Gracious: May 1, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY MAY 1, 2015.

GRACIOUS

DEFINITION:

Merciful; compassionate; kindly; courteous.

SCRIPTURE:

For you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. I Peter 2:3 RSV Translation.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up. Ecclesiastes 10:12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Recently we were talking to some friends concerning what we feel is a lack of civility in our world. It is even harder to find graciousness. We asked them if they knew many people that were consistently gracious. We all agreed that there were very few.

We understand that to be gracious in the evil world that we live in is most difficult. People and situations can irritate and upset us but this is no reason to be uncivil and ungracious. Being gracious is much more than just being civil.

God has given us the standard of His graciousness. Let us look at a few scriptures. In Exodus 34:6 God was speaking to Moses preparing Moses to lead the Children of Israel to honor and serve Him (God) by obeying His commandments. God gave Moses the difficult assignment to teach the Children of Israel to worship and honor Him with obedience and to show love and graciousness to each other. When Moses asked to see the Glory of God, the scripture says that the Lord passed before him and proclaimed “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Graciousness is one of the attributes of God.

The same attribute of graciousness is in Jesus. In Luke 4:22 we read about when Jesus returned to Nazareth, the place where He grew up as a carpenter’s son. They all knew Jesus as a boy and did not know Him as their Messiah.  Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 to them. He told them His coming was to fulfill this scripture but that He was being rejected by many in the very place that He grew up. After Jesus had spoken: “all that bore witness to Him marveled at the gracious words which preceded out of His mouth.” And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” Although they did not recognize Him as their Messiah, they recognized that he was gracious.

Despite being rejected, misunderstood or even persecuted Jesus set a standard for us as believers to be gracious in spite of how we are treated. As parents we need to begin with ourselves and learn to be gracious to all we meet, whether it is family or complete strangers. Probably the most difficult task that we have is teaching our children to be gracious. This is difficult because they will have to deal with peers who are not gracious. When a young child is mistreated by another child they are quick to retaliate.

In Ephesians 4:32 Paul tells us how to be gracious: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us.” In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul tells us to be imitators of God and live a life of love just as Christ loved us.

One of our daughters came home from junior high school one day, totally upset. Someone had taken her brand new blazer jacket out of her gym locker during gym class. Although she was well aware that most all of her peers in the school were more well-to-do than our family, we tried to comfort her with the thought that perhaps the girl needed it more than she did. In addition, we told her to think of the guilt the girl would feel whenever she would wear the blazer. Regardless of our words of consolation, she wasn’t feeling very gracious toward the unknown thief.

No, it is not easy to always be gracious even when we know we should be. We must ask the Lord to enable us to do what we find difficult to do.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:7.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PRAYER:

Help me to respond to the examples You have given me in Your Word to be gracious to everyone I meet today despite how they may treat me. Keep me mindful that others are watching me and I must make sure my attitude and my actions do not bring dishonor to You.

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Criticism: April 30, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 30, 2015.

CRITICISM

DEFINITION:

Finding fault with; an act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything; censure; an unfavorable comment.

SCRIPTURE:

For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants. Deuteronomy 32:36

Judge not that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1

You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. John 8:15

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

How many times recently can you remember being criticized? It was not easy to take, was it? But turn that thought around and think how many times recently you have criticized someone. Criticism is easy to give but hard to take. Some criticism is justified and other criticism is not acceptable. Criticism is useful only if it is constructive and lovingly given.

We can remember being with people in past years that have been very critical of people, places and things. It seemed that no one could do anything right in their sight. In the world we live in there are many people that just by their nature need to be critical in their evaluation of others. These people are always negative in their thinking and do not seem to enjoy any of the blessings they have.

In real life if you continually associate with one who is critical, you soon will become just as critical yourself. Life is full of choices and we need to choose people that we associate with daily who are kind, considerate and look at what is good in others rather than looking for something to criticize. People criticize others because they are trying to boost their own egos.

Jesus was critical of criticism. When we criticize someone or something we become a judge and we are passing our judgment on to another person’s actions. None of us are perfect so we have no right to criticize others. We do not know all the circumstances and our criticism of others comes from not knowing all the facts.

In John 8:15 (above), Jesus was defending himself to the Pharisees who were critical of Him for claiming that He was the Son of God. At this point in time they did not believe Jesus was who He said He was. Jesus responded to them by saying they judged according to the flesh (human standards) but He judged no one. This is a lesson for us today to examine our motives when we are tempted to criticize someone. Jesus did not criticize others for their weaknesses. He showed them compassion and forgiveness.

As parents we taught our children to respect others no matter who they were or even though they might not agree with that person or with what they did. We often explained that criticism hurt and hurting people was not of God. We also discussed the negatives that happen when you judge people.

We tried to encourage our children never to judge a person and to always let God take care of the situation. Everyone must answer to God for their own actions. Only God has the right to judge.  This is a difficult concept for one of any age to comprehend and practice. But we have learned, many times the hard way, to let go and let God take over. Try it, it works!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:7.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PRAYER:

Help me today not to criticize others but to try to see the good in everyone. Help me to be an encourager and not a critic. May others see in me a compassionate person that glorifies You in all that I do and say. Give me a tender heart and a new love for every person I touch with my life.

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Evangelism: April 29, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2015.

EVANGELISM

DEFINITION:

The preaching or promulgation of the Christian gospel; the work of an evangelist.

SCRIPTURE:

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. II Timothy 4:5.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus’ last words of instruction to His disciples were that they were to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28: 19-20.

This is known as the Great Commission. Soon after this Jesus ascended to heaven because His work on earth was done. He gave His disciples the responsibility of carrying on His ministry and He commissioned them to be His evangelists. The disciples, long ago, completed their work on earth and their commission of evangelism has been passed on to each one of us who are believers in Jesus.

In this verse (above) from II Timothy we are told by Paul to “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

The word “ministry” here does not refer to any special group or class of people like pastors, teachers, or those that call themselves evangelists.  The word “ministry” means “service” and all believers are called to be active in a service of some kind as it says in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” YES, part of the believer’s ministry is to “do the work of an evangelist.”

Evangelism, New Testament style, is personal evangelism. Jesus set an example for us when He talked to individuals who came to Him or when He met an individual and “ministered” to him or her one on one.

In Luke 19 we find Jesus ministering one on one to Zacchaeus. He had climbed up in a Sycamore tree to see Jesus over the crowd. Jesus saw him in the tree and said to him, “Zacchaeus make haste and come down, for tonight I must stay at your house.” Zacchaeus welcomed Him gladly into his home and then into his life. Jesus said to him: “Today salvation has come to this house.” And Zacchaeus gave clear indications of his new found life in Christ. He welcomed Jesus joyfully; he determined to give half of his wealth to the poor and then promised to return four-fold all the taxes that he had collected dishonestly. Zacchaeus found Jesus and accepted Him as Savior in a one to one situation.

We think of evangelism as being the work of only those who are good at speaking. Jesus wants all of us that believe in Him to be His evangelists. The way we live our life before others speaks volumes, when we are living as Christ wants us to live. We can all minister one to one with those we meet daily.

Jesus was the master soul winner. One by one He witnessed to John and Andrew and they accepted Jesus as their Savior. He witnessed to Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus gives us this call: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

There is no more of an important place to be an evangelist than in your home. We taught our children about our commitment to Jesus by our example, first, and then by our words. We consistently encouraged our children to share their faith by their actions and their words.

There is nothing more rewarding for us as Christian parents than to see our children put into practice in their own lives the Biblical principles we tried to instill in them. Remembering back to those years when we had the challenge of raising teenagers, one of our children received an invitation to a birthday party. Other than the day the invitation came, nothing was said about the party. The day of the party came and we asked if he was planning to go. He said “NO” without any explanation. Being curious about this decision we asked, “Why?” His answer was, “I don’t think it will be the kind of party I should go to.” We were so thankful that he saw the necessity of keeping his commitment to Christ as well as keeping his standards high by not only what he said but by what he did.

Often we do not think our children hear a word we say, but more gets through to them than what we think at the time it is said. We just have to keep on keeping on teaching them with consistency God’s commandments by our words and deeds and clearly show them their responsibility to obey them.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:7.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PRAYER:

Help me, dear Lord, to determine this very day to be an “evangelist’ to my own family and then one by one to those I meet. Keep me faithful in living according to the teaching of Your Word so that my life is an example to my family and my walk is consistent with my talk. Work in the hearts of my family to make them receptive to Your Word so they can be an evangelist to their friends.

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Belong: April 28, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2015.

BELONG

DEFINITION:

To be a property or a concern of; have a place; to be a part of.

SCRIPTURE:

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Mark 9:41.

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness. Daniel 9:9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As Christians we belong to the Lord. In Isaiah chapter 44 we read about God’s blessing upon Israel and He clearly states that they, the children of Israel, belong to Him. In Romans 14:8 it reads that “We are the Lord’s” thus we belong to Him. And in Galatians 3:29 it reads: “And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” So the scripture makes it very clear that if we know Christ as our Savior, we belong to Him.

The next question is, “What things belong to God?” In Job 12:13 we are told that all wisdom and power belong to God. And Job continues in Job 12:16 to say that all strength and victory belong to God. And in Job 25:2, all glory, dominion and awe belong to God.

In Psalms we are told that:
“The kings of the earth belong to God.” (Psalm 47:9)
“The mountain peaks belong to God.” (Psalm 95:4)
“And the highest Heaven belongs to God.” (Psalm 115:16)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and therefore all things belong to God. God blesses us by “loaning” to us what we have. When we recognize this fact we realize our own insignificance. We do not understand so many things that happen in this world, but since the world belongs to God who are we to question God’s sovereignty, His wisdom or His justice? It blesses us to know that we belong to a God to whom all wisdom, all power, dominion, awe, strength and victory belong.

We can remember a young girl in Guatemala when we were walking with her at the school we helped sponsor. She wanted to talk because she was curious about God but also because she wanted to practice her English. She was asking how she could know and be sure that she belonged to God.

This girl came from a dysfunctional home and her family did not recognize that there was a God let alone they never even mentioned God in their home. She attended the Christian school that our ministry sponsored because her parents wanted her to learn English. It was at this school that she heard for the first time about God and His love for her. She heard the plan of salvation and soon understood that she needed to accept Jesus as her Savior. She now belongs to God because she became a child of God.

Do you have questions about who God is and if you belong to Him? Do you need God’s mercy and forgiveness? Read the two verses we have put above. Do you understand that all we have belongs to God? Do you know where you stand, concerning your relationship with God? If you have questions just communicate with us by using the link below to “Ken and Dottie.” We will respond.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:7.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PRAYER:

Thank you Lord that I realize all I have belongs to You. Help me to understand more clearly today Your power, Your compassion, the awesomeness of who You are and how all this relates to my life. Make me an instrument today to represent You in all that I do and say. May my actions and words glorify Your name!

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Happiness: April 27, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY APRIL 27, 2015.

HAPPINESS

DEFINITION:

A state of well-being and contentment; the quality or state of being delighted, pleased or glad.

SCRIPTURE:

And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20.

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13

But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. Proverbs 14:21

But happy is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18

A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Proverbs 15:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many times recently we have commented to one another about how many people we see and talk to that are unhappy. Some people just look cranky and you wonder if every day is just a bad day for them.

It seems that what people desire most in life is happiness. However, most people do not know what will make them happy.  They spend a lifetime looking for happiness but they look in all the wrong places. They seek happiness in worldly pleasure, obtaining wealth, possessions, popularity or success. They feel they would really be happy if they just had a nicer house, a new car, or more money.

True happiness should bring a feeling of contentment and satisfaction.  People think they will be happy when they get their hearts desire only to find the happiness does not last. The smell of a new car soon fades and a newer model comes on the market. All too soon the house needs repair and redecorating. What they thought would make them happy they are no longer content with. When happiness is based on getting what we desire, it is only temporary.

Everyone has things going on in their lives that can be real downers and it is easy to let the bad things that happen get us down. If we focus only on the down things of life it will make us cranky and unhappy. Happy people do not have it any better than anyone else but they focus on the good things in life. Everyone has bad days with seemingly bad things happening to them, but everyone has something to be thankful for so it really depends on that you focus on.

A life without God results in a futile search for happiness. Without God the difficulties in life will overwhelm us. Look at the verses we have listed above from Proverbs. These verses are a short outline of the key to happiness that sets apart a happy person from an unhappy one. Happy is the man or woman who trusts in the Lord, keeps the law (God’s commandments), has mercy on the poor and who finds wisdom and gains understanding that comes from God’s Word. We need to notice where the focus is in these verses. It is on our relationship with God.

Where there is no knowledge of God and His laws, violence and evil runs rampant. The happiness that comes from knowing God brings true contentment and satisfaction that lasts.

The starting point to find happiness is to trust in the Lord. Whether the non- believer understands it or not, there is a void in everyone’s life that only God can fill. People search in all the wrong places and try the wrong things attempting to fill that void.  Knowing your sins are forgiven and that you are saved from the penalty of your sins brings peace and contentment which in turn brings happiness to life.

Happiness comes to our lives when we are faithful in studying God’s Word. This gives us wisdom, understanding and knowledge of how we are to live our lives in obedience to what God’s Word teaches us. This keeps us from sinful things that will only lead to a life of pain and suffering and separation from God.

True happiness is not based on circumstances. True happiness is based on our relationship with God. Our relationship with God that comes through the saving grace of Jesus Christ is not just for our lifetime here on earth but for all eternity. Without the peace that comes from knowing where you will spend eternity you cannot know real happiness. You can have that peace today by accepting Jesus as your Savior and have real happiness that lasts for all eternity.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:7.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for the true happiness that I have in my heart because I know You as my Savior. Help me not to let the pressures and events of this day destroy the happiness that You have given me and my family. Thank You for my salvation and the assurance of spending an eternity with You.

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