TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2009
PROMISES
Defined by Webster:
One’s pledge to another that one will or will not do something; ground for hope; engage to do or give; give one’s word to.
GODS WORD
“And this is the promise that He has promised us --- eternal life.” 1 John 2:25.
“May the Lord God of your father’s make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you.” Deuteronomy 1:11
“The Lord is faithful to all His promises.” Psalm 145:13.
“He keeps every promise forever.” Psalm 146:6
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
God has given us hundreds of promises in His word and none of them have been broken. In II Peter, he describes promises as “exceeding great and precious promises.” When we become a believer in Jesus these promises are ours but we must claim them and act on them. In order to claim them we must be spiritually right with the Lord. We cannot be pursuing sinful ways and disobeying God’s will and expect to receive these promises. God’s promises also usually require action on our part.
When Joshua was old and he knew his life was about over, he gave a farewell speech to the children of Israel. He said in part: “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled: not one has failed.” (Joshua 23:14)
The passages from Psalms we have listed above, affirm that God keeps His promises and keeps them forever.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven He assured the disciples that they were not going to be left alone. Jesus promised them that He would send them a Counselor (John 14:16). In Luke 24:49 and in Acts 1:4, Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of His father that He had told them about. The promise of the father that Jesus was talking about was for the disciples to expect the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the second chapter of Acts we read of the fulfillment of this promise when the Holy Spirit descended on them at Pentecost.
As parents we make promises every day but unfortunately many of these promises are not kept. It is important as parents that as we raise our children that we make sure before a promise is made that it can be honored. Many parents do not realize the positive impact that is made on a child’s mind when promises are made and kept. And when promises are made and not kept the negative impact is severe over the long term. When children see that promises are made and not honored, their minds are structured so as not to take promises seriously. When they become adults their promises will be made to be broken.
The same can be said about spouses making promises to one another and adults making promises to friends and associates. When you keep promises you are considered reliable and trustworthy. When you do not keep your promises you are considered unreliable and many would call you a “flake.” But most important promises kept affect the attitude of the one you make a promise too. For the most part, when you make a promise, you really know when you make it if you are going to keep it or break it.
Are you the kind of person that keeps your promises? Those that love the Lord should at all times strive to keep promises. We can remember a promise that we made to each other and to our children. We promised that we would always have dinner together as a family. We made this promise for two very important reasons. First, it gave us a regular time to read God’s Word and to pray together as a family. Secondly, it gave us a daily time to communicate with one another. As parents we regarded this as a time to listen. Our children would share their events of the day, their concerns and their blessings. There were many times that this promise was hard to keep but even at a cost to us we did all we could to always keep this promise.
Our Lord kept His promises and in so doing He set a standard for us to live by daily. We must strive to keep our promises and by doing this we honor and glorify our Lord.
The greatest promise God has given us is the promise that He would send His Son to be our Savior and that through Him we would receive forgiveness for all of our sins and the gift of eternal life. God has fulfilled that promise. We have accepted it, have you?
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You for sending Your Son to this earth to pay the penalty for my sins. Thank You for now preparing a place for me to spend eternity with You. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to be my comforter in all that I do. May my family do all we can to make promises to honor You and then to keep promises so that others will see our word is trustworthy.
October 2, 2009
Value: October 1, 2009
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2009
VALUE
Defined by Webster:
Relative worth or importance; monetary or material worth; the worth of something.
GODS WORD
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
What is of value in God’s sight? God is all knowing and all powerful and has every thing He needs. But He puts great value on our soul even though in comparison to God we are nothing. Sometimes we feel worthless and wonder how could we be of any value to God? God wants us to understand value from an eternal perspective.
Jesus often taught using parables. He taught the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 12:12-14. He said that if a shepherd owns a hundred sheep and one gets lost he will leave the ninety-nine to look for the one that is lost. Jesus said that the shepherd is happier about the one sheep when found than the ninety-nine others. This is the way that God feels about us. He places the same value on each of us and like the shepherd; He does not want to lose a single one of us.
Jesus has offered us an eternal inheritance that is ours for the asking. When we recognize the value of what God did for us by sending His son to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins and then to give us eternal life, how can we reject so valuable a gift?
There are many things that are considered of value in life. God talks about the value of His people, the value of life, the value of being rich or poor, the value of a lost sheep, the eternal value of a soul, the value of a widow’s mite, the value of an eternal inheritance and the value of our faith, just to name a few.
Most of us realize the value of a healthy life. If you need to be reminded as to how valuable a healthy life is then go to your local children’s hospital and look at a few sick children. God will do something special to you like break your heart with concern for these that are hurting and you will thank God for your good health.
Most of us understand the difference between being rich or comfortable financially verses poor. If you do not then go and talk to a family living in the slums of the inner city or a homeless man sleeping on the street. God will again move your heart to compassion to help the hurting and you will thank God for the blessings He has given you.
Finally, when we think of the widow’s mite, we realize how valuable it is to our Lord when one person gives whatever he has to further His work. We cannot out give God. It has been our experience that God blesses us when we give with blessings that far and away outweigh the value of what we have given.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You for the value You have placed on my life. I take time today just to praise You. I praise You for being God, for being all powerful, all knowing and sovereign. I praise You for sending Your ONLY Son to this earth to die in order to pay the penalty for my sins. I praise You for being with me every moment of every day and leading me in the path that You desire for me.
VALUE
Defined by Webster:
Relative worth or importance; monetary or material worth; the worth of something.
GODS WORD
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
What is of value in God’s sight? God is all knowing and all powerful and has every thing He needs. But He puts great value on our soul even though in comparison to God we are nothing. Sometimes we feel worthless and wonder how could we be of any value to God? God wants us to understand value from an eternal perspective.
Jesus often taught using parables. He taught the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 12:12-14. He said that if a shepherd owns a hundred sheep and one gets lost he will leave the ninety-nine to look for the one that is lost. Jesus said that the shepherd is happier about the one sheep when found than the ninety-nine others. This is the way that God feels about us. He places the same value on each of us and like the shepherd; He does not want to lose a single one of us.
Jesus has offered us an eternal inheritance that is ours for the asking. When we recognize the value of what God did for us by sending His son to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins and then to give us eternal life, how can we reject so valuable a gift?
There are many things that are considered of value in life. God talks about the value of His people, the value of life, the value of being rich or poor, the value of a lost sheep, the eternal value of a soul, the value of a widow’s mite, the value of an eternal inheritance and the value of our faith, just to name a few.
Most of us realize the value of a healthy life. If you need to be reminded as to how valuable a healthy life is then go to your local children’s hospital and look at a few sick children. God will do something special to you like break your heart with concern for these that are hurting and you will thank God for your good health.
Most of us understand the difference between being rich or comfortable financially verses poor. If you do not then go and talk to a family living in the slums of the inner city or a homeless man sleeping on the street. God will again move your heart to compassion to help the hurting and you will thank God for the blessings He has given you.
Finally, when we think of the widow’s mite, we realize how valuable it is to our Lord when one person gives whatever he has to further His work. We cannot out give God. It has been our experience that God blesses us when we give with blessings that far and away outweigh the value of what we have given.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You for the value You have placed on my life. I take time today just to praise You. I praise You for being God, for being all powerful, all knowing and sovereign. I praise You for sending Your ONLY Son to this earth to die in order to pay the penalty for my sins. I praise You for being with me every moment of every day and leading me in the path that You desire for me.
Door: September 30, 2009
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
DOOR
Defined by Webster:
A moveable barrier for opening and closing an entrance way; any means of access.
GODS WORD
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7
“Do not grumble against one another lest you be condemned. Behold the judge is standing at the door.” James 5:9
“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.” Revelation 3:20
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
Possibly you have seen the picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. This is the mental picture we get when we read Revelation 3:20 (above). A door is a way in or out and is a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. The door must be opened in order to obtain access to one side or the other.
Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart asking to come in. If we do open the door and accept Him and show our love to Him, He will come in and will dine (commune) with us. Jesus is standing ready for all to accept Him and to repent of our sins. He has paid the penalty for our sins and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in.
In John 10:7, Jesus is called the door of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. A good shepherd kept his sheep in a pen to keep them safe at night. The shepherd then acted as the door to the pen, letting the sheep in so he could watch over them and protect them. Jesus is our door to God. It is only through Jesus that we can come to God. Once we have entered the door of salvation, Jesus becomes our shepherd and as our shepherd He is our protector.
One of the definitions of “door” (above) is: “any means to access.” We urge you to open the door of your heart today first to let Jesus into your heart and then open the door of your heart to let God and His Holy Spirit lead you through the day. God wants access to your heart. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you hear Him?
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank you for standing and knocking at the door of my heart and giving me the opportunity to receive You into my heart. Thank You for being my shepherd and watching over me and protecting me. Help me to always follow You wherever You may lead me.
DOOR
Defined by Webster:
A moveable barrier for opening and closing an entrance way; any means of access.
GODS WORD
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7
“Do not grumble against one another lest you be condemned. Behold the judge is standing at the door.” James 5:9
“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.” Revelation 3:20
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
Possibly you have seen the picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. This is the mental picture we get when we read Revelation 3:20 (above). A door is a way in or out and is a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. The door must be opened in order to obtain access to one side or the other.
Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart asking to come in. If we do open the door and accept Him and show our love to Him, He will come in and will dine (commune) with us. Jesus is standing ready for all to accept Him and to repent of our sins. He has paid the penalty for our sins and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in.
In John 10:7, Jesus is called the door of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. A good shepherd kept his sheep in a pen to keep them safe at night. The shepherd then acted as the door to the pen, letting the sheep in so he could watch over them and protect them. Jesus is our door to God. It is only through Jesus that we can come to God. Once we have entered the door of salvation, Jesus becomes our shepherd and as our shepherd He is our protector.
One of the definitions of “door” (above) is: “any means to access.” We urge you to open the door of your heart today first to let Jesus into your heart and then open the door of your heart to let God and His Holy Spirit lead you through the day. God wants access to your heart. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you hear Him?
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank you for standing and knocking at the door of my heart and giving me the opportunity to receive You into my heart. Thank You for being my shepherd and watching over me and protecting me. Help me to always follow You wherever You may lead me.
Time: September 29, 2009
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
TIME
Defined by Webster:
A system or method of measuring the passing of time; a limited period; a particular period.
GODS WORD
“To everything there is a season, a time for every person under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” Ecclesiastics 3:1-2
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but TIME and CHANCE happen to them all.” Ecclesiastics 9:11
“Remember how short my time is.” Psalm 89:47
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
God has given time to us so that we can come to know Him and then to be a witness of Him to a world that needs to know Jesus. Time to God is different than time to us. In Psalm 90:4, the Psalmist says that “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” One day on God’s calendar is like a thousand years on ours.
The question for us as Christians is: “How do we spend our time?” For weeks we have referred to many areas in our lives that relate to how we use our time. One of the great failings of Christians today is not having adequate time to give to God. In order for us to be in tune with God it demands time on our part. Specifically, it demands that we spend time daily reading God’s Word, the Bible. This is how God communicates to us and how we learn how God wants us to live.
Secondly, God expects us to communicate with Him through prayer. Most Christians do not take the time to pray each day. Oh yes, some will say that they pray before each meal and before they go to bed each night. God wants more than that from us. He wants us to give Him time with our prayers so we can make known to Him our requests, our praise of Him and our needs.
Time is a valuable asset to each of us every day. How we spend our time depends on our priorities and we all have different priorities. Choosing how we use our time becomes a moral and spiritual issue and what is important to us usually wins out. God expects us to invest a portion of our time daily to praise Him and to communicate our gratitude for what He is doing for us.
We are reminded of the life of George Mueller. He was used of God in a very special way establishing orphanages for children. He spent at least six hours each morning in prayer asking God for His leading and direction for the day. Some might say that spending six hours in prayer was a waste of time. George Mueller saw it differently. He saw prayer as preparation of his heart for God to use and bless him and to give him strength and wisdom to go and knock on doors asking for assistance for his orphanage. George knew that he could not do it alone. Through prayer God not only prepared his heart but the hearts of those he would visit. As a result of George Mueller’s faithful prayers God blessed him and supplied what he needed to establish and maintain the orphanages.
We encourage you to make communication with God a priority. Pray to God daily and read the Bible daily so God can respond to you through His Word. If you do this you will be surprised at how God will change you and work in your life.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You for the time You have given me to live on this earth. Help me today to reevaluate how I spend my time. Give me the will and dedication to spend more time with You. Help me to take time daily to study Your Word and to communicate to You through prayer. Honor our family with Your blessing and help us to rededicate our time to better serve You.
TIME
Defined by Webster:
A system or method of measuring the passing of time; a limited period; a particular period.
GODS WORD
“To everything there is a season, a time for every person under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” Ecclesiastics 3:1-2
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but TIME and CHANCE happen to them all.” Ecclesiastics 9:11
“Remember how short my time is.” Psalm 89:47
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
God has given time to us so that we can come to know Him and then to be a witness of Him to a world that needs to know Jesus. Time to God is different than time to us. In Psalm 90:4, the Psalmist says that “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.” One day on God’s calendar is like a thousand years on ours.
The question for us as Christians is: “How do we spend our time?” For weeks we have referred to many areas in our lives that relate to how we use our time. One of the great failings of Christians today is not having adequate time to give to God. In order for us to be in tune with God it demands time on our part. Specifically, it demands that we spend time daily reading God’s Word, the Bible. This is how God communicates to us and how we learn how God wants us to live.
Secondly, God expects us to communicate with Him through prayer. Most Christians do not take the time to pray each day. Oh yes, some will say that they pray before each meal and before they go to bed each night. God wants more than that from us. He wants us to give Him time with our prayers so we can make known to Him our requests, our praise of Him and our needs.
Time is a valuable asset to each of us every day. How we spend our time depends on our priorities and we all have different priorities. Choosing how we use our time becomes a moral and spiritual issue and what is important to us usually wins out. God expects us to invest a portion of our time daily to praise Him and to communicate our gratitude for what He is doing for us.
We are reminded of the life of George Mueller. He was used of God in a very special way establishing orphanages for children. He spent at least six hours each morning in prayer asking God for His leading and direction for the day. Some might say that spending six hours in prayer was a waste of time. George Mueller saw it differently. He saw prayer as preparation of his heart for God to use and bless him and to give him strength and wisdom to go and knock on doors asking for assistance for his orphanage. George knew that he could not do it alone. Through prayer God not only prepared his heart but the hearts of those he would visit. As a result of George Mueller’s faithful prayers God blessed him and supplied what he needed to establish and maintain the orphanages.
We encourage you to make communication with God a priority. Pray to God daily and read the Bible daily so God can respond to you through His Word. If you do this you will be surprised at how God will change you and work in your life.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You for the time You have given me to live on this earth. Help me today to reevaluate how I spend my time. Give me the will and dedication to spend more time with You. Help me to take time daily to study Your Word and to communicate to You through prayer. Honor our family with Your blessing and help us to rededicate our time to better serve You.
Mercy: September 28, 2009
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
MERCY
Defined by Webster:
Compassionate or kindly forbearance; shown toward an offender; the disposition of power to be compassionate.
GODS WORD
“It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16
“But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.” Ephesians 2:4
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
Webster defines mercy as compassion shown toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are offenders and in need of God’s mercy. It is because of God’s mercy that we can know Jesus as our Savior. God is truly a God of mercy and of love and although we are undeserving He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God then showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us each day we live on this earth.
We remember hearing a defense attorney in a recent high profile murder trial pleading to the jury for mercy for his client. He was asking the jury to free his client because he was innocent. The jury found the celebrity guilty and showed no mercy and by law the defendant had to pay the penalty. We are all sinners and would be judged guilty by any jury. Thanks to God’s mercy we do not have to face a jury to hear our penalty. God sent His only Son to pay our penalty for all of our sins.
Throughout the Bible we read about God showing mercy. In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God gave to all the generations that followed. In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day. Then He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who shows mercy to us each and every day.
We all know the famous passage found in Psalm 23. In verse 6 it reads: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” All those who love the Lord can be assured of God’s unfailing love and goodness and mercy, just as David was. We fail but God’s mercy does not. God’s mercy is everlasting.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You Lord for the mercy You have shown to me by dying on the cross to save me from my sins so that I do not have to pay the penalty that I rightly deserve. Thank You for the assurance I have that Your mercy is everlasting and that Your love is unfailing. Help me to be merciful to others so that they may see Christ in me.
MERCY
Defined by Webster:
Compassionate or kindly forbearance; shown toward an offender; the disposition of power to be compassionate.
GODS WORD
“It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16
“But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.” Ephesians 2:4
“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5
WORDS FROM KEN AND DOTTIE
Webster defines mercy as compassion shown toward an offender. We have all sinned against God so we are offenders and in need of God’s mercy. It is because of God’s mercy that we can know Jesus as our Savior. God is truly a God of mercy and of love and although we are undeserving He showed His mercy to us by sending His Son to this earth to save us from death. He sacrificed His only son to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then Jesus arose from the grave and soon went to Heaven to prepare for us a place to live for eternity. God then showed His mercy to us by sending His Holy Spirit to be with us and guide us each day we live on this earth.
We remember hearing a defense attorney in a recent high profile murder trial pleading to the jury for mercy for his client. He was asking the jury to free his client because he was innocent. The jury found the celebrity guilty and showed no mercy and by law the defendant had to pay the penalty. We are all sinners and would be judged guilty by any jury. Thanks to God’s mercy we do not have to face a jury to hear our penalty. God sent His only Son to pay our penalty for all of our sins.
Throughout the Bible we read about God showing mercy. In Genesis 18 we read of Sarah laughing at God’s promise, to give her a son in her old age, because she doubted God. God had mercy on her, in spite of her doubt, and gave her the promised son. Time after time the people of Israel turned away from God and sinned against Him, but God had mercy on them and continued to love them and bless them. This was the standard of mercy that God gave to all the generations that followed. In Psalm 18:21 it reads that God gives mercy to the merciful. God wants us to be merciful to those our lives touch each day. Then He promises to be merciful to us. We as Christians serve an awesome God who shows mercy to us each and every day.
We all know the famous passage found in Psalm 23. In verse 6 it reads: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” All those who love the Lord can be assured of God’s unfailing love and goodness and mercy, just as David was. We fail but God’s mercy does not. God’s mercy is everlasting.
TODAYS FAMILY PRAYER
Thank You Lord for the mercy You have shown to me by dying on the cross to save me from my sins so that I do not have to pay the penalty that I rightly deserve. Thank You for the assurance I have that Your mercy is everlasting and that Your love is unfailing. Help me to be merciful to others so that they may see Christ in me.
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