AUGUST 26 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 2011.
LEGACY
DEFINITION:
Anything handed down from the past; property left by will; a bequest.
SCRIPTURE:
The things that you have heard from me, commit these things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I remember a famous musician saying that the finest instruments today in the orchestra are those that were made years ago. If we remember he said that the wood used for instruments needed to be aged for 80 years in order to get all the moisture out of the wood. And then the instrument needed to be played for another 80 years before it reached it s best sound.
The point of this illustration is that instrument makers make instruments that they will never play or hear. They make these so that they can leave a legacy as to the greatness of their masterful craftsmanship. Such instruments become more valuable with time and become treasured possessions that are passed on from generation to generation.
Many of the things we do are what we might term, “Next generation matters.” In many cases teachers do not know how well they teach until a generation grows up and builds on what they learned from their teacher. A parent will not see the results of their training and tutoring until at least one generation passes.
The apostle Paul invested himself in people whose spiritual influence would continue long after he was gone. We read the words above, from II Timothy that shows that Paul wanted the message of his teachings to be his legacy. Paul talks to Timothy and tells him to teach what he has learned to men who would be faithful to passing Paul’s teaching to generations to follow. Paul taught Timothy and other believers in the early church who then taught others to become faithful believers who then would teach others, thus fulfilling the commission given by Jesus to His disciples to go into all the nations and preach the gospel.
Are we living today for the short term or are we living dedicated to leave a legacy for our Lord? Are we giving ourselves to others or living for ourselves? Are those that we are giving to being trained by us to give to others? Living for Christ and making disciples are all about the next generation and the legacy we leave to them.
Are we influencing future generations by the way we are living for Christ today? All God expects from us is to perform our mission day by day asking Christ to lead us and bless us. Then be encouraged by His presence in your life and be faithful to Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock. And it will be opened to you.”
PRAYER:
Help me and my family to lay the groundwork in our lives to leave a legacy honoring You to the next generation. Keep us close to You constantly learning from Your Word how to be what You want from each of us.
August 28, 2011
Emphaty: August 25, 2011
AUGUST 25 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 25, 2011.
EMPATHY
DEFINITION:
The intellectual identification with or experiencing the feelings, thoughts or attitudes of another.
SCRIPTURE:
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Romans 8: 28-29.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I will never forget when our oldest daughter dislocated her little finger playing in her high school basketball game. They stopped the game and we saw her finger totally bent the wrong way. To say the least it looked grotesque. We took her to the doctor and he carefully twisted and turned the finger until it went back in place.
As parents we felt “the hurt” probably as much and maybe even more than our daughter. It is difficult for parents to see their children suffer. As parents we want to make the pain go away and we would rather go through the painful experience ourselves rather than have our children go through it. Parents have deep empathy for their children when they suffer whether it is the physical pain of sickness or injury or whether it is emotional and mental pain resulting from the pressures of life or from harmful relationships.
It is empathy for the physical pain and suffering of others that people become doctors. If we trust earthly doctors to care for our children, how much more should we be willing to trust God, our great a physician to heal our broken body and to reset our broken lives “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). God’s empathy for our suffering is so much greater than any doctor.
One of God’s purposes of pain is to mold us into the image of Jesus in our hearts. The next time you feel pain remember what God wants to do for you through the pain. God wants us to be able to weep with those who weep and may need to stain our cheeks with a few of our own tears so that we will empathize with others in their time of need just as Jesus did.
God may need, at times, to strip away our security --- when we are happy sitting in our comfort zone --- to conform us to the God-sufficiency that Jesus displayed while on this earth.
Next time you feel pain or even discouraged or broken hearted, do not panic. The Lord our God, heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3. Just stop and praise God knowing that He is at work in your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
PRAYER:
Give us the strength to go through any pain we may face today knowing that You are in control. May the pain we face be a learning time for us to become more Christ-like in our daily walk and talk.
EMPATHY
DEFINITION:
The intellectual identification with or experiencing the feelings, thoughts or attitudes of another.
SCRIPTURE:
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Romans 8: 28-29.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I will never forget when our oldest daughter dislocated her little finger playing in her high school basketball game. They stopped the game and we saw her finger totally bent the wrong way. To say the least it looked grotesque. We took her to the doctor and he carefully twisted and turned the finger until it went back in place.
As parents we felt “the hurt” probably as much and maybe even more than our daughter. It is difficult for parents to see their children suffer. As parents we want to make the pain go away and we would rather go through the painful experience ourselves rather than have our children go through it. Parents have deep empathy for their children when they suffer whether it is the physical pain of sickness or injury or whether it is emotional and mental pain resulting from the pressures of life or from harmful relationships.
It is empathy for the physical pain and suffering of others that people become doctors. If we trust earthly doctors to care for our children, how much more should we be willing to trust God, our great a physician to heal our broken body and to reset our broken lives “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). God’s empathy for our suffering is so much greater than any doctor.
One of God’s purposes of pain is to mold us into the image of Jesus in our hearts. The next time you feel pain remember what God wants to do for you through the pain. God wants us to be able to weep with those who weep and may need to stain our cheeks with a few of our own tears so that we will empathize with others in their time of need just as Jesus did.
God may need, at times, to strip away our security --- when we are happy sitting in our comfort zone --- to conform us to the God-sufficiency that Jesus displayed while on this earth.
Next time you feel pain or even discouraged or broken hearted, do not panic. The Lord our God, heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds. Psalm 147:3. Just stop and praise God knowing that He is at work in your life.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
PRAYER:
Give us the strength to go through any pain we may face today knowing that You are in control. May the pain we face be a learning time for us to become more Christ-like in our daily walk and talk.
Aging: August 24, 2011
AUGUST 24 2011. TODAYSWORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24, 2011.
AGING
DEFINITION:
Having lived a long time; advanced years; getting older; measuring how long one has lived.
SCRIPTURE:
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31
Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding. Job 12:12
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I (Ken) can remember so vividly when I was a young teenager staying with my grandfather and grandmother for six weeks in northern Canada. The days were long in the summer time and almost every night after dinner we would sit on my grandfather’s porch and listen to him talk about the Bible and how it related to our lives.
He was a fiery old time Baptist minister and every once in a while he would stand up so he could use his hands and raise his voice so he could make his point. But for me it was a learning time and, as Job says in the verse above, I learned from my grandfather’s wisdom and understanding what he had learned through his many days of living.
Americans spend more than $20 billion annually on anti-aging products that claim to cure baldness, remove wrinkles, build muscles and renew powers from their youth. But there is absolutely no scientific proof that any commercial product will stop or reverse aging.
As a believer in Jesus you have a promise that those who do not know Him do not have. This is a promise of spiritual vitality that defies the concerns one may have of time. Isaiah tells us in Isaiah (above) that youth will faint, young men will fall but those that wait upon the Lord shall run, not be weary, walk and not faint. What a wonderful promise.
Isaiah used the eagle as a symbol of freedom and endurance for those of us that are believers in Jesus. As we put our trust in Him we are carried along by His strength and not our own.
The psalmist said in Psalms 103:5 that it is the Lord who nourishes us so that our strength is renewed. Are you taking advantage of God’s anti-aging power? It is promised to all of us who put our trust in Him for strength, vigor and energy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
PRAYER:
We pray for new inner strength today so that our trust in You may grow. Make growing old for our family a blessing because we are growing in godly wisdom and into a closer relationship with You.
AGING
DEFINITION:
Having lived a long time; advanced years; getting older; measuring how long one has lived.
SCRIPTURE:
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31
Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding. Job 12:12
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
I (Ken) can remember so vividly when I was a young teenager staying with my grandfather and grandmother for six weeks in northern Canada. The days were long in the summer time and almost every night after dinner we would sit on my grandfather’s porch and listen to him talk about the Bible and how it related to our lives.
He was a fiery old time Baptist minister and every once in a while he would stand up so he could use his hands and raise his voice so he could make his point. But for me it was a learning time and, as Job says in the verse above, I learned from my grandfather’s wisdom and understanding what he had learned through his many days of living.
Americans spend more than $20 billion annually on anti-aging products that claim to cure baldness, remove wrinkles, build muscles and renew powers from their youth. But there is absolutely no scientific proof that any commercial product will stop or reverse aging.
As a believer in Jesus you have a promise that those who do not know Him do not have. This is a promise of spiritual vitality that defies the concerns one may have of time. Isaiah tells us in Isaiah (above) that youth will faint, young men will fall but those that wait upon the Lord shall run, not be weary, walk and not faint. What a wonderful promise.
Isaiah used the eagle as a symbol of freedom and endurance for those of us that are believers in Jesus. As we put our trust in Him we are carried along by His strength and not our own.
The psalmist said in Psalms 103:5 that it is the Lord who nourishes us so that our strength is renewed. Are you taking advantage of God’s anti-aging power? It is promised to all of us who put our trust in Him for strength, vigor and energy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
PRAYER:
We pray for new inner strength today so that our trust in You may grow. Make growing old for our family a blessing because we are growing in godly wisdom and into a closer relationship with You.
Christ-Likeness: August 23, 2011
AUGUST 23 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2011
CHRIST-LIKENESS
DEFINITION:
Living one’s life like Christ did while on this earth.
SCRIPTURE:
Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The process of becoming like Christ is most of the time painful, but it is always worth it. When we talk about becoming Christ-like, we mean that our daily life always should show the spirit of Christ in all that we do and all that we say.
Becoming Christ-like is an ongoing process that requires us to do battle with our sinful nature. In Colossians 3:5-9 Paul gives us a list of the sinful acts that one must no longer be part of the life of anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Savior. The list includes sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy-language, and lying. In verse three Paul says we must put to death all these things because they are actions that come from our old sinful nature.
To become Christ-like in today’s society is very difficult because of the pressure to conform to the growing evil that we face in this world. As we have often said, we live in a “ME” generation and if you are going along with the crowd and living for yourself, you cannot be Christ-like.
Receiving Jesus into our hearts, God’s gift of salvation is a one-time event but to become like Him is a daily event that often requires suffering and struggle. It involves putting off your old sinful habits and replacing them with new godly ones.
The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians (above), “Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt and put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
As a believer in Christ have you put out of your life the evil and ungodly habits of your past? Look at the Ten Commandments and they will give you a checklist so you can grade yourself. Old habits are tough to eliminate but God expects us to get rid of them and promises us help to do so.
What is troubling you today? God may be using the kind rebuke from a family member or friend or even a painful trial to prompt you to get rid of a sinful habit. By doing this God will replace that habit with godly character.
In I Peter 4:1-2 it reads: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
The conversion of a soul is the miracle that only God can do in a moment but the growth of a soul is God’s work of a lifetime.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today for me and my family that we would be like Jesus. Make this our goal as we face the evils of this world. May Your Spirit be our guide not only for today but until we meet You in heaven.
CHRIST-LIKENESS
DEFINITION:
Living one’s life like Christ did while on this earth.
SCRIPTURE:
Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The process of becoming like Christ is most of the time painful, but it is always worth it. When we talk about becoming Christ-like, we mean that our daily life always should show the spirit of Christ in all that we do and all that we say.
Becoming Christ-like is an ongoing process that requires us to do battle with our sinful nature. In Colossians 3:5-9 Paul gives us a list of the sinful acts that one must no longer be part of the life of anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Savior. The list includes sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy-language, and lying. In verse three Paul says we must put to death all these things because they are actions that come from our old sinful nature.
To become Christ-like in today’s society is very difficult because of the pressure to conform to the growing evil that we face in this world. As we have often said, we live in a “ME” generation and if you are going along with the crowd and living for yourself, you cannot be Christ-like.
Receiving Jesus into our hearts, God’s gift of salvation is a one-time event but to become like Him is a daily event that often requires suffering and struggle. It involves putting off your old sinful habits and replacing them with new godly ones.
The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians (above), “Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt and put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
As a believer in Christ have you put out of your life the evil and ungodly habits of your past? Look at the Ten Commandments and they will give you a checklist so you can grade yourself. Old habits are tough to eliminate but God expects us to get rid of them and promises us help to do so.
What is troubling you today? God may be using the kind rebuke from a family member or friend or even a painful trial to prompt you to get rid of a sinful habit. By doing this God will replace that habit with godly character.
In I Peter 4:1-2 it reads: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
The conversion of a soul is the miracle that only God can do in a moment but the growth of a soul is God’s work of a lifetime.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today for me and my family that we would be like Jesus. Make this our goal as we face the evils of this world. May Your Spirit be our guide not only for today but until we meet You in heaven.
Sorrow: August 22, 2011
AUGUST 22 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2011.
SORROW
DEFINITION:
Distress of mind; grief; sadness; regret; distress caused by loss; affliction; disappointment.
SCRIPTURE:
I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. Psalm 6:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Psalmist in the verse we have put above really spells out how many people feel when they are in deep sorrow. Sorrow comes to us in many ways and as the definition above says sorrow is distress, grief, sadness or grief that one feels when they experience a great loss or bitter disappointment.
We have talked over the years with many people that have had dreams of accomplishing something big. They invested most of their time, effort and money into a project feeling assured that it would be successful. And many times something would happen and the bottom would fall out of their carefully laid plans.
When this happens deep sorrow comes to that person. They lose their personal confidence and live a defeated life. The reality of crushed expectations takes a toll on a person and leaves them with a sense of loss and hopelessness.
There is another type of sorrow. This is a sorrow felt when a friend or family member comes down with a serious sickness or has an accident. The sorrow is even greater when that person passes away. The death of a loved one leaves a void in a person’s life. Many never are able to overcome the loss of a loved one and their sorrow causes them to fall into a state of deep depression.
The psalmist David experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life (the verse we have written above). The depth of his sorrow drove him to heartache but in his grief he turned to God. David’s crushed and broken life gave way to an assurance of God’s care, prompting him to say, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” (Verse 9) We can be assured that God hears our prayers and answers them.
In times of sorrow and disappointment people often look to other people for comfort and support. Unfortunately, people do not usually understand and let us down.
In our seasons of disappointment and sorrow we can learn from David and we too can find comfort in God, who cares for our broken heart. Remember, as someone once said, “God’s whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our sorrow.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
PRAYER:
My prayer is that in my darkest hour of sorrow I will be reminded to put my total trust in You. Thank You that You will bless me with Your comfort and loving grace in my times of sorrow.
SORROW
DEFINITION:
Distress of mind; grief; sadness; regret; distress caused by loss; affliction; disappointment.
SCRIPTURE:
I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. Psalm 6:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Psalmist in the verse we have put above really spells out how many people feel when they are in deep sorrow. Sorrow comes to us in many ways and as the definition above says sorrow is distress, grief, sadness or grief that one feels when they experience a great loss or bitter disappointment.
We have talked over the years with many people that have had dreams of accomplishing something big. They invested most of their time, effort and money into a project feeling assured that it would be successful. And many times something would happen and the bottom would fall out of their carefully laid plans.
When this happens deep sorrow comes to that person. They lose their personal confidence and live a defeated life. The reality of crushed expectations takes a toll on a person and leaves them with a sense of loss and hopelessness.
There is another type of sorrow. This is a sorrow felt when a friend or family member comes down with a serious sickness or has an accident. The sorrow is even greater when that person passes away. The death of a loved one leaves a void in a person’s life. Many never are able to overcome the loss of a loved one and their sorrow causes them to fall into a state of deep depression.
The psalmist David experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life (the verse we have written above). The depth of his sorrow drove him to heartache but in his grief he turned to God. David’s crushed and broken life gave way to an assurance of God’s care, prompting him to say, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” (Verse 9) We can be assured that God hears our prayers and answers them.
In times of sorrow and disappointment people often look to other people for comfort and support. Unfortunately, people do not usually understand and let us down.
In our seasons of disappointment and sorrow we can learn from David and we too can find comfort in God, who cares for our broken heart. Remember, as someone once said, “God’s whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our sorrow.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
PRAYER:
My prayer is that in my darkest hour of sorrow I will be reminded to put my total trust in You. Thank You that You will bless me with Your comfort and loving grace in my times of sorrow.
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