also in our daily challenges. We recently read about an accountant for a large corporation. For thirty years he had been faithful to his work and seemed to always be in control of what he was doing. He committed suicide and a note was found. The words tell us as Christians something that should drive us to action. It said that for thirty years no one had ever given him one word of encouragement, even at the church where he attended. His note closed by saying: “I AM FED UP!”
Parents understand how important it is to encourage their children. Any time a child experiences something that is new to them they are naturally wary. How children handle those firsts such as the first day of school, the first visit to the doctor’s office, or the first dental appointment often depends on the assurance and encouragement they receive from their parents. Children need encouragement to make them confident. We saw this constantly with our own children.
Encouragement is vital in the developing of positive and productive attitudes in facing life’s challenges. When a child, and an adult as well, is constantly discouraged they lose hope and despair sets in. When hope is gone life does not seem worthwhile.
The Apostle Paul was probably the most effective encourager mentioned in the Bible. Paul saw that faith in Christ gives believers a common bond and a mutual purpose in life, which enables them to encourage each other by their faith.
Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome that he was praying for God’s will that the way would be opened for him to come to see them. He longed to see them as he says in Romans 1:12 so that they could mutually encourage each other by their faith.
Paul had heard that the church at Colosse and the church at Laodicea were struggling because there were false teachings going on in their churches. He wrote the letter to Colossians so that both churches could come together to encourage each other in their faith. In Colossians 2:2 Paul says his purpose in writing to them was that they would be encouraged and knit together by their love for the Lord and by their knowledge of the mystery of God which is salvation through Jesus Christ.
Paul on his second missionary journey established a church in Thessalonica and later when he heard they needed guidance he encouraged that church by sending Timothy to them. And when he was in custody waiting for trial because of his preaching, he wrote the church at Philippi that he would also send Timothy to them. Truly Paul was an encourager always looking out for his fellow believers need for encouragement. He always would respond by going himself or sending a fellow worker.
The Bible has given us so many examples of leaders that needed encouragement and asked God for the encouragement they needed. For example, when Joshua took over the leadership of the Children of Israel from Moses, he needed some encouragement because of the battles that he would face against godless enemies in conquering the Promised Land. So God told Moses to encourage Joshua. How would you feel if you had to step into the shoes of Moses and God said to you “GO AND LEAD?”
Through Moses God gave a clear outline as to how Joshua should proceed Joshua had been trained for this day but he still needed encouragement. God told Joshua several things. First, to rise up and go, second, that no man would stand before him, and thirdly assured him that He (GOD) would be with him just like He was with Moses.
Then fourthly God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, and fifthly to lead like Moses did and teach from the law (the Bible). And finally God told Joshua to meditate day and night on His Word.
That is the encouragement that Joshua needed and today if we will apply these same principles to our lives as God commanded Joshua we will be encouraged every day of our life and we will be encouragers to others. We all need encouragement and like Paul and Timothy and Moses, we all have the responsibility to show God’s love by encouraging others. You cannot speak a kind word too soon. A word of encouragement can make a difference between giving up or going on.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Help me to make the time I have each day be productive in serving You. Give me the discipline to plan out each day, building on the encouragement that both Paul and Joshua built on. Give me the flexibility then to respond to people as they share their needs with me. And give me leadership with my spouse, children, family and friends in driving them to serve You with all that they have.
April 18, 2010
Prayer: April 15, 2010
April 15. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 15, 2010.
PRAYER
DEFINITION:
A devout petition to God; an object of worship; spiritual communication with God.
SCRIPTURE:
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. I Chronicles 4: 10.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The prayer of Jabez (above) is one of the most written about prayers in the last few years. This is a powerful prayer that was prayed at a time when Jabez, who was a descendant of Judah, was looking for a special blessing from God. We can learn from this prayer as he gave us a pattern to communicate with God. But first our hearts must be in tune with God. We must be serving God and ready at all cost to respond as God answers our prayer.
In this prayer he asks first for God’s blessing on his life. Second, he asks that God would enlarge his territory. This would include his sphere of influence and his vision. Thirdly, he asked God to keep his hand on him in all that he did and keep him from evil. And finally that he might not cause pain to God or to those he met. And God granted his request.
We want to remind you that there is power in prayer. Years ago the Russian evangelist Peter Deyneka constantly reminded Christian leaders of the importance of prayer and urged them to pray by saying just four words:
NO PRAYER! NO POWER!
Some people say that they just do not have time to set aside each day time to pray. It is so easy to think that one has business deadlines, quotas to make, running a shuttle for my children, doing the house work and making meals so they do not have time to pray and talk to God. Many say --- wait until the pressure is off and I will do it.
The famous author C.S. Lewis wisely points out that no one was busier than Jesus. He had the crowds, demands, oppositions, interruptions and the lack of peace and privacy. But we read so often in the scriptures that Jesus took time to communicate to God. In Capernaum He was busy into the late night healing the sick and demon possessed yet the next morning early, He sought out a quiet place and prayed. If Jesus needed to set aside a time to pray, how much more should we need to set time aside to pray? When Jesus prayed God gave Him His direction for His next mission. If your schedule is demanding, follow the example of Jesus and set aside a specific time for prayer. In order to live our life in accordance with God’s will we must talk with Him daily.
We are to pray for one another (James 5:16). We need to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). We need to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We need to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). We need to pray for those who spitefully use you (Luke 6:38).
Look at the memory verse, below that we have for this week. This is a promise that God has given us but we have to act on it in order to receive.
When we were in Korea, right after we were married, setting up the original orphanages for World Vision, we were constantly amazed that every morning without fail at 6:00 A.M. the Koreans filled their churches to capacity to pray. They had been through a terrible war. Many had lost family and friends but they never lost their love for God. They knew the importance of prayer and the importance of communicating with God asking Him for His blessings on them individually, their families, their churches and their country. God honored their prayers and today their country is about 50% Christian and they are sending more missionaries to other fields than what we send form America today.
What a contrast between North and South Korea. North Korea is a godless society and many are suffering from lack of food and from a ruthless political regime. In contrast, South Korea is being blessed by God and prospering because the people take time daily to pray individually and in groups. YES --- THERE IS POWER IN PRAYER!
Take the time to pray daily and parents need to take the time to teach their children to pray. This is our only communication to God. He is our Father and waiting to hear from us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me a fresh and new desire to spend more time in prayer. Help me to teach my family, friends and neighbors the value of prayer and how to pray. Give me the discipline to be consistent and then as I pray may You give me the POWER I need to serve You today.
PRAYER
DEFINITION:
A devout petition to God; an object of worship; spiritual communication with God.
SCRIPTURE:
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. I Chronicles 4: 10.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The prayer of Jabez (above) is one of the most written about prayers in the last few years. This is a powerful prayer that was prayed at a time when Jabez, who was a descendant of Judah, was looking for a special blessing from God. We can learn from this prayer as he gave us a pattern to communicate with God. But first our hearts must be in tune with God. We must be serving God and ready at all cost to respond as God answers our prayer.
In this prayer he asks first for God’s blessing on his life. Second, he asks that God would enlarge his territory. This would include his sphere of influence and his vision. Thirdly, he asked God to keep his hand on him in all that he did and keep him from evil. And finally that he might not cause pain to God or to those he met. And God granted his request.
We want to remind you that there is power in prayer. Years ago the Russian evangelist Peter Deyneka constantly reminded Christian leaders of the importance of prayer and urged them to pray by saying just four words:
NO PRAYER! NO POWER!
Some people say that they just do not have time to set aside each day time to pray. It is so easy to think that one has business deadlines, quotas to make, running a shuttle for my children, doing the house work and making meals so they do not have time to pray and talk to God. Many say --- wait until the pressure is off and I will do it.
The famous author C.S. Lewis wisely points out that no one was busier than Jesus. He had the crowds, demands, oppositions, interruptions and the lack of peace and privacy. But we read so often in the scriptures that Jesus took time to communicate to God. In Capernaum He was busy into the late night healing the sick and demon possessed yet the next morning early, He sought out a quiet place and prayed. If Jesus needed to set aside a time to pray, how much more should we need to set time aside to pray? When Jesus prayed God gave Him His direction for His next mission. If your schedule is demanding, follow the example of Jesus and set aside a specific time for prayer. In order to live our life in accordance with God’s will we must talk with Him daily.
We are to pray for one another (James 5:16). We need to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). We need to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). We need to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). We need to pray for those who spitefully use you (Luke 6:38).
Look at the memory verse, below that we have for this week. This is a promise that God has given us but we have to act on it in order to receive.
When we were in Korea, right after we were married, setting up the original orphanages for World Vision, we were constantly amazed that every morning without fail at 6:00 A.M. the Koreans filled their churches to capacity to pray. They had been through a terrible war. Many had lost family and friends but they never lost their love for God. They knew the importance of prayer and the importance of communicating with God asking Him for His blessings on them individually, their families, their churches and their country. God honored their prayers and today their country is about 50% Christian and they are sending more missionaries to other fields than what we send form America today.
What a contrast between North and South Korea. North Korea is a godless society and many are suffering from lack of food and from a ruthless political regime. In contrast, South Korea is being blessed by God and prospering because the people take time daily to pray individually and in groups. YES --- THERE IS POWER IN PRAYER!
Take the time to pray daily and parents need to take the time to teach their children to pray. This is our only communication to God. He is our Father and waiting to hear from us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me a fresh and new desire to spend more time in prayer. Help me to teach my family, friends and neighbors the value of prayer and how to pray. Give me the discipline to be consistent and then as I pray may You give me the POWER I need to serve You today.
Respect: April 14, 2010
April 14. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 14, 2010.
RESPECT
DEFINITION:
The condition of being esteemed or honored; admiration.
SCRIPTURE:
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem. Philippians 2:29.
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Hebrews 12:9.
Honor and respect all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. I Peter 2:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In America we have a custom to honor real heroes with medals of valor. But it seems that more than any other time in history scores of Americans from all walks of life are claiming these honors and they never earned them. These medals are medals of respect and many are degrading them by their actions. It is not the medal itself that has value, but what it stands for.
Heroism is marked by an unselfish risking of life and honors are given to show respect. In Philippians Paul commended --- showed respect and honor --- to two of his colleagues as true heroes of faith.
Paul praised Timothy for his unselfishness and proven character and for being a true son who had served with him in the gospel (Philippians 2:20). Paul also commended Epaphroditus as “my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier who risked his life for the work of Christ (Philippians 2:25, 30). Paul then told the church at Philippi to hold these men in esteem because of their faithful and sacrificial service to God. This is not hero worship but an attitude of respect for a life well lived. Having faith in Christ can make an extraordinary hero out of ordinary people like you and us.
We were both taught to respect not only our parents but our grandparents and our elders. In fact learning respect was a priority in both of our homes. We learned early in life to also respect our peers, our friends and our neighbors. Respect also needs to be taught, as it was to us, for property, places and things.
Both of us have commented that we had our mouths washed out with soap when we showed a lack of respect. You do not hear of this happening today. In fact we never took this approach with our children, probably because, to say the least, it was a most distasteful experience.
Respect begins by respecting God. Psalms 33:8 says, “let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.”Many people do not respect God today. There are not many that respect God enough to even go to church and many not only have no respect for God they deny He even exists. Every day we hear people using God’s Holy name in their cursing. This not only shows their disrespect for God but is breaking God’s commandment, “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
In Romans 14:11, Paul quotes a verse from Isaiah that says that there will come a day when “every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess He is Lord.” When that day comes think what will happen to those that do not respect God today.
Respecting God is a biblical command and frankly if you cannot and do not respect God you will not respect anything or anyone else. Because most people show very little respect today, we encourage families to discuss respect with each other daily. You need to begin by asking how you respected God throughout the day. Then discuss examples you saw during the day of a lack of respect. Respect is shown through actions and by words and since there is so little respect these daily conversations with your family can be long but most rewarding.
In the book of Genesis we read about the relationship of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac showed his respect for his father Abraham daily. When God told Abraham to take Isaac to the mountain and he found out that Isaac was going to be the sacrifice, both Abraham and Isaac never gave an inch concerning their respect for God and they were respectively obedient to God responding to all God asked of them. God honored Abraham and Isaac for their faith and provided a sacrifice for them on that mountain.
God wanted to not only test Abraham’s faith but also Isaac as for their respect and love for God. In I Peter 2:17 it reads: “Show respect to everyone, love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.” Peter reminds us as Christians that not only showing respect to God but to others as well is our testimony to the world that we are Christ’s followers.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Help us as a family to learn first of all to respect You with all we have each moment of every day. Teach us to respect people, places and things that we see and meet today. Bless our family with a new and deep desire to serve You with all our hearts.
RESPECT
DEFINITION:
The condition of being esteemed or honored; admiration.
SCRIPTURE:
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem. Philippians 2:29.
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Hebrews 12:9.
Honor and respect all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. I Peter 2:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In America we have a custom to honor real heroes with medals of valor. But it seems that more than any other time in history scores of Americans from all walks of life are claiming these honors and they never earned them. These medals are medals of respect and many are degrading them by their actions. It is not the medal itself that has value, but what it stands for.
Heroism is marked by an unselfish risking of life and honors are given to show respect. In Philippians Paul commended --- showed respect and honor --- to two of his colleagues as true heroes of faith.
Paul praised Timothy for his unselfishness and proven character and for being a true son who had served with him in the gospel (Philippians 2:20). Paul also commended Epaphroditus as “my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier who risked his life for the work of Christ (Philippians 2:25, 30). Paul then told the church at Philippi to hold these men in esteem because of their faithful and sacrificial service to God. This is not hero worship but an attitude of respect for a life well lived. Having faith in Christ can make an extraordinary hero out of ordinary people like you and us.
We were both taught to respect not only our parents but our grandparents and our elders. In fact learning respect was a priority in both of our homes. We learned early in life to also respect our peers, our friends and our neighbors. Respect also needs to be taught, as it was to us, for property, places and things.
Both of us have commented that we had our mouths washed out with soap when we showed a lack of respect. You do not hear of this happening today. In fact we never took this approach with our children, probably because, to say the least, it was a most distasteful experience.
Respect begins by respecting God. Psalms 33:8 says, “let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.”Many people do not respect God today. There are not many that respect God enough to even go to church and many not only have no respect for God they deny He even exists. Every day we hear people using God’s Holy name in their cursing. This not only shows their disrespect for God but is breaking God’s commandment, “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
In Romans 14:11, Paul quotes a verse from Isaiah that says that there will come a day when “every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess He is Lord.” When that day comes think what will happen to those that do not respect God today.
Respecting God is a biblical command and frankly if you cannot and do not respect God you will not respect anything or anyone else. Because most people show very little respect today, we encourage families to discuss respect with each other daily. You need to begin by asking how you respected God throughout the day. Then discuss examples you saw during the day of a lack of respect. Respect is shown through actions and by words and since there is so little respect these daily conversations with your family can be long but most rewarding.
In the book of Genesis we read about the relationship of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac showed his respect for his father Abraham daily. When God told Abraham to take Isaac to the mountain and he found out that Isaac was going to be the sacrifice, both Abraham and Isaac never gave an inch concerning their respect for God and they were respectively obedient to God responding to all God asked of them. God honored Abraham and Isaac for their faith and provided a sacrifice for them on that mountain.
God wanted to not only test Abraham’s faith but also Isaac as for their respect and love for God. In I Peter 2:17 it reads: “Show respect to everyone, love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.” Peter reminds us as Christians that not only showing respect to God but to others as well is our testimony to the world that we are Christ’s followers.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Help us as a family to learn first of all to respect You with all we have each moment of every day. Teach us to respect people, places and things that we see and meet today. Bless our family with a new and deep desire to serve You with all our hearts.
Training: April 13, 2010
April 13. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2010.
TRAINING
DEFINITION:
The status of a person that is being trained; the education, instruction, or discipline of the one being trained.
SCRIPTURE:
When I call to remembrance the genuine training and faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, I am persuaded that is in you also.” II Timothy 1:5.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.
Knowledge and experience:
The verses above are strong indications to us and reminders to us of the importance of the training we received from our parents and grandparents. It is also a reminder to parents today of their responsibility to train their children, as the scripture says, in the way that they should go. This means to use the scriptures as your guide in the training of your children. To start with, the Ten Commandments given in the Old Testament and the two great commandments that Jesus gave us in the New Testament are vital to proper training.
The commandment that Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:37 is that we “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus said that this was the first and greatest commandment.
In the training of children a parent’s first priority and greatest responsibility is to teach their children to love the Lord their God. Training is a vital ingredient in making a happy family. It begins with the spouses and parents. God has given us the Bible as His training manual. Parents have the responsibility of reading it by themselves and to their children.
Most adults need to retrain themselves in some of the basic Biblical principles needed to keep a marriage together and in raising a family. You cannot keep doing and acting the same way you did before your marriage and before you had children. You have God given responsibilities to both your spouse and to your children.
The world would be very confused without training. One needs training in almost everything they do. We train people in new jobs, we train people to drive cars, we train people how to live on a budget, we train armed forces personnel, we train bus drivers, and we train our pastors and teachers. Everyone needs training. Without training children can become very confused and are easily enticed into harmful lifestyles.
Training children can become very difficult at times. When it does then read 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 will direct your paths.” It takes Godly wisdom to raise children and that requires prayer and lots of it, along with spending time in God’s Word.
In Proverbs 22:6 it tells us clearly that we are to train our children in the way that he or she should go and then when he or she grows up they will not depart from it. Remember that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders and they will be able to lead only as parents have trained them. That is why today we have so many poor leaders. They came from a generation that neglected training and this present generation may be worse.
One night we were tucking our two older children into bed after our family time of reading the Bible together. The oldest said, “I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” After he prayed to Jesus asking Jesus to come into his heart a little voice from the bottom bunk piped up saying, “I want to do that also.” He was only four but he completely understood why he needed to have “Jesus in his heart.” We were thankful that God had used the training in God’s Word that we had been giving them to work in their hearts to love God and to want “Jesus in their hearts.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Lord, You are the giver of all wisdom so I pray today that You will give me the wisdom I need to train my children. Help me to show them by the way I live my life and by my actions what it means to love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds.
TRAINING
DEFINITION:
The status of a person that is being trained; the education, instruction, or discipline of the one being trained.
SCRIPTURE:
When I call to remembrance the genuine training and faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, I am persuaded that is in you also.” II Timothy 1:5.
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.
Knowledge and experience:
The verses above are strong indications to us and reminders to us of the importance of the training we received from our parents and grandparents. It is also a reminder to parents today of their responsibility to train their children, as the scripture says, in the way that they should go. This means to use the scriptures as your guide in the training of your children. To start with, the Ten Commandments given in the Old Testament and the two great commandments that Jesus gave us in the New Testament are vital to proper training.
The commandment that Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:37 is that we “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus said that this was the first and greatest commandment.
In the training of children a parent’s first priority and greatest responsibility is to teach their children to love the Lord their God. Training is a vital ingredient in making a happy family. It begins with the spouses and parents. God has given us the Bible as His training manual. Parents have the responsibility of reading it by themselves and to their children.
Most adults need to retrain themselves in some of the basic Biblical principles needed to keep a marriage together and in raising a family. You cannot keep doing and acting the same way you did before your marriage and before you had children. You have God given responsibilities to both your spouse and to your children.
The world would be very confused without training. One needs training in almost everything they do. We train people in new jobs, we train people to drive cars, we train people how to live on a budget, we train armed forces personnel, we train bus drivers, and we train our pastors and teachers. Everyone needs training. Without training children can become very confused and are easily enticed into harmful lifestyles.
Training children can become very difficult at times. When it does then read 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 will direct your paths.” It takes Godly wisdom to raise children and that requires prayer and lots of it, along with spending time in God’s Word.
In Proverbs 22:6 it tells us clearly that we are to train our children in the way that he or she should go and then when he or she grows up they will not depart from it. Remember that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders and they will be able to lead only as parents have trained them. That is why today we have so many poor leaders. They came from a generation that neglected training and this present generation may be worse.
One night we were tucking our two older children into bed after our family time of reading the Bible together. The oldest said, “I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” After he prayed to Jesus asking Jesus to come into his heart a little voice from the bottom bunk piped up saying, “I want to do that also.” He was only four but he completely understood why he needed to have “Jesus in his heart.” We were thankful that God had used the training in God’s Word that we had been giving them to work in their hearts to love God and to want “Jesus in their hearts.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Lord, You are the giver of all wisdom so I pray today that You will give me the wisdom I need to train my children. Help me to show them by the way I live my life and by my actions what it means to love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds.
Commitment: April 12, 2010
April 12. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY APRIL 12, 2010.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
A pledge or promise; obligation; a sincere commitment to religion.
SCRIPTURE:
“Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him daily.” 1 Samuel 7:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It was on the cross that Christ laid down His life for us as a sacrifice for our sins. The cross in Roman times was designed for death. It had no other use. When Jesus said for us to come after Him and take up our cross, He was not saying that we should all be crucified. Just as He surrendered Himself on the cross, we are to surrender ourselves to Him.
What our Lord is telling us is that “take up your cross and follow me” means that we will face opposition when we follow Him and we must be willing to suffer, perhaps even die. In following Jesus we will have many crosses to face which we will have to take up and carry. What he was saying was that we are to put to death our own heart’s desires and commit ourselves to follow Him.
We will have to put up with misunderstanding, embarrassment, loss of esteem and accepting difficult unchangeable circumstances. The noted missionary and poet Amy Carmichael wrote, “In acceptance lieth peace.” This is what God wants from us daily as we rise every morning. We daily must cheerfully and bravely shoulder our load. And in I Corinthians 15: 53-57 Jesus promises that through our dying to self, He will make us more alive than ever. In acceptance we find peace.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells His disciples what he wants and means by true commitment and it was at a cost. He said: Nothing, not love for father or mother or even one’s own life was to take precedence over loyalty to Him. The disciples acknowledged that if God was to be primary in their lives, possessions and even social relations have to be secondary. Our love for Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.
A happy family today must make certain commitments that they keep as long as they live. In the two verses we have written above you can read clearly that you must begin by making a commitment to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. You must repent of your sins, ask God for forgiveness and then accept Him into your heart. If you as an individual cannot make this commitment and then be willing to serve the Lord faithfully each day then we cannot expect God to bless us with success (Proverbs 10:3) and deliver us from our enemies. (I Samuel 7:3)
Daily commitments must also be made. Every day a person has the opportunity to make many commitments. We make commitments at our work place. Children make commitments at school. We make commitments to our friends and neighbors and we make commitments to our churches. But the big question for us to consider is when we make commitments are they only words to accomplish some selfish purpose or are they truly commitments made because one really means it?
In Psalms 37:5 we are told by the Psalmist to “commit our way to the Lord.” Thus each day we put aside everything and commit our every action, both word and deed, into His hands.
A spouse must make a commitment to God and a life time commitment to his or her spouse, pledging to love and protect each other as long as they both shall live.
Then to have a happy family you must make a commitment to your children and they must make a commitment to you as parents. It must include mutual love, caring for one another, being thoughtful, listening, discussing, communicating and giving of time to one another.
One must also make a commitment to your church and to the world you live in. This commitment is based on your willingness to serve God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. In other words you must commit to be an ambassador for Jesus in all that you do. If you are serious about your commitment to God then your words and actions must honor God.
We have shared the story before of when one of our children was in high school and very active in several sports and was student body president as well. We share this again with you because it is a good illustration that was real for us and should help any family in making commitments. She came to the place when she was “burned out” with sports because of her busy responsibilities and she wanted to quit. We reminded her that she not only had an important role on the team to play but more important she had made a commitment to her school, her coaches and her peers and because she made that commitment she now had an obligation to fulfill it. She decided not to quit and she kept all of her commitments. And we believe it was because she kept her commitments that God honored her with success and awards in all that she was involved in that year.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Mathew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today to make commitments that honor You. Help me to apply our memory verse for this week to my desire to make these commitments real and lasting. May I bring each commitment to You in prayer and then give me the discipline to fulfill these commitments and to live by and honor each one. Help me to be an example to my family that they will see that the commitments I make are made with sincerity and with certainty.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
A pledge or promise; obligation; a sincere commitment to religion.
SCRIPTURE:
“Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him daily.” 1 Samuel 7:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It was on the cross that Christ laid down His life for us as a sacrifice for our sins. The cross in Roman times was designed for death. It had no other use. When Jesus said for us to come after Him and take up our cross, He was not saying that we should all be crucified. Just as He surrendered Himself on the cross, we are to surrender ourselves to Him.
What our Lord is telling us is that “take up your cross and follow me” means that we will face opposition when we follow Him and we must be willing to suffer, perhaps even die. In following Jesus we will have many crosses to face which we will have to take up and carry. What he was saying was that we are to put to death our own heart’s desires and commit ourselves to follow Him.
We will have to put up with misunderstanding, embarrassment, loss of esteem and accepting difficult unchangeable circumstances. The noted missionary and poet Amy Carmichael wrote, “In acceptance lieth peace.” This is what God wants from us daily as we rise every morning. We daily must cheerfully and bravely shoulder our load. And in I Corinthians 15: 53-57 Jesus promises that through our dying to self, He will make us more alive than ever. In acceptance we find peace.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells His disciples what he wants and means by true commitment and it was at a cost. He said: Nothing, not love for father or mother or even one’s own life was to take precedence over loyalty to Him. The disciples acknowledged that if God was to be primary in their lives, possessions and even social relations have to be secondary. Our love for Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.
A happy family today must make certain commitments that they keep as long as they live. In the two verses we have written above you can read clearly that you must begin by making a commitment to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. You must repent of your sins, ask God for forgiveness and then accept Him into your heart. If you as an individual cannot make this commitment and then be willing to serve the Lord faithfully each day then we cannot expect God to bless us with success (Proverbs 10:3) and deliver us from our enemies. (I Samuel 7:3)
Daily commitments must also be made. Every day a person has the opportunity to make many commitments. We make commitments at our work place. Children make commitments at school. We make commitments to our friends and neighbors and we make commitments to our churches. But the big question for us to consider is when we make commitments are they only words to accomplish some selfish purpose or are they truly commitments made because one really means it?
In Psalms 37:5 we are told by the Psalmist to “commit our way to the Lord.” Thus each day we put aside everything and commit our every action, both word and deed, into His hands.
A spouse must make a commitment to God and a life time commitment to his or her spouse, pledging to love and protect each other as long as they both shall live.
Then to have a happy family you must make a commitment to your children and they must make a commitment to you as parents. It must include mutual love, caring for one another, being thoughtful, listening, discussing, communicating and giving of time to one another.
One must also make a commitment to your church and to the world you live in. This commitment is based on your willingness to serve God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. In other words you must commit to be an ambassador for Jesus in all that you do. If you are serious about your commitment to God then your words and actions must honor God.
We have shared the story before of when one of our children was in high school and very active in several sports and was student body president as well. We share this again with you because it is a good illustration that was real for us and should help any family in making commitments. She came to the place when she was “burned out” with sports because of her busy responsibilities and she wanted to quit. We reminded her that she not only had an important role on the team to play but more important she had made a commitment to her school, her coaches and her peers and because she made that commitment she now had an obligation to fulfill it. She decided not to quit and she kept all of her commitments. And we believe it was because she kept her commitments that God honored her with success and awards in all that she was involved in that year.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Mathew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today to make commitments that honor You. Help me to apply our memory verse for this week to my desire to make these commitments real and lasting. May I bring each commitment to You in prayer and then give me the discipline to fulfill these commitments and to live by and honor each one. Help me to be an example to my family that they will see that the commitments I make are made with sincerity and with certainty.
Commitment: April 12, 2010
April 12. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY APRIL 12, 2010.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
A pledge or promise; obligation; a sincere commitment to religion.
SCRIPTURE:
“Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him daily.” 1 Samuel 7:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It was on the cross that Christ laid down His life for us as a sacrifice for our sins. The cross in Roman times was designed for death. It had no other use. When Jesus said for us to come after Him and take up our cross, He was not saying that we should all be crucified. Just as He surrendered Himself on the cross, we are to surrender ourselves to Him.
What our Lord is telling us is that “take up your cross and follow me” means that we will face opposition when we follow Him and we must be willing to suffer, perhaps even die. In following Jesus we will have many crosses to face which we will have to take up and carry. What he was saying was that we are to put to death our own heart’s desires and commit ourselves to follow Him.
We will have to put up with misunderstanding, embarrassment, loss of esteem and accepting difficult unchangeable circumstances. The noted missionary and poet Amy Carmichael wrote, “In acceptance lieth peace.” This is what God wants from us daily as we rise every morning. We daily must cheerfully and bravely shoulder our load. And in I Corinthians 15: 53-57 Jesus promises that through our dying to self, He will make us more alive than ever. In acceptance we find peace.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells His disciples what he wants and means by true commitment and it was at a cost. He said: Nothing, not love for father or mother or even one’s own life was to take precedence over loyalty to Him. The disciples acknowledged that if God was to be primary in their lives, possessions and even social relations have to be secondary. Our love for Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.
A happy family today must make certain commitments that they keep as long as they live. In the two verses we have written above you can read clearly that you must begin by making a commitment to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. You must repent of your sins, ask God for forgiveness and then accept Him into your heart. If you as an individual cannot make this commitment and then be willing to serve the Lord faithfully each day then we cannot expect God to bless us with success (Proverbs 10:3) and deliver us from our enemies. (I Samuel 7:3)
Daily commitments must also be made. Every day a person has the opportunity to make many commitments. We make commitments at our work place. Children make commitments at school. We make commitments to our friends and neighbors and we make commitments to our churches. But the big question for us to consider is when we make commitments are they only words to accomplish some selfish purpose or are they truly commitments made because one really means it?
In Psalms 37:5 we are told by the Psalmist to “commit our way to the Lord.” Thus each day we put aside everything and commit our every action, both word and deed, into His hands.
A spouse must make a commitment to God and a life time commitment to his or her spouse, pledging to love and protect each other as long as they both shall live.
Then to have a happy family you must make a commitment to your children and they must make a commitment to you as parents. It must include mutual love, caring for one another, being thoughtful, listening, discussing, communicating and giving of time to one another.
One must also make a commitment to your church and to the world you live in. This commitment is based on your willingness to serve God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. In other words you must commit to be an ambassador for Jesus in all that you do. If you are serious about your commitment to God then your words and actions must honor God.
We have shared the story before of when one of our children was in high school and very active in several sports and was student body president as well. We share this again with you because it is a good illustration that was real for us and should help any family in making commitments. She came to the place when she was “burned out” with sports because of her busy responsibilities and she wanted to quit. We reminded her that she not only had an important role on the team to play but more important she had made a commitment to her school, her coaches and her peers and because she made that commitment she now had an obligation to fulfill it. She decided not to quit and she kept all of her commitments. And we believe it was because she kept her commitments that God honored her with success and awards in all that she was involved in that year.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Mathew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today to make commitments that honor You. Help me to apply our memory verse for this week to my desire to make these commitments real and lasting. May I bring each commitment to You in prayer and then give me the discipline to fulfill these commitments and to live by and honor each one. Help me to be an example to my family that they will see that the commitments I make are made with sincerity and with certainty.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
A pledge or promise; obligation; a sincere commitment to religion.
SCRIPTURE:
“Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him daily.” 1 Samuel 7:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It was on the cross that Christ laid down His life for us as a sacrifice for our sins. The cross in Roman times was designed for death. It had no other use. When Jesus said for us to come after Him and take up our cross, He was not saying that we should all be crucified. Just as He surrendered Himself on the cross, we are to surrender ourselves to Him.
What our Lord is telling us is that “take up your cross and follow me” means that we will face opposition when we follow Him and we must be willing to suffer, perhaps even die. In following Jesus we will have many crosses to face which we will have to take up and carry. What he was saying was that we are to put to death our own heart’s desires and commit ourselves to follow Him.
We will have to put up with misunderstanding, embarrassment, loss of esteem and accepting difficult unchangeable circumstances. The noted missionary and poet Amy Carmichael wrote, “In acceptance lieth peace.” This is what God wants from us daily as we rise every morning. We daily must cheerfully and bravely shoulder our load. And in I Corinthians 15: 53-57 Jesus promises that through our dying to self, He will make us more alive than ever. In acceptance we find peace.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells His disciples what he wants and means by true commitment and it was at a cost. He said: Nothing, not love for father or mother or even one’s own life was to take precedence over loyalty to Him. The disciples acknowledged that if God was to be primary in their lives, possessions and even social relations have to be secondary. Our love for Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.
A happy family today must make certain commitments that they keep as long as they live. In the two verses we have written above you can read clearly that you must begin by making a commitment to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus. You must repent of your sins, ask God for forgiveness and then accept Him into your heart. If you as an individual cannot make this commitment and then be willing to serve the Lord faithfully each day then we cannot expect God to bless us with success (Proverbs 10:3) and deliver us from our enemies. (I Samuel 7:3)
Daily commitments must also be made. Every day a person has the opportunity to make many commitments. We make commitments at our work place. Children make commitments at school. We make commitments to our friends and neighbors and we make commitments to our churches. But the big question for us to consider is when we make commitments are they only words to accomplish some selfish purpose or are they truly commitments made because one really means it?
In Psalms 37:5 we are told by the Psalmist to “commit our way to the Lord.” Thus each day we put aside everything and commit our every action, both word and deed, into His hands.
A spouse must make a commitment to God and a life time commitment to his or her spouse, pledging to love and protect each other as long as they both shall live.
Then to have a happy family you must make a commitment to your children and they must make a commitment to you as parents. It must include mutual love, caring for one another, being thoughtful, listening, discussing, communicating and giving of time to one another.
One must also make a commitment to your church and to the world you live in. This commitment is based on your willingness to serve God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind. In other words you must commit to be an ambassador for Jesus in all that you do. If you are serious about your commitment to God then your words and actions must honor God.
We have shared the story before of when one of our children was in high school and very active in several sports and was student body president as well. We share this again with you because it is a good illustration that was real for us and should help any family in making commitments. She came to the place when she was “burned out” with sports because of her busy responsibilities and she wanted to quit. We reminded her that she not only had an important role on the team to play but more important she had made a commitment to her school, her coaches and her peers and because she made that commitment she now had an obligation to fulfill it. She decided not to quit and she kept all of her commitments. And we believe it was because she kept her commitments that God honored her with success and awards in all that she was involved in that year.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Mathew 21:22.
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today to make commitments that honor You. Help me to apply our memory verse for this week to my desire to make these commitments real and lasting. May I bring each commitment to You in prayer and then give me the discipline to fulfill these commitments and to live by and honor each one. Help me to be an example to my family that they will see that the commitments I make are made with sincerity and with certainty.
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