GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT for Saturday September 22, 2012.
PROVERB
A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength. Proverbs 24:5.
PROMISE
The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity. Psalm 93:1-2.
PRAISE
I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your Word. When I called, You answered me; You made me bold and stouthearted, Psalm 138: 2-3
September 23, 2012
Training: September 21, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2012.
TRAINING
DEFINITION:
To teach so as to make qualified; 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 reminders to us of the importance of the training we receive from our parents. It is also a reminder to parents today of their responsibility to train their children 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. 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 and chaotic 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 uphold the law, we train armed forces personnel, we train bus drivers, and we train our pastors and teachers. Without training children can become very confused and are easily enticed into harmful lifestyles.
Training children can become very difficult at times. Do not be discouraged and do not give up. Instead, “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” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It takes Godly wisdom to raise children and that requires prayer and lots of it, along with spending time in God’s Word. God is faithful. He will lead you to train your children in the right way.
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 too.” 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 Philippians 1:6:
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord, for my children. Give me wisdom in training them to live and act as God would have them do. Guide me as I teach them Your Word so that they will have a clear understanding of God’s plan of salvation and of His love for them.
TRAINING
DEFINITION:
To teach so as to make qualified; 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 reminders to us of the importance of the training we receive from our parents. It is also a reminder to parents today of their responsibility to train their children 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. 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 and chaotic 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 uphold the law, we train armed forces personnel, we train bus drivers, and we train our pastors and teachers. Without training children can become very confused and are easily enticed into harmful lifestyles.
Training children can become very difficult at times. Do not be discouraged and do not give up. Instead, “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” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It takes Godly wisdom to raise children and that requires prayer and lots of it, along with spending time in God’s Word. God is faithful. He will lead you to train your children in the right way.
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 too.” 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 Philippians 1:6:
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord, for my children. Give me wisdom in training them to live and act as God would have them do. Guide me as I teach them Your Word so that they will have a clear understanding of God’s plan of salvation and of His love for them.
Mercy: September 20, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20. 2012.
MERCY
DEFINITION:
Compassionate leniency toward an enemy or a wrong doer; a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion; withholding of the punishment our sins deserve.
SCRIPTURE:
So then it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:16
But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 2:4
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. Titus 3:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The dictionary defines mercy as compassionate leniency toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are all offenders and in need of God’s mercy. God is truly a God of mercy and of love.
In I Samuel 24 we read of David showing mercy to Saul. David was being pursued by Saul and his army and Saul wanted to kill David. Saul entered a cave where David and his men were hiding. David managed to creep up unnoticed on Saul and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. David could have easily killed Saul, but instead he showed mercy to Saul and let him escape. When Saul was made aware of David’s act of mercy, Saul repented and reconciled with David. Like Saul, we should be so grateful for the mercy God has shown for us that we desire to repent of our sins and be reconciled to God.
Although we are undeserving, because we are all sinners, He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death, which is the punishment we deserve. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God further showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to guide us as we live on this earth.
All through the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s mercy is displayed. Yes, we must agree with Paul, “God is rich in mercy!” (Ephesians 2:4)
In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God continued to give all the generations that followed.
In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day and He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who continually shows unmerited mercy to us. All of us can be so thankful that God’s mercy does not depend on our desires or efforts (Romans 8:16). There is nothing we can do to earn it; because God’s mercy does not depend on the righteous things we have done (Titus 3:5).
Our children loved to participate in sports. We coached several of their teams because it gave us a chance to teach important life values to our children and their peers. We taught them about teamwork and what it meant to win and lose. We taught how to play fair, the value of practice and hard work. And on a few occasions we even dealt with mercy. In youth sports there is a “MERCY RULE” which brings a game to an early end when one team has such a big lead that it is evident the losing team has no chance to win. This spares the losing team the humiliation of suffering a greater defeat. We taught them to think about how they would feel if they were the losing team so that they would understand that it was the right and the compassionate thing to show mercy to them.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
How grateful I am for the mercy that You showed me and my family by giving us the blessed hope of spending an eternity with You in heaven. Help each of us in my family today to show mercy to others just like You have shown us mercy.
MERCY
DEFINITION:
Compassionate leniency toward an enemy or a wrong doer; a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion; withholding of the punishment our sins deserve.
SCRIPTURE:
So then it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:16
But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. Ephesians 2:4
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. Titus 3:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The dictionary defines mercy as compassionate leniency toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are all offenders and in need of God’s mercy. God is truly a God of mercy and of love.
In I Samuel 24 we read of David showing mercy to Saul. David was being pursued by Saul and his army and Saul wanted to kill David. Saul entered a cave where David and his men were hiding. David managed to creep up unnoticed on Saul and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. David could have easily killed Saul, but instead he showed mercy to Saul and let him escape. When Saul was made aware of David’s act of mercy, Saul repented and reconciled with David. Like Saul, we should be so grateful for the mercy God has shown for us that we desire to repent of our sins and be reconciled to God.
Although we are undeserving, because we are all sinners, He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death, which is the punishment we deserve. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God further showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to guide us as we live on this earth.
All through the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s mercy is displayed. Yes, we must agree with Paul, “God is rich in mercy!” (Ephesians 2:4)
In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God continued to give all the generations that followed.
In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day and He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who continually shows unmerited mercy to us. All of us can be so thankful that God’s mercy does not depend on our desires or efforts (Romans 8:16). There is nothing we can do to earn it; because God’s mercy does not depend on the righteous things we have done (Titus 3:5).
Our children loved to participate in sports. We coached several of their teams because it gave us a chance to teach important life values to our children and their peers. We taught them about teamwork and what it meant to win and lose. We taught how to play fair, the value of practice and hard work. And on a few occasions we even dealt with mercy. In youth sports there is a “MERCY RULE” which brings a game to an early end when one team has such a big lead that it is evident the losing team has no chance to win. This spares the losing team the humiliation of suffering a greater defeat. We taught them to think about how they would feel if they were the losing team so that they would understand that it was the right and the compassionate thing to show mercy to them.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
How grateful I am for the mercy that You showed me and my family by giving us the blessed hope of spending an eternity with You in heaven. Help each of us in my family today to show mercy to others just like You have shown us mercy.
Salvation: September 19, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
SALVATION
DEFINITION:
Deliverance from sin; redemption; deliverance from danger or a difficulty.
SCRIPTURE:
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many non-believers do not understand us when we talk about salvation. It is most likely that if you were to ask someone, “Are you saved?” they would have no idea what you were talking about. When life is going well people feel pretty self-sufficient and do not feel any need to be saved. When something in life gives them a sense of being in danger they look for something to save them. All who are not saved are in danger of eternal separation from God because of their sin. For the believer, salvation is the process that one goes through to be saved from paying the penalty for the sins they have committed.
Salvation is a gift that only God can give. He has given it to us through His Son Jesus. This salvation is available to everyone. Our hearts are broken that so very few people today feel any need for God and the salvation that He has offered everyone. Many people here in America today feel this way because for several generations now we have taken off our agenda the need for having God in our lives. This has been done through our schools and by the decision makers in our government and judicial system.
In our family, we believe that receiving salvation is the most important decision one can make. We made it a priority to teach our children about God and His plan of salvation. It is such a blessing and a comfort to know that all of our children have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. They are now parents themselves and teaching their children how to be saved.
Jesus began His ministry on earth with the marvelous message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) He never gave us an option. His message was simple and clear -- “REPENT.”
It is also written in Acts 16:30 that the Philippian jailer was in great fear when God caused an earthquake to open the prison doors of the jail for Paul and Silas to escape. They asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what can I do to be saved?” The answer was given clearly: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your household.” This is SALVATION!
Salvation is more than great. The scripture says that it is “SO GREAT.” Salvation in Jesus Christ is so great because:
• It was from God and through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
•
• It came at a great cost. I John 3:16 reads, “Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”
•
• It is complete and for all time. I Peter 3:18 reads, “For Christ died for our sins once and for all.”
•
• It is the only way to God and eternity. John 14:6 reads: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.”
•
The Philippian jailer never asked what he could do to be “LOST.” He knew that answer: You do not have to do anything to be lost because we are all born sinners and are condemned because of our sins. The only way to receive eternal life in heaven is the SALVATION that God has offered us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Our family is so grateful for the price You paid for us by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for the salvation that is ours because we asked for forgiveness for our sins and accepted You as our Savior.
SALVATION
DEFINITION:
Deliverance from sin; redemption; deliverance from danger or a difficulty.
SCRIPTURE:
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many non-believers do not understand us when we talk about salvation. It is most likely that if you were to ask someone, “Are you saved?” they would have no idea what you were talking about. When life is going well people feel pretty self-sufficient and do not feel any need to be saved. When something in life gives them a sense of being in danger they look for something to save them. All who are not saved are in danger of eternal separation from God because of their sin. For the believer, salvation is the process that one goes through to be saved from paying the penalty for the sins they have committed.
Salvation is a gift that only God can give. He has given it to us through His Son Jesus. This salvation is available to everyone. Our hearts are broken that so very few people today feel any need for God and the salvation that He has offered everyone. Many people here in America today feel this way because for several generations now we have taken off our agenda the need for having God in our lives. This has been done through our schools and by the decision makers in our government and judicial system.
In our family, we believe that receiving salvation is the most important decision one can make. We made it a priority to teach our children about God and His plan of salvation. It is such a blessing and a comfort to know that all of our children have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. They are now parents themselves and teaching their children how to be saved.
Jesus began His ministry on earth with the marvelous message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) He never gave us an option. His message was simple and clear -- “REPENT.”
It is also written in Acts 16:30 that the Philippian jailer was in great fear when God caused an earthquake to open the prison doors of the jail for Paul and Silas to escape. They asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what can I do to be saved?” The answer was given clearly: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your household.” This is SALVATION!
Salvation is more than great. The scripture says that it is “SO GREAT.” Salvation in Jesus Christ is so great because:
• It was from God and through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
•
• It came at a great cost. I John 3:16 reads, “Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”
•
• It is complete and for all time. I Peter 3:18 reads, “For Christ died for our sins once and for all.”
•
• It is the only way to God and eternity. John 14:6 reads: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.”
•
The Philippian jailer never asked what he could do to be “LOST.” He knew that answer: You do not have to do anything to be lost because we are all born sinners and are condemned because of our sins. The only way to receive eternal life in heaven is the SALVATION that God has offered us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Our family is so grateful for the price You paid for us by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for the salvation that is ours because we asked for forgiveness for our sins and accepted You as our Savior.
Morals: September 18, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2012.
MORALS
DEFINITION:
The rules of right conduct; distinguishing between right and wrong based on ethical grounds and not on legal; ethics; standards.
SCRIPTURE:
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit (motives). Proverbs 16:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
God is the source of morality. In His Word he has given us His standard for morals. As a result of our sinful nature man likes to do what he wants to do. We can rationalize that almost anything is “OK” and then proceed in doing it and feeling that is all right and justified.
The writer of Proverbs in the verses above tells us that the way man sees it is, “every way of a man is right in his own eyes.” and “all the ways of man are pure in his own eyes.” The writer tells us that God sees it differently. God sets the standards of what is right and He will judge if what we do is right. We can be certain that if our way does not measure up to God’s moral standard, as given in His Word, that our way is not right. Man can be self-deceived but God determines man’s real motives and whether they are moral or not.
We are living in a world where people live for their own self interests and could care less about their morals if they stand in the way of what they want to do. They prefer to be popular with the world than to be right with God. Integrity seems to be more and more lacking in the lives of people. There is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that we read recently, that we would like to share with you. As you read this compare it to what we seem to read and hear about our friends, neighbors and leaders.
“My desire is to so conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall have at least one friend left, the friend deep down inside of me. I do the very best I know how; the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing that until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong then a legion of angels swearing that I was right will make no difference.”
Abraham Lincoln was willing to do the right thing no matter what the cost, even if it meant he lost every one of his friends. He left us a heritage to build upon and as a people we are departing from that heritage. He always trusted God for the wisdom that God alone could give to make the correct moral decisions in life. In the eyes of many, slavery was all right. Abraham Lincoln recognized that in the eyes of God it was wrong and must be abolished.
An army officer recently told of his first night in a tent on the battlefield. Most of the troops were swearing and telling filthy stories. Finally the officer spoke and said to all in the tent; “I have heard your rough talk but now I am going to talk to God. Out of respect to Him I ask you all to please be quiet.” The place grew quiet; the officer prayed alone and never again had to contend with immoral talk.
We share these stories and quotes with you to encourage you to stand firm in honoring God in all you do. Take a look at your morals and see if they measure up to God’s standards.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
We are grateful for the example that Abraham Lincoln left us in that we are to do the right thing at all times no matter what the cost is. Thank You for giving us Your Word, the Bible, so that we have a guidebook to show us the difference between right and wrong.
MORALS
DEFINITION:
The rules of right conduct; distinguishing between right and wrong based on ethical grounds and not on legal; ethics; standards.
SCRIPTURE:
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit (motives). Proverbs 16:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
God is the source of morality. In His Word he has given us His standard for morals. As a result of our sinful nature man likes to do what he wants to do. We can rationalize that almost anything is “OK” and then proceed in doing it and feeling that is all right and justified.
The writer of Proverbs in the verses above tells us that the way man sees it is, “every way of a man is right in his own eyes.” and “all the ways of man are pure in his own eyes.” The writer tells us that God sees it differently. God sets the standards of what is right and He will judge if what we do is right. We can be certain that if our way does not measure up to God’s moral standard, as given in His Word, that our way is not right. Man can be self-deceived but God determines man’s real motives and whether they are moral or not.
We are living in a world where people live for their own self interests and could care less about their morals if they stand in the way of what they want to do. They prefer to be popular with the world than to be right with God. Integrity seems to be more and more lacking in the lives of people. There is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that we read recently, that we would like to share with you. As you read this compare it to what we seem to read and hear about our friends, neighbors and leaders.
“My desire is to so conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall have at least one friend left, the friend deep down inside of me. I do the very best I know how; the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing that until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong then a legion of angels swearing that I was right will make no difference.”
Abraham Lincoln was willing to do the right thing no matter what the cost, even if it meant he lost every one of his friends. He left us a heritage to build upon and as a people we are departing from that heritage. He always trusted God for the wisdom that God alone could give to make the correct moral decisions in life. In the eyes of many, slavery was all right. Abraham Lincoln recognized that in the eyes of God it was wrong and must be abolished.
An army officer recently told of his first night in a tent on the battlefield. Most of the troops were swearing and telling filthy stories. Finally the officer spoke and said to all in the tent; “I have heard your rough talk but now I am going to talk to God. Out of respect to Him I ask you all to please be quiet.” The place grew quiet; the officer prayed alone and never again had to contend with immoral talk.
We share these stories and quotes with you to encourage you to stand firm in honoring God in all you do. Take a look at your morals and see if they measure up to God’s standards.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
We are grateful for the example that Abraham Lincoln left us in that we are to do the right thing at all times no matter what the cost is. Thank You for giving us Your Word, the Bible, so that we have a guidebook to show us the difference between right and wrong.
Boldness: September 17, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2012.
BOLDNESS
DEFINITION:
Courageous; brave; fearless; undaunted; self-assured.
SCRIPTURE:
Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. II Corinthians 7:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
“Political correctness” is a term heard frequently these days. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to speak out with boldness about their faith. Prayer is no longer allowed at many public events because it might offend someone and be “politically incorrect.”Even the display of religious symbols such as crosses, manger scenes, and the Ten Commandments are considered “politically incorrect.” This is intimidating to believers and makes them more concerned about what the world thinks than obeying God’s command for us to be witnesses to a lost and sinful world. This should be a deep concern and a wake-up call for all believers.
Some of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Bible are the Apostle Paul’s accounts of his journeys and imprisonments. Paul’s words are powerful because he wrote with conviction about what he personally had experienced. During this time Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that he was not ashamed to have been serving Jesus. Paul also wrote that it was a privilege to suffer for Jesus. Paul looked for every opportunity to speak with boldness about Jesus and sharing with others God’s plan of salvation. He was not ashamed to speak boldly of his faith regardless of the consequences.
Paul knew the reality of persecution for the first century believers. Before his conversion he had been a persecutor of Christians. And then after he became a believer he was beaten, stoned and thrown into prison because of his faith. Paul did not let any of that persecution stop him from preaching with boldness. Even while in prison, Paul spread the good news of the gospel by writing letters to the churches he had helped establish.
As he waited in a lonely place during his last imprisonment, he wrote the church at Philippi asking them to pray for him that as he stood trial he would in no way be less bold than he always had been for Christ. Paul’s desire was to have a bold testimony whether he lived or died. In Paul’s own words (1:20) he wanted Christ always to be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death.
There are not too many Christians today that are bold in declaring their faith in Jesus. Some of the boldest that we have seen are children. We have mentioned before in these devotionals about one of our grandchildren who was in the hospital waiting for an emergency appendectomy. Before they put him to sleep, the doctor walked in and asked if he had any questions. Our seven year old grandson said that he had one question. He asked. “DO YOU KNOW JESUS?’ The Doctor said “Yes” and our grandson had no more questions.
How many people in your family are bold enough even to ask their friends whether they know Jesus? It is not easy to be outgoing and bold about our faith. We believe the Lord wants us to be courageous in living our faith and consistent in showing our moral standards so others will see that we are living a consistent Christ honoring life. Then when someone asks you about seeing something different in your life, you can respond with boldness about your faith. We must live boldly and we must speak boldly regardless of the consequences. Time may be running out because Jesus may be returning at any time.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the examples that are in Your Word concerning my need to be bold about my relationship with You. Help me to respond to every opportunity that comes my way to be bold about my relationship with You.
BOLDNESS
DEFINITION:
Courageous; brave; fearless; undaunted; self-assured.
SCRIPTURE:
Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. II Corinthians 7:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
“Political correctness” is a term heard frequently these days. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to speak out with boldness about their faith. Prayer is no longer allowed at many public events because it might offend someone and be “politically incorrect.”Even the display of religious symbols such as crosses, manger scenes, and the Ten Commandments are considered “politically incorrect.” This is intimidating to believers and makes them more concerned about what the world thinks than obeying God’s command for us to be witnesses to a lost and sinful world. This should be a deep concern and a wake-up call for all believers.
Some of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Bible are the Apostle Paul’s accounts of his journeys and imprisonments. Paul’s words are powerful because he wrote with conviction about what he personally had experienced. During this time Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that he was not ashamed to have been serving Jesus. Paul also wrote that it was a privilege to suffer for Jesus. Paul looked for every opportunity to speak with boldness about Jesus and sharing with others God’s plan of salvation. He was not ashamed to speak boldly of his faith regardless of the consequences.
Paul knew the reality of persecution for the first century believers. Before his conversion he had been a persecutor of Christians. And then after he became a believer he was beaten, stoned and thrown into prison because of his faith. Paul did not let any of that persecution stop him from preaching with boldness. Even while in prison, Paul spread the good news of the gospel by writing letters to the churches he had helped establish.
As he waited in a lonely place during his last imprisonment, he wrote the church at Philippi asking them to pray for him that as he stood trial he would in no way be less bold than he always had been for Christ. Paul’s desire was to have a bold testimony whether he lived or died. In Paul’s own words (1:20) he wanted Christ always to be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death.
There are not too many Christians today that are bold in declaring their faith in Jesus. Some of the boldest that we have seen are children. We have mentioned before in these devotionals about one of our grandchildren who was in the hospital waiting for an emergency appendectomy. Before they put him to sleep, the doctor walked in and asked if he had any questions. Our seven year old grandson said that he had one question. He asked. “DO YOU KNOW JESUS?’ The Doctor said “Yes” and our grandson had no more questions.
How many people in your family are bold enough even to ask their friends whether they know Jesus? It is not easy to be outgoing and bold about our faith. We believe the Lord wants us to be courageous in living our faith and consistent in showing our moral standards so others will see that we are living a consistent Christ honoring life. Then when someone asks you about seeing something different in your life, you can respond with boldness about your faith. We must live boldly and we must speak boldly regardless of the consequences. Time may be running out because Jesus may be returning at any time.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the examples that are in Your Word concerning my need to be bold about my relationship with You. Help me to respond to every opportunity that comes my way to be bold about my relationship with You.
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