World Bible Society

Perfect: February 3, 2012

2012-02-05T19:00:00.004-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2012

PERFECT

DEFINITION:

Complete in every detail; without defect; flawless; exact; precise; skilled.

SCRIPTURE:

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless (perfect) and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19: 13

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the verse above from Job we looked at the Hebrew word for “perfect” as used in this verse. It is TAMAN and has several meanings. First it means consumed. Job was in deep sorrow and exhausted after losing all of his family and his possessions but he remained consumed (perfect) in his trust in God.

Job is a wonderful example for us. Often in times of great loss or suffering, doubts about God creep in and our perfect trust in the Lord grows weak. Just when we need the Lord the most, we turn away from the Lord. Job’s faith in God never wavered. When our faith grows weak the first thing we should do is get back to reading God’s Word and praying. When we seek the Lord we will find Him.

TAMAN also means upright. The psalmist writes in Psalm 19:7: “The law of the Lord is perfect restoring the soul.” God’s law is perfect because it keeps us away from sin and upright (perfect). TAMAN also means to be complete, without blemish and blameless. This was Job’s status when we read about him in Job 1.

Our Lord and Savior is perfect and as believers He has set the standards in life that we need to strive for in our lives. In Psalm 18:30 we read that as for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him. What a wonderful promise of assurance this is for us as believers. We are not perfect nor has anyone in our world been perfect after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we can be made perfect. When we get to heaven we will be made perfect.

In Matthew 19:16-22 we read when Jesus counsels the rich young ruler. In verse 21 Jesus tells him, “If you want to be perfect, go, and sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and then come and follow Me.”

Our Lord wants us as believers to give of our time, talent and treasure to Him and follow Him. When we do we will store up our treasure in heaven that will endure forever.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the example that You have given us in the life of Job. May the relationship of my family with You grow daily so that we will be able to stand firmly against the evils of the world we live in today. Help us to give to You our time, talent and treasure so we can be used of You.

Grace: February 2, 2012

2012-02-05T19:00:00.003-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2012

GRACE

DEFINITION:

Ease and elegance of manner or movement; kindness; favor; good will; unmerited divine favor.

SCRIPTURE:

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” II Corinthians 12: 9

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 that by grace we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves but it is the gift of God. Simply stated grace is God’s unmerited favor. We do not deserve God’s favor nor can we earn it. It is a gift from God to us that He offers us because of His goodness. It is because of God’s grace that He gave His only Son to die on the cross so that we would not perish in our sin but have eternal life.

Yes, our salvation is a free gift but we should not become complacent in our faith. In II Peter 3:14-18 we are told that as believers we need to be growing in our faith. In verse 14 we are to be doing what is right. In verse 15-16 we are to be confident in the truth of God’s Word. In verse 17 we are to be on our guard against false teaching and finally in verse 18 we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. If we do these things God will be able to use us to make known His wonderful gift of grace to others.

The Hebrew word for grace is CHANAN. It is used in Genesis 6:8 (above). In this passage of the scripture concerning Noah we are told that Noah found grace, the goodness of God, in the eyes of the Lord. Noah found grace because he was a righteous man who walked with God. By God’s grace Noah and his family were saved from the flood.

In the verse above from II Corinthians the apostle Paul reminds us that the grace that God gives us is sufficient to meet all of our needs. What a wonderful promise.

In John 1:17 we are told from where grace comes. It reads: “For the law was given to us through Moses, but grace and truth came to us through Jesus Christ.” Before Jesus came to this earth one lived under the law. The law could not save. It only demonstrated our need to be saved. When Jesus came everything changed because of the cross that Jesus died on and now we live under grace --- the goodness of God.

In the verse above from Ephesians we are told that grace is given to each one of us that believe in Jesus according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Remember we are saved by putting our faith in Jesus and by the grace (goodness) of God. Then after we have found the Lord we are given individual gifts to use to spread to the world we live in, the good news of the gospel message of God’s grace.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER;

I thank You today for Your goodness to me. Every day I praise Your name for the wonderful gift of salvation that is mine because of Your grace. Help me today to lead my family as together we reach out to the world we live in to proclaim the good news of Your goodness to us.

Creation: February 1, 2012

2012-02-05T19:00:00.002-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2012

CREATION

DEFINITION:

Invention; the act of creating, an original product.

SCRIPTURE:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. II Corinthians 5:17

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

It is important that we consider several things when we read the first verse in the Bible. First, the Bible is not only the book from God; it is the book about God. Secondly, in the beginning refers to the beginning of creation. Remember that God was unformed, unmade, uncreated and had no beginning. He always was, always is, and always shall be. And finally God created the heavens and the earth, in other words the entire universe.

God is also our creator since the Word says he created man. Along with being our creator He is our sustainer, our judge and our hope in this world and for eternity. What an awesome series of events to understand. The six days of creation, as outlined in the book of Genesis, clearly tells us that we are here and what we have here is all because of God and His love for us. God loves us so much that He not only created the world for us, but He created us in His image.

The apostle Paul talks about creation in II Corinthians 5:17. He is referring here to the creation of a new life when someone rejects the evils of this world and seeks Jesus and accepts Him as his or her Savior.

When a person accepts Jesus this verse tells us that he becomes a new creation of God saved by the blood of Jesus. He tells us that old things are passed away. These are the things that ran our life before our salvation. He then tells us that all things become new. As a new creation of our Lord the things that dominated our lives before we found Jesus are now history and no longer important. Now in serving Jesus everything has become new.

Yes, God is our creator. He created the world we live in and He created our new life when we found Jesus as our Savior.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

What a privilege that we have knowing that You are our creator. Thank You for the salvation you allowed us to partake of and for the assurance we now have of spending an eternity in heaven with You, our creator and our Lord.

Content: January 31, 2011

2012-01-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2012.

CONTENT

DEFINITION:

Satisfied; easy in mind; happy.

SCRIPTURE:

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Philippians 4:11.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. I Timothy 6:6-7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The apostle Paul wrote the two verses above, one to the church at Philippi and one to Timothy to help them understand the true meaning of contentment and how to find it. Paul was well educated and held an esteemed position as a Pharisee, yet he willingly gave it all up to serve his Lord and Savior and to preach the message of salvation to the multitudes. As a result he lived a hard life traveling from place to place, with no home and often without food, and suffering great persecution.

So why was he able to write that he could be content in all circumstances? It was because he had learned to rely on God for his contentment. As believers we need to rely on the Lord for contentment as Paul did. When God is blessing us with abundance we are to be content in Him. When we are in a state of crises we are to be content in Him. This is a difficult principle to learn but this is what God wants of us as believers and children of God. It is always easy to be content when all is going well but most difficult in a time of crisis.

We see people all around us today looking to find contentment. Many people spend every moment of their free time sitting in a chair, eating food and watching the television or surfing the web on the computer. For them this is contentment. When the cable or the computer goes out they quickly get frustrated and there goes there contentment.

There are others that are content only when they are working and making money. For others contentment is going places or doing “fun” things. These things are very temporal and do not bring contentment that satisfies for very long.

How many people have you met that are never content. They seem to constantly be complaining. They seem to be lonely and unfulfilled and searching for happiness. They always want more but when they get it they are still not happy. They are basically a “pain in the neck” to their families and friends. The word contentment does not seem to be in their vocabulary, because they have never learned to trust in the Lord and not on “things.”

As believers in Jesus we need to realize that the verse above from I Timothy is so very true. We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we will carry nothing out. Whatever we have has been given to us from God. When we are thankful for what we have we will be content in whatever state we are in.

We have no control over crises that we may face like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, civil wars or other disasters. God has a reason that He allows us to go through these situations. We may find ourselves in circumstances we are not content to be in but, God will protect us and bless us if we stay true to Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that I be content with whatever I face today knowing that You are my Savior and Lord and that You are with me no matter what the circumstance. May I be a leader of my family showing them how to be content in You through every situation, good or bad, that we may face.

Abililty: January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2012

ABILITY

DEFINITION:

Having the means or power to be or to act.

SCRIPTURE:

“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability.” Matthew 25:15

If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves he should do it as with the strength which God provides so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. I Peter 4:11

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we think of the word ability we are reminded of three distinct types of people we have known and worked with over the years.

There was a person that comes to mind that worked with us in the ministry. This person was not doing the job that was expected of him and other people in the ministry thought, as we did, that he could do much better. But after several conversations and additional training he never improved.

The reason he did not improve became very clear to us. He was happy in his comfort zone coming to work every day and doing just enough to get by and then going home. He had great ability but never seemed to have the desire to take advantage of the abilities God gave him.

We have known others with possible limited ability that worked hard at every task given them and made sure that what they did was done beyond what was expected despite of their limited ability.

And we have also worked with people that always had the attitude that they could do anything and do it better than others. Many times they overestimated their ability and could not produce what they said they could.

We have shared with you three types of people. Those that have great ability and do not use what God has given them. Those who may have great ability or little ability but they always work over and above what is expected of them and excel in what they accomplish. And finally you have the person who talks the talk, saying nothing is impossible for him to accomplish, but cannot walk the walk. The result is always failure.

In the verse we have put above from Matthew we read part of the parable that Jesus preached about the talents. It was very evident as you read this parable that Jesus knew that there were those that had more ability than others. In this parable Jesus makes it clear that He expects us to use whatever talents He has given us to the best of our ability. What counts with God is not how much we have to offer Him but about how well we serve Him with what we have.

In his writing to the church at Corinth (II Corinthians 8:3) Paul commended the church at Macedonia for their sacrificial giving in spite of their deep poverty. They did not have much but they gave according to their ability and YES they gave beyond their ability. God wants us to give back to Him beyond our ability.

Some people say they have no abilities or special talents that the Lord could use. This is not true. Everyone has some ability. In I Peter 4:6-11 Peter lists things that everyone has the ability to do. We all can show love to one another, be hospitable to one another, serve one another and to speak the Words of God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 1:3.

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Thank you for the abilities You have given me and help me to be faithful in using them to show love to others. Help me to be able to train my children to love You and use their abilities in serving You.

Music: January 27, 2012

2012-01-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 27, 2012.

MUSIC

DEFINITION:

The combining of sounds and tones as a form of artistic expression.

SCRIPTURE:

Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:18-19.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We have often said and have heard many people say over the years that when we get to heaven we will be able to sing so much better than we try to now. Have you thought how thrilling it will be just to sit down and sing with the angels, psalms and hymns most likely with words and music like we have never heard before.

We have mentioned several times in prior devotionals the experiences we have had in Kenya. Each year the 75 churches that we helped to sponsor had a three day conference somewhere in the middle of where their churches were located. We will never forget the singing that we heard at these conferences.

The church choirs would come and everyone would join them in singing songs and praising God through music. It was an experience that we will never forget and we commented at the time that it maybe would be something like the singing we anticipated in heaven.

But when we get to heaven John tells us in Revelation 5:11 that there will be thousands upon thousands singing praises of honor and glory to the Lord. In the verses we have put above we see in Psalms that we are to come before our Lord singing as we enter into His presence. Can you imagine the thrill of that happening for an eternity?

While Jesus was here on earth He joined with His disciples in singing hymns. After instituting the Lord’s Supper with His disciples they joined in singing a hymn before they went up to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew 26:30 we read: “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

In Ephesians (above) the apostle Paul reminds us that while we are here on this earth waiting for our Lord’s return we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Our Lord wants us to honor and glorify His name through music. Songs of praise to the Lord ministers to our hearts and lifts us up.

When we think of music we often think of hearing the Halleluiah Chorus sung by a mass choir of hundreds. What a thrilling experience that is. We all have heard wonderful singing honoring God in our churches and at Christian concerts. Over the years music has changed. We personally have our hearts moved when we hear the old songs sung years ago.

It is important that we make music part of our daily lives. We need to listen to music that honors God. We need to sing songs that honor God, even if we really cannot sing. God listens to the heart knowing that when we are with him we will all have wonderful new voices.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

PRAYER:

May my heart be filled with music that honors and glorifies Your name today.

Emptiness: January 26, 2012

2012-01-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2012.

EMPTINESS

DEFINITION:

Containing nothing; lacking in value; meaningless.

SCRIPTURE:

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. Luke 1:53

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6

Surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it. Job 35:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We talk to so many people that have emptiness in their lives. They feel alone and many just feel rejected. The life style that many people live today initiates the emptiness that so many feel. Where there is no hope in life the natural opposite is an emptiness that seemingly cannot be filled.

But the Bible has an answer for those who want to get rid of their emptiness. In the verse above from Luke the writer refers to the ones that feel emptiness in their lives as being hungry. And if you are one that is hungry you are searching for righteousness. This verse assures us that if we come to God empty and searching for righteousness He will fill our lives with good things. He contrasts this with the rich that have everything and put their trust in “Things” instead of God.

The verse above from Ephesians reminds us that in this world we face many temptations and evil pressures. Paul refers to these as “empty words.” False teachers use empty words to deceive us and pull us away from the cross which is the truth of our salvation we were given by Jesus on the cross of Calvary. It is the cross alone that stops the wrath of God against sin in the lives of those who believe in Jesus.

In the Old Testament we read about Job (above) and all of the temptations and frustrations that God allowed him to go through to prove to Satan that he (Job) was a righteous man. In this verse Job was accused of being empty and vain in his belief. This accusation was false, of course, but is an example for us today. Satan daily is going to tempt us to make us think that our relationship with God is empty. When this happens how do you respond?

Emptiness is a tool that Satan uses with one who believes in God to cause us to doubt God when we face difficult situations in our lives. Put your total faith in the Lord, your Father, and he will turn your emptiness into a life full of joy and hope.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

PRAYER:

My prayer is that You will not let anyone deceive me with empty words. Help me to live above the frustrations of everyday life, putting all of my trust and hope in You. Help me to lead my family through any emptiness that they may be facing in their lives.

Assurance: January 25, 2012

2012-01-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25, 2012

ASSURANCE

DEFINITION:

An ernest statement intended to give confidence; freedom from doubt; a promise.

SCRIPTURE:

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. I John 5:20

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

People of all ages today constantly need assurance. When a child takes his or her first step he or she looks to the parent for assurance. They want you to know what they have accomplished and want a “good job, we are proud of you” response.

The same is wanted when a child enters new endeavors. They look for assurance when they have their first day of school. The same when they have to take their first test or give their first speech.

Teenagers need assurance that only a parent can give when they start a new school or meet new friends. And adults need assurance at their work places. If a boss never gives one a pat on the back or says “good job” one gets very discouraged and soon loses interest in their job.

In the verse we have written above the writer in closing his letter makes strong comments as to the assurance that God gives to us as believers. What God has told us in His Word is true and unshakeable. What He has revealed to us is absolutely certain.

In fact in three consecutive verses, I John 5: 18, 19, and 20, John begins with the confident phrase of assurance, “We know.” John says that we are of God, that we possess the very nature and being of God, and that the whole world is in the power of the evil one.

The world talks about love and hungers for love, but it does not understand the very thing that it seeks, and it lacks the power to practice it because the world does not know the One who is love personified.

God is love. John writes that since we are of God, He has given us the understanding to know Him and the power to experience eternal life. What a declaration this is and what assurance this gives to all of us who believe in Him.

We live in an age of moral relativism, where people claim we cannot know anything for sure, where uncertainties and confusion abound. But we, as believers in Jesus, have been given the assurance that we are people who can stand alone in an unsecure world that is falling apart because of our trust in God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if needed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the assurance that You have given me because of my faith in You. May I this day be the shining light that You expect of me so that others may find the same assurance in life that I experience daily because of You.

Friend: January 24, 2012

2012-01-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 2012.

FRIEND

DEFINITION:

A person on intimate and affectionate terms with another; supporters; well wishers.

SCRIPTURE:

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:13-14

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Psalm 18:24

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

People need friends desperately because human nature drives a person to need to communicate with someone in many situations in life. In this world we live in there are many types of friends.

Many friends we feel are what we call “fair weather friends.” They are with you as a friend as long as all is going well between the two of you or until another “friend” comes along. Since we are living in a “ME GENERATION,” many people keep friendships only as long as it benefits them. They are suddenly gone when you face a crises or situation when you really need a friend.

Where do you look for friends? This is a critical decision that every person must make when looking for friends. One needs to remember that where your heart is that is where you will feel most comfortable. When you love the Lord you need to look for friends in places where like-minded people who also love the Lord gather.

We developed friends in places where we were involved. But we found out that in some situations we were involved in gave us a different caliber of friends. One area where we developed friends with was the parents of children that played sports with our children. Many of these were not Christians so the friendship was different.

We developed friends with parents of children that went to the same school and church that our children attended. They attended a Christian school so there was a closer bond because of our mutual love for the Lord.

Our best friends in our lives were the leaders we met in missions. It was simple to see why this was so because our heart interests were the same. Take a moment to read the book of Philemon. It is only 25 verses long but Paul in these 25 verses talks to his brother in Christ, Philemon, the beloved friend and fellow laborer in the faith with Timothy about Christian brotherly love.

Paul writes Philemon to intercede for Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Through Paul, Onesimus had become a believer and developed a deep bond of friendship with Paul and was a help to Paul while Paul was in prison. Paul asks Philemon to be forgiving and welcome Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.

Paul reminds Philemon that they have a responsibility to love their friend Onesimus. We as believers have the same responsibility today to love our friends just as Jesus loves us. To love as Jesus does we must be forgiving of those who have wronged us and who seek our forgiveness and accept them back as a friend.

The three verses that we have written above are a reminder to us as to how we are always to live our lives in a spirit of love and be the kind of friend Jesus wants us to be. Do you show love to those friends that are counting on you for support and friendship? Do you show the love of Christ in your daily walk and talk? Do your friends see a difference in you than some of the other friends they may have?

It is important for us to remember that the greatest friend we have is Jesus. He is with us through thick and thin. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. What more can we expect or have?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

PRAYER:

I rejoice that I have You as my friend and Savior. Help me to be a friend that loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother. Help me to show others that You want to be their friend and help me to lead them to You.

Alone: January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 23, 2012.

ALONE

DEFINITION:

Apart from or the exclusion of others or things; solitary; separate.

SCRIPTURE:

I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. Psalm 102:7

I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Almost every day we receive either an email, meet a person, read about someone in the newspapers or see on television a person that is devastated, frustrated or simply feeling helpless all because he or she is alone. Being alone can be devastating for most people because they have literally no support in life.

The Hebrew word for alone is Badad and is used in Leviticus 13:46. In this verse it is recorded that the Lord was speaking to Moses and Aaron about health regulations to deal with leprosy. Down through history people with leprosy have been separated to some location alone (badad). They are isolated from their family and all who do not have leprosy. Being a leper and certainly alone must be one of the loneliest situations that a person could be in.

In Isaiah 1:25 the word alone (badad) is used again in the context of one separating himself from all the impurities of life. The Psalmist uses (above verse) the word badad meaning solitary, being able to lie down in peace when he is alone with the Lord.

Take yourself back to the day Jesus was crucified. When on the cross Jesus took our sins upon Himself and was completely separated from His Father. Just think how alone Jesus was as He hung on that cross, He cried out to God. “Why hast thou forsaken Me?” It is not humanly possible for any of us to understand just how alone Jesus felt on the cross. Just the anticipation of being separated from His Father brought Jesus to His knees in the Garden of Gethsemane and caused Him to pray asking the Father, “If possible let this cup pass from Me.” He asked not once, but three times. God’s great love for all of us made it impossible for the Father to let the cup pass from Jesus. In obedience Jesus went to the cross carrying on His shoulders all the sins of the world. He died, carrying our sins, but the good news is that He rose again and is now in heaven preparing a place for us to spend an eternity with Him.

When one who knows Jesus begins to feel alone he or she has the comfort to know that being a child of God we have Him right by our side to comfort and encourage us. The bad news is that all those who have not received Christ’s great gift of salvation are separated from God our heavenly Father. They are alone unless they come to God through Jesus Christ receiving forgiveness for their sins and they will remain separated from God for all eternity.

Do you lie awake at night feeling like a sparrow all alone on the rooftop? Or do you lie down and sleep in peace because you have put your trust in the Lord? It is the Lord alone who brings peace and makes us dwell in safety.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Peter 2:2-3.

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

PRAYER:

Help me to remember that as a child of God that You are with me at all times. Today may I be an encouragement to someone who is alone and living in frustration. May the joy of Jesus shine out through my actions and in my words.

Accomplish: January 20, 2012

2012-01-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2012.

ACCOMPLISH

DEFINITION:

Bring to pass; do; complete; achieve; gain.

SCRIPTURE:

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I THIRST.” John 19:28

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the verse above from Isaiah the phrase, it shall accomplish what I please, shows the power of God’s Word. All of us want to be successful and accomplish things during our lifetime. We are successful in some of the task that we attempt and that gives us the satisfaction of accomplishment. We also fail in some tasks and our feelings are very different. All of us like to successfully accomplish what we start.

The Hebrew word in this verse in Isaiah for accomplishment is ASAH. In Hebrew it makes the point that God is able to bring out of Himself the power, the victory, the solution to problems and the comfort needed anywhere and anytime. In other words, our God can accomplish whatever He desires and no one can prevent God from accomplishing His purposes.

God also accomplishes things from other things, not only out of Himself. He makes the tree yield fruit and He causes the sun to shine. He brings the rain. He gives man the power to create wealth. God can do wonders with His weakest child if His child will let Him work in his or her life.

In the verse above that we have given you from John we need to note that when Jesus was on the cross He did not respond to His need until He knew that all had been accomplished to fulfill what had been prophesized in the scriptures. And at that point he said, “I THIRST.” God will not quit on us until he has accomplished all He needs from us.

The principle we want to share with you today is that you must make sure that you do not limit God if you have the faith to trust Him by your lack of faith. There is nothing God cannot accomplish through your life. We need to wake up, step up and let God perform in and through us what He wants to accomplish.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that You might accomplish what You want from me today. Make me willing to step up and act according to Your will. Thank You in advance for the blessings that You have for me today.

Heroes: January 19, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 19, 2012

HEROES

DEFINITION:

One admired for courage, fortitude or nobility; one known for brave deeds.

SCRIPTURE:

These all died in faith. Hebrew 11: 13.

For living to me means simply “Christ” and if I die I should merely gain more of Him. Philippians 1:20. (J B PHILLIPS TRANSLATION)

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

All of us during our lifetime have had heroes in our lives. When we were younger we had many more heroes than now. Part of that was due to our age and lack of maturity. Over the years we have seen some of our heroes fail in some way and burst our so called bubble, because we thought they were the greatest. It is a great disappointment when someone turns out not to be what we thought they were.

In Hebrews chapter 11, we read about heroes of faith from the Old Testament. They include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah. When you look to the Bible for your heroes in life you will find role models that you can confidently build your life upon.

The key to those that are listed above in Hebrews 11, is that they all lived by faith. If we pick these as our heroes and our role models and want to be like them we need to do all we can to live by faith as they did. In their faith they found their comfort, their daily guide, their motive for living and their support.

They believed the promises that came from God and lived their lives relying on these promises. They were assured that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. These heroes were confident of their acceptance by God. They enjoyed living in His love and resting in His faithfulness.

They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth just as we are as believers today. They were looking forward to a country of their own, a better place than where they were or had been. They all were looking for their heavenly home and knew that one day they would arrive their and live an eternity with their maker. Is this the kind of hero you have chosen in your life?

In the verse we have written above from Hebrews 13 we read that they all died in faith. Dying in faith looks to the future. They died as men and women of faith. They knew that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance for what we cannot see. They died knowing that the Messiah would surely come and one day they would rise from their graves to behold Him in the air.

Faith was the orbit that these heroes moved in while they were here on this earth. If you are looking for heroes in your life, look no further than these heroes we read about in Hebrews. And you can be a hero just like them if you will look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Thank God today for giving you similar faith like He gave those great Bible heroes of faith who are now in glory.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

As my family picks heroes in our lives help us to understand that we need to look up to men and women who lived lives of faith. Help us to live our lives daily with the faith that You give us so that others will look to us as a person of great faith and devotion to You.

Enlarge: January 18, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18, 2012.

ENLARGE

DEFINITION:

Make larger; extend; augment; increase in capacity or scope.

SCRIPTURE:

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The prophet Isaiah in this passage (above) is talking about God’s everlasting love for Israel and His covenant promise to Abraham to make of him a great nation. As a growing nation Israel is to make their tent larger. This verse refers not only to Israel but applies prophetically to the future Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the need for the church (all believers) to enlarge its’ tent by spreading the good news of the gospel.

The verse goes on to tell us to “lengthen your cords” so the church can increase its influence in the community throughout the world. Jesus commanded that we, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

The illustration of a tent is understood by all. When you put up a small tent you tighten the cords and it will house a few people. But when the need arises to hold more people we must enlarge the tent. We do this by lengthening the cords and strengthening the stakes that hold the cords in the ground.

In the Hebrew dictionary the word for “enlarge” is RACHAB. It means to become wide like chambers, like the chambers of a heart. It also has the meaning of increasing the size such as a city’s borders or a church.

To enlarge our tent we must enlarge our heart by filling it with more of God’s love and enlarge our capacity to love others. It is only as each one of us has more love for the Lord that the church “tent” will be enlarged.

We, as believers in Jesus today, need to enlarge our tents. Our tents include our ministry, our vision and our testimony to others. We need to spread out and think big. When a tent is enlarged the cords must be lengthened and stronger stakes are needed to keep it from collapsing. We need to lengthen our cords by looking for new and fresh ways to serve our Lord. We need to strengthen our stakes by reading God’s Word and praying daily for something special that God has for us.

In this chapter of Isaiah the prophet is speaking of the day when Israel accepts Christ as their Messiah and Savior. “With great compassion I will gather you.” (Isaiah 54:7). At that time they will need enlarged spaces where they can sing and be blessed with a rich reward of everlasting joy and peace. We as believers need to enlarge our tents so we to can honor and bless our Savior.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

Strengthen my faith by giving me a better understanding of Your Word as I read it daily. Help me to communicate with You daily through prayer in a new and fresh way. Enlarge our family’s spiritual vision so we can be used anew by You

Heritage: January 17, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2012

HERITAGE

DEFINITION:

Something inherited; to receive as a possession; legacy; anything handed down from an ancestor.

SCRIPTURE:

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.” Psalm 127:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Fifty four years ago today we were having dinner in our house with fellow missionaries in Seoul Korea. The doorbell rang and a telegram was delivered. I (Ken) opened the envelope with the telegram and read it quietly and then announced to all that my father had had a heart attack and not doing well. He was in the hospital in Los Angeles close to the airport, the telegram read, because he was getting on an airplane when the heart attack happened.

It was no more than 15 minutes later and the telephone rang. It was Bob Pierce calling and he said quietly and caringly words such as, “Ken your father is in heaven.” At the young age of 46 God had decided to take him home. Everyone that knew my father would say that he left for us a wonderful heritage.

We are reminded that the Hebrew word for heritage is NACHAL. This Hebrew word has several interesting definitions. One is to receive as a possession or to acquire as used in Proverbs 3:35: “The wise should inherit glory.” NACHAL is also used in Psalm 119:111, “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever.”

In the verse we have chosen to write above we are reminded that children are a heritage (NACHAL) from God. When Ken’s father died, we were in Korea working on establishing orphanages to house abandoned GI babies and orphans, who were living on the streets. Ken’s father had challenged us both to spend some time on the mission field working to help children because they were, and still are, a wonderful heritage from God.

Today we look back on our heritage. We both had loving and caring parents that trained us in the Word of God leading us to know Jesus as our personal Savior. Both of our parents involved us in church, Sunday school and missions so that are hearts would be sensitive to those in need. We look back on the heritage that our parents left us and we thank God for this wonderful blessing.

Now for 54 years since the death of my (Ken) father we have raised our six children giving them hopefully a portion of the rich heritage we were given. Now our six children are raising our twenty grand-children with the same spiritual emphasis on godly family living as we trained them and our parents trained us.

God told Moses in Exodus 6:8, “I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage.” The Psalmist said in Psalm 61:5, “You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.” Today we as a family benefit from the heritage that our parents left for us. It is our prayer that we will leave for our grand-children and their children a rich heritage that God can use to bring them into a productive relationship with Him. What kind of heritage are you leaving for those that love you?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

Help me to build daily on my heritage by honoring You in all I do. May I not take lightly the heritage that You have given me. Thank You for my children. Guide me as I lead them and teach them from God’s Word how to love and serve You.

Able: January 16, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 16, 2012.

ABLE

DEFINITION:

Denoting ability; having the means or power to act; talented; competent.

SCRIPTURE:

And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. Exodus 18:25

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The word ABLE in the verse above in the original Hebrew is CHAYIL. This word according to the Hebrew dictionary has several shades of meaning. These several meanings have significance for us today because God is looking for ABLE men and women to serve Him.

First, there is strength to enable one to do valiantly. In Psalm 60:12 it reads: “Through God we will do valiantly.” Able men of the Lord should have no fear in doing whatever the Lord asks them to do to advance the Lord’s cause and grow the body of believers.

The second meaning is that there is power, being able means having power. Psalm 110:3 reads: “Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power.” There is power that will stir one to move out on campaigns or projects to bring a certain victory.

The Hebrew word for ABLE is used in Deuteronomy 8:18: “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant.”

The Hebrew word CHAYIL is also used in I Kings 1:52 meaning honesty. Honesty is essential to making a great man. Solomon said: “If he proves himself an honest (CHAYIL) man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth.

Being ABLE the way God wants us to be means that we need to do what we do valiantly, courageously, with God-given power, with our earthly wealth and with honesty.

We often hear the phrase being said: “GOD IS ABLE.” Even though He is more than able, He is looking for able men and women like us to work for Him. In II Chronicles 25:9 King Amaziah said.”The Lord is able to give you much more.” We serve a God that is able to do the impossible. He is looking for ABLE people to serve Him.

Yes, it is God who equips us to be able to serve Him. Yes, it is His planned purpose for us here on earth to serve Him. So why are there not more who are truly serving the Lord? There is just one possible reason---“US” ---. We are not willing to serve Him.

In Joshua 24:15 Joshua told the Children of Israel, who had turned to serving false gods, that “you must choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” We each one must make our choice as to whom we will serve. It is the Lord who makes us more than able to serve Him but He can only make those who have chosen to serve Him able to serve Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that You will make me able to serve You the way You want me to serve You. Help me to work valiantly, with power and honestly to further Your kingdom.

War: January 13, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2012.

WAR

DEFINITION:

Armed conflict among nations, or between parties; any strife or conflict

SCRIPTURE:

“But I say to you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” Luke 6:27-28.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

War is a very complicated and disturbing subject both to the believers and the non-believers. We must first as believers consider the condition of the fallen world we live in. War is a natural consequence of sin and some conflicts are fueled by evil intentions and desires. Other conflicts are mainly a battle between right and wrong. God does not like bloodshed, but if evil is not forcefully resisted, the wicked will prevail.

The Lord established government as a means to promote good and to restrain evil. Some rulers abuse the authority given them and act wickedly with the result being war. We share this word “war” with you today because so many of our wonderful friends who are reading these daily devotionals are living in “war zones’. We pray that these thoughts will be a source of encouragement to those living every day with “war.”

The Old Testament gives us evidence that at times God uses war to achieve His purpose. He commanded the Israelites to fight for the possession of the land He had promised them and to kill the inhabitants who were very evil. (Deuteronomy chapter 20) God also used war to judge and punish wicked nations. (Jeremiah chapter 25) God also used war to punish His own people for their evil ways. (Jeremiah 5)

Many people ask a very important question: “How can the God who told Israel to destroy the Canaanites be the same God who told us to love Your enemies and to do good to those who hate you?” To understand this we must be able to understand that God distinguishes commands given to nations and instructions given to individuals. Look at two verses to clarify this in your mind. In Romans 13:4, God calls nations or governments ministers of God for good and entrusts them with avenging evil. But in Romans 12:19 He is talking to individuals when He says for us to never take your own revenge.

Jesus also tells us in Luke that loving our enemies is the only way to protect ourselves as believers from bitterness. Unfortunately, many people today turn this around. They are quick to fight personal battles but slow to affirm the avenging of evil as a nation.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

PRAYER:

Help me to remember that Your goal is to destroy wickedness and not people. Help me to do my part in overcoming evil as I look toward the day when You will defeat all evil and I will reign with You for an eternity.

Service: January 12, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 2012.

SERVICE

DEFINITION:

An act of helpful activity; the serving of God in obedience; work done in serving another.

SCRIPTURE:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The apostle Paul, whose life we have used as our illustrations this week, also lived a life of service, second maybe to no one in Biblical history. God called Paul to a ministry of faith and service. No other person did more to spread the good news of the gospel and shape the history of Christianity than Paul. It was Paul whom Christ used to write 13 of the New Testament books and win the first European convert to Christianity (Acts 16:14).

Paul also lived a life of service by becoming a great missionary bringing many Jewish and countless Gentiles to a saving knowledge of the Lord. Paul was also used by God to explain many of the doctrines of the new faith. Paul suffered many hardships throughout much of his life for serving the Lord. He did not let any of his suffering deter him from preaching the gospel. Truly, the apostle Paul lived a life of service to His Lord after he had that encounter with God on the road to Damascus.

In the book of Romans we find many principles of service that Paul refers to in his life that we can apply to our lives. Paul was a person with unshakeable convictions and unswerving confidence in the gospel. These are the first two principles that believers today must grasp. How many people, including yourself, would you say you know that have unshakeable convictions and unswerving confidence in the Bible? One guideline would be to look at the Ten Commandments and see if any are broken in your daily life or in the lives of the believers you know.

Paul is blunt in his presentation as a preacher, evangelist or teacher, in calling sin what it is. He is equally strong in describing the all encompassing potential of God’s forgiveness for any and all of these sins through the provision of Jesus Christ. His message is always clear, without compromise and to the point. Paul also preached integrity with the truth. He insists that integrity and truth be incarnated into a practical day by day life, not simply as a system of thought.

Paul in his life of service to the believers constantly presented a solution to the frustrating sense of failure by describing one’s new life in Christ as a Spirit-filled life that brings triumph over condemnation and all adversity. Paul was a master in giving practical Biblical directives for the application of spiritual truth to the problems one faces in daily life. He showed people how to live what they believed. As believers today, we need to work on these principles. Read the book of Romans and you will understand the great truths of the gospel that Paul applied to his life of service. Consider how to apply these truths to your life today.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

PRAYER:

Help me today to learn how to live a life of service. Prepare my heart with the answers I need to serve You in someone’s time of need. Lead me to that person today where I can be used of You.

Discipleship: January 11, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2012.

DISCIPLESHIP

DEFINITION:

To teach, train and convert into a true follower, a disciple.

SCRIPTURE:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

KNOWLEDGEAND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus gave all believers the command to go and disciple new believers in the Word of God. The verse above is the commission of Jesus to His disciples and all believers after His resurrection and before He returned to heaven.

For the last two days we have looked at the “words” “conviction” and “conversion,” specifically in the life of Saul who later became the Apostle Paul. Today we have chosen to discuss the word “discipleship” and review what the scripture tells us about how God chose to disciple Paul after he became a believer.

First, God knew that Paul being a new believer needed help from a very special believer. The believer that God chose to disciple Paul was a simple unknown believer named Ananias. The traits that Ananias possessed were exactly what were needed by Paul. We need to understand that God is looking for people like each one of us, to disciple new believers and He wants us to study and know God’s Word well enough so we are prepared to help new believers.

Ananias was obviously a Godly man and devoted to the Lord. Ananias was also very sensitive to the call of God because he communicated daily with God through prayer. When God called him, he knew the voice of God and was prepared to follow what God wanted him to do. God chose Ananias to disciple Paul because Ananias was spiritually prepared and submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God told Ananias what Paul needed to be taught and encouraged Paul to know, without any doubt in his mind, that he was a chosen vessel, a chosen instrument of God. This is also true for everyone that is reading this devotional today. God has the same message for us that He had for Ananias to give to Paul.

“You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” John 15:16.

Look at the many principles in this short study today from the life of Paul. God wants us to apply them to our lives today so we can be vessels to be used by Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

PRAYER:

Help me to spend the time needed in communication with You to be the chosen vessel You need to disciple new believers. Give me the wisdom and dedication to accomplish what You want from me. Bless my family and make us all disciples that can be used to be a blessing to others.

Conversion: January 10, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2012.

CONVERSION

DEFINITION:

Spiritual change from sinfulness to righteousness; a change of attitude, emotion or viewpoint.

SCRIPTURE:

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Yesterday the “WORD” discussed was “Conviction.” We left off when Saul and Jesus had their encounter. Saul was under great conviction and Jesus told Saul to “Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what you must do.” (Acts 9:6).

Saul did just what the Lord told him to do but we need to remind you that the Lord knew that Saul needed time for the Holy Spirit to do His work in Saul’s heart. Obediently, Saul waited for three days for God’s next words.

During these three days Saul was blinded. His eyes were closed. Saul was unable to eat or drink for these three days. The trauma drained all of Saul’s strength and he was completely exhausted. During these three days the Lord saw that Saul’s mind was completely shut up in the world of thought alone. He was left alone to pray and repent over his shameful deeds and to wonder what changes would happen in his life now.

Although Saul had lost his physical vision, he had a new vision of what he was and who Jesus was. Surely Saul must have visualized every stone he cast at Stephen as a stone cast at God, and every believer’s home he had stormed into as a home of those who worshipped God. Now he saw every man and woman that he drug through the streets as being a true follower of God.

After hours of seeing the past, Saul had to wonder, “Why was Jesus choosing him, the one who so fiercely opposed the Lord? “What did Jesus want from him and what was He going to tell him to do?”

The Lord now needed someone to help Saul come to know Christ and to be with Saul in his new found faith. God always has His people ready to do His work. God chose Ananias to lead him in his new found faith in the Lord (the verse above). God had changed Saul’s name to Paul, but Ananias knew all about Paul (when he was Saul) and just imagine the concern that Ananias had about going to the house where Paul was. Would Saul arrest him and take him to prison as he had done to so many others who followed Jesus?

Upon the arrival of Ananias at the house, God began to do His work. God gave Ananias the right words and the power to restore Paul’s eyesight. Ananias was willing to face difficult assignments. Reaching out and helping someone who denies that Jesus is God’s Son is always difficult and even more so with a person such as Saul. The more depraved the convert has been, the more difficult is the task.

Where do you stand today? Are you one that is waiting for the hour that you have your encounter with God? If so, now is the time. God is waiting for you to ask for forgiveness for your sins.

Are you the one waiting for God to lead you into the life of a new believer? God has that person for you today. Just pray and read the Bible and you will be amazed at the doors God will open for you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

PRAYER:

Help me to realize today that if I have never asked Jesus into my heart that now is the time. I ask You to forgive me of all my sins and I accept You as my Lord and Savior. I ask You Lord to lead me to a person today that I can share my testimony of faith and help them know you as their Savior.

Conviction: January 9, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2012

CONVICTION

DEFINITION:

The act or effect of convincing; a firm belief; proving to find guilty.

SCRIPTURE:

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went into the high priests, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any of this way, whether they be men or women, he might bring them bound into Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-2.

KNOWLEDGE:

Before one can come to know Jesus as one’s personal Savior they must be personally convicted realizing that they are sinners. Then they must ask for forgiveness and ask Jesus to come into their heart.

Most non-believers do not understand what we mean by conviction. The scriptures give us one of the clearest explanations of conviction with the life of Saul. Saul, later known as Paul, was a Jew, not a foreigner. He was born in Tarsus but was raised in Jerusalem because his parents wanted him to be educated in the Mosaic Law by Israel’s greatest teachers (Acts 26:4). Being educated in the strictest of the Jewish Law he became a Pharisee, a small sect of men who were totally dedicated to living out the law (Acts 23:8).

Saul was zealous about keeping the Law and as a practicing Jew he was zealously dedicated to persecute the Christians and the Christian church. He had this zeal believing that he was pleasing God. In Acts 9:1-2 we are told (above), he had a flaming fury against Christ and His disciples.

Saul actually hunted down believers and slaughtered them. He volunteered to the high priests and the Sanhedrin to go all the way to Damascus to arrest believers, both men and women, and bring them to Jerusalem for trial.

As Saul was walking down the road to Damascus to fulfill his plan to arrest Christian men and women and bring them to Jerusalem for trial, God had other plans for Saul. A bright light shone all around Saul and the men that were with him. It appeared suddenly from heaven, out of nowhere and totally unexpected. It was supernatural and miraculous, totally outshining the sun.

It was a confrontation between Saul and the Lord. Saul saw the appearance of Jesus in His glory and heard a voice speak to him. The men with Saul heard the voice but did not understand the words and they saw no one, only the light. The Lord was delivering a personal message to Saul. Saul was charged with a terrible sin. He was opposing and persecuting Jesus Himself.

How many times have you seemingly heard an inner voice trying to convict you of your sin? Jesus called his name twice: “Saul, Saul” showing tenderness, love and concern. Not only was God rebuking Saul but it was an appeal from God for Saul to listen and obey. Saul now realized that it was Jesus he was opposing.

Saul was stricken down, humbled, convicted, and frightened with his encounter with God on the road to Damascus. Saul cried out in desperation, “Who art thou, Lord?” He knew that it was the Lord that he was supposed to know, but he did not personally know Him. He cried out, “tell me Lord, identify yourself, and let me know You.” Saul was going through the conviction process.

When Paul realized that he had been opposing God Himself can you imagine the guilt he felt? Paul had been doing what he sincerely believed was right but he was sincerely wrong. He was lost and separated from God, bound for an eternal hell.

All this happened in a few short seconds on the road to Damascus in an encounter between Saul and the Lord. Have you had your personal encounter with God knowing you are a sinner and being convicted of that sin and accepting Jesus as your Savior?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for the illustration that You have given us in Your Word out of a true life situation on the conviction of Saul. As You spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus may You speak to those in my family that need an encounter with You.

Treasures: January 6, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 6, 2012

TREASURES

DEFINITION:

Wealth or riches stored or accumulated; anything greatly valued or highly prized; to put away for security or future use.

SCRIPTURE:

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust does corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20-21.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Webster says that “treasures” are accumulated wealth or riches. Many people work hard today, almost every possible free moment, to get as much money as possible so that they can buy all the material things they want just so they will be happy.

In Matthew 6:19 Jesus tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” You may ask, “Why not?” Because Jesus went on to say that material things do not last as they are subject to destruction by moths, rust and can be stolen by thieves.

It is a known fact that if money becomes our treasure that the result will be that it will consume all of our time and energy. There is nothing evil about money itself. In fact money is a needed necessity to supply all of our daily needs. The problem is how one looks at money and whether getting it is a major goal in one’s life. The scripture says that it is the LOVE OF MONEY that is the root of all evil.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus warns us that you cannot serve both God and money. When money and possessions become all consuming we will have no time for serving God. What Jesus wants is for us to accumulate or store up our treasures in heaven. Everything that we do in life that is in obedience to God and His Word is a treasure that we store in our account in heaven. Simply said, acts of obedience to God cannot be destroyed by moths, rust or stolen by thieves.

God has given us all certain talents so that we can build up our treasure in heaven. We are reminded of a crippled lady who could not leave her house. God gave this dear lady the talent of prayer. Every day she spent hours praying for people and missions. Just think of the treasure she laid up in heaven in her account. Yes, God gives us all talents. He gives some more than others but the important thing is what are we doing with the talents God has given us?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Keep me from being tempted to let material things and the pleasures of this world become my treasures. Give me a burning desire to store up treasures in my account in heaven by doing all I can to further Your Kingdom here on earth.

Giving: January 5, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 5, 2012.

GIVING

DEFINITION:

To hand to someone; to convey or transmit; to assign or contribute; to be warm and open in one’s relationship with others.

SCRIPTURE:

A generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9.

It is more blessed to give then to receive. Acts 20:35

“Give and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Each of us has three things that God has given us that we in turn can give back to Him. They are our time, out talent and our resources. We have a responsibility to give a portion of these things that God has blessed us with back to Him and a portion to our family.

Down through the years we have found that we could never out give God. We were taught as children and then practiced when we were older to give cheerfully of our time, talent and resources. When we did this, God always supplied all of our needs over and above what we gave to Him.

It was important to us to teach and train our children this same Biblical principle as they were growing up. They learned from us because of not only our words but they could see what we did by watching our deeds.

As parents we need to give of our time and love to our children. Most parents do not practice this and then wonder why their children went wrong. Money does not buy what children need most. In addition, it is clearly stated in the Bible that we have a responsibility as believers in Jesus to give to those who are in need and hurting.

God blesses those who give. It is important for a person to get their priorities in proper order. Most people want to get their “THINGS” first and then they will reach out to God, family, children and those that are hurting. But in this order it seems to very rarely happen. We learned that when we first gave to God, our tithe and our time and talent, then He would bless us in such a way that we had our “THINGS” and all that we needed. Our children were well fed and had what they needed. God not only provided all that we and our children needed but He enabled us to reach out to help others in need.

When we give sparingly, we will reap sparingly. This is a Biblical principle that one must learn. Some people give just enough to get by or to make a good impression. Others just do enough to satisfy their own conscience. But the Biblical principle is that when we give bountifully we will reap bountifully.

How many times have you given a lot and then experienced the joy that comes from that giving? The scripture tells us in Matthew 6:3-4 that we are not to let our left hand know what our right hand does. In other words, do not give for recognition or glory.

The verse we have written above from Luke reminds us that God will bless us with the same measure that we give to Him. What a wonderful promise. ONE CANNOT OUT GIVE GOD.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Give me a new spirit of giving. Thank You for the great gift You gave me by dying on the cross paying the penalty for my sins. Help me to give back to You a large portion of the talent, time and resources that You have blessed me with so abundantly.

Honesty: January 4, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 4, 2012.

HONESTY

DEFINITION:

Uprighteous; integrity; trustworthiness; truthfulness; sincerity; freedom from deceit or fraud.

SCRIPTURE:

“The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Proverbs 11:3.

“I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted the Lord; I shall not slip.” Psalm 26:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The lack of honesty in people today is prevalent world-wide. It is hard to know whom you can trust. The newspapers and television news reports remind us daily of how dishonest people are. Governments cannot trust other governments. Businesses give dishonest financial reports and deceive investors. Taxpayers cheat on their taxes. Students cheat to get better grades. Spouses cheat on one another. Children lie to get out of trouble.

We are given the godly advice in Proverbs 11:3 that we should let honesty guide us. Honesty keeps us on the path of uprighteousness. Dishonesty leads us to destruction.

In the book of Acts, chapter 5, we read about the dishonesty of Ananias and Sapphire. Yes, dishonesty can be found even in church members. Satan had planted in their hearts a very deceitful plan. Church members are not immune to Satan’s temptation. They sold a piece of property and brought a portion of the profit to the apostles as their gift to God. The problem was that they inferred or pretended to be giving all the profit to the Lord. Their sin was that they were not honest. They lied to the apostles to make themselves seem more generous than they were. The truth was that they were not what they appeared to be.

The problem that they had was multiple. They were not honest to themselves, to the apostles and most important to God. It reads in Acts 5:4: “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” For this they paid a terrible price --- death.

Ananias and Sapphire knew that what they were doing was dishonest but they felt that no one would know what the property sold for. Nothing is hidden from God. God knows our every dishonest thought, every lie we tell, and every dishonest thing we do. By reading this passage of scripture to your child you will be able to teach them the importance of being honest if they want to do what is pleasing to God.

Parents have the responsibility to set standards of honesty for their children. Children must see these standards of honesty upheld in the lives of their parents. And as parents we need to be well aware that we teach our children not only by our words but by example. We need to show honesty and consistency in our daily walk and talk because what we do and say is watched carefully by our children.

If a child is raised in a home where their parents and siblings are not honest and upright, then dishonesty becomes a way of life. Someone once said that being honest means that you will never have to look back over your shoulder. This is true because when one is dishonest one almost always will soon get caught with a conflicting story. It seems that there is always someone that surfaces that knows the truth. We can be certain that our heavenly Father knows the truth and we will have to sooner or later answer to Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for giving us a standard of honesty that we can use as our guide in life. I pray that You will give me the motivation and the strength to be honest and consistent in doing what is right in Your sight. May my actions glorify Your name and be the standard that my family needs to follow.

Goals Part Two: January 3, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 3, 2012

GOALS

PART TWO

DEFINITION:

The terminal point in a race; the finish line.

SCRIPTURE:

I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I’m off and running and I am not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything that God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less then total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision. We are on the right track, let’s stay on it. Philippians 3:14-15 Message translation.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Other than Jesus Himself, no man has made a greater impact on the development and spreading of the gospel than the Apostle Paul. He wrote thirteen books of the New Testament and these books, inspired by God, still have an impact on the lives of people every day. Read the verse that we have put above. Even though it is the Message Translation it spells out clearly the commitment that Paul had to reach his goal of serving Jesus with every ounce of energy that he had. He was focused on his goal.

Enoch was a man that had a clear goal to serve God. There are only 9 verses in the Bible referring to Enoch but what these verses said was that he was a man dedicated to walking with God every day. The scriptures only state that two men “walked with God.” The other man was Noah. We will talk about these two men later in another devotional.

Even before we were married we set a life-time goal. That goal was that our hearts would be broken so that we would be able to see the world as a world in need and that God would use our lives to be a witness to a lost and needy world. God honored this request that we gave Him in ways that we would never have dreamt. We learned at a very young age that when we asked God for something that if it was in His will He would honor it. We also learned that most of the time our goals, in God’s mind, were small and He wanted us to be involved in something bigger. We learned clearly and very quickly that any project we attempted, whether large or small, would fail unless we allowed God to take over.

It was just a few weeks after we were married that we were off to Korea. We went with the goal of letting the Lord use us as He saw fit on a mission field. We also were directed to set up some orphanages for World Vision. Our goal was to stay one year and then move on to what God would have for us next.

God’s plans for us were bigger than we could have imagined. Our time in Korea lasted only about five months. But in those five months God took over and used us to establish 145 orphanages, build a five story office building for World Vision, hire and train over 100 translators and set up and run a 22 day city wide evangelistic crusade in Seoul Korea which was attended by over 350,000 people with thousands coming to find Jesus as their Savior.

We set our goals and then asked God to open the doors. We were willing to attempt whatever an open door offered. We were young, dedicated and ready to be used of God. None of this could have been accomplished if we depended on our abilities and talent.

Over these last 54 years together we have been blessed with many such opportunities and through them all we learned that when we asked God to open doors and believed that He would --- He did. God has blessed us in a unique way but it all began with us by setting goals and asking God to open the door.

You can do the same. It may be to make it possible to talk to an associate about their relationship with God. It may be to ask God to give you a ministry of prayer. Set your goal and then let God do His thing.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Open my heart today to being committed to the goal of serving You. Help me to seek opportunities to serve You and to honor Your name. Give me then the strength and faith to expect great things to happen. Help me to rely totally on Your direction, Your power and Your love.

Goals Part One: January 2, 2012

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TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 2, 2012

GOALS

PART ONE

DEFINITION:

Any object of ambition or desire; the result of achievement to which effort is directed; the aim or end.

SCRIPTURE:

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.” Philippians 3:14.

“Seek the Lord and His strength.” Psalm 105:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God has allowed us to be involved through the years in some very exciting and rewarding projects. In all of these projects throughout our lives we have been driven by goals that we have set. Today we urge young people to make a commitment early in life to set goals in their lives that honor God.

If you have never thought about setting goals for your life, now is the time to begin. We begin a New Year this week and many people take time at the beginning of a New Year to make resolutions. But unfortunately, in a very short time those resolutions are not only broken but forgotten.

Remember that today is the first day of the rest of your life and God wants you to set some life lasting goals serving Him. Without positive practical physical goals in your life you will become stagnant and perhaps lazy.

Of greater priority to the Lord are the spiritual goals we have for our life. We need to have spiritual goals that will help us grow our faith in the Lord and allow Him to work in us and through us.

The above verse from Psalms would be a great first goal for you to commit to today: SEEK THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH. Consider making this your daily prayer and God will honor you through it. Never underestimate what God is able to do through you.

In the verse above from Philippians the Apostle Paul set a goal that was not made for his hope for earthly rewards. This goal was set because he was totally committed to honor God and work every day for his heavenly rewards. During Paul’s lifetime his goals in life changed dramatically. After Paul had an encounter with God and met Jesus Christ as his Savior, he went from the goal of persecuting Christians to the goal of spreading the good news of the gospel. God called him to spread Christianity to the world he lived in.

This became Paul’s one and only goal for the rest of his life. Even when it meant being persecuted, or being beaten, or being put in prison, Paul never wavered in fulfilling his God given goal for his life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Give me the strength as I seek You today to set life-long goals that will honor You. Burden my heart to the extent that I will make this New Year a year that I will reach out to the world around me with the good news of the gospel.

End: December 30, 2011

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TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 30, 2011

END

DEFINITION:

Finish; the terminal moment in time; the concluding part.

SCRIPTURE:

Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Revelation 22:13

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our TODAYS WORD that we are using today is unique only because it explains best that we are at the END of another year. Tomorrow is New Years Eve and the next day begins a New Year. We want to take a moment today and consider what we have accomplished for our Lord in 2011. In the verse above from Matthew, Jesus commands us to teach to observe all things that He has commanded us to do right up to the end. The “end” of the year is a time we can look back and think about how we have responded to what God has commanded us to do.

Have we taught our children the ways of the Lord? Have we ourselves lived every day using the TEN COMMANDMENTS as our standards? Do the people that we live by and work with know of our love and dedication for our Lord?

But we cannot live in the past. We can look at the past and evaluate the pluses and the minuses and our failures and our successes. Now we have the opportunity to build our New Year on the base we have established. And this is our challenge for 2012. May this New Year be a year when we spend more time reading God’s Word, more time praying and more time doing what God wants us to do. Take a good look at the talent, the treasure and the time that God gives you and make that time count in using those abilities for your Father in heaven.

Most of us have already started making some plans for the New Year. It is important that we commit our plans to the Lord if we want them to succeed. Proverbs 16:3 in the NAS version reads: “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” In Proverbs 19: 21 it reads, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.”

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the people years ago His God-given plans as recorded in the message version in Isaiah 61: 1-2:

“The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because GOD ANNOINTED ME, HE SENT ME TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR, HEAL THE BROKEN HEARTED, ANNOUNCE FREEDOM TO THE CAPTIVES, PARDON ALL THE PRISONERS. God sent me to announce the YEAR OF HIS GRACE, a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies, and to comfort all that mourn.”

His challenge from years ago is a good challenge for us today.

May 2012 be a blessed year for you and yours. Remember God anointed (chose) you to do His will in 2012. Make your commitment today to grow daily in His Word and to serve Him with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 22:9.

He who had a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

PRAYER:

May the New Year 2012 be a year that I not only grow spiritually every day but that I reach out to the world around me so that every person I make contact with see You through my walk and talk. I commit all my plans to You and ask for Your guiding hand upon my life to show me Your will.

Inheritance: December 29, 2011

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TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 29, 2011

INHERITANCE

DEFINITION:

Acquire by gift or succession, something such as property, a title, or a right received as an heir.

SCRIPTURE:

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1:11

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Did you know that you are an heir to unimaginable wealth that will never go away? If you believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted Jesus as your Savior you are known as a child of God. God has for His children an inheritance reserved for us in heaven.

Do you need to be reminded that here on this earth He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (as the old song says). And He has in heaven reserved for us an inheritance far beyond what our minds can comprehend here on earth. In the verse above He says that we have already obtained our inheritance.

Our divine inheritance is so certain that it is as if we have already received it. It is certain because it was sovereignly determined by God’s will and guaranteed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the will of God that every one of us, no matter how vile a sinner, might be made righteous by believing in Christ and receive the inheritance God has prepared for us.

In I Peter 1:4, Peter tells us that if we belong to Christ, we are one of His children and our inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade away and reserved for us in heaven. No one can take our inheritance from us because God has guaranteed it by sealing us with His Holy Spirit of promise.

Naturally, we all want to know what we are going to inherit. Much of our inheritance is far beyond our human comprehension but the scripture gives us a few hints. Part of our inheritance will be the transformation of our body and soul. We will be conformed to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29 and I John 3:2). Our weak perishable bodies will be changed into strong, glorious ones that are free from sin and death. Not only will we live forever and forever, but we will live in the glorious presence of our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2:7 we are told that God will show us “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” As we live our days on this earth let us show love and gratitude to our Father for such amazing goodness. Let us devote each day of our lives to living for Him.

In just three days it will be a New Year. With the coming of a New Year many people consider making NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS. What better resolution can we make than to show our love and gratitude to our Father in heaven for His amazing goodness to us by serving Him.

Making the words of Colossians 3:23-24 a part of our daily life is a good New Year resolution. “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto man; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 22:9.

He who has a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for the inheritance You have stored up for me in heaven. Help me to daily show my love and gratitude to You for Your amazing goodness to me.

Temptation: December 28, 2011

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TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2011

TEMPTATION

DEFINITION:

An inducement; enticement to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

SCRIPTURE:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Temptation is a lot like an unexpected storm that sweeps in and causes damage to those who are caught unaware. A believer in Jesus must be alert to seeing the approach of a temptation and be prepared to ride it out. None of us, as believers, will reach a spiritual level of maturity at which we will no longer battle sinful enticements. The closer we walk with the Lord the less enticing the sinful temptations and ways of the world will be to us.

Understanding our own weaknesses is an important part of being prepared for temptation. It is usually a multitude of little sins that land most people in trouble and we need to watch for them and know where we are most vulnerable.

God has given us His guidelines in His Word for living a godly life that is pleasing to Him. The Bible clearly defines what sin is. We do not have the right to draw the line between what is sin and what is not. That is God’s right.

God has given us a line and as believers we must not go over that line. Take one step over the line and soon there is an inducement to take one more step and soon you find yourself totally estranged from the Lord and overwhelmed with guilt and shame.

To build a defense against temptation we must understand how it works. Every sin (temptation) originates as a thought. If you hold onto that thought it becomes a fantasy. Fantasies can become entangled with one’s emotions and then it becomes a desire.

At that point one will need to make a choice. This process is quite dangerous because the progression from a thought to a choice can be almost instantaneous. Wise believers determine ahead of time to resist a temptation as soon as it enters their consciousness.

The verse we have written above gives us two assurances that God has provided in our battle against temptation. First, is that God is faithful and we have a commitment as believers to obey God. Secondly, that we have the assurance that He is in control and has limited what Satan can do against us, and provides a way to escape.

When temptation comes your way take your focus away from the temptation and look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself the questions: Is this choice I make a violation of God’s Word? What are the consequences? Am I prepared to pay the price?

Any temptation can be resisted if you really desire to resist. God will help you resist any temptation and will provide for us a way to escape from it completely.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 22:9.

He who has a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

PRAYER:

Help me to learn to spend more time daily in reading Your Word and praying so that I clearly understand what is sin and so that I have a strong defense against the temptation to do sinful things. May my family learn that they need to have this strong defense to protect them. Help me to build my faith daily by meditating in Your Word and praying.

Follow: December 27, 2011

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TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 27, 2011

FOLLOW

DEFINITION:

To accept as a guide or a leader; to accept the authority of; to imitate or copy; to pursue or go after; to conform to or comply with.

SCRIPTURE:

Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. Exodus 23:2

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. DO NOT FOLLOW THEIR PRACTICES.”’ Leviticus 18:1

“Whosoever serves me must follow me. John 12:26

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

By definition, follow means to accept someone as a guide or a leader and to do as they do. People can choose to follow many different leaders but tend, most often, to follow the crowd. There is a real danger in following the crowd. Just because “everyone” is doing something doesn’t make it right. Following the crowd will lead us to think as they think and cloud our judgment concerning God’s standards of what is right and wrong.

After God called Moses to the mountain top at Sinai to give Moses the Ten Commandments Moses brought God’s instructions to the Israelites to teach them how God wanted them to live their lives. One of God’s instructions was “not to follow the crowd in doing wrong.” (Exodus 23:2) Although Moses spoke these words so long ago (1445 BC) this instruction applies to us today. God’s commandments never change. We must not follow the crowd when they are doing the wrong things. This means we often find ourselves standing all alone. This is not an easy thing and many will find it easier to just follow the crowd.

One of the major issues parents have to deal with in raising their children is their children’s desire to follow the crowd. Teenagers, particularly, want to be like everyone else, dress like everyone else, style their hair like everyone else, do what everyone else does, and on and on the list could go. Teenagers are very vulnerable to peer pressure to follow the crowd.

What does a parent do? Parents must know who they themselves are following. Are they following the crowd? If they are following a crowd that is not living as God would have them to live their instruction to their children to not to follow the crowd will fall on deaf ears. Children will follow the example of the parents. Our actions always speak louder than our words.

God created us to love and serve Him. Jesus said whoever serves Him must follow Him. (John 12:26) When Jesus chose His disciples He instructed them to “Come, follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19) When we follow Jesus we must follow Him completely. When Jesus called the two brothers, James and John, they were fishing with their father. Immediately, they left the boat and their father and followed Him. (Matthew 4:22) They left all to completely follow Jesus.

We must also follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Jesus’ commandment to us is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

The question for each one of us today is: Who are we following? Are we following the crowd? We must also ask ourselves: Are we following Jesus completely and wholeheartedly or just when it suits us?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this last week of 2011 is found in Proverbs 22:9.

He who has a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, keep me from desiring to follow the crowd. Help me in my desire to follow You completely and wholeheartedly. Help me to live my life so that it is an example to my children so that they too will desire to follow You and love You with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind.

Impossible: December 26, 2011

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TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY DECEMBER 26, 2011

IMPOSSIBLE

DEFINITION:

Unable to be performed or affected; sure not to happen; cannot be done; utterly impracticable.

SCRIPTURE:

For with God nothing will be impossible. Luke 1:37.

But without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

How many times have you faced situations that you felt it was impossible to conquer? What is your first reaction when you encounter a difficult circumstance that looks impossible? Some people start searching for an answer or a way out of the circumstance; others curl up in defeat and try to avoid the circumstance totally.

As believers we need to remember that if we face circumstances that we feel are humanly impossible to conquer we need to ask the right question:

We may ask, “O Lord what am I going to do?” Is this the right question to ask? The problem with asking this question is that even though we are seeking the Lord’s guidance, the focus is on our actions. Therefore we limit our response to our abilities, resources and understanding. All too often if we do this our minds will start to devise plans and soon we will resort to manipulation and maneuvering to fix the problem.

We should ask, “God, what are you going to do?” Do you see the difference? Now you have changed the focus to the omniscience and omnipotence of Almighty God. God blows out the sides of any box that confines us, He untangles any situation that baffles us and He has the power to carry out HIS PLAN which is perfect and will bring Him the Glory.

God’s Word is a treasure available to us because it is practical and contains answers for any and every concern we may encounter. Impossible situations for us are opportunities for the Lord to teach us valuable lessons that we would never have learned any other way.

Remember: God’ supremacy trumps all human resources. And also remember that God often requires our participation to achieve His purpose. In John 6 we read where Jesus asked Philip to get bread to feed the multitude. From a human perspective it was an impossible situation. Jesus knew where the bread was and He knew how the multitude would be fed.

Jesus called on Philip to do what Jesus knew Philip would think to be impossible. Right away Philip began calculating the cost. Philip concluded it would take over eight months of wages to pay for enough bread and therefore what Jesus asked of him was in his mind impossible. Philip assumed what is or what is not possible based on his limited resources. Limited resources are more than sufficient when given to Jesus. Jesus took five small barley loaves and two fish and provided more food than was needed to feed everyone.

When God asks us to do what seems impossible we must not let our estimate of our own resources hold us back from doing what God wants us to do. We must remember that “with God nothing will be impossible.” It takes faith to believe that with God all things are possible and without faith it is impossible to please God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this last week of 2011 is found in Proverbs 22:9.

He who has a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

PRAYER:

Help me today to surrender all my plans into Your hands so when a impossibility comes my way I can ask, “What are You going to do, Lord?” I am grateful that You can solve all the impossibilities I face in life and if You need me to help, I am ready and willing.

Christmas 2011 Part Two: December 23, 2011

2011-12-25T19:00:00.004-08:00

CHRISTMAS 2011
PART TWO

DEFINITION:

The celebration of the birth of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

And she brought forth her first born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the Inn. Luke 2:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As we prepare our hearts for tomorrow (Christmas Eve) and Sunday (Christmas) we want to share with you several of the most unusual events involved in the coming into this world by Jesus Christ the Messiah (Shiloh).

We talked yesterday about the miraculous timing of the taxation in the land. Another significant circumstance was the location that God chose for our Saviors place of birth. He was born in a smelly stable. He was laid in a manger which is a feeding trough for animals. This is certainly not the kind of place that anyone, even in their wildest imagination, would expect to be the place of birth for the Christ-child, the promised Messiah, and the very Son of God. His birth is covered in the scriptures in one simple verse but there is so much that could be said about the humble circumstances of His birth and birth place.

He was neglected and turned away by men from the very beginning of His life. There was no room for them in the inn but if someone had cared, room could have been made for Mary and Joseph. Jesus was born in poverty. If Mary and Joseph had the money they could have bought a room for the night, but they were too poor.

Jesus was born in obscurity and loneliness. The birth took place away from people, all alone. Note that the scripture says that Mary wrapped the Babe in swaddling clothes. No one was near her to help. There was no hospital, no doctor, no family or friends. They were under the stars of heaven in a smelly stable, really the lowest imaginable place someone could be born.

Another unusual event was the appearance of an angel to the shepherds. In the eyes of many an angel would never appear to a shepherd. Shepherds would seldom be seen or heard praising and worshipping God. Their reputation was lowly at best and religious people snubbed them and ignored them. They were despised because they were unable to attend services and keep the ceremonial laws of washing and cleansing. Their flocks demanded all their time and they were just too busy. Yet God gave His first message of the birth of the Messiah to the common shepherds, those looked upon as sinners.

And then there were the Angels. What a spectacular event it must have been to see THE HEAVENLY HOST --- ten thousand times ten thousand --- singing GLORY TO GOD! The angels did two things. They sang for Glory to be lifted to God and they cried out for peace and good will toward all men. The alienation and separation, restlessness and fear, struggles and divisiveness caused by sin needed to be solved. And the Angels were singing that now there was true hope for peace and joy in the world. The MESSIAH, THE PRINCE OF PEACE HAS COME!!

It is our prayer that this Christmas 2011 will be a most blessed Christmas for you and yours. Make Christmas special in your home by worshiping the Messiah that God sent to this world to pay the penalty of our sins. We are excited because we are looking toward that day when we will meet Him in the air and spend all eternity with Him. Make sure you are prepared to join us.

LEARNING:

Memorize these verses today if you have not already:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

PRAYER:

Help me to recognize that the unique events concerning the birth of Jesus were part of God’s divine plan to bring mercy and forgiveness to sinners like me so that I may know Jesus as my personal Savior. May this Christmas have a special blessed meaning for me and my family.

Christmas 2011 Part One: December 22, 2011

2011-12-25T19:00:00.003-08:00

CHRISTMAS 2011
PART ONE

DEFINITION:

The celebration of the birth of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There were some unusual events that happened in the world when Jesus was born. These events had a dramatic effect on history.

Way back in the book of Genesis Jacob gave us a prophecy of the birth of Jesus. In Genesis 49:10 Jacob said, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (the Messiah) come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.”

When Jesus was born this prophecy was being fulfilled. The scepter of rule had departed from Judea and they were now under the rule of Rome with Caesar Augustus reigning as emperor. Cyrenius was governor of Syria and Judea was part of the province of Syria. Herod was now King of Judea. So you see that a foreign, alien power, now ruled over Judea.

With the birth of Jesus, the prophecy of The Messiah coming was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the Messiah (Shiloh) and His coming into the world not only fulfilled prophecy but was surrounded by the most unusual events.

One of these unusual events was the unexpected taxation. It had been prophesied that Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem and this scripture had to be fulfilled. Joseph and Mary lived in Galilee and as the scripture says, “Mary was now great with child.” The taxation happened just at the right time and in the right way. Every one needed to return to the city of his family ancestry to register and pay his taxes. God was controlling these events so that all things worked so that He might fulfill His promise to send the Savior into the world.

Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David so the taxation forced Joseph to take Mary and to go to Bethlehem. The city of Bethlehem was prophesied to be the city of the Messiah’s birth. The taxation led to the fulfillment of Scripture. Without the taxation decree Joseph and Mary would certainly have not had any reason to make such a long difficult journey of more than 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, especially with a baby on the verge of being born.

The Scribes understood where Jesus the Messiah was to be born (Matthew 2:5-6). The common people understood where Jesus was to be born (John 7:42).

Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem because it was prophesied that the Messiah was to be the Son of David. David had been born in Bethlehem therefore it was necessary for Jesus the Son of David to be born there. The “Son of David” was the most common Messianic title used to refer to Jesus in His day. And finally the scripture prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)

How can we not only be amazed but also have our hearts blessed when we consider how God miraculously worked out His plan of Salvation for us? Caesar Augustus could never have imagined that he played a role in fulfilling prophecy concerning Christ our Messiah.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this Christmas week is found in Luke 2:14-15.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

PRAYER

Help me today to realize the significance of how God prepared the world for the birth of Jesus. Thank You that I serve a miracle working God and may this Christmas season be a time of miracles in my life as well as in the lives of my family.

Think: December 21, 2011

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THINK

DEFINITION:

Form a mental concept of; hold as a belief or opinion; exercise the mind; to employ one’s mind rationally in evaluating a situation.

SCRIPTURE:

For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We are often asked how to develop a Godly attitude in our daily living. Much of our actions and our desires are controlled by the way we think. Our thoughts motivate us to do the things we do. Many people we talk to have an inferior feeling due to fear that has come from sin in their life and they have a constant fear and want to overcome this fear.

Following are a few principles that if they become part of your daily thinking they will motivate a change in your attitude from fear to faith. Allowing these principles to guide your daily thought process will soon help you to develop a positive Godly mental attitude.

Here are eight constructive suggestions that you can think about daily and apply then to your life as necessary.

• Today I will think like a dynamic servant of God because as the scripture says (above), I am what I think.
• I am not always what I think I am; I am what I think.
• I am not what I eat; I am what I think.
• Clothes do not make the man or woman; thinking makes the man or woman.
• I will keep my thought processes active and open to the voice of God.
• God did not call me to a life of failure, but to a life of success.
• I cannot fail as long as I do His will. I will allow Him to work in and through me today, motivating my every thought.
• Because my God is a great God, I will think with confidence on every issue that comes my way knowing that my thoughts never can be greater than my God’s.

Make your commitment today to think like a dynamic servant of God. A dynamic servant of God thinks by faith and not with or by fear. You think by choice. You can think good or you can think evil. It is your choice but remember you cannot have it both ways, by thinking good and evil at the same time. We really have two ways to think, the righteous way or the unrighteous way.

In Isaiah 55:8-9 it reads: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” When you really want to work at your thinking process remember to keep your thought process, your thinking, focused on the Word of God and open to the voice of God. Learn to listen for God’s voice.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week helps to prepare us for Christmas and is found in Luke 2:13-14.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

PRAYER:

Help me to consistently work on my “thought process” and allow You to mold me into a vessel that can be used by You. Help me to keep my heart open to Your voice and may I learn to listen to what You have for me and apply it to my life.

Conscience: December 20, 2011

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CONSCIENCE

DEFINITION:

One’s moral sense of right or wrong.

SCRIPTURE:

This charge I commit to you – having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. I Timothy 1:18-20.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. I Timothy 1: 5

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God gave everyone a conscience. It is an inner sense which is like a radar system meant to send warnings when a behavior or decision might be harmful. This alarm system that God has given us allows people to clearly distinguish what is morally right and morally wrong, especially as it applies to one’s own life.

Any action that is morally wrong will prick our conscience and produce an inner feeling of guilt and shame. If one ignores his or her conscience he or she does it at their own peril. Continually ignoring one’s conscience hardens a person’s heart and they become numb to guilt or shame. Many non-believers just say, “let your conscience be your guide” but can they really trust their conscience?

In a believer the conscience is a tool of the Holy Spirit. He programs our conscience with principles from God’s Word so we can respond quickly. It is important to note that this alarm system we have serves as just a warning. How we respond is up to us. Either we ignore the warning or we stop to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say about the situation we are facing. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s principles so we can make wise decisions about the warning bell that is ringing in our conscience.

The apostle Paul tells us in his letter to Timothy (I Timothy 1:19) that, “having faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” Paul was very concerned about some in the church who had rejected their good conscience and as a result they had shipwrecked their lives. A good conscience steers us through the rocks and reefs of sin and error and keeps us on the right course. Hymanaeus and Alexander were two of those who had rejected their good consciences and as a result not only shipwrecked their own faith but were teaching false doctrine leading others on the wrong course.

Paul had to remove them from the fellowship of the church because they were being led by Satan. This is a danger we must all keep alert to daily. When our conscience warns us that we are doing wrong we must reject our sinful actions and let our God-given conscience steer us back on course. In other words when something appears on the radar system of a believer that speaks of disobedience toward God, we have to reject that action. If we do not the detection system becomes impaired and will not work right. If we do not listen and respond by doing what we know is right in God’s sight, soon the alarm in our life will go completely silent.

It is important for believers to remember that God has given us the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and offer guidance to us as we make decisions. But we must be careful not to harbor sin in our lives because sin will interfere with the way our morality sensor functions. A trustworthy conscience is programmed with scriptural teaching so when sinful thoughts or choices come our way it will deliver a sharp warning.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week helps to prepare us for Christmas and is found in Luke 2:13-14.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

PRAYER:

Help me to be alert so that when my spiritual alarm goes off that I will be quick to draw back and reject any unwise choices that I face. Help me to realize that my conscience is not designed to be my guide but it is a tool of the Holy Spirit dealing within me. Help me to be submissive to the Holy Spirit so I can conform to the likeness of Christ.

Disaster: December 19, 2011

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DISASTER

DEFINITION:

A great misfortune, a catastrophe; a calamitous event occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage or hardship.

SCRIPTURE:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When a disaster strikes many people respond with what they feel are legitimate questions. They include: Why does the Lord let such things happen? Couldn’t God have stopped this? Doesn’t God care? The magnitude of disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and floods cause death and destruction and our thoughts change from day to day activities to concerns about surviving and wanting explanations for the suffering that results.

Non-believers in our Lord have a most difficult time answering these questions because they have no relationship with God, thus they feel hopeless and alone. They have no frame of reference for understanding God.

Believers in the Lord have the Bible to guide them as they wrestle through the issues they face. Coming to the proper conclusions on issues will depend on one’s knowledge of the Bible and the depth of one’s relationship with God.

We must not allow disasters to cause us to doubt God. When a disaster happens we want to ask, “How could God allow this to happen?” Isaiah reminds us that we cannot know the mind of God. God does not think as we think and His way is not our way. Isaiah assures us, however, that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are better than our ways.

Many believers have a tendency to design a box in their mind that the Lord will fit into. But if He does not fit into that box we get upset, confused and even angry at God.

We may not know why disasters occur but we have several Biblical truths that we know with absolute certainty that will allow us to trust God in even the greatest times of our suffering.

We know that God is in control. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19. Nothing in heaven or earth is outside of His control, rule or authority. We can always trust in His goodness and mercy.

The Lord loves people and wants them to be saved. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. God cares for us, even when we cannot feel it or even will not accept it.

God ordains or permits events for His good purpose. All though we cannot comprehend what God is doing, in every incident, every disaster is a wakeup call for humanity. God is alerting us to repent. Catastrophes open our ears to hear from God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Luke 2:13-14. These verses will help us prepare for Christmas.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

PRAYER:

Thank You that You are in full control and working out every detail of our world’s issues according to Your good purpose. Help my heart to always be filled with hope no matter how difficult my crises.

Discouragement: December 16, 2011

2011-12-18T19:00:00.004-08:00

DISCOURAGEMENT

DEFINITION:

Cause to lose spirit or hope; dishearten; dismay.

SCRIPTURE:

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “VIOLENCE!” and You will not save. Habakkuk 1:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Habakkuk in the verse above expresses his heart just like many believers do today. He was frustrated and baffled as to why God had not corrected the corruption in Judah? God was working but Habakkuk could not see it because it was not the time for Him to answer Habakkuk’s prayers. Habakkuk was discouraged and could not understand why God was delaying.

It is difficult for believers today, as well, to see the injustice and evil that abounds in our world and not be discouraged and wonder if God is paying attention.

Do you feel stuck in discouragement? If so, you are not alone. At some point everyone experiences a disappointment which is an emotional response to a failed expectation. Disappointment is the normal initial reaction to a failed expectation but if you allow it to linger it will turn into discouragement.

The circumstances that bring on disappointment may be unavoidable but we have a choice how we can respond. We can either let it overwhelm us or bring it before the Lord who can help us through it.

Living in constant discouragement can divide the mind, making it hard to focus on anything but our pain. Then anger comes and we look for someone to blame, whether it be God, people around us, or ourself.

Frustration that isn’t handled well may develop into depression, which will turn others away from us. This leads to a low esteem and then we make poor decisions. Choosing this self-destructive path is not God’s best for our lives. Instead of sulking in self-pity, choose to believe God, step out in faith, and climb out of your emotional pit.

Nehemiah is a great example. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) He had every reason to feel defeated, because his people were in trouble. The city wall had been destroyed but he did not allow himself to stay in the low place of discouragement. Instead he cried out to God for direction. Even though Nehemiah knew that sadness in the presence of royalty was punishable by death, the Lord went ahead of Nehemiah and led the king to notice his servant’s sadness and asked what he could do to help.

This miracle led to the rebuilding of the wall and the redemption of God’s people. The Lord can take an impossible situation, just like He did for Nehemiah when He moved the king to talk to Nehemiah, and move in ways mightier than we could ever imagine. Even though we cannot see how God is working we do not need to be discouraged. God is doing His work even when we do not understand why He works as He does.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 20:11.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

PRAYER:

Help me dear Lord, to face the disappointments that I may face today by trusting in You. Help me to remember that there is a divine purpose for everything He allows to touch His children’s lives. Help me to live today with an eager anticipation of what You will do through me.

Obedience: December 15, 2011

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OBEDIENCE

DEFINITION:

Submissive to authority; yielding; compliance with.

SCRIPTURE:

But Simon answered and said to Him. Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. Luke 5:5-6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many people today take time to pray when they face major situations in their lives. God wants us to be obedient, not just in major situations but also in minor situations. When we obey God in small matters He can bring blessings.

In the first eleven verses of Luke 5 we read of how Simon Peter’s obedience brought blessing. Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade and had worked hard all night without catching any fish. He was on the shore cleaning up his boat when Jesus approached him. The Lord wanted to speak from the boat to the large crowd on shore. Peter agreed to take Jesus in his boat and the crowd was excited and blessed when they could see that Christ was going to speak to them.

This was really not a good time for Simon Peter to do this. He was up all night and was very tired but he responded in obedience to what Jesus asked of him. God’s requests can come to us at inopportune or unexpected moments. We may be tempted to let someone else respond to His call, thinking it will not matter who is the one to comply. But remember that in Jeremiah 29:11 we are told that His plans are designed for our benefit.

Later, Jesus made a second request to Peter. He asked Peter to move the boat into deeper waters and lower down the nets. You see, Jesus saw their need to get some fish. The fishermen commented to Jesus and among themselves that it was unlikely that they would catch any fish. After all they were professional fishermen and knew when to fish. They had fished all night and never got one fish.

But Peter did what Jesus asked him to do. Because of Peter’s obedience an abundance of fish was caught to feed the crowd. Peter didn’t obey to get rewarded but that is precisely what happened. His simple act of obedience led to greater opportunities for service.

Scripture demonstrates that divine plans often defy human logic. For example, who would design a battle strategy that involved only marching and shouting? God told Joshua to conquer Jericho that way and Joshua obeyed and look what happened. (Joshua 6:1-5)

Look at what God did with Moses. Moses felt very unsure about his ability to lead. God told him to throw down his walking stick. When Moses obeyed, God revealed His mighty power to confirm to Moses that he was God’s choice. (Exodus 4:1-3)

Because of obedience Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Look at the simple things that God asked these men to do. Throw the nets into the water, to march and shout, and to throw the walking stick to the ground. Our Father may ask us to do something strange or illogical but as these men did, we must respond in obedience as they did.

It may be taking on more responsibility when we are hoping to reduce our workload. It may be to leave a position we just started and really like. It may be to take on an assignment that we feel we are not equipped to handle. God uses our obedience to accomplish His purpose.

We must press forward every day and be obedient to what God calls us to do regardless how impractical the request may appear. Always make obeying God your priority.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 20:11.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

PRAYER:

Help me to be alert to obeying God even in the little things You ask me to do. Help me to listen carefully to Your voice so I can live in obedience to Your perfect will for my life.

Integrity: December 14, 2011

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INTEGRITY

DEFINITION:

Uncompromising adherence to moral principles; honesty.

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.”

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.
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 that care only about the things 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 Proverbs 20:11.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

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.

Unshakeable: December 13, 2011

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UNSHAKEABLE

DEFINITION:

Determined; stable; steady; unwavering; not open to persuasion.

SCRIPTURE:

Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35, 37.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our world is literally changing daily. In this changing world many people seek security in wealth, relationships, and power. But what people are finding out is that putting their security in these things is not guaranteed from one day to another. No wonder there is so much despair and fear in our world today.

For believers reality is not based in what we see or feel. Also our foundation for life is not found in this world of uncertainty. We build our trust and hope in the Lord and believe the truth that is in His Word.

The verses we have written above tells us that even in chaotic times like today our certainty is found in our relationship with God. We are His children and He cares for us and tells us that NOTHING CAN TEAR US AWAY FROM THE LOVE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

No matter what circumstances we might be in, and no matter what happens to us, God’s love for us is unshakeable. We can never lose God’s love. Bad things happen to all of us. Many have been abandoned by those who should love them. Children are abandoned by parents and spouses abandon one another.

In tough times, especially, we may feel God has abandoned us, but we can be assured that God will never abandon us nor stop loving us. God proved His love for us when He gave His life for us on the cross. We must not allow our circumstances to shake our faith in our Lord and Savior.

As believers we are in a very unique position today. In the midst of turmoil and trials we have the assurance that our lives are in the grip of almighty God. We can rely not only on His love and presence in our lives but also on His uninterrupted attention, faithfulness and perfect care.

Is your faith in the Lord today unshakeable? When difficulty arises in your life and circumstances seem overwhelming, can you respond with confidence and strength because of your relationship with Jesus? The psalmist said in Psalm 91:2, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 20:11.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

PRAYER:
Help each one of us in my family to be unshakeable in our love for You. Strengthen the foundation of our lives so that we do not waver in our faith. Help us to put our confidence and hope in You.

Waiting: December 12, 2011

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WAITING

DEFINITION:

Remain; expecting something; patient anticipation; a delay; a stay.

SCRIPTURE:

But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God is the one that formed us. He knows our talents and abilities as well as our weaknesses. He knows every detail of our decision making and the potential results of every decision we make. He knows what is best for our life. And when we have our faith in Him He has a plan for us motivated by wisdom and love and He will execute what He has for us in His perfect timing.

This at times can be very difficult for us to accept especially if it involves waiting. For some reason God wants patience to be part of His plans for us. He does this because He wants to teach us to trust and yield our longings to Him. We demonstrate surrender and humility to God when we submit to His timetable. And for most believers this is very difficult.

God also gave us another option which is the free will to choose His plan or do it our way. So many times when life does not go just the way we want it we will try to make things happen in our power. But very rarely does this work and it always leads to disappointment and difficulty which causes us to miss God’s best for our life.

The verse we have put above from Isaiah contains rich promises that we can claim throughout life and God always keeps His Word. As believers we are to believe with faith, anticipate with hope and wait quietly with patience.

Waiting on the Lord takes patience especially when waiting means enduring hardship. David had to endure much hardship waiting on the Lord. While David was just a young boy God directed Samuel to anoint him to be king after Saul. David had to wait many years before taking the throne. During those years David had opportunity to kill Saul and speed up God’s time table. David chose to wait on the Lord. In his Psalm 40:1 David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord.”

We encourage you to embrace whatever situation you are in today. If it is a time for waiting, choose to learn patience, trusting that His plan for your life is always going to be better than your own. Walking in His will requires us to remain sensitive to His voice. He will protect us from making mistakes when we wait upon Him and are ready to listen to Him in His perfect timing.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 20:11.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

PRAYER:

Help me to learn to wait patiently upon You with an attitude of expecting something big to happen for Your glory. Help my family to also learn to wait upon You. Help us to prayerfully make decisions together in our home as You lead us. Give us the strength to wait on You for your perfect timing.

Ambition: December 9, 2011

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AMBITION

DEFINITION:

An eager desire for distinction, power or fame.

SCRIPTURE:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. Philippians 2:3.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We have been involved in Christian ministries now for over 60 years. During that time we had responsibilities of working with all kinds of people. The one thing we have noticed is that all things being equal, such as talent, ability, and experience, the person that had ambition excelled far and above those that he or she worked with. But we also learned that a person with ambition needed to be watched to make certain that their ambition was not motivated by selfish desires to elevate themselves or by a conceited attitude of superiority.

Probably one of the worst things that one could have on his or her performance review is lack of ambition. When it comes to work, those who lack ambition seldom rise to the top of their profession or ministry. Without a strong desire to achieve something, nothing is accomplished.

But ambition also has a dark side. Often one with ambition is dedicated to elevate themselves to a higher level and not to what the Lord has called them to do. This was the case of many of the kings of Israel, including the first one.

Saul started out with humility and with great ambition but soon Saul grew impatient waiting for God’s leading and he decided to take matters into his own hands (I Samuel 13:8-10). He forgot that he had a special assignment from God to lead His chosen people in a way that would show other nations the way to God.

Not only did Saul disobey God by not allowing God to lead him, but he failed to give God the credit for his victories in battle. After the victory over the Amalekites, Saul set up a monument to honor himself (I Samuel 15:12). We are told in I Samuel 15:30 that when God rejected Saul as king, Saul’s only concern was for his own honor.

We are living in a world where people only think of themselves. Often ambition compels people to do whatever it takes to put themselves in a position of power over others. God calls His people to a different way of living. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition (verse above).

In addition in Hebrews 12:1 the writer tells us to lay aside the weight of sin that ensnares us. Sin is what causes us to seek our own selfish ambitions instead of seeking the will of God and then to give ourselves the credit and honor for our successes. This is not acceptable in His sight. God should receive the honor for the successes He has given us.

If you want to be someone who truly wants to rise above others that you work with and meet daily, then make your ambition to humbly love and serve God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. God honors those who honor Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

PRAYER:

Help me to understand that the ambition that people who do not know Jesus strive for is short-sighted. Help me to be ambitious for Your sake, not mine, so I can bring honor to You. May my family be a family that serves You with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.

Character: December 8, 2011

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CHARACTER

DEFINITION:

The qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from another; a trait; good qualities such as honesty, integrity and fortitude; moral or ethical quality.

SCRIPTURE:

There was a man whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many people today appear to have character problems. When faced with a dilemma, they seem to forget the right thing to do and instead choose the easy way out of that dilemma. When this happens it becomes a character issue.

God called Job, in the verse we have written above, a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil. Job was a man of character. He had strong principles and lived his life daily honoring those God given principles.

When you read the book of Job you will see how Satan took everything away that Job had --- his children, his wealth and his health. Despite all of these heart wrenching circumstances, Job refused to deny God. In Job 1:22 we read that “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” You see Satan had challenged God’s assertion of Job’s blameless character because Satan mistakenly thought Job's blameless character was only because of his prosperous circumstances.

Satan was certain that if hardship and suffering were inflicted on Job, then Job would turn against God. Satan was proven wrong because Job stood firm in his belief in God. Terrible circumstances did not change the person that Job was. Through all his pain and suffering he maintained his righteous character.

The writer of Romans tells us, in Romans 5, that faith always triumphs over trouble. Job proved this and the first five verses of Romans 5 tells us to glory in our times of trouble knowing that trouble or tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces our hope. This is the exciting hope that believers have of spending eternity with our Lord.

Character is who we are. It is not something that we forget. When one has a loss of character one has made a choice. Let us remind you that when wealth is gone, little is lost; when health is gone, something is lost; but when character is gone, all is lost.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

PRAYER:

Lord, give me strength to maintain strong faith in You and be of blameless character no matter what my circumstances may be. Help me to be faithful in teaching my children Your principles to enable them to develop a Christ-honoring character.

Usefulness: December 7, 2011

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USEFULNESS

DEFINITION:

Being of use or service or worthwhile; having a practical function, purpose, or effect.

SCRIPTURE:

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. Judges 3:31.

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” Exodus 4:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Today is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. We remember that day even though we were young children. It made an impact on people of all ages. Over the next days, months and years scores of heroic stories surfaced telling of things that the United States servicemen accomplished that day. Many stated that what they did was insignificant but at a time of need they became useful.

One of the stories was what Major Shapley did to save the life of Marine Corporal Nightingale. They were presumably the last two alive on the ARIZONA before it sunk. The Marine Corporal had done all he could to save the lives on the ship but no one survived. As he was preparing to jump into the water an explosion helped put him in the water. The Major was next to him and saw that he was not making it to shore. The Major grabbed the Corporal’s shirt, and even though exhausted, pulled him to shore. The major saw the Corporal’s need and made himself useful in a dire time of need.

All around us today people are perishing in a sea of despair and hopelessness. Like the Corporal they are drowning, not in a sea of water but in a sea of sin. They are in need of rescue. All of us who know the Lord have a God-given responsibility to do all we can to rescue the lost in this world. We have the responsibility to lead them to the Lord so He can do His work in and through them. It should be the desire of our heart to be useful in serving our Lord and Savior who gave His life for us.

Many people are saying today that they just do not have the talent or ability to be useful for the Lord. Conventional wisdom seems to question how much can be accomplished with little. We tend to believe that a lot can be done if we have large financial resources, talented man-power, and innovative ideas. These things just do not matter to God. What does matter to God is the attitude of our heart. Do we desire to serve the Lord and are we willing to let Him use us, no matter what the cost?

We read in Judges 3:31 (the verse above) about a relatively unknown man named “Shamgar” who delivered Israel from the Philistines, single-handedly, with nothing more than an ox goad. This is a stick sharpened on one end to drive slow-moving animals.

In Exodus, when God asked Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was afraid the people would not listen to him or follow him. So God said in Exodus 4:2, “What is that in your hand.” God knew what it was but needed to convince Moses that this was all he needed. Moses used the “rod” to turn the Nile River into blood, to bring plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, and to perform all the miracles in the wilderness.

The rod of Moses and the ox goad of Shamgar, when dedicated to God, became mighty tools. This helps us see that we can be useful to God with what-ever we have to give to Him. God is not looking for people with great abilities, even though He will use them, but for those who are dedicated to following and obeying Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

PRAYER:

Help me to realize today that little is much when God is in it. May You use what little I have to do the things You want to accomplish through my life.

Helper: December 6, 2011

2011-12-11T19:00:00.001-08:00

HELPER

DEFINITION:

One who gives aid, assists in doing or attaining, or brings relief to; one who furnishes another person what is needed.

SCRIPTURE:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. I Thessalonians 5:16-19.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. John 14:16

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever wished that you could have a 911 number that rang in heaven so that you could call whenever you needed help with a situation or a crisis? We want to remind you that we all have, as believers, divine assistance that is even closer than a phone call. Our helper dwells within us and we know Him as the Holy Spirit. The problem is that many people today are either unaware or just do not care that He is available for us. We miss so many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life --- the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus knew that when He left this earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate to handle the task that Jesus was giving them. He knew they would need supernatural help and so would we. So He gave us the Holy Spirit who comes to our aid, empowers our service and transforms our lives from inside out. (John 14: 16 above)

The Holy Spirit is a personal Helper. He is a member of the Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus Christ. He is also a practical Helper who involves Himself in every aspect of our lives. He convicts of sin and calls us to repentance. (John 16:8). He guides us into all truth, John 16:9. The Holy Spirit helps us to know the truth of the message of Jesus Christ and He helps us to discern what is right and what is wrong. The Holy Spirit enables us to align our will with our Father’s will so that we will receive God’s best.

The Holy Spirit helps us with our prayer life if we will only involve Him. He burdens us to pray. The Spirit convicts you by giving you a strong sense that you need to pray. He does this because He may know you need strength because of a present difficulty or situation. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. Have you been in situations where you just do not know how to pray? When sorrow or helplessness overwhelms us we find it impossible to know what we ought to pray for. The Holy Spirit understands the depth of our thoughts, feelings and needs and He translates them into effective supplication according to God’s will and intercedes for us before God’s throne of grace. The Spirit helps in our weakness and even if we do not know how to pray the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

PRAYER:

Help me to recognize the power and love of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me each and every day. May Your Spirit comfort, enable, and guide me each and every moment of this day.

Focus: December 5, 2011

2011-12-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

FOCUS

DEFINITION:

A center of interest and activity; bring into focus a clear vision.

SCRIPTURE:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.

What then? Notwithstanding in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Philippians 1:18.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Acts, chapter nine, we are given the account of the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Before Paul was converted to Christianity, his focus had been on the persecuting of Christians. God confronted Paul on the road to Damascus to change his focus. God had temporarily blinded Paul physically so that he could see spiritually. Paul was like an out of focus camera. Before a camera is properly focused the true picture cannot be seen clearly.

When Paul met Jesus he had a clear vision of his out-of focus life. From that point in his life, Paul changed his focus. He focused on Jesus alone and on spreading the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness that brings salvation to all who believe.

Despite times of great physical discomfort and emotional trials he was consistently focused on the fact that he was under God’s sovereign hand. His focus on the Lord kept him from being resentful and walking away from his faith. He faithfully continued through-out his life to be focused on the Lord and preaching the gospel.

Paul learned early in his walk with the Lord to focus on God’s sovereignty rather than his own will. It is easy to become bitter or feel frustrated with situations that come our way in life. When our focus is not on the Lord, the minute we start thinking that our enemies and difficulties are in control of our circumstances we are in, we are defeated.

In Psalm 103:19, the Psalmist tells us that, “God has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” He is in absolute control and our focus in life needs to be on Him at all times. We may not understand His reasons for permitting hardship or pain in our lives, but His plan is always for our good and His glory. Read the verse we have put above from Jeremiah and this will become clearer to you.

We can learn, as believers, from Paul. He was focused on his godly purpose rather than on personal gain. For example pain, whether in the body or the heart, often absorbs all of our attention. Paul’s words and life style reminds us that there is no victory to be had when we dwell on our hurts. For example, Paul rejoiced when the guards that were guarding him while he was in jail found Christ. That was where his focus was --- not on his situation in that jail.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family to focus today on our heavenly Father, and Your love and Your goodness. Keep us from allowing trials and suffering to defeat us and cause us to lose our focus on Jesus and His message of love and salvation.

Patience: December 2, 2011

2011-12-04T19:00:00.004-08:00

DECEMBER 2 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 2, 2011.

PATIENCE

DEFINITION:

Endurance of pain or provocation without complaint; the ability and willingness to wait calmly; quiet and steady perseverance.

SCRIPTURE:

Now we exhort you brethren, be patient with all. I Thessalonians 5:14.

But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. I Peter 2:20.

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12.

But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many people miss out on blessings in their lives because they are inpatient and unwilling to wait for His timing. The scriptures encourage believers to be patient but most of us want answers today.

A good example in the scripture for patience is David. He chose not to use violence to take the throne that he knew would someday be his. King Saul had become envious of David’s success in battle and his popularity with the people so he planned to murder the young man. Twice, it was recorded in the scriptures, that David was close enough to kill King Saul during the time Saul and his men were pursuing David to kill him.

The first time David cut off a piece of Saul’s robe. On the second occasion David took Saul’s spear and water jug while he was sleeping. Although David had a reason to kill Saul to keep from being killed himself and he had the opportunity he knew it was right to patiently endure and not kill the Lord’s anointed. In both instances he was willing to wait for God’s timing and not take matters into his own hands.

David was patient. His attributes included having a strong faith and he believed that God would gain His victory at the right place, the right time and with the right method. David had values that helped him wait on God. Killing a King would violate his conscience and he did not want to be out of the will of God.

In real life we encounter frustrations and situations such as the slow driver, a mischievous child or an uncooperative co-worker. We may feel like lashing out but God wants us to exercise patience. (I Thessalonians 5:14 above)

As God’s children we are called to live a life worthy of Him characterized by humility, gentleness and patience. (Ephesians 4:1-3) The scripture tells us to be tolerant with one another and to do this we need to be patient. We are to bear one another’s burdens and respond with kindness. In Romans 12:12, above, Paul tells us to be joyful in hope and patient in affliction. When we quietly endure our suffering or frustrations, we find favor with the Lord. (I Peter 2:20)

When you are frustrated with the waiting upon God for a direction or an answer, always seek His wisdom and remember that “those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength.” (Isaiah 40:31 above)

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Revelation 3:20.

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

PRAYER:

May Your Holy Spirit conform me to Your image by developing in me patience. Help me to learn to wait upon You and give me the direction I need to share this need with my family. Help us as a family to learn that a calm demeanor in times of frustration and concern can be a powerful witness to the transforming work of God in our lives.

Obstacles: December 1, 2011

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DECEMBER 1 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER1, 2011

OBSTACLES

DEFINITION:

An obstruction or hindrance.

SCRIPTURE:

Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. Joshua 6:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Lord has a plan for the life of each believer. To thwart God’s purposes, Satan puts obstacles in the path of believers. There are many different kinds of obstacles. They include a difficult boss, contrary family members and financial concerns. Anything that blocks a desired goal can cause anxiety and frustration. And these can derail what God wants from you. But remember that no obstacle can touch you, be a concern to you, without the consent of God.

Read the verse above concerning the Biblical account that we all know about Joshua and the city of Jericho. The strong fortress around the city of Jericho barred Israel’s entrance into the land. This was an obstacle to God’s plan for the Children of Israel and Joshua to conquer Jericho.

Satan will always put up obstacles --- fortresses --- to hinder our spiritual progress just like He did to Joshua and the Children of Israel. The conquest of Jericho seemed impossible to Israel but not so to God. Joshua’s army was no match for Jericho’s military and the wall was an impossible barrier to cross.

But God had promised the Israelites the land and Joshua believed that God would provide a way for them to get into the city of Jericho. Joshua was not deterred by what seemed impossible but instead he acknowledged God’s power and sought His guidance.

Before Joshua even realized that God was at work, God was already preparing the city for destruction by instilling fear into the hearts of the kings in the region and the people in Jericho. God’s direction was a very unlikely battle plan, but Joshua obeyed and God’s people triumphed.

The apostle Paul understood how to handle obstacles in his life. Even when he was in prison he kept his eyes and full trust on Christ. His days in prison were filled with joy. He wrote the book of Philippians from his jail cell and it was full of expressions of joy. (1:18, 2:18 and 3:1) Paul did not let even prison keep him from sharing the message of salvation.

We can overcome obstacles in our lives by focusing on Christ. This is neither a natural reaction nor an easy one. Our instinct is to dwell on the situation that we are facing in life now. We search for our own solutions and meanwhile we stew over pain and difficulty. Our troubles look insurmountable and overwhelming, but fear and defeat cannot last long in the heart of a believer that has his or her trust in the Lord. The choice is yours just as it was the apostle Paul’s, Joshua and the Children of Israel. We must ask ourselves, “Where is our faith and trust?”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Revelation 3:20.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

PRAYER:

Help me to cast away the obstacles that I may face in life today. Keep me away from the obstacles that can cause me great heartache. Help me to put my complete trust in You knowing that You care for me and will lead me through every situation I face.

Hunger: November 30, 2011

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NOVEMBER 30 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2011.

HUNGER

DEFINITION:

A strong desire; a craving for food; a compelling need.

SCRIPTURE:
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Lord has given us physical appetites, which are essential for our physical survival. And in addition He has created within our hearts a hunger that is spiritual. David knew both physical and spiritual hunger. During the time King Saul was seeking to kill David he fled to the desert to hide. He was alone, hungry and thirsty.

David was a man who recognized and felt a yearning for the Lord in his life. There are many verses in the Psalms, like the one we have written above, where we find David meditating, offering praise, or crying out to God. We have no doubt reading about David that his greatest joy was to be with his Heavenly Father in intimate communion. He had many moments in his life where he fell away from God revealing his human weaknesses. He also knew where to find healing and refuge. With a repentant and hungry heart he sought the Lord’s forgiveness and fellowship.

Hungering for the Lord is a desire to know and draw closer to God. Unfortunately this desire is lacking in many believer’s lives. Most believers are sure they are saved but have very little desire for more of God in their lives.

One of the major reasons for this is that our society is filled with all sorts of things that grab and hold our interest and desires in life. These interests compete with God for our attention and they seem to claim our time and effort more than our hunger to know more about our Lord.

Our prayer is that this devotional will awaken you to see the need in your life for a new hunger for God. But for this to happen it will require changing priorities and pursuits. Let us assure you that you will always get more out of a fresh relationship with God then what you put into it. You will find that as your hunger for Him becomes a priority He will open your heart and mind to understand and desire more of Him. Jesus said, “They who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be satisfied.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Revelations 3:20.

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him and dine with Him, and he with Me.”

PRAYER:

Help me to yearn more for You in my life as David did. Give me a fresh hunger for Your righteousness that drives me to change my priorities and pursuits. Thank You for satisfying my family with contentment and a sense of completeness that You alone can give.

Cross: November 29, 2011

2011-12-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 29 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2011

CROSS

DEFINITION:

Two intersecting bars or lines; a structure consisting of an upright and a transverse piece upon which prisoners were formally put to death such as the cross upon which Jesus died.

SCRIPTURE:

If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Matthew 27:40.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek. Romans 1:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever stopped to think that the cross that Jesus Christ died on presents us with a dilemma? If God is good and loving, which He is, why would He allow His only Son to endure the agony of a crucifixion? From our human perspective there is nothing loving or good in seeing Christ on the cross.

But if we look beyond what we see visibly, we will see an awesome view of love. To grasp what we see we first must understand that the Lord is absolutely righteous and good. He always does what is right and never acts contrary to His Word. But on the other hand, man is sinful and deserving of eternal punishment because of our sins.

God had several choices. He could have just forgiven us but then He would cease to be just. Justice requires a penalty to be paid for sin. This is true today in our judicial system so it should be easy for us to understand. Either the Lord has to condemn us to suffer His wrath for our sin, or He needed to devise a plan that would satisfy His justice and allow Him to show mercy.

The scene at the cross at which Jesus died demonstrated the power of God in what appears to be the weakest moment in His Son’s life. With hands and feet nailed to the rough wood of the cross, Jesus looked totally helpless. Adding to this seemingly helpless feeling was that He stayed on the cross while the crowd was jeering. They were yelling at Jesus asking, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Verse above)

Divine love kept Jesus on that cross. Strength is demonstrated in determined endurance. The power of God held Jesus on that cross. We know that with one spoken word He could have been free but Christ hung on that cross until our salvation was attained.

The power of the cross did not end when Jesus finished His suffering and died. His death opened up the door of salvation to all people who walk through it and by faith ask for forgiveness for their sin. This act then assures a place in heaven for all who believe.

God had this plan for us even before the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8. Yes, the sinless Son of God came to earth in human flesh to be our sin bearer. Justice punished the sin and mercy rescued the sinner. There is power in the CROSS!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Revelation 3:20.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

PRAYER:

Help my family to let the power of the cross do its work in our lives every day. May we be a family that with every step we take and every word we say be motivated by the mighty work of God in our lives.

Trouble: November 28, 2011

2011-12-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 28 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2011.

TROUBLE

DEFINITION:

A condition or cause of distress and concern; annoy; worry; put to inconvenience.

SCRIPTURE:

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the third chapter of Daniel you can read about the trouble that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had because they refused to bow to the golden image that their King Nebuchadnezzar required all to bow to. The scripture tells us that the King was furious and in a rage and gave the command to bring these three men before him. The King asked them if it was true that they would not serve his gods or worship the gold image that he had set up.

The King told them to bow now or that they would be thrown into a burning furnace. Now it would seem that these men were in more trouble than they could handle. They had to choose the path to righteousness or the path of wickedness. They knew, as believers in God, it would be disobedient to God if they bowed down to false images or gods, however if they did not bow to the image they would be disobedient to the King and it would cost them their lives.

But they now knew they had to make a choice and answer the King. They must either bow down or face death in the fiery furnace. They did not hesitate in giving the King their answer. They would not bow down to the image. They believed God could save them but even if God chose not to save them they could not worship false gods.

The King was now really full of fury and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. Now these three men really were in trouble. The King had the three men bound and thrown into the furnace. These men knew their only hope was their total trust in God and that God was with them in this time of trouble in their lives.

Then the King was astonished at what he saw. He asked his counselors if they only put three men into the furnace because he could now see four. Then the King said that the fourth man is like the Son of God. He ordered the men taken out of the furnace and then said to the men who came out of the furnace to come to him. Then the King said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” and the King decreed that no man should speak against the God of these men or if they did that they would be sliced to pieces.

The King acknowledged that their God was the true God with these words: “For no other God can save this way.”

In times of trouble we may feel like we are in the fiery furnace and we wonder why does God allow believers to experience so much trouble. The reality is that God does allow believers to be in the fire for reasons we do not know; however this we do know, that when any of His children are in the fire, He is right there with them.

What a wonderful illustration and example God has given us in this event. If God could help these men in their time of trouble, surely He can be with us in our times of trouble. Remember that it is the troubles of life that helps shape us into what God wants us to be.

LEARNING: Our memory verse for this week is found in Revelation 3: 20.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

PRAYER:

Thank You for this example and illustration that You have given us in Your Word. Help me to learn from this so that my life will become a life that glorifies Your name. When trouble comes our way may we set aside our desires and put our trust in You. As we worship You daily may we worship You in Spirit and in truth.

Goal: November 22, 2011

2011-11-27T12:00:00.004-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2011.

GOAL

DEFINITION:

The result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

SCRIPTURE:

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

During one’s lifetime we have many opportunities to set goals. We set these goals, some consciously and some unconsciously. For example as a child we unconsciously set a goal to quit crawling and start walking. As students in school we set goals in classes, in sports and in activities.

As we grew older we set goals for advance schooling or job selections. We set goals for leaving home and living on our own. We set goals in our married life and then years later as we retired. The point we are making is that every day we live we have opportunities to set goals. The importance of a goal is that it motivates us to achieve.

Years ago I (Ken) developed the habit of writing out a list every night outlining my goals for the next day. I still do that now after all these years. We believe that people accomplish more when they set goals in life.

But the most important goals that we need to set are the spiritual goals in our lives. Some of these include the goals we set after we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. The goals we should set are to read the Bible and pray every day. We, as believers, need to set goals for our spiritual growth that includes studying God’s Word and praying for our role in reaching the world we live in.

The Apostle Paul clearly states his most important goal in the verse we have put at the top of this devotional. He tells us that he presses toward that goal. It is not instantly attained. It is a process. In other words everyday he pushes himself to the commitment he made in his life to know Christ Jesus and to be more like Jesus every day. And part of this commitment was his communication with God, asking Him for direction and wisdom to keep him obedient to God’s leading in his life.

Paul goes on in this verse to tell us that his goal was the prize of the upward call of Jesus. He daily looked forward to the day he would be in heaven with his Lord. What a clear directive Paul gives to all believers in this verse. Now it is our responsibility to act. It is our responsibility to set Paul’s goal as ours.

Are there things in your life that you must change because they are hindering your goal to be more like Jesus Christ? We urge you to learn to set goals for your daily life. As a believer in Jesus, what are you doing to be a witness for Him? We are commanded as believers to “GO.” If we are not reaching out to others to show our love for Jesus we are failing. God wants us to set goals and then act on them. When you include God in setting your spiritual goals, watch out what He will do for you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to be aware of those things that are hindering my relationship with You. Help me set goals today that will make me fruitful for You. May my family join me as together we can make an impact for You as we press toward the prize of spending an eternity with You.

Treasure: November 23, 2011

2011-11-27T12:00:00.003-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2011.

TREASURE

DEFINITION:

An accumulation of money or jewels; anything prized highly; to regard or treat as precious; to cherish.

SCRIPTURE:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupts, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In this verse above from Matthew Jesus was teaching the disciples and the crowds that came to listen to Him about our heart and where the interest of our heart really is and should be. The heart is the central part or core of something. Our heart is the innermost core of our emotions. In this scripture above from Matthew, Jesus is in essence telling us to give ourselves a heart check-up. Things that are nearest and dearest to our heart are the things we treasure and most desire. There are earthly (material) treasures and there are heavenly (spiritual) treasures. We must examine our hearts to see what it is we treasure.

There is a problem with earthly treasures. Earthly treasures are subject to deterioration and can be stolen from us. Heavenly treasures cannot be taken away. They are eternal.

Someone once said, “What I hoard in this life, I lose; but what I give in this life, I keep.” We cannot take our earthly treasures with us when we die, but we can send them ahead by sharing and caring for others and supporting kingdom work.

If your riches are here on this earth, your heart will be bound to this world’s system. If your riches are in heaven, you will seek those things which are above and use the things of this world to the glory of God.

The Apostle Paul adds to these thoughts from Matthew when he writes to the church in Colossae, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:1-2.

When we were children we were blessed with godly parents who not only taught us to build up our treasures in heaven and not on this earth, but also practiced what they preached. Earthly riches basically were never in our vocabulary. Our parents worked hard and God provided all we needed, and at the same time they invested their time, talents and treasures in heavenly things. We continued this practice with our children and God has blessed us abundantly with all we ever needed on this earth. It is our prayer that every day we invest our time and talent to build our treasures in Heaven.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER:

Help our family today to make every moment a time when we are investing our treasure in heavenly projects. Help us to realize that where our heart is that that is where our treasure is. May Your Holy Spirit move mightily in our hearts so that we will honor and glorify Your name.

Thanksgiving 2011: November 24, 2011

2011-11-27T12:00:00.002-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2011.

THANKSGIVING 2011

DEFINITION:

The act of giving thanks; an expression of thanks especially to God.

SCRIPTURE:

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “In everything give thanks. (I Thessalonians 5:18) This does not mean that we have to be thankful for everything. We do not have to be thankful for bad circumstances or issues. But the Lord can use the resulting difficulties from these issues for good. The scriptures tell us is that our praise and thanksgiving to God should not depend on our circumstances.

In his letter to Philemon the Apostle Paul writes about his runaway slave Onesimus. Onesimus had met Paul and found the Lord. When Paul was imprisoned, Onesimus had helped Paul. It was a disappointment to Philemon that Onesimus ran away and Paul wanted Philemon to see how the Lord turned the situation into good. He wanted Philemon, who was also a Christian, to be thankful for this situation. Paul wrote to Philemon, “Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good, no longer as a slave, but a dear brother.”

Knowing that God can use all things for good is more than enough for us to give thanks to Him for everything. God has not promised to keep us from the storms of life but He will keep us as we go through them.

When the American colonies were being developed, one man said to the pioneers that they were spending way too much time on their problems. He said it was time for them to focus on their blessings thus the first Thanksgiving Day came to pass. As believers we need to take time not only today, but every day, to focus on our blessings and not on our problems that we may be facing. If we do this, God will give us a joyful spirit and a thankful heart.

In Deuteronomy 9, we read of God’s reminder to Israel that He was leading them into the Promised Land to fulfill His purpose and promises. He reminded them that they would succeed because of Him and not because of their own righteousness. He knew that they would be tempted to give themselves the credit and not to be grateful for their prosperity.

Ungratefulness is a problem and a temptation for us today. If our endeavors are successful we need to make certain that we make our THANKFULNESS TO GOD a priority and give Him the glory. We need to thank God for His goodness, help and blessing. We do not need more to be thankful for, we just need to be more thankful.

Here are several scriptures to remind you today to give thanks to God. In I Corinthians 15:57 it says for us to say thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In II Corinthians 2:14 it says we are to give thanks to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. In II Corinthians 9:15 Paul says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” And finally in Hebrews 12:28 we read, “let us be thankful, and so worship God.”

Yes, we have so much to thank the Lord for and it is in our giving thanks and glory to the Lord for all that He has done for us, that we worship Him. Read the verse that we have put above under our scripture for today. Start today by entering into His gates with thanksgiving. Begin with a personal time of prayer and reading the Word of God and then throughout the whole day be thankful for all that God has done and is doing for you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

PRAYER:

We thank You for Your creation, for the stars in the sky and the waters in the sea. We thank You for the blessings in life that You continually bestow upon us and for Your overwhelming goodness. We thank You for sending Your Son to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for preparing now a place for us to spend eternity with You.

Blessings: November 21, 2011

2011-11-27T12:00:00.001-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2011.

BLESSING

DEFINITION:

Devine favor; a fortunate occurrence; approval; benediction; a short prayer for divine approval.

SCRIPTURE:

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? Job 2:10.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we mention the word blessing to many people they think of the prayer that they say before a meal or the prayer that a minister gives at the end of a service. These are called blessings but we want to look at the word from the perspective of the blessings that God has for us as believers in Him.

We are convinced that God gives us the greatest blessings in our lives when we invest our time, talent or treasures in other people or projects that benefit people. Let us share with you just one example. One of the ministries that we have worked with for years is a ministry called CERT. They recruit doctors, dentists, nurses and other professionals to give a week or two of their time and talent to go on a mission trip to a remote area of our world where the people have no access to medical or dental help.

The President of CERT promises the volunteers hardship and discomfort. He warns them that they will not receive financial help but they have to pay their own expenses. But he does promise them that they will receive one of the greatest blessings that they have ever experienced. A doctor who accepted that challenge (and over 100 do every year) came back from the trip he went on and said, “I never knew that life in a remote third world country could be so bad but the blessings that I received from this trip has driven me to look for ways every day for me to share my talents, treasures and time into the life of someone that needs help.”

Take the Apostle Paul’s encouragement that we wrote in the verse above from Galatians to do good to all and do not grow weary. In the verse above from Job we are asked the question about receiving good (blessings) from God. Sometimes we feel a little guilty when God blesses us so abundantly when others have so little. As Job asked his wife (above verse) if they should accept good (blessings) from God and not accept adversity?

When things are going well in our life most believers are happy to acknowledge God as the source of their blessings. Often, however, when trouble comes their faith wavers and they blame God. Satan uses difficult times in life to cause us to doubt God. Job and his wife suffered great disappointments but Jobs faith never wavered. The principle here is for us to be grateful for the blessings that God gives us and to be strong in our faith in both the good times and the bad times in our life.

The Apostle Paul tells us how he learned to rejoice in plenty and in want (Philippians 4:10-13). God has an interest in teaching us to be content both in blessings and in losses. The message for us today is to know that we are at our best when we serve others and we are to accept what God gives us in all circumstances.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse this week is found in Romans 8:14.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

PRAYER:

It is our prayer today that You would make our family a channel of blessing to others as we reach out to serve those that need a special touch from You. May we be grateful for every blessing that You send our way and through these blessings always praise Your name.

Meekness: November 25, 2011

2011-11-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2011

MEEKNESS

DEFINITION:

Submissive; humble; gentleness.

SCRIPTURE:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5.

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus spoke to the multitudes and said “Blessed are the meek.” When He used the word meek He was talking about being gentle and humble. The meek prosper in this world because they are the ones who have power under control.

Many believers today often forget God in their daily decision making and try to live their life by using their own power. When this happens, we as believers need to ask God to teach us meekness so that we can live in, and depend on, His strength.

Moses thought he could use his power to bring about deliverance for God’s people from slavery. He misused his power by killing an Egyptian, which only dissipated his power because he lost the respect of his own people. (Exodus 2: 11-15) God had to teach him meekness and in Numbers 12:3 we read that after Moses learned his lesson by trying to operate on his own power that Moses became very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.

It is important for us to understand that power without control dissipates into useless energy. Some time ago we spent a few relaxing days at Niagara Falls. This is one of the most spectacular sights we have ever seen. We watched and listened to the roar of 6 million cubic feet of water come over those falls every minute. This makes it the most powerful waterfall in North America.

But very few people know that more than 50% of the river’s water is diverted before it reaches the falls via four huge tunnels. The diverted water passes through hydroelectric turbines that supplies power to nearby areas of Canada and the United States before it returns to the river well past the falls.

This is a marvelous example for us to understand that power without control will most often go into useless energy. We as believers need to let go of our personal power and let God’s power flow through our lives. Nothing is more powerful than the power that we can have when under God’s control.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

PRAYER:

Help us to strive to do Your will so that we may experience Your power in our lives. When we struggle to succeed and realize we might fail in our own power, help us to realize that it is by Your strength that we need to succeed.

Giving: November 17, 2011

2011-11-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 17 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2011.

GIVING

DEFINITION:

Make a present of; donate; convey; bestow.

SCRIPTURE:

Jesus said, “This poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury.” Mark 12:43.

When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Matthew 6:3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

These two verses that we have put above give us two very important principles that apply to our spirit of giving to the Lord. The first principle is that it is not the size of the gift that matters.

In Mark 12:41-44, Mark relates the incident that took place when Jesus was with His disciples in the temple area where people brought their gifts of money. A poor widow put in two small coins. These were very little gifts in comparison to the large amounts given by others. Yet, Jesus said to His disciples that the widow had put in more than all the others. The reason He said this was that the others gave out of their surplus, but the widow gave sacrificially-all that she owned.

Even if we have only a small amount to give, when it is given to the Lord He will bless it. We learned this as children when we had little to give but we always gave a minimum of ten percent of every dollar we received. It became part of our life style and we never quit giving this way and God has blessed us overwhelming.

The second principle that our Lord gave us as written in the above verse from Matthew is that we need to give without fanfare. In other words we do not need to announce what we give to anyone. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand gives. We are giving unto the Lord, not to gain favor from others on this earth.

Giving is much more than giving of our income. As believers we need to have a heart for giving. In James 1:22 James tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. But he does not stop by telling us only to obey by being a doer of the Word but He gives us specific instructions as to how we can be a doer of the Word. He does this by giving us practical ways to be a doer. In James 1: 27 he says for us to “Visit orphans and widows in their trouble.” In other words we are to give not only of our treasures but of our time and talents. God expects us to have a heart of compassion and caring for the less fortunate among us.

We recently read about a young girl who kept coming home without her winter gloves. Her mother was driven, what we may say, crazy having to continually buy her new gloves. She finally told her daughter that she needed to be more responsible and bring home her gloves every night. The young girl responded by crying and through her tears told her mom that as long as she kept getting new gloves she could give them away to someone who did not have any and could not afford to get some.

The story went on that when this young girl grew up her hobbies included volunteering in the community and helping to mentor inner city children. You see that as a child she developed the habit of giving and as she grew up it became part of her life style.

We all need to ask God for a heart like this young girl. Out of love for God, then we need to obey Him by doing what He tells us to do. This is what we are supposed to be doing as believers in Jesus.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 10:36.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

PRAYER:

May we as a family learn today the importance of giving all that we should be giving of our treasures, our time and our talent to You so that You can use them for Your glory.

Gossip: November 16, 2011

2011-11-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 16 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2011.

GOSSIP

DEFINITION:

A rumor; revealing personal or sensational facts about others; Trifling talk about other people; an idle talker; discussing other peoples affairs.

SCRIPTURE:

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and an arrow. Proverbs 25:18.

A perverse man stirs up dissension and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Gossip defined really is the act of someone sharing with another party information about a third party that is most often just a rumor that is not true or at least stretching the truth. Most certainly it is not complimentary to the third party and is most often very hurtful.

Our sinful nature causes us to relish juicy tidbits of gossip. We love to hear about someone’s rumored indiscretion and we can’t wait to tell others. The most prevalent place for gossip is in the work place. In fact it has gotten so bad that now a person can get fired for gossiping in certain workplaces. According to a recent poll, the average employee gossips 65 hours a year. Notice that this includes all employees --- that is over ¾ of an hour each and every week if someone works 50 weeks a year.

There are some work places that take corrective approaches to gossip. They range from firing the one that gossips to a group in the entertainment industry that takes the time to pray for a person who is making bad choices rather than spreading the facts or rumors to more people.

There is no place in the life of a believer for gossip. As believers it is clear what God wants from us concerning gossiping. Exodus 20:16 reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” That is quite clear and simple to understand. In the verse we wrote above from Proverbs it is stated very strongly that the use of our words in a gossiping situation is like a club, a sword and a sharp arrow.

Clubs, swords and sharp arrows are weapons that cause great pain and harm. Like a weapon, gossip causes pain and does great harm. The writer of Proverbs 16:28 tells us that gossip is harmful because it stirs up dissension and separates close friends.

Unfortunately, we have heard many people gossip in church. Of all places this is a place that should not be a place for gossip. Gossip feeds into our natural desires to feel superior to others and to belong or fit in with the crowd. If you choose to love others and be concerned about others you will live in a Gossip free zone. You can never justify gossip. It is better to pray for someone. If you are praying for a person you will find it difficult to gossip about them.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 10:36.

For you have need for endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

PRAYER:

Lord, forgive me for speaking carelessly about others to make myself look better. Help me to think before I speak and show a Christ-like love to all that I talk to. Teach me to be loving in my words.

Conviction: November 15, 2011

2011-11-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 15 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2011.

CONVICTION

DEFINITION:

A firm belief; feelings of guilt; the state of being convinced.

SCRIPTURE:

The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Most people respond when you ask what the word conviction means by saying that it refers to a criminal being convicted. But there is another definition of the word conviction that deals with the response that our hearts have to wrong and evil in our lives and in the world.

Modern technology has provided doctors with instruments that are used in procedures to see, inside our bodies, what cannot be seen from the outside. One such procedure is called a Laryngoscopy which views the throat and vocal chords. The doctor takes a very small camera with a light on the end and puts it down the throat of a person to try and find out what is causing the problem.

God’s Word is like a Laryngoscopy. It invades the unseen areas of our lives and exposes to us the areas of spiritual failures that fill our lives. This can be an uncomfortable procedure that God does on our lives but if we are willing to respond in obedience we will grow in our relationship with God.

In John 3:20 Jesus said to us, “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Jesus is that light that exposes the evil in our lives just like the light on the camera that the doctor uses. God’s internal intrusions into our lives convict us and we do not feel good about the conviction, but do you really want the disease that God exposes in our lives?

We need to daily welcome God into the deep, dark places of our hearts because it is the only way we can find true healing and spiritual health that we should be longing for daily. And in order for God to do this we must communicate with Him daily by reading God’s Word and praying. Through what we read God will expose to us our personal problems and through prayer we can ask Him for victory over our sinful desires and our evil acts.

With God’s Word you do not need an appointment to get going and finding God’s diagnosis. The divine surgeon is ready when you are ready and He is just waiting for you to come to Him. Let God’s Word explore your inner being.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 10:36.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

PRAYER:

Lord, speak to me today through Your Word and convict me of my sins. Thank You for the assurance that You are always present and my truest friend. Guide me this day as I search the Word of God so that it becomes both my shield and sword.

Reconciliation: November 14, 2011

2011-11-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 14 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2011.

RECONCILIATION

DEFINITION:

Restore to union and friendship after estrangement; adjust; settle; bring to agreement.

SCRIPTURE:

First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:24.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Judaism, the holiest day of the year is YOM KIPPER, the Day of Atonement. On that day the people seek God’s forgiveness for their sins both personal and national. The day before is called EREV YOM KIPPER and is the last opportunity to seek forgiveness from other people before Yom Kipper begins. This is important because in the Jewish tradition you must seek forgiveness from other people before you can seek the forgiveness of God.

If we have wronged someone so that there is a broken relationship it can hinder our relationship with the Lord. If you wonder why this is so, it is because issues that are left unresolved fester and grow which often leads to bitterness and escalating acts of retaliation. This is sin in God’s eyes. Sin separates us from God. Jesus pointed out that in order to worship Him with all of our heart, and a pure heart, we first need to resolve matters with others. Jesus states this clearly in Matthew 5:24 (above).

Our ability to truly worship God is hindered by our broken relationships with others. As believers we need to understand and practice reconciliation in our lives. Broken relationships are caused by wrong actions, bad attitudes and destructive words and these are all issues that God expects us to make right before we should come to Him. If we do not, how can God bless us?

It is tough, and for some tougher than for others, to get up the courage necessary to go to a person we have wronged and admit that we were wrong and ask forgiveness, which is part of the process of reconciliation. As believers we have no choice, if we want to be obedient to God and used of God, but to act and act swiftly and completely.

Are you concerned enough that your worship with God will be pleasing and acceptable to Him to take the necessary action to reconcile the issues in your life with those who have been affected by your actions? Remember what someone once said: Am offense against your neighbor is a fence between you and God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in HEBREWS 10:36.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise,

PRAYER:

Give me the strength today if I have hurt a friend or relative to go at once and make things right. Help me to learn to be able to ask forgiveness knowing that these words bring delight to Your heart.

Honest: November 18, 2011

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2011

HONESTY

DEFINITION:

Having a sense of honor; uprighteousness; sincere; truthful; genuine.

SCRIPTURE:

Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. Acts 5:4.

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. Psalm 12:22.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the book of Acts (above), God gave us a sobering example of how He views dishonesty. Some believers had sold their land and shared all the proceeds with the church. Ananias and Sapphira decided to do likewise. But the couple kept some money back declaring that they had given the whole amount to the church.

We need to note that the dishonesty was not that they did not give all to the church. The dishonesty was that they said that they gave all to the church. That was why God did what He did. Both Ananias and Sapphira expected commendation for their generous giving but instead God struck them dead for lying about what they did.

Some may say that God was too harsh. After all it was just a little lie and it was not life threatening to anybody. But in Proverbs 25:14 the scripture says that “Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and winds without rain.” The apostle Peter in Acts 5:3 asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” Peter strongly rebuked him saying, “You have not lied to men, but to God.” Peter’s strong words of condemnation leave no doubt about the seriousness of Ananias’s dishonesty.

One of the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses and to us, as well, is simply and clearly stated that we shall not bear false witness --- LIE. There are no degrees of honesty. You are either an honest person or a dishonest person.

An understanding of honesty begins when we recognize that God, who is our ultimate example, is truth and that He cannot lie. God hates falsehoods and makes it clear in the scriptures that Satan is the originator of all lies. He began lying in the Garden of Eden. In Proverbs 13:5 we read that a righteous man hates lying. In I Corinthians 13:6 we read that love rejoices in truth. People who trust the Word of God should be people whose word can be trusted. Where do you stand on honesty?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 10:36.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family today to be honest and true in all that we do and say. Give us the courage to do what is right and always tell the truth so that we can bring to the world we live in a glimpse of Your light and glory.

Relationships - Our Neighbor: November 11, 2011

2011-11-13T19:00:00.004-08:00

NOVEMBER 11 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2011.

RELATIONSHIPS: OUR NEIGHBOR

DEFINITION:

A connection between friends and neighbors; a significant association.

SCRIPTURE

Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Matthew 22: 37 - 39.

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a good neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” And He said, “The one who showed mercy toward him. Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:36-37.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God’s Word strongly emphasizes that we are to love our neighbor and help them in their time of need. The verses we have written above are some of the many in the Bible that remind us that we MUST love our neighbor. For example in the Old Testament it reads: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18. In the New Testament these same words are found in Matthew 5:43 and Romans 13:9.

Many people today commit to helping their neighbor but are often motivated by how they will benefit personally. In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) it is important for us to understand that the “Good Samaritan” helped the man at the scene of his need out of his compassion. He not only bandaged up his wounds but he went out of his way to move him to a place of healing and also paid the money needed for the stay. But it did not end there --- he would come back and help further if needed. ALL WITH NO THOUGHT OF REPAYMENT OR PERSONAL REWARD.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach said: “You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

We are living in a “ME” generation. Most people are concerned today about self rather then others and their needs. It is always “ME FIRST”. And then usually we respond to a hurting person just like the priest and the Levite did --- passing him by! The scriptures do not give us an option as to IF we should help our neighbor. Jesus said that the FIRST and GREATEST commandment was for us to “Love God.” He then said that the second GREAT commandment was to “Love our neighbor as our-self.”

When we help someone up a mountain that they may be facing, you will find yourself close to the summit as well. God always blesses those that help those in need.

All six of our children were urged to get involved with programs where they could help others. They spent time during their Junior and Senior High school days working with inner city children in a summer camp. They also worked in a food bank situation providing food to needy inner- city families. This involvement allowed them to put into practice what they had learned from the scriptures --- TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR.

As far back as we can remember we have been involved one way or the other helping needy, hurting or hungry children, youth and adults. Over these years, God has allowed us to see many needs first hand and then blessed us with the opportunities to work with ministries to help meet these needs.

These experiences changed our perspective on life and continually reminded us to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES. You may not be able to see the needs of our world like we have been privileged to see, but all you have to do is to look around you every day and you will see someone in need. How will you respond?

Many unbelievers today will tell you that one of their many purposes in life is to love people, make a difference in the world and to be a good person. It may give self-satisfaction but unfortunately when you talk to them you find they have no hope and live in an empty vacuum because they do not have a relationship with Jesus. Does that sound like you or someone you know?

Those who love the Lord have the greater responsibility to show love to their neighbors because it reflects on the validity of their testimony. Are you concerned about others and their needs and look for ways to help them?

Do you use people or do you love people by helping them in their time of need?

Are your good friends like stars --- you do not always see them but you know they are always there --- to help you?

One final thought: Someone once said --- THE BEST HELPING HAND YOU WILL EVER FIND IS AT THE END OF YOUR OWN ARM!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in HEBREWS 9:27

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

PRAYER:

Give me a new burden for my neighbors and friends. May my family learn how to build relationships with others so that we will be available to be a source of encouragement in good times and in bad times.

Relationships - Christian Home: November 10, 2011

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NOVEMBER 10 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2011.

RELATIONSHIPS: CHRISTIAN HOME

DEFINITION:

A location where a family resides and from where they communicate to one another and to God. A safe shelter where one’s domestic affections are centered and where one feels loved and cared for.

SCRIPTURE:

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house. Psalm 84:3-4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We are concerned today that we do not see very many truly Christian homes. When believers think of their home they talk about their heavenly home. But in this series of devotionals, we are talking about relationships and families and what we need to understand to have a truly Christian home.

In Colossians 3: 18 to 21 we have the words of the Apostle Paul instructing us concerning the roles of wives, husbands, children, fathers and mothers in a Christian home.

Briefly, Paul says husbands are to love their wives with a sacrificial love and be the spiritual leader, and wives are to respect the leadership role of their husbands. Children must then obey their parents. Parents must care and love their children and not cause them to be bitter. There is a shared responsibility within a family to love one another and to work together, to be kind and fair to one another, and to submit in obedience. The foundation for a Christian home is reverence for the Lord and obedience to His Word.

And in verse 23 it reads: “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance”.

As far back as we can remember, our parents taught us in our homes to love God and to honor our parents and our grandparents. We then taught our children, in our home, the same and now we are blessed to watch our children teach their children the same. When standards are set with firmness, love and with consistency they will be handed down from generation to generation, but only if God is always in the center of the family.

Children look to their parents to be their role models and their example. Setting the right example is the role of the parents, not the church, not the school and most definitely not their peers.

One of our joys in life was to watch when each of our children made their decision to put Jesus in the center of their life. And now we have the thrill from time to time to receive a phone call from a grandchild telling us that they have just invited Jesus into their heart.

A child needs to learn that they have boundaries in life and these need to be taught in our homes when children are at an early age. Some call this having “gates” and “walls”. Ancient cities all had walls to protect them from the enemy. When these boundaries have been set, then parents MUST BE CONSISTENT in monitoring them and responding when the child goes beyond the set boundaries. Children need to be warned about the enemies in life and to understand that boundaries are there to protect them.

A great concern that we see today is that parents are afraid to say “NO”. They seem to be fearful that children will stop loving them and turn against them. In many cases the parents just do not want to deal with the issue at hand. In most cases the bond between children and their parents is strengthened if boundaries are set reasonably, clearly, firmly and in love. Children need to know that parents care enough about their safety and future to do something that shows that it is not just words. The result will be a deeper love between children and parents.

We have also learned that as parents we needed to train a child to have self control. Children need to learn how to listen so that they can learn.
A parent needs to love children equally and if a parent shows favoritism to one child over another it will have a damaging affect on the whole family. Every child wants unconditional acceptance and never outgrows that desire. Every child also needs to be trained to know the independent side of dependence --- within the established set boundaries. Remember, every person can make a contribution in life and parents need to encourage positive abilities.

A home and a family can disintegrate as a result of:

• A preoccupation with an occupation (such as a job, sports, hobby and television) to the exclusion of family needs.
• Refusal to face the severity of a child’s actions.
• Refusal to respond quickly and thoroughly to the warning of others.
• Rationalizing of a wrong therefore becoming part of the problem.
• Having an insensitive spouse which always leaves unknown heartaches.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 9:27.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

PRAYER:

Lord, help each one of us in our family to live by the instruction You have given us concerning the role we have in the family. May our home be saturated with Your love. As a family that believes in You may our God-given standards and boundaries always be honored so that others can see Christ through us.

Relationshlps - Spouses and Parents: November 9, 2011

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NOVEMBER 9 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2011.

RELATIONSHIPS: SPOUSES AND PARENTS

DEFINITION:

A connection, association or involvement; connection by blood or marriage.

SCRIPTURE:

“A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10: 5 to 9.

“Marriage is honorable among all”. Hebrews 13:4

“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:

In this devotional we are sharing some of our thoughts about spousal relationships and parenting relationships. The scriptures that we have shared with you in this devotional include specific guidelines for us to live by day by day.

First, we look at the marriage spousal relationship. Marriage is a life-long bonding that is of God. Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, His disciples and to the people about marriage commitment, adultery and divorce in Matthew 5: 27 - 32. Take your Bible and read this passage. If you are struggling with any of these issues in your marriage take action now to deal with it. Begin with praying that the Lord will work in your heart and in the heart of your spouse to heal your marriage.

For a marriage to be successful today, Christ must be in the center of that marriage. When the Lord is not in the center, the marriage relationship will suffer and most likely not survive when problems come. We can be confident that problems will come. Every marriage encounters tough times at some time or another. All you have to do is listen to and talk to married people today and this will be confirmed for you. But more important is what the Scriptures say:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what
fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what
communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ
with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”
II Corinthians 6: 14-15.

And in the Old Testament the book of Amos (3:3) asks the question:

“Can two walk together, unless they are equal?”

There are THREE secrets to a successful marriage. First, there must be a COMMITMENT by both parties. A lifetime commitment to one another is critical to any possibility of a successful marriage plus a commitment to the vows taken at the marriage ceremony. Secondly, there must be COMMUNICATION. This communication must include listening to one another, talking to one another and sharing ALL things with one another. Finally, husbands and wives must be CHRIST-LIKE. You must have traits that Jesus had, such as a servants heart and attitude and be kind, be willing to forgive, be tender hearted, always thinking of others before yourself, and be compassionate every day in all you do.

Parenting today has almost become a “lost art.” In many families parents are so busy working and then socializing that they are not there for their children. The Bible gives to us many guidelines on parent/children relationships. Parents must:

• TRAIN: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Proverbs 22:6.
• CORRECT: “Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes he will give you delight to your soul”. Proverbs 29:17.
• DISCIPLINE: “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother”. Proverbs 29:15.
• INSTRUCT: My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother”. Proverbs 1:8.
• WARN: “My son if sinners entice you, do not consent”. Proverbs 1:10.
• ADVISE: “My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood”. Proverbs 1: 15 and 16.
• NOT PROVOKE: “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the TRAINING and ADMONITION of the Lord”. Ephesians 6:4.

Children have responsibilities as well:

• OBEY: “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1.
• HONOR: “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise; that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth”. Ephesians 6: 2 and 3.
• LOVE YOUR SIBLINGS: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul”. I Samuel 18: 1 and 3.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in HEBREWS 9:27.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

PRAYER:

Give me a hunger today to learn more about my relationship with my spouse and my relationship with my family. Show me what God wants me to be as a parent through reading Your Word. Give my family the desire to be more like You each and every day.

Relationships - Children & Family: November 8, 2011

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NOVEMBER 8 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2011

RELATIONSHIPS: CHILDREN AND FAMILY

DEFINITION:

A blood or marriage connection; a connection between parent and child.

SCRIPTURE:

Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Ephesians 6:1

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our greatest priority raising our six children was to lead them, by example, to a personal RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ. We constantly attempted to direct them into the right activities and associations that would help them grow in their RELATIONSHIP with Jesus.

Even though they were born into a Christian home we taught them that that did not make them a Christian. Even though we took them weekly to Sunday school, church, Christian activities and enrolled them in a Christian school, we taught them that that did not make them a Christian.

One by one each child, in God’s perfect timing, accepted Jesus as their Savior and began that most important RELATIONSHIP with God in their individual lives.

Our RELATIONSHIP to God is a FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. This family relationship with God requires a daily communication with God our Father. We accomplished this by reading the Bible daily and praying to God daily as individuals and together as a family.

Jesus instructs us how to pray in Matthew 6:9-15 with the prayer known as THE LORD’S PRAYER. Take the time this week to read this. We have several important thoughts that we think will make this prayer more relative for you, your children and your family. These thoughts will help you build your RELATIONSHIP with our Lord.

• It begins with OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. Jesus is making it clear that we are part of God’s family and that we have a FAMILY RELATIONSHIP with God who is our Father. We are His children
• The words, YOUR WILL BE DONE reminds us that, as God’s children, obedience is required. In order to do the will of God we must be obedient and obedience requires submission to God’s authority over us. We must be willing to submit our will to that of our heavenly Father. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children to be obedient to their authority and to teach them to obey God’s commandments. If we do not keep God’s commandments we are not doing the will of God. God teaches us that children are to obey their parents just as we are to obey our Father in Heaven.
• Then this prayer reads: GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD. As children we rely on our parents to provide our food and as God’s children we rely on God, OUR FATHER, for our spiritual food.
• We are to ask God to FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. Unsettled disputes between spouses and between parents and children lead to harbored bitterness and then to divisiveness just as unforgiven sin separates us from our Father in heaven
• And finally it reads: AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE. Just as parents want to protect their children from harm from the moment they are born, God wants to protect us, His children, from the wiles of Satan and keep us from sin. Sin harms us and keeps us separated from God. Just as we want to see our children prosper and avoid pitfalls in life, even more so God wants to protect and prosper us, His children, from the sinful world we live in.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in HEBREWS 9:27.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

PRAYER:

Help our family to learn more about You as we read together Your Word and communicate to You through prayer. May other families see Christ in us and in our family relationship and may they be drawn to You by what they see in us.

Relationships - God: November 7, 2011

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NOVEMBER 7 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2011

RELATIONSHIPS: GOD

DEFINITION:

Kinship; the connection between man and God.

SCRIPTURE:

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him: Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again; he cannot see the kingdom of God” John 3:1-3.

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”. John 3:16

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

People often confuse RELIGION with having a “RELATIONSHIP” with God. We cannot have a RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ by what we do. Keeping certain rituals that one feels is RELIGION, such as doing good, being kind, helping a neighbor, feeding the poor, going to church will not give a person a RELATIONSHIP with God here on earth or eternal life in heaven.

Jesus said to Nicodemus that unless one is “BORN AGAIN” he cannot see the kingdom of God. Being “BORN AGAIN” begins a RELATIONSHIP with God through His Son Jesus. We are born again when we acknowledge we are sinners and receive Jesus Christ into our heart as our Savior. Beyond a doubt we believe that this is the most important decision one can make in life.

The source of our salvation is Jesus. It is written in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved (born again) by faith and that not of ourselves. We are told that it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, less any man should boast. Thus it is clear that those who accept Jesus as their Savior --- because He paid our penalty for our sins --- have a RELATIONSHIP with God which is much different than being RELIGIOUS.

The Bible does make it very clear that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have everlasting life (John 3:16 above). This RELATIONSHIP with God is guaranteed to all who accept and believe in Jesus, God’s Son. Being RELIGIOUS or not being RELIGIOUS makes no difference in where one spends eternity. Our choice is simple --- accept Jesus and have a RELATIONSHIP with God and spend an eternity in Heaven or being just RELIGIOUS without a RELATIONSHIP and spend an eternity in Hell.

We urge you today to accept Jesus as your Savior by simply praying and asking Him to forgive your sins and come into your heart just as Jesus explained to Nicodemus some 2000 years ago. It is the same message today as it was when Jesus talked to Nicodemus. It is just that simple! Then you will have a RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ which will last for eternity.

I had the privilege for three summers while going to college to work for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Film Association. This film ministry became a time of learning for me to show people of all ages how to have a personal RELATIONSHIP with God. During these three summers in over 270 different Church meetings night after night I was introducing hundreds of children, youth and adults to a new RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ.

At the end of each film showing an invitation was extended to all who were attending, just as Billy Graham always gave in his crusades, to accept Jesus as Savior. Then I would sit down with the many that responded to the invitation each night and lead them one at a time to this new RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ. This was an experience that changed my life and because of this opportunity and several other experiences, God led us into the ministry life which we have enjoyed together now for 54 years.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 9:27.

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after that the judgment.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, help me to recognize those things in my life that are hindering my relationship with You. Forgive me of my sins and make today the day that I solidify my relationship with God. Help my family to realize that there is no more important relationship in life than our relationship with God.

Gentle: November 4, 2011

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NOVEMBER 4 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2011

GENTLE

DEFINITION:

Mild in manner or disposition; tender; peaceful; tame; kind.

SCRIPTURE:

“Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very special in the sight of the Lord.” 1 Peter3:4.

“See, your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey.” Matthew 21:5.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29.

“To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

One of the characteristics of Jesus is that He is gentle. Matthew describes Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the coming of a gentle king. Kings are usually tyrants and arrogant and war-like. Jesus is the opposite. He is gentle, humble and peaceful. Jesus is depicted as a shepherd and a shepherd gently leads his sheep and carries the lambs that need help. He never forcefully drives his sheep.

The prophet Isaiah tells of the coming of the Lord and in Isaiah 40:11 says “He will feed His flock like a Shepherd; He will gather His lambs with His arm, and carry them close to His heart, and gently lead those who have young.” How comforting and encouraging to know that we have a gentle Savior who not only leads us in the right path but when the going gets hard He lifts us up and carries us close to His heart.

During Jesus ministry on earth parents sought to bring their small children to Jesus for His blessing. The disciples tried to stop them, thinking that children were too insignificant to take up the time of Jesus and interrupt His ministry. Jesus rebuked the disciples and gently and tenderly called the children to come to Him, saying to His disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:15-16). Our gentle Savior invites all, no matter how young or old or how insignificant we might think we are, to come to Him.

The scriptures give us many illustrations on how Jesus was gentle to those He met and how we need to be gentle in all that we do. We need to be gentle to our spouses, to our children, to our family and to our friends. Gentleness requires showing consideration for others. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:5 to “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”

Gentleness is a characteristic missing from the lifestyles of most people today. In our family, Dottie is very gentle and Ken is more aggressive. Dottie has always had a very caring attitude toward all kinds of people that always begins with gentleness. This is a trait that we all need to work on daily.

Most of us are not gentle by nature. In II Timothy 2:24, the Apostle Paul exhorts us as Christians by saying: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach and be patient.” The scripture also reminds us that we need wisdom as given to us from God which is pure, peaceable and gentle. James 3:17.

In Proverbs 15:1 it tells us that a gentle or kind answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Our challenge to you today is to be gentle in your speech and treat people with consideration and kindness. We are sure that you will get a response from those who know you that will bless you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 2:15.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for being my gentle Savior and shepherd who leads me in the right path. Help me to be gentle in all that I say to people and in all that I do. Help me to show my love for my Lord by my gentle spirit and by my acts of kindness.

Joy: November 3, 2011

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NOVEMBER 3 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2011

JOY

DEFINITION:

A feeling or state of gladness, elation or rejoicing; An emotion of sudden pleasure; exultant satisfaction; keen delight; an emotion evoked by well-being or by success.

SCRIPTURE:

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.

“These things that I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Joy as spoken of in the Bible is not based on the happiness that the world considers happiness. Joy will not come to a person because he or she has wealth, possessions, fame or status. People work hard to obtain these things in order to find happiness, but as Solomon, who had everything, tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:2, that it is all meaningless.

Webster’s closest definition of JOY as used in the Bible is “exultant satisfaction.” Only those who know the Lord understand the true meaning of JOY. Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have peace in their heart and “exultant satisfaction” because they know their sins have been forgiven and that God loves them.

Jesus explains what He means when He says “MY JOY” in John 15:11 (above). In the previous two verses He says: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His Love.” Jesus loved His Father and found joy in doing the will of His Father and obeying His Father’s commands. When we do the will of our Heavenly Father and obey His commands, we will come to know that joy that Jesus has. This is the “JOY’ we pray you have in your life.

In the scripture, Matthew 25:21 where Jesus told the parable of the “Talents”, He talked about the joy that the master had in his heart when one of his servants responded as he had hoped. He said: “Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the Joy of the Lord.” The servant’s faithfulness and the success he obtained because of his faithfulness brought joy to his master and allowed the servant to share in the master’s happiness. There is joy in doing well because it pleases our Lord.

The apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit that are evidenced in the lives of Christians through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. These are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22-23]. Only those who have united themselves with Christ can understand the true meaning of joy. James reminds us in James 1:2 that when we face the trials in our day to day life we are to “count it all joy.” He does not mean we are to be happy about our trials, but we are to face our trials with an attitude of joy because of what it can produce in our life for Christ’s glory. Joy is a vital need for our everyday peace of mind.

What we learn from the scripture is that we as believers can have a spirit of joy that is not based on the positive or negative circumstances of our life. When we have the “JOY OF THE LORD’ in our life we will find it easier to face the difficulties of life.

The bottom line that we learn from these scriptures and from what we have learned in real life is that we are to face every moment of every day with a spirit of Joy! When we do this the negatives in life seem to diminish and the positives of life seem to stay with us. We all need to remember to put Christ first in our lives and be obedient to all of His commandments.

Over the years we have had several close friends that were facing serious health problems. Each one had been through many tests, consultations, treatments and medicines and you often wondered how much they could humanly take. But the one thing that was true in each of their lives was that they were living each day with a spirit of joy. They did all that they could from a medical perspective and they responded to their doctors care. They put everything into God’s hands. They prayed for healing daily, as did scores of their friends. They understood the meaning of Psalm 30:5 where it says that weeping and suffering lasts only for a while, but for the believer there is joy coming. They were living their lives full of joy and hope. They were all ready to meet their Lord but each one also realized that they still had a mission here on this earth until God took them home. That mission was to share their faith, their attitude and their joy with others. Do you live a life of joy? If not, we encourage you to ask God today to give you a life of joy.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 2:15.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

PRAYER:

Give me joy in my life throughout today. Help me to realize that whatever happens to me today that according to the words of James, I am to count it all joy. Give me wisdom to make decisions that honor You and give me Your joy in my heart so that my joy may be full.

Ask: November 2, 2011

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NOVEMBER 2 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2011

ASK

DEFINITION:

Put a question to; interrogate; seek to obtain; request; invite; inquire about.

SCRIPTURE:

“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” Luke 11:9-10.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the verse above (Luke 11:9) we are taught to ask and seek. In the next verse (10) we are told that everyone who asks receives. Why does God want us to ask when He already knows what we want and what we need? He wants us to ask and seek Him so that we will recognize that He is the one who provides for us and that He alone hears and answers our prayers.

Many people just do not want to ask someone, let alone God, for anything because of pride. We should not let pride keep us from seeking God’s help. Remember, Jesus says: “ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find.”

In our consulting responsibilities with Christian ministries these past years we trained people how to “ASK” for help in supporting their ministries. Christian ministries are dependent on others to give of their time and money. Some people often complain that they receive too many requests for donations. In some cases this happens but for the most part ministries are sensitive to the feelings of their donors. Ministries are raised up by God to meet needs of people that are not being met by others. In order to exist, they must ask and asking for a legitimate need is honored by God. In fact, as the scripture says, we need to ask if we want a response. How is someone to know your need if you do not ask.

There are many situations in life where we need to ask for help. Families need to be willing to help others in their time of need if God has blessed them. And families need to be willing to ask in their time of need. Remember there is a difference between asking and demanding. When asking for help the response you receive is affected by the way you ask. When you ask favors of people or when you just ask questions for informational purposes, learn to ask kindly and thoughtfully.

Today one of the most important lessons we can learn from the scripture is that God expects us to ask Him for help when we are in need so He can fulfill His plan through our life.

There is no request so big or so small that we cannot bring it to God. The Lord wants us to pray about everything. Paul assures us of this in Philippians 4:6 when he says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Jesus own words to us are, “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22. Can it be said any clearer? In James 1:5 and 6, we are told that if we lack wisdom let us ask of God. Then it says we are to ask in faith with no doubting.

Our problem today is that we limit God in what He will do for us. We rely on our own wisdom and so often fail. When we ask in prayer, ask believing and ask in faith with NO DOUBTING, then we will receive according to God’s perfect will.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 2:15.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

PRAYER:

Open my eyes today to the reality that all I have to do is ask. You desire to meet all my needs. Help me to ask not only for the large issues I may face but for the small ones as well. Give me wisdom in all that I do. May I proceed today by faith that only You can give me.

Affection: November 1, 2011

2011-11-06T19:00:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER 1 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2011

AFFECTION

DEFINITION:

Fond attachment; devotion or love; emotion; feeling; the emotional realm of love.

SCRIPTURE:

“Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10.

“For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:8

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Philippians 2:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Genuine affection is demonstrated by selfless kindness that causes a person to put aside their own interests for the good of another.

When we think of “genuine affection” we think of the relationship between David and Jonathan. In I Samuel 18:1 we are told that when they met each other an immediate bond developed between them and the scripture says that Jonathan loved David as himself. Jonathan showed his affection for David by giving him his robe, his tunic, his sword and his bow and belt.

Jonathan was Saul’s son and David was his son-in-law. Saul became jealous of David’s rise to fame because of his successes in battle and he wanted to kill him. Jonathan interceded because of his brotherly affection for David. Jonathan remained loyal to David and helped him escape Saul’s many attempts to kill him.

Jonathan and David made fast their bond of affection to each other with a covenant. Jonathan, on his part, would keep David informed of Saul’s plots to kill him. David promised to always treat Jonathan’s family well after he became King. Why would Jonathan’s affection for David be stronger than his affection for his own father? Jonathan saw David’s faith in the Lord and saw that David tried to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

Jonathan did not allow his affection for his father blind him to the fact that his father’s desire to kill David was wrong. Sometimes in order to stand for what is right we have to make difficult choices. Both Jonathan and David understood the meaning of the genuine affection that Paul spoke of later in the New Testament in Romans 12:10 (above).

In Psalms 136, the Psalmist expressed that affection that God has for us endures forever. In Jeremiah 31:3 we are reminded of the Lord’s affection to us when it is written that God has loved us with an everlasting love. And because of this love for us He reached out to us with loving kindness. God’s goodness to us flows from His deep and genuine affection for us.

God wants us to have that same genuine affection for others that He has for us. He wants us to exemplify the mutual love and commitment of true affection in our relationships with our family and our Christian friends.

We can think back about 56 years ago when we first met each other as college students at Wheaton College. At first we shared an interest in each other and soon we began to have affection for each other. Soon our affection grew and we knew we were right for each other. After about six months of dating we were separated for a year as Dottie finished at Wheaton and Ken went to Fuller Seminary, about 2000 miles apart.

In those days there was no text messaging and telephone calls were expensive so our affection for one another was continued through letters. We soon knew that God was in our relationship and decided to get married. We then raised our support and right after the wedding headed for the mission field in Korea. True affection for one another started us on our way to a life together because of our true affection for our Lord and we knew His hand was upon our marriage and ministry.

Our marriage has lasted because of our deep affection for each other. We are committed to one another, we care for one another and we seek to put aside our own interests in deference to the need of the other. We delight in honoring God and each other. Marriages fail when they are based only on physical affection and not on spiritual affection as well.

Paul describes his affection for the Christians in Philippi as being like the affection of Jesus Christ. Paul used the Greek word for affection in Philippians 1:8 because it best expressed compassionate love. Christ Jesus affection for us was most certainly compassionate love. When we truly love the Lord we will, like Paul, be able to love with the affection of Jesus.

The scripture in 1 Peter 4:8-9 gives us Peter’s description of genuine affection: “Above all things have a fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” It is only when we have a true affection for our Lord that we can really understand what it is to have true affection for one another.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 2:15.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord, for Your genuine affection for me. Thank You that Your compassionate love for me will endure forever. Help me to show today my family, my friends and those I meet genuine affection. Help me be an example through my walk and my talk that it is the love of Jesus that gives direction to my life.

Anchor: October 31, 2011

2011-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

OCTOBER 31 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 31, 2011

ANCHOR

DEFINITION:

A person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability or security; mainstay.

SCRIPTURE:

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Hebrews 6:19.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we think of anchors, we think of ships or boats. An anchor is lowered to keep the ship in place so it will not float into a dangerous position. In Acts chapter 27, the apostle Paul gives us an account of the time he was on a ship as a prisoner being moved with other prisoners to their trial. He tells of a terrible storm and then having to put the anchor out to keep the ship wrecked vessel from being dashed to pieces on the rocks.

Thinking of ships and boats, we remember going out in a small boat with an out board motor with my (Ken) mother and step father. We had our six children with us and we went out probably no more than a mile into the Pacific Ocean. All of a sudden we noticed that the boat was slowly beginning to fill with water. Since we had young children on board my step father radioed the Coast Guard for help. We knew an anchor would not help and a bucket bailing the water out of the boat was not sufficient. We knew that now was the time to pray. We all were praying and doing all we could to help get rid of the water at the same time, as we slowly tried to get the boat back to the safety of the shore.

Soon we saw a Coast Guard ship getting close. To say the least it was huge. We thought the whole American Navy was coming. They responded quickly probably, because they knew there were small children on board. To make a long story short the Coast Guard got us and the boat safely back to shore. That day, in our situation, a boat anchor was not what we needed. It was the anchor of hope in Jesus Christ that we relied on.

As Christians, our hope in Jesus is the anchor for our soul and it is sure and steadfast so we will not drift away. In the storms of life we are like a ship at sea that is tossed and battered and in danger of being dashed to pieces. Our anchor, Jesus Christ, is always with us keeping us safe, stable and in a position not to float away into worldly problems.

When you face each day in life, make sure your anchor of faith in Jesus is steadfast and sure. Seek the Lord daily to keep your anchor firm and put your trust in Him to keep you steady in the storms of life. He will be there with you every moment of the day.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 2:15.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

PRAYER:

As I face this day, I think of the old hymn sung years ago, “My Anchor Holds.” Thank You for being my anchor throughout this day and it is my prayer that You will hold me close to You and lead and guide me and keep me on a steady course through my voyage in life.

Belief: October 28, 2011

2011-10-30T19:00:00.004-07:00

OCTOBER 28 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 28, 2011.

BELIEF

DEFINITION:

Something believed; opinion; conviction; confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof; faith; trust; a religious creed or trust.

SCRIPTURE:

“God from the beginning chose you for salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” II Thessalonians 2:13, 15.

“He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching.” Titus 1:9

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Anyone who says he is a Christian is saying that he has a belief in Jesus Christ and follows His teachings. Webster defines belief as confidence in the truth or existence of something. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6. God and Jesus are the source of all truth and that is the basis of our belief. Therefore those that put their belief or trust in Jesus can have confidence in the truth of His teachings.

The message of Salvation that Jesus gave us is trustworthy and we should have a strong, unshakeable and confident belief in what He taught us so we can encourage others.

The book of Titus is a letter that Paul wrote to Titus. Paul had given to Titus the responsibility of appointing leaders for the churches that Paul had been involved in establishing. In Titus 1:5-9, Paul describes to Titus the leadership qualities that leaders in the church should have. All Christians should strive to meet these qualifications in their lives today.

Paul says we must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, and not pursuing dishonest gain. After this list of what we must not do, Paul gives us a list of what we must do. We must be hospitable, love what is good, be self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. The way we live our life is a testimony to our faith in what we believe.

The keys to making belief or believing a reality in our lives are:

• TRUSTING GOD: This comes first no matter what we are facing in life. Our belief is in God and our faith is strengthened by trusting God. We must trust in the Lord with all our heart. (Psalm 37:3 and Proverbs 3:5 are good verses for you to read)
• DO GOOD: Our faith is demonstrated by the good we do whether it is by word or deed. Psalm 37:3 instructs us to trust in the Lord and then do good.
• RELY ON THE LORD: When we have troubles we are to “Cast all our cares on Him.” I Peter 5:7. Thus, at all times, when we face a situation that is difficult for us, we are instructed to give it to the Lord. We do not have to go it alone. We can rely on the Lord to be a constant help in our troubles.
• COMMIT OUR PLANS TO GOD: Every day when we begin our activities, our belief in God allows us to “Commit to the Lord what ever you do and your plans will succeed.” Our problems usually arise during the day because we have not committed our plans to our Lord in the morning and given Him the opportunity to guide us.

Many people living in today’s world really believe in nothing more than themselves. We do not know how we could make it even through one day without our faith in the Lord. With all the stresses and all the uncertainties of life in today’s world, we are certain that if we did not have our strong belief in God and Jesus, we would be in deep despair. How strong and real is your belief in God?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 2:6.

As you therefore have received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk in Him.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord that You can give me strength to live every moment of this day for You. Keep my belief in You strong and help me to trust You, to do good, to cast all my concerns upon You and to commit each situation I face to You. Bless me and my family out of the abundance of Your goodness. Make me a blessing to others.

Achievement: October 27, 2011

2011-10-30T19:00:00.003-07:00

OCTOBER 27 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 27, 2011.

ACHIEVEMENT

DEFINITION:

Something accomplished, as through great effort, skill, perseverance or courage; the act of attainment or accomplishment.

SCRIPTURE:

“For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits which God appointed us.” II Corinthians 10: 12-13.

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When people think of achievement, they think of successfully accomplishing a goal in life. It might be achieving a certain level of education, getting a job, applying for job advancement, finding a marriage partner or owning a new home. From the world’s perspective these achievements are more important than from God’s perspective.

God’s goal for each of us is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to live for Him and to strive to achieve all that He wants us to be. He wants us to achieve things while we are on this earth to bring honor to Him. We all need to strive daily to achieve the success that God expects of us in our marital, family, work place and friend relationships.

There are four steps to achievement noted by William A. Ward. Each of these four steps relate to our achievement in spiritual and physical relationships. We have added some personal thoughts following each of Dr. Ward’s four steps.

PLAN PURPOSEFULLY: You have a responsibility to plan for yourself, for your family and for your future. In all of your plans you need to have a purpose to achieve success both spiritually and intellectually. It is so important not to forget planning for success spiritually. May we suggest taking time daily to read God’s Word and spending time in prayer, your communication with God? It will not happen if you do not include time for it in your daily schedule.

PREPARE PRAYERFULLY: When you plan you need to pray that God will guide your thinking so that your plans will honor God. You cannot achieve success if God’s hand of blessing is not upon you and your plans. Christ must be in the center of all you do if you expect God to give you success. In Proverbs 16:3 we are reminded to “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

PROCEED POSITIVELY: You need to plan your actions so you can achieve your goals with a positive attitude and also with a program for a positive completion.

PURSUE PERSISTENTLY: You must not become discouraged if you have setbacks. If you do not succeed at first you must try again. When you want to achieve a goal that you have set, you must be persistent in all of your efforts to meet that goal and not give up if your first attempt fails.

As you look at your life you must first evaluate your achievements on what you have accomplished for your Lord. Have you set high spiritual standards to live by each day? Have you led your family so that their first priority in life is their relationship with Jesus? Do others that you meet know without a doubt that you have a relationship with the Lord? Positive responses to these questions are all vital in order for you to achieve your goals spiritually in life. If you are right with the Lord, He will bless you and enable you to achieve success in other areas of your life.

As we trained our children we put strong emphasis on their spiritual achievements but along with that emphasis we wanted each one to understand the importance of achievements in their daily activities. When they made commitments in school, in church, in sports or in any other activities they were encouraged to give 100% at all times, so that they would honor God and have the satisfaction that they had given their best.

In life today many people, children and adults, just do enough to get by. This is not acceptable to God but we see it as the norm every day. God wants us to excel in whatever we attempt so that He can receive the honor and glory.

In Ecclesiastics 4:4 it reads: “For all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor.” Achievement in life is admired by society, but the only achievement that counts with God is what we do for our Lord.

What are your spiritual goals in this life? Have you achieved each one yet or if not are you working to achieve them? Think also about what you want to achieve while God has you on this earth and then compare that to what you have accomplished.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 2:6.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

PRAYER:

Help me today dear Lord, to achieve my goals in life both spiritually and physically. Help me to achieve a special relationship with You. Thank You for Your love, Your support, Your guidance and Your direction today in all that I do.

Justice: October 26, 2011

2011-10-30T19:00:00.002-07:00

OCTOBER 26 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2011.

JUSTICE

DEFINITION:

The quality of being just, true or correct; conformity to moral principles or law; merited reward or punishment; the administration of law; authority; jurisdiction.

SCRIPTURE:

“For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity.” Psalm 98:9

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Proverbs 1:3 we are told that we are to receive from God the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity. These standards are very consistent with the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses. In Psalm 82:3 we read that we are to defend the poor and needy and do justice to the offended.

Justice comes from God. God says that “By me Kings reign and rulers declare justice.” (Proverbs 8:15) Do our rulers, leaders in government realize this today? We do not think they govern with this in mind.

The scriptures have much to say about God and justice. In Isaiah 61:8 it reads: “For I the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery and inequity.” And in Isaiah 30: 18 it reads: “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice.”

We need to remember that God is a just God. He does not want anyone to perish. He has provided justice to all through His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore it becomes our choice as to how we will be judged following our death and when we face the judgment seat of God.

“And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice and quickly.” Luke 18:7-8. It does seem like there is so much injustice in this world. It seems, to many, that God is doing nothing about the injustice and certainly not as quick as many desire. These verses assure us that God is paying attention to those who cry out to Him. In His perfect timing He will see that those who love Him will get justice for the injustice done to them.

We must remind you that we are born into this world as sinners. Because of this we will each one be judged by God. We can be thankful that our Lord God is not only a just God but He is a merciful God. How grateful we should be that God, because of His mercy, does not give us what we justly deserve. It is because of God’s mercy that He sent His Son into the world to pay our penalty for our sins.

There is no other way for us to escape eternal judgment other than through Jesus. The scripture makes it very clear in John 14:6: when Jesus said to Thomas, one of His disciples: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There are no other options; either we except Jesus as our personal Savior or we reject Him. If we reject Him, then we face judgment and will spend an eternity in Hell. Eternal judgment is terrible and most people do not take it seriously. Some say that God would never send one to hell, and He does not. He gives us the option so it is our choice, not His.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 2:6.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

PRAYER:

Thank You God that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Help me to live a life that honors You so that others may see Christ through me and realize the importance of them having a personal relationship with Jesus.

Wealth: October 25, 2011

2011-10-30T19:00:00.001-07:00

OCTOBER 25 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 25, 2011.

WEALTH

DEFINITION:

A great quantity or store of money, property or other riches; plentiful amount; abundance; being rich or valuable.

SCRIPTURE:

“Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother.” Psalm 49:6-7.

“And you should remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant.” Deuteronomy 8:18

“As for every man that God has given riches and wealth --- this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastics 5:19.

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.” Proverbs 3:9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Wealth can be a wonderful asset or it can be a terrible liability depending on how one uses wealth. Let us share with you three principles concerning wealth:

• All wealth comes from God.
• God releases His wealth to His children.
• God releases His wealth to those who use it for His divine purposes.

We need to understand, as Christians, that all wealth does come from God. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills; He created the world and all that is in it; He created us and we are blessed according to His will.

We have learned that God really blesses those that practice what Proverbs 3:9 states: “Honor the Lord with your possessions.” There are numerous other verses in the Bible that reminds us that we are to honor the Lord with the first portion of our wealth. When one honors the Lord, no matter how wealthy he or she may be, God in turn multiplies what is given in what He gives back to the giver. And God will give you only what He can trust you with. Remember money or wealth is not evil. The scripture says that it is the love of money or wealth that is evil.

The Lord also reminds us in Luke 12:48 that “for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” This includes not only our money but our time and talents. For some people their wealth is in talents. If so then God expects much to be done for Him in return for this wealth He has given to you.

In Ecclesiastics 5:10 we are told that money never satisfies. If you take the time to read some of the biographies of some of the wealthiest people in the world, page after page will share experiences of unhappy lives. We read often in the newspaper of people committing suicide who seemed to have it all. They were rich and famous but could not find true satisfaction in their fortune.

Money alone does not satisfy. In I Timothy 6:6-8 we are reminded that we bring nothing into this world and we take nothing out of this world when we die. That fact alone should cause each of us today to honor God with all of our possessions and use all of our wealth --- money, talent and time --- for His glory.

All of us need to reevaluate how we respond to what God has given to us. Are we seeking to please God with our wealth or are we hoarding our wealth (time, talent or treasure) and therefore limiting God in what He wants to do through us with our wealth?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 2:6.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

PRAYER:

Thank You dear Lord for what You have given me. I am so wealthy because of the assurance I have of spending an eternity with You. Help me to give back to You a portion of all that You have given and will give to me. Give my family a special touch from You this day and may Christ be glorified by our actions and our words.

Ethics: October 24, 2011

2011-10-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 24 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2011

ETHICS

DEFINITION:

The body of moral principles or values held by or governing a culture group or individual; a moral principle; a rule of conduct.

SCRIPTURE:

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Hebrews 8:10.

“You will be accepted if you do what is [ethical] right. But if you refuse to do what is [ethical] right, then watch out. Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you, but you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Over the past few years the moral values of our country have steadily declined. Unfortunately this is no different today than in other eras of history. Today the Bible cannot be read and the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in public schools. The Ten Commandments have been banned from display in government offices and public places. We are living in a society that has chosen to put aside Gods standards of ethics.

This has happened because most people today have rejected Gods ethical standards of living (The Ten Commandments), choosing to set their own standards of right and wrong. They put their own interests first and choose to do as they see fit. When we look back in history, even in the Old Testament we see that man’s sinful nature has not changed with time. In Judges 17:6 we read that not long after the death of Joshua, all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. This is exactly what we are seeing today in America.

Have we forgotten that God gave Moses, to give to us, the Ten Commandments for a reason? Because of our sinful nature man has the ability to devise all sorts of evil. Laws and regulations are necessary to keep man’s evilness in check. God created us and He wants what is best for us. He knows how we should live in order to be content and fulfilled. The Ten Commandments are like a measuring stick to help us be what God wants us to be.

God took Moses up on to the mountain top and gave him a code of ethics for us to live by. These are the most complete and important list of ethics that has ever been known to man. These commandments, as listed in Exodus chapter 20, cover every detail that one needs to live a Christ centered life, even in today’s world. They are as relevant today as they were when God gave them to Moses.

In the New Testament (Matthew 22:37-38) Jesus adds to this list two more commandments. They are:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

God expects us to live by these standards of ethics and not by what we think is right. The scripture tells us in Proverbs 14:12 that there is a consequence for doing things our way. “There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.”

From our early childhood days we were taught to obey God’s standards of ethics. One day when I (Dottie) was about 8 years old, I walked to a neighborhood store on an errand for my mother. I met a neighbor girl, a good friend, in the store and we paid for the items we got and walked out together. On the way home she pulled a candy bar out of her pocket. I knew she must have stolen it as she had not paid for it when we checked out of the store together. This troubled me to the extent that I chose not to associate with her very much after that. You see I had lost trust in her and did not agree with her ethical standards as they differed from what I had been taught by my mother and what I had read in the Bible.

When we do not live by God’s standards and we are unethical, we not only sin against God but we affect how others see us. Sin (breaking Gods ethical standards) always has consequences.

We urge you today to make a commitment to first read through THE TEN COMMANDMENTS yourself and then with your family. We also suggest that after you have read through them follow this with a time of discussion with your family as to where you stand in relation to each commandment. Each of us must make a commitment to live daily by this set of ethics that God has given including the two commandments from the New Testament.

One final thought: Take the time to either find a printed version of the Ten Commandments or print it out yourself and place this list in a prominent place in your house where it can be seen daily by all.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 2:6.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord that You have given us this code of ethics to live by. Help me to know each of these commandments and to apply each one to my words and deeds daily. Bless my family today and may they not be swayed by the things of the world that they face. Give each one of us the courage to stand up for what we believe and for the one we serve.

Accept: October 21, 2011

2011-10-23T19:00:00.004-07:00

OCTOBER 21 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2011.

ACCEPT

DEFINITION:

To receive willingly; to receive with approval or favor; to take or receive something offered.

SCRIPTURE:

Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When Jesus was here on this earth the Jewish people hated the Samaritans and did not accept them. In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well and began to talk with her. When Jesus asked for a drink she was surprised and wanted to know why He was talking to her as no Jewish man would ever talk to a Samaritan woman. But Jesus continued to talk with her and she believed and accepted His gift of “living water.”

She went back to her village and led many Samaritans to become believers in Jesus. The good news that we can learn from this, is that Jesus came to this earth for all of us. And He accepts all who come to Him in faith believing for forgiveness of their sins.

In Romans 15:7 we are told to accept one another just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God. As Christians we are to accept and encourage other Christians. Also we must be willing to accept others who do not know the Lord without condoning what they do, so we can introduce them to Christ. It is important for children to understand the difference between accepting someone and accepting what someone does, when that person is doing things that are against Biblical principles.

Jesus knew that the Samaritan woman was an immoral woman. He did not shun her for her race, social position or her sins. He accepted her as someone who needed His saving grace.

People today are hungry for acceptance. Children in school do every thing they can, including lowering their standards, to be accepted by their peers. Adults are much the same. They want to be included in “THE GROUP” just as children do. There are certain groups that it is better that we as Christians are not part of.

Paul tells us in Romans 14:1--- “Do not refuse to accept someone who is weak in faith. And do not argue with him about opinions.

We, as Christians, need to make people feel important and needed. This way they will feel accepted and will more than likely be open to hear about Jesus.

Back when we attended school at Wheaton College in Illinois, I (Ken) remember being in an ethics class where we had a discussion about a small group of students who were not living up to the standards set by the college and they were not being accepted by many of our peers. As a class we began praying for this group and about a week later one of the students in the class told us that she had approached one of the people in the group.

The one thing I remember her saying was that they did not feel accepted at the school so why should they change their life style? This small group had all come from home situations where living a much looser life was acceptable. We believe that because of our prayers and the fact everyone began to let them know they were being accepted, soon the group came around and everyone could see their lives being changed. Fellow students approached them with love and not with criticism with the result that soon they all felt accepted.

This is an example that should remind each of us to do all we can to make people we touch shoulders with feel accepted.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:10-11.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

PRAYER:

Help me to find people today who need to feel accepted. May these people see Christ through my words and deeds. Help my children to stand up for what they believe and not to be swayed by the crowd. Help me to do what is good and acceptable in Your sight so that I may know beyond any doubt the good and acceptable and perfect will of God for my life.

Encouragement: October 20 ,2011

2011-10-23T19:00:00.003-07:00

OCTOBER 20 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 2011

ENCOURAGEMENT

DEFINITION:

The act of encouraging; to inspire with courage, spirit or confidence; to stimulate by guidance, approval etc; to spur on; to promote.

SCRIPTURE:

“That I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.” Romans 1:12.

“That your hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love.” Colossians 2:2.

“We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith.” I Thessalonians 3:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey established a church for new believers in Thessalonica. Paul knew the importance of encouraging new Christians so that they would not be drawn away from their faith by the pagan society they lived in. Since he could not return, he sent Timothy to encourage and strengthen them in their faith.

People today continually go through times of discouragement and they need friends like us and friends like you to give them a word of encouragement. Many children today never receive a word of encouragement from their parents. This was verified by a recent study released by UCLA that said that the average father spent FOUR minutes a day talking to his child and FOUR hours a day watching TV. Children who receive no encouragement and affirmation at home will seek it elsewhere, and most likely it will be in the wrong places and from the wrong people. How then can that child feel encouraged to be successful in life and do what is right?

Look at what children are surrounded with today. They live in a POP culture, with drugs and alcohol available to them almost wherever they go, including on their school campus. They have the trash on the internet and unless a parent filters what they can see, they see the worst. They are not allowed to read their Bible or pray at school. The Ten Commandments have been banished and now an attempt is being made to take off our money the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST.

Our children live in an immoral society with all their peers looking out for themselves and they are doing only what will make them happy. And most important they live in an anti-God and anti –religious society.

Communication is one of the most important elements of a successful marriage and family. Families today are breaking up because no one gives another family member any word of encouragement. We are so quick to criticize, but so slow to encourage. Stop and think right now --- when was the last time you gave an encouraging word to your spouse, to your children, to your extended family or to your associates. No doubt there is someone you know right now who is going through a time of discouragement. What a blessing an encouraging word from you could be to that person.

Begin today by making it a point every day to call someone on the telephone and leave an encouraging message. Think about stopping on the street just to say “hello” and “how are you?” to someone. You will have scores of opportunities to be friendly and to give someone a word of encouragement. Those you talk to will feel so much better and you will feel even better. When we encourage someone there is a positive result --- we are united in love.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:10-11.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

PRAYER:

Put me in situations today where I can be an encouragement to people. Help me to seize every opportunity possible to show people that someone cares for them. And then may my life, by my words and actions, glorify Your name and bring honor to You.

Vision: October 19, 2011

2011-10-23T19:00:00.002-07:00

OCTOBER 19 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2001.

VISION

DEFINITION:

The act or power of sensing with the eyes; the act or power of anticipating that which or may come to me; an object of sight.

SCRIPTURE:

“When your eye is good, your whole body is also filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your body is also full of darkness.” Matthew 11:36

“Your old men will dream dreams and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28.

“Where there is no vision the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we think of the word “vision” two things come to mind. First is the “vision” we have when we see things as they are. Secondly, we think of “vision” as it relates to things in the future that we want to accomplish. In life today most people see things only as they are now and cannot, for the most part, see past today.

Someone once said that worse than blindness is living without vision. As we think back on our lives we have seen God do so much through our lives and this has been mainly because we had a vision to accomplish what sometimes seemed impossible. We must remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 20:26, “With God all things are possible.”

We can remember after our sixth child, a woman Dottie knew, came up to her and asked how were we ever going to get our children through college on the income we were getting from our ministry? From the day each child entered Junior High School we continually encouraged them to do their very best so that they could get the financial aid they would need to attend college. Each one responded to our vision and they all went to a private college because they excelled at every level of school so that they were able to receive financial aid and low interest loans.

For us, life would have been unproductive and unsatisfying if we did not have a vision for our family and a vision even today for the world around us that needs to know Jesus.

Columbus had a vision to find the new world and he set out on a course that was unknown to man and his vision resulted in finding this new world. We have known a few Christian leaders in our life time that had a vision for the impossible. Then God took over and those visions became a reality.

Where there is no vision the people will perish. Leaders that we have known well include: Dr. Billy Graham, Dr Bob Pierce, Dr. Torrey Johnson, Dr. Bill Bright and Dr. Henrietta Mears. They all had visions that when first talked about were thought to be impossible. But look what God has done because these and others had a vision that God had given them and then they acted upon that vision. We all know about the ministries of Billy Graham. Dr. Pierce founded with my [Ken] father World Vision which today is one of the top five charities in the world. Dr Johnson founded Youth for Christ, a youth organization that made a dramatic impact on teenagers lives for over 40 years. Dr. Bright founded Campus Crusade that started as a college ministry and today is a world wide ministry. And finally Dr. Mears founded Gospel Light Press, the first major Sunday school material publishers in America. These people all were ordinary people that had a VISION and acted upon it believing God for the impossible.

We challenge you and your family to ask God for a special vision to further His work here on earth. Whether your vision is large or small it is important to God. We can remember our prayer over 50 years ago. It was simply for God to use us and give us a burden for a world that needed Jesus. Then we watched God open doors and we were ready to march through those doors as God led us. God needs you to think and pray this way today.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:10-11.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

PRAYER:

Open my eyes so I can see the world around me with a new vision of how I can reach this world with the message of Your love and Your free gift of salvation. Enable me to step out in faith believing that I can fulfill that vision because You have promised to be with me and help me. Bless my family and help us to make an impact on the world we live in.

Knowledge: October 18, 2011

2011-10-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

OCTOBER 18 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2011.

KNOWLEDGE

DEFINITION:

Acquaintance with facts, truths or principles; familiarity or coversance; the fact or state of knowing; the sum of what has been learned or discovered.

SCRIPTURE:

“Wise people store up knowledge.” Proverbs 10:14.

“It is not good for a soul to be without knowledge.” Proverbs 19:2.

“But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of those who possess it.” Ecclesiastics 7:12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom. We have a lot of knowledge in this world, but real wisdom is scarce. Knowledge is knowing the truth, the facts and the principles. Wisdom is discernment and understanding in the use of our knowledge. Both wisdom and knowledge come only to those who seek it.

In the book of Proverbs chapter two and verses three to five it reads: “If you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.” God is the source of knowledge and understanding.

It is interesting to note that when God planted a garden in Eden he included a tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Geneses 2:9). From the beginning of time, God was the source of knowledge. Before they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve knew only good. Satan told Eve that if she ate the fruit from the tree, her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. Adam and Eve had the knowledge of good and received the knowledge of evil by doing evil and they suffered the disastrous consequences. The lesson for us is to make sure we pursue the right kind of knowledge.

Knowledge comes to us in various ways. We learn from schooling, reading books, and observing life experiences. Education equips us and helps us gain earthly knowledge. But it is more important for us to depend on the knowledge and wisdom that comes from God, through His Word, because it is based on truth and does not change.

We read in the Old Testament about Daniel. After Daniel was taken captive to Babylonia, he was chosen by King Nebuchadnezzar to be taught the Babylonian culture. We read in Daniel 1:17 that God gave him knowledge and understanding in all kinds of literature and wisdom.

When the King had a dream that troubled him he called in all his magicians, sorcerers and astrologers and demanded that they not only tell him what the dream meant but to tell him in full the dream. When they told the king that no man could do what he ordered, the king ordered them to be executed. When Daniel heard about what the king was doing he went to the king and asked for some time so that he might be able to interpret the dream.

Daniel realized that all of the education that he had been given was not sufficient to do what the king asked. Daniel turned to God in prayer and asked God to reveal the meaning of the dream to him. Daniel knew that God was the true source of all knowledge. As a result of his faith, God revealed to Daniel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the meaning of the dream.

We can learn from this illustration from the life of Daniel that all the knowledge we might get from schooling and books is not sufficient. The knowledge that comes from God and His Word is true knowledge and always sufficient to meet our every need. Knowledge without values is like a canoe without oars. In your pursuit of knowledge make sure you look to God for His direction and make sure you develop Biblical values in your understanding of knowledge.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6: 10-11.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

PRAYER:

Help me dear Lord to pursue knowledge that will not only honor You but that You may use through me to further Your kingdom. Help me to learn Your Word, and as the scripture says, to hide it in my heart so I may not sin against You. Help me to follow Your words to Your disciples when You washed their feet saying: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Problem: October 17, 2011

2011-10-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 17 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 17, 2011

PROBLEM

DEFINITION:

A source of distress, vexation or perplexity. Any question or matter involving doubt; uncertainty or difficulty; a question proposed for solution.

SCRIPTURE:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (problems), knowing that testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In life today everyone seems to be constantly talking about the problems they are facing. Many just think that the best way to solve a problem is to avoid it. Problems weigh on us even to the extent they can make us ill. Possibly the problems you face today include issues with the economy, your career or your family.

Do you have problems in your life? If you hear someone answer “NO” to that question, you can be certain that they are in denial. Problems are part of living in a sinful world. Everyone has problems at one time or another. James doesn’t say “IF” you fall into trials, he says “WHEN” you have trials. (Verse above)

The book of First Peter is the letter that Peter wrote to encourage believers who were going through trials. Peter calls problems trials in I Peter 1:6-7 where he says: “So be truly glad, there is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.” Trials test how genuine and how strong our faith really is.

Peter goes on to say that trials test our faith like fire tests and purifies gold, though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. Just as gold is made more valuable when it is put through fire, we are made more valuable to God because we are strengthened by the problems and trials we go through. When your faith remains strong through trials, it will bring much praise and glory and honor to Jesus Christ.

Also in I Peter 4:12, Peter says: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening with you.” People often ask: “Why is this happening to me?” when they have a problem. Peter warns us to expect problems or as he calls them trials.

God allows us to have problems to test and refine our faith. Problems come in many forms and each one brings pain, anguish, stress and worry. How we cope with problems depends a great deal on our attitude.

In our family we say that we never have problems. They are only situations. Situations seem to be more solvable than problems. They are solvable if we seek the Lord’s help. Get our book, “NO PROBLEMS ONLY SITUATIONS!” (click below) so you can learn more. Trials are for a little while and Peter reminds us not to let problems (situations) rob us of our joy. God is faithful and will reward us with His gift of eternal life. God uses situations to bring us closer to Him. He wants us to bring our situations to Him and then ask Him for help. He will respond.

We need to do several things according to the verse that the Apostle Paul wrote while he was in prison (Philippians 4:6-7 above). First we need to admit that we have a problem. Then we need to turn that problem into a prayer. We need to face the problem straight on and do not let it linger.

When we turn it over to God in prayer, He will go through the problem with us and He will give us strength to endure the problem. He will use the problem to strengthen our faith and to give us peace that is beyond our understanding. Remember problems are not God’s fault and there is no limit as to what God can do in solving your problem, if you turn it over to Him.

We had the privilege of coordinating a convention for over 1000 former Youth for Christ leaders in October of 1988 in Chicago. We took with us two secretaries to assist in all of the convention details. One was our daughter and the other Ken’s personal secretary. On the first day we had several problems, some that seemed insurmountable. The four of us sat down and agreed that from that moment on we had no problems, just situations. That one conversation changed all of our concerns into solvable situations and we went forward with a smooth running and most successful God honoring convention. What we did was to turn everything over to the Lord and He got us through each situation

In life we also learn that we are to attack problems not people. Every day each of us face problems in life. Unfortunately, we somehow divert the problem to a person. We need to learn to let go of our problems and let God take care of them. So many times when we try to solve a problem without thinking it through, we cause greater problems. We have learned to pray every day for God to take care of SITUATIONS that we may face before they become a PROBLEM for us to face.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:10-11.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

PRAYER:

Help me today to face life with an attitude of wanting to please You in all that I do. Thank You for your promise to never leave me nor forsake me, so that I am assured that as I go through a problem You are going through that problem with me. Use my problems to strengthen my faith so that I can glorify Your name in all that I do.

Revenge: October 14, 2011

2011-10-16T19:00:00.004-07:00

OCTOBER 14 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 142011

REVENGE

DEFINITION:

To exact punishment for a wrong; a vindictive spirit; to inflict pain or harm; an opportunity to retaliate.

SCRIPTURE:

“Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘it is mine to avenge: I will repay, ‘” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

“Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other.” I Thessalonians 5:15

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Romans 12:17

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

All parents discover early on that children have a natural instinct to get revenge. When our children got into a disagreement it was often hard to know which one was the bigger offender. One would say that the other one hit him or her. The other would say that their sibling had hit him or her first. The reply to that accusation was that it all was the other ones fault because of some unkind thing the sibling had done. Their justification for the fight or disagreement was that they were just getting even --- revenge.

The desire for revenge is not limited to children. Basic human nature drives most people to want to retaliate when someone does them wrong. This attitude of revenge is not acceptable to God. Every day we have situations that brings out our desire to show some revenge. A fellow worker blames you for an incident at work. A friend betrays you. A spouse causes hurt feelings to the other spouse. For all of these issues, and many more, your natural response is to retaliate even if it is just verbal.

When people try to even the score and get revenge it starts a vicious cycle. Every act done to retaliate and get revenge on someone who has wronged us only results in another act of retaliation. Usually, each act or revenge is more severe than the previous one.

People in deteriorating relationships have a strong tendency to bring up “ancient history.” They feel they have to get payback or revenge. The result is that they can never truly forgive and resolve their anger. They end up suffering even more as the bitterness eats away at them like a cancer. Paul tells us in Romans to let the Lord be our avenger. He will punish with justness and fairness.

We have talked to people who have evidently been wronged years ago by a person and the relationship between the two people progressively gets worse every year. This is not acceptable in God’s sight because He wants us to live a life honoring Him in all we do. When such an incident happens God expects you to respond with love and not repay evil for evil. (Romans 12:17). This is hard because it goes against our sinful nature. If we want to live a life honoring God by our words and deeds, we need to take the initiative and make things right.

As Paul advises us in I Thessalonians 5:15, “Always try to do what is good for each other.” Paul also advises us that it is not our role to retaliate, to punish or to seek revenge but God’s. When you respond with love and an understanding attitude it will make a lasting impression on the one that wronged you. It is a well known fact that it takes two to fight and when your response is done in love and showing care it takes “all the air out of the balloon” of the one that wronged you. One day God will right every wrong.

Next time you have a desire to retaliate do something good and see what happens. You may have to, as the saying goes “bite your tongue.” It is hard to continue a fight when there is only one in the fight.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

PRAYER:

Help me today to be responsive to wrongs done to me with a spirit of love. Keep me from returning evil for evil. My great desire is to be more like You. May others see Christ in all my words and deeds. Give me an attitude of forgiveness with my family, friends and neighbors.

Eternity: October 13, 2011

2011-10-16T19:00:00.003-07:00

OCTOBER 13 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 13, 2011.

ETERNITY

DEFINITION:

Infinite time; duration without beginning or end; endless period of time.

SCRIPTURE:

“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:15.

“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever tried to imagine what eternity is like? It is very difficult for our finite minds to grasp the concept of our life going on and on with no end. On earth, things have a beginning and an ending. Sometimes when we have to stand in a line we say it seems like an eternity. It may seem long but really it is relatively short and it has an ending. Our life on this earth has a beginning and an ending, but when we leave this earth we have an eternity ahead of us with absolutely no ending.

So the question we must ask you is: “Where will you spend your eternity?” This is a question we all have to answer and it is the most important decision you will have to make during your entire lifetime. We both personally answered that question before we were ten years old.

These two verses, written above, really give us all we need to know about eternity. Each one of us has a choice to make. The one choice you have is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior and receive God’s gift of eternal life. God freely offers this choice to you because Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins and now He is in heaven preparing a place for you for eternity.

The second choice you have is to do nothing about Jesus and ignore the issue. Ignoring the issue does not make the issue go away. A non decision about Jesus is still a decision. You then have made your choice to spend an eternity in Hell. We hear it said over and over again --- “I will make that decision later” --- but later may be too late.

And the third choice is to reject Jesus and God. This choice comes with a price, as the verse above says --- “the wages of sin is death” --- so without that personal relationship with God you will spend an eternity in Hell. It is that simple and clear, so the decision is yours.

You do not hear many sermons in church today about Hell. It is not a popular subject to talk about and pastors are fearful it would turn people away from church. People just do not want to face the fact that their unforgiven sins will bring condemnation to them. It is impossible to preach the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ and ignore the fact that there is a real hell. But many pastors do preach on Heaven and Hell and their Churches are growing because the message of Heaven or Hell stirs people to make a decision for Jesus and they then stay in the church so they can grow in Christ.

People are searching for real hope and peace in their lives and the only way to have real peace and joy is to know where one will spend eternity. The decision of accepting or rejecting Jesus is the most vital decision one can make today. Nothing is more relevant than eternity. Our question to you today is: “Have you made that choice?” Your eternity is at stake. Will you spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven or with the devil in Hell?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, thank You that I can be certain that I will spend eternity with You in heaven because I have accepted you as my Savior. May I also be diligent today to share my faith with my family, friends and associates so that they may know that they have a decision to make on where they will spend eternity.

Compassion: October 12, 2011

2011-10-16T19:00:00.002-07:00

OCTOBER 12 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2011

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 crowds 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 my father (Ken) told me 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 Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

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.

Hungry: October 11, 2011

2011-10-16T19:00:00.001-07:00

OCTOBER 11 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAYOCTOBER 11, 2011.

HUNGRY

DEFINITION:

A compelling need or desire for food; the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food.

SCRIPTURE:

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry?” Psalm 146:7.

“I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” Matthew 25:35.

“And He fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9.

“A righteous man … gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked.” Ezekiel 18:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Since 1961 we have been involved with ministries that have dealt with physical hunger. And since we were in college we have been involved with ministries that were concerned about spiritual hunger. How do you react when you see or talk to a hungry person who is hungry both spiritually and physically?

Have you talked to a spiritually hungry person who was searching for peace and a relationship with God? Let us assure you that it is one of the great thrills of life, to be used by God to lead that person to a personal relationship with Jesus. Then the spiritual hunger for this person is satisfied for a life time as he has Christ in his heart

Dealing with physical hunger is an entirely different situation. Some one once said that you can feed a person a meal and in a few days he will be hungry again. But you can teach that person to fish and he can provide himself food for a lifetime.

But the real truth is that in most areas of our world where hunger is a problem it can not be solved by giving fishing lessons. But as Christians we have some lessons to learn about hunger. In the scriptures there are many references to hunger --- both spiritual hunger and physical hunger.

When we talk about spiritual hunger God expects us as Christians to be ready in season and out of season to “preach the gospel.” (II Timothy 4:2) God wants us to walk the walk and talk the talk every moment of every day being an example to all that see us. He also expects us to show others that we love and serve the Lord. By doing this when one who is suffering from spiritual hunger needs help he will come to you. And then you must be ready.

As for physical hunger, we have the responsibility to do all we can to meet the needs of those that are hungry. We are to give food to those who need food, give drink to those who are thirsty, give clothes to those that need cover and to do all that we can to help people who are physically hungry. But you may then ask --- where do I begin because the needs are so many. Yes, the needs are many but we must not use that as our excuse to do nothing. No one person can do it all. What the Lord asks of us is that we do what we can, each one according to the ability and gifts He has given us.

We read in Matthew 15:32 that Jesus called His disciples to Him and said: “I have compassion for these people; because they have already been with me three days and have had nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, as they may collapse on the way.” For three days Jesus had been teaching and healing a multitude of spiritually hungry people, but Jesus not only saw their spiritual hunger, He saw their physical hunger.

The disciples could only come up with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Jesus performed a miracle and multiplied the loaves and fish so that 4000 people could eat. And after they had all eaten all they could, there were seven baskets left over.

Jesus cares not only about our spiritual hunger but also our physical hunger. Jesus expects us to care for others the same way.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

PRAYER:

Thank You first of all dear Lord for all that You have blessed me with this day. Give me a sensitive heart today for those that are hungry both spiritually and physically. Enable me to be aware of opportunities to feed those who are hungry, whether it is hunger for spiritual food or for physical food.

Thanks: October 10, 2011

2011-10-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 10 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 10, 2011

THANKS

DEFINITION:

To express gratitude or appreciation; a grateful feeling.

SCRIPTURE:

“Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercies endure forever.” I Chronicles 16:34.

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107: 8-9.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” II Corinthians 9:15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When the American colonies were first settled one man suggested that as a group they were dwelling too much on their problems. It was time to focus on their blessings. Thus we had the first thanksgiving celebration in America.

As Christians every day should be a day of thanksgiving. Just take a moment and list in your mind all the things that God has given you to be thankful for. Our health, our family, our salvation, our job, our home, our neighbors, our church, our Bible, our automobile and the list goes on and on. Many people in our world, in fact over 85%, do not have any where near the many things that we as Americans have to be thankful for. How much more then should we be thankful to God?

In Psalm 103:2 it reads: “Praise the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It is easy to forget all the benefits God has given us. How often do we really thank God for all He gives us?

As far back as we can remember we spent time every day praying and thanking God through prayer for His blessings. As a child we prayed before every meal, we prayed every morning and we prayed every evening before we went to bed. Christian parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the benefits they received from the Lord and to be faithful in thanking Him for them. In Psalm 103: 3-5 David reminds us of the benefits we receive. Be sure to read these to your children. We are thankful for the marvelous heritage we received from our Christian parents of being thankful which we in turn passed on to our children.

What about you? If you do not have that heritage now is the time for you to take time every day to thank God for His blessings and establish that heritage with your children. Our God is a loving God and yearns for your gratitude. And He will respond by multiplying His blessings upon your life if you just take the time to thank Him.

Have you thanked God recently for sending His Son to pay the penalty for your sins? Have you thanked God for the assurance that you have that He is in heaven preparing a place for you for eternity? The apostle Paul calls God’s gift of salvation and grace that he gave us by giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross as “GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.” We should be so thankful for this gift that Paul says is above all else.

If you pause to think, you will be aware of how many benefits you have from God and that should give you cause to thank God. We need to remember with gratitude God’s many blessings.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

PRAYER:

Give me this day a spirit of gratitude to You dear God for all that You have blessed my life with. As a family may we begin today spending more time just to thank You for all the benefits we receive from You. Thank You for Your goodness in forgiving our sins, for redeeming us and giving us eternal life and for Your wonderful blessings to us. Thank You for satisfying my longing soul and for filling my life with your goodness.

Obey: October 7, 2011

2011-10-09T19:00:00.004-07:00

OCTOBER 7 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 7, 2011

OBEY

DEFINITION:

To comply with the wishes; instruction or commands; to follow; to respond readily; to submit or conform to; to be obedient.

SCRIPTURE:

“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only.” James 1:22.

“If you obey my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” John 15:9

“But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him.” I John 2:5-6.

“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

“This is love that we walk according to His commandments.” II John 1:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Obedience is the result of love and loyalty and they cannot be separated. Obedience to God is a demonstration of our love for Him. Obedience is doing what Christ has commanded us to do and living as He wants us to live. Jesus set the example for us. He was obedient to His father and obeyed His commands. By experience we know that obedience brings reward and disobedience has consequences.

We read in Numbers 20:7-12 that Moses struck the rock to get water rather then to just speak to the rock as God commanded him to do. Moses did not obey God and therefore forfeited his privilege of entering the promised land with the children of Israel, whom he had led for years. Think how painful it must have been for Moses after leading the Israelites out of Egypt and all through the wilderness for forty years and then not to be able to enter the promised land with them.

When we obey God, He uses ordinary people to do extra ordinary things. The disciples obeyed when Jesus said: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. Jesus chose ordinary men to be His disciples and because of their obedience to Jesus they were enabled to do miraculous things.

Trusting and obeying the Lord brings to one’s life true happiness. The noted author Philip Yancey wrote: “Obedience to God and only obedience offers the way out of futility.” The way of obedience is the way of blessing. We must learn to obey.

Have you noticed that children never need to be taught to disobey? Disobedience is a result of our sinful nature and each one of us --- parents, teenagers, adults and children --- need to learn to obey.

We learned as we were raising our children that the best way to teach obedience was to first set clearly the standards. Then when these standards were not honored and when we had given fair reminders, we would give an appropriate punishment such as taking away a privilege that was important to the child, for not obeying. The punishment had to have significance in the child’s mind, so it had to be painful. We also learned that it did not help to yell or threaten; this only built up resentment and never had good results. When giving out punishment for not obeying it is very important to be consistent as well.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

PRAYER:

Help me this day to obey Your Word and to be faithful in studying Your Word so that I may do a better job of obeying Your commands. Enable me to first personally understand and then to help my children to understand the importance of being obedient to God’s Word. Protect my children from being led astray by the temptations of Satan.

Success: October 6, 2011

2011-10-09T19:00:00.003-07:00

OCTOBER 6 2011 TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2011.

SUCCESS

DEFINITION:

The favorable determination of endeavors; attainment of wealth; position; honors; a successful achievement.

SCRIPTURE:

“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success. Ecclesiastics 10:10.

“Please give me success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham.”
Genesis 24:12.

“God gives strength and success in proportion to the strain. He gives power to the weak.” Isaiah 40:29.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The key to success lies in the exchange of our limited resources for God’s limitless strength. You cannot store up treasures in heaven (this is success from God’s point of view), if you are holding on to the treasures of earth. No level of success is safe or has real value without the presence of God’s hand on your life.

The best starting point for one to achieve success is to pray and ask God for success. In Genesis 24:12 it is Abraham’s most trusted servant who is asking God for success. He was sent by Abraham back to the land of his family to find a suitable wife among his relatives for his son Isaac. The servant prayed that he would know which girl God had chosen. God answered his prayer and gave him success.

Solomon advises us to commit our plans to the Lord if we want success. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3. When we commit our plans to the Lord, we are putting our trust in God for His guidance and giving Him control. We must work as if everything depends on us, but pray as if everything depends on God.

Solomon also advises those who would be successful that they need the right tools and must learn the necessary skills. It is difficult to chop wood with a dull ax. You must recognize the areas of your life that are lacking and then you must sharpen those skills. It will require hard work. But if you are diligent and put your trust in God, success will follow. If you desire to be effective in doing God’s work it is imperative to “sharpen your ax” by daily studying God’s Word. David recognized the importance of knowing God’s Word, gave this instruction to his son Solomon in I Chronicles 22:13 “Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

God told David that his son Solomon would build the Temple and David wanted Solomon to be successful. David gathered the material and the workmen and then instructed Solomon, “Now begin the work and the Lord be with you.” As parents we realize we have to instruct our children and prepare them if they are to be successful.

In raising our family we have always strived for success in all that we have done. Our number one goal was to be successful in leading our children to having a personal relationship with Jesus. We can be successful in every other section of life but if we do not have this spiritual success it is all worthless. Like Solomon, we say to our children; “Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.” Like Solomon we encouraged them to be strong and courageous, and not to be afraid or discouraged, even when the going got tough.

We always wanted our children to be balanced in their approach to their everyday lives. Thus we encouraged success in their school responsibilities, church activities, sport activities, leadership roles, and general life responsibilities and they all have worked hard to be successful. When the right approach is taught and learned it will reach down to the next generation. This has been true with us as we rejoice in seeing our grandchildren being encouraged by their parents to live by God’s Word and to do their best to be successful in all areas of their lives.

But if you would talk to each of our children today they would tell you that the most rewarding success is seeing their children accept the Lord as their Savior.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

PRAYER:

Help me today to look at success in terms of what I have done for You. Make my life speak loudly to all that I meet today, and may each person see that God is my strength and the source of my success. In my weak moments I look to You for my strength. Thank You for answering my prayers.

Authority: October 5, 2011

2011-10-09T19:00:00.002-07:00

OCTOBER 5 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2011

AUTHORITY

DEFINITION:

The power to determine or settle issues; the right to control; authorization; adjudicate; a power or right delegated as given; an expert on a subject.

SCRIPTURE:

“For there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Romans 13:1.

“All authority has been given to me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18.

“When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2.

“For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matthew 7:29

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As Christians we need to look at the word “AUTHORITY” from several
perspectives. First the authority that God has over us as Christians. And second what God says about the authority we have in the individual roles that we have been given or assumed in life.

The Bible declares God to be the supreme authority and the source of all authority. The scripture is clear that there is absolutely no authority given to man other than by God.

By the time that the Children of Israel had left Egypt, they were a large nation and needed a provision of authority to unify them, to give leadership to them and to keep order. God exercised His authority with them and delegated authority to the priests and the prophets to guide their spiritual needs. Later, when Israel demanded to have a “King,” God gave authority to a king to govern and establish civil law.

When we are in a position of authority in this life, we must recognize that all of our authority comes from God and we should exercise our power according to God’s rules and remember that God will judge us on our performance. Concerning the authority of our leaders in government and at our work place, unfortunately we live in a corrupt and sinful world so we have corrupt leaders.

We must be wise in choosing those who are in authority over us. The words of Proverbs 29:2 are true. We will groan when we are under the authority of wicked rulers. We must choose rulers who are God-fearing and righteous. Believers must pray for those in authority to make righteous decisions. Nevertheless, we as Christians must accept the authority of those in positions of authority over us as long as it does not conflict with God’s laws and moral standards. And remember, when we rebel against those in authority over us we are rebelling against God.

Concerning authority in the home, the scripture gives us in Ephesians chapter 5 specific instructions on how family members should relate to one another. As the head of the wife, husbands are to love their wives and wives are to submit to their husbands. This does not mean that the husband is the ruler nor is the wife inferior. But it does mean that the husband is the spiritual leader always thinking of his wife’s best interests and his wife should acknowledge his leadership.

A husband that loves the Lord and is wise will not take advantage of his leadership role and a wife who loves the Lord will wisely not seek to undermine her husband’s leadership. Unfortunately, this line of authority is not popular today and is not being practiced in most homes. Consequently we have seen family values eroding and more than 50% of all marriages fail.

Men no longer know how to lead their families properly under God’s direction. They have abused their role. Wives want to be equal today and do not want to be subject in any way to their husband as is God’s plan for marriage.

It is very important that parents establish with their children, at a very young age that they (the parents) are in charge. They must understand early in life that it is God’s plan for, “children to obey their parents.”

School teachers must make this same declaration but unfortunately cultural changes in our school system are making respect (authority) very difficult and a lot of this is because of bad parenting. Also in the work place today there is a lack of authority demanded or even expected. A respected, clearly stated line of authority brings success to the work place.

But most important, we need to recognize and respect God’s authority in all that we do as individuals, as a family, with our neighbors and in our work place. For Christians --- all authority is with God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

PRAYER:

Prepare my heart to live a life that respects Your authority in all situations. Give me a new respect for You, my family and all those that I make contact with today. Continue to teach me daily to trust You more.

Jealousy: October 4, 2011

2011-10-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

OCTOBER 4 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 4, 2011

JEALOUSY

DEFINITION:

A state or mood; resentful and envious; inclined to suspicious fears or envious resentment; watchful in guarding something.

SCRIPTURE:

“For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as cruel as the grave.” Song of Solomon 8:6.

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy (jealousy), murder, strife, deceit and malice.” Romans 1:29.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the above verse from Romans, Paul is describing the sinful condition of fallen mankind. Right at the top of his list is envy or jealousy. Jealousy is often the root of deceit, malice, strife and even murder.

Jealousy led Cain to slay his brother Abel. Jealousy caused Joseph’s older brothers to sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Jealousy caused Saul to try to kill David. Jealousy caused the Jewish chief priests to want to have the Romans crucify Jesus.

We cannot be faithful to God and serve Him if we have jealousy in our heart. Jealousy is part of our sinful nature and if we continue to envy and be jealous we are then slaves to our sin. Romans 6:16 says this: “You are slaves to whom you obey, whether you are slaves to sin which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness.” Do not let jealousy lead you in the wrong direction.

Jealousy is a sin that cannot be hidden and cannot be tolerated. We have mentioned so many times in these daily devotionals that these “WORDS” we refer to daily are dramatically affected by choices we make in life. Some of us make choices based on how the world looks at things. Others make choices based on what the Bible teaches us. And some make choices based on advice, both good and bad, given to us by friends and family. You can be sure that choices that come out of jealousy are always bad.

We have seen one family member jealous of another family member because they received something that the other did not. We have also seen success bring on jealousy from others. Jealousy is a mood feeling that one develops when one feels slighted and cannot accept that someone has more of something than they have. Jealousy leads to resentment and bitterness. A bitter person can never be happy and does not feel good about himself or herself.

In the Song of Solomon, it reads: Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. In other words in plain simple words --- Being jealous is cruel because it hurts us and makes us miserable.

The writer of Hebrews tell us to “be content with what you have because God has said, ‘never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Jealously leads to discontent. True contentment is in knowing and trusting in the Lord.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

PRAYER:

Keep me from being jealous of others who may be more successful or may have more than I do. Make me thankful for all that You have given me so others may see Christ in me. Help me to realize what abilities You have given me and may I rejoice in them. May I be known today as a person that is committed to You in all that I do and in all that I say.

Desperation: October 3, 2011

2011-10-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 3 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 3, 2011.

DESPERATION

DEFINITION:

The state of being desperate; having the recklessness of despair; loss of hope; a source of hopelessness.

SCRIPTURE:

“We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.” II Corinthians 1:8-9.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you ever felt as desperate as the above scripture says? Paul had endured many hardships in his life, and although he does not give us a lot of details, he does indicate that he and his companions felt they were going to die. Paul goes on to say that because they were helpless to help themselves they had to rely on God.

Some times we have to come to the point of desperation before we realize our need to completely trust in God. We have talked to a lot of desperate people in our lifetime. For some it has been facing a desperate situation in their marriage. For others it has been a desperate situation with a child. Possibly you face a desperate health situation or financial crises?

The desperations that have concerned us the most involving family life is twofold. First, we have seen so many times parents who are facing desperation because of the actions of their children. Parenting is very difficult in today’s society. Many times problems with children develop when parents have not developed a lifestyle that honors God in their homes and their lives for their children to see as they were growing up and they have not taught their children from God’s Word how to honor God.

But we also have seen great desperation from what we consider wonderful Christian parents who ask us --- WHY? Their children have made choices in their lives that are the opposite of the way they were raised. We have only one answer for one facing that situation and that is to pray for that child, continue to love that child and continue to live your consistent Christian life. We must then let go and let God do His thing. And He will do it in his perfect timing.

We have witnessed unbelievable desperation in third world countries. We have seen mothers crying because they have no food, milk or medicine for their dying child that they were holding in their arms. We have seen families with no housing, no food and seemingly no one to help because the father has died or left the home. We have seen children orphaned because both parents have died of AIDS. They ask: What should we do? Where do we go? Who really cares for me? This is desperation.

Henry David Thoreau said: “Most people live today lives of great desperation.” The feeling of desperation is often the result of choices one makes in life --- even years earlier. For others desperation comes due to situations that arise because of the location of where they were born and/or the culture they are in, the wars they have to face, poverty, persecution and other serious problems that a child, young person or adult has no control over.

But there is a solution for a person that is facing a desperate situation in life. The scripture says that we are to “cast all of our cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” You might respond by saying or thinking that is easy for us to say. We do not understand how bad the situation is.

Let us tell you and assure you that no situation is too hard for God to overcome. It is our lack of faith that causes us to doubt what God wants to do for us. When desperate situations get us down, the only way to look is up. God is waiting for you to bring your desperation to Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Corinthians 5:17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the promise through Your Word that all I have to do is to cast my care (desperation) upon You and You will care for me. Help me today to grasp what You say and give me the faith to accept that You are caring for me even when I am feeling total despair.

Arguing: September 30, 2011

2011-10-02T19:00:00.006-07:00

SEPTEMBER 30 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.

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 around you and listen carefully to their conversations. Listen to children, youth and adults and count how many times you hear people arguing about issues both large and small. This, you will find out, is true among family members, neighbors and friends. 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 in 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. Every one 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 despite issues that may arise that usually lead you to an argument --- 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 I Corinthians 15:58.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

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.

Abilities: September 29, 2011

2011-10-02T19:00:00.004-07:00

SEPTEMBER 29 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

ABILITIES

DEFINITION:

Capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, or financially; competence based on natural skill; talents; special skills or aptitudes.

SCRIPTURE:

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12: 6-8.

“And to one He gave five talents, to another two and to another one, to each according to his own ability.” Matthew 25:15.

“If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies.” I Peter 4:11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As Christians, we are all part of one body, the Church of Christ. We are put here on earth with one purpose and that is to build Christ’s Church. To accomplish this, God has given us different abilities and no one person has the ability to do the work of the Church all alone.

God expects us to be diligent in using our abilities for His service and not for our personal advancement or enjoyment. It is also important for us to not be jealous of the abilities that others may have. The scripture tells us that it is most important that we be faithful to use our abilities to glorify God because He is the one that has given us our abilities and has a specific purpose in giving us each one.

To those that God has given the ability to earn large amounts of money, God has a word of caution in Deuteronomy 8:17-18: “You may say to yourself, ‘my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.’”

If you have received greatness in life whether by your wealth or by a position of power or leadership, remember that God has given you this ability and you have a responsibility to use what you have accomplished to bring glory and honor to God.

We have noticed with our six children and 20 grandchildren that no two children are the same. God has given each child specific physical abilities and spiritual abilities based on their ability to use them properly. And as parents and grandparents we have a responsibility to guide our children to help them make the most out of the abilities that God has given them. We are to do this to bring honor and glory to God and to further His Kingdom.

Often we have seen children and adults with real talent and ability fail to use their God given ability to accomplish anything of merit. Worse yet, we have seen people use their talents that God has given them for evil purposes.

All children want to excel and be successful but for some, achievement comes much harder and more slowly based on the fact that they do not have the same ability as a sibling or a classmate. We need to give special encouragement and praise to the child that works hard to achieve what may come easy for others.

Parents have the responsibility to see that children that seem to have greater ability and are faster learners do not become lazy. They need to be stimulated with new challenges.

As Christians we need to strive daily to use the abilities that God has given us to bring glory to God and His kingdom. Are we using our abilities wisely? It is wrong for one to sit back and not use an ability that God has given you. God also expects us to reach out and nurture those who need help in finding their “niche” in life. Are you doing this?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 15:58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

PRAYER:

Help me today dear Lord, to use the abilities that You have blessed me with for Your glory. May all those that I meet see Christ through me today. May each family member and each friend do all they can today to reach out to help someone in need. Help me to grow in You and be mature in my Christian walk.

Dependence: September 28, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 28 2011.TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

DEPENDENCE

DEFINITION:

The state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid or support; reliance; confidence; trust; subordination or subjection.

SCRIPTURE:

“Who among you fears the Lord --- let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely (have dependence) upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

David went from being a shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Throughout his life he was dependent on God. As a shepherd boy he had to kill a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. In each instance he gave the Lord credit for delivering him from the problem.

When David told Saul that he would go and fight Goliath, Saul was against it because David was just a young boy. David answered Saul by saying “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the jaw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:37)

This was the first of many battles that David had to fight in his life time, and through them all David never lost his trust in God. His dependence was always on his God.

David wrote many of the Psalms and in them he proclaimed how much he depended on God. For example:

“Find rest, O my soul in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor DEPEND on God! He is my mighty rock, my refuge.” Psalm 62: 5-7.

When we think of depending on God we remember visiting a mother with her new born baby in Honduras. She was reading to her baby from God’s Word. We asked the mother through our interpreter why she was reading the Bible to such a young baby. Her response was that she knew he did not understand now but she wanted to make sure that his earliest memory is the hearing the words from the Bible so that he would become totally dependent on God as he grew up.

Just as a young child depends on his or her parents for almost everything, we as believers in Christ need to depend totally on God. As the scripture above reminds us, we can not rely on our own understanding. God has given us the ability to think and reason but when we trust in our own understanding or wisdom, we often find that we do not have all the answers. Our wisdom is limited but God’s is not.

When we put our trust in God we will seek God’s guidance and be willing to correct our thinking and actions when they go against God’s Word. One needs to learn the independent side of dependence as one walks the Christian life. We need to show our independence in our day to day living by separating ourselves from the sinful activities of this world while depending every moment on the leading of the Lord in our lives.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 15:58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

PRAYER:

Help me today to learn more about trusting You. In all that I do this day help me to depend on Your leading and not on my own understanding. May each one in my family learn what it means to depend on You?

Tithing: September 27, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 27 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

TITHING

DEFINITION:

The tenth part of goods; to give or pay tithes on such as income.

SCRIPTURE:

“You shall tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.” Deuteronomy 14:22.

“Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will over flow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Tithing is the setting aside of one tenth of all that God blesses us with to give back to the Lord. Tithing is of great significance in the life of those who are believers. Tithing is an important part of serving and honoring the Lord. The purpose of tithing is to demonstrate that we put God first in our lives. We are to give God the first fruits (the first and best) of what we receive. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Giving God the first part of our earnings shows what we value most. It is a temptation to take care of everything else first and give the Lord something only if there is money left over. If the Lord is not a priority, we cannot expect Him to bless us. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that those who honor the Lord with their tithe will have their “barns filled with plenty.”

The Israelites were instructed by God through Moses to give God the first and best portions of their harvest and the best of their flocks to the Lord. It was a reminder to them that everything they had belonged to God.

From the time we were children our parents taught us the importance of tithing. They instilled in us that we were to give the first tenth of all the money we received before we spent it on anything else. I (Ken) can remember the cup and/or glass that sat on a table for us to put even our few pennies from our allowance in each week. My (Dottie’s) mother taught her three girls early on that if we received 10 pennies we should give the Lord the shiniest one signifying that we were giving our best to the Lord. It was a different day then, our allowance was in pennies.

This training helped us realize the importance of tithing as we got older. We believe today that because we were taught as children to tithe and then we have practiced tithing all of our lives that it may be the single most important reason that God has blessed us so abundantly.

If a tenth seems a lot, then remember two very important things. First, all we have belongs to God. Secondly, we can not out give God. We have found that the more we give the more God blesses us. We challenge you to tithe if you do not now. We could give you hundreds of examples of how God has blessed others just as he has blessed us. We learned to tithe even when it was difficult. We learned to give a tithe when we had to tighten an already tight budget. But every time when we needed help or came to a crises God provided far and beyond our need.

LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 15:58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

PRAYER:

Teach me today to tithe of all that You have blessed me with. Thank You, dear Lord for providing for me and my family in such a marvelous way. We honor You and thank You for being our God, our Lord and our Savior.

Poor: September 26, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 26 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

POOR

DEFINITION:

Having little or no money or goods; dependent upon charity; characterized by or showing poverty; lacking in ability or training; humble; modest; deficient in desirable ingredients or qualities.

SCRIPTURE:

“Blessed is he who considers the poor, the Lord will deliver him in his time of trouble.” Psalm 41:1

“I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me.” Psalm 40:17

“He who has pity upon the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” Proverbs 19:17

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

I will never forget the little 12 year old girl that came to our warehouse at World Opportunities to pick up food. This warehouse was there to give food packaged in large quantities to food banks and churches. Our warehouse man asked me to come to the gate to explain to the mother and girl that they would need to go to a local church or feeding center to get help.

When I arrived at our gate and saw the tearful eyes of this little girl and heard the mother say that they had not had any food for three days, I had to respond. I asked one of our workers to gather several loaves of bread and food so we could give them a large box of items to take with them. When the little girl saw the bread she asked if she could open a loaf and have a piece. When she took that first bite her tears changed to a smile and in moments the piece of bread was all gone.

Some one once said that we can learn from the poor. I did that day and when I went home that night the story of this little 12 year old girl reminded our whole family what it meant to be poor. But more important we were reminded of two more things. First, to thank God for all that He has given us. Secondly, for us to have hearts that were open to help the poor whenever we had the opportunity.

Over the years we have seen so many instances of poor children living in dire poverty. The children who live on the garbage dump in Manila, the families who live in the slums of east Africa and the orphans (street children) who live in “lean to” houses in Guatemala. Each instance reminds us that we must dedicate ourselves to help poor people wherever they are.

We are reminded often in the Bible to remember and care for the poor. The real test of our Christian faith and beliefs is the way we treat people we meet whether they are rich or poor. Do we scorn the poor or do we have mercy on them and care enough to help?

Do we get awe struck by the rich and then forget the poor? In Matthew 25: 41 – 46, Jesus speaks of the final judgment when He will separate the believers from the pretenders. He lists in these verses the acts of kindness that sets apart nonbelievers from the followers of Christ.

There is an insightful verse found in Matthew 25: 35 that should motivate us to action: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” What Jesus is telling us is that when we do these things we are doing it for Him.

When we think that the way we treat others is as if we were treating Jesus in that same manner it puts a whole different perspective on what we do. The deeds of mercy we do is the real evidence of our faith. These acts of mercy that Jesus gives us in Matthew are simple things that we all can do. Our loving acts of kindness to others brings glory to God as it reflects our love for Him and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In Psalms 40:17, David tells us about a different meaning to the word “POOR.” He was feeling alone, empty, downtrodden and he was in a real need for spiritual help. When David felt down and out, he knew where to turn. David knew that even though we feel insufficient God is always aware of what those who trust in God are going through. David knew that God was with him in his hour of need. It is when we are feeling poor and needy that we are most likely to seek after God and that is when God is able to do his greatest work in us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 15:58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the many blessings You have given me and my family. Today I pray for those who have so little. I pray that You would lead me today to someone who is either physically or spiritually poor. Help others to see Christ in me in all that I do.

Character: September 23, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 23 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

CHARACTER

DEFINITION:

The features and traits that form the individual nature of a person; moral or ethical excellence; honesty; fortitude; distinctive.

SCRIPTURE:

“Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.” Proverbs 20:11.

“But a generous man devises generous things and by generosity he shall stand.” Isaiah 32:8

“A good name is more desirable than great riches.” Proverbs 22:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Some time ago we went to see one of our grandsons play baseball at his little league field. There were signs on all the screens protecting the spectators from foul balls. The signs all read: YOUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING! What does this say about the character of parents today? These signs have been placed there to remind the adults to watch there language, eliminate their harsh criticism of umpires, coaches and even players. What has happened to our character today? Should we have to be reminded to set a good example for our children?

Many will say that it is next to impossible today, humanly speaking, with all the pressures of our culture and society on a person, to live a life that is honest, exemplary and shows character. The Christian today has a responsibility to live the kind of life that shows good character in all he or she does. This can only happen when one turns his life over to the Lord and then leans on the Lord totally.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Christians at Galatia to be concerned about their character. Paul said that if our lives are controlled by the Holy Spirit, God will produce in us the characteristics of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22-23] As you look at these character traits that Paul outlines in these verses, do you need to improve on any of them in your life?

Some of us need to show a little more gentleness and love to our family or possibly we need to show a little more kindness to a neighbor. Perhaps at the top of your list should be to spend more time in prayer and in reading Gods Word. It is not what you do, but it is who you are that is most important, but we become known by what we do. If you are a Christian and are of good character, it will be evident by your actions.

It is our actions that give us a good name. Solomon with all his wealth said a good name is more to be desired than riches. Do your friends and family see you as a person of good character who stands for what is right in every way every day?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse is found this week in I Corinthians 10:13.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

PRAYER:

I come to You dear God asking for the courage and strength to live a life today that shows Christ-honoring character in my life. May others see Christ through me? Help me to be an example to my family and to those I meet and talk to today.

Worship: September 22, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 22 2011 TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

WORSHIP

DEFINITION:

Reverent honor and homage paid to God; formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor; adoring, reverence or regard.

SCRIPTURE:

“Because He is your Lord, worship Him.” Psalm 45:11.

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Psalm 95:6

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Worship is our way to show that we honor and reverence God. He is all powerful and all knowing but more than that He is a loving and just God. He loved us so much that He was not willing for us to die in our sins so He sent His only Son to suffer and die for our sins. Because of this alone, He deserves our worship.

We worship the Lord with praise and thanksgiving for who He is and for the salvation He provided for us through Jesus Christ. We also worship Him for all the blessings He has given to us. James reminds us that every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from our father in heaven [James 1:7]. We have an awesome God, how can we not worship Him?

We have been in Kenya several times representing our ministry, World Opportunities International. One of the highlights of each trip was visiting some of the 75 churches we sponsored. We learned from them what true worship was all about. These dear people filled their churches to capacity every time the doors were opened. Most of them walked for miles to get to their church. They had no cars and could not afford any city buses that may have been available. Many were standing outside looking in through the open windows. We never have heard such singing from the heart. They would sit or stand for hours taking in every word that was being preached.

And when the offering was taken we learned so much about worship through their giving. They worshipped God in the offering with a tithe of what God had given them. We saw chickens, vegetables and even clothes being given.

Many times we have compared the worship of these dear Kenyans with the church here in America. What a difference! We are sure you know what we mean. What happens when the preacher speaks too long or the service is longer then an hour?

After we were first married and went to Korea for World Vision, one of the first things that was brought to our attention was the early morning prayer meetings. At 6:00A.M. EVERY MORNING the churches were filled to capacity for their daily prayer meeting as they worshipped God together. They recognized the importance of worshipping God and were willing to get up before daybreak to honor the Lord by joining with fellow believers in worship.

They prayed daily for their country, for their churches and for their countrymen who did not know the Lord. South Korea was known as a Christian nation because they demonstrated their faith in God through prayer and worship. Over half of their population was classified as Christians. This was a great lesson to us about worship and prayer. Our world today needs to make the worshipping of our Lord a priority in our daily lives.

When you are worshipping in the presence of God, this is a time for God to talk to you. A good indicator of our spiritual temperature is our eagerness to worship God. Our worship of God here on earth is only a prelude to the great worship services we will have in the future when we are in the presence of God. We encourage you to worship God daily and live for what you will not regret when you die.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 10:13.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

PRAYER:

Give me today a spirit of worship. Help me to worship You, my God, my Lord and my Savior. I bring all that I have to You today so that as I worship You, You can use me as you see fit. Bless my family, my friends and those in the world we live in that are lonely, hungry and searching for hope that only You can give.

Persecution: September 21, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 21 2011 TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

PERSECUTION

DEFINITION:

The act of persecuting; subject to harassing or cruel treatment as a result of religion, race, or beliefs; to annoy or trouble persistently; oppress.

SCRIPTURE:

“Bless those that persecute you.” Romans 12:14.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” Matthew 5:11-12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we think of persecution we think of one being killed or martyred for the cause of Christ. But there are other issues that are considered persecution. Some may think that persecution is living in an unstable home situation, being talked to critically by a peer or friend or being hurt by somebody physically or mentally.

Teenagers today feel they are being “persecuted” by peers at their school who do not let them into their “group.” Being accepted today is vital to children, youth and even adults. When one is not accepted they feel persecuted.

Many times non-acceptance comes as a result of one’s strong stand for Christian standards and beliefs. Christians are often ridiculed and discriminated against. Jesus taught that we should consider ourselves blessed when we are persecuted if it is because of our faith. If this is so, we are not alone. Jesus certainly was persecuted and so were His disciples, other prophets and many that we read about in the Old and New Testament. If we are persecuted for our faith it means that we are doing what is right in God’s sight and that we are being faithful to our belief in the Lord.

Jesus said we are blessed when people revile and persecute us. It is difficult to feel blessed when we are persecuted, so why does Jesus say we are blessed? He tells us that it is because “great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11-12 above)

Recently we read that over 70 million Christians have been martyred in the last 20 centuries because of their Christian faith. But the more startling fact is that more than 50% of these 70 million have been martyred in the last 60 years.

Persecution severely tests our faith. When we consider how these martyrs were willing to suffer for their faith, we must ask ourselves how much we would be willing to suffer to stand up for our Lord and Savior. It takes great faith to stand strong in the face of persecution.

We urge you to be faithful in reading God’s Word and these “Today’s Word” devotionals which will help you know and understand how God wants you to deal with issues you face in life. It is only as we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word that we grow in our relationship with God and with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The closer our relationship with our Lord the stronger will be our faith. Only with strong faith will we be able to endure persecution.

Here in America many feel that we are turning away from our spiritual principles that our country was founded on. One of the reasons we feel this way is that Christians are silent about their faith. Even though we may risk some persecution from others we need to speak up and be heard. When persecution comes are way, just remember the persecution that Jesus went through for our salvation.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 10:13.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for what You did for me by dying on the cross. Help me to represent You today with a new fervor and drive so that others will have no doubt as to what I believe. Help me to challenge my family and Christian friends to join me in standing tall for You.

Integrity: September 20, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 20 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

INTEGRITY

DEFINITION:

Uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

SCRIPTURE:

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There is no one quite like him, honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity. You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it did not work.” Job 2:3.

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who walks crooked paths will be found out” Proverbs 10:9

“I have walked in my integrity, I have trusted the Lord.” Psalm 26:1

“The integrity of the upright will guide thee.” Proverbs 11:3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

It is very difficult today to find a person with integrity. We have heard some say that you can not be successful in life unless you cut corners somewhere. We have always desired and tried to practice being honest and forthright to all that we work with and meet daily. Being a person of integrity is one of the most important characteristics one can have in life.

In Proverbs 10:9, it reads that when we have integrity we can walk securely because we do not have to worry that we will be found out and our dishonesty will be revealed. When a person loses his or her integrity it is almost impossible to build it back.

Children today make many of their choices in life based on what they see their parents do. They can see when items come home from the office that does not belong to their parents. They can see when a parent short changes a friend. They know when they hear their parents are not being truthful when talking to others. If a parent compromises his or her integrity, the first to see it is a child or a spouse.

Children and parents today live in a “ME” generation and therefore integrity takes second place to the thought that if I benefit it is all right and one shows no concern if it compromises their integrity.

The Bible gives us in the Old Testament the Ten Commandments. These were given to us so that we may know what God expects of us. When any of these commandments are broken, the integrity of the one that broke that commandment is in question. And that is where the Lord comes in because He needs to be an intimate part of our daily routine.

God honors those that honor Him. Psalm 41:12 is a reminder to us that God rewards integrity when the psalmist said, “You (God) uphold me in my integrity.” The Bible gives instance after instance of God’s blessing on the lives of people who serve the Lord with integrity. Look at the story of Job and be reminded how God protected him because of his integrity through probably the most difficult series of testing that any one has gone through.

Read again Job 2:3 (above) and ask yourself the question, “Would God be able to say about me what He said about Job?”

In Genesis 39, we are given an example of integrity as seen in the life of Joseph. Potiphar had put Joseph in charge of his house and all that he had. Then Joseph was approached by Pontiphar’s wife who put him in a compromising position. Joseph responded quickly and firmly by saying that he could not sin against God and against his master, Potiphar. He knew God’s standard and chose to stand for right. That is integrity.

NO LEGACY IS AS RICH AS ONES INTEGRITY

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

PRAYER:

Give me strength this day to live each moment with integrity. May my words and deeds honor You and I ask for Your protection as I face temptations today. Bless my family and my world and give me opportunities to show my integrity to others so You can be seen through me today.