GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2013.
PROVERB:
A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. Proverbs 14:16
PROMISE:
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright; He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6, 7 and 8
PRAISE:
To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. Romans 16: 27.
April 7, 2013
Arguing: April 5, 2013
Today's Word for Friday April 5, 2013
ARGUING
DEFINITION:
To present reason for or against a thing; oral disagreement; dispute; to persuade or compel by reasoning.
SCRIPTURE:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it, you kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. James 4:1-2.
Pride only breeds quarrels. Proverbs 13:10
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14.
But avoid foolish disputes, for they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It seems that people do love to argue. Take the time to carefully watch people of all ages around you and listen carefully to their conversations and you will hear them arguing about anything and everything they happen to disagree on. This, you will find out, is true among family members, neighbors, and friends and even small children. It is human nature for one to argue. Some people like to argue just to argue.
James asks the question, "What causes fights and quarrels?" He gives us a straight-forward answer, "You want something but do not get it." These desires come from within us because of our sinful and corrupt natures. And in this "ME" generation arguing is a major cause of discord in the family, the community and in the world. Everyone is looking out for self. In the heat of the moment we forget Jesus' commandment "to love one another." (John 15:17) Think about the truth in Paul's admonition in Titus 3:9: "foolish disputes are profitless and useless."
Even after we become Christians, we have to contend with our sinful nature. Pride is a big factor in arguments. Both parties think they are right and they want it their way. Most arguments have bad endings. They lead to break up of marriages, loss of friendships and even in some cases physical harm.
Some argue to protect a past behavior. Children argue with parents and parents with children over choices made concerning their daily walk. The only way we can conquer our sinful desire to argue is to submit to God and ask Him to take away our pride and change our attitude.
When we know Jesus and put our trust in Him daily, we are expected to do all things without complaining or disputing. This frankly means that we must not put ourselves first in our personal relationships. By showing love and consideration to others we will avoid foolish disputes. When you look back on an argument, and if you are really honest with yourself, it was a foolish dispute. When arguments happen there is very rarely a winner. There is a saying that "prayer changes things." More importantly, "PRAYER CHANGES US." Arguments are futile but prayer is never futile.
With all that said, we need to work daily on our relationships with others so that an argument is not an option. It takes two to argue and we need to learn to respond to issues, even issues that normally would ignite an argument for us, with kindness and in love.
Starting today, seek to live a life that honors God and ask His help in dealing with situations that lead to arguments and broken relationships. Work today on living a life that honors God and avoid issues that usually lead you to an argument and which in turn moves you away from God. Try arguing less and praying more. Remember, God hears the prayer of the faithful.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today dear Lord, to avoid foolish disputes in my life. Help me to live my life today totally without complaining or arguing with someone. May others see Christ through my life and through my response to issues that in the past have led me into an argument. Give my family today wisdom and kindness to react with love to all they meet. Thank You dear Lord for making this day a day that I can look back on tonight saying that God has blessed me in a new and fresh way.
ARGUING
DEFINITION:
To present reason for or against a thing; oral disagreement; dispute; to persuade or compel by reasoning.
SCRIPTURE:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it, you kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. James 4:1-2.
Pride only breeds quarrels. Proverbs 13:10
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14.
But avoid foolish disputes, for they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:9.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It seems that people do love to argue. Take the time to carefully watch people of all ages around you and listen carefully to their conversations and you will hear them arguing about anything and everything they happen to disagree on. This, you will find out, is true among family members, neighbors, and friends and even small children. It is human nature for one to argue. Some people like to argue just to argue.
James asks the question, "What causes fights and quarrels?" He gives us a straight-forward answer, "You want something but do not get it." These desires come from within us because of our sinful and corrupt natures. And in this "ME" generation arguing is a major cause of discord in the family, the community and in the world. Everyone is looking out for self. In the heat of the moment we forget Jesus' commandment "to love one another." (John 15:17) Think about the truth in Paul's admonition in Titus 3:9: "foolish disputes are profitless and useless."
Even after we become Christians, we have to contend with our sinful nature. Pride is a big factor in arguments. Both parties think they are right and they want it their way. Most arguments have bad endings. They lead to break up of marriages, loss of friendships and even in some cases physical harm.
Some argue to protect a past behavior. Children argue with parents and parents with children over choices made concerning their daily walk. The only way we can conquer our sinful desire to argue is to submit to God and ask Him to take away our pride and change our attitude.
When we know Jesus and put our trust in Him daily, we are expected to do all things without complaining or disputing. This frankly means that we must not put ourselves first in our personal relationships. By showing love and consideration to others we will avoid foolish disputes. When you look back on an argument, and if you are really honest with yourself, it was a foolish dispute. When arguments happen there is very rarely a winner. There is a saying that "prayer changes things." More importantly, "PRAYER CHANGES US." Arguments are futile but prayer is never futile.
With all that said, we need to work daily on our relationships with others so that an argument is not an option. It takes two to argue and we need to learn to respond to issues, even issues that normally would ignite an argument for us, with kindness and in love.
Starting today, seek to live a life that honors God and ask His help in dealing with situations that lead to arguments and broken relationships. Work today on living a life that honors God and avoid issues that usually lead you to an argument and which in turn moves you away from God. Try arguing less and praying more. Remember, God hears the prayer of the faithful.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Give me the strength today dear Lord, to avoid foolish disputes in my life. Help me to live my life today totally without complaining or arguing with someone. May others see Christ through my life and through my response to issues that in the past have led me into an argument. Give my family today wisdom and kindness to react with love to all they meet. Thank You dear Lord for making this day a day that I can look back on tonight saying that God has blessed me in a new and fresh way.
Accountability: April 4, 2013
Today's Word for Thursday April 4, 2013
ACCOUNTABILITY
DEFINITION:
Subject to the obligation to report or justify something; responsible; answerable; capable of being explained.
SCRIPTURE:
Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:12.
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing evil in his eyes?" You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. Thus says the Lord: Behold I will raise up adversity against you from your own house, for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel. II Samuel 12: 9, 11, 12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today more than any time in history, we believe people do all they can to avoid responsibility. Adam ate the forbidden fruit and he blamed his wife, Eve, for giving him the fruit instead of being accountable for his sin. David tried to get away with the sin of killing Uriah by doing it in an indirect way. David was challenged by Nathan to be accountable to God for taking Bathsheba and causing her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle.
These scriptures give us just two examples as to how easy and natural it is to want to avoid taking the responsibility for our own actions by finding a way to place the blame on someone else. Unfortunately, it often works and then an innocent person gets the blame. However there is someone we cannot fool and who does hold us accountable. Hebrews 5:7 tells us, "nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. (Romans 14:12)
Both of us remember back to when we were in school having conversations with our peers about what we called "fessing up" to a situation. "Fessing up" is humbling. No one likes to admit that they were wrong, especially if there are consequences, which is usually the case. Human nature seems to always drive one to accept accountability when the issue is favorable to us and puts us in a positive light. But, since we all are of a sinful nature, when a situation puts us in a negative light and may have consequences for us, we want to pass the blame.
It begins early in a child's life. We can remember when we could just look into the eyes of one of our children and see guilt. When that child knew that he or she had been caught in an act of wrongdoing the child would quickly do all he or she could do to make someone else accountable for what he or she had done. How often when children are caught having a fight have we heard: "but he [or she] started it”. Then the other one responds by saying: "did not, you did"
God wants us to be accountable for our actions. As one gets older you realize that accepting accountability is what demonstrates that you are a person of integrity. Once a person loses their integrity in the eyes of others it is very hard to gain it back. Integrity equips you to be a vessel that God can use. Being accountable allows God to bless you in everyday situations.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Dear God, just as You faced Adam in the garden and David, through Nathan, many years ago to be accountable for their sin, we ask You today to keep us accountable to what You have taught us from Your Word. May we take total responsibility for all of the issues that involve us, both positive and negative and strive to do what is right in Your sight, that we may face.
ACCOUNTABILITY
DEFINITION:
Subject to the obligation to report or justify something; responsible; answerable; capable of being explained.
SCRIPTURE:
Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:12.
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing evil in his eyes?" You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. Thus says the Lord: Behold I will raise up adversity against you from your own house, for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel. II Samuel 12: 9, 11, 12.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today more than any time in history, we believe people do all they can to avoid responsibility. Adam ate the forbidden fruit and he blamed his wife, Eve, for giving him the fruit instead of being accountable for his sin. David tried to get away with the sin of killing Uriah by doing it in an indirect way. David was challenged by Nathan to be accountable to God for taking Bathsheba and causing her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle.
These scriptures give us just two examples as to how easy and natural it is to want to avoid taking the responsibility for our own actions by finding a way to place the blame on someone else. Unfortunately, it often works and then an innocent person gets the blame. However there is someone we cannot fool and who does hold us accountable. Hebrews 5:7 tells us, "nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. (Romans 14:12)
Both of us remember back to when we were in school having conversations with our peers about what we called "fessing up" to a situation. "Fessing up" is humbling. No one likes to admit that they were wrong, especially if there are consequences, which is usually the case. Human nature seems to always drive one to accept accountability when the issue is favorable to us and puts us in a positive light. But, since we all are of a sinful nature, when a situation puts us in a negative light and may have consequences for us, we want to pass the blame.
It begins early in a child's life. We can remember when we could just look into the eyes of one of our children and see guilt. When that child knew that he or she had been caught in an act of wrongdoing the child would quickly do all he or she could do to make someone else accountable for what he or she had done. How often when children are caught having a fight have we heard: "but he [or she] started it”. Then the other one responds by saying: "did not, you did"
God wants us to be accountable for our actions. As one gets older you realize that accepting accountability is what demonstrates that you are a person of integrity. Once a person loses their integrity in the eyes of others it is very hard to gain it back. Integrity equips you to be a vessel that God can use. Being accountable allows God to bless you in everyday situations.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Dear God, just as You faced Adam in the garden and David, through Nathan, many years ago to be accountable for their sin, we ask You today to keep us accountable to what You have taught us from Your Word. May we take total responsibility for all of the issues that involve us, both positive and negative and strive to do what is right in Your sight, that we may face.
Abide: April 3, 2014
Today's
Word for Wednesday April 3, 2013
ABIDE
DEFINITION:
To
endure or withstand without yielding; to accept without opposition; to comply
with/submit to; to remain steadfast or faithful.
SCRIPTURE:
Then
Jesus said, "If you ABIDE in my WORD, you are my disciples and you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free John 8:31- 32.
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
Family's
today need to be committed to Judeo/Christian principles similar to what
America was founded on years ago. Parents need to teach these principles to
their children by using the Bible as their guide book. Reading the Bible
together daily as a family will allow each family member to make proper and
positive choices for their daily walk. Unfortunately, sitting down as a family
and reading the Bible together and then discussing what was read is no longer
prevalent in our homes.
The
Bible is God's instruction book to us. Jesus tells us to abide in His Word.
Abide means to obey and hold fast to His teachings. Some translations of the Bible
use the word "continue" for "abide." "Continue"
means to habitually abide. Reading God's Word and obeying His words is to be a
continuing habit in our life, not just now and then.
The
above scripture says that if we ABIDE in the Bible we will be a disciple of
Jesus. Disciples live by the instructions given by their leader. Jesus has
given us in His Word principles and standards to live by on a daily basis.
Abiding in God's Word prepares us to endure every situation in life without
yielding to opposing views that conflict with the Biblical principles.
It
is the abiding in God's Word that we know the truth. The Bible never changes or
is out of date. It is as true today as it was when our parents read it and
taught it to us as children. Parents are responsible to teach the truth of
God's Word to their children and lead them by example, setting guidelines and
boundaries that honor God. Your child's future depends on this action on your
part. We are to "train a child in the way he should go and when he is old
he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Help
us dear God, to ABIDE in Your Word today, knowing that as we do, we shall know
the truth and the truth will set us free. Help our family to learn Your Word
and to live by the principles so clearly stated in Your Word so that we will
live committed lives that remain steadfast and faithful to You. Help us as
parents to be diligent in teaching our children to know and understand God's
Word. Give our children listening ears and compliant hearts.
Compassion: April 1, 2013
Today's Word for Monday April 1, 2013
COMPASSION
DEFINITION:
A feeling of deep sympathy; sorrow for
someone struck by misfortune; a desire to alleviate suffering.
SCRIPTURE:
For He who has mercy on them will lead
them, even by the springs of water He will guide them. Isaiah 49:10
But He, being full of compassion,
forgave their iniquity. Psalm 78:38.
But when He saw the multitudes, He was
moved to compassion for them. Matthew 9:36.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We are living in a world today where very
few people have compassion for someone in need. It is a "ME" world
where the one person that one cares about is himself or herself. You constantly
hear of someone leaving the scene of an accident or ignoring the call of a
neighbor. Everyone is constantly in a rush and in crowded situations they bump
people and never even smile or say I am sorry.
But for Christians it should be
different because of the standard our Lord gave to us. When Jesus was on earth
He was going from city to city teaching in the synagogues and we are told that
when He saw the multitudes of people He was moved to compassion. (Matthew 9:36)
True compassion moves us to action. In
Mark 2:3 we read that "some men came, bringing Him a paralytic, carried by
the four of them." These men saw their friend's helpless condition and
their compassion moved them to take action. They carried him to Jesus. When
Jesus saw the man, He saw more than his physical need. He saw his spiritual
need --- for forgiveness of his sins. Jesus took care of the man's spiritual
need first saying: "Son your sins are forgiven." Then He healed him
and told him to get up and walk.
God's compassion for us surpasses all
human understanding. He knew our need for salvation from the time of Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was
because of His great compassion for us that He sent His only Son to die on the
cross paying the penalty for our sins. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and
then gave His life for us. There is no greater compassion than this.
Yes, true compassion leads to action. In
Luke chapter 10, we read of the account that we all know as the parable of the
Good Samaritan. In verse 33 we read that when the Samaritan came across the man
who had been beaten by the thieves and left to die, the Samaritan was moved to
compassion and he took action. Unlike the two previous travelers who had come
by the beaten man and continued on without helping, the Samaritan acted, came
to his aid, and saved his life.
We are reminded that even today there
are many people that are in situations that would move anyone to compassion. We
have talked to pastors in Kenya who have told us about the poverty of the
people in their church and tears filled their eyes. This shows real compassion.
Just take a trip someday and go into a children's hospital and see just a few
of the children who are sick and dying. We can assure you that your heart will
be broken with compassion.
These illustrations from life today and
from the scripture need to be a reminder to us to live each day with a heart that
is sensitive to being compassionate. When you see someone in need, help them.
When you see someone hurting with grief, give them a word of encouragement.
Work today on the concept of what Ken’s father told him years ago --- Live a
life of JOY --- JOY spelled out one letter at a time says Jesus, then others
and lastly you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found
in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Give me today a compassionate heart. May
I be alert to others and their needs. Help my family to watch for ways to show
compassion to others. Thank You Lord for the wonderful standard of compassion
You have set for us to live by. Help me not to merely feel compassion but to be
moved to action to show my compassion to others.
Ashamed: April 2, 2013
Today's Word for Tuesday April 2, 2013.
ASHAMED
DEFINITION:
Feeling shame, distress or embarrassment by feelings of guilt; unwilling or restrained because of fear of shame, ridicule or disapproval.
SCRIPTURE:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. Romans 1:16.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God. I Peter 4:16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Recently, we have noticed a fear among people who know the Lord concerning their communication to others about their faith. As a result of the influence of the liberal media and the pressure of being "politically correct" there is a moving away from the Judeo Christian principles that our country was founded on and many Christians are drawing themselves into a so called "shell."
They do this because they do not want to cause conflict and be ridiculed for their faith and beliefs. It seems they are ashamed to let others know that they are a Christian. Being ashamed of our faith is not of God and dishonors Him.
Peter instructs us not to be ashamed of our faith and if any of us do suffer as a result of our faith we can give glory to God through that suffering. In Romans Paul tells us that it is important for believers to understand that the reason we are not to be ashamed of the gospel message of our faith in Christ is because it is, "the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16, above). It is through us that God brings His message of salvation.
More than at any time in history God is expecting us, as Christians, to stand up for what we believe. God has not promised us that it would be easy and that we would not run into those who disagreed with what we believe, some even violently.
All we have to do is look at the life of Paul and the apostles in the book of Acts to see that this is true. God has promised that if we stay true to Him and keep, as we say, "PRAYED UP," then He will lead and guide us through every situation.
A few years ago one of our grandsons had his appendix removed. It was emergency surgery at about three in the morning. At that time he was seven years old and had been in real pain for several hours and had gone through the necessary tests to make sure the right diagnosis had been made. He was in the operating room and just before they put him to sleep the doctor came in and asked our grandson if he had any questions. He responded by asking the doctor, "Are you a Christian?" The doctor responded by saying he was Catholic and that he believed in Jesus. Our grandson responded by telling the doctor that it was OK then to proceed with the surgery. Our seven year old grandson was not ashamed to talk about Jesus and what he believed. Are your words and deeds honoring to your Lord or are you at times ashamed?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Help me not to be ashamed of my faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for the assurance of eternal life and the assurance that You will be with me as I take my stand for the gospel message. Encourage my family, my friends and my neighbors who know You to stand up for what they believe. Give each one of us today many opportunities to share with others what You have given to us.
ASHAMED
DEFINITION:
Feeling shame, distress or embarrassment by feelings of guilt; unwilling or restrained because of fear of shame, ridicule or disapproval.
SCRIPTURE:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. Romans 1:16.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God. I Peter 4:16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Recently, we have noticed a fear among people who know the Lord concerning their communication to others about their faith. As a result of the influence of the liberal media and the pressure of being "politically correct" there is a moving away from the Judeo Christian principles that our country was founded on and many Christians are drawing themselves into a so called "shell."
They do this because they do not want to cause conflict and be ridiculed for their faith and beliefs. It seems they are ashamed to let others know that they are a Christian. Being ashamed of our faith is not of God and dishonors Him.
Peter instructs us not to be ashamed of our faith and if any of us do suffer as a result of our faith we can give glory to God through that suffering. In Romans Paul tells us that it is important for believers to understand that the reason we are not to be ashamed of the gospel message of our faith in Christ is because it is, "the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16, above). It is through us that God brings His message of salvation.
More than at any time in history God is expecting us, as Christians, to stand up for what we believe. God has not promised us that it would be easy and that we would not run into those who disagreed with what we believe, some even violently.
All we have to do is look at the life of Paul and the apostles in the book of Acts to see that this is true. God has promised that if we stay true to Him and keep, as we say, "PRAYED UP," then He will lead and guide us through every situation.
A few years ago one of our grandsons had his appendix removed. It was emergency surgery at about three in the morning. At that time he was seven years old and had been in real pain for several hours and had gone through the necessary tests to make sure the right diagnosis had been made. He was in the operating room and just before they put him to sleep the doctor came in and asked our grandson if he had any questions. He responded by asking the doctor, "Are you a Christian?" The doctor responded by saying he was Catholic and that he believed in Jesus. Our grandson responded by telling the doctor that it was OK then to proceed with the surgery. Our seven year old grandson was not ashamed to talk about Jesus and what he believed. Are your words and deeds honoring to your Lord or are you at times ashamed?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER:
Help me not to be ashamed of my faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for the assurance of eternal life and the assurance that You will be with me as I take my stand for the gospel message. Encourage my family, my friends and my neighbors who know You to stand up for what they believe. Give each one of us today many opportunities to share with others what You have given to us.
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