MAY 13, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY MAY 13, 2011
FAMILY
DEFINITION:
A household; descendants of a common ancestor; lineage.
SCRIPTURE:
And God said to Abraham, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Acts 3:25.
To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” II Timothy 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have a large family with six children and twenty grandchildren. As God has blessed us with our family He has also given us experiences and knowledge in the raising of our family that we can now share with friends like you. We trust our comments will be a help and aid to assist many families to move toward having a happier family.
Nothing has been more important to us over the years, except our relationship with God and our Lord, than our family. Our lives have been built around them and today we are reaping the benefits. We learned that the little things made major differences for us. For example, we insisted in having dinner together with the entire family every night. One may say that this is not that important but frankly it is VERY important for all families.
Having dinner together gave each one in the family an opportunity every night to share their activities and concerns with the family. It gave us as parents an opportunity to listen. This is when we could hear problems beginning and we could talk about them before they became a problem and could be dealt with as only a situation.
Dinner was also a time when we could read the Bible together as a family. Also it gave us a time to pray together as a family. And finally we memorized verses from the Bible together each week as a family. This is why we have a memory verse of the week at the bottom of each of our daily devotionals to you.
It was also important for us to put our children’s schedule ahead of ours all the time with very few exceptions, unless it was work related. We always tried to go to their school activities and their sport activities. We believed then, and still do, that it is important for children to know that you are there for them.
Families today are basically dysfunctional because they do not communicate and spend quality time together. Both parents work today so children come and go as they want. Parents become too busy to do things with their children, including having dinner together, and communicating with their children. This is unacceptable if you want a happy family. Another major concern is that when problems come up concerning relationships with spouses and children the problems are not dealt with because everyone thinks they will go away with time. They do not. They only grow to be major concerns.
To read more about how we raised our family including reading about the high mountains we climbed and the low valleys we went through, we urge you to get our book: NO PROBLEMS ONLY SITUATIONS! This is available to you by going to our web site: www.thehungersolution.org. We are running a special price for this for the next week. So we encourage you to get your copy. We will sign a copy for you before we send it to you.
The scriptures point out two important facts about family that we want to emphasize today. First in Genesis, and again in the book of Acts (above) we are reminded that God promised Abraham that in his seed, through him, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. This blessing comes to those of us that put our Lord first place in our lives. Our goal as parents must be to teach and lead our children to living a Christ honoring-life in all that they do. God blesses us when we honor Him and let Him control our lives.
The Apostle Paul in the verse above talks about his relationship with Timothy as a son. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote II Timothy. He was writing to Timothy, a young man, whom he had mentored in life, in faith and in ministry. Although Paul was never married and had no children he recognized the importance of a father’s role in the spiritual growth of a child of God. Paul and Timothy had developed a father and son relationship that was strengthened by the spiritual bond of their mutual desire to serve the Lord.
Timothy came from an incredible spiritual “family” heritage. His grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice taught him the scriptures and they were involved in leadership at the church at Lystra. This is where Timothy met Paul and from there Paul took Timothy as a son because of his love for the Lord and desire to reach his world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In training Timothy, Paul continually pointed him back to his Godly heritage, emphasizing the importance of parents, grandparents and the home for spiritual growth.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Thank You for not only my family but the family of God that I am part of because of what you have done for me. Thank You for the line of ancestors you have given my family beginning years ago with Abraham. As we study Your Word together as a family may we learn from those that have preceded us. Make today a most blessed day for us because of our faith in You.
May 15, 2011
Pride: May 12, 2011
MAY 12, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY MAY 12, 2011
PRIDE
DEFINITION:
The state or quality of being proud; self respect; self esteem; a feeling of gratification; conceit; arrogance; an excessively high opinion of oneself.
SCRIPTURE:
“For everything in the world --- the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting (pride) of what he has and does --- come not from the Father but from the world.” I John 2:16
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 29:23
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Take a moment and think about all the people you know. How many of them do you consider to be “proud?” When one is a unbeliever he or she needs to have some way to feel successful and so most people tend to become very proud of what they do or who they are. As believers our pride should be in our faith in Jesus and not in the things of this world. This at times is very difficult because our nature is to become proud with success and accomplishment.
Over the years we have seen many proud people take terrible falls because when a person has his hope in life built on success and accomplishments, and then when that success collapses there is a steep fall into the reality that the things in this world are only temporary. It is so important in life for us not to make pride the most important issue in our lives. Consciously and unconsciously pride creeps into our life and we must remember the fall can really hurt. We have often heard the saying that, “Pride cometh before the fall.”
Let us take a moment and look at what the scriptures say about pride. In the verse we have printed above from I John, we are reminded by the Apostle John that issues like lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride are not of God. The book of Proverbs has a number of references reminding us that God is absolute in condemning pride. Proverbs chapter 6 verses 16-19 list seven things that the Lord hates. Pride is the number one item on that list. Pride is the devils tool and is the underlying cause for many sins.
Nothing good comes from pride. Proverbs 11:2 teaches that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom.” Also in Proverbs we find the results of pride contrasted with the results of humility. Pride brings downfall, destruction and disgrace and leads to quarrels. Humility leads to wisdom, honor and a willingness to take advice.
John wrote these words in I John (above) from Ephesus after he had been released from prison on the isle of Patmos. John’s message was to those that were believers so that they could distinguish between truth and the errors that were creeping into the churches of the day.
Today we face the same concerns among those that know the Lord. Many churches are hampered by leadership that tries to govern or make decisions that honor God but their pride gets in the way. The same is true in family life. We have gone through several generations, especially here in North America and Europe, where we have lived in the best of times. This success and affluence has resulted in pride and has consumed our society.
The danger of pride is that it comes between us and God. It is difficult for a prideful person to rely on God. When we are successful it is human nature to want to take the credit and to become proud of what we have accomplished. We forget to remember to acknowledge that it is God who gives us strength and wisdom to do what we do. When pride takes over, we forget to give God the glory and we can no longer expect God to bless us.
When God allows us to get the best of “things” in life, so many times we walk around showing what we take pride in. Pride makes us exalt ourselves over others. Apparently, even the disciples of Jesus had a problem with pride and a desire to exalt themselves. We read in Luke 22:24 that “a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest.” This took place at the last supper. Here Jesus was trying to prepare them for the greatest event in the history of mankind and the disciples were thinking only of themselves and their own status. It wasn’t the first time they had argued about this. In Mark 9:33, Jesus indicted them for their pride saying, “If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and the servant of all.”
In Proverbs 29 (above), we are reminded that the pride that we have in our successes will bring one low in God’s sight. In contrast the writer says that the humble in spirit will retain honor before God. God can use the humble because they have a servant's heart.
As Christians we need to live with a humble spirit no matter how great or how little our accomplishments may be. As parents we need to teach humility and warn our children about pride. And as children we need to listen, watch and learn and then pattern our lives after the ones that show humility in all they do.
One of the real blessings we had when we attended Wheaton College was watching the actions and attitude of the President of our college, Dr V. Raymond Edman. He was a humble man; second to no one else we have ever met. He showed his humility whether he was in the pulpit or with his everyday activities and conversations. Every student on campus was important to him and he was always available to all. Along with his humility came kindness, gentleness and patience. This is our prayer for you, that God will take away all your pride and give you a humble spirit that honors your Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Teach me today to be humble in Your sight. Help me to stay away from pride in my walk and in my talk. May others see in me a spirit of humility and not a spirit of pride. May I always give You the honor and glory for my successes. Thank You for all the many wonderful blessings You have given to me and my family. May we use these blessings not to show our pride but to honor You.
PRIDE
DEFINITION:
The state or quality of being proud; self respect; self esteem; a feeling of gratification; conceit; arrogance; an excessively high opinion of oneself.
SCRIPTURE:
“For everything in the world --- the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting (pride) of what he has and does --- come not from the Father but from the world.” I John 2:16
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 29:23
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Take a moment and think about all the people you know. How many of them do you consider to be “proud?” When one is a unbeliever he or she needs to have some way to feel successful and so most people tend to become very proud of what they do or who they are. As believers our pride should be in our faith in Jesus and not in the things of this world. This at times is very difficult because our nature is to become proud with success and accomplishment.
Over the years we have seen many proud people take terrible falls because when a person has his hope in life built on success and accomplishments, and then when that success collapses there is a steep fall into the reality that the things in this world are only temporary. It is so important in life for us not to make pride the most important issue in our lives. Consciously and unconsciously pride creeps into our life and we must remember the fall can really hurt. We have often heard the saying that, “Pride cometh before the fall.”
Let us take a moment and look at what the scriptures say about pride. In the verse we have printed above from I John, we are reminded by the Apostle John that issues like lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride are not of God. The book of Proverbs has a number of references reminding us that God is absolute in condemning pride. Proverbs chapter 6 verses 16-19 list seven things that the Lord hates. Pride is the number one item on that list. Pride is the devils tool and is the underlying cause for many sins.
Nothing good comes from pride. Proverbs 11:2 teaches that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom.” Also in Proverbs we find the results of pride contrasted with the results of humility. Pride brings downfall, destruction and disgrace and leads to quarrels. Humility leads to wisdom, honor and a willingness to take advice.
John wrote these words in I John (above) from Ephesus after he had been released from prison on the isle of Patmos. John’s message was to those that were believers so that they could distinguish between truth and the errors that were creeping into the churches of the day.
Today we face the same concerns among those that know the Lord. Many churches are hampered by leadership that tries to govern or make decisions that honor God but their pride gets in the way. The same is true in family life. We have gone through several generations, especially here in North America and Europe, where we have lived in the best of times. This success and affluence has resulted in pride and has consumed our society.
The danger of pride is that it comes between us and God. It is difficult for a prideful person to rely on God. When we are successful it is human nature to want to take the credit and to become proud of what we have accomplished. We forget to remember to acknowledge that it is God who gives us strength and wisdom to do what we do. When pride takes over, we forget to give God the glory and we can no longer expect God to bless us.
When God allows us to get the best of “things” in life, so many times we walk around showing what we take pride in. Pride makes us exalt ourselves over others. Apparently, even the disciples of Jesus had a problem with pride and a desire to exalt themselves. We read in Luke 22:24 that “a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest.” This took place at the last supper. Here Jesus was trying to prepare them for the greatest event in the history of mankind and the disciples were thinking only of themselves and their own status. It wasn’t the first time they had argued about this. In Mark 9:33, Jesus indicted them for their pride saying, “If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and the servant of all.”
In Proverbs 29 (above), we are reminded that the pride that we have in our successes will bring one low in God’s sight. In contrast the writer says that the humble in spirit will retain honor before God. God can use the humble because they have a servant's heart.
As Christians we need to live with a humble spirit no matter how great or how little our accomplishments may be. As parents we need to teach humility and warn our children about pride. And as children we need to listen, watch and learn and then pattern our lives after the ones that show humility in all they do.
One of the real blessings we had when we attended Wheaton College was watching the actions and attitude of the President of our college, Dr V. Raymond Edman. He was a humble man; second to no one else we have ever met. He showed his humility whether he was in the pulpit or with his everyday activities and conversations. Every student on campus was important to him and he was always available to all. Along with his humility came kindness, gentleness and patience. This is our prayer for you, that God will take away all your pride and give you a humble spirit that honors your Lord.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Teach me today to be humble in Your sight. Help me to stay away from pride in my walk and in my talk. May others see in me a spirit of humility and not a spirit of pride. May I always give You the honor and glory for my successes. Thank You for all the many wonderful blessings You have given to me and my family. May we use these blessings not to show our pride but to honor You.
Religion: May 11, 2011
MAY 11, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2011
RELIGION
DEFINITION:
A set of beliefs concerning the cause and purpose of the universe; a particular set of beliefs and practices; something a person believes in; the service and worship of God or the supernatural.
SCRIPTURE:
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their time of trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.” James 1:26-27
“How great is the love the father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are.” I John 3:1
“Now if we are children of God then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:17
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
If we read the newspapers and magazines or watch the television we will hear much about religion in our world especially from the middle-east. We continue to watch and see the turmoil in the middle-east and hear dialogue on the good and bad of religion in that area of our world.
Recently we received an e-mail message from a young man living in Afghanistan. He had been reading our devotionals for several weeks and said he finally had to write and ask us why we felt knowing Jesus was the only way that he could get to heaven. He went on to say that he had studied many religions and that they all said that one would go to some sort of heaven. He went on to tell us that he was a Muslim but was searching and was considering trying Jesus as his new religion.
Many people are very confused, as is this young man, and even defensive when we talk about religion. This is because there are so many “religions” in our culture today and one hears so many conflicting concepts and ideas. A non-believer in Jesus gets confused and does not know how to respond concerning their belief in religion. So the normal response is that religion does not concern them. When we talk to someone about our “religion”, we make it clear that we are talking about a “relationship” not a religion that is a series of concepts and “do’s and don’ts”. This is what we explained to our friend in Afghanistan.
Very simply we have a personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship began when we accepted Jesus into our hearts as our personal Savior. God sent His Son to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins and we accepted His offer of redemption. There is no other religion that makes this offer. All other “religions” offer a series of rituals like doing good works, church attendance, penance, etc. The difference is the “RELATIONSHIP.”
We have with Jesus a family relationship grounded in love. It was because God loved us that He sent His Son so that by believing in Him we could become children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. There is a reason that it was necessary for God to send His Son to this earth. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we are all born sinners. This is a fact and not a theory. God is completely holy and entirely without sin. Sin is what separates us from God. There is no amount of good works or any amount of spiritual rituals that will cleanse us from our sins. Because we are sinners the penalty for our sins must be paid.
This is why God sent His Son to this earth --- to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross. We must be willing to admit that we are sinners, confess our sins, and ask for God’s forgiveness and then acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior and redeemer. The shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL our sins and restores us into a right relationship with God. All who believe and receive Jesus as Savior become children of God and will spend an eternity with God and His Son Jesus. What a privilege to be the recipient of such great love and to be able to call God “Our Father.” And just think of all the untold and unseen riches that will be ours as joint heirs with Christ.
In the verses that we have written above from the book of James, we read that the fruit of our religion is in what we do and what we say. Our relationship with Jesus is a heart relationship and not, what many think, a head religion. When we have a relationship (our religion) with Jesus we will watch what we say --- bridle our tongue --- and our deeds will be a commitment to honor our Lord by helping those in need --- including widows and orphans. When we have a relationship with Christ it is important that the people around us are able to see evidence of our relationship with Christ by the way we live our lives. When we do not live by God’s Word and practice what God teaches James tells us that “our religion is useless.”
Is your “religion” just a series of rituals that you do your best to try to honor? In your “religion” do you have a certainty that you will spend eternity with God? Is your “religion” a relationship with Jesus that gives you the certain hope for an eternity with God? You can know about God, but you cannot know God until you have entered a relationship with God and become a “child of God.” It is our prayer that you will become a “Child of God” if you have not done so already.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Help me today to allow others to see in me my relationship with Jesus. Help me to watch what I say that every word that proceeds out of my mouth glorifies Your name. Give me today a caring attitude that compels me to reach out and help those in need.
RELIGION
DEFINITION:
A set of beliefs concerning the cause and purpose of the universe; a particular set of beliefs and practices; something a person believes in; the service and worship of God or the supernatural.
SCRIPTURE:
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their time of trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.” James 1:26-27
“How great is the love the father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are.” I John 3:1
“Now if we are children of God then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:17
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
If we read the newspapers and magazines or watch the television we will hear much about religion in our world especially from the middle-east. We continue to watch and see the turmoil in the middle-east and hear dialogue on the good and bad of religion in that area of our world.
Recently we received an e-mail message from a young man living in Afghanistan. He had been reading our devotionals for several weeks and said he finally had to write and ask us why we felt knowing Jesus was the only way that he could get to heaven. He went on to say that he had studied many religions and that they all said that one would go to some sort of heaven. He went on to tell us that he was a Muslim but was searching and was considering trying Jesus as his new religion.
Many people are very confused, as is this young man, and even defensive when we talk about religion. This is because there are so many “religions” in our culture today and one hears so many conflicting concepts and ideas. A non-believer in Jesus gets confused and does not know how to respond concerning their belief in religion. So the normal response is that religion does not concern them. When we talk to someone about our “religion”, we make it clear that we are talking about a “relationship” not a religion that is a series of concepts and “do’s and don’ts”. This is what we explained to our friend in Afghanistan.
Very simply we have a personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship began when we accepted Jesus into our hearts as our personal Savior. God sent His Son to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins and we accepted His offer of redemption. There is no other religion that makes this offer. All other “religions” offer a series of rituals like doing good works, church attendance, penance, etc. The difference is the “RELATIONSHIP.”
We have with Jesus a family relationship grounded in love. It was because God loved us that He sent His Son so that by believing in Him we could become children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. There is a reason that it was necessary for God to send His Son to this earth. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we are all born sinners. This is a fact and not a theory. God is completely holy and entirely without sin. Sin is what separates us from God. There is no amount of good works or any amount of spiritual rituals that will cleanse us from our sins. Because we are sinners the penalty for our sins must be paid.
This is why God sent His Son to this earth --- to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross. We must be willing to admit that we are sinners, confess our sins, and ask for God’s forgiveness and then acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior and redeemer. The shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL our sins and restores us into a right relationship with God. All who believe and receive Jesus as Savior become children of God and will spend an eternity with God and His Son Jesus. What a privilege to be the recipient of such great love and to be able to call God “Our Father.” And just think of all the untold and unseen riches that will be ours as joint heirs with Christ.
In the verses that we have written above from the book of James, we read that the fruit of our religion is in what we do and what we say. Our relationship with Jesus is a heart relationship and not, what many think, a head religion. When we have a relationship (our religion) with Jesus we will watch what we say --- bridle our tongue --- and our deeds will be a commitment to honor our Lord by helping those in need --- including widows and orphans. When we have a relationship with Christ it is important that the people around us are able to see evidence of our relationship with Christ by the way we live our lives. When we do not live by God’s Word and practice what God teaches James tells us that “our religion is useless.”
Is your “religion” just a series of rituals that you do your best to try to honor? In your “religion” do you have a certainty that you will spend eternity with God? Is your “religion” a relationship with Jesus that gives you the certain hope for an eternity with God? You can know about God, but you cannot know God until you have entered a relationship with God and become a “child of God.” It is our prayer that you will become a “Child of God” if you have not done so already.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Help me today to allow others to see in me my relationship with Jesus. Help me to watch what I say that every word that proceeds out of my mouth glorifies Your name. Give me today a caring attitude that compels me to reach out and help those in need.
Same: May 10, 2011
MAY 10, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 10, 2011
SAME
DEFINITION:
Unchanged in character or condition.
SCRIPTURE:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Think how quickly things become old and out of date. Not much stays the same. Do you remember typewriters and carbon paper? Most young children today would have no idea what we are talking about. What they know now are computers and printers and a printer that will print as many copies as needed. Carbon paper is no longer needed to make a second copy.
With the advance of technology many things change faster than we can keep up with them. We no more than get a new computer or a camera out of the box before a better and more sophisticated one is in production. This is true in almost every area of our lives today. For example, think of how fast advances are being made in the medical field.
Everything that man makes or invents will become old and obsolete. Often what man thinks is true in our limited wisdom is often discovered to be false. Years ago a relative had severe stomach ulcers. The doctors did surgery on his stomach thinking that was the only cure. We now know that ulcer problems can be cured with antibiotics. Continually new discoveries and inventions literally change the way we live and the way we handle sicknesses, diseases and accidents.
The writer of Hebrews assures us that Jesus does not change. Isn’t this thrilling to know? He clearly and firmly states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Yesterday Jesus created the world. The scripture tells us that, “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the world.” (Hebrews 1:10) Today Jesus sits at the right hand of God, the Father in heaven. “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) Tomorrow Jesus will still be creator, He will still be sitting at the right hand of God, and He will rule forever. Hebrews 1:8 tells us that God, the Father, says this about the Son, “Your throne O God, will last forever.”
Yes, Jesus Christ will remain forever the same. We live in a world that is constantly changing, but the good news of the gospel will never change. What a blessed assurance that is that our faith is in a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever the same, yesterday, today and forever.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, that You are my Savior and that Your love for me will never change because You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank You for the assurance I have that You are sitting at the right hand of God right now hearing my prayer and making intercession for me with God the Father. Make this same assurance a reality in the lives of my children.
SAME
DEFINITION:
Unchanged in character or condition.
SCRIPTURE:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Think how quickly things become old and out of date. Not much stays the same. Do you remember typewriters and carbon paper? Most young children today would have no idea what we are talking about. What they know now are computers and printers and a printer that will print as many copies as needed. Carbon paper is no longer needed to make a second copy.
With the advance of technology many things change faster than we can keep up with them. We no more than get a new computer or a camera out of the box before a better and more sophisticated one is in production. This is true in almost every area of our lives today. For example, think of how fast advances are being made in the medical field.
Everything that man makes or invents will become old and obsolete. Often what man thinks is true in our limited wisdom is often discovered to be false. Years ago a relative had severe stomach ulcers. The doctors did surgery on his stomach thinking that was the only cure. We now know that ulcer problems can be cured with antibiotics. Continually new discoveries and inventions literally change the way we live and the way we handle sicknesses, diseases and accidents.
The writer of Hebrews assures us that Jesus does not change. Isn’t this thrilling to know? He clearly and firmly states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Yesterday Jesus created the world. The scripture tells us that, “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the world.” (Hebrews 1:10) Today Jesus sits at the right hand of God, the Father in heaven. “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12) Tomorrow Jesus will still be creator, He will still be sitting at the right hand of God, and He will rule forever. Hebrews 1:8 tells us that God, the Father, says this about the Son, “Your throne O God, will last forever.”
Yes, Jesus Christ will remain forever the same. We live in a world that is constantly changing, but the good news of the gospel will never change. What a blessed assurance that is that our faith is in a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is forever the same, yesterday, today and forever.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, that You are my Savior and that Your love for me will never change because You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank You for the assurance I have that You are sitting at the right hand of God right now hearing my prayer and making intercession for me with God the Father. Make this same assurance a reality in the lives of my children.
Ignore: May 9, 2011
MAY 9, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY MAY 9, 2011
IGNORE
DEFINITION:
To refrain from noticing or recognizing; to refuse to pay attention to.
SCRIPTURE:
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. Psalm 9:12.
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? Hebrews 2:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is easy to ignore things in life that we do not want to deal with. It was very annoying to us as parents to have our children ignore what we would say to them. We are all guilty of ignoring someone or something at one time or another. As the saying goes, “It goes in one ear and out the other.” We do ignore people even though we do not like to be ignored.
Some people just plain shut the outside world out of their mind when they are involved in certain projects. They are often accused of ignoring a word or conversation being carried on with them from another party. In many of these situations they do not hear what is being said because their entire concentration is on what they are doing.
But there are many that are in the same situation and they hear but do not want to admit that they are listening. They do this on purpose and then use as an excuse --- an outward lie --- that they did not hear what was said.
How fortunate we are that we have a loving God who does not ignore us even though day by day we continually ignore Him. You may ask, how do you ignore God? You ignore God when you do not read the Bible, His Word, daily. This is how God speaks to you, through your reading what He is saying in His Word. You also ignore God when you do not take time everyday to pray to God. How else can you communicate to God? When you ignore reading the Bible and praying every day, you are ignoring God.
God sent His Son to seek and to save us. In Luke 19:10 we read, “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” God seeks each and every one of us but unfortunately the majority of people in our world today and down through the ages have chosen to ignore Him.
We often said our children had selective hearing. They heard what they wanted to hear. If they were engrossed in what they were doing they would act like they were listening and even answer, “Uh-huh”, when they were asked if they heard what we said. It would be quickly apparent that they had not really heard a word and were tuning us out and ignoring us, because they did not respond to do what they were asked to do.
In Matthew 13:13 Jesus warned the crowd, who had come to hear His message, that some of them, “though hearing, they did not hear.” Many respond to God’s offer to us of His gift of salvation in this same way today. They do not hear because they choose not to hear.
We often hope that by ignoring something that it will just go away. Some things in life, no matter how much we ignore them, will not go away.
The writer of Hebrews asks this vital question: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Everyone must ask themselves this question because no one will escape God’s punishment for their sins if they ignore the wonderful gift of salvation that God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
All of us who are willing to come to God through Christ can be sure that He will hear our cry of repentance. “He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.” No sin is so great that Jesus will not forgive.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, for Your great gift of salvation. Open the ears and eyes of those in my family that do not accept Your gift of salvation that they will hear your message of love and forgiveness and accept You as their Savior. Help me to teach my children to listen and obey.
IGNORE
DEFINITION:
To refrain from noticing or recognizing; to refuse to pay attention to.
SCRIPTURE:
He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. Psalm 9:12.
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? Hebrews 2:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is easy to ignore things in life that we do not want to deal with. It was very annoying to us as parents to have our children ignore what we would say to them. We are all guilty of ignoring someone or something at one time or another. As the saying goes, “It goes in one ear and out the other.” We do ignore people even though we do not like to be ignored.
Some people just plain shut the outside world out of their mind when they are involved in certain projects. They are often accused of ignoring a word or conversation being carried on with them from another party. In many of these situations they do not hear what is being said because their entire concentration is on what they are doing.
But there are many that are in the same situation and they hear but do not want to admit that they are listening. They do this on purpose and then use as an excuse --- an outward lie --- that they did not hear what was said.
How fortunate we are that we have a loving God who does not ignore us even though day by day we continually ignore Him. You may ask, how do you ignore God? You ignore God when you do not read the Bible, His Word, daily. This is how God speaks to you, through your reading what He is saying in His Word. You also ignore God when you do not take time everyday to pray to God. How else can you communicate to God? When you ignore reading the Bible and praying every day, you are ignoring God.
God sent His Son to seek and to save us. In Luke 19:10 we read, “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” God seeks each and every one of us but unfortunately the majority of people in our world today and down through the ages have chosen to ignore Him.
We often said our children had selective hearing. They heard what they wanted to hear. If they were engrossed in what they were doing they would act like they were listening and even answer, “Uh-huh”, when they were asked if they heard what we said. It would be quickly apparent that they had not really heard a word and were tuning us out and ignoring us, because they did not respond to do what they were asked to do.
In Matthew 13:13 Jesus warned the crowd, who had come to hear His message, that some of them, “though hearing, they did not hear.” Many respond to God’s offer to us of His gift of salvation in this same way today. They do not hear because they choose not to hear.
We often hope that by ignoring something that it will just go away. Some things in life, no matter how much we ignore them, will not go away.
The writer of Hebrews asks this vital question: “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Everyone must ask themselves this question because no one will escape God’s punishment for their sins if they ignore the wonderful gift of salvation that God has provided for us through Jesus Christ.
All of us who are willing to come to God through Christ can be sure that He will hear our cry of repentance. “He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.” No sin is so great that Jesus will not forgive.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, for Your great gift of salvation. Open the ears and eyes of those in my family that do not accept Your gift of salvation that they will hear your message of love and forgiveness and accept You as their Savior. Help me to teach my children to listen and obey.
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