GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SARURDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2013.
PROVERB:
A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. Proverbs 21:6
PROMISE:
Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. Psalm 37:16-17.
PRAISE:
My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare. Psalm 21:15
September 22, 2013
Abundance: September 20, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2013.
ABUNDANCE
DEFINITION:
An extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply; affluence; wealth; overflowing fullness.
SCRIPTURE:
And let your soul delight in abundance. Isaiah 55:2
For out of the abundance of the heart, brings forth good things.
Matthew 12: 34-35.
Then Jesus said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kind of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
Luke 12:15
When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work --- this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastics 5:19
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Abundance means different things to different people across our world. The definition is affected by our cultures and our living standards. But looking at the word abundance from a spiritual perspective we must view our possessions, whether large or small, as a gift from God.
In the book of Ecclesiastics, Solomon reflects back on his life. Solomon had it all. He had wealth, power and fame. He knew what it was like to have abundance. Solomon had asked God for wisdom. Through his wisdom he recognized that the abundance of "things" is not the source of joy. We are to rejoice and be happy because every good "thing" comes from God. Solomon reminds us that it is God who enables us to enjoy what we have and "accept our lot" and be happy.
In Luke 12:15, Jesus tells us that our life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions. The worth of anyone's life has nothing to do with being wealthy, powerful or wise. Jesus warns us to "WATCH OUT" against getting greedy. Often the more we have the more we want. If God blesses us with abundance, that is a good thing and we should be thankful to Him for the blessings. Our perspective in regard to the abundance that God has blessed us with is important. If our perspective is to accumulate abundance for ourselves with no concern for helping others it will be a shallow happiness and we are not truly rich and will not be happy in the Lord.
A truly rich life comes in living a life with gratitude to the giver of our abundance, sharing what has been given to us and then living a life of faith and obedience to Him
Most people think of abundance based on the "things" they have in life such as possessions and money. The standard of abundance is different to the family living in the mountains of Appalachia compared to the family living in Beverly Hills.
The secret of abundance is not in what we have but what we enjoy and are thankful for every day. Abundance does not mean happiness. Some of the unhappy people in the world today have, by worldly standards, everything. But we have seen so many times that the very opposite is true. People with very little are overflowing with joy because of all that God has given them. This is true with families we have seen living in the slums of east Africa, the families living on the top of garbage dumps in the Philippines and even many families that live in the inner cities of America.
When God blesses you with abundance, whether it is considered large or small, thank Him for His blessing to you. Whatever God has given you it is your responsibility to use it wisely. When we were raising our children we lived on a very tight budget. But Dottie was a master in making dinners on a low budget that each one of us really enjoyed. She probably had a dozen ways to make casseroles and everyone loved them. For our family we had abundance and really never had a complaint from any of our six children. God always provided just enough for all that we needed. When God blesses you with an abundance of wealth, an abundance of talent or an abundance of time, you have a greater responsibility to use your abundance for the glory of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Thank You for Your promise that says that out of the abundance of the heart springs forth good things. Enlarge my heart today so that I can make an impact for You on the lives of others today. Thank You for the abundance that You have given our family. Help us to use all that You have given us as You would have it done. Bless us this day and may Christ be glorified through all that we do.
ABUNDANCE
DEFINITION:
An extremely plentiful or over sufficient quantity or supply; affluence; wealth; overflowing fullness.
SCRIPTURE:
And let your soul delight in abundance. Isaiah 55:2
For out of the abundance of the heart, brings forth good things.
Matthew 12: 34-35.
Then Jesus said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kind of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
Luke 12:15
When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work --- this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastics 5:19
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Abundance means different things to different people across our world. The definition is affected by our cultures and our living standards. But looking at the word abundance from a spiritual perspective we must view our possessions, whether large or small, as a gift from God.
In the book of Ecclesiastics, Solomon reflects back on his life. Solomon had it all. He had wealth, power and fame. He knew what it was like to have abundance. Solomon had asked God for wisdom. Through his wisdom he recognized that the abundance of "things" is not the source of joy. We are to rejoice and be happy because every good "thing" comes from God. Solomon reminds us that it is God who enables us to enjoy what we have and "accept our lot" and be happy.
In Luke 12:15, Jesus tells us that our life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions. The worth of anyone's life has nothing to do with being wealthy, powerful or wise. Jesus warns us to "WATCH OUT" against getting greedy. Often the more we have the more we want. If God blesses us with abundance, that is a good thing and we should be thankful to Him for the blessings. Our perspective in regard to the abundance that God has blessed us with is important. If our perspective is to accumulate abundance for ourselves with no concern for helping others it will be a shallow happiness and we are not truly rich and will not be happy in the Lord.
A truly rich life comes in living a life with gratitude to the giver of our abundance, sharing what has been given to us and then living a life of faith and obedience to Him
Most people think of abundance based on the "things" they have in life such as possessions and money. The standard of abundance is different to the family living in the mountains of Appalachia compared to the family living in Beverly Hills.
The secret of abundance is not in what we have but what we enjoy and are thankful for every day. Abundance does not mean happiness. Some of the unhappy people in the world today have, by worldly standards, everything. But we have seen so many times that the very opposite is true. People with very little are overflowing with joy because of all that God has given them. This is true with families we have seen living in the slums of east Africa, the families living on the top of garbage dumps in the Philippines and even many families that live in the inner cities of America.
When God blesses you with abundance, whether it is considered large or small, thank Him for His blessing to you. Whatever God has given you it is your responsibility to use it wisely. When we were raising our children we lived on a very tight budget. But Dottie was a master in making dinners on a low budget that each one of us really enjoyed. She probably had a dozen ways to make casseroles and everyone loved them. For our family we had abundance and really never had a complaint from any of our six children. God always provided just enough for all that we needed. When God blesses you with an abundance of wealth, an abundance of talent or an abundance of time, you have a greater responsibility to use your abundance for the glory of God.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Thank You for Your promise that says that out of the abundance of the heart springs forth good things. Enlarge my heart today so that I can make an impact for You on the lives of others today. Thank You for the abundance that You have given our family. Help us to use all that You have given us as You would have it done. Bless us this day and may Christ be glorified through all that we do.
Unity: September 19, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19. 2013
UNITY
DEFINITION:
The state of being one; harmony among elements; agreement; absence of diversity.
SCRIPTURE:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Psalm 133:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus and His Father were in perfect unity. Jesus said of their relationship in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.” Jesus desire was that there be unity among His disciples and among all believers. This was His prayer in John 17:20-21, “My prayer is not for them alone (His disciples), I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.”
The three persons of the Godhead, God, the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one. They are perfectly united in their purpose and plan for the world. Their purpose was to provide a plan of salvation for all of us. God has chosen believers to be His representatives to the lost of the world. In order to be an effective and powerful witness to the world, to the reality of God’s love and the truth of God’s Word, we as believers must live and serve the Lord in unity.
Unity does not just happen. It takes work. None of us are ever going to be perfect here on earth so we must accept other believers as they are in spite of their faults. We all have differences of opinion and ideas but believers must not let their differences divide them.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to build unity among believers, but we as individuals must be willing to be led and let the Holy Spirit do His perfect work in us.
If Jesus was concerned about unity among believers in those days, think how much more so He is now. The whole world is in a state of turmoil and division. God is not the author of turmoil and confusion. His desire for us is that we dwell together in unity.
Unity must begin with those who believe in the Lord. As a believer in Jesus each of us need to work on unity in our lives. It must begin in our home. This is a real challenge for parents in today’s world with all the corrupt outside influences.
It is the responsibility of parents to develop an atmosphere of unity in their home. In order to have unity in the family there must be love, love that is Christ-like and love that is unselfish. Love that is unselfish and Christ-like brings harmony and a desire to work together for common goals.
Successful family units are a rarity today. The breaking up of the family is a serious problem in our society. With the breakdown of the family comes moral decline. Not many today have experienced what the Psalmist has written above, “how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”
We have referred many times in these devotionals to the “ME” generation we live in. This is because everyone thinks of themselves only and goes their own direction every day. There is a lack of communication among family members in most homes today. For some the excuse is that they are all just too busy. This is not an acceptable excuse. We always find time in our lives for things that are a priority to us. The problem is that family unity is not a priority for many families.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2 that as believers we will develop unity with our families and other believers through humility. He tells us that we must be like minded, have the same love for one another and be of one accord. We are not to let things be done through selfish ambition or conceit (this is the ME generation philosophy) but esteem others better then ourselves. Paul also reminds us that if we want unity we need to not only look out for our interests but for the interests of others.
You need to take time now to evaluate your priorities. Do you love your family and others as Christ loves you? Is your family in one accord on the daily issues you face in life? Do you esteem others better than yourself? Do you look out for only your interests?
As parents we constantly reminded our children by our words and more important by our actions the importance of living our lives in unity as the Psalmist suggested --- how pleasant it was for brethren to dwell together in unity.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Help me to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that I will be a peacemaker in my family, my workplace, my community and my church to encourage others to live in unity governed by humility. Thank You for the inspiration You gave the Apostle Paul to challenge us to live a life of unity through humility.
UNITY
DEFINITION:
The state of being one; harmony among elements; agreement; absence of diversity.
SCRIPTURE:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Psalm 133:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus and His Father were in perfect unity. Jesus said of their relationship in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.” Jesus desire was that there be unity among His disciples and among all believers. This was His prayer in John 17:20-21, “My prayer is not for them alone (His disciples), I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.”
The three persons of the Godhead, God, the Father, God, the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one. They are perfectly united in their purpose and plan for the world. Their purpose was to provide a plan of salvation for all of us. God has chosen believers to be His representatives to the lost of the world. In order to be an effective and powerful witness to the world, to the reality of God’s love and the truth of God’s Word, we as believers must live and serve the Lord in unity.
Unity does not just happen. It takes work. None of us are ever going to be perfect here on earth so we must accept other believers as they are in spite of their faults. We all have differences of opinion and ideas but believers must not let their differences divide them.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to build unity among believers, but we as individuals must be willing to be led and let the Holy Spirit do His perfect work in us.
If Jesus was concerned about unity among believers in those days, think how much more so He is now. The whole world is in a state of turmoil and division. God is not the author of turmoil and confusion. His desire for us is that we dwell together in unity.
Unity must begin with those who believe in the Lord. As a believer in Jesus each of us need to work on unity in our lives. It must begin in our home. This is a real challenge for parents in today’s world with all the corrupt outside influences.
It is the responsibility of parents to develop an atmosphere of unity in their home. In order to have unity in the family there must be love, love that is Christ-like and love that is unselfish. Love that is unselfish and Christ-like brings harmony and a desire to work together for common goals.
Successful family units are a rarity today. The breaking up of the family is a serious problem in our society. With the breakdown of the family comes moral decline. Not many today have experienced what the Psalmist has written above, “how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”
We have referred many times in these devotionals to the “ME” generation we live in. This is because everyone thinks of themselves only and goes their own direction every day. There is a lack of communication among family members in most homes today. For some the excuse is that they are all just too busy. This is not an acceptable excuse. We always find time in our lives for things that are a priority to us. The problem is that family unity is not a priority for many families.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2 that as believers we will develop unity with our families and other believers through humility. He tells us that we must be like minded, have the same love for one another and be of one accord. We are not to let things be done through selfish ambition or conceit (this is the ME generation philosophy) but esteem others better then ourselves. Paul also reminds us that if we want unity we need to not only look out for our interests but for the interests of others.
You need to take time now to evaluate your priorities. Do you love your family and others as Christ loves you? Is your family in one accord on the daily issues you face in life? Do you esteem others better than yourself? Do you look out for only your interests?
As parents we constantly reminded our children by our words and more important by our actions the importance of living our lives in unity as the Psalmist suggested --- how pleasant it was for brethren to dwell together in unity.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Help me to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that I will be a peacemaker in my family, my workplace, my community and my church to encourage others to live in unity governed by humility. Thank You for the inspiration You gave the Apostle Paul to challenge us to live a life of unity through humility.
Integrity: September 18, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2013.
INTEGRITY
DEFINITION:
Uncompromising adherence to moral principles; honesty. Moral uprightness.
SCRIPTURE:
Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. Psalm 15:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Integrity does not seem to be a concern among most people today. We were taught as children and teenagers that integrity was one of the most important, if not the most important, trait a person should have. We taught our children the same thing. But in this so called "ME" generation integrity is a "lost art."
The Lord calls His people, all of those who have accepted Him as lord and Savior, to live morally upright lives. Living a life of integrity can be a difficult and lonely battle. The generation we live in we call the “Me” generation because they love to get for themselves as much as they can, as fast as they can and anyway they can.
It is hard to find people today with uncompromising integrity because people are willing to deceive, to lie, to cheat and to flatter because they feel they can get what they want faster by deception.
We live in a sinful world whose standards and morals are rapidly disintegrating. Our standards of living must not be based on those of our evil and sick society.
In this 15th chapter of Psalms (above), King David describes the life of integrity that believers are to cultivate. In the five verses of this Psalm we are given guidelines for living a life of integrity:
* Walk uprightly so that you are blameless.
* Do what is right.
* Speak the truth and be honest.
* Do not speak evil of others.
* Treat your neighbor kindly.
* Be accountable for your actions.
* Honor those that love the Lord.
* Do not be greedy for money.
* Keep your promises even when it hurts.
* Do not accept bribes.
God wants us to daily increase the pursuit of truthfulness, righteousness and honesty.
We are to formulate our beliefs as believers on the basis of scripture. The foundational truths that we are to build our lives on are to begin with, our need for a Savior, our helplessness to save ourselves, Christ's death on the cross on our behalf, salvation by faith alone, and God's free gift of eternal life. We must align our actions, our words and thinking with the Bible and never compromise.
We are to submit to Jesus Christ as our Lord. In Mark 8:34, Jesus commands us to deny ourselves and follow Him. Wholehearted commitment to Jesus will give us all we need to stand against temptations that we may face. We as believers must choose righteousness for this to become a reality in our lives.
We should build relationships with individuals who value godly living and not individuals who live by the deceptive ways of the world. The influence of mature Christians strengthens us in our dedication and obedience to the Lord. When you build these relationships and then spend any time with those who thrive on worldly pleasures, you will feel very uncomfortable.
Everyone misses the mark at times and makes mistakes. As believers we are to confess any known sin to God and turn away from bad behavior. (I John 1:9)
When we learn these principles that we have outlined above and practice them daily, we will be living a life of integrity.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has no given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Help our family to recognize that we live in a culture that approves of ungodly values and behaviors. May Your Holy Spirit open our eyes and help us today to recognize right from wrong so that we may live a life of integrity giving all glory to You.
INTEGRITY
DEFINITION:
Uncompromising adherence to moral principles; honesty. Moral uprightness.
SCRIPTURE:
Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. Psalm 15:1-2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Integrity does not seem to be a concern among most people today. We were taught as children and teenagers that integrity was one of the most important, if not the most important, trait a person should have. We taught our children the same thing. But in this so called "ME" generation integrity is a "lost art."
The Lord calls His people, all of those who have accepted Him as lord and Savior, to live morally upright lives. Living a life of integrity can be a difficult and lonely battle. The generation we live in we call the “Me” generation because they love to get for themselves as much as they can, as fast as they can and anyway they can.
It is hard to find people today with uncompromising integrity because people are willing to deceive, to lie, to cheat and to flatter because they feel they can get what they want faster by deception.
We live in a sinful world whose standards and morals are rapidly disintegrating. Our standards of living must not be based on those of our evil and sick society.
In this 15th chapter of Psalms (above), King David describes the life of integrity that believers are to cultivate. In the five verses of this Psalm we are given guidelines for living a life of integrity:
* Walk uprightly so that you are blameless.
* Do what is right.
* Speak the truth and be honest.
* Do not speak evil of others.
* Treat your neighbor kindly.
* Be accountable for your actions.
* Honor those that love the Lord.
* Do not be greedy for money.
* Keep your promises even when it hurts.
* Do not accept bribes.
God wants us to daily increase the pursuit of truthfulness, righteousness and honesty.
We are to formulate our beliefs as believers on the basis of scripture. The foundational truths that we are to build our lives on are to begin with, our need for a Savior, our helplessness to save ourselves, Christ's death on the cross on our behalf, salvation by faith alone, and God's free gift of eternal life. We must align our actions, our words and thinking with the Bible and never compromise.
We are to submit to Jesus Christ as our Lord. In Mark 8:34, Jesus commands us to deny ourselves and follow Him. Wholehearted commitment to Jesus will give us all we need to stand against temptations that we may face. We as believers must choose righteousness for this to become a reality in our lives.
We should build relationships with individuals who value godly living and not individuals who live by the deceptive ways of the world. The influence of mature Christians strengthens us in our dedication and obedience to the Lord. When you build these relationships and then spend any time with those who thrive on worldly pleasures, you will feel very uncomfortable.
Everyone misses the mark at times and makes mistakes. As believers we are to confess any known sin to God and turn away from bad behavior. (I John 1:9)
When we learn these principles that we have outlined above and practice them daily, we will be living a life of integrity.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has no given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Help our family to recognize that we live in a culture that approves of ungodly values and behaviors. May Your Holy Spirit open our eyes and help us today to recognize right from wrong so that we may live a life of integrity giving all glory to You.
Build: September 17, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2013.
BUILD
DEFINITION:
Construct; increase and strengthen; erect; mold; shape.
SCRIPTURE:
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We can remember the Sunday school song that we sang when we were kids about the man who built his house on the sand and as a result it could not withstand a storm. The song went on to tell about the wise man that built his house on the rock and it stood firm in the storm. This was because it was built on a solid foundation.
This song came from the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preached to the multitudes when He was on this earth. (Matthew 7: 24-27) Jesus had just warned them, "to watch out for false prophets." He then proceeded to give a warning to those who profess to belong to God but have no relationship with Him. He used the illustration of the wise man and the foolish man.
First, Jesus says that whoever hears His words and does them will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rock is Christ Jesus. Just as the house that was built on a solid foundation of rock was able to stand firm when the storms came and the winds beat against it, so will the man who builds his life on the solid foundation of Christ. He will be able to stand through the storms of life.
He then goes on to say that when the rain comes down, the pressures of this world we live in, and the floods and winds come our way the house (our lives) will not fall apart because our foundation is built on the rock, Christ Jesus.
Jesus also then said that anyone that hears what He says and does not put into practice what He says is likened to the foolish man who builds his house on sand. When the rains, floods and winds of life come and beat on the house it will fall. And He says: "AND GREAT WAS THE FALL."
On what are you building your life? Are you building on the "things" of this world or are you building on the commandments that God gave us years ago through Moses His servant? Are you laying up treasures for yourself in heaven? Is your house (your life) built on the rock, Christ Jesus or the sand?
In Psalms 127:1, the psalmist warns us that unless we allow the Lord to build our house (our life) we are laboring in vain. No matter how hard we work to accomplish great things, only what is done for the Lord will last.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Encourage my heart today to build my house on the precepts and commandments that You have given us in Your Word. Help me to be a doer of Your Word and not a hearer only. Help me to lead my family in the way of righteousness and that together we will build our house, our lives on You the rock.
BUILD
DEFINITION:
Construct; increase and strengthen; erect; mold; shape.
SCRIPTURE:
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We can remember the Sunday school song that we sang when we were kids about the man who built his house on the sand and as a result it could not withstand a storm. The song went on to tell about the wise man that built his house on the rock and it stood firm in the storm. This was because it was built on a solid foundation.
This song came from the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preached to the multitudes when He was on this earth. (Matthew 7: 24-27) Jesus had just warned them, "to watch out for false prophets." He then proceeded to give a warning to those who profess to belong to God but have no relationship with Him. He used the illustration of the wise man and the foolish man.
First, Jesus says that whoever hears His words and does them will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. The rock is Christ Jesus. Just as the house that was built on a solid foundation of rock was able to stand firm when the storms came and the winds beat against it, so will the man who builds his life on the solid foundation of Christ. He will be able to stand through the storms of life.
He then goes on to say that when the rain comes down, the pressures of this world we live in, and the floods and winds come our way the house (our lives) will not fall apart because our foundation is built on the rock, Christ Jesus.
Jesus also then said that anyone that hears what He says and does not put into practice what He says is likened to the foolish man who builds his house on sand. When the rains, floods and winds of life come and beat on the house it will fall. And He says: "AND GREAT WAS THE FALL."
On what are you building your life? Are you building on the "things" of this world or are you building on the commandments that God gave us years ago through Moses His servant? Are you laying up treasures for yourself in heaven? Is your house (your life) built on the rock, Christ Jesus or the sand?
In Psalms 127:1, the psalmist warns us that unless we allow the Lord to build our house (our life) we are laboring in vain. No matter how hard we work to accomplish great things, only what is done for the Lord will last.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Encourage my heart today to build my house on the precepts and commandments that You have given us in Your Word. Help me to be a doer of Your Word and not a hearer only. Help me to lead my family in the way of righteousness and that together we will build our house, our lives on You the rock.
Assurance: September 16, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2013.
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION:
A positive declaration intended to give confidence; support; promise or pledge; freedom from doubt; certainty.
SCRIPTURE:
Everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13.
Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. Romans 10:11.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1.
And we desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. Hebrews 6:11.
That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ. Colossians 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We both can remember the day that we made our decision to accept Jesus as our Savior. Dottie was five years old and Ken was nine. The one thing we wanted, other than knowing Jesus as our Savior, was that we had ASSURANCE of eternal life. Even though it was many years ago and we were young, we felt the uncertainty of the future. We wanted to know where we were going if we died. We had both been raised in a conservative Christian Biblical based environment. We both attended churches where we heard messages and testimonies that made us realize that in order for us to go to heaven, and not to hell, we needed to act and ask Jesus to come into our hearts.
Assurance is the opposite of uncertainty. We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Things are moving at such a rapid pace that we cannot be certain what tomorrow will bring. If anyone had told us the day before that 9/11 attack that terrorists would fly jet airlines into the world trade center we would most likely have said that that would never happen. This example has made us realize that nothing is assured or for certain.
In today's world people need assurance. Many have very low self esteem. There is no one or nothing in their lives that can give them assurance for their future. The general mood of our culture has put a spirit of fear in the life of a person that does not know Jesus. People are experiencing anxiety and depression and then are turning to alcohol, drugs or sexual pleasures which in turn lead to broken marriages, abandoned children, illness and even death. Although those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior must face the same uncertainties of life, we have the assurance that God is guiding and protecting us through every event of each day. But most important we have the assurance of spending eternity with Him.
Where does this assurance that believers have come from? The verses in Romans and Hebrews that we have listed above are the basis for the assurance believers have for the future.
• Believers have called on the name of the Lord and have been saved.
• Believers are assured that those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.
• Believers have the assurance of understanding the truth about God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
• Although we cannot see the future we know who holds the future and our faith assures us that what God has promised will actually happen.
Having this assurance in our lives gives us hopeful anticipation of what God will do through us on any given day. We never know what the day will bring us but we do have peace and joy in our hearts knowing that God will get us through the tough times. We both wake up every morning with a positive attitude and a joyful spirit of excitement wondering what God will do for us and through us this day. Do you have this same anticipation? We truly hope so!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Give me today a new spirit of excitement knowing that I have the assurance of spending eternity with You. Help me to have an effect on each person I meet today so that they know that I have hope, peace and joy in my heart because of my trust in You. Bless my family and together may we honor and glorify Your name in all that we do.
ASSURANCE
DEFINITION:
A positive declaration intended to give confidence; support; promise or pledge; freedom from doubt; certainty.
SCRIPTURE:
Everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13.
Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. Romans 10:11.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1.
And we desire that each of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. Hebrews 6:11.
That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ. Colossians 2:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We both can remember the day that we made our decision to accept Jesus as our Savior. Dottie was five years old and Ken was nine. The one thing we wanted, other than knowing Jesus as our Savior, was that we had ASSURANCE of eternal life. Even though it was many years ago and we were young, we felt the uncertainty of the future. We wanted to know where we were going if we died. We had both been raised in a conservative Christian Biblical based environment. We both attended churches where we heard messages and testimonies that made us realize that in order for us to go to heaven, and not to hell, we needed to act and ask Jesus to come into our hearts.
Assurance is the opposite of uncertainty. We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Things are moving at such a rapid pace that we cannot be certain what tomorrow will bring. If anyone had told us the day before that 9/11 attack that terrorists would fly jet airlines into the world trade center we would most likely have said that that would never happen. This example has made us realize that nothing is assured or for certain.
In today's world people need assurance. Many have very low self esteem. There is no one or nothing in their lives that can give them assurance for their future. The general mood of our culture has put a spirit of fear in the life of a person that does not know Jesus. People are experiencing anxiety and depression and then are turning to alcohol, drugs or sexual pleasures which in turn lead to broken marriages, abandoned children, illness and even death. Although those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior must face the same uncertainties of life, we have the assurance that God is guiding and protecting us through every event of each day. But most important we have the assurance of spending eternity with Him.
Where does this assurance that believers have come from? The verses in Romans and Hebrews that we have listed above are the basis for the assurance believers have for the future.
• Believers have called on the name of the Lord and have been saved.
• Believers are assured that those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.
• Believers have the assurance of understanding the truth about God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
• Although we cannot see the future we know who holds the future and our faith assures us that what God has promised will actually happen.
Having this assurance in our lives gives us hopeful anticipation of what God will do through us on any given day. We never know what the day will bring us but we do have peace and joy in our hearts knowing that God will get us through the tough times. We both wake up every morning with a positive attitude and a joyful spirit of excitement wondering what God will do for us and through us this day. Do you have this same anticipation? We truly hope so!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
PRAYER:
Give me today a new spirit of excitement knowing that I have the assurance of spending eternity with You. Help me to have an effect on each person I meet today so that they know that I have hope, peace and joy in my heart because of my trust in You. Bless my family and together may we honor and glorify Your name in all that we do.
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